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Master arranger Len "Boogsie" Sharpe and Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove retained their title as National Panorama champions on Saturday night at the Grand Stand, Queen's Park Savannah, beating the leaders of the semi-finals Neal and Massy Trinidad All Stars by one point in a showdown of steel.
The national finals for the Medium and Large Conventional bands proved to be a night of great pan music for patrons at the Port of Spain venue.
Patrons in both the North Stand and the sold out Grand Stand sat through eight hours of sweet pan music before even attempting to leave the venue and still they did not hear the results.
It was just on 3.35 a.m. yesterday when the defending champions came on stage to the delight of the pan fans. Boogsie's introduction was well played and for seven minutes and 49 seconds the audience was treated to the "master" and his followers at work. They played Boogsie's arrangement of "Jump High", with lyrics written by Boogsie and Nigel Rojas, and vocals by soca artiste Destra Garcia.
The melody of the song was well played and there was a great rumbling of the bass pans with the counter melody coming from the frontline pans.
The 120 members played in unison as a well rehearsed unit and the jams were beautifully executed and as always on a final night, Boogsie presented the judges with a fantastic ending. The audience in both stands gave Phase II the thumbs up when they were finished. Of note were the distinctive Miss Miles masks (white face, red lips) and banners worn by dancers on stage carrying the Phase II masthead. The pan stands were also decorated with moko jumbie like figures in red, black and white, also wearing the mask. These are from Miss Miles—A Band on Corruption, which will be seen on the road today led by playwright Tony Hall and actress Cecilia Salazar and designed by Peter Minshall. The Phase II flag itself was carried by Garcia in red boots and a clingy black outfit who lent her own magic to the moment.
At 3.06 a.m. Neal and Massy Trinidad All Stars came on stage to a resounding "roar" from the crowd in both stands. The perennial Panorama favourites played seven minutes and 53 seconds of exciting music beginning with a brilliant introduction and a melodic line that was a true representation of the melody.
All Stars had it all in their rendition of Leon "Smooth" Edwards' arrangement of "Excitement", the use of chromatics and a decorative melodic line together with call and response proved to be very effective.
When they were finished there was a louder "roar" from the audience and the exodus from the Savannah began. In the end one point separated them from Phase II to the delight of their fans and supporters. They won People's Choice.
Bp Renegades in beautiful green shirts was the final band of the night and they came on stage at 4.02 a.m. to produce a great performance of Duvonne Stewart's arrangement of "In D Minor", a song by De Fosto. Renegades played a beautiful introduction to the song and throughout the melody were never lost. Music came at the listener every which way. They also made good use of call and response between the various pans; their ending was also very, very good.
The large Conventional bands began their competition at 11.29 p.m. and it was not until 1 a.m when Witco Desperadoes came on stage did the excitement of the evening truly move the audience, although they appreciated all the music they had heard before.
Desperadoes brought thousands of supporters on stage and they gave a brilliant introduction to Robert Greenidge's arrangement of SuperBlue's "Spankin". The melody was played with precision with very good rhythmic changes. Desperadoes presented a good challenge to the champions.
Ten steel orchestras faced the judges and CAL Invaders with Arddin Herbert's "Jam It" started with good, tight playing and set a standard for the evening.
They were followed by NLCB Fonclaire which played Ken "Professor" Philmore's arrangement of "Big in the Dance" with clarity in the melody line and a great use of the orchestra in their call and response.
NGC La Brea Nightingales followed with their rendition of Terrence "BJ" Marcelle's arrangement of "Pan in the Atmosphere" with a good jam. T&TEC Tropical Angel Harps was next with Clarence Morris' arrangement of "In D Minor". They had an interesting introduction and good melody line.
Playing in position six at about 1.30 a.m. Republic Bank Exodus gave a unique introduction to Pelham Goddard's arrangement of "Pan is Carnival". They also produced nice rhythmic changes which were very effective. As usual they wore distinctive suits with a large red X on their T-shirts
Liam Teague and PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars played Tony Barclay's "The Reason" and brought all aspects of Carnival with them along with great dynamics in their presentation.
The improved tempo by Ray Holman and Skiffle and the use of effective call and response worked for the band which also spliced in a piece of the Wedding March in their performance of "The Wedding". It's an interesting song which describes a wedding between the musical art forms of chutney and soca.
The close points in this category between the top five bands is a reflection of the great pan music that was executed at the savannah for the finals.
The show started several minutes late with the anthem played by Rashard Bernard and Pan Trinbago's President Keith Diaz welcoming all visitors.
In the medium category ten bands also faced the judges and Pan Elders continued their fine form and ran away with the title all be it by three points from defending champions NLCB Buccooners.
Melodians kicked off the action with Amrit Samaroo's arrangement of "The Hammer" followed by Carib Dixieland with Leon Smooth Edward's arrangement of "Dis is It"
After the victory, Phase II manager Errol Skeritt said, "It is not easy to write off Boogsie. He loves the challenge of coming from behind; he thrives on this and loves a challenge. We worked hard after the semi final round. This is a great victory."
After the semi final round Phase II was tied with Witco Desperadoes and Bp Renegades in third position. But after last night's performance in which you saw a spirited and emotional conductor in Boogsie, it was quite clear than Len Boogsie Sharpe is one of the greatest steelband arrangers to walk this earth.
Medium Large
1st Pan Elders 284 1st Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove 287
2nd NLCB Buccooneers 281 2nd Neal and Massy Trinidad All Stars 286
3rd Courts Sound Specialists 277 3rd Bp Renegades 283
4th Petrotrin Katzenjammers 276 4th Witco Desperadoes 281
5th Valley Harps 272 5th Republic Bank Exodus 279
NGC Couva Joylanders 272 6th PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars 274
Arima Angel Harps 272 7th Skiffle 271
CAL Invaders 271
8th Melodians 271 9th NLCB Fonclaire 267
9th NGC Steel Xplosion 266 10th T&TEC Tropical Angel Harps 262
Carib Dixieland 266 NGC La Brea Nightingales 262
Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille N&M Trinidad All Stars


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Click here to print the obituary below
In Memory of
Juanita Ellen Atwell
April 24, 1930 - September 18, 2012
Juanita Ellen Atwell, 82 of Matthews, died September 18, 2012 at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born April 24, 1930, in Marquand, MO, to the late Henry Clarence and Grace Arizona Barrett Stephens, she was a homemaker and member of the First Missionary Baptist Church in Matthews. On October 30, 1948, in Piggott, AR, she married Howard Atwell, who survives of the home.
Other survivors include: one son and daughter-in-law, Ronald and Anne Atwell of Verona, MO; three daughters and two sons-in-law, Linda and Wayne Gremard of Sikeston, Tina Goodland and and Bill Cranman of Palm Harbor, FL, and Cheryl Kinder of Matthews; three brothers and one sister.
Also surviving are four grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one brother and one sister.
Visitation will begin at 12:00 noon on Friday, September 21, until time of the funeral service at 1:00pm at the Nunnelee Funeral Chapel, with Rev. Chris Polk, pastor of the First Missionary Baptist Church of Matthews, officiating.
Burial will follow at the Garden of Memories.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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Buddy Roemer for President: Pro-Life, Anti-Big Money, Pro-Awesome
Neither Buddy Roemer, former governor of Louisiana, nor Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico, is going to be the Republican nominee.
ORLANDO, Fla.—Buddy Roemer is also running for president. He is sitting in the breezy open-air patio at the Doubletree Hilton in Orlando, shaded from the late afternoon sun, recounting the time he received a letter from Richard Nixon congratulating him on a speech, when he spies the man he's been looking for, pops out of his chair and bounds over to him. "I need a Libertarian! I need somebody who's read the Constitution!" Roemer booms in his gravelly, grandfatherly Louisiana accent. "Hi Gary, good to see you! How's it going?"
"Good, good," says Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico and also a candidate for president, removing his polarized sunglasses but leaving his Bluetooth intact.
It's the day before the Florida primary, and while the Republican frontrunners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are zigzagging around the state trying to rally support and rustle last minute votes, Roemer and Johnson are here to speak to a slightly smaller audience: the staff of the American Civil Liberties Union, in town for their annual conference. Many in the GOP mainstream deride these first-amendment boosters as a bunch of godless liberals; Roemer and Johnson, though, are just happy to have the audience.
"You the man!" says Roemer, a former Congressman and governor from Louisiana.
"Well, I think about you all the time. I have good thoughts. Give them hell."
The tall, angular former New Mexico governor poses for a photo with the diminutive, silver-haired Louisiana one. "Don't you miss New Hampshire?" Roemer asks.
"No, not really," Johnson says wryly.
Both men spent significant time campaigning there—Roemer rented an apartment and lived there for months, and Johnson made it the focus of his campaign for the Republican nomination. Roemer finished with 945 votes; Johnson, frustrated with the lack of traction, withdrew from the GOP primary at the end of last year and announced he'd seek the Libertarian nod instead.
Roemer and Johnson are considered boutique candidates, dismissed by the Republican party—Johnson's best known as the legalization candidate, and Roemer's running on a critique of the corrupting influence of money in politics. And yet when you consider the level of crazytalk that has so far pervaded the Republican nominating contest, it becomes apparent that the only thing keeping them from recognition is the money.
Roemer, staying true to his campaign message, is only accepting individual donations of a maximum $100. His last FEC filings were for just $231,532; his campaign said he raised about $50,000 this month. He wasn't able to get on the Florida ballot, and this is the first time he's been to the state this year. He flew here alone, met his volunteer coordinator (who happens to live in Jacksonville), and had a cup of minestrone soup and a half a BLT at the IHOP on the way over.
"You still in?" Johnson asks Roemer.
"I'm still in, still trying. I've always been hard-headed," Roemer replies, chuckling.
When he's done here, Buddy's flying back up to New York for a taping of Morning Joe. "We've been on four or five times and we raise large sums of money every time, $25, $50 a gift," Roemer says. The best shows for fundraising, though, are The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, where the candidate has appeared to critique the campaign finance system. We are walking under prefab thatched huts, on a little footpath under rustling palms in the hotel courtyard, to a small, musty hotel room the ACLU has given him to rest before the speech. He promises his ACLU host we'll only be thirty minutes, but the interview takes more than an hour. In his first answer he touches on almost all of my questions, hop-scotching from issue to issue with the enthusiasm of a breathless child.
He declares pretty much everything—his support base, the Occupy movement, a speech he gave in front of the Chinese Embassy, to be awesome. ("It's awesome!" or "It was awesome!" or "Just awesome!") He is sitting on the edge of his seat, blue eyes flashing, his greying eyebrows arched high above his wire-framed glasses, so emphatic that every quote ends in exclamation. His breadth is both exhaustive and exhausting, and we continue on like this, unspooling bits of information as we go.
On Romney: "The one percent!" And Gingrich: "The lobbyist for the one percent!"
On his first legislative priorities as president: "HB 1 campaign reform, HB 2 fair trade, HB 3 energy independence, HB 4 tax reform!"
On his cabinet: "It'd be white and black, man and woman. It'd look like America—it's young and old, people who know how to tweet, people who don't know how to spell it!"
On the Occupy Wall Street movement: "I love young people, I learn so much, I went to Occupy Wall Street, Occupy DC, Occupy New Hampshire, Occupy Boston—just to listen! I didn't call them up and say here I come, I just went to listen, and they gathered around. It was awesome!"
We run through a brief biography: born in Shreveport, went to Harvard at age 16, graduated from the business school, ran for Congress without taking PAC money, and won. Then ran for Governor without taking PAC money, and won. Switched mid-term from Democrat to Republican—and lost reelection. Made another go of it in 1995, and lost again. Decided to come out of retirement to protest the massive influence of moneyed interests in Washington.
He snatches the complimentary copy of USA Today and starts drawing a Venn Diagram—Republicans in the right circle and Democrats on the left, a little space overlapping between them. "These are the Dems—I used to be a Dem—these are the Repubs. This is 30 years ago. See this space in here where they overlap? That's where you pass bills! That's where you got it done. That's where Reagan led."
He draws two circles, far apart. "That's where we are now. The Dems are pulled to the left—no, wait, I got 'em on the wrong side." He scribbles out and redraws. "Dems pulled to the left by this wing, Repubs are pulled to the right. NO ACTION! GRIDLOCK!" he bellows, though I'm only a few feet away, on the hotel room sofa. "That's all that's changed. Here's where I am." He draws himself in the middle. "I'll have Democrats and Republicans. I'll have a Democratic running mate. It will be a unity ticket."
He says he used to measure success by his ability to get on the stage and debate his ideas with the other candidates. But he can't get on stage, so he's taken to Twitter, where he interacts with journalists and snarks on the other candidates.
"Yay! Newt doesn't want to bicker. Oh, wait....five seconds passed. He now wants to bicker. sigh" he tweeted during the CNN debate on Thursday. "When Santorum sounds reasonable, you know you're watching the debate from hell," he wrote.
"I have two ladies—volunteers—who travel with me on debate night, and we go to it," he says, of his Twitter prowess. "They are fast, I am glib, you put those two together, and we have some hell of a tweets, man! We get retweeted more than anybody else running. I don't know why—maybe because they're busy debating."
I ask him if it's frustrating, being left out of debates. "It depends on how many beers I've had—I'm joking, don't you dare put that down!" he says. Sure, it frustrates him, but he doesn't seem too upset about it. About his Twitter following, he concludes, "it's awesome!"
There are only 46 people in this canary-walled conference room. But like a rock band that arrives for a show to find a concert hall empty, Roemer plugs in and gives his all anyway. From behind a small podium, his red tie a touch askance, he laments the decline of manufacturing in America, rails against free trade, decries the influence of corporate lobbyists on the tax code, complains that the president took donations from major corporations.
"Two hundred thirty six years after the American revolution we find ourselves in a similar dilemma with the colonists, living in an empire divided into two classes: the elite and everyone else. The majority of America has become colonial plantation labor. Tad by those who don't pay themselves, put at risk by those who are guaranteed survival. Governed by those immune to the consequences of their actions." Some of the group of ACLU staffers are giggling. But even more are nodding along. "It's the political elite, with their K Street and Wall Street connections. It's the tyranny of the big check, and I've never seen an election like the one we're having now."
He wins a strong round of applause as he finishes, and then confesses sheepishly, "I wrote that in a coffee shop on the way in," and gets more laughs and more applause. "Remember that question we got in the third grade—what sound does a tree make if it falls in the forest and no one hears it? Well that's me! No one hears me!"
One woman near the front of the group gets up and says, "I'm thrilled by your appearance here, and I'm totally charmed, I have to admit." But then the tough questions start coming: How do you keep lobbyists from circumventing the rules? Have you changed your stance on the death penalty? What about abortion?
"It doesn't make everyone happy. Maybe it makes nobody happy," he says, explaining that he's pro-life but overturned two abortion bans as a governor. "But that's what I believe."
That's Roemer's other problem, aside from the lack of exposure: free from the confines of money, he's crafted a platform that's largely appealing to most people but contains enough apostasies to make him unpalatable to base voters from either party. "I don't know enough about his positions," said Scott Reiners, standing in the back of the room after the speech. "But I can't vote for an anti-choice candidate."
As he made his way out of the conference room, I asked Buddy if he thought he'd convinced them. "No!" he guffawed "But we got started. We'll meet again."
_Follow Marin on Twitter for more updates from the Florida campaign trail. _


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At the seventh annual International Thriller Writers (ITW) awards banquet, held July 14, 2012 at New York City's Grand Hyatt Hotel, Stephen King's time-travel thriller 11/22/63 (Scribner) was named the Best Hard Cover Novel. Jeff Abbott's The Last Minute (Sphere: Little, Brown UK) took the honors as Best Paperback Original; first published in Britain in 2011, Abbott's new Sam Capra thriller was just released this month as a Grand Central hardcover. And Cornell University physics professor Paul McEuen won Best First Novel for his science thriller Spiral.
The ITW also announced two new awards for 2013 that will recognize young adult thrillers and ebook originals. Three giants of the genre were presented honors for their contributions: ThrillerMaster Jack Higgins, True Thriller Award winner Ann Rule, and 2012 Silver Bullet Award recipient Richard North Patterson.
The evening capped a four-day conference of writing workshops and publishing industry panels that also included spotlight interviews with Lee Child, Catherine Coulter, John Sandford, Richard North Patterson, and Ann Rule, as well as author signings and a breakfast that introduced 21 debut authors. For an annotated list of the authors and their titles, see Barbara Hoffert's "International Thriller Writers Debut Authors: 21 Thrillers to Shiver Your Bones."


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Welcome to the Hot Tub Things Blog. Discover all the latest products and get tips on how to keep your hot tub in tip top condition with The Hot Tub Things blog!
Archive for February, 2012
Spa Supplies for Effective Spa Care
Posted: February 23, 2012 - 09:02 pm
Spa maintenance is an essential part of hot tub ownership. And to maintain your spa properly you need to follow certain steps and use the proper spa supplies. Cleaning and Sanitizing Cleaning and sanitizing your hot tub is one of the most important parts of hot tub ownership. In addition to removing any obvious debris likeRead the full story
Spa Filters: Is it Time to Change Your Filter Cartridge?
Posted: February 16, 2012 - 06:55 pm
Spa filters are a key element to the health of your spa because they work to clean all the contaminants – like body oil, dirt, hair, leaves and bugs – from your home spa. However, all that hard work doesn't just happen. You have to take an active part in keeping your spa filter clean. It'sRead the full story
A replacement spa pillow can make the difference
Posted: February 9, 2012 - 06:08 pm
Imagine relaxing in your hot tub, enjoying the aroma of lavender or eucalyptus, letting all your cares drift away. Now imagine laying your head on your spa pillow only to find it is worn out, so that doesn't provide the proper head and neck support. The neck and the back are two of the most common areasRead the full story
Making Your Spa Cover Last Longer
Posted: February 3, 2012 - 05:01 pm
Spa covers are a valuable part of spa care because they help keep dirt and debris out of your spa. However, they are subject to wear and tear just like anything else. So while they are doing their job, they become susceptible to grit, grime, dirt, mildew and mold. Clean Your Spa Cover Monthly Begin byRead the full story


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posted on 15 September 2016
Dear Mark Zuckerberg: Why Editors Were Wrong To Damn Facebook For Censorship
from The Conversation
-- this post authored by Jane B. Singer, City, University of London
Facebook's recent decision to block a Norwegian user's post containing the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of children, one of them a terrified and naked girl fleeing a napalm attack during the Vietnam war, was met by a cry of outrage from journalists and other free speech advocates.
Norwegian writer Tom Egeland had posted the picture on his Facebook page as part of a discussion of "seven photographs that changed the history of warfare". He was subsequently blocked from Facebook.
When Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reported on this, including the image in its story and posting it on Facebook, the image was blocked there, as well. Facebook cited its policy of barring images of nude children as part of its defence against use of its platform for child pornography.
Facebook policy om sexual violence and exploitation. Facebook
Things escalated from there. The newspaper splashed the image across its front page (as did other news outlets, including the Guardian in the UK), accompanied by a "Dear Mark Zuckerberg" letter from editor Espen Egil Hansen. Hansen expressed strong concern that "the world's most powerful editor", in charge of "the world's most important medium" was "limiting freedom instead of trying to extend it".
Norway's prime minister, Erna Solberg, also weighed in, calling the "highly regrettable" decision an attempt to "edit our common history". The CEO of Index on Censorship, Jodie Ginsberg, was even more blunt: "Absolutely idiotic", she declared. Journalists, politicians and others around the world republished the image in protest and as a sign of solidarity.
On Friday, Facebook backed down. It reinstated the picture, citing its "status as an iconic image of historical importance", which, it said,
The company pledged to "adjust our review mechanisms" and to engage with "publishers and other members of our global community on these important questions going forward".
It was a good, if belated, decision. But was it a victory for free speech? Not inherently.
Two wrongs about a right
Facebook's initial argument that posting the iconic photo would make it more difficult subsequently to refuse to post other photos of naked children was arguably disingenuous but also just plain faulty. Surely a company with the obvious, indeed mindboggling, technical chops that Facebook possesses, has the ability to create an algorithm to take such markers as Pulitzer Prizes into account when making publication calls. Although there are bigger issues here related to letting algorithms make such editorial judgements in the first place, with or without human assistance, the problem in this particular case really should not have arisen at all.
But editors also are on shaky ground in trying to dictate to Facebook what it should or should not publish. It is in fact ironic that they should think doing so is appropriate, let alone righteous, behaviour.
To understand why, consider the justifiable rage if the situation were reversed: if a third-party platform (or anyone else, for that matter) attempted to tell a journalist what stories to write and how to play them. Freedom of the press conveys the right to make independent decisions about what to cover, how to cover it and what to do with the information once it's in hand. It is the freedom to decide what to say, as well as when and where and how to say it. It also conveys the right not to say something.
Global editor-in-chief? Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Brian Solis, www.briansolis.com and bub.blicio.us, CC BY
Every publisher must have that freedom if it is to have any meaning - including, yes, Facebook. Despite its rather convoluted recent attempts to define itself as a "tech company" or platform rather than a "media company", it clearly is both. A decision by Facebook not to allow a particular bit of information to appear on its site may be a bad decision - whether based on policy or merely on an algorithm that needs to have considerably more nuance built in - but it is neither tyranny nor censorship. The company did not tell other people what they could or should do with the photo. It merely exercised its right to make the call in relation to the image on its own site.
Power of the platform
What makes this trickier, though, is that the Aftenposten editor is right about his broader charge: that Facebook holds unprecedented global power over the flow of information. But this power over the press, which is indeed significant, is actually quite different from censorship as understood by both tradition and law.
Facebook cannot prevent an item from being made visible to an audience, as it has no control over what publishers choose to publish or broadcasters to broadcast through their own distribution channels. (Even individuals, such as the writer Egeland here, can disseminate information through their own blog, among other options.) The power it does have, however, is to expand an item's visibility once it is published or broadcast. Conversely, if Facebook chooses not to exercise that power to extend visibility - as it has a right to do - then visibility is indeed curtailed. And significantly: an estimated 40% of traffic to news sites now comes from Facebook, more even than Google.
The issue for the commercial media, then, is primarily an economic one - their ability to generate revenue ultimately depends on people seeing (and, ideally, somehow engaging with) their wares, the information they produce and provide - and only by extension an editorial one. Current law tends to deal with the economic and editorial realms separately: the first primarily as a matter of commerce and the second as a civil liberties issue, for instance involving free speech.
Such a dichotomous understanding worked well enough when the same parties controlled both the creation of content and the means of distributing it. But over the past decade, with the inexorable rise and exponentially growing power of external platforms, that situation has changed. Media companies no longer create all their own content (for instance, they rely increasingly on material generated by users), and they control a diminishing number of the ways in which that content is accessed.
Their reach is thus limited by the availability of their content on someone else's information delivery mechanism. In addition to Facebook and Google, those mechanisms include Twitter, YouTube (owned by Google), Yahoo! and a rapidly proliferating array of other "social sharing" technologies.
In other words, the effectiveness of news companies, and perhaps even their survival, is at least to some extent out of their hands. The situation is both frightening and frustrating. Aftenposten editor Hansen declared, in his front page "letter" to the Facebook boss, that "editors cannot live with you, Mark, as a master editor". And, though he didn't say it, as master publisher, too.
Yet live with Zuckerberg and his peers they must - somehow. For the foreseeable future, content will be shared, but the space in which that shared content appears will remain under the control of distinct entities, with distinct organisational cultures, ideas about what constitutes valuable content, and economic interests. The inevitable struggle over this highly contested ground has significant implications not just for the media and technology players directly involved but also for the millions of people who count on both of them to work - and to work together.
Jane B. Singer, Professor of Journalism Innovation, City, University of London
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
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text: [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/48739/harmony-theory Harmony Theory]] is a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic by Sharaloth.After the defeat of Chrysalis, Celestia assigns Twilight the task of studying the Elements of Harmony. Over a thousand years later, Rainbow Dash wakes up underground, next to a dead stallion, with no memory of anything that has happened since Ponyville was assigned tornado duty, in a world very different to the one she is used to. Equestria has split in two, the magic of the world has faded, the geography, cultures and languages are not what she is familiar with and the first thing she does gets her in trouble with the Lunar Republic's police force.After injuring herself, she is rescued by [[BadassBookworm Star Fall/Fallen Star]] and her griffon bodyguard Astrid, two spies for the Solar Kingdom. Star Fall recognizes the language Rainbow speaks as Old Equestrian, that she is the most powerful and magical pegasus to have been seen in at least eight hundred years and that she is claiming to be the ancient hero Rainbow Dash.The tensions between the two sides of Equestria only increase with the arrival of a living superweapon and it looks like Nightmare Umbra, the alicorn of war is set to return. And what does Rainbow's arrival have to do with the activities of the criminal Max Cash?And how does all this relate to Twilight's disturbing discoveries about the Elements of Harmony themselves?''Harmony Theory'' updates every few months. ----!!This fanfic contains examples of the following tropes:* TheAce: Rainbow Dash[[spoiler:, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie]]. This is due to their vast amount of innate magic, which the ponies of future Equestria have little of. Twinkle Shine even comments that Rainbow Dash was a phenom even by pre-Schism standards.* AfterTheEnd: The Schism was an apocalyptic event which resulted in this.* AGoodWayToDie: [[spoiler: Charisma dies, after an epic battle with her WorthyOpponent and reverts back to her normal form, after which point the power of the Elements start to disintagrating her, while she is ''still conscious''. Despite this, she manages to laugh it off and exchange confessions of love with Trail Blazer, as he comforts her. He also honors her last request of smiling the whole, which she considers is a pretty good last image to go out on.]] * AllThereInTheManual: Backstory for [[http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/301231/supplementary-materials-the-solar-kingdom The Solar Kingdom]] and [[http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/550996/mid-october-update Lunar Republic]] can be found in the authors blog posts.* AnimalisticAbomination: [[spoiler: Continued use of the Elements has turned Max into.. something else.]] [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Assuming he was really a regular pony to began with.]] * ArmourPiercingQuestion: When trying to get Rainbow to understand his view of Charisma, Blaze asks her:--> '''Blaze''': "And you fly fast. How would you feel if you were told ever since you were a little filly that you weren't allowed to? That it was wrong."* ArrangedMarriage: The griffons and changelings have eugenics programs. The Solar King also has the power to arrange this. [[spoiler: He uses this power to betrothe Star Fall to his son]].* AscendedToCarnivorism: A variation is revealed in chapter 36; dragons before the Schism ''could'' eat meat, but preferred not to, due to the abundance of sapient animals and the fact they could get just as much nourishment from gems. However, this ability was based on the high levels of ambient magic, so after the Schism, they had to revert to eating meat.* TheAssimilator: Nightmare Umbra can absorb the ashes of the fallen to increase her strength, and she can summon anyone she had absorbed as an undead minion. -->'''Nightmare Umbra''': Burn, Fallen Star. Burn And Become One With Me.* BadFuture: What Rainbow Dash finds herself in. While not dystopian, it's still bad compared to her Present Day. [[spoiler: Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy find themselves there, too, whilst Spike is still alive]].* BadassBoast: Nightmare Umbra gives these a lot. Examples:-->"Beaten? No. At My Weakest I Fought Three Of Your Best, And They Did Not Impress. The Student Who Thinks Herself A Princess? Her Magic Could Not Match Mine. The Soldier Who Forsakes Duty? Her Fury Was But The Wind, Its Might Spent On Empty Bluster. The Hero A Thousand Years From Home? She Was The Only One Who Could Challenge Me, And Even She Fell To My Power."-->"So Be It. If A Thousand Stand Together, Then Together A Thousand Will Fall."\\"There Is No Escape. There Is No Victory. There Is Only Me. And Death."\\"I Am The Destroyer! I Am Nations Brought Low And Cities Made Ruin. I Am The Final Power, The Ultimate Darkness. I Am The Doom Of Ponykind, And Through Me All Things Will Become Ash. I Am '''Nightmare Umbra'''!"\\"Heed Your Mentor's Words, Fallen Star, And Hide While You Can. For In The End, There Will Be Nowhere To Run To."* BadassBookworm: Star Fall is a scholar, magic talent, spy and powerful (by modern standards) mage, able to use her abilities in a fight.* BadassGrandpa: [[spoiler: Spike is one, having reached the present day "the long way around". The little baby dragon is now one of the biggest adult dragons still alive on the planet, and with a huge amount of political influence if he deigns to use it.]]* BigBadEnsemble: Between Nightmare Umbra and Max Cash. * BigBadassBattleSequence: Umbra's attack on the Solar Capital and Cash's siege of Senator Birk's Massion.* BigFancyHouse: Spike curved his own personnel palace, inside a mountain. * BladeOnAStick: Melody chooses a spear in her fight against [[spoiler: Charisma]].* BulletCatch: Max Cash does this, after Traduse and Hard Boiled try to get the drop on him with their guns. [[spoiler: [[ImmuneToBullets Not that he has to..]]]] * BlessedWithSuck: ** Starfall is the first pegasus on modern record, to be born with a magic Cutie Mark. This has lead to her being taken from her family and used as a political tool most of her life.** Charisma's Cutie Mark decreed special talent: she's a born assassin. As a result, she constantly "hears" her subconscious not only whispering ''how'' she can kill every single being she interact with, but demanding that she ''does'' kill them. It goes without saying that this has driven her totally insane.** Detective Hard Boiled's LivingLieDetector abilities cause him pain and fatigue whenever he uses them. Being around things that are inherently lies like Changelings and long term illusions is like torture to him.* BloodKnight: Charisma's talent actually encourages her to fight. And she really enjoys it.* BullyingTheDragon: Max taunts Charisma about her parents after getting to Fluttershy's statue and almost gets her to kill him. Whether there is any reason to this or if it was just ForTheEvulz is unknown.* ButForMeItWasTuesday: A pony named Melody Drop wants revenge on Max Cash for killing her master. While he vaguely remembers the incident, he doesn't remember who she is.* CharmPerson: Max Cash, who uses a combination of ArmorPiercingQuestion and BreakThemByTalking to compel his victims into performing, as he calls it, "One. Little. Betrayal." [[spoiler:Him using an Inverted Element of Loyalty helps.]]* CivilWar: The Solar Empire and Luna Republic ultimately descend from a particularly bloody and brutal war that was fought centuries ago, after the deaths of Twilight's original circle of friends. How bitter was it? [[spoiler: Celestia and Luna grew so sick of the two factions who claimed to be operating in ''their'' names, but wouldn't listen to either of their "chosen" rulers, that they abdicated and left Equestria in the hooves of Twilight Sparkle. And that was just the start of when things went wrong.]]* CloudCuckooLander: Blaze's speeches are enough to make some fans suspect him to be Pinkie's descendant.* CrapsackWorld: The future version of Equestria... well, let's see: Celestia and Luna are, to all practical purposes, ''dead''. A planet-wrecking apocalypse has siphoned away so much magic that the sapient races of Equestria either lost most of their powers, were ''rendered nonsapient'', or were ''driven extinct''. Pony civilization has shattered from the peaceful, harmonious unity they were under the Alicorn diarchy into two warring factions, the Solar Empire and the Luna Republic. Cutie Marks can apparently now mentally ''damage'' their bearers -- and since this world is grim enough it's possible to get Cutie Marks for talents in ''killing'', that just makes it worse. A MadGod is prophesied to return and finish the annihilation of the world. There's a psychopath running around trying to get his hooves on the Elements of Harmony as part of some mysterious plan. Yeah, this world sucks. No wonder Rainbow Dash is less than impressed with the future.* CuteAndPsycho: Charisma is a pretty pink pegasus who is considered very attractive. She's also [[AxCrazy dangerously insane]].* DeadpanSnarker: Astrid telling Star that she [[SarcasmMode regrets becoming an "unstoppable badass" instead of learning "egghead language"]] shows her to be this.* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler: Being pushed over this by the CivilWar is what led Twilight Sparkle to create Nightmare Umbra, hoping that Equestria would finally reunite in the face of ultimate, universal annihilation.]]* DestructiveRomance: Charisma and Trail Blazer old relationship is implied to be this. * TheDreaded: Charisma is basically considered impossible to beat in single combat and scares just about everyone who knows about her. Nightmare Umbra is even scarier as she's effectively a {{war god}}dess ponification of destruction.* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Rainbow, Astrid and Star Fall actually manage to [[spoiler: chase off Nightmare Umbra. However, Umbra is still regaining her strength.]]* DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength: A variation. Rainbow ''does'' know how strong she is. What she doesn't realize at first, though, is how fragile everypony ''else'' is, and nearly kills two police officers by accident. Even the air pressure from her sonic booms are dangerous.* DyingAsYourself: After going OneWingedAngel [[spoiler: during her fight with Rainbow Dash, Charisma seems somewhat happy that her body reverted back to its original form, as she dies.]] * EasilyForgiven: Charisma lampshades that after Max will get under her skin, she'll barley stop herself from killing him, he would make another snide remark and it will be business as usual... except this time* EliteMooks: The Changelings and Griffins serve as this, for the Lunar Republic and Solar Empire respectively. * EstablishingCharacterMoment: Trail Blazer makes his introduction by butting into an argument between Calumn and a bartender, to correct Calumn phrasing: "It's not robbery, it's ''extortion''." He then casually warns his new buddy, that the guide he was about to hire is planning to rob and leave him for dead in the Everstorm, in a very cheerful and casual manner. * EternalEnglish: Averted. Although the languages that the two sides speak are based off of Old Equestrian, neither one can be understood by Rainbow Dash at first. That and, like real languages, Solar and Lunar are different enough that understanding one doesn't mean you understand the other.* FantasticRacism: Most ponies have serious hatred of changelings and in the Solar Kingdom there is a strong belief in the supremacy of unicorns over other kinds of ponies. [[spoiler: It leads to some political uncertainties and a lot of angry nobles the moment the king announces that Star will marry one of his sons, who he also makes his heir to the throne]]. * FantasticSlur: "Insect" for changeling. Also [[NicknamingTheEnemy the two sides of Equestria call each other "lunatics" and "sun-heads".]]* FauxAffablyEvil: Max Cash can act rather polite and friendly. But it has a disturbing undercurrent. He [[EvilCannotComprehendGood barely understands friendship]] and basically is just messing with everybody's heads. While not confirmed by the writer, a lot of Max's actions are similar to the characteristics of actual sociopaths. * {{Foreshadowing}}:** Max Cash [[spoiler: surviving the hole Hard Boiled put where his heart would be, should clue you in that Astrid ripping out his heart isn't going to work.]]* ForTheEvulz: Max Cash causes a lot of pain and suffering just because he can.* FriendlyEnemies: One-sided example with Cash, who half tauntingly expresses admiration for the awakened heroes.* FromBadToWorse: [[spoiler: The backstory of Nightmare Umbra's creation, as revealed by Spike in chapter 36: the budding CivilWar first drove Celestia and Luna to abdicate so that they couldn't be used as figureheads for factions they had nothing to do with. Then, under Twilight Sparkle's leadership, war ultimately broke out. When it destroyed Canterlot, a devastated Twilight created Nightmare Umbra as a way to force the reunification of ponydom, no matter how many lives it took. When it seemed like even that wasn't working, Twilight attempted to stop her creation, which produced the Schism as a mere byproduct of the battle.]]* GeniusLoci: The Everstorm seems sentient and malevolent.* GenreSavvy: Rainbow has read enough ''Daring Do'' books to know to '''always''' check the body, when villains like [[spoiler: Max Cash are seemingly dead.]] * GenreShift: Hard Boiled and Traduse's segments have a lot more BuddyCopShow and FilmNoir elements.* GoneHorriblyWrong: [[spoiler: Needless to say, Twilight's plans for Nightmare Umbra went soundly tits-up, as evidenced by the creation of the modern Solar Kingdom and Lunar Republic.]]* {{Gotterdammerung}}: Celestia and Luna are now [[spoiler: sealed in their respective celestial bodies, which happened after they ''voluntarily'' abdicated the Equestrian throne in the face of the CivilWar]]. Additionally, a magical disaster called the Schism has sucked away the vast majority of the planet's magic, possibly imprisoning it in the form of the Everstorm. See TheMagicGoesAway.* GreyAndGrayMorality: Neither the Solar Kingdom or Lunar Republic are exactly bad, both have some unpleasant parts to them and neither is really that wrong for seeing the other as a serious threat. The only black so far seems to be Cash and Nightmare Umbra, a criminal with way too much power and an immortal alicorn that causes a lot of destruction. [[spoiler: And it turns out that Nightmare Umbra is literally a living invocation of the WellIntentionedExtremist trope, having been ''created'' to be a force of destruction so terrible that ponies would finally unite against her, as they had been before the CivilWar.]]* HarmfulHealing: Healing magic (especially if done wrong/by an inexperienced unicorn) caries a high risk of causing cancer, so most avoid using it unless they have no choice.* HermeticMagic: As a pegasus, Star Fall has no horn and so casts spells by drawing magic circles on spell paper.* HealingFactor: Nightmare Umbra regenerates almost instantly from injury, [[MadeOfIron assuming you can get through her defenses]]. Her [[BloodyMurder blood fights back as well.]] Rainbow also heals extremely quickly to the point that when Star Fall boosted her HealingFactor her wounds began closing up before their eyes.* {{Hellfire}}: Nightmare Umbra controls Ashfire. One touch and it consumes you until nothing is left but ash, and it is almost impossible to extinguish. [[spoiler:It feeds on magic. Star Fall is able to survive it by redirecting her internal magic away from it, so it goes out from lack of fuel.]]* IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim: After [[spoiler: the heroes finally have Max Cash on the ropes, in Fluttershy's temple]], both Applejack and-more reluctantly-Calumn, try to convince them that killing [[spoiler: Cash]] while he's defenseless is wrong, whether he deserves it or not. Of course, [[spoiler: this becomes a moot point soon after.]]* ImmuneToBullets: [[spoiler:When Rarity is shot in the head with a sniper rifle, the impact only knocks her unconscious instead of penetrating her skull and killing her.]] ** [[spoiler: Max Cash is also this... but ''how'' is little more mysterious.]]* ImpossibleTask: The Maul is an obstacle course designed to be impossible to complete which is used in training Solar Kingdom spies. [[spoiler: Rainbow completed it, but with a lot more difficulty than she expected as she didn't realise that she'd have to be dodging bullets, missiles and melee fighters at the time.]]* ImposterForgotOneDetail: Max Cash tells a story of a time in his youth when a changeling impersonated one of his friends. He fooled everybody except him. This was because Max had personally murdered the friend via drowning a short time ago. Max then killed the changeling the same way.* InLoveWithYourCarnage: After Charisma sees what Rainbow can do, she seems impressed and starts calling her [[TermsOfEndangerment "Hot Stuff"]]. She is also pleased by Blaze's resistance to torture.* InsistentTerminology: In the future, Cutie Marks are now called Talent Glyphs. Rainbow Dash adamantly refuses to use that term and always calls them Cutie Marks.* InstantExpert: Rainbow Dash [[spoiler: and later Applejack and Rarity]] learns the modern language well enough to passably speak it in a matter of weeks. [[spoiler: It's hinted that something strange might be going with them to let them do that]].* InterplayOfSexAndViolence: Charisma is sometimes turned on by the idea of others being injured.* InUniverseNickname: Blaze for Trail Blazer.* IWantGrandKids: The main reason the king [[spoiler: sets up Star's marriage to Regal is the hope that they'll produce an Alicorn grandchild]]. Even though it really shouldn't work [[spoiler: he seems to have had some of his family's mystic visions that suggest she'll be somehow involved in the process of their return]].* IWantMyJetpack: Rainbow Dash actually asks outright where the jetpacks are early in the story, and is visibly bummed to hear that Equestria doesn't have them. In fact, as Star Fall notes with some disappointment, Rainbow Dash is pretty unimpressed with the future in general. Justified: modern Equestria ''is'' a CrapsackWorld in comparison to the Equestria of 1000 years ago, so it's kind of understandable that Rainbow Dash feels let down.* KnifeNut: Charisma raids Melody's weapons. Naturally, it's the knives she takes.* {{Knighting}}: [[spoiler: Rainbow Dash]] gets knighted after helping defeat [[spoiler: Nightmare Umbra.]] However this is done not as a reward, but as a political tactic to draw attention away from [[spoiler: Star Fall's engagement to the prince.]] In this universe, knighthood is another form of nobility, and giving the knight an estate to manage is included in the ceremony.* LightningBruiser: Rainbow is faster, stronger and tougher than pretty much every modern pony. There ''are'' modern supersonic pegasi, but they are [[FragileSpeedster extreme specialists]] and only the more powerful earth ponies are stronger or tougher (and probably not both). This is explained as a side-effect of the {{Gotterdammerung}}.* LivingLieDetector: Hard Boiled's magic lets him function as one of these.* LivingStatue: [[spoiler:Apparently Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and presumably the rest of the Mane 6 are animate sculptures who possess their respective consciousness from different periods of time.]]* TheMagicGoesAway: The Schism, a mysterious cataclysm that sapped away a large portion of the planet's magic. This had ''extremely'' negative effects on the planet. Many species actually went from being sapient to being little more than animals, or outright extinct. Dragons suffered a DepopulationBomb effect, as the larger ones suffocated under their own weight; those who survive have to carefully marshal their growth, lest they experience the same fate. Griffons have been afflicted by a SterilityPlague, as the low magic levels pose potentially genocidal impacts on their ability to conceive. Even ponies and changelings, who have come through the Schism with the least issues, have experienced a serious [[BroughtDownToNormal downgrade in their natural abilities]].* MakeMeWannaShout: Nightmare Umbra uses the Royal Canterlot Voice as a weapon. Sonic booms can also be weaponized.* ManipulativeBastard: Max Cash with a little help from [[spoiler: a couple of Elements of Harmony]].* TheMentor: Twinkle Shine for Star Fall.* MindControl: Both an ability used by the changelings and [[spoiler: an ability Max Cash is using the Elements of Harmony for.]]* MotorMouth: Blaze really seems to like talking.* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed.]] Calumn has an existential crisis about his identity as a changeling and what that means, but changelings do not seem to be AlwaysChaoticEvil in this fic. Just [[BlueAndOrangeMorality different]].* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler: As chapter 36 reveals, it was the bloodthirsty stupidity of the Royalist and Rebel factions that ultimately pushed Twilight Sparkle to create Nightmare Umbra, which in turn led to the Schism as an unintended side-effect of Twilight's attempt to stop her. In a more specific case, Princess/Queen Teneral of the Changelings taunted Twilight Sparkle at the final failed peace talks before open war broke out that Twilight could either force them into obedience, thus becoming a tyrant, or watch impotently as Equestria burned itself to the ground before picking up the pieces afterwards. This planted the seed that ultimately became Nightmare Umbra -- and, in an act of LaserGuidedKarma, Teneral is remembered as the ''last'' Changeling Queen because one of Nightmare Umbra's first acts of destruction was ripping Teneral to shreds.]]* NighInvulnerability: [[spoiler: Exposure to the corrupted elements, has given Max Cash this ability.. to the point that tearing out his heart and mauling what's left is only a temporary set back for him.]] * NoBodyLeftBehind: After [[spoiler: Charisma is mortally wounded in her second battle with Rainbow Dash, The Element she was using destroys her body.]] She doesn't seem too bothered. * NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Charisma gives an epic one to Max, along with a "Reason You Suck Speech", after finally having enough of his crap in chapter 33. * NoIndoorVoice: Nightmare Umbra uses the Royal Canterlot Voice at all times.* NoodleIncident: The beginning of Trail Blazer's story about him and Charisma, discussed in chapter 33 begins with him apparently trying to sell a fur coat, while the store was on fire, because he needed water, and Charisma walking in soaking wet from a pond explosion and being chased by water fowls. We get ''no'' knowledge about what happens before this.* NormalFishInATinyPond: While Rainbow Dash and the other members of the Mane Six ''are'' pretty powerful, they are still within the normal abilities of their races. When Dash finds herself 1000 years in the future [[spoiler:(eventually followed by the others)]], where ambient magic has been reduced and much knowledge has been lost, making the inhabitants a lot weaker. For instance, Pegasi have forgotten how to walk on clouds, control the weather, can't fly very fast, and are not strong enough to fly while carrying another pony. Earth Ponies have lost a lot of their strength and speed and their connection with the earth and plant life. Unicorns have relatively weak telekinesis and can't manipulate a lot of objects at once or with fine control. The inhabitants tend to see the ponies of the past as {{Super Soldier}}s. Also, the inhabitants are MadeOfPlasticine compared to the ponies of the past. [[spoiler:When Rarity gets shot in the head, the impact of the bullet only knocks her unconscious, while everyone is shocked that it didn't make her head explode.]]* NotQuiteDead: Did you really think [[spoiler: Astrid tearing Max's heart out]] would stop him?* NotQuiteFlight: Bigwig is a unicorn who can levitate platforms to carry himself at speeds rivaling pegasi (though with worse maneuverability).* OrwellianEditor: Someone went to great lengths to remove any mention of the Elements of Harmony from the world. Even Twilight Sparkle's book on the subject isn't mentioned in any way even though she's basically the founding figure of modern magical studies. Similarly, no one seems to have ever heard of Discord before.* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: While the group debate, [[spoiler: whether they should finish off Max Cash, while they have him dead to rights and only Applejack and Column [[IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim beg the others to just take him in]]]], you know this is serious when the normally very forgiving and FriendToAllLivingThings (even the {{Jerk ass}}es) Trail Blazer plainly says he with the "kill him now" group. * OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions: [[InvertedTrope Inverted.]] Modern Equestria is both more scientifically advanced ''and'' more religious than Rainbow is used to. She considers it strange to think of the alicorns as gods or to pray to them. Twinkle Shine lampshades how this is different from what her class might expect. One possibly reason why might be because of how the depletion of magic has left the general pony population weaker, and thus made once-mundane feats of old now only mythical to modern generations.* PainfulTransformation: [[spoiler:How Twinkle Shine transforms into Nightmare Umbra is...not pleasant. It involves her bones, tendons, and flesh constantly shifting, breaking, tearing, and healing as she grows wings and more than doubles in size.]]* ThePowerOfFriendship: As one might expect for a WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic fic, this turns up. But things are more complicated than you would normally expect from the trope.* ProudWarriorRace: The Griffins* PsychicAssistedSuicide: [[spoiler: Max Cash can do this to the unconnected.]]* PsychoExGirlfriend: Charisma is [[spoiler: Trail Blazer's]] ex.* PunctuatedPounding: Rainbow does this to the thugs who were torturing Blaze and tried to do the same to her.* RagTagBunchOfMisfits: The cast is slowly growing into this. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Hard Boiled:--> '''Hard Boiled''': So we've got a group of heroes from the past, a princess, a Griffin, a Dragon, a Storm Guide, a pair of Changelings, a Senator, an RIA Director [Gamma], and a detective. All in one room. Why do I get the feeling this is all one big joke that I'm not going to get?* RealityIsOutToLunch: The Everstorm induces insanity, creates illusions, moves locations, has variable gravity, logic defying weather, and provides attacks by floating skulls and the occasional crucified zombie ursa major animated by fast growing vines, among other things.* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: ** Bigwig is considered a fair employer and is effective in helping calm a potential mob, [[spoiler: until Charisma intervenes.]]** The king of the Solar Kingdom genuinely wants what's best for his kingdom and people, doesn't really subscribe to the unicorn-supremacist philosophy that some of his nobles do, understands that he has limits on his power and tries to instill the same virtues on his son. His only flaw is that he [[spoiler: also wants Star to give him an alicorn grandchild to help repair the world's political divides even though it's been made clear she can't]].* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Nightmare Umbra delivers a scathing one to the Solar Kingdom nobility.-->'''Nightmare Umbra''': '''Silence'''. To Call Yourselves Noble Is Laughable. You Claim To Worship Celestia, Yet When I Look Into Your Precious, Little, Sun-Loving Faces, I Do Not See Ponies She Would Be Proud Of. Just Look At You Now: You Trample Those Weaker Underhoof In The Hope Of Buying Yourself Another Breath Of Life. Craven Beasts, That Hope Is As Empty As Your Hearts.** Charisma also gives one to Max in Chapter 33. See No Holds Barred Beatdown above.** [[TheSociopath Max]] [[ManipulativeBastard Cash]], the other member of the BigBadEnsemble, gets one of his own after finale pushing his [[TheDragon body guard and right hand mare]] [[DarkActionGirl Charisma]] too far, along side a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown courtesy of the latter.--> Charisma: if you wanted someone to kill you so bad, you could have gotten '''literally anyone''' who's spent more than five minutes with you!*** Disturbingly enough, even after she breaks his shoulder, he just laughs it off.* RedBaron: Charisma is called "The Asskicker" by her enemies. Also, "The Killer".* RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain: Nightmare Umbra's undead minions can only be destroyed by crushing their skulls. They regenerate from anything else, including decapitation.* {{Retcon}}: In her notes, Twilight Sparkle [[spoiler: suggests that the Elements of Harmony are capable of doing this to people and fears that they may have already done so without anyone realizing it]].* RetiredBadass: Bigwig is former military and can fight ''[[TheDreaded Charisma]]''.* RomanticizedAbuse: Zigzagged with Charisma and Trail Blazer. They may have been genuinely in love, but Charisma was still a [[BloodKnight blood thirsty sadist]] who enjoyed torture and had a HairTriggerTemper to boot, and it is likely Blaze was only ever able to take being with her because he was TooKinkyToTorture. * ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Charisma does this, after she in Cash get to Fluttershy's statue. See You're Insane entry below, for more details. * SecretIdentity: Rainbow's is [[MythologyGag Firefly]].* SemanticSuperpower: Rainbow is able to use her talent of being fast and winning to win a bet and learn how to speak Solar in mere days. [[spoiler: Or she might be mistaken after all.]]* ShapeshiftersDoItForAChange: Changelings take full advantage of the fact that their VoluntaryShapeshifting let's them switch gender at will. They do have a default gender though.* ShowWithinAShow: ''Harmony Theory'' itself and ''The Magic of Friendship''. Both are books written by Twilight.* SlaveRace: Every griffon is pledged to serve the Solar King, as his magic is keeping their species from extinction.* TheSlowPath: [[spoiler:Spike made it to the future the old fashioned way.]]* TheSocialDarwinist: Nightmare Umbra hints that she attacks people because she wants them to fight back and prove they are worthy enough to survive. Unfortunately, she's judged the entire world to be unworthy and is determined to exterminate them.-->'''Nightmare Umbra''': I Loathe This Entire World. Filled With Cowards And Fools. Ruled By The Pathetic Wills Of Ponies Who Cannot See Beyond Their Own Petty Wants. A Kingdom Of Friendship? They Will Never Achieve Such A Thing. All They Are Destined For Is To Be Ruled By The Strongest Hoof, Or Ground To Dust Beneath Mine.* SuperBreedingProgram: The Solar King is bent on having powerful Royal Heirs to the point[[spoiler: that he wants an Alicorn born into the family. And he believes Star Fall is the key to this]]. So far, nopony else is in agreement with him, but nopony is able to change his mind.* SquareCubeLaw: Due to the reduced amount of ambient magic to [[RequiredSecondaryPowers support their bodies]], dragons have to maintain a reasonable size to survive. Max Cash goads a young and inexperienced dragon named Boomer into giving into greed. This causes him to grow gigantic and powerful, but then his body starts to collapse on itself.* StrawNihilist: Max Cash reveals himself to be one.-->'''Max Cash''': I knew someone would come. I knew it not because I had planned for you to be here, or because I'm somehow in control of these grand events. No, I knew it because I hadn't planned for it. I knew it because I'm not in control. This isn't my story. I'm not the hero, but neither am I the villain. I'm just like you, in fact. Just like them. I'm a puppet. I'm just another fucking plaything for the real villains. Freedom is a joke, and choice is an illusion. In the end there's only a hoofful of ponies who can honestly say that they've ever actually had one, and most of them never even realized it. Me? I want to be one of them. I want myself to matter. But I can't ever do that unless those same forces that are pulling the strings want to let me. I am at their mercy, just like every other sucker in the whole damn universe. You know how I feel about that? I hate it.* SuperSoldier: How Rainbow is viewed by those in the setting.* TactfulTranslation:-->'''Rainbow:''' Buck you, Bird Brain!\\'''Astrid:''' What did she say?\\'''Star Fall:''' She says that she's unhappy, but will accept the wisdom of your decision.* TooDumbToLive: The Solar Empire and the Luna Republic, as shown in chapter 36, are willing to ignore Nightmare Umbra publicly declaring she's going to kill them all to instead focus on fighting a battle against each other.* TortureTechnician: Charisma and she enjoys it.* TranslationConvention: There are at least three languages in the fic. All three are represented by English in the fic. A switch in languages is represented by writing the language which is spoken less in that scene in italics.* {{Unperson}}: [[spoiler:Discord]].* UnskilledButStrong: ** Astrid claims that Rainbow is this. Gamma responds that the problem isn't that Rainbow is unskilled, but rather that she's a TechnicalPacifist.** Nightmare Umbra has incredible strength and speed, but is a poor flyer, allowing Rainbow to out maneuver her. She also has terrible aim. Still, trying to fight her is nigh impossible since her stamina is unlimited, she can't be hurt permanently, and she can rip out mountain sized chunks of earth and throw them at Mach speeds. * WalkingArmory: How Bigwig chooses to confront Charisma.* WarGod: Nightmare Umbra is thought of this way. But she is feared rather than worshiped.* WarIsHell: Rainbow Dash [[spoiler:and the other elements]] are completely shocked at how horrifying the battles are.** [[spoiler: Chapter 36 reveals that Nightmare Umbra was created to ''invoke'' this, being so powerful and destructive as to end the CivilWar through creating a single enemy so horrible that they would be forced to unite together, and then be so sick of battle as to finally make peace.]]* WeAreStrugglingTogether: [[spoiler: Spike reveals in chapter 36 that the Schism ultimately came to pass because neither the Royalists nor the Rebels would cooperate with each other to fight Nightmare Umbra; they both fought her, but they kept trying to fight each other at the same time, and so she curb-stomped them.]]* WeHaveBecomeComplacent: Nightmare Umbra accuses the Solar Kingdom of this.-->'''Nightmare Umbra''': Eight Hundred Years Have I Waited, Marshaling My Power. Eight Hundred Years Have I Given You To Do The Same. When I Emerged From My Silence I Expected To See Armies Arrayed Against Me! Heroes And Sages Aiding Great Leaders In Battle Against The Only Foe That Will Ever Matter For You. A Worthy Challenge To My Dominion. What Have I Found? The Petty Rulers Of A Broken World, Sitting In Pretty Rows Celebrating The Union Of A Blushing Filly And A Pampered Fop Who You Expect To Be Your Sovereign. Are You Such Fools That You Thought Me Gone Forever? Were You Not Informed Of My Return? Did You Not See The Signs?* WhamEpisode: Chapter 36, full stop. [[spoiler: Spike reveals that Twilight Sparkle ''created'' Nightmare Umbra to be a blunt instrument to force the end of a bloody CivilWar. When things went wrong, she then caused the Schism by accident. Ever since then, Nightmare Umbra has been patiently waiting for the survivors of Equestria to rebuild to the extent that she can try to repeat her original purpose: waging war on both sides until they form a united Equestrian kingdom once more to defeat her.]]* WillingChanneler: Nightmare Umbra is possessing the willing [[spoiler: Twinkle Shine]]. [[spoiler: Except it's a little more convoluted then that... as chapter 36 reveals, they're actually ''two different personalities'' sharing the same body; Twinkle Shine is just the identity that the "peace" side of Nightmare Umbra chose to use during this generation.]]* WingedUnicorn: Nightmare Umbra takes the form of a winged unicorn. [[spoiler: Spike reveals in chapter 36 that there's actually a difference between these and alicorns: Alicorns are linked to cosmic forces, which makes them far more powerful. Nightmare Umbra is dangerous, but if she was an alicorn, she'd have smashed the moon into the planet and killed everything long before now. Twilight Sparkle wasn't ''that'' stupid as to give her that level of power.]]* WorldOfCardBoardSpeech: Charisma gives a short one to Star Fall, after the latter makes the mistake of thinking she's still working for Cash.* WorthyOpponent: How Charisma seems to view Rainbow Dash.* WouldHurtAChild: Max Cash sets fire to a school for fun.* WouldNotShootACivilian: [[spoiler: Subverted with Astrid, who makes it clear that Cash taking someone she barely knows hostage, is not going to stop her from just running through them both.]] Good thing [[spoiler: Calumn]] stepped in to save the day.* YoureInsane: Charisma of all ponies gives one to Max Cash, after they finally get to Fluttershy's statue and instead of a having coherent plan, Max starts babbling about completely contradictory ideas, that make no sense to her.----


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Food, glorious food! Discovering new cuisine is one of the most entertaining and enlightening things about exploring a new place. Sydney hosts the whole world in terms of culinary adventures; so, I was curious about what places the expats have discovered to dine. I asked them to tell us about their favorite restaurant in Sydney.
This is the 14th in an 18 part interview series with expats living in Sydney. Please make sure to visit the fantastic websites of the participants linked below, and join me on Facebook for much more on expat life in Sydney.
Name: Julia
Country of origin: UK
Lived in Sydney: 7 years
Sake in the rocks – modern Japanese, fantastic location. You can go for pre-drinks at the Argyle beforehand, as its next door, and the food in there is just amazing. Cant wait to go back!
Name: Debbie
Country of origin: England
Lived in Sydney: 10 years
Well, I can't exactly claim it's a favourite as I've only eaten there the once, but I'm Angus at Cockle Bay Wharf served by far the best steak I've had in this country (if not ever), I'd love to go back again sometime.
Name: "Bushranger"
Country of Origin: Serbia
Lived in Sydney: 6.5 Years
Toshiya – Japanese restaurant on Military Rd. in Cremorne. Somehow the chef, who came from Tokyo, really knows how to deliver tasty dishes and also cater to the local palette.
Name: Shane
Country of origin: USA
Lived in Sydney: 1 year
Shane blogs at Sea Salt Secrets
The Grounds of Alexandria in Alexandria.
See some of Shane's photos from Easter at the Grounds … like this one!
Name: Kirstie
Country of origin: United States
Lived in Sydney: Since September 2013
Kirstie blogs at Venga Vale Vamos
The Potting Shed in Alexandria (next to The Grounds, which is incredibly popular for brunch) is absolutely beautiful at night, with twinkling lights and lush plants from floor to ceiling, and offers delicious share plates.
Name: Melissa
Country of origin: USA
Lived in Sydney: 1 year
Melissa blogs at Leche Love
So far, Mad Pizza E Bar in Newtown. Both pizza and service are really good.
Name: Victoria
Country of origin: England
Lived in Sydney: 6 years
Victoria blogs at The Freedom Travellers
It would have to be Sokyo at The Star in Pyrmont. The most amazing modern Japanese food and cocktails! The service is fantastic and the food ticks all the boxes. We usually just ask the staff to recommend dishes and they always get it right.
Name: Dido
Country of origin: India
Lived in Sydney: 2.5 years
Nilgiri's at St. Leonards – Dosa's are to die for and go for a nice Sunday brunch with family and friends to enjoy the buffet @$25 per head. (Nilgiri's is moving to a new location in Cremorne, as of August 2016).
Name: Rachel
Country of Origin: England
Lived in Sydney: 4 Years
It's not so much the restaurant, but a regular social get-together with friends represents my favourite restaurant, and not only because of the food. When I lived in Manly, for the best part of just over a year each Monday night would be spent catching up with friends over dinner at The Steyne pub on Manly's Corso.
For the cuisine, I would recommend Provence by Antoine in Concord. Having been there just recently with my boyfriend – the food was incredible. It's a small French cuisine restaurant with a great menu of authentic sourced food and wine and friendly staff, offering a real personal touch in their service.
Name: Erin
Country of origin: Texas, USA
Lived in Sydney: 7 1/2 years
Erin blogs at TexErin-in-Sydneyland
The Oxford Tavern in Petersham for their BBQ pit on Saturday afternoons OR Chophouse on Bligh Street in the CBD for fantastic steaks.
Name: Caitlin
Country of origin: England
Lived in Sydney: 1.5 year
Caitlin blogs at Where's Wallis
I love Toko in Surry Hills. The best sushi I've had in Sydney and fantastic décor and atmosphere. Tip: try to get one of the tables by the bar!
Name: Ashley
Country of origin: United States
Lived in Sydney: 2 years (in Newcastle)
Visit Ashley on Instagram
Because we have kids, we don't tend to pop into real restaurants while in town. We have been to Smash Sausage Kitchen in Newtown which was so delicious. They had veggie sausages which kept me and the kids happy! The Bucket List in Bondi. It's a buzzing atmosphere on the beach and full of model-type people. Everyone's beautiful there!
Drooling, yet? Do tell us your favorite Sydney restaurant in the comments!
Read Part 1: Expectations vs Reality
Read Part 2: The Most Memorable Sydney Day
Read Part 3: Your First Day in Sydney
Read Part 4: Drinking Like an Aussie
Read Part 5: The Birds of Sydney
Read Part 6: Australian Christmas
Read Part 7: Off the Beaten Path
Read Part 8: Questions About Your Home
Read Part 9: What People at Home Think of Australia
Read Part 10: Advice for Moving to Sydney
Read Part 11: A Sydney Weekend
Read Part 12: Australian TV
Read Part 13: Something I Miss From Home


text: Here is improved task list : devel : finite-state-machine-description-to-{C,perl,whatever} (anyone knows such free-or-not program?) CKJV : (CKJV is all very non-free, should be changed) a2ps-perl-ja tex extensions : french abc2mtex arabtex lgrind opustex musixtex (+ -doc) tools/frontends : archie xarchie btoa chktex need investigation : clustalw (anyone knows the free replacement?) frotz imgstar mmm rman treetool not-in-perl : mp3asm tgif user programs : needed ones with similar look & feel axe nedit pico pine patent problems : whirlgif - make other-format-servicing alternative semi-done : html2latex (searching for testers, free version will be much more featuruful ) calctool (tommorow will be searching for testers (7 Dec)) xearth (went gifless) lclint (+ -doc) (went GPL) almost-done: wwwtable important mistake of packages' author : xevil changed license and is not free. it was. we should back to last free version And number ONE : free modular web browser rationale: because making the whole browser is very difficult we should make a set of modules which will make good free browser and will also serve to another tasks list: {http,ftp,gopher,whatever}2pipe (there are some already) html preprocessor - making browser will be much easier if structure is simplified without losing data (see tasklist:devel for what will be needed for good one) mail client in which To and Subject can be run by command line (there are plenty of such programs) user interface - easy html displayer - there are already such ones but w/o frames java applets - (kaffe ?) java scripts - who has any idea mime support - easy Im especially interested in html preprocessor.


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Nature's ambush: new research shows pregnancy more likely from single act of unprotected intercourse than previously believed
Lead research Professor Allen Wilcox from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Durham, North Carolina, said: "There apparently are biological factors promoting intercourse during a woman's six fertile days, whether she wants a baby or not."
It suggests that couples who 'take a chance' with unprotected intercourse have the deck stacked against them. Intercourse apparently does not happen randomly. It's more likely to occur on the fertile days, even though the average woman won't know when these days are.
For whatever reasons (and we don't yet understand the biological reasons behind this) a woman who engages in a single act of unprotected intercourse is more likely to get pregnant than was previously believed.
He said: "It's not uncommon for a doctor to hear from an unhappily pregnant patient that she and her partner had taken a chance 'just this once'. It may be easy to dismiss such claims, but our data suggest these women are probably telling the truth."
Full story: brightsurf.com
Stock Photo credit: tracywade
All rights reserved
The Infertility Cleanse: Detox, Diet and Dharma for Fertility
by Tami Quinn and Beth Heller
-- Women who are trying to conceive will find a holistic approach in this hands-on manual.
Step-by-step guidelines help implement a three-part program — of yoga, hypoallergenic and anti-inflammatory nutrition, and stress-reduction techniques — to cleanse the body, mind, and spirit in preparation for pregnancy.
In addition, this program draws on cleansing methods from traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda and has been specifically designed for women who are trying naturally or with assisted-reproduction plans.
Also based on new clinical research that suggests that gut health, chronic inflammation, and environmental toxins may be root causes of infertility, this important book offers all women a natural, holistic approach to readying the womb for a child.
Paperback: 192 pages - Click to order/for more info: The Infertility Cleanse - US | Canada | UK
-- Start reading The Infertility Cleanse on your Kindle in under a minute! US/Canada | Canada | UK
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here: US | Canada | UK , or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
• Follow us on Twitter, join the conversation on our Facebook page, circle us on Google+, follow our pins on Pinterest.
More Frugal Blogs and Websites:
• Born to Love: All your cloth diapering needs, and much more - naturally! We are strong advocates of the personal, social and environmental benefits of natural parenting.
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• My Frugal Baby Tips: Taking care of baby and mom needs naturally, does not have to cost a whole lot of money!
• Life Begins... - Pregnancy stories of loss, hope and help
• Pregnancy Stories by Age - Daily blog of hope and inspiration!
• You Can Get Pregnant in Your 40's - Sharing articles, discussing options and suggestions
• Stories of Pregnancy and Birth over 44 - sharing news stories I find online, for inspiration!
Category: biological clock, Fertility, fertility awareness, surprise pregnancy, unplanned pregnancy


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John Brzenk is to arm-wrestling as Babe Ruth is to baseball. It's difficult to label John Brzenk as simply an arm-wrestling champion; an arm-wrestling legend would be more apropos. As demonstrated in this excellent documentary, from the heartland of the United States to the remote areas of Russia, "John Brzenk" means one thing: the ultimate goal for every arm-wrestling up-and-comer.
Believe it or not, arm-wrestling is huge. Mammoth-sized giants compete on an international level for titles, trophies, fame, etc. I was skeptical myself that this could be too enthralling; what's the big deal? Two macho dudes lock hands and arm-wrestle, what's the big deal? Little did I know that there are techniques and strategies to the sport, rules and regulations; it's a true competition taken very seriously by millions. Luckily for the novice types like me, the film does a thorough job at going over the few key rules involved, as well as techniques used. The audience can easily follow the lingo and talk of the competitors.
At the center of the arm-wrestling world is John Brzenk, the giant killer. He is called so because even though he is in a smaller weight class, he was able to take down the "super-heavyweights." It's proof that size doesn't always matter. In John's case, it never mattered, as he had gone undefeated and unchallenged when we first meet him in the film. John's a terrific character to watch, not only because of his gentle charisma and humble demeanor, but the array of emotions he experiences. His plan is to go back to the game, and compete once again against a new generation of gigantic titans out for his title.
And so over a period of several years, the filmmakers of Pulling John followed two of these titans. One of which is Alexy Voevoda. Hailing from Russia, this powerhouse has grown up in a country where the government sponsors arm-wrestling as a sport. He has trained for years to become one of the best. In fact, most of what we see Alexy doing is training in his well-stocked gym. A team of trainers coach him as wee see him work out and lift ridiculously heavy weights. At one point we see him lift almost 1,000 pounds. All this training in hopes for a final faceoff with John Brzenk. Let the Rocky IV comparisons begin.
The other hopeful is West Virginia-born Travis Bagent, an energetic and cocky house-sized giant. Travis could easily be an unlikable character, what with his hotdoggin' rowdiness. But yet again the film does a tremendous job inviting the audience into Travis's home life. We see where he came from and the pressure he has built for himself to be the best. His family are his greatest supporters, especially his father, who is a former arm-wrestling champion. Travis is full of confidence to the very end, but getting to see where his confidence comes from allows us to understand it.
And so it begins: the countdown to the main competition. Alexy and Travis square off during one tournament. That east-meets-west moment is in itself one of the tensest moments the film has to offer, only to be dwarfed by yet again another faceoff between the two, which will determine who gets the chance to take down the giant killer, John Brzenk. John's nervous, Travis's nervous, Alexy's nervous—we're nervous. This is a great documentary aimed at audiences both familiar and unfamiliar with the international sport phenomenon of arm-wrestling.
DVD Bonus Features
There are a few trailers cut different ways, some audio commentary with the director and producer, and also from John Brzenk himself. There are a bunch of deleted scenes that are okay if you are really interested and have some time to kill.
"Pulling John" is on sale May 16, 2010 and is not rated. Documentary. Directed by Sevan Matossian, Vassiliki Khonsari. Starring John Brzenk, Alexy Voevoda, Travis Bagent.


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Envirostyles Coupon Code: 10% Discount
This is another Bargainmoose exclusive coupon code, this time for the Canadian eco-friendly boutique, Envirostyles Canada.
Click here to use the Envirostyles coupon code online
- Coupon Code: Bmoose
- Discount: 10% off
- Expires: 23rd April 2011
When you are going through checkout, simply paste Bmoose in where it says "Redemption Code."
Eco-friendly water bottles seem to be all the rage lately. Envirostyles sell "otterbottles." This is a litre bottle for $21.99. Cute! Their lunch bags are also pretty - such as this Red, Grey & White Flower pattern for $13.99.
I stumbled on Envirostyles on twitter last week, while I was searching for coupon codes for Earth Day. They are based out of British Columbia, actually in Prince George (where you can collect orders for free. Regarding shipping, it is a flat rate of $8 for any order under $150, or free if your order is above that level. At least the 10% coupon code can help offset the shipping charge a little bit. :)


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Actress Mischa Barton has denied reports she's joined the cast of the CW's "Gossip Girl," insisting she turned down the chance to do so.
Barton, best known for her role as Marissa Cooper on "The O.C.," claims she declined an offer to star as an old friend of Blake Lively's character Serena Van Der Woodsen on the show.
A spokesperson for Barton says, "She will not be on the show. She was approached, but her reps passed."


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How to say OD in German ˈoʊˈdi
Would you like to know how to translate OD to German? This page provides all possible translations of the word OD in the German language.
Discuss this OD German translation with the community:
Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:
"OD." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2018. Web. 22 Feb. 2018. </translate/OD/DE>.


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The answer to the question whether it is legal to buy prescription drugs from online pharmacies is simple: it depends.

Ordering drugs online and getting them delivered by mail may be legal if certain requirements are met. These requirements range from ones you must fulfill to those that must be met by the business you're ordering from.

Once you are confident that these legal requirements can be met, and you know the pharmacy you've chosen is safe, then it may be time to purchase your prescription drugs from an online pharmacy.

Your Prescription

No doubt you've seen ads and have received emails that claim NO PRESCRIPTION NEEDED! or BUY ___ (fill in the name of a drug) __ WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION! Beware. Ordering from such a pharmacy (if it even truly is a pharmacy) is a big mistake.

To purchase a prescription drug, the most important requirement is that you have a real prescription to give to the pharmacy. By U.S. federal law, in order to sell you a prescription drug, any pharmacy must be able to prove that you, the purchaser, has a relationship with the doctor who writes the prescription. If they sell you a drug without requiring your doctor's signature on a prescription or if their "doctor" has written a prescription for you even if that doctor has never seen you in person, then you and the pharmacy are in violation of the law. That can mean prison.

Some pharmacies that claim you don't need a prescription will try to get around the requirement by giving you a questionnaire to fill out. Then, based on your answers to the questionnaire, they will claim their own doctor will diagnose you and prescribe the drug you "need" (meaning the one you requested.)

Don't let them fool you. The law says you must have seen the prescribing doctor in person. If their "doctor" (how do you know they have a doctor on staff?) prescribes a drug for you, it's illegal.

Foreign Pharmacies

It's illegal for Americans to order drugs from any pharmacy located outside the United States, including Canada or Mexico. This is a law imposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); in some circumstances, that law may be overlooked and not enforced. Sometimes the FDA looks the other way. Learn more about the FDA's rules for purchasing from foreign pharmacies, and the potential non-enforcement of those rules.

Additional considerations for making sure your online drug purchase is legal:

Be sure you can answer all these questions with a yes, according to FDA, Federal Trade Commission, and Drug Enforcement Agency requirements:

• Does the pharmacy ask for a prescription?  As described above, you must supply a bona fide, doctor-signed prescription. A questionnaire is not good enough.

• Is the pharmacy licensed in the state in which it is located?  Find your state's Board of Pharmacy to determine its licensing. If it is not licensed there, or if you can't find its location, then it may be offshore, located in another country. Learn more about purchasing drugs from foreign pharmacies.

• Do they offer an opportunity to have a phone conversation with a pharmacist?  Note - that does not ask whether there is a toll-free number. It asks whether there is a pharmacist available to consult with. Do not order a drug from an online drug store until you have dialed that phone number and spoken to the pharmacist, even if you have to ask (what you consider) a lame question. The key is confirming there is a bona fide pharmacist on staff.

Once you are certain your purchase will be legal, or if you want to be sure you can locate a pharmacy that can legally sell you a prescription drug, learn more about how to safely and legally purchase drugs from an online pharmacy.


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I have a 1997 Acura 3.0 CL V-6 Automatic with approximately 176,000 miles. Bought car used in 2005 with approximately 136,000 miles. Check engine light was on with code P1491 EGR valve-taken to Acura dealer-had EGR valve replaced, ports cleaned. Significant repair history since ownership- replaced timing belt, distibutor cap, spark plugs and wires in February 06. Replaced starter in September 06. Rebuilt transmission in July 07. Check engine light came on again in October 07. On 10-18, my boyfriend checked out the engine to see if he could find out why the engine light was on. The battery was unplugged and subsequently the check engine light went out. We drove the car about 100 miles without incident. That same day, my daughter while driving car, experienced when idling, idles up and down between 1000 and 3000 rpm. When releasing brake pedal car will move on its own without applying gas pedal. Took to mechanic and code read P1491 again- is this possible? Stated it was "searching for idle" and stated that the EGR valve needed to be serviced that the ports were blocked. This doesn't seem logical to me. What else could the problem be? I drove the vehicle again on 10-19. Drove for awhile before this condition re-occured. Have since parked it awaiting EGR valve service on the 24th. Did we erase the actual problem code when the battery was disconnected? Could this P1491 code that showed up be from the previous incident in 2005? I'm thinking it's the Idle Air Control Valve (did some research). Anxiously awaiting a reply prior to the $500 repair.
have the same problem?
Saturday, October 20th, 2007 AT 4:26 PM


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If you're in blogland, perhaps you already saw the pictures of the gorgeous shop owned by Anna Spiro, founder of Absolutely beautiful things, Black & Spiro Unveiled. Anna did an amazing job putting together those colors & details which make the shop a stunning & dreamy place! But one thing caught my attention: the tutu desk which Anna designed by herself for her office. Please take a look:
*image via Absolutely beautiful things
It's dramatic, daring and although it's black, it seems VERY passionate to me! Just look how fantastic it looks against the white walls & floor, the only things which are a little distracting are the lampshade, painting and the inspiration board, they're softening that dramatic look and are making it little cheerier. As I said, Anna DIY-ed the tutu desk, who wants to give it a try? :)
On another note, I need your feedback. Aren't these Everyday fabulous posts too overwhelming and too often? Maybe I should reduce them and post one picture every week? I'd really need to know this, so please let me know what do you think!


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Eye For Film >> Search >> 'Shady Srour'
Drama considering peaceful co-existence in Jaffa.
When their car breaks down in the West Bank, a Jewish settler family turns to a convent for help.
The house by the water Brian O'Malley on Gothic horror, Irish history and The Lodgers
Release the bats Kelly Greene on Attack Of The Bat Monsters
A taste of romance Sophie Brooks on first dates, food and The Boy Downstairs
Turtle power Michaël Dudok de Wit on The Red Turtle and Robinson Crusoe
Shooting in a warzone Talal Derki on the dangers of filming Of Fathers And Sons, and why it was important to do it.
New filmmaker in residence programme launched Starlight will focus on underrepresented communities
We're looking forward to the Glasgow Film Festival and the Berlinale.
We've recently been at Sundance, the Palm Springs film festival, and Made In Prague.
Read our full archive for recent coverage.
Visit our festivals section.
More competitions coming soon.


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Top 7 facts about divorce (Part 3)
Experts list a few significant factors that lead couples to cite 'irreconcilable differences'
A quick and painless split!
A package tour company has offered unhappy couples the chance to divorce in just ten minutes during their Caribbean break.
A new service will fly one, or both, partners out to the Dominican Republic, where a judge can complete the process in a ten-minute hearing. They can then jet back to the UK or enjoy some of the island's stunning beaches as single men and women.
The 4,500 pounds service, which includes air fares, hotel and paperwork, greatly accelerates a divorce process, which can take months, or even years, in Britain. Clients can jet in one day, see the judge the following morning then fly home that afternoon.
Similarly a Dutch 'Divorce Hotel' offers cheap divorce in just 2 days
It helps husbands and wives to arrange all the necessary legal documentation to end their marriage over the course of just two days.
They meet a mediator and series of lawyers behind closed doors who will split assets, agree alimony payments and arrange visitation rights - all for a fixed fee, according to news reports.
However, independent legal experts warned that they might not bear up to scrutiny if any aspect of the split was later contested.
Critics have complained that such quickie divorces are undermining the institution of marriage.
Will you marry me again?
Divorced men are twice more willing to re-marry and get back on their feet compared to women, a new study has revealed.
The new study has revealed that 47 per cent of men who had been through a divorce are eager to wed again.
However, on the second hand, only 20 per cent of female divorcees say they want to tie the knot a second time.
An astonishing 42 per cent of divorced men who are looking to date again also said they would be prepared to pay for a professional pick up artist to chaperone them on a date.
They expected that this expertise might help better their chat-up technique.
More divorced men also confessed about putting their profile on a dating website.
The study also divulged that thirty-one per cent said that they had tried online dating since their divorce, compared to just 19 per cent of divorced women.
"Dating is a complicated game for men and more so for those that are starting all over again, having been off the dating scene for a number of years," Mini Lane, a professional dating expert, said.
She said that men consult gurus to help them learn how to dress and flatter their physique, as well as to develop their body language.