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October 29-November 4: 30th Week of Ordinary Time
Blessed Chiara Badano + Halloween + All Saints' Day + All Souls' Day + St. Martin de Porres + St. Charles Borromeo
The best way to introduce your kids to the richness of the Christian prayer tradition is to pray with them, and now there's a beautiful collection of Catholic prayers and meditations designed just for that purpose: The Catholic Family Book of Prayers. It's packed with prayers, blessings, meditations, devotions, saintly wisdom, and artwork—all selected specifically for Catholic families to pray together. Pre-order during our crowdfunding campaign, and you'll help us pay for the art…and you'll save with big discounts! The crowdfunding campaign runs to Nov. 15.
1. Encourage your child to be a saint. Okay, your kids may not act like saints all the time (ahem!), but they're definitely called to be saints. In preparation for All Saints' Day, have your kids make their own holy cards, and use them as a springboard to talk about what makes a saint. We have all the details, plus a demo, right here.
Another way to encourage saintliness in your kids is to display pictures of the saints mixed in with pictures of your family members. The Koop family created a beautiful display for their foyer that integrates photos of modern saints with pictures of their family. Here's how they use this unique display to stay focused on their mission of growing in holiness.
2. Take your family to Mass on All Saints' Day. All Saints' Day (Wed., Nov. 1) is a "Holy O Day," as we say around here…short for Holy Day of Obligation, a day to gather and celebrate God's grace. Here are the readings for the Mass, because we know you'll want to prep your kids on the way. Put pictures of your favorite saints on your family prayer table and pray the Litany of the Saints, the oldest of all the litanies, sometime this week.
3. Pray for the dead. All Souls' Day (Thursday, Nov. 2) is a day when Catholics remember those who have died and acknowledge that our communion with God is not broken by death. Put pictures of deceased loved ones in your home oratory or prayer table; light a candle there, and pray for them. Make Soul Cakes, Fave de Morti, Eggs in Purgatory, or Dry Bones cookies for to celebrate the day. Here are ways to pray for the dead with your children, helpful suggestions for how to talk to your children about death, and some explanatory resources to boot.
4. Celebrate All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day with games and activities. We've been running ways to celebrate All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day all month long…but here are thirty more ideas for games, activities, food, and things to do, courtesy of Meagan Daoust.
Didn't get your copies of The All Saints' Day Party, the new children's picture book about holiness from Peanut Butter & Grace? There's still time to pick it up from Amazon or your local Catholic bookstore.
5. Love your neighbor. The readings for this Sunday tell us that the two most important of God's commandments are two sides of the same coin: to love God with everything you have and to love your neighbor as yourself. See how last week's readings are illuminated with this week's explanation in Breaking Open the Word at Home.
6. Tell your kids the stories of the martyrs. Is it morbid of us to tell our kids the stories of the Christian martyrs, both ancient and new? Or by giving them these 'resurrection stories,' are we showing them the way to pass through pain and suffering to a new and larger life? Jerry Windley-Daoust makes the case for not shying away from the stories of the martyrs.
7. Disney's Beauty and the Beast is streaming on Netflix. Should your family watch? The live-action remake sparked plenty of buzz when it came out in theaters, thanks in part to its alleged homosexual agenda. Now that it's streaming on Netflix, here's movie reviewer Adrienne Thorne's take on the film's suitability for Catholic families.
8. Find healing after pregnancy and infant loss by reading Theresa's story, But Not This Day: A Story of Pregnancy Loss and Healing. "Slowly my smile is returning; slowly the heartache doesn't feel so dark…."
9. Celebrate St. Martin de Porres. The saint who was nice even to the mice has a remarkable story full of heroic virtue and miracles. Get our kid-friendly story: St. Martin de Porres: Friend of All (Even the Mice!).
Over in PB & Grace Parents we're talking how to finagle chore time with kids who won't stop fighting. It's a closed Facebook group, so you'll need to request to be added.
"We haven't even had Halloween yet!" So say our kids in reaction to the Christmas trees set up in the big box stores. And yet, we know some of you like to plan ahead (because you've been e-mailing us!)…so, for those of you who like to beat the rush, we're happy to announce that our Advent journals are ready for pre-order. The Children's Little Advent Book is great for younger children; it features a simple coloring page and five-minute prayer service for each day of Advent. And MISSION:CHRISTIAN December-January covers the entire Advent and Christmas seasons, with special features on both. Check them out here.
Say a short prayer for a soul in purgatory each morning of the week.
Sunday, Oct. 29
Blessed Chiara Badano (1971-1990)
Blessed Chiara was an "average" Italian teen who liked tennis and swimming and dreamed of becoming a flight attendant. She attended her parish youth group and joined the Focolare Movement. But it was as she was dying of cancer that her true spirit shone out, amazing everyone with her holy joy and love of God even as she suffered. "The light in your eyes is splendid. Where does it come from?" a visitor asked. Her reply: '"I try to love Jesus as much as I can." Quote: "I suffered a lot, but my soul was singing."
Get gorgeous coloring pages of Blessed Chiara Badano, St. Marcellus, and St. Martin de Porres in Living Sparks of God: Stories of Saints for Catholic Kids to Color.
Monday, Oct. 30
St. Marcellus (d. 298)
The Roman centurion who ruined the emperor's birthday by casting away his sword and declaring he could only serve Jesus Christ. Quote: "I serve Jesus Christ the eternal king. I will no longer serve your emperors!"
Tuesday, Oct. 31
St. Wolfgang of Regensburg (c. 924-994)
As German bishop, Wolfgang aided and taught emperors, including St. Henry II. Later in life, he withdrew to the woods to become a hermit. After much prayer, he threw his ax into the woods, and built his hut on the spot where it landed. The ax is still displayed in the town that later grew up around his home.
All Hallow's Eve
The day we remember the reality of evil and darkness, over which the saints will ultimately triumph. Check out Make It a Catholic Halloween and Halloween Is the "Holy Day" Catholic Kids Shouldn't Miss for help to make your Halloween fun with a Catholic twist.
Wednesday, Nov. 1
All Saints' Day
Enjoy the fun feast day with your family using these great ideas from readers like you:Your Best Costume and Party Ideas for All Saints' Day. And here are seven more ideas for the best All Saints' Day party ever.
Thursday, Nov. 2
All Souls' Day
Here's a quick explainer for your kids: "Not everyone who dies is ready to go straight to heaven. Before anyone can be with God in heaven, they need to get rid of anything that isn't true, good, and beautiful. They need to be made perfectly pure. Th e Church calls this process of being made pure purgatory. God and the angels help people get through purgatory, and so do the prayers of the Church on Earth! We can pray for those who have died because we are united by God's love as one family, and death cannot separate us."
Friday, Nov. 3
St. Martin de Porres (1579-1639)
St.Martin de Porres was born in Lima, Peru in the year 1579; he is known as the first black saint of the Americas. He helped in every way that he felt that he could. Often, he would bring home the poor and give them his own bed. He even had compassion for stray dogs and cats, sending them to live in his sister's home (with her permission!). Often, rather than killing the mice, he would lead them to a separate area far away from the monastery and feed them there so they wouldn't go back to the monastery.
Saturday, Nov. 4
St. Charles Barromeo (1538-1584)
Charles Borromeo was made a cardinal and appointed to important leadership positions by his uncle, the pope, at a very young age. Fortunately, he was a good leader, caring for the poor in times of famine and helping to write a new catechism.
- November is Black Catholic History Month
- November is Native American Heritage Month
- Nov. 5-11 is National Vocation Awareness Week
- Native American Heritage Month
- Nov. 12-18 is National Bible Week
In an Oct. 25 letter addressed to all members of Congress, Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, chairman of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, called for legislators to consider bedrock moral principles as they approach tax reform.
"The U.S. bishops have long emphasized that '[t]he tax system should be continually evaluated in terms of its impact on the poor,'" Bishop Dewane wrote. Quoting Pope Francis concerning the family, Bishop Dewane stressed that "[t]hose services which society offers its citizens are not a type of alms, but rather a genuine 'social debt' with respect to the institution of the family, which is foundational and which contributes to the common good."
As Congress formulates proposals for tax reform based on the "Unified Framework for Fixing Our Broken Tax Code," Bishop Dewane's letter articulated six moral principles that should guide lawmakers' decisions:
- Care for the poor;
- Strengthening families;
- Maintaining progressivity of the tax code;
- Raising adequate revenue for the common good;
- Avoiding cuts to poverty programs to finance tax reform; and
- Incentivizing charitable giving and development.
Bishop Dewane called on legislators to remember the poor and the common good when considering taxes, writing that "you are urged to recognize the critical obligation of creating a just framework aimed at the economic security of all people, especially the least of these."
The full letter is available at the USCCB website.
"Paradise is not a fairy tale, nor is it an enchanted garden. Paradise is an embrace with God, (who is) infinite Love, and we enter thanks to Jesus, who died on the cross for us."
—Pope Francis, speaking on Oct. 25
Family Time! is edited by Regina Lordan and Jerry Windley-Daoust.
Join us on Facebook @peanutbutterandgrace and on Pinterest. Make sure you don't miss a Peanut Butter & Grace post on Facebook. Go to our Facebook page, then click on Following, and select See First.
Remember to grab 15% off your order at Gracewatch Media with coupon code GRACE15.
Here's a list of most of our books, ordered by publication date (most recent first).
MISSION:CHRISTIAN December-January
MISSION:CHRISTIAN December-January includes a saint, Scripture reading, Christian mission, prayer prompt, and fun facts in every daily entry…plus, special features and activities for Christmas and Advent.
Lectio Divina for Teens: Reading God's Messages to You
Lectio Divina for Teens: Reading God's Messages to You introduces young people to the ancient prayer practice of lectio divina in a guided journal format. It features a brief, accessible introduction to lectio divina, walking readers through the method step by step, then turns them loose to try the method themselves in eight pre-selected readings. Seven additional blank journal entries provide space for readers to choose their own readings; a list of suggested texts is included. The colorful, beautifully designed interior provides a warm and welcome space for reflection and prayer. Lectio Divina for Teens has received an imprimatur from the Diocese of Winona.
The All Saints' Day Party
Maggie and Max can't wait for the All Saints' Day party. There's just one problem: they can't decide which saint to dress up as…and the party is just a week away! Join Maggie and Max as their friends and family tell them about six holy men and women who offer living examples of what it means to be a saint…even if you're a kid!
Turning Grief Inside Out: Surviving Pregnancy Loss with God's Help
Drawing on her own personal experience of pregnancy loss, Christine Hendersen offers practical and spiritual advice—as well as a hopeful path forward—for grieving mothers and the people who love them.
Be Yourself! A Journal for Catholic Girls: "Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire!" Those words are at the heart of Be Yourself! A Journal for Catholic Girls, which is designed to help girls explore their identity and purpose in life in light of the wisdom of the Catholic Church, including half a dozen female saints. Ages 9 and up.
I Can Be Happy, Too: A Book about Attitudes uses simple rhyme accompanied by Scripture verses and sweet, expressive illustrations, to teach children that while we can't control the bad things that happen to us, we can control how we respond to disappointment and adversity.
Blessed Is the Fruit of Thy Womb: Rosary Reflections on Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss invites grieving mothers to let the Blessed Mother accompany them on their journey of grief and healing. Mary not only understands their loss, but wishes to bring mothers to healing through the saving work of her son. For each mystery of the rosary, author Heidi Indahl compassionately shares her own experiences of miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss, offering insights about how those losses are connected to the experience of Jesus and Mary as revealed by the mysteries of the rosary.
MISSION:CHRISTIAN June-July 2017 includes features on Pentecost, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, St. Pierre Toussaint, St. Kateri Tekawitha, and more. A checklist of fun summer activities, plus "Christian missions," Scripture readings, prayer prompts, and saint profiles for every day will keep your kids busy!
In the Realm of Mist and Mercy, our new YA fantasy/adventure novel with a Catholic heart and sensibility; it comes with an accompanying Lesson Plan book that helps parents and kids connect the story to teachings of the Catholic faith.
The Illuminated Rosary hardcover complete set. "I can lead the rosary now!" That's what we hear kids saying when they have one of the Illuminated Rosary books in their laps. The words of the prayers are printed on every page, opposite a sacred artwork depicting the mystery of the rosary being said. Kids love these books, but so do adults and grandparents! Available in hardcover (allow extra time for shipping) or softcover sets.
The Stations of the Cross for Children. Here's a downloadable PDF with sacred art depicting each of the Stations of the Cross, along with a simple reflection and prayer, geared for young children.
77 Ways to Pray with Your Kids, now in hardcover from Dynamic Catholic; to celebrate, we're offering hardcover copies for $12, about 50% off the cover price, while supplies last. Whether you are just getting started with family prayer or wish to broaden your horizons, 77 Ways to Pray with Your Kids can help, offering practical, kid-friendly guides to Christian prayer practices both ancient and new. Features include: age-appropriate adaptations for young children, older kids, and teens; articles on a wide range of practices; Talking Points…explanations of prayer practices that kids might have questions about; cross-references to the Catechism, Scripture, and church documents; an appendix containing thirty-three common and useful Catholic prayers; a quick-find index makes it easy to find prayer ideas, and doubles as a checklist to track your progress.
Molly McBride and the Plaid Jumper. Kids love the spunky young Molly McBride and her feisty sidekick, the wolf-pet Francis. In this book, Molly faces off against the dreaded plaid jumper that she's going to have to wear when she starts school in the fall. Along with her new friends, Dominic and Fr. Matt, she learns all about uniforms and our true identity in God.
Paddy and the Wolves. Young Paddy can't sit still during morning prayers, but he's more than happy to help the shepherd, Barra, watch sheep for the day! But who will watch Paddy when he wanders into the woods? As he explores the wilderness of coastal Britain, Paddy encounters many delights and dangers—and ultimately, the One who watches over him through it all. Available as a hardcover or softcover storybook, or a coloring book with complete text; also available is a downloadable board game. Features the art of Catholic folk artist Jen Norton.
The Children's Little Advent Book. The Children's Little Advent Book is designed to help parents with children ages 4-7 on a journey through Advent to Christmas. Each day's entry includes a brief Scripture reading, a reflection, discussion questions, a brief prayer, and a simple coloring page for children to complete after praying with their families. With The Children's Little Advent Book, parents have an Advent resource specifically designed for short family prayer services with young children.
Corporal Works of Mercy Cards. Teach a lesson about the Works of Mercy with these downloadable cards and teaching guide.
Little Lessons from St. Francis of Assisi. "Make me an instrument of your peace." The Peace Prayer of St. Francis, beloved by people of all faiths around the world, beautifully captures the spirit of "the poor little man" from Assisi, as well as the aspirations of our time: for hope, for reconciliation, for peace.
Flowers for Jesus: A Story of Thérèse of Lisieux as a Young Girl. Little Thérèse Martin could be a very stubborn young girl. All too often, if someone wanted her to say "yes," she wanted to say "no"! But then, as she is preparing for her First Communion, Thérèse discovers a way to turn her everyday trials and tribulations into something beautiful for Jesus. Join Thérèse (and her family) as she learns to "gather roses from amid thorns." Available in hardcover and softcover editions.
La Florecita de Jesús: Una Parábola de Santa Teresita Del Niño Jesús. This is the Spanish-language edition of The Little Flower. La autora Becky Arganbright ha adoptado las enseñanzas de las orecitas de santa Teresita en esta encantadora parábola para niños. La joven Teresita aprende que aunque es pequeña, con la ayuda de Dios, su pequeñez puede ser una manera de hacer grandes cosas para Dios. La ilustradora Tracey Arvidson da vida a la joven Teresa Martín, y a sus ores en la parábola, con sus maravillosas ilustraciones.
Molly McBride and the Purple Habit. Meet Molly McBride! Molly loves her new purple habit — it's just like the ones her friends, the Children of Mary Sisters, wear. She loves it so much, in fact, that she doesn't want to take it off…not even for her sister's big day! Join Molly and her wolf-pet Francis as they learn all about nuns, habits, and giving your heart to Jesus.
Living Sparks of God: Stories of Saints for Young Catholics to Color. Here are fourteen lively two-minute stories to introduce young Catholics to some of the Church's most beloved saints. Each story is accompanied by two coloring pages: a gorgeously detailed portrait of the saint, and a scene of the saint in action.
The Gift of Birth: Discerning God's Presence During Childbirth. Is the process of giving birth a medical problem to be solved, a hurdle to be overcome on the way to motherhood . . . or is it something more? Could it be, as Susan Windley-Daoust proposes, that giving birth is a gift from God, laden with signs that speak to women about their identity, their calling, and their destiny? If so, then learning to read those embodied signs during pregnancy and labor could transform the way women experience childbirth. These signs reveal that God is not only powerfully present in the whole birthing process, but desires to actively work with women to bring forth new life.
Little Lessons from St. Thérèse of Lisieux: An Introduction to Her Words and Wisdom. Little Lessons from St. Thérèse of Lisieux presents brief excerpts from Story of a Soul as a way of introducing those unfamiliar with Thérèse to some of the essential themes of her spirituality. The words of St. Thérèse are accompanied by the artwork of award-winning watercolorist Jeanine Crowe, a wonderful aid to prayerful meditation on the words and wisdom of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Little Lessons from St. Thérèse of Lisieux includes twenty-one selections from the words of St. Thérèse, twenty artworks, and ten questions for reflection and discussion.
The Little Flower: A Parable of St. Thérèse of Liseux. Becky Arganbright has adapted St. Thérèse's lesson of the little flowers into a delightful parable for children. The young Thérèse learns that even though she might be little, with God's help, her littleness can be a way of doing great things for the Kingdom of God. Illustrator Tracey Arvidson brings the young Thérèse Martin (and the flowers of her parable) to life in gorgeous illustrations.
Sense of the Sacred: Illuminated Book of Catholic Prayers. Sense of the Sacred: Illuminated Book of Catholic Prayers contains thirty traditional Catholic prayers every child should have at hand, each accompanied by a beautiful, hand-drawn illustration to aid in prayerful meditation on the mysteries of the faith.
Sense of the Sacred: A Coloring Book for Young Illuminators. For centuries, the Catholic Church has used art to illuminate the sacred mysteries of the Faith. Now, your child can follow in that tradition by making sacred art with the help of Sense of the Sacred: Coloring Book for Young Illuminators. This book contains 30 hand-drawn illustrations and accompanying Bible verses, drawing on the rich legacy of statues and stained glass in our Catholic Faith.


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You're looking for romance, and you've come to the right place.
Your romantic trip or honeymoon doesn't have to mean sitting on a beach lounger all day at an all-inclusive resort.
It can mean cycling on a bike built for two in a beautiful European city or lounging around the pool at a charming French inn after a day of cycling some great scenic routes.
Our top recommendations:
- Wine and Bike in Hungary's Balaton Uplands — The tour features low mileage; mostly flat terrain; culinary treasures—and unlimited wine!
- Alsace Picture Book: Wine, Food, Culture, and Tradition — A tour in beautiful Alsace, a great wine-making region proud of its identity. Its white wines are delicious accompanied by one of the countless local specialties.
- Strasbourg to Mainz: Vineyards Along the Rhine — This tour is bookended by two of Europe's most romantic cities: Heidelberg, Germany, with its famous castle and Strasbourg, France, its entire center city a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And along the way: vineyards, lovely countryside, and cultural highlights.
- Cruising the Coast: Sesimbra to Lisbon via Sagres Along the Sea (Portugal) — Beautiful blue-green waters, extraordinary Portuguese gastronomy, Altenjo wines, and magnificent scenery – all this is simply the backdrop to this tour perfect for romantics in Portugal.

subset: commoncrawl


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Whistle Stops
Forty years and four days after he made his United States debut, the French-born flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal comes to Carnegie Hall tonight with the world premiere of Trio for Two Flutes and Piano by Jean-Michel Damase. On Feb. 14, 1958, Mr. Rampal began his career in the United States with a performance at the Library of Congress in Washington, where he offered the premiere of Poulenc's Sonata for Flute and Piano. In the midst of an anniversary tour, Mr. Rampal plays a return engagement at the Library next Tuesday, when he will deliver a repeat performance of the Poulenc Sonata.
Honorable Callings
Names like those of the actors Glenda Jackson and Jeremy Irons and the best-selling novelist Jeffrey Archer are being tossed about by press and public as possible candidates for the job of Mayor of London. Under a Labor Government plan, Londoners will vote in May in a referendum asking if they want a directly elected mayor. The office would have little of the power wielded, for example, by Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York; the job would be a mix of high-profile glamour and low-level involvement with municipal issues. If the voters say yes, a mayoral election will probably take place in May 2000.
Time and Again
When the soprano Dawn Upshaw begins an engagement tomorrow night through Tuesday with the New York Philharmonic and Kurt Masur, that is just the start of the story. The performance marks Ms. Upshaw's debut with the orchestra, and the work she will sing in this, her only New York concert performance this season, is Lukas Foss's ''Time Cycle.'' Its premiere with the Philharmonic, under Leonard Bernstein in 1960, the year of Ms. Upshaw's birth, was sung by Adele Addison. When Ms. Upshaw was growing up in Aspen, Colo., her teacher and mentor was none other than Ms. Addison.
Greenwich Villager
The figure will be bigger than the Statue of Liberty, but no one seems to know what, exactly, it will look like. The object in question is the immense silvery figure that will dominate Britain's Millennium Dome, under construction in Greenwich, England. Made of steel and fiberglass, the figure, intended to house exhibits, will be 320 feet long, 15 more than the Statue of Liberty when measured from base of pedestal to tip of torch. The BBC reports that officials in charge of the project are still arguing about whether the figure, which will sit or recline on the floor, should be masculine or feminine. The Millennium Dome, roughly 960 feet in diameter and 150 feet high, is Britain's most ambitious project to mark the year 2000. LAWRENCE VAN GELDERContinue reading the main story


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Camber Sands Caravan Owners Group donate to Dungeness RNLI
On Sunday 30 October some of the owners from the Camber Sands Caravan Owners Group went along to Dungeness RNLI lifeboat station to present £500 to the station to help the RNLI continue saving lives at sea.
Raffles and quizzes were held to raise this huge amount of money and Brian Wilkinson, volunteer vice-chairman of the fundraising committee was on hand to receive the donation on behalf of the lifeboat station.
RNLI media contacts
- Judith Richardson – Dungeness RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer
Tel: 01797 320062/Mob: 07859264226
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Tim Ash, RNLI Public Relations Manager
(London/South East/East)
0207 6207426 / 07785 296252 / firstname.lastname@example.com
- For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789
Key facts about the RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is the charity that saves lives at sea. Our volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 238 lifeboat stations, including four along the River Thames and inland lifeboat stations at Loch Ness, Lough Derg, Enniskillen, Carrybridge and Lough Ree. Additionally the RNLI has more than 1,000 lifeguards on over 240 beaches around the UK and operates a specialist flood rescue team, which can respond anywhere across the UK and Ireland when inland flooding puts lives at risk.
The RNLI relies on public donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. As a charity it is separate from, but works alongside, government-controlled and funded coastguard services. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 our lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved at least 140,000 lives. Volunteers make up 95% of the charity, including 4,600 volunteer lifeboat crew members and 3,000 volunteer shore crew. Additionally, tens of thousands of other dedicated volunteers raise funds and awareness, give safety advice, and help in our museums, shops and offices.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 or by email.
The RNLI is a charity registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SC037736). Charity number 20003326 in the Republic of Ireland


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Please take a minute to register as a member of our site!
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We are inspired by ASB member Fred Springer and everyone at Burford Corp. who have shipped out over 50 packages. Together, we challenge all ASB members to make a difference this season.
ASB member Fred Springer, CEO and President of Burford Corp., stands with Commander of HHC 45th Infantry, Kent Turner, a Burford employee. Fred and Kent are working with American Society of Baking to challenge all ASB members to make a difference with OPERATION Military Care Packages.
Commander of HHC 45th Infantry Kent Turner shares why OPERATION Military Care Packages is so important to deployed military men and women.
Wonder what to send? See an example of some appropriate items to send and how to create and ship your packages.
Popular items include food, snacks, personal care items, and reminders from home for military men and women.
When your company is ready to send your packages, contact Megan Sutton for addresses. Just let Megan know how many boxes you have put together and Megan will coordinate addresses.
Megan's email is firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Signing for credit card purchases is on the way out
Mastercard, Discover and American Express will soon speed up checkout lines by no longer requiring a signature for your credit card purchases.
Beginning in April 2018, three big credit card companies will eliminate the need to sign for purchases in the United States and beyond. The move comes as payment processes grow faster, convenient and more secure.
Major credit card companies have already implemented safer ways to verify cardholders' identities and prevent fraud; including chips, tokenization, multi-factor authentication, biometrics, contactless payment options and advanced machine learning algorithms.
Around 80% of Mastercard purchases already don't require a signature. Come April, Mastercard will eliminate the signature requirement for all purchases in the U.S. and Canada. Discover will also erase its signature mandate in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. American Express is making the move globally.
When the new policy takes effect, merchants will still have the option to require signatures, but many have supported the card companies in their efforts to remove this practice and are likely to follow suit.
Erasing the need to sign for your purchases isn't the only thing credit card processors are doing to speed up transactions and make the checkout process more streamlined. Mastercard also recently announced its new Mastercard Send feature for convenient money transfers, and it's becoming increasingly popular to link a credit card to your smartphone to pay with a mobile wallet.
Mobile, cashless payments are meant to make life easier. So why are consumers so reluctant to modify their spending methods? A new study reveals that despite more Americans utilizing smartphones for some aspects of their shopping experience, financial security plays a significant role in dictating the payments landscape.
Technology is constantly enhancing the way we manage our finances. The leading US consumer watchdog agency stresses banks need to improve digital services and accessibility in order to better serve customers.
Whichever technology you use to pay for purchases or send money, using a credit card can provide an ongoing stream of rewards. You can earn airline miles, cash back, rewards points and other perks while buying the things you need and want. Learn more about the many different kinds of rewards available and how to get the best one for your lifestyle using our guide to rewards credit cards.
Latest news headlines
Picture: Shutterstock


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home, sweet home. how do you know you're home? i know how you know. you have a clean asshole, that's how.
who really cleans their asshole while they're out of town? i don't mean a splash on the pan, i'm talking about an all good get up right in there ass cleaning. ahhh, yes, home.


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Software Developers in Tennessee
Comprehensive list of Tennessee based companies, consultants and engineers offering web & application software development, design, testing & analysis services.
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text:
An eight-room apartment in a good condition is for sale. The house has an elevator, a cellar and a parking.
Layout — a living room, a dining room, an office, a lounge, a kitchen, four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a terrace.
Florence has a rich history and is famous for its architecture and landmarks. Home city of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Amerigo Vespucci, Dante and Galileo, is often called the cradle of the renaissance. Dozens of cathedrals, museums, squares each year attracts millions of tourists from around the world.


text:
Because September 15th fell on a Saturday, I decided to promote International Dot Day with my students I have at my second school on Friday's (Friday, September 14th to be exact J). International Dot Day celebrates the book The Dot by Peter Reynolds, and urges all artists to "make a mark and see where it takes [them]". The Dot is about a young girl, Vashti, who is struggling with ideas and motivation in art. Her teacher encourages her to make a mark on her paper and sign it – the next day Vashti sees her artwork (a tiny dot) nicely framed up on the wall, but knows she can do better than that (especially if it's going to be displayed) and proceeds to make lots of dots big and small, using different colors. It's a very cute and encouraging book – especially for the budding artists.
To celebrate, I read and showed the YouTube video of the book, and had each grade level create a square to be included in one large collaborative piece done by the entirety of my Friday art classes. Each square contained concentric circles inspired by Wassily Kandinsky. See my previous lessons on Kandinsky Concentric Circles here. The end result was a gigantic collage reaching almost floor to ceiling of concentric circles – it makes quite the statement!
Special Note: Because I travel Fridays to a different school, I only have one kindergarten class/section my whole week. Some of the projects we do are the same as those as I do with 1st grade, but others are solely unique to kindergarten creating!


text:
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text:
(7:37:44 PM) Maddy: Alice is still totally hanging out on the side of the Styker.
(7:37:48 PM) Maddy: Stryker even
(7:38:16 PM) Tox: Vance is totally there. Like a boss.
(7:38:19 PM) Sabitsuki: Tau pulls herself up on the Strykertekertk and sits
(7:38:24 PM) E4D: The heavy vehicle trundles ahead toward Alice Spring, the storm over the city growing in intensity.
(7:38:39 PM) MisterFlames: Midnight settles down with Jason in the Stryker. "Okay, so where to, first?"
(7:39:58 PM) E4D: <Well, we need… fuel, any medical supplies we can find… some dead cops and paramedics would be nice. Drugs. Food. Cigarettes. Shit, we need to hit up damn near anything we can. I'll take you wherever you want to go. It's up to you.>
(7:40:07 PM) E4D: <Not like we're on a deadline.>
(7:40:31 PM) DawnyWorks [moc.noehtyar.AC98E749-CRInys|tibbiM#moc.noehtyar.AC98E749-CRInys|tibbiM] entered the room.
(7:40:34 PM) Tox: "Those storm clouds are still worrying me," he mentions to Alice and Tau.
(7:41:30 PM) E4D: The hydraulics whine as Jason shifts gears, picking up speed. <Hang on tight! I figure as long as we don't get too close to the storm, hell, maybe it'll be all right."
(7:41:39 PM) MisterFlames: "Let's see about the hospital and the police first, I think." Midnight suggests. "And we can see if the town still has power, which can help when dealing with other things."
(7:41:46 PM) Maddy: Alice clings!
(7:42:33 PM) Ragazzo [ten.llebcap.10ntks.lsd.A853CC41-CRInys|tibbiM#ten.llebcap.10ntks.lsd.A853CC41-CRInys|tibbiM] entered the room.
(7:43:06 PM) E4D: They cut across a road, the ICV falling in line. The suspension's no longer jouncing around, and they accelerate further.
(7:43:25 PM) Maddy: <H-hospital s-sounds good, and a g-grocery store. If w-we're eating wild, I's like to raid t-the spice aisle."
(7:43:27 PM) Maddy: >
(7:43:44 PM) DawnyWorks: Jillian closes her eyes, listening to the whine of the engine
(7:44:05 PM) Sabitsuki: Tau just puts her head back and closes her eyes.
(7:44:28 PM) Ragazzo: Lance clings for dear life.
(7:44:41 PM) E4D: "We probably shouldn't eat wild until we get further away from 23.
(7:45:19 PM) DawnyWorks: "There'll be food at the market…we can get fresh meat there"
(7:45:27 PM) Maddy: <R-right.>
(7:45:42 PM) Ragazzo: <No reason not to grab spice. It'll keep.>
(7:46:17 PM) DawnyWorks: "I would kill for some potato salad right now"
(7:46:20 PM) E4D: They pass a sign delineating the city limit, with a few buildings up ahead.
(7:46:22 PM) MisterFlames: "If the power is out, best not to trust the fresh meat."
(7:46:54 PM) DawnyWorks: "We could pick up a few cans of tuna" Jillian smiles
(7:46:59 PM) Tox: "Alright, eyes up, guys."
(7:47:22 PM) Maddy: <C-canned tuna isn't good f-for cats. D-deteriorates their n-night vision."
(7:47:23 PM) Maddy: >
(7:48:03 PM) DawnyWorks: Jillian chews her lip "Even magic cats?"
(7:48:17 PM) Maddy: <…I don't know.>
(7:48:21 PM) Tox: "Huh. Didn't know that."
(7:48:45 PM) E4D: They keep hauling ass down Route 87, passing a park on their right. <Hospital first, right?>
(7:48:51 PM) Maddy: <I'm s-sure Midnight knows w-what she can and can't e-eat though.>
(7:49:00 PM) Maddy: <S-sounds right to m-me hun.>
(7:49:28 PM) Tox: 4df+3 Eyes up - anything strange or unusual about the park?
(7:49:29 PM) Quidmore: Tox: Eyes up - anything strange or unusual about the park?: 2 (4df+3=-, 0, 0, 0)
(7:49:41 PM) Ragazzo: <Is the hospital closer?> Lance's giant asss ears might be reducing their mileage.
(7:49:47 PM) Ragazzo: *ass
(7:50:23 PM) E4D: The trees look… dead, but the leaves twist in and out, left to right, once every second or so.
(7:51:00 PM) Tox: "…." Vance stares at the park. "Those trees…something's wrong. Stating the obvious, I know, but…"
(7:51:15 PM) E4D: <Huh?>
(7:51:33 PM) Maddy: Alice looks. <Huh. W-well..> she shrugs.
(7:51:56 PM) Tox: "The trees are….dead….but the leaves are moving. Rhythmically. Left, right."
(7:52:15 PM) E4D: The river to their left appears to rise and fall minutely as well, the water swelling in the same rhythm.
(7:52:23 PM) Tox: "Like….something's breathing, or…oh, no…"
(7:52:24 PM) Ragazzo: <Hmmm.> Lance is clinging to a vehicle, and as such can't tell if there is a breeze.
(7:52:44 PM) E4D: Lightning strikes down in the center of the town again, the crash echoing out almost immediately.
(7:52:55 PM) DawnyWorks: "That's odd…"
(7:53:14 PM) Tox: Vance reflexively shuts his eyes from the too-white flash, crying out in near-pain as the sound almost passes the threshold.
(7:53:33 PM) Maddy: <Y-yeah…definitely s-staying away from town s-square."
(7:53:34 PM) Maddy: >
(7:53:38 PM) E4D: Jason checks his GPS. <All right… we're… goddamn, 1 klick out from the town center.>
(7:53:53 PM) Sabitsuki: Tau opens her eyes a little and straightens up.
(7:53:58 PM) Maddy: <G-go around?>
(7:54:03 PM) Tox: "This….rhythm effect. It's spread to the whole town." Vance's voice is almost hollow.
(7:54:24 PM) DawnyWorks: "Can we take a different route?"
(7:54:50 PM) E4D: They pass Undoolya Road on the left. The Stryker grinds to a halt just after. <Uh, stand by, lemme check the BFT.>
(7:55:05 PM) Ragazzo: <BFT?>
(7:55:08 PM) MisterFlames: "BFT?"
(7:55:16 PM) Ragazzo: <Jinx.>
(7:55:18 PM) Maddy: <M-maybe we should go on f-foot from here? D-don't want to l-lose the Stryker.>
(7:55:36 PM) DawnyWorks: "Blue Force Tracking" Jillian shrugs
(7:55:55 PM) E4D: <Blue Force Tracker. It can track friendly and hostile vehicles and personnel; satellite imaging, lay of the land, maps, etc.>
(7:56:08 PM) Tox: "Not bad."
(7:56:26 PM) E4D: <Ugh, got one.>
(7:56:42 PM) Tox: "What's wrong?"
(7:56:45 PM) Maddy: <What's the b-bad news?>
(7:57:10 PM) DawnyWorks: "I don't like that sound…"
(7:57:39 PM) E4D: <Alternate route, we back up, take Smith Street on the right, cut down through Lovegrove, Larapinta and Bradshaw Drives, and come back out on the road we're on now, then push *up* from the South.>
(7:57:59 PM) E4D: He kicks the vehicle into reverse.
(7:57:59 PM) Sabitsuki left the room (quit: Quit: <censored> this).
(7:58:00 PM) Tox: "So, basically, it takes a lot longer, but we avoid eldritch shit."
(7:58:24 PM) E4D: <Basically. Unless you guys want to fuck with whatever's causing that storm.>
(7:58:32 PM) Maddy: <Fuck no.>
(7:58:34 PM) MisterFlames: "Best to avoid things. Looking for fights is not what I want to do."
(7:58:43 PM) DawnyWorks: "I'd rather burn the fuel"
(7:58:47 PM) E4D: <I agree with the cat.>
(7:59:04 PM) Maddy: <B-besides, the best f-fights come to y-you.> she grins under her helmet.
(7:59:10 PM) Ragazzo: <Fine with me.>
(7:59:27 PM) Tox: "Let's do it."
(7:59:35 PM) E4D: Jason cuts right, throws the big vehicle into forward gear, haulsing ass down Smith.
(8:00:14 PM) Tox: 4df+3 Vance is once again all eyes, spotting along their route for anything out of the ordinary.
(8:00:15 PM) Quidmore: Tox: Vance is once again all eyes, spotting along their route for anything out of the ordinary.: 5 (4df+3=-, +, +, +)
(8:00:55 PM) MisterFlames: "So, gather the line of command, it's you and Alice?" Midnight asks.
(8:01:04 PM) E4D: 4df+2 opposed
(8:01:04 PM) Quidmore: E4D: opposed: 2 (4df+2=+, -, 0, 0)
(8:01:22 PM) Ragazzo: Lance observes the scenery rushing past, looking for oddities.
(8:01:25 PM) E4D: Vance spots… what might be movement hustling away from the corner.
(8:01:33 PM) E4D: Down at the turn they need to take.
(8:01:34 PM) Ragazzo: 4df+2 Perc
(8:01:34 PM) Quidmore: Ragazzo: Perc: 1 (4df+2=0, -, +, -)
(8:01:37 PM) Tox: "Movement!" Vance yells.
(8:01:47 PM) Tox: "Away from the corner!"
(8:01:50 PM) DawnyWorks: "Fuck /me/ "
(8:01:53 PM) Tox: Following them or fleeing them?
(8:02:04 PM) E4D: Fleeing them. It seems.
(8:02:10 PM) Maddy: Alice looks.
(8:02:18 PM) Ragazzo: Lance is clinging to an armored car, and as such a bit distracted. He looks though.
(8:02:35 PM) Tox: "Looks like it's headed away from us…" Could he get any sort of sense of size, whether it was humanoid, etc?
(8:02:59 PM) E4D: <Standing by.>
(8:03:02 PM) Tox: "Looked like a human. Bulky…..wearing armor?" Vance is thinking out loud.
(8:03:19 PM) Maddy: <Lovely.>
(8:03:20 PM) E4D: <You guys weaponized?>
(8:03:29 PM) Maddy: <A-always, love.>
(8:03:43 PM) DawnyWorks: "I got mine"
(8:03:43 PM) MisterFlames: Midnight listens, not being able to see much from where she's at.
(8:03:43 PM) Tox: "It looked like it was running away from us — yeah, I've got a SCAR-H — but still, anything here bears suspicion…"
(8:04:13 PM) E4D: <Up to you guys up top. You saw it, I didn't. We advancing?>
(8:04:37 PM) E4D: Perception checks.
(8:04:41 PM) Ragazzo: <I'm fine either way.>
(8:04:43 PM) Tox: Vance looks over to Alice. "Humanoid, maybe armored, looked like it was fleeing."
(8:04:48 PM) Ragazzo: 4df+2 Let's see
(8:04:48 PM) Maddy: 4df+2
(8:04:48 PM) Quidmore: Ragazzo: Let's see: 5 (4df+2=+, 0, +, +)
(8:04:48 PM) Quidmore: Maddy: 4 (4df+2=+, +, 0, 0)
(8:04:51 PM) Tox: 4df+3 Give me sight beyond sight!
(8:04:52 PM) Quidmore: Tox: Give me sight beyond sight!: 3 (4df+3=-, 0, 0, +)
(8:05:07 PM) E4D: 4df-2
(8:05:07 PM) Quidmore: E4D: -4 (4df-2=-, +, -, -)
(8:05:09 PM) DawnyWorks: 4df
(8:05:09 PM) Quidmore: DawnyWorks: 0 (4df=0, 0, +, -)
(8:05:27 PM) Ragazzo: You rolled i2 echo
(8:05:33 PM) Ragazzo: *negative two
(8:05:39 PM) E4D: I know
(8:05:59 PM) Ragazzo: No, that's your result, assuming you meant +2.
(8:07:31 PM) E4D: The roar of a pair of CH-46 transports fills the air around them. They're solid black. One of them is moving significantly faster, one slower, taking up positions forward and behind the ICV, about 500 yards in either direction.
(8:07:49 PM) Tox: "What." Vance looks up. "Oh, that cannot be good.
(8:07:50 PM) Tox: "
(8:07:58 PM) Maddy: <W-what…w-we got company!>
(8:08:13 PM) Tox: "Black helicopters mean only one thing. It's time to de-ass the area."
(8:08:31 PM) DawnyWorks: "Fuck fuck fuck"
(8:09:00 PM) MisterFlames: "Ugh, I hate this Men In Black garbage." Midnight growls.
(8:09:30 PM) Ragazzo: <Hah, funny, considering your company. Although, the MIB are closer to the UIU.>
(8:09:44 PM) E4D: A loudspeaker booms from the one in front, echoing just behind a transmission from their radios. «Special Task Force Omega Two Three, this is Special Task Force Alpha One. You are currently in violation of standing Exo-Keter Omega Protocol scenarios, and are listed as derelict of duty. You are hereby ordered to stand down, and await pickup.»
(8:10:04 PM) Tox: "Okay, maybe not as bad as I thought."
(8:10:07 PM) Maddy: <Oh shit…>
(8:10:18 PM) DawnyWorks: "You mean…a shower?"
(8:10:20 PM) Ragazzo: <Well, that's something.>
(8:10:22 PM) E4D: Perception.
(8:10:29 PM) Ragazzo: 4df+2 Perc
(8:10:29 PM) DawnyWorks: 4fd
(8:10:29 PM) Quidmore: Ragazzo: Perc: 4 (4df+2=-, +, +, +)
(8:10:33 PM) Tox: 4df+3 Eyes! Give me sight beyond sight!
(8:10:34 PM) Quidmore: Tox: Eyes! Give me sight beyond sight!: 1 (4df+3=-, 0, 0, -)
(8:10:34 PM) Maddy: 4df+2
(8:10:34 PM) Quidmore: Maddy: 2 (4df+2=-, +, +, -)
(8:10:39 PM) DawnyWorks: 4fd why
(8:10:46 PM) DawnyWorks: 4df
(8:10:47 PM) Quidmore: DawnyWorks: 0 (4df=+, 0, 0, -)
(8:11:17 PM) MisterFlames: "UIU is X-Files, although they've got new management." Midnight allows.
(8:11:37 PM) E4D: Everyone can see a set of ropes drop out of the back of the helo in front, followed by the one in back. A half-dozen black-clad personnel begin fast-roping down.
(8:11:44 PM) Ragazzo: <Oh? You'll have to tell me about that.>
(8:11:46 PM) Maddy: <Jason?>
(8:11:49 PM) Tox: "Jason, your call."
(8:11:55 PM) Ragazzo: <Also, I'd keep quiet, Midnight.>
(8:12:02 PM) DawnyWorks: "I don't like this"
(8:12:07 PM) E4D: <Guys…>
(8:12:16 PM) E4D: <Alice?>
(8:12:19 PM) Tox: "Say the word. I'd make it fast."
(8:12:27 PM) Maddy: <Yes?>
(8:12:43 PM) E4D: <*Fuck* *this*.> The ICV accelerates forward.
(8:12:54 PM) Ragazzo: <Welp.>
(8:12:56 PM) DawnyWorks: "FUCK!" Jillian hangs on
(8:12:57 PM) Maddy: Alice hangs on for dear life.
(8:12:57 PM) E4D: <We'll give 'em a fucking chase.>
(8:12:59 PM) Tox: Vance tightens up.
(8:13:12 PM) E4D: Anyone up top, defense!
(8:13:18 PM) Maddy: <I t-thought we were r-rejoining the rest? What c-changed you mind?>
(8:13:23 PM) Maddy: 4df+3
(8:13:23 PM) Quidmore: Maddy: 3 (4df+3=0, +, 0, -)
(8:13:25 PM) Tox: 4f+3 Hnnnnghh
(8:13:29 PM) Tox: 4df+3 Hnnnnghh
(8:13:31 PM) Quidmore: Tox: Hnnnnghh: 2 (4df+3=0, +, -, -)
(8:13:35 PM) Ragazzo: 4df+2 Fffu
(8:13:35 PM) Quidmore: Ragazzo: Fffu: 5 (4df+2=+, 0, +, +)
(8:13:46 PM) DawnyWorks: 4fd+3
(8:13:55 PM) DawnyWorks: 4df+3
(8:13:55 PM) Quidmore: DawnyWorks: 4 (4df+3=+, -, +, 0)
(8:14:18 PM) E4D: 4df
(8:14:19 PM) Quidmore: E4D: 0 (4df=+, -, +, -)
(8:14:51 PM) MisterFlames: "A question for you, Jason." Midnight says calmly. "If those are Foundation copters, where would they be based? You can't fly more than what, maybe a couple of hundred miles without refueling? Or am I confused?"
(8:15:03 PM) E4D: The minigunner on the right side of the helo sprays fire onto the ICV, miraculously missing the small horde of dumbasses dipping and ducking for dear life on top.
(8:15:50 PM) Maddy: <Jesus!>
(8:15:54 PM) Tox: "Whoa! Fuck!"
(8:15:57 PM) E4D: <You heard that. Dereliction of duty? Violation of Omega? I don't know about #2, but the forst one's some serious shit.>
(8:16:08 PM) Maddy: <W-we didn't /do/ anything!>
(8:16:11 PM) Tox: "Is that something we don't go home from?"
(8:16:11 PM) E4D: <You want to deal with that, or you want me to keep driving?>
(8:16:14 PM) DawnyWorks: "Depends on the bird Midnight"
(8:16:46 PM) MisterFlames: "So tell me about those birds. I'm a cat, I've never been in a helicopter before."
(8:16:49 PM) Ragazzo: <We didn't do anything until we ran away. No we're doing plenty.>
(8:16:54 PM) Ragazzo: *now
(8:17:00 PM) Maddy: <Fuck fuck fuck…>
(8:17:04 PM) E4D: <No time to talk, Midnight, I'll tell you anything you want to know later.>
(8:17:13 PM) DawnyWorks: "Ch-46 can go about 200NM before refuel"
(8:17:18 PM) Tox: "Dereliction of duty when we're going shopping?!"
(8:17:34 PM) MisterFlames: "Fair enough. I'd try magic, but the trouble is I don't know if Cthulhu would let me."
(8:17:37 PM) E4D: The helo in the rear is keeping pace, the gunners unable to fire.
(8:17:42 PM) DawnyWorks: "We've been off the grid, same as AWOL"
(8:17:44 PM) Maddy: <C-can you t-try to talk to them?>
(8:17:49 PM) Ragazzo: <Point is, do you think those people up there who they say? Because if they are, this is the dumbest thing we could possibly be doing.>
(8:18:07 PM) Maddy: <We h-had to go off the grid! We were /evacuating!/>
(8:18:18 PM) DawnyWorks: "They're going to kill us either way, at least we can have fun with it"
(8:18:20 PM) Tox: "If I should be doing anything but biting my nails to nubs, lemme know, guys."
(8:18:40 PM) Maddy: <WHAT?>
(8:19:07 PM) MisterFlames: "They probably aren't who they say they are." Midnight allows. "Otherwise they would have tried to make contact. I would more suspect GOC, or maybe some other organization."
(8:19:48 PM) E4D: The ICV pulls in between a set of buildings down an alley on 87. A helicopter flies overhead. «STF-O-23, this is your final opportunity. Respond with your intentions.»
(8:19:56 PM) Tox: 4df+3 How
(8:19:57 PM) Quidmore: Tox: How: 3 (4df+3=-, +, 0, 0)
(8:20:01 PM) Tox: ffff, hang on
(8:20:05 PM) Ragazzo: <…Jason, that's your name, right? I didn't take you for a traitor to the foundation.>
(8:20:25 PM) Maddy: Alice is flipping the fuck out.
(8:20:35 PM) Ragazzo: <Think about this. If that's a task force, you're ruining the best chance we have.>
(8:20:35 PM) Tox: 4df+3 How's this for 'intentions?'
(8:20:35 PM) Quidmore: Tox: How's this for 'intentions?': 0 (4df+3=0, -, -, -)
(8:20:47 PM) DawnyWorks: 4df+3 fuck off
(8:20:47 PM) Quidmore: DawnyWorks: fuck off: 2 (4df+3=-, +, -, 0)
(8:21:09 PM) E4D: There's nothing to fire at but building. Vance shows *those* windows not to fuck with him.
(8:21:26 PM) Maddy: Alice isnt fireing
(8:21:33 PM) Ragazzo: <….>
(8:22:37 PM) E4D: <All right, listen, Alice? Look who was running the show at 23. GOC, PL, CI, and UIU plants.>
(8:22:39 PM) DawnyWorks: "Seiously, Dereliction of Duty is hangable…they're not going to let us live"
(8:23:08 PM) Maddy: <…>
(8:23:22 PM) E4D: <Who's to say they're not just taking a chance to get rid of a thorn in their side. Six ain't around to watch over us, hun.>
(8:23:33 PM) Maddy: Are they still being pursued?
(8:23:46 PM) Tox: Vance is looking up, down, forward. Where are those damnable helichoppers.
(8:24:04 PM) E4D: They can hear the helos circling.
(8:24:11 PM) Ragazzo: <And you people called thompson a dumbass. This is not the way to prove loyalty.>
(8:24:36 PM) Maddy: <I haven't b-been loyal to The Foundation at a-any point.>
(8:24:43 PM) MisterFlames: "Here's a question. How likely is it for them to trace back your radio signals?"
(8:24:57 PM) E4D: <Ugh, not hard.>
(8:24:59 PM) Maddy: <I'm l-loyal to p-people, not companies.>
(8:25:19 PM) Ragazzo: <The foundation is not a god damn company.>
(8:25:37 PM) Ragazzo: <More than that, do you think we can outrun /two/ helicopters.>
(8:26:13 PM) Maddy: <Fine. You go out and make friends, I'm /done/ with this shit.>
(8:26:25 PM) Maddy: <I just want to live my fucking life.>
(8:26:37 PM) Tox: "Jason, I'd do what they say!"
(8:26:43 PM) Maddy: <Jason, I'm with you. All the way.>
(8:27:12 PM) Ragazzo: <You should have thought of that before joined. Jason! Stop the god damn vehicle. They'll kill us.>
(8:27:19 PM) DawnyWorks: "Vance. They will fucking /fill/ us"
(8:27:24 PM) DawnyWorks: kill, rather
(8:27:53 PM) Tox: "I'm not in charge here, Jill. I'm telling Jason to transmit his intentions, whatever they may be."
(8:28:00 PM) Maddy: <They're going to kill us anyways.>
(8:28:08 PM) Ragazzo: <You don't know that.>
(8:28:15 PM) Maddy: <Yes, I do.>
(8:28:19 PM) E4D: <Hell of a fucking gamble to take.>
(8:28:32 PM) Tox: "Your call, Lead."
(8:28:37 PM) Ragazzo: <You're scared they will, but they won't. They need everyone they can get now.>
(8:29:02 PM) MisterFlames: Midnight considers, then starts making preparations, hopping down to lick herself a circle.
(8:29:06 PM) E4D: One of the helicopters hovers into view at the alley behind them. «You have 10 seconds, O-23.»
(8:29:19 PM) Tox: "Jason what do you want to do /say something./ Alice!"
(8:29:21 PM) DawnyWorks: "I'm not looking for a bullet to the head anymore, you want one, go for it"
(8:29:50 PM) Maddy: <Lance, you're welcome to hop off the Stryker wh-whenever you w-want.>
(8:29:53 PM) E4D: «This is Special Task Force Omega Two Three responding.»
(8:30:09 PM) Ragazzo: <Thank fucking god.>
(8:30:16 PM) DawnyWorks: Jillian chew her lip and closes her eyes
(8:30:23 PM) Tox: Vance looks at the chopper.
(8:30:26 PM) E4D: «We are announcing our secession from the Foundation chain of command.»
(8:31:07 PM) E4D: <Give 'em hell.> The ICV roars to life, picking up speed, dead ahead, charging out of the alley.
(8:31:27 PM) MisterFlames: 4df+4 Maneuver preparation.
(8:31:27 PM) Tox: 4df+3 Jason's mouth, Vance's fingers.
(8:31:27 PM) Quidmore: MisterFlames: Maneuver preparation.: 5 (4df+4=+, 0, +, -)
(8:31:28 PM) Quidmore: Tox: Jason's mouth, Vance's fingers.: 2 (4df+3=0, -, 0, 0)
(8:31:58 PM) Maddy: Alice clutches her weapon. <What just happened?>
(8:32:01 PM) E4D: You got it Flames.
(8:32:33 PM) E4D: The large helicopter makes an effort to wheel around, firing its lateral guns as it does so.
(8:32:35 PM) E4D: Defense!
(8:32:43 PM) Maddy: 4df+3
(8:32:43 PM) Quidmore: Maddy: 0 (4df+3=-, 0, -, -)
(8:32:45 PM) Tox: 4df+3 BRACE FOR IMPACT
(8:32:46 PM) Maddy: :|
(8:32:46 PM) Quidmore: Tox: BRACE FOR IMPACT: 2 (4df+3=0, 0, 0, -)
(8:33:10 PM) Ragazzo: 4df+2 Defense
(8:33:11 PM) Quidmore: Ragazzo: Defense: 2 (4df+2=0, -, +, 0)
(8:33:25 PM) DawnyWorks: 4df+3 fuck
(8:33:26 PM) Quidmore: DawnyWorks: fuck: 5 (4df+3=0, +, +, 0)
(8:33:35 PM) E4D: 4df
(8:33:35 PM) Quidmore: E4D: 0 (4df=-, +, -, +)
(8:34:27 PM) E4D: The rounds ping off Alice's suit, feeling like a hammer strike where each one hits. The others are more fortunate, avoiding impact. The helo struggles to lumber around, giving chase.
(8:35:12 PM) Maddy: Alice winces, still clinging to the Styker and her gun. <T-that's going to leave a bruise.>
(8:35:32 PM) DawnyWorks: "I guess the market it out of the question?"
(8:35:47 PM) E4D: <Does someone want to do *SOMETHING* about the goddamn helo firing at us?>
(8:35:49 PM) Tox: 4df+3 In My Sights! Vance sets his sights on the door gunner, trying to draw a bead on him.
(8:35:50 PM) Quidmore: Tox: In My Sights! Vance sets his sights on the door gunner, trying to draw a bead on him.: 4 (4df+3=+, 0, 0, 0)
(8:36:18 PM) Maddy: 4df+4 <Get s-s-stuffed!>
(8:36:18 PM) Quidmore: Maddy: <Get s-s-stuffed!>: 3 (4df+4=-, +, -, 0)
(8:36:26 PM) E4D: The man's hanging out the side, ready for anyone who targets him.
(8:36:31 PM) Ragazzo: <We're now traitors to what is probably still one of the most powerful organizations in the world. Fun. Anyway…>
(8:36:33 PM) DawnyWorks: 4df+3 Jason taught me how to shoot
(8:36:33 PM) Quidmore: DawnyWorks: Jason taught me how to shoot: 2 (4df+3=+, 0, -, -)
(8:36:38 PM) MisterFlames: 4df+6 Midnight concentrates on the helicopter pilot, then sends out a compulsion to the man. ~You're too high, go down fast!~
(8:36:38 PM) Quidmore: MisterFlames: Midnight concentrates on the helicopter pilot, then sends out a compulsion to the man. ~You're too high, go down fast!~: 5 (4df+6=0, 0, -, 0)
(8:37:13 PM) Maddy: <Lance, y-you are /so/ n-naive if y-you really think the Foundation is t-the strongest.>
(8:37:21 PM) E4D: 4df+2 Pdef
(8:37:21 PM) Quidmore: E4D: Pdef: 4 (4df+2=+, +, -, +)
(8:37:30 PM) E4D: $df+2 Mdef
(8:37:33 PM) E4D: 4df+2 Mdef
(8:37:33 PM) Quidmore: E4D: Mdef: 4 (4df+2=+, 0, 0, +)
(8:37:38 PM) Ragazzo: <I said one of, and don't call me naive.>
(8:37:53 PM) Ragazzo: <Not all of us are plants from other groups.>
(8:37:57 PM) DawnyWorks: "Stop. Fucking. Fighting!"
(8:38:18 PM) Maddy: <The F-foundation is probably the m-most fucked, here.> she shrugs. <Just saying.>
(8:38:23 PM) Tox: 4df+5 Vance unleashes a storm of 7.62 fire at the door gunner. Tagging In My Sights.
(8:38:24 PM) Quidmore: Tox: Vance unleashes a storm of 7.62 fire at the door gunner. Tagging In My Sights.: 4 (4df+5=-, +, 0, -)
(8:38:32 PM) E4D: The door gunner is impacted by a flurry of rounds, dropping from his gun, and dangling forom the nylon shock cord. He slams into a low-rise building as the helo pilot dips sharply in al;titude, splattering him agains tthe surface.
(8:38:47 PM) Maddy: <Nice!>
(8:38:48 PM) Tox: "One down!"
(8:38:53 PM) DawnyWorks: "Fucking nasty"
(8:39:09 PM) E4D: The automatic safeties engage, locking the helo's altitude and velocity as the ICV speeds away.
(8:39:21 PM) Ragazzo: <That was impressive, at least.>
(8:39:51 PM) Maddy: <Now w-what?>
(8:40:02 PM) E4D: <All right guys… shit, shit, shit, shit… I'm looking for a route…>
(8:40:08 PM) Tox: "There's that second chopper, right?"
(8:40:18 PM) Ragazzo: <Anyone hurt? Alice?>
(8:40:33 PM) E4D: <Yeah, another one.>'
(8:40:37 PM) MisterFlames: "I was hoping to crash it. I've been bird hunting, but never against such a big bird." Midnight keeps her mind on that copter pilot, just in case she needs it."
(8:40:53 PM) Maddy: <T-took a few hits, b-but El-Ahrairah is p-pretty much bullet proof.»
(8:41:16 PM) Tox: "I vote we take it out, too."
(8:41:24 PM) E4D: We can take the road north for a fast exfil to the LAV, but we'd be going right past the center of town. About 500 meters from the center.>
(8:41:38 PM) Tox: "…."
(8:41:54 PM) Maddy: <Fuck, this is a c-clusterfuck.>
(8:42:25 PM) E4D: He pulls into another alley as a helo drifts by somewhat clumsily, a bloody harness with something ragged and torn inside dangling below.
(8:42:27 PM) DawnyWorks: "Can't fucking win"
(8:42:38 PM) MisterFlames: "Forgot about that…" Midnight concentrates.
(8:42:59 PM) Ragazzo: <You should be used to them by now. Let's go north. We'll get caught u-oh hell.>
(8:43:24 PM) E4D: <I mean, we can turn tail and go back the same way, but I think they dropped a few troops on the road.>
(8:43:38 PM) E4D: <But shit, we could run them over.>
(8:43:42 PM) MisterFlames: 4df+4 She works to fortify the link she's got with the copter pilot. (Maneuver with Occult)
(8:43:42 PM) Quidmore: MisterFlames: She works to fortify the link she's got with the copter pilot. (Maneuver with Occult): 4 (4df+4=-, +, -, +)
(8:43:43 PM) Tox: "Hell yeah!"
(8:43:55 PM) E4D: 4df+2
(8:43:55 PM) Quidmore: E4D: 2 (4df+2=+, -, +, -)
(8:44:18 PM) Maddy: <Midnight, you think 500 m is e-enough clearance to w-whatever the fuck is in t-town?>
(8:44:49 PM) E4D: The helo pitches sharply, slowing, and coming to a hover.
(8:45:20 PM) DawnyWorks: Jillian chews her lip and mumbles to herslef, watching the bird
(8:45:32 PM) Ragazzo: "Hmmm."
(8:45:42 PM) DawnyWorks: herself*
(8:46:25 PM) MisterFlames: 4df+6 Midnight sends a compulsion to the pilot, ~There's the Stryker, moving to the center of town! Call it in, and get them there!~
(8:46:25 PM) Quidmore: MisterFlames: Midnight sends a compulsion to the pilot, ~There's the Stryker, moving to the center of town! Call it in, and get them there!~: 4 (4df+6=0, -, 0, -)
(8:46:46 PM) E4D left the room (quit: Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client).
(8:47:10 PM) E4D [ten.knilneddus.hd.avnbsa.9ACD50F7-CRInys|tibbiM#ten.knilneddus.hd.avnbsa.9ACD50F7-CRInys|tibbiM] entered the room.
(8:47:21 PM) Tox: (8:46:25 PM) Quidmore: MisterFlames: Midnight sends a compulsion to the pilot, ~There's the Stryker, moving to the center of town! Call it in, and get them there!~: 4 (4df+6=0, -, 0, -)
(8:47:46 PM) E4D: 4df+2
(8:47:47 PM) Quidmore: E4D: 4 (4df+2=0, +, 0, +)
(8:48:39 PM) E4D: «Trapper Two, this is Trapper One, be advised, I have a gunner down, and am in pursuit of the hostile ICV IVO the midtown marker, danger close to the storm system, engaging in pursuit, and requesting assistance.»
(8:49:32 PM) E4D: «Trapper One, Two confirming, T-2 personnel on the ground IVO Smith street Mile Marker 2 standing by for pickup. Trapper Two in pursuit, eyes open, over.>?
(8:49:51 PM) E4D: The First helo pulls away, bearing away from the Stryker, veering for the growing storm.
(8:50:09 PM) Maddy: <M-midnight? Did you do that?>
(8:50:12 PM) Tox: "….Why are they going /towards/ it?!" Vance whispers, dread in his tone.
(8:50:19 PM) DawnyWorks: Jillian chews her lip harder and closes her eyes, still mumbling
(8:50:23 PM) E4D: <The fuck're they doing?>
(8:50:42 PM) MisterFlames: "Your guess is as good as mine," Midnight replies. "And I told the pilot that we were going to the storm. Looks like he believed it."
(8:50:53 PM) DawnyWorks: "theregonnabreaktheregonnabreaktheregonnabreak"
(8:50:57 PM) Tox: "Those poor dumb bastards.:"
(8:51:01 PM) Ragazzo: <Tch. Poor fools. That was a good trick, but a cruel one, Midnight.>
(8:51:08 PM) Maddy: <You a-are magnificent.>
(8:51:26 PM) E4D: Jason inches the ICV out of the alley. The helo's visible, bearing down fast toward the city center.
(8:51:32 PM) MisterFlames: 'I one killed an entire GOC raid by having them shoot at each other. It was either them or me."
(8:52:03 PM) E4D: It's about 100 yards out of the mesocyclone when a black tendril lances out, piercing the helo.
(8:52:21 PM) Tox: Vance watches in rapt, horrified fascination.
(8:52:25 PM) Ragazzo: "Hmmm. Well, now we know."
(8:52:36 PM) Maddy: <Let's roll.>
(8:52:38 PM) Ragazzo: <Don't get closer than that.>
(8:52:39 PM) DawnyWorks: Jillian gasps, and a small sob escapes
(8:52:46 PM) MisterFlames: "Admittedly, I didn't compell them, just projected an illusion. All I want is to be left alone, and I try never to hurt others without provocation."
(8:53:00 PM) Maddy: <That's f-fair, Midnight.>
(8:53:04 PM) E4D: The torque of the engines whips it around wildly, but it's held fast. The gunner is thrown free, but before he can hit the ground, another black tendril reaches out, impaling him and pulling him into the shimmering, radiant center.
(8:53:43 PM) DawnyWorks: Jillian closes her eyes "It's okay, they're the bad guys….but why the birds…"
(8:53:57 PM) Maddy: <C-cause they were /in/ the birds.>
(8:54:03 PM) Maddy: <Let's /move/>
(8:54:39 PM) DawnyWorks: "I get it intellectually Alice"
(8:54:49 PM) E4D: Jason punches the accelerator, booking it further south, and back on 87, pushing north. The town center is off to their right.
(8:54:55 PM) E4D: North east now.
(8:55:04 PM) MisterFlames: "Let's do what we came here to do and get out of here. They'll probably nuke the town next time."
(8:55:25 PM) Maddy: <R-right.>
(8:55:46 PM) Ragazzo: <That's true, at least.>
(8:56:00 PM) Maddy: <H-hospital, grocery s-store, p-police station?>
(8:56:11 PM) E4D: «Trapper Home, this is Trapper Two, be advised, we are reporting a complete scrub of the recovery operation, Trapper One is down, lost with all hands, personnel on the ground on Smith, Mile Marker Two. Assets left in place, we are evacuating due to hazardous anomalous events in the city center. Trapper Two out.»
(8:56:12 PM) MisterFlames: "Not sure if it's the right plan, though. It might *like* it."
(8:57:06 PM) Tox: "Won't know 'til it's too late."
(8:57:08 PM) E4D: The remaining helo pulls away, flying fast to the northwest.
(8:58:21 PM) E4D: The engine of the Stryker strains as Jason mashes the accelerator,. <We should be coming up on the hospital, 3 minutes.>
(8:58:32 PM) Tox: "Copy."
(8:58:50 PM) Maddy: <In and o-out, guys.>
(8:58:57 PM) E4D: They pull up, sure enough, three minutes later.
(8:59:05 PM) DawnyWorks: "While you guys shop, I'm going to check stryker out, she doesn't sound healthy"
(8:59:34 PM) DawnyWorks: 4df+4 you okay babe?
(8:59:35 PM) Quidmore: DawnyWorks: you okay babe?: 3 (4df+4=+, -, -, 0)
(8:59:37 PM) Maddy: <R-right.> Alice hops off. <V-vance, you're on point.>
(8:59:37 PM) Tox: Vance dismounts from the Stryker. "Aight."
(8:59:40 PM) MisterFlames: "I'll keep an eye on things. I'm no good carrying." Midnight says as she gets out.
(8:59:47 PM) E4D: They're at the rear entrance to the trauma ward. The ER doors look busted open. Empty ambulance staging areas can be seen off to the side.
(8:59:58 PM) Ragazzo: <I'll go with you guys.> Lance dismounts with a stumble.
(9:00:05 PM) MisterFlames: Midnight climbs to the top of the Stryker to look around.
(9:00:09 PM) Tox: "Copy that, boss ma'am." Vance advances to the rear doors, SCAR-H out and light on.
(9:00:21 PM) E4D: Dawnyworks: She is, if a little thirsty.
(9:00:44 PM) DawnyWorks: thirsty water, thirsty fuel?
(9:01:57 PM) Ragazzo: "Anyone happen to have a blackjack laying around?" Asks lance, following whoever's headed for the rear entrance.
(9:02:13 PM) E4D: Thirsty fuel.
(9:02:22 PM) Tox: Vance steps inside the opened rear doors and shines his light around.
(9:02:34 PM) Maddy: Alice keeps just behind Vance, hand on his shoulder.
(9:03:08 PM) E4D: Thee's not much to see. An open reception area, and what apears to be a sitting room to the left, the ward off to the right through a couple of double doors, and a door straight ahead, next to some elevators.
(9:03:44 PM) Tox: 4df+3 Perception - Vance has been in his share of hospitals - any clues on where the dispensary is?
(9:03:45 PM) Quidmore: Tox: Perception - Vance has been in his share of hospitals - any clues on where the dispensary is?: 3 (4df+3=+, 0, -, 0)
(9:04:29 PM) E4D: Not that he can see just laying around.
(9:04:29 PM) Maddy: 4df+2 Alice looks for a map or wall signs.
(9:04:29 PM) Quidmore: Maddy: Alice looks for a map or wall signs.: 4 (4df+2=+, +, 0, 0)
(9:04:44 PM) Ragazzo: 4df+4 Rolling medical, I'm a damn doctor, I know where it would be.
(9:04:44 PM) Quidmore: Ragazzo: Rolling medical, I'm a damn doctor, I know where it would be.: 6 (4df+4=+, +, -, +)
(9:05:47 PM) E4D: Alice and Lance Vance Dance both find indications of the dispensary. Some notes on the in-processing desk make note of a few contingency stores taken from the second floor.
(9:06:06 PM) DawnyWorks left the room (quit: Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client).
(9:06:16 PM) Tox: Vance steps forward to the center of the ward and forward doors, looking from one to the other. "Stairs should be this way," he motions to the forward door.
(9:06:31 PM) Maddy: <R-right, f-following you.>
(9:06:42 PM) Tox: "Where're we headed?'
(9:06:48 PM) E4D: Cole could lead them directly to it.
(9:06:56 PM) Ragazzo: "Just follow me."
(9:07:04 PM) Ragazzo: "All hospitals are the same…"
(9:07:17 PM) Tox: "Following"
(9:07:25 PM) Maddy: <…ok>
(9:07:27 PM) Ragazzo: "Although, if something leaps out and stabs me, you should be ready."
(9:07:40 PM) Maddy: <G-got you covered.>
(9:08:38 PM) Ragazzo: Lance sets off for the dispensary. "There's more supplies on he second floor, I think. So we'll want to look there." He pushes throguh the doors, an ahead of them, and turns left.
(9:08:54 PM) mode (+qo E4D E4D) by ChanServ
(9:09:02 PM) Tox: Vance follows up behind, tracking.
(9:09:43 PM) E4D: And there it is. It looks… amazingly intact.
(9:10:07 PM) Tox: "Looks well-stocked. This what we needed?"
(9:10:12 PM) Ragazzo: He looks around briefly, suspicious of this.
(9:10:22 PM) Maddy: <Hmmm…>
(9:10:33 PM) Ragazzo: 4df+2 What the hell
(9:10:33 PM) Quidmore: Ragazzo: What the hell: 6 (4df+2=+, +, +, +)
(9:10:40 PM) Ragazzo: ^That's perc.
(9:11:45 PM) E4D: Cole can find nothing out of place that would indicate any mischief done to the stock, and there's nothing suspicious about the surrounding area, nor about anything he's seen so far in the hospital, except for the complete lack of people.
(9:12:33 PM) Ragazzo: No one at all? Not even deceased patients?
(9:12:36 PM) E4D: «Guys, how's it going up there, me and Jill are gettin' bored down here.»
(9:12:49 PM) E4D: *No* *one*.
(9:13:01 PM) Maddy: «F-found the dispensary, n-not a s-single body though…>
(9:13:04 PM) Maddy: >
(9:13:12 PM) Ragazzo: <…this is not good. Let's hurry.>
(9:13:18 PM) Tox: "I agree."
(9:13:40 PM) Maddy: <R-right, t-take as much as you can carry.> Alice starts grabbing anything she can.
(9:13:42 PM) Ragazzo: Lance moves behind the dispensary counter, and begins grabbing as much as he can.
(9:14:01 PM) Tox: Vance just grabs what the fuck ever, he cannot into doctor shit.
(9:14:05 PM) Ragazzo: "Focus on antibiotics, painkillers…disinfectants. Bandages too."
(9:14:12 PM) Tox: That, at least, he knows.
(9:14:12 PM) Maddy: <R-right.>
(9:14:16 PM) Tox: So he does.
(9:15:03 PM) Ragazzo: <If we can, multiple trips would be worth it.>
(9:15:26 PM) Ragazzo: <I'm not trusting this place to be so conveniently deserted another day.>
(9:15:30 PM) Maddy: «Jason, w-we might have to take m-multiple trips, this o-ok with you?»
(9:15:47 PM) Tox: "Wait. Why not use a gurney?"
(9:15:56 PM) E4D: «Ugh, shit! SHIT SHIT *SHIT*!»
(9:16:02 PM) Tox: «What?!»
(9:16:03 PM) Ragazzo: <…>
(9:16:07 PM) Maddy: «What? JASON?»
(9:16:09 PM) E4D: There's a small tremor.
(9:16:15 PM) Tox: "Not good!"
(9:16:18 PM) Ragazzo: <Oh…hell.>
(9:16:25 PM) E4D: «You guys might want to get out here! Something weird's happening in thecenter of town!>
(9:16:40 PM) Maddy: <FUCK! G-get a gurney, pile what you can on it and m-move!>
(9:16:45 PM) MisterFlames: Midnight looks toward the center of town to see what's up.
(9:16:46 PM) Tox: "Take what we got and move, that is my recommendation!"
(9:16:58 PM) Tox: Vance sprints to a room, grabs a gurney and sprints back.(9:17:19 PM) Ragazzo: Lance grabs a gurney, if there is one, and begins piling the most useful supplies onto it. He makes sure to grab some surgical tools.
(9:17:39 PM) Maddy: Alice stuffs her pouches with as many antibiotics as she can and starts loading the gurneys.
(9:17:51 PM) E4D: Midnight sees what Jason sees. As well as the other, moments later. The cyclone appears to be *bleeding* a dark liquid.
(9:18:12 PM) Tox: "Are we good?!"
(9:18:15 PM) E4D: The shimmering effect grows more vibrant, and radiant, the distortion increasing as the air bleeds the tarry substance.
(9:18:38 PM) Maddy: <Let's go.> Alice sprints back to the stairs and down.
(9:18:50 PM) Tox: Vance is the fuck out.
(9:19:04 PM) Ragazzo: Lance hurries as well, dragging his gurney of medical stuff.
(9:19:12 PM) Ragazzo: They didn't go up any stairs.
(9:19:25 PM) Maddy: <Jason w-wha…> she looks. <Holy shit…>
(9:19:28 PM) E4D: The cyclone seems to increase in speed, tendrils reaching out for a moment like they were… stretching, letting out and ache. They shrink again as the liquid pools on the ground below, evantually fading back into the cyclone after several moments.'
(9:19:58 PM) Tox: "…..I vote we should go."
(9:20:07 PM) E4D: The substance begins contracting, sinking away, leaving no trace as the cyclone dissipates.
(9:20:22 PM) E4D: The clouds… follow the cyclone down, into the earth.
(9:20:32 PM) Maddy: She climbs back onto the ICV. <GO!>
(9:20:42 PM) Tox: Vance clambers back onboard.
(9:20:44 PM) Ragazzo: "……yeah…"
(9:20:44 PM) E4D: A bolt of lightning flashes on the point, and there's a tremor. And then stillness.
(9:20:50 PM) E4D: <Got it!>
(9:20:57 PM) Ragazzo: Lance tosses all the supplies in, and boards.
(9:21:00 PM) E4D: The engine has died.
(9:21:08 PM) Tox: "FUCK!"
(9:21:31 PM) Maddy: <Oh, oh god…W-what now?>
(9:21:50 PM) Tox: "There's no rumble. No engine is no good."
(9:21:54 PM) E4D: The sun's visible again, light shining down on the Springs for the first time in several days.
(9:22:18 PM) Maddy: <W-wait…it's leaving…>
(9:22:47 PM) Ragazzo: "And do you know where it's going? No? Let's get moving as quick as we can."
(9:22:50 PM) E4D: Jason's flipping the start switch, and after several seconds, power returns.
(9:23:12 PM) Maddy: <W-we going back to c-camp? Or a-are we still going to t-try for food and fuel?>
(9:23:19 PM) E4D: Almost at the same time, the hospital's emergency generators can be heard firing, rumbling to life.
(9:23:41 PM) Maddy: <…>
(9:23:54 PM) Ragazzo: "That's very good, or very bad."
(9:24:04 PM) Tox: "…was it feeding on….power?"
(9:24:34 PM) Maddy: <Maybe. J-jason, w-what do you think?>
(9:24:52 PM) Maddy: <F-food and fuel?>
(9:25:37 PM) E4D: <We might be able to find both here. Hospital e-gennies have tanks that hold hundreds of gallons.>
(9:25:59 PM) Tox: "And the cafeteria might still be stocked."
(9:26:05 PM) Maddy: <Well, i-if no one else minds, I s-say w-we check it out.>
(9:26:25 PM) Tox: Vance dismounts the Stryker again. "Good enough."
(9:26:32 PM) Ragazzo: <Hospital food is usually pretty lasting as well And always clean.>
(9:26:41 PM) Ragazzo: Lance dismounts.
(9:27:05 PM) Tox: "Lead on, Doc."
(9:27:14 PM) Maddy: Alice gets down again, following.
(9:27:27 PM) Ragazzo: "Engines, or food…hmmm."
(9:27:34 PM) Maddy: <Both.>
(9:27:40 PM) Ragazzo: "Probably get the fuel first."
(9:27:45 PM) E4D: <What Alice said.>
(9:28:05 PM) Maddy: Alice heads in.
(9:28:12 PM) Ragazzo: Lance follows.
(9:28:23 PM) E4D: Jason hops out, readying his rifle, but letting it hang.
(9:28:41 PM) E4D: <I just called for the guys in the rear to bring the LAV up.>
(9:28:49 PM) Maddy: <R-right.>
(9:28:58 PM) Ragazzo: <We'll have more carrying space, that's good.>
(9:29:53 PM) MisterFlames: "See about getting a trailer, too. But also… what happened to those people the Foundation left behind?"
(9:30:59 PM) E4D: <We can track them on the BFT.>
(9:31:09 PM) Tox: "Make it happen."
(9:31:35 PM) Ragazzo: Lance leads them down to where ever the fuel would be kept..
(9:31:43 PM) Maddy: <Let's h-hope we don't bump into them.> She keeps following,
(9:31:57 PM) Tox: "They're probably as scared as we are, now."
(9:31:58 PM) Ragazzo: If he would know that.
(9:32:00 PM) E4D: <I say we stay here for the night. Go on a manhunt in the morning.>
(9:32:13 PM) Maddy: <Y-you sure hun?>
(9:32:51 PM) E4D: Jason checks the FBCB2 system. <Looks like we got… haha, six personnel. They haven't moved much, but it looks like they're holed up in a building off of Smith Street.>
(9:32:52 PM) Ragazzo: «I think I know where the people went, by the way.»
(9:33:54 PM) E4D: Jason climbs up on top of the Stryker, activating the suit's optic magnifiers. <Weren't there a bunch of people stacked up yesterday?>
(9:34:11 PM) MisterFlames: "It was eating them, remember?"
(9:34:27 PM) Maddy: <Y-yeah…> She shakes her head. <Should w-we barricade o-ourselves in the b-building??
(9:34:31 PM) Maddy: >
(9:34:31 PM) Ragazzo: «That's what I thought, yes.»
(9:34:34 PM) E4D: «There ain't *shit* over there.»
(9:34:52 PM) Maddy: <C-can someone answer my questions?>
(9:35:06 PM) E4D: «I think so, Alice.»
(9:35:35 PM) E4D: «We can keep the vehicles loaded up. We'll sleep close by, keep someone on watch at the BFT, and looking at the center of town.»
(9:35:47 PM) E4D: «Anything happens, we get the hell out of Dodge.»
(9:36:06 PM) Maddy: <R-right, lets get t-to it, some one let the people back at Eve w-what's going on.>
(9:36:17 PM) Tox: "I'll take watch on the BFT, if that's okay."
(9:37:32 PM) Maddy: Alice starts loading the Stryker, hauling fuel and medical supplies back and forth.
(9:37:46 PM) E4D: Annnd, back to OOC!
(9:37:49 PM) Ragazzo: Lance does the same. Food too.
(9:37:50 PM) E4D: AND the IC!
(7:37:44 PM) Maddy: Alice is still totally hanging out on the side of the Styker.


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epiphany: [ih-pif–uh-nee] n. – a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
So, I decided at about the time I turned 50 that I should learn music. To be fair, I've done pretty well working with other creative arts, and music is one that eluded me for many years, despite a couple of half-hearted attempts in my 20s to learn the guitar.
But now, with the kids almost out of the house, and a little more disposable income and theoretically more time on my hands, I thought I'd give it another go. I'll be honest, it's a challenge; one made even more difficult by my short attention span issues (now trying to learn guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards simultaneously), and several unexpected flaws in my empty nest/extra cash/free time theory.
But I am, slowly, beginning to understand it.
That's important for me. I think that it's possible to find a lesson or a text or a tutor that will enable me to play Stairway to Heaven. But I want to actually understand music, in the same way I understand painting or drawing. That is, I want to be able to pick up a guitar like I do a pencil, and create, with some degree of technical proficiency, what it is I imagine in my head.
I grant you, my skill with a pencil or a paintbrush is the result of a lifetime of practice, combined with some years of formal instruction in the principals, methods, and tools. And I realize that at 50ish, I may not live long enough to accomplish even a modicum of that ability with a musical instrument.
But that's not the point.
Every little advancement is a victory. I'm exploring the wild uncharted territory here. Every step that something doesn't kill and eat me is glorious.
Which brings me to the epiphanous part.
Every step we take is an achievement. The danger lies in telling ourselves that we are not ready or able to take that step. The greater danger is telling ourselves the journey is not worth it without knowing when or if we'll make it to the end. If we never begin, we never do get there. If we begin but stop, we won't get there either. So the trick is to start and keep going; one foot in front of the other, one note at a time.
So here I am back online to take another step. I am doing something today. It's nothing major. It's nothing complicated. It's just one note.
And then I'll do something next week. And then something the week after that. And eventually, I'll figure out how to play Stairway to Heaven, and whatever else I want.
Or maybe I won't.
But I'm going to give it my damnedest, and you can bet I'm going to have fun trying to get there.


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Jefferson Tester
American, 1900-1972
- Born
Tennessee 1900
- Active
Roseburg 1903
- Died
Lake Oswego 1972
- Occupation or Type
Northwest artist
Oregon artist
- Bio
Jefferson Tester grew up in Roseburg, Oregon with his sister Amanda Tester Snyder and, as a youth, rode a freight train to San Francisco to attend art school there. In the early 1920s, after working on a Bay Area newspaper, he returned to Oregon and joined the art department of the Oregonian. He was one of the founders of the Attic Club in 1925.
Tester moved to Chicago where he studied at the Art Institute and finally went to New York to enter the commercial art field. After twenty years with some of the largest New York advertising agencies, Tester left to pursue a career in the fine arts. He traveled and had solo shows in Mexico, the West Indies, Italy and Paris and eventually settled in southern Europe. These shows received wide critical acclaim.
In the late 1940s Tester created seven covers for Time magazine as well as illustrations for The New Yorker, Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, and other national magazines. He was selected to show his work in the "Critics Choice of the Contemporary," a 1945 exhibit at the New York Armory. His painting, Umbrellas, was chosen by Devree, a New York Times art critic, as one of the ten leading canvases of the show. After a visit to New Orleans he did a series on jazz musicians. His landscapes, circus pictures, and portraits were also well received. His works reflect an individual, energetic style, solid composition, a brilliant sense of color, and rhythm – all executed in a disciplined manner. Tester considered himself an abstract impressionist but, as one critic wrote, was less concerned with objective reality or abstract form than with mood and atmosphere.
In 1963 Tester returned to Portland, married his fifth wife, a childhood sweetheart, and lived in Lake Oswego until his death.
Artist biography reproduced with permission from the authors, Oregon Painters: the First Hundred Years (1859-1959), Ginny Allen and Jody Klevit.
- Gender
- Related People
Sibling: Amanda Snyder (American, 1894-1980)


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WHY CHOOSE AutoForce®?
U.S. AutoForce is a leading distributor of tires, undercar parts, and lubricants to independent tire retailers, auto repair shops, and automotive dealerships across the United States. As a customer of U.S. AutoForce, you'll benefit from our decades worth of knowledge and experience to provide you with the products, service, and dealership programs to help you GROW your business. Our array of customized solutions will provide you with a distinct competitive advantage, enabling you to maximize your sales, market share, and customer satisfaction. We look forward to providing you Your Power to WIN!
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text:
Capella University, Online Learning Degree ProgramsWednesday, January 30th, 2008 | In Just For Reviews, Websites & Services |
Capella University is offering Online Learning degree programs. This is the golden opportunity for those who are from different countries and wish to enhance their knowledge through this online learning programs, as well as to gain their degree certificate after complete the course.
Capella University provides the most relevant degree programs that suit your favorite subjects, it is an online format study, developed and meet current industry standards. It is excellence programs that allow you to have your own time to arrange the time to study and involve in the assignments and case studies and so on, so it is a flexible online learning programs.
In the online learning environment, you might curious how to be graded? Basically, those course works are designed to help you gain the knowledge and you need to participate the demonstration, case studies for each of the course competencies. Your instructor, will have a review to all the assignments, case studies you had completed then provides a feedback. Instead of face to face study in classroom, online learning more likely using email to communicate and assigning case studies. It is fun and interesting. For more information, please visit Capella university's website.
This blog post is based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.


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All hydrophones manufactured at Onda Corporation are sold with an end-of-connector (EOC) calibration as standard. Custom calibrations can be provided on request. In practice, a hydrophone will be connected to an oscilloscope to make measurements. The hydrophone will therefore be connected in series to a combination of cables, adapters and possibly a preamplifier and this affects the sensitivity of the hydrophone. The optimal way to make a hydrophone measurement is to connect the output of the hydrophone directly into a preamplifier. This avoids spurious frequencies in the measured waveform arising from transmission line effects. To calculate the 'loaded' sensitivity of a hydrophone, ML(f) use the following formula:
ML(f) = G(f)*MEOC(f)*( CH/(CH + CC + CA))
Where G(f) is the gain of the preamplifier, MEOC(f) is the EOC sensitivity of the hydrophone, CH is the capacitance of the hydrophone, Cc is the capacitance of the cable/adapter and CA is the capacitance of the preamplifier. A derivation of this formula can be found in 'Formulas for Converting Sensitivity'. Note, in order to calculate the loaded sensitivity of a hydrophone/preamplifier combination, a EOC calibration of the preamplifier must be available. Note the AH-20x0 and AG-20x0 models are offered with an EOC calibration as standard, but the AH-1100 is not. Other hydrophone/preamplifier combinations will require a custom calibration.


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Back End Developer – London
Job Reference: 15932
Salary: £45000 - £70000 Per Annum
Salary per: Annum
Job Duration:
Vacancy Posted: 11-01-2019
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: England, Greater London, London
Back End Developer – London
Our client a leading online retailer are looking to recruit a permanent Back End Developer to join their growing team in London.
We are looking for a developer who specialises in Python and has a passion for building great products with solid engineering practices using the latest technologies.
You will be working as a backend developer within one of our product focussed teams, working closely with other backend developers, frontend developers, QA engineers and the team's product manager to deliver changes and new functionality. You will be involved in planning new work and helping the product manager decide what the team should be working on to achieve the team's goals.
You will also be working on technical tasks to improve our backend application architecture for performance, scalability and robustness while making use of the latest technologies, reducing complexity and making development easier.
Experience required
* 2+ years of working with Python, preferably in a web development context (beneficial to have some experience of Django or Flask framework)
* Some knowledge of SQL
* Comfortable with git
* Have a computing or software engineering degree or applicable commercial engineering experience
* Experience integrating with 3rd party APIs would be beneficial
* It would be great if you'd had experience as a developer in the travel, music, e-commerce or ticketing industries before, but it's not a requirement
Due to the volume of applications received for positions, it will not be possible to respond to all applications and only applicants who are considered suitable for interview will be contacted.
Proactive Appointments Limited operates as an employment agency and employment business and is an equal opportunities organisation
We take our obligations to protect your personal data very seriously. Any information provided to us will be processed as detailed in our Privacy Notice, a copy of which can be found on our website https://www.proactive.it/privacy-notice/
Apply Now
Proactive Appointments Limited take our obligations to protect your personal data very seriously. Any information you provide to us as part of your application for this vacancy will only be processed as detailed in our Privacy Notice. If you have any questions or would like further information please email email@example.com.


text:
Letters to the Editor
Fernandez on target
Mike Fernandez's Sept. 1 article, "I'm a Republican, and I'm with Hillary Clinton," is one of the most intelligent and sensible opinion pieces I have read lately about the presidential election. Fernandez is on target about everything he writes, and the beauty of it all is that he is a Republican himself.
Kudos to him for having the courage to speak his mind and for putting our country before his political affiliation. I hope he sets an example for other Republicans.
Carmen Jacobson, Miami