text:
Hammond's Conservative Budget
In the first economic statement since the disastrous June election, Philip Hammond was being asked to deliver the impossible – spending growth and goodies for voters in the context of rising borrowing and lower growth. In what Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell described as a 'nothing has changed' Budget, the Chancellor did his best given the limited room for manoeuvre and continued Brexit uncertainty.
Although he announced a series of very modest stimuli, the economic picture looks grim. The Office of Budget Responsibility's assessment is blunt: 'growth downgrade and budget giveaways push the deficit higher'. Conservative MPs will be nervous that growth forecasts have been significantly revised downwards all the way to 2022 when Brexit should have happened and a general election is due.
Yet despite the gloomy economic picture, Philip Hammond showed a politically deft touch that many felt he lacked. There were surer signs of an emerging political narrative – preparing for the future – and even some jokes which added a degree of levity.
He made a series of announcements designed to neutralise political criticism that has damaged the Tory brand. An NHS cash boost, major house-building plans and immediate action to alleviate problems with Universal Credit show the Tories have listened. Meanwhile the headline stamp duty cut for first time buyers is a bold gesture that signals the clear need to appeal to younger voters.
However, the OBR's suggestion that the main beneficiaries of the stamp duty cut will be existing homeowners gaining from rising property prices could take the shine off. Furthermore, the fact that more money has had to be set aside to plan for Brexit contingencies than is being spent on the NHS will strengthen Remainer criticism, with commentators quickly pointing out that was not the message on the side of the bus.
But overall Hammond has done enough to avoid a pounding in the press, steering clear of measures that might have alienated voters. Fuel duty is frozen, as well as beer, cider and spirits. The VAT threshold for small business was not lowered as had been suggested in recent media reports.
There was even some cheer for business with planned reductions in corporation tax and the business rate cut brought forward two years earlier than planned. However, increases in air passenger duty for business passengers, removing allowances on corporation tax and clamping down on unoccupied business property show that ministers feel they can afford to incur business attacks.
Furthermore, the intention to raise revenue from digital sales and further action to clamp down on VAT fraud and error shows that ministers want to be seen to be acting tough in response to media and public pressure.
Overall, Theresa May will feel comfortable that the Chancellor delivered a steady Budget that has not so far bombed and whose mild provisions seem at this stage to be unlikely to be defeated on the floor of the Commons. That was the test for today, which shows how low expectations are.
Today's statement underlined just how acute the challenges remain. The economic forecasts are poor; borrowing and inflation are up and Brexit negotiations are dogged by uncertainty. But for now Philip Hammond seems to have done enough to restore some faith in his ability to continue as Chancellor.


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*Action* or *Sound*
Tch, I knew I would regret this. I have to be a child for 20 more days and I can't level up until I'm fully grown. All my stats are halved, so I can't really fight against monsters, and being allowed to leave the city early doesn't really mean much if I'm weak and I have to drag one of my NPC parents along as well.. *sigh. Might as well make the best of the situation. On the upside I get free food and lodging for the whole month and maybe the reward will compensate me for all these setbacks.
After a long 10 minutes Elian finally managed to let go of Adamas, but only because her stew was boiling for too long. After Adamas was left alone to his own devices he headed straight to the stairs. Since he was too small to walk up, he had to crawl his way all the way to the top. When he finally finished climbing the 25 or so stairs he was extremely winded. It seems like he was still weak to do anything to extraneous.
Adamas was shocked by how quick he was able to gain a stamina stat point. He only had to climb some stairs! It took him a while to figure out that the weaker you are and the more extraneous activities you carry out, the easier it is to gain stat points. He tucked away his little nugget of information into the back of his thoughts and proceeded to wobble/run to the library. Opening the door was perhaps the most frustrating/infuriating task. Adamas could barely reach the doorknob and when he finally managed to touch the metal contraption he foundd himself on his butt because he was on his tiptoes for too long. After 11 tries, he finally managed to open the door.
Within the library there was only one small bookshelf with only three shelves and they were all within reach of Adamas. He counted only 12 books available. They were all as listed: Monster Encyclopedia, Magic for Noobs, Basic Swordfighting, Herbology, Elian's Cooking Recipes, History of Alvernon, Floating Continents: Are They Real, Basic Blacksmithing, Tale of Lover's Bond, The Hero's of Old, Sewing and Cutting.
Adamas felt like he hit the jackpot. In any gaming world, information is always required, with it you would have a huge advantage over those who didn't. Without it, you would be walking blind and be left behind by all the other players. Adamas took out History of Alvernon from the shelf and sat his little butt down on the floor with the book open to the first page in his tiny lap. Thankfully it was in human language, which looked perfectly like english. I wonder if this game also has an automatic language converter? He shook his head and quickly got rid of any distracting thoughts and began to read history. An hour later Adamas was still engrossed in the book when he heard his pseudo mother yelling out his name.
"Adamas!! Honey where are you!? Its time for your lunch!"
Adamas closed his book and dragged it along with him downstairs. On his way down he heard two notification chimes.
He quickly closed them and landed on the ground floor (1st floor). His mother put her hands on her hip and shook her head at him.
"Young man, I looked everywhere for you and where do I see you come from? The second floor! What's that in your hands?" Erian came closer and saw the book and its title. "Well I suppose books are good for young minds, but you are still to young to read my little dumpling. Children are not allowed to play with books, so please give it to mamma." She raised her hand in preparation to snatch the book, but…
Ah dammit, I really need to finish this book today, I can't waste anymore time since I'll be growing at a slower pace than everyone else.
Adamas's brain did a full mile sprint in 5 seconds thinking about what he could do to keep the book. He finally came to a decision and shook his head while standing his ground. "No!" he yelled, "mine!"
Erian was genuinely startled. She never thought her sweet little son would rebel openly just because of a book, so she decided to let it be. "I see, well if you're so adamant about it then I'll let you keep it, but you better believe me young man when I say you will be giving me that book during bedtime.
Thank god that worked….
Erian led Adamas to his chair at the table and proceeded to feed him vegetable stew with some chicken on the side. Whilst feeding Adamas, Elian wore a nice bright smile as if feeding her child was the most enjoyable activity in the world. When Adamas finally portrayed to his pseudo mother that he was full (by shaking his head whenever food was offered), Erian put Adamas down and let him roam as he pleased.
First things first, let me finish learning about the history of this kingdom. After I'm done with this I'll figure out what to do with the rest of my time before I have to go to sleep. The next four hours consisted of Adamas read History of Alvernon, and when he finally finished reading he had a general idea of what the situation was.
To sum it all up, Alvernon came into existence 2,000 years ago. But a 1,000 years before that time the world was in pandemonium. Each race was fighting for supremacy and resources were very limited, but the number one reason why every race were at each other's throats was because of the inborn prejudice that the stronger races' had towards the much weaker races. Most of the stronger races that despised the three weak races are still unknown to this day but some of them have been identified. One of them was named orcs, and another was called vampires. (Information about these 2 races are not available) The weaker races had no choice but to either run, hide, or work as slaves under the rule of the stronger races.
There were three races that were the weakest of them all in the world and the targets of every other races' animosity. They were the humans, elves: dark elves, high elves, and wood elves; and the dwarves: mountain dwarves and wild dwarves. Before we talk about how these 3 weak races were able to resist the advances of the stronger races we should first understand their characteristics. First let's start with the elves.
The history of how the elves came into existence is still a mystery that no one in Alvernon knows about, but we do know how the elves were divided into sub-races. Elves were a race that considered themselves the closest with nature. They would never dream of killing other creatures for game or selfish reasons. Whenever they hunted they would use every part of the creature's body, and offer homage to the land goddess (name: unknown). Before the "time of Pandemonium" when elves came to existence there was only one type of elf. They were all known as the sub-race "Wood Elves", one with nature and all loving. They were peaceful and their physical features were light coppered skin, pointy ears with black or brown eyes, and most of them have inverted triangle faces.
Whenever a wood-elf became corrupt by either killing indiscriminately, or by committing any type of wrongdoing they would go through a transformation that would darken their skin color, make them a bit taller, change their interpretation of time that would make them nocturnal, and their eyes would shine at night often mistaking them for demons. The name of this sub-race became known as "Dark Elves"
Whenever a wood-elf would go above and beyond by being courageous, honorable, and virtuous they would also undergo a transformation that would make them taller, lighten their skin color to an extremely light tone, and their eyes would change color into hues of blue, green, yellow, or purple. Their sub-race soon became to be known as high-elves. The high-elves were also known as the "Light-eyes". They were considered the nobles of all the elven races while the wood elves were considered as commoners and the dark-elves were considered peasants or like most high-elves like to say: "cockroaches". These transformations eventually stopped occurring after a very long period of time by which every sub race already had its own large population.
Next are the dwarves.
The history of how the dwarves came to existence is also unknown. Their characteristics are however very easy to comprehend. Dwarves are greedy creatures who have no satiable end to their desire for quality ore. They coveted any and every type of ore. Their love for construction and architecture is what drives them mad over every ore and as a result dwarves are known to be the best blacksmiths among all known races. But the dwarves also have sub-races.
Dwarves were all originally born mountain dwellers (aka mountain dwarves) mining, and crafting away their lives in the dark recesses of their mountain cities. However after a certain time which is not known, a certain group of dwarves ventured outside of the mountains in the morning like any other day in order to hunt for food when all of a sudden they discovered sky-ore. Sky-ore is a certain ore that falls from high up the sky, even farther than the eye's can possibly see. Its durability was off the charts and it was deemed to be the hardest ore to smith with. There was a huge debate that day about whether or not it was beneficial to venture the lands in search of sky-ore and in the end the answer was yes.
And so the next day a huge group of dwarves left and at the same time they became the origin of the sub-race "wild dwarves" who would venture the lands in search of the rare ore (sky-ore). The only difference between wild and mountain dwarves is their heights and muscles. Wild dwarves are taller, between 4'7 to 5 feet, while mountain dwarves are between 3'8 to 4'2. The mountain dwarves would have extremely large chest and arms with their muscles bulging out, while the Wild Dwarves would indeed be cut but the chest and arm were small compared to those of the mountain dwarves. Instead they had bigger and stronger legs and thighs. In the end though the mountain dwarves began to seclude themselves away from other races including the wild dwarves. While the wild dwarves began to open up to the other races and were known for their hospitality.
Lastly are the humans.
The humans have been known to be many things. They really don't have an overall characteristic that defines them. You could say that humans are a melting pot of everything. Hateful, loving, greedy, lustful, compassionate, supportive, courageous, and cowardly, humans are a swirl of everything. They are known to have been born with no special ability like the dwarves are born with their above average strength and the elves are born with their above average agility. But if humans had anything, it would be their limitless potential to accomplish the impossible. When humans have a clear goal in mind and endeavor to be the best they can, they can match hammers with any dwarven blacksmith and they can shoot just as far and precise as any elven archer.
The origin of the human race is alas, unknown just as the other three races, but their history is just as colorful. Riddled with diverse culture, unique fighting styles, and heroic aspirations the human race has never truly fought in wars with each other before the time of pandemonium. Despite having different skin color, features, and views, the humans would always stand united against the other more powerful races. Unfortunately despite their bravery and unity the humans were unable to overcome the waves of attacks from the other races just as the dwarves and elves were unable to stand-alone.
After going straight into battle against their enemies, the three weak races were crushed. Their armies destroyed and their cities in rubble the three races had no choice but live in hiding and constantly on the run like fugitives. The unlucky ones were caught under subjugation under the orcs, vampires and etc. The elves would hide in their forests, or either stay on the run. The dwarves would bunk down within their mountains and close off their entrances, even the wild dwarves went and hid within the mountains. The humans were always on the run but out of the three races they were the ones who were captured and enslaved the most.
The 3 race's population quickly began to descend until finally the 7 heroes of old intervened. One from each sub-race and two from the humans, the 7 heroes united the 3 races and pushed back their enemies off their lands buying time for the 7 heroes to cast a mighty spell that enveloped the whole area now called the Galea continent. Till today it is not known how or what spell the 7 heroes casted in order to bring peace to Galea since they all disappeared soon after leaving no physical signs that they ever did exist. But thanks to them the 3 races were able to recuperate and lick their wounds.
A thousand years later the 3 races were able to somehow regain their numbers. This period was called the Convalescence and during this period each sub-race kept in constant communication with each other. After the Convalescence came to an end the sub-races met in the now capital city and joined hands in order to create the kingdom of Alvernon, but not everyone wanted the 3 races to unite. Those who were against the creation of the kingdom of Alvernon left and soon after many decades various kingdoms began to pop up around Alvernon. They were all racially secluded. Each kingdom were either strictly humans, elves, or dwarves. Alvernon on the other hand was a United Kingdom mostly in dedication to the bond the 7 heroes of old displayed before.
And so began the construction of the capital and the six great Threshold cities of Alvernon in remembrance of the seven heroes of old: Faraldew, the Wood-elves naturally made city; Sythiyin, the High-elves majestic city; Ithle, the Dark-elves crude but attractive night city; Irongar, the Mountain-dwarves tremendous mountain city; Kirtan, the Wild-dwarves colorful hut city; and Greenage, the Humans large sturdy city with its large stone walls. Finally, the last city and capital of the kingdom of Alvernon, Illumina. With the six cities surrounding the capital, the kingdom of Alvernon is the most strongest and stable kingdom on the continent Galea.
The next 2,000 years were fairly peaceful with a few skirmishes between the different kingdoms on the continent, and one major war between two opposing kingdoms that had nothing to do with Alvernon. The strength of Alvernon scared the surrounding kingdoms shitless. None of them had the power alone to attack, and they all distrusted each other too much in order to have a proper alliance. In the end Alvernon enjoyed 2,000 years of peace and prosperity. The only minor danger they had and still have today are the constant attacks on them by goblins and kobolds…
Woah, this back story of Alvernon is pretty deep, but I feel like there's more to it than what's written here. I'll just have to research later on my own. Now then, I'm sure that the system dropped me in the Threshold city Greenage, so this must be where most of the humans are gathering…
Alight! Now I'm definitely sure I can gain any stat point depending on the action that I do. Let's see how my stat points look like.
He whispered, "Show Stats," and a screen appeared in front of his eyes.
Ugh, this hurts my soul. I'm unbearably weak! For now I should worry about getting my stats up as fast as I can!
The next 2 hours before dinner Adamas stuck his head in the "Magic for Noobs" book. He also gained 2 stat points in stamina and 2 more in strengths due to going up and down the stairs carrying a large book. He could barely get a fourth of the new book done when his father suddenly his father arrived at around 6, which usually meant it was time for dinner. Adamas quickly closed his book, and dragged it with him to the dinner table."
While eating some rice with freshly steamed vegetables and cooked beef, Elian began telling Rand what Adamas did that day. Rand already saw that Adamas had grown about 2 years in one night before he left in the morning so he really wasn't surprised when he heard his son could already walk.
As soon as Elian finished, she came close to Adamas and began rubbing her cheeks against his. Adamas just ignored her and tried to eat his dinner on his own by clumsily bringing the spoon to his mouth. The reason why Adamas was so concentrated on eating was because after the 10th spoonful of food that Adamas ate, somehow his dexterity went up by 1 stat point.
I can get stats just for eating!!! Holy Shit, I just hit a goldmine!!
Sadly Adamas had to eat 15 more spoonfuls for his dexterity to rise once more and by then he was already past full. He couldn't eat another single bite, but the whole conversation between his pseudo parents went through one ear and out the other. He was too focused on eating.
Erian beamed at him with a smile thinking that her son was truly enjoying her food and she decided that starting tomorrow she would have Adamas accompany her whenever she did the cooking in order for him to learn. After all, every hero needs to learn how to cook for him or herself
"Look at him eat honey!! At the rate he's growing, I should hurry up and start teaching him swordsmanship! He'll definitely need it if he's going to be like the hero's of old!!"
"Honey!! One step at a time, and besides I have this strange feeling that he won't be growing up as fast anymore, so we might have more time to spend with our little Adamas. Let his body grow some more before you decide to have him swing the wooden sword all day."
*Haha "I guess I was getting ahead of myself, but I just have this feeling he'll become a great swordsman darling. Uoooh!! This excitement is just unbearable!! I should go practice now in preparation, I don't want to be embarrassed in front of my own son when I begin teaching him!"
Rand quickly got up and went straight into the backyard and began hitting at the wooden dummy at a really fast pace. Elian just smiled and shook her head as she watched her husband strike at the wooden dummy.
What the hell!! Do I attract crazy fighters? First my sister and now my freaking NPC dad!
The next two hours Adamas finally managed to get halfway through "Magic for Noobs" and he began to have a general idea of how mages would work their magic, but for now he really didn't care for magic. Strictly speaking Adamas was a dual wielder and he wasn't really interested in using magic, but it always helped to know how magic worked in NLR. (Adamas also gained 1 stat point in intelligence and wisdom) As soon as the clock on the wall reached 8:00PM Adamas began to feel sleepy and his mother Elian came and carried him upstairs to his room and laid him on his bed. As Adamas began to nod off he saw the usual message and he pressed yes!!
Adam awoke once again from NLR and stepped out of his capsule. He went straight to the kitchen to eat a late lunch when he caught sight of his family at the kitchen table. His mother and father sat side by side while his younger twin sisters were opposite of them talking instead eating. His older sister was sitting near the head of the table and an open spot was available opposite from her. They were already eating and chatting with considerable interest.
Adam quickly took his seat and the conversation at the table ended as everyone looked at him. His father broke the silence.
"Adam, I'm glad to see you enjoying NLR, but me and your mother want to discuss what you'll be doing about college. You still have 3 months before school starts but you should be sending your applications now. What we want to know is which college you want to attend."
"I've been thinking about it as well so I already sent in my application to both Loyola and Tulane university." replied Adam
"Which one are you gunning for?" his mother asked
"It really doesn't matter which school I attend since I only care about the VR major that only both of them have in the state." Adam's voice began to pick up in intensity as he got excited talking about his plans, "I'm really interested in the potential and benefits VR has and I'm 100% certain that diving into VR will be an everyday occurrence for every household in the world. INTERACT has this internship program for VR major students and hopefully I might be able to intern at INTERACT in Japan later on and maybe if I'm lucky I might be able to meet some members of UNVEIL."
Adam's mother sighed in relief; she thought that Adam's recent setback was crushing all of his ambitions and excitement. If only she knew that she was half-right.
"Ah I see, well then I guess we have nothing to worry about" his father said in relief.
"Don't worry dad, now that I'm here Adam won't be able to slack off in anything", his older sister Aria said with an evil smile directed straight at me. "Allie and Annie might be joining us tonight so make sure you don't embarrass yourself in front of them.
That's right, Adam Aria weren't the only ones who practiced martial arts. Their younger twin sisters would sometimes join them, but they didn't really take it as seriously as Adam or Aria. They would only practice the basics of hand-to-hand fighting.
Adam secretly sighed and looked towards his sisters. It's been a long time since I cooked for them, much less anyone. I should make them peach pecan pie as an apology for ignoring them until now.
Adam couldn't help but become curious as to how his two favorite sister were faring inside NLR so he asked.
"How are you guys enjoying NLR?"
His younger sister Allie quickly answered as if she couldn't wait to talk to Adam.
"It's so much fun!! Me and Annie both registered at the same time, we chose to be high-elves and then the lady in the capsule asked us if we wanted to be twins in NLR as well, she said it wouldn't work unless we both agreed and when I said yes, the lady told me that Annie said yes too so we ended up being reborn as twin sisters. And then on the second day our NPC mother started teaching us how to use light magic and then our NPC dad started to lecture us about how to use the bow and why its the best weapon, and then our NPC mom took us outside to see the city which is soo beautiful and the-"
"Allie, slow down and take a breath or two, you're talking too fast." Annie said while laughing. Allie blushed and looked down in embarrassment. "Anyways, we're having fun brother, what about you?"
Then Adam began to tell everyone at the table how he was holding up. The table was filled with laughter and plenty of talk that afternoon, and it left a good feeling within Adam's chest
Yeah, if anything, I still have my family with me and they would never betray me.
After lunch, everyone went his or her separate way except for Adam and his mother. Adam helped his mother wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen table. It was the first time Adam ever washed dishes, which surprised his mom. It was a silent apology to his mother and an attempt to let her know that he was doing better now. By the way she smiled at him Adam was sure that she received his silent message and smiled in return. Adam was never good at telling his parents he loved them or saying anything from the heart after he grew up. It was even harder now after his debacle with Liam and Kandy, but he was still able to feel regardless of his silence.
Soon after Adam's mother and him finished washing the dishes and cleaning the table, they sat down in the open veranda facing the dojo and his mom poured some tea into a cup and gave it too Adam. Once she finished pouring herself a cup of tea as well, they just sat there in silence sipping their tea. It was peaceful and relaxing. Every worry and heartache just disappeared from Adam's mind and heart during those 30 minutes. Adam recalled the saying "Silence is golden" and felt like there was nothing more true.
His mother excused herself after the 30 minutes and walked away in order to go answer her phone. Adam was left alone staring at the sky. He was beginning to nod off himself from fatigue when his wristwatch alarm went off. He looked down at the RL time that read 00:30. In 30 minutes his avatar would wake up. Adam just continued to sit down until the timer went down to 00:05. He got up and walked slowly to his room and into the capsule. As soon as he went in the capsule, he had only 4 seconds left
"Yes" he answered when the capsule prompted him to connect to NLR.
~~~2 Days Later (RL)~~~ _____________________~~~8 Days Later (NLR)~~~
8 days have passes in-game and now Adamas is 6 years old. The past four days have been nothing but a constant cycle of reading books, being taught how to cook in-game by Elian, eating food and doing some exercises. He has managed to finish reading five books: Magic for Noobs, Flying Continents: Do They Exist, Tale of Lover's Bond, Hero's of Old, and Elian's Cooking Recipes. At first his parents thought he was just turning the pages and looking at the pictures in the book but when they began to look closer they realized their son was indeed reading. They wondered how a kid of only 2 and a half years of age was able to read and understand the human language. After pondering on it for a while they just calked it up to Adamas being gifted by the gods with incredible scholarly skills.
His intelligence and Wisdom each increased by 15 points and his strength and stamina rose by 5. Oddly enough after eating plenty of his mother's food for the past four days, his vitality also rose by 4. Adamas also learned the Cooking skill from his mother and he raised its proficiency up to Lvl. 4 (14%). Any type of sword training was prohibited by Elias. She said until Adamas grew up to an appropriate age, Rand would have to abstain from teaching any kind of swordsmanship to Adamas.
On the other hand In the real word Aria was definitely not holding back. After each morning and night practice Adam would leave with numerous bruises under his shirt. (Aria always said it would be a shame to scar Adam's face so she restrained herself). Adam was going through a daily routine back on earth as well. In the morning he would log out from the game during sleep and practice 2 hours in the dojo, during lunch time he would eat and talk with his family while relaxing. At night he would go and practice in the dojo again for 2 hours after logging out, and at midnight he would just sleep in-game for 12 hours.
During the past two days Adam was slowly recovering from his emotional heartbreak. He was slowly but surely picking up the pieces of his heart that Liam and Kandy scattered, but unfortunately the emotional wounds inflicted would leave scars behind. Adam would never be the same. On the other hand his progress was met with much delight from his family, especially his sisters. They would always beg for Adam to cook their favorite pie (peach pecan pie) whenever they could get a chance. All in all Adam was getting better.
After the 10th day in NLR Adam logged out and headed towards to the kitchen. The past 2 days his parents have been logging out early missing out on their growth period in order to make breakfast/lunch/dinner for the family. During the end of their first day, the whole family decided to sync their times within NLR. Adam and the girls would arrive at the kitchen at around the same time since then and they've been greeting their parents already waiting at the table full of food. However today was different. When Adam and the girls arrived they saw their parents sitting in the same spot as yesterday, but right next to Adam's mother a girl with dark maroon hair (obviously dyed), black eyes and unbelievably tanned skin. Her body was shaped proportionately just like an hourglass and her posture excluded a sense of dominance. She looked up as soon as they entered the kitchen and beamed them all with a bright smile. Adam's mother Zaria (Zah-ria)
"Children. This is Lexi. Lexi these are all my children. Starting from the right: Aria, Adam, Allie, and Annie."
"Nice to meet you all" Lexi cheerfully announced.
"Likewise" answered Adam
"Hello" Aria happily said
"Umm H-Hi" Allie stuttered"
"Nice to meet you as well" Annie intoned calmly
Lexi smiled at all of their greetings and made eye contact with all of them. As soon as her eyes met Adam's though he couldn't help but shiver. It felt like she was plotting a sinister plan when she smirked when their eyes met. Then his mother spoke up for them all to hear
"Lexi here is going to be attending Tulane university for the summer and the next four years. She just arrived from Chicago after a long drive. Her parents and I, along with your father, are good friends and so these past few days we have been communicating about her staying in one of our guest rooms while she's attending. Unless of course she decides that she wants to move into Tulane's residential dorms."
"Mrs. Abalten, You family is already beginning to grow on me and your house is a beautiful work of art. It would be a privilege to be able to commute to my classes from here."
"Oh! well then that settles it. After dinner Adam will help you take your stuff from the truck and unpack it in your room!" yelled his father in delight.
What a pain, I really don't want too. Adam could care less about helping, but he had a feeling that he should keep his interactions with Lexi at a bare minimum.
Aria could sense Adam's hesitation so she interrupted everyone, "Why don't you leave it to me, dad. A girl has secrets that only other girls can see when unpacking, Adam can just move the her stuff into the house. "
"That works too," her mother added, "now, let's all sit down and dig in."
During lunch the twin girls couldn't help but ask about Lexi and where she came from. They complimented Lexi on her make-up, and how they wished they were that good at applying it themselves. "Blah blah blah" was all Adam heard as he ate. Listening to girls talk about their accessories, make-up, and clothes didn't really interest him so he just zoned everyone out.
"'-dam, Adam, Adam!!"
Adam jerked up right and looked around, "Y-Yes, what's up?"
"Obviously you were! Had to call your name six times before you came back to all of us here on planet earth." Aria said rather vehemently, "I was telling Lexi about how you applied to both Loyola and Tulane. Lexi was asking whether you decided on which college to attend, she apparently has the same major as you. You did get an acceptance letter from both Tulane and Loyola yesterday."
Adam glanced at Lexi and she smiled at him. She was cute. Too cute Her mannerism was proof of her rich upbringing and her eyes were like that of a predator stalking its prey whenever they met his own eyes. Adam knew at that moment she would be nothing but trouble. Adam decided right then and there, "Oh, I'll be attending Loyola."
Lexi pouted sadly when she heard Adam's answer, "Oh, that's a pity. I was hoping we could go to class together, but I guess I'll have to start attending all my classes alone." She ended her sentence in a low and sad tone. Her appearance was that of a really dejected and disappointed girl. Like when parents refuse to buy their children candy and they get really disappointed with sadness written all over their face.
Adam's mother and father couldn't help but feel sorry for Lexi, so they turned their attention towards Adam and his father began talking.
"Adam, didn't you say a while ago that it didn't matter which of the two universities you wanted to attend? So why did you pick Loyola all of a sudden?"
Adam was hard pressed for an answer. Everyone's attention was now on him and he had to think of a reasonable response quickly so he just went with what he remembered seeing at the university's website.
Uh, B-Because of the tuition. Tulane's tuition is an astronomical (exaggeration) compared to Loyola's so I thought it would be much easier for you all to cover the extra that my scholarship can't pay for if I attend Loyola.
"Adam", his mother began, "you should know that we spare no expense when it comes to education, so if you're attending Loyola because of the costs please reconsider. We want you to get the best education possible, and going with someone who you know who has the same Major is a big plus."
"Yes son, forget money, when it comes to school, we'll handle it. Just go ahead and attend Tulane. I heard it has better curriculums to offer than Loyola."
Adam could only lament in silence. Of course they don't care about money, dammit, should've came up with a better excuse
"So, that means Adam might be able to attend Tulane with me?" Lexi said in a rather suppressed tone that supposedly hid her excitement.
"I don't see why not" his mom said
"Of course" his dad bellowed
Then Lexi looked at Adam and smiled showing her teeth. To the whole family it looked like a smile of pure delight and excitement but to Adam it looked like a vixen showing her victory smile. He could only shiver.
She's too dangerous. Best if I watch myself around her.
And so it was decided unanimously that Adam would attend Tulane. Aren't I supposed to decide!! After lunch Adam was spared from unpacking Lexi's stuff from her moving truck (which was also towing her Audi A5 2025) because she had already called in movers to transport all of her belongings to her new room. Once the movers began their way to her room he spotted some of them carrying a capsule as well.
Huh, It looks like she plays NLR as well.
Adam went up to his room, shut the door, and dropped on his bed to take a nap. From the day he started NLR, he hasn't really gotten a good night's sleep. The past two days, he's been sleeping NLR which is in fact satisfying, but RL sleep is still way better. So whenever he gets the chance, aside from training with his sister, he would always take a nap.
Adam's wrist watch alarm was ringing out loud in his room. Adam woke up with weary eyes and looked down at his wrist watch:
He walked over to his restroom and washed his face to completely wake up and used a towel to dry himself off. He walked and slowly entered his capsule. "Yes" he said out loud before the voice could say the whole question and his world went white.
Adamas slowly opened his eyes and saw that it was still early in the morning from the light coming from his window room.
Adamas smiled bitterly, and sighed to himself. He went downstairs to greet his NPC mother and possibly help her with breakfast like he has been doing the past 8 days, but what he saw instead was his NPC father standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for him.
"You're finally awake Adamas, I was about to give up and wait until tonight. Anyways, grab the basket on the table and follow me."
WIthout another word he began walking out the backyard door. Adamas quickly caught up to him and asked him:
"Where has mother gone?"
"She went out to the morning market."
His father's reply was straight and to the point. His father would always joke around and kid with Adamas but know he seemed serious and angry.
"I-I see" replied Adamas. He didn't know what else to say since his father took on the "strict leader role" so he kept on following his NPC father in silence.
When Rand finally stopped Adamas found that they were now standing in front of the wooden dummy and two wooden swords were leaning against it.
"Pick up a sword and begin hitting the dummy and don't stop until I say you can….. If you understand say yes sir!" his father yelled.
This caught Adamas by surprise so he quickly stuttered out loud:
"Y-Yes Sir!"
Adamas picked up both swords but before he could begin his father's voice interrupted him. "What are you doing, I said "a sword" not "the swords"."
Adamas turned around and explained, "I have a feeling that I might be able to perform better by wielding both swords father."
Rand frowned and decided to let it go. If his son truly felt that he could do better with both swords, then why not let him try it out. After getting a nod from his father Adamas began to strike at the wooden dummy. It was a new feeling to him. Before he would strike against thin air, opponents, and sometimes he would practice on a thick tall piece of wood. Striking at a wooden dummy was a first. He tested out the hardness of the dummy with some slashes and stabs and when he determined the durability he began to go all out.
Adamas started dancing around the dummy. He was executing an all out attack with no defense. His slashes would produce loud crackling sound and his stabs would let out a hard thudding sound. His dance was majestic. He would mix up his slashes with upper and lower ones, and his stabs were always aimed at either the neck or armpits. His slashes would always target the backs of the dummies knees, its chest, and the backs of its elbows. He would sometime use the momentum of his weapons rebound to turn and deliver even harder and deadlier strikes. Sometimes in the middle of an attack Adamas would change the grip of his left sword to a reverse and begin a new set of combos that relied more on slashes than stabbings. It was like a game to Adamas. He would try to think of all the stances he knew and execute them in different various chains. In other words Adamas was having fun and he was beginning to anticipate fighting against enemy monsters.
"Stop!" His father yelled.
Adamas quickly finished off his last attack and stepped back with both wooden swords at the ready pointing towards the ground. He looked at his father only to discover him smiling happily.
"By the gods son, you have genuine god-given talent for the sword and I can't help but feel proud right now. Have you generated the sword mastery yet?"
Sword Mastery? What is he talki-
Adamas suddenly saw in the corner of his vision that he had 7 notifications pending so he slide the little circle notification that was only visible to him and they all popped up in front if his eyes.
Adamas's mouth was wide open, he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"How is this possible father, I've only been hitting the dummy for about an hour."
"An hour? My boy, you've been at it for a bit more than 6 hours! And it usually takes about 3 days of training for adults to learn sword mastery. The only reason you learned it sooner than most is because you are still in your growth period, and during this period you are able to learn and gain skills at 3 times the pace it take for a full grown adult."
Whaa- 3x faster. Holy shit. It turned out to be a good quest after all!! YES!!
"Thank you for your guidance father, it was only under your great tutelage that I was able to learn Sword Mastery." Adamas saluted as his father taught him. (Right fist over heart).
Rand beamed at his child in delight and bathed under his son's compliment before deciding that now was as any good a time as ever.
"Adamas, you have shown great promise and I can't help but acknowledge your prowess with the sword. If you continue your training until you reach the age 12, I will bring you along with me to the watchtower towards the border where me and my men will subjugate the goblins. So what do you think son, You up for it?"
|Subjugate the Goblins!Your father is impressed by your swordplay and has high hopes for you! Continue your training everyday (4 hours a day) and grow stronger. By the time you reach the age 12 your father will take you on his monthly campaign against the goblin menace at the border.
Difficulty Level: E
Quest Requirements:
Will You Accept?
Adamas held back his excitement and replied, "It would be an honor father".

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Thomas Bergin
Thomas has experience in law, media and financial planning sectors in Australia.
Trained in management and marketing strategy, his focus in on change management, stakeholder and investor relations and market analysis. With a practical mindset, Thomas has supported organisational change that improves internal processes, including implementing new IT infrastructure and software.
Thomas holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Melbourne University.


text:
Having a Sign Language Interpreter at a Concert Is a Cool Idea [VIDEO]
Have you ever wondered how people with a hearing disability would be able to enjoy a concert? I would vote yes to have a sign language interpreter at every concert for the hearing impaired.
At a Pearl Jam concert they decided to pull a sign language performer on stage to recite the lyrics by hand. It made the performance that much cooler and went perfectly to the beat with her hand gestures. It would be a cool addition to a concert for those that have a hearing disability that should enjoy music too.
Be sure to take the poll below to vote yes if you would like to see a sign language interpreter at a concert or no for not up for it.


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1000Pip Climber Forex System
We assume you are relatively new to FOREX or even new to trading. Perhaps you have dabbled with a demo account or you have some experience in other markets—stocks, futures, or options. This chapter offers a brief overview of FOREX. Our goal is not to give you an extensive primer on FOREX. Several books currently offer that information, such as Getting Started in Currency Trading, by Michael Duane Archer (John Wiley & Sons, 2008). The information in this chapter is intended as a brief primer of FOREX trading essentials and mechanics.
Supplementing study with actual practice is the best and fastest way to learn your way around FOREX. If you haven't done so already, we recommend opening a demo account. Consult Chapter 7 for information on brokers with robust demo platforms.
More important to you in the long term is to chart a course of study, personalized to meet your own specific requirements and incorporating the key elements of a successful trading plan. Most new traders shoot from the hip when they begin. Without at least a basic trade plan, they are doomed from the start and thereafter are quick to disparage FOREX trading. Getting started correctly is tremendously important in FOREX. The leverage involved in trading currencies is significant, and small missteps can be fatal. The following GVI snippet is some guidance from a North American trader:
How many traders these days take the time to print a chart and annotate a trading plan? Probably the only ones are guys who are held accountable to themselves, their boards, or managing body.
Even if you are a short term trader, keeping a file with charts and annotations of reasons for entry, trade management, and results is a wonderful teaching tool.
The mechanics of FOREX are not difficult; serious students can learn what they need to know in a week or two of reading and another week or two working with a demo account. The real task is to get started correctly, with a well-thought-out plan. Forex Essentials in 15 Trades combines the trading and instructional experiences of three professionals who have a combined century of experience in the market. Following our advice might not make you an instant winner, but it is our hope it will keep you from the fate of most new traders—instant losing.
Along with the text, diagrams, charts, and tables you will find two learning devices that distill our collective experience: "The Inside Scoop" and GVI Snippets, relevant material taken directly from the Global-View web site forums and Learning Center. As a trader you will spend most of your time in front of a computer monitor, watching and studying charts and indicators. "The Inside Scoop" shows you the life behind that screen: the pulsating and vibrating world of professional FOREX trading. Interspersed throughout the book are GVI Snippets from the Global-View web site, providing an inside look and unique perspective you will not find elsewhere. Taken together, they comprise a compendium of advice and maxims that most new traders learn only over many years—if they last so long. They will give you the perspective of experience even if you haven't yet made a single trade.
I first traded commodity futures at the Denver office of Peavey & Company in 1 973. It was a modern office then but would be a dinosaur now. There were a dozen or so chairs for traders, a small open room for high rollers, and a private office in the back for the charmed few. The entire front wall of the office was a large mechanical "clacker board" displaying the open, high, low, and close for 20 different commodities and delivery months. It was called a clacker board because of the sound it made when prices changed. New high prices elicited a green light; new lows, a red light.
In the high rollers' area sat a grain trader from Eads, Colorado: Charles B. (Charlie) Goodman. For a reason I never knew, Charlie took a liking to me and offered his informal services as a mentor. The techniques I learned—the Goodman Swing Count System and Market Environment (ME) charting—I still use today, although I have developed them much more deeply on my own. His money management style of "the Belgian dentist"—a very conservative approach to trading—has stood the test of time.
What works for one person might be poison to another—but it is useful to study others' attitudes and approaches to trading, their money management techniques, and their trading heuristics. If you can find an experienced and successful trader to assist you for the first year of your trading career, you will benefit greatly. A mentor can at the very least keep you from making the many common mistakes of the beginning trader. Most new traders are shown the door quickly because of the mistakes they make. By avoiding them, you greatly enhance your chances of at least staying in the game long enough to learn the game—and eventually succeed. Much of winning in FOREX, as in any business venture, is about staying power.
If a mentor is unavailable, the Global-View forums can act as a useful substitute. A U.S. Global-View member posted:
This [FOREX] forum and better yet, the GVI pro forum are great places to learn different techniques and styles, and learn much of the basics if you pay attention and study.
Most new traders spend too much time and effort on devising a trading method. The hundreds of books on such methods, systems, and technical analysis attest to this misplaced interest. Keep your initial trading method a simple trend-following one. The markets can only go up or down—do not make things more complex than they are in reality. Devote most of your time to managing your money, improving your trading attitude, and getting a true feel for how the markets move and operate: their pace, characteristics, and rhythm.
A successful North American FOREX money manager advises:
Before trading... spend time and money on your FX education—it boggles my mind that so many "traders" have never pursued a mentor, developed a method, kept a journal of results, etc. So many beginning traders think for some reason that they can come into a very sophisticated and massively well funded market and compete "off the hip." They've learned to read a few charts, read a book or two, and it's off to the races. This is a professional career choice... much like securities analysts/brokers, doctors, lawyers, and so on.
Does anyone think for a second that these career choices get handed to them?.. .Not in your life! It takes years of study, cost of tuition, and in the case of FX, should come with a mentor or a few mentors of choice, to shortcut the learning curve.
Here is a perspective on the same topic from an Aussie dealer:
To learn any profession, one has to go through a period of learning. This is through various stages, which can be defined as: certificate, diploma, degree, masters,... etc.
As an example—How many years (and the hours involved) does it take to obtain a degree in any subject? This is the starting point to trade. From there you continue to learn and refine
An example—Medical doctors in their training don't get to see anyone before they have their degree—after "x" years of training. Then they have to learn more by practical experience, based on previous knowledge. That is just the basics. Then how long does it take to become a specialist?
Just an analogy, as trading is not as simple as many would like to portray it.
FOREX, which stands for FOReign EXchange, is the global trading of currencies. More than $3.0 trillion in foreign exchange transactions take place each business day, and the volume is increasing steadily. Until the mid-1990s the arena was the domain of large banks (the interbank market), governments, and corporations. Now it is possible for small speculators to trade online with any of a large number of retail FOREX broker-dealers using an online trading platform.
It is important to remember that a currency trade is between two currencies—a pair if one of them is the U.S. dollar (USD) and a cross otherwise—and not a buy or sell of something such as a security (e.g., General Motors) or a commodity (e.g., gold) against the dollar.
The most popular currency pair is the EUR/USD—the Eurozone euro against the U.S. dollar. To be long this pair is to want the EUR to go up and the USD to go down. To be short this pair is to want the USD to go up and the EUR to go down.
There is no central clearinghouse for currency trading as there is for stocks or commodity futures. It is the closest thing there is to a pure laissez-faire market. That cuts both ways: The opportunities are enormous but it is a largely unregulated and often cutthroat enterprise.
In the United States, retail FOREX is partially regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the National Futures Association (NFA). But, with no central clearinghouse, regulation is by definition less robust and effective than in stocks or commodity futures. Regulation is largely limited to seeing that retail brokers meet certain capital requirements and follow good-practice guidelines. Caveat emptor is the watchword in FOREX.
Despite the risks, the retail market is growing by leaps and bounds. Obviously, many traders have concluded that the opportunities outweigh those risks. Here is a short list of why people are attracted to currency trading.
No commissions. There are typically no clearing fees, no exchange fees, no government fees, and no commissions. FOREX works off a bid/ask spread and the costs are contained therein. Some brokers who use the electronic communications network (ECN) transaction model, however, also may charge a small lot fee.
High liquidity. With an average of over $3 trillion in transactions daily, it is easy to execute even very large orders in foreign exchange. Online brokers most often offer instantaneous fills on retail orders.
No fixed lot size. The standard lot size in retail FOREX is 100,000 units. Most brokers offer mini-lots of 10,000, and some let you trade as few as 100 units! The variable lot size can be an excellent money management tool for the trader. It also allows the new trader to gradually increase trade size as his or her knowledge and profits rise.
A 24-hour market. There is no opening bell in FOREX! You may trade from late Sunday afternoon (U.S. time) to late Friday evening. You may come and go as you like, and trade for as long a time or as short a time as you wish.
Online access. All retail FOREX is conducted online, via the Internet. You will trade from a broker's trading platform, which typically includes not only real-time prices and the ability to place buy and sell orders but also a variety of trading tools such as charts and indicators. Most brokers allow clients to call in orders by phone if the need arises.
Low margin, high leverage. Perhaps the most attractive element to FOREX trading is the ability to trade leverage ratios of from 10:1 up to 400:1! This means that you may control 100,000 USD with from $10,000 to as little as $250. With high leverage, a very small move may result in a 100 percent profit—or loss. Gradually increasing leverage can also be an effective money management tool.
Volatility. The FOREX markets can move quickly and sharply; profits can be large if you are correct in your price forecast.
Variety. There are more than 30 currency pairs and crosses traded, although most of the volume is concentrated in about half of those. Many traders claim individual pairs and crosses have personalities that help them make forecasts. There is enough variety to keep opportunities plentiful, but not so much as to be bewildering and confusing.
Not related to the stock market. Currencies most often move independently of the stock market, although there has been a close correlation during the 2008 financial crisis as equities are used as a measure of risk aversion. From an investment perspective it is said that currency prices are noncorrelated with stock prices. For this reason FOREX may be an attractive hedge to a larger stock market account.
Limited regulation. Because FOREX is a global interbank enterprise, regulation is necessarily limited. This, of course, can cut both ways, as mentioned earlier.
No insider trading. It is difficult to get useful inside information on currencies. Even if you did know in advance a key government statistic, the markets are so unpredictable that it is not often easy to foretell which way the market will go after a news release.
Countries with popularly traded currencies include:
• United States
• European Union
• Switzerland
• Great Britain
Here are the most important FOREX terms. To a large extent, learning the syntax or lingo of FOREX is learning FOREX itself.
Ask price. The price at which the market is prepared to sell a specific currency in a foreign exchange contract or cross currency contract. At this price, the trader can buy the base currency. In the quotation, the ask price is shown on the right-hand side. For example, in the quote USD/CHF 1.4527/32, the ask price is 1.4532, meaning you can buy one U.S. dollar for 1.4532 Swiss francs.
Base currency. The first currency in a currency pair (for example, USD is the base currency in the currency pair USD/CHF). The rate shows how much one unit of the base currency is worth as measured against the second currency. For example, if the USD/CHF rate equals 1.6215, then one USD is worth CHF 1.6215. In the foreign exchange markets, the U.S. dollar is normally considered the base currency for quotes, meaning that quotes are expressed as a unit of $1 U.S. per the other currency quoted in the pair. The primary exceptions to this rule are the British pound, the Eurozone euro, and the Australian and New Zealand dollars.
Bid price. The price at which the market is prepared to buy a specific currency in a foreign exchange contract or cross currency contract. At this price, the trader can sell the base currency. It is shown on the left-hand side of the quotation. For example, in the quote USD/CHF 1.4527/32, the bid price is 1.4527, meaning you can sell one U.S. dollar for 1.4527 Swiss francs.
Bid/ask spread. The difference between the bid and ask (offer) price.
Big figure quote. Dealer expression referring to the first few digits of an exchange rate. These digits are often omitted in dealer quotes. For example, a USD/JPY rate might be 117.30/117.35, but would be quoted verbally without the first three digits, that is, as "30/35."
Closed position. A foreign currency position that no longer exists. The process to close a position is to sell or buy a certain amount of currency to offset an equal amount of the open position. This will square the position.
Correlation to the stock market. At the time of this writing currencies are moving in close correlation with the stock market. This is not always the case, however. Professional traders do watch for changes in correlation as an aid to decision making in placing FX orders. The switch between being correlated and non-correlated happens slowly over longer periods of time.
Counter currency. The second listed currency in a currency pair.
Cross currency pair. A foreign exchange transaction in which one foreign currency is traded against a second foreign currency. For example, EUR/GBP is the euro versus the British pound.
Currency pair. The two currencies that make up a foreign exchange rate, for example, EUR/USD.
Electronic communications network (ECN). A system wherein orders to buy and sell are matched through a network of banks and/or dealers. See also market maker; no dealing desk (NDD) broker.
Flat/square. Refers to a trader on the sidelines with no position.
Foreign exchange (FOREX, FX). The simultaneous buying of one currency and selling of another.
FOREX (FX). Foreign exchange.
Going long. The purchase of a stock, commodity, or currency for investment or speculation.
Going short. The selling of a currency or instrument not owned by the seller.
Leverage. The ratio of the amount used in a transaction to the required security deposit, otherwise known as margin. Leverage is typically quoted as a ratio. For example, 100:1 means one dollar controls one hundred dollars of a currency. A 1 percent move of the currency is equal to a 100 percent gain or loss of margin.
Long position. A position that appreciates in value if market prices increase. When the base currency in the currency pair is bought, the position is said to be long.
Lot. A unit used to measure the amount of the deal. The value of the deal always corresponds to an integer number of lots.
Major currency. Any of the following: Eurozone euro, British pound sterling, Australian dollar, New Zealand dollar, U.S. dollar, Canadian dollar, Swiss franc, Japanese yen. See also minor currency.
Margin. The required equity that an investor must deposit to collater-alize a position.
Market maker. A dealer who regularly quotes both bid and ask prices and is ready to make a two-sided market for any financial instrument. Most retail FOREX dealers are market makers. A market maker is said to have a dealing desk and is the effective counterparty to your trade.
Minor currency. Any of the currencies between a major currency and an exotic. The South African rand and Swedish krona are minor currencies.
Mundo. A synthetic global currency devised by James L. Bickford, calculated as the average of multiple ISO currency pairs. See Michael Archer and James Bickford, Forex Chartist Companion (John Wiley & Sons, 2006).
No dealing desk (NDD) broker. Provides a platform to which liquidity providers such as banks can offer prices. Incoming orders are routed to the best available bid or offer. See also market maker; electronic communications network (ECN).
Short position. A position that appreciates in value if the market price decreases. When the base currency in the pair is sold, the position is said to be short.
Trading platform. The online set of tools used to trade FOREX. Trading platforms provide real-time prices of currencies, order entry mechanisms, accounting logs, and a variety of trading tools such as calculators, charts, and indicators.
The Glossary offers a comprehensive FOREX lexicon.
The calculations in FOREX can be confusing, although they are not inherently difficult. Study will get you only so far; practice is the key. Use an online FOREX calculator to see how the various calculations work, then practice with a demo account from one of the brokers we highlight in Chapter 7. More on calculations used in FOREX is provided in Chapter 2 on money management.
You'll eventually need to be able to make these calculations instantaneously; the FOREX markets move quickly, real-time, and you'll need to concentrate on trading, not calculations. But don't worry if they don't come to you right away.
Most broker trading platforms have FOREX calculators you can use to become familiar with how the various values and units interact.
Remember that a currency transaction is between two currencies, not a single currency and a product as is true in stocks and commodity futures. You may either buy or sell a currency, profiting if it goes up or down. If you buy a currency, you are said to be long and an offsetting transaction is to sell. If you sell a currency, you are said to be short and an offsetting transaction is to buy.
EUR/USD is the symbol for the euro-to-U.S. dollar currency pair. If you buy, you are going long the front or base currency and effectively short the back or counter currency. If you sell, you are going short the base currency and effectively long the counter currency.
The basic calculations you will want to learn are the following:
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The seven-county region is set to receive more than $20 million from unconventional gas well impact fees, according to preliminary numbers from the state Public Utility Commission.
An analysis of PUC documents provided to The Times-Tribune found Susquehanna County can expect about $16 million and Wyoming County about $3.6 million, with other northeastern counties receiving a much smaller share of the total $127.2 million to be distributed from the impact fee.
The PUC doesn't plan to post the impact fee distribution information on its website until it gets confirmation that checks are ready to be sent to municipalities, said agency spokesman Nils Hagen-Frederiksen.
He said there have been minor adjustments made to numbers near the end of this process in previous years. The posting could happen later this week, he said.
Drillers pay no tax on the gas they produce, but pay an annual fee for each well they put in the ground.
Of that money, Harrisburg takes its cut, $25.5 million off the top, to fund state agencies that regulate the industry and then divides the remaining funds around the state.
Counties that actually play host to drilling get 60 percent of what's left, with each municipality receiving money for each well in its borders.
Counties with no drilling, like Lackawanna and Luzerne, receive the remaining funds from what is called the Marcellus Legacy Fund. This money must be used for community or conservation-minded projects.
Lackawanna County is to receive $205,082 and Luzerne County, $306,863 from the Marcellus Legacy Fund.
In Springville Twp., Susquehanna County, which is to receive the largest lump of cash of the Susquehanna County municipalities, township supervisor Duane Wood said while they set a sum for savings, much of it goes right into infrastructure projects.
The township has 2¼ miles of road that need to be repaved this year and two lengths of storm drain that must be replaced.
"Around here, that's what we're doing with this. ... That'll shoot a big chunk out of it," Mr. Wood said of the $887,000 marked for his town.
It's much of the same 5 miles south, in Washington Twp., Wyoming County, which is to receive $460,000.
Township supervisor Dan Huff said officials try to spend all the gas money promptly. Like many other municipalities, they treat the impact money more like a bonus instead of a revenue stream.
"If you're using money to build up extra staff, give raises, anything like that, when that does dry up, then you have problems," Mr. Huff said. "Because your dependency on that's there, and your income's gone."
Drilling activity in Washington Twp. has subsided lately, evident in the smaller royalty checks leaseholders receive each month, Mr. Huff said.
It's for that reason he believes the impact fee system, rather than a tax, works better for small towns, because they're guaranteed a check every year and not dependent on the market.
Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed a 5 percent severance tax on natural gas' wellhead value. Mr. Wolf's plan would maintain an impact fee returned to host communities through the tax, but Mr. Huff was worried it wouldn't stay that way.
"My fear is it will get funneled away from the counties up here that are getting the impact," Mr. Huff said. "That's historically what seems to happen. ... Then we're left with the impact and no way to keep up with it."
Robert Swift, Harrisburg bureau chief, contributed to this report.
Contact the writer: firstname.lastname@example.com, @jon_oc on Twitter
Susquehanna: $16 combined Act 13 and legacy fund
Wyoming: $3.6 combined Act 13 and legacy fund
To receive only Marcellus Legacy funds
Luzerne: $306,863
Lackawanna: $205,082
Monroe: $160,234
Pike: $54,250
Wayne: $49,416


text:
ADHD is a physiological disorder marked by symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity resulting in a significant functional impairment in MORE than 1 setting. For instance, if a child's impairment is only evident in the school setting, and nowhere else, then a diagnosis of ADHD is inappropriate. In this example perhaps a Learning Disability would be a more appropriate diagnosis.
The CDC estimates 4.4 million kids ages 4-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD by a healthcare professional, and as of 2003, 2.5 million kids ages 4-17 were receiving medication treatment for the disorder. These are staggering numbers! Is this an accurate portrayal of the prevalence of this disorder, or are the numbers inflated by inaccurate diagnosis by medical professionals who do not have a background in mental health?
Prescribed medications for ADHD can be extremely effective if prescribed appropriately by a Psychiatrist, however ADHD medication for kids who DO NOT have ADHD could possibly be harmful both physically and emotionally. It is extremely important that a child be evaluated for ADHD by a Psychologist familiar with the proper testing protocols used to assess this disorder. Psychological testing for ADHD is critical because it helps to rule out other disorders with similar symptomprofiles to ADHD. For example Learning Disabilities, Bipolar Disorder, PTSD and other anxiety and conduct disorders share similar symptoms with ADHD but are actually vastly different disorders with completely different treatment protocols.
Effective treatment of ADHD often includes medication but also incorporates many other services. It is important that all of the major players in a child's life be included in the treatment plan. For example, a child's school needs to be aware of the special accommodations that the child may need to be successful. The child's teachers should all be aware of educational techniques that serve to maximize the child's shortened attention span while not bombarding him/her with content. Most importantly parents need to be aware of how ADHD specifically impacts their child so that they can effectively tailor their parenting style to suit the child's unique needs. Consultation with a mental health professional can help a parent to coordinate all of the necessary resources while also forming new, effective parenting strategies.


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$34.0 \textrm{ cm}$
Calculator Screenshots
This is College Physics Answers with Shaun Dychko. Human ears have a time resolution of one millisecond, meaning that it's possible for people to distinguish sounds occurring at different times when the time separation between the two sounds is as short as one millisecond. The geometry of the situation where we're looking for the minimum separation between speakers such that we have a one millisecond difference in the sounds coming from them would be like this where you have the speakers in a line along a straight line towards the person. The person was standing in front of the speakers here, they would be equidistant from the speakers and there'd be no difference in the time it takes for the sounds to reach the person. The person is here, and strictly speaking, I suppose the person should be standing facing the speakers so that their ears, both ears, are equidistant from the two speakers because this ear here is going to hear the sounds at a slightly different time than this ear. But that's a very minor point because this is a very small distance here. Okay. So the speed of the wave, or anything really, is the distance that it travels divided by time and we're given the wave speed of 340 meters per second and we're also given the time of one millisecond. So we'll solve for d by multiplying both sides by t, and then switch the sides around. So d is the wave speed multiplied by the time. That's 340 meters per second times one millisecond written as one times ten to the minus three seconds which gives 34.0 centimeters and that is this distance d such that the sound from this far speaker reaches the person's ears one millisecond after the same sound came from this speaker that's closer.


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Tichnor Real Estate
Tichnor real estate agents, Tichnor home values, and Tichnor homes for sale.
Tichnor Real Estate AgentsCompare Tichnor Realtors. Keep your personal contact info confidential until you choose the real estate agent you like best.
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Search Nady homes for sale to view current real estate listings, find Nady real estate for sale in the MLS, and check Nady home prices, including recent home sales and nearby sales.
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Search Tichnor home prices, find Tichnor homes for sale or try the Home Sale Maximizer home improvement tool on HomeGain.
*Information on this site is provided for your convenience only and is not intended to serve as a comprehensive analysis. This site will provide an approximation based on computer models of information available from public records and is not intended to be, nor should it be relied on, as a real estate appraisal. Modifying property characteristics may alter the approximation provided and should only be used as an estimate to determine a home's value.
HomeGain provides Tichnor, Arkansas real estate information and resources to guide homeowners and homebuyers through the process of selling and buying a house, condo or other Tichnor realty property. HomeGain has services to help you find a top Tichnor real estate broker or agent, get the value of your Tichnor home and a comparative market analysis (CMA), view Tichnor real estate and MLS listings, prepare your home for sale, and more. Our real estate library contains articles to help anyone selling a home or buying a home learn more about Tichnor realty services, and how to choose and work with a Tichnor REALTOR. Through our partners, we also provide real estate and financial services to consumers looking for houses for sale or selling their home in Tichnor, AR, such as mortgages, credit history, new homes, foreclosures and other services. If you plan to do for sale by owner (FSBO), HomeGain can connect you to Tichnor real estate companies, agencies and resources to sell or buy a home. Whether you say REALTOR®, "Realator" or "Realter", realty, "realety" or "reality", real estate or "realestate", our agents speak your language..
Necesita un agente que habla Español? Muchos Agentes especializados en Bienes Raices de HomeGain hablan Español y pueden ayudarle a encontrar inmuebles a la venta, calcular el valor de su casa o su propiedad, y vender y comprar un hogar en Tichnor, Arkansas. Cuando se registre para encontrar un agente de bienes raices en Tichnor, simplemente indique que necesita un agente que habla Español.


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Boulder High School
Three full-time visual arts educators offer an arts-rich environment where students develop their own unique voices through the creation of authentic works of art.
Our teachers are practicing artists who seek to give students a feeling of personal satisfaction through the creative process while developing individual skills in the various areas of visual art. Students also compete in local, state, and national art shows and competitions.
Please visit the Boulder High Visual Arts Website.
Link to COVA: Community of Visual Artists.
View the Visual Arts course selection presentation.
To meet BVSD graduation requirements, students need 5 credits in either visual arts or music. We encourage students to take many visual arts courses to become a well-rounded creative thinker. All visual arts classes qualify for the Boulder High Arts Focus Pathway Program (scroll down for information on this program).
The extensive fine art program is designed to develop an understanding and appreciation of art history and artistic judgment. We seek to give students a feeling of confidence and satisfaction through the creative process to help them develop individual skills and an individual voice in the various areas of art. Students develop a high-quality portfolio of work, which they can retain. Many students receive merit scholarships for art school and/or college.
Artistically talented 9th graders wishing to take Drawing/Painting 1 or Studio Art 1 must be confident drawing and shading realistically.
Attention: California public colleges require two fine art semester classes for admittance. These classes do not need to be sequential.
Boulder High School is proud to offer the Boulder Arts Focus Pathway (BAFP). This is an exciting program for students who have a passion for the visual and performing arts to earn an endorsement on their diploma for completing courses in the arts, mentoring with local artists, and making art an integral part of their lives. Colleges, universities, and employers will recognize the creative problem solving, innovative ideas, and collaboration of this select group of emerging student visual and performing artists.


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Indeks saham berjangka A.S.Indeks berjangka Standard & Poor's 500Indeks Dow Jones
U.S. stock index futures were slightly higher Tuesday morning, as market participants await a flurry of corporate earnings.
At around 02:00 a.m. ET, Dow futures rose by 23 points, indicating a positive open of more than 27 points. Futures on the S&P and Nasdaq were both seen marginally higher.
Oil prices jumped more than 2% in the previous session, hitting their highest level this year amid intensifying concern about global supplies. It comes after the U.S. announced a further clampdown on Iran's oil exports.
International benchmark Brent crude traded at $74.40 Tuesday morning, up around 0.5%, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) stood at $65.93, almost 0.6% higher.
Source: CNBC


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Herbalife Athletes Asia - Have you had your shake for breakfast?
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Happy hips equal a happy mind. Often, we can hold emotional clutter in the hips. The body and mind are connected and opening the hips opens up our creative senses, makes us more relaxed overall, and helps us to feel more in balance. Plus, opening the hips in yoga can often feel good.
Enjoy this steady and challenging practice. You'll ease your way into your hips, and have time to breathe, hold challenging postures, build heat, and feel spaciousness and lightness in your body and mind. Expect some chaturangas, longer holds in challenging hip openers, and core engagement throughout.
Practice this class to have your hips feeling their best, and you feeling your best as a result.
Spotify playlist for Hip Opening Heaven
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Rating: 4.93based on 23 reviews
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Yoga for Healthy Backs 2
Claire Petretti Marti
Anytime Detox Flow
Jackie Casal Mahrou
Free Your Hamstrings
Dana Smith
Yin / Relax: Hip Openers, A Key to Freedom
Bhavani Maki
Happy Half-Hour: Hearts & Hips
Caitlin Rose Kenney
I was experiencing some anxiety this morning and my body felt tight and uncomfortable physically. This class helped resolve both. Keith s steady voice and unhurried flow helped me find inner calm and the choice of asanas was perfect for lengthening and loosening everything. Thank you Keith!
Excellent class! Straightforward and clear directions without any unnecessary chatter. Thank you ??
Thank you Keith, this was excellent! I am recovering from a back injury and this was the best I've been able to feel in a yoga practice since the injury! I will definitely do this again.
The class starts out slow - I was starting to wonder if the entire class would be at that pace - but then picks up and you really start opening up your hips. He places a lot of emphasis on breathing and cleansing out the cobwebs with that breath, which really helped a lot. Love Keith s classes and feel open and ready to face the day!
This class was made for me. ?? I am over 60 and have practiced yoga since the late 60s so I am open and strong but don t enjoy the speed of intermediate and advanced flows. I have not found a senior class that is challenging. This is perfect. Thank you Keith ??
Did as part of YDL 21 day challenge, have done before. A little slow moving (which was good) but excellent hip openers. This was already in my favorites.
This class released so much energy stuck in my hips. Seriously I was vibrating after class. Something about the sequence of poses, the slowness of the moves, and Keith s gentle voice - did wonders for me.
Keith Allen commented on this review
Happy to hear this class got your hips feeling good Kathy, thank you for sharing!
perfect hip opening the day after a long run. certain this class would feel great any day actually.
All of Keith s classes are accessible with easy to follow cues and give those practicing a renewed feeling after the class is over. Namaste.
This class was the perfect amount of flow and relaxation. And touched the major areas. Great class!
Another great class by Keith!! Enjoyed the slower pace of this routine.
Thank you Kimmie!
My hips are now officially happy. Keith leads a great class. Starts out slow, with some holds but he gives you a lot to think about while in the pose both with your body and your breath. Then, it started moving a bit more, but steady throughout, not quick. This really worked to open up my hips and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Super slow and smooth but not very challenging. Great voice, excellent for meditative aspects but should not have the, you ll feel it rating
This class was lovely. Slower paced than I expected, but I felt so much control over my body and was even able to gracefully plop myself back into warrior two for half moon. (That never happens!) The prompts were perfect and I loved the goddess/horse pose sequence too.
I enjoyed the class and the playlist. I have been battling low energy and spring rain blues. I was able to find a little spot in the office at work and take this awesome class. I feel de-stressed and open. My spine was able to adjust on its own and I feel great! I can float through the rest of my workday.
It makes me really happy to read this comment and hear that this class helped you feel great after feeling sluggish! Thanks for taking the time to share and keep practicing :)
Great focus on breath. Perfect class after a stressful day sitting at a computer. Thank you!
That was a wonderful class. I noticed that I had some more balance and it felt great!!
Thanks JJ, glad you felt balanced and great :)
Mindful class that offered all the right poses for hip opening. Loved the emphasis on breath and letting go. Worked up a sweat too. Perfect way to enter the weekend!
Loved it and the clear instructions but really loved the focus on breath!! I will definitely do this one again. Thank you!
I really appreciate you taking the time to write a kind review! I m glad you enjoyed this class and hope you ve gotten to enjoy it some more times since :)
Dear Keith, I normally go straight for the Power/high intensity sessions but today was a different kind of day. I was diagnosed with breast cancer on March 18 (Stage 0, DCIS, 3 inches long, full recovery expected). It has been a wild and exhausting ride through the healthcare system and after 2nd opinions and cancelled surgeries. I will be having a masectomy on May 15 followed by multiple reconstructive procedures.
Your session was exactly what I needed. I had stepped away from the yoga mat for nearly a year. Much too long to be away. I cried during camel when you reminded us to open our hearts. Thank-you for your kindness and empathy to those of us in need.
I look forward to experiencing more of your sessions as I continue on my journey to become a breast cancer survivor.
ang commented on this review
I was looking at the reviews to decide which class to do and came across yours. Wishing you strength and peace as you journey through your battle with cancer. May yoga be part of your life to heal and strengthen.
Patrizia commented on this review
Dear Laura your review helped me decide to do this class so thanks. Wishing you courage, strength and healing. May Yoga bring you peace and relaxation and be part of the recovery.
Dear Laura,
Your message is touching and I admire your strength in sharing this. Best of luck as you heal, I m happy to hear you re feeling good and optimistic. Sending blessings as you heal this upcoming month! Wishing you as much ease as possible a many years of feeling healthy and happy. Keep practicing to support you.
Wow, Keith. This class is amazing. Instruction so clear and precise and it allows for different options for different bodies. I will return to this video again and again. Thank you!
I m so happy you enjoyed this class Todd! Thank you.
Great class! I will do this class again. Thank you.
Thank you :) Hope you get to enjoy this practice many more times.
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Galvani Bioelectronics
Division of GlaxoSmithKline PLC
Latest From Galvani Bioelectronics
Sanofi/Google Alliance To Apply Big Data To R&D, Commercial And Marketing Operations
Sanofi says the virtual innovation lab it will create with Google will enable precision health care and optimize R&D and commercial operations. Incoming CEO Hudson has been tasked with improving the pharma's R&D and digital capabilities.
New Report Spotlights Intensifying Rivalry Between Tech And Health-Care Companies
More than 75% of Fortune 500 life-science companies may fall out of that ranking by 2023 amid rising competition from tech giants like Apple, Microsoft and Alphabet, as well as smaller tech players that offer data-driven health services and products that meet the needs of a changing value-based and consumer-driven health-care environment, according to a new Ernst & Young report.
Market Intel: Bioelectronics, Imaging Fortify Medtech's Defense Against Rheumatoid Arthritis
As rheumatoid arthritis treatment improves in the biologics era, patients need fewer joint replacements. Instead, they now require more closely monitored, agile care, in the face of a growing shortage of qualified rheumatologists. These demands help propel digital health applications, bioelectronic devices and novel imaging modalities into the medtech spotlight.
Ernst & Young Bullish On Medtech's Fusion With Innovation
The medtech industry grew by 5% last year, with revenues from US- and Europe-based medtechs reaching $364.4bn in 2016. Meanwhile, net income rose by 17% to reach $16bn in 2016, according to Ernst & Young's annual medtech "Pulse of the industry" report, released today to coincide with The MedTech Conference in San Jose. With global funding expanding, in particular in Asia, medtechs are well positioned for growth, but only those willing to embrace the digital revolution are poised to win.
Company Information
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- Drug Discovery Tools
- Nanotechnology, Chips, etc.
In Vitro Diagnostics
- Biosensors
Medical Devices
- Implantable Devices
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Western Europe
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- Kris Famm, President
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Galvani Bioelectronics
Phone: 1438 745 745
GSK - Stevenage
Gunnels Wood Rd
Herts, SG1 2NY
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