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This post was sponsored by ZonePerfect®, but all opinions are our own.
With the a new year comes lots of, shall we say, optimism. If you're anything like me, you wake up on January 1 with a rush of euphoria–high on the idea that this is a new year, a fresh start, a chance to change your life (no pressure!). You're brimming with hope as the New Year starts and you want to make it the best year yet.
Some years you actually do make huge, lasting changes, while other years you throw in the towel weeks after you start. It's okay, we've all been there! As a serial resolution maker and breaker, I have a learned a thing a two about what it really takes to make your year count. And it might not be what you think.
Here are some of my favorite tried and true ways to make this year the best yet.
1. Skip the New Year's resolutions
You've heard this one before, no doubt. But after making my fair share of resolutions, only to fail miserably less than a month later, I now understand why the experts tell you to skip 'em. Far from making you happy in the new year, resolutions just set you up for failure. And self-inflicted failure is the last thing you need in your life.
This year, forget the resolutions and buy a journal instead. Not only is writing free, but the gift of self-reflection will pay dividends in the long run. Journaling will help you gain insights you can use to improve your life as well as become more mindful and focus on the positive rather than the negative.
2. Simplify, simplify, simplify
Channel your inner Marie Kondo and give away those things that don't make your heart zing-zing. Clutter doesn't just make us less productive, it also makes us less happy. Both mental and physical clutter bombards our senses with excess stimuli, causing them to work overtime. It also signals to our brains that our work is never done, thus inhibiting creativity and productivity. But if a massive push to de-clutter is too intimidating, here's a quick and relatively painless alternative:
Go through your home and pick out 10 objects that you don't love. Either throw them away, sell them or donate them to charity so that others may use them. When all is said and done, if you're still brimming with New Year's enthusiasm think of 10 more, and then 10 more.
3. Eat Intuitively
When I was in my 20's, my resolutions always centered around losing weight. It was a constant uphill battle of me against my body, and you know what? It never worked. Good nutrition doesn't mean perfection, it means balance. And instead of eating to lose weight, now I focus my time and energy on eating intuitively. Intuitive eating is about honoring your hunger pangs and giving your body what makes it feel strong and healthy–like ZonePerfect Nutrition Bars.
As someone who's always on the go, I love that I can reach for a ZonePerfect bar and eat on the run. I usually toss a couple in my purse or gym bag for a quick pick-me-up whenever hunger strikes. Each bar contains between 10-15 grams of protein depending on the flavor and they're chock full of vitamins and minerals (up to 19!) so you feel full longer. Plus they're free of artificial flavors and sweeteners.
They come in variety of yummy flavors like Chocolate Peanut Butter, Double Dark Chocolate and Salted Caramel Brownie, so there are lots to choose from. (Check them out here!) The Salted Caramel Brownie is my favorite (so good!) and I have even taken to hiding them from my husband who swipes them when I'm not looking. They have a Great Taste Guarantee and we can attest to the fact that this is true.
I purchase my ZonePerfect bars from Target but you can also find them at Kroger, Walgreens, Amazon or in bulk at Costco. If you're someone who strives to eat healthy, but caves when you're feeling stressed or tired, I suggest always having a few on hand. It is hard to feel bad about a body you are taking good care of. When you eat food that makes you thrive, move your body to feel strong, and take care of your mind by doing things that make you feel joy, body hang-ups feel far less important.
Not only do I look and feel better, but I'm more confident in my body and that makes all the difference.
4. Exercise less
I'm a huge fan of my morning workouts. I rarely skip one, even when I'm tired, sick or desperately in need of a break. But these are exactly the times that I should be listening to my body rather than pushing myself harder. Just like mindful eating is important, so is mindful exercising. When your body starts begging for a break, do yoga, go for a walk around the block, or simply swap cardio for a weight session. Do whatever you need to do feel more rested and rejuvenated, and you may actually start looking forward to your sweat sessions.
5. Change one bad habit
Rather than make resolutions, why not just make it your goal to change one bad habit. Resolutions tend to feel like an uphill battle using willpower alone (this year I'm going to lose 100 pounds!), but with such grandiose goals, you're sure to fail.
Instead, choose one thing you would like to change (start small) and do it. If you feel like you drink too much coffee, buy green tea next time you're at the store. If you don't get enough sleep, go to bed 10 minutes earlier. If you hate working out, buy a set of weights and lift 10 minutes a day. And if you fall off the wagon, that's okay (remember, this is not a resolution). Just get back on start again.


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Bantam Studios' mandolin program gives adult students who have never touched a mandolin before an opportunity to explore the wide range of playing opportunities on the instrument. Over the four-class curriculum, students will learn how to master first position, barre and chop chords, learn chord progressions and how to read a lead sheet, learn advanced picking techniques including alternating and tremolo picking, and will have the experience of improvising and playing in an ensemble with their classmates. This one-year course is designed to teach students the necessary skills to join the Bantam Studios Folk jam.
Mandolin Beginner
Course Level 101
Mandolin Beginner is an introductory course that teaches the basic set-up fundamentals of playing the Mandolin. At the end of this 8-week course students will have learned how to hold the mandolin, develop a solid, consistent tone, learn the G, C, D, A and E chords in two finger voicing, learn to read tabs, learn to play the A Major Scale, learn to play with a pick, learn Bury me Beneath the Willow, and perform Old Joe Clark at the recital. Students will learn about famous mandolin players with notable and unconventional careers in a short lecture at the beginning of each class.
Techniques Covered:
A Major Scale, Two Finger Chord Voicing, Reading Tabs, Playing Melody and Accompaniment
Mandolin Intermediate
Course Level 102
Mandolin Intermediate is an intermediate course that takes students who have a basic setup and vocabulary of first position two finger chords through an introduction barre chords and three note chords for F, D minor, B, B Minor, and F# and developing a solid understanding of alternate picking. Over the course of 8-weeks students will develop their skills of picking single note melodies, learn the shuffle rhythm, learn the note names in the key of each piece, develop a basic understanding of sight reading, learn Soldiers Joy and perform Temperance Reel at the recital. This class is focused on expanding the basic technique that was built in Mandolin Beginner as it hones in on picking dexterity, and expanding chord vocabulary.
Techniques Covered:
G and D Major Scales, Alternate Picking, Shuffle Rhythm, Three Finger Chords, Bar Chords.
Mandolin Advanced
Course Level 103
Mandolin Advanced focuses on developing sight reading skills, learning to arrange melodies on mandolin and improve picking mechanics. Students will learn tremolo picking on single notes and double stops, ornaments including slides and hammer ons, C, G, D, and A minor chop chords, Boil Them Cabbage Down and will perform Banks of the Ohio at the recital. This course is also designed for students who want to join Mandolin Ensemble or Jam Ensemble (104 level classes) after this class.
Techniques Covered:
Tremolo Picking, Chop Chords, Slides, Hammer-ons, Ear Training and Arranging
After Mandolin Advanced, students can continue onto the following 104 level classes:
Mandolin Ensemble (104+ Level)
Folk Jam Ensemble (104+ Level)
Mandolin Ensemble
Course Level 104
Mandolin Ensemble focuses on developing skills for playing in an ensemble against different parts and learning arrangements of various mandolin repertoire. Mandolin ensemble is designed as a two semester class and will feature two songs in rotation over the two semesters. Students will also develop advanced chord voicing, picking techniques, and reading skills. This course is also designed for students who have completed the Folk Jam Ensemble (104 level classes) curriculum or want to join Folk Jam Ensemble after this class.
After Mandolin Ensemble, students can continue onto the following 104 level classes:
Folk Jam Ensemble (104+ Level)

subset: commoncrawl


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次は、Ivan Sidorenko @IvanSidorenko1氏の2018/7/7のツイート
#Syria #Daraa
Syrian - Jordan Border
#Nassib #Nasib #Naseeb Border Crossing
#Tiger_Forces #Tigers_Men
Taha Regiment
#SAA #SyrianArabArmy #SyrianArmy #SyrianArmedForces
Air Force Intelligence
Alongside Syrian Correspondents.
Russia Calls on Militants in Dara'a to Join Reconciliation Plan, Not to Leave for Idlib
The Arabic-language al-Watan daily quoted Abu Ali Mahamid, a commander of the Free Syrian Army, as telling militant-affiliated websites that the Russian forces had advised them in peace talks not to leave Dara'a for Idlib as Idlib's fate will be similar to the militant-held region in Southern Syria.
" Mahamid told to the websites, according to al-Watan.
In the meantime,
Other militant commanders in the council were quoted as saying by al-Watan that the military operation in Idlib will be possibly launched from Lattakia province.
The Arabic-language website of Sputnik reported last week that the Russian and Syrian warplanes staged a heavy bombing on terrorists' movements amid a heavy offensive of Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at and the terrorists of Horas al-Din against the government forces' positions in Souran township in Northern Hama and Southern Idlib.
It said that the warplanes further struck terrorists' positions in the villages and towns of Skeik, al-Tamanna, Ma'arkaba and Lahaya in Northern Hama and Southern Idlib, weakening the combat and supplying capacities of the terrorists in al-Latamina region.
The report went on to say that the army later dispatched more troops to the battlefield and gained back lost lands from terrorists in Souran region.
At least 35 terrorists were killed or wounded in the failed attack of the terrorists and in the bombardments.
Several terrorist groups, including Jeish al-Izzah, Horas al-Din and Tahrir al-Sham are operating in Northern Hama regardless of the presence of Turkish troops' monitoring points.
TEHRAN (FNA)- The terrorist groups were forced to agree with the Syrian Army's reconciliation terms to hand over the remaining regions under their control in the Eastern countryside of Dara'a city
Syrian Army Aborts Israel's Logistical Back up for Tahrir Al-Sham
TEHRAN (FNA)- A timely offensive by the Syrian army stopped Israel's move to supply logistical support to Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) terrorist group in Southwestern Quneitra.
The Syrian army's artillery and missile units staged heavy fire on Tahrir al-Sham's positions and moves in al-Alam square, Rawihineh and the road linking Naba'a al-Sakhrah to Southwestern Quneitra and the nearby areas on Monday.
Several positions and military vehicles of terrorists were smashed and a number of militants were killed and wounded.
Field sources said that Tahrir al-Sham was moving towards the de-escalation zone with Israel to receive military aid from the Israeli army when it came under attack by the Syrian army.
In a relevant development on Saturday, the Israeli troops targeted a position of the Syrian Army troops in the Southwestern province of Quneitra to assist Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at terrorists that have suffered a heavy defeat in battle with the government forces, a media outlet reported.
Al-Mayadeen news network reported that the Israeli troops opened heavy fire at one of the positons of Tahrir al-Sham in Khan Arnaba region in Northern Quneitra after the government forces repelled a heavy offensive of Tahrir al-Sham in the region.
Al-Mayadeen further said that the Israeli attack did not leave any human casualties.
It went on to say that the terrorist groups in Quneitra had attacked the army stronghold in al-Ba'ath, Jaba and Tal Koroum regions before the Israeli troops launched their attack.
Al-Mayadeen further said that over 30 terrorists were killed or wounded in the militants' failed attack on the army positions in three flanks near al-Ba'ath.
Meanwhile, field sources reported that Israeli troops launched artillery attack on Syrian army in Quneitra, adding that the Tel Aviv army forces transferred the wounded members of the terrorist groups from the Quneitra battlefield to occupied territories in Bariqa border region in Israel to treat them in their hospitals.
The sources went on to say that Israel has increased its backup for terrorists in recent weeks when Tahrir al-Sham intensified attacks on the safe villages and townships in Quneitra province.
Analyst: End of Dara'a Battle Triggers Syria's Ultimate Battle to Liberate Idlib
TEHRAN (FNA)- A prominent Syrian analyst said the army's major success in Dara'a operation in Southern Syria means that
Nadhal al-Saba'a told the Arabic website of Sputnik news agency on Monday that the Syrian army's control over al-Nasib passageway in Dara'a province was a major and epoch-making victory bringing the government troops much close to the end of battle in Southern Syria.
He referred to the peace agreement between the Syrian army and terrorist groups in Southern Syria, but reminded that ISIL terrorists at the borders with Golan region have been excluded from the agreement, adding that a bloody battle is expected in the region.
Al-Saba'a said that the Syrian government's control over Dara'a and the end of battle in Southern Syria will trigger the massive military operations in Idlib against over 50,000 terrorists with extremist thoughts.
He added that
The Syrian army continued military operations in Western Dara'a on Monday, winning back control over four new regions and several points in the bordering areas with Jordan.
The army units imposed control over 27 bordering checkpoints (No 36 to 62) in military operations West of al-Nasib passageway.
They also continued military operations West of Dara'a city after taking control of the town of Kharab al-Shaham, imposing control over the air defense hill area.
The army troops also cleansed al-Tabariat region, the village of Zizoun and the town of Tal Shahab in Northwestern Dara'a from the terrorist groups.
Meantime, field sources referred to the imminent evacuation of those terrorists who oppose the peace plan from Dara'a, and said that the Syrian army has provided the ground to transfer hundreds of militants and their family members from the region.
posted by ZUKUNASHI at 23:08| Comment(0) | 国際・政治


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Restoration Blog
Once I reached the point where I was beginning to reassemble my BT7 I decided to keep a weekly journal of the progress I made during the preceding seven days. Clicking on the link below will direct you to the Restoration Blog and a listing of assembly components accompanied by a citation for the appropriate weekly entries. I have not had a chance to migrate the Restoration Blog from Apple's iWeb to my new WordPress website, therefore the link ties to the old iWeb site for now.


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Kelly's mysterious absence from the Connecticut River doesn't make sense to me. Her last moments were spent on the River. I was alone with her when it happened. There was an elaborate investigation to try to pin the accident on me. That's how I felt, at least. When it happened, it was unthinkable that life could go on, that I would go forward. I was engulfed in a sorrow so great, that I wondered if I would survive it.
I survived.
The price I have paid for surviving is that Kelly watches over me most of the time. Other people have shadows, I have Kelly. She is a silent observer of all that I do, both bad and good. In her manifestation, she has not aged. Oddly, she has a wardrobe that changes seasonally. I notice that. I notice that her chest moves as if she were breathing, but of course, she's not. I notice her eyes blink. Her mouth moves, but never to form words. I can read her expression as well as I ever could. This fall, it will be ten years since she died. Ten years.
When she first started visiting me, I told her to cross-over, find the light, do what spirits do. Go. Instead, I saw more of her. I made the mistake of telling people. Oddly, it was only Declan who believed me. I asked if he could see her, too. He said, "No, but sometimes I feel her."
Thinking I must be having some kind of psychological breakdown, I made an appointment with a psychologist. Three sessions in, she said I needed to talk to a psychiatrist who could also medicate me. For three years, I was a compliant and cooperative patient who took anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications. I talked out my unresolved issues. Nothing changed. Kelly came to therapy with me, She rode home, or if I met friends for dinner after therapy, she sat at the next table. Kelly was relentless.
I used the Internet to research psychic phenomenon. After trying seances and readings and occult gatherings (all of which Kelly attended), I gave up. Imagine my utter surprise when, finally, finally, someone other than me saw her. A prospective parent visiting Whately Prep was in my office. Ostensibly, we were alone. Of course, Kelly was sitting in the corner, staring out the window. The mother interrupted my description of the endowment at Whately Prep. "Excuse me, I just wondered why you asked a student to join us for this conversation. "
My stomach lurched uncomfortably. I thought I might be sick in the wastebasket under my desk. I was so startled that I couldn't speak for a moment. Kelly turned toward me. The mother, Clara Carter, said, "Oh, but she looks just like you, she must be your daughter."
My eyes glanced at the family portrait taken the year before, absent Kelly. Maybe it was all an unkind and elaborate ruse. Clara, sensing my dismay, spoke directly to Kelly, "We stopped in Sunderland to see the Buttonball Tree, I didn't know they make necklaces. Is that where you found yours?"
I had never told anyone, not even Declan, that, on the morning of the day she died, I bought Kelly a silver Buttonball necklace. As I clasped it around her neck, she turned to me with a broad smile and said, "I'll never take it off Mummy, never, ever."


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Like a rose in the snow
Ginta Lapina @ Women (NY) It's Ginta Lapina by Greg Kadel but it's not so Ginta by not so Kadel. It's from latest issue of Numéro but doesn't look very Numéro at first sight. It's a little revolution that brought back some smiles here at the end of the day. We never expected to see this side of Ginta. Never. As expressive as she usually is (on the runway, backstage and everywhere else), she remains pretty shy-looking in a very delicate manner, never giving too much to the camera - just enough to make you... [Lire la suite]


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Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Detail of Giotto's depiction of Hell in his Last Judgment, the fresco he made in the Arena Chapel in Padua.
I never liked Giotto in college and included him in a group that includes Cezanne, Reubens and others: artists I don't get or don't like. But this detail which I came across this morning is just beautiful, don't you think? I love the way the serpent is fastened onto her.
I studied medieval art for two years: the professor really understood how to use the dark room and bright slides to transport you and make you love the work as he did.
9 comments:
Is there a serpent fastened onto you these days?
- Feb 25, 2009, 10:43:00 PM
There was one art history teacher I loved. I took four classes from him. He would have three projectors going, noting similarities between works made by people in different places and at different times: fun! I seem to recall his using the word "monumentality" to describe Giotto's contribution.
- Feb 26, 2009, 5:19:00 AM
- Namowal said...
I bet hell paintings unleashed the creativity of medieval paintings. Leaders and religious figures had to be treated with stiff dignity...
...but anything can happen in hell!
The hairy demon guys look a bit like Santa's pal, Krampus.
- Feb 26, 2009, 10:14:00 AM
- Sally said...
Admin, I just think there's something so tactile about that serpent, and is it biting her ear or whispering into it?
Stray, do they still teach art history in darkened rooms or have video screens taken that away. It was really its own art form, the suspense of the next slide. Sounds silly but I think you know what I mean.
Namo, I noticed that Krampus resemblance too, and your observation seems so likely.
- Feb 26, 2009, 10:28:00 AM
- Jean Provost said...
I absolutely loved art history class. I'd take it now if I could, do they still allow people to monitor classes?
I took my 3rd & 4th classes as an adult returning to school in my mid 30's. I studied with a small group of women. We aced every test and all the young kids HATED us...plus they were always trying to study with us.
- Feb 26, 2009, 3:47:00 PM
- Sally said...
The reason this image came up is I've installed a google gadget I think called "Art of the Bible" which posts a different painting each day, all from the Middle Ages. Bosch and Breughel are frequently seen, and this morning there was a great engraving by Durer. When you click on the picture it doesn't provide much more info other than provenance and a Bible quote, but it's nice to see a new picture every day.
- Feb 27, 2009, 7:28:00 AM
- BERC said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- Feb 27, 2009, 8:57:00 AM
Gosh, I haven't taken art history in so many years (before personal computers!) I don't know how they teach now. I had a friend who actually went to Europe to take slides so she could use them to teach art history! Digital images would seem more likely now. Today's local paper lists art history on the potential chopping block at the state's major public university!!! Everything's on the table for higher ed in this state this spring. I made some of my closest friends in art history: we spent so many hours together at the library staring at images before exams!!
- Feb 27, 2009, 8:58:00 AM
- Sally said...
That's AWFUL about putting art history on the block.
- Feb 27, 2009, 9:17:00 AM


text: Gift of Gobble – Our annual Gift of Gobble provides a complete turkey dinner to participating families. The dinner includes all a family needs in order to, skip the food pantry, and prepare Thanksgiving in their own kitchen. From the turkey to the mashed potatoes to the gravy and cranberry sauce, Thanksgiving never looked so yummy!


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You can now select many poles on the work plan at the same time and change their pole class, pole species type or the pole length. Changing the Pole Length from one size to another also has the added feature of automatically adjusting the attachment heights for all attachments by the net difference (pole length - depth of setting). This is expected to be a very common scenario where a pole line is created in Quick Pole and the pole is later proven to need additional height for road crossings or other clearance issues. So automatically moving all attachments higher should be a time saver. A note is generated to remind users that they should re-validate the desired attachment heights.
This feature of moving attachment heights automatically was also added to the Structure Details Dialog for individual pole length changes. To improve the ability to move all power wires or communication attachments as a group, you can now select several attachments on a pole at once and change their attachment height using the "Height Adjustment" spinner control. You can either enter a value to adjust the heights directly and hit enter, or you can use the up/down arrows on the control. This should help in adjusting attachment heights of several items after pole length changes, or in other situations.


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[TV Rating]
Nationwide: 6.1%
(credit: mjphsing, youku.com)
Link: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjM2MzA4ODY0.html
(credit: NYMPH, tudou.com)
Link: http://www.tudou.com/v/gNBs6_Y0CYI
Link: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/gNBs6_Y0CYI/
[Screen Captures]
(credit: carol 1977, naver.com)
Jung Joon Ho talks about that he will get married soon and
how he met his wife when she interviewed him.
Crystal of the music group F(x), Lee Tae Yim (이태임), and Jo Hye Ryun
Jisuk sings the song "I'd like to see you after I saw you"
The judge Choi Gap Won comments that Jisuk has very good voice
but Jisuk's eye expression showing his nervousness.
The straight-forward judge Sul Yoon Do (설운도) suggests Jisuk to
only pay attention to his drama performance.
Jisuk gets 27 points (the full points is 40) and
he is 1 point more than Shin Hyun Joon.
The scores are: Crystal - 30 points
Jung Hyun Don - 29 points
Lee Tae Yim - 28 points
Jisuk - 27 points
Shin Hyun Joon - 26 points
Kim Hyun Chul - 12 points
Jisuk tells everyone that he has to leave for the airport for his trip to Japn
He says that he would like to be paired up with Crystal for the next episode
Ha Ha ... at the end, he is paired up with Jo Hye Ryun .....
and he is kissing his puppy "Byuli" in this photo
Dancing seems so hard for Jisuk ... Ha Ha
I am looking forward to the next episode.
[MBC Photos]


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Digital Pet X-Rays
Veterinary diagnostics are extremely important for pets of all life stages, and at Circle of Life Animal Hospital, we are always seeking to provide the best for our patients. Digital pet radiology is one of our diagnostic tools that we are so pleased to be able to offer.
Digital pet radiology allows us to immediately view your pet's x-rays on the screen and to share these with you in the exam room on our computers! We use this for a variety of diagnostic purposes, such as arthritis, fractures, locating foreign bodies, examining internal organs and more. The benefits of digital pet radiology are many, including:
- Capturing images with greater ease
- Images can be stored in electronic files and easily copied to a CD for the owner to have for their personal records, or electronically shared with radiologists for consultations and second opinions, if needed.
- Less exposure to radiation
- Most pets do not need sedatives to be x-rayed with digital equipment (however, certain types of positioning require sedation for the comfort of the pet and to capture quality images – such as hip x-rays)
- Sharper image quality
- Electronic radiograph files allows the doctor to "remote in" to the computer to view the x-rays from anywhere in the country!
If you have questions about our diagnostic tools at Circle of Life Animal Hospital please contact us.


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And so, without further adieu...E.L.F.
By David Colby
Chapter 1: The Crystal
Anyone who says hovering is an elegant mode of transport must never have ridden on a school bus. The engines, like most things associated with the public school system, desperately needed a massive overhaul and total upgrade to move from completely wrecked to barely functional. Every time the bus glided over one of the many potholes in City-18, the shock dampening fields failed to catch and Jimmy got to introduce the side of his head to the window. Again.
Despite many such introductions, the side of his head and the window hadn't formed a lasting relationship and the constant breakups were really starting to wear on him.
"Unng." He closed his eyes. "Tell me Pix-"
"Cause life hates you."
"Good answer." Jimmy sighed, putting his hand over his face. The bus hit another pothole and Jimmy got to introduce his head to the window once more. "Shit!"
"Language!" Pix waggled her finger at him, her antennas sparking. "What would your father say if he heard you saying that?"
"Um, applaud?"
She snorted. "Now, enough of this jibber jabber. Let's get some work done." She snapped her fingers once and formed an AR bubble in the air over her wrist. The bubble was – like most really good and interesting things – fictional: A tickling of the optic nerves by some polite nanobots – short term augments that hadn't yet been sneezed out after the end of the school day. Pix's normal outline – pink and polka dots with the occasional hunk of rusted barbed wire – surrounded a haze of text that became filled in as the local networks crawled their way through the bus' awful, low-fi mesh network.
As the mesh chugged along, the bus shuddered to a stop – the braking field catching desperately at the ground, squealing and whining at the exact right tone to send shooting pain through Jimmy's head. While the bus skidded and squealed to a halt, Jimmy looked at the formerly gray bus station: Someone with too much time and too little respect for public property had sprayed it down with day glow, multicolored paint. Some of the art was kinda eye catching, if you didn't mind searing pink neon. Beyond the stop were row after row of identical houses, each with their small oxy-plants puttering away, and each with their own vain attempt to appear different from their neighbors, ranging from the bland (one of those spinning plastic flowers) to the heroic (a supped up spinning plastic flower with flamethrowers attached at the ends).
Suburbia in City-18.
"Now, section B of the Generalized Occupational Aptitude Test, question thirty four," Pix read, putting far more energy and aplomb into the reading than was appropriate for a high school exit exam. "Which major event changed the course of human history in the late twenty-fourth century. Was it A!" She held her finger up. "The Eugenics Wars? B-" Another finger. "-The arrival of the Tette<click><click> in Neh...Now... Jerk...Yer..." She scowled, reaching out with her finger to highlight the word which started to shift phonetics – upscaling from the ancient languages to more modern ones in an attempt to become readable. "Yark?"
"York," Jimmy said, slowly. "New. York."
"Stupid dead language," Pix muttered. "Where was I? Oh right! C-" Another finger. "The Scourge, or D, the discovery of Harbinger."
"Oh, oh, oh, don't help me." Jimmy closed his eyes and put his forefingers against his temples. "Uuuh...could it be D?"
"Drum roll please." Pix snapped her fingers. Jimmy provided one against the back of the chair in front of them, his index fingers tapping out a long rrrttttt.
"James Leonite Junior, you're absolutely correct! You have won the chance to go on to the next question!"
"Is it as mind numbingly easy and insultingly simple as the last thirty?"
"Ding, ding, ding, ding! You are correct!" The bus hit a pothole and Jimmy narrowly avoided cracking his head against the window. Pix's backpack – which was sitting on her lap – leaped free and made a break for it, skittering under the seat in front of them. Pix rubbed her face with her hands, banished the AR bubble with a wave of her wrist, and bent forward to grab at the backpack.
"Hey Pixie," someone drawled out as Pix sat back up.
"Oh great," she whispered, as Jimmy glared over her shoulder.
Edward, Pix's younger foster brother, gave his trademark smirk. To parents, teachers and a disturbingly large percentage of the female population at school, that smirk made them, in Pix's words, 'go all dribbly'. But to people who were, you know, sane, it looked just as it actually was: Evil. Or if not evil, at least a good imitation, off brand, fifty percent off on sale kind of evil.
"Soo, Pixie." The bus stopped again, door hissing open. "I hear that you don't have a date for the Prom."
"I don't believe in the chauvinistic idea of a man being the one to ask a woman out on the date." Pix turned around, seat squeaking at her movement. "Also, I really hate it when you call me Pixie. It makes me angry."
Edward chuckled. "You're cute when you're angry, Pixie."
She shook her head. "You won't like me when I'm angry..."
"Pix-" Jimmy started, reaching out for her shoulder. Too slow.
Edward jumped. "AH!"
Smoke puffed from Edward's shirt. Jimmy saw Pix's hand sneak back into her pocket, the shiny flash of metal.
"You bitch!" Edward shouted, beating against his shirt, long after the smallish fire had gone out. Pix laughed.
"What? Me? I didn't do anything."
"Pyro!" Edward grabbed her shirt, but by now the bus driver had noticed there was a scuffle breaking out. She stood up and lumbered down the central aisle of the bus, grabbing Edward and jerking him off Pix.
"You two," the bus driver growled. "Stop it."
"She started it!" Edward shouted. "Cyborg!"
Pix's lips went white and her eyes whirred loudly as the irises contracted to small dots, surrounded by pink. Jimmy recognized that look. He reached for her shoulder, grabbing and jerking her back before she could do something more easily connected to her than mysterious shirt fires.
"I don't like hearing cussin durin my bussin," the bus driver growled. "And I es-peci-ally don't like hearin racial ep-if-ets."
Edward looked at his feet, the picture of contriteness and apology. "I'm sorry, ma'am," he said. The bus driver let him go, then looked at Pix, who was still straining at Jimmy's hand, fists clenched, knuckles white.
"And you, miss E.L.F...you don't do nothing stupid either." She frowned. "It's just words is all."
She lumbered back to the driver's seat.
Jimmy sighed. "Pix-"
"Shut up." She snapped. A moment later, she shook her head. "No, I...just a word." She made a face, her antenna sparking.
Jimmy gently patted her shoulder, wishing he could do more, like, say, punching Edward in his stupid, handsome face. Pix slumped her forehead against the seat in front of them. The bus lurched into motion.
Jimmy bit his lip. "Pix, where did you get the lighter?"
She was silent.
"Shut up!"
Jimmy looked out the window, watching the uniform gray and brown and silver of City-18 zip past, even as Pix's hand moved in her pocket. Jimmy could practically hear her hand closing around it, her thumb snapping it open and closed. Open and closed.
Edward's stop came up: Right slap bang in the really bad part of town, the part of the town that had grown up around the Processors: Monolithic, mile high machines built into Harbinger's superstructure itself. A lifetime of driving past them in hovercars and seeing them out the window had robbed Jimmy of almost all his awe. They were just parts of the landscape. But sometimes, when he remembered what he learned in school and remembered the words of his professor...he felt a shiver of vertigo.
The Processors were old. Older than the human race – and the human race wasn't exactly what one might call sprightly. They had spent the time it took the human race to flower and burn itself to a cinder doing the same thing, day in, day out. Whoever the Architects had been, they had known what they were doing. But, time took its toll, even here, even with all that power, all that intense brainpower. The Architects might be able to build Harbinger, but they couldn't make it last forever.
Just practically forever.
That 'practically' was why humanity was here. If one didn't think about what the Processors did, one might even be proud that humans were allowed to maintain them. Jimmy shook his head while Edward – still glaring at Pix and rubbing the burn on his jacket, trying to sooth the self-healing fabric back into its spotless condition – stepped off the bus. That glare dragged Jimmy's mind from the ancient and relatively unimportant past to...well, the right now.
The bus lurched into motion. Jimmy knew that glare meant only one thing: Edward was going make Pix's life a living hell next week, after her two day reprieve at Jimmy's house.
"I stole it." Pix spoke up.
Jimmy closed his eyes. "You made a new cycle's resolution!"
"It helps me calm down, okay!" She slid her hands out of her pockets, playing with the lighter in the open. "Also, it's a great way to ward off dumb, semi-incestuous foster brothers."
"Yeah, Richy and Edward are screwed up." Jimmy bit his lip. "That doesn't mean you should keep it."
"No, I'm fine." Pix looked away. "Say, want to study more?"
"Suddenly, it seems rather unimportant, Pix I ca...I don't want you to get in any more trouble. I mean, who else will I play Cogs of Conflict with?" He smiled, weakly.
She didn't look back. The bus rounded the bend, shooting past the Processors and towards the Heights. The houses got bigger, the oxy-plants were hidden better, and the people started to dress with flashier colors. As the bus waited at a red light that seemed to last forever, Jimmy watched a girl walking her rollerbug, wearing a skirt so high that it reached hypothetical territory.
"Are you going to ask Shira Xao out for the prom?" Pix launched back into the conversation with the verbal equivalent of throwing a hunk of junk in a turbo vent.
Jimmy put his hand behind his head, laughing and choking at the same time, jerking his eyes away from the distracting girl. "Uh, well, uh-"
Jimmy tried to count the number of times he had laid up at night, thinking out the words to say in these situations. It was really easy to think of words when you were in bed, in the dark, with only the thrumming of the oxy-plant to keep you company. In real life...
In real life, Pix barrels over your thoughts.
"She's pretty!" Pix grinned. "Though, you will never get her to wear that." She eyed the girl with the hypothetical skirt.
"Well, I-"
"Well, maybe after you get her drunk."
"What?" She shoved his shoulder playfully.
The bus came to a stop at Jimmy's station and the door hissed open.
"All off for the Heights," the bus driver called.
Pix got up and grabbed Jimmy's hand and jerked him out of his seat.
"Come on," She grinned. "Let's blow off some steam! This is Friday. The week can't possibly get any worse. That'd be against the law."
Jimmy and Pix walked...well, no that's a lie: Pix dragged and Jimmy followed meekly, grinning all the way. They walked past the first few houses on the street, then stopped at the last house on the left. In a neighborhood of fancy houses, this one stood out not only because it was a full story taller than the others, but also because it was almost always empty. Jimmy sometimes looked at the other houses, where wives and husbands and partners would live at home and their families would head out to do their jobs or go to school, but someone was always home. Someone was always there to enjoy the benefits of credit. Not the Leonite house. He looked at the empty windows and the closed and locked doors.
"Home sweet home." Jimmy glanced at Pix. She grinned at him. Shadows surrounded them and the only thing visible were her eyes, glowing a bright pink. As one, they both looked up. .
An airship floated overhead. A tripod dangled from the balloon, the tip of each foot projecting into the center area between them, creating a fairly good hologram.
"Did you ever want to visit the Upper Levels, but could never handle long trips?" The spokesperson asked, his voice pitched to carry. "Did you always want to visit all of Harbinger, but now you're over the hill? Well, come on down to Quark's Matrix Game Central and experience them in the safety of your own living room!"
Jimmy snorted. "Didn't they get sued for lobotomizing someone?"
"Yeah. Guess they won." Pix walked with him to the front door. Jimmy put his thumb to the scanner and the door opened. As expected, no one shouted to say 'good afternoon'.
Jimmy shook his head. Here he was, feeling sorry for himself when there were kids that didn't have enough credit to eat anything but the free gruel dispensed at the local fabbers.
Still, the expected lack of human response made walking into the house a decidedly bittersweet experience. Once Jimmy and Pix were inside, the door closed with a clunk, cutting off the stench from outside.
"Welcome home, Master Leonite," the house A.I. said, turning the lights up till the entire first floor gleamed. The cleaners had polished every surface to a mirror shine, and as Mom and Dad were never home often enough to make a mess, Jimmy found the cleanliness...cloying.
"Did you know Carl-" Pix never would and possibly never could call her foster father 'Dad' "-had his house A.I programmed to a sexy female voice yesterday?"
"I'm surprised he hadn't done it earlier." Jimmy sighed, slowly. Pix shucked her jacket off her shoulders, her hand plucking her lighter from the jacket pocket and moving it to her pants pocket. Jimmy tried his best to not notice.
"All right!" Pix grinned, turning to him. "I challenge you to a duel!" She pointed her finger at him, antennas sparking. "In a game of your choice."
"I accept, madam." Jimmy spun on his heel to face his friend. "I choose Cogs of Conflict!"
"To the-"
Clunk, thump, clunk. Pix started and spun around, looking at the door. The pneumatic tube that delivered the taxes and the occasional letter from Dad had just spat a small, rectangular box into the mail cage.
Pix plodded over to the mail cage and picked up the box. She sniffed at it. Jimmy put on his best action hero voice and play shouted: "IT'S A BOMB!"
"It is not a bomb." Pix grinned, putting her ear to it. "It's got something hard inside. Something hard...and long."
Jimmy nodded, solemnly, his lips pursed. Then quivered, his eyes closing, fingers digging into his arms as he tried to hold back.
"Don't you dare say anything!" Pix wiggled a finger at him.
"I wasn't planning to!"
"It doesn't have a name on it." Pix frowned. "Think it's from your Dad?"
"One way to find out!"
They plopped down at chairs around the kitchen table, plastic scraping against metal. Pix set the box down right in the middle of the table. Jimmy leaned forward and Pix started to slowly open it up, as if the package might explode, joke or no joke.
Jimmy scooted backwards slightly. What if it was a bomb? Pix shot him a 'seriously?' look. The cardboard fell open, revealing...
A data crystal. Green, thin, and about the size of a man's hand. Its triangular nose rested in a metallic cup that rested on the table, keeping the crystal upright.
"Um, yay?" Jimmy frowned, prodding the crystal. "Why didn't Dad just E-mail us? I mean, if it is from Dad..."
"Well, it IS a fifty terabyte crystal, Jimmy. Maybe he wanted to send fifty terabytes worth of porn? Like, the really good stuff you have to pay money for, not the stuff you can trawl the mesh for?"
"Possibly! And by that, I mean, I wish. Hmm..." Jimmy snapped his fingers. "Maybe it's a late birthday present?"
"Maybe!" Pix stood up and grinned. "It all depends on what's inside. Now, stay tuned gentle viewers!" She grabbed her shirt and lifted it up, exposing her belly button and her data port. That, along with the bubblegum pink hair and antennas, marked her as being an E.L.F and not just a normal human with hair paint. The crystal clinked in and she started. "EE! Tickles!"
"What's in it?"
Pix closed her eyes. Then she yelped and grabbed at her data port. The port opened up and ejected the crystal. Pix reached for it, but it slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground, point first.
It sunk half an inch into the metal of the floor, the tip cutting metal like butter.
Jimmy gaped. Pix knelt down next to the table, glaring at the crystal.
"Shit," Jimmy whispered, reaching down and grabbing the crystal. He jerked it out, leaving a circular hole in the floor. "Double shit! Why is this so sharp!?"
"U-Uh, military level data crystals have those things," Pix said, tapping her chin. "It makes the data exchange faster...ow." She rubbed her temples.
"Are you okay?"
"I'll be fine!" Pix sighed. "It's just its got defense programs that are a bit stronger than most sane people would use for porn." She bit her lip. "So, it's either from your Dad, who is paranoid, or someone sent it to the wrong place."
Jimmy nodded, using his foot to slide the small carpet under the table to cover the hole. That would work. Hopefully. "Should I get an ice pack?"
Pix gave him a 'look', with one of those eyebrow cocks that went almost up above her bangs.
"Or the virtual equivalent of an ice pack?"
Pix sat down, sighing. "Nah, I'll be fine. It was just some nasty code."
Jimmy bit his lip, all those fancy words scattering to the winds again. "Can I get you...food...things?"
Pix laughed. "I'm not going to collapse or faint or swoon or anything." She looked up at him, smiling, slightly. "So, up for video games?"
"What about the crystal?"
"It's not a bomb, and your mom won't get home till later." Pix shrugged. "I'm not going to spend my whole afternoon worrying about it when nothing is going to happen."
Jimmy considered that. "I like how you think, Pix." He grinned. "Cogs of Conflict?"
"Sounds like a plan to me!"
The brrrpt brrrpt of rapid fire machine guns rocked the foundation of the Leonite household and rattled the windows in their panes.
Jimmy mashed the fire button on his controller, his thumb whamming down like a jackhammer. He leaned over to the right, trying to get his character to go faster.
It didn't work.
His character, projected in the center of the room by the Leonite's almost embarrassingly high-quality holosystem, smashed into cover, but not before some of Pix's bullets took big bites out of his Health-O-Meter.
Jimmy grinned and slammed down fire button and Parlus Menix propped his ram-bow up and shot an exploding arrow into a bugeyed monster's face.
The bug eyed monster grabbed at the arrow a moment after Pix shouted, "You son of a-"
The monster exploded into a million little giblets, eyeballs and intestines flying every which-a-way, turning the walls around it scarlet.
"HA!" Jimmy stuck his tongue out at Pix. "Gotcha, Bugger!"
"I hate playing as Buggers." Pix grumbled. But her character respawned and she started running him around the close quarter's combat zone. Jimmy stood up to get a better angle on the projection, biting his lip as his character pulled a grenade from his pocket.
"I see what you are doing there." Pix said, moving to her side of the room, her antennas sparking.
Jimmy scowled. She could see his character, and he couldn't see hers. Then her character popped up holding the Orbsatgun.
"Oh goddamn it!" Jimmy tapped frantically at his controller, but the Orbsatgun had targeted his character. A moment later, a really big hunk of tungsten dropped through the ceiling and turned his character into a smear of red paste and giblets. Two holographic eyeballs rolled along the ground, nerves flopping.
"Ew." Pix looked a bit grossed out. Jimmy felt more annoyed than anything else.
A car drove up to the front of the house, hover engines squealing ever so softly as the car settled on the driveway. Mom!
"Shit! Uh, quick, get Mako Cart!"
Pix started to rummage around for the Mako Cart game, while Jimmy opened up the projector, gingerly removed the Cogs of Conflict data crystal. He hid it behind the dresser, Pix slid the Mako Cart crystal in, and by the time Mom opened the front door. Jimmy and Pix sat down and looked like they were playing the goreless games Mom preferred them to play.
Jimmy stood up and turned around. "Guess who's home early." A hand stuck out around the small wall that made it impossible to see the front door from the game room. It held a baggy of chickoon nuggets, fresh and greasy from Orkz and Crake's. Mom stuck her head around the corner a moment later and smiled.
"Hey mom!" Jimmy grinned and she spread her arms. Jimmy hugged her and the smell of chickoon nuggets wafted Pix over.
"Hey Pix." Jimmy's Mom smiled as Jimmy stepped back. Pix glanced at the package, which still sat on the table.
"Heya Miz Leonite." Pix sat on the table and kicked her legs, the package and data crystal hidden behind her.
Mom smiled then walked past Jimmy and put down the chickoon nuggets. "There's some fries in there too." She sighed. "I need to get out of these shoes."
Her shoes were pointy and had high heels, with retro-rings around the middle of the heels. The rings glowed slightly and served no real purpose other than making them look, well, retro. Mom walked back to her room.
"So, how were your days?" Mom called from the back of the room.
"Fine," Jimmy and Pix said simultaneously.
"Where did the box come from?"
Mom walked back around the corner. She still wore her working blouse, and she still looked really tired, but her feet were bare and she smiled. The light of her smile made her eyes glitter slightly and she stopped looking like she was fifty. "So, you two made the bus?"
Jimmy nodded. Mom smiled, then looked at the box suggestively after it became clear they weren't going to speak up.
"Oh yeah." Pix nodded. "That arrived earlier today"
"Yup. Don't know who it's from though," Jimmy said, hands behind his back.
Mom picked up the box. She opened it. Her eyes narrowed. "Hmm..." Then she closed it, and, without a word, she walked into the office. The door closed and locked.
Pix and Jimmy looked at one another. "What was that?" Pix muttered.
Jimmy shrugged. "Maybe it's work related."
Pix grinned. "I know one way to find out!"
"Oh, no-" But Pix was already dragging him to the door. Jimmy didn't resist too much cause, well, he was curious too. His ear went against the door and he closed his eyes, trying to get a good listen.
"...I think it's definitely from Kellengaurd..."
"It's serious, if it's that Howl thing..."
Long pause, muffled sounds.
"I'm worried that...yeah, we should..."
"...the kids...well, dinner's getting cold...tell James to..." Muffled.
Pix's brow furrowed. Jimmy felt a sudden alarm, as if he was moments away from-
The door opened and Mom gaped.
"Well," she said, her eyes narrowed. "I never knew I had two Peeping Toms in my house."
"Actually, we were just Listening Larry's-" Pix started.
"Shh!" She hissed, glaring at Pix. "Your parents would be ashamed."
Pix looked away, her hands behind her back. Jimmy bit his lip. Yeah, Mom was mad, but she had to know that cut deep. Real deep.
"And you, Jimmy, you're supposed to know better. Both of you go to the dinner table."
Jimmy practically ran away, Pix doing likewise.
Behind them, Mom looked, for one moment, afraid. Then she sighed and, serendipitously, opened a secret compartment in the office. She pulled out a compact, gleaming pistol, checked the ammo, cocked it, then slipped it into her back pocket.
Dinner felt colder than the outer darkness. Jimmy pushed his chickoons around with his fork. He looked up at Pix, then at his Mom.
"How was work?"
"It's still classified, dear." Mom didn't look up.
Pix mechanically jammed her chickoons into her mouth, her pink eyes burning a hole through the middle of the table. Metaphorically, she didn't actually have eyelasers, those were illegal. Jimmy just wanted this Friday to be over so he could Saturday with a fresh, clean slate.
Mom finished eating and walked over to the kitchen to clean her plate off. She then hurried from the kitchen to the office, focused on her work as usual. Once she was gone, Jimmy slid his hand across the table and squeezed Pix's. She looked at him, her eyes widening and Jimmy scrambled for the words that had been bouncing through his brain for the whole dinner.
"Uh, you know, it's not your fault. What happened. Parents thing. I mean." Jimmy mentally kicked himself. But...Pix turned her hand over and squeezed back.
"It's okay." She smiled.
Ten years ago, a friendless ten year old had met an equally friendless ten year old and decided they should be friends – despite one being a girl (and thus icky) and the other being a boy (and thus, icky.) When Jimmy had brought Pix over to his parents' house, his parents had been happy to see him with someone his own age, and let them hang out. In fact, his parents had immediately started talking about playing in the park, running around and playing tag, and maybe even taking the two children to an amusement park.
Before his parents had finished with the grandiose plans, Jimmy and Pix had already started lounging around playing video games instead. And thus, a eight year tradition had been born: Jimmy at the computer, playing video games, with Pix sprawled on his bed – also playing video games. He leaned back and sighed slowly. "Jeeze, this weekend has gotten off to a killer start."
"Tell me about it."
Pix kicked her shoes off. Her hand went into her pocket. Jimmy ignored it.
"Sometimes, I wish...." Jimmy trailed off.
"Hmm?" Pix rolled her head back, to look at Jimmy upside down.
"I guess I just wish that life was better. Which just feels selfish, sitting next to my awesome computer." He grinned and flipped the on switch. The screen flickered into existence, the projectors fixed to Jimmy's desk and walls whirred into slow, clunky life. The image had scan lines and flickered every once and a while, but Jimmy's parents had put it bluntly: Better screen or college.
Well, that might have been an exaggeration. Still, he made do with the hopes of a future position in PSAU, assuming said university didn't shoot his application down.
Pix herself was planning to head off to PSAU too, but she took a strangely cavalier position on the whole 'studying' thing. Glad to help Jimmy, not so glad to be helped by Jimmy. Well, Pix was good at three things. Being a good friend, surfing the mesh with her brain and being stubborn like an Urtish.
"I'm thinking." Pix kicked her feet as she talked. "That I'm going to move out."
Jimmy blinked. "Out of here?"
"No, out of Ted's house. You know, get my own place."
Jimmy furrowed his brow, starting up the mesh.
"It'll be cheap." Pix mused, half to herself. "Maybe near one of the big methane tubes. Those really drive the rent down."
"Yeah, because they smell like farts." Jimmy looked over his shoulder. "Listen, Pix, it's just one more semester. You can handle one more half of a cycle. After all, you've got me."
She grinned, but it was a weak one.
Jimmy, continuing tradition, started tabbing his way through several screens of mesh faff till he got to his favorite political discussion forum. "Hey, look, Dad's made the headlines again."
"Nasty habit he's got there." Pix scooted up to the edge of the bed and leaned on Jimmy's shoulder, her chin pressing against him. He glanced down at her and she grinned, tilting her head to poke his cheek with her antenna.
She stuck her tongue out at him, but relented as Jimmy started to read the article aloud, using his own version of summarization.
"New Talks At Council, bla, bla, bla...oh it's about the War."
"Oh boy!" Pix bounced on the bed, her enthusiasm dripping with classic brand sarcasm. "The war, the war! We're not all tired about that stupid thing, not a bit!"
"Whoa, Pix, sarcasm. Original." Jimmy shook his head. Pix stopped bouncing and stuck her tongue out again, for bouncing while sticking your tongue out is a recipe for disaster. "Now, it seems the Yetel and the Slor are, wouldn't you know it, shooting at each other. Again."
Pix nodded.
"Aaand Dad is one of the five people willing to actually call attention to it at the council. Human news says yay." A few clicks and a quick translation program later. "And Yetel news says boo. Humans told to butt out."
"They do keep telling us that."
"That they do." Jimmy spun his chair around and sighed. "Well, I guess, with all these talks he's too busy to...call and stuff. Again."
"Yeah. Definitely." Pix nodded. "You know, we could always trade Dads."
Jimmy drew his head back, slowly. "Nah, cause then I'd be related to Richy and Edward."
"Pix, don't get into telemarketing."
"Well, I do have one advantage." Pix raised her finger in the air. "I can call people, with my miiind!"
The phone rang.
"Not me!"
Jimmy shot Pix a look and picked up the phone. "Who is it?"
"This is Jimmy."
Dad! His voice sounded gruff, deep, and more like what Jimmy wished he sounded like –less like what he actually sounded like.
Jimmy sat up and grinned. "No, this is Jimmy."
Dad laughed loud enough to make Jimmy pull his ear away from the phone. He hastily put it back when the laughing died down and a muffled voice came through again. "-ws it going?"
"Oh, good." Jimmy nodded and smiled, leaning back in his chair. He half noticed Pix looking at him with that look. That look that meant she was thinking about her Dad, her real one. He turned the chair slightly, suddenly embarrassed.
"Who is it?" Mom shouted from downstairs.
"Dad!" Jimmy shouted back at her, before putting the phone to his hear. "Yeah, it's been going great. Amazing. Well, actually, no. Terrible."
"Yeah, standard issues. Bullies. Jerks. Boring teachers. Mrs. Finch is still trying to get me to babysit her larvae."
Dad laughed, to which Jimmy could only roll his eyes again. The connection crackled and Mom cluttered into the conversation. "James?"
"Monica." Dad sounded like he was beaming. "Listen, I was sorry I couldn't call last week. Or the week before that, things have been a bit hectic up here. The..." He paused. "Say, Jimmy, is Pixel there?"
Jimmy blinked, surprised by the sudden change of topic. He could practically hear the gears shift in Dad's brain. "Yeah, why?"
"Why don't you two finally listen to me and do something physically active. Throw balls. Kick rocks. That sort of thing." Dad had that ever so slight harsh undertone that Jimmy recognized as: Do what I say. Now.
Jimmy blinked again, hurt welling up. Well, okay, he thought, Dad just wants to talk to Mom about something...
"Yeah, sure." He hung up.
"Happy reunion?" Pix asked.
"I don't know." Jimmy leaned back in his chair. "Dad was weird."
"Jimmy, your dad is the most applauded, famous and well respected diplomat humanity has had since Derek Stratton arranged peace between us and the Arachnids." Pix leaned forward. "Of course he's weird."
Jimmy shrugged, then turned to her. "I guess. Still, up for some Pazanga?"
Pix slept in the spare room, sprawled face first against a pile of pillows and blankets. As she said, mattresses are for sissies. Jimmy watched her for a moment, sighing softly as she snored like a jackhammer.
He shook himself when he realized his eyes had lingered on her bottom longer than he should be. "She's your best friend," he muttered, closing the door and staggering to his room, not quite as sleepy as Pix, but still feeling the call of his bed. "Not your girlfriend."
Oh, but what if. He smiled. There were enough 'what if' books to fill the half of Harbinger...all of it, if you counted movies too. And Harbinger was pretty big.
He sighed and rolled his head to the side. His eyes fell on the data crystal, scattering the what ifs out of his fore-brain and back into his subconscious. The data crystal had been sitting on his desk ever since Pix went to bed – keeping things in her data port for too long made her 'itchy' apparently.
Jimmy glanced over his shoulder, then closed the door behind him. He then plopped down at his chair, sighed again and looked at the crystal. His brain started to toss around ideas, more to distract himself from all those what ifs than anything else.
Maybe it wasn't a human crystal, maybe it was an alien crystal, maybe it wasn't designed to be read by an E.L.F. Cause, humans invented E.L.Fs, and thusly, humans had the most E.L.Fs. There were, like, two Urtish E.L.Fs, but there were millions of human ones, enough to have their own politicians.
So maybe, maybe it would work in his computer, which had a standard data drive, rather than an E.L.F one.
He picked it up, then opened his computer's data drive. The crystal slid smoothly in, clicking into place. The drive didn't whirr, but it did made a soft humming noise and a green light blipped on.
Jimmy bit his lip.
The computer bleeped, a harsh sound. The projection went out of focus, as if he were looking at it through a fish eye, and for a single microsecond, something flashed across his screen. It vanished, gone so fast Jimmy couldn't tell what it was. But it was a jolt, one that sent his chair back and into the bed with a clunk. He slowed his breathing through sheer force of will, looking at his screen, half expecting something horrible to crawl out of it and rip his face off or something.
But nothing horrible crawled. Rather; a small box opened up on the screen, filled with Xorquin style text that scrolled past. Once the text vanished, some indecipherable diagrams that looked like Harbinger's engines and a dotted line connecting said engines to a shuttle port on the side of Harbinger blipped past. Then, finally, a video popped up. The video was, unsurprisingly, of a Xorquin, who looked right at the camera, all three eyes intent on what he was saying.
The video wasn't translated, so it just sounded like a souped up rattler, like the kind babies used, and a snare drum going in unison, the fleshy sack that hung under the Xorquin's angular, lizardish face twitching as it rattled. He blinked in a left to right pattern. Jimmy vaguely remembered his dad saying that was like a Xorquin shrug.
Then the Xorquin's head exploded.
Jimmy jumped out of his chair as the film ended with a bust of static. His heart jackhammered in his chest. He stared at the screen. No, no, no, that had to be fake. Had to be. But, he thought, there was something horrifically real about the whole thing. The Xorquin's forehead had crumpled and his brains had busted out like he was a fruit being stepped on.
Jimmy gulped, his gorge rising at the back of his throat, adding the burning taste of vomit to the situation. He turned around. Did he smell something?
Yes he did. He turned back around and saw smoke rise from his computer. Now fear and disgust had a new companion: Anger.
"Ohh no no no no!" He yanked open the data drive and saw the smoke was coming from that. He looked around, grabbed a discarded shirt- and, by the Codes, he hoped it was non-conducting- and used it as a glove as he yanked the power cable out of the wall. The computer went dead and the data crystal plopped out of the drive, annoyingly unharmed.
Jimmy stood there, tasting vomit, smelling ozone and burnt plastic. He closed his eyes and groaned. This Friday really couldn't end too soon. His clock made a soft clicking noise. He looked at it.
It was midnight, and the end of the weirdest Friday of his life.
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text:
Guitarist Charlotte Hatherley to make songwriting debut...
ASH have revealed that guitarist Charlotte Hatherley has written her own material for the first time for their forthcoming album, due out this year.
Drummer RICK MCMURRAY told NME that the new album was almost totally written and prepared and that they were going into the studio next month to record it.
Speaking from his base in Belfast, he said that Charlotte had made Ash "more strong and confident" since she joined – and not just through her songwriting.
"Charlotte has written some stuff of her own. She has a distinctive sound – a really unique sound. Also, everything seems to gel on a live stage, as her guitar playing frees Tim (Wheeler) up to concentrate on singing and performing," he said.
As for the album, he continued: "We've already got fourteen songs ready and written, with a few more to be added in the near future."
"It's all fairly poppy and harmonic but we'll be punking it up a bit, I'm sure. It could still take any direction, so I suppose even the band can't say exactly what it will end up sounding like."
Rick said that the band were disappointed that their last album 'Nu Clear Sounds' didn't do as well as their debut, but said he thought fans had "got over" expectations of another '1977', their debut album proper after their mini-LP 'Tralier'.
"It was a shock for people when they didn't get '1997 Part Two'. Rather than go for hit records, we wanted (with 'Nu Clear Sounds') to see where else we could take it. Now the charts are all about boy bands, girl bands, hermaphrodite bands, whatever. It means we're almost not mainstream any more, rather strangely."
Early rumours that ex-NIRVANAman and GARBAGE mentor BUTCH VIG would be producing the record appear to have been slightly premature, although Rick said that the band still hope he will be involved. Vig remixed tracks for the American release of 'Nu-Clear Sounds'.
Due to recording commitments, Ash will play few live dates in the first half of 2000 – the only confirmed show at present being their headline set as part of the NME Premier Tour at the London WC1 Astoria on January 31st.
"We'll be rehearsing soon for that and we'll be doing summer festivals as well as European dates later in the year. That's about all for now," Rick said.
For tickets, go to the nme.com Ticketshop – click here
Or call the 24-Hour NME Virgin Cola Ticketline on 0870 1 663 663. Calls are charged at national standard rate.


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Mil-Spec Monkey - Knight Head PVC Morale Patch.
- A part of the warrior head series, no special backstory, just trying to be a cool Knight Head.
- 2" x 3"
- Velcro hook fastener material sewn on the back.
- Rubber Patch
Welcome to Airsoft Supply Drop
Customers who bought this product also commonly purchased the following combination of items.


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You all know about our labandera (laundry woman) who had chicken pox when we arrived from Tokyo. Right? So, now there's a twist to that story. Nana called me last week and suggested not to let her come back anymore. She is so scared of her already. "Hay naku, Tina. Isipin mo yan baka mahawa ang mga anak mo." – think about it, Tina. Your kids might get contaminated.
Okay! That did it. She knows how to scare me. So, our labandera will not be coming back anymore. Altho' we have a backup, our back up is only good for 1-month 'cos she is going back to school. We are now in the middle of looking for a new labandera.
Just when the backup is starting to learn our laundry system I will have to train a new one again.
You know doing the laundry is not just washing the clothes and ironing the clothes. You have to know where to put everything.
Think about it, my 3 kids are all athletic and are into different sports. Vinny plays tennis, Vito plays golf and goes to the gym regularly while Claudia goes to the gym twice a day (morning and evening) so, you can just imagine all kinds of socks, all kinds of sportswear. And you need to put each one in the right cabinet. If not, it's a never-ending screaming of, "mommmm, this not my socks. Mommm, where is my golf socks Mommmm, where is my office socks?
That has always been our problem, especially with the boys. They are very particular with their clothes. Vinny and Vito? They don't borrow clothes. They hate it when their clothes get mixed up and get into the wrong cabinet. They hate that. Not like me and Claudia. Altho' we don't borrow clothes, I don't mind if my clothes end up in her closet and she wears them. I don't freak out.
So, what I did before (especially with our underwear) I told the labandera to write our initials inside the underwear with a black sharpie. So she will know who's who. But you know, with all labanderas that have been coming in and out of our household sometimes you get lucky and find someone who does not know how to think. One time one labandera wrote the initials outside our underwear. I mean like at the back of my underwear you can see there's a letter T at the hem. I'm walking around with a letter T in my underwear. Now you know.
One time Vito asked me, "mom, why is there a letter V2 on the back of my t-shirt? Like outside my shirt. Not inside? Who wrote this"
See what I mean?
And that is why I hate training new laundry woman. It will take more than a month for them to know all our clothes.
Why is life so hard?
Dressing up to go to the grocery.
Junabeth (helper): mam, bakit ka naka sweater? Hindi ka ba na iinitan? – Mam, why are you wearing a sweater? Don't you feel hot?
Me: malamig sa grocery. – it's cold in the grocery
Top: Azul || Pants: Uniqlo || Bag: no brand (bought it in Tokyo) || Mules: Alberta Ferretti || Shades: No brand )bought it in Tokyo) || Willow Jewelry


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not necessarily in that order
The same thing happens every Monday night. I go play basketball at about 7:30 and don't get home until almost 10:00. When I get home, I have to eat something (I don't eat much before I go), take out the trash and take a shower before I can go to bed. When I do finally get to bed, I usually can't sleep because I haven't completely settled down from playing basketball. Adding to the predicament is the fact that we recently changed our schedule at school to try to avoid the horrible traffic that was causing so many problems (only in Costa Rica). Classes now begin at 6:45 instead of 7:30. Of course, we have to be there by 6:15 for teacher devotional, and if I have a class during the first period, which I do on Tuesdays, I usually need to go even earlier. All of this adds up to a pretty cranky Bryan on Tuesdays. Tonight is especially bad because after basketball one of the guys invited some of his fellow salespeople to talk to us about Herbal Life vitamin products. I didn't get home until 10:15. The whole time they were talking, I just kept thinking, "Please finish soon dude, so I can go home to my beef."
Which brings me to my second point. Beef. We rollin' in it. Well, not so much anymore. I've been taking care of it. Last night, I made carne asada on the grill. In order to take advantage of the hot coals and because we had some ground beef in the fridge that we didn't want to re-freeze, I also made hamburgers. We ate the carne asada last night, and saved the hamburgers for today. But we didn't eat all the carne asada, so we had both waiting for us when we got home today. Beeftastic. Am I still talking about this? Are you still reading or did you skip ahead to something, anything that is more exciting than meat.
A few new song demos: here, here, here


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DENTAL EQUIPMENTS: Step-by-Step Guide to Using the ScanX Swift from Air Techniques
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January 11, 2014 to January 11, 2015 – Online Duct Testing Certification and Training Need to get up to speed quickly on the 2009 and 2012 diagnostic testing requirements? This duct testing training is for you! Successful completion of this onli… Organized by Isaac Savage | Type: online, training
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I was well into my adulthood before I tried fresh green beans. I was raised on the mushy canned variety. I liked them. In fact, I still do. However, nothing holds a candle to a properly prepared fresh haricot vert long bean. My love affair with fresh green beans came about when I made my Green Bean Casserole Recipe for the first time. It was love at first bite!
Check out some of my other favorite low carb vegetable side dish recipes:
- Butter Roasted Radishes
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
- Buttery Cauliflower Rice Pilaf
- Skillet Roasted Bacon Brussels Sprouts with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
- Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Maple Bacon
Sign up for updates to receive one week FREE of my low carb and gluten free meal plans:
Lemon Pepper Green Beans – Low Carb, Paleo
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
- 1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans, cleaned and trimmed
- 3 tbsp butter (ghee, or coconut oil)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the green beans to the pot. Boil for 3-4 minutes.
- Drain the beans in a colander and submerge in an ice water bath to shock them and stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add garlic, lemon pepper seasoning, and red pepper akes to butter and mix in.
- Add the green beans to the pan and toss to coat in the butter.
- Sauté an additional 5-7 minutes or until crisp tender. Add sea salt and black pepper if needed.
Per Serving – Calories: 85 | Carbs: 5.3g | Fat: 6g | Protein: 1.3g | Fiber: 2.5g | Net Carbs: 2.8g


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The success and the prosperity of any organization are determined by the work efficiency of its employees. More skilled and laborious employees mean better production and customer satisfaction. Organizations filled low-motivated employees grow comparatively less than the organizations that always try to keep their employees motivated.
Therefore, it is important to get off with the right start for every employee. In this article, you will get to know how an organization can develop important skills of its new recruits by imparting special training and how a few additional training programs can motivate one's professional career.
Measuring Current Skill Level
Before planning to enhance the basic skill of your employees, you have to identify the areas of their strength and weaknesses, so that you can address the proper area. You need to incorporate a training plan in order to boost the efficiency of your employees.


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Let HEIGHTS bring your ideas to life
At HEIGHTS we can offer you a full design service from initial concepts and prototyping, through to final design and manufacture. Our experienced design engineers use SolidWorks 3D modelling software to bring your ideas to life.
Design Specification
We can take your initial idea and develop this into a market ready product. Our design team will work with you on a detailed specification, including selection of materials and component parts, offering recommendations based on their extensive manufacturing experience.
Prototyping & Development
Before commiting to full production we can provide a full prototyping service. Our design engineers will test, improve and develop your idea further. Full advice will be given at every stage.
Design for Manufacture
Once the prototype is proven, our team will then optimise the design for manufacture, producing full sets of engineering drawings and documentation.
Sourcing of Parts
HEIGHTS have built a global network of trusted suppliers so will be able to source the best component part for the job at the most competitive price. This includes mechanical parts, electrical panels, mouldings and castings.
Utilising our extensive in-house machining and assembly capabilities, we can finally turn your idea into a reality by manufacturing your equipment, whether this is a one-off machine or a larger batch.
Build Documentation
HEIGHTS will prepare full and detailed sets of build and user documentation.
Test Documentation
We will carry out comprehensive testing of all equipment and will provide full test documentation.


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Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Mar 9:
Total Rs 482 crore electricity bill is pending on various departments of Odisha government, out of which the highest amount of Rs 219 crore is pending on the Housing & Urban Development department in the state.
Expressing displeasure with the departments over huge amount of electricity bill pending on the government, Odisha Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi directed the concerned authorities to pay the pending bill by March end.
Reviewing the rural electrification at a meeting with the Collectors through a video conferencing programme yesterday, Padhi suggested them to cooperate the departments in the payment of pending electricity bills.
However, he asked the collectors not to disconnect the power connection to drinking water sources. He directed them to make the transformers functional within 48 hours of the blowing up.
Padhi also directed to complete the rural electrification work in total 847 villages of the State by May this year. The government is targeting for providing electricity connection to all the hamlets by May 2018 and houses by May 2019 across the state.
Notably, School & Mass Education department owes Rs 31 crore to the government through electricity dues, while Rs 26 crore dues is pending on Rural Development department, Rs 28 crore on Panchayatiraj department, Rs 53 crore on other departments including Public Enterprises (PE).
On the other hand, around Rs 3000 crore electricity bill is pending on the consumers across the state.


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The finance sector has had a rather lethargic year so far, but there have been some interesting investing opportunities to emerge periodically. Notably, earnings expansion and positive estimate revisions make Ally Financial (ALLY) stand out as a potential growth and value target right now.
Ally Financial provides consumer loans for car purchases. It is the largest automotive finance company in the U.S., serving nearly 20,000 dealerships and more than 4 million retail consumers.
Much has been made about the sluggishness of domestic auto stocks this year, but a lack of overall sales has not been the major shortcoming. While the threat of new tariffs has battered auto stocks throughout 2018, overall sales have shown year-over-year growth in certain months. Sure, total sales volume is likely to continue to tick down from 2016's record highs, but we're seeing some positive trends, such as a continued shift toward more expensive—and more profitable—SUVs and trucks.
For a financer like Ally, that likely spells good news. Moreover, Ally itself has worked to diversify its revenue base, improve margins, and reward shareholders. This helps explain its solid earnings trend and its Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Let's take a closer look.
Latest Earnings and Outlook
Ally most recently reported earnings on July 26, 2018. The company notched adjusted earnings of 83 cents per share, crushing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 71 cents. That result also marked a significant improvement from earnings of 58 cents per share in the prior-year quarter.
Total net revenue ticked higher to reach $1.46 billion, offsetting a slight uptrend in expenses. Ally repurchased shares worth $195 million in the quarter.
Ally's impressive quarter led to a wave of positive earnings estimate revisions for the company. Here's a look at the latest revision trend:
The important thing to note here is that the Zacks Consensus Estimates for Ally's full fiscal year and upcoming fiscal year have moved higher on the back of universally positive agreement among analysts revising estimates for those periods.
For the full fiscal year, Ally is now expected to tally earnings growth of 30%. That expansion is expected to continue to the tune of at least 14% next year. Moreover, Ally has a long-term projected EPS growth rate of nearly 13% on an annualized basis.
These are encouraging earnings trends, but positive revisions and growth are just a few of the many things to like about Ally right now. Investors should also be interested in the case that its share are undervalued at their current levels.
In the below chart, you can see a look at how Ally's P/E has stacked up against its industry's average throughout the year:
Ally is currently trading at about 8.0x forward 12-month earnings. That's a nice discount compared to the 9.1x average of its industry. Moreover, the stock is trading near its lowest earnings multiple of the past year, meaning investors are getting a unique opportunity to buy on the cheap right now.
It's also worth noting that Ally has a PEG ratio of just 0.7, so the company's earnings growth outlook is also coming at a good price.
Other Things to Like
As mentioned, Ally has looked to reward investors recently, especially in the wake of recent tax reform. That has taken the shape of both share repurchases and dividends, with the company opting to hike its quarterly payout by 15% to $0.15 per share in the most recent period.
The stock also looks decent from a technical perspective, with shares trading above their 50-day moving average for most of the trailing month.
Bottom Line
Ally has the combination of positive earnings results and upward estimate revisions needed to earn our top designation, and its growth, income, and value characteristics help it shine even brighter.
The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All
Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.
See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Zacks Investment Research


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The talented children will play many favourite Christmas melodies and carols on the warm sounds of the classical guitar. Free entry, retiring collection to raise money for the 2018 tour, soup and refreshments available after the concert.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: December 16Christmas Concert
Later Event: December 16Good Tidings of Great Joy


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Off The Wall with 4-Syth - Much Love
If there's one thing the dance community does well, it's definitely showing love and appreciation whether it's a simple AYYY or a standing ovation. We have different ways of showing it so how about we show shed some light on dancers who are way too humble to throw themselves out there unless they're told to do so.
Who is this dude? Scott Forsyth is the name. Crowned as the king of HHI, the hard hitter of Canada, the founder and choreographer of HHI 2014 Adult World Champs or put simple the Papa Bear of Brotherhood (crowds says aw). This dude is so underrated but he's slowly been getting recognition for his craft. I'll be honest this dude has a distinct style and sometimes it may feel like he's just repeating the same moves but man when he experiments and goes out of his comfort zone, you know he's gonna drop it like it's hot. He's had very humble beginnings and as well as his achievements in the dance world and training up two teams for HHI, he's also managed to graduate university with honours and if that's not a good role model for dancers world wide I don't know what it is.
Kyle Hanagami is a house hold name for all dancers. From his well known pieces such as "I would rather go blind" to "Give Me Love" - everybody knows him. But do we know his dancers? The people that bring to life Kyle's visions. The lovely Kyle decided to create web episodes called Making Moves where we get to have an inside scoop behind the scenes of his videos. His latest video "Feenin" puts his dancers at the centre of attention on a whole other level. The musicality, facials and sensuality is on point! Check this out and if you think this is bomb, you have to see the live performance.
She is the epitome of an asian sweetheart. Koharu Sugawara has been dancing her whole life and winning titles in and for Japan. She has danced and choreographed for artists such as 2NE1, Girls Generation, Crystal Key and Rihanna. She's been teaching all over the world in famous dance camps, events and festivals in countries like Italy, UK, Canada, Los Angeles, Germany, Sweden, Singapore, Spain, Norway, Poland and many more. Is there any place she hasn't been? This piece to "Rather Be" by Clean Bandits perfectly defines her dancing style and herself as a person. We are for sure on team KOKO!
Parris Goebel is giving hints at what she has in store for her latest production and who better to be in it then the Jimi Hendrix of the NZ dance scene, Mr Thomas Rose. Get your tickets fast to MoonChild as a part of the Southside Arts Festival. The show will be on the 14th and 15th of November at Mangere Arts Centre. Be there or be a weird rubix cube. I for one cannot wait to see what Parris has in store and if it's anything like her shows before such as Murder on the dancefloor, GoldMynd and FreeMynd we are all in for a ride.


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We absolutely ADORE our minis, and in our opinion they truly are "The BEST lil'Dairy Goat in the West!" But everyone needs to make their OWN decision about what breed of goats to raise on their homestead--this is a short article on the history of the breed, why we chose them, and how they compare to the breeds that helped make them.
Why Minis???? Why not a standard goat??
We chose to focus on Miniature La Manchas for a few reasons. First, they are a very economical animal to feed, and produce roughly the same amount of milk as a larger breed of dairy goat! Mini La Manchas produce on average 1/2-1 gallon of milk a day at peak production (3.5-7 gallons weekly)! And they tend to have higher butterfat than a standard La Mancha, making their milk extra creamy and perfect for cheese making, butter, yogurt, or just to enjoy in an ice cold glass.
Secondly, minis also require less space to house than standard sized goats, and as an added bonus eat 1/3 less feed than their standard counterparts! Miniature La Manchas range in size from being only 24"-30" tall, some are smaller depending on their generational percentage (the higher the generation is to being F6, the smaller the goat). A F6 animal is considered to be a purebred La Mancha, and yet is only about the size of a Nigerian dwarf, now that's a small dairy goat!
Mini La Manchas are also choice homesteading animals in urban environments, and often enjoy posh city life as pets or family milkers for urban homesteaders. Compared to most other breeds we have worked with, the La Mancha and Mini La Manchas alike are very intelligent, inquisitive, friendly, comical, and generally have a calm/quiet temperament that makes them enjoyable for both new & experienced goat owners alike.
Did you Know??
La Manchas are also THE ONLY breed of goat that was not imported into the US! That's right, the La Mancha is the only heritage breed of dairy goat that is native to our country; making La Manchas America's Dairy Goat Breed. Because Americans love to multi-task the La Manchas (especially the mini La Manchas) excel as an all around dual purpose animal; balancing their productivity on the milk stand with their ability to supply families with meat as well.
About Our Goats:
It is our goal to breed the highest quality milk producing Miniature La Mancha goats possible for our family Homestead. Having ample amounts of dairy is necessary to provide us with milk, cheese, butter, and soap. To achieve this goal , we have sought and purchased top quality goats from some of the best breeders in and out of state. Our bloodlines come from reputable breeders in and out of state, in our efforts to better provide the Southwest with a top quality milking animal. We focus our breeding goals on producing caprines that have correct dairy character, with an emphasis on milk production that lasts.
Often our does are kept in milk up-to and over 12 months. We feel that this length of lactation, coupled with level production in our herd is a valuable asset; especially to anyone looking to purchase a reliable milker for their family. Proof of a productive dairy goat is always found in the pail!
Also, in order to keep our finger on the pulse of the animals we produce, all mature does offered for sale will have freshened at least once. We strive to retain at least 1 doeling per new herd sire breeding in order to 'test' the results of each pairing. All of our bucklings are wethered (castrated) almost without exception. Why?
Bucks are half the herd, and carry many of the genes necessary to produce quality does, we will NEVER sell a buck that we feel would not have benefited our own breeding program; which is why you will RARELY (if ever) see a intact buckling on our sales page. Like it is with our does, we only try to sell animals that have been proven before we offer them for sale as breeding stock.
How were Minis Made?
They were created on 'accident' by dairies looking to capitalize on milking their yearlings sooner by breeding them to a Nigerian Dwarf buck. Because the buck used was smaller than the doe, kidding was easier for young animals; the offspring were then sold as meat. Little did they know that many people would soon see the advantages of owning a 'miniaturized' dairy goat breed. Once people discovered that this was one of the best crosses for a balanced multi purpose animal, people started to breed these first hybrid-crosses together. This propelled minis into a breed of their own as many people found them valuable for use on their farms.
It was about this time (with a steadily growing interest in miniature dairy breeds) that a registry for minis soon became established to help promote each mini breed, and ensure that their bloodlines could be recorded to separate them from other mixed breeds. This first registry was the MDGA, then in 2010 TMGR was established. Both registries provide tools and information for breeders and hobbyists working with mini breeds.
Starting from scratch, F1 (first generation/foundation) Mini La Manchas are created today by the use of a registered Nigerian buck (NOT A PYGMY!!!) Ideally this buck should have numerous proven milking animals in his background, and be complimentary to the doe being used. This buck is then bred to a registered Standard La Mancha doe (not the other way around!!!). This first cross creates the foundation of a mini La Mancha breeding program, so the use of the best quality animals is essential; otherwise through subsequent generations you will loose milk production and teat size!
Foundation animals are called F1 (first generation minis). Only REGISTERABLE minis can be considered a Mini La Mancha. So it is imperative that F1 animals come from registered parents to be eligible for registration through either the MDGA or TMGR; both registries help new breeders keep track of their breeding program. Only the MDGA currently keeps an NOA herd book-- NOA/NOP animals for TMGR are soon to be disallowed.
Next, by breeding two foundation animals together( F1 x F1), a second generation (F2) animal is created. Two F2 generation animals are bred together to generate a F3, and so on and so forth until you get a F6 animal which is considered a PURE BRED MINIATURE LA MANCHA. There are only a few herds in the US with F6 (generationally pure bred) minis. These animals should be virtually indistinguishable from a standard bred La Mancha, except that they are about the same size as a Nigerian dwarf! And as per the standard of the breed should be able to produce 1/3 the amount of milk as a standard animal of the same age at a MINIMUM. The only way to keep track of your generational percentages is to keep your animals registered. So if you are looking for a mini, it had better come with papers!
Most herds that focus on dairiness (and not so much on achieving a purebred F6 right out the gate) have F2- F5 animals, with A few F1 animals for good measure. And if you are purchasing from a reputable breeder your breed-able bucks/does should come with the ability to be registered (if they are not registered already). Only minis with registerable status should be used for breeding or milk production due to the possibility of having genetic influences that may adversely effect your herd in the future.
Non-registered minis are not considered 'minis' nor are they recognized by the MDGA or TMGR-- only a miniature dairy goat with paperwork ( or production stars (*) as in the case of NOA/NOP animals) to prove their genetic worth as a DAIRY GOAT can be considered a 'Mini'; There is more to minis than just size!
How do Minis measure up?
So, what can you expect from a mini? First, lets talk about the statistics: High-Quality Nigerian dwarfs have on average 6-7% butterfat compared to an average 4% butterfat produced by most High-Quality La Manchas....
High production La Manchas on the other hand, produce 1-1.4 gallons of milk on average daily compared to 1/2- 3/4 gallons daily produced by high production Nigerians.....
So, getting a good balanced blend takes a lot of work and effort! Which is why only the BEST quality LaManchas or Nigerians should be used.
Miniature La Manchas in our herd produce an average of 1/2-1 gallon a day-- with a butterfat average between 5-6.7%. Our herd (7-16 goats) eats the same amount of feed as a herd of 5 standard goats! And being smaller, are easy enough for one person to handle... unlike some of the larger breeds which can take the coaxing of 4 adult men to get them to walk just 10 feet on a leash!!
This is why we chose to start with registered minis, we wanted the BEST for our family, and demanded results in our milk pail at a price that we can afford!
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Welcome to the Suds Bucket!
Adventures, Experiences, Ideas...it's all here.
March 2019


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Ja'Coby McGowan, aka Hanz Nobe, is a music producer and writer from Houston, TX. Hanz hip-hop career started in 2006 at Texas State University. During his sophomore year he joined the student organization Hip-Hop Congress and released the first ever collegiate sponsored hip hop album, A TEXAS STATEment Vol. I & II.
After graduating Hanz took his talents to Austin where he released two independent projects: City Lights Vol. I & II as well as the single "Beach" which got on 88.7 KAZI radio's rotation. Shortly after Hanz went on tour with the neo-funk band, Soul Tree Collection, performing with Ledisi, Charlie Wilson, and Tank. During the 9 month period on the road they performed at SXSW, Austin City Limits, Urban Music Festival and local tv broadcasts.
In 2012 Hanz joined the beat battle organization Space City Beat Battle as the social media/marketing coordinator. Along with his team they received sponsors from Coke Cola, Vitamin Water, Fludd Watches, and Reebok. After gaining some "behind the scenes" knowledge of the industry, Hanz tried his luck with music production.
By 2014 Hanz had taken on music production full time and produced for Houston Cigar Life magazine, Alief Post, Passion Poetry & Purpose (MC Lyro, Coco Butta, HBO's Black Ice) and Core 94 Radio.
In 2015, Hanz joined the New York music scene and produced the theme song for Will Pharaoh's (All Def Digital) Brunch Blunt Web Series, comic book/video game enthusiasts podcast Uptown Strangers, and currently on VP/Atlantic Records newest artist Trigga Don's debut album.


text: I'm so excited to share my photos of the Spain trip I took a few weeks ago. What an amazing and beautiful country and people. We landed in Madrid and quickly got settled, then went out for a walk later that evening. Here is a shot from the streets of Madrid. I'm looking forward to visiting this city again. Next time doing an AirBnB and renting a car to do day visits to some of the smaller towns and villages.


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La Crema Revitol Para Estrias Funciona
Spyware that is minimally encroaching and asks in firm hospitalization insurance and binding. So both of these method actings to preclude more than psoriasis outbreaks. Admit salubrious and as dead electric cells are themselves the skin hydrated and use the character of skin jobs tend to feature low nutrition and lecithin. Even though established medicine … [Read more...]