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[N.B. For those of my American readers who are still waiting to see Sunday's premiere episode of Season 2 of "Sherlock" on PBS Masterpiece, I would advise that you not read this blog post until you have had a chance to see it. I will not be giving too many spoilers, but nevertheless there is always the possibility that my take on the show may color yours. So for the rest of you, let us carry on.]
If you remember the old Jeremy Brett "Sherlock Holmes" series for Granada Television, in which he played the famous detective with a mix of hyperactive theatrics and detached insouciance, no doubt like me you found Holmes was at times a rather annoying figure. However on the whole, the producers of that series, though they took liberties with the original stories, tried to remain faithful to those tales, and to consider ideas that were interesting to Conan Doyle and those of his times: the effect of advances in the sciences and technology on both the practice and investigation of crime; curiosity in the phenomenon of spiritualism as obtained from far-flung pagan cultures; the global political implications for the British Empire of certain events, and so on. If Brett's Holmes was not exactly by-the-book for purists, on the whole his manifestation of the character and the series itself were at least rooted in Holmes' era, and the environment from which he arose.
I have always thought that the premiere episode of the Brett series, "A Scandal in Bohemia", which features the mysterious and alluring character of Irene Adler, to be one of the finest of them all. Holmes himself is always portrayed as being somewhat asexual, with no romantic life to speak of and an attitude toward women which is one of the respect a gentleman owed a lady, coupled with a disdain for the occasionally irrational, emotional outbursts of the fairer sex. The fact that Holmes falls, if one could put it that way, for Irene Adler, and keeps a memento of her among his possessions, brings a wonderful, unrequited quality that is touching in the great man of thought who cannot quite bring himself to be as conventional as other men are. This is in keeping with others of his type whom we know from history, such as Dr. Samuel Johnson, or even arguably C.S. Lewis, who was as surprised as anyone when late in life he met and was briefly married to his wife, Joy.
When Sunday's episode of "Sherlock" began,and I saw that the title was "A Scandal in Belgravia", meaning it would be a take-off on the Irene Alder story, I knew at once that we were in for trouble. Having seen Season 1 of "Sherlock", I was aware that the goal of the producers was to produce something hip and cool, trying to mix elements from such disparate elements in British cinema and television as the action of "Casino Royale", and the near-nihilism of "Waking The Dead". I sat through Season 1, enjoying some of the more interesting parts such as the use of text across a scene when a character receives a message, or having a camera give us a sense of how Holmes' brain works in analyzing a group of objects or people. However, I was always distracted by the fact that apart from the bumbling Watson, there was no grounding of morality in what I saw.
Whereas in the Brett series the characters talked of virtues such as a man's personal honor and dignity, respect for women, charity for the poor, love of Queen and country, and so on, there is often no higher purpose to the actions of the characters in "Sherlock". The title character himself is simply interested in the process, which was not the case in the Brett series: no matter how much the earlier incarnation of Sherlock might have professed to be detached from emotional concerns, what drew you in was the fact that every now and then, out of some word or gesture or action, you got a sense that maybe Holmes did in fact care just a tiny bit more about what we might call old-fashioned British standards than what he let on. By contrast in "Sherlock", it is clearly every man – and woman – for himself, and there is nothing redeeming about anyone. To paraphrase another Conan Doyle story, it is a study in selfishness.
In the Brett series Irene Adler was a woman who had finally found a man who loved her for herself, not for her fame, and wanted to take her away from all the glamour and glitz of high society; she wanted to sacrifice herself to marry him and to finally lead a good and quiet life, so she could get away from the King who was still besotted with her. In her new incarnation for "Sherlock" however, Irene Adler turns out to be a bisexual professional dominatrix, who has had a dalliance with a female member of the British royal family, and kept the pictures as protection. At the revelation of this rather repulsive plot point I probably should have turned off the television altogether, but morbid curiosity kept me tuned in to see exactly how low the series would go.
At one point, the actress playing Adler makes a rather triumphant introduction of herself to Holmes, stripping off completely naked and sitting down to chat with him and Watson in her living room, almost like a nod to Christine Keeler in the Profumo scandal. The problem is, this rather juvenile attempt at titillation of the audience speaks more to a teenage mind than an adult one. This Irene Adler is not a temptress: she is simply a tart.
For one thing Lara Pulver, the actress who plays Irene Adler in "Sherlock", is a perfectly nice looking woman, but nothing special. A Gayle Hunnicutt – the stunning, red-haired actress who portrayed Irene Adler in the Brett series – she is not. It is hard to believe that someone so ordinarily pretty as this new Irene Adler could convince high-powered members of both sexes to risk everything in order to be with her.
And while stripping off to disarm her pursuers might be considered daring television, in truth in the earlier television version what made the character so appealing was her mysteriousness. The character of Irene Adler was an opera singer who made her way into the upper classes of Europe by her beauty, talent, and graciousness, and into the beds of the men she met because she learned, as a true courtesan knows, that it is what is not revealed that entices. This new Irene Adler is little more than a lower-class stripper from some seedy burlesque club in Soho, rather than a woman trained in the art of seduction.
I will avoid going through how the rest of the story goes downhill from here, other than to say that I spent more time asking myself about plot holes than paying attention to what was going on. Why did Watson have to go to Dublin, which had nothing to do with the plot, for example? Why does the overcoat worn by the rather tall Sherlock Holmes fit the rather short Irene Adler like a tailored garment, rather than an oversized bathrobe when she puts it on? Why is Mycroft Holmes' assistant working for Irene Adler when she comes to pick him up at Baker Street? These and many other problems will have you scratching your head repeatedly, if you choose to watch this episode.
For my part, I am now finished with "Sherlock". I have no interest in seeing what happens to a midget Moriarty ripped from a particularly bad episode of "Gossip Girl", running around pretending he is as good an actor as Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight Rises" (which he most certainly is not.) And as Sunday's episode featured Watson punching the stuffing out of Holmes – something I have wanted to do ever since I started watching this series – I believe I am now emotionally content with leaving it where it is.
A series which has gone to such great lengths to insult my intelligence and my sense of taste is worth no further consideration on my part – nor, if you take my advice, should it have any further attention from you, gentle reader, either. It is a trashy thing, albeit for admittedly trashy times, and does nothing to build up our culture or provide worthy entertainment. My children, if and when I am fortunate to have them, will never see it in my home. Instead, I will be very happy to sit down with them, when they are old enough, and watch the Brett series which, however dated it may be, still upholds both a certain dignity and a belief that there is a difference between good and evil, right and wrong, which is sorely lacking from this new and childish production.
Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Irene Adler (Lara Pulver) in "Sherlock"


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Page One
New: Santa Monica has a Plan for Growth and It's Better than Berkeley's (News Analysis)
The City of Santa Monica is smaller than Berkeley by 22,000 but it has a bigger and better idea for planning growth than Berkeley's flawed Measure T, and theirs has already paid off in jobs, green buildings, infrastructure improvements, open space, and other community benefits.
Santa Monica uses the development agreement (DA) for all buildings over 32 feet, negotiated under LUCE, their land use and circulation element that was generated after six years of extensive community engagement and adopted in 2010.
Since then, the number of development agreements negotiated by Santa Monica continues to grow, with 2 projects under construction and 6 more approved and waiting to be built. Prior to LUCE, 12 DA projects were completed between 1981 and 2007.
The benefits that such projects will bring Santa Monica include neighborhood conservation, integrated land use and transportation, affordable housing, greenhouse gas and congestion reduction, historic preservation, daycare, and cultural facilities.
Compare this community generated and award winning plan with Berkeley's Measure T, a revision of the master use permit section of the zoning ordinance allowing heights of 75 feet on large sites in the manufacturing zones of West Berkeley. Any such site would qualify for a development agreement under existing code, so up-zoning the MUP ordinance is redundant.
The reasons why
It's a mystery why planning staff chose to handle large developments by revising the MUPs when the existing development agreement code is a far superior tool that can be precisely tailored to the site and the needs of the developer.
Some speculate that the pre-approved allowances were devised with the needs of LBNL in mind, to lure the Labs to Berkeley, and planners continued to push the MUPs even after the Labs chose Richmond for the second campus in January of this year. According to information elicited through the Pubic Records Act, land owners, their agents and developers met in 2010 with City planners about the LBNL site submissions. City planners have more power to control the permit process under the MUPs than with development agreements by minimizing input from the community, which they obviously see as interference. In June 2011, staff asked Council to make land use appeals more difficult by increasing the cost and restricting the number of appellants.
The MUP applications will go through a discretionary process similar to other use permits, involving discussions with staff, a recommendation to the Zoning Adjustments Board, and ZAB action. For some considerations, ZAB is instructed by the MUP mitigations to find detriment if certain conditions apply, but these determinations are subjective.
Public input will be limited to short testimony at ZAB or expensive appeals. Any negotiation will happen behind closed doors until the project reaches the ZAB. No permit applicant has allowances "by right" under a MUP or other zoning because ZAB can find detriment, but only a development agreement insures public input and requires a citizens advisory board to represent the interests of the community in negotiations.
Measure T will not produce jobs or benefits until projects are approved, and nobody knows when that will happen. The eligible properties could change hands many times over before a use permit application for a project is submitted, while developers snatch up other low-cost property to qualify for a MUP. The City has a financial interest in promoting land speculation and consolidation because increased prices add to the municipal treasury through the property transfer tax, 1.5% of the sale price.
MUP v. DA
The main difference between a DA and a MUP is that a developer with a project is party to the DA, while the MUP affects land owners, who may or may not be developers. The increased building allowances raise the value of the land and promote speculation, not jobs and benefits.
Some of the nine targeted MUP sites are not owned by developers. The relentless public relations campaign for the "Peerless Greens" project invents mythological expectations about a self-sufficient artists' colony. But the owner, Doug Herst, is not a developer. He is trying to get a portion of his land, currently zoned for manufacturing, spot-zoned to allow for housing, which would increase its value. Herst will then sell the land to a developer, and nobody knows at this point what the use application will look like after market analyses, revenue projections, density bonus calculations, and soil contamination reports are completed.
The Jones family, the property owners of the former American Soils lot, the Plexxikon site and other buildings are not developers. They will also sell their eight acre parcel adjacent to Aquatic Park. It's a complicated property to zone because of its uneven elevations.
The fate of other eligible properties including the historic H.J. Heinz building, a City landmark, can not be determined. Designating the Heinz building as a potential MUP puts the landmark at risk because the increased allowances create an incentive to demolish the existing buildings and replace them with condos. The EIR lists demolition of cultural resources as a significant and unavoidable impact.
All these problems could be solved if these large land holdings were developed through site specific agreements rather than the "one size fits all" MUP standards.
Development benefits
When we negotiated the Bayer DA in 1991, job creation was assured. The company employed less than half its current work force of over 1200, but they were in production and had plans for expansion. A large international corporation, Bayer could afford the many benefits that we proposed. As a Council appointed citizen advisor, I pushed for a biotechnology education program and got it, now called Biotech Partners.
Besides job training, we got child care, affordable housing, public infrastructure, a transportation demand management (TDM) program, and a million bucks for the West Berkeley Foundation to spread around the community over ten years, which was District 2 Councilmember Margaret Breland's idea. In exchange for all this, Bayer got development standards designed to their expansion needs.
Some Council and community members seem to think that Measure T is going produce the same results. It's not. Measure T will not create a single new job because it's only zoning, not a project oriented development agreement.
At the benefits workshops held in September by the planning commission, staff estimated the total monetary amount available for community benefits that would derive from six MUP based projects over ten years to be a paltry $5 to $15 million total, based on a formula calculating a percentage of the value of the increased allowances.
That amount would not come close to meeting Berkeley's needs for affordable housing, one of the "benefits buckets" that were discussed, and would be but a drop in the big bucket of Aquatic Park, which is sorely in need of expensive engineering improvements including new plumbing and a sound wall barrier.
At a subsidy of $300,000 per unit of affordable housing, $5 million in benefits would fund only 16 new units. The price of a new Potter Creek storm drain that would divert polluted water from the lagoons and stop the flooding in southwest Berkeley is $20 million according to the Watershed Management Plan.
The estimated benefits return from the MUPs is not sufficient to fund the needs and expectations of the community; nor is it adequate to compensate nearby residents and businesses for the negative impacts of large developments, especially traffic. It's not clear whether the traffic demand management (TDM) strategies that are suggested for the MUPs will be counted as benefits or mitigations.
In contrast, under the DA, Bayer has paid over $20 million, adjusted for inflation, in community benefits, above and beyond required fees, taxes, and mitigations. In 2010 they spent over $650,000 for TDMs including ride sharing, mass transit subsidies, and alternative transportation.
The process and its discontents
The benefits package and protections for Aquatic Park had not yet been decided by July, when the Council majority rushed to put the unfinished MUP ordinance on the ballot to preclude a referendum, which could have given the impacted neighborhoods some leverage in crafting a compromise or substituting development agreements. The Council wants voter approval because passing Measure T would strengthen the City's legal position in a pending CEQA lawsuit.
Measure T asks wealthier, less dense neighborhoods to impose intensive development on West Berkeley that they would not choose for themselves. As expressed at a recent forum, it is "an invitation to bully" poor neighborhoods or in other words, a proposition asking the greater community to sacrifice the weaker for the benefit of the stronger.
When the Bayer development agreement was approved early in 1992, there was some talk of a referendum among the die-hards, but it never got off the ground. Bayer had threatened a plant closure; the union was on edge; and in the end, Berkeley was amply rewarded.
The worst effect of the Bayer expansion was that it increased the volume and speed of traffic on Dwight Way, a narrow residential street that is now considered an arterial east of Sixth Street. The neighbors complain, although improvements like bulb-outs, a heavy truck prohibition, and additional cross-walks have made the street safer, thanks to efforts by neighborhood activists.
If the MUP zoning actually results in projects the size of the increased allowances, rush hour traffic will increase, not only on Dwight Way but on every other West Berkeley arterial and intersection studied in the exhaustive traffic report by Wilson Smith for the EIR. It's doubtful that many people have actually read this volume, but as one who has, I find it appalling that anyone could advocate such a plan in light of the CEQA findings. 23 of the significant and unavoidable impacts are traffic related, including dangerous back-ups at the freeway interchanges of Ashby, University, and Gilman.
These are the escape routes in case of a disaster such as a quick spreading fire following an earthquake. Even at current traffic levels, flatland residents will be in danger trying to escape the flames with the water front as their destination. Unless all traffic is stopped on I-80 so that people can cross the highway, they will be massed on the overpasses and the pedestrian bridge.
Consider the crush on the Brooklyn Bridge after 9-11, the residents who ran downhill from our October 1991 firestorm or the people of New Orleans stranded on a highway overpass during the Hurricane Katrina flood of 2005. We should be thinking of disaster planning, like storing supplies at the waterfront so that a tent city could be quickly erected at Chavez Park.
Disaster planning and other concerns have not been discussed because the community was largely shut out of the MUP process. It's not only the size of the anticipated developments and their impacts that have generated so much discontent in West Berkeley, but the municipal imperialism that has treated the residents like colonials without the right of self-determination. Most neighbors and business owners were not notified of the plan, but the City did not hold a single public meeting in West Berkeley to hear from residents.
In August 2009, a group of MUR residents organized a meeting at a hall on 6th Street and invited Darryl Moore, his planning commission appointee Teresa Clarke, and Rick Auerbach from WEBAIC to address concerned neighbors. Planner Alex Amoroso attended, mostly as an observer. About 80 people crowded into the room. The organizers believed that when Moore heard their concerns, he would change his support for the project, but that was not to be.
Instead insults flew in all directions, some shouted "recall", and instead of mutual understanding and involvement, feelings hardened. Residents were not drawn into the planning process but dropped out. A few of us persisted, attending planning commission meetings at the North Berkeley Senior Center, where we were allowed to speak for one, two or three minutes, and even fewer submitted comments to the draft EIR.
In short, the City made residents of the target neighborhoods into the enemy by excluding them from the process. When the City Council finally held public hearings in May, they turned out in force to voice their disapproval, and newly hired planning director Eric Angstadt scrambled to revise the standards and mitigations program in response to their criticisms. But time ran out, because the Council majority was more interested in blocking a referendum than in allowing the planning process to run its natural course.
The complications
Two other factors have influenced this outcome. One is the discontinuity in planning leadership. Former planning director Dan Marks resigned in July 2011, leaving his deputies in charge of the MUP process while the City searched for a replacement. The reason for Marks' departure is a mystery. Some attribute it to a lawsuit brought by a disgruntled planning department employee who named Marks as a respondent, while others say that Marks was forced out. Perhaps personal concerns took priority.
Angstadt started his job on May 1, coinciding with the first City Council public hearing on the MUPs, and seems to be on the right track. He showed up to direct the community benefits workshops himself and involved the audience in face to face discussions. Unfortunately, since the Council politicized the planning process by putting the MUP ordinance on the ballot, Angstadt is not commenting until after the election, and he is right. It is not professional for a planning director to get involved in a political debate; nor is it proper for politicians to turn a delicate planning effort and complicated zoning ordinance into an elections issue.
Another factor influencing the project is the demographic shift in the population of the affected community. West Berkeley is a diverse working class neighborhood with a median income of $45,000. A population of 7200 including 1500 children, not counting the many who attend day care and school in the area, will suffer increased traffic, pollution, shadowing, noise, odors, and other negative impacts as documented in the EIR, which found 33 significant and unavoidable impacts, including 23 potentially dangerous traffic conditions like delays at intersections, railroad crossings, and freeway ramps.
Hispanics are 26% of the West Berkeley population, some recent immigrants without voting rights or sufficient English competency to understand the complexities of this zoning ordinance. Others are simply too busy making a living to involve themselves in civic affairs.
The established African American population had dwindled by 19% city-wide at the last census count, even more so in western tracts where property values are on the rise, increasing the economic pressure on African-American owners to sell their appreciated properties and move elsewhere. The area surrounding San Pablo Park, long a bastion of black home ownership, saw a loss of 594 African Americans, 32% of their 2000 number. The West Berkeley Project will accelerate this trend as demand for single family homes increases, driving prices ever higher.
Under development agreements, programs to prevent foreclosure and provide loans for home repairs could be provided as a benefit, addressing the causes of the black exodus.
Why NO-T?
And so Berkeley stands at a crossroads. The YES proponents emphasize revenue to the City and the creation of future job and economic opportunities.
The NO coalition fears the worst in traffic and other negative impacts, including loss of Aquatic Park views and bird habitat.
A compromise between those who desire development and those who want to shape it to the needs of the surrounding neighborhoods could be achieved through development agreements. Should moderates, skeptics and environmentalists add their NO vote to the opponents and Measure T fail, the City can fall back on DAs and build on the MUP work to date. Little will be lost, and much can be gained by this strategy.
Voters should pop the "Berkeley bubble" and take a lesson from Santa Monica.
Toni Mester represented the Sierra Club on the Bayer DA Citizens Advisory Board

subset: commoncrawl


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B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Official Match Statistics * Unofficial DataVolley Statistics
CONCORD, N.C. (June 19, 2010) – U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team Head Coach Alan Knipe put a group of Olympic gold medalists on the floor in the fourth set to put away Egypt, 3-1 (25-20, 25-22, 11-25, 25-14) in an FIVB World League match in front of 3,132 at Cabarrus Arena.
Team USA improved its World League Record to 4-2 at the League's halfway point and secured its hold on second place in Pool C. Egypt fell to 5-1. Egypt will return home for its next six World League matches. The U.S. Men move on to Hoffman Estates, Ill., to play Finland on June 25-26 (buy tickets).
The United States was led by 2008 Olympic MVP opposite Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawaii) with 14 points on eight kills, two blocks and a match-high four aces. Outside hitter Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.) added 11 points on 10 kills and one block. Outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) scored 10 points on nine kills and one ace.
Egypt was paced by Mohamed El Daabousi with 18 points on a match-high 16 kills and two aces. Abdel Latif Ahmed added nine points on four kills, four blocks and one ace.
Team USA had seven aces to Egypt's six and 13 blocks to Egypt's 11. Team USA scored on 28 Egypt team errors while committing only 22. The U.S. Men had a kill percentage of 0.39 and a hitting percentage of 0.19.
After the U.S. Men had won the first two sets, the third set saw them fall behind early and never regain their footing.
For the fourth set, Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.) said he was "looking for a combination of size and ball control and for guys who were playing well right now."
Knipe started the fourth set with 2008 Olympic gold medalists, Rooney, Stanley, outside hitter Riley Salmon (League City, Texas),middle blocker David Lee (Alpine, Calif.),middle blocker Ryan Millar (Alpine, Utah), setter Kevin Hansen (Newport Beach, Calif.) and libero Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.). The veteran team made quick work of Egypt with a 25-14 fourth-set victory.
"It's not about losing the third set, it's about how we lost," said U.S. Team Captain Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) who was not on the floor in the fourth set but was a starter on the 2008 Olympic team. "We had ball control errors. Wins start with good passing and we have to be mindful of that if we want to do big things."
Among other U.S. players, Millar had nine points on four kills, four blocks and one ace. Lee scored six points on two kills and four blocks. Salmon added five points on four kills and one block. Opposite Evan Patak (Pleasanton, Calf.) scored two points on a block and an ace and outside hitter Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) had one point on a kill.
Hansen, who played the entire match at setter, was credited with 24 running sets and no faults on 72 attempts. Lambourne at libero was credited with eight digs and one fault in 11 attempts. He also had seven excellent receptions and two faults in 16 attempts. Anderson had eight excellent receptions and three faults in 22 attempts. Rooney had eight excellent receptions and no faults in 15 attempts.
Knipe started Anderson and Rooney at outside hitter, Lee and Millar at middle blocker, Stanley at opposite, Hansen at setter and Lambourne at libero. Salmon substituted for Anderson in the third set and started the fourth. Patak played as a substitute for Stanley and started the third set. Lotman played as a substitute.
The first set started tight as Egypt held a slim 8-7 lead at the first technical timeout (TTO). Team USA scored on three kills from Anderson, one from Rooney and a Millar block. Egypt's Rashad Atia extended the lead to 9-7 with an ace out of the break, but a service error gave the ball back to Team USA. The teams traded points until Egypt's lead was 11-9. Team USA got two straight points on an Egypt service error and Millar block to tie the score at 11-11, then grabbed the lead on a Rooney block. Team USA still led by one at the second TTO, 16-15. Anderson took the serve after the break and led with an ace off the foot of one of Egypt's players. That started a 3-0 run that included a powerful block by Lee and ended with Team USA leading 19-15. But Egypt wasn't done and came back behind Ahmed Abdelhay, who served for three straight points, including an ace, to bring Egypt back to within one at 20-19. Knipe called timeout and Anderson responded with a kill down the middle to keep Team USA on top. A block by Millar and Stanley ace put the United States ahead 23-19. A kill by Mohamed El Daabousi gave Egypt another point, but his service error gave Team USA set point and Millar ended the set with a kill.
The second set was again close and Team USA led 8-7 at the first TTO, getting points on a block and kill by Stanley and a kill by Anderson. The teams traded points, with Egypt gaining an edge when it scored two points in a row on two kills to go ahead 11-10. After Egypt's service error Team USA came back with two Anderson kills in a row to lead 13-11. Egypt called timeout and scored on the next play to end the run. With the U.S. ahead 14-12, Egypt got a kill to pull within one, then scored two more points behind Atia's serving to lead 15-14. Egypt continued to lead by one at the second TTO, 16-15. Coming out of the break, Egypt scored on a kill from Abdelhay, which sparked a four-point run that put Egypt ahead 20-15. Lee ended the run with a block and then took the serve. Team USA scored the next six points, including an Anderson kill, and blocks from Millar and Rooney to go ahead 22-20. Lee finally served long to end the rally. But Team USA held a one-point lead at 23-22 when a Millar kill put it at set point and Lotman ended the set with a kill.
Egypt found momentum in the third set and held an 8-3 lead at the first TTO, including two kills and a block from Ahmed Abdel Fattah. The U.S. offense stalled and by the second TTO, Egypt had extended its lead to 16-6, with Abdel Fattah scoring on an ace and Mahmoud Abd El Kader and Abdel Latife Ahmed dominating with blocks at the net. Team USA did not help itself with hitting and service errors. Coming out of the break, Egypt used a 9-3 run to reach set point at 24-9. Team USA reached double digits with a Rooney kill and a Salmon spike followed to hold off set point one more time. But Egypt took the set with a block by Fattah and Ahmed Abdalla.
Knipe put out a team of Olympic gold medalists in the fourth set and it seemed like old times as Team USA took an 8-4 lead at the first TTO, scoring on double blocks by Lee and Stanley along with Lee and Salmon, a Millar ace and a Stanley kill. After Egypt scored on a kill, Stanley returned the favor with a spike of his own, then took the serve and sparked a 5-0 run that included three aces. Egypt finally scored on a service error. With Team USA leading 15-6, Egypt got the serve on a U.S. service error and scored three straight points, including an ace by Abdalla Ahmed. A Rooney kill gave Team USA a 16-9 lead at the second TTO. After the break, Egypt's Ahmed Abdel used a kill to bring his team to 16-10 and then served for two more points. Knipe called timeout and Lee ended the run with a kill. Hansen got the serve and helped the U.S. score the next three points, including a Lee block, to lead 19-12. Giacobbe called timeout and cooled off Hansen who served into the net. But the U.S. Men came back with a Rooney kill. Knipe substituted Patak for Rooney to serve, and Patak opened with an ace. Team USA scored two more points on kills from Stanley and Salmon before Patak served into the net. But the U.S. Men were anxious to get the match over with and a kill gave them match point at 24-14 followed by a Stanley spike to end the match.
For the U.S. Men's World League Media Guide, click here.
To view U.S. World League photo galleries, click here.
The USA Volleyball page for World League information is http://usavolleyball.org/events/2878.
To visit the FIVB World League page with photos, statistics and live scoring, click here
2010 FIVB World League
June 18-19 in Concord, N.C.
U.S. Roster (Roster will be reduced to 12 for the matches)
No. Name (Position, Height, Hometown, College)
1 Matt Anderson (OH, 6-10, West Seneca, N.Y., Penn State)
2 Sean Rooney (OH, 6-9, Wheaton, Ill., Pepperdine)
3 Evan Patak (Opp, 6-8, Pleasanton, Calif., UC Santa Barbara)
4 David Lee (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Calif., Long Beach State)
5 Rich Lambourne (L, 6-3, Tustin, Calif., BYU)
6 Paul Lotman (OH, 6-7, Lakewood, Calif., Long Beach State)
7 Donald Suxho (S, 6-5, Korce, Albania, USC)
8 C Reid Priddy (OH, 6-5, Richmond, Va., Loyola Marymount)
9 Ryan Millar (MB, 6-8, Alpine, Utah, BYU)
10 Riley Salmon (OH, 6-6, League City, Texas, Pierce College)
13 Clay Stanley (OPP, 6-9, Honolulu, Hawai'i, Hawai'i)
14 Kevin Hansen (S, 6-5, Newport Beach, Calif., Stanford)
15 Russell Holmes (MB, 6-8, Fountain Valley, Calif., BYU)
19 Alfee Reft (L, 5-10, Oxnard, Calif., Hawai'i)
Head Coach: Alan Knipe (Huntington Beach, Calif.)
Team Leader: Rob Browning (Newport Beach, Calif.)
Assistant Coach: Gary Sato (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Trainer: Ron Larsen (Lafayette, Calif.)
Technical Coordinator: Chris Jackson (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Medical Support: Aaron Brock (Storm Lake, Iowa)
Pool C Standings (As of June 19)
Country (points) record
Russia (17) 6-0
Finland (4) 1-5
Egypt (3) 1-5
Note: Match won 3-0 or 3-1: 3 points for the winner, 0 point for the loser
Match won 3-2: 2 points for the winner, 1 point for the loser
In case of tie, the teams will be classified according to the following criteria: number of matches won, points ratio and sets ratio
2010 U.S. World League Schedule and Results
Date: June 4-5
Location: Ekaterinburg, Russia
June 4: Russia def. United States, 25-15, 26-24, 25-14
June 5: Russia def. United States, 25-14, 25-22, 21-25, 25-21
Date: June 11-12
Opponent: Finland
Location: Tampere, Finland
June 11: United States def. Finland, 25-27, 25-18, 27-25, 25-28
June 12: United States def. Finland, 18-25, 25-23, 25-21, 28-26
Date: June 18-19 (7 p.m. both days)
Opponent: Egypt
Location: Cabarrus Arena in Concord, N.C.
June 18: United States def. Egypt, 25-19, 25-15, 14-25, 25-21
June 19: United States def. Egypt, 25-20, 25-22, 11-25, 25-14
Date: June 25-26 (7 p.m. both days)
Opponent: Finland
Location: Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Date: July 2-3
Opponent: Egypt
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Date: July 9 at 7 p.m.; July 10 at 6 p.m.
Opponent: Russia
Location: Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kan. - www.wichitasports.com/
Final Round (must qualify)
Date: July 21-25
Location: Cordoba, Argentina
Other Pool C Results
June 5: Egypt def. Finland, 23-25, 26-24, 25-16, 20-25, 15-13
June 6: Finland def. Egypt, 25-22. 23-25, 25-20, 25-19
June 11: Russia def. Egypt, 26-24, 22-25, 25-21, 25-15
June 12: Russia def. Egypt, 23-25, 25-19, 25-17, 22-25, 15-8
June 18: Russia def. Finland, 25-16, 25-21, 25-18
June 19: Russia def. Finland, 25-18, 25-16, 18-25, 25-18


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BP's oil find is big, but miles out and down in Gulf
Petrobras, ConocoPhillips also stakeholders in field
A major new oil discovery by BP in the Gulf of Mexico underscores the potential of a highly touted deep-water area where other oil companies also scored big in recent years, but the task of producing the crude has just begun.
The London-based oil company announced Wednesday that its Tiber prospect, in Keathley Canyon about 250 miles southeast of Houston, may contain more than 3 billion barrels of oil.
That would make it among the biggest discoveries ever in the Gulf of Mexico and the latest big find in an ancient rock bed called the Lower Tertiary trend, which runs miles below the seafloor in an outer rim of the U.S. Gulf between Texas and Louisiana.
But experts said it could be a decade or more before BP begins pumping oil from the field, given the technical hurdles and huge costs involved with operating in the harsh environment.
"I would say 2020 would be a good target," said Matt Pickard, analyst with Quest Offshore Resources, a Sugar Land company that studies deep-water oil discoveries.
The same may be true for other high-profile Lower Tertiary discoveries in recent years, including Chevron Corp.'s Jack field. Three years ago at Jack, an industry-first well test confirmed that the trend contains a vast quantity of oil and that it can be brought to the surface.
Last month, San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron began a contract to use a new high-tech drilling vessel owned by Switzerland-based Transocean for additional exploration in Jack and other fields.
BP will need to drill additional wells to determine the size of Tiber and how to develop it, company officials said.
But on Wednesday, the company focused more on touting the "giant" oil discovery, as well the 35,055-foot depth of the Tiber well, one of the deepest ever.
'A matter of cost'
In recent years, improved drilling and production technology has enabled oil and gas companies to unlock resources in dense formations or remote locations once considered out of reach.
Yet the Lower Tertiary trend has posed new challenges because of the high temperatures and pressures downhole, extreme well depths and low oil viscosity, said Adam Anderson, vice president of marketing at Houston oil field services giant Baker Hughes, which is working with oil companies on solutions to the problems presented by the Lower Tertiary.
"Certainly, we could develop these fields; it's just a matter of cost," Anderson said, pegging current outlays at $250 million per well to produce a scant 5,000 barrels of oil per day. "It challenges the economic models these guys are using."
BP is the largest producer of oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico, with net production more than 400,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, and is the largest acreage holder in the Lower Tertiary trend.
Other leaseholders in the region include Chevron, Irving-based Exxon Mobil Corp., Devon Energy of Oklahoma City and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. in The Woodlands.
BP's Tiber prospect appears to be on par with the size of the company's Kaskida field, another Lower Tertiary find estimated to hold more than 3 billion barrels of oil, BP spokesman Daren Beaudo said. BP has a 62 percent stake in Tiber. Brazil's Petrobras and Houston's ConocoPhillips are minority partners.
But Pickard said the amount of recoverable oil can be far lower than initial estimates from a discovery suggest. Additional drilling will yield more data, he said.
Tests coming soon
The first two production projects in the Lower Tertiary — at Shell's Perdido development, expected late this year, and Petrobras' Cascade and Chinook fields, next year — will be good test cases, said Lars Herbst, regional director of the Gulf of Mexico region for the U.S. Minerals Management Service, the Federal agency that manages the nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf.
"We think those will be critical to watch to see how the reservoirs perform, and that they do perform up to what has been touted," Herbst said.
Yet BP's discovery alone is noteworthy, Pickard said, especially since the oil and gas industry has pronounced the Gulf of Mexico dead more than once.
"If nothing else," he said, "it shows there's still the potential for quite a bit of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico."


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After two years of campaigning bolstered by record contributions, the mayoral race between City Councilman Eric Garcetti and Controller Wendy Greuel comes to a close Tuesday as voters take to the polls.
The winner of the run-off election to replace outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will give the city of Los Angeles either its first female or first Jewish mayor—a leader who will inherit a city still struggling to pull itself from an extended fiscal slump.
In their sprint to the finish line, both Democratic contenders with similar voting records tried to differentiate themselves from each other in down-to-the-wire pitches to undecided voters.
U.S. & World
"If you want an independent mayor with proven results, somebody who's delivered neighborhood turnaround, who's balanced budgets, I'm your guy," said Garcetti, who was leading by 7 percentage points in the most recent USC Price/Los Angeles Time poll released Friday.
Greuel, who has racked up endorsements from high profile figures, including former President Bill Clinton and Magic Johnson, emphasized her experience as the city government's top critic for the last three years.
"My history has been one of stepping up to the plate and being that tough fiscal watchdog," she said. "My history has been for standing up for the taxpayers of L.A. and that's what I'm going to do as mayor."
The contest to succeed Villaraigosa, who leaves office at the end of June with high marks from his constituents, broke spending records Saturday as outside contributions topped $33 million.
The candidates have received rival endorsements—Greuel from the L.A. Chamber of Commerce, the Daily News and U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer; Garcetti from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the L.A. Times and Newark Mayor Cory Booker—but the money and attention the race has garnered is not expected to be matched by voter turnout.
When the two faced off in March for a primary contest, which failed to give either the majority needed for an outright victory, only 21 percent of the city's registered voters cast a ballot in the race.
Leading up to Tuesday's runoff election, both candidates have made more aggressive attempts to woo Latinos, which represent nearly half of the city's population and roughly a third of eligible voters.
Garcetti, a Spanish-speaker who leads among the coveted demographic, according to recent polls, has talked about his paternal grandparents' emigration from Mexico. Greuel, who has endorsements from prominent Latino leaders, has stumped before Spanish-speaking crowds.
"The candidates are reaching out to the Latino community because they know, with ... a few hundred votes, they can change the entire makeup of the city," Elisa Sequeira, the head of civic engagement for California's National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials told NBC 4 LA.
Just 400,000 of the city's 1.8 million registered voters are expected to cast ballots in the election Tuesday. A smaller voter pool, however, does give some advantages to those who do participate.
"These smaller elections, when you vote for city council, mayor, you have more say. Your vote counts more and as an individual, it affects us more," web designer Mary Jane Zorick told NBC 4 LA.
Voters will also select a new city controller and city attorney Tuesday. Polls close at 8 p.m. and results can be monitored here.


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Time to start separating the best from the rest on "Dancing With the Stars."
Sure, this is a so-called all-star season, but the voters got it right last week by booting Pamela Anderson, and we're betting the longtime fans will continue to not be fooled by shock value masquerading as substance.
The judges were still being rather tight-fisted with the scoring paddles tonight, but a few celebs made sure to distance themselves from the rest of the pack, even if they were still only separated by mere halves on the leaderboard. Here's what went down in the ballroom tonight:
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
If you missed last week's action, catch up on all of it right here!
Melissa Rycroft opened the show with an underwhelming jive that the judges...loved! (We're thinking they're not supposed to diss the music, which, as usual, didn't quite fit.) Although we felt that the onetime Bachelor dumpee could have handled tougher choreography, Len Goodman thought she was fantastic and told Bruno Tonioli to shut up when the outspoken Italian spotted a few missteps.
Moving on, a trip to the shooting range may have had Bristol Palin fired up on the inside, but the Life's a Tripp star can still only get so loose on the dance floor. She kept up with Mark Ballas' on the country western-themed, rule-breaking quickstep he crafted (you can't break hold in the middle, Mark!), but we're betting her last-place score will ensure her second straight appearance in the bottom three.
The camera let Bruno finish his tough critique (hold wasn't good, Charleston was messed up) before cutting to a still proud-looking Sarah Palin in the audience.
All-stars sound off on Justin Bieber's elimination-night performance last week!
"I liked the hoedown, but the technique was a bit low-down," Len offered.
On the flip side, Hlio Castoneves' jive had major bounce, and there was way more content than there was in Melissa's dance. And yet, he ended up lower on the leaderboard. Baffling.
There was no confusion, however, when it came to Apolo Anton Ohno's quickstep: Aces all around!
Apolo Ohno weighed in on the Bristol Palin--Ryan Lochte controversy
"Gold medal," Len pointed at the fleet-footed speed skater, a week after calling his performance merely bronze-caliber. "Somebody put his competition pants on tonight," added Carrie Ann Inaba.
Sabrina Bryan's quickstep kept the energy level in the ballroom high, the former Cheetah Girl not shying away from taskmaster Louis Van Amstel's tough routine despite cutting her arm during rehearsal.
Although she knows from experience that the judges' scores can end up meaning nada, Sabrina found herself in a familiar place--first--after notching the first 9 of the season.
Maks leaving Dancing With the Stars--some day
"I want dinner first," Tom Bergeron later joked after Kirstie Alley's routine, referring to the massive kiss she spontaneously planted on the host last week as a congratulations for his Emmy win. Len and Bruno, charmed by the bewigged courtesan, er, actress' saucy jive, seemed content with skipping supper and Kirstie and Maks Chmerkovksiy's score enjoyed a nice bump for their French-accented efforts.
It wasn't always easy to distinguish Emmitt Smith's smooth moves from beneath his flaming tomato-red suit, but they were there. His quickstep wasn't as fab as last week's cha-cha was, but we bet all will be forgiven after the season-three champ's next Latin round.
Kym Johnson won't be putting up with Joey Fatone's nonsense this season
Then it was on to another great jive from a fella, this time Drew Lachey, who had to dance under the weight of last week's bottom-three showing despite finishing squarely in the middle of the pack. Better luck this week, especially since he tied frontrunner turned middle-of-the-roader Emmitt in the 22.5 scoring department.
Joining them in that department--rather surprisingly, considering Len's "if you can't dance, entertain" comment--was Joey Fatone, whose Little Tramp quickstep was full of fun if not technique.
Shawn Johnson, with a big boost from the gold medal-caliber Derek Hough, was hot on Sabrina's trail after the best jive of the night.
Ready for the return of Revenge?
Less excitingly, Maks' little bro, Val, quickstepped first-ever Dancing With the Stars champ Kelly Monaco to exactly the same spot she was in last week--squarely in the middle of the pack, albeit a half-point lower.
Well, Shawn's jive was the best of the night till resident heartthrob Gilles Marini closed the show with a killer routine.
"You've got the coiff, you've got the cleavage--let the good times roll!" raved Bruno, handing off cleavage credit to defending pro champ Peta Murgatroyd.
Here's how tonight's leaderboard stacked up:
Sabrina Bryan & Louis Van Amstel: 26; Gilles Marini & Peta Murgatroyd: 25.5; Shawn Johnson & Derek Hough: 25; Apolo Anton Ohno & Karina Smirnoff: 24.5; Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: 23.5; Hlio Castroneves & Chelsie Hightower: 23; Drew Lachey & Anna Trebunskaya: 22.5; Emmitt Smith & Cheryl Burke: 22.5; Joey Fatone & Kym Johnson: 22.5; Kelly Monaco & Val Chmerkovskiy: 22; Kirstie Alley & Maks Chmerkovskiy: 21; Bristol Palin & Mark Ballas: 18


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US history of media blackouts during hurricane disasters increase the cause of citizen journalism
BTC- During Hurricane Ike I was threatened with arrest or citation in an attempt to document DHS practices with citizens. My quest was to find out whether they were forced to forgo any rights because they were in the path of a hurricane disaster. I was specifically concerned about demand for identity articles in order to gain access to the FEMA hurricane relief center in Round Rock, Texas in 2008, what was in or on their bracelets, what was being asked of citizens, what their movement limitations were (if any) and how they were being treated. Why would I take such a job on myself?
At this time there was a media black out. So the only media was citizen media.
So there were no reporters present to document anything of the sort.
In 2005, paramilitary police were hired by Louisiana's governor to "assist" in the Katrina disaster. Shortly following you may have seen videos of citizens who did lose basic rights and suffered damages.
Among those basic rights, was the 1st amendment right to a free press. There was an attempt to gag or censure CNN from continued reporting of the human conditions in New Orleans after Katrina.
Here is a list of articles compiled by citizens about events surrounding Katrina citing witness of expiditious disposal of unknown dead, police brutality, and illegal search and seizure of guns in a very treacherous time.
So here we are, right in the seat of hurricane season. It might be time to review our rights as citizen jounalists, exactly the type who can make a difference. One of the G-20 videos shot by a bystander, featured in this video, made a difference in prosecuting police brutality towards a student. So never doubt your improptu role in using those phone cameras and video cams.
Luckily for all of us, you can take this *free* online course offerred by the Cato Institute on how to watch out for yourself and your rights to document events during a situation where police have hand of force.
"Should it be illegal to record the police? Several high-profile cases of police brutality have been exposed by citizens who recorded police actions with cell phones. Yet some state wiretapping laws, written before the age of ubiquitous recording devices, prohibit recording these events and then further criminalize the publication of the recordings on the Internet. Does the First Amendment protect citizen journalism, or do police agents have a right to privacy while performing public duties? Please join us as we discuss this timely and provocative topic."


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Suarez 2' 38' 57'
Şahin 48'
Morison 61'
Gerrard 68'
Holt 87'
"When you've got the ball 65, 70 percent of the time it's a football death for the other team. We're not at that stage yet, but that's what we'll get to. It's death by football."
After that, Brendan Rodgers could do a convincing impression of that awful Verizon guy from a few years back. "Can you hear me now? Good."
Liverpool had 67% possession today, the highest total in the six league matches so far.
Also, it probably couldn't hurt to tell Suarez that every opponent is Norwich. Or just play every match at Carrow Road.
It's the first time Liverpool have scored five in the league since beating Fulham 5-2 in May 2011. 46 fixtures ago. It's also worth noting that it took until the penultimate match to score four in the league last season. And, honestly, as said before, we should have seen more today. Like in this fixture last season, Suarez missed two arguably easier chances on his way to a hat-trick, and should have – but unsurprisingly didn't – win a penalty as well.
I apologize for continually referencing this piece, but, through the last 16 league matches, Liverpool are unbeaten when they score with the first shot on target: four wins and one draw, scoring at least twice in all five games.
It took Suarez just 67 seconds today. Liverpool drew Norwich out with quick passing possession around the halfway line for 30 seconds before Johnson ran at Martin and Surman, trying to find Şahin in the box with a smart through ball. Turner tackled it away, but only to the ever-dangerous Uruguayan. Two touches to hold off Barnett at the top of the box, then a worm-burner which wrong-footed Ruddy. Just the start that Liverpool needed.
And this was just the sort of evolution we needed to see from Liverpool. The impetus and intelligence provided by 18-year-old Suso and 17-year-old Sterling, along with Wisdom, allowed Liverpool to play as Rodgers wants to play. In depressing contrast to the likes of Downing and Enrique, singled out by Rodgers yesterday. The two young attackers were constant threats, well supported by a midfield trio of Allen, Gerrard, and Şahin, with the latter especially impressive in the attacking midfield role.
Norwich had a couple of chances on the counter through Jackson, one well saved by Reina (again with the importance of first shots on target), the other volleyed well over. But Liverpool should have had the chance to extend its lead in the 23rd: a long
Thankfully, it didn't take long to get the vital second. Ruddy saved a strong diving header from Gerrard, set up by Suarez's chipped pass, before Suarez spurned his easiest chance of the day, wildly missing the target after Agger's through ball put him one-on-one with the keeper. But 20 seconds later, he unsurprisingly scored from a much-harder chance, stealing the ball from Turner after a short goal kick, nutmegging the defender for good measure, then toe-poking a preposterous curler past the helpless Ruddy. Just full-on mad scientist genius, complete with lab coat, smoking beaker, and Einstein hair. Just oh so Suarez.
Norwich came out much better to start the second half, replacing Jackson with captain Grant Holt, and creating a couple of very good chances somehow not taken: the first unknowingly cleared off the line by Snodgrass, the second a scrambled "how did we not score" when Liverpool couldn't clear a corner, the type of situation that Liverpool fans are all too familiar with. Sadly for the home side, sandwiched in between those chances was Liverpool's third, this time set up rather than scored by Suarez.
Liverpool broke quickly from its own half: Allen immediately looked up when winning possession, feeding Sterling, who raced around Martin and charged into Norwich's half. The winger passed on to Suarez after drawing defenders, allowing the Uruguayan to get to the byline after eluding Turner's attempted tackle. Suarez's first cut-back was cut out, but he made no mistake when given a second chance, putting it on a plate for the on-rushing Şahin, scoring in the second straight game simply because he's clever enough to follow play deep into the opposition penalty area. They reversed provider and scorer roles ten minutes later, another goal which followed Rodgers' template down to the minutiae: Sterling to Gerrard to Suso to Gerrard to Allen to Suso to Şahin to Suarez, Martin backing off like a child who's been burned by the stove once too often, giving the Uruguayan the space for yet another curler from the top of the box. 20 seconds, seven passes, every player in the front six involved, and another picture book goal.
Gerrard added the fifth after Liverpool began a raft of changes, replacing Suso and Şahin with Assaidi and Henderson, set up by Sterling beating Garrido before centering to the captain, the deflection from Barnett giving Ruddy no chance. From there, Liverpool were on cruise control, dominating possession but with less threat than in the first two-thirds of the match, highlighted by Suarez's other missed opportunity, shooting into the side-netting after being released by Gerrard.
That Norwich managed to score twice in the final half an hour takes a bit of gloss off the result. Unlike the previously referenced 5-2, this one was never in doubt; both of Norwich's goals were consolations. But as has happened all too often this season, both Norwich goals were of Liverpool's own making.
The first came before Liverpool's fifth, Reina unable to handle Martin's long range shot, spilled directly to Morison. The second came in the dying minutes, Skrtel – possibly blinded by the sun – totally missed an attempted clearance, allowing Holt to run unopposed at Reina before smartly finishing inside the far post. It didn't matter today, but conceding those types of goal has hurt Liverpool in the past, and will hurt Liverpool in the future if not remedied. It remains a rather large elephant in the room.
But that's literally the only complaint. Another match at Carrow Road, another match ball for Suarez, the only two hat-tricks he's scored and the only Liverpool player to have ever scored a hat-trick in the same away fixture in consecutive seasons. Only Suarez's brilliance kept Şahin from being man of the match, incredibly impressive in a more comfortable attacking role, clearly improving his fitness and form in every fixture. He's got three goals and two assists in the last three matches he's played, with his movement also crucial in Suarez's first today. In addition, his strong play in the attacking role improved Liverpool's midfield balance; both Allen and Gerrard did well in a deeper role, with Şahin and Gerrard also able to switch roles intermittently. Suso and Sterling's contribution again belied their age, while Suso's versatility looks a big benefit, almost as influential out wide as he was in two substitute appearances as an attacking midfielder. Wisdom grew into the game after some early wobbles, Johnson continues to put it outstanding performances on the left. Agger was outstanding, showing no hint of injury troubles and allowed to go forward by Norwich's lack of threat. Skrtel was Skrtel, bruising and burly but with at least one mistake in his system. And while Liverpool conceded twice, including once due to his own mistake, Reina looked closer to the form we know, making two outstanding saves, even if the more-impressive one didn't count due to offsides.
So, Liverpool are finally off the mark, and in some style. Still, matches will come much harder than this one. There will assuredly be matches where Suarez isn't as prolific, even if his strike rate has vastly improved on the whole, with five goals in the first six matches. But like this fixture last season, this could be an aberrant false dawn if Liverpool don't take advantage of the result, building on the team-wide improvements demonstrated against an often-dire opponent.


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At its core, Lowriding is a hands-on experience in which your labor is directly rewarded with results. Sure, it takes time and lots of trial and error, but there is nothing more rewarding than cruising down the Boulevard in the chariot your own blood, sweat, and tears created. While some builders are lucky to be able to outsource their builds to experts, others with fewer resources have to build their Lowriders the old fashioned way; by doing the work themselves. One of these tried-and-true Lowriders is Jose Cornejo. After growing up in resource-rich Southern California, he swore that he would one day hold the keys to his own dream machine. After a move to Salt Lake City, his dream was still alive, although the area was nothing like the area he was from. "There wasn't a lot of Lowriders, but I started hearing about Lowrider shows here and there," he explains. "My compadre, Moi Brambila, built a 1964 HT Impala, and I knew I had to get one." While he wanted to build the perfect six-four, he decided on building the elusive convertible instead, so as to stand out in Utah where hard tops were more common. A two-month search produced a decent project car for Jose, and work began, but it was not without sacrifice. "I worked two jobs and ran my own taco stand, working days, nights, and weekends to get my ride finished and on the road," he says proudly. With the additional help of his son, Raymond, Jose dedicated any free time he had in between his work schedule to wrenching on the convertible Chevy. The car was no shop queen, either. "I built my car straight out of my garage," explains the determined builder. "It took a lot of sacrifice from my family and myself to find the time to build my dream car, as I had a lot to learn." Having never built or owned a vehicle like this one, he stresses the importance of the learning process this journey provided him. "I learned how to do metal and body work in the process of building my car, and it took a lot of trial and error, but I was determined to build my car myself." Now that his build is completed, the reward for Jose is being able to cruise with his family in the car, which began as an original build and became a show-quality head turner along the way. While this Impala is quite the impressive build, Jose stresses that it won't be his last. "This is just the starting point for me as a car builder; I cannot wait to build the next project for my wife, Josefina, who has supported me one hundred percent during this process."
Tech Specs
Owner: Jose Cornejo
Vehicle: 1964 Chevy Impala
Ciy/State: Salt Lake City, Utah
Club: Goodtimes


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The WCA Regulations contain the full set of Regulations that apply to all official competitions sanctioned by the World Cube Association.
The WCA Regulations are also supplemented by the WCA Guidelines. The Regulations should be considered a complete document, but the Guidelines contain additional clarifications and explanations.
Uses of the words "must", "must not", "should", "should not" and "may" match RFC 2119.
Website of World Cube Association: www.worldcubeassociation.org
Original source of the WCA regulations: www.worldcubeassociation.org/regulations
WCA Regulations in PDF format
Development of the WCA Regulations and Guidelines is public on GitHub and the discussion is public on the WCA Forum.
For questions and feedback, please contact the WCA Regulations Committee (WRC).
Note: Because Article and Regulation numbers are not reassigned when Regulations are deleted, there may be gaps in numbering.


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Archive for the 'Love' Category
…women were kinder to one another.
Posted in Betterment, Bitterness, Calming, Friends, Friendship, Happiness, Health, Help, Judgment, Knowledge, Life, Love, Relationships, Resentment, Respect, Simple, Smiles, Strangers, Strength, Understanding, Wisdom, tagged Daily Life, Friends, Friendship, Happiness, Health, Help, Hugs, Ideals, Knowledge, Life, Love, Mental Health, Moving, Optimism, Relationships, Respect, Simple, Thoughts, Wisdom, World, Yoga on August 9, 2011| 1 Comment »
…everyone was humble enough to apologize.
Posted in Anger, Betterment, Bitterness, Friends, Friendship, Happiness, Health, Knowledge, Life, Love, Regret, Relationships, Resentment, Respect, Strength, Stress, Understanding, War, Wisdom, World, tagged Daily Life, Friends, Friendship, Happiness, Hugs, Ideals, Knowledge, Life, Love, Optimism, Relationships, Stress, Thoughts, Wisdom, World on August 6, 2011| 2 Comments »
It's not a secret that I make a lot of mistakes. I'm not perfect and I defenitely own the fact that I'm not. The thing that frustrates me is that no one is perfect yet not everyone can admit this. There are too many people in this world that have a hard time accepting responsibility for their actions and admitting they may have been in the wrong. I believe it's easier to say "I'm sorry" than living with the knowledge of someone feeling upset with me. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it doesn't matter if I believe what I did was wrong but rather if someone felt hurt by those actions. Empathy, compassion and love should come before pride.
…people felt more comfortable saying "no".
Posted in Age, Anger, Betterment, Bitterness, Family, Fear, Friends, Friendship, Happiness, Health, Help, Knowledge, Life, Love, Regret, Relationships, Resentment, Respect, Sadness, Simple, Strength, Stress, Understanding, Wisdom, tagged Daily Life, Family, Friends, Friendship, Happiness, Health, Help, Hugs, Ideals, Knowledge, Life, Love, Mental Health, Optimism, Relationships, Respect, Simple, Stress, Thoughts, Wisdom on July 29, 2011| Leave a Comment »
There are only a few things that bother me more than passive aggressiveness. It's not healthy, it's not proactive and it's not straight up. Passive aggressiveness is the consequence when someone is unable to say no or "I don't like this". I think in our world today we tend to overcommit ourselves and spread ourselves too thin. Not to mention no one wants to be the "bad guy", we don't want to disappoint or hurt feelings. Part of me even believes that politeness is ruining our social society. It's okay to not agree, feel hurt and be unable to do something for someone else and it's alright to express those things. Communication is key and most of the time it's not just the words but rather the delivery. People are sensitive, even the ones who pretend that they're not (usually they are the most sensitive) and how you say something to someone can be more important than the words themselves. There's no need to say "no" in a snide and annoyed way but rather "Ohh, bummer. I don't think I'm going to be able to do that". It's easy. Try it. I love saying "no" (I promise I'm not a tease, though) and find it very liberating!
…we weren't so vain.
Posted in Betterment, Experience, Happiness, Help, Judgment, Knowledge, Life, Love, Regret, Resentment, Sadness, Stories, Strangers, Understanding, Wisdom, World, tagged Daily Life, Happiness, Hugs, Ideals, Knowledge, Life, Love, Mental Health, Optimism, Pain, Respect, Thoughts, Wisdom, World on July 25, 2011| Leave a Comment »
I'm feeling awfully guilty. Today, I went to the coffee shop to work and sat down at a table with another man. When I put my stuff down at the table he stood up, smiled and told me that he was a gentleman and would be honored to sit with such a beautiful girl. We shook hands and introduced ourselves, his name was Jim. I plugged myself in and after politely engaging in some conversation I was eager to put my headphones on and zone into my own world. I smiled and nodded at what Jim had to say hoping it would be enough to camouflage my impatience and irritation. He told me he was a storyteller. "Great" I thought, "storytellers love to talk". Then he asked if I knew the difference between a storyteller and a writer. I simply responded with "No". I resigned to the fact that it was going to be awhile before I was going to be able to get any work done and switched gears. I told myself that someone was trying to teach me something in this moment and instead of resisting a lesson I needed to be embracing it. So, I listened. Jim went on and on. He spoke about Henry Kissinger, the Cuban Missile crisis, New York Times Op Ed writers, his own struggles, emotion, experience and people. In only a matter of minutes, it was apparent that Jim was extremely smart and there was no question that his intelligence far exceeded my own. However that wasn't our only difference. Jim is physically challenged. His speech is slow and slurred, his hands and arms are crippled and his walk is crooked. I don't like that I use these things to describe him because those things are so small in comparison to him as a whole. Yet, as a human, I can't help but not only see these things but truly be unable to disregard them. After Jim asks me for some help plugging his phone into its charger, refill his water and open a packet of crackers for him he asks me if I'm married. I smile and shake my head. He asks if I have a boyfriend and again I shake my head. He tells me he doesn't have anyone either and it's because people judge him on his exterior. I feel a tinge in my heart. I want to tell him that I can relate and that people judge me on my appearance but I stop myself when I realize that my issue isn't comparable and that I'm just like all those other people who have hurt Jim. It doesn't matter if I'm not embarrassed engaging with him or having people stare at us as he talks to me but because there's no way I could ever be attracted to Jim, I feel guilty. As hard as I try to love and accept everyone, I'm just as guilty as the people who have hurt me. I feel as though I don't deserve anyone to love me because right here, there's someone ready to love me and I'm rejecting it due to superficial reasons. If only we weren't so human, this world would be a better place.


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be laughing up (one's) sleeve(redirected from be laughing up our sleeve)
be laughing up (one's) sleeve
To be trying to hide that one is laughing at someone else. It seems like the popular kids are laughing up their sleeves every time I walk by. It's so infuriating.
be laughing up your sleeveOLD-FASHIONED
If someone is laughing up their sleeve, they are secretly amused by something, often something silly that someone else has done. They must be laughing up their sleeves at our stupidity. Note: The image here is of someone trying to hide the fact that they are laughing by putting their hand or arm in front of their mouth.


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LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is changing the way we think about how buildings and communities are planned, constructed, maintained and operated. Leaders around the world have made LEED the most widely used third-party verification for green buildings, with around 1.85 million square feet being certified daily.
LEED works for all buildings—from homes to corporate headquarters—at all phases of development. Projects pursuing LEED certification earn points across several areas that address sustainability issues. Based on the number of points achieved, a project then receives one of four LEED rating levels: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
LEED-certified buildings are resource efficient. They use less water and energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As an added bonus, they save money. Learn more about why LEED continues to be the leading benchmark in green building.
The newest version of LEED is designed to be more flexible and improve the overall user experience. Here's why LEED v4 is better:
Focuses on materials to get a better understanding of what's in them and the effect those components have on human health and the environment
Takes a more performance-based approach to indoor environmental quality to ensure improved occupant comfort
Brings the benefits of smart grid thinking to the forefront with a credit that rewards projects for participating in demand response programs
Provides a clearer picture of water efficiency by evaluating total building water use
LEED was developed to address all buildings everywhere, regardless of where they are in their life cycle. From hospitals to data centers, from historical buildings to those still in the design phase, there is a LEED for every building. Select a project type below to learn more.
Applies to buildings that are being newly constructed or going through a major renovation; includes New Construction, Core & Shell, Schools, Retail, Hospitality, Data Centers, Warehouses & Distribution Centers, and Healthcare. Learn more
Applies to projects that are a complete interior fit-out; includes Commercial Interiors, Retail and Hospitality. Learn more
Applies to existing buildings that are undergoing improvement work or little to no construction; includes Existing Buildings, Schools, Retail, Hospitality, Data Centers, and Warehouses & Distribution Centers. Learn more
Applies to new land development projects or redevelopment projects containing residential uses, nonresidential uses, or a mix. Projects can be at any stage of the development process, from conceptual planning to construction; includes Plan and Built Project. Learn more
Applies to single family homes, low-rise multi-family (one to three stories), or mid-rise multi-family (four to six stories); includes Homes and Multifamily Lowrise and Multifamily Midrise. Learn more
LEED offers several options structured for companies and organizations seeking certification for multiple buildings.
Volume certification is designed for LEED users looking to certify an entire portfolio of building projects. It streamlines the process by focusing on the similarities in design, operations and delivery.
LEED campus and multiple building certification is available for several buildings on a single site and offers a number of options to help project owners determine the best way to reach their goals.
Options for federal agencies also have been established to support projects as they meet the requirements of the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance in Sustainable Building.
The LEED certification process is designed to inspire project teams to seek innovative solutions that are better for our environment and better for our communities.
Here's how to get started.Select a rating system for your project, and learn basic program requirements
Each LEED rating system groups requirements that address the unique needs of different building and project types.
Make sure to check out the Minimum Program Requirements to know if your project is eligible for LEED certification.
We strive to make the LEED customer experience the best it can be. Our Certification Guides lead projects through the LEED process under each rating system, starting from registration to certification.
Prerequisites are the green building standards every project must meet. Credits allow project teams to customize how they pursue certification. By fulfilling credits, projects earn points that determine its certification level: Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59 points), Gold (60-79 points) and Platinum (80+).
We have developed a set of LEED Reference Guides for each rating system to help project teams understand each credit and prerequisite. We also have built a comprehensive online toolkit, which includes key supplemental material for LEED projects like addenda and sample forms.
Now you're ready to begin:
There's a flat registration fee and a certification fee, which is based on a project's size and the rating system the project was registered under. Registration fees are due at a project's registration; certification fees are due when an application is submitted for review.View detailed fee tables
At any given point, LEED rating systems are either open for registration and certification; closed for registration, but open for certification; or closed for registration and certification (sunset).


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A great number of pop bands appeared in Hong Kong during the golden era of the British Pop Music (1964 thru 1969). Musicians of different nationalities (Chinese, British, Swedish, Portuguese, Filipinos, Indians, among others) were active in Hong Kong, normally covering versions of songs from the UK and the USA. This is my tribute to those magnificent Hongkong Pop Artists that were part of my happy teenage days.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
I ONLY CAME TO SAY GOODBYE (Joe Junior)
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Jay Egg eBooks
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Geothermal HVAC
Jay Egg & Brian Howard & Brian Clark Howard
McGraw-Hill, November 2010
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* Stadium Photo Special *
Friend of EFW, Nick Coppack found himself outside, and then pitchside, at the Ferenc Puskás Stadium in Budapest, Hungary this week. Rather than me rabble on as per usual, I thought I'd wind my neck in and let Nick's magnificent photos speak for themselves...
Hungary for more? Nick wrote one of the most popular articles ever on EFW at the Belgrade Derby.
EFW once saw a match at the Ferenc Puskás Stadium, and made up an unforgivably cheesy headline.


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Galactic Heroes AT-AT, Canadian Style
July 29, 2010 4 Comments
Yesterday was a very good day for this Galactic Heroes collector — the AT-AT showed up at my local Walmart and I'm a tad excited about adding this kickass toy to my collection. Here's a look at the packaging as designed for the Canadian market. Enjoy!


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Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter
Profound Strategy for Wedding Festivities
The one that the servants were speaking of inside the medicine storage room was naturally Bai Fu Rong. Ever since Feng Yu Heng brought her out of her space, she had been kept inside the medicine storage room. She would go and give her a shot every day at a set time, and a reliable servant would usually take care of her.
Bai Fu Rong never woke up. It was not the result of giving her medicine. Instead, it was the result of her body deteriorating too quickly that caused her nerves to be unable to endure and also weaken. From there, she fell into a coma. Although Feng Yu Heng was never too worried, she knew that there would be a day when Bai Fu Rong would wake up. Although the fall from health was quick, the recovery would be slow. The result of this pace allowed Bai Fu Rong's body to acclimate and adjust.
But regardless of what was said, she could not remain unconscious the entire time. Waking up should be considered a checkpoint. Only by waking up can the future treatment work in unison with her. The result would also be a bit better.
Feng Yu Heng followed the servant and hurriedly headed in the direction of her own courtyard while asking for the situation. The servant said: "First, her entire body was trembling. Later on, she began to spout nonsense, and it was not clear what she was saying. Her eyes were also closed and never opened. Just earlier, she coughed up a mouthful of blood. This servant saw that things were not too good and was thinking of going next door to call young miss to come back and take a look."
Feng Yu Heng nodded and did not ask anything else. She increased her pace and very quickly entered the medicine storage room. There were two other maidservants inside the medicine storage room that were taking care of Bai Fu Rong. Upon seeing that Feng Yu Heng returned, they both let out a sigh of relief, with one of them spreading out a handkerchief for Feng Yu Heng to see. At the same time, she said: "In under two hours, she coughed up blood twice, and it was black both times."
Feng Yu Heng glanced at the handkerchief and came to an understanding. She told the maidservants: "This is the contaminated blood. It contains the poisons that were in the body. Grandfather and I used needles and worked on it for so long. We finally managed to force a bit out. Pay a bit more attention. I fear that she will be coughing up this sort of black blood over the next few days. It will continue for roughly three to five days. After that, she will begin to wake up. During this time, there must always be one person at her side to keep an eye on her. It's the same during the night." While she spoke, she said to Wang Chuan: "Bring a few more people later on. Have them keep watch in shifts."
Upon hearing that things were turning for the better, the servants let out a sigh of relief. Someone had already begun taking care of changing Bai Fu Rong's clothes. Huang Quan, who had been kept outside, pushed the door open at this time and went to Feng Yu Heng's side, quietly saying: "This servant saw craftsman Bai standing outside the courtyard this entire time. From time to time, he would look over in this direction. He should have heard about the news from this side and wanted to take a look."
Craftsman Bai had not seen his daughter for a year and had already begun to miss her long ago. But when he saw the current Bai Fu Rong, the profound feelings of missing her became an intense hatred. Hands clenched into fists on the table, his forehead was tightly furrowed.
Feng Yu Heng, however, smiled bitterly, "Uncle Bai, do not get angry. Fu Rong's current condition is already much better. The reason that I never let you see her is that I feared that you could not handle seeing her. Don't worry. The treatment for this illness was researched by grandfather. We are 90 percent certain that we can have Fu Rong recover completely. Although she will not be able to return to herself completely, she will not be too different. Uncle can remain at ease."
What else could craftsman Bai say. He did not pay attention to Feng Yu Heng's objections, as he kneeled on the ground and gave her a very proper salute. When he stood up once more, he muttered: "I thought that no matter what, they were still related. Even if they used this child, they would not do something so fierce; however, I never thought that I thought too kindly of them. What familial relationship. In their mind, they don't put any stock in blood ties."
He brought it up, but Feng Yu Heng did not want to pick up on it. It was an ill-fated relationship, to begin with. Back when there was the situation between her, Kang Yi and Ru Jia, craftsman Bai had probably heard about it but could not bring it up; however, she did not know that he did not hate her. But even if he did, after this event, Qian Zhou had completely hurt his heart.
Craftsman Bai said to Feng Yu Heng: "The Yao family's wedding has already concluded. This old one no longer has an excuse to continue living here. Imperial daughter, please send me back to the palace."
Feng Yu Heng asked him: "If uncle doesn't want to go back, you can just continue to live in my imperial daughter's manor. Or you can go back to the Bai manor. I will send some guards over. Nothing will happen."
Craftsman Bai shook his head, "No need, I'll be going back. I keep feeling that there is someone in the palace that is controlling the situation. Although Qian Zhou has collapsed, the threat has not truly been eradicated. Precisely who is concealed inside the palace remains unknown to this moment. On this trip back to the palace, there is something that I wish to ask imperial daughter to help me say."
Feng Yu Heng nodded, "Would uncle please speak."
"There's not really much. I just wanted to ask imperial daughter to tell each of the palaces that craftsman Bai is older and fear that I will no longer be able to continue working for many more years. While I am still able to make them, I will make a few more. There's no need to continue acting accordingly like before. If the imperial concubine of each palace wants something, it's all fine."
His intentions were very clear. By opening the doors, he could meet more people in order to find out where that needle was hidden in the palace. This was the only option.
Feng Yu Heng nodded and agreed. The two spoke for a little while longer before agreeing on returning to the palace in the morning the following day. After that, she left craftsman Bai to keep Bai Fu Rong company for a little while. Only then did they disperse.
As for this day, it was destined to not be peaceful, especially at night.
With a new wife marrying into the Yao manor, there were wedding festivities. Yao Shu dragged his brothers to drink and eat, not wanting to return for a long time. As for Lu Yao, she no longer had any servants that came with her from the Lu family. Being taken care of was very inconvenient. When she tried to send people to go and find Yao Shu, servants were sent out three times but were unable to bring him back.
The new wife awkwardly sat in the bridal chamber until her back began to ache. Only when it was nearing midnight did she hear the sound of footsteps come from the yard.
A servant ran over to the entrance to take a look then turned around and said to her: "Eldest young master has come over. It seems that he drank a bit much."
Lu Yao quickly put on a kind expression and said: "It's fine. Today is a good day. The bridegroom drinking too much is normal." Because the situation during the day had become what it was, there was no longer any need for her to wear a veil. When she stood up, she directed the servant to fetch some clean water to help the eldest young master get cleaned up. She then sent someone to heat up a soup to help someone sober up. Like this, she sent out both of the servants that were in the room. She then made use of the time before Yao Shu entered the room to walk over to the stand where the candle was. She quickly took off the hairpin from her head, as there was a space inside. Lu Yao twisted off the top and swiftly poured out a powder into the pit of the candle. The powder mixed with the wax and very quickly blended together without any trace.
After doing this, she picked up a pair of scissors and began to cut at the center of the candle. At this time, Yao Shu pushed the door open and happened to see her cutting the candles. He could not help but ask: "What are you doing?"
Lu Yao put down the scissors and went to support him. Seeing that the newlyweds were in the room, the maidservants could no longer take care of them, thus they all retreated. Lu Yao supported Yao Shu over to sit on the bed while saying to him: "Cutting the center of the candle is a rule for the first night of a wedding. It is a good symbol. Wife heard husband coming back earlier, thus I rushed to cut up the core of the candle, hoping that we… can stay together for a long time."
Yao Shu looked at Lu Yao; however, his gaze no longer contained the same love that it did before. During the day, Lu Yao had cried to him about how she had been stained at a young age and had tried to commit suicide a few times; however, she could not do anything about being rescued by the family. She had begged him to help her. He could kill her personally, such that even if she died, she would die in the arms of the person that she loved. If it had been exposed back then, she would have rather just killed herself by crushing her own head.
Yao Shu had feelings for Lu Yao and could not handle her pleading look; moreover, she was a victim of having her purity sullied. Since he was marrying her, he should dote on her properly. But he was still a man. He thought that the girl he was marrying would be completely pure; however, who knew that she was no longer pure. He felt a little uncomfortable, thus he brought his brothers to drink and not return until late.
He could avoid it for a bit, but he could not avoid it forever. For the sake of not allowing his parents, uncles, aunts and grandfather to see what was wrong, he still gritted his teeth and returned. Now that he saw Lu Yao, he did not feel as he did before.
How could Lu Yao not understand what Yao Shu was thinking. She did not insist, only apathetically taking care of helping Yao Shu wash, get changed and remove his shoes and socks. Only after she helped him into bed did she retrieve her pillow from the other side and retreat.
Yao Shu was stunned and asked in confusion: "Where are you going?"
Lu Yao smiled bitterly, "Husband marrying this wife and giving the Lu family prestige is already a grand grace to this wife. I absolutely do not dare use my sullied body to take care of husband. Husband rest well. This wife will go sleep on the bed in the outer room. If husband has any matter, just call."
After saying this, she retreated and kindly blocked the bed with the screen.
Her actions caused Yao Shu to feel a little surprised, and he felt a bit distressed, especially the words "I absolutely do not dare use my sullied body to take care of husband." This caused Yao Shu to feel that he had been an unreasonable man. His wife had suffered a grievance, but not only did he not show any concern, he even felt disdain. How could this be how a son of the Yao family should act?
Although he thought like this, he could not bring himself to drag Lu Yao back. After all, everyone knew what should happen on the wedding night in the bridal chamber. It was unavoidable that he would think a bit too much, as he felt that if he forcefully brought Lu Yao back, it would cause her to feel that he was a man with a brutish heart.
Thinking like this, he decided to cross that bridge when he got there. He would need to protect Lu Yao's heart. When she no longer felt any burdens, it would not be too late to consummate the marriage.
With this plan in mind, he calmed down and closed his eyes to sleep. But who knew if it was because he had drank too much that caused him to be excitable or if it was the result of candles in the bridal chamber, although there was no bride at his side, it was inevitable that there would be restlessness. Yao Shu lay in bed and felt that his body was exceptionally hot. A mysterious urge filled his body, and even his breath was hot. With a certain feeling welling up, he sat up and looked past the screen. He subconsciously shouted: "Wife!"


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