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A Curse Awakened by Cecy Robson
ORDER A COPY: A Curse Awakened: A Weird Girls Novella
Publisher: Loveswept
Publishing Date: August 19, 2014
eBook: 94 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Discover Cecy Robson's sensational Weird Girls series—or return to where the magic first began—with this eBook original prequel novella about four sisters coming to grips with their unique supernatural powers.
Celia Wird shouldn't possess the ability to transform into a tigress. Her three sisters should never be able to burst into flames, heal wounds, or transform common objects into deadly weapons. And yet they do.
Before they were born, the Wird Sisters were cursed by a spell that was intended to destroy them, not endow them with extraordinary powers. The sisters' magic is untamed and explosive at best, and time is running out for them to take command.
Vampires have targeted Celia's sweet, tragically human ex-boyfriend Danny. The sisters rush to his aid, but in order to take down the vamps, first they must face their dark past and break a spell that's screwing up their powers. Except this curse wasn't meant to be broken . . . and the witch who cast it isn't done toying with them yet.
When Celia receives a phone call from her ex-boyfriend Danny that he and his father are being attacked by vampires, Celia's need to protect won't let her walk away from them. But getting into a war with a crazy vampire mistress who has claimed Danny's father as her new pet, isn't what she needs right now on top of packing up to move to their new home.
Yet it is Danny who realizes that the sisters' powers have been bound by a witch and if they can locate and destroy the witch's alter, they will be able to control their gifts, rather than having them always backfire.
Knowing they need all their strengths to go up against a powerful family of vampires, their first stop is to their old neighborhood to find Tia Griselda's alter and break the spell. If they can take on a powerful witch and survive, maybe they will have what it takes to take on a mad vampire, or maybe it would be just smarter to get out of town before they make some very powerful enemies.
I enjoyed this novella which focused more on the sisters together. Although all of the Weird Girl stories are enjoyable, they are told in the first person and in the last few stories Celia is spending more time with either Misha or Aric. While those plots bring their own enjoyment, it is fun to see the sisters working, or in this case fighting, together.
This novella also gives us a better understanding of the curse which gives the sisters their powers.
This is an enjoyable series and I am looking forward to the next installment.
Received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Favorite Scene:
(Tiny scene. It made me laugh.)
I leaped from the elevated lot and landed in a deep crouch in the sand, perfectly poised and ready to haul tail across the beach.
Until my sisters and Danny landed in a heap on top of me and I ate about half a cup of sand.
They rolled off me, moaning while I hacked out the nasty mess. I scraped the excess with my nails while drooling like a dumbass. "Oops. Sorry, Celia." Emme mumbled.
Cursed by Destiny by Cecy Robson
Our giveaway winner was Elizabeth. Congratulations. Thank you to author Cecy Robson.
ORDER A COPY: Cursed By Destiny: A Weird Girls Novel
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Publishing Date: January 7, 2013
Paperback: 368 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Celia's a girl in trouble. Her heart is bound to Aric, but he is a pureblood were who must deny her or risk condemning his species to extinction. And that's just her love life. She's also been called to take down a group of demon terrorists looking to overthrow the paranormal world. (No pressure.)
In order to bring them down, Celia must ally herself to Misha, the master vampire who has made no secret of his desire for her. And if that weren't enough misfortune for one girl, a clairvoyant's prediction could destroy Celia and Aric's love for good. The only way to protect the world from unbridled supernatural terrorism is for Celia to bind herself to her destined mate. And that doesn't appear to be Aric .
Warning: Contains Spoilers if you aren't up on the series!
Celia Wird is still nursing a broken heart after left behind by her true love. Aric is from a long line of purebloods and he has been ordered by the Elder counsel to marry another pureblood to help replenish his species. But Celia has more problems than just Aric's upcoming wedding to Barbara the bitch.
Since she is unwelcome at the were's Den, Celia has been living in guesthouse on the property of Master Vampire Misha and training with his vampires. The vampires's fighting style is different from that of the wolves and Celia's training is giving her an edge she didn't have before and making her quite the powerful oddball. Living with Misha isn't without it's drawbacks, and I don't just mean the fact that his family dress like the catholic school girls out of Bren's favorite porno. Misha wants Celia to forget about the whipped Alpha dog and join him in his bed. Yet, even Misha's constant attempts at seduction and the vamp's pool on how long before Celia submits to the Master's desires, isn't Celia's biggest problem.
Celia is not the girl with the most popular dance card at the Den's Alliance celebration, not with the Elders wanting her out of Aric's life, but she has caught the interest of another big cat shifter, Tye Gris de Leone, especially once the soothsayer, Destiny, declares to all at the party that it is Tye and Celia's children who will save the world. As you can imagine, the news isn't welcomed by the two men already fighting for Celia's affection. But even her destined future with a poser like Tye isn't Celia's biggest problem.
The Tribe, which consists of evil witches and shifters who are releasing demons from Hell to impregnate unfortunate human women, has turned their full focus on Celia. Every creepy enemy whether all-powerful witch or newborn demon is whispering Celia's name. Someone has ordered a Contract Hit straight out of Hell on Celia.
With too many men vying for her attention, except the one man she wants, and every evil demon coming for Celia personally, Celia has too much to handle and just when she had reached the end of her rope, her world is again turned upside down.
This story is packed with drama, heartache and non-stop supernatural action. I don't know whether to applaud or fear an author that has no problem throwing her characters under the bus. In A Cursed Embrace, Cecy Robson doesn't hesitate to have the demon lord toss Celia's sister, Shayna, out as live dinner for demons. But having your body chewed on while you scream is tame compared to where Cecy takes her characters in this book.
Although werelion Tye comes off as a pompous jerk, as he gets to know Celia, he drops the suave wereGod fascade and he becomes a wonderful and brave character. We can definitely get behind this were. The whole Aric, Misha and now Tye love quadrangle is getting a little soap opera-ish. And between the fun and flirty Tye and the sexy, hot Misha, I never understood why Celia went for the moody, and now untouchable Aric. I am still holding a grudge against Aric not only for walking away from Celia, but for his being jealous and possessive even though he is supposed to marry someone else. He walked away from Celia. He has to marry and start a family with someone else, but he looses his mind at the thought of her being with anyone else. Really?? If you can't be with her, let her move on with her life.
I guessed who was behind all of Celia's problems and don't understand why it is not as obvious to everyone in the story. I can also see where the soap opera story arch is setting us up for the next story.
I like the characters in this series and I like the mostly fun storyline and banter. There are some very dark aspects of this story and I am hoping we soon see the end of the Demon/Tribe storyline.
Received an ARC courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.
Favorite Scene:
All I wanted was to go back to the guesthouse and lock myself in. Yet, when I saw Misha waiting for me in the garden, I knew I wouldn't be able to make my escape. Misha stood along the freshly swept stone path like a man who could crush the pyramids to dust, despite holding a Cavalier King Charles spaniel in his arms. The dog was completely enamored with Misha. It must be a girl. The bitches love Misha.
"Hello, kitten. It pleases me that you made it back safely–despite your lack of escorts." He pointedly glared at his bodyguards. Rivers of sweat ran down Hank and Tim's faces and fear of Misha's rage made them quiver. The Catholic schoolgirls wore smiles, obviously delighted they weren't the ones in trouble for once.
My hands fell to my sides. I didn't want to deal with any of this crap. "Misha, don't be mad at Hand and Tim. I'm the one who ditched them. And what the hell's up with the dog? I told you I don't want to participate in your freaky science experiments."
Misha sped to my side before I could blink. "Come now, my darling. How bad can it be?" He swatted my shoulder with the dog's tail. I already had my guard up in an attempt to block the dog's essence. It didn't help. Either i was too upset or too distracted. Whatever the reason, I crashed to the ground in a violent seizure.
Hank swore. Maria said something like, "If she dies, I call dibs on de master." A huge commotion ensured and everything became a dizzying blur of images and noise.
As my world and teeth rattled, someone lifted me from the ground. I screamed from the torturous agony the contact inflicted. In mere moments, I found myself on a very large bed. My body shrank and my ears elongated. I panted profusely, tasting merino wool as my lolling tongue scraped against the expensive fabric.
My vision cleared slowly. When I finally focused, I didn't like what I saw. Misha and his vampires had me surrounded. Most had big grins and some were shaking, trying to hold in their laughter. Misha leaned over the end, his fists digging into the mattress, his shoulders rigid. A sinister shadow darkened his stone cold features. "Whoever laughs first shall die by my hands," he said in a deadly whisper.
There was such an immediate silence, I feared I'd gone deaf. I tried to sit up. Big mistake. The supersized room spun in a stomach-lurching whirl. I quickly flopped back down and shook my head to clear it. My long ears slapped against my fuzzy face. The shake had helped some, but by then I was royally pissed off.
What the hell, Misha? I told you this was a bad idea. I can't believe you freaking did this to me. Just when I thought we were friends you had to pull a prick move like this!
That's what I was thinking. What came out was, "Woof, woof. Yip, yip, bark growl, bark!"
Liz leaned in close to my face, her ice blond hair hitting my little wet nose. "I think she's trying tell us something. Do you need to go for a walk, Celia?"
Agnes Concepcion adjusted her glasses and peered down her nose at me. "No, she wants a biscuit. Celia's always hungry."
I growled at both of them.
"She does not want a damn biscuit," Maria spat in her thick accent. "She wants ah steak."
"Is that it, Celia?" Edith asked. "Do you want a steak?"
No, I don't want a steak! I just want my body back! You all suck! Once again, "Yip, bark, bark, bark, woof," was all they heard.
Someone wanted to kill me, Aric was getting married, and I was a damn dog. I wanted to pee on the fire hydrant I called life. What I didn't know was that thing were about to get much, much worse.
Cecy (pronounced Sessy) Robson is a full-time writer, registered nurse, wife, and mother living in the Great Northwest. A member of Romance Writers of America, she attributes her passion for storytelling to the rough New Jersey neighborhood she was raised in. As a child, she was rarely allowed to leave the safety of her house and passed her time fantasizing about flying, fairies, and things that go bump in the night. Gifted and cursed with an overactive imagination, she began writing in May 2009. Her Weird Girls Urban Fantasy Romance series is published with Penguin Random House's Signet Eclipse and released to stellar praise from multiple reviewers including: Publisher's Weekly, USA Today, and Romantic Times. THE WEIRD GIRLS: A Novella, SEALED WITH A CURSE, and A CURSED EMBRACE are now available. A CURSED MOON: A Novella, releases December 3, 2013, followed by CURSED BY DESTINY, January 7, 2014.
Website: www.cecyrobson.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cecyrobson
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Cecy.Robson.Author
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomCecyRobsonAuthor
A Cursed Moon by Cecy Robson
ORDER A COPY: A Cursed Moon: A Weird Girls Novella (A Penguin Special from Signet Eclipse)
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Publishing Date: December 3, 2013
Paperback: 217 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Meet the furry big brother that the Wird sisters never had…
Bren is a cocky, brash hound of a werewolf who loathes the idea of belonging to Aric's pack—much less finding a mate. But Bren's hotheaded behavior lands him in the doghouse when he defies Aric's authority in front of his pack, bringing up a sore subject that's bound to make the Alpha wolf's blood boil…
Luckily for him, no one can stay mad at Bren and his wild charm for long. And when some frightening ghosts launch a hostile paranormal takeover, Bren will team up with Celia to take down the evil ghouls before they hurt someone they both love…
Bren is a lone wolf—or werewolf that is. He has been without a pack since his parents died when he was a kid and the elder's wouldn't allow him to join his father's pack. Bren is okay with that because his "pack" consists of the people who matter to him: his roommate, Dan and Celia Wird and her sisters. They are the only people he can count on, the only people he can trust, and the only people he would die to protect.
And to protect those he loves against the growing danger from the demons and the witches of The Tribe that keep calling together the evilest of supernaturals, he would even agree to join Aric's pack, even though the pure-blooded bastard broke Celia's heart.
That doesn't mean he is going to play by Aric's rules like a good little pup. Bren's mouth has a habit of writing checks his ass can't cash and mouthing off to an alpha-were might not always be the best way to show that you are willing to be part of the pack.
When their friend Dan is kidnapped by soul-sucking ghouls, Bren has to quickly decide if he can trust the pack or will he and Celia go it alone to find Dan before it is too late.
As the Weird Girl series is told by Celia's point of view, this was interesting to read from Bren's perspective. He gives us some insight into his friendships with Dan and Celia and why he they mean so much to him. We also learn why he is a lone wolf and why he likes it that way.
This story continues on from where we left off after A Cursed Embrace. There is plenty of action since the witch is now calling forth cursed souls and will try to possess bodies and they keep showing up around Bren and Celia.
It was an enjoyable addition to the series and gives Celia's friends a little more depth to their characters. I don't know what I enjoyed more: watching Bren torment his roommate Dan or Celia, Bren mouthing off to Aric, Bren riling up Aric's new fiance or the always entertaining disapproving neighbor, Mrs. Mancuso.
Received an ARC courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.
Favorite Scene:
I jumped out and ambled toward the blue Colonial. Mrs. Mancuso, the girls' elderly neighbor, was sweeping her front steps by the light of her lawn jockey's lantern, a freak-ass little statue with bright red pants and a lazy eye. Despite the late hour she brushed her little broom back and forth with quick precise motions, even though any sap could have eaten off of the wooden steps as they were. She was probably bored, and lonely. The Wird sisters seemed to be her only form of entertainment.
She buttoned the top of her coat to protect her frail body against the cold. As a were, I'd keep the majority of my strength and reflexes till my dying day. Little old humans like her didn't have that luxury. I grinned with my new set of chompers and winked her way. "Hey, sex-uh lady."
Mrs. Mancuso smiled and tucked her neck skin into her brown wool scarf. "Oh, Brendan, you're such a good boy to flirt with an old lady." She furrowed her penciled in brows and glanced over at Celia's former home sweet home. "Too good a boy in fact to be hanging out with those Wird girls."
I nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, Mrs. M, I'm trying to help them see the light. I plan to spend the next few hours reading to them from the Bible. They'll come around, just leave it to me."
The front door of the Wird house crashed open. There stood Celia—five-foot-three inches of long lethal muscles in skinny jeans and a tight white long sleeved T-shirt. The breeze picked up, sweeping her long mane of brown curls around her face. She pushed her hair out of the way, exposing her narrowing green eyes. Her supersized hearing had obviously picked up my chat with their not-so-favorite neighbor.
I waved. "Hey, Ceel. What's wrong? Still mad I made you cancel your porn subscription?"
It was really hard not to laugh at her reaction. Celia subscribing to porn was like me joining a Justin Bieber fan club—so not happening. Her eyes shot open only to narrow further at Mrs. Mancuso's stiff, reprimanding middle finger.
Celia stormed to the edge of her front porch, and while a wide driveway separated both houses, I still caught her golden skin reddening beneath the whitening glare of her porch light. "Mrs. Mancuso, I do not have a porn—"
"Harlot!" Mrs. Mancuso shot back. She lifted her broom defensively, daring Celia to cross the driveway and step foot on her property. Celia pinched the bridge of her nose. In a Mancuso/Celia Wird smack-down, Mrs. M won every time. Not that Celia couldn't crush her like a fistful of berries, but because Ceel didn't pick on those weaker than her, no matter how much they annoyed her.
I placed my hand on Mrs M's shoulder. "It's okay, honey-bunches. I won't stop until the sin is washed from her wanton soul."
"Bren, that's enough out of you."
Mrs. M patted my arm, ignoring Celia. "You're a good boy, Branden," she said once more.
She flipped Celia off again before shuffling into her house.
A Cursed Moon includes a preview of the upcoming Weird Girls novel Cursed by Destiny!
Cecy (pronounced Sessy) Robson is a full-time writer, registered nurse, wife, and mother living in the Great Northwest. A member of Romance Writers of America, she attributes her passion for storytelling to the rough New Jersey neighborhood she was raised in. As a child, she was rarely allowed to leave the safety of her house and passed her time fantasizing about flying, fairies, and things that go bump in the night. Gifted and cursed with an overactive imagination, she began writing in May 2009. Her Weird Girls Urban Fantasy Romance series is published with Penguin Random House's Signet Eclipse and released to stellar praise from multiple reviewers including: Publisher's Weekly, USA Today, and Romantic Times. THE WEIRD GIRLS: A Novella, SEALED WITH A CURSE, and A CURSED EMBRACE are now available. A CURSED MOON: A Novella, releases December 3, 2013, followed by CURSED BY DESTINY, January 7, 2014.
Website: www.cecyrobson.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cecyrobson
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Cecy.Robson.Author
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomCecyRobsonAuthor
A Cursed Embrace by Cecy Robson
ORDER A COPY: A Cursed Embrace: A Weird Girls Novel
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Publishing Date: July 2, 2013
Paperback: 368 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other twenty-something girls—with one tiny exception: They are the products of a curse that backfired and gave each of them unique powers that made them, well, a little weird…
After Celia Wird and her sisters help master vampire Misha save his family, their powers are exposed to the supernatural community of the Lake Tahoe region. But fame comes at a price, and being "weird" isn't always welcome.
To make matters worse, Celia desires the love of Alpha werewolf Aric, but his pack is bent on destroying their relationship to preserve his pureblood status. And once weres start turning up dead—with evidence pointing to the vampires—she must face the prospect of losing Aric forever. But the chaos only masks a new threat. An evil known as the Tribe has risen—and their sights are set on Celia and her sisters.
In her second book of the Weird Girls series, Cecy Robson takes us on an action packed adventure involving nausea-inducing demons, and a rollercoaster ride of emotions as things between Celia and Aric heat up, yet vampire master, Misha, isn't going to wait quietly in the wings to see if love blossoms.
Celia and her sisters are humans who were cursed at birth. Celia can shift into a tiger, always ready to protect her younger sisters. Taran harnesses the power of fire. Shayna can turn any metal into a blade and any wood into a weapon. Little sister, Emme, has the ability to heal her sisters, as well as move things with her mind.
As we begin book 2, Celia's sisters, Shayna and Emme are settling into their new romances with their werewolf boyfriends, while Taran is frustrated with Gemini's overprotective, but standoffish demeanor. Celia would even welcome a pat on the head from werewolf Alpha Aric, at least she would have a better understanding where she stands with him. As always, Celia knows that vampire Master Misha would welcome more than just a friendly relationship with Celia.
Little did Celia know that the day she had a wereraccoon's dead body in her living room would be the most normal day for her in long, long time. Someone has unleashed evil into Tahoe and it's focusing all its attention on the Wird sisters.
When couples start going missing, the weres start investigating only to find the partially eaten corpses of the men. Only they got off easy. What is happening to the women is the stuff out of nightmares. Someone has unleashed a demon from hell who is trying to spawn his own demon army—using the unwilling human women as hosts. Now, spawning with human women does the job, but he has his sights on the enchanted Wird sisters. They would bring an essence of magic to his spawn.
Demons are not known for waiting patiently for what they want. While Celia and her sisters are quite a force together, they are also protected by Aric and his werewolves and Misha and his vampires. But if you wait long enough and cause enough chaos, a clever demon might just get what he's after.
Wow!! Fighting, sex, magic, werewolves, vampires, maggot-filled demons, cranky old neighbors…this book has it all, and makes damn good use of them all.
It was a little slow in the beginning and I started out feeling a little disappointed since I was so looking forward to Book 2. It was still funny and enjoyable but not all that exciting…oh boy, was I wrong. When she started adding demon spawn, the action took off like a bat out of hell (he,he) and just didn't stop. Now, the demon raping (not described in detail, thankfully) turns this fun Urban Fantasy series a little gruesome, but there is no doubt that it added some nail-biting excitement every time a demon managed to get too close to a Wird sister.
Add to this a rollercoaster rider of emotions as things between Aric and Celia start heating up. Although the naked monkey sex brings them in the direction that Celia wanted to go, you can tell Aric is holding back and you don't know why, and you can only worry if he's going to break Celia's heart in the end. Throw in a sexy vampire that wants the same girl to stir up the pot, and you've got an emotional love triangle worth watching.
I absolutely loved this story and can't imagine how she's going to top this with her next book, but I am excited to see what happens next.
Received an ARC courtesy of the author and publisher. Thank you.
Our giveaway winner was Tracy. Congratulations!
Cecy (pronounced Sessy) Robson is an author with Penguin's SIGNET ECLIPSE. She attributes her passion for story-telling back to the rough New Jersey neighborhood she was raised in. As a child, she was rarely allowed to leave the safety of her house and passed her time fantasizing about flying, fairies, and things that go bump in the night. Gifted and cursed with an overactive imagination, she began writing her Urban Fantasy Romance Series, Weird Girls, in May 2009. THE WEIRD GIRLS: A Novella and SEALED WITH A CURSE are now available. A CURSED EMBRACE, releases July 2, 2013 followed by A CURSED MOON: An eSpecial Novella December 2013, and CURSED BY DESTINY, January 2014.
Website: www.cecyrobson.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cecyrobson
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Cecy.Robson.Author
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomCecyRobsonAuthor
Favorite Scene:
So many great scenes, so hard to decide…
"Please sit, Celia, so that I may tend to your wounds."
The redhead spread a blanket on the ground and motioned me to it. I did as Misha asked and positioned myself on the ground, holding tight to my wound. Misha moved my hand with ease and spread my knees apart. Like an idiot, I forgot vampires didn't use first aid kits. A gush of blood spurted out and splattered against the blanket. Misha didn't panic. He bent forward and licked the inside of my thigh very slowly. The wound sealed, but he didn't stop. He continued to lick me in teasing strokes, sending a wave of paralyzing chills up my spine. And call me crazy, but I failed to see how his look of seduction was beneficial to my injury.
"Ah…What?…I…" Words failed me. It took another flick of his tongue to finally jar me out of my shock. I slammed my knees together and quickly scrambled to the edge of the blanket. But I was too late. From nowhere, a snarling wolf appeared at my shoulder.
Aric changed back to human. Misha rose to meet him. They stood nose-to-nose. The scent of Aric's fury scorched the air around us. Misha remained blissfully calm. After all, he'd just eaten. Challenging growls and hissing surrounded us as Misha's vampires and Aric's wolves prepared to attack.
I squeezed between them in an attempt to prevent all-out war. "Aric, stop." I tried to push him back, yet couldn't even manage to nudge him. Aric typically out-muscled me, but at the moment he was an impenetrable wall of livid energy. I didn't want them to fight, and I sure as hell didn't want anyone to die. So I threw in my only weapon—the weak and helpless card.
"Aric, please, Misha just saved me from a bunch of weres.
"I was coming for you!"
"Yes, but you might have been too late. I was already badly wounded, and the weres had caught up to me. Misha was just trying to help."
"By trying to seduce you?" Aric's muscles tensed and shook violently beneath my hands.
My breath sputtered as I released it. "I was bleeding from a deep wound in my thigh. All he did was seal it." I glanced back at Misha, hoping he'd back up what I was saying. He didn't. Bastard.
Aric ground his teeth. "What is he even doing here?"
Misha flashed him one of the wickedest smiles in his arsenal. "Celia was in danger and thought my name. Thus, I responded. And now that I have tasted her blood, our call is that much stronger."
Great. More bars, in more places. Having a vampire's digits just got better and better.
Aric went perfectly still. In a way, that was way scarier than the angry, growling, red-faced wolf he'd been seconds before. I swallowed hard. The weak and helpless card clearly wasn't working, so I tried to reason with him. My hand gently touched his face. "Aric, this is not the time. Something terrible is happening. We were attacked by vampires several months back. Yesterday it was a horde of demon children, and today some strange weres. What's going to happen tomorrow? Misha isn't the enemy. We have to figure out who is."
Misha whipped his head away from Aric to glare at me. "You were attacked by a horde of demon children yesterday? And you did not inform me?"
I threw my hands in the air. Great, now they're both pissed at me.
Sealed with a Curse by Cecy Robson
ORDER A COPY: Sealed With a Curse: A Weird Girls Novel
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Publishing Date: December 31, 2012
Paperback: 368 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other 20-something girls—with one tiny exception: they're products of a backfired curse that has given each of them unique powers that make them, well, weird…
The Wird sisters are content to avoid the local vampires, werebeasts, and witches of the Lake Tahoe region—until one of them blows up a vampire in self-defense. Everyone knows vampires aren't aggressive, and killing one is punishable by death. But soon more bloodlust-fueled attacks occur, and the community wonders: are the vampires of Tahoe cursed with a plague?
Celia reluctantly agrees to help Misha, the handsome leader of an infected vampire family. But Aric, the head of the werewolf pack determined to destroy Misha's family to keep the region safe, warns Celia to stay out of the fight. Caught between two hot alphas, Celia must find a way to please everyone, save everyone, and oh yeah, not lose her heart to the wrong guy—or die a miserable death. Because now that the evil behind the plague knows who Celia is, it's coming for her and her sisters. This Wird girl has never had it so tough.
Cecy Robson's debute novel, Sealed with a Curse, focuses on Celia Wird and her sisters, brutally nicknamed "the weird sisters" since school. The sisters were just plain old humans who were cursed at birth. But that curse became a gift…sort of. Celia can shift into a tiger. Just don't get her too close to any other animal spirit, or she can end up shifting against her will. No new puppies for these sisters. Taran is the supersexy/badass sister who can harnesses the power of fire. Shayna can turn any metal into a blade and any wood into a weapon. ("Luke Skywalker could suck it. He had nothing on Shayna.") Little sister, Emme, has the ability to heal her sisters. She can also use The Force…I mean, she can move things with her mind. Together these sisters are formidable, but they have been trying all their lives to stay under the supernatural radar, not wanting their odd presence known to be the weres, vampires and witches that live nearby.
That was going well for them until Taran had a date gone bad with a vampire and it took all four sisters to bring him down. They were then "requested" to show up to Vampire Court to be held accountable for their actions. When it was determined that the vampire was acting under bloodlust, they were excused with the Court's apologize, but now it is too late. Nowadays they have supernatural stalkers hiding in their bushes trying to get a look at the weird sisters of Tahoe.
Now the very elegant, powerful and very rich Master Vampire, Sir Misha Aleksandr is fascinated by the lovely and spirited Celia and he wants her help to find out who is attacking his family. Of course, he would also do anything to get Celia into his bed.
While helping Misha hunt down infected vampires might not be every girl's dream date, it does bring Celia face to face with the gorgeous, sex-on-a-stick Alpha werewolf, Aric Connor. Aric and his pack of werewolves believe themselves to be guardians of the earth and it is their duty to protect the humans from the bloodlusted vampires, not Celia's. So Aric will do anything to keep Celia safe…and out of Misha's bed.
Although Celia attempts to get these two powerful, supernatural alpha males to work together to protect the poor, unsuspecting humans who are being treated like blood-filled tic-tacs by the infected vampires, it seems Misha and Aric are more concerned about who gets to play patty cake with Celia.
With vampires and werewolves drawing battle lines in the sand, it is up to Celia and her sisters to find out who is behind the bloodlust, keep the locals safe…and to keep that wereraccooon out of their garbage. Dude, put on some pants!
This was an incredibly entertaining story. It had a great blend of humor, action and romance. It was written in a first person perspective, told by Celia, who is funny and quirky and it is delightful to be in her head. You can see why all the delicious supernatural hotties want a bite out of the charming Celia. This 20-something is not as popular with the boys as her sisters, due to her inner-tiger scaring them away, so she is uncomfortable with all the attention she is receiving, but not to the point it is awkward. She's more baffled.
There is a prequel that I have to pick up which I am sure focuses on all the sisters.
I don't know yet if this is a series or a trilogy, but it seems Book #2 (which comes out July 2nd) is also told by Celia. I can't wait to see where that goes.
Although I don't believe this is marketed at a young adult book, I will note that there are no sex scenes and only a few subtle sexual references such as "making my girly parts tingle". It was delightful and entertaining without the full sexual assault that some books have. Maybe you could share this with your older teens (parent's discretion).
Definitely pick this up if you like your paranormal with a twist of fun.
Received an ARC from the publisher. Thank you.
Favorite Scene:
This is one of those stories with a little of great little scenes all throughout the book, so trying to pick one favorite was really hard.
"Have you done this before?"
Aric nodded. "Fairly frequently. Our young wolves like to roughhouse. Learning to realign bones prevents them from mending incorrectly, since our healing ability is so fast." He shrugged. "Otherwise we'd have to re-break their bones every time they got hurt."
I didn't know Aric. Not really. But for some odd reason, I trusted him. "Okay. Whenever you're ready."
And that's when Aric took of his shirt.
The soft fabric skimmed over perfectly golden skin and rock-hard abdominals tight enough to launch a brick into orbit. A whisper of hair traveled the length of his belly button to where his jeans hung low on his hips.
Aric stopped removing his shirt when he pulled it just above his small, erect nipples. This wasn't real. This was some kind of Hollywood hottie video shoot on TV and all I wanted to do was hit pause.
"What's wrong, Celia?"
I whipped around to face Mrs. Mancuso's house, mortified to be actually gawking and possibly drooling.
I focused hard on Mancuso's lawn jockey. It was forty freaking degrees and the breeze from the lake had picked up. I should have been cold, but Aric and his eight-pack warmed my core just fine and dandy. "Wha—what are you doing?" I managed to stammer, whereas my tigress insisted I should shut the hell up, turn back around, and enjoy the show.
Aric edged his way around to face me, removing and twisting his shirt around his neck with each step before fully slipping it on backwards to the clean side. "I have to hold you against me in order to adjust your shoulder. There's blood all over the front of my shirt. I didn't want to get any on you." He explained.
"Thanks," I said a little too high-pitched for my normally husky voice. "I appreciate that."
Aric quirked a brow, but when he inhaled my scent his eyes widened with surprise. He was silent for several seconds before gesturing to my arm. "Are you sure you want me to do this?"
There were many, many things I wanted Aric to do, and none of them pertained to my busted shoulder. Yowza. I needed to take a cold shower, and possibly invest in electronic devices.
Right. I focused on the pain and hoped I wouldn't go down like a wimp. I nodded and closed my eyes. "Go ahead."
Aric's strong arms wrapped me in a bear hug, his contact hard and gentle all at once. For the second time that night, his body heat encased me. My face fell against his muscular chest. My God, the aromatic blend of his scent mixed with musk from battle drove my tigress insane. Don't purr. Don't purr. Oh, Jesus, please don't let me purr.
Aric's voice tightened. "Your heart's racing…"


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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Moonkin + Heroic Leap = Winged Flight.
Moonkin + Heroic Leap = Winged Flight.
The Druid gains the ability to fly at 150% speed for 5 seconds. Breaks all movement impairing effects and makes the druid immune to them for the duration. Can be used in combat. Must be used in Moonkin Form.
(Plus we get to look super silly flapping our wings! ^_^ )
-Brings in the mobility you spoke of
-Is great in PvE for moving out of things
-Great in PvP for carrying the flag up a ledge like a warrior can, or to LoS in arenas.

subset: commoncrawl


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Diabetes Health Center
Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Plan Begins With Attack on Insulin Resistance
Sept. 21, 1999 (Orlando) -- It's no secret that type 2 diabetes is a rapidly-growing problem in the United States. Type 2 diabetes is the type that affects adults and does not usually require insulin injections. In addition to treating diabetes, experts now have to grapple with how to stop and reverse this alarming trend. According to one expert, James R. Gavin III, MD, PhD, resistance of the body to the effects of insulin is the earliest manifestation of type 2 diabetes, so effective treatment begins with a plan aimed at controlling insulin resistance.
High blood sugar after eating, also known as postprandial hyperglycemia, is the first marker of insulin resistance and can be detected even in very young children, says Gavin, even before full-blown diabetes develops. Gavin, senior scientific officer at Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Chevy Chase, Md., lectured on new options in treatment of type 2 diabetes at the 51st Annual Scientific Assembly of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Too much sugar in the blood can be measured in blood drawn 60 to 90 minutes after meals, says Gavin, but he adds that obesity is a good indicator that insulin resistance may be present. "So the first step in treatment of the patient who presents with only postprandial hyperglycemia should be diet and exercise," he says.
Type 2 diabetes, according to Gavin, is a "chronic disease that layers on complications. So treatment has to be approached the same way: layering on treatments to treat the underlying causes."
Following that approach, he says if the patient fails to lose 10-15% of body weight on a low-calorie but well-balanced diet, treatment with Precose, a medication that decreases absorption of sugars into the body from the intestine, should be initiated.
The next step in treatment should be the use of medications that act on the liver and muscle such as Glucophage and Rezulin. "Exercise jogs the muscle to overcome insulin resistance, but you can't jog the liver with exercise, so we use these drugs," he says.
"Either of these can be used in combination with insulin," says Gavin. "Insulin, it should be realized, is yet another step in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It should not be [avoided]."
Although he is an advocate of this multistep approach, sometimes treatment will begin at the top and step down from there. For example, Gavin says that some patients may "arrive at the office with a blood sugar of more than 300. These patients should be started on insulin and [other drugs] to get them under control. But remember, what you start with is not binding. You can start with a treatment -- even insulin -- and then switch to another treatment as long as one keeps in mind the treatment goal. "That treatment goal," he says, "is control of blood sugar levels and control of the disease, including a fasting blood sugar of less than 120."
Is This Normal? Get the Facts Fast!
Your level is currently
If the level is below 70 or you are experiencing symptoms such as shaking, sweating or difficulty thinking, you will need to raise the number immediately. A quick solution is to eat a few pieces of hard candy or 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Recheck your numbers again in 15 minutes to see if the number has gone up. If not, repeat the steps above or call your doctor.
People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
Congratulations on taking steps to manage your health.
However, it's important to continue to track your numbers so that you can make lifestyle changes if needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
Your level is high if this reading was taken before eating. Aim for 70-130 before meals and less than 180 two hours after meals.
Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.
One of the first steps is to monitor your levels each day. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
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Use the Blood Glucose Tracker to monitor
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Wailea Condo Rental Photos and Description
Condo, 2 Bedrooms + Loft, 2 Baths, (Sleeps 4-6)
SUMMER SPECIAL - back by popular demand - '7th Night Free' May to November
This outstanding condo, situated in the Kihei Hale Kamaole Resort, features ocean views from every room! Watch the whales from our lanai. The two bedroom plus loft, split level unit has over 1300 square feet of living area.
Completely furnished in a casual, comfortable island décor, this townhome features ceiling fans in every room and air conditioning in the bedrooms for your comfort and enjoyment. The condo has been recently remodeled, with granite in the kitchen, and new tile floors. and an insulated ceiling to help keep the unit cool. The downstairs bath was remodeled in 2009 with a designer tiled shower. The upstairs bath was remodeled in 2010, with a glass block wall separating the dressing area from the designer tile walk-in shower, providing lots of natural light. The living room was recently redecorated, with new furniture and carpet. The kitchen has been remodeled and is fully-equipped for every cooking need. We've added amenities that most vacation rentals don't provide, such as wireless high speed broadband cable internet access, a computer printer (for your pc), beach chairs, picnic supplies, full size washer/dryer, etc. There are two pillow top twin beds in downstairs bedroom (that may be 'converted' to a King), a queen pillow top bed in upstairs bedroom and a queen sofabed in the loft.
The development has a tennis court, swimming pools, large barbecues, commercial laundry facilities, as well as spacious landscaped grounds. Our unit has a great views from every room, including of the ocean, Molokini, Haleakala, and West Maui. It is located directly across from Kamaole III State Beach Park, which is known as one of the most beautiful and safest beaches in the Islands. It is perfect for swimming, snorkeling, sunning, jogging, picnicking, kite flying, and especially whale watching.
Kihei is located about 20 minutes away from the Kahului Airport, on the sunny southwest corner of Maui. Hale Kamaole is one and a half miles north of Wailea, a beautiful planned development which features magnificent 18 hole golf courses, shops, boutiques, restaurants, Polynesian entertainment, and the amenities of several luxury resort hotels, including the Mariott, Grand Wailea, Kea Lani, and Four Seasons. The Aquarium is also nearby. Lahaina and Kaanapali attractions are also within an easy drive.
A $200 per week deposit is required to reserve the unit, with the balance due 90 days prior to your arrival date. To reserve, please send email with your requested arrival and departure dates, name and address.
Keywords: Condominium
- Suitability:
- pets not allowed
- wheelchair accessible
- children welcome
- non smoking only
About Brenda Lane
Mark and Brenda - From San Diego, we currently reside in Aptos, Santa Cruz County (near San Francisco). We have owned our condo for over 25 years. Our friends and family have enjoyed using the condo over the years. All five of our nephews spent their honeymoons at the condo, and have returned with their families. We look forward to sharing our island home with you.
Brenda Lane purchased this condo in 1984
Why Brenda Lane chose Wailea
We knew that we loved Kihei from our previous visits. The complex is ideally located - an easy walk across the street to a great beach with restrooms and park, and also to restaurants and shopping. Then, we knew this was the one when we saw the view from the condo.
What makes this condo unique
The condo set-up and complex are very family friendly. We love the location. Mark likes to run in the morning, and runs towards Wailea. I walk, usually towards Kihei. The pool is perfect for swimming laps. Kamaole 3 Beach across the street is one of the nicest beaches on Maui, with good swimming and snorkeling. It also has a protected cove area great for small children and easy snorkeling. Everyone seems to enjoy sharing stories and recipes at the community barbecue.


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£1,900 raised at The Bugle's Charity Cricket Challenge in Hamble.
The Victory Team were victorious in an exciting final won by 1 run scored off the last ball in the final over of the match.
On Sunday 27th July, Hamble village pubs The Bugle, King & Queen, The Victory and Ye Olde Whyte Harte all fielded teams for the coveted Bugle Charity Cricket Challenge Cup. The annual contest is organised by The Bugle in order to raise money for the John Merricks Sailing Trust.
The day kicked off in glorious sunshine and gazebos were duly erected all around the pavilion for the players and supporters, and the later clouds gave some welcome shade. The 1st match saw The Bugle team batting and the King & Queen's wicket keeper, receiving first blood as a ball caught him squarely on the nose. Luckily for Dan, Dr Tommo was waiting to bat for The Bugle team, so was on hand to stitch him up on the nearest bench with help from his sister in law and daughter!
Ian Walker, JMST Trustee, double Olympic silver medallist and Volvo Ocean Race skipper, who sailed with John Merricks at the Atlanta Games in 1992 where they won a silver medal in the 470 class, arrived and joined The Bugle team for some fielding action. Sadly even Ian's cricketing skills were no match for the King & Queen's batsmen and The Bugle team lost the match
With the sun blazing down and spectators setting up camps around the playing fields, the scene was set for the next game, which was won by the The Victory against Ye Olde Whyte Harte.
With everyone filled with BBQ food and beer, put on by The Bugle, the losing teams returned to the crease for a semi final match, with The Bugle winning Bronze position over Ye Olde Whyte Harte.
The Final began with the King & Queen's 'Master Batters' scoring a century in their 10 overs and with The Victory sitting on 47 runs in the sixth over it certainly looked like it was all over for their team, however they soon increased their run rate with JJ Richmond on the crease and in the final over they suddenly hit 100 runs with two balls left to play. On the last ball Akers scored a run and The Victory's supporters stormed the pitch!
The best bit… a fantastic total of £1,900 was raised through the raffle, The Bugle's Bar & BBQ and Team entry fees.
The Bugle's Bar & BBQ operates on a non-profit basis and all takings are donated to the JMST. The Bugle generously donates the supplies and resources for this event. http://www.buglehamble.co.uk
Many local businesses support the event by donating wonderful raffle prizes namely: The White Star Tavern; The Bugle; Grapefruit Graphics, The King & Queen; The Victory; Ye Olde Whyte Harte; La Dolce Vita; Katie Mawson Floral Design; The Bespoke Cake Studio, Botley Mills; Bonne Bouche; Force 4 Dinghy Centre; Andark Diving and Watersports; Force 4 Chandlery; Blue Bijou; Tim Hughes at Baxter Cusack; Sea, Sky, Art; Debbie Phillips (nee Fitzgibbon) at Sea Sky Art and Jeeves Boutique.
For photos see our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jmst.uk
The Tiger roared as 166 braved the Rutland Challenge.
Ignoring the dire weather forecasts of extreme wind, rain, snow, and high tides, 166 boatloads of winter warriors from all over the UK came to Rutland for this year's 2 day 'Challenge' for the John Merricks Tiger Trophy. Half of the proceeds of the event go to the Trust, established after John's death to support youth sailing. This was also the final regatta of the closely fought GJW Direct Sailjuice Winter series and SailRacer provided their Sail Trackers to monitor the situation, thankfully sponsored by Rule 26.
The largest British lake avoided the high tides and snow and the sun shone all weekend but it could not avoid the strengthening south easterly wind on Saturday. The actual 10 knots was a lot better than forecast and at the briefing from Race Officer David Wilkins, this had increased to 15, gusting 22, as confirmed from his large and well practiced race team monitoring from the racecourse. Three races were scheduled and by the start of the first fast fleet race, the wind had increased to 18, gusting 24, and progressively increased during the course of the race.
The gusts were getting bigger and, depending on the situation, incredibly exciting or almost uncontrollable. The race team decided to finish the race after two laps for the fast and one lap for the slow boats. There were some great examples of boat handling skills in what were very difficult gusty conditions. In the fast fleet the 29er of Connellan/Alloway, Fireballs of Burge/Wagstaff, Batchelor/Clark and Birrell/Brearey and the 505 of Smith/Needham and in the "Slow" fleet, the 420 of Riley/Taylor and a great battle of the Lasers between Wetherell and Simpson – with Wetherell coming out on top followed by the Scorpion of McKee/Massey. These were being pushed all the way by a Flying 15, Solos, Enterprise, Laser 2000 and others.
The comment afterwards from competitors was about the "hairy downwind legs with big gusts hitting hard". This decimated the fleet – with 45 boats finishing from over 100 starters. Then AP over H (racing postponed return to shore) was flown after race 1 and no more racing was possible on Saturday. The safety teams which included the local Army and RAF crews under the experienced direction of Dick Richardson, Rutland's safety coxswain, were very busy rescuing boats who got into trouble.
The caterers were ready for the early retiring fleet with food and Tiger beer supplied as usual by local brewers Everards who also supplied the prizes. Tony Everard, the past President of the company gave John his first 420 'Rutland Challenge' .While competitors retired to the lounge to reflect on their brief but exciting time on the racecourse and watch the rugby, the club was prepared for the Tiger Dinner.
This year, the 'black tie' code was reintroduced and a comprehensive carvery was served. Before Dennis Merricks, John's father thanked everyone for coming; the Commodore was presented with the 'John Merricks Tiger Club' trophy, newly introduced to encourage greater club participation. A total of 78 clubs were represented in the entries, but most by only one boat. When the Tiger started, John was the only RSC member to take part, this year they had the greatest number and it is hoped that other clubs take this Trophy away from them in the future.
Ian Walker had 'flown in' and he presented three Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing caps to Huw Farmer, Oliver Mills and Morgan Plant, first recipients of the John Merricks Sailing Trust starter boats administered through the RYA OnBoard scheme. This 5 year scheme to supply some 70 Toppers, Optimists, Lasers and Bic Techno boards to young sailors at the very beginning of their sailing was introduced following a discussion at last years dinner when Rod Carr was the guest.
This year's Guest of Honour was Chris Draper who won the trophy 19 years ago. He spoke of his recollections of John and his recent experiences as helm of Luna Rossa in last years America's Cup. He reflected on the death of Bart Simpson as well and concluded that sailors gathered strength from mutual support in adversity and welcomed the newest 10 year olds sitting next to him. He had brought with him, a shiny silver wetsuit made by Prada, which was auctioned along with other significant items to raise even more money for the Trust. The evening concluded with some vigorous dancing to 'Bodgers Mate'.
Back row l - r: David Wilkins, Nick Clarke, Dennis Merricks, Ian Walker, Chris Draper, Dick Sanders.
Front Row: Huw Farmer, Oliver Mills, Morgan Plant
The weather forecast on Sunday was always better than Saturdays and so it proved with perfect sailing conditions for this 2 hour pursuit race in 15 knots of breeze with the odd gust to 20.
SailTracker units were attached to the top 10 of the GJW Direct Sailjuice Winter Series attending as well as representatives of the other classes to give a rough spread of the race online. Trackers were also placed on the marks, lead boat and starter boat. Spectators in the clubhouse could monitor the race on screen as well as being updated by commentary from the lead boat. Visibility from the Club terrace enabled the whole racecourse to be covered.
The race started on time with the Topper of Alex Hughes and William Russell remaining in the lead for nearly half the race before being overtaken firstly by the Miracle of Sam Mettam / Sophie Holden, then the 420 of Tim Riley / James Taylor and the 29er of Ed Connellan / Will Calloway. The 29er pulled past the 420 with about 30 minutes to go and started to pull ahead. Meanwhile, the RS800 of Roger Philips and Will Crocker, 29er of Andrew Kilburn / Hugh Ward and 505 of Andy Smith / Tim Needham and a gaggle of Fireballs led by Dave Wade / Tim Hartley and Musto Skiffs led by Richard Stenhouse were closing in on the slower boats.
With 45 minutes to go to the end of the race the foiling Moths started and had to "unlap themselves" by 1.5 laps before they even registered on the leader-board. Simon Hiscocks pulled away from Chris Draper and he was literally 'flying' covering a lap in 15 minutes and averaging 22 kts when the average fleet speed was 8.6 kts (data care of SailTracker). Coming towards the end of the race, the Connellan / Alloway 29er had a clear lead but then capsized as they were dropping their kite. At this point, it became a battle between them and the Phillips RS800. At the finish, the 29er won by less than a boat length from the RS800. Andy Smiths 505 had cut through to 3rd place followed very closely by the 29er of Kilburn/Ward and 420 of Riley / Taylor. Wade and Hartley led a strong group of Fireballs and Stenhouse kept his lead on Ben Schooling in the Musto Skiffs.
While the 23 strong race team reconciled the finish at the six possible finish lines, the fleet packed their boats and the trophies and prizes were laid out. Dennis Merricks was on hand to make the presentations and the Tony Everard Trophy (Winner on Saturday) was awarded to Matt Burge and Richard Wagstaff (Fireball-Poole YC). All the other results were dependent on the pursuit so the overall winner of the Tiger Trophy and winner of the John Merricks Pursuit Trophy was Ed Connellan and Will Alloway (29er Rutland SC) sailing for the first time together.
Dennis Merricks with winners Ed Connellan and Will Alloway
The Junior Trophy (Under 16) was awarded to James Grummett and Daniel Budden (29er Burwain SC) and the Shere Khan Trophy went to Andy Dring and Simon Laken (Laser 2000 Rutland SC). The Lady Tiger Trophy was initially awarded to Lottie Harland (Laser Radial Burghfield / Hayling Island SC), also JMST award winner in 2011, who was one of a small number of girls to finish both races but after further checking, Val Millward (Challenger Rutland SC) was declared the winner.
Dennis Merricks with Lady Tiger Trophy winner Val Milward
Top 10 results were:-
1st – Ed Connelan & Will Alloway (29er Rutland SC)
2nd - Tim Riley & James Taylor (420 Warsash SC)
3rd - Andy Smith & Tim Needham (505 Notts County)
4th - Matt Burge & Richard Wagstaff (Fireball Pool YC)
5th- Nathan Batchelor & James Clark (Fireball - Tynemouth SC)
6th - Christian Birrell & Sam Breary (Fireball)
7th - Henry Wetherell (Laser Beaver SC)
8th - Andy Dring & Simon Laken (Laser 2000 Rutland SC)
9th - Dave Hall & Paul Constable (Fireball Thorpe Bay YC)
10th - Ian Dobson & Ben Ainsworth (Fireball SMVC)
Fleet Prizes
420 - Tim Riley & James Taylor (Warsash SC)
29er - Ed Connellan & Will Alloway (Rutland SC)
Fireball - Matt Burge & Richard Wagstaff (Poole YC)
Moth - Simon Hiscocks (Weymouth PNSA)
Laser - Henry Wetherell (Beaver SC)
Laser Radial - Daniel Wigmore (Grafham Water SC)
Merlin Rocket - Richard Whitworth & Emma Norris (Parkstone & Hollingworth
Musto Skiff - Richard Stenhouse (Rutland SC)
Rutland Sailing Club members
Everards Brewery
Rutland Chandlery - Ant Chapman
Rule 26 Ltd
Gill International


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- Bake or Break Recipes - http://www.bakeorbreak.com/recipes -
Peanut Butter Brownies
Posted By Jennifer On December 27, 2011 @ 6:17 pm In bars,brownies,chocolate,peanut butter | Comments Disabled
Recipe adapted from Southern Lady. Read more at Bake or Break.
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9″x 13″x 2″ pan with aluminum foil.
Place butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 30-second intervals until melted. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
Whisk together flour and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine chocolate mixture and 2 & 1/2 cups sugar using an electric mixer at medium speed. Mix until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.
Gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in peanut butter chips. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Combine peanut butter and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth.
Drop peanut butter mixture by teaspoonfuls over brownie batter. Use a knife to swirl peanut butter mixture into brownie batter. Sprinkle top with peanut butter cups.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out still slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
Article printed from Bake or Break Recipes: http://www.bakeorbreak.com/recipes
URL to article: http://www.bakeorbreak.com/recipes/2011/12/27/peanut-butter-brownies/
Click here to print.
Copyright © 2009 Bake or Break. All rights reserved.


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CLEAN & CLEAR® Makeup Dissolving Facial Cleansing Wipes instantly lift away all traces of oil, dirt, and even waterproof mascara. All without over-drying your skin. In one easy step, your skin is left perfectly clean and refreshed with no oily residue, so there's no need to rinse.
Skin TypeOily, Normal, Combination
Lift up the seal and remove a wipe from the pack.
Gently wipe your entire face to remove dirt and makeup. Even swipe the wipe over your peepers to clean off mascara — keep 'em closed of course.
One wipe should do it. Rinse off your face if you want.
When you're done just toss the wipe in the trash. Flushing it down the toilet is a no-no.
Remember to seal up the pack so the rest of the wipes don't dry out. That would be sad.
Rated 4.3 out of 5 by 6 reviewers.
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Rated 5 out of 5 LOVE IT!!! I just bought this and it removed my waterproof mascara so easily. I like it better than the neutrogena wipes because there is no annoying smell. It worked great, this is why i love clean and clear! May 19, 2014
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Rated 1 out of 5 by soka13 Does not remove waterproof mascara I've tried a number of different facial cleansing wipes and makeup removers, but I think this is the most frustrating one I've ever bought! I use waterproof eyeliner and mascara (and have for years) and this product cannot seem to wash them away. I end up scrubbing so hard my eyes hurt and even still I'm left with clumps of mascara on my lashes! Sure it smells great, and I love using it on my face, but as a "makeup remover?" It just doesn't cut it. May 9, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Yes28 Never lets you down! These are my favorite wipes to clean my face after wearing make up all day. They smell good are clean, soft, and easily removes make up!I love them, and definitely recommend them to everyone since they work completely. I always buy them and are different and better than other brands.Like I said these great wipes wont let you down! September 16, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Rachel overall great product! I've tried so many different makeup remover wipes, and these are by far the best! They not only get my face and eye makeup off super quick with no residue, irritation or tears, but they also leave my face feeling soft, and they smell great! These wipes are made out of thick, soft cloth, opposed to the thin, rough cloth most other brands use, so my eye makeup comes off with no pain! (I wear lots of mascara, eyeshadow and glitter liner) December 9, 2011
1-6 of 6
Water, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Isostearyl Palmitate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Hexylene Glycol, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Phenoxyethanol, Sucrose Cocoate, Carbomer, PEG-4 Laurate , Fragrance, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide, may also contain Sodium Hydroxide.


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February 24, 2010
It was a great time. Everyone who came down for the RPS Tournament and the band had fun. I help at the door with getting people in directing them for registration and supplying info about Band for Lands.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
More feedback
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
Everyone was great, very passionate about sustainabilit & conservation. Plus they wanted everyone to have a good time. It was a really good night.
Ways to make it better...
More people came down to support Bands for Lands or competed in the compation.
How frequently have you been involved with the organization?
One time
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
MY ROLE:Volunteer & I worked the door at the RPS Tournament.


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NOM in Orlando: Another rally, another effort to hide
August 08, 2010
(After the epic #NOMTurnoutFAIL in Atlanta yesterday, where just sixteen (yes, 16) NOM supporters showed up (on a Saturday, to boot) to hear Alveda King, Brian Brown and the rest of the gang speak, NOM and our Trackers jumped on the road for an immediate 7.5-hour drive to Orlando. If you haven't seen Arisha's emotional and powerful interview with Alveda on the subject of race, the courts and same-sex marriage, it's a must-see. Click here to view it. Perhaps in another effort to shut out coverage of the problems they're having, NOM is holding another rally in a church today. -Adam)
By Arisha Michelle Hatch
Brian Brown and NOM decided to host their rally today inside the New Line Christian Church and guess what – NOMTourTracker.com is not on the welcome list.
Nonetheless, 134 equality activists are lining the sidewalk outside of the church, including the angels from Stand Up Florida and members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
The local FOX News and CBS affiliates were allowed in with cameras. We also have a source inside who will be documenting the speeches inside the church and reporting after the rally.
Stay tuned.
UPDATE FROM ADAM (12:18 PST): From Sunshine State News:
NOM is set to gather at First Christian Church in Winter Park; the LGBT group at nearby Orlando Joy Metropolitan Community Church.
"It was absolutely intentional," said Ellen Johnson, who identified herself as an NOM spokesperson. "We're in the middle of a 23-city 'Summer for Marriage, One Man-One Woman Bus Tour.' We're coming from Atlanta and our stop in Orlando was planned months ahead, theirs was planned since last Wednesday.
"I can tell you, they're only doing this to thumb their noses at us and at the institution of marriage between a man and a woman. Well, this is Florida, it isn't California. We have some powerful people in this state who respect our state Constitution and the laws in it," Johnson said.
Said NOM's Johnson, "Believe me, these people aren't all sweetness and light. They can be very intimidating to the families on our bus. I wish they had stayed far away from us."
Tell me about it. Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in costumes, same-sex families with cute kids, and equality supporters with rainbow umbrellas- absolutely terrifying. At least we know another reason why NOM tries to exclude the Trackers wherever possible.
UPDATE BY ADAM (1:16 PST): Here's an account from NOM's blog:
At First Christian Church in Winter Park this afternoon, Brian called on people of faith to stand boldly for marriage, recalling a rich heritage of Christians standing for truth in the public square:
One of the most pernicious lies in this whole campaign is that we should be ashamed of our beliefs. Our opponents do not want to hear the truth that marriage needs one man and one woman. They attempt to silence us in any way they can.
Remember your history. Would there have been a civil rights movement if clergy had not stood in fighting for the rights of the human person? We stand in the same path as Dr. Martin Luther King when we refuse to be shouted down. William Wilberforce refused to be silenced, and the slave trade was shut down because of his efforts.
At turning points in history, it was people of faith who made the difference. Each and every one of us has the responsibility to stand up for the good. This is our time to stand!
Even if the Supreme Court does not protect marriage, we the people can change the U.S. Constitution to protect marriage as between one man and one woman. You are part of a community that represents the majority of Americans all around this great country.
I do think it's funny Brian talks about speaking up in the public square while holding rallies in churches and refusing to allow media attendance at certain rallies.
UPDATE BY ADAM (1:22 PST): More from NOM's blog:
"We must stand up for the truth no matter the cost." That was the message of Concerned Women for America's Florida State Director Terri Johannessen at the rally in Orlando this afternoon, as she reminded supporters of the significance of this battle. "On Thursday, the will of the people defining marriage was subverted by one judge. . . . This is not a minor change – it is a radical agenda."
UPDATE BY ARISHA (1:42 PST): 34 sat in church pews to hear Brown's gospel on Sunday.
Same-sex marriage "is a threat to humanity," Brown told the small gathering.
I think we can safely assume that Brian is now checking NOMTourTracker.com and/or finally Googled the Courage Campaign. A source inside said he made a specific reference to our interview with Dr. Alveda King. We're officially part of his spin.
"[Arisha] attempted to trip [King] up," Brown said after acknowledging NOMTourTracker.com. "It was beautiful to see the love Dr. King exuded. I stood there and watched it. It was powerful."
Well, actually Brian, you weren't standing by watching, we have video of you conversing with a group of police officers 100 feet away. It's ok, but you shouldn't lie in the Lord's house, since we know you caught it on YouTube.
Meanwhile, outside, equality organizers called for a moment of silence and were then led in a prayer by an activist named CJ with a "gay Christian" shirt.


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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
A common thread I see here is about the Horde bias. I'm starting to see the reason for it.
The Horde is the new tradition and as such represented by the newer generation. Most people more easily identify with the plight of the Horde because they too are trying to make their place in the world. Most can identify badassery by the actions the Horde takes to prove itself more so than the Alliance actions to neutralize the bigger threats. Does that make them less?
Many people don't realize just how upsetting Rock 'n Roll originally was. The counter-culture movements of yesteryear are just mainstream today and even fading back as the next generation crap becomes mainstream.
The band formerly known as L80C had to be made by Horde races because that kind of music is a descendant of the cultures involved. The Shamanistic gospel met the jazz beats and when the Undead angst came in, bam.
Interestingly enough as Rock went through it's paces and remixed, disco and pop ascended. There is a reason the Exodar Disco came to be and it's not just the natural chandelier/disco ball at the bottom of the ship. An Alliance version of L80C would be mixing up the old disco/pop into the new dance music. I bet Brann could pop-lock better than a gnomish robot and I also wouldn't be surprised to see Varian moonwalk as good as most Night Elves. Still, most people wouldn't relate a Draenei turning tables atop an elek atop a turtle drifting through space (or something) as nearly as badass as an undead shredding on a dinosaur on top of a shark with frikkin laser beams, but I'd switch to Alliance if they made it happen.
In fact, the Alliance L80C version would be awesome. A dwarf on his axe, male gnome goin nuts on his electronic drumset, draenei male on keyboard with occassional vocal part and covering the band breaks with his turntable skillz, while a male nelf and female human take turns being main leads/dancer.
And that's just it. The Horde is made to be "badass" and "wicked" (both literally and figuratively) while the Alliance is just cool. One incites a more emotional response while both are awesome.
tl;dr - The Horde bias is the natural progression of the developers being able to relate more to them. The Alliance could be just as cool, but it's not something Americans embrace as easily. I would love to see what would happen if some of those in the cultures the Alliance is influenced from came and made the game.
PS- Wrath was a fairly balanced expansion as Alliance got lore and history (what it values) while Horde got some strength and badassery (things its races value). Cata is out of balance because the Alliance didn't get the culture it potentially could have while the Horde did develop more strength (though less honor so a wash on overall badassery). I also still think they could have done a better job of getting both sides to help the Twilight Highland war. Perhaps there should have been more black dragonflight presence so we could do like icecrown and help some cause and do more to help hold the lines while not directly engaging player versus player. Skirmishes are one thing, but directly going for objectives in an established town just can't be balanced well without calling for PvP directly.


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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Eternalpayn said...
Yeah, my bad. Either way, if they're mana addicted, how do rogues fit into the lore?
Eternalpayn said...
That was supposed to be a reply to my original comment up there.
Two reasons belf rogues make sense:
The Blood elves addiction to magic has given them an "ends justify the means" attitude towards obtaining new sources of magic. This sense of ethics works well with the lore behind rogues.
Second, energy is very similar to mana in form and function, it just has a set pool and (very fast) regeneration rate. Therefore, it isn't inconceivable that some physically-oriented Blood Elves would channel their addictive personalities (and racials) into turning other's magic into their energy.
Eternalpayn said...
The energy bar represents their actual physical energy though, not like mana. The energy is so that rogues aren't completely based on the GCD, and therefore twitch characters that even the smallest amount of latency kills. Rogues have virtually no magical abilities, with the exception of shadowstep.


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I made this project for my son's first grade teacher to hand up in her classroom for the new school year. A student is chosen weekly as the classroom "smile" and gets to have their picture and favorite things displayed for the whole class to see. It's a BIG deal for a 1st grader!
After searching through all my cartridges for a sun die cut that was larger enough, I just ended up cutting a large 12 inch circle from the George and Basic Shape cartridge. I then hand-cut the sun beams and embossed the irregular shapes.
I used the Speaking of School cartridge to cut the fun font "Smile of the Week" at 3 1/2 inches. I then enhanced the letter layers with markers, inks and chalks.
I'll admit, this project took a little longer than expected due to the fact that it was a time consuming figuring out the correct font sizes.
Overall, I'm really happy the way it turned out and I'm glad that I'm able to make something cheery for the classroom walls. It's also fun knowing that my son will get to see something his Mommy made hanging up on his classroom wall.
Wishing you many Sunny Smiles!
Linking with:
My Sheri's Crafts Challenge #66- Back to School.
Celebrate the Occasion- Challenge #25- Back to School
Abby Challenge #11- Back to School


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Ten Major Differences Between Real Estate Investing In China And Real Estate Investing In The United States
SPAC Aquasition Agrees to Acquire KBS
SEC Suspends Affiliates of Big Four Accounting Firms
2550 Hanover Street
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1115
Suite 4201, Bund Center
222 Yan An Road East
Huangpu District, Shanghai 200002
Suite 916, China World Office 2
No.1 Jian Guo Men Wai Avenue
Central Business District, Beijing 100004
Thomas M. Shoesmith
Tom Shoesmith is a partner in the law firm's Corporate & Securities practice and is located in the Silicon Valley, Shanghai and Beijing offices. He specializes in international corporate transactions, with a special emphasis on China. He has handled more than 100 cross-border acquisitions and complex multinational joint ventures involving more than 50 countries around the world. Since 2003, he has focused most of his efforts on transactions in and with China, including foreign direct investment into the PRC as well as corporate finance and public capital markets transactions for PRC-based companies.
Mr. Shoesmith lived in Asia for more than 20 years, and practiced in China between 2003 and 2010. Until his return to California in 2010 he was the head of the firm's Shanghai office. His relocation to the United States makes his decades of experience in Asia readily accessible to clients based in the U.S. and Canada.
Mr. Shoesmith is a recognized industry leader and lecturer on U.S.-China corporate finance and M&A matters. He has particular experience in structuring transactions to achieve his clients' objectives while remaining compliant with the often difficult regulatory and political context of the PRC.
- Representation of Lenovo Group Ltd. in its complex international joint venture with EMC Corporation;
- Representation of more than 15 China-based companies in connection with their public equity capital market financings in the United States;
- Representation of Tele Atlas, the Dutch digital mapping company, in its expansion into the PRC market;
- The negotiation of a $1 billion joint venture for the manufacture of flat-panel displays in China;
- The acquisition of a specialty chemicals company in China for a US public company headquartered in the mid-West;
- The roll-up of social media and internet file-sharing companies for a private-equity backed US company;
- Representation of Ingram Micro in several international acquisitions; and
- Representation of investment banks and hedge funds in analysis and evaluation of PRC investments.
Speaker, "China's Recent M&A in California, 2014 CEA China-California Economic Forum, September 2014.
Speaker, "10 Biggest Mistakes Made by Multinationals Dealing with China and Other Asian Countries," 2014 Asia Business Forum, February 2014.
Executive Co-Chair, Perchance to Dream: A China-US Summit on Social Media, October 2013.
Speaker, "Protect Yourself: A Guide to China Legal Structures," China Market Entry Strategy Summit, September 2013.
Speaker, "Can the VIE Be Fixed: A Fresh Look at Investors' Least Favorite Legal Structure," 2013 China Best Ideas Investment Conference, September 2013.
Speaker, "Silicon Valley Experience," Stanford Senior Executive Program - Universal Banking and the Transformation and Innovation of the Banking Industry, August 2013.
Speaker, "Introduction to Internet Regulation in China," Pillsbury CLE Marathon, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, January 2013.
Speaker, "NOMURA Expert Speaker Series: Variable Interest Entities", July 2012.
Speaker, "PRC Challenges to Variable Interest Entity Structures, " DealFlow Reverse Merger Conference, Los Angeles, June 2011.
Speaker, The Peculiarities and Challenges of Doing Business in China, McKesson Law Firm Summit, September 2010.
Moderator, "Opportunities and Challenges of Investing in China," Halter Financial Summit, Shanghai, China. April 2010.
Speaker, " IPOs for China-based Companies - Structures and Approaches" China IPO Boot Camp, Shanghai, China. March 2010.
Speaker, "Going Public Through an IPX," joint presentation with Bank of New York Mellon and CCG Investor Relations, Shanghai and Beijing, April 2009.
Speaker, "Reverse Mergers for Chinese Companies," PIPEs Summit, New York. July 2007.
Speaker, "Structuring for International Capital Transactions," DealFlow Reverse Merger Conference, San Francisco. June 2007.
Speaker, "Structuring Reverse Merger Transactions After September 8," Roth / NASDAQ Conference, Shanghai. May 2007.
Speaker, Harvard China Review Annual Conference, Cambridge, MA. April 2007.
Speaker, "Protecting Intellectual Property in China," Annual IP Review, New York. April 2007.
Speaker, "Compliance Issues for Chinese Companies Public in the U.S.," Halter Financial Group, Phuket, Thailand. March 2007.
Speaker, "Legal and Practical Considerations for China M&A," Shanghai. September 2004.
Speaker, Executive Roundtable on Foreign Trade and Distribution Regulation, Shanghai. June 2004.
Chair, "China Real Estate Funds & Investment 2004," Shanghai. April 6, 2004.
Speaker, "Venture Capital Financing in China," Asia Pacific Business Outlook Conference, Los Angeles. March 2004.
Speaker, "Mezzanine Financing for Real Estate Development in China," American Chamber of Commerce, Shanghai. November 2003.
Speaker, 2003 Forbes Global CEO Conference, Shanghai: "Banking and Capital Markets in China." September 2003.
Speaker, Financial Executives International Conference, Suzhou: "Sarbanes Oxley—What Financial Officers of Foreign Subsidiaries Need to Know." September 2003.


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Weather Links
Humidity 97%
Winds 0.0mph
Humidity 97%
Winds 0.0mph
Jan 29, 2013 11:00 AM by Melissa Canone
Two Lake Charles men have been booked for stabbing a man at a hotel Thursday night.
On January 27, 2013, Lake Charles Police Officers responded to 1000 North Lakeshore Drive (Oasis Inn and Suites) in reference to a stabbing. A male victim was stabbed in a guest room and transported to a local hospital for treatment of several stab wounds. Corporal J. Wall later located the two suspects walking south bound on Bilbo Street near Broad Street. Patrol Officers making the arrests were Corporal J. Wall, Corporal S. Dougherty, & Officer T. McGee. Detective Sergeant Fondel is handling the follow up investigation.
Juan Fernando, 21, 2000 14th Street, Lake Charles, is charged with Attempted 2nd Degree Murder, Bond $500,000.00.
Juan Martinez, 28, 2000 Enterprise Boulevard, Lake Charles, is charged with Attempted 2nd Degree Murder, Bond $500,000.00.
7 hours ago


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First Page
Gulf / Middle East
United States
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United Kingdom
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About Us
Site Map
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The War Is On
The US defence secretary, Leon Panetta, recently announced that America hoped to end its combat mission in Afghanistan in 2013 as it did in Iraq last year. Yet at Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere, the United States ...
Lately, inequality has reentered the national conversation. Occupy Wall Street gave the issue visibility, while the Congressional Budget Office supplied hard data on the widening income gap. And the myth of a classless society.
Azarenka wins Qatar Open in straight sets
DOHA VICTORIA AZARENKA, the world number one, showed few signs of the ankle injury she suffered in the semifinal and cruised to claim the Qatar Total Open crown with a straight-sets victory against world number 5 Australian Samantha Stosur on Sunday.
Watched by Her Highness Sheikha Moza at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, the top seed clinched the third straight final of the season, 6-1, 6-2. Besides becoming the first Belarusian to win the title, she also maintained her 100 percent record against third seed Stosur, who committed too many errors during the match.
Her 25-8 unforced errors made the sixth victory for Azarenka rather easy.
Another highlight of their rivalry is that Azarenka has never dropped a set against her.
After lifting the golden eagle, Azarenka said she was glad that she finally got hold of it. "This is so beautiful (the trophy). Last year I saw someone else (Vera Zvonareva) taking it . I wanted to own it. I am happy and proud that I have done it finally," said the victor, who also collected a cheque of $385,000.
Azarenka, who had suffered an injury on Saturday when she twisted her ankle in the semi-finals against Agniezska Radwanska of Poland, came out firing on all cylinders. Stosur also looked determined to do something different than on previous occasions, holding her serve at love. The Belarusian also did the same but began exerting pressure on the opponent in the third game and succeeded in breaking it.
After Azarenka went 5-1 up, one thought that she might wait for her service but she looked in a great hurry to finish off the opening set. Stosur was 40-0 up and from this stage, Azarenka showed the stuff she's made of. She turned the game around and broke Stosur's serve off the second set point to take the set with a controlled backhand drop volley inside half an hour.
In the second set, Azarenka continued her splendid run and didn't allow the Aussie to settle down.
She broke Stosur in the second game with a superb cross-court stroke to go up 3-0. It was only in the fourth game when the Belarusian committed some unforced errors and lost the game. But the world number 1 made amends for her mistakes in the next game (fifth) and won it despite being involved in a long rally.
Stosur's best was seen in the sixth game. No errors in that game and she produced some lovely ground strokes to make it 2-4.
And then Azarenka raced through the seventh game to put more pressure on Stosur.
The Australian appeared to be responding to the tough situation well as she went 40-0 up.
But Azarenka rallied and forced Stosur into long exchanges before breaking her for the set and the title.
The Australian admitted that Azaranka was able to 'neutralise' everything. "I felt like I didn't get rewarded for hitting big serves, didn't get rewarded for stepping in and trying to crack the returns.
She was very good at neutralising everything," said Stosur.
When asked that her record against Azarenka is not impressive at all, she maintained that she learnt a couple of lesson after this match. "I didn't win but I have been able to learn a couple of things and I can go into the next one with something else to think about," added Stosur, who earned $192,000 from her first final of the year.
People were expecting that Azarenka's ankle might cause some problems but that didn't bother her at all. She also said that before going to Dubai, she has a week to recover but she wants to relish the moment as of now. "It's not as bad as it could have been. I have a couple of days to recover.
Right now I just want to enjoy the moment and not think too much ahead," said the Belarusian.
50% rise in Gulf tourist inflow to Qatar
PM to inaugurate jewellery expo today
Qatar has 6 of 30 endangered bird species
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Idaho politics might be a little too intense for Coeur d'Alene City Councilman Steve Adams. In a city council meeting, city attorney Mike Gridley got within a foot of Adams while using some profanity and calling Adams a "moron." The topic was how the city will pay for an overhaul of a sewage treatment plant.
Gridley never touched Adams, threatened him or raised his hands in an intimidating manner. Vehemently disagreeing with Adams and questioning Adams' intelligence was enough to inspire Adams to call police.
Afterwards, Adams said that he overreacted. While calling Adams a "moron" isn't going to settle any political issues, Adams reaction to calling the police doesn't do anything to dispute Gridley's observation.
Adams has publicly staked his political positions around Ron Paul's politics. He has openly admired Paul being the only member of the House of Representatives who sometimes voted no on issues. That gives an indication that Adams is a bit of the contrarian. Adams has consistently voted against any tax increase or use of federal money by the city.
"There was a lot of stuff going on in Coeur d'Alene that was a microcosm of the federal government," Adams says. "Just tax-and-spend, liberal, Machiavellian, ends-justify-the-means governing."
Since there was an overhaul of a sewage treatment plant up for discussion, it is easy to imagine some scenarios that might have brought Gridley to make that astute observation of Adams. Refusing federal funds is a good bet.
Any public official as thin-skinned and easily intimidated as Adams probably needs to get back into the private sector, especially when he admires being the lone vote against many public policies.


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These were great! I wanted to make a green bean recipe that didn't involve the typical cream of mushroom soup etc. The balsamic and the saltiness of the bacon was wonderful. I used regular green beans, as the tiny ones weren't available yet. This made a nice veggie side dish to my Turkey and Mashed Potatoes.
Balsamic Green Beans
Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings
More From Southern Living
Recipe Time
Hands On:
30 Minutes
Total: 30 Minutes
- 2 pounds fresh haricots verts (tiny green beans), trimmed
- 6 large shallots
- Vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup lightly salted roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon (about 5 slices)
- 1. Cook beans in boiling salted water to cover 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Plunge beans into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain.
- 2. Cut shallots crosswise into thin slices; separate into rings. Pour oil to depth of 1 inch into a heavy saucepan; heat over medium-high heat to 350°. Fry shallots, in batches, 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp. Remove from skillet using a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.
- 3. Cook vinegar and sugar in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes or until reduced to 3 Tbsp. Stir in butter until blended. Add beans, and sauté 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated; season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange on a serving platter. Top with shallots, almonds, and bacon. Serve immediately.
My Notes
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Balsamic Green Beans Recipe at a Glance
- COURSE: Side Dishes/Vegetables
- CONVENIENCE: Entertaining, Kid-Friendly, Quick/Easy, Family
- MAIN INGREDIENT: Vegetables
- COOKING METHOD: Fry
- PUBLICATION: Southern Living
More Recipes Like This
White Bean, Tomato, and Green Bean SaladCooking Light
Balsamic BeansOxmoor House
Beef Tenderloin Steaks and Balsamic Green BeansCooking Light
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Until the entry deadline for the
Student Radio Awards 2014 supported by BBC Radio 1 and Global Radio
Leicester University
Broadcasting from the heart of the Percy Gee, LUSH Radio is the University of Leicester's Student Radio Station. With over 100 shows, there's so much...
After months of hard work over the 08/09 academic year - weeks of judging by industry professionals, hours of planning for the party and minutes of writing them on a web page here are the Student Radio Awards Nominations.
Congratulations to all those nominated, and comiserations to all of those who've just missed out. Judges tell us it's been one of the tightest competitions of recent years in several categories, so don't be put out if you've narrowly missed out this year.
Nomination or otherwise, we look forward to seeing you on the 24th November in indigO2.
Best Newcomer
- Graham Albans - LSRfm.com
- Hannah Lupton - Fly FM
- Julie-Anne Lough - RaW
- Martyn Littlewood - Fly FM
- Matthew Hemmaty - Shock Radio
Download mp3 (Jonathan Griffin Interviews Nominee Matthew Hemmaty)
- Mike Etienne - URN
Best Marketing & Branding
- Blast
- Pure FM
- Smoke Radio
- Xpression FM
Best Student Radio Chart Show
- Jam Radio
- LSRfm.com
- Surge Radio
Best Journalistic Programming
- Bath SU Elections - 1449AM URB
- Campus crunch - LSRfm.com
- Newslink Weekly - LSRfm.com
- RaW News Insight - RaW
- Surge Newsweek - Surge Radio
- York Report - URY
Best Technical Achievement
- Pure - Pure FM Extra
- Smoke - Smoke Radio's Outside Broadcast Unit
- SubCity - A system for finding something new to listen to
- Surge - SurgeCart & Surge Podcast Generator
- URF - Project Sunshine
- Xtreme - Onair Loop System
Best Interview
- IC Radio - Roushan meets Derren Brown
- Joshua Chambers URY - Hilary Benn on Mohamed
- Mark Hughes Wired Radio - Behind The Mask of Frank Duval
- Radio Clubfoot URN - Zodiac Cartel
- Steph & Toms Pure FM - Transgender Something
- Tom Goble RaW - Interview with the Most Hated Woman in America
Best Live Event or Outside Broadcast
- Lounge On The Farm 2009 - CSR FM
- Smoke's Summer Send Off – Smoke
- SU Election Night - SIN Radio
- The May Bumps 2009 - CUR 1350
- The Real Varsity - 1449AM URB and LCR
- Varsity 2009 - URN
Best Scripted Programming
- Blueberry Titanium...Audio Handbook - BiRST
- Leeds Tealights - LSRfm.com
- Slow Hands - RaW
- Superhero's Girlfriend - BiRST
- The Dead or Alive Show - RaW
- The Garden - Xpression FM
Best Entertainment Programming
- Monkey Tennis – LSRfm.com
- Society Challenge - 1449AM URB
- The Big Chewsie – RaW
- The Roushan Alam Show – IC Radio
- The Steven and David Sunday Lunchtime Show - Xpression FM
- The Technical Difficulties - Tom and Chris – URY
Best Specialist Music Programming
- A Little Light Music - Purple Radio
- Jamie's Show About Music - LCR
- Radio ClubFoot - URN
- The Evening Show - URN
- The Other Disco - URY
- White Noise - LSRfm.com
Best Female Presenter
- Andrea Miller - Birst Radio
- Harriet Jennings - URY
- Jen Carr - Forge Radio
- Josie Standbrook - GU2
- Julie Ann Lough - RaW
- Kate Lamble - Roundhouse Radio
Best Male Presenter
- Adam Wilbourn - RaW
- Ben Anderson – RaW
- Fergus Dufton - URN
- Max Dickins – LSRfm.com
- Roushan Alam - IC Radio
- Sam Jarrett – Fly FM
Best Student Radio Station
- Fly FM
- LSRfm.com
- Smoke Radio
Volunteer with Global's Make Some Noise
Global's new charity is looking for volunteers to help out at their events.
Why YOU should make an awards entry
Still not convinced? Read on to hear testimonials from former winners and nominees!
Best Newcomer, Ben Sheppard, joins newly launching Capital FM
Ben Sheppard, winner of Best Newcomer at the Student Radio Awards 2013, supported by BBC Radio 1 and Global Radio, has been announced as the drivetime host on the new Capital FM North West and Wales.
Scott Mills co-hosts this week's National Student Radio Chart Show!
Scott Mills is heading to the University of Bath to co-host tomorrow's National Student Radio Chart Show.
Internship at Soho Radio
Soho Radio is a new project based in a coffee shop in London, and they would like an intern who can help in all aspects of radio; from production to engineering to talent management.


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Kardashian Kollection Eyewear
Our Kardashian Kollection eyewear is now available online at Sears Optical!! I love all of the super chic looks! Of course we incorporated a touch of glam in the designs with our signature leopard print making an appearance.
You can get your prescription glasses and sunglasses online now.
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free shippingon orders over $49*
|Gourmet Wood Hanging Pot Rack
|2" H x 30" W x 15" D
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Questions & Answers
Rogar Gourmet Wood Hanging Pot Rack
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pot rack
shan the cook from Baltimore, MD
pot rack is lovely, however, the install was not clear, there were no easy directions for how to install. No diagrams that I felt were easy to understand. I had to drill numerous holes to get the chains to line up and to make sure it wasn't crooked. A template would have been a nice addition.
Rogar International Corporation has been the premier name in speed wine openers since it's introduction of the solid brass Vintner in 1975. Like Rogar's current Champion and Estate wine openers, the Vintner was based on the "Champion Cork Removal System" made by the Arcade Manufacturing Company using Michael Redlinger's American patent of 1897. Even then, the Champion had the unique ability to uncork and recork. Rogar took the orginal's mechanical concept and has continued to enhance it with modern matierals. Although the Vintner is no longer inproduction, and has become a collector's item, Rogar's Estate and Champion wine openers are now the fastest, easiest and most stylish way to open a wine bottle. They are fast, simple, and foolproof.
As we enter a new millennium, Rogar has kept pace with the times. Although the inspiration for their wine openers comes from the past, the technology is 21st century.
All their Estate and Champion openers have been designed to work on the newest flange top wine bottles as well as standard wine bottles. They even can be used to open corked olive oil bottles.
All Rogar products are proudly crafted in Virginia, USA, and carry a one-year limited warranty.


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"When is Watershed reopening?"
That's one of the questions we've heard most since Watershed closed its Decatur location last August. Now, we have an answer. Last night, the restaurant sent a teaser to its email subscribers with the message "opening soon." I spoke with Managing Partner Ross Jones this morning, who told me that Watershed, now called Watershed on Peachtree, is slated to open May 24, barring delays.
Jones calls the restaurant's new location, 1820 Peachtree Road, their "new house," with Decatur being their first. She says, "Decatur was awesome, but our new, bigger house has more of the features we were looking for, like outdoor and private dining and a large bar area."
The restaurant will feature two distinct spaces: a large bar area Jones describes as "cool and casual" and a separate, more quiet dining area. Most of the extra seating will be found in the bar area and on the patio overlooking Peachtree