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Oh, Preem, Judger of men, we save those most wicked for you. Take the flesh and soul of this condemned man whose offenses deserve your divine cruelty. ~ Nurati prayer of execution
After six days, Amar and his group approached the Temulanka Domain through its wild borderlands along the Nurati Domain. Subdued by the afternoon heat, the men were silent and daydreaming until Onja abruptly stopped her horse. She looked north across the landscape like a fox that has heard a mouse in the grass. She told them to follow.
Her course took them into rough land, and their horses sweated on an incline among thinning trees. They came out onto a windswept ridge that offered a wide view. Ahead rose a blocky weathered butte formed from the withered heart of a mountain exposed by eons of elements. Above it wheeled carrion birds.
Onja rushed them onward across a shallow brushy canyon. They splashed through a tiny stream, lazy in the late the summer. Flies hovered the water and bothered the men and horses.
When they reached the butte, Onja found man-made steps. She slid from the slick back of her horse and danced up three steps before noticing that the men had not moved. Amar and the others recognized now what the place must be. Kym was the first to protest.
"We must not go up there," he told her. "It is a sky temple to the God Preem, Judger of men. The birds are the eyes of Preem. We invite his judgment to approach."
From the base of the butte, the carrion birds could not be seen, but Onja saw them in her mind's eye. Fear of judgment from some human God troubled her not at all.
"Will you come, Amar?" she asked.
Inside he wavered, but Onja's request superseded his fear of the Gods. He dismounted and then looked questioningly to his new Kez brothers. They seemed much less intimidating now that he saw them cowed by superstition. Cybar then surprised him by getting off his horse. The memory of Onja's magic on his lip emboldened him.
Onja and the two men ascended the butte. On top seven old oaks grew in a wide circle. Juvenile trees and sproutlings were scattered in the shade of the gnarled giants. Within the ring of oaks, stood a ring of bluntly cut blocks of stone that, despite their colossal size, had obviously been erected by human hands. Onja recognized in the monoliths the blue stone of her mountains. She was mildly offended to see a portion of her homeland dragged by humans to this lonely spot.
Three vultures hunkered on standing stones and crows clattered in the trees. Amar and Cybar watched the birds warily as they entered the rings of trees and stones.
At the center of the sky temple, a horizontal altar stone was angled to the west so that the worst of the afternoon sun would beat down upon it. A wretched man was chained to the altar. He writhed weakly and tried to shoo away the crow perched on his thigh. The bird flapped and danced between his legs and chest. Exhausted, the man rested after his futile fit, and the crow settled on his stomach and continued to shred his ragged linen shirt. He moaned.
Onja stopped with her companions several paces back from the altar. Inside the ring, faces were carved into the stones. Their expressions alternated between laughing mirth and stern disappointment. Beyond the ring of stones, Onja took in the breathtaking view of wooded foothills with her beloved Rysamand rising over them. Benign white clouds cast their shadows across the forests as if the sky caressed the land. The grand landscape was beautiful and utterly heedless of the pathetic suffering figure dropped within it. The shadow of a circling vulture crossed his torso.
"Why has this been done?" Onja whispered to Amar.
He answered that he had heard of sky temples as a place for punishing criminals. Preem delivered judgment, usually with the carrion birds.
Transfixed by the suffering man, Cybar added, "Not every criminal is executed so ceremoniously. He must have given great offense to the Gods and his tribe."
Amar said, "I have heard that the Nurati Tribe honors Preem more than others. This elaborate sky temple seems to prove it. I think their capital is close to here."
The crow upon the harshly judged man tossed aside an unappetizing scrap of cloth and pecked at the man's abdomen. He screamed and flopped in his chains. The bird ripped a jagged bloody tear in the man's flesh. Blood oozed slowly from his dehydrated body. The other watchful birds cheered their brother, and two more crows flew over to the altar.
Amar drew his good sword and approached the altar. Onja followed him, captivated by everything she beheld. Cybar trailed them, stalling fearfully. Amar waved the birds away from the altar with his sword. The tormented man squinted into the sun. Amar, silhouetted by the brightness, was fuzzy to his bloodshot eyes. He tried to speak, but his dry thirsty throat barely made a sound better than the coarse crows.
Cybar called to Amar, "His life is for Preem. You must not interfere."
Amar studied the man on the altar. His brown skin glowed red from the burning sun. His lips were cracked and darkly clotted. His chin length black hair with a deep widow's peak was dirty and stringy, and blisters mottled his forehead, nose and cheeks. He had only been left clothed in a linen tunic and loin cloth and his bare legs showed the wounds of many probing pecks.
Upon hearing voices, the condemned tried again to speak. "Mercy," he groaned. "Mercy. I do not deserve this."
"Amar, we must go," Cybar insisted. "Do not give him swift death."
Amar had initially thought to end the man's suffering with a merciful blow, but now that he looked at him, he changed his mind.
"I would free him," he said.
"Preem will punish you," Cybar warned.
Amar dismissed the threat of Preem's ire. "I seek no forgiveness for anything that I have done. One more thing will not matter," he said and then looked to Onja, seeking her opinion.
She came beside the altar. "Free him," she concurred.
The bronze chains that draped the altar were old and corroded, but still firm enough to restrain a tortured man. Amar found a particularly weak link and smacked it with his sword. Three strokes and the link broke. Amar pried the link apart and then pulled the chains off the loop set into the stone.
The condemned man watched Amar with amazement. The young wanderer bore no resemblance to anyone he knew and he certainly lacked the appearance of a Nurati. With the chains loose from the rock, Amar looked at the manacles on the man's wrists and ankles.
"I can get those off him," Onja said.
The condemned man turned his head toward her lovely voice. "Sweet lady…." he started to say in a voice as rough as split logs but then he stopped. He did not understand what he saw. He fainted when her eyes began to glow with blue fire.
The bolts of the manacles softened as Onja precisely heated them. Amar pulled the manacles open and freed the man's limbs. Amar gathered the limp man into his arms. He was slight of build, and Amar was able to place him over a shoulder. The man smelled terribly, and Amar turned his face away from his wretched body.
Cybar had retreated outside the ring of stones. From the shade of an oak he watched Amar approach with the unconscious man. Cybar shook his head insistently. "Put him back," he advised urgently.
Onja tugged on Amar's sleeve to stop him. "He truly fears what you have done," she commented.
"He will get over it," Amar said, unconcerned about Cybar's opinion.
"The others truly fear this sky temple," she said.
"The Gods are to be feared, Onja," Amar replied matter-of-factly. "You are born. You die. The Gods are always there."
She contemplated his simple words and then asked, "But you do not fear your Gods, Amar?"
Amar would have shrugged if he had not been burdened with a stinking half-dead man. "I do not care," he said and continued toward Cybar.
Onja lingered in the sky temple and studied the faces carved in the stones. Their blank eyes now looked at her invitingly, welcoming her into their mysterious club.
So simple, she thought.
She set a hand on a monolith. The stone had been cut from the Rysamand and somehow the humans had dragged it up this butte. The effort that must have taken astounded her. So very strange that the humans would work so hard for something that benefited them not at all. Most of them lived in little huts and enjoyed no luxuries. Why did they not put their efforts toward making better shelters for everyone?
Onja looked at the men under the oak tree. Amar had set the man down in the shade and was dripping water onto the man's ragged lips. Cybar frowned over them with worry.
There is power in fear, Onja realized.
A crow flapped over her head and landed on the nearest monolith. He squawked at Onja irritably, apparently blaming her for the removal of the sacrifice. She looked up at the impertinent bird. He turned his head and regarded her closely with a perfect black eye that glistened with intelligence. Onja shifted her attention entirely to the sentience radiating from the shiny black bird. Her wondrous mind that knew no bounds connected with the bird's alien awareness.
"Yes, I took your prize. Forgive me this once, and I will make it up to you," she told him mentally.
Utterly surprised by the communication, the crow tucked his dark beak against his feathery chest and peeked at her shyly. Onja lifted a blue hand and invited him gently with a twitch of her white-nailed fingers.
The crow looked back at his mates that were strutting across the altar stone, complaining among each other. Tentatively the crow on the monolith opened his wings, and, after one more encouraging gesture from Onja, flapped down to her hand. His feet dug into her skin but did not pierce her flesh. She stroked his neck and purred to him lovingly.
"You shall have to tell me your name someday," she told him.
He squawked and took to the air. He landed in the oak tree over the men tending the victim plucked from Preem's justice. Onja watched the indentations left in the skin of her hand fade before she joined her companions.
Amar made Cybar help him carry the man down the steep steps of the butte. The other men were distressed at Amar's audacious theft from Preem.
But Amar scolded them, "We claim to be brother outlaws yet you would leave one to the judgment of the law-abiding. Whatever this man did, he is one of us now."
Delirious, the man moaned and turned his head from side to side on the ground. He was grizzled, sunburned, and filthy. His body was thin and his hands were soft. Clearly he was no laborer.
Amar said, "I think this man has some quality."
They took him to the little stream in the canyon and washed him. The cool water roused him from his burning torment, and he drank greedily, which made him retch. Amar rolled him away from the bank so that he could no longer slurp like a mad animal.
Clearly the group was not going to travel more that day, and Vame gathered firewood. While Amar nursed the man, Cybar answered questions from Kym and Vame about the sky temple. His Kez brothers often glanced warily at the quiet butte. The circling vultures were drifting away. Preem's servants would go unpaid today. A debt perhaps that would not be forgotten.
Onja sat apart from everyone, cross-legged upon a boulder at the edge of the stream. She stared toward her mountains, lost in intense thought.
Kym eventually stood over Amar and the man that had been rescued.
"Amar, the priests of Preem might notice that the vultures disappeared when they should have thickened in the sky," Kym said.
"Priests are slow. We'll move on in the morning. Do not worry, Kym," Amar said.
"Your accursed pet will not be able to travel so soon," Kym said.
Amar's dark eyes flashed up at the Kez warrior. "I do not fear Nurati priests who chain people and leave them for animals," Amar said. "This man will ride with me."
Kym shook his head because Amar puzzled him continually. "Why do you want this man? He'll certainly make no warrior for Vu. I don't think he could steal a bowl of porridge to save his life."
Amar wetted a rag and wiped the man's forehead. "He might have knowledge and rare skills. Warriors aren't everything," he said.
Kym scratched the back of his head, where his stubble was starting to grow in. "I suppose the Nurati are known for scholarship," Kym granted. He squatted next to the thin wretched man and studied him. "Yes, yes, definitely a Nurati nose. What's your name, Nurati criminal?" Kym asked.
The man's eyes were half closed. His lips moved as if he might answer, but the effort to speak seemed to be too much. Amar dribbled at little more water into his mouth and said, "I am Amar. Who are you?"
"Amar," the man whispered back and his long black lashes lifted. His crusty eyes were craters in a skull covered by tight skin. "I am Urlen."
"Urlen," Amar repeated. He liked the name. "What was your crime?"
Urlen shut his eyes as if the answer was difficult to recall. "No crime," he said. "I did what was right."
Kym chuckled. "Maybe he is a proper criminal."
Amar moved Urlen to where Vame was busy arranging kindling. Even in the balmy summer dusk, Urlen shivered and he leaned gratefully over the fire once it was burning. Amar boiled some oats and added a generous dose of salt to the gruel. Urlen ate it with trembling hands.
Amar and his companions sat in a circle, eating and watching their newest companion. As the Nurati regained a scrap of vitality, he observed his liberators. Their speech was understandable but he could not pinpoint the origin of their dialect. Upon recognizing their hair style, he realized whose company he was keeping.
"How many days were you up there?" Amar asked.
Urlen scooped another blob of gruel into his mouth with his fingers. "This was the second day," he said. "I am in your debt, and I thank you." He spoke to Amar and nodded politely to the others.
After a few more mouthfuls, Urlen made himself pause in his eating. His stomach hurt. Sighing, he said, "I was almost dead. I even dreamed a woman was there. Perhaps the blessed virgin Opeti is real after all and came to me in my need."
The men around the fire smiled as if sharing a secret joke. Amar pointed upstream. Urlen squinted and then for the first time he noticed the female figure seated on the rock.
"No," he breathed in disbelief. Then he squinted again. Something was strange. Despite being near death, he had not really believed in the presence of the virgin Goddess Opeti that women prayed to for security. But Urlen, even suffering from near sightedness, knew that not just any woman sat nearby.
"A rys," Amar explained. "She helped set you free."
"So the tales are true…" Urlen said. "Is she from the Tymelo Mountains?"
Amar nodded and then explained the proper name of the mountains. He then offered to introduce Urlen to her. With difficulty Urlen got to his feet and had to hunch over Amar's arm like an old man.
Helping him along, Amar whispered, "You will respect her."
"Yes, Amar, of course," Urlen pledged.
Onja looked over her shoulder. The hobbling Nurati was overcome by the sight of her and dropped to his knees. Onja unfolded her shapely bare legs and slid down from the boulder. Her blue body radiated feminine beauty. Her black hair tumbled around her face and neck, black as a night thick with secrets.
"I am Onja," she said. And then with a gentle smile, she added, "Amar's friend."
Amar glowed with appreciation. It was so good to be in her company.
"I am your servant," Urlen said.
She walked around Urlen, sizing him up. Looking down on his wet head, she asked him why he had been condemned to die.
Although fragile and beaten, Urlen withered even more. Some tragic weight yoked him with choking injustice.
"It makes so little sense to me that I can hardly say the words," Urlen said.
"We will not judge you," Amar said sincerely.
Urlen looked doubtfully at his savior. He supposed that heinous crimes would not shock this young but hardened outlaw, yet he feared that his crime might not be excused.
But with Onja's magical eyes bearing down on him, Urlen knew that he would speak only the truth. He coughed and then began his tale.
"I was respected and encouraged most of my life. As a boy I showed an aptitude with letters and I never grew bored among the scrolls. I would travel to every town and seek all the scholars and scribes so that I could learn more of reading and writing.
"So much knowledge I found rolled up in fabric and skin, lovingly stowed in wooden tubes. The wonder of it always made me want more. By my thirteenth year, I was making my own living copying scrolls for the aging word masters. My family was proud of me. I improved the home of my aging parents. Even my older brothers, so much taller and stronger than me, were proud of me.
"I studied hard and trained myself to letter with skill, art, and clarity. To read my script was to be a pleasure, I thought, but I also took seriously how important it was to preserve the knowledge. It seemed like a magic to me."
Urlen paused and glanced at Onja, expecting her to comment but she remained patiently silent.
In a tentative tone, Urlen said, "I read once that your kind is magic."
"What you have read is correct," Onja said. "Continue."
Urlen wished he had skin and ink now so he could interview her and record her responses. That would be a scroll of incredible value.
He licked his cracked lips and Amar kindly fetched him the water skin. Even a few words had already dried Urlen's mouth.
After a drink, Urlen said, "In time, my talent earned me a place in the court of the Nurati King. In my twenty-fifth year, I became chief scribe to my King. Such an honor for such a young man. Life at court was grand, and I was often allowed to travel to other domains in pursuit of my scholarship. In time my fame grew, and scholars came to visit me and view the library of which I was the master. Many candles burned low through many nights discussing history, nature, law, language, geography."
Urlen sighed, remembering his heyday. Such prestige would never be his again. But to cheat Preem his due was also a great achievement. Urlen would be glad to write down that event.
"I had everything," Urlen said. "But alas, no matter how I stimulated my mind, I remained a man of flesh. I came to know one of the daughters of my King. Isamahlia was her name and she was both fair and smart. But her intellect was a wicked joke of the Gods, trapped as she was in her woman's body, banned from any scholarship. Yet, her woman's body became my master."
Fascinated by his story, Onja sat down and reclined onto an elbow. Urlen shifted off his knees and got more comfortable too. Since it seemed that it was going to be a longer story, Amar sat down as well. He could well imagine at this point what at least one of Urlen's crimes had been.
From the nearby brush a crow squawked. Urlen flinched. Onja waved to the bird swaying on a flimsy perch. She told Urlen not to worry. He relaxed slightly, telling himself that he was free of the chains and the crows could bedevil him no more. With the crow now quietly among his listeners, he continued.
"It was an accident that I met Isamahlia. I suppose it is always an accident that starts such love stories. I was to be weeks away in the Domain of the Temulanka. I had been invited to lecture at a summer gathering of scholars, but my wagon broke down not long after my departure, and I came back to Telop, the Nurati capital, with my servants. My trip would be delayed only a day while I obtained another wagon."
By now the other men had settled into an attentive circle around Urlen and Onja. A tranquil dusk descended upon the land. The sunlight softened toward the horizon and cool shadows spread beneath the trees. Several small flocks of birds, which earlier in the day had been so menacing to Urlen, crossed the turquoise sky seeking their roosts. Now the birds were beautiful and serene; their flight seeming to say that all was right in the world, at least at this moment.
The wonder of surviving the ghastly torture of the sky temple briefly overwhelmed Urlen. To have lived to see the gentle loveliness of even one more sunset was the most blessed mercy he could have imagined.
"Go on," Onja prompted, impatient with his silence.
Urlen gathered his memories and said, "My breakdown was actually fortuitous for I had forgotten a scroll by Binn Bon on architecture. I wanted to take it to the gathering in order to argue that he had actually designed the amphitheater at Hespon and not Zebroh, who normally is credited as its designer. There has been some rather heated debate on this subject…." Urlen trailed off when he noted that the men looked annoyed with his tangent that was surely meaningless to them.
"Anyway, I returned unexpected to my library and found her there. Only one window was unshuttered and sunlight steamed through it. She sat in the light on the mosaic floor and held a scroll into the sunshine so that she could see it in the gloomy library that I had carefully buttoned up before leaving.
"Her tepa lay on the floor and her head was uncovered. Her black hair flowed around her shoulders with an amethyst twinkle in the golden light. I startled her and she looked up at me with guilty eyes.
"In her mad moment of being caught, she snapped the scroll behind her back, but knowing that her action was ridiculous, she brought it forth again and carefully rolled it up. Moving onto her knees, she held up the scroll to me and begged for my mercy. She pleaded for forgiveness and said that she had meant no harm. She begged me not to tell anyone, and then she could not hide her anguish, when she desperately promised me that she would not come back.
"But I was not angry. No, I kneeled before her as she begged. I took her hands along with the scroll and asked her what she was doing.
"When she saw that I was not angry, indeed that I seemed only curious, she smiled and her trap closed around me. Isamahlia told me that she only wanted to look at the scrolls. They were so beautiful and she admitted that she had been trying to figure out the symbols. It broke my heart that she could not read them. Of course a woman would have never been taught letters, but still to see someone who wanted to read, and was unable to, it hurt me in a fierce way.
"I led Isamahlia into a private room of the library where we could talk and not be noticed. I discovered that she had been sneaking into my library for over a year. Suddenly any misplaced scroll that I had puzzled over came to mind and then made sense. Enchanted by this fair daughter of my King, whose face I was never meant to see, I told her right then that she could come to the library whenever she was able and then I told her that I would teach her how to read.
"Isamahlia was more than grateful. She told me that I was the kindest best man in all of Gyhwen and that she would love no other. She kissed me. Isamahlia knew no shame or fear. She cared nothing for her maidenhead, so strictly protected for years. We loved each other among the scrolls and I learned of things that can never quite be written down correctly. At that time, I thought that our inevitable doom would be worth our joy. Today you saw how mistaken I was."
Amar asked, "How long did your affair go on?"
"Two years and three months," Urlen replied heavily. "We were so careful at first. Our fear of being caught was fresh, but as our bond grew and Isamahlia learned to read, we spent longer and longer together. Now, it was not a strange thing for me to be shut away in my library. I was not missed, but Isamahlia was. It was difficult for her to hide her absences from the women's palace. Of course, she had servants lying for her, and even some of her sisters. All making excuses and stories to explain where Isamahlia had been. I never figured out who betrayed us initially, but they all testified against her at the trial. Curse them. I don't know if it was jealousy for her happiness and intelligence that motivated them or just fear.
"We were caught together in my library that had blossomed with joy and learning. In her body I found great satisfaction for that part of me that is flesh, but there is also tremendous satisfaction in teaching an able student and to see her grateful, truly grateful, for the knowledge that I could share. And her perspective on so many things was so fresh to me. Her mind had not been infested with the crushing dogma of men that narrows so much interpretation."
Amar asked Urlen if he had been caught in the act of loving the King's daughter.
Urlen shook his head. "No. We were reading, which was perhaps worse. If I had been caught in her naked embrace, my punishment and death would have been quicker. You see, I was given over to the torture of Preem for teaching Isamahlia the letters of men, which is forbidden to women," he said.
The other men murmured in agreement, but Onja was confused. "Why is this forbidden?" she asked.
Urlen knew the official reasons well enough. They had very recently been pounded anew into his head, but he only replied miserably, "I don't know, fair and gentle rys maid."
Amar offered an explanation. "Women are the keepers of love and family. They are for children. The teachings of men are beyond them," he said.
"Is this what you think of me?" Onja demanded indignantly.
"You are not a woman," Amar answered.
No, indeed, Onja thought. "Urlen," she said. "What was done to Isamahlia? Was she put in another sky temple to die?"
Urlen stifled a sob. He wished he could answer yes and then they could go save her. "She was publicly drowned for her crime," Urlen said. His face then collapsed in his hands. They had made him watch her die. Many in the ignorant crowd had cheered. Her parents had seemed pleased that she had met a just end.
"I would rest," Urlen murmured.
"Your story was interesting. Go to your rest," Onja said. She got up and returned to her perch on the boulder and resumed her meditation.
Everyone else settled into camp and divvied up the watches through the night, nervous that the Nurati might discover what they had done. Urlen took no watch and slept fitfully. His exhaustion from his exposure and torture kept him unconscious, but his nightmares shook his slender body.
When Amar was on watch, he listened to Urlen mutter in his sleep. Amar had no doubt that Urlen would always be grateful to him for the rescue, and Amar decided that he would keep this scholar close to him. Urlen had much to offer that rogues and warriors did not.
In the morning they moved on. Urlen rode with Amar, clutching the strong back of the young warrior like a feeble baby monkey.
That day they rode well past dark, letting Onja guide them overland in the gloom. A waning half moon rose late and illuminated the land when they came out of the rugged forest onto a bare hilltop that afforded a wide view of the Temulanka Domain. For generations, the Temulanka had kept trees clear from the hill and a splendid thick turf grew atop it, crisscrossed by deer trails.
Beyond the hill, the land descended into fertile flat farmlands, broken by thick woods and blocky mesas. In the distance a few lights twinkled on a fortress on a butte.
Onja slipped off her stallion.
Kym protested, "Onja, we should not camp here. The Temulanka will see our fire from that fortress."
She said, "Camp where it pleases you, but I shall stay here." She then told Amar to come back to her in the morning.
Reluctantly he accepted that she wanted solitude. With Urlen snoring softly against his shoulder, Amar followed the others down the hill. He looked back once and saw a crow flap across the moonlit sky.
Vame located a nearby creek basin thick with old willows where they could camp unseen. Amar took the first watch. He was restless now that he had reached the Temulanka Domain, and he reflected deeply about his next steps. The others went to sleep quickly, except for Kym, who Amar knew was watching him.
At the first hint of dawn, Amar dove into his workout regimen. After his run, he found Onja in the meadow. He was sweaty and breathing hard from his workout.
Blue fire burned in Onja's eyes. "Take my hand," she commanded.
Amar complied and her grip was strong. An intense burning assaulted his palm. When she released him, his palm was amazingly not injured and he held a crystal orb. Many shades of blue streaked through the crystal and light glowed deep inside it. In awe, he gazed at it until he finally managed to ask what it was.
Onja had to consider how to explain in his language. "A warding crystal," she decided. "It is my enchantment. Carry this crystal, Amar. It will help me find you and communicate with you."
Very touched, he closed his hand around the crystal and held it to his chest. "I will guard this precious jewel with my life," he said.
"Keep it close," Onja advised. "I must leave you today."
"No," he blurted before he could help himself.
Although touched by his affection, Onja ignored his protest. "I have brought you to Wayndo. He is in that fortress," she said and gestured toward the haphazard collection of stone and wooden buildings on the butte. "I will show him to you."
Onja touched his forehead and his anxiety dissolved. At first, Amar felt trapped in a thick silent fog. Then he saw land beneath his feet and he seemed to be climbing a wide path dug into the side of a butte. Paving stones had been laid to help the road keep its shape through the seasons. Ragged patchy grass grew alongside the path in crevices on the sides of the butte. He passed through a gate of thick timbers bound by old blue bronze. Beyond the gates was a courtyard where horses, carts, and people milled in the basic business of morning. Guard houses, towers, barns, and storehouses surrounded the courtyard.
Amar's attention was directed to the largest and newest tower constructed of cut stone. Above the tower's entrance, a sigil of a speckled senshal's face was carved into the stone. Instead of entering the tower through the door, stained freshly white, Amar felt himself fly up to a window two levels down from the roof. His stomach felt like it left his body. He hovered in front of the window and then stepped on its sill and crouched inside.
Within the chamber he spied a middle-aged man. He was lean and strong, mostly bald and what remained of his gray and black hair hung in a braid down his neck. He wore no shirt but old leather bracers covered his wrists and higher up his arms were the scars where the blades of many foes had nicked him. A loose pair of black pants sagged around his hips as he moved carefully through an upsa routine. Purposefully his hands moved away from his body and then came back together and touched his chest as he stepped through a series of slow kicks and squats.
Amar studied the movements of the man's body. Age had yet to blunt the physical abilities of this Temulanka warlord.
"Wayndo," Onja whispered in Amar's mind.
The man lingered in Amar's vision for another moment and then Onja guided his senses deeper into the tower. They explored the halls and stairs and rooms and vaults. After spying upon every space in the tower, all the images faded and Amar was back on the hill. The rys drew her hand away from his forehead. Amar blinked and stepped back, seeking his balance.
Onja said, "I heard men call him Wayndo. Do you remember his face?"
Amar told her yes. He remembered quite vividly every detail of the extraordinary journey. Amar would be able to recognize Wayndo at a glance and he knew the tower like he had grown up in it. He wanted to ask her how she had shown him such things, but he decided it was rude to constantly pester her with questions. She was magic and he should accept it without child-like curiosity.
Instead he asked her why she was leaving. The subject seemed to trouble her. She looked at the jagged blue mountains that were her homeland.
"A rys cannot stay always away from the Rysamand," she said. "The snows of winter are coming and I would go home."
Amar envied her because she still had a home to go back to. He opened his hand that held the warding crystal.
"You will contact me again?" he said, seeking reassurance.
"Someday, Amar," Onja said.
Saddened at the prospect of her absence, he dared to ask if he could go with her. Onja pondered the possibility. At last she said, "Not now, but I think that someday you will see Jingten."
"I would like that," he said, accepting the rejection that she had softened with hope.
Onja stopped gazing wistfully toward her home and regarded him seriously. "Amar, I would have you seek power. Be the prince you were born to be. I will have need of your strength, and I know I have your loyalty," Onja said.
Her statement was both ominous and exciting to Amar. He thought he knew what she wanted him to do. His own thoughts had begun to flirt with ambition, and her command gave him the courage to be more than a lousy bandit or assassin.
"Why do you help me, Onja?" he asked. "If you seek powerful allies, why don't you go to a king or warlord who already has power? You are great. No one would deny you their loyalty."
She replied, "Chance brought you to me, Amar. Sometimes that suffices to make a decision. I think that in time, these kings you speak of will lend me their strength, but they will never be my friends. Not like you."
Amar gripped his warding crystal tightly, profoundly touched by her kind words. "I will do my best," he vowed.
Onja then asked him for his iron sword. Amar gave it to her. She touched the place where the blade was recently blunted by breaking Urlen's chains. She ran her hand along both edges of the sword. Blue light sparkled between her fingers. When she returned the sword to Amar, he plucked the blade gingerly with his thumb. The edge was exceptionally sharp and perfectly restored.
"You'll not need to sharpen it again," Onja explained.
With grateful awe, he thanked her.
"I must go. Be patient. You shall see me again," Onja said. Her stallion sauntered to her side, and she bounded easily onto the animal's back.
"Good luck," he said because she seemed to be leaving with some great purpose.
Onja thanked him but knew that luck would have little to do with the future she imagined.
Amar watched her ride away, and he was bereft of comfort again. Her departure blasted a desolate hole in his heart, but he had her command to guide him. As she headed for her mountain homeland, he steered his attention to the Temulanka Domain. The path to new fortunes started here.


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Finally! My Raspberry Pi speaks robotic Tagalog using SpeakJet, the 100% tangible speech synthesizer, handbuilt in the Philippines. Now, the Raspberry Pi can do other functions while SpeakJet is talking.
Ako ang SpeakJet.
Tagalog ang ginagamit ko.
Allophones ay na-convert sa Tagalog na salita.
Salamat sa iyo pra sa pakikinig sa akin magsalita ng Tagalog.
Salamat kay Marcos Miranda.
Magandang araw sa iyo.
English translation
I am SpeakJet.
I speak Tagalog.
I convert allophones into Tagalog speech.
Thanks for listening to me speak Tagalog.
Thanks to Marcos Miranda.
Have a nice day.
Here's a symbolic representation of how my Raspberry Pi is connected to the SpeakJet microcontroller via the English-based TTS256 microcontroller. For this project, the TTS256 microcontroller will be bypassed by software controls. Since the SpeakJet SPK line is 5VDC, my onboard line-level converter safely converts voltage to 3VDC for the Raspberry Pi.
This source code is exclusively for making the SpeakJet speak the Tagalog language. Though extensive use of phonemes are being used, my Tagalog speech synthesis dictionary is not included.
One of the things I like about working SpeakJet projects, is that I can stay "open source" while keeping my Tagalog speech synthesis dictionary private. Today's project is using my Raspberry PiRaspberry Pi that I had purchased from element14 in October 2012. Thanks for reading and have a nice day!
Marcos "Kuya Marc" Miranda

subset: commoncrawl


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From an IndyCar fan's perspective, my thoughts and emotions on this ride have changed as it's dragged on. First, it was disbelief, because like others, I didn't think Danica could succeed in stock cars. The transition is too great, and I didn't see how it would help her brand outside of a short-term cash grab. Then came the anger stage (those that were involved in those thread remember that). Now, though, it's just an apathetic "meh," just like everyone else. It dragged out too long, but here we are.
For the record, I do NOT speak for other IndyCar fans wtih this piece. I'm not trying to speculate how Danica will do in stock cars, nor am I trying to start a fight with the NASCAR fans. I'm writing this for me to try and figure what the hell I'm to think of this.
First, can this help IndyCar? I've heard in some circles that IndyCar can get an exposure benefit. Danica, of course, will get lots of attention during her NASCAR races, and well, at some point, they have to mention her IndyCar career. Could her new fans in NASCAR check her out at her (for now) full-time job? I hear this, but don't really buy it. These "Danica fans" didn't really seem to materialize during her IndyCar career, as attendance and ratings figures can attest. Second, I'm sure NASCAR will downplay that part of Danica's career as much as possible. In the end though, IndyCar blogger pressdog is probably correct on the situation. The money quote:
Yeah, good for her. Yeah Danica. Some are saying "You see the IndyCar right there in the shot with the N-word car! Great exposure for IndyCar."
Pardon me while I buy a cake and plan a party! We're "in the shot." So is the third-string cornerback during the Super Bowl celebration. You can "clearly see the IndyCar logo!" Super-awesome. Except for the fact that I have some pride and prefer not to see IndyCar grovel for table scraps from Cabland or to have the series' nuts kept in a jar on Danica's nightstand.
Pretty much. Not a good situation. I can't think of a way this is a positive development for IndyCar, and I'm not going to try.
Secondly, I would like to comment on Danica's skill level. As we all know, she has one career victory in 81 IndyCar starts. However, that does not mean she's a completely untalented hack, as many here and elsewhere have suggested. She's a moderately talented driver who consistently runs in the top 10, and occasionally top 5. She rarely crashes, partly due to ability to bring it home, and partly due to a conservative driving style (which is likely a reason for a lack of wins). Not a world-beater, but above average. Did her looks and gender get her farther than necessarily deserved? Yes, but that's modern racing. Talent isn't the sole arbiterer of who goes where. Attracting sponsors matters, and she certainly can do that. To use an often-used NASCAR phase, it is what it is.
That said, 2009 was her best season in the cockpit, despite the addition of more road courses to the IndyCar schedule and the distractions from the endless discussions of her future. She was 5th in points in a year where the top two teams, Penske and Ganassi, and their four drivers dominated the season. She also showed more maturity than ever before, not getting into a single argument or throwing an on-track tantrum. While it could be a one year aberration, the possibility exists that she's finally matured a bit, something that some don't seem to want to acknowledge. I understand Danica is not that likeable a person. I'm not a fan myself of her personally. I just wanted to add some context to the discussion as someone who seen just about every race she's run since she hit the stage in 2005.


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Should I stop pretending?
Take the chance to build a brand new day…
Loki turns out to be the "Frozen" fan. Who would think…?
Well, Thor had no clue. xD
I had some real fun drawing those (excpet Loki's armour. That was a pain in the arse). I simply took few screenshots from Frozen… And made Loki sing instead of Elsa.
PS. This looked much funier in my head -.-


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Rowan McAuley; Illustrated by Ash Oswald
Square Fish
PJ Party Puzzle! Olivia is starting to worry about her very first sleepover. She's thought up a hundred different things that could go wrong—and they're all totally embarrassing! Olivia doesn't want to cancel on her best friend at the last minute, BUT… maybe she should just stay home?
Chapter One
It was six o'clock on Friday morning, the last day of school for the year. The alarm hadn't gone off yet, but Olivia was already awake, dressed, and sitting at the kitchen table, eating her toast and waiting for her mom to get up.
She drank a glass of milk and ate an apple, but her mom still slept on. She brushed her teeth and made her lunch, but even then her mom did not stir.
Olivia checked the clock on the microwave. Six thirty. Surely her mom should be awake by now? She tiptoed along the hallway and looked in. Her mom was fast asleep, snoring
Rowan McAuley; Illustrated by Ash Oswald


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Today's vacation food memory is when I had the most delicious, luxurious breakfast in Newport Beach, California. I had a cheesecake stuffed French Toast. I duplicated it and came up with this. This is a "luxury" food item. Certainly a splurge, not a healthy, every day choice, but worth it when you eat it! Just go for a nice cardio, afterwards!
Serves 4
1 (8 ounce) package softened low-fat/reduced fat cream cheese
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
zest from one lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries or strawberries, sliced
8 slices good bread
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 Tablespoons butter (more may be needed)
berries and powdered sugar for garnish
In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon zest, vanilla and lemon juice. Preheat griddle or skillet. Spread softened "cheesecake" mixture on two slices of bread. Place berries to the cream cheese mixture, then press together to make a sandwich. In a pie dish, beat one cup milk, one egg, vanilla and almond extract together. Dip the "sandwich" into the egg wash, just as you would to make French toast. Place 1/2 Tablespoon of butter into skillet or onto griddle, then add the stuffed sandwich. Cook on both sides until crispy. Remove and place on plate. Top with more berries and sifted powdered sugar, then top with warm syrup.
Copyright 2013 WSMV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.


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"Forbidden fruit is any object of desire whose appeal is a direct result of knowledge that cannot or should not be obtained or something that someone may want but is forbidden to have.
In Western Europe, the fruit was often depicted as an apple…The larynx in the human throat, noticeably more prominent in males, was consequently called an Adam's apple, from a notion that it was caused by the forbidden fruit sticking from Adam's throat as he swallowed." — From Wikipedia entry for Forbidden Fruit
Adam's Apple (The Forbidden Fruit)
1 1/2oz Jim Beam Devil's Cut
1oz Thatcher's Apple Spice Ginger Liqueur
1/2oz triple sec or premium orange curacao
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Sliver of Granny Smith apple for garnish
With hope in your heart for redemption, add all ingredients to mixing glass over ice. Stir briskly, aiming for atonement. Place julep strainer firmly within mixing glass and pour contents into a cocktail glass, chilled with the breath of the saints. Brandish your saber and cut a heavenly sliver of the Granny Smith apple and float on top of the cocktail. Raise to your nose and inhale for knowledge, seeking to obtain the mash content of the Devil's Cut, the spice combination in the liqueur, and the age of dear Grandmother Smith. Take a sip and repent. Then, with renewed heart, clear mind, and sound body, repeat.


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Typographic Poster Series
Archetypes is a series of typographic posters designed by Tres Tipos Gráficos in collaboration with Manuel Sesma. They created a unique effect for each print by superimposing the letters layer upon layer. The posters are available for purchase here.
More images of the poster series on WE AND THE COLOR


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Wide Receivers:
Running Backs:
Tight Ends: Against the Falcons,
Offensive line: It's real easy to beat up on this line but from the Atlanta game, there were some positives.
Defensive Line: The team got a scare when
Secondary: Didn't think that
Special Teams: Dwayne Harris and Lance Dunbar have taken over the kickoff and punt return duties and has flashed some ability to make some productive returns. I really do like Harris' sure hands but he also plays with some vision and wiggle bringing the ball up the field. His first return against the Falcons was a thing of beauty and was well blocked. If he and Dunbar get dependable blocking, there is a possibility to create better field position for the offense.


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Natural Family Planning
Using NFP for fertility awareness and birth control
Heather Franke, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, wanted to find a better form of birth control, one that wouldn't fill her body with chemicals or hormones and one that wouldn't send her searching for contraptions in the middle of making love. Most of all, she wanted to find something that was natural. For many couples like the Frankes, pills and condoms are not the answer to controlling family size. Instead, they turn to an often-misunderstood method called natural family planning (NFP).
Natural Family Planning Methods
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), there are two methods of natural family planning. The first method is based on ovulation. A woman practicing this method of natural family planning examines her cervical mucous every day in order to discover changes that are indicative of ovulation. When those changes occur, the couple knows to avoid intercourse.
The second method is called the symptothermal method and is arguably the more effective method. Here, a woman checks and records her temperature every morning, looking for the slight rise that occurs at ovulation. She also examines and notes any changes in cervical mucous.
Both methods are effective at preventing pregnancy. The AAFP places that effectiveness at as high as 98 percent. But it is important to stress that to achieve this level of pregnancy prevention, natural family planning must be learned from an experienced instructor and must be done properly.
According to Dr. Susan Dantoni, an OB-GYN in Geneva, New York, "properly" means correctly figuring out the most fertile times and then avoiding intercourse during those days.
The Pros of NFP
Kathy McConnell, of Baltimore, Maryland, and her husband chose natural family planning, in part because of their religious beliefs. Once they received instruction, McConnell, who had irregular menstrual cycles, enjoyed more benefits than simply pregnancy protection. "I can be absolutely clear when I will get my period," she says. "Counting from ovulation is exact once you figure out your own body's cycle."
Not only was McConnell satisfying her religious beliefs, she was also keeping her body free from hormones and chemicals. Most of all, McConnell was learning valuable information about her body—information that actually helped her get pregnant."We conceived our first child using NFP," McConnell says. "I knew that if we had sex on a certain night, the likelihood [of getting pregnant] was great."
Another advantage is that natural family planning opens the doors of communication. Birth control becomes the responsibility of both partners, since the results of charting must be discussed, and the couple must decide whether or not to engage in romantic encounters at that time.
Natural family planning is economical, too. Instruction is available through local churches, and fees are usually negotiable if money is tight. The special thermometers can be purchased online for $10. After that, an inexpensive book of charts is all you need to follow the program.
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Newegg.com - A great place to buy computers, computer parts, electronics, software, accessories, and DVDs online. With great prices, fast shipping, and top-rated customer service - once you know, you Newegg.
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Color: 5.5 ft. x 7.7 ft. in IvoryHeat-set technique to ensure a soft touch. Warranty: 120 days. Made from durable and easy to clean olefin. 2.2 ft. x 7.7 ft.: 91 in. L x 26 in. W (8 lbs.). 3.3 ft. x 4.11 ft.: 44 in. L x 39 in. W (8 lbs.). 5.5 ft. x 7.7 ft.: 91 in. L x 65 in. W (19 lbs.). 7.9 ft. x 11 ft.: 132 in. L x 93 in. W (39 lbs.). 9.10 ft. x 12.10 ft.: 118 in. L x 154 in. W (57 lbs.)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
But here's what happens now:
But here's what happens now:
Guildie A rolls a 5
Pug rolls a 55
RL & Master Looter (in the same guild with guildie A) "Oh crap! I gave it to the wrong guy! Well, we'll just open a ticket and transfer it..."
And the Pug waits until the end of time waiting for the fictitious ticket to be resolved...
Yeah this new system is open to its own forms of abuse. The question is whether the NEW abuses will be worse than the OLD abuses -- and I suspect they won't.


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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
I was going to mention the tiny chat box too.
I was going to mention the tiny chat box too.
It really would drive me insane to have such little space for text there.
As for having the micro menu + stance bar present; Perasite should consider an addon like Opie Rings, for stances and the keybinds for the micromenu.
Maybe put the main action bar there and subsidiary bars to the left. Or even move Grid up a tad and have unit frames down there at the bottom.


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2pc Bedroom Nurse
Product #: CNVELD-RD3776
List Price: $36.99
You Save: $9.81
Size Chart for Dreamgirl International
In Stock
We ship from multiple warehouses
- Ships by vendor ELD
- Ships by vendor ELD
- More buying choices: DCL $44.00 | MC $28.25
- Privacy Guaranteed
- Discreet Packaging
- Largest Selection
- Lowest Prices
- 19 Years Online
Product Details
- Genre: Nurse
- Clothing Size: One Size Fits Most
- Manufacturer: Dreamgirl International
- Weight: 4.8 Ounces
Product Description
This all time favorite Bedroom Nurse Costume includes a stretchy satin halter dress with contrast accents and matching nurse cap. One size fits most. You will be Nurse of the Year for sure!
Showing All Reviews
Wear It In Or Out!, January 15, 2010
This nurse costume is so cute you can wear at home or out for Halloween, because it's not see-through. The style is very flattering, I love mine!
Was this review helpful for you?


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This item is currently backordered until late November.
Brewing at Monticello
Jefferson's earliest designs for Monticello included spaces for brewing and the storage of beer. Initially, brewing of beer was supervised by Jefferson's wife, Martha (1748-1782). In the years leading up to his retirement in 1809, Jefferson began researching the brewing process through correspondence with Michael Krafft, who dedicated his American Distiller to Jefferson. The most productive period of brewing at Monticello began during the war of 1812 when a British officer who was a master brewer was detained nearby in Albemarle County. He trained enslaved Peter Hemings (also one of Monticello's principal cooks) in the arts of malting and brewing. According to Jefferson, Peter Hemings learned brewing "with entire success".
In the 18th and 19th centuries, stoneware bottles were commonly used for beer storage as it was thought to be stronger than glass for containing fermented liquids. The bottles were sealed with corks, which were tied down to the rim with wire, and finally waxed. In the spring of 1814, Jefferson ordered several gross of both one and two-quart stoneware bottles from the Richard Randolph Pottery outside Richmond, and then wrote to him again before the fall season, "I am now engaged in brewing a year's supply of malt strong beer, which however I have no chance of saving but by a supply of quart jugs from you…"
Our salt glazed stoneware bottle was based on archeological shards found at Monticello.


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UNION MILLS | A two-foot single with three gratis bases helped put an end to a 12-inning marathon Tuesday that featured its share of bizarre happenings.
Westville escaped with a 9-7 victory over host and defending-champion South Central in a Class A sectional semifinal.
The game lasted more than three hours. S.C.'s field doesn't have lights, so athletic director Dan Klimczak postponed the second semifinal between Triton and Culver Community to 4:30 p.m. today. The championship will be played at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
"I told our girls all season that each run is very important," Westville coach Mark Dineen said. "It was a back-and-forth game. You didn't know what to expect."
One of the last unexpected results came from McKenzi Gardner. Hitless in five previous at-bats, Gardner punched an 0-2 pitch barely in front of home plate to begin the 12th. What started out as an infield single, turned into much more as the throw to first base sailed into right field. Gardner didn't hesitate around second base, and the relay throw to third was also wide -- allowing the freshman to score the go-ahead run.
"I was just trying to hustle," Gardner said of the play. "I didn't think I was going to make it at third.
"I was just excited to give our team the lead."
This was just one of several odd occurrences, almost all happening in the final couple of frames.
S.C.'s Sarah Denham led off the eighth inning with a fly to left field, which was misplayed. She forced a throw to second base, and was called out, then safe, by the base umpire. Satellites coach Patrick Fuller argued twice, directly after the play and subsequently at the end of the frame. He was ejected after the second meeting.
Gardner hit into a force play at second base in the ninth, then she made the final out at the same base trying to catch the S.C. defense napping.
Both starting pitchers Beth Piotrowski (Westville) and Madisyn Walter (South Central) went the distance.
Krysten Wilson led the Blackhawks (18-8), going 3-for-6 with a two RBIs and a run scored. South Central's Mikayla Eaton was 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.
Gardner is just glad the team gets an extra-day off.
"That will give us another good night's sleep," she said. "We'll have a chance to recharge our batteries."


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That's a question a lot of sites have trouble answering. They likely know the answer, but the way in which they present the information is vague — if they present it at all. SheetMusicPlus.com does an exceptional job of answering this question in its shopping cart.
They give customers the information they need, stated clearly and in the visitor's language. "About how long before I get my package?" Great question — and they've already asked it for you. Estimated shipping and delivery times are nice, but if you really want to make the customer happy, let them know when they'll receive their order.
There's one way they could improve upon this. Instead of showing the shipping options on another part of the page, SheetMusicPlus.com would be better off if they were to consolidate all shipping info and options in one place. They've already got me focused on the box in the top-right corner. Why squeeze "Shipping method" just above "Payment info"?
This may seem like small stuff, but these "minor details" are a big deal when it comes to closing the sale.
Bryan got lucky. Too bad Sharp ( http://www.sharpusa.com/ )hasn't shipped my new 42″ TV even though I ordered it 3 weeks ago. They were prompt about billing me. He's the luckier brother
What a simple and seemingly obvious touch. Love it. I actually like the box separate from the other info. You tend to skip over all that stuff as the standard mumbo jumbo that never tells you anything important. The box calls it out, and I love how their little graphic equation. I wish Amazon would do this. But I guess they can't control when their vendors ship.
I recently bought a bookcase from Staples and I was impressed by their Order tracking system. Dunno if anyone here has used it before, but they tell you when your order will reach you and not when they shipped it.


text: Comments on: NHL players expect to get escrow checks Wednesday Back to the article » Associated Press • | October 30, 2012 | 6:11 pm TORONTO (AP) — Locked-out NHL players are expected to get back last season's escrow payment on Wednesday. According to a union spokesman, players are set to be given 7.98 percent of what they earned last year, plus interest, on the day they were to have received their second paycheck of the currently delayed season. The escrow payments will amount to about $80,000 for every million dollars a... Web URL: http://washingtonexaminer.com/article/feed/2043791 Share this article on Facebook or Twitter Print this article


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Chemical Peel Treatments
Obagi Blue Peel™
Provides instant resultstighter, smoother, brighter-looking skin after one treatment.
TCA Peel
Our TCA peel solution is formulated with many ingredients including lactic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), plumping phytohormones and kojic and azelaic acids to produce dramatic results without the discomfort and downtime associated with traditional TCA peels.
- 30 minutes - $300
Designed for problematic skin with mild to moderate acne, this facial helps keep skin clear and healthy. Salicylic acid peeling solution is applied to purify the skin through exfoliation,with a finishing customized mask that leaves the skin feeling clean and fresh.
- 30 minutes - $100
Glycolic Acid Exfoliator 35% & 50%
An Alpha-Hydroxy Acid that is one of the most effective exfoliation agents known.
- Penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin.
- Increases cellular turnover and stimulates new collagen formation.
- 15 minutes - $50
Salicylic Acid Peel 30%
It loosens and removes aging cells, oil and debris, stimulates new skin cell production, increase in collagen formation, and penetrates and cleans sebum filled follicles and pores.
- 30 minutes - $100
Lactic Exoliator 40% & 70%
Lactic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid derived from sour milk. It is ideal for sensitive skin or skin unable to tolerate glycolic acid. Lactic acid is indicated for uneven skin tones and sun damage.
- 30 minutes - $100
Jessner Exfoliator
14% lactic acid, usp; 14% salicylic acid, usp; 14% resorcinol in ethanol. Jessner Peel is a medium strength peel consisting of multiple peeling agents. These agents penetrate deeper into the skin and result in greater exfoliation.
- 30 minutes - $175
VI PEEL is a safe, effective anti aging peel for all skin types! This virtually painless peel requires no prep and has minimal downtime typically 2-3 days. Increase overall skin radiance, even out skin tone, minimize pores, eliminate or reduce sun spots, hyper pigmentation, melasma and control acne with the VI Peel.
- 30 minutes - $275
DermaCeutic Peel
Medium strength peel specifically formulated for darker skin tones and stubborn pigmentation such as melasma, pregnancy mask and post-inflammatory hyper pigmentation. This peel is paired with a 30 day homecare kit for continued treatment with anti-inflammatory ingredients promoting hydration and additional pigmentation reduction for clearer healthy, radiant skin.
- 30 minutes - $399


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Mr. Adelson, one of the world's leading entrepreneurs, is widely credited for helping transform the city of Las Vegas from a gaming-centric regional location into an international business and leisure destination.
His business career spans more than six decades and has included creating and developing to maturity more than 50 different companies, including the COMDEX tradeshow he developed for the computer industry. At his direction, COMDEX became the world's largest trade show with a presence in many different countries.
In 1989, Mr. Adelson purchased the Sands Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and subsequently constructed the Sands Expo and Convention Center, the only privately owned and operated convention center in the United States. In 1995, Mr. Adelson sold the COMDEX shows for more than $860 million and proceeded with the implosion of the Sands Hotel & Casino and the construction of the $1.5 billion Venetian Resort Hotel Casino.
In 1999, Mr. Adelson opened the doors to The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and further changed the perception of Las Vegas by offering visitors an amazing collection of amenities and experiences - like celebrity chef restaurants, world-class entertainment, all-suite accommodations, expansive shopping, spa and fitness facilities and more virtually creating a city under one roof.
Always challenging and changing the status quo, Mr. Adelson developed a resort destination that caters to a blend of tourist, gaming, and business travelers. Since it's opening, the 4,027 suite resort has received recognition as revolutionizing the Las Vegas hotel industry and has been honored with numerous awards naming it one of the finest hotels in the world.
Mr. Adelson's penchant for challenging the status quo has been the foundation of his success and has led governments in places like Macao and Singapore to select Las Vegas Sands to develop economy-changing tourism developments in their countries.
In May 2004, Las Vegas Sands Corp. opened the Sands Macao, located on China's southeastern coast. The Sands Macao was the first U.S. operated casino in the region and set the stage for the next phase of development in Macao.
On August 28, 2007, The Venetian Macao opened to massive crowds and, similar to what Mr. Adelson helped accomplish in Las Vegas, Macao began its transformation from a gaming-centric location into an international leisure and business destination. The Venetian Macao and adjoined Four Seasons Hotel Macao are the initial steps in the completion of the Cotai Strip®, a master-planned collection of hotel-resort properties which will include other renowned hotel brands such as St. Regis, Sheraton, Shangri-La, Traders, Hilton, Conrad, Fairmont, and Raffles.
When the final work on Mr. Adelson's vision of the Cotai Strip is complete, it will combine to feature more than 20,000 guest rooms, millions of square feet of retail and meeting and convention space, and nearly 30,000 seats of live entertainment. The massive development will occupy more than 53 million square feet of total space, less than two percent of which is casino, and will directly and indirectly employ more than 180,000 people.
Under Mr. Adelson's leadership, the company recently opened the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. This iconic integrated resort facility features the type of business and leisure facilities that have become the hallmarks of Las Vegas Sands-developed properties and will be the bar by which all future integrated resort facilities are judged.
Mr. Adelson and his wife, Dr. Miriam Adelson, are noted philanthropists who donate to a variety of causes. In addition, Mr. Adelson has been granted honorary degrees and other awards, and has been a guest lecturer for students at various colleges and universities, including the University of New Haven, Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, Tel Aviv University and Babson College.
In 2008, Mr. Adelson was appointed by President Bush to the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations which provides overall policy advice on trade matters to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Mr. and Dr. Adelson have three grown daughters, two young sons, and four grandchildren.
Mr. Leven is a veteran hospitality executive with 48 years of experience in the business and a distinguished and well-recognized record of success. He was formerly president and chief executive officer of US Franchise Systems, Inc., the company he founded in 1995, which developed and franchised the Microtel Inns & Suites and Hawthorn Suites hotel brands. He was previously the president and COO of Holiday Inn Worldwide, president of Days Inn of America, and president of Americana Hotels. He has also served on the board of directors of Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Hersha Hospitality Trust.
In addition to being a hotel industry icon and one of franchising's most innovative leaders, Mr. Leven has served many industry organizations throughout his career. He co-founded the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, which started with 12 members in 1989 and now has more than 9,300 members, who combined own more than 22,000 hotels representing approximately $60 billion in property value. He is also the former international president of the Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI).
Mr. Leven is a recipient of the American Association of Franchisees and Dealers Lifetime Achievement Award and was previously named to HSMAI's Hot List of 25 Most Extraordinary Sales & Marketing Minds in Hospitality & Travel. He has also received the American Jewish Committee Selig Distinguished Service Award, UJA Federation of New York Hotel and Hospitality Award, and the Georgia Hospitality & Travel Association Spirit of Hospitality Award.
Mr. Leven is a native of Boston, Massachusetts and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University and Master of Science from Boston University. He and his wife, Andrea, have three sons and five grandchildren.
An industry veteran, he was instrumental in launching The Venetian and The Palazzo the company's two integrated resorts located on the Las Vegas Strip.
As president and chief operating officer of The Venetian and The Palazzo, Mr. Goldstein helped lure celebrity chefs like Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse, and Pierre Selvaggio to open new restaurants at the property. He signed deals with premium retailers to open stores in the Grand Canal Shoppes, and convinced the renowned Canyon Ranch SpaClub® to open a massive 69,000 square foot spa and fitness facility.
Since that time, The Venetian has become internationally recognized as a leading destination resort and has received numerous awards and accolades, including the prestigious Five-Diamond rating from AAA. The property is also the largest resort in the world to be recognized with a Four-Star rating from Exxon/Mobil-Travel-Guide.
Even with the tremendous success of The Venetian, Mr. Goldstein did not rest on his laurels. In recent years, he has added powerhouse entertainment offerings like PhantomThe Las Vegas Spectacular and the Blue Man Group, opened new restaurants from Thomas Keller, David Burke, and Mario Batali, as well as the popular TAO nightclub, and spent $100 million renovating the property's 3,000 all-suite rooms with stylish new furniture and finishes.
In January 2008, LVS opened The Palazzo Las Vegas and again Mr. Goldstein displayed his ability to provide top-tier amenities for the company's discerning guests. Among its many attractions, The Palazzo features new restaurants from Puck, Lagasse, Batali and Charlie Trotter, Las Vegas' first Barneys New York, and the blockbuster hit show Jersey Boys.
At a global level, Mr. Goldstein is most actively involved in helping plan the company's entertainment, restaurant, and retail offerings in Asia.
Before joining Las Vegas Sands in 1995, Mr. Goldstein spent 15 years developing casino-hotels in both the United States and the Caribbean. He is a 1977 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and a 1980 graduate of the Temple University School of Law. Mr. Goldstein and his wife, Sheryl, have two children, Scott and Courtney.
Mr. Raphaelson joined Las Vegas Sands on November 1, 2011 after having served the past six years as vice president and general counsel at global technology leader Scientific Games Corporation (NASDAQ: SGMS). As global general counsel, Mr. Raphaelson oversees the company's legal affairs around the world.
He is a nationally recognized author and lecturer on corporate governance and compliance. Before joining Scientific Games Corporation, Mr. Raphaelson was a partner at the international law firm of O'Melveny & Myers. Prior to his ten years at O'Melveny, he spent three years as a partner at the law firm of Shaw Pittman. He has represented some of the world's largest companies and a number of prominent public officials and corporate executives in connection with governance and accounting issues in numerous countries.
His career also includes 13 years as a state and federal prosecutor in Chicago. As an appointee of President George H.W. Bush, Mr. Raphaelson also served two years as Special Counsel for Financial Institutions within the U.S. Justice Department.
Mr. Raphaelson received his BA and JD from Northwestern University and is currently a member of the Law School Dean's Advisory Board.


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"So happy with the invites, tiny prints staff so helpful and accommodating, changing them to a colour I really wanted, making sure I was happy. Will be using for all future invitation needs!"
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"I love this card! I purchased it for my daughter's first communion. I only wish there were matching products like addresses labels, favor tags and thank you notes. I have searched the entire site for something similar and only 1 thing was even close."


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Concours of Villa d'Este at Cernobbio is perhaps the most significant of all events celebrating the mystique of the vintage car. And not just on a European scale, now that its Parisian equivalent, the Bagatelle, has been cancelled.
Year after year, Villa d'Este has improved in every one of the aspects by which these events are measured; the beauty of the setting, the impeccable hospitality, the efficient organisation, an enthusiastic public and, above all, the elegance and state of preservation of the precious participating cars. At Villa d'Este one breathes an air of authentic aristocracy, rather than the slightly commercial atmosphere of Pebble Beach.
For more info about Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, visit the homepage: www.concorsodeleganzavilladeste.com


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Anita Fox moved to Columbia in 1969 after visiting the New Town on several occasions. She recalls the Exhibit Center's tours and watching the area grow from a country setting of 4,000 residents to a bustling suburb. Her many community activities are discussed, which include many firsts for Columbia, as well as her "on the side" chocolate business, Cordially Yours.
Alfred & Mary Bracey
Alfred and Mary Bracey have felt a sense of community in Columbia, ever since they moved there over 30 years ago. Maybe that is why, even after retiring from their jobs, they do not want to live anywhere else. The married couple talk about some of the places they have seen being built in town, as well as, some of the social and community groups they enjoy.
John DuVall
John DuVall has traced his family's Howard County roots to his great, great, grandfather, who came to the county from Germany as an indentured servant. John shares his memories of growing up in the county and why his family still calls Howard County home.


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Seth MacFarlane
The trend of so-called "hate-watching" is hardly a new TV phenomenon. We've been doing it with the Oscar show for years: picking apart the fashions, groaning at the witless banter, griping as we drift through the seemingly endless midsection where no awards of major consequence are presented, and nearly always regarding the unlucky host as a piñata ripe for the bashing.
This year's tuneful but torturously overextended production (ending just past the three-and-a-half-hour mark) was much the same. With one major exception: The musical numbers were no joke, especially when mighty divas as legendary as Barbra Streisand and Shirley Bassey and as electrifyingly current as Adele and Jennifer Hudson took the stage. No Rob Lowe-Snow White fiascos this time.
Want more TV news and reviews? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!
Linda Gray
Question: I hope you'll mention the passing of one of my favorite shows, Eureka. With all the hoopla around the finale of The Closer and the buzz about new and returning summer shows, the final episode of this quirky and creative Syfy gem will probably go unnoticed by most. Over the years it's become one of my favorites, serving up some high concept sci-fi stories with a healthy dose of humor and heart. Although I knew it was ending, the announcement last week of the July 16 "series finale" made me sadder than I expected. It's like nothing else on TV and I will miss all these wonderful, eccentric characters and this charming, if sometimes dangerous, town. Thanks for your insightful columns and recommendations! — Lenore
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Ron Howard and Andy Griffith
Decades before his Oscar-winning career as the director of such films as A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13 and Cinderella Man (not to mention two of my favorites, Cocoon and Splash), Ron Howard's creative mind began taking shape playing the only child of a widowed sheriff on The Andy Griffith Show. After Griffith's passing on July 3, Howard spent his Independence Day holiday reflecting on the happy days he shared in Mayberry with a man he would always treasure. In his own words, Howard shares with TV Guide Magazine what Andy Griffith meant to him:
"Andy's passing and the outpouring of love and appreciation from fans and the media has caused me to...
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Andy Griffith
There aren't many adult cast members of The Andy Griffith Show still alive, so it's nice to know that the remaining few remained in touch with Andy Griffith until his death on July 3. Three years ago, Griffith and his wife, Cindi, visited...
read more
The Andy Griffith Show
Carolina home at the age of 86.
Fortunately, fans have not one, but two iconic TV shows with which to remember Griffith's legacy: The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock, not to mention...
read more
Andy Griffith, the television icon who headlined The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock, died Tuesday morning, North Carolina's WITN News reports.
read more
George Lindsey
George Lindsey, best known for playing Goober Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show, has died. He was 83 years old. Lindsey died Sunday in Nashville after an extended hospitalization, The Tennessean reports. An Alabama native, Lindsey went to college to become a teacher, but joined the United States Air Force in the '50s. He eventually moved to New York to study acting and...
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Ron Howard thinks Americans should vote for Barack Obama. And so do Opie Taylor and Richie Cunningham.
During this campaign season, some celeb messages have been serious, others have featured useless yapping (we're looking at you Hayden Panettiere), but Howard's recent Funny or Die video is the fist to reunite cast members from two TV classics: The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days.
Watch the video after the jump.
read more
Jeremy Sisto, Nightmares & Dreamscapes
Jeremy Sisto is on a hunt in each of his two latest TV roles. In the Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King episode "The Fifth Quarter," (premiering tonight at 10 pm/ET on TNT), he's an ex-con laboring to stay clean while on a quest to uncover millions in buried bucks. And this fall he's in Kidnapped, an NBC drama about an abducted kid and the unorthodox, don't-involve-the-Feds tracker (Sisto) enlisted to find him. TVGuide.com chatted up the actor about tackling such nightmare scenarios.
TVGuide.com: In reviewing your résumé, I don't really see much that is inherently uninteresting. A lot of your projects seem to have an edg
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Question: I recently watched a marathon of Andy Griffith shows, and on one Goober does an imitation of Cary Grant where he says "Judy, Judy, Judy!" Can you tell me what movie that line is from?
Answer: Cary Grant never said the line "Judy, Judy, Judy" in any movie, although in Only Angels Have Wings (1939) his sultry ex-wife's name is Judy (played by Rita Hayworth), and he does say "Susan, Susan, Susan" (to Katharine Hepburn, whose speech patterns were equally distinctive) in Bringing Up Baby (1938). And yet it's the st
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Great post. Thanks for sharing. Now is a good time for YPs to open a business or climb the corporate ladder as they build brands and solidify worldviews. I agree that in light of the benefits such as pension accounts and employer-matched 401k contributions that many companies cut out all together as our economy suffered, it makes sense for corporations, as well as small business owners and other employers, to revisit what incentives they are willing to offer to attract and retain quality workers. At the same time, young professionals must realize the benefits of working alongside mature men and women in all industries for an extended period of time. You don't have to work at one place your entire life. But make sure you stay long enough to learn something and gain the respect of those decision makers in older generations that are ready and willing to impart their knowledge to you. As Jason pointed out, the Baby Boomers won't be in the workforce forever. As a member of Generation X, I know those up-and-coming Ys and Zs will look and already are looking to people in our age group for answers. Who are we looking to?
Finding a job in large corporate environments isn't what it used to be. And this isn't saying large corporations can't be a great place to work. Major companies provide jobs for a large number of people in the Des Moines area, just like in most other cities. What is changing is twofold: the de...


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- International Programs
- Int'l Degree & Education Abroad
- Int'l Student Advising & Services
- Int'l Scholar & Faculty Services
Technische Universität München (Technical University of Munich)
Munich, Germany
minimum 3.0 GPA; currently enrolled student in the OSU College of Engineering
Technical University of Munich GE3 Information
For more information, contact OSU College of Engineering, International Programs.
Please refer to Technical University of Munich GE3 Information
You can calculate your estimated cost of living by using the following currency converter.
Munich University of Applied Sciences (MUAS)
Munich, Germany
minimum 3.0 GPA; currently enrolled student in the OSU College of Engineering
Munich University of Applied Sciences GE3 Information
For more information, contact OSU College of Engineering, International Programs.
Please refer to Munich University of Applied Sciences GE3 Information
You can calculate your estimated cost of living by using the following currency converter.
The unique ATLANTIS partnership allows OSU students in Mechanical Engineering to have the opportunity to study abroad for a year at Lulea University (Lulea, Sweden) and Saarlandes University (Saarbrucken, Germany) while completing the Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering at Oregon State and the Bachelors of Science in Materials Science at Saarlandes University in Germany.
Students spend one quarter at Lulea University in Sweden and an academic year at Saarlandes University in Saarbrucken, Germany.
Visit the ATLANTIS program page for program of study and curriculum details.
Students are on exchange at Lulea and Saarlands and recieve a stipend for their time abroad. For more information, visit the ATLANTIS program page.
Study intensive German language through AHA at FUBiS, the academic summer program of the Freie Universität Berlin.
Berlin is the center of German commerce, culture, and governance. Explore this European capital's museums, concerts, and multicultural, modern feel.
2.5 GPA, sophomore standing
For more information check out the AHA Website. Students can select intensive German language study or pair the language study with a content course taught in English through the German Language & Culture program. Students with any level of German language are welcome, including those who have never studied German before.
AHA website (for current pricing) + OSU Education Abroad Fee + airfare
Students take courses at the CIEE study center and the Freie Universität Berlin, a major university in southwest Berlin.
Berlin is the center of German commerce, culture, and governance. Explore this European capital's museums, concerts, and multicultural, modern feel.
3.0 GPA; must have completed 1.5 years of college.
Students have access to German language coursework as well as upper-division coursework in English. No prior German language is required, but all students take German language as part of their program.
More academic information is available on the CIEE Berlin Language and Culture Website.
CIEE program fee + $350/term IDEA study abroad fee.
The Spring Intensive Program (early April to early July) and Summer Course (August 4-30, 2014) are organized by the division of Internationale Sprachprogramme (International Language Programs – ISP) of the University of Tübingen. The courses are taught by experienced bilingual instructors. They are assisted by German tutors who help in different areas such as homework, conversation, projects, etc.
Tübingen is a beautiful university town located along the Neckar River in the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg. With 25,000 students among its 85,000 inhabitants, Tübingen combines the vitality of a young and cosmopolitan student community with the charm of a lovingly restored medieval town of half-timbered houses, narrow alleyways, and steep gabled roofs. Nestled in the Schwabian Alb, Tübingen is surrounded by rolling countryside with hiking and cycling paths to enjoy, castles to explore, and easy train connections to both major cities and quaint villages. Oregon students are supported by the experienced full-time Resident Director in the Oregon Study Center in Tübingen.
Spring Intensive Program (early April to early July): Two terms or one semester of college level first-year German. Minimum 2.5 GPA. Application Deadline: February 15.
Summer Course (August 4-30, 2014): At least one year of college level German with a language GPA of 3.0 or higher. Minimum culmulative 2.5 GPA. Application Deadline: March 15. Early Application encouraged, space is limited.
Spring Intensive Program (early April to early July)
Summer Course (August 4-30, 2014)
Spring Intensive Program (early April to early July)
Summer Course (August 4-30, 2014)
$350 IDEA fee/term abroad
Located 45 min. from Wurzburg in Bavaria on the Tauber River, Bad Mergentheim is a town rich in history and local culture. The main castle was built in 1525, and its mineral springs have made the city a celebrated resort town, a place of hospitality and genuine natural beauty.
For details on requirements, application processes, and deadlines, please visit the College of Business exchange programs pages: http://business.oregonstate.edu/services/application-information
Visit the College of Business website
Contact the exchange program coordinators for more details
This exchange program enables undergraduate and graduate students with diverse majors and interests to study at one of thirteen universities in Baden-Württemberg for an academic year or a semester. Sites include Freiburg, Heidelberg, Hohenheim, Ludwigsburg, Karlsruhe, Konstanz, Mannheim, Stuttgart, Trossingen, Tübingen, and Ulm. Students may select between traditional liberal arts universities, technical universities, a top rated business school, or institutions specializing in teacher education, music, or art.
There are two types of courses Oregon students can take while in Germany: DaF (German as a Second Language) courses and regular university courses. Students with one or two years of college-level German can take a variety of classes in the "German as a Second Language" (DaF = Deutsch als Fremdsprache) section of each university. These courses will typically translate as German language credits in Oregon.
Students with more advanced language proficiency can enroll in regular university classes in the humanities, natural and social sciences, education, business, communications, engineering, computer science, architecture, music, art and more. In some cases, classes are taught in English.
Explore the beauty and diversity of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With 13 different universities from which to choose, OSU students can study in Freiburg, near the French border; in Konstanz, on the border of Switzerland; in Heidelberg, with its romantic castle; in Stuttgart, home of DaimlerChrysler; or in many other cities in the picturesque forests and valleys of southwestern Germany. This exchange program between the State of Oregon and the State of Baden-Württemberg has been in existence for over 40 years. An experienced full-time Resident Director provides support for students at our Oregon Study Center in Tübingen.
Minimum 2.75 GPA. Two years of college level German (with 3.0 GPA). If you have only one year of college level German, you can also apply to this program. In this case, you will study intensive German the first semester in Tübingen, and then stay in Tübingen or transfer to another university the second semester.
Application Deadlines:
Fall/Winter Semester (First Semester) or Academic Year:
Dec. 15 (DAAD scholarship applicants)
Feb. 15 (regular applications)
Spring Term (Second Semester): Dec. 1
Visit the OUS website
Visit the OUS website


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Works great to protect the hair. I have highlights, couldn''t swim without it!
This product especially protects color treated hair.
This is a very watery formula so be careful about keeping the top closed. First time I opened and squeezed some out it went everywhere. Careful now. Recommending it to others.
If you''re a daily swimmer you should Pre-Treat...because sun and chlorine your tresses'' color and texture will beat. Convenient tube should be a staple in your pool bag. It''s a thin liquid, thus easy to apply wet or dry. After your workout, follow with shampoo and conditioner for a beautiful REFLECTion.
This product protects both my color and keeps my ends mositurized.
Use it all the time. Recommend for swimmers.
I''ve been using this product on my hair prior to swimming for over two years and you cannot tell that I swim four days a week by looking at my hair. Even my hairdresser is impressed! I highly recommend this product along with the shampoo. It''s definitely worth it!
We used it on dry hair as the instructions stated we could and the results were terrible. It made my daughters hair dryer than it was before.
I tried this product exactly how the instructions directed me to and had horrible results. I have long, thick hair, and I swim 2 x week. I don''t use a swim cap. My hair was so ''sticky'' after using the H2O system, I literally could not get my hairbrush through my hair. I had to wash my hair again with a regular hair care product. VERY disappointed because I was very hopeful this would do for my hair what it said it would.
For years, I''ve used pre swim before every lap swim in chlorinated water. My hairdresser can''t believe I swim laps several times a week or more.
Get an alert when we add new styles of Reflect Sports! Simply sign up and we'll notify you.
Not only are Jena Schuster and Laurie Mellott active swimmers and best friends, they're also the owners and cofounders of Reflect Sports.
After hearing constant complaints for the need of a quality hair care line for swimmers and an anti-chaffing cream specifically designed for female body parts, they decided that together they would have to develop and create their own. Reflect H20™ Swim Hair Care Line is sulfate free and is designed to prevent green hair, wash out chlorine, and remove all other impurities without stripping away hair color. Hoo Ha Ride Glide™ protects your female body parts from chaffing, friction burns, irritation, inflammation, and saddle sores.
Reflect Sports is for women by women and they remain "committed to providing custom quality products for women with active lifestyles."


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Born Free USA Blog
Unnatural Suffering in One of the Greenest Buildings on Earth
Picture a corporate conference room. There's a big table in the middle and the entire room is surrounded by glass — including the ceiling.
Now picture yourself there, lying on top of the conference room table. People are constantly walking by and looking in, staring at you from all sides and even watching you from above. There's nowhere you can hide from the peering eyes. Now imagine there is no door ... so you can't ever leave.
OK, now here's where things get really surreal. Picture the glass prison — and so many other much smaller ones just like it — all housed inside one of the greenest, most eco-friendly buildings on earth! "What the ... ?!" Yeah, that's about what I said, too!
It's been over two weeks and I still can't get the image out of my head. This sad-looking, albino alligator, lying on a fake rock — about the size of a conference-room table — while everyone stared at him from above and through a glass aquarium that was about the size of a conference room.
As I was watching, the alligator moved to turn himself around, moving so slowly, just dragging his legs across that fake rock ... it was if he was in pain or so tired he could barely lift his legs to turn. He didn't even bother flipping one of his legs over once he finished his 180-degree move. His leg just lay there, upside down. He looked so miserable. He didn't move again. When I questioned the museum staff I was told, "That's what he does." As if he had a choice to do much else in that awful, little, glass prison, under a 2.5-acre living roof in the greenest museum on earth.
Now I know alligators are not the most endearing of creatures and I've never had a relationship with a reptile like I've had with, say, a cat or dog. Yet this one actually moved me to tears. I am still getting choked up again as I write this and am struggling a bit to really explain why that distant relative of the dinosaur (or is it dinosaurs and birds?) moved me so.
I think it has to do with that fact that we humans — once again — disregarded the animals. That even so-called "eco-minded" people did not take the animals' wants, needs, nor happiness into consideration. I mean, here is one of the greenest buildings on earth; it was carefully considered, created, and built to meet the highest green standards on earth (LEED Platinum) and inside it holds animals in tiny, unnatural cages that don't meet their needs! What made me so upset, was that it seemed that this supposed "green museum" was just like every other zoo or aquarium in the world out to turn a profit at the animals' expense, under the guise of "education."
I guess what really got me was that I had such high hopes for this place — but when it came to the animals, it was all talk!
ALL TALK > The new Academy "serves as an educational model by demonstrating how humans can live and work in environmentally-responsible ways." NO WALK > Just doesn't seem environmentally-responsible to have a "touch tank" where, all day long, kids are encouraged to touch and pick up sea stars, hermit crabs, and other aquatic creatures.
ALL TALK > The Academy's architect, Piano, speaking about why he made the building so open, with so much glass to let in the light, said, "Museums are not usually transparent. They are opaque, they are closed. They are like a kingdom of darkness, and you are trapped inside. You don't see where you are." NO WALK > While the humans get to enjoy much of the glass and light, live penguins are relegated to the end of an enclosed hallway.
ALL TALK > A "single modern landmark ... places a visual and intellectual emphasis on the natural world." NO WALK > A small display holding turtles was surrounded by glass sides. As I watched, a turtle repeatedly smacked into and scratched on the glass trying to move through the glass toward the outside. (This is a common problem with captive reptiles, whose natural instinct to roam unconfined remains intact, resulting in a lifetime of frustration when forced to live in small, captive environments.)
ALL TALK > A great display on global climate change that pointed out how our food choices played a role in it — including promoting "Meatless Mondays!" NO WALK > Serving hamburgers and beef hot dogs in their cafeteria!
ALL TALK > Creating a large and visually impressive saltwater aquarium that uses solar power to regulate temperature along with displays of how our oceans are in trouble. NO WALK > Serving "sustainable" seafood in their restaurant. (Am I the only one who sees eating no seafood as the real sustainable option?)
ALL TALK > Using a digital camera to capture a souvenir photo on a "green screen" as you walked into the building. NO WALK > Rather than displaying the resulting image on a computer screen, they print your photo out on paper, then slide it into a paper frame to see if you want to buy the picture. If you don't, paper is wasted as the print is tossed out.
I had walked in with such high hopes! They were dashed the moment I saw that amazing albino alligator, stripped of so much more than his color. I left not seeing green, but red.
Blogging off,


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Peter Bradshaw and Henry Barnes join Xan Brooks for our weekly review of the big cinema releases. This week we enrol in Pixar prequel Monsters University; watch robots duke it out with creatures from the deep in Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim; take a ringside seat for the black-and-white Snow White/bullfight story Blancanieves; and dig up the recent past with Alex Gibney's documentary We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks. Plus: an interview with Monsters University star Helen Mirren.
This is the audio-only version of the Guardian Film Show


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New feature: Additive quick filters
|User, date
Written by ansgar
1 year ago
Category: News
5045 posts since Fri, 07 Apr 06
Since r4412, HeidiSQL allows to append WHERE clauses to an existing filter clause, in the Data tab. So, when you now rightclick a field > Quick filter > "col = whatever", press the Shift key while clicking, and HeidiSQL appends the newly created filter with an AND instead of overwriting the old one.
Thanks to zykaradek for the idea!
Written by Plasm
1 year ago
73 posts since Fri, 10 Sep 10
Nice Feature! But there´s a small bug: When I select the second Quick Filter (with shift) it is added to the first filter, but the "Clear"-Button ("Leeren" in german, don´t know the exact word in the english version) gets disabled.
Note: It gets re-enabled if you then click in the filter-textfield.
Written by ansgar
1 year ago
5045 posts since Fri, 07 Apr 06
|Fixed in r4413
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