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The GLOBE course was developed and refined during the term of Professor Ghemawat's
membership of the AACSB taskforce on the globalization of business education.
course begins by debunking some of the many myths that surround globalization—what
Professor Ghemawat refers to as "globaloney".
discussing what globalization isn't, this course devotes several sessions to
understanding what globalization is. It
will focus on the differences between countries that underlie observed levels
of globalization and their implications for business. These differences will be summarized in terms
of a framework for thinking about distances developed by Professor Ghemawat
that is widely used at leading business schools around the world.
The final part of the course will synthesize the
implications of globalization for business strategies—and for your personal
development and career trajectories.
"Pankaj Ghemawat is one of those rare individuals who combines world class scholarship with a deep knowledge of business practice."
Michael E. Porter, Bishop William Lawrence University Professor, Harvard Business School
"Pankaj Ghemawat's framework is both visionary and pragmatic—aware of the broad historic trajectories of globalization, but grounded in the real kinds of decisions business leaders have to make now."Samuel J. Palmisano, Former Chairman and CEO, IBM"Pankaj Ghemawat has provided an impressive and comprehensive analysis of the world's situation in times of globalization and strong economic and social imbalances."Mohammed Yunus, Winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace
The course is broken up into eight sessions.
Session 1: Globalization and Globaloney
session will focus on how globalized the world is, how the data in that regard
compare with people's intuitions on the subject, possible reasons for the
discrepancies observed, and their implications.
Session 2: The CAGE Distance Framework
This session will focus on understanding the cross-country differences that underlie observed levels of globalization, summarized in terms of the CAGE distance framework, where "CAGE" is an acronym for Cultural, Administrative (institutional and political),
Geographic and Economic distances among countries.
The four sessions that follow will look in greater depth at each of the components of the CAGE framework and their implications for business.
Session 3: Cultural Distance
This session will focus on cultural distance, which encompasses differences in religious beliefs, race/ethnicity, language, and social norms and values.
Session 4: Administrative Distance
This session will focus on administrative differences, by looking at how international differences in capital and labor systems affect the ways in which business enterprises are structured and governed around the world.
Session 5: Geographic Distance
This session will look at how cross-border interactions are influenced by physical distance and by other geographic considerations, such as whether contiguity, within-country distances to borders, access to the ocean, topography, and even time zones.
Attention will also be paid to the degree to which cross-border interactions are regionalized.
Session 6: Economic Distance
Consumer wealth and income and the cost of labor are the most obvious (and related) determinants of economic distance between countries. This module will focus on these and others differences such as availability (or lack) of resources, inputs, infrastructure
and complements, and organizational capabilities.
Session 7: The Implications of Distances for Business Strategy
session will review three broad strategies for dealing with differences: Adaptation
to adjust to differences across countries to achieve some local responsiveness;
Aggregation, to overcome some of the
differences across countries and thereby unlock cross-border economies of scale/scope; and Arbitrage to exploit some of the
differences across countries in order to achieve absolute efficiency.
Session 8: The Implications of Distances for Personal Strategy
This session will focus on the individual rather than the company level and will discuss, in particular, some of the implications for personal development. It will also provide a course summary.
All of the required course readings will
be listed in the course syllabus, and will be
provided for free. Actually, what will often be required is one
of two or more readings covering the same topic but of different lengths and
complexity, so that you can customize preparation to your background and
interests as well as the amount of time that you have available.
Optional readings that you might find
helpful for the course include:
Redefining Global Strategy: Crossing Borders in a World
Where Differences Still Matter, Pankaj Ghemawat, Harvard Business School Press, 2007
World 3.0: Global Prosperity and How to Achieve it, Pankaj Ghemawat,
Harvard Business Review Press, 2011
These books are not required for completion of the course. However, they
are recommended for those wanting more depth and examples related to
the course topics, as a way to enhance the learning. The books can be
purchased online and doing so is the responsibility of each student. At the start of the course, you will receive instructions for how to
purchase the books.
The course is divided into eight sessions. These sessions include a number of elements, described below. For each session, you can expect to spend a minimum of three hours to complete the assigned materials and tasks. As noted above, additional materials will
also be suggested that will allow you to go deeper into the issues discussed,
but that will require more time.
session will be
introduced with a video of
approximately 10 to 20 minutes each. Some of the sessions will
require you to complete online surveys before you view the videos. Quizzes will be embedded within the lectures
to help you evaluate your understanding of course concepts.
For each session, readings will be assigned that discuss
course concepts in more detail and present intuition and applications.
In some sessions, discussion forums
will be used to discuss case studies. These case studies are meant to serve as vehicles for
applying course concepts to particular businesses. Your active participation in these discussions is strongly encouraged.
While no particular background is required for this course, some
interest in globalization and knowledge of basic business concepts will be
Yes. Students who successfully complete the class will receive a Statement of Accomplishment signed by the instructor.
In addition to the readings, you will be given free
access to a cutting-edge, web-based tool: the CAGE ComparatorTM (http://www.ghemawat.com/cage/). This
online tool can be used to undertake quantitative analysis based on the CAGE
There is no rating area for this product


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Lance Armstrong Confesses to PED Use
Oprah can get anybody to talk
It's official in all but the most limited capacities now: Oprah Winfrey has confirmed that Lance Armstrong confessed to using performance-
But last year, when news broke that the World Anti-Doping Agency and its U.S.-based affiliate had finally accumulated enough evidence against Armstrong, he retreated. He said he wouldn't be "hounded anymore." He said he wouldn't legitimize their witch hunt against him. And the general public started to doubt. They started to waver in their commitment to the man who made cycling a topic at all in America. And most of all, there were some who felt duped. Not just by the sporting accomplishments of Armstrong, but by arguably the biggest category of his life, the one thing conspicuously missing from his bio thus far: his super successful charity, Livestrong.
It's hard to separate the story of Lance Armstrong, world-renowned cyclist and recently-admitted doper, from the story of Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor and advocate. Some argue that it's impossible. Because of the amazing work that Armstrong did in raising awareness of the disease and the incredible funds his foundation has raised in fighting its spread, his doping case doesn't seem to be as clear cut as the baseball Hall of Fame voters seem to think their era's cloud is. There were claims, after the news broke last year about Armstrong's doping, that Livestrong donations increased. There were also individuals who said they felt cheated and they wanted their donations back.
And therein lies the rub in the case of Lance Armstrong. Some feel "hoodwinked" and others feel like his inspirational message trumps all else. Why is he confessing to Oprah now? We won't know until everything's out, and the show doesn't air its first part until tomorrow. But as contrite as Armstrong may be, as much as he may want to focus on moving forward with triathlons or re-focusing on the good the Livestrong foundation does in its fight against cancer, there will be some who never forget or forgive. Armstrong doesn't always put his best foot forward and it will be interesting, to say the least, to see where he goes from here.

subset: commoncrawl


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This cottage is sweet! Why stay in a hotel when you can stay in a private cottage? The cottage is completely stocked with everything you would need, from needle and thread, scissors, cork screws, dishes, pots and pans, shampoo, sunblock, laundry detergent.... Seriously, you only need to bring your clothes and food. The location is perfect, just a short drive to johns pass and plenty of restaurants. The beach is just a few steps out the door, no streets to cross. Dont think twice about this one, it is home away from home. The only bad thing.. No wifi...but other then that, perfection
|How easy was it to book the property?
|How helpful were the directions to the property?
|How easy was key pickup/access to the property?
|Overall condition of the property
|Bedding & mattresses
|Kitchen & utensils
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|Other facilities & amenities
|Friends getaway
|Families with young children
Great value! Perfect Florida family vacation. Short stroll out in the beach. Cottage is well-equipped.
|Check-in / front desk
|A romantic getaway
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Milk is an amazing diary product that is filled with vitamins A, D, and E. Besides seeing milk used for our favorite yogurt, cheesecake and smoothie, this ingredient is found in many lotions, bath mixes and cleansing milks. The high level of vitamins in milk provide a good anti-inflammatory effect and is great for soothing burns. In addition, milk also contains lactic acid which acts as a natural skin exfoliant. If you have milk sitting in your fridge this is the best time to take it out and give these milk beauty recipes a try. There's nothing to lose.
Milk Bath
3 cups whole milk (if you prefer powdered milk, use 2 cups)
5 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped
½ cup Epsom salts
1 cup cornstarch
Cleopatra is known for her beautiful soft skin and bathing in milk is one of her beauty secret! Fill up your bathtub with hot water until it's 75% full. In a separate large bowl, mix all of your ingredients together. Then, pour the liquid mixture into your bathtub and enjoy your soak for at least 20 minutes.
Nourishing Milk and Honey Facial Scrub
3 Tbsp milk (choose whole milk for drier skin)
3 Tbsp honey
1 tsp raw oatmeal, crumbled
Mix all your ingredients together to form a thick paste. Apply the mixture onto clean skin and massage for a few minutes with your fingers. Rinse the scrub with lukewarm water and a washcloth and pat dry.
Milk Facial Mask
If you got a bad sunburn a milk facial mask can soothe and hydrate your skin. Buy some milk powder and mix it with just enough water to create a paste, and then gently massage it into your face. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before rinsing. You can add essential oils (choose scents that are gentle on skin) and other ingredients like oatmeal for exfoliation and addition benefits!
That's the end of my list. Have you heard of using milk for facial? What other ways do you use milk?


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In and around Detroit, throughout the 60's and 70's, I heard the police refered to as 'the boys' more than any other term.Ā Heard 'pigs' a few times, usually self-conciously from a young man, and 'fuzz' never.
ButĀthe cops were called 'the boys' consistently.
Anyone ever hear them seriously called 'the flatfoots'?Ā Or 'John Law'?
Ā JohnĀ
--- On Mon, 3/9/09, jacquesdebierue <email@example.com> wrote:
From: jacquesdebierue <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Subject: RARA-AVIS: Re: The Horsemen
To: email@example.com
Date: Monday, March 9, 2009, 1:20 PM
--- In rara-avis-l@ yahoogroups. com, Brian Thornton <bthorntonwriter@ ...> wrote:
> As opposed to "bulls," which is still in limited parlance out here in the
> Western hinterlands. Does anyone still hear "Fuzz" used? That one seems to
> have died along with "Don't trust anyone over 30" and "Peace, Pot,
> Microdot."
There may be regional variations, too. I may have heard bulls once or twice in recent times; fuzz, only in the movies.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 09 Mar 2009 EDT


text: pretty people problems Feb. 17, 2011 Alex Pettyfer 'Embarrassed' by His Shirtless Ellen Appearance By Kyle Buchanan With I Am Number Four yet to open, star Alex Pettyfer is still mostly known for three things: dating Glee's Dianna Agron, mulling offers to star in the adaptation of every teen-lit fantasy novel around, and exposing no fewer than 29 abs on national television after intense badgering from Ellen DeGeneres. Of the latter item, he is ashamed, though it's not for the reasons you might think. "Oh my god," Pettyfer moaned to Spinning Platters. "I'm very, very embarrassed. Ellen made me take off my t-shirt! So when you see that, and you see that I'm completely out of shape, please don't laugh!" Clearly, the way to Agron's heart is by replicating the body-image issues of her onscreen boyfriend Chord Overstreet from the Rocky Horror episode of Glee. [Spinning Platters] Tags: pretty people problems tv Alex Pettyfer 'Embarrassed' by His Shirtless Ellen Appearance


text:
Show Reviews
Updated: . Bookmark:
Jump down to...
Karen Popp's early review
Jim Beller's report
Jim Zooey's short review
FoggyNotion's review
(more reviews coming)
Also See:
The show details.
I guess on Thursday night's Leno show Neil was taking it easy in preparation for the rocking, ripping performance he planned for us tonight in Redwood City!! Unbelievable. And he had fun! Lots of "How ya doin'?"s and one or two "Ya doin' okay?"s. No sunglasses -- he commented that he liked the light on the audience. More than a few of those smiles that are sort of subtle, but present when he is in a good mood.
The sets were great! Started the night off with When you Dance, then he did The Loner. He also did Differently, You're My Girl, and Sleeps With Angels. Before he did Let's Roll he said it is one song he wished he hadn't had to write, and that we would know what he meant when he played it...
Quit (Don't Say You Love Me) was sweet. Perfectionist Neil started Goin' Home over, saying he had just missed it, but he was smiling about it and sailed through it the second go-round. He also said he was playing some old songs (Cinnamon Girl, Mr. Soul, Cortez, and a fantastic ripping version of Powderfinger) and some new songs. (I really liked She's a Healer...)
The encore was a very sweet Helpless. As he left the stage it sounded like he said something like they were going to practice more or maybe it was play more? Maybe a reference to another stealth gig tomorrow night??? (By the way, tickets were easily had at face value, and there was good room to dance around.)
And in comparison to some of the talk about Neil's performance of Are You Passionate on Leno, I can tell you one thing for sure: the version we saw last night was incredible, he just nailed everybit of it. And he didn't lose any of the words.
Fashion-wise, he started the show with no hat, similar shirt to the one he wore last night on Leno, black jeans... For the second set he put the cowboy hat on. No belt!
Fantastic wonderful show. Those intense eyes searching the crowd, then the smiles... Smiles and that incredible interaction with his musical instrument and the boys in the band. A great way to start the weekend!
Now I'm off to dreamland...
Some details we picked up from our vantage point eight feet (sometimes 4!!) from Neil:
still floating,
ps: Pegi waved and Astrid smiled at me! I hope Neil (and my wife Els) didn't notice Pegi shamelessly vibing me all night! (-:
I get sick of living in the Bay Area every once in a while, but when I think back on all the stealth gigs I've seen over the years (e.g., warm up for the Trans tour at the Santa Cruz Civic, 3 of the 4 '84 Catalyst shows, the Bluenotes at the Fillmore, Booker T and the MGs at the Warfield, Crazy Horse at the Warfield), not to mention all the Bridge School shows, I thank my lucky stars that I've lived in this area for 25 years.
I have to say last night was one of the best Neil shows I've seen. The band was great. (I don't know what you call it, Booker T and the Horse?) Poncho had a grin on his face most the night, and Duck Dunn also seemed to be having the time of his life.
Neil definitely was in a good mood, and played the crap out of his guitars.
I expected mellow, and mellow did walk in and out a few times -- but this show rocked. Many of the new songs really shined, and the AYP album that has been growing on me has stepped up a few notches for me.
Never been the the Fox Theatre, but thought it was a great venue. I was fairly close to the stage, but not too boxed in. I could complain about a few folks in the crowed, but why bother raining on the parade.
I had a desperate search for tickets which worked out in my favor, but like folks said it seemed easy to get tickets at face value out in front.
Thanks Neil!
*Satisfied with a Fish on the Line*
This was probably my biggest score in 23 years of going to see shows - totally a case of being in the right place at the right time. Given a heads-up from a net post, I tuned into KFOG at 2:45 on Friday expecting to hear a 3 PM Neil-related announcement. Turned out the station was giving away pairs of tix for a performance to be held that night at the Fox Theater in Redwood City. I quickly checked the TicketBastard site and saw the listing for the event - tickets on sale at 3 PM, only at TM outlets.
I literally ran out of my apartment, jumped in my car, hauled ass to Tower Records, and got there a couple minutes before 3:00. After waiting nervously for the customer ahead of me to complete his transaction (tickets for the SF Opera), I was rewarded with a pair of General Admission tickets. I called a buddy from work, who quite understandably cleared his schedule in order to meet me at the theater.
I got down to the Fox at about 6, where the soundcheck was in progress, and audible to the 25 or so people lined up out front. I thought I could make out Down By The River. The doors opened at 7:00, and after passing through a fairly thorough patting down at the door, we ventured inside to check out the room.
The venue capacity was 1100. There were seats in the balcony and at the rear of the main floor, but the area right in front of the stage was GA. We staked out a spot about 15 feet back, right center (between Neil and Booker T).
The mood in the room was electric. Everyone I talked to seemed totally psyched and really appreciative of how lucky they were to be there. I talked to one of those contest winners from Buffalo. She said that the show was supposed to be the next night, Saturday the 11th at the Great American Music Hall, but that it had been switched to the Fox unexpectedly. Also in attendance were a few lucky individuals who happened to be in the hotel lobby where the contest winners were staying - they were invited to tag along for free.
The lights went down and the show started at 8:10. In the first set, When You Dance I Can Really Love was a great rocking opener. The Loner was great and Sleeps With Angels was killer. The set ended at 9:25 with Powderfinger.
After a short intermission, the show resumed at 10 PM. The second set included the highlight of the night for me, She's A Healer with an unbelievable groove & extended jam. It also included an incendiary All Along The Watchtower and a very long version of Down By The River with great soloing.
The second set ended at 11:00 PM. After a couple of minutes they came back out for a single encore of Helpless. Lights on and Greensleeves on the PA at 11:10.
This is a great band, combining the rock-out sensibility of the Horse with the soul of Booker T (who was much more prominent in the mix than he was at the CSNY show I saw in Oakland). My only (minor) complaint for the evening was that the sound could have used a bit more in the low end -- but maybe that's just hearing loss on my part.
I hope someone recorded this one for posterity - this was possibly the best show I've ever seen.
(more reviews coming...)


text:
IEEE IECON 2011, November 2011
The 37th IEEE International Conference on Industrial Electronics
November 7-10, 2011, Melbourne, Australia
IECON 2011 is the 37th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IES) focusing on industrial and manufacturing theory and applications of electronics, controls, communications, instrumentation, and computational intelligence.
The world's industry, researchers and academia are cordially invited to participate in a wealth of presentations, tutorials, special sessions, social activities and to enjoy the fantastic and unique Australian experiences.
IECON 2011 and ICELIE 2011 (the 5th International Conference on E-Learning in Industrial Electronics) will
be held concurrently. In addition, IECON 2011 will host the Industry Forum as part of the conference. Participation in both conferences just requires a single conference registration fee.
The objectives of the conference are to provide high quality research and professional interactions for the advancement of science, technology and fellowship. The main features of the conference include Plenary Speeches, Invited Talks, Regular Sessions, Tutorials and the Industry Forum.
Important Dates
Contributed papers 15 April 2011
Tutorial proposals 15 May 2011
Special session proposal 15 February 2011
Notification of acceptance 1 July 2011
Final submissions due 15 August 2011
Early registration closes 15 August 2011
Location: Crown Conference Centre, Melbourne, Australia
website: www.iecon2011.org
Call for paper: /images/stories/files/IECON_CFP_v7.pdf


text:
One of my favorite things about going to Italian restaurants is the complimentary bread. I am addicted to the stuff. What is it about taking some crusty, salty bread, and sliding it through some olive oil and herbs that's so incredibly satisfying. Oh, and if it's straight out of the oven, it's truly every man for himself because I devour the stuff like I haven't eaten in years.
The fact that I'm a carbaholic probably doesn't help the situation. But hey, at least I'm honest.
When it comes to bread, I'm a lover of it all. I mean, don't get me wrong, I have my favorites, but I'm not going to turn bread of any type down. One type I have a weakness for is focaccia. There's something so addicting and satisfying about this bread; it's crunchy, crispy outside that's sprinkled with a healthy dose of salt and then break through the crusty to a fluffy, chewy center.
Oh my gosh. Pure heaven.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Sunday, April 26, 2015
SRC: White Bean and Basil Hummus
Aside from being addicting it's so easy to make and can be made with multitude of different ingredients depending on what you have on hand. Granted, tradition hummus is comprised of garbanzo beans, tahini and a few other ingredients. But just like everything else that makes it way to the states, hummus is made with a variety of different ingredients and in several different flavors.
I've made and indulged in the traditional hummus more times than I can possibly count. I love it and when I top a a pita chip with it, well it's just like any other chip and dip combo. They just keep on making their way into my mouth and I just can't stop. But, as much as I enjoy traditional hummus nothing is going to stop me from trying as many different varieties as I possibly can. Such as a white bean variation!?!?
Friday, April 24, 2015
Brown Sugar Mocha Coffee
My typical morning cup of java consists of a little milk and a touch of sweetener. But, from time to time I like to fancy things up a bit. Coffeehouse style. But, I don't always like dropping $5.00 or more for a gourmet coffee, or leaving the comfort of my home. So, what's a girl to do when the coffeehouse style coffee is calling her name?
I love playing around with flavored coffees. I feel all mad scientist-y and stuff adding a pinch of this and a splash of that. And after it's all said and one, giving it a healthy dollop of fresh whipped cream right on top. (another reason, these are only an occasional treat)
Posted by Lynsey 0 Share Your Thoughts!
Labels: Breakfast, brunch, Coffee, Drinks/Beverages, Quick and Easy
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Bruschetta Baked Chicken
Any time I come across the stuff, I must have it. I mean, I could honestly eat my weight in the stuff and not feel one ounce of guilt.
Posted by Lynsey 0 Share Your Thoughts!
Labels: Chicken, Main Dishes, Pasta, Quick and Easy, Tomatoes
Monday, April 20, 2015
Easy Biscuits
Those pictures entice me, as well as the fact I believe I can't ever have too many biscuit recipes. Kind of like there's no such thing as too many chocolate chip cookies recipes. Right?
Just like your infamous chocolate chip cookie recipe, I'm sure you all have your "go to" biscuit recipe that you can whip up in no time, possibly even with your eyes closed...if you had to. But if you don't have a fail proof biscuit recipe in your repertoire or if you're willing to try a new one, then I have an amazing recipe for you.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Shirley Temple Cookies
As much as I enjoyed, and still enjoy her movies, these cookies are dedicated to the beverage that is named after her. A beverage that I couldn't wait to suck down every time I was given the chance. One of the best Shirley Temple's I ever had was at a hole in the wall restaurant that sat right on the Mississippi River.
Posted by Lynsey 1 Share Your Thoughts!
Labels: Cherries, Cookie Week 2015, Cookies, Desserts, Featured on KARK4, Fruit
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches
Could it honestly get any better?
Well, what about two, thick, chewy peanut butter cookies filled with a big ol' scoop of creamy, banana ice cream? What?
Posted by Lynsey 0 Share Your Thoughts!
Labels: Bananas, Cookie Week 2015, Cookies, Ice Cream, Peanut Butter
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
White Chocolate Coconut Cookies
But, I think sometime I push the boundaries a little too much. Even Spencer, who shouldn't be shocked by some of my outlandish ideas, still gives me the side eye from time to time. And don't get me wrong, I do need honest, unbiased opinions and criticism. But even that side eye glare doesn't stop me from experimenting. It does, however, remind me that sometimes heading back to the basics is perfectly acceptable.
And that's what I've done here.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Skillet Cookie
The two were made for one another. Wouldn't you agree?
I've made my fair share of chocolate and peanut butter cookies. I've even made several recipes that showcase that dynamic duo. And I've loved each and every single one of them. But can you ever have too many peanut butter and chocolate recipes? I, for one, think not.
So, what could possibly make this any better. Well, about about making a giant cookie and baking it in a skillet?
You all know about my obsession with skillet cookies. I think I've got an illness. I jump at any chance to make a skillet cookie. There's something about pulling a big ol' cookie out of the oven that's been baked to perfection in a cast iron skillet.
Posted by Lynsey 0 Share Your Thoughts!
Labels: Chocolate, Cookie Week 2015, Cookies, Peanut Butter
Monday, April 13, 2015
Rocky Road Fudgy Flourless Chocolate Cookies
That's right, it's cookie week here on LL's and I couldn't be more excited. What could possibly be better than a whole week dedicated to cookies. Um, nothing. That's what.
I could go as far as to have cookie month or months. But, I decided that we might all go into a sugar coma if I did that. And well, that just wouldn't be good. So, cookie week it is.
I am beyond excited about the lineup that's in store for you this week. Cookie lover's rejoice and get your butter, sugar and ovens ready.
We're kicking cookie week off with a bang. A big, fat, fudgy, chocolaty bang. That's right!
Friday, April 10, 2015
Blackberry Mojito
Yesterday, today and this weekend. Well, the weather isn't quite as perfect. Strong winds, severe rain and warnings all over the state. This weather has me longing for the sunshine and a cool drink in my hand. A mojito to be more specific.
Posted by Lynsey 1 Share Your Thoughts!
Labels: Blackberries, Cocktails, Fruit, Quick and Easy, Spring, Summer
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs with Pickled Okra
While he faced the dilemma of not having enough eggs in the dying process, I was facing another. What in the world was I going to do with all these hard boiled eggs.
Well, one simple yet obvious option was deviled eggs. My entire family is obsessed with them. Little egg white boats filled with a creamy, tangy mixture comprised of egg yolks, pickles, a little mayo and various other seasonings. It's no surprise that they disappear as soon as they enter the room.
I knew we would be devouring deviled eggs, not only because the Easter holiday was right around the corner but also because we'd have an abundance of hard boiled eggs to use. But, it wasn't until a few days before Easter that the pimento cheese deviled egg came into my life.
Posted by Lynsey 0 Share Your Thoughts!
Labels: Cheese, Easter, Eggs, Leftovers, Quick and Easy
Monday, April 6, 2015
Capitol Bar and Grill's Pimento Cheese
After anyone had been around for any length of time they knew not to touch until he said it was okay. He was meticulous in doctoring it up; adding a pinch of this and a dash of that. He never measured but he always added just the right amount of sauces and seasonings to get those flavors just right.
I always remember him bringing in those large containers of pimento cheese spread. It was a staple; he and the rest of "the boys" as my MaMaw called them loved getting a spoonful, enjoying it on a sandwich or crackers. So there was always a container, or two, in the fridge ready to enjoy.
Posted by Lynsey 2 Share Your Thoughts!
Labels: brunch, Cheese, Quick and Easy, Snacks, Vegetarian, Veggies
Friday, April 3, 2015
15 Peeps Recipes
It's Peeps mania.
People around the world go crazy for the colorful, sugar coated marshmallows. A simple candy that started out with a few colors, only one flavor and appeared only at Easter is now a phenomenon that is readily available year around. It's also progressed from one flavor to sever; watermelon, green apple, and birthday cake just to name a few.
The peep's at Peeps are busy coming up with goodies for us to enjoy for each holiday but it seems like they are still the most busy during the Easter season.
What's an Easter basket without at least one brightly colored, marshmallow chick or bunny? Whether you love 'em or hate 'em, it's just not complete!
So, since this shelves are filled with those brightly colored treats and you'll more than likely find at least one package in your home, I wanted to share some amazing treats that star the infamous Peeps.
Love from the Oven Easter Peeps Pops
Inside BruCrew Life Peeps Eclair Cupcakes
Posted by Lynsey 0 Share Your Thoughts!
Labels: Easter, Marshmallows, Round-up
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text:
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- n. Variant of vegetarian: a person whose diet excludes animal flesh and eggs, but includes dairy products.
- adj. Excluding animal flesh and eggs, but including dairy products.
Sorry, no etymologies found.
As you can see, Yoga philosophers throughout the ages have recommended the lactovegetarian diet as most suitable for building health and creating a bright, stable frame of mind.
American Yoga Association Beginner's Manual Fully Revised and Updated
In today's terms the Yoga diet is best described as a modified lactovegetarian diet, plant-based with the addition of dairy products and a few unfertilized eggs.
American Yoga Association Beginner's Manual Fully Revised and Updated


text:
Technically you could call it hoarding, but for a shorter time.
A year ago or so, I started buying big hand memorials for 5-8cea. I had always liked the furni and just liked to use it in my room. I started to notice a lack of them around habbo and in shops. I decided to buy all i could. This ended up creating "demand" for them with basically only me buying them. Before I knew it, I had bought 200+ hands.... The most I had paid was maybe 12c, within a week of me finishing my goal of 200, the price hit 15-17c ea. I dumped all for that price within the next 2 weeks (mainly in bulk). In all i think i came out 1500c richer. After that within a month they went back to about 8c ea.
I was wondering what you guys thought of the ability to do this? This is a hoarding situation but the hand isnt considered rare, and I was able to more than double my money basically on it. Is this a sign of a weak and unstable habbo economy? This only took me a month to do and it was quite a bit of work.
Would love peoples thoughts on the questions.


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Grills, Smoke, Bake.
The Myron Mixon Pitmaster Q3 Pellet Grill and Smoker: a grill designed like a Champion to help you cook like a Champion. The pellet auger and fan holds a consistent temperature so you can grill, bake, and smoke without being tied to your grill.
Meet Myron
Three Time
BBQ World Champ
As a three-time world barbecue champion, Myron Mixon is the winningest man in barbecue. He is the chief cook of the Jack's Old South Competition Bar-B-Que Team; the star of Destination America's BBQ Pitmasters and new docureality show for Destination America; the author of the New York Times bestselling cookbook Smokin' with Myron Mixon: Recipes Made Simple, from the Winningest Man in Barbecue (Random House, May 2011) and the upcoming Everyday Barbecue (Random House, May 2013). He is widely recognized as the most successful and charismatic man in barbecue.
Latest Recipes
Pizza on the Grill
Even with a baking stone, a conventional oven is no match for a professional oven when it comes to making pizza. At home, or rather in your backyard, the wood pellet grill is the way to go. The heat and flavor of the wood pellets is perfect, and makes it possible to make incredible pizza at home.
Pork Shoulder
At Memphis in May contests, the whole pork shoulder is always used. At KCBS contests, you can use either a whole shoulder or the Boston butt by itself. History and contests rules aside, here's the best way in the world to cook a pork shoulder.
St. Louis Ribs
St. Louis Ribs are larger- so they tend to be a little bit easier to handle. A lot of folks favor them because they're surrounded by more fat to flavor the meat, and when they're cooked right, they're tender and bursting with real hog flavor.


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Copyright © 2000 by Talaran
Disclaimers: This is a sequel to my first story, Vendetta. There are things that happened in the first story that are relevant so you may want to read that one first.
The two main characters, and I think you know who they remind us of, are in deeply in love. There will be sexual interactions in this story so if this type of material disturbs you, you may wish to read something other than this story.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. Author unknown.
ÝThe petite blonde lay in the exquisite warmth of the king size bed with her head propped up on her hand. Emerald eyes gazed at the sleeping form next to her. The skylight above the bed supplied enough early morning light to the spacious master bedroom to allow the young woman to see the smile etched on her lover's angular face. Hair as black as a moonless night cascaded over her lover's pillow. Reaching out the woman ran slender fingers through the silken strands. She still couldn't believe that she was actually here, in this bed, with this incredible woman. Four days ago she barely knew this raven-haired wonder, but now they knew each other in the most intimate of ways. A few short hours ago they had explored each other's bodies until they could barely breathe. It was the most passionate experience of the young blonde's life. She simply couldn't get enough of this woman. Snuggling closer to her lover, the blonde breathed in her partner's scent re-igniting her passion. She wanted to take her again. She wanted to hear the groans of pleasure that she could entice from the dark haired woman, but one look at that serene face told her she didn't have the heart to wake her.
Placing a kiss on two fingers she pressed them lightly to her lover's lips, then without a sound the blonde slipped out from under the comforter onto the thick navy carpet. Since her clothes were still at their friends' house, she fished around in the drawers of the large oak dresser and extracted something suitable to ward off the chill of the house as she headed for the kitchen downstairs.
After last night they could both use a hearty breakfast, so the blonde opened the refrigerator and inspected the contents. "Perrrrfect," she purred, loading up her arms with eggs, bacon, English muffins, and orange juice. Even though she had only cooked in this kitchen once she had a good memory and easily located all the materials she needed to prepare breakfast. She started the bacon frying, then she scooped some coffee grounds into a filter and dropped it into the holder on the drip pot next to the toaster. After filling the reservoir with water she flipped the switch and returned to the stove to tend to the crackling bacon. She hummed a light tune while she worked, still in amazement at where she was, not to mention what last night had been like.
Back upstairs the dark haired woman blissfully slept as she relived the erotic moments of the previous evening. Crystal clear visions of her blonde lover flooded her mind. Even in this dream state the woman felt more relaxed than she ever had before and a small part of her brain recognized that fact. They had shared a sensuous bubble bath that had prompted some initial underwater explorations that continued into the bedroom for hours. Making love had never been sweeter than it had been last night for the woman who now rolled over in her sleep and reached out for her companion. When her searching hand failed to locate the warm body it craved the semi-conscious woman awoke. Cerulean eyes fluttered open and the smile that had been on her face all night slipped away. The first, horrifying thought she had was that last night had been nothing more than a dream. A magnificent dream. An intense pain gripped her heart. Shaking her head to bring about some clearer thought she caught the unmistakable scent of the woman that she had been dreaming about and her smile returned. Just as it did the bedroom door slowly swung open revealing the slender blonde who was carrying a breakfast tray and was grinning from ear to ear.
"Good morning, love. How are you feeling?"
Nic liked the endearment. "Now that you're back, great. But who gave you permission to leave our bed?" the dark haired woman asked with a raised brow.
The 'our' comment did not go unnoticed by the young woman as she walked over and placed the tray gently across her lover's lap, after which she placed a kiss on the woman's forehead. "So, now I need permission to leave, huh?"
The dark haired woman smiled, snatching a crispy piece of bacon from the plate and munching contentedly. "I'm sorry, I guess we didn't go over the ground rules last night, did we?"
"No, love, I'm afraid we were a little preoccupied last night. But I'm all ears now, so please enlighten me." The smaller woman slid back under the covers and snuggled next to her taller lover. Grabbing her own slice of bacon she placed it between her lips letting half of it hang from her mouth in a tantalizing fashion. Her dark haired lover knew exactly what she wanted so she complied, placing her mouth over the piece and biting it off at her lover's lips. A pink tongue slid between perfectly white teeth and traced the outline of the blonde's salty lips, eliciting a moan from the smaller woman.
"Well, let's see...rule number 1 is you belong here with me, always." She kissed the blonde lightly on the lips.
"Ahuh," the blonde responded.
"Rule number 2 is I belong here with you, always." The dark haired woman applied more pressure to the next kiss.
"Rule number 3 is whatever we want, we take." The dark haired woman kissed the blonde with such passion that they both came away breathless. "Any questions?"
Deep, green eyes, hungry for more, regarded the taller woman. "Just one," the blonde said. "Can you move that tray?"
The dark haired woman smiled broadly as she bent down and placed the tray on the floor. "Now what?" she asked.
"Now I take...what I want," the blonde answered saucily as she straddled her lover's hips and nibbled her way up the dark haired woman's neck.
An hour later the two sated women were lying intertwined on the bed, eyes closed and thoughts on absolutely nothing but each other. Nic had never felt so thoroughly at peace in her life. She had spent the last ten years avoiding relationships out of a fear of losing someone that she cared about. Long ago she figured that the easiest way to avoid that pain was to never allow herself to care that much for anyone. So there had been several brief flings and one night stands, but nothing more. She opened her eyes and took in the woman who was nestled comfortably on her shoulder. Golden hair fell across Nic's shoulder and the young woman's hand was splayed across her taunt abdomen. Carly was so much more than Nic felt she ever deserved. Only two days ago she had told her friend Susan that she didn't need any complications in her life and here she was in bed with the biggest complication she could think of. But what a complication she was. Not only was the woman she held gorgeous by anyone's standards, but she was also talented, intelligent, mischievous and a gifted lover who was tender, playful, adventuresome, and enthusiastic. The blonde stirred a little.
"Maybe we should try to eat that breakfast you prepared?" Nic whispered.
A groan was Carly's only reply as she buried her head.
"You can't tell me you aren't hungry after all that physical activity."
A green eye opened and rotated up to look at the woman who held her. A yawn, then a stretch of both legs. "No, I'm hungry. I just don't like the thought of moving."
"Ohhh. I see." Nic pulled the smaller woman into a tighter embrace. Her hair smelled of lilacs and her skin like peaches. "Well I'm not really fond of the idea either, but we should call the hospital and see how Jimmy is doing."
"I know this is going to sound selfish as all hell...but I could have lost you last night, and..."
Nic placed a finger under Carly's chin and lifted it so that her eyes were locked onto Nic's. "And what?" Nic asked.
The blonde blinked a few times to keep her tears at bay. "And I don't ever want us to leave this house again." There, she said it. And she meant every word.
Nic wasn't quite sure how to respond to the young woman she held so closely in her arms. What they had gone through last night would have scared anyone senseless and she had to admit that the mere thought of losing Carly scared her to death, so why should she expect that Carly didn't harbor the same fears? "Carly, I know we've been through a lot in the past few days and I know that last night was horrifying, but we made it through okay."
"You were shot last night, Nic. A few inches to the left and you would have been in a funeral home this morning and I would have been lying here falling apart."
"Carly, honey, I did have on a Kevlar vest, so I wouldn't have been dead. I probably would have been better off if the bastard had shot me in the back." Nic kissed her lightly on the top of the head. "And you can't really expect us to shut ourselves up in this house forever?"
Reluctantly the blonde acquiesced. "No, I suppose I can't. But that doesn't mean I don't want to." An endearing pout formed on the blonde's face.
"I probably shouldn't tell you this, but you look adorable when you do that."
Carly raised herself up onto her elbow and kissed her lover on the cheek. "I'll take the tray down and heat the food up in the microwave. Be back in a sec."
Nic watched the young woman leave the room then she slumped back into her soft pillow and stared at the ceiling. Her arm was stiff and a little sore, but otherwise not too bad. Absently she ran her fingers over the white gauze bandage that was wrapped around her upper arm. She had been lucky, again. The vest would have protected her torso, but if she'd caught the bullet in the back of the head she would be dead right now. A disturbing thought entered her mind. Could she put Carly through that day after day? Being a cop certainly wasn't easy, but being involved with a cop had to be worse. In time the tension of worrying about Nic would surely wear on the blonde. The next thought that crept into her mind disturbed her more. Could she push Carly away in order to spare her a life of constant worry? There you go again, Nic. What makes you think she's going to quit her job and stay here with you? She has her own life. Nic ran her hand through her ebony bangs and sighed deeply as her lover returned to the bedroom. She put on a false smile, which got a smirk from the blonde.
Instantly Carly noticed a change in her lover. She was brooding about something. The blonde returned the tray to the dark haired woman's lap and nestled herself back on the bed. Nic picked up the small glass of juice and drank it down. Carly studied her as she grabbed a plate and a napkin and began eating. "Is something wrong, Nic?"
The taller woman nibbled on a piece of toast, then sipped some of the hot coffee that Carly had poured into two cups. She wasn't sure what to tell Carly, so she decided to tell her nothing. "No, everything is fine." Nic leaned over and kissed the woman on the forehead.
Carly wasn't buying it, but if Nic didn't want to talk about it, then she wouldn't press the matter. They ate in relative silence until Carly spoke. "I called the hospital. They told me Jimmy is awake and looking forward to seeing us."
"That's good news. If you want we can go to the hospital after we're done with breakfast?"
Carly finished her eggs, then wiped her mouth. "That'll be fine." She knew something was up, but how would she pry it out of her stoic partner. "One problem, though."
"What's that?"
"The rest of my clothes are at Sue and Liz's place. What am I going to wear?"
"Hmm..." the dark haired woman contemplated that for a second. "I'm sure I have something around here that will work. I'll look in a minute." Nic finished off the toast and dove into the scrambled eggs. "This is delicious," Nic commented.
The compliment brought a glow to the young woman's face. "Thanks. I'm glad you like it. "
"What did you put in them?" the dark haired woman inquired.
"Oh...a little of this and a little of that." Carly wiggled her blonde brows inducing a chuckle from her companion.
A smile slid onto the Nic's face. "You know I have ways to make you talk."
Carly drank the last of her coffee. "I'm counting on it," she retorted. "Are you done?"
"Yes, thanks."
Carly removed the tray and placed it on the bench at the foot of the bed. Pale blue eyes watched her every move. "I didn't tell you, but I should have."
"Tell me what?" Carly asked.
"That you look very enticing in that." Nic felt some of her despair start to slip away at the site of the beautiful blonde who was standing at the foot of the bed dressed in Nic's Dallas Cowboy's jersey, which came down past her knees.
Carly was glad to see Nic's somber mood melting away. Crawling up the bed, looking very much like a slinking cat, the blonde placed her forehead against her lover's, green eyes staring into blue ones. "How do I look now?"
Full lips curled into a feral grin. "You look good enough to eat." Pulling the smaller woman further into her arms Nic began kissing her neck, her ear, her nose, then her lips. At each point she flicked her tongue out and tasted the blonde's flesh and was pleased at the reaction her kisses got. The blonde leaned into each kiss craving more contact. In one swift movement Nic slid the jersey over the woman's head and tossed it onto the floor.
"Hey, you're pretty good at that," the blonde commented.
"You ain't seen nothing yet..." her lover replied before she captured the blonde's lips in a steaming kiss that lasted for several minutes, stirring a fire within each woman that only the other could extinguish.
"You know, we aren't making much progress in getting up," Carly said as she drew imaginary circles with her finger on Nic's belly. She was lying on her side up against Nic's taller frame, which was completely stretched out.
"If you keep doing that we're going to make less progress because I'll be sleeping again."
The blonde looked up and smiled sweetly at her lover. "Oooo...another secret revealed..."
An eyebrow arched up under ebony bangs. "And just what other secrets are you referring to?"
"Weellll....I did find a few areas on a certain body that when properly encouraged evoked the desired response." Carly wiggled her pale eyebrows and grinned, salaciously.
"Is that so?"
"Yes, Nicole Stone, that is so." The blonde punctuated her statement with a poke to the taller woman's ribs. "I've never told you this, but I love your name, you know that?"
"Really? Well I kinda like the sound of your name too. Did you have any nicknames when you were growing up?"
"Well, Jimmy always called me squirt, but I wouldn't count that. Some of my friends use to call me CJ, because of my initials."
"I like that," the dark haired woman said. "Do you have a middle name?"
"Where did that question come from?" Carly asked.
"I guess I just want to know all about you, dear."
"Oh. Well then my middle name is Ann. What about you?"
"I have one too, but I bet you can't guess it?"
Carly frowned. "Nic, there are a million names, at least give me a hint."
The dark haired woman considered the request. "Deal. Mine starts with a K."
The intrigued young woman sat up. "What's the bet?"
Nic thought it over for a second, then said, "If you guess it we stay in bed for another hour and I will get us both more coffee. If you don't guess it, then we will get ready to go to the hospital."
The blonde was determined to win this bet. Starts with a K. How hard could this be, she thought? "Katherine?"
Nic shook her head.
Another head shake.
The list of names the blonde came up with amazed her lover. The dark haired woman hadn't realized how many names started with a K. Still, she was confident that Carly wouldn't guess it.
After ten more minutes Carly finally was at her wits end for another name to try. Displeased with herself for not guessing the name she stated flatly, "Okay, I give up. What is it?"
Nic had her arm lazily draped over the blonde's shoulder. She pulled her closer and gave her a kiss on the head. "I have to admit I didn't even know some of the names you came up with."
This admission pleased the blonde, who despite her obvious defeat, smiled broadly.
"My middle name is Katina."
"Katina? That's a beautiful name. Is it Russian?"
Nic's blue eyes twinkled. "No, it's Greek."
"Ohh...I see. So there is some Greek heritage in this tall, dark beauty that I am madly in love with? That would certainly explain the exotic good looks." Carly slowly ran her finger up Nic's left arm giving her lover a chill.
"Actually I'm three parts Greek, one part English. My dad was Greek and my mom was half Greek and half English."
Now it made sense, Carly thought. "So your mom wanted your first name to be an English name, but your dad insisted on a Greek middle name, right?" Carly noticed the look of pain that passed through Nic's eyes at the mention of her parents.
"You got it."
"What about your last name, though? Stone doesn't sound Greek."
"My great, great grandfather changed it from Stonopoulos to Stone when he came to this country. That was a pretty popular thing to do back in those days."
Carly sifted her fingers through Nic's jet black shoulder length hair enjoying the softness as well as the scent of wild flowers that drifted to her nose. "Well, Nicole Katina Stone, you certainly are an intriguing woman." Carly nibbled on her lover's tender ear lobe. "Have you ever been to Greece?"
"Nope. I'd love to go there someday. I still have family over there in Athens and Crete."
"I was there last year for a two day photo shoot. It was incredible! I hope we can go there someday." Carly laid her head on Nic's broad shoulder. "You know there are times when your eyes are the color of the Aegean. They are the most magnificent eyes I have ever seen."
Nic tipped the blonde's head up so that she could place a tender kiss on the woman's lips. "That's the same way feel about your eyes." Carly smiled. "Now, would you care to join me in the shower since you lost the bet?"
The smaller woman jumped off the bed and was in the bathroom before Nic's feet hit the floor. "I'll take that as a yes." The dark haired woman chuckled as she padded across the bedroom into the tiled bathroom where her lover was eagerly waiting.
The phone had been ringing for nearly ten minutes, but the occupants of the house were unaware of it, since they were otherwise engaged in a steamy shower. When they finally emerged Nic heard it and made a dash for the phone, leaving her partner dripping on the bathroom floor, a towel thrown at her as she exited the room.
Managing to grab a towel for herself, she hastily wrapped it around herself and picked up the receiver. "Hello?" she answered.
"Nicole, it's Marcy. Where have you been? The phone was ringing off the hook."
A smirk formed on the tall woman's face. "I was in the shower, if you must know. Now, what can I do for you?"
"Haven't you looked outside?"
Just as Marcy said this, the doorbell rang. Carly emerged from the bathroom pulling a brush through her wet, golden strands of hair. She silently mouthed "Want me to get that?"
Nic shook her head. "Why do I need to look outside, Marcy?"
"Well, there are about a dozen reporters and cameramen outside your front door."
The dark haired woman's eyes widened, then she slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. Great, just great! "Thanks for the heads up, Marcy." Nic hung up the phone before Marcy could ask any questions.
"What's going on?" Carly asked as the doorbell rang again.
"Marcy tells me there is a pack of reporters at the front door."
"What do they want?" the blonde's forehead wrinkled in concern.
Nic walked over to the window. Pulling the blinds apart, she peered out and saw several cars parked along the street that she didn't recognize. From the front of the house a plump man carrying a television camera on his shoulder walked over to one of the cars and began talking to someone who was inside the vehicle. Nic closed the blinds. The doorbell rang again. "Well, I bet they want to talk to me about what happened last night. After all the Larson PD did take down a major drug dealer who just happened to be one of the wealthiest men in the city. If that's not news, then I don't know what is."
"It wasn't as much the Larson PD as it was you." Carly walked over to her beloved and snaked an arm around the taller woman's waist. "So what do we do now?"
"I'm not sure, but I know we can't talk to them. I just need to figure out a way to get us out of here."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure they'll notice a cute, naked blonde leaving your house. Course that'll do nothing but improve your reputation, I'm sure." Carly smiled at her frowning lover.
"Yeah, and it'll probably ruin yours. Besides, I don't want my girlfriend's picture plastered all over the afternoon edition. Jimmy will kill me for sure!"
"Now, what makes you say that?"
"Hmmm, let me see. I'm sleeping with his baby sister and then I let the entire city find out about it! Gee, why would that upset him?"
Carly put her hands on her towel wrapped hips and tilted her head a bit to the left. "Has anyone ever told you that you have a real flair for sarcasm?"
"Just everyone I've ever known." Nic deadpanned. "Come on, let's find you something to wear."
Carly followed her towel-clad lover down the hallway to the spare bedroom where Nic rifled through the closet, finally producing a pair of brand new brown chinos and a cotton crew neck sweater . "Here, I think these should fit you."
Carly accepted the offered items with a quizzical look. "Why do you have brand new clothes that clearly would never fit you, in this closet?"
With an innocent expression Nic replied, "I meant to send them to my sister a couple of years ago for Christmas, but I never got around to it. She's about your size so try them on."
The doorbell rang again eliciting a series of curses from the dark haired woman. Suddenly Nic realized she should have left the room as Carly let her towel drop to the floor revealing all her luscious curves. Well we haven't done anything in this room, yet, Nic thought.
Carly slid the pants over her legs then pulled on the sweater. She spun around in a circle. "What do you think?" She noticed her silent lover was standing, arms folded, watching her every move with an arched eyebrow.
"I think you'd look great in a burlap sack."
Carly giggled as the pair walked back to Nic's room. While she slipped into a pair of faded jeans and fended off the amorous attentions of her eager lover, Nic thought about their options. They'd need to distract the reporters long enough to get to the car, then she could lose them if they decided to pursue. Going to the window again, Nic looked out on the fine, sunny day that was forming. She had a better idea. Carly walked into the bedroom just as Nic turned from the window.
"Okay, dishes have been properly stowed in the dishwasher." the blonde announced.
"Good. You were careful about the windows, right?"
"Yes, I all but belly crawled to the kitchen."
This got the blonde a smirk from her companion. "Carly, do you like motorcycles?"
Carly didn't even have to think about it. "You bet. Why?"
"I just thought that we might make our get away on my bike, instead of the car. It'll be easier to lose anyone who tries to tail us." Nic couldn't help but smile at the twinkle in her lover's eyes. "I'd ask if you were up for that, but your expression says it all."
"You are so full of surprises, Nic! I didn't know you even had a bike. How's your arm feeling? Will you be able to drive okay?"
Nic flexed her right arm with only a mild wince. "Yeah, it'll be fine." Nic winked at her skeptical lover.
"So what kind of bike do you have?"
"It's a Harley Springer Softail and it's out in the garage."
Carly's green eyes twinkled more. "Great! Let's go."
"Wait a minute," Nic said. "I have to make a call first." Nic picked up the bedside phone and dialed a number, then waited. Finally someone answered. "Hi, it's Nic. Can you do me a favor?" She waited as the other party spoke. "Sure, not a problem. Anyway I need you to let out Ares and Zeus for a few minutes." Another pause. "Maybe just a little." Nic laughed. "Leave it in the mailbox. Thanks a million, Harry."
Carly leaned against the doorframe with her arms folded. "What was that all about?"
"Come over here and I'll show you." Nic parted the blinds and stepped back so that Carly was standing between her and the window. Two houses down a pair of Dobermans started trotting up the sidewalk. Both sported spiked collars and a strut that signified they weren't to be trifled with. Nic spotted Harry Wilkins standing on his front porch and she saw him give the command. "Watch this," Nic whispered in the smaller woman's ear, causing a shiver to jump down her spine.
"Nic, don't do that, okay?"
"Don't do what?"
"Whisper in my ear with that sexy deep voice of yours, that's what. Unless you want to find yourself back in this bed before you can blink."
The dark haired woman grinned while considering the idea, until she got a slap to her mid section. Returning their attention to the window Carly had all she could do to keep from bursting into laughter at the comical scene in the street. The two dogs had walked right up behind the pack of reporters and cameramen before anyone had even noticed them.
"My God! Are they dangerous, Nic?"
"No, honey. They are two well-trained dogs believe me. Now watch."
Harry pulled a silver whistle from his robe and blew three short bursts of air into it. On the command from their owner both dogs began growling and snarling, looking like they were about to devour the whole group. Everyone panicked and started to run in different directions, bumping into each other in the process. Microphones, notepads, pens, and purses went flying in all directions as people scrambled to get to the safety of their cars.
"Okay, we better get out there during the chaos if this is going to work." The pair descended the stairs, put on their jackets and eased out the back door. Nic peeked around the corner of the house at the continuing melee. Both dogs were chasing people and growling menacingly. Nic grabbed Carly's hand and they made their way to the side door of the garage. Sunlight streaming through the front windows illuminated the interior. A large covered object sat on one side of the two-car garage. A smaller covered object sat in the back. Mimicking a magician Nic walked over to the smaller object and grabbing the corner of the cover lifted it in one fluid motion, "Tada!"
Carly's green eyes widened at the sight of the bike. "It's beautiful!" She eyed the sleek lines of the burgundy colored bike. The chrome glistened where the slivers of sunlight hit it.
"Here, put this on." Nic handed her lover a burgundy helmet with a dark face shield. Nic put a matching one on herself and sat down on the bike. She hadn't ridden the bike in a month, but she started it up at least two or three times a week. Donning her black leather gloves she did a preliminary check of the bike.
Once her helmet was properly adjusted Carly took her place behind Nic and she eagerly placed both hands on her taller lover's hips.
Nic looked over her shoulder and asked, "Ready?"
Carly stuck her thumb in the air so Nic kicked the engine over. It roared to life filling the garage with a gust of smoke. Pushing the automatic door opener that she had put into her pants pocket Nic torqued the throttle, jettisoning them out of the garage, tires squealing.
Instantly Carly's grip tightened around her lover's waist as she felt the force of the acceleration.
Nic was glad to see that the driveway was clear. Wide-eyed people sat in their cars staring at the dogs that were now patrolling the sidewalk as if they were on sentry duty. No one even noticed the garage door going up. Nic had the bike down the driveway and into the street before anyone could even react. She flipped a wave to Harry as they passed his house. Immediately he whistled for the dogs to retreat. Carly looked back at the confused pack of people and smiled. Her lover had amazed her once again and she wondered if her life with Nic would always be this exhilarating.
The motorcycle zipped through the tree-lined streets of Fairfield Hills, which was bathed in brilliant, warm sunlight thanks to the cloudless sky above. The unseasonable temperature pleased Nic, since she had figured she wouldn't be able to take her bike out again until spring. The feeling of utter freedom was electrifying. It was just one of the things she loved about riding and though she never imagined she could possibly love it more, with Carly's arms wrapped around her she found that she did. Part of her wished they could just keep going. The destination was irrelevant. The fact that they were together was all that mattered to Nic. For the first time in her life Nic felt whole and she knew that she would do anything to keep that feeling.
Carly, nestled behind Nic, couldn't think of anywhere else on earth she'd rather be. The continuous roar and vibration of the engine excited her, but not so much as the feeling of complete power that was between and in front of her legs. She tightened her embrace. Nic's black hair fluttered from beneath her helmet in the air that washed over them as they drove through street after street. Carly realized she hadn't been paying attention, she was so lost in the moment. After getting through the residential neighborhoods, Nic took them to the Northern edge of the city, which was a bit more rural and so was occupied by some newly developed industrial complexes. They drove past the company Liz worked for before turning south to head down through the Western part of the city. It was clear to Carly that Nic was taking the long way to the hospital. She smiled at her lover's exuberance. Closing her eyes for a second she could almost imagine the look that must be in her lover's azure eyes.
An hour later the motorcycle and its riders pulled into the hospital parking lot. Parking the bike, Nic cut the engine and removed her helmet. Looking over her shoulder at her partner, who was already removing her helmet she asked, "So, what did you think?"
"It was the best! I'd love to learn to drive one of these someday." The blonde answered enthusiastically.
"Okay. I'll teach you!"
"What?" Carly asked, dumbfounded. "You mean you'll teach me on this?"
"Sure, why not?"
Surprised green eyes regarded the bike, then the driver. "It's a bit big for me, don't you think?"
Nic considered the question. "Yeah, it might be at that. But we'll think of something."
Carly smiled at her lover's thoughtfulness. The pair got off the motorcycle and Nic locked their helmets to the bike. Walking into the hospital Nic was overcome with an urge to grab hold of Carly's hand. For a man and a woman it was a natural and romantic thing to do and her heart ached a bit at their own inability to display their love in the same manner. She'd been a dyke her whole life, even if she hadn't realized it until she was in her late teens, and she still hated the precautions gays were required to take in public. When will the world be more accepting?
They entered a vacant elevator. Carly pushed the button for the fifth floor, where they had moved Jimmy to after the attempt on his life and her abduction. It felt to Nic like that had happened longer ago than just yesterday. Carly turned to Nic and placed both hands around the taller woman's neck pulling her into a deep kiss.
After a moment Carly broke away and peered into the smoldering blue eyes of her lover. "What was that for?" Nic asked, breathlessly.
"Can't a girl express her feelings when the mood strikes?"
"Most definitely!"
Jimmy knew the instant he saw his sister's beaming smile that something had happened and he was pretty sure what that something was. Carly acted like she was floating on air and his partner certainly looked happier than he could remember. "So, what have you two been up to?"
Carly looked at her lover, who nodded slightly. "Jimmy, we have something to tell you."
Jimmy looked his partner evenly in the eyes. "What is it, squirt?"
"You were right."
Nic stepped behind Carly and placed her hands firmly on the blonde's shoulders. "You were right about me, Jimmy." Jimmy eyed his partner quizzically. "For the last two years you've told me how I should find someone and settle down. That I shouldn't let the loss of my parents prevent me from opening my heart to someone."
Carly couldn't believe her ears. Her brother had said all those things?
"Well, Jimmy, I've found that someone." Nic placed a soft kiss on the golden strands on top of Carly's head then she looked at her partner. "I'm in love with Carly."
A wide grin spread across the prone man's face. "Oh, that."
The dark haired woman's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'Oh, that'?"
Swatting at the air Jimmy said, "I had a feeling the other day that you two were falling for each other."
Both women looked at each other and then they all started to laugh.
Nic and Carly spent the afternoon with Jimmy, only leaving for thirty minutes to go off to the cafeteria for a bite to eat. After lunch Doctor Austin stopped in and said that Jimmy would probably get to go home next week sometime. This news made them all happy. While the doctor was there, he inquired about Nic's arm. With some coaxing from Carly, Nic gave in and let the doctor take a look at it. He said it looked like it would heal nicely, then he left to continue his rounds.
Jimmy thanked Nic for what seemed like the hundredth time, not only for saving his life, but also for saving Carly's. He told her that the next time Bill Peterson was in town that he wanted to meet him. Nic made a mental note of that. She had wished Bill could have stayed at least for a day so that she could take him out to dinner and properly thank him for all his help. He had followed the ambulance to the hospital to make sure she was going to be okay, then he had made his apologies and returned to Washington.
"So what are you two going to do this evening?" Jimmy asked, flipping the television to a new channel and groaning when all he could find were soap operas.
"Well, we should go over to Sue's to get Harley and the rest of Carly's things." Nic answered.
Carly's eyes widened. "That's right. Harley's still over there, isn't she?"
"Yeah, and we won't be able to get her with the bike, either." Nic realized out loud. "We could invite them for dinner, then they could bring Harley and your things with them."
Carly smiled at the idea. "That would be great. But we'll need to go to the market and we can't do that with the bike either."
"We can go back and get the car, then head over to Burnham's for some shopping. Let me leave a message on their machine and we can go." Nic stood and slipped into her leather jacket. She was glad she had several of them, since the one she got shot in last night was ruined. Leather was definitely one of her weaknesses.
Carly grabbed her own jacket and kissed Jimmy on the cheek while Nic made the call. Her brother looked at her with tender eyes. "I'm happy for you, squirt. For both of you."
Carly dragged a hand through her golden hair, revealing the hint of a blush in her neck and cheeks. "Thanks, big brother. I just wish I had visited you a couple of years ago like I had planned." Brother and sister smiled at each other.
"I told you my partner was something else, didn't I?"
"You sure did and I agree with you completely. Now get some rest and I'll call you later."
Jimmy winked at his sister as Nic ended her call and they said their good-byes.
The late afternoon sky was painted in bright orange hues from the fleeting sun. The air was starting to cool a bit, but was still quite comfortable. A flock of Canadian geese, honking noisily, passed high overhead in a perfect v-shape formation. The two women couldn't help but gaze up at them.
"Do you think they know where they're going, or are they just going?" Carly asked.
Nic contemplated the question for a moment. "I think they know. The question is how do they know?"
"Good point," the blonde conceded.
Unlocking the helmets, Nic passed Carly hers, then she donned her own. Once Carly was settled comfortably behind her, Nic started the bike and they were off toward home. Since they had left the hospital before the rush hour traffic the streets were only mildly busy. Carly thoroughly enjoyed the ride to the house. She couldn't think of anywhere in the world she'd rather be. She hoped the weather would be nice all week so that they could do this a few more times. Before long the winter weather will be upon them and the bike riding would be over for the year. Carly took in all the sights, sounds and smells of the city as they traveled north to Fairfield Hills. Passing through the shopping district caused her stomach to growl, as she smelled the enticing aromas that came from several bakeries.
As they neared Nic's house they both kept a sharp look out for any reporters, but thankfully none seemed to be in the area. By the time they pulled into Nic's driveway Carly was famished. Nic drove the bike straight into the garage and closed the overhead door behind them.
"I enjoyed that a lot. Thanks for taking me." Sincere green eyes gazed into pale blue ones.
"I'm glad you liked it. Maybe we'll get a chance to do it again this week." Nic heard a funny rumble and eyed the blonde's stomach, where she was sure the sound came from.
Carly smiled. "Sorry. Guess I'm a little hungry."
"We ate lunch and you polished off a bag of chips just a hour ago." Nic stated, incredulously.
"Well, it's your fault. You drove us past all those bakeries."
All Nic could do was laugh. "Come on. I'm sure you'll be able to find something to put in there before we go to the market," she teased, poking the blonde's tight abs.
Carly followed the taller woman up the stairs onto the deck and waited while she punched in the code to deactivate the alarm system.
After searching for a few minutes Carly settled on a can of soup which she went about preparing while Nic went to her office to check her messages.
The answering machine was blinking when the dark haired woman entered her office. She noted there were eight messages before she tapped the play button with her index finger and sat down at her desk to boot her computer.
"Message One" the male voice on the answering machine stated.
"Stone, Lieutenant Raimes. Give me a call. I have some interesting news I think you'll want to hear."
"Message Two"
"Detective Stone. This is Art Gilston at the Larson Chronicle. Please give me a call at 882-6452. I'd like to talk to you about the Marcone case."
"Message Three"
"Detective Stone. This is Louise Carter. I'm with Channel 7 News at 11 and I would love it if you'd call me so we could do an exclusive interview about the Marcone sting. Please phone me at 882-3415. Thanks."
Nic scowled at the irritatingly perky voice. She began listening to the next message, but hit the skip button the second she knew it was another reporter. This pattern continued until she heard Liz's voice on the machine.
"Niki, Sue and I would love to come for dinner. We'll bring the wine and see you two at six thirty."
Nic hit the stop button, then she turned her attention to her computer monitor where a list of new email messages was quickly filling up the screen. Most were inconsequential, but there was a message from Patti Jenkins and one from Denise Carter, the department psychologist that she had seen on Monday.
Nic opened the message from Patti first. She drummed her fingers on the desk as she read it.
Wanted to know if you changed your mind about joining the LPD basketball team. I know I've asked before, but I told you I'd keep trying. PLEASE, we need someone like you. Let me know, because practice starts on Saturday.
Carly poked her blonde head in the door. "Soup is almost ready. Do you want some?"
Looking up with a lopsided grin she inquired, "What kind did you make?"
"Tomato Rice."
"Ooo, my favorite."
"No kidding," Carly commented, dryly. "You only have ten cans of the stuff."
Nic started typing a reply to Patti. "Well, what's wrong with having a lot of what you like?"
Carly stepped into the room. "Nothing, I suppose." She walked over to the fish tank and bent down peering into the greenish blue water. Coral filled the bottom of the salt-water tank and several brightly colored fish darted in and out of the many crevices it provided. It looked remarkable like the reefs she had seen in Australia.
"Could you drop a few flakes into the top for me?" Nic asked as she continued her typing.
"Sure," Carly responded. She opened the box that sat alongside the tank. Easing the tank cover open, she dropped some of the food onto the water's surface and watched as the fish eagerly devoured the offering. "Do you have a lot of messages?"
Nic hit the send button, then looked up. "A few. Mainly reporters on the answering machine, but Liz got back to us and said they'd be here at six thirty."
"Excellent!" Carly squealed.
"And I just told Patti that I'd join the department basketball team." Nic almost couldn't believe that she finally agreed to it. For some reason she felt different now that Carly was part of her life. She felt...alive again.
"Who's Patti?" Carly asked, trying to kill the tendril of jealousy that she felt creeping into her system.
Nic thought for a second that she detected a different tone in her lover's voice, but maybe it was only her imagination. "Patti Jenkins is a Vice detective. She's captain of the women's team for my precinct and she's been hounding me for weeks to join."
"Why did you decide to join now?"
"I'm not sure. I feel different now, because of us, I think."
Us. A smile tugged at the blonde's lips. I like the sound of that.. Closing the tank lid she walked behind the desk until she was standing next to Nic. Placing her hand on the taller woman's shoulder she squeezed it gently. "Different how?"
Nic swiveled her chair so that Carly was standing directly in front of her. Placing her hands on the blonde's hips she tugged her into her lap. Carly wrapped her hands around her lover's neck and caressed the soft skin with her fingers. Nic looked into the impossibly green eyes and smiled. "For the first time since my parents died I feel like living isn't something to dread anymore." Nic rested her head against the blonde's chest. The steady beat of the smaller woman's heart soothed her.
Carly gently kissed her lover's head, allowing her lips to linger against the silky black hair. She wasn't sure what to say to the dark haired woman.
The phone rang, startling both of them. Nic didn't reach for the phone. Talking to a reporter was the last thing she wanted to do, so she let the answering machine get it instead.
"Stone, Lieutenant Raimes. Thought I might catch you in. I beeped you, but you must not be wearing your pager."
Nic reached for the phone upon hearing her lieutenant's voice. "Hello Lou. Sorry I didn't pick up right away, but the reporters have been hounding me."
Carly remained in Nic's lap, which suited the dark haired woman just fine.
"Yeah, I bet they have," Raimes commented. "Well, I have some interesting news."
"And what is that lieutenant?"
Raimes cleared his suddenly gravelly voice. "You're going to receive the mayor's Medal of Valor."
Nic chuckled. "Very funny, Lou. What's really happening? They're gonna can me aren't they."
The blonde's brows shot up. How could they even think of such a thing?
"Stone, I'm dead serious. The mayor is quite impressed with what you've accomplished."
Nic couldn't believe her ears. The Medal of Valor was only bestowed on those individuals who displayed exemplary bravery and resourcefulness in the line of duty.
"Stone...are you still there?"
Nic shook her head back to reality. "Yeah, I'm still here." Carly gave her a concerned look as she ran her fingers through the dark mane. Nic returned a smile, which eased Carly's mind a bit.
"Well, you should receive a formal announcement in a few days. How's the arm?"
Nic flexed the arm that had sustained the gunshot wound. It actually felt pretty good, not that that surprised her. "It's fine. I'll be back on Monday, no problem."
"All right, then I guess I'll let you go."
"Thanks for the info, Lou. Goodbye." Nic hung up the phone and wrapped two strong arms around the person who was quickly becoming the center of her world.
Carly laid her forehead against her lover's and peered into the deep pools of blue. "So, what's up, if you don't mind my asking?"
"It seems that the Mayor is giving me the Medal of Valor."
Green eyes brightened as a wide grin crossed the blonde's face. "Really, Nic?"
"Afraid so." Nic replied.
"That's terrific!" Carly could hardly contain her excitement. "You deserve it for all you've done. According to Bill you took out three guys with nothing more than throwing knives." Carly still couldn't believe that part. She wished she had seen it, but she had been stuck inside a crate waiting for the gunfire to stop.
"Well then, would you like to accompany me to the ceremony?" Nic couldn't believe she had just blurted that out. But she knew she wanted Carly to be there, more that anything in the world.
"I would be honored, detective." Carly leaned in and captured the dark haired woman's silky lips. Nic melted into the kiss, which quickly deepened in intensity until both women's hearts were furiously beating.
Nic pulled away first, though she struggled with the decision for several seconds. "Listen, we better put this on hold or our guests are going to show up to no dinner at all."
Carly tangled the long black hair around her fingers. She wanted desperately to pull Nic back into the kiss, but then she realized what Nic said was true. They had better get prepared for their guests. Suddenly Carly realized how much she liked referring to Sue and Liz as 'our guests'. It brought another smile to her lips. "You're right, as much as I hate to admit it. Let's go," the blonde conceded as she stood up and headed for the door with her dark haired lover in tow.
The four women sat in the living room enjoying their coffee and the warmth from the fire that Nic had started. They had just polished off the apple pie that Liz and Sue had brought over along with a bottle of wine. Harley was clearly pleased to be back in her own house as she was happily napping on Nic's outstretched legs. During dinner Nic and Carly let their friends in on their new relationship, which didn't seem to surprise either one of them, though Sue did whisper to Nic 'No complications, huh?'
Liz and Sue were seated on one end of the large sofa while Carly was in the opposite corner, conveniently close to Nic, who was in the armchair. Soft jazz played on the stereo adding to the relaxed atmosphere. The after dinner conversation had taken many turns, but was now centered on the upcoming holidays.
The similarity between the two couples was interesting. Sue and Nic were both tall and had dark hair and exotic looks, while their respective partners were shorter and definitely more petite. Liz was a redhead with a bubbly personality, not unlike Carly's in many ways.
"Do you two have any specific plans for the holidays?" Liz asked.
Nic and Carly looked at each other, then both answered in unison, "Hadn't really thought about it." They each laughed at their identical answers.
Sue rolled her brown eyes, "Oh, brother! You two are starting to scare me."
Liz slapped her lover's leg. "You behave."
"Always, love," Sue replied.
"Anyway, I thought you two and Jimmy, of course, might like to join us for Thanksgiving." Liz watched her friends as they contemplated the offer.
Nic gave a slight nod and Carly immediately answered, "We'd love to. Thanks."
"Great!" Liz beamed. " I'll start planning the menu this weekend."
"Please allow me to make the pies. I love to bake." Carly added.
"Sure thing." Liz acknowledged. "Hey, we were going to go over to the Lavender Rose this Friday night. Would you two like to join us?"
"What's the Lavender Rose?" Carly asked.
Nic answered her while she stroked the black cat's smooth fur. "It's a dance bar over in Clairmont."
"You mean a gay bar, right?" the blonde stated.
"Actually it's a lesbian bar. I don't think I've ever seen any guys in there at all." Sue answered.
"They had a guy bar tending there for a while, as I recall," Liz added.
"That doesn't count," Sue chided.
"Well, I'd love to go. How bout it Nic? Are you willing to take your girlfriend out dancing?" Carly asked her tall lover.
Deep blue eyes that twinkled in the firelight caught the blonde and held her for an instant. "I most certainly would love to take my girlfriend dancing."
Carly felt the blue eyes boring into her and a sudden flash of heat ran up her neck. This raven-haired beauty had captivated her from the moment she met her in the airport. The blonde had never fallen so hard for anyone in her entire life and it was an intoxicating feeling.
Sue cleared her throat in an attempt to break the hypnotic trance her two friends seemed to be in. "Perfect. Then we'll pick you two up at nine o'clock."
"We'll be ready," Carly replied. The truth was she couldn't wait to be held in her lover's embrace on the dance floor. She had the distinct feeling her partner was an excellent dancer.
The conversation turned to Nic's decision to begin playing basketball for her department's team. Carly wasn't surprised to learn from Sue that Nic had led her Larson High School team to the state championship, which they won. Both Sue and Nic had excelled at the college level and probably could have played professionally had they not chosen their current careers.
An hour and a second cup of coffee later the foursome decided to call it an evening. Nic walked their friends to the door while Carly cleaned up the dining room.
Sue held Liz's jacket for her allowing her to easily slide into it. "Thanks, honey. It's good to know chivalry isn't dead."
Sue smiled as she pulled her own jacket on. "Well, Nic, thanks for a great evening. Liz and I are happy for both of you, you know."
Liz pulled Nic into a hug and in a low voice said, "She's really good for you, Niki. Don't let her get away."
"I'll do my damnedest," Nic said.
Nic proceeded to the kitchen to help Carly. "That was a lot of fun," the dark haired woman commented as she entered the room.
Carly placed the last of the glasses into the dishwasher. "I agree. I think we should do that more often." Squirting some Cascade into the compartment she closed the door and pushed the wash button.
Nic was leaning her back against the counter and watching her blonde girlfriend with keen interest. When Carly turned around, she couldn't help but approach the taller woman and wrap her arms tightly about her waist.
"What was that for?" Nic asked.
At first her partner didn't answer. She just held onto her and enjoyed their closeness. "Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am, that's all."
Dark brows furrowed under equally dark bangs. Grabbing the smaller woman's shoulders she held her back at arms length. "I think you've got that all wrong. I'm the lucky one." The blonde's lips formed into the cutest smile and Nic pulled her close and kissed the top of her head, which fit just below her chin. "So, would you like to join me in the hot tub?"
It was the blonde's turn to step back. "Really?"
"Why not? It's a perfect night for it," Nic replied.
Carly's green eyes turned mischievous. "Au natural?"
Now the dark haired woman's eyes matched her companion's, "Last one in cooks breakfast," she answered as she quickly began stripping out of her clothes.
Continued in part 2
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Kane & Lynch 2: Goldie's Unique Piece of Art
Established graffiti artist and drum and bass icon, Goldie, has pushed his maverick creative style to deadly new levels by creating a unique piece of art combining traditional street techniques with live ammunition.
Commissioned to create a special piece of billboard artwork to mark the launch of Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days, a raw and brutal new crime shooter, Goldie utilised spray cans, 12 bore shotguns and a rifle range to bring his extraordinary vision to life.
Goldie States, "I'm a real keen gamer and I love my shoot 'em ups. This was a killer opportunity to mesh street art and the gaming world - creating something original, edgy and high impact. It also gave me a chance to blow the crap out of something."
The process was complex. First Goldie re-imagined the game visuals using colour separation from the safety of his studio, and then transported his 'undercoat' to a remote shooting range and pasted it onto a 10ft by 15ft billboard canvas. He then set about the canvas using a series of graffiti art techniques including spray cans, stencils, free-hand, chalk, sponging and even hand-throwing paint directly onto the piece. To finish off his creation Goldie then directed trained marksmen armed with a selection of lethal rifles and shotguns to blast away sections of the piece, which he had carefully marked with targets.
The finished artwork is now on show at The Old Truman Brewery, East London's revolutionary arts and media quarter on Brick Lane. It is then due to tour in exhibitions of Goldie's artwork around the world, later this year.
Jon Brooke, UK Marketing Director at Square Enix, said "We really wanted to create a cool piece of art that represented the explosive experience of Kane & Lynch 2 so we're really pleased that Goldie totally cut loose and made something so unique. We are very excited to be displaying this one off piece of art for a limited time at the Truman Brewery near Brick Lane so make sure you head over and see it up close.
Goldie earned his name as a graffiti artist in the West Midlands in the early eighties and has produced artistic works with 3D (Massive Attack) and Sarah Gregory, whilst being commissioned to produce pieces for Noel Gallagher, Bjork, The Sex Pistols, Snow Patrol, Pete Tong, Jason Statham and Sir Paul McCartney, to name but a few.
As a recording artist Goldie has sold more than 2.5 million records worldwide and has also had a successful acting career appearing in movies such as The World is Not Enough (1999), The Ninth Gate (1999) and Snatch (2000). He also appeared on EastEnders and entered Celebrity Big Brother during 2001 and 2002. In 2008 he starred in the BBC Two reality show Maestro.
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days follows two disturbed criminals, Lynch – an impulsive and reckless self-medicated psychopath and Kane – a tactical but disillusioned and desperate ex-mercenary, through 48 hours of hell.
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Games for Windows (under the EIDOS brand) on August 20th, 2010 in Europe and other PAL territories.