text:
Matthew Hirschtritt
Walking from an exam room to the nurse's station in the small outpatient clinic where I worked as a second-year medical student, I paused by a window to gaze out at the winter sunset. After a moment, I looked down to scan the notebook where I kept my schedule and notes for my last patient of the day.
4:15, Ms. Smith, 26, lump on groin--the bare bones of a story waiting to be filled in.
Feeling tired and looking forward to dinner, I sighed dramatically, dropped into a chair in front of a computer console and called up Ms. Smith's electronic health record.
Like most medical records, it was divided into tabs that reflected the parts of a medical history--"Past Surgical History," "Medications," "Allergies," etc.
I clicked on the tab labeled "Problem List." Up popped a staggering collection of diagnoses, from diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol to kidney failure and dialysis.
Yikes! I thought. This isn't going to be easy.
In the eighteen months since I'd started medical school, I'd seen quite a few patients with multiple chronic conditions. For the most part when dealing with these very ill patients, I'd sheltered behind an inward sense of separateness, captured in an unspoken mantra: These people aren't like me. If I couldn't maintain this "professional distance," I feared, I'd be overwhelmed by a tsunami of grief, pain and desperation.
But Ms. Smith was different. She was like me. She was about my age. I'd need a new mantra.
"Ms. Smith is ready to see you," the medical assistant announced cheerfully.
I walked towards the exam room, half expecting to see a gray-faced, emaciated woman hunched over in a wheelchair, and half trying not to picture anything.
Inside the room, instead of the pitiful creature I'd imagined, I found two utterly normal-looking young women sitting placidly in adjacent chairs near the desk.
"Hi, I'm Matt. I'm a medical student who's working with Dr. Taylor. May I ask which of you is Ms. Smith?"
The woman sitting nearest the desk looked up. "That would be me," she said in a deep, husky voice.
Looking more closely, I saw that her face seemed swollen in comparison with her thin frame, probably as a result of long-term steroid use. Elaborate, colorful tattoos graced her right forearm.
I extended my hand. "Good to meet you. Who's with you today?" The other woman smiled.
"Sharron's my girlfriend," said Ms. Smith. "She can hear whatever I have to say to you. She's heard it all a million times before anyway."
"Thanks for letting me know," I said, sitting down at the desk.
How could Ms. Smith possibly be the patient on the computer screen? Surely there had been some coding error; she looked like she could be my classmate, not someone with enough illnesses to fill an entire page of my notebook.
These thoughts kept snaking through my head as I dutifully asked the right questions about the bump she'd felt in her groin a few days back: "Can you point to where you noticed it?" "Has it ever gone away?" "Is it ever painful?"
All the while, I really wanted to ask, "How are you sitting here talking to me when your record tells me that you're so ill? Do you ever think about what people like me take for granted?"
As Ms. Smith ticked off the many and varied diagnoses she'd accumulated, my sense of dread and helplessness mounted. I began to feel acutely aware of my own mortality, and how tenuous my status was as a "healthy person." How easily could I--could anyone--travel from health to sickness? How would I survive if I had to contend with so many serious conditions?
"How do you cope with the stress of your illnesses?" I asked.
Ms. Smith glanced at Sharron, who--clearly well-acquainted with the tedium of accompanying her girlfriend to doctor's appointments--was reading a book she'd brought in her handbag.
"She's all I got," Ms. Smith said. "My family's out of the picture. There's no one else."
Her words left me dumbfounded.
Somewhere amid the puzzle of her many diagnoses, I'd expected to discover a piece connecting the digital patient, so incredibly ill, with the healthy-looking young woman sitting before me. I'd assumed that this piece probably took the form of an extensive support system and a loving family. Now I wondered if I had any of the right pieces.
I felt like starting the interview over, to search for a key phrase or clue that would explain the gaping chasm between my theoretical expectations and my real-life observations. I refused to believe that a single relationship could sustain someone who was facing such a mountain of hardship.
After completing a preliminary physical exam, I excused myself and returned with Dr. Taylor.
Examining Ms. Smith's left groin, he asked her more about the mass and any related symptoms.
"I had an ovarian cyst removed a year ago," she told him. "I'm afraid that this bump means that it's come back...Or maybe it's cancer."
Finally, Dr. Taylor delivered a verdict.
"Most masses are not cancerous, and I suspect this isn't related to the cyst you had before. Let me know if it gets bigger or causes any pain, and we can reevaluate it. I don't see any reason to worry now."
Ms. Smith seemed satisfied with this, and the visit came to an end.
How incongruous, I reflected, that we could tell a woman with so many severe illnesses that she didn't need to worry about something related to her health. This may have been one of her few clinic visits that ended in relief rather than dread. Still pondering this, I returned to the computer screen to pore over Ms. Smith's medical record.
Suddenly, I pinpointed the crucial missing puzzle piece.
Ms. Smith's medical record, I realized--in fact, every patient's medical record--needed another tab, one that would act as a counterpoint to the Problem List. I would label this tab "Hidden Strengths." In Ms. Smith's case, it would include terms like "hope" and "incredible resolve." It might also include her powerful, loving relationship with her partner, or the momentary lift of a well-timed joke.
I wished I'd asked Ms. Smith more about what kept her going--the forces that buttressed her against a torrent of bad news. Because of my schedule, it was unlikely that we would meet again. I wish I could have spent more time adding to this new section of Ms. Smith's medical record--the one that explained her resolve and cheerfulness, and that made me like her so much.
About the author:
Matthew Hirschtritt is a third-year medical student in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. Outside of medical school, he enjoys road biking, hiking and exploring Cleveland's art scene. He would like to thank Drs. Martin Kohn and Jan Bautista for their mentorship and editorial assistance with this story.
Story editor:
Diane Guernsey


text:
Monday, April 7, 2014
Passions of a Wicked Earl by Lorraine Heath
Anyway. Claire has decided to take her place as a wife. However, Westfield doesn't want her anymore. To give a little background on their estrangement: Stephen, Westfield's brother, was trying to help his friend out, Claire. Now his plan probably wasn't the most thought out plan. Anyway, he pissed off his brother and Claire got sent to exile. Claire decides to grow a backbone to help her sister with her season, now she needs to convince Westfield to help her out. Westfield tells her he wants out of the marriage and wants to be with his mistress. His mistress is PSYCHO, like Fatal Attraction psycho. Yet, you don't get the full extent till the end.
Why I love this story: I love Claire's strength to stand up to her husband when her sister needs help avoiding a match her father has set. Westfield is a jerk and he carries around his mommy issue. Westfield feels that he's unloveable, so he's afraid to let any woman in his heart. However, Claire works her way. Of course the psycho mistress wants Westfield and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Claire is main reason I love this story. Some may view her weak and insecure, but she's competing against a mistress. I personally think that this is a great read. So, if you are looking for read has husband and wife reconcile and learn to trust one another, you might give Passions of a Wicked Earl.
Posted by Melody May at 7:13 PM
Labels: Avon, Historical, Owned, Romance, Victorian
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Bulls blitz hapless KingsJan 31, 2009 - 6:47 AM By Tom Galland PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
SACRAMENTO, California (Ticker) -- One losing streak came to an end Friday at Arco Arena. Another continues to roll along.
Luol Deng and Ben Gordon led a balanced attack with 20 points apiece as the Chicago Bulls won here for the first time since November 1997, romping over the Sacramento Kings, 109-88.
The loss dropped the Kings to 0-21 this season against the Eastern Conference, and it was their 22nd straight setback dating to last season against Eastern foes.
"Basically we did exactly what we wanted to do, come out here and get wins against two teams we think we can beat," Gordon said. "We didn't play down to the level of our competition. We stuck to our gameplan and that's not something that we've been doing consistently."
The Bulls had rolled past the Clippers in Los Angeles on Wednesday and stand 2-1 on their seven-game road trip heading into Phoenix on Saturday.
"I don't care who we are playing," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "Wins are wins. We have a tough back-to-back against the Suns. We need to build some confidence, especially in our younger guys. I'll take it."
Another sluggish start on their homecourt put the Kings in an all-too-familiar position - a double-digit, first-half deficit.
The game was tied at 12-12 before the Bulls went on a blitz, outscoring Sacramento by 21 over the next 10 minutes to grab a 45-24 advantage with seven minutes left in the second quarter.
The Kings rallied, as per the usual script, reeling off 11 unanswered points and closed the margin to 54-43 at the break. However, no stirring late-game comeback would surface as it had in recent losses to Washington and Milwaukee.
Chicago would not let the Kings back completely. The Bulls took advantage of a rash of turnovers from Sacramento early in the third to re-establish control.
Joakim Noah led a Bulls' dunkfest with three slams in a four-minute span to make it 75-57 with 3:30 remaining.
The second-year center was unaware that the Bulls had lost nine straight at Sacramento, dating to the Michael Jordan-era.
"I don't know what to say," Noah said. "It just feels good to win and it was a win that we desperately needed. We're not that far behind in the playoff run, and that's still something that is possible for us."
Chicago took a 20-point lead into the fourth, then put the game away with a 7-0 start that made it 90-63 and sent the fans scurrying toward the exits.
"Needless to say we came back home after this road trip and I thought we'd have a lot more energy, effort and determination to win the game tonight," Kings interim coach Kenny Natt said after the Kings' eighth straight loss.
Instead, he witnessed a lethargic and uninspired effort featuring 22 turnovers and just 10 assists from the beleaguered Kings. The Bulls took full advantage of the Kings' generosity, rattling the rims throughout the contest with an assortment of dunks.
"We tried to do a good job of capitalizing on their mistakes," Gordon said. "I think tonight we pretty much hurt them every time they made a mistake."
Chicago held the Kings to 37 percent shooting (28-of-76) while converting 56 percent of their own, tying a season high with 45 field goals made in their 81 attempts.
Kevin Martin led Sacramento with 27 points.
- 15
roots#1 Cards Fan Added 10 roots
Bulls 109, Kings 88 FinalJan 31 9:57 AM
- 5
rootsMattDOOM777 Added 5 roots
Bulls 109, Kings 88 FinalJan 31 8:28 AM
Jan 31 12:30 AM
Jan 31 12:00 AM
Jan 30 11:13 PM
Jan 30 10:38 PM
Related News
- DeRozan scores 35 points, Raptors beat Bulls 124-115 Jan 4
- Bulls hope to set return date for LaVine early next week Jan 3
- Howard, Walker help Hornets pull away and beat Kings 131-111 Jan 3
- Kings' Fox to return against Hornets Jan 2
- McCollum scores 32, leads Blazers over Bulls 124-120 in OT Jan 2
- DeRozan scores franchise-high 52, Raptors beat Bucks 131-127 Jan 1
- NBA Note - Sacramento Kings Mason III, Frank Jan 1
- NBA Note - Sacramento Kings Fox, De'Aaron Jan 1
- NBA Note - Sacramento Kings Cauley-Stein, Willie Jan 1
- NBA Note - Chicago Bulls Dunn, Kris Jan 1
- Tyreke Evans scores 26 points, Grizzlies beat Kings 114-96 Dec 31
- Beal's 39 points lead Wizards to 114-110 win over Bulls Dec 31


text: I approached Slow Food's Terra Madre with ambivalence. My fellow young farmers in New York called the organization an "eating club." I was frustrated because my Thai friends from the Alternative Agriculture Network were not attending the event due to problems with paperwork. I didn't know what to expect from the event – would the people I meet really care about food being "good, clean and fair"? Or, would the "good" take up most of their effort? Yet I also admired Slow Food for it's explicit belief that "good food" (or "sustainable" or "fair") should actually taste good. This same value is one that I see within the AAN and other farmer-based organizations working for a better food system.


text:
Prof. Avan Aihie Sayer
HealthAcademic Medicine
Health, Social and behavioural sciences
Social aspects of health, particularly HIV and AIDS, Chronic poverty and social protection, internal migration, livelihoods and gender.
Seeley, Janet, HIV and East Africa: thirty years in the shadow of an epidemic. Routledge, Abingdon, UK (2014) (pbk 2015)
Watts, C. and J. Seeley (2014). "Addressing gender inequality and intimate partner violence as critical barriers to an effective HIV response in sub-Saharan Africa" Journal of the International AIDS Society 17(1).
Bernays, S., J. Seeley, T. Rhodes and Z. Mupambireyi (2015). "What am I 'living' with? Growing up with HIV in Uganda and Zimbabwe." Sociology of Health and Illness 37(2): 270-283.
Barnett, T., G. Fournie, S. Gupta and J. Seeley (2015). "Some considerations concerning the challenge of incorporating social variables into epidemiological models of infectious disease transmission." Global Public Health 10(4): 438-448.
Schatz E. and J. Seeley (2015) Gender, aging and carework in East and Southern Africa: A review. Global Public Health; (ahead-of-print).
Rutakumwa, R., M. Mbonye, T. Kiwanuka, D. Bagiire and J. Seeley (2015). "Why do men often not use condoms in their relationships with casual sexual partners in Uganda?" Culture, Health and Sexuality. 17(10): 1237-1250.
Russell, S., F. Zalwango, S. Namukwaya, J. Katongole, R. Muhumuza and J. Seeley (2015). Antiretroviral therapy and changing patterns of stigmatisation in Entebbe, Uganda. Sociology of Health and Illness. (ahead of print)
Seeley, J. (2015). "Microfinance and HIV prevention." Review of African Political Economy 42(145): 488-496.
Negin, J., L. Geddes, M. Brennan-Ing, M. Kuteesa, S. Karpiak and J. Seeley (2015). "Sexual Behavior of Older Adults Living with HIV in Uganda." Archives of Sexual Behavior (ahead-of-print)
Nnko, S., D. Bukenya, B. B. Kavishe, S. Biraro, R. Peck, S. Kipiga, H. Grosskurth and J. Seeley (2015). "Chronic Diseases in North-West Tanzania and Southern Uganda. Public Perceptions of Terminologies, Aetiologies, Symptoms and Preferred Management." PLOS One. e0142194.
Fellow of the Economic and Social Research Council Peer Review College
You can only see the contact information of the academics in the database if you are a registered user of AcademiaNet.
Please register here
Please download the brochure "No more excuses" and read more about female experts in Europe, and about AcademiaNet.
HealthAcademic Medicine
Social and behavioural sciencesSimulation of innovation processes in complex social systems
Humanities, Social and behavioural sciences
Biological and related sciences , HealthCell Biology, Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Vascular Biology, Tumour Biology


text:
Reading Passport 2016 has come to an end and we wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate the reason why we run the project – the wonderful libraries of the South West. Over the past five months your lovely libraries have been promoting the reading passport in an array of displays and have been on hand with recommendations for the ten decades featured in the passport to keep you reading on through a long winter.
We hope you'll agree that reading the decades as so many of you have been with Book to the Future this year really has provided you with a passport to new worlds. Whether you've rediscovered an old favourite, discovered a classic writer for the first time or found some entirely new literature to engage with, we hope you've had as much fun reading the decades as we have had creating the content for the online passport to accompany it.
There have been lots of wonderful events to accompany the Passport this year: from Petroc and Barnstaple Libraries' first ever author event (Jem Lester), to an innovative theatrical exploration of the decades thanks to Scary Little Girls in Cornish libraries. There are still events forthcoming including a Reading Passport inspired Poetry Slam and a Reading Matters event, meaning there's still plenty for you to get involved with.
Also in response to her popularity in the Passport, Literature Works have booked Future Voices writer Irenosen Okojie for the inaugural Plymouth Festival of Words so the Passport's legacy lives on. Find out how to book tickets here. We hope to see you there.
We'd also like to take the opportunity to say thank you to everyone who has been involved in the project. With particular thanks to
- The South Western Regional Library Service (SWRLS)
- All the libraries who've taken part in the project – thanks for your hard work promoting and celebrating the Reading Passport
- All the writers and publishers who are featured in the passport
- All the wonderful library-goers who've participated by reading the decades
Literature Works #loveslibraries
Now that the project has come to a close, you have until your library closes today 31st March 2017 to get your completed Reading Passports with ten stamps, one for every decade to your local South West library to be entered in to our prize draw for the chance to win a suitcase full of books. This suitcase will feature books from the publishers featured in the passport and it will be presented to the winner, who will be announced on Friday 28th April 2017.
We hope you've enjoyed going Book to the Future with us! A huge thank you to everyone involved.
Look out for the latest on what's next for the project on the website.
~ The team at Reading Passport HQ


text:
Whether you've played the game before or you're searching for something to do in the next picnic, horseshoes can provide hours of entertainment for everybody. Among the really appealing elements of horseshoes is that anybody can play.
The first thing should be discussed are the fundamentals of horseshoes. You can play a match with both players competing against eachother, or 2 teams of 2 players each. I will assume that you have two teams of 2 players each for this report. If you play with two players competing against eachother then you simply have to modify the way the turn functions to accommodate 1 person rather than two.
Horseshoe Equipment
The equipment required for horseshoes is minimal. You need two sets of horseshoes (four complete horseshoes since they're paired), two metal stakes, and a scoreboard is discretionary. If you're searching for a professional set, you can see them by typing"horseshoes set" into your favourite search engine online.
Standard Game Play
Take the horseshoe bets and set them in the ground 40 feet apart from eachother. Now that the installation is finished, let's get in the action!
When throwing the horseshoe, the pitcher (the individual throwing the horseshoe) should stand 37 feet in the opposite bet. A simple way to do it is to place a mark 3 feet in front of each stake, which will be regarded as the foul line. The pitcher throws both horseshoes in the opposite stake. The thing is to get your horseshoes to land as near to the stake as you can. When the first pitcher is completed, another pitcher then throws the horseshoes from his group. So both teams on one side throw their horseshoes in precisely the exact same stake.
Just 1 team may score per inning. Whichever team gets the closest horseshoe into the bet, scores. If both horseshoes from 1 team are nearer than any other horseshoe in another group, then both horseshoes are scored. That's what a ringer is in horseshoes, 1 horseshoe wraps round the stake. The"hooks" of the horseshoe (the points which point inwards on the base of the horseshoe) is the border line when deciding a ringer. The stake has to be within those hooks.
Some amateur games play "leaners". This implies that if a horseshoe is leaning on the bet, or touching the stake (although not a ringer) then it's worth two points. There are a couple variations of what counts as a thinner that differs from game to game depending on where you play and that you play with.
A team wins when they are the only group to strike 21 or above in the end of the inning.


text:
Good Blues morning. The sky is still blue. That's a good sign. It's been a good day so far although I did run out of coffee. I usually have 2 cups but today I had three. I can tell it's going to be an interesting day. I got a call from the preacher man today. Preacher wanted to say hello to me, he's missed me, hadn't seen me in a while and had thought about visiting me. Notice the word, Though. He and his friend my old bass player said they were in the neighborhood and they thought about me. It sure is nice to be thought of, but I guess it wasn't enough thought to drop by to say hello to me.
That really don't matter so I continue with the conversation LOL just enough to let him throw some slight at me in some way. Make me feel as if I am not fit or not cleaning someway. Didn't take long for that to happen. Then I'm waiting for the conversation to turn away. So he can get back to his dream world.
I have nothing against preachers or religion but some of the pastors that I know I've got a sad way of positioning themselves, making themselves seem as if they are something that they're not. They have never been able to hide the truth from me. I know who they are, I know who I am. I know we all are men,same as me. I appreciate what preachers do and I think church and religion has a great place in our society. Especially in the black communities. Being born and raised in the south religion plays a big part. But it time to stop hiding behind the church and love men and do kind things , Talking just ain't gonna get it .


text:
Marti Mortensen Ahern
email@example.com 512-219-7457
Stephen Boyles, SPC
email@example.com 512-471-3548
Sara Burden-McClure
firstname.lastname@example.com 512-834-1553
Weekday services, weddings, funerals
David Cappolino
email@example.com 512-653-6540 www.cappolinomusic.com
Michael De La Garza
firstname.lastname@example.com 832-527-3747
Justin DuRant, BMus (Organ)
firstname.lastname@example.com 803-357-3546
Sunday services
Gregory Eaton
email@example.com 917 916-4686
Weekday services, weddings, funerals, lessons
Carol Giorda, BME
firstname.lastname@example.com 512-423-2030
Austin Haller
Mark Henry
email@example.com 337-244-9283
Carol Holck
email@example.com 512-567-7485
Luciano Laurentiu
firstname.lastname@example.com 312-550-1677
Stephen McElroy
firstname.lastname@example.com (512) 627-5158
Jill Nennmann
email@example.com 817-688-2749
Chris Oelkers
firstname.lastname@example.com 512-589-1966
Dr. David J. Polley, DMA
email@example.com 512-784-8810
David S. Thoresen
email@example.com 512-913-3759
John Wassmuth, BMus
email@example.com 856-649-2837
Helen Wiley, MM
firstname.lastname@example.com 706-615-1283
Houfei Yang
firstname.lastname@example.com 443-414-8074
St. Helena's Episcopal Boerne
Seeking gifted part-time organist to help create excellent music program for growing congregation. Choir rhsl Wednesdays and 1 traditional Sunday service. 3-manual pipe organ and piano. Compensation commensurate with experience. Paid vacation, equal opportunity employer. Send resume to the Rev. David Read at firstname.lastname@example.com or PO Box 1765, Boerne, TX 78006.
New Braunfels Presbyterian Church
Part-time organist for all worship services. Undergrad or Grad degree in music preferred with minimum of 3 years' experience. Public relations and interpersonal skills a must, along with communication skills and being a team player. Compensation commensurate with education and experience. Please supply salary requirements when applying. Job description available upon request. Mail resume to The Rev. Scott D. Nowack at 373 Howard St., New Braunfels, TX, 78130 or email to firstname.lastname@example.com.
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Beaumont TX
Director of Music Ministry, salary $35k to $40k.
Plan, develop and implement wide range of musical expiences for welcoming and missional community. Proficiency in piano & keyboard and Bachelor's degree in music or demonstrated experience. Schantz pipe organ, Steinway grand, harpsichord, timpani, handbells. Opportunity to establish a music academy. Send cover letter, resume and references to Bart Gaskin at firstname.lastname@example.com.
(409) 504-8577
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Austin
Organist for 2 masses/1 rehearsal weekly with one additional mass and rehearsal monthly, plus Holy Days and seasonal serices. 3-manual walker digital organ (2012). Contract-based compensation. Contact Director of Music Benjamin Balleza at email@example.com
St. George's Episcopal Austin
Part time Music Minister/Organist/Pianist responsible for 10:30am Sunday service and weekly adult choir evening rehearsal. Please complete application to be found at www.sgchurch.org/employment and email resume to the Rev. Kevin LJ Schubert at email@example.com.
St. John's United Methodist Georgetown
Part time (25 hrs/wk) Director of Music Ministries to oversee a comprehensive music/worship arts program. Skills in choral/instrumental conducting. Supervision of subordinate staff in growing ministry team.
Please submit a letter of application, resume'
and references to the attention of Darren Walker, Senior Pastor. email@example.com
Visit agohq-jobs.careerwebsite.com for further information about:
Church at Horseshoe Bay TX
Dr. Melanie Randall, AAGO, Dean
Scott Davis, Sub-Dean
Don Livingston, Secretary
Michael de la Garza, Treasurer
Dr. John Schmidt, FAGO, Education and
Paul Keith, Website
Other Board Members:
Steve Boyles,
Charles Mallory, Dr. David Polley
Past Deans
2016-2019 Gregory Eaton
2012-2016 Aaron Garcia
2007-2012 Paul Keith
2004-2007 Scott Davis
2000-2004 Scott McNulty
1998-2000 Jo Johnson
1996-1998 Jeff Hubbard
1992-1996 Kevin McClure
1988-1992 Jack P. Martin, SPC
1984-1988 Paula J. White
1982-1984 John Hooks
1981-1982 Jean Fuller
1979-1981 Robert P. Rapp
1976-1979 Charles L. Smith, Jr.
1973-1976 James H. Johnston, Jr.
1972-1973 Karen McFarlane
1971-1972 Frank Speller
1968-1971 Otto Hofmann
1962-1967 Myron Braun, AAGO
Atlanta, Georgia
July 6-10, 2020


text:
Trenchers Market Business Overview, Industry Size, Share and Segmentation, Top K
Posted by amanfactmr on December 2nd, 2019
Global Trenchers market - A report by Fact.MR
Fact.MR, in its latest business intelligence study, depicts the nuts and bolts of the global Trenchers market. The Trenchers report presents detailed information regarding the drivers, restraints, opportunities and trends affecting market growth. Each segment alongwith its sub-segment is analyzed in terms of value and volume. Further, the Trenchers report elaborates the market behavior of each vendor operating in the Trenchers market.
The Trenchers report considers the following years to present the overall market growth:
Get the Sample of the Research Report here @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=535
Key findings of the Trenchers market study:
On the basis of size, the Trenchers market study consists of:
On the basis of end use, the Trenchers market study incorporates:
On the basis of region, the Trenchers market study contains:
Key players analyzed in the Trenchers market study:
Queries addressed in the Trenchers market report:
Why choose Fact.MR?
Reports published by Fact.MR are a result of the combination of our experts and digital technologies. We thrive to provide innovative business solutions to the clients as well as tailor the reports aligning with the clients' requisites. Our analysts perform comprehensive research to offer ins and outs of the current market situation. Clients across various time zones tend to utilize our 24/7 service availability.Top Searches - Trending Searches - New Articles - Top Articles - Trending Articles - Featured Articles - Top Members
Copyright © 2020 Uberant.com796,789 total articles and counting.


text:
Video emerges show's marine Scott Pemberton suspected of murdering Filipino Trans woman Jennifer Laude leaving bar together
Trigger warning explicit video.
US Marine, Private First Class Scott Pemberton is detained in warship after a transgender woman is murdered.
The US fleet had just concluded a joint excercise but is being kept at Subic bay by request of the Philippines Government.
Breaking: Source CNN and abs-cbnnews.com Private First Class Scott Pemberton will soon be formally charged with murder, Philippine National Police Senior Superintendent Wilben Mayor said Tuesday.
MANILA – A US Marine is suspected of killing a Filipino transgender woman in Olongapo City.
The body of the victim, Jennifer Laude, was found naked and lifeless inside a motel bathroom, with only a blanket covering her.
Based on the initial investigation of the Olongapo police, Laude's neck was pressed down on the toilet seat, while her head was being shoved into the toilet bowl.
Two used condoms were also found in the garbage can inside the hotel room.
CCTV footage taken at a bar in Olongapo City shows four male foreigners with Laude.
Laude's friend said the foreigners approached them inside the bar on the evening of October 11.
A few minutes later, Laude and one of the foreigners checked in at Celzone Lodge.
The facebook profile picture of Joseph Scott Pemberton below is being circulated via social media has yet to be seen on mainstream media.
Joseph Scott Pemberton Facebook Rape Case of Jeffrey Laude alias Jennifer Olongapo City #JusticeForJennifer pic.twitter.com/1d4813zaxN
— MarioPH♻ (@PlastikProblems) October 14, 2014
The foreigner was spotted leaving the room at 11:45 p.m.
Motel staff who entered the room to clean it found the victim's body.
There were no signs of a struggle in the bedroom and Laude's belongings were complete.
The US embassy in Manila has said that a US Marine is the possible suspect.
For Laude's family, the brutal killing of their breadwinner is unbearable.
Laude was paying for the education of youngest sibling Rex, and also provided for their family's other needs.
Laude's sister Michelle last saw her alive at the bar that fateful Saturday night.
Michelle said Laude had a German fiance and she only dreamed of giving her family a better life.
The Laude family hopes they will not have to wait long for justice to be served.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario vows justice for Laude.
Del Rosario said he has met with US embassy officials and they will coordinate closely regarding the case.
In a statement, the US embassy expressed its deepest condolences to Laude's family and vowed to cooperate in the investigation.
American troops are currently in the country as part of a joint training exercise.
The drills are over, but no American ship will leave the Philippines, just yet.
Admiral Samuel Locklear ordered the USS Peleliu and another warship to stay in the former U.S. base of Subic Bay until after the murder investigation is over, executive director of the Visiting Forces Agreement Commission, Eduardo Oban, said.
So far, there are few details about the case. But according to the Marine Corps Times and Navy Times, a US Marine and three others are already detained at the USS Peleliu.
Some Filipino lawmakers said the US Marine should be immediately placed under Philippine custody.
Under the Visiting Forces Agreement, the Philippines will have jurisdiction on criminal cases involving American servicemen, but the suspects will remain under US custody.
Women's group Gabriela now fears a repeat of the Subic rape case involving Lance Corporal Daniel Smith.
Smith was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2006. But three years later, the alleged victim Suzette Nicolas recanted and Smith was released
Source abs-cbnnews.com – with reports from Zen Hernandez, Maan Macapagal, Chiara Zambrano, and Jenny Reyes; ABS-CBN News; ANC; Reuters
Facebook Comments
3 Responses to Video emerges show's marine Scott Pemberton suspected of murdering Filipino Trans woman Jennifer Laude leaving bar together
Pingback: Demanding Justice for Jennifer Laude, murdered Filipino transgender woman | Planet Transgender
Fucking basterd!Crush his nuts and watch him die!
My developer is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP.
I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses. But he's tryiong none the
less. I've been using WordPress on several websites for about a year
and am nervous about switching to another platform.
I have heard very good things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I
can transfer all my wordpress content into it?
Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated!


text: This committee of the ODA examined access to dental care for the homebound, disadvantaged and the institutionalized and proposed suggestions to enhance access for these populations. Study methods included a review of literature and consultation with dentists. The report cites the trend towards de-institutionalization and community-based health care. Patients for whom access to dental care is most problematic include those who are physically, mentally or medically compromised. These groups are at higher risk for the development of oral disease.


text:
Continued signs of growth signal Flint's resilience and are laying the groundwork for Michigan's next comeback city story.
That was the buzz of side conversations occurring at the recent 2017 Art of Achievement Awards event.
The question in the room wasn't whether Flint and Genesee County investments were going to continue, but rather how stakeholders can take hold of new opportunities created by the steady stream of new investments, like Diplomat's purchase of National Pharmaceutical Services, expected to close later this month. That deal will provide the high-growth company with opportunities to broaden its position as a health care provider from its Flint headquarters.
Then there's the multi-million investment in the former Buick City site by Lear Corporation, Huntington Bank's $5.4 million call center, C3 Ventures $9.7 million Riverview Industrial Park and General Motors investments in its Flint-based operations, all of which are pouring hundreds of millions into Flint's economy.
Combined with the growth of small- and mid-size businesses like W.T. Stevens Construction, Inc., which played a key role of helping replace water lines throughout Flint, there's promising evidence of sustainable job growth and investments occurring throughout the city.
Adding to those are spin-off and new investments in Flint's cultural assets, like the $32-million renovation of the historic Capital Theatre and the newly-opened Ferris Wheel, dubbed an "innovation hub" for entrepreneurs, as well as the city's growing food and fashion industries.
These and other advancements signal Flint is open to new business growth and ready to propel itself forward.
Innovators and investors are behind these and many more projects and are driving growth in the Flint and the Genesee County region. They took center stage at the Flint Institute of Arts, an annual ceremony hosted by the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce and the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The 2017 Art of Achievement Awards recognized businesses, hospitality providers, and individuals for their contributions to the well-being and success of the Genesee region before an audience of about 350.
Tim Herman, CEO of the Flint & Genesee Chamber, described the 19 awardees as standard-bearers.
"A successful region is comprised of a community that goes above and beyond to have a positive impact on the community," says Herman. "Through Art of Achievement we wanted to shine a light on those who have made great strides and set a standard of excellence. This is our way of letting the community know who is making a difference in Flint and Genesee."
Master of Ceremonies Steve Landaal, president of Landaal Packaging Systems and chairman of the Chamber's Operating Board, presented the honors to representatives of non-profits and businesses.
"The award recipients are companies and individuals who are business savvy, customer-focused and civic-minded," says Landaal. "There's one thing they all have in common, and that's their commitment to doing business right here in Genesee County. And for that we are very thankful."
Growth is good and it's happening right here in our own neighborhood.
Congratulations to all of the winners. They are ardent standard bearers of Flint's resilience.
Editor's Note: Eddie Allen, TheHUB's senior editor and Stacy Swimp, TheHUB's Special Projects Coordinator and columnist contributed to this feature.
See more: Isaiah Oliver's rebuilding trust, confidence and momentum in Flint
Honorees included:
CEO Business Award – Huntington Bank
Economic Development Project of the Year Award – CNXMotion
Small Business Award – Hoffman's Deco Deli & Café
Small Business Contractor of the Year – W. T. Stevens Construction Inc.
Minority Owned Business Award – Honey Bee Palace Child Care
Nonprofit Impact Award – Crim Fitness Foundation
Young Professional Award – Isaiah Oliver, Community Foundation of Greater Flint
Community Champion Award – Bernie and Venus Langlois, American Legion
Claire M. White Award – Julie Lopez, Crime Stoppers of Flint and Genesee County
Art Hurand Award – Mark Braun, Mr. B's Joybox Express
Robert P. Gerholz Award – Tom Gores, Platinum Equity/FlintNOW
C.S. Mott Award – Gary Hurand, Management Diversified Inc.
Gloria J. DeHart Award – Mary Kramer, Holiday Inn Flint-Grand Blanc Area
Hospitality Ambassador Award – Michael Lynn, Cork on Saginaw
Frontline Ambassador Award – Megan Mannor, Hampton Inn & Suites Flint/Grand Blanc
Restaurant of the Year – Blondie's Food & Spirits
Hotel of the Year – Best Western Flint Airport Inn & Suites
Entertainment Venue of the Year Award – The Machine Shop Concert Lounge
Certified Tourism Ambassador of the Year Award – Amber Taylor, Taylor Health & Wellness
Blue Cross Blue Shield and Blue Care Network of Michigan was presenting sponsor of the ceremony. Al Serra Auto Plaza served as Red Carpet Sponsor and Ferris State University was the Dessert Sponsor.
Individual awards sponsors included: Chase; Communities First, Inc.; Community Foundation of Greater Flint; Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center; ELGA Credit Union; Food Bank of Eastern Michigan; Glen & Essence Wilson; Huntington Bank; Mass Transportation Authority; United Way of Genesee County; and University of Michigan-Flint.
Strolling Sponsors included: Bishop International Airport; Epoch Catering; Flint Cultural Center; Genesee County Parks; Genesee Intermediate School District; Holiday Inn Flint-Grand Blanc Area; Mott Community College; Tritec Seal and Yeo & Yeo CPAs & Business Consultants


text:
Pak may impose emergency
Apparently perturbed by growing public support to suspended Chief Justice Chaudhry, Pakistan government may impose emergency.world Updated: May 07, 2007 11:35 IST
Apparently perturbed by growing public support to suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry, Pakistan government may impose emergency in the country.
Not ruling out the possibility of imposing emergency, Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told the media in Islamabad on Sunday night that the Constitution provides provisions for imposition of emergency and has laid down certain conditions for it but this decision depends on the situation in the country.
His remarks follow massive public receptions accorded to Chaudhry while he was on his way to Lahore to attend a lawyers' convention.
The suspended Supreme Court chief justice set off on May five by road to the capital of Punjab province and it took him over 24 hours to travel a distance of about 300 kms as thousands of lawyers and opposition activists greeted him all the way to Lahore, where he addressed the convention on Sunday morning, instead of the night before when it was scheduled.
Aziz, whose reference of allegations of misconduct and misuse of authority against Chaudhry to President Pervez Musharraf has caused the biggest ever political crisis for the military ruler, did not explain provisions of the Constitution under which the government may clamp the emergency.
There is a provision in the Constitution to impose emergency and there are certain circumstances explained in the Constitution, which are required to impose emergency, state-run media quoted Aziz as saying while replying to a question.


text:
Webster's on-line dictionary defines a standard as "a level of quality, achievement, etc. that is considered acceptable or desirable". Each of us, as individuals, has a certain level of standard to which we strive to hold ourselves in many areas of our lives. Hopefully, these standards are high level, important priorities that cause us to get up each day and compete, knowing if we achieve our standards, we will be more effective, productive, and on the road to excellence in the respective areas.
Jack Stack, author of The Great Game of Business, says companies need standards. Stack says, "A standard is the number to shoot for in any particular category you are measuring. It may be a ratio. It may be a percentage. It may be an absolute number over a period of time. Whatever the category, you need a number against which you can compare your results and thereby determine how you're doing (Stack, Kindle e-book, locations 1470-1474)."
If you have not already done so, implement a standard setting system in your company as follows:
- Determine the key numbers and areas of your business that drive profits, cash flow, and value.
- Put a system in place that measures accurately the reality of these key numbers as they now stand.
- Determine the standard numbers in each of these categories that if attained will put your company at or near the top in your industry and help separate you from the competition.
- Communicate to all employees in each area what the standard measurement of excellence is and how it can be measured weekly, monthly, and yearly.
- Put an incentive system in place that rewards your people when these standards are met.
Make sure your company has a measurable standard. Companies that are effective, excellent, and stand out from their competitors have certain key standards in various areas of their business that are known by their employees. Actual results are compared to those standards on a regular basis, and actions are quickly taken to get back to standard if off track.
*Stack, Jack, (1992, 2013), The Great Game of Business


text:
Hi Rani, what a beatiful trip! I imagine that Hong Kong is a great city full of ligth and colour. I love your photos, are fantastics. Delicious chocolates and tasy chinese meals.ReplyDelete
Hugs and kisses.
fabulous clicks..ReplyDelete
I have a special bonding wid dis place as I stayed der earlier...nice 2 refresh my memories wid dose clicks..ReplyDelete
Lovely clicks!!!!ReplyDelete
Prathima Rao
Prats Corner
Nice to see all the beautiful pictures.ReplyDelete
Herbs & Flowers: Spring Onions
Wow u r so lucky, beautiful clicks,thanks for this visual treat..ReplyDelete
Lovely pictures.ReplyDelete
Hello, Rani! Thank you for your words and comment! The pottery is from Belgium. It´s very pretty, right? Kisses.ReplyDelete
wow..wat a fantastic post..love d excellent cliks Rani..:)ReplyDelete
Tasty Appetite
wiw, nice clicks.ReplyDelete
First time here and following.
DO participate in my first event i.e Desserts with Coconuts :)
Beautiful place, I only passed through the air port one time, not seen any sight seeing. Look like you had a wonderful trip.ReplyDelete
Very beautiful pictures of Hong Kong. I am sure you have enjoyed a lot. Excellent post.ReplyDelete
Beautiful pictures.Seems you had a great time.ReplyDelete
With my best wishes for next year, Merry Christmas.ReplyDelete
Gorgeous! Hong Kong looks lovely, judging from your pics. And the hot and spicy pure veg dish...yum!ReplyDelete


text:
|Paradox needs you!
This article (Kingdom of Heaven), is unfinished in many areas so that anyone can come in and fill the missing information!
Due to the nature of this page, it requires many smaller sections done separately, instead of one arcing vision. Themes, writing styles, and different viewpoints can all be had here. Let your imagination run wild!
What is the Order of the Talon? Edit
"Victorus aut mortis."
- - Inscription on the Talon coat of arms
It's a good question, and a difficult one to answer. According to publicly available records, the Order of the Talon was one of the earliest knightly orders sponsored by the Catholic Church, a forerunner of the Teutonics, Templars, Hospitallers, and others, and was dissolved after the First Crusade. Of course, highly classified files held by the Allied Nations, Soviet Union, Empire of the Rising Sun, and Mediterranean Syndicate say differently, as do, of course, the personnel of the Order themselves.
According to the Allies' files, the Talon are a covert paramilitary force operating mainly out of the Middle East, with suspected presence in Europe, North America, and South America, and intent mainly on fighting the influence of the Mediterranean Syndicate. All of this is true, but it is far from the real story.
The Soviet Union believes the Talon to be a cult, a militant offshoot of the Catholic Church that has survived underground and still clings to ideas and principles obsolete centuries ago. This is true, too, but again fails to acknowledge how pervasive and dangerous the Order is.
Imperial psychics have come to the unsettling conclusion that the Talon may have had a hand in the Third World War. There are too many troublesome questions about the late Emperor Yoshiro's childhood tutor, a man in a position no one would think to look at. Yet now, looking back, the Empire should have been more vigilant of even the most innocuous of people. These psychics are right to wonder - and perhaps fear - how far the Talon's influence reaches.
The Syndicate's Board of Classics have a better idea than most of what the Talon's aims are. They know about the Cult, and suspect that the Talon's objectives reach further than that. But even for them, identifying the Order's motives is little more than educated guessing.
Ask a common Footman of the Order what he's fighting for, and he'll give any number of reasons - striking back at enemies the Allies won't acknowledge, waging holy war against God's enemies, and fighting the rising tide of atheistic science are only a few of the most common. All of these reasons for the Talon's combat operations are true, but omit many other factors.
Ask a Crusader, and their answer will be more informed. They are aware they are warriors in a struggle centuries old, and a war in which mere guns and fire are but the most primitive weapons available. They know that the real war takes place in the heart and soul. Killing bodies, for the Order, has never been anything but a messy last resort... although that may be changing.
Ask one of the Triumvirate, the enigmatic leaders of the Talon, men with no faces or names, and only then will you receive the true answer to what the Talon is, and in so doing learn that some things are best left unknown.
The Order of the Talon is a conspiracy in every sense of the word. It is hidden from the world at large, carrying out machinations right under the noses of the supposed superpowers of the world. Its actions often seem to have no rhyme or reason to them, and make sense to none but its very highest levels of leadership. Talon personnel universally prefer to martyr themselves rather than be captured, but even for those skilled and fortunate enough to capture a Talon operative, little of use can be gleaned: the Talon takes excellent care of its own, but guards its mysteries, of which there are a great many indeed, very carefully. Many serve in the Order for their entire lives but never come close to learning what the real agenda of the Order is. Even the Crusaders, the battlefield commanders of the Order, seldom learn what the true strategic goals of a given Crusade are. Taking a city may only be of secondary importance to ensuring that the right person sees the Order in action. That the Talon is guided to some extent by prophecy is well known in some levels of the Order, as so aptly proved by Lady Maria, but one might wonder how that's possible, if the Talon have failed for so long as they apparently have.
The truth, if one could call it that, is that the Order of the Talon plays a very long game indeed. They know that making the right man see the right thing can have dramatic repercussions decades later, and many a conspiracy theorist has wondered just how much of the world's history was orchestrated by these enigmatic figures. The answer, inevitably, is less than the most wild of theories, but their hand has indeed shaped the world, and will continue to do so. But beyond that, the Talon are the only ones who could truly answer the question of how much they have influenced, and they certainly won't tell. In fact, only three of them could tell, and the Triumvirate are not the most forthcoming of men.
Cloak and Dagger Edit
"I walk down the street and I see them all around me. That vendor selling flowers, is she a friend or a foe? That policeman at the corner, is he on our side or theirs? That waitress winking at me, is she trying to be friendly or trying to give me a sign? Why are they all staring at me? Why are they ALL staring at me?!"
- - Tape recording found on body of a male corpse found in Thames, identity unknown.
When those conspiracy theorists who believe in the Order of the Talon can be persuaded to share their knowledge, through payment or ideals, the picture they paint of said Order is often an evocative one: According to many supposedly 'in the know', the Order is a world-spanning conspiracy with members in every government, every board of directors, and every gas station. Almost every major figure is either willingly or unknowingly doing the will of the mysterious group, and often anyone the theorist personally doesn't like will also be painted as an unwitting pawn of the secret world superpower. If these conspiracy theorists are to be taken at face value, the Order of the Talon is able to act through anyone, anywhere, at any time they like. There is nowhere they cannot see, and no honey pot they do not have their fingers in.
There is a certain truth to these rantings. Certainly the real Order makes use of foreign soldiers and labor who are unaware of the nature of their employers, and it is estimated by archivists within the Order that as much as 16% of it's total manpower may come from people who are unaware of their affiliations or ties to the Talon. Factory workers and common ground-pounders are after all in plentiful supply, don't tend to ask too many questions, and are deemed just dull and simple-minded enough by the chain of command to be beneath worth corrupting by the Black Hand. But for the most part, the Order prefers not to manipulate directly from the shadows. There are two major reasons for such a decision: on an ideological level, directly manipulating major world leaders and other such individuals is considered distasteful by members of the old guard within the order, who reason that such crude tactics are more evocative of the Black Hand and prefer to take a more subtle, guiding approach when working with such figures. On a more practical level, those figures who are directly manipulated have a tendency to, for better or worse, screw carefully made plans set up years ago by not talking to the person they should have or getting inconveniently killed before they were supposed to. As such, the vast majority of people aligned with the Talon are split up into two categories: Full members, and Cells.
Up to 23% of the Order of the Talon is composed of full members, made up of those who are directly aware of the Order of the Talon and what it's goals and overall orders are. They are the ones responsible for maintaining and piloting the immense Crawlers and vehicles of war to battle, the ones responsible for providing cover stories and implanting false data and muddying the truth to the point where it is no longer recognizable, and the ones responsible for overseeing the various bases of operations used by the Order. Full members are also the ones who are directly considered to be Talon 'personnel', and are often portrayed as the face of the Order (at least insomuch as a face exists) by the propaganda and inspirational departments in Palestine. It is a testament to their abilities that, in an organization as widespread and secretive of the Talon, they can effectively organize and communicate with other major Talon strongholds at all without being traced or discovered.
But for all their skill and organization, fully recognized and ordained members of the Order are still a minority within the Talon as well as the group least likely to actually encounter members of the Cult in the world today. That dubious honor falls instead to the remaining 61% of the Order of the Talon: Cells.
If being a full member of the Order of the Talon is a position of power and authority, of a strict but well-trained and prepared lifestyle, being a member of a Talon Cell is anything but. Knowing just enough about the Order of the Talon to be considered an asset to their mission, but not enough of an important asset to justify true induction, they are overseen by Talon officers who never reveal themselves directly and are sent on missions they know nothing about to kill people they have never met. Rather than terrifying figures clad in armored plate or armed with terrifying weaponry, cell members are armed only with what they can buy or acquire themselves on the open or black markets. Instead of battle tanks and Crawlers, they make due with minivans, jeeps, and occasionally civilian aircraft or commandeered police helicopters. There is no security in their assigned tasks, nor any chance of support from their shadowed superiors: should a cell member die, be seriously injured, or be confronted by police responding to a shooting, their Talon attachment may simply disappear, leaving them to face the consequences on their own. It is no surprise that many cell members fall to paranoia, forced into a life where at any time, someone could suddenly try to kill them: a random stranger on the street, a friend, or even a loved one.
Despite the danger and the double-life cell members must lead, however, they still fight. Some cells are made of former criminal gangs who found the truth and were blackmailed in return for their service. Some were police or military squads whose superiors were replaced or converted into full members, and must face the possibility of being fired or dishonorably discharged if they do not comply. Some truly believe that the Black Hand is a threat that must be addressed, and are willing to do anything they can to try and stop them. Some want to protect their families, their homes, or their country. Some just like to hurt people and receive praise for it. But no matter what their background or reason for fighting, once a person becomes a Talon cell member they can never go back. Many continue to go on and lead double lives until they die from battle with Cultists or other causes, always watching out of the corner of their eyes for masked figures. Some are assassinated deliberately or accidentally by Cultists in running firefights and sudden home invasions. Some accidentally die in conflicts with other cells, tricked by the Black Hand or ordered by faulty information from their superiors. A few go mad.
The full members of the Order of the Talon do not like to focus much on the 61%. Someone has to fight the everyday battles, but there has to be secrecy. Caution. Planning. In a day and age where any camera can capture an errant armoured figure, any plane can spot the steam from a factory site in the middle of nowhere, and anybody could be a Cultist, brazenly attacking the forces of the Black Hand in open daylight is no longer enough. Attacking with full force when the Scorpion has been cornered is welcomed whenever possible, but somebody has to weaken it first. Assassinating Cultists is all well and good, but the Cult hasn't survived this long either without also being able to cover its tracks very well.
And so the few sacrifice the many to save the world, and pray when night falls that their actions were not in vain.
Life In the Order Edit
"Good food, comfortable quarters, working air conditioning in my tank, and all they ask is that I attend church every night? If I'd known, they wouldn't have needed to kidnap me to begin with."
- - A Talon officer, lately of the Soviet Union, appraises the conditions of his service.
The question an outsider might have, on learning of the Order's organization and purpose, would be to ask what life for the average member of the Order is like. The answer, surprisingly, is comfortable. While the Talon hold the ascetic, monk-like officer as an ideal, they are in truth more practical in their expectations for the majority of the Order's personnel. The Talon provide comfortable quarters for all officers and personnel, light on luxury but heavy on the quality of the furnishings, and even Talon barracks are relatively comfortable. Talon bases and Crawlers include well-equipped mess halls, and while no one would call Talon food luxurious or even especially good, the Order does like to keep its personnel as happy and comfortable as possible. This is not an altruistic decision: most of the Order's personnel could potentially be very dangerous if they decided to betray the Order, so it is in the Talon's best interest to keep its members content.
One of the most surprising revelations for new converts, however, is that the Order has evolved a more practical approach to ensuring a high degree of physical fitness among its members, even the non-combatants: all Talon bases come with a large and well-equipped gymnasium, and most have an outdoor sports area as well. Tennis and boxing are always popular pastimes among the Talon - Erik Svensgaard, the current Master of the Forges, was at one point the Order's champion pugilist - and recent decades have seen organized games of soccer become a regular fixture of the Order's physical training and recreation regimes. Strange as the concept of people like the Order of the Talon playing sports for fun is to an outsider, it is as ever a development with a pragmatic side: clean, wholesome sports are seen as a far better form of recreation than the other common recourses of military organizations like recreational drugs and gambling (not even the Talon are stupid enough to ban drinking from off-duty entertainment).
The exact nature and extent of the Talon's dogmatism, in turn, varies by location. The Sanctum Majoris and Saint Peter's Bastion, naturally, are the most dogmatic and conservative. This tends to diffuse by distance, however, with the Order's other European dominions sharing a deeply conservative nature, while occasionally to the consternation of the Talon's leadership, more distant bases of operations, especially the Order's stronghold in Australia, are looser in nature.
This is a relative term, however - the Talon is by any definition a highly conservative organization, and makes no bones about it. At its heart, it is openly sexist in the modern sense: Lady Maria was the Order's first female member since Joan of Arc, and even she wasn't so much accepted as barely tolerated. More women have joined the organization since Lady Maria, but almost all are relegated to civilian and support roles - women like Arianna Martella, fanatical Domina and Crusader of the Michael Crawler Cell, are rare, and it seems all too likely that Lady Maria herself will never rise above the Grand Council. The Triumvirate is a group of men by name, and even Lady Maria is considered, usually behind her back, to be unreliable and innately less capable than a man: the Talon cleave to the Judeo-Christian ideal that women are supposed to be submissive to men. Incidents like the highly unconventional liaison between Scribe Deirdre Winter and Shipwright Masoko Okamura have not been officially recognized by the Order as having happened, because the very idea is unthinkable to Order sensibilities, much less the concept that such activities took place between members of the Order.
The Order of the Talon sharply discourages personal liaisons in general for its personnel. Spouses are seen as a marked weak link for Talon members, unreliable and with a disturbing habit of learning more than they should. Some within the Order take it so far as to pronounce marriage as an unhealthy distraction for members, though this extreme a view is not universal. Again the Talon ideal of the ascetic rears its head: the true Talon ideal is of a man with no love but that for and by the Lord God, shunning worldly luxuries and distractions in favor of a purity of purpose and duty. The Triumvirate, however, is practical enough to realize how unrealistic that ideal is even as they encourage it. Men have their libidos (as do women, loathe though the Triumvirate are to acknowledge it), and actively trying to suppress such things cannot help but be detrimental to discipline and morale, as so aptly demonstrated by the uglier side of the Crusades - the Talon had no part in the mass rape and butchery of Jerusalem, among other places, but it noted the atrocities and decided, however reluctantly, that a solution had to be found. One of the Order's secrets most seldom spoken of is a number of young women in the Order's employ, prostitutes kidnapped from the world's cities (especially the Sprawls) and brought under the Talon's wing. They are violated as before their "recruitment", but the Order does extend them medical care, weans them off the drugs they are frequently addicted to, and teaches them more useful skills for a career later in life - many of these young women take places in the Chamber Unseen when their "service" is complete. The women especially of the Order consider it an ugly and necessary evil, but one might point out that it has had its successes.
The other earthly love many Talon personnel have, on the other hand, is carefully regulated but tolerated: Order members are permitted to stay in touch with the families they had before joining the Order, subject to Talon censoring of their communications, and the Order discretely provides pensions and counseling for the families of Talons who died in battle. Talons are not often permitted to visit their families (exception: members of the Chambers Epistolary and Unseen, obviously), but the excellent pay members receive is often enough to justify the service of most members, even before considering their faith and mission. On a less savory note, it is not uncommon for the Order to use these visits as a way to indirectly spread misinformation via the unwitting Talon.
Talon Dominions Edit
"Australia is effectively under our control, councilors. The retrofit of the Ayer's Rock station with a full suite of difference engines is complete, and our agents have infiltrated all relevant levels of the Allied government. The Chamber Epistolary has enjoyed considerable success, and church attendance rates in all urban and rural sectors increase weekly. We still cannot operate openly there, but I recommend further expansion of the Ayer's Rock facility and the establishment of secondary facilities to directly supply our presence there, as well as investigate the ongoing reports of unidentified warcraft in and near Antarctica."
- - One of the Grand Council reports on the state of Talon operations in Australia.
In truth, there is only one area where the Order of the Talon can operate directly. Nevertheless, as the separate Dominions of the Talon page catalogs, the Order's influence is global. By and large, where compatible religious sentiment has been historically strong, the Talon have maintained a presence as well: Western Europe, Central and South America, and the United States of America. Where compatible religious have historically been weak or nonexistent, the Talon have not established a permanent presence: Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia. Operatives of the Chambers Epistolary and Unseen operate throughout the world, including the government of the Soviet Union, Empire of the Rising Sun, and even the Atomic Kingdom of China, but it is rare for the Talon to establish a permanent base in a given geographic region.
It is difficult to generalize what life is like in these stations, as their operations so often depend on the nature of their home region. The Dagda and Copenhagen forges masquerade as Allied weapon factories, and employ ignorant labor like any other defense-related industrial plant, albeit with uncommonly generous pay and benefits that ensure there is never a shortage of workers, and with visible support of community churches and outreach programs. More isolated facilities like Port Vigilance employ only Order members, who serve terms of defined duration at the facilities with little to no access to the outside world to ensure the facility's secrecy. Fort Absolution and the Redemption Grounds are more like prison camps in their format of operations, with defenses placed as much to defend from attacks from within as from without. The Talon's global reach results in an accordingly diverse range of operations.
Some areas, however, fall indirectly under the shadow of the Talon. Saint Rita's Hospital in Minnesota, USA, is only part of a shadowy network of the Talon that has infiltrated much of the American Midwest. Australia, unbeknowest to both the Allies and its own population and government, is under de facto complete Talon control. In such regions, the Talon employ a strategy of influence mainly from the bottom up: after the local government is compromised, the Order prefers to evangelize the population through both direct Talon missionaries and clueless missionaries from other churches manipulated into sending missionaries into the area. Defying what the conspiracy theorist would think, the Talon don't actually care, usually, what a compromised region does. They are not there to crack down on crime or immoral behavior - though ideally, the religious revivals in Talon regions takes care of that on its own - and do not actively spy on clueless normal people. The Talon has far more useful things to do with its time, and would never risk detection over something trivial and transient. Here again, one must remember that the Talon play a long-term game: their motives are not always obvious, and indeed not always intentional. The Talon control of Australia, for example, is quite literally an accident on the part of the Order, but was recognized as useful once it happened.
Obviously, however, the Talon's influence is far weaker in some parts of the world than others. The Allied Nations have proven easy enough to infiltrate over the years (though that is changing), but the insular, culturally stagnant Empire of the Rising Sun and Atomic Kingdom of China are far harder for the Talon to subvert. Ironic, one might note, that one culture centuries behind the times has had the most difficulty infiltrating other cultures equally culturally obsolete. Other regions have simply never held any great interest to the Talon, including Asia, but also Africa and South America. The Talon's reach is long, but finite.
Finally, there is Palestine, the region in the Middle East focused on Jerusalem where the Order operates in the open. Shielded from discovery by simple obscurity and the Chamber Evangelical, modern-day Palestine is a bizarre combination of the archaic, the modern, and the fantastical. It is not uncommon to see stone buildings that date back centuries sprouting smokestacks and hastily added wings containing steam boilers side by side with relatively modern construction. And, by and large, the region thrives. The Order's efforts to eliminate inter-religious hostilities in the region have been very, very thorough. Signed in 1939, the Jerusalem Accords have been accepted by the Roman Catholic church, the majority of Protestant denominations, and the vast majority of Jewish and Muslim religious leaders as a formal peace treaty between the Abrahamic religions.
Indeed, life in Palestine for the average civilian is peaceful and pleasant. An outsider might note, however, that the entire region seems trapped sixty years in the past. Electricity is rare outside the major cities and their enormous steam power plants, horses and donkeys outnumber automobiles, and even local fashions and societal functions seem frozen in a bygone era. Churches, synagogues, and mosques dot the cities and desert in [occasionally very strained] harmony, and visitors quickly feel like genuine outsiders in a world that has long since passed in the rest of the world. Palestinians are rarely seen abroad, but their British Commonwealth passports are sufficient to alleviate most scrutiny. They are nevertheless stereotyped as extremely conservative, terminally old-fashioned, deeply suspicious of new-fangled inventions, and quite possibly inbred. Eccentric and the butt of many jokes, but harmless, and few ever have any desire to travel to this particular sector of the Middle East.
For the most part, the Order does not overtly interfere in local politics and culture. Their presence is sufficiently entrenched that their hand is simply not needed except on rare occasions. The Order's existence is also not a secret to the local population, although their scope, motives, and capabilities very much are. They are, by and large, treated as part of the landscape by locals - autonomous, to be respected when they do act, and rarely a significant concern to anyone. The Order does enjoy considerable respect and support from the local population for their efforts in assisting with natural disasters, defending the region from the GLA, and occasionally offering remarkable assistance to those in need, however, and many young men (and, in recent years, a few women) seeking to rebel against their families or seek adventure knock on the doors of an Order outpost to seek training as a yeoman or squire. Those who are accepted - after a discrete but thorough background check - are often surprised to see a considerable number of foreigners in the Order, but by that point the recruit rarely questions the Order's activities.
For the citizens of Palestine, the only regular external threats to worry about are the Global Liberation Army and, occasionally, the White Guard of Saudi Arabia. Originally formed from religious leaders who rejected the Jerusalem Accords, petty warlords defeated by the Order, and more than a few would-be rebel leaders stirred to action by the Cult, the GLA is regarded by most Palestinians as a menace to society and by local Talon forces as a nuisance. Although every attempt by the GLA to launch an open attack on Palestinian towns or Order strongholds has either spontaneously collapsed due to infighting or attacked Soviet, Allied, Syndicate, or even other GLA targets due to bad intelligence, occasional raids, rocket attacks, and suicide bombings are a fact of life for Palestinians. Simply put, the Order cannot prevent every attack, especially small-scale operations.
The Order, Science, and TechnologyEdit
"When all is said and done, most technology was invented by men for one of three purposes: to kill with it, to make money off of it, or to have sex with it."
- - Deirdre Winters, over lunch with Saint Veritan the Thunderer
Contrary to what one might think, at the core operating levels, the Order of the Talon is not comprised of Luddites, is perfectly accepting of science and technology, and makes no effort to curb scientific or technological development. There are, of course, outliers, but it is an exaggeration to claim that the Order of the Talon is truly technologically backwards or unscientific. The Order takes it as granted that the Lord God is omnipotent and omniscient, and that by definition, all technological and scientific discoveries and inventions are only possible because God wishes them to be possible. Charles Darwin's books did not cause a significant furor in the Order, and in fact the Scopes Monkey Trial in 1925 was regarded with amusement by the Order: is evolution possible, the Order asks? And they answer: yes, and it may be manner by which God created man and all life on Earth. The very idea that evolution is against God's will strikes most senior members of the Order as a bit ridiculous - if it was against God's will, it would not exist.
The Order does have a certain cultural anxiety and distrust of technology and scientific progress, but this has nothing to do with the science in and of itself. Over the centuries of the Order's existence, they've seen scientific revolutions come and go, earthshaking discoveries made, called heretical, accepted, and taken for granted. However, the Order has seen inventions made for peaceful purposes, and promptly used to kill and destroy. How and why the Nobel Prizes originated is a lesson the Order hasn't forgotten. Simply put, the Order fears what humanity will do with new knowledge and new technology, and believes that technology is swiftly outpacing humanity's ability to control it. Cybernetic augmentations and synthetic limbs are well and good, but the Order saw the battlesuits of the Mediterranean Syndicate and all the attendant horrors that go unadvertised coming long before the first battlesuit came online. When the Order of the Talon learns of the Electrical Protectorate, they will not be surprised. To them, it was only a question of when artificial intelligence would slip its yoke.
It is true, to be sure, that the Order is slow to adapt to new technology, but it is also true that the Order largely does not need to quickly adopt every new technology. For one thing, their resources are vast but not inexhaustible, and equipping every knight with a spectrum rifle and all the attendant infrastructure to maintain the weapons simply isn't feasible. For another, the Order's existing equipment remains highly capable. The Order's mechanical engineers, though they don't use the term, are among the best in the world, and in particular are masters of metallurgy, hydraulics, pneumatic engineering, and mechanical engineering. A spectrum cannon may be powerful, but when a steam-powered cannon can do the same job just as well, substituting a boiler for the equally massive power supply needed for the energy weapon, the Order is content with the steam cannon. Archaic as it looks, the Order's technology for the most part maintains parity with the Order's rivals in every area the Order considers relevant.
Moreover, the Order has some unique forms of technology found nowhere else in the world. Talon Steel, of course, needs no introduction, but perhaps the most interesting scientific frontier of the Order is found in their ambiaric and etheric devices. These devices operate on much the same scientific principles as technology used by the rest of the world, but perhaps as a result of the dramatically different construction of the devices, the Order has learned how to create technology that differs - sometimes significantly - in application from the rest of the world. As a result, the Order's knowledge and utilization of the electromagnetic spectrum has been proceeding along parallel lines to the rest of the world, using similar processes and principles to very different ends. Confederate seismic technology uses very similar principles to the deadly sonic resonance of the Jericho Cannon, for example, but the results are completely different.
Finally, it should be noted that although the Order of the Talon is generally scientifically literate and technologically adept, its members do not see themselves in such terms, and many would be offended at the suggestion. There is a shroud of mysticism over the Order's very real understanding of science, barring the occasional convert who hasn't yet been completely indoctrinated into the Order's mindset, and most of these are quickly snapped up by the Fellowship of Saint Thomas. As is so often the case with the Order, a great deal of truth and reason are obscured behind ritual and dogma.
Experimental Weapons of the OrderEdit
Throughout the centuries, a considerable number of experimental weapons and vehicles have come into the Order's possession, some stolen prototypes from other world powers, others the magnum opii of particularly innovative and headstrong artificers. These weapons have not seen full production even by the Order's standards, but should the need arise, the Order has never thrown the blueprints away.
Raven-pattern UltralightEdit
|(Minor) faction(s)
|Order of the Talon
|Reconaissance Aircraft
|Mod Relevance
|Country of Origin
Trained at
|Outpost Occident, British Columbia
|Key Features
| » Weight-shift trike controls
» Radar-transparent materials
» Etheric communication array
» Night vision goggles with binocular function
» Rations and water for six days
To date, the Raven remains a unique model of aircraft in the world, an extremely small, ultra-lightweight fixed-wing aircraft with only a small gasoline engine for thrust. The brainchild of a particularly eccentric Canadian artificer of the Order, the Raven was conceived of only as a recreational aircraft for personal use. The Inquisition, however, immediately recognized the value inherent in such a small, long-duration aircraft, and acquired the Raven's schematics for their own use. Initially intended for night use, it was only after a Raven observed a skirmish between Indian and Red Chinese forces that the Inquisition realized they had something else entirely. By accident or design - the Raven's builder had died some months previously in the United States after a bizarre experiment involving attaching a massive number of helium balloons to a lawn chair - the Raven had been constructed out of materials that were almost entirely transparent to radar waves. The Inquisition immediately branded the Raven a secret of the Order and began actively suppressing research into ultralight aircraft throughout the world, and each Raven is rightly regarded as a precious intelligence asset, not to be risked in battle.
Goliath Assault TrackEdit
|(Minor) faction(s)
|Order of the Talon
|Super heavy tank
|Super heavy line breaker
|Mod Relevance
|Country of Origin
|United States
Trained at
|Pacific Car and Foundry
|Key Features
| » 180mm hull-mounted cannon
» Casemate hull for extremely low profile
» Extremely heavy armor (300mm at front)
» Double track suspension system
» Gasoline engine of grossly inadequate power
In 1947, the Order of the Talon received an interesting new toy from a highly placed agent in the United States Army: the sole surviving example of the T95 Gun Motor Carriage, also known as the T28 Super Heavy Tank. The T95 had been a typically American experimental armored vehicle: exorbitantly expensive, over-engineered, and too late to do any good. Essentially a monstrous tank destroyer, the T95 had been intended as a line breaker of the first order, able to crack super heavy armored vehicles and defenses in addition to swatting aside lesser adversaries. Testing was problematic, however, and one of the two T95 prototypes suffered irreparable damage from an engine fire during testing. Coupled with an Allied shift away from a super heavy tank doctrine to deal with the prospect of Apocalypse Tanks and other super heavy weapons, the T95 program was canceled. Mysteriously, however, the surviving prototype simply vanished from American records after the program's termination.
When the T95 prototype rolled off an Australian-flagged container ship in the Middle East, the Order of the Talon designated the machine as the Goliath Assault Track. However, the Order's own trials of the design have met with mixed results in the eyes of the Chamber Militant. By and large, the Cataphract and Lucifer designs are considered more than adequate for the Order's purposes. However, at the request of the Chamber Militant, the Order's forgemasters have begun an extensive redesign of the Goliath for future use in the Order's arsenal. In particular, the Evangelical arm of the Order's armed forces has expressed an interest in the Goliath as a heavily armed centerpiece for their own forces, complementing the Order's older super heavy weapons. The Order's experience in powering such behemoths has been invaluable during the redevelopment of the Goliath, and while an exhaust stack for the new steam engine does mar the T95's sleek profile and the armor plating has actually been reduced, the increase in power has yielded its rewards - the present Goliath is shockingly fast for a machine of its size. More problematic has been the question of how to arm this behemoth. Sonic cannons similar to the Jericho Cannon have been proposed, while another consideration has been a massive thermal cannon that can reduce an entire infantry platoon to cinders or even a fiendish proposal for what is essentially a wide-area thermobaric cannon that performs similar to a massively oversized shotgun. If the Order's previous design processes for the Goliath's older brethren are any indication, the Goliath will finally see production sometime in the 1970s and bear only a passing resemblance to the original design, while the original prototype will be dumped in the back lot of an obscure army base.
Rook Escort BoatEdit
|(Minor) faction(s)
|Order of the Talon
|Light Ship
|Fireboat/Hydrodynamic Assault
|Mod Relevance
|Country of Origin
Trained at
|Malta Redoubt
|Key Features
| » Firefighting water cannon
» Civilian registration (Saudi Arabia)
» Sealed compartment at front of the boat
» Military-grade steam engine and pump
» Fog horn (loud)
The steam-powered tugs that ply the harbour waters around the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and southeastern Mediterranean are regarded by most as a charming anachronism of the region, small but deceptively powerful steam-powered ships darting around massive supertankers to tow them into and out of the region's port cities. Most of them, it is also known, are also fireboats with powerful water cannons to smother any fires that might erupt in or around the ports. What is not commonly known is that a civilian shipyard at Malta has built almost all of these quaint little ships, nor that unbeknowest to their crews, these tugs are a vital part of the Order of the Talon's intelligence network in the region. For the most part, these ships are benign enough. However, some of these ships, indistinguishable from the others, are something else entirely.
An ongoing pet project of rogue Imperial naval engineer Masoko Okamura has been the conversion of some of these ships to something far more dangerous in preparation for the apocalyptic conflict so many in the Order believe is coming. Getting hit by a firehose is no joke, as many anti-Allied protesters in North America and Europe can attest, but Okamura has been taking the idea one terrifying step further. By installing a far more powerful steam engine and pumping apparatus, heavily reinforcing the pipes, and adding a specially shaped nozzle, the firefighting cannons of these ships have been transformed into something far more lethal. Although plagued by technical problems that haven't yet been completely worked out, these hydrodynamic cannons fire narrowly focused jets of highly pressurized water at extreme velocities - extreme enough to punch through steel and turn a human body into something with the consistency of marmalade.
Okamura and a handful of Order artificers who like the idea are continuing to work on the tendency for the cannons to explode in spectacular fashion when fired, and the necessity of dropping anchor to keep the boat from capsizing when the cannon is fired, but for now these ships have not been approved for active military use. As an added bonus, by removing the enhanced nozzle, the firefighting function of the cannon remains fully operational.
Nephilim Clockwork WalkerEdit
|(Minor) faction(s)
|Order of the Talon
|Light Vehicle
|Anti-aircraft/infantry walker
|Mod Relevance
|Country of Origin
Trained at
|Sanctum Majoris Forges
|Key Features
| » Talon Steel tipped articulated legs (x8)
» Breech-loading flintlock muskets (x2)
» Clockwork-based motive engine
» Ribauldequin volley gun (x1)
» Crew compartment (very cramped)
When it was first developed in the 18th century, the Nephilim Clockwork Walker was one of the Order's heaviest and most advanced weapons, used very much like the tanks that later superseded the machine. A low, compact machine built around a complex motive engine that could power the walker for up to a week at a time before requiring rewinding, the Nephilim resembled nothing so much as a giant mechanical spider, albeit one that was heavily armed and well suited to ripping apart any foe of the time it might encounter.
In battle, the Order of the Talon could trust to the Nephilim's volley gun to quickly tear apart enemy foes foolish enough to attack it head on; then, these walkers could be used to spearhead the assault, employing their muskets to good effect and ripping apart foes in close combat with the sharpened tips of their legs. With only incremental improvements along the way, the Nephilim walkers served the Order faithfully for more than a hundred years before the march of technology finally led to the Nephilim's retirement from active service with the Chamber Militant.
Though only a dozen Nephilim walkers were ever built, all of them still exist today, enshrined honourably in Order reliquaries and mausoleums. Should the need arise, however, these old machines require only a rewinding of their motive cores to serve the Order once again.


text:
Carolyn's Online Magazine (COMe)*
*COMe: Credible, Observant, Motivated, ethical
Once upon a time there were two pigtailed girls with ribbons in their hair that was the color of golden raisins. Their mother, Sarena, didn't want to care for them when she married her second husband Tabor, so their Grandmother Kallie surrounded Marissa, eight, and Jocelyn, seven, with bear-hug love.
The children loved Grandmother Kallie, a somewhat plump woman whose favorite dress had once-red flowers that were now faded pink. Her thick stockings often sported wrinkles at the ankles, and her black, low-heeled shoes were beyond a good polish job. Wisps of her orange-tinted white hair stretched out from the semi-perfect bun that sat just above the collar line of her dress. Her rosy cheeks had comforting wrinkle lines and ruby red lips left lipstick smudges on her grandchildren's faces when they were kissed.
Grandmother Kallie read Marissa and Jocelyn fairy tales like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Thumbelina, The Ugly Duckling,The Snow Queen, and The Princess and the Pea. Grandma Kallie would also play Candy Land, Go Fish and other games with Marissa and Jocelyn, and only occasionally allow herself to win.
The girls were the best dressed children in their neighborhood because Grandma Kallie was an excellent seamstress. She made them the most gorgeous outfits—plaid dresses, pink skirts, white blouses.
Grandma Kallie frequently let the girls cook with her. On Valentine's Day they made cutout cookies. The three of them had great fun decorating the hearts, horses, and stars with icing of all colors. And Grandma Kallie didn't even yell at them when they made a mess of things. Grandma Kallie even kissed Marissa's nose when it was covered with purple icing, and ran her fingers through Jocelyn's icing smudged golden hair.
One day Grandma Kallie became very ill. The ambulance came and got her and took her to the hospital. When the ambulance took Grandma Kallie away Marissa and Kallie had to visit their Mother. The next time Marissa and Jocelyn saw their Grandmother was at the funeral home.
After that Marissa and Jocelyn had to live with their mother, step-father, and sister, Perenna, three years old. Their step-father Tabor made them wash the dishes, do the laundry, clean the kitty litter, scrub the bathroom with a toothbrush, and wash the walls each month. He would inspect their work and if he was dissatisfied with anything they would be punished. He would make them stand in a corner with their hands up in the air for twenty minutes. He would beat them with whatever might be handy—a belt, a wooden spoon, a yardstick. Mother Sarena would laugh at his punishments, and sometimes she would beat the girls too.
Perenna was the perfect child in the eyes of Mother Sarena and stepfather Tabor. She could do no wrong in their eyes. But Perenna gained joy In causing grief for her older sisters. She would toss kitty litter on the floor and blame her them. She scattered papers, smudged dirt on the walls, colored the kitchen cupboards, and blamed Marissa and Jocelyn. Then she laughed when they were punished, mocking them while they stood in the corner arms stretched up or cried out in pain while being beaten.
Mother Sarena and stepfather Tabor worked to destroy the loving relationship between Marissa and Jocelyn. When Marissa requested a bicycle for Christmas it was what Jocelyn received. If Jocelyn wanted a cookie she was told no and the cookie was offered to Marissa. When either of them did something the parents deemed was worth punishment both girls were beaten.
The girls lived in this wretched environment until they grew up. Marissa was the first to leave home. She moved far away, able only to get mediocre jobs. It took Jocelyn many years but she completed college and found a good job.
It wasn't until about ten years later that the sisters saw each other again. There was much animosity between them. Mother Sarena and stepfather Tabor's teachings went deep.
However, one day they had a conversation with a wise old woman named Ivana. She reminded Marissa and Jocelyn of their Grandmother Kallie, so they listened to her sage advice. Ivana told them that they were the only two persons that shared their common childhood, and that their Grandmother Kallie had taught them to love and value each other.
Marissa and Jocelyn considered Ivana's words and took them to heart. They forgave each other and released the harsh feelings they shared. They also forgave their Mother Sarena and stepfather Tabor. These actions freed them to love each other.
And they lived happily ever after.
The End
NOTE: The WordPress daily prompt for January 24, 2015, was Once Upon a Time: Tell us about something that happened to you in real life last week — but write it in the style of a fairy tale.
Although the fairy tale above isn't biographical it does incorporate some aspects of the childhood my sister and I shared. Last week, while reviewing notes I'd kept on our conversations, made over the years, I spoke with my sister and we reflected on the stories of our childhood—both good and bad.
ADDITIONAL READING at CAROLYN'S COMPOSITIONS, predecessor to Carolyn's Online Magazine:
Sister's Day: 2012—Sisters Meet After 63 Years
Sister and I: Cluttered Versus Neat Home


text:
AbleData does not produce, distribute or sell any of the products listed on this website, but we provide you with information on how to contact manufacturers or distributors of these products. If you are interested in purchasing a product, you can find companies who sell it below.
The MJM Shower chair, model 118-3-FS, is a shower chair designed for use by individuals with mobility, balance,or neurological disabilities. This chair has a PVC plastic frame with a wider flared base for stability. Standard equipment includes an open-front plastic commode seat, four threaded-stem casters, and a backrest covered in water resistant-vinyl mesh upholstery. DIMENSIONS (HxWxD): 40 x 26 x 18 inches. The flared base adds 4 inches to the width. The seat height is 21 inches. Casters are 3 x 1.25 inches. CAPACITY: 300 pounds.
Contact manufacturer
To improve your search results use quotation marks when searching for a specific phrase.
For example, if you search for substance use, a search WITHOUT quotation marks would find listings that include the words
"substance" OR "use." A search WITH quotation marks ("substance use") would find listings only with the whole phrase "substance use."
Are you sure you want to delete this item?


text:
CheatCC says: "Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity is incredibly formulaic. The game features a very short mix of running, jumping, attacking, and nothing else. It's playable and the mechanics work well, but it still loses major points for being no fun."
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It's part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today's pop culture.


text:
We hope that you will go above and beyond the minimum requirements during your first two years and earn a Sophomore Honors Award. These awards recognize outstanding achievement and engagement in the first two years of the Honors Program. Award winners will be invited to our graduation ceremony and recognized individually. The awards are suitable to highlight on a resume or CV.
Sophomore Honors Award for Students Entering Prior to 2017
Sophomore Honors Award requirements for students entering in 2016 and before:
- Obtain a minimum grade point average of 3.700, with no grade below a "C" in any course.
- Complete Honors Core courses in NS, SS, and HU, as well as five additional Honors courses during the first four full terms (fall/winter) at the U-M, including the FYWR (First Year Writing Requirement). All courses counted must be 3-credit. Mini-courses are not counted for this award.
- Average 14 credits per term during the first four full terms they are at the University of Michigan.
- Apply for the Award after the conclusion of the sophomore year.
Read here for students entering in 2017 and later. For this group, we recommend following your progress towards the awards on umich.GradeCraft.com.
The Sophomore Honors Award recognizes students who have:
Earned at least 30 Engagement Points (see your umich.GradeCraft.com account)
Averaged 14 credit hours each full (Fall/Winter) term
Completed an Honors Core class which meets the first-year writing requirement (FYWR)
Completed of a total of three Honors Core courses (inclusive of # 3 above) in at least two different distribution areas (HU, ID, NS, or SS)
5. Achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.400 with all classes graded or credit/no credit (no elective P/F).
The Sophomore Honors Award with Distinction recognizes students who have:
Earned at least 30 Engagement Points (see your GradeCraft account)
Averaged 14 credit hours each full (Fall/Winter) term
Completed an Honors Core class which meets the first-year writing requirement (FYWR)
Completed of a total of three Honors Core courses (inclusive of # 3 above) in three different distribution areas (HU, ID, NS, and SS)
Achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.700 with all classes graded or Credit/no credit (no elective P/F).
Are you a joint degree student or joint with the RC?
Are you a student joint with the Residential College or another College? See your Honors Advisor for more information on your award criteria.
Sophomore Honors Award 2019 Recipients
Sophomore Honors Award with Distinction
Eliz Akgun, Lila Alaka, Al-Amin Ali, Ireoluwa Ayoola, Mollie Bakal, Mariana Boully Perez, Paul Brandfonbrener, Jason Brenner, Benjamin Bronkema-Bekker, Katherine Bunnell, Alexander Cepo, Allina Chang, Jessica Chang, Ahmad Chouman, Adriana Coke, Sabrina Corsetti, Haleigh Cotton, Kirin Cromer, Jean Cutter, Duncan Davidson, Emmaline DeMartini, Alexander Drain, Julia Duffy, Emily Endres, Kyra Fichman, Kyle Finos, Beverly Fu, Sayhaan Goraya, Leah Graham, Erin Grant, Christopher Hafke, Max Hammer, Alice Hill, Ariel Huang, Sarah Jacob, Lawrence Jia, Daniel Kim, Andrew Kohrman, Christina Li, Mariana LoCicero, Aleksandra Luca, Zuzanna Lutrzykowska, Elizabeth Martin, Grace Miller, Eric Payerle, Nicholas Preuth, Henry Raffel, Jon Reid, Estrella Salgado, Shachi Salvi, Mustafa Sami, Anish Saraswat, Jason Semaya, James Shepich, Kate Sherwin, Rafael Skrobola, Nathan Slaven, Benjamin Sliwinski, Julia Stavreva, Fiona Story, Joshua Stotzky, Martin Taxay, Katelyn Thompson, Grace Tremonti, Chloe Turnbow, Neil Vaishampayan, Thomas Vance, Kimiko Varner, Arynne Wegryn-Jones, Matthew Weiner, Grant Weldon, Kevin Winslow, Alexandra Wormley, Eric (Jack) Wroldsen, Madeline Yaw, Rebecca Yi, Eric Zhang, Ziyi Zhang, Gisselle Zuniga
Sophomore Honors Award
Kamryn Abraskin, Leah Adelman, Margaret Boelter, Chris Chen, Sebin Choi, Yeonjeong Chu, Annika Dhawan, Max Ellsworth, Anna Gaffney, Ava Gams, Lauren Goodman, Anna Gottesman, Haley Gritz, Thom Hourani Jr, Simran Jagirdar, Lily Johnston, Davis Kasper, Carson Kenum, Jacqueline Kunesh, Taylor Lansey, Reagan Malcolm, Henry Newman, Clare Oliver-DiPaola, Philip Rapoport, Lucas Reist, Gillian Rubenstein, Connor Sakis, Gabrielle Saul, Spencer Schmid, Janet Vu


text: Den 2007-02-11 06:49:52 skrev LUKE <luke@REDACTED>: > > I am tring to do the excise about return a new tuple > which is a copy of the tuple T where the Nth element > of the tuple has been replaced by C. ... trying to write an erlang-based version of the built-in function setelement(N, T, C)? > Give me some advice on the following poor code. ie. > tail recursion issue..... > > -module(element). > -export([set2/3]). > > set2(N,T,C)-> > list_to_tuple(set2(N,tuple_to_list(T),C,1)). > > set2(_,[],_,_)->[]; > set2(N,[H|T],C,Count)-> > if N==Count -> > [C|set2(N,T,C,Count+1)]; > true-> > [H|set2(N,T,C,Count+1)] > end. (1) This is mainly a matter of taste, but I would order the arguments of set2 differently (2) When you get to the right position, you don't have to recurse any further, since you're guaranteed not to find another match. set2([_|T], N, N, C) -> [C|T]; set2([H|T], Pos, N, C) when Pos < N -> [H|set2(T, Pos+1, N, C)]. (3) You don't need a clause for [], if you add a guard in set2/3: set2(N,T,C) when is_tuple(T), is_integer(N), N > 0, N =< size(T) -> list_to_tuple(set2(tuple_to_list(T),1,N,C)). (4) It's good form to use guards in the exported function to clearly indicate what the arguments are expected to be. Don't worry about this slowing down your code. It most likely won't, and in some cases, it can even speed things up, since the compiler is able to make some assumptions about the code that follows. (5) In this case, I wouldn't worry about the function not being tail-recursive. Doing it this way makes it a lot easier to break out of the loop once you've reached N. Also, your tuple is not likely to have a huge number of elements to begin with. BR, Ulf W -- Ulf Wiger