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HTC Coaches Club Podcast #7 – My Coaching Journey – Joe Pike
Take a listen to another episode from our podcast series dedicated to coaching!
A podcast that is focused on all things to do with coaching. Each episode we will be discussing different topics with some well-connected coaches within the game.
This podcast series is now on iTunes. Click here to listen on iTunes
In this episode: We are joined by host Danny Cook and Joe Pike. The panel discusses Joe Pike's coaching journey. Be sure to leave your thoughts and any ideas for topics to be discussed in the comment section below.
Whilst you're here why not follow us on Twitter (@HalfTime_Cuppa) for the latest football news and views.


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AUSTIN, TX–The Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR) Foundation awarded 27 high school seniors and college students with $57,000 in higher education scholarships at its annual Scholarship Reception yesterday evening. Recipients were selected based on academic merit, financial need and interviews with a panel of REALTORS®. "This year we received almost …Read More »
ABoR Blog
Three Ways to Give This Holiday Season
Just because #GivingTuesday is over doesn't mean it's too late to give. The ABoR Foundation is spreading the spirit of generosity to members of our community and you can help! Kick off the holiday season by participating in this global movement with REALTORS®! We thank you in advance for your …Read More »
Recap: Real Estate is Global
Key Takeaways Take some time in the beginning to have a face to face conversation with your international clients to discuss expectations and what can happen during the home-buying process. You want your client to know you work for them, not the seller. Remember, this is a process. Get involved in …Read More »
Recap: ABoR Forum - Protecting Listing Photos
Overview The latest ABoR Forum: Protecting Listing Photos, featured three legal experts: Mitch Skinner (Owner and Managing Member of Larson Skinner, PLLC), Chloe Hecht (NAR Associate Counsel), and Joe Babb (ABoR legal counsel of Babb, Reed & Leak, PLLC) discussing copyright laws and best practices regarding listing photos in the …Read More »

subset: commoncrawl


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|Deja Vu All Over Again
|Patrick Townson (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Tue, 23 Nov 2004 11:56:04 -0600
A message from my cousin, Ken Bryant of interest.
From: "Ken Bryant" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
> Can you say Vietnam? Ah ... there ... I thought you could.
> 40 years to the day since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.
> More Troops May Be Needed in Iraq
> Senior military commanders told FOX News that they are considering a
> The Washington Post, citing unnamed military commanders, reported on
> U.S. and Iraqi troops continue to clear the last of the resistance from
> The Pentagon last month ordered about 6,500 soldiers in Iraq to extend
> Senior commanders told FOX News that the increase being considered in
> The troop movement in Iraq has always been a possibility, and now with
> Lt. Gen. Lance Smith, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, said
> "We will expect, by using extensions of some troops that were only
> Smith postulated that about an additional brigade's worth of forces may
> "If we believe the security situation requires that, we will make the
> Troop numbers could reach about 141,000 to 145,000, Smith said.
> The military also hasn't ruled out using the U.S. strategic reserve
> "But again, I think too early to try and decide that until we really see
|Post Followup Article
|Use your browser's quoting feature to quote article into reply
|Go to Next message: Lisa Minter: "Last Laugh! Online Casino Buys Virgin Mary Sandwich for $28,000"
|Go to Previous message: Thomas A. Horsley: "Re: The Persuaders"
|TELECOM Digest: Home Page


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Complete Information About the PH. and Rainbow Test
PH: It is a logarithm scale used to define the acidity as well as basicity of a solution. It is mainly in the negative of the base 10 algorithms of the molar concentration, measured in unit of various moles per liter of hydrogen ions. This is traceable to set the standard solution whose PH is […]Read More


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When first introduced to Erya Lyytinen we met a nifty slide guitar player with a penchant for old time blues. But time doesn't stand still even if people try to. Change may be forced on us externally or opportunities arise that can lift us up, maybe help our careers, on the other side of the coin when those closest to ...Read More »
Tag Archives: jazz rock
Sunshine Of Your Love – A Tribute To Jack Bruce
Had he lived the great Jack Bruce would have been 75 on the 14th May this year. In a celebration of his life and work there will be a gathering of fans, family and the famous at the Curzon Mayfair in London on that date for a very special debut, the screening of Sunshine Of Your Love – Tribute Concert. ...Read More »
Johannes Luley – QITARA
Perfect Beings guitarist Johannes Luley's second solo album branches out from the progressive rock of his main band to explore jazz rock and fusion over its mainly instrumental tracks. 'The Doer' opens proceedings with a flamenco played in between a full ensemble band riffing out hard over which Luley infuses John McLaughlin inspired scales to solo effortlessly, a saxophone following ...Read More »
Johannes Luley Releases QITARA
Johannes Luley of Los Angeles progressive rock band Perfect Beings has a new solo album out called QITARA. Released through My Sonic Temple it finds the guitarist heading into jazz-rock territory, and features various guest artists, not least Ryan Downe who he last played with ten years ago in Moth Vellum. QITARA was recorded over a couple of years during ...Read More »
Review: Anderson Ponty Band – Better Late Than Never
For most fans Jon Anderson will always be the voice of Yes, no matter how many years have now passed since he sung with them. News that wounds had been mended between his fellow co-founder and foil Chris Squire, before the bass player's unfortunate death due to cancer, perhaps gives them some solace. For those fearing Anderson's own health ailments ...Read More »
Anderson Ponty Band – Owner Of A Lonely Heart Video
Jon Anderson and Jean Luc Ponty have released a video of the pair performing 'Owner of A Lonely Heart'. 'Owner of A Lonely Heart' is taken from the new Anderson Ponty Band CD Better Late Than Never, featuring reimagined renditions of classic songs by the former Yes vocalist and Mahavishnu Orchestra violinist. For more information on the band and tracks ...Read More »
Better Late Than Never – Jon Anderson & Jean Luc Ponty
Yes co-founder Jon Anderson and virtuoso violinist Jean Luc Ponty come together as the AndersonPonty Band to release Better Late Than Never through earMUSIC on 25th September. Featuring a live performance enhanced with studio production Better Late Than Never includes new compositions, rearrangements of Yes classics like 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart', 'Roundabout' and 'Wonderous Stories', as well as some ...Read More »
Review: Peter Frampton – Hummingbird in a Box
In April 2013, as part of its spring production, the Cincinnati Ballet performed a series of dances accompanied by Peter Frampton and his band at the Aronoff Center for the Arts. Most were classics from his extensive repertoire but one section featured new material composed by the guitarist, along with producer Gordon Kennedy who he had previously worked with on the ...Read More »


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Thanks to a five-touchdown night from receiver Brian Gomez, the Wildcats move on to the regional final against Wekiva.
Football is much like boxing – you throw a few punches and you get punched right back. By the end of the night it's all about who is left standing.
Thanks to some serious perseverance, big plays, and a career night for receiver Brian Gomez, the Wildcats were able to withstand a powerful Apopka offense as they knocked off the Blue Darters in a hard fought 34-27 win in the regional semifinal at Showalter on Friday night.
The Wildcats (12-0, 4-0) kicked off the night with the loudest bang possible, as four minutes into the game Gomez scored the first of his five touchdowns when he blazed 92-yards downfield for the quick touchdown. Though the PAT banged off the upright, the Wildcats still found themselves up with the early lead. The 92-yards was a chunk of Gomez's eventual 250 total yard of offense in the game (137 receiving and 113 rushing).
That lead wouldn't last long before the Blue Darters (10-4, 1-2) would utilize their unique single wing offense, as they marched right downfield before Davin White would score from one-yard out. On the PAT, a bobbled ball would cost the Blue Darters a chance at the lead.
Just as it looked as if the quarter would end tied up, the Wildcats would put the finishing touches on another nice drive when quarterback Cameron Legree tossed a ball 20-yards, which was hauled in on an athletic catch for Gomez. The PAT would make it 13-6.
Despite the excitement that filled the stands, the Wildcats' lead would evaporate in the second quarter, as the Blue Darters kept the Wildcats' defense confused.
Running back Cornelius Williams wreaked havoc as he went for a short one-yard touchdown run at the 11-minute mark, before going untouched on a 35-yard rushing touchdown – boosting the Blue Darters' lead 20-13 to end the half.
"It's a tough offense to stop – you can try to simulate it all week in practice, but you really cant, so it takes a while to really get the flow of what they're doing," said Wildcats head coach Tim Shifflet. "And we've been a great second half team all year – again, we proved it tonight. The kids stepped up, finally got some stops there the second half, and our offense was really clicking so I knew if we could get some stops, we'd have some shots."
And Shifflet was totally right, as his Wildcats team adjusted on both sides of the ball.
The offense came out on fire just as they had in the first quarter, as Gomez was on the receiving end of a huge 80-yard touchdown catch on the first play of the half. With the PAT, the Wildcats had tied the game right back up at 20-20.
As the Wildcats offense made noise, the defense had some difficulty to start the second half, as the Blue Darters answered on a two-yard score by Williams – his third on the night.
From there on, however, the Wildcats defense would make the right changes and totally stymie the Blue Darters offense, as they held the visiting team scoreless for the rest of the game.
The cheering from the away side bleachers wouldn't last long, as the Wildcats returned the favor by marching downfield and tying the game up on a five-yard rushing touchdown from Gomez.
From there on the Wildcats wouldn't look back as Legree found Lopez again for a 40-yard touchdown to put the nail into the Blue Darters' coffin – ending their season and hopes of a state title.
Meanwhile, for the Wildcats, it was another huge win for a team looking to stay perfect and keep their season going.
"All year long you work to earn that right – getting that number-one seed in the region was huge and this is where it starts to payoff," Shifflet said. "Because we get to play at home again next week and hopefully we get the bounces our direction and we find a way to win."
The Wildcats will have an even bigger game next week as they take on a talented Wekiva (11-1, 3-0) team who are coming off a regional semifinal win over Boone. The game is a 7:30 p.m. start time, and the winner will move on through to the state semifinal on Dec. 1.


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Working with couples for 10 years now I often see a theme that occurs in relationships. The relationship is no longer a priority, as important as it use to be. If this continues long term it can be damaging to the quality of the relationship and the longevity.
Focusing on some very practical easy skills can create enormous change in your relationships if you do not leave it too late to try. Prepare/enrich is a terrific resource to begin making some changes.
Daily Dialogue is an intentional effort to talk about your relationship, rather than discussing your activities that day. The focus of this dialogue should be on your feelings about each other and your lives together. Set aside five minutes per day to discuss the following:
• What did you most enjoy about your relationship today?
• What was dissatisfying about your relationship today?
• How can you be helpful to each other?
Daily Compliments help you focus on the positive things you like about each other. Every day give your partner at least one genuine compliment. These can be general ("you are fun to be with") or specific ("I appreciate that you were on time for the concert").
1. Give full attention to your partner when talking. Turn off the phone, shut off the television, make eye contact.
2. Focus on the good qualities in each other and praise each other often.
3. Be assertive. Share your thoughts, feelings, and needs. A good way to be assertive without being critical is to use "I" rather than "You" statements. (e.g. "I worry when you don't let me know you'll be late" rather than "You are always late").
4. Avoid criticism.
5. If you must criticize, balance it with at least one positive comment.(e.g."I appreciate how you take the trash out each week. In the future can you remember to also wheel the trash can back from the end of the driveway?").
6. Listen to understand, not to judge.
7. Use active listening. Summarize your partner's comments before sharing your own reactions or feelings.
8. Avoid blaming each other and work together for a solution.
9. Seek counselling. If you are not able to resolve issues, seek counselling before they become more serious


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I was listening to a Republican-leaning local talk show host on the way to work last week, and one of the things he discussed was "Shouldn't the Democrats do an 'election autopsy' like the Republicans did after 2012?" I think the likelihood of any "autopsy" is low, and the chances of the Democrats producing an autopsy that is of actual use are even lower.
The purpose of such an autopsy is to determine what you did wrong in the first place, and the Democrats don't yet seem prepared to admit they did anything wrong. The reaction so far from the Democrats indicates they are, in fact, planning to double down.
The Republican autopsy of 2012 was a flawed document, driven heavily by politics. Some of the recommendations were sensible, such as greater minority outreach and "don't nominate out of touch rich guys who can't connect with ordinary Americans." But much of it was an effort to push the Republican establishment's agenda, an agenda which had caused chaos within the party and resulted in the Tea Party backlash. The number one recommendation was to pass amnesty without delay, and we know by now what that would have brought about.
Any such document the Democrats try to produce will certainly be tainted by a similar agenda. Such a document will be self-serving, and designed to excuse the mistakes and errors of those in power, particular the mistakes made by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Indeed, the entire Democrat response has been one giant "CYA" operation. The reaction so far has consisted primarily of denial of reality. They have decided that Trump is actually a secret Russian agent but have not been able to prove this assertion, with the US "intelligence" community beclowning itself at Obama's behest by spinning elaborate fairy tales of how positive coverage of Trump from Russian media sources like RT and Sputnik somehow counts as "hacking the election."
While the spinning of such elaborate conspiracy theories is good for rousing the base, if such slime tactics worked on Trump, then he would never have become president. The entire story of this election was the mainstream media suffering a huge defeat and reduction in its ability to influence electoral outcomes through sliming Republicans.
This brings us to the other major reaction of the left, which has been to declare the opposition are traitors peddling "Russian propaganda" and censor opposition media and government critics, using theoretically private companies like Facebook and Twitter as agents of the government to skirt First Amendment protections. Glenn Greenwald has written about this several times:
Even more disturbing than the Post's shoddy journalism in this instance is the broader trend in which any wild conspiracy theory or McCarthyite attack is now permitted in U.S. discourse as long as it involves Russia and Putin — just as was true in the 1950s when stories of how the Russians were poisoning the U.S. water supply or infiltrating American institutions were commonplace. Any anti-Russia story was — and is — instantly vested with credibility, while anyone questioning its veracity or evidentiary basis is subject to attacks on their loyalties or, at best, vilified as "useful idiots."
Two of the most discredited reports from the election season illustrate the point: a Slate article claiming that a private server had been located linking the Trump Organization and a Russian bank (which, like the current Post story, had been shopped around and rejected by multiple media outlets) and a completely deranged rant by Newsweek's Kurt Eichenwald claiming that Putin had ordered emails in the WikiLeaks release to be doctored — both of which were uncritically shared and tweeted by hundreds of journalists to tens of thousands of people, if not more.
The Post itself — now posing as a warrior against "fake news" — published an article in September that treated with great seriousness the claim that Hillary Clinton collapsed on 9/11 Day because she was poisoned by Putin. And that's to say nothing of the paper's disgraceful history of convincing Americans that Saddam was building non-existent nuclear weapons and had cultivated a vibrant alliance with al Qaeda. As is so often the case, those who mostly loudly warn of "fake news" from others are themselves the most aggressive disseminators of it.
If this were one election, it could perhaps be argued the Democrats don't need an autopsy and could win with a better candidate. But it's not just one election. The Democrats have been badly mauled in three of the last four elections now – 2010, 2014, and 2016. At the state level, the party has been decimated, with the Republicans holding most of the state legislatures and governorships in the country now, with the Democrats increasingly herded into a small cluster of blue states that are out of step with the rest of the country.
The Democrats' master plan was always to pass amnesty and turn the United States into a one-party state, under their rule effectively forever. After Obama was elected, and with the Republicans eager to climb into bed with him, the Democrats seemed invincible, with amnesty coming 'round the bend to cement their control.
Beneath the celebrity glitter of Obama, though, the Democrats have been rotting. As I have mentioned, they were demolished twice prior to 2016. Obama continued to be successful, largely because the national Republicans turned on their own voters and supported most of Obama's agenda. Had they truly wished, most of what Obama has done since 2010 could have been blocked. The only reason the Republicans lost in 2012 was due to picking a very weak candidate, a mistake they did not repeat in 2016 despite the best efforts of the party establishment.
If we go back even further, the Democrats have been really unsuccessful electorally since the turn of the century, with only the elections of 2006, 2008 and 2012 as unqualified wins for them. Democrat strength since 2000 has largely been an illusion, centered around the personal popularity of Obama, combined with the Congressional Republicans propping the Democrats up by supporting their agenda.
So, how do the Democrats get out of the hole they are in? No advice coming from this author will be taken seriously, of course, but the number one millstone around the Democrat party's neck right now is the "social justice" movement, which is the driving impulse behind the Democrats' recent charge for censorship in the last five years.
The social justice movement is essentially a crusading, religious-style moral panic, which seeks constantly for new "Satans" to destroy. The social justice movement is directly responsible for converting apolitical people into reluctant Trump supporters, as was seen with Gamergate, when tens of thousands of innocent video gamers were smeared, unfairly and ridiculously, as Nazis, racists, and bigots. The social justice movement is creating enemies of the Democrats where before none existed, and these people are registering their displeasure at the ballot box.
The other problem for the Democrats is that they've stopped taking seriously any "bread and butter" issues, such as the economy or national security. They no longer even pretend to take such issues seriously, instead preferring to waste time with transgender bathrooms and global warming, issues which no one outside a tiny circle of fabulously wealthy bi-coastal elites cares about. This is leading them to lose the working classes, who delivered the presidency to Trump in 2016. Candidates like Bernie Sanders, who can at least speak to peoples' concerns, will be critical for the party to win going forward.
There you go. I think that's a much better autopsy than whatever the DNC will produce (if they produce one at all), don't you?


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devil and daniel johnston, the (2005) [feature]
Director: Jeff Feuerzeig
According to Kurt Cobain, Daniel Johnston was the greatest songwriter on earth. Musician, cult outsider artist and manic depressive, Daniel Johnston's wild behavioural fluctuations, downward-spirals and delusions of grandeur have ensured that he remains an enigma to the music industry, but to others he is simply an unrewarded genius. As a reclusive teenager, Johnston showed signs of unusual artistic ability, creating intuitive super-8 films and expressive comic-book-style drawings in the basement of his family home. After falling out with his fundamentalist Christian family, he literally ran off to join a carnival, before landing in Austin, Texas, broke and alone. It was here that he began to hone his musical career. But just as he was making a name for himself locally, Johnston's inner demons began to take hold. Featuring interviews with Johnston and those closest to him - as well as amazing concert and home super-8 footage - [The Devil and Daniel Johnston] is a stunning portrait of this troubled artist, and the winner of the Director's Award for Documentary at Sundance.---D Jeff Feuerzeig P Henry S. Rosenthal WS Complex Corporation TD video/col, B&W/2005/109mins Jeff Feuerzeig was born in New Jersey, USA. His films are [Jon Hendricks: The Freddie Sessions] (1990), [Half Japanese: The Band that Would be King] (1994).


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Libertarian Gary Johnson's blank gaze at the name "Aleppo" is shocking - about as shocking as yesterday's chlorine gas attack constituting yet another war crime there, or the New York Times' three corrections to get right just what Aleppo is and isn't, or the way Twitter exploded about one guy's unreal ignorance while generally ignoring almost an entire population's annihilation, or the pitiable fact that another presidential candidate actually knows less than Trump, or the even more miserable fact that Johnson's bewilderment pretty much sums up U.S. policy, press knowledge and levels of public awareness on Syria, which is, as Johnson so astutely noted, "a mess." No, this wasn't "a stumble" or "blunder" or "gaffe." It's the sorry state of our national political landscape. What's not shocking here: Nobody in Aleppo has heard of Johnson either - they're way too busy trying to stay alive.
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#WhatIsAleppo? It's where a Syrian man saving lives with the White Helmets was killed. https://t.co/6oQXueJB8W
— AJ+ (@ajplus) September 8, 2016


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By the time the 2018 midterms had wrapped up, everyone had won some and lost some. Republicans fell to the minority in the United States House of Representatives after predictably losing a handful of seats to Democratic insurgents. The Democratic Party also helped make history by electing a record number of women to Congress, including the first Muslim-American and Native American members ever.
Likewise, Republicans had plenty to celebrate. Not only did they retain control of the U.S Senate as expected, but they also strengthened their majority by flipping a few seats. In Alaska, Republicans claimed a sweeping victory up and down the ballot: the governor's and U.S. House seat, as well as the State House and Senate, look to be completely under their control. In addition to that, Ballot Measure 1 was swiftly defeated.
Besides any individual office, there was one notable loser: the American voter. That's because year after year, the wealthiest democracy in the world continues to make voting one of the hardest things to do.
In Georgia and North Dakota, state governments worked hard to deny thousands of citizens the vote. Georgia's mass purge of voter rolls in the lead up to the election — carried out by the Secretary of State running in the 2018 governor's race — undoubtedly affected the very close races for governor and U.S. Senate. So did the 53,000 voter registrations that were put on hold, most of which were predominantly black voters. As if that wasn't enough, election day in Georgia was plagued by extremely long lines and technical errors that forced counties to extend voting times into the late hours of the night.
Other states saw similar accounts of voter suppression, including North Dakota's recently approved voter ID rules that excluded thousands of Native Americans living on reservations from voting.
More broadly, states across the U.S. have added limitations on voting. Since 2011, seven states have limited voters' ability to cast their ballot early. More states have arbitrarily purged voter rolls since parts of the Voting Rights Act were struck down in 2013.
On top of wide-scale voter suppression, voting is a convoluted and time-consuming process for many Americans. According to a United States Census Bureau survey of 19 million registered voters who didn't vote in 2016, 14 percent of respondents cited busy schedules as a reason for not voting. Many employers don't give time off for people to vote, forcing many who don't have the luxury of taking unpaid time off work to miss out on elections that fall on weekdays.
Together, these barriers to voting act as an assault on the right of Americans to participate in their democracy. Notably, communities of color and the poor are uniquely disenfranchised by systemic and socioeconomic barriers, just as they always have been.
Luckily, there are policies that governments at every level can work to implement in order to rectify this injustice. State legislatures and the chambers of Congress should act on these policies immediately.
The first policy is simple: make Election Day a holiday. There's no reason Americans should have the make the choice between losing out on paid hours and fulfilling their civic obligation. Why not just give everyone the day off so they can vote?
The second is to implement a national automatic voter registration (AVR) law. Instead of requiring that citizens opt-in to voting by actively registering, AVR would automatically use the information you use to sign up for a driver's license to register you to vote. Some 15 states have already adopted this policy, including Alaska, which signs you up as soon as you apply for a PFD.
The third and final policy would require a more fundamental change in government. It's clear that politicians and courts are unequipped to protect voters from mass disenfranchisement. Thus, to stop voter suppression, the government should create a series of independent federal oversight commissions to handle claims of unfair voting practices.
The commission would likely be appointed by a combination of state legislatures, governors and voters. The task of these commissions would be to handle claims from voters and organizations with evidence of voter disenfranchisement. That includes, but is not limited to, early voting cutbacks, voters being turned away at the polls and "faulty" election machines.
The commission would then have the power to interview election monitors and government officials and eventually determine whether the election was conducted fairly. Should a claim be verified by the commission, a host of powers would be granted at their disposal, including the ability to force counties to hold another election under revised conditions.
For too long, we've relied on the good-faith of politicians to uphold the integrity of elections. Blatant disenfranchisement in Georgia and North Dakota makes the clear case for systemic change — and soon.


text:
Document Type
Date of Degree
Summer 2015
Degree Name
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
Degree In
First Advisor
Bleher, Frauke
First Committee Member
Bleher, Frauke
Second Committee Member
Camillo, Victor
Third Committee Member
Kutzko, Philip
Fourth Committee Member
Iovanov, Miodrag
Fifth Committee Member
Kinser, Ryan
This thesis applies methods from the representation theory of finite dimensional algebras, specifically Brauer tree algebras, to the study of versal deformation rings of modules for these algebras. The main motivation for studying Brauer tree algebras is that they generalize p-modular blocks of group rings with cyclic defect groups.
We consider the case when Λ is a Brauer tree algebra over an algebraically closed field K and determine the structure of the versal deformation ring R(Λ,V) of every indecomposable Λ-module V when the Brauer tree is a star whose exceptional vertex is at the center. The ring R(Λ,V) is a complete local commutative Noetherian K-algebra with residue field K, which can be expressed as a quotient ring of a power series algebra over K in finitely many commuting variables. The defining property of R(Λ,V) is that the isomorphism class of every lift of V over a complete local commutative Noetherian K-algebra R with residue field K arises from a local ring homomorphism α : R(Λ, V )→R and that α is unique if R is the ring of dual numbers k[t]/(t2). In the case where Λ is a star Brauer tree algebra and V is an indecomposable Λ-module such that the K-dimension of Ext1Λ(V,V) is equal to R, we explicitly determine generators of an ideal J of k[[t1,....,tr]] such that R(Λ,V)≅k[[t1,....,tr]]/J.
Public Abstract
This thesis applies methods from the representation theory of finite dimensional algebras, specifically Brauer tree algebras, to the study of versal and universal deformation rings of representations. A Brauer tree algebra Λ over an algebraically closed field k can be described by a directed graph together with relations. A representation V of Λ is given by assigning a finite dimensional vector space to each vertex and a linear map to each arrow of the directed graph such that the relations of the algebra are satisfied. The first step is to lift such a representation V to various rings R that are quotient rings of power series rings over k in finitely many commuting variables. The goal is then to use these lifts to find what is called the versal deformation ring R(Λ, V) of V. This ring has the property that it can be used to describe the isomorphism class of every lift of V over any ring R as above. In this thesis, we determine the versal deformation ring of every indecomposable representation of a Brauer tree algebra in the case where the Brauer tree is a star whose exceptional vertex is at the center.
publicabstract, algebra, representation theory
ix, 110 pages
Includes bibliographical references (pages 109-110).
Copyright 2015 Daniel Joseph Wackwitz
Recommended Citation
Wackwitz, Daniel Joseph. "Versal deformation rings of modules over Brauer tree algebras." PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) thesis, University of Iowa, 2015.


text:
Quantic Dream, the developer behind titles such as Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, has announced its critically acclaimed previously PlayStation 4 exclusive Detroit: Become Human will be coming to PC before 2019 is out. The game launched on PS4 on 25th May 2018.
To recap the details of this game, it is set in the near future (Detroit 2038) where human-like androids are everywhere. You can play as one of three distinct androids (Kara, Connor and Markus) and through the game's intense branching narrative you will witness a world at the brink of chaos. Along the way you face thousands of choices, including moral dilemmas, which will make a difference to humanity's destiny as the game story draws to a close.
It is promised that Detroit: Become Human on PC will be the "most complete Detroit: Become Human experience to date," featuring stunning graphics complete with 4K resolution, 60fps and full integration of both mouse/keyboard and gamepad controls. To hit the grade that PC gamers will expect Quantic Dream "entirely redesigned the interface and developed a new engine to offer 4k resolution and high quality rendering on a wide range of PCs," says game writer and director, David Cage.
Detroit: Become Human utilises world-renowned talent and Hollywood grade performers such as Jesse Williams (Grey's Anatomy), Clancy Brown (Carnivale), Lance Henriksen (Aliens), and Valorie Curry (Twilight), as well as an original soundtrack composed by Nima Fakhrara, Philip Sheppard and John Paesano (Dragons: Riders of Berk).
PC gamers can pre-order Detroit: Become Human via the Epic Games Store now. It is priced at £39.99 and will become available to play from 12th December. A free demo will be available (scene 1). Previously released minimum and recommended specs appear to be quite light.


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As the year draws to a close. the CrowCast team wishes to firstly thank all our loyal listeners for your support during 2017. We have built a steady following and have a large group of (as Pete would say) rusted on listeners, and it's great to see the numbers each week and know that our rambling is valued by you all.
That said, CrowCast has been going for 3 seasons now, starting as a pre-recorded podcast in 2015 and progressing to 3 live shows a week plus numerous player interviews in 2016-17. It's been a learning experience for all of us, and we'd like to think that, over time, we've settled most of our production issues and deliver something worth listening to on a weekly basis.
CrowCast was built on the foundation belief that Crows fans suffer from a distinct lack of balanced coverage in AFL media world. We're in a unique situation – being outside Victoria we dont qualify as "mainstream" to the national networks, meaning we're often served up generic coverage, erroneous information and, as we've seen this off season, snide, aggressive and often ill informed criticism from all the national outlets.
You'd think we'd be able to rely on the local outlets to balance this up, but without naming names, most would agree that the SA coverage is either vindictive, click bait or just plain stupid.
With that foundation, CrowCast have some great plans for 2018, to further improve our offering as an alternative to the mainstream Crows coverage. Here's what's in store for next season:
- A change in platform – we've used the Spreaker platform for the past two years to facilitate live broadcasts as well as host our casts for on demand listening. Spreaker has been a great platform for us, but it does have it's limitations, so from next season, we will be moving to a new host and, more importantly, broadcasting our live shows on Facebook. Facebook gives us a great opportunity to reach as many Crows fans as possible and is an easy platform for people to access. Facebook currently has Live Video available and is in the process of rolling out Live Audio on desktop. We're experimenting with the Live Video format at the moment with a view to offering a broader cast that has visual as well as audio elements. This is quite exciting, but also quite labour intensive, so we'll take baby steps to ensure our efforts dont "break" the cast. We hope our live listeners will find the transition from Spreaker to Facebook easy and painless
- With the change in platform comes a change in host. All our casts will remain on Facebook after they've been live, so anyone accessing our Facebook page will be able to view and/or listen to any or all of our Casts. In addition, our Casts will now live on this site and be available for viewing/listening live or on demand. As always, audio versions of our cast will remain available on iTunes, and from 2018 also on TuneInRadio and Google Music. Audio streams will still be accessible via all major pod catching software for those who like to download or stream their podcasts from those apps. In short, there will be many ways to get your fix each week!
- Expansion (aka World Domination!!) – we will be marketing actively to spread the love and increase our listenership. This is something we haven't really done in the past, relying instead on our BigFooty roots and word of mouth. The time has come, however, to spread our wings! So for all of you who listen, make sure you share our links with your Facebook and Twitter friends and help us grow CrowCast!
- New Shows – 2018 will see a dedicated, Wednesday night AFLW show throughout the Women's season. Scorpus and Nikki will be heading this one up, and we hope to get plenty of involvement from our female listeners (and the blokes who love the AFLW too). Following the completion of the AFLW season, the Wednesday night show will revert to a general AFL talk show, with a large segment of Fantasy Footy content for those Supercoach enthusiasts.
- Our other shows will remain, but with slight tweaks for Tuesday Night Live. TNL will be very much a Crows talk show and we will be encouraging – no DEMANDING – listener participation. We will have many avenues to get involved. Facebook comments, Twitter, Skype, and a dedicated number for people to text or call in. This show will be a chance for you all to get involved and have your say. There will be the usual content, but the show (we hope) will be driven by you guys. Sunday's Wrap and Thursday's preview will remain largely the same, but will be fine tuned and assisted by some of the aforementioned graphical wizardry, so if you can watch the live feed either here or on Facebook, you'll be thrilled and amazed!
- We've had the dear old CockWombling Numbnut award and Game of Crows and these will remain but be joined with more competitions and prizes in 2018. Look out for a tipping comp. a Fantasy Footy League and some other spot competitions throughout the season.
- Sponsorship – many of you will have noticed that our shows have been sponsored by Kazmar Event Technology in the past, and they've been a great support to the cast. Whilst they have indicated they will continue to do so, we will be seeking more sponsorship for the various shows in 2018. Why do we want sponsorship? Well, every little bit helps us get better equipment, pay for better hosting and generally assists us deliver something which is as high a quality as a bunch of amateurs like us can deliver. So if you're a fan of the show and would like to kick in a few bucks to help us grow, please drop us an email at email@example.com and we can provide more information.
- Finally, there'll be some new faces next season. Donkey Magoo had such a good time as my boundary rider during the Main Break shows, he's decided to come on full time. Rabman is a BigFooty member who has also put his hand up and promises to give a younger, fresher outlook (I don't know what he means?!?!). Many of you will know Corey from some of his work on Draft analysis and some cameos on our shows in the past and he will be becoming a regular in 2018. Plus there's Maggsy, who joins our international bureau as our UK correspondent, complimenting the inimitable AmericanCrow from the US. We hope to have both our internationals on as often as possible next season.
Thats about it for now, but there may be even more to come. In the meantime, thanks again for all your support to date, have a safe and happy Christmas and New Year, and we'll see you all rarin to go for the AFLW 2018 season.
The team at CrowCast


text:
« …Ō"Ľ"≥ľŐ–Ý »
"rection of damnation. I can of mine own "self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my "judgment is just; because I seek not mine "own will, but the will of the Father which u hath sent me.
"If I bear witness of myself, my witness is u not true. There is another a that beareth M witness of me; and I know that the witness "which he witnesseth of me is true. Ye sent "unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. "But I receive not testimony from man: but "these things I say, that ye might be saved. w He was a burning and a shining light: and "ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his M light.
"But I have greater witness than that of "John: for the works which the Father hath "given me to finish, the same works that I do> "bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent K me. And the Father himself, which hath w sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have "neither heard his Voice at any time, nor seen "his shape. And ye have not his word abidu ing in you t for whom he hath sent, him ye u believe not.
"Search the scriptures; for in them ye thinkb "ye have eternal life: and they are they which "testify of me. And ye will not come to me, "that ye might have life.
a I appeal to the Holy Spirit of God in the miracles I work, as a witness of my divine mission. 'Ye know for certain.
"I receive not honour from men. But I "know you,3 that ye have not the love of God ** in you. I am come in my Father's name, and "ye receive me not: if another shall come in "his own name, him ye will receive. How can "ye believe, which receive honour one of ano"ther,and seek not the honour that cometh from "God only?
". Do not think that I will accuse you to the "Father: there is one that accuseth you, even "Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye be"lieved Moses, ye would have believed me: "for he wrote of me. b But if ye believe not "his writings, how shall ye believe my words?"
33. Jesus vindicates his disciples for plucking ears of corn on the Sabbath.
Time. And it came to pass on Place.
A'£: 31 . the secondc sabbath after ,In thTe w*r Alter , fromJerusa
Second the hrst, that he went iem to GaPassover. through the corn fields; lilee. and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days ? And Jesus answering them said, "Have ye not read so much as this, what Da"vid did, when himself was an hungred, and "they which were with him ; J how he went "into the house of God in the days of Abia
a You may deceive others, but you cannot deceive me.
"thar the high priest, and did eat the shew"bread, which was not lawful for him to eat,
neither for them which were with him, but ". only for the priests? or have ye not read in "the law, how that on the sabbath days the "priests in the temple prophane the sabbath, "and are blameless? but I say unto you, That "in this place is one greater than the temple.1 ** But if ye had known what this meanelh, I ** will have mercy, and not sacrifice,b ye would "not have the condemned the guiltless.
"The sabbath was made for man,' and not "man for the sabbath :c Therefore the Son of "man is Lord of the sabbath."
34. Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, withdraws himself from the Pharisees, and heals many.
And when he was departed thence, Place. he went into their synagogue: and Galilee. there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the Scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, " Rise up, "and stand forth in the midst/' And he arose and stood forth. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? Then said Jesus unto them, "I will ask you one
* Even the Lord of the temple. b It means, rather than sacrifice. "c The Sabbath was.intended for the benefit of man. "thing: Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do "good, or to do evil ? to save life, or to de** stroy it?" and he said unto them, * . What "man shall there be among you, that shall have ** one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sab"bath day, will he not lay hold of it, and lift "it out? How much then is a man better than, "a sheep?" But they held their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, " Stretch forth thine hand." And he stretched it out; and his hand was restored whole as the other.
And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multi-? tude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him. And he spake to his. disciples, that a small ship1 should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. For he had healed many ; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues. And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.b
a Or boat.
b Lest the Jews should seize him before he had finished all
he was sent to do.
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,a Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.b He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.c And in his name shall the Gentiles trust,
35. Jesus retires to a mountain, calls his disciples to him, chooses twelve, is followed by a great multitude, and heals many.
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. And he ordained twelve, (that they should be Avith him, and that he might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils,) whom also he named apostles,d Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, (and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The Sons of Thunder;) Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon called
3 Isaiah, 42. 1.
k Teach the Gentiles.
* Though a pattern of meekness, yet shall he finally con* quer all opposition.
d Or messengers. 2


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Thirteen months of being stationary feels like an eternity to somebody who has spent over 7 months abroad since December 2010. So when Easyjet released their latest list of bargain flights we very quickly decided to make our first visit to Africa. Morocco to be more exact.
The southern city of Agadir is a very touristy destination. The sort of place we would normally avoid in fact, but it is also the most southern airport that Easyjet fly to in Morocco. So we decided this would be a good place to start our short adventure.
As soon as we landed things felt both familiar and different. We have seen so many unfamiliar foreign airports now that the confusion they bring feels like an old friend. We quickly fell into our well practiced routine. Find an ATM, find out what a taxi should cost, negotiate with a taxi driver, pay too much for a taxi. Soon enough we were in a clapped out old Mercedes on our way to Agadir.
Whilst Morocco is a devoutly Islamic country they have the good sense to relax things to make tourism easier. It wasn't hard to tell that Islam was important in Agadir but at the same time it felt quite relaxed. Tourists had plenty of flesh on show and there was a long beach with a pleasant promenade where you could buy ice cream and tourist junk. I bought a fake watch of some description.
We decided to explore and soon enough came across the fish market. Here local people come to eat fresh fish and seafood pretty much straight off the boat.
Whilst we consider ourselves well travelled and wise to the scams and rip-offs that are so internationally common (you may recall our baptism of fire at Hanoi train station) we were caught a little off guard here. Blinded by our hunger we failed to agree the price beforehand. We feasted on delicious calamari and what transpired to be hake and upon asking for the bill we found that we were being asked to pay around £30.
My first reaction was to laugh. The place looked like this to give you some perspective.
Our bandit waiter was not laughing. What we had pointed to on the menu board was priced at around £5 so I pointed at the board a few times. He responded by dangling what remained of our hake in front of my face. This went on for a while until I got fed up and gave him £15 to sod off. He wasn't happy but lost interest when we walked away.
A couple of years back this would have been unsettling. It was far from friendly banter after all. But we just laughed it off. Ten minutes later some other travellers caught up with us having witnessed my rather public disagreement. When I told them what we had paid they seemed to think this was a fairly decent outcome.
Ripping off tourists is a major business in a lot of the places we visit. Rarely is it aggressive or nasty but it can be frustrating at times, especially when larger sums of money are involved. It becomes an issue if we do not know what something should cost. The taxi in a new country straight from the airport is the finest example. So if we can give one bit of advice to anybody heading off on their first adventure it is to be prepared.
We spent the rest of our only full day in Agadir having a look around the town, watching football on the beach and eating ice cream.
The day after we wanted to travel south to a little town called Mirleft. The journey didn't exactly look straight forward but we set off to the bus station ready for an adventure.


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Sapphire Angel – Beginnings (Chapters 34-35)
Written by CJS :: [Friday, 06 September 2019 21:22] Last updated by :: [Sunday, 08 September 2019 21:44]
Chapter 34
Sapphire Angel had expected Dominick's home to be larger. It was big, but not the sprawling mansion she had imagined. Brick, with four tall white pillars framing the front porch, the structure reminded her of fraternity houses that lined the streets of her college town.
The house was immaculate, with a crisply painted facade and pristine bricks devoid of ivy or other growth. The grounds around the structure were meticulously maintained, with neatly trimmed grass and bushes. Large copses of trees surrounded the home on three sides. In the front, a circular driveway ran past front wide steps, climbing up to a brick porch. A detached garage sat twenty yards off to one side.
The petite woman crouched on a thick tree branch in a wooded area to one side of the house, waiting for the darkness to deepen and for Stanley to finish hacking into the home's security system. She watched the windows of the building for any signs of life. A single car, a late model Chevrolet sedan, sat in front of the home. Certainly not Dominick's, but whose?
She brushed her radiant blond hair over one shoulder and made sure her white gloves were pulled up her arms. Clad in her costume, a quiet confidence had settled over her.
As she studied the home, Sapphire Angel considered the name given her by the press. It was growing on her. In a way, it helped her make sense of her existence. It allowed her to see herself as someone else - as having a true alter ego. Beth Harper wouldn't do what she was doing now. But Sapphire Angel would.
She couldn't believe it had only been three days since she had donned the costume for the first time. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Then she had planned to wear the costume to a Halloween party. Now it was recognizable to everyone in the city, and allowed her to become something she wasn't.
As she scanned the home again, Beth heard Stanley's voice in a tiny earpiece hidden in her ear.
"You should be good," he said. "The security system is down."
Sapphire Angel dropped from the tree branch, her short skirt fluttering around her. She flexed her knees as she hit the ground, and darted off toward the side of the house.
A room extended from the right side of the home, looking like it had been added to the main structure after its initial construction. The room was constructed of brick like the rest of the home, but the bricks were slightly more vibrant in color, and the enclosure was only one story tall. An exterior door sat between two large windows. The heroine darted to the enclosure, stopping at one of the tall windows. She put her face to the glass and peered into a sitting area. A sofa and three chairs surrounded a coffee table, and paintings of nature scenes hung on the walls. Dim light from a nearby hallway cast shadows about the room.
Sapphire Angel crept to the door. She held Stanley's cylindrical device to the lock, and moments later heard a quiet click as the lock disengaged. She put a gloved hand to the handle and turned it.
Holding her breath, she pushed the door inward. The costumed woman paused, waiting for the sound of an alarm countdown, but none came. She stepped inside, pulling the door closed behind her. She paused again before moving past the sofa and chairs, and stopping at the entrance to the hallway.
The floor of the hall was made of hardwood that gleamed even in the dim light provided by sconces along the wall. Beth pulled her hair back with a gloved hand and listened. A sound came from down the hall, but didn't seem to be close. The hall ran the width of the home, with the spotless hardwood glinting the entire distance.
She crept down the hall, putting one slender leg forward at a time, taking care that her boots didn't thump on the floor. The stealthy woman saw a bright light through an opening at the opposite end, and a shadow playing on the wall in the room beyond.
Someone was there. Probably the person whose car was in the driveway. A caregiver for Dominick's daughter, perhaps.
Sapphire Angel wasn't afraid, but didn't want her presence to be discovered. She eyed two openings in the hall, halfway down, to the left and right. She made her way to them and glanced both ways. To her right sat another sitting area, even larger than the first, looking out over an expansive back yard of manicured grass.
To her left was a short hallway opening into a large foyer, containing the massive front door and a stairway winding upstairs. The floor of the foyer was made of light-colored tile, with handsome wood paneling extending halfway up the walls.
She crept into the foyer, passing two closed doors in the hall, and made her way to the stairs. The runner on the stairs muted her footfalls as she ascended. The stairs ended at the start of another hallway, with two closed doors midway down on either side, and one door open at the far end. A blue glow came from the far doorway.
Intrigued by the light, Sapphire Angel moved down the hall, again taking care with her steps. When she reached the doorway, her jaw dropped in surprise.
A young woman, or perhaps even a girl, lay in a bed. Beth was uncertain of the girl's age because of the ventilator mask covering her mouth, but her condition was unmistakable. Even at a glance, it was obvious this girl was dying.
She was frail and skeletal, and her face was gaunt. Machines lined each side of the bed, and tubes ran from some of them into her body. Her eyes were closed, and her hair had either been cut thin, or large amounts of it had fallen out. In a way, the girl before her reminded the heroine of John in his final hours.
This had to be Dominick's daughter. Sapphire Angel had come here to see her, but the girl's appearance still surprised her. John at least had moments of lucidity before his death. This girl didn't appear ready to speak with anyone.
Beth felt herself drawn to the girl. She moved to the bed and stared down at her. Standing there, looking down at the sickly figure, the costumed woman couldn't help but feel a connection to Dominick. Beth had lost John, and Dominick was losing his daughter. What would Beth have done to save John? Would she have gone as far as Dominick had gone?
The blond woman shook her head and focused on the girl's bony hands. No. She would never kill, not even to save a loved one. But the thought lingered.
As Sapphire Angel watched the girl's hands, they moved. One of them inched slowly to the respirator mask, fumbling for an edge, until it grabbed it and pulled it aside.
Sapphire Angel reached a gloved hand forward, to pull it back in place, when the girl's mouth moved.
"You're her," the girl said in a raspy whisper.
Sapphire Angel froze. It seemed like a voice coming from the dead. The heroine stared at the girl.
"You're Sapphire Angel," the girl said, her voice weak but audible.
Beth took a step back. The girl's eyes didn't even look to be open.
"Yes, I am."
"I'm Ashley. Ashley Dominick."
Ashley took a long breath, inhaling and exhaling. Sapphire Angel waited, and didn't reply.
"Sometimes my dad keeps the television on," Ashley continued. Her words came in a halting, staccato manner, as if voicing each syllable took great effort. "I've seen the stories about you."
"I'm sorry to be here like this," Sapphire Angel replied, not sure what else to say.
"I didn't think you were real."
"I'm real," the heroine replied with a grim smile. She doubted the girl could even see her expression.
"I'm glad," the girl in the bed replied, pausing again to gulp in breaths of air. "People need someone like you to believe in. They need to believe there's a hero to save the day."
Sapphire Angel grimaced. She couldn't explain to Ashley that she was no hero, that she was doing what she did for selfish reasons - first to try to save her boyfriend, and now to save her friend. She remained quiet.
"You're here because of my father, aren't you? Why else would a superhero be in our house?"
Sapphire Angel paused before nodding. "Yes. I'm here because of your father."
Ashley remained silent for several moments, perhaps building up her strength, or perhaps thinking of her father. Finally she turned her head toward the costumed woman.
"What has he done?" Ashley asked.
The question felt like a weight dropped on the superheroine. Ashley Dominick was dying. Could Beth destroy the girl's image of her father? Beth paused, weighing the options in her mind. In the end, it was easy.
"Your father is trying to save you," she said, and her voice trailed off. She couldn't finish.
"And?" Ashley pressed, as if sensing her visitor wasn't telling her everything.
Sapphire Angel took a deep breath.
"And to save you, he's doing something that might hurt others," she replied, before quickly adding, "but I don't think he realizes it."
Perhaps the lie would soften the blow. Beth couldn't bear bringing more pain to the dying girl.
"And you're trying to stop him?"
"I need to find him, because someone with him might be in trouble."
Ashley's head barely moved, in what might have been a nod.
"He's not here. Hasn't been all day. Well, I think it's been a day. He doesn't put clocks in here, so I lose track sometimes."
"Do you know where he might be?" Sapphire Angel asked, and held her breath. The superheroine's gloved fists were clenched at her sides as tension built up inside her. She almost felt as if she were willing Ashley to know her father's location.
"I do," Ashely replied, and turned her head away.
The heroine exhaled, allowing a mix of tension and excitement to escape her body. It took all her willpower to remain quiet, so Ashley could continue at her own pace. After a moment, the sick girl turned back toward her.
"You don't have to lie to me about my father. I know what he's capable of."
Sapphire Angel reached out, touching the girl's arm softly with her gloved fingers. Even in the girl's withered state, the heroine saw the pain in Ashley's eyes. Not pain from her illness, but pain that comes from realizing the true nature of a loved one.
"I'm sorry," the heroine said.
Ashely's eyes were open now, and staring up at her visitor. "Promise me something," she said, her voice sounding stronger than it had been.
Without thinking, the heroine nodded. "Promise you what?"
"Make this easy on my father. When I die, it will be hard enough. I can't bear the thought of him spending the rest of his life in prison."
Sapphire Angel nearly stepped back, and her fingers fell away from the girl's arm. How much did this girl know? Clearly she knew something about what her father was doing. Or maybe Ashley knew her father well enough to sense it.
"I'll . . . I'll do what I can, but I probably won't have any say in what happens to him. But if I don't stop him, he's only making things worse for himself. I need to discover where he is before it goes any further."
The blond woman watched as an internal struggle took place in Ashley. The sick girl's face twisted in a grimace, as if she fought to contain a pressure building inside her. Finally it erupted.
"I'll tell you," she said, her voice cracking, and she looked away. She paused again to catch her breath, or to compose herself, before turning back to face Sapphire Angel. "But please do what you can to help him. I'm sure he has to be at the facility north of the city. An old warehouse. Outside Irving, a town that's a tiny speck on the map. Fizzure owns it through a shell company."
"Do you know exactly where?
"I heard my dad give directions over the phone. It's the first exit off I-81 over the county line. Left at the end of the ramp, and then your second left. It's at the end of the dead end."
With the words "dead end," Ashley's eyes closed. For a moment, Sapphire Angel thought she was asleep or even dead. But then they flickered open, and they were filled with tears, and perhaps guilt.
"Please do what you can for my dad, Sapphire Angel."
Sapphire Angel nodded.
"I will. Is there anything else you can tell me?"
Ashley paused before shaking her head.
"I would tell you if I knew anything," she said, her voice cracking. Tears flowed down the side of her face. "I really would. Just please go, before it's too late."
Sapphire Angel nodded and hesitated, before turning and retracing her steps back through the home. The image of Ashley Dominick, laying sick and dying in bed, seared her brain. And so did Ashley's request. Make this easy on my father. Sapphire Angel didn't know how she could both save Ethan, and spare Demarco Dominick.
Chapter 35
"Are we ready for him?" Demarco Dominick asked.
To his right stood a balding scientist in a white lab coat, and across from them stood two muscular guards in gray slacks and shirts. Ethan Moore hung between the two guards, held aloft by their viselike grip on his upper arms. Ethan struggled in their grasp, squirming and kicking his legs. A gag muffled his protests.
"We're ready," the scientist answered. "I've checked his vitals, and confirmed the settings and connections. We've backed off on the power flowing through line four, per the suggestion, and upped number three by 18 percent. All is good. I think this one might do it."
"Any sign of visitors?" Dominick asked, turning to Joe Mathers, his security chief.
"No, sir," Mathers replied. "All the surveillance feeds are quiet."
"Let's get started," Dominick said, and nodded to the two guards holding Ethan.
The guards dragged their prisoner toward the tall glass cylinder in the middle of the room. Ethan pitched and bucked, but he was no match for the burly men. Another scientist held the door to the cylinder open, slamming it shut after the two guards shoved Ethan inside.
Dominick watched the young man jump to his feet and throw his body into the glass door. He bounced off and fell to the floor. After climbing to his feet, Ethan's mouth moved, but no sounds escaped the container. They always protested like this, Dominick thought, like birds flying into glass windows. Here though, the collisions were silent.
"To the control room," Dominick said, and marched out with his workers in tow.
Behind him, Ethan pounded on the walls of the cylinder, panic in his eyes.
Time was running out. Beth could feel it. Immediately after leaving Dominick's home, she had told Stanley of the warehouse's location and he had called the police. But the police would assemble a strike team, and she couldn't wait for that. So she had left Dominick's home and set out on the interstate, heading north.
After exiting the highway less than an hour later, she drove through the town of Irving and found the warehouse just where Ashley Dominick had placed it. She navigated to the end of the dead end road and spotted the foreboding structure, sitting in a short, low valley that opened ahead of her. Long and rectangular, the building looked older than the nearby town, with fading brick and tall windows covered partly with boards. Despite its age, it still somehow seemed sturdy. Rubble and uneven grass and weeds surrounded it.
Beth turned around and drove away, leaving the building behind her. She took a few minutes to find a discreet parking spot on a side road about a quarter mile from the warehouse. When she was sure she was alone, she removed her jacket, revealing her blue and white costume, and slipped on her gloves, boots, and necklace.
After exiting the vehicle, Sapphire Angel backtracked on foot, staying in the shadows and circling behind the warehouse until she reached the closest of two hills overlooking the building. From her vantage point, she could look down at the structure and stay out of sight. She saw light emanating from the large windows on the structure, but couldn't discern what might be inside.
The old brick building presented a few points of entry for the heroine. She could go in through the garage door and work her way up until she found Ethan. She could also enter through the double door at the top of some stairs above the garage, which would put her on the middle floor of the structure. Her third option would be to enter through one of the many windows.
She would have preferred to start at the bottom and work her way up, but she imagined the large metal doors would make too much noise. The windows were also out of the question. She probably would need to break one to get in, and that would alert Dominick and his men of her presence.
That left the stairway door. She didn't like entering the middle floor of the building and having to choose between going up or down to find Ethan. If she chose wrong, she would need to backtrack and waste time. She saw no other options, though. The stairway door it was.
Darkness had settled in, and clouds obscured the stars. It was time to move. Sapphire Angel rose, scanned the open ground between her and the building, and set off in a run.
From a room next to the cylinder room, Demarco Dominick looked down at a monitor, watching Ethan Moore kicking and pounding at the glass of the cylinder. Dominick had to hand it to the kid. Most of them gave up after a minute or two, realizing it was fruitless. This one was a fighter.
Next to Dominick, his lead scientist pecked away at a keyboard. Moments later, a familiar buzzing noise filled the air, like the sound of a massive clock alarm. The sound originated from the cylinder, but sounded like it came from a few feet away. Dominick watched as the prisoner cringed and threw his hands over his ears.
A moment later, the buzzing stopped and was replaced by a deep rumble, like a bulldozer rolling through the building. Anyone unfamiliar with the project might have mistaken it for an earthquake. Even here, thirty feet from the cylinder, the floor shook.
Dominick watched Ethan Moore intently, seeing the same behavior shown by the previous prisoners. The boy's panic had grown to near hysteria, and a twinge of discomfort touched his face.
"Sir, we have company," Dominick's security chief announced, urgency in his voice. Dominick turned to look at a security monitor. It depicted several views of the exterior of the structure, one of which showed a beautiful woman approaching. Sapphire Angel. She sprinted toward the building.
"Damnit," Dominick muttered.
"Should we abort the process?" Dominick's scientist asked.
Dominick shook his head. "Not yet. There's still time."
He turned his gaze back to the view of the cylinder and watched as Ethan Moore dropped to his knees, his face twisted in pain.
Sapphire Angel approached the building with the speed of an Olympic sprinter. She darted under the stairs and paused, listening to see if anyone might have detected her arrival. A deep rumbling reached her ears, and she felt slight tremors underneath her feet. Her heart leapt into her throat as she remembered the first time she had heard the sound, three nights ago. The sound had also visited her in her dreams since then.
One thought dominated her mind. Ethan. She rushed to the foot of the stairs and leapt to the landing. The metal of the platform clattered under her feet, but it was too late for stealth.
The handles to double doors were wrapped in a large length of chain, secured at the ends with a thick padlock. Sapphire Angel wrinkled her nose in puzzlement. They had locked themselves in?
She put an ear to the door, but only for a moment. Hearing nothing but the rumble, she slid Stanley's thin lock pick device from her boot and held it to the padlock. She had it unlocked in a matter of seconds. After returning the device to her boot, she unfastened the chain, opened the door, and looked down a dimly lit hall. She could hardly believe this place was being used by Dominick. Large holes pockmarked the ceiling and walls, and chunks of plaster created a minefield on the floor. Lights flickered from the ceiling, giving the place a haunted feeling.
The rumbling was louder here, and the sensation more pronounced. She rushed in, ignoring a pair of darkened doorways on either side of the hall, and focused her gaze on a light coming from a doorway at the end of the wall.
She hadn't taken three steps down the hall when four men stepped into her path from openings on either side. She recognized two from the farm, including the man who had kidnapped her in the parking garage and discovered her identity in the barn. They looked right at her with smug looks, as if they had been waiting for her.
One of them was big, perhaps six foot four and muscled. Two were smaller, but still fit, while the fourth man, the one from the barn, was stocky and wore a skullcap.
"Time to fuck you up," the large man said, before they all charged toward her.
Dominick altered his gaze between the screen showing the cylinder, and the one showing Sapphire Angel in the entrance hall. He needed to hope his men could hold off the superheroine long enough for this experiment to run its course. The kid in the cylinder would be useless to them for the foreseeable future if they had to restart the process. They needed to finish, and then Dominick could turn his full attention to Sapphire Angel, and take her down once and for all.
As his men stepped into the hall to intercept her, he glanced over at the screen showing the cylinder. The Moore kid looked to be an agony. They would know soon if this worked. Hopefully Moore wouldn't drop dead before they consumed what they needed.
Because of the width of the hall, the guards could only come at Sapphire Angel two abreast. That worked to her advantage. She stood her ground until the last moment, before leaping off her feet.
Her feet lashed out with such speed the men didn't see the attack coming. The hard toes of her boots connected with the faces of the two smaller men, crushing bone, and they staggered back into the men behind them.
Sapphire Angel used the ensuing confusion and tangle of limbs to her advantage, leaping into the fray with a flurry of punches. She started with the two men in the back, her fists moving in a blur. Both men went down before they could throw a punch in return. She whirled to the first two men, finishing them with open-palmed blows to their chests, driving them to the floor.
Only seconds had passed, and all four men were down, groaning and clutching at various body parts. The heroine stood back, amazed at how quickly she had controlled the fight. It was time to find Ethan.
Dominick watched the screen in disbelief. He had been counting on his men to keep the superheroine busy for at least a minute or two, but the fight was over within seconds.
With a growl from deep within his throat, he glanced over at the screen showing the cylinder. The Moore kid was rolling on the floor of the cylinder, clutching his sides in agony. Dominick turned to his lead scientist.
"How much longer?" Dominick barked.
"Because we slowed the power through number four, we still have another minute or two until we know if it's working."
Dominick looked back at the other screen and saw Sapphire Angel advancing down the hall. They wouldn't finish in time. The heroine had ruined their chances. For now, at least.
"Fuck!" he yelled. "Switch to the alternate reactor profile!"
As his scientist hammered away at the keyboard in front of him, Dominick's eyes darted back to the view of the hallway. Sapphire Angel looked angry. He hoped this worked.
As Sapphire Angel moved past the fallen men, the sound at the end of the hall changed from a hum, to a lower-pitched mechanical groan. The light emanating from the doorway ahead changed from a dull yellow to a blue.
As she stepped forward, a wave of dizziness hit her and she put a gloved hand against the wall to steady herself. She looked to the ground and saw the floor move. Except it wasn't the ground moving. It was her vision. Vertigo washed over the superheroine, and she raised both hands to the wall.
A blue glow caught her attention, but not from the room ahead. She looked down to see the glow coming from the diamond of her necklace. Before she could examine it further, a jolt of pain shot through her upper chest, directly underneath the necklace, like a hand stabbing into her chest and tugging at her heart.
"Unhhhhh…" she moaned.
Her knees quivered and she stumbled, her coltish legs turning and twisting like she was drunk and trying to walk in women's heels for the first time. She leaned her back into the wall, as her arms dropped to her side and her head drooped. The sound of a fizzle and pop from her necklace startled her, and she watched in confusion as blue sparks flared out from the diamond of her necklace and fell to the floor.
She lifted her head as if guided by an invisible force, and looked toward the blue glow coming from the end of the hallway. The sounds of the building dropped away, disappearing from her hearing but remaining in the hallway, as if an unseen force sucked away the surrounding environment and left her standing on an island of solitary existence. Her view of the hall disappeared, too, replaced by a vision from her mind's eye. Gone were the floor, the wall, and the light-filled doorway. Darkness dominated her view, except for a small circle of light in the distance.
The light grew larger and closer until Sapphire Angel was looking through a tunnel of light, at least in her mind. She saw through the tunnel and far into the distance - farther, she knew, than was humanly possible. At the end of the tunnel sat a room made of stone, with a statue of a woman standing in the middle. Beth studied the statue. Made of marble, the statue faced her, making her feel as if it were watching her. The woman was human-sized, with long, flowing hair. Beth found herself unable to focus on the face, and couldn't determine if the woman was young or old. The woman stood erect, hands on her hips, and wore no clothes.
The statue, without making a sound, called to Beth's necklace, as if summoning it. Beth sensed rather than felt that the statue was trying to take the necklace's power from her, or perhaps the necklace itself, pulling it through the tunnel of light. The heroine clenched her teeth and balled her fists. She had to fight it.
As quickly as the vision came, it disappeared. Sapphire Angel was back in the hallway, with the blue glow at the end of the hall growing brighter. She knew, instinctively, what was happening to her. Something at the end of the hall was draining her powers. She had fought it off temporarily, but the force was like a vacuum, pulling her power's essence from her. Sapphire Angel needed to reach the end of the hall and stop whatever was there.
The stunning super lady stepped forward, but stumbled again, bumping against the wall. She leaned against the wall with a shoulder, putting a hand to her head and closing her eyes. She felt the tunnel of light trying to return, so she clenched her eyes tighter, trying to fight it off.
"Looks like the little angel had her wings clipped," a voice sounded from behind her. She forced her head up and saw the large man staggering to his feet, with anger flashing in his eyes. The other three men also rose, but more slowly.
She turned to face them, still using the wall for support. The dazed heroine pushed herself to an erect position and glared at them, putting on her bravest face. She could feel her powers draining from her, though. No, it was worse than that. Not only were her powers disappearing, but even her normal strength was fading.
As the large man closed the distance to her, she summoned a reserve of fortitude and lunged forward, swinging a punch at him. He smacked her fist aside with ease and crushed a roundhouse punch into the side of her face.
Sapphire Angel grunted as the force of the blow twirled her away from the attacker. She would have hit the floor, but somehow one of the smaller men had moved behind her. He met her in mid-spin with a punch of his own, connecting with her face and rotating her back toward the big man. The big man lashed out with a backhanded smack to her face. The sound of his hand hitting her cheek filled the hallway, accompanied by her cry of pain, and she spun again, her skirt twirling about her.
The other small man joined the attack, swinging up with a punch as she stumbled past him, drilling her in her trim stomach. She let out a sickening wheeze as the blow stopped her in her tracks, before the man came in with an uppercut to her jaw. His punch lifted her from her feet, flipping her hard onto her back.
As Sapphire Angel pawed at the ground, trying to push herself up, a massive hand seized her throat, jerking her into the air. Her feet left the ground, and her attacker slammed her against the wall, expelling the air from her lungs. The man pinned her in place against the wall, with his iron grip around her slender neck.
The shellshocked heroine grabbed at the hand around her throat, gasping as her feet pedaled in the air. In her weakened state, she couldn't pry his hand free. Worse, his other hand flashed forward, smashing into the center of her face. The woman's cry of pain was interrupted by the thud of her head into the wall behind her.
With a groan, Sapphire Angel's head sagged toward her chest, her blond hair cascading around her breathtaking features. Another blow came, slamming her head back into the wall again. And again her head sagged forward, only to be drilled back into the wall once more.
The man pounded her face with anger and brutality, exacting revenge for the beating she had given him and his comrades. The sounds of the punishing blows, mixed with her cries of pain, echoed off the walls. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she choked back sobs with each blow. She sensed a distant but weak reserve of strength from her necklace, which was all that saved her from devastating injury.
Finally, after she had lost count of the blows, it became too much, and her arms dropped to her side. Her lissome body hung limply in his grasp, pinned against the wall with her head lolled to one side. She barely heard the cackles of glee coming from her attackers.
The man released his hold, and Sapphire Angel fell to the ground, collapsing onto her stomach. Still she struggled, putting her hands underneath her body and trying to push herself up. That's when the kicks began.
One after another, the men drilled her in the ribs, the head, and the face, with the toes of their boots. The hallway spun more rapidly, and she cried out with feminine yelps and grunts as she tried to cover herself and curl into a fetal position. The whole time, she was aware of sizzling and popping noises coming from her necklace, and blue sparks spewing from it.
A boot caught her in the stomach, flipping her into the air and onto her back. She looked up at the men through hazy eyes, holding out a hand in a pleading gesture. She was sobbing now.
"Please, stop…" she said, barely getting out the words.
"Not a chance, bitch," the big man spat. "You're ours, now. It's payback time."
"Enough!" a voice thundered from down the hall. Even in her weakened state Sapphire Angel recognized it. Demarco Dominick. Laying on her back, she turned her head toward the voice. Through hazy eyes she saw the immense man moving toward them, almost at a run. He emerged from the blue light at the end of the hall as if an apparition.
"I said I needed her alive and well!" he snapped at the other men.
"Boss, we couldn't take a chance," the large man protested. "You said she'd be weaker, but you saw what she did to us."
"I did," he said. "The timing of her arrival wasn't ideal, so I had to wait to weaken her. You'll have your chance for revenge later. When I'm done with her, she's yours. But not now. Bring her."
The men hesitated for a moment, their eyes traveling between Dominick and the stunning woman sprawled helpless below them, her limbs askew and her hair fanned out around her head. With a grumble, the largest attacker crouched next to the destroyed heroine. He slid one arm under her shoulders and another under her knees, and pulled her up with him as he stood. He cradled her petite body against his chest, causing her delicate neck to arch back over his arm and her hair to dangle below her. Her left arm hung limply, while her right arm lay bunched against the man's chest.
She sensed him lean close and heard him whisper, "When the boss is done with you, if there's anything left, you're gonna be my superheroine fuck toy."
The defeated heroine was only vaguely aware of being carried down the hall, her free arm and hair swaying gently as he moved. Through barely opened eyes, she saw the blue glow getting closer.


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Sunday, November 27, 2011
A New Adventure
16 comments:
Good Luck in your new endeavour. I have so much pottery to sell and I've been considering going back on Ebay where I bought all the dang stuff anyway. LOL!ReplyDelete
I am so excited for you and I just know you will do great. Good space and now you will make it yours and shine there! hugs, LindaReplyDelete
Have a monthly "theme based" special discount. Like February - all red items 10% off - or something like that. GOOD LUCK!ReplyDelete
Congratulations, Connie! How wonderful that you are going to give this a whirl. I am excited to see your booth all dressed~ xo DianaReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 27, 2011 at 12:15 PM
Now this sounds like a lot of fun! I love rummaging through these shope. Great stuff! Good Luck!ReplyDelete
I can't think of a better place for you to be right now! Best of luck!ReplyDelete
Kat :)
I love this Pooh quote! This is something I've been wanting to do too, and I've been looking in the area. I was thinking of Fredericksburg, but wasn't sure if it was right for my style of furniture, etc. Good luck and keep us posted!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 27, 2011 at 2:41 PM
How exciting, and good luck. I can't wait to see the space with your treasures in there.ReplyDelete
Good luck on your new venture! I think you'll have a blast, and hopefully make some great money, too. You have a great eye and I think people will be drawn to your space and your offerings. Best wishes!ReplyDelete
Connie, that's so exciting! Antiques have so much more character than new furniture; you find yourself wondering what were the people like who made and used it. Plus, older furniture often uses contrasting woods or interesting wood like tiger maple.ReplyDelete
Are you going to keep posting pictures of your treasures in your blog?
- AnonymousNovember 27, 2011 at 9:36 PM
Good luck and good fortune.ReplyDelete
You are quite the busy girl, aren't you, Connie! lol! I have no doubts that you'll be successful in this journey, too, girlie! I'd love to be there to help you set it all up! Sounds like so much fun!ReplyDelete
xoxo laurie
My brother and sister-in-law who live in Fredericksburg have space in the antique malls there. They used to have 3 booths but I think they have narrowed them down. They mostly deal in books.ReplyDelete
Congrats, Connie! Wishing you much success with your new venture.ReplyDelete
Congratulations on your new endeavor! I'm excited for you. I wish I could give you some tips but I have any other than I love to shop for antiques and I think what draws me to certain booths is how it is decorated. Inviting one to come and see all the wonderful treasures but not like you're shopping in someone's attic. ;)ReplyDelete
Can't wait to see what you do with your space.
Thanks for reminding me of that quote. I love it, and we should all be guided by it more. All the best to you in your new venture. Now that you've taken the first bold step, you just have to keep it stocked when it sells out. Easy!ReplyDelete
Thanks for stopping by and reading what I share. Comments are welcome and very much appreciated. Spam and trolls are not!


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FULL TIME & PART TIME Dietary Services Server Positions Available (NO LATE NIGHTS)
Hours: Various days throughout the week
Shift Options: 6am-2:30pm OR 4pm-8:30pm
Days: various days available - Sunday availability required
Work as part of our Health Center team as a Dietary Services Server . Great opportunity for those exploring a career in healthcare or a dietary services related field.
Responsibilities include: accurate and efficient meal service with emphasis on quality customer service
Who We Are:
Mirabella Seattle a is a high end premiere retirement community located in downtown Seattle.
Employee Benefits:
- Career-centered opportunity for advancement
- 100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance
- 4% 401(k) match (after one-year/1000 hours)
- profit sharing plan
- Flexible Spending Plan (up to $2600 per plan year, Dependent Care $5000)
- Discount on meals and free meal if working a holiday
- ORCA bus pass or offsite garage parking, company subsidized
- 2 weeks' vacation per year and sick time accrual (based on hours worked)
- Additional Floating holiday (after one-year)
- 6 paid national holidays (incentive pay if working a holiday)
- Employee recognition programs (VIP of month, free lunch/latte, etc.)
- Education Tuition Scholarship program
- Employee referral program
- Annual employee appreciation bonus
- Wellness center: fitness and pool
- Free uniforms
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text:
But I was both surprised and (to complete the cliché: honored) that Same Life -- New Location showed up on a list of the 10 Best Expat Blogs About Mexico.
And great company it was for this little blog as it struggles to find its way to Melaque:
- Adventures of a Third World Shopkeeper
- Billieblog
- Jesus de Monte
- Mexico Trucker
- Peeks at Mexico
- Same Life -- New Location
- Staring at Strangers
- Tales of Zapata Street
- Travels with Travis
- Zocalo de Mexican Folk Art
Of that group, I read seven whenever new posts appear. In fact, you will find them listed to the right of this post.
I do not know what the criteria were for selection. But the other blogs are extremely good, and I get a warm feeling just walking on the same red carpet with them.
On the other hand, I could probably come up with a list of blogs just as good.
What did not surprise was the limousine at the door with liveried footmen to escort me to the grand champagne award dinner. I say surprised -- because I am still waiting. In all fairness, though, I didn't expend any campaign money for the honor. And no cabinet positions come with the award.
Instead, I will sit home tonight alone, eat Sunday leftovers, and contemplate the state of man in a world of joy and woes.
Thank you, academy.