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Readers of Patrick Taylor's books know Mrs. Kinky Kincaid as the unflappable housekeeper who looks after two frequently frazzled doctors in the colourful Irish village of Ballybucklebo. She is a trusted fixture in the lives of those around her, and it often seems as though Kinky has always been there. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Some 40-odd years before and many miles to the south, the girl who would someday be Kinky Kincaid was Maureen O'Hanlon, a farmer's daughter growing up in the emerald hills and glens of County Cork. A precocious girl on the cusp of womanhood, Maureen has a head full of dreams, a heart open to romance, and something more: a gift for seeing beyond the ordinary into the mystic realm of fairies, spirits, and even the dreaded Banshee, whose terrifying wail she first hears on a snowy night in 1922.
As she grows into a young woman, Maureen finds herself torn between love and her fondest aspirations, for the future is a mystery even for one blessed with the sight. Encountering both joy and sorrow, Maureen at last finds herself on the road to Ballybucklebo---and the strong and compassionate woman she was always destined to become.
An Irish Country Girl is another captivating tale by Patrick Taylor, a true Irish storyteller.
©2009 Ballybucklebo Stories Corp. (P)2009 Macmillan Audio
"Rambling vegetarianism!"
More meat in the storyline , less rambling on! Compared to the others in the series this was like a story written to a deadline rather than to any level of quality. Any literate person could have conjured this out of the other books in the series without stretching their creativity . Poor effort!
No see above
As the story rambled on very slowly this would be impossible
Kinky Kincaid
"Stick with it!"
I was undeterred by all of the reviews I had read here and purchased this book. It was my first by this author. The first few chapters, when Kinky is telling her story to the children is very off-putting and, to be honest, I almost abandoned it in agreement with the negative reviews. However, I stuck with it and ended up enjoying this book very much! Definitely worth it if you persist past the first few chapters.
If you like Irish folktales, this is a book for you. Just sit back and listen to the entertaining story.
"If you are looking for Ballybucklebo it's not here"
If the author had stuck with the characters and town that the other books in this series are about. This one is a boring long winded story, told to some kids by housekeeper Kinky Kincaid. Some demons or spirits didn't want her neighbor, when she was a young woman, to chop down a tree. So he chops down the tree and now ooooh scary, all these supernatural things are happening. I think Patrick Taylor had a left over short story in his files and thought he could make it part of this series by having good ol Kinky tell the story within the story. Its a huge disappointment!
Boring, a story about a kid chopping down a tree drags on forever and ever. Get over it--it's a tree!
Narrator appears to be faking an Irish accent. I liked the male reader of the other books in this series much better.
No, none that I can see.
skip this one and read the Irish Country Doctor, Dublin City Student, and Irish Country Village.
"Love this series"
I have enjoyed every minute if the Irish Country Doctor series by Patrick Taylor. I will say that this was my least favorite of all the books but evem with that said, I still loved it.It was great to have a backstory on the lovable houskeeper, Kinky Kencaid. I also would have preferred that the same narrator had read this book. It was a little disconderting for Kinky to have a new voice. Thank you Mr. Taylor for many hours of enjoyment.
"Very enjoyable!"
At first I was disappointed that the narrater was different to the previous books in the series but this is Kinky's story and Terry Donnelly did a great job. I enjoyed getting to know Kinky and her family. Now knowing her story will I've no doubt make the remaining books even more enjoyable.
"This series You will be disappointed by narrator"
Love the series but couldn't listen to this narrator. Ruined the series for me
I didn't care for it. It ruined the series.
"Not up to par"
Yes, I have read other books in this series and will go on to the rest.
The next in the series.
Although the varied children's voices were good, the overall performance was without much emotion.
Sorry, but no.
I am very disappointed in this book. I am absolutely hooked on the series and the characters in the village. It would have been nice to hear Kinky's story done well.
I makes me homesick for Ireland altho I've never been there.
"Not typical for this series"
This book does not follow the storyline that the other books to do and is read by a woman rather than the usual Mail reader. I'm not sure if it was because of the reader or because of the story, but I really did not enjoy this and listen to about half before I finally just gave up on it.
"Too much of a departure"
I am glad I listened to this, but it was too much of a departure from the first three novels for me to enjoy. I am a big fan of many things fairy and fey, but the beginning just seemed to go on for far too long and seemed much more disconnected from the remainder of the story. I didn't really learn what I hoped to about Kinky and it was quite rushed toward the end. John Keating is such a brilliant narrator I don't know I would have liked any other rendition of Kinky. Looking forward to the next book. Not expecting to revisit this one.
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victoria valentino in clean cut
kris was looking to get a hair cut. he walked into this salon and asked to get a cut. victoria was finishing up with a client and asked kris to have a seat. he must have been really horny because he started to fondle his package while waiting. once he got into the chair, the small talk started. victoria noticed that kris was not paying to much attention and saw a jerking action coming from underneath the robe. she pulls it off to reveal him jerking off. crazy. the girls come over and strip him bare. they do not let him go but instead decide to use him for their pleasure. after swapping turns sucking his dick, victoria decides to fuck him til.... click here for the full update!

subset: commoncrawl


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..but to hope and believe in the Jets. I watch every game to the very end no matter what the score,good or bad. I sit in Patriots bars up here in Vermont and catch $hit all year long about how Rex is a scum bag,Sanchez can't win,Bart Scott takes it up the....well you know and so on.
But here we sit at 2-2 with our two best players done for the year,we will play with four starters missing on offense tonight and our defense has been far from special. But I care to much to just act like the season is already over. We wait what seems like forever for football season to get here and after the first four weeks most people sound like they are giving up already. I know the odds are against us to do anything this year but I just can't give up. It's not in my DNA.
I don't agree with everything that Rex does or some of the players Tanny brings in or lets go. But once the ball is kicked off I want my fuc**ng team to WIN!! I could care less who is or is not on the field...find a way to win the game. I remember one of the first Jets games the crushed me was the wildcard game vs the Bills in '81 or '82. I was just a little kid but I was hooked and I have never stopped or lost hope in Gang Green.
Call me a douche if you will but I'm going to keep fighting as long as there is a trace of the boys getting into the playoffs. And not until that chance is 100% gone will I start to worry about the draft or whats going to happen on the coaching front. I hope to see great effort and passion from the Jets tonight and the rest of the season.. Lets go punch these mother ****ers in the mouth !!!
I'm with ya! Once the ball is kicked off, I'm right there with ya regardless. My heart always says we can win.
But if we lose I come here to vent. And when the team falls apart like we are currently, I fall harder. Sometimes out of frustration people say things we don't truly mean. We may bash the team, players or management but in the end we all just want to win.
I won't give up, per say....
But my interest in the Jets season will wane considerably....
Good thing I have NFL REDZONE....
Tough town to be a Jet fan, but I bet they treat you a 100% better in the bars than we would treat them in our town.
Hi Vermont
I too bleed green. I wear my Jet paraphernalia proudly regardless of what the media has said is in store for us tonight. What the Jets are suffering from is insurmountable, it's the lack of talent across both sides of the ball. I'm not going to blame Sanchez as any QB needs time to pass the ball and some decent WR/TE's to make a case for himself, he has neither. He hasn't had either in two consecutive years and to hoot you brought in a media darling in Tebow to boost your confidence. I hate to see what tonight will bring, but clearly the loosing without talent is going to continue and that may mean more snaps for a QB who isn't exactly a QB. At least when they put Tebow in everyone will finally see and confirm what the rest of the league has known - he isn't a starting QB in the NFL and this ugly trade can be put to bed. What also will happen is Sanchez will have to be released or traded because he will not want to go back after being pulled from his starting position.
I wish we can have a beer together as misery needs company after tonight.


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An online anthology on alternative schooling options from ASBJ.
Authorized LeadersSchool boards play a pivotal role as the main authorizers of charter schoolsDecember 2015
The Regulation of Charter SchoolsWhere state policymakers have adopted sound policies, charters have proven much more likely to provide novel and exciting educational experiences for children. Evidence suggests states that identify local boards as the primary authorizer of charter schools are more likely to create academically successful charters.February 2013
Education Vital Signs: Charters & VouchersEducation Vital Signs collection of reports on Administration.
Plan for the BestParents leaving for charter schools are not all anti-public education, anti-social, or driven by religion. They do want attendance stability, relevant education, less politics and board infighting, and more beneficial programs development instead of change for the sake of change. They want less uncertainty from poor planning.February 2012
Follow the MoneyTwo decades ago, not a single penny of taxpayer money was spent on charter schools. This year, public funding for charters will run into the billions of dollars. ASBJ looks at where the money comes from and its growing influence on education reform.February 2012
The Voucher RevivalPro-voucher organizations make no secret of (or apology for) their push to break up what they call public school monopolies and give parents more choices about where to send their children to school. In several states, school board members are banding together to fight state budget cuts and privatization.November 2011
Who Chooses Charter Schools?In years past, many affluent urban families fled to the suburbs. Now, those families still left behind seek their own means to escape troubled schools, and charters are a viable option. Nationwide, at least one in five students is enrolled in a charter school in 20 communities, mostly urban.
December 2010
Traditional Schools Serve All Who ComeAt Woodrow Wilson, one of two comprehensive high schools in New Jersey's poorest city, almost one out of every three students is classified as having special needs. That's just one indication of the tremendous challenges Wilson faces, and it's emblematic of the problems confronting thousands of urban high schools that have long struggled to keep students from dropping out.
December 2010
Magnets Lost in the ShuffleLessons we have learned from magnet schools have implications for all districts interested in designing student assignment policies that pursue diversity. Any system of choice in a stratified, unequal society like ours can exacerbate inequality and segregation, but the race-neutral structures magnets promote can be used to help maintain diversity.
November 2009
Magnet School HistoryMagnet schools were seen as a means to draw white families back to racially homogenous inner-city schools. Failed, costly attempts at large-scale reform, combined with a 2007 U.S. Supreme Court ruling outlawing race as a sole factor in admission decisions, have moved magnets to the sidelines of the school choice conversation.
November 2009
The Next Generation of LearningWhile initially a novelty, K-12 educational opportunities in the virtual world Second Life are gaining heft, crystallizing into formal courses, and in some cases, even offering high school students the opportunity to earn college credit. Educators are quickly discovering that virtual reality offers learning opportunities that simply do not exist in the everyday world.
November 2009
The Role of Online Schools in ChoiceThe Internet's impact still does not reach down into as many classrooms as it could. Virtual learning can be a rich, engaging, and highly personalized learning environment encompassing everything from frequent phone calls with the instructor to collaborative work projects with fellow students, to real-time learning through webinars and instant messaging.
November 2009
Private School PressuresThis year's economic downturn has hit Roman Catholic and private schools where many already were suffering – in the pocketbook. Catholic schools remain heavily tuition-dependent; the days when priests and nuns comprised their staffs are long gone. And, for the first time, some Catholic schools in hard-hit urban areas are turning into charter schools to survive.
November 2009
Charting a Course for Charter SchoolsThere's a tension in our education system between two things we desire: school choice and leaving no child behind. A civic approach to charters would help ensure that the first of these goals contributes to the second.
November 2009
The Evolution of School ChoiceAll along, supporters have argued that school choice – competition – would pressure low-performing public schools to respond with better programs and improved services. Not everything went according to plan. A series of reports has concluded that issues of convenience, transportation, and available classroom space in better-performing schools are formidable obstacles to real choice.
November 2009
Five Big QuestionsRecent events, combined with the shrill rhetoric on both sides of the choice debate, could tempt school board members and administrators to dismiss charters, along with their motives, their potential, and their growing importance in public education. That would be a big mistake, because the more credible voices in the charter community raise legitimate critiques and challenges that school leaders ignore at their peril. Here are five big questions (and many smaller ones) your board should ask before authorizing a charter school.May 2005
Heart of the CityThough the atmosphere at the Russell Byers Charter School is lively, it is far from chaotic. From the extra-wide classroom windows that let in abundant sunlight to the gleaming blue and white floors, the school is an oasis of peace in the middle of Center City Philadelphia. You would never guess it was born from a senseless act of violence.May 2005
Vouchers, Choice, and ControversyAre school vouchers a good idea? Opinions remain divided as a judge strikes down Colorado's statewide program.January 2004
Vouchers, Charters, and School Choice: Just Another Case of History Repeating?After a while, long-standing controversies assume a predictable pattern. Take, for example, school choice. Groups supporting choice push to bring other educational options to the public schools. Groups protecting the tenets of public education decry those options. Proponents and researchers for both sides wrangle. Local and state candidates base their platforms on the "pro" or "no" side of the movement, and legislation is noisily debated. Litigation follows, and the political hue and cry continues.June 2003
Charters, 10 Years InDespite hundreds of studies, policy papers, and articles on charter schools, it's déjà vu all over again. The problems that plagued charters in the early '90s—funding, administration, facilities, staffing, governance—still plague them today. The worries charter school opponents had a decade ago haven't disappeared either. Depending on your perspective, your assumptions, even the legislation in the state you're looking at, things are either half-empty or half-full when it comes to the reform's success.November 2002
The Voucher DecisionBy the slimmest of margins, the U.S. Supreme Court has issued a historic decision upholding the constitutionality of school vouchers. The high court's 5-4 ruling in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris marks a fundamental change in the debate. Rather than a legal dispute to be resolved by the courts, the voucher debate is now, for the most part, a political controversy to be resolved by legislatures.October 2002
The Cyber Charter ChallengeCyber charters, like their brick-and-mortar brethren, are a curious amalgam of home schools, for-profit companies, and public school districts that cater to parents seeking a choice. Where they differ from traditional charters is in their reach—across district boundaries, from one end of a state to another—and their approach. "It's kind of the ultimate unschool—we don't know what they're doing," said Stuart Knade, general counsel for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA). "They're experimenting with kids' lives on the public dollar."September 2002
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The Voice of the Black Community
NoDa Fall Musicfest
Date: October 5 - 7, 2012
Time: 4:00 pm - 1:00 am
Location: Show map
The Chop Shop
399 35th Street
Charlotte 28205
Contact: Kysii Ingram
Phone: 888-755-0036
Email: email@example.com
The NoDa Fall Musicfest presented by The Mid-Atlantic Music Conference will be celebrating its 10th year and will feature performances by over 100 artists and bands in multiple venues. The event is being hosted in NoDa District, the city's best collection of galleries and performance venues and some of the funkiest full service restaurants including authentic Cajun cooking, Southwest cuisine, and a creative pizza eatery. For more information please visit - www.midatlanticmusic.com or call 888-755-0036.
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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.
LEADERS: Azerane Bam BinkyBunny JerseyGirl LBJ10 LittlePuffyTail LongEaredLions RabbitPam
I just got one of these smart phones for my birthday (it's a Motorola with the Android apps) and although I can post to my earlier threads that I started from my PC or to other peoples', I can't create a new thread with it as it just doesn't bring up the keyboard in the message area.
Is this just me? Or is my smart phone not so smart?
Is this just me? Or is my smart phone not so smart?


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A wise man once told me, "People won't pay for your services unless they know you exist".
This is my approach...
The goal is to make the most effective active advertising campaign.I would really be interested to know if this approach could be corrected, or if I could add or remove any steps. I would be interested it know if anybody has any exprience in this getting the word out.
Since we've entered the so-called "inbound marketing" era, I've heard many people knock this approach. But cold-canvassing can be very effective. My cousin built his entire business with this approach, and he's been doing it for 15 years. It's also the primary way the company I work for prospects for new business, and we sell a mix of both print and Internet advertising.
The downside is, it can be brutal and you can burn out easily if you don't have a thick skin. If you have the personality that isn't bothered by rejection, you will do better than if you don't.
I'd suggest that you add one or two more marketing methods into the mix. (One might be joining a networking or lead sharing group.) If you think of your entire marketing as a team that's working together, you can accomplish a lot more than a single member trying to win the game on his own.
Hope that helps.
I've not had any bad experience to be truthful. I have a mark of 5 businesses per day, was a little embarrassing today were I went to a business twice but I suppose I'd learn from my mistakes. Two people today told me that they will seriously considering it, which is always good. Sometimes I think it's good for people to just know who you are and what you do. If nobody knows you then you'd be sure not to get any businesses.
Now I got the family giving out advertising material. Not only that but we're using return-custom. Here businesses feed businesses, and when you have a big deal with somebody the person feels obliged to repay the favor. From experience I did have (as you know) some bad experiences with client(s), but those were the early stages, now I have a bullet-proof formula that is a winner.
I am not only depending on this, but also network marketing. I am going to two group events next week were I will bring along my business cards. Both events are free so it will only cost me the travelling expenses to get there.
I honestly, truthfully feel, advertising is WAY over-rated, and it's return on investment is very slim, if any. Other forms seam to be more effective and much cheaper, particularly for somebody getting into the market.
@johntabita; I try to meet decision makers, but they always seam to be away or in a business meeting. I am 1000% confident that if I meet them it would make a whole lot of difference. I really don't want to have an appointment or waste their time so I leave my advertising leaflet and basically go. Do you have any suggestions on what I can do to improve my approach and make this a sure winner. The printing material I am giving out is fairly pricey and I don't want to give it all away without any return business. I want to be sure to have businesses coming in, and from this be able to re-invest me in company.
Advertising in general isn't over-rated and can get a great ROI. I just don't think it's necessarily the best tool for a web design firm to use.
If you're leaving printed collateral with a receptionist or gatekeeper without at least getting the decision-maker's name, you're probably wasting your time as well as the cost of the printed piece. The gatekeeper may be polite, and even tell you she'll pass it along to the boss, but 9 times out of 10, your information winds up in the trash.
You need to get access to the decision-maker. If he or she is unavailable, try to get the name so you can follow up with a phone call. Befriending the gatekeeper is also a great idea, because you can get some information about their marketing.
When you do call back, don't even ask "did you get the information I left?" because that's just awkward. If the gatekeeper revealed anything useful, say something like, "I stopped by on Tuesday and spoke to your receptionist, Susan. She mentioned that you weren't happy with the quality of leads you're getting from your website. If you're open to exploring other options, I'd like to show you how we've helped other local companies improve the quality of their online leads and increase their conversion rate. Do you have time to meet one day this week?"
Of course, you can come up with a script that fits your offering. But the point is, you need to talk to the decision-maker, clearly communicate the value you provide, and ask a very direct question like, "Is that something you want?" or "Can we meet sometime next week?"
In reality, you're going to wind up speaking to decision-makers about 10% of the time, and (if you're good) close only about 20% of those. And that's only if you're persistent.
For those that turn you down, figure out how you can drip market to them. Send them a newsletter about web marketing, refer someone to their business, things like that. If you stay on their radar, you'll be the first they'll call or refer someone to.
I live in a fairly small country. Most companies and businesses here are small family owned businesses. The big companies are much trickier to get to the decision maker. I will try out some new stuff today and see if I can get any close to real decision makers. You are completely right, maybe because it's a smaller community I'd be able to get closer much easier.
We don't have many businesses here, so I really don't want to ruin things. In the beginning I felt odd, so far I have had two positive outcomes, as the gate-keeper was the owner and they seemed interested. I have already got a phone call from about 3-weeks ago, and I just want to keep doing this and make the business profitable and successful.
So I have this procedure:
Would this make sense to you? I really don't want to appear a nuisance to anybody, it would be far easier if the decision maker was always there, but I guess that would be too easy.
Do you have any more tips on maybe making this more efficient?
Everybody seams to be related to everybody else here, so it's vital that I don't get a bad name but doing something that causes this.
just don't think it's necessarily the best tool for a web design firm to use.
Agreed! Tried and tested and it did not get any leads.
I can't really suggest how to make what you're doing more efficient, other than leaving behind something that's less expensive to print.
If that's the case, I'd focus on building relationships with as many local business owners as possible. Someone is bound to be related to the owner of one of those larger businesses you're having trouble getting in the door.
Sound to me like you're on the right track. Keep doing what your doing and see what type of results you get.
You're completely right. I think relationships are a good thing and I need to start building stronger relationships. I am not a sociable person thought, quite the contrary. Today I went to 2 business and 1 was very interested to the point where I know he would use me in his future services and is likely to pass the message on.
Here we have international exhibitions, which in my opinion is a big risk. They charge something on the lines of 3K and you'd be lucky to see that in return. Many many business owners pass, so it might be a good investment, or it might not. So I think it would be save to avoid this. Door to door seams to be the best approach.
In terms of cold calling, I was advised this by a friend of mine who's head of business development for an international company. He told me that it would be a better value of my time. I really don't have much experience with this, and I don't feel comfortable cold calling businesses.
I need to get in the door of big companies and get to know the people who own them. I am thinking of offering a FREE service to them and maybe this would make me noticed for future work. I'd let you how I get on.
Thanks again John.
Couple of final thoughts:
Can you attend, rather than participate? If so, you could walk the exhibition floor and meet business owners.
Your friend's right, but I'd suggest combining cold-calling with what you've been doing. I run a telemarketing department, so I know a thing or two about it. If you decide to go that route, I can recommend a good training course, one I've used in-house to train my staff.
Best of luck.
You can freely walk around during this exhibition. It would look a little odd walking up to people and giving things out. It would be a good way to start, I will have to ask about this. The owners might not be happy me doing this. I remember a couple of years back a company had a small store and several staff members walking around the floor to give our information regarding what they are offering. Personally I don't feel this would be the best place to meet business owners, they would be many owners, I like the idea of spotting the businesses and giving them an advertising leaflet by hand, as it makes a better impression. Would certainly give me an edge.
I completely agree. I am not sure on the ethical implications of sending cold emails, would there be an issue with this? I am thinking of something quite big, in fact very big. It's a way to promote myself by giving something free to business owners, and placing my ads on the website. After all, the costs of running your own website are really quite minimal, as time is the main issue. What do you think about this? Do you have any experience in doing this.
Thanks for your luck wishes, I will certainly keep plowing ahead, this is the way I want to promote myself. In the early days I use to think I might be disturbing others, but now it's a case of getting business and letting people know I exist.
Definitely agree with the OP about not including a price with the initial material. Best to avoid getting into a pricing competition because there's always someone who will do it cheaper than you.
I'm not suggesting you walk around handing out flyers. Business owners who paid for a booth will definitely not take kindly to that. I'm saying that it would be a good way to simply meet some business owners, ask about their business, and begin establishing some relationships. After all, how often do you have hundreds of business owners all under the same roof?
I'm not in favor of this; nor do I think it's very effective.
I go to conferences and let people know what I do. In fact, I think just talking about your job gives people the best form of advertising there is. Just yesterday somebody came to my house and asked me if I work, I told him I work from home designing web pages. This was all he needed to hear. Now I have an appointment with them on Thursday morning. My family help me a lot, my dad and mum and brothers as well. They all chip in to get my connected which works amazingly.
It's not only getting the initial contact that's important, but closing the deal and giving potential clients what they want and for the price they are willing to part with.. just to illustrate.
I had another appointment today, which I am a little unsure of. They somehow wanted the cheapest deal, but unfortunately they were asking for 1st page ranking on medium search results on Google, which might be a little tricky to guarantee. The only issue is that they did not want to spend major bucks which made things even trickier. I want the client, it's just a little confusing how somebody would deal with such a situation where you don't want to disappoint them and get their custom which is the most important thing.
Cold Emails don't work, I know this from experience. Highly ineffective!
Meeting business owners is a good thing, and any opportunity I get I will take it. Next month I have an exhibition planned for small businesses which I will be attended. Even Google is going to be there, which should be awesome. They will be highlighted SEO techniques as well.


text: 134 Like Pastebin.com Good alternative? YES NO Pastebin.com is a website where you can store text for a certain period of time. The website is mainly used by programmers to store pieces of sources code or... Free Windows Web Android iPhone HP webOS Chrome Firefox No features added Add a feature


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Jay-Z Called Miley Cyrus a 'Living Legend' in His Epic Twitter Q+A, And She Took It Way Too Literally
Jay-Z had a rare but rewarding Twitter chat yesterday to answer questions about his most recent opus, 'Magna Carta Holy Grail.' Not too surprisingly, a lot of those questions centered around his Miley Cyrus shoutout in 'Somewhere in America' — something that made Cyrus, who insists that she listens to "hood music," really proud.
Hov, whose track includes the lyrics "'Cause somewhere in America / Miley Cyrus is still twerkin', ha! / Twerk, twerk, twerk, twerk / Twerk, Miley, Miley, twerk / Twerk, Twerk, Miley, Miley, Miley, twerk / Twerk, yeah, uh-huh / Twerk, Miley, Miley, Miley / Only in America," broke his Twitter silence to chat about his new record, and, of course, everyone's favorite self-proclaimed Lil' Kim reincarnation.
RT @chakaworks @s_c_ do you think twerking should replace the electric slide at weddings? [Personally???YES.. Miley is a GOD]
— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) July 8, 2013
RT @youngstacks92 You really think Miley Cyrus still twerking somewhere in America? [Black neighbor,and the daughter not seeing color] twerk
— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) July 8, 2013
RT @youngstacks92 You really think Miley Cyrus still twerking somewhere in America? [ yes! she represents an old worlds worst nightmare]
— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) July 8, 2013
Exactly right. I am an old worlds worst nightmare. #outwiththeold #inwiththenewnew
— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) July 8, 2013
RT @MileyCyrus Call it what you want. But I don't see Mr. Carter shoutin any of you bitches out. #twerkmileytwerk [#factsonly]
— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) July 8, 2013
For the uninitiated, Jigga is essentially saying that the fair-skinned Cyrus would scare the living daylights out of prior generations because of her cultural appropriation of hip-hop — which is stereotypically looped in with "hood" behavior and, well, blackness. Simply put: Would your white grandparents in Mississippi appreciate you twerking alongside Lil Twist? No? Same idea.
Other theories speculate that Cyrus represents white girls — and "white girls," which is slang for cocaine. Considering her latest hit, 'We Can't Stop' (which, in fairness, she didn't write) boasts of "trying to get a line in the bathroom," nothing would shock us.
Cyrus, either adorably oblivious or just floating along a river in Egypt, was defiant and proud of her new street cred.
Other subjects Hov touched upon in his chat?
His favorite cereal:
RT @Timberflake27 Mr. Jay z what's your favorite cereal? [cap'n crunch growing up. I haven't had cereal in a bit #factsonly]
— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) July 8, 2013
Elephant poaching:
@Aqua174 yeah, so is lying about American history but, I def digress. *my laugh
— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) July 8, 2013
Fulfilling fans' needs:
RT @duhNasia @S_C_ time is almost uppppp *cries* just tweet me any letter or something #MCHG [jjaajjajjjjjjaaajjjjj voilà]
— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) July 8, 2013
The gentrification of his hometown of Brooklyn, N.Y.:
RT @smearedMASCARAA @S_C_ what's your opinion on gentrified Brooklyn ? #MCHG [ buzzkill but, the world is changing, for better AND worse]
— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) July 8, 2013
His favorite films:
RT @JStormKravetz @S_C_ what's your favorite movie? [Cliche, but, really great. Godfather2. True Romance is high on my list]
— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) July 8, 2013
He's culturally sensitive/knows how to make an umlaut:
RT @683bibi @S_C_ got my finals tomorrow..purchased #MCHG today, gave me so much power.Please wish me luck!#GERMANY [GLück]
— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) July 8, 2013
His struggle:
RT @AbdulSmikle @S_C_ was there any difficulty while you were making #MCHG? [#D'usse hangovers]
— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) July 8, 2013
His life advice:
RT @Jo_nn_EY @S_C_ Best Advice to becoming Great…?? #MCHG [BELIEVE IT when nobody else will #factsonly]
— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) July 8, 2013
And promises of things to come:
RT @NickPokorzynski @S_C_ d you think #MCHG is the first time you've changed the rules? [better ?.. is it the last?]
— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) July 8, 2013
We were, however, bummed that he didn't respond to our questions — but maybe next time:
@S_C_ When can we have a nice chat on the subway? We promise we'd recognize you and everything. #factsonly
— StarCrush (@StarCrushCeleb) July 8, 2013
.@s_c_ We're both from Brooklyn, both love Beyonce, both big pimpin', both Yankee fans and both hustlers. Are we the same person?
— jess sager (@ohheyjesssager) July 8, 2013
So yeah, Miley, we're a little jealous that you got a shoutout and a tweet. But that doesn't mean you have a badonkadonk or twerking skills, so please, take several seats.


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SK Hynix, Mediatek Rise in 2013 Rankings
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SAN JOSE, Calif. — SK Hynix and Mediatek are expected to be among the big chip winners in 2013, according to a forecast by IC Insights. Preliminary figures show the two companies leading the field in revenue growth at 44 and 34 percent to push into the top five and 20, respectively.
"Despite a significant fire and production set-back at its largest memory fab in China, SK Hynix is taking full advantage of the surge in the DRAM market this year and is expected to move up three places," the market watcher said in a research bulletin.
Mediatek is expected to rank 16, up from 22 in last year's list, with smartphone application processor shipments nearly doubling to 200 million up from 108 million last year. The company "is experiencing extremely strong demand for its devices in the booming low-end smartphone business in China and other Asia-Pacific locations."
The Taiwan chip vendor still distantly trails mobile market leader Qualcomm, which reported Wednesday annual sales of a whopping 716 million chips, up 21 percent from its previous year. It logged revenues of $24.87 billion, up 30 percent over the prior fiscal year, with net income up 22 percent to 7.91 billion.
Despite its heady results, Qualcomm issued mild guidance, expecting revenues up no more than 11 percent in its coming fiscal year. Longer term, "we expect double-digit compound annual growth rates for both revenues and earnings per share over the next five years," said Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs in a press statement.
Among other winners in the IC Insights forecast, Broadcom is expected to edge into the top 10 for the first time on modest 4 percent sales growth. For its part, Micron is forecast to move up two spots to number eight, spurred by its acquisition of Elpida.
Japan's Fujitsu, Renesas, and Sony are expected to be the big losers in 2013.
Fujitsu is expected to drop five places to fall out of the top 20 ranking this year after selling its analog and microcontroller business to Spansion in April. Renesas is expected to fall from seventh to eleventh place as annual sales fell 16 percent, the biggest drop in the top 25. Sony's revenues dropped nearly as much, 14 percent.
The yen-to-dollar conversion hurt all the Japanese vendors. "Using a constant 2012 U.S. dollar versus Japanese yen exchange rate for 2013, the forecasted 2013 semiconductor sales of Sony, Fujitsu, and Renesas would actually increase by 4, 3, and 2, respectively," said IC Insights.
Related posts:


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News & Events
For the Media
Four to Receive Clarkson University Inspirational High School Educator Award for 2009
Four teachers, all nominated by former students who are now Clarkson University seniors, will be honored in May as the 2009 Clarkson University Inspirational High School Educators.
Each year, Clarkson asks its seniors to nominate the secondary school educators who have significantly affected their lives and helped guide their higher education and career decisions. The award recognizes these educators for their lasting impact on their students and in their fields of education.
Kathy A. Hubbard of Potsdam, N.Y., inspired many of her students to find their inner strengths and do things they didn't think possible. The retired Madrid-Waddington Central School music teacher was nominated by former student Brandon T. Acres of Madrid, N.Y., a senior majoring in business and technology management.
Always willing to go above and beyond normal expectations, Jason Haak of Marion, N.Y., was dedicated to his students on both academic and personal levels. The retired Marion Junior-Senior High School chemistry teacher was nominated by former student Courtney R. Grayson of Marion, a senior biomolecular science major.
Christopher Marino of Morrisonville, N.Y., is a teacher who challenges his students to look at problems from different points of view. The chemistry and physics teacher at Saranac Central High School was nominated by former student Kristopher J. Renadette of Morrisonville, a senior mechanical engineering major.
Suzanne S. Gilbert of Manchester, N.H., teaches with her heart and is unwavering in her dedication to her students. The chemistry teacher at Manchester Memorial High School was nominated by former student Courtney E. Riley of Raymond, N.H., a senior biomolecular science major.
Early in the spring term, graduating seniors submit their reasons for choosing their teachers, how the teachers influenced them and actual situations in which the teachers showed themselves to be outstanding educators.
"Clarkson appreciates any educator who inspires students to discover who they are and what they're meant to be," said Clarkson University Vice President for University Outreach and Student Affairs Kathryn B. Johnson. "Anyone who encourages students to find their strengths and pursue their passions as these educators do is an inspiration to all of us. We're proud that this is the 20th consecutive year we have honored teachers with this award."
Award recipients will be honored at a dinner on May 9. They will be recognized by University President Tony Collins in his address to the class of 2009 during the commencement ceremony the next day.
Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in six alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and health sciences, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.


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Longtime user of ZA, and in an attempt to delete some of the seemingly useless files in my computer, like the google cache (dot) dat files, I found this, a ZA file named kave_1696.
Can an admin tell me if this is an important file, or if all 600 mb of it can be deleted?
Treebeard (4'31")


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Wyoming's billion-dollar industry of farming and ranching looks promising for future generations—that is, if they can get a foot in the door. Amy Bacigalupo, director of Farm Beginnings Program of the Land Stewardship Project, says the average age of farmers and ranchers in the state coincides with the generation getting ready to retire. However, new trends have placed an emphasis on the nation's need for small ranches.
She says the biggest obstacle for Wyoming's new generation of farmers and ranchers is the price of land.
The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program seeks to enable younger generations to get into the business, but the program stands to endure financial cuts under then new Farm Bill.
70 percent of those who used the program in the past are now farming successfully.


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ATLANTA (AP) — Evelyn Lowery, the wife of civil rights leader the Rev. Joseph Lowery, died Thursday, a family spokeswoman said. She was 88.
Spokeswoman Diane Larche said Evelyn Lowery died in the morning at her home in Georgia. She had been hospitalized since Sept. 18 after suffering a severe stroke. She returned home Wednesday night, after medical experts said the stroke had done irreversible damage.
In this Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2006 photo, Evelyn Lowery, wife of fellow civil rights activist Rev. Joseph Lowery, poses for a photo at the SCLC Woman center which she founded and chairs, in Atlanta. (AP Photo /John Amis)
Evelyn Lowery devoted her life to serving others, her husband said in a statement to The Associated Press.
"My beloved Evelyn was a special woman, whose life was committed to service, especially around the issues of empowering women," said the Rev. Joseph Lowery, who is president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Evelyn Lowery founded SCLC/WOMEN Inc. in 1979. The group works to empower women, girls and families. She also created the Drum Major of Justice Awards held annually in April in Atlanta.
"She was a wonderful mother and wife, and I thank God that she didn't suffer any pain and that I was blessed having her as my partner, my confidant and my best friend for close to 70 years," he said. "I will miss her each and every day, but as a man of faith, I know that she is with her God."
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
Joseph Lowery, a former president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and his wife were in Birmingham, Ala., earlier this month for the 50th anniversary of a racist church bombing that killed four black girls in 1963.


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Remember the Islamic University of Gaza? That the LSE Student Union twinned with a few days ago? The Boston Globe did quite a flattering piece on it in February 2010.
The first sign that this is a different place from the Western universities it resembles comes when a bell rings in the library. Quickly the students on odd-numbered floors – all men – gather their books and file into the stairwells. Women file in to take their turn. In keeping with a puritanical interpretation of Islamic law, men and women aren't allowed to study together, so they switch floors every two hours. They lounge in separate student unions and eat in separate cafeterias. At intervals during the day, the call to prayer sounds from the minarets of the campus mosque, and classes come to a halt.
Their strict observance might sound extreme, but the Islamic University is no fringe institution: It's the top university in Gaza. The majority of students here study secular topics; not all of them are even religious. If you want to get a degree in Gaza, a territory that is home to more than a million people, it's simply the best place to go.
At the same time, the university is something else again: the brain trust and engine room of Hamas, the Islamist movement that governs Gaza and has been a standard-bearer in the renaissance of radical Islamist militant politics across the Middle East. Thinkers here generate the big ideas that have driven Hamas to power; they have written treatises on Islamic governance, warfare, and justice that serve as the blueprints for the movement's political and militant platforms. And the university's goal is even more radical and ambitious than that of Hamas itself, an organization devoted primarily to war against Israel and the pursuit of political power. Its mission is to Islamicize society at every level, with a focus on Gaza but aspirations to influence the entire Islamic world.
The language is…odd. It's odd to talk of a "renaissance of radical Islamist militant politics." Do newspapers talk about a "renaissance of fascist militant politics"? I don't think they do, I think they use words like return or resurgence or rise instead of renaissance.
In recent decades, as Islamism has grown from a set of isolated radical movements to a fully realized political philosophy, its powerful fusion of intellect, pragmatism, and fundamentalist faith has refashioned societies from the Gulf to Turkey, Egypt to Pakistan. For outsiders who want to understand its power and appeal, the Islamic University of Gaza is probably the best place to begin.
There again. The wording veils the sinister quality of the " fully realized political philosophy" that's at stake here.
When the Islamic University was founded in 1978, there wasn't a single institution of higher education in the Gaza Strip. Its founders were members of the militant Muslim Brotherhood, believers that society should be organized according to Koranic principles, and they conceived the university as a sort of greenhouse for their brand of pure, uncompromising Islamism.
There again. Evasive. Silent about what kind of "pure, uncompromising" we're talking about.
The male students wear the uniform of contemporary Islamism: pressed dress shirts, modest polyester jackets, baggy trousers, clean-shaven faces or short, trimmed beards. The women all wear head scarves. Their dress and professional demeanor are meant to connote not only modesty and seriousness of purpose, but also engagement with the modern world. Like Hamas, the university embodies a brand of Islamism advanced through earnest, utilitarian labor, not by a radical rejection of modernity. The prayer beads and austere white robes of the otherworldly Salafist movement are as unusual here as they would be on a totally secular campus.
That's "engagement with the modern world"? Gender segregation, all women in hijab? That's not the modern world that I know of.
To the extent that students rebel here, it's against what they view as the secular excesses of the outside world. These university students support arranged marriage, Saudi-style morality police, and a hard-line theology that sees even their own religious parents as insufficiently pious. This campus culture might surprise an American or European public steeped in a history of libertine student activism, but in the Arab world for half a century, the idea of rebellion against authority has been closely associated with Islamists, the only constituency prepared to confront the region's ossified authoritarian dictators.
This kind of activism meshes perfectly with the university's most ambitious goals. "Our role as a university is to empower people, by teaching them to reform their lives in line with the revolutionary side of religion," explains the associate dean, a British-educated political scientist named Waleed Al Modallal.
This marks a change for Palestinian society, which traditionally has bred political militancy but not religious fanaticism. Today new generations of Palestinian leaders are steeped not only in the struggle against Israel, but in a current of Islamist thought. The young learn the benefits of prayer, a lifestyle free of alcohol and fornication, and ultimately, Modallal says, will embrace Islamism in all aspects of life, from armed resistance against Israel to quotidian matters like marriage and banking.
Libertine? Fornication?
In any field – including math, engineering, and medicine – scholars are expected to consult the Koran, or Islamic jurists, as well as academic texts. In the natural sciences, the results don't look all that different from scholarship in the West, such as a recent research study that assessed the value of a particular protein for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis. But in the social sciences, the imperative of hard-line Sunni Islam has yielded a body of work with a nearly Soviet ideological rigidity and predictability. One paper in the Series of Islamic Studies "proves" that a country's social development increases in proportion to the number of people who memorize the Koran. Another considers and dismisses Shia Muslim conceptions of the attributes of God for "contradicting the Koran" and other canonical Islamic texts.
Many students at the Islamic University see themselves as a privileged elite with an obligation to help the transnational "ummah," or global Islamic community. Almost every student I met – I was only allowed to speak to men – expressed a desire to continue his studies abroad.
Dude! You were only "allowed" to speak to men! That is not "engagement with the modern world."


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Mango Language App
Learn languages everywhere you go with our free apps for iPhone, iPod touch and Android. Mango Mobile Library Edition gives you access to all the Mango language courses offered through your library from the palm of your hand. Mango makes learning a new language fast, easy, and incredibly effective!
Just visit the iTunes store to download the Mango Languages app for Apple products, or Google Play for Android.
You will need create a user login on the web-based version of Mango before you can use the app. To get started, the Hamden Library's Mango Languages database. After entering your library card number, create a Mango account (email address and password), then use that email address and password to log in to the app.
Visit Mango Mobile's FAQ page to learn more about this product.


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Teachers in Clarksville can look forward to a little extra money in June after the school board approved an $1,800 addition to certified staff's base salary.
The raises will go in effect during this school year and include an added step to the certified salary schedule. The board increased classified staff salaries by 4.35 percent and also added a step to the classified staff salaries. The staff will receive an extra check in June.
"We always are pleased we can raise our staff salaries. I wish we could do more, they certainly deserve it. We have the finest certified and classified staff in the state," said Superintendent Don Johnson.
For the 2005-06 school year, the board added $2,000 to the base salary and a step for certified staff. They also increased classified salary 4.78 percent and added a step. Johnson said the district is able to increase staff's pay because of student growth. He said student enrollment grows an average of 3-4 percent a year.
In other business
The district has adopted new health and science books for the 2007-08. They will be on display next week in each principal's office.
Clarksville High School has been chosen to be part of a statewide study executed by the University of Arkansas. Principal Steven Wyatt spoke to the board about the high school's participation in the Best Practices Study. Clarksville was one of 14 schools chosen as candidates for the research study sponsored by the National Center for Educational Accountability/Just for the Kids and the Arkansas Department of Education. The research team visited the school and interviewed administration and staff. The purpose of the study is to identify practices of districts and schools through the state. Researchers hope to provide educators across the state with information of what works in various types of settings, to be taken into their own classroom's improvement efforts. The results will be featured on the National Office for Research, Measurement and Evaluation Systems (NORMES) Web site and the Just for the Kids Web site.
The board also accepted resignations from Ryan Fox, Pam Jones, Chad Masters, Linda Tillman, Deborah West, Anita Caldwell, Diana Cowell and John Griffen. The board approved the hiring of John Burke, assistant high school principal; Christel Thompson, assistant elementary principal; Amy Yarbrough, kindergarten teacher, Prescilla Arizipe, junior high library; Paul Houston, computer technician; Lou Ann Walker, school nurse; and Tracy Wilson, special education.


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Patti O'Brien has come full circle.
She was raised in Durango and graduated from Durango High School before moving to California. Now she's the new executive director for the Durango Area Tourism Office, marketing the community she grew up in.
"I'm honored to represent Durango," she said. "It's a dream job for me growing up here ... to come back and market our community."
Susan Lander stepped in as interim executive director after John Cohen resigned from the position in May 2012 after leading the office for about six years.
O'Brien has owned several businesses, including an advertising agency in Long Beach, Calif., and a ladies gym in Durango. She got back into the corporate marketing world when she was hired on as the regional account manager for Buzztown, owned by Ballantine Digital Media – the same company that owns The Durango Herald.
Her Durango background is what pushed her to the front of the list of about 75 applicants for the job.
"She has a strong background in marketing and business ownership," said DATO board member Kirk Komick. "She has a great passion for the area ... I think she has a really good personality for selling Durango and for working with constituents of the community."
O'Brien started as the group sales manager for DATO in October and was hired as the executive director Jan. 1 and immediately began working with those constituents to promote collaboration among business owners.
One of her goals is to be more transparent with the community and release not only impact studies, but also demonstrating how tourism revenue is benefiting the community.
"I think knowledge is power, so the more the community understands the benefit of tourism dollars, the more empowered they'll be to work together to market ourselves," she said.
O'Brien represented Durango businesses through her role at Buzztown, which was the perfect transition into her new job.
"I got to know so many business owners by representing them," she said. "I got the perspective on what they're dealing with and how to market themselves in today's world."
O'Brien said businesses are trying to navigate the ropes of an ever-changing online profile while maintaining a local connection.
She intends to harness the expanding online platforms into new ways to track how many people come to Durango each year, where they are from and how to make them stay longer.
She wants to set up a station in the Durango Welcome Center with iPads where visitors can enter their demographic information, as well as what they hope to get out of their trip and what brought them to the area.
Durango already has made a name for itself with multiple accolades, including a finalist for Outside magazine's "Best River Town in America" and named a "dream town" by skiingmag.com. Is it possible for the town to market itself more?
O'Brien thinks that not only has the town not reached its peak, but there is an untapped market here.
She wants to expand the Durango message to La Plata County and the surrounding areas such as national parks and public lands.
"We're a diverse town and have a lot of activities. I want to get the message out that you need more than one night in Durango," she said. "I want to package us into a bigger destination where there is a lot to do."


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Discussion in 'Fan Fiction' started by Gul Re'jal, Sep 24, 2010.
I think it was one of those cases when he wasn't even aware he was humming
I figured it's like steam in a teapot...it eventually HAS to get out.
I sure hope that if she messes up in another way, that they'll really start to figure out what's different between Cardassians and humans. Maybe Jarol will figure it out when Kapoor doesn't think to report a certain situation, that there's something different?
I think that's quite accurate
Some of Cardassians could think they should be lenient for a person, who has no "chain of command" instinct and would be more understanding if Kapoor makes mistakes. I think that's what Zamarran would think. He slowly comes to accept that she babbles without thinking and he doesn't take offence, as he knows it's just her way and she doesn't mean any disrespect. His attitude is a bit like Chinese treat foreigners, who know little of their culture - they are "barbarians" and need to be forgiven And educated
She says she likes him, but she doesn't realise he actually starts to like her too. He wouldn't admit it even to himself, but I think the fact that he smiles so much is telling.
Oh dear...now I have THIS in my head.
I used to have a corporate training instructor who made people sing that, and do the dance, when they were late to class. Now I'm imagining Brenok ordering Kapoor to do that as a punishment for being late to the bridge!!!
As long as they make sure not to see it as a disability, but as a natural trait of the species, that will be a HUGE help once they understand.
I'd say she's still intimidated. I can't wait to see what makes that change--when she starts to realize that she might even be able to make friends, not just colleagues.
She is. He's not exactly a pal for her and she knows there is little to none chance he could ever be. However she starts to understand that in spite of the distance between them, he doesn't abuse his position to intimidate her and that he actually is quite nice (as nice as a high ranking Cardassian could be to someone, who he considers almost a teenager). He expects respect from her, as from any other young, low ranking Cardassian, but he's not patronising her.
Now you're going to have that stuck in your head all day!
I'll send Jarol to you and she's going to deal with it "the Damar way"
Brenok -> <-Nerys Ghemor
Awwww! Cute smilie! And cute Cardassian!
I was sure this particular owner of ridges would be a good "cheerer up"
Does he make a good medic, too? Because I might need one after Jarol!
I don't know that. But he will surely try to sing your pain out
Chapter 4 – Day 7
We have arrived. Skarrat. Three planet system, inhabited by reptilian, dinosaur-looking people. Highly skilled artists. Peaceful. A planet of friendly cousins of a T-Rex.
The green ball of the planet was rotating below us and it looked beautiful. After oranges, browns and yellows of a Galor class warship I welcomed a view of green forests. The planet didn't look like raped by conquerors. I expected to see dry, brown, desert world, but this was pretty, fresh ball of nature. This was the occupied Skarrat?
Gul Jarol and Glinn Brenok beamed down, leaving Zamarran in charge. The engineer sat on the throne and his assistant – his aide, as they say here – Gil Ya'val motioned toward the main engineering console, at which I was sitting, to take his place, but Zamarran slightly shook his head. I glanced at him astonished, but he didn't look at me.
He left me in charge of his console!
I didn't dare to move to his chair, but started paying attention to the readings, ready to pick up anything wrong as soon as it would appear. Not that I read their language, but I already knew how the computer informed of problems. Red, flashing symbol and a string of letters to its right. The letters were surely a detailed information on the problem. I could report the problem simultaneously hovering my TP over the red text to translate and deliver more by the time Zamarran would react and demand details.
And it's not that I wanted anything bad to happen!
"Look here," Zamarran pointed to his screen. "When you see something like this, you would know that everything goes as projected."
I nodded and he continued his explanations.
It was very interesting to see how differently everything worked here. Deep Space Nine was equipped with a Cardassian computer, but after many upgrades and changes it didn't resemble one any longer – not in the means of operation. While I have already noticed that Cardassians allowed quite wide deviations from peak performance, they were monitoring them amazingly closely, making sure they didn't cross a line. And the way of monitoring was incredibly efficient. Partially it was because of their attention to details, partially thanks to their written language.
The system was set up to convey "positive" and "neutral" information horizontally, and warnings and "bad news" vertically.
Suddenly I noticed that Glinn Brenok was walking toward us. He looked all business and I was curious what he would ask Zamarran to do. But wait a minute... He was looking at me.
"Lieutenant," he handed me a padd. "You have a special task."
"Yes, sir," I acknowledged that he had all my attention.
He called Ullmann to come to us and continued:
"Here are your detailed instructions. Both of you will be granted a special security access to our database to search for all and any information, regarding Skarrat." The occupied world? Why did he want us to collect the data about their crimes? He waved at us to follow him and he led us to a console in the back of the bridge. "This will be your station. Be thorough in your research. We want your report as soon as possible, but don't rush. Do it properly."
"Yes, sir," we said in unison. Finally some real work!
"How are you doing?" Karama stood on the other side of our console and craned his neck to peep at our readings.
"We're busy," I said.
"How busy?" he asked, but didn't look at me, his gaze was on Ullmann. She ignored him.
"Too busy for a chat," I replied.
"Oh, I didn't come for a chat," he was still staring at my colleague. Then he slowly moved around the console, stood on her right side and leaned on the console on his right hand. His left hand moved behind her; he put a padd on the console on her left. He didn't touch her physically, but it almost looked as he put his hand around her waist. "I came to give you this," his voice was deep and had clearly had an erotic note.
"What's this?" I asked.
He glanced at me, smiled and then his attention returned to Ullmann. "You ask me what this is," he said very quietly almost to her ear.
Her breathing became faster and louder.
Then he suddenly stepped back, went around the console and approached me from the other side.
"The padd contains the latest communiques from the planet," he said in a normal voice. "I have entered them into the database already, but you may find there a few important things. I have extracted and marked them for your reference."
"Thank you," I said.
"My pleasure," he smiled one of those wide, friendly smiles and returned to his console.
"How can you talk to him?" Ullmann asked me.
"He's nice for me," I said and almost added 'because I was nice for him', but I didn't.
"Yes, because he doesn't think you're pretty. You're not interesting for him. I am."
"He is teasing you only." The 'pretty' comment was uncalled for.
"He is a Cardassian. He's dangerous."
"He's not dangerous just because he is a Cardassian," I protested.
"He harasses me since day one," she hissed.
"No, he was only friendly. You were rude."
"Why are you on his side?" she looked at me reproachfully.
"Ullmann, I am on no one's side. But I think you both are overreacting. I know you don't like him, but he never meant any harm to you. And even now, he doesn't touch you, just... suggests..." I pulled my face. "Look, no one else does that and they all are Cardassians."
"Men in the mess hall are not much better."
"Did anyone else accost you?" I worried. How come this didn't happen to me? Was I that lucky?
"No, but they stare at me. Like I were some weirdo."
"Maybe it's your hair. They don't have blondes here. Karama seemed..." I silenced, seeing her gaze. Ok, this wasn't the best example.
We worked in silence for a few minutes.
"He would probably rape me long time ago, if we didn't share our quarters," she said. "He can't afford to have a witness."
I disagreed, but was sure convincing her would be waste of time. I made a decision to try to solve it from the other side.
I observed the bridge for a moment, wondering if it would be very wrong to go to Karama. Some officers were walking around to others and even if they weren't chatting, such movement seemed acceptable. I decided to take a risk.
I approached Karama's console. He looked at me a bit surprised.
"A problem?" he asked.
"No. I wanted to talk to you about Ullmann and those jokes you play on her."
"What about it?" he returned to working on his console.
"Karama, why do you do this?" I asked him quietly.
"Because she expects it."
"What do you mean?"
"Did I do anything to her? Did I really threatened her in any way?"
"No. She just assumed--" I started, but he interrupted.
"My point exactly," he looked me in the eyes. "This is her punishment. She created this hell for herself, so she can live in it for all I care."
"Could you please stop feeding her fears? Please?"
He stared at me.
"Please?" I made puppy eyes.
"I'll stop, but I do it for you, not for her."
"Thank you," I smiled.
He replied with a weak grin of his own, which faded almost instantly, and he returned to work. So did I.
Chapter 5 – Day 10
Ok, this was not good.
"Computer, hasperat," I repeated, hoping that maybe it was some kind of error in accepting a voice command. And as before, the computer made an acknowledging sound and nothing happened.
Great. No breakfast today?
I went to retrieve a tricorder, a scanner, as they called it here, and tricorded, err, scanned the replicator. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it. I took off the front panel, put my head and hand inside and hovered the scanner over every part of the machine that I could reach. Nothing. Everything was normal. No broken parts, no leakage, not nothing.
But something was wrong if the replicator didn't want to replicate me my breakfast!
"Computer, does the replicator in quarters har-kap-seven-forward malfunction?" I asked, suspecting the reply.
"The replicator in quarters har-kap-seven-forward is working within established parameters," and the dear Mr. Scary Voice Computer didn't disappoint me.
"Computer, why doesn't the replicator work?"
"The replicator in quarters har-kap-seven-forward is working within established parameters."
"So you've told me. Computer, why doesn't the replicator replicate?"
"The replicator in quarters har-kap-seven-forward is working within established parameters."
"What's wrong?" Ullmann asked from the bathroom.
"It doesn't want to make me breakfast!"
"Maybe you need another boyfriend, who would bring you breakfast to bed?"
"Ha, ha, ha," I said slowly.
"What?" I heard her laughing. "You're an engineer, the ship is your lover."
"You're a scientist, are anomalies your lovers?"
I smiled.
"I'm going to get help, ok?" I shouted toward the bathroom.
"Ok," she replied and I heard shower starting its work.
So, who could I ask for help. Zamarran was an engineer, but he probably wouldn't like the idea. I didn't know exactly why, but something was telling me that asking him would be another inappropriate thing to do.
I asked the computer where he lived and went there.
The surprise on his face was enormous.
"Sorry to bother you, but there is something wrong with my replicator and I can't find the reason."
"What is wrong?" he asked. He was already wearing the inside part of his uniform, but not the outside armour.
"It doesn't replicate. I checked, but found nothing broken. Could you please take a look? I had no breakfast."
"All right," he agreed.
We returned to our quarters.
"Please wait here for a moment, all right? I'll just make sure Ullmann is fully dressed."
"Of course," he nodded.
I went back inside. It seemed like Ullmann was still in the bathroom. I knocked.
"Are you there?"
"Yes, you need to use it?"
"No. But make sure you are in the uniform when you leave, ok? We have a guest."
"No problemo."
I went back to the door to let Karama in.
I expected him to look around to see how two human women lived, but he went straight to the replicator. He entered some commands at the mini console on it, requesting some data, checked something and then looked at me.
"Did you monitor your rations?" he asked.
"Did I what?"
He pointed to the mysterious, round screen next to the replicator. "Your rations. Each weak you receive a certain amount of rations on your account. According to the counter, you used them all up."
"I didn't know what that little round screen meant. I tried to read, but the characters were disappearing so quickly I never managed to translate them."
"You could have asked."
"Yes, but I was always forgetting to ask," I sighed.
He opened his mouth to say something, when the door to the bathroom opened.
"You!" Ullmann yelled.
We both looked at her, startled by her shouting.
"What do you want!" she ran to her cupboard, circling him around and staying as far as she could. She retrieved a knife and pointed it at him.
He raised his hands, indicating he had no bad intentions, and stepped back.
"Get out!" she yelled.
"Ullmann, I asked him here to help with the--"
"Shut up!" she didn't even look at me, her eyes fixed on him. "Get the hell out, you bastard! I'd rather die then let you touch me!"
He slowly moved backward toward the door, still facing her. He tried not to make any rapid moves not to startle her and provoke her to use her knife. The door swished open and he stepped outside; there he lowered his hands, glanced at me and the door automatically closed.
Ullmann slumped to the floor and started crying.
I didn't know what to do. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to ask him for help. But I had asked him a couple of days ago to stop harassing her, even in jokes, and he had promised to stop. She stopped complaining about him and he ignored her completely, he didn't even greet her in the morning. He treated her as she was air. I thought it was all fixed.
I was so wrong.
"Maeva, I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I didn't mean to. I... I didn't think you would..."
"Get out!" she yelled. "You too, get out!"
This was bad, really bad.
"He didn't come here for you, but for me," I said a little too harshly. And then I left.
He was long gone, but I knew I had to talk to him. To apologise for her behaviour. If he did something, if he said something, then I could understand her reaction, but he just was there. He had stopped bothering her and... What did she think? That he came to rape her? He didn't put his armour, so it would be more comfortable for him?
It was all my fault, wasn't it? I shouldn't have brought him to my quarters, should I? I had to make it up to both of them.
No breakfast for you today, my lady. Report to the bridge and you better think out a way to fix this.
I reported to the bridge, greeted whoever I was supposed to greet, and went straight to work. I had another huge chunk of Skarrat database to process today.
Ullmann appeared on the bridge shortly after me. Her eyes were still a bit red from crying, but no one seem to notice.
"I'm so sorry, Maeva," I whispered, when she stood next to me at our console.
She just shook her head. "Let's not talk about it. I know what to do with him," she said.
I opened my mouth to defend him and explain that he wasn't in our quarters for her, but decided against it. I doubted she would listen and I was sure she didn't want to talk about it any more. I made myself busy instead.
Karama entered the bridge in full uniform, but didn't even look in our direction. Ullmann glared at him and then returned to her work.
We worked in silence, gathering, screening and entering important facts to our padds.
Everything seemed fine, until I found a really strange thing. I stared at the screen, not really sure if my TP translated it correctly.
"What is it?" Ullmann noticed my motionless statue and looked over my shoulder. "Oh my God."
The document was a record of an execution. What made it different from other documents of that sort was who had been executed. Not another Skarrat, or a rebel. It was their Prefect. The Cardassian was sentenced to death and hanged according to the Skarrat law..
"Let's see if we can find more on this," Ullmann said.
She had found another Cardassian document, signed by the Prefect, Gul Markor, who had ordered executing all members of Skarrat resistance, including their families and friends. Everyone, who had any ties with the resistance, was supposed to be killed. I closed my eyes. I was quite sure that by that time almost every native on the planet had some connections with the resistance, which meant that the Cardassians would kill all Skarrats, all of them, to the last one.
I looked at Ullmann.
"I'm not going to tell them that," she whispered. "They'd kill us."
"It's their report," I said, but could clearly hear doubt in my own voice.
"Will you go and report it?"
"Can you imagine what the Dragon Lady will do to us?"
I could. She was off the warship this very moment, visiting the planet, but she was supposed to return in the afternoon.
"What will we do?" Ullmann asked.
"I don't know," I whispered.
"We could pretend I didn't find it."
"No. If they find out that we found it and hid it, it would be even worse."
"It doesn't matter how they execute you, you're still dead."
"But they must know about it anyway," I said.
"Do you really think they would allow us to prepare that report I they knew that we would find it?"
I shook my head.
"What do we do?" Ullmann asked again.
"We have to tell someone," I said. Brenok was on the bridge, but I couldn't imagine going to him and saying: 'hi, I have the report ready. By the way, you have almost committed genocide on the Skarrats'. However I could imagine him going angry.
Maybe Zamarran? He was our direct superior, so we would follow the chain of command. And he can take it to the Gul. She probably would be less angry hearing about this from another Cardassian than from a human, wouldn't she?
"We can't hide it," I whispered. "And you know it?"
Ullmann's eyes filled with tears again.
"I'll go," I volunteered. "I'll talk to Zamarran first and report it to him."
She nodded.
I decided to dig a little deeper, hoping I could find something to weaken to blow, but the more information I had, the worse it got.
I waited for Zamarran to return from his 'lunch break'. I lost my appetite completely and didn't feel like having a break at all. The longer I waited, the more nervous I was. The fact the that the Dragon Lady returned and was in her office wasn't making me feel any better.
Finally he arrived to the bridge and headed for his console. I took a deep breath, glanced at Ullmann, who wished me luck, and went to him.
"Sir," I said to call his attention and continued once he looked up at me. "I have some information related to the report Ullmann and I are preparing."
"What about it?" his eye ridges knitted.
"It's... disturbing..." I hesitated. Would he find it disturbing? Or would it be normal day's work? Did any Cardassians considered things like that atrocities, or just necessary, justifiable force application?
"In what way?" it definitely called his attention.
"If you would access the data currently displayed on our monitor," he switched his view to 'our view' and studied the revelation. I stood next to him, I didn't want to look at his face to see how it was changing – or if it changed at all – while he read the documents. He looked at me.
"Is there more than this?" he asked.
"Yes. This is just the last material I have found. There is more documentation regarding this."
"This is not directly related to the current situation and the proof that the Skarrats want to stay within Cardassian territory," he said.
"No, it's not, but I think it is related and shouldn't be omitted."
"Download everything to a padd and then call me."
I returned to my console and did as he asked, and after that I went back to him.
He looked at me. "Come," he said and headed for the Gul's office.
Oh, no.
I glanced at Ullmann and she looked terrified too.
I followed Zamarran, but when I was on stairs I could clearly see Gul Jarol hit her desk with her fist, clearly very, very angry. What a perfect moment to be a messenger of bad news.
We waited for her to allow us to enter and then the engineer said.
"Lieutenant Kapoor has something to report, sir."
"What is it?" in spite of explosion of fury a moment ago her voice was even and professional.
I gathered my courage and started.
"Gul, I have been collecting data regarding Skarrat history, especially the newest history, related to Cardassians."
"And I found something very disturbing."
I handed her the padd, to which I had uploaded all relevant information.
"I had searched local archives and found out that the previous Prefect had been executed according to the local law. I found it quite odd, so I tried to find the reason of his execution."
How was I supposed to tell her that? What would she do? Would I be executed for delivering information like this? Maybe it was forbidden to criticise the Union's politics regarding occupied worlds. But wouldn't Zamarran tell me? Or he would be executed too, if he didn't deliver me to the Gul?
"Did you find it?" she looked at me. I must be brave...
"Yes, I did. You're not going to like it, Gul."
"Go on."
"There used to be resistance on the planet. Every member of it was found and executed by Cardassian forces. Almost one fourth of the planet's population was wiped out. That called the Central Command's attention to the Prefecture and the Prefect, and they decided to send a new Prefect, Gul Kadal, to replace the old one. Gul Kadal brought the old Prefect to justice, local justice, for crimes against the Skarrats."
She didn't say anything. I think she was shocked. She didn't expect that. Even more than this: she didn't like that. She didn't seem to find it acceptable use of discipline, or whatever they officially called their appalling actions. She didn't like killing people en mass any more than I did.
"I suppose you will place it in your report too," she said finally.
What did she expect me to do? Should I save my own skin? I couldn't bring those dead people back to life, but I didn't want to join them!
"Gul, my task was to investigate the current situation and to find proofs that the Skarrats really don't want Cardassians to leave. I went deeper in my research than the task required, and yes, I have found disturbing information, however it was long time ago and Gul Kadal did his best to fix the situation. He was in trouble after that and I am not sure how come the Obsidian Order didn't take care of him, but he still is here and he made it work. The history is history. If the Skarrats could forgive the Cardassians, then who are we to tell them they can't live together in peace any longer?"
"If you don't see it as relevant and would not include it in your report, why do you tell me all this?"
Tell her you care about her being on top.
"Because if someone checks our report and finds that information is missing, it's better for you to know about it too, instead of being faced with it by someone else, by someone opposing you."
Gul Jarol, to my surprise, smiled a bit.
"Thank you for your report, Lieutenant. If that's all, you are dismissed."
I turned and left, Zamarran followed me after a few seconds.
I hated myself. I hated myself for being such a coward. For this show of bootlicking. For my despicable behaviour and cowardice. I was among Cardassians, and instead of showing them Federation values I lowered myself to their level in hiding their crimes. I bit my lower lip, trying to stop tears in my eyes. I went back to Ullmann and she immediately noticed that something was wrong.
"Are you in trouble?" she asked worried.
"No. Not with her," I nodded once toward the office. "But my self-dignity and self-respect are gone."
She didn't ask any more questions and I was grateful for that.
"Is she very mad?" Ullmann asked me suddenly.
"Who? The Gul?"
She nodded.
"I don't know. I think she is, but she was all professional to me."
"Ok. So here goes nothing," she took a breath and went to Brenok. He listened to her for a moment and then nodded once. She headed for the Gul's office.
What was it about? Did she have something to add about the atrocities? But wouldn't she talk to me first?
It wasn't long before Ullmann left the Dragon Lady's office and... left the bridge.
What was going on?
"Karama, my office!" The Gul's voice was like a thunder.
It was easy to guess what Ullmann told her. And she had told me she had a solution. She reported it. She went to the Gul and reported it. But he had already stopped. He wasn't going to do it any more, so why did she report him now? Was it because of this morning? Because of me? He was in trouble because I asked him to take a look at my replicator?
This day started badly and from that moment the 'bad' was only escalating.
It was the worst day of my life!
Karama returned to his post. He looked like she had beaten him; his head was hanging low and he seemed to shrunk. I felt sorry for him. I felt sorry for Ullmann. I felt guilty and miserable.
"It's time to end your duty for today," Zamarran's voice startled me. I was so lost in my own thoughts that I didn't notice his approach.
At first I wanted to protest, but then I decided to do what he said.
"Yes, sir," and since Brenok left the bridge and was in the Gul's office, I added, "Lieutenant Kapoor reporting end of her duty."
"Dismissed," he acknowledged.
I returned to my quarters.
Ullmann was sitting at a desk and recording a message, when I arrived.
"Sorry, didn't mean to disturb," I said.
"That's ok, I've just finished."
"How are you?"
"I'm fine."
I didn't know what else to say, so I just sat on my bunk and took a padd with cultural information on Cardassia. But I couldn't read, I couldn't concentrate for my thoughts were returning to the terrible events of this day.
A chime was an unexpected sound. We never had any visitors. Ullmann didn't react, so I went to open the door. The Dragon Lady herself paid us a visit.
"Gul Jarol, we didn't expect you," I said quietly.
"I wanted to talk to Ullmann."
"Yes, sir?" my colleague rose and came closer.
"Your duty will be changed to the night shift and you will not share duty time with Gil Karama."
"Thank you, Gul," she smiled with appreciation.
"Gil Karama has been disciplined. If he bothers you again, report it immediately and I will deal with it again, severely."
That wasn't exactly fair. He was nasty, but he didn't mean any harm; his behaviour was misguided, but he never really attempted anything, and surely not this morning; and I was sure Ullmann presented this morning as a physical assault and an attempt of rape.
"Gul," I said. I did so many risky things today that one more wouldn't make a difference.
"Gil Karama never meant any harm--"
"You knew about it?!" her gaze and voice changed and she was menacing again.
"I asked him to stop and he promised he would," I told her.
"You knew about it and you didn't report it?" Clearly, it wasn't a satisfactory answer.
"I didn't think... I..." But he didn't do anything that bad. Ullmann was overreacting. He just wanted to scare her. It was rather a stupid joke than real malice.
"I don't know what kind of regulations are aboard Federation starships, Lieutenant, but here is Cardassia. We expect our officers to keep some standard. I expect my officers to conduct themselves exemplary. This was far from exemplary. It was your duty to report such outrageous behaviour. As a Cardassian, who you are on this ship, or a law-abiding person, if you prefer. As an officer. As a colleague," she gave Ullmann a short glance and then her yes returned to me. "And as a woman. "
"Yes, Gul. I didn't think it was that serious. I'm sorry, it won't happen again."
"I hope so."
She left.
If there was any shadow of self-respect left in me, it was gone now. Ullmann's gaze made me feel worse. She probably thought I have betrayed her.
And maybe I did.
I wanted to cry.
Chapter 6 - Day 11
My shift ended and I left the bridge, heading for the mess hall. I expected Karama to be there, as he had left the bridge earlier, but he wasn't present. Ullmann was just finishing her meal, sitting at the table alone. Other tables were quite crowded, but no one chose to join her. Or maybe she refused to sit with others.
"Mind if I join you?" I asked her, approaching.
"Not at all," she smiled weakly. Some of Cardassians around glanced at me and then returned to their meals. "How was your day?" she asked when I returned with a bowl of something I chose from menu. The something was green and orange and resembled a soup.
"It was ok," I said, tasting the first spoon. It wasn't bad, although wouldn't become my favourite dish. "I think Glinn Zamarran is testing me. My engineering skills."
"And how is it going?"
"I don't know. I can't just ask him and he doesn't volunteer to tell me. However, as long as he's not angry, I consider it a success."
"You don't aim high."
"It's not that. This is not the Federation, this is Cardassian warship--"
"Don't remind me."
"-- and things here are the Cardassian way."
"I can't help but wonder why they choose this career. Here, it's not fun."
I had to agree with her. There was little joy in duty here, only obligations. Of course, serving your planet and your people meant something, but still it was better to do all that and have some fun.
"I have to go the bridge, my shift starts soon," she finished her supper... or was it her breakfast?
I only nodded, as my mouth was full. She headed for the exit and a few heads turned to look at her, and then turned back and a few men started whispering, nodding toward the door.
I ate slowly, hoping to see Karama tonight, but he didn't come. I swallowed the last spoon of my soup and returned to my quarters. I asked the computer where Karama was and it told me in this scary voice that the Gil was on deck eleven. According to the computer those decks were ground troops empire. I didn't know what he was doing there, but I wouldn't dare to go there myself.
"Computer, inform me when Gil Karama returns to his quarters."
I hoped he wouldn't return too late. I still had to familiarise myself with next batch of 'the rules and regulation' of the almighty Cardassian warship Roumar, so in spite of being tired I couldn't afford to go to sleep yet.
"Gil Karama is in his quarters," the computer rasped.
"What?" I startled and then realised Mr. Monster woke me up. My padd was laying next to me on my bed. "Computer, what time is it?"
"Oh two hundred hours."
"When did Gil Karama return to his quarters?"
"Three minutes seventeen seconds ago."
"So he shouldn't be sleeping yet."
"Restate request."
"Never mind. I wasn't talking to you."
I rolled off my bed and ran to Karama's quarters, hoping to catch him before he went to sleep.
I chimed and waited. I decided not to chime again if there was no reply and was just about to leave, when the door opened and he stood in it. The first thing I saw when the door slid open was the spoon on his chest, where our sternum is, for it was perfectly on the level of my eyes. I raised my head to look in his face.
"What are you doing here at this hour?" he asked surprised.
"I wanted to talk to you, ask how you were doing," I said, but in fact I was wondering why, exactly, I wanted to see him so much.
"Come in," he said, moving away.
I stole another glance at his chest spoon. His collar bones were covered with ridges and big, thick scales. He wore a black singlet with Cardassian logo on the chest. His shoulders and arms were bare and I could see the scaled ridges going from his neck to his shoulders, and then on the outer edges of his arms to his elbows and wrists, where the ridges receded. The scales on his shoulders and elbows were visibly thicker.
Another interesting thing I noticed was a tattoo. It was on his chest, below his collarbone ridge. I couldn't see it whole, as the singlet was covering most of it, but there was something there.
Not only his Cardassianness was tempting my eyes not to leave his body. He was a fine man all right. Muscular, fit, clearly in top condition.
Wait a minute... Did I have a crush on him?
"How are you doing?" I asked. "I heard the Gul was pretty angry about all this mess with Ullmann."
"She was furious," he said. "Please, sit down."
I sat on his sofa.
"Zobar milk, two cups," he told the replicator and then brought both cups to the table and put one in front of me. "Will help you sleep later."
"Is your duty longer now? You didn't come to the mess hall to have supper."
"As part of my punishment I must report to work on lower decks."
"Oh. Is it normal?"
"No. Our previous Gul's aide was using it often to discipline us, and believe me, it didn't take much to deserve to be sent there."
"What do you have to do exactly?"
"All those things militia troops do, and more. From polishing ship's bulkheads to physical workout. It's mundane, boring work. The worst part is that we have to serve militiamen. As to hand them things, do things for them. They can order us around. Enlisted troops give bridge officers orders. Fun," he muttered.
"For how long?"
"Two weeks. And believe me, every Garesh enjoys it."
"Why would someone choose a job like this?" I wondered aloud.
"It pays well."
"Yes. Serving in attack troops is considered a high risk career, so their remuneration is adequate."
We looked at each other, both surprised by the other's reaction.
"What did you expect? That we work for--" he didn't finish.
"Free," but I did. "Of course, you still use money."
He smiled.
"They say Ullmann stopped your promotion," I said.
"The Gul stopped my promotion, not Ullmann," he replied.
"Are you angry?"
"I regret it. Gul Jarol was right, I should have just stopped talking to this biased bitch, but I didn't," he pursed his lips. "You know what I regret?" I shook my head. "I regret I disappointed the Gul. I don't care about promotion, I don't care about Ullmann and what she thinks of me, not any more. I don't care about the reprimand the Gul is going to put into my file. It all can be fixed. But I lost my Gul's respect and trust. She thought I was something more, something better and I left her with an idiot on the bridge."
"You're too harsh. I'm certain she doesn't think so." To be honest, I wasn't certain. Gul Jarol was like a queen for me: powerful, beautiful and don't you dare to look in her face. I wouldn't be surprised if she judged people harshly.
"But I feel so".
I could understand that. I wouldn't like to disappoint my Captain too.
I didn't want to keep him up for long, so I left his quarters soon.
He was right. The zobar milk put me to sleep as soon as my head touched my pillow.
I have to say, I definitely agreed with what Kapoor thought, about losing some self-respect by acting as though she condoned the atrocities. I hope we'll get to see more about what the Cardassians think about what happened--or more, that Kapoor will get to see it.
The episode with Karama in their quarters...wow. That was awful. Honestly, I'm amazed Ullmann didn't get in trouble for brandishing a weapon at a Cardassian, no matter HOW much Karama started deliberately provoking her. But to see the way the other men in the mess hall looked at Ullmann and seemed to be talking about her--we can also see just what a horrible example Karama set for those below him in the hierarchy. I find myself wondering how soon Ullmann will be sent back to the Federation for her own good.
But what I like is seeing the way Karama is taking his punishment. I remember when I said that what would determine the quality of his character is whether he would blame others or recognize that he brought it on himself by egging Ullmann on. And he definitely seems to be accepting that he did this to himself. That's something not everybody can do, and it shows that Karama will indeed be able to learn and in the end will be a better person.
I think Karama didn't report the knife, because he felt he was responsible for this kind of behaviour. Reporting it would also mean the brass would learn that he had harassed her. He's too smart not to know that his behaviour was wrong, and maybe that's also the reason he accepts the responsibility and blames only himself, not anyone (or everyone) else.
Separate names with a comma.


text:
Piniella seeking lefty hitter with power
Bradley hasn't been able to match Ibanez's '09 numbers
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
The three top players on the market, as most fans recall, were Milton Bradley, Raul Ibanez and Bobby Abreu. You know where each ended up. Heading into Tuesday's game, Ibanez had 25 homers, 68 RBIs and was batting .315 for the Phillies. Bradley had six homers, 21 RBIs and was hitting .201 from the left side for the Cubs, but he was not in the lineup for the third straight game as he continued to work on his swing with Piniella.
It's impossible to say that Ibanez would have put up the same numbers if he had signed with the Cubs, but he is doing exactly what Piniella wanted.
"The only thing I talked about last season," Piniella said Tuesday, "was a need for a left-hand bat in a predominantly right-handed lineup who could hit the ball for power and drive in some runs. Look at our production last year, and it was mainly from the right side. We didn't bring [Jim] Edmonds back and he hit quite a few home runs.
"We needed a left-hand bat, that's it," Piniella said. "That was what I mentioned, that we could use a nice productive left-hand bat in the middle of our right-hand hitting."
The Cubs are committed to Alfonso Soriano through 2014 in left. Could Ibanez have moved to right field?
"He's probably better suited for left," Piniella said of Ibanez. "Right field in Wrigley is not the easiest to play. It's the sun field, it's bigger dimensions, 353 down the line, it's got that unorthodox dip out there."
Then, Piniella paused.
"Look," he said, "we still need a left-hand bat who could hit in our lineup and drive in some runs."
Bradley will be back in the Cubs' lineup Wednesday, and the hope is he will be more relaxed. That's been Piniella's message to the outfielder the past two days. Is it as simple as taking a deep breath?
"Yeah, get out of the box, take a nice breath and relax," Piniella said. "What happens invariably is you create a little tension, and I'm not talking about Bradley in particular, but you start using your bigger muscles and you don't get through the ball. It's the same thing as when you play golf -- the first thing they tell you is to hold the club nice and loose. When you hit the ball, that's when you tighten up. It's the same thing hitting a baseball."
Bradley's biggest problem may be his need to be a perfectionist.
"There's nothing wrong with being a perfectionist," Piniella said. "Don't get disappointed if you're not perfect all the time. You've got to be a realistic perfectionist."
Baseball players get three hits in 10 at-bats and they're considered successful. Bradley isn't alone with his struggles at the plate.
"I've got every confidence that some of the guys who have struggled here will get much better as the year goes on," Piniella said. "I hope it's sooner rather than later."
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.