text:
Joe sez: This is a letter I received from a mid-level legacy publishing insider who wishes to remain anonymous. I have his or her permission to post the letter here, and will add some thoughts of my own afterward. Let's call her Guy Fawkes. So here's Guy...
Guy sez: Writers House president Simon Lipskar has posted an open letter in response to the Justice Department's suit alleging price-fixing among five of the Big Six publishers and Apple (there is also a similar suit brought by the Attorneys General of sixteen states). In the letter, Lipskar argues that the DOJ is mistaken, and calls for "every one of us — publishers, agents, authors, retailers, wholesalers and device makers — impacted by the DoJ's quite literally bizarre misunderstanding of the ebook, publishing and bookselling businesses... to stand up and make their voices heard."
I hear you, Simon. And here I am. I hope other publishing insiders will follow suit, and particularly hope we'll also hear from readers -- the group we serve; the group most affected by the DOJ's suit and the publishing practices at the heart of it; and the one group you neglect to mention in your call for greater public involvement.
Lipskar's argument has two main premises. First, that whatever publisher collusion might have been behind the simultaneous industry-wide imposition of the agency model on retailers, the collusion caused no harm to consumers because the collusion made only some books more expensive. Second, and related to the first, consumers can't be harmed by some books being priced higher because books are essentially fungible. I'm not an antitrust lawyer, but I think I'm qualified by my position to examine these premises in turn.
1. Publishing Collusion Caused No Harm. This line of argument -- that "there has been no discernable [sic] consumer harm from the advent of agency pricing" -- is interesting because it functions as an implicit acknowledgement that collusion did indeed occur. And unless the DOJ and sixteen states' Attorneys General are fabricating the extensive allegations of collusion (including admonitions to "double delete" incriminating emails) in their complaints, it seems Lipskar's lawyers are being tactically astute in steering clear of what would pretty clearly be a losing fight over collusion itself. Their better bet is to essentially acknowledge collusion, instead arguing, "All right, fine, but nobody got hurt -- so no harm, no foul."
And how do they argue that nobody got hurt? Well, because:
2. One Book Is Pretty Much The Same As Any Other. Lipskar acknowledges, as he must, that the prices of New York Times bestselling books went up following the simultaneous industry-wide imposition of agency pricing ("prices for a limited number of titles published by these publishers increased, i.e. those ebooks that were digital editions of newly released bestselling hardcover titles. Amazon had quite explicitly promised its consumers that these titles would be available at $9.99, and with the switch to agency pricing, these titles did indeed increase in price, mostly to $12.99"). But, he claims, these higher prices couldn't hurt anyone because the prices of other books decreased ("No Price Increase for Non-Bestselling Titles").
Now, I want to say that I think Lipskar's numbers are cherry-picked, and that using only 80 out of 100 titles from a single hour of a single day, with traditionally published titles and self-published titles mixed together, is for many reasons an inappropriate data set. But for now I'll accept for the sake of argument that Lipskar's numbers are accurate -- because I think his argument would still be terribly problematic even if his numbers were right.
So let's just assume Lipskar's broad argument is correct ("Even if an individual consumer was unhappy with the agency pricing of bestsellers, the existence of other options, including new competitive ones that have thrived since agency, means that harm cannot be ascribed to the decision to buy a $12.99 ebook"). Let's accept that alleged publisher collusion on agency pricing made bestsellers more expensive but didn't affect the prices of non-bestsellers, and examine the premise that therefore readers couldn't have gotten hurt because they could still find other books cheaper than the newly expensive bestsellers.
Implicit in Lipskar's argument is the notion that a reader will be as happy with one book as she would be with another. Because if the notion is untrue -- if, in fact, readers are drawn to certain titles more than they are to others, and if readers find some books are more attractive, more enriching, more life-changing than others -- then it's impossible to argue a reader would be unharmed if the books she found most worthwhile were made more expensive.
Now, I can't really prove readers don't find all books to be of equal attractiveness, equal importance, and equal worth. It's possible, as Lipskar suggests, that books are pretty much as fungible a commodity as a bunch of M&M's in a glass bowl, none of which has any special merit a consumer might weigh in making a selection. Can't easily reach that one you want at the bottom? No problem, there are a bunch of others just like it right at the top.
Still, you'd think that if readers were as indifferent about picking books as they are about picking M&M's, different books wouldn't have different titles. Or different covers. Or different prices. You'd think publishers wouldn't be so fixated on increasing the prices of certain titles -- certain bestselling titles, as Lipskar himself is forced to acknowledge -- that they would allegedly collude, and then allegedly "double delete" the evidence of their collusion, to do it. You'd think, in fact, that there was barely a reason for publishers to exist at all. What are we nurturing, and curating, and passionately presenting to the public, if in the end it's all just a bunch of fungible widgets?
But again, I can't really prove books aren't like M&M's. I can only say that as a lifelong reader and lover of books, I know there are certain titles that I want more than others, that have added more meaning to and had a more profound impact on my life than others, and that cannot be replaced by others, even if those presumptive others might carry a lower price point. And I can only solicit readers who share my passion for books to chime in with your own thoughts about Lipskar's "all books are fungible" theory, and to share your thoughts with the DOJ directly at the address below (even though -- no, make that because -- Lipskar forgot to mention you when he was encouraging all those other people to act).
I have to add, on a personal note, that Lipskar's argument makes me sad. Not just because, in suggesting that books are fungible, Lipskar implicitly devalues them. But also because Lipskar has made me aware of how hollow it is when the leading lights of my industry claim to value rich literary culture, and the special author-editor relationship, and the high-value, carefully vetted, professionally prepared books we curate and produce. I believe all that -- believe the raison d'etre of publishing is to select, nurture, and collaborate with authors to produce books of lasting value and substantial impact. And yet here is a top literary agent arguing that one book is pretty much the same as another -- traditionally published, self-published, genre, literary, whatever. Obviously both these things cannot be true. And yet publishing's luminaries claim both, depending on which position suits them at any given moment. Doing so isn't just devaluing. It's dishonest.
So if you're a reader, and you feel you're being harmed when my industry increases the prices of the books you care most about, do something about it. Post on your blog. Share a tweet. Most of all, send your thoughts to John Read at the Justice Department at the address below to let him know that although Simon Lipskar thinks that books are just another fungible commodity and that you don't count, you beg to differ and you demand to be heard.
Yours sincerely,
Guy Fawkes
Letters should go to:
John R. Read
Chief, Litigation III Section
United States Department of Justice
450 5th St NW
Suite 4000
Washington DC 20530
Joe sez:
First off, I thank Guy Fawkes for her insights, and for contacting me. I did some checking via Google and she indeed appears to work within the publishing industry. But that's not the point. She could be a hobo who emailed me while squatting in her own filth, and she still makes a solid argument. No offense, Guy.
I agree with 100% of what Fawkes said, though she was a lot kinder than I'm gonna be.
I haven't examined the data Simon claims to have because he didn't provide titles and prices. Maybe it's correct. Maybe it's cherry-picked, as Fawkes mentioned. Maybe it's flat-out wrong. I'd guess the DOJ has ample evidence that prices went up, or they wouldn't have brought the suit. The one who has ALL the numbers, both sales and prices, is Amazon, and if needed they can be subpoenaed, which would be a lot more informative than the tiny sample Lipskar has presented.
But is Simon wrong only because he apparently thinks books are all fungible? Or is he wrong in other ways, too?
Here's what Simon says:
In fact, prior to the change to agency pricing, many ebooks were sold by Amazon for significantly more than $9.99 (the price that is widely and incorrectly perceived by the government and the public to be the highest price for an ebook before agency). As reported by Publishers Lunch, an industry newsletter, on February 24, 2009, "Using two different methods for checking Kindle price data in Amazon's system, we find that roughly 30 percent of the 240,000 or so Kindle titles sell for more than $9.99 (and well over 20 percent sell for more than $20)."
Joe sez: Amazon priced ebooks for more than $9.99 because at $9.99 they were losing money. As I have shown in my blog post, The Agency Model Sucks, under the wholesale model publishers were selling ebooks to Amazon for around $12.50. Is it a surprise Amazon sold at least some of them for more than that?
What drove publishers to collude was the fact that Amazon sold many of these titles for less than wholesale. Which, if memory serves, was what their customers wanted, and continue to plead for in the form of negative reviews and boycotts of ebooks priced above $9.99.
But publishers didn't care about readers, or their opinions. Publishers wanted to control price, and they didn't like Amazon discounting below wholesale cost. Hence the collusion, and the Agency model.
So let's be perfectly clear. The reason ebook prices were high under the wholesale model, and are still high under the Agency model, is because that's how publishers want it. But at least under the wholesale model, Amazon could discount some ebooks as they saw fit, even at a loss. And publishers and authors made more money per ebook sold.
With the Agency model, publishers exchanged a larger percentage of the sale for control over pricing.
So how'd that pricing control work out?
Here's what Simon says:
What this means is that, counter to the endless claims made by the government that agency prices for ebooks raised the consumer price of all ebooks, in fact, by setting most hardcover-period ebooks to $12.99, agency publishers were raising the consumer price of a small set of bestselling titles but simultaneously decreasing the price paid by the consumer on many other hardcover period ebooks.
Joe sez: I'd love to know what the ratio of bestseller sales to midlist sales were.
I could raise the price of a product that sells a million units by 30%, and drop the price of a product that sells ten thousand units by 30%, and that doesn't mean prices overall stayed the same.
Bestsellers are so-called because they (say it with me) sell the best. So if the agency model decreased the price on some titles that weren't popular, while increasing the price on those that were popular, then the AVERAGE price of ebooks would have gone up, based not on titles, but on the number of units sold overall.
But then Simon says something that sounds like it could be persuasive:
the price of the average bestselling ebook has decreased significantly, from approximately $10.20 in Q3 2010 to $8.29 on April 27 – a decrease of 19% in the two years since the introduction of agency pricing – and that, furthermore, the average price today is in fact lower than it was before the introduction of agency pricing.
Joe sez: Wow. That's pretty damning.
But is it correct?
In the graph Simon refers to, included in the DOJ papers, the average ebook bestseller was $8.91 in the first quarter of 2010 under the wholesale model. It then rose to $12.11 by third quarter, 2012, under the Agency model.
According to Simon's info, on April 27th of this year the average price of a Kindle bestseller is $8.29.
Is that right? I decided to check for myself. At 5pm on May 10, 2012, I cataloged every Top 100 Kindle Bestseller. (I managed to do it all in under an hour, so I didn't limit it to 80 like Simon did.)
Here's a link to the spreadsheet.
The sheet shows there were 48 ebooks priced under the Agency model at that specific time on that list. Two of them were short stories priced at 2.99 and .99 cents. Whether or not we average those in with the full length ebooks is a judgment call. I would say it depends on if shorts were included in the DOJ's or Simon's counts, but neither listed titles so it is impossible for me to know. If we do exclude them, what is the average price of an Agency full-length bestseller?
$11.81 per title.
Hmm. That seems to be higher than the $8.91 from first quarter 2010, which was under the wholesale model. It also seems higher than the $8.29 Simon reported. Feel free to check my math. Unlike Simon, I'm posting a spreadsheet with titles, publishers, and prices, rather than just expecting you to take my word for it.
But numbers and facts can be manipulated to prove different points. Of the 48 Agency model bestsellers I listed, two were short stories, two were compilations, and two were obviously sale prices--in other words, the Big 6 publishers behind them had temporarily lowered the price for a small period of time. Hmmm, who was it that predicted that would happen? Hint: me, back in 2010.
So we can easily crunch the data other ways. We can remove the two sale-priced titles and we get $12.21 per Agency bestseller title. Or we can break up the bundled ebooks and average out their sale prices (A Game of Thones set would be $7.50 each, and the Shades Of set is $9.99 each) and put in the sale priced ebooks and the short stories, giving those Agency model ebooks every possible shot at looking cheaper. What's the average then?
$10.33 per title. Still markedly higher than Simon's total. Still two bucks more than the pre-Agency Model total.
So what have we learned?
Depending on how we do the counting, and on what day we count, numbers can fluctuate considerably. Now, I believe I've made a better case that average prices under agency went up than Simon made that average prices under agency went down, but the only one who can accurately gauge the veracity of this is Amazon, who has all the numbers.
And you can bet the DOJ will get those numbers if they need them. And they'll be more accurate than the attempts by Simon and me to figure it out using limited data. What we both did is called cherry picking, and it is a logical fallacy. A fallacy, of course, is "an error in reasoning that renders an argument logically invalid". The Top 100 changes every hour. Simon's data, cherry-picked two years after the Agency model started, was 1 data point out of 17,520. (Two years is 730 days times 24 hours in a day, each hour a different data point.)
In other words, I believe it is entirely reasonable to throw out all of Simon's questionable data, and the conclusions he based on it.
What else can we pick on Simon for?
Simon says:
agency has fostered more competition at every level. It has increased competition between retailers (the market is no longer dominated by a single retailer with 90% market share, but is now a competitive field with multiple retailers with significant share, and there is reasonable likelihood that we will see more competitors enter the market).
Joe sez: Can someone explain how ebooks being equally priced in every market increases competition? Because under Agency terms, THE PUBLISHER CONTROLS PRICES. This isn't a case of Wal-Mart undercutting Barnes & Noble on the cost of a hardcover, which is indeed competition. If publishers set retail, retailers CANNOT COMPETE on price. That's one of the big reasons price-fixing and collusion and cartels are bad. They inhibit competition, not foster it.
Simon says:
One specific area of competition that benefits from further illustration is the way that agency pricing has fostered aggressive competition in the area of the e-reading devices, leading to extraordinary consumer benefit in the form of fast-paced innovation and dramatically lowered prices for the devices themselves.
Joe sez: Ack. The Sony, Nook, and Kobo ALL EXISTED PRIOR TO THE AGENCY MODEL!
As for innovation and lower prices, there's that magic causality again. Can you say pirates and global warming?
Guess what, Simon? Technology keeps improving, and prices drop, ON EVERYTHING! THAT'S HOW TECHNOLOGY WORKS!
Did the Agency model make 32" LED TVs drop from $1199 a few years ago to $399 today? Did it make DVD players drop from $400 to $29 too? Can the Agency model also help me lower my mortgage payments, and improve my eyesight? Damn, it's like the Superman of pricing structures! Let's collude and force it on everybody!
Again, as I said yesterday, I wonder which is preferable in an agent; a smart man trying to use bullshit to fool people, or a moron who believes the bullshit?
Let's continue, shall we?
Simon says:
Absent demonstrable consumer harm, there is no competitive reason for the United States to punish the alleged collusion in the manner suggested by the settlement; rather, the terms mandated by the settlement should have focused on the collusion itself, not the damages from it, since there are none.
Joe sez: I agree. No damages, except for those readers forced to pay more for ebooks, and your clients, who got paid less. Other than that, a victimless crime.
Speaking of authors, in the post I mentioned earlier I break down, step by step, how authors were financially damaged by the Agency model. In short, under the Agency model, writers sold fewer ebooks, while making less money on each ebook sold. I know they sold fewer because cheaper sells more copies. I've done the math, many times.
Now, it's natural that publishers didn't consult with their authors before thrusting the Agency model upon retailers--after all, authors typically have no say regarding where or how publishers exploit the rights they've secured.
But if you're an agent, tell me: have you ever had an honest discussion with your clients before publicly supporting a pricing system that is costing your clients money? And don't tell me you honestly believe that yes, although Agency pricing costs authors money today, it'll make authors more money tomorrow by fostering healthy competition and greater choice and blah blah blah. You can't ethically make a decision to cost your clients money today because you speculate doing so might make them more tomorrow without even having a conversation about that decision beforehand.
So now we have agents publicly supporting Big Publishing at the expense of their own clients' finances--without even consulting those clients. Think about how insane that is. How widely unquestioned. Whose interests do these agents represent? Those of their authors? Or those of Big Publishing?
Shame on you, Simon. Not only for touting this bullshit, but for forgetting who you really represent. I'm thrilled you're not my agent. And I feel bad for those stuck with you.
Now, please, PLEASE can a few agents stand up and show they have the stones to disagree with Simon and all the AAR garbage? You can't all buy into this. Someone's got to have some integrity.
Friday, May 11, 2012
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Joseph Christie
Trustworthy Freedom Fighter
Joined: 01 Dec 2009
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Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2013 6:05 am
Post subject: Welcome to the True Church of Jesus Christ (part 5)
Welcome to the True Church of Jesus Christ (part 5)
5:1. On Monday afternoon (4/11/13), I took the left-over bread from Sunday's Communion. I ground it down in the blender and bagged it. I took it for a walk with me and Grace (our dog). Mount Zion was our destination (within Milngavie Golf course). I took each handful of bread and spread it over the top of Zion. I spoke my important prayers out loud. I was laughing heartily as our dog tried to hoover up the bread. It was a beautiful clear day and only spoilt by the presence of SAHT sitting in their cars. Bear in mind that the masonic psychological terrorism has recently dropped to around 10% from it's peak 5 years ago. This confirms that they can read and know that they have been used (conned). Hear me, this is my second last "Spread of the living bread".
5:2. About 5 years ago I was taking intense spiritual and psychological persecution from satan himself. During another demonic attack (which I didn't fully understand), Satan and his Tempted (SAHT) somehow managed to use my neighbour's stereo (in their kitchen) to play two John Lennon songs. The first one was Happy Christmas (War is over) and the second one was "Don't wanna be a soldier mama, I don't wanna die". I used to own these albums/songs. Bear in mind that I was almost down and out after taking dozens of hits from Satan and his Tempted (SAHT). Unfortunately I cannot prove the super-natural and it could not have been human. How would SAHT know what was happening during the demonic attack?. How would they play just those two songs at that exact time (around midnight)?. These neighbours do not socialise, never mind playing music of any kind. I knew all of this was super-natural and I had not read the Bible at this time. The message from the attack was clear, satan/luci knew my predicament and he was goading me. I have had a human lifetime of these psychological cowardly attacks, more later.
I will show you how this "Gormless Geek" (aka satan/lucifer) persecutes God's children. It is invisible, it can possess, control and manipulate humans and situations. God (Our Father) was also teaching (moulding) me to who my long term adversary was. How could a lowly-uneducated human like me fight this perceived powerful, slithering, unrelenting evil?. I have always known that I was different but how could I fight this crafty, invisible gutter-snipe?. How could I fight this coward who can read my thoughts?. This freak even knows my next move. The good thing is that he/she (it) can see the future (and its demise). This is why I have taken all the hits. This is why gay satan always stabs me from behind the curtains (as do all possessed masons). It (satan/luci) also takes the role of male or female (more later). He/she (it) is a master of conning the gullible, ignorant and selfish humans who want it all (material wealth). It lets me know when it is angry, especially when I write for God's children (smile).
5:3. On Tues 1/10/13 my real brother James (who's nickname is JC) picked me up to go and advise him how to plumb in his son's washing machine. We drove to the flat (in Govan) to see what we needed. We went to the local Heat Spares for a washing machine valve. They didn't have one (Heating parts only) but the guy recommended a local Domestic Repairs shop. We tried it without success but this guy recommended JEWSONS (Builders Merchants in Govan, Glasgow). As we drove in, I received an intuitive - spiritual message as soon as I looked at their big JEWSON's advertising board. I knew instantly it was about Jesus and that the message was somehow connected to being Jewish, but how?. I no longer question God the Father. I said nothing about this to my non-believing brother. I get these frequent intuitive messages in parts or some sort of link to other divine events at Kirk Sermons and Bible Studies.
I told you about the electrical anomalies that happen to me wherever I go. The young woman on the till at JEWSONS really struggled to get her computerised system to take the payment for the W/M valve. She was getting angry and after a few minutes, it started working again. The time on the invoice was exactly 13:33. I get this all the time with references to 33 or 119, more later.
Anyway, I walked and talked with God for an answer about the Jewson message. Here is the answer, Jesus was Jewish then, just as Jesus is Jewish today. Jesus will always be Jewish (eternally), regardless of what the pharisee masons (false Jews) say. God made Jesus and God made you. I do not know of any Jewish ancestry in our family. I was born in the Jewish populated Gorbals area of Glasgow in 1955.
5:4. Did you know the satanic mormons, the satanic jehovah's witnesses and the bizarre cult of scientology (all started by the satanic freemasons) intensely brainwashed most of Scotland's working class. Ditto the UK and world wide, but know that Scotland is the spiritual home of satan/freemasonry. This intensity started just after the 2nd World War. These deranged Cults (designed by the criminal elite) are still using Mind Control (MC) and MK-Ultra today. I can show you this happening in real time (about 300 ids from our house).
They are not interested in mature adults, they want teenagers and especially your kids before they are 8 years old. You would never notice that your children are slowly trained (layer upon layer of MC) to hate you. Their handlers will get them to destroy the normal life that you and they once knew. I can show you this happening in real time. The criminal elite are terrified that you find out the Truth. You are complicit in your own downfall because of your inaction and/or you might miss your next stupid TV programme (soaps or sports) that THEY designed for you. Are there any Christian Soldiers out there (second request)?.
5:5. On Monday morning (Armistice Day) at exactly the 11th hour and the 11th day of the 11th month (11+11+11 = 33), I was strongly compelled to play my Jesus Christ Superstar CD/album. SAHT would have been unhappy. They watch and listen closely to my every move, they have done since 27/2/1955. I played this message for all of those who were taken in the name of Jesus Christ. Message to the skeptics and dinosaurs. Go to google and type in "The truth about the USS Liberty". Also read about false jew Henry Kissinger saying that soldiers are just pawns. When will "YOU" educate yourself ? the Internet is a gift from God. It hurts me to hear the online Pastors repeat satan's news that nelson mandela was a hero. Type into Yahoo "The truth about nelson mandela". Remove your programmed blinkers. God loves you, satan cons you.
5:6. On this same Monday (11/11/13), in the afternoon, I took the left-over bread from Sunday's Communion and ground it down in the blender. I then took it to the place of the dead (the New Kilkpatrick cemetery) and spread it all over the graves and the remains of the Roman Road. I had previously done this (last month) at another place of the dead within the New Kilpatrick Parish Boundary. I said my prayers aloud, knowing that my smartphone is always listening and recording via GCHQ (and NSA)..... The criminal elite love power over you, they have recorded and profiled everyone since WW2. Anyway, this part of God's plan is complete, I do not need any more bread.
5:7. Remember that an eastern star freemason is as loyal to satan/luci as you are to God. The word freemason makes you cringe. You refuse to see them or how they operate in front of you. They even show you that they tackle the bad guys (Criminals) on their TV. Still nobody mentions the real crooks, the freemasons themselves. They sneakily thrive on the abuse of your trust. I have to write, move and speak in a way that forces them to play their evil cards. I should not have told them that (hmm). I am quietly amused at their confidence and cockiness (ignorance). God will soon show you the colour drain from their faces.
5:8. If only you knew how dumb satan/luci really is. If I had known I was dealing with a Donkey, I would have brought some carrots. I told you he has no power, only stupid human pilots who try to cast his ineffective childish curses of "prince of the power of the air". Woe to the masonic pilots who have tried to cast satanic curses on good people, reap what you have sown. Yes, I wrote this a month ago via the Spirit. God the Father knows this to be true. I do not have to prove nothing to the mockers behind the curtains, their destiny is sealed. They have judged themselves. The criminal elite get to count their money made from death, they fund both sides in every one of their wars.
I know ye want it all on a plate today, I have told you to have patience, much has to happen. Time is on God's side. Trust in God and in God alone. God is unruly.
5:9. I heard satan/luci's favourite song..... "Sing if your glad to be gay". What a vile, disgusting, un-natural practice luci brought unto this Earth. Very, very soon there will be nothing un-natural. No, do not stand up for the queen of crooks, stand up for Jesus. Hear me now, these fraudsters are not connected to Jesus Christ in any shape, form or pseudo bloodline. They are all masonic/false jew con artists. They call themselves the illuminati but I tell ye the truth, these false jews are "the illusionists". They will not change their false god worship of gay satan-luci-money-tickly bit-drugs high low-destroy-promote-self-uniform-power-abuse, etc. You vote for these creeps to have power over you. Vote (pray) for me. I will work for nothing but God and you. I do not want a penny.
5:10. My closest Family in the Kirk are most of those who were present on the 14th August 2011 (33) and of course every genuine Christian and righteous person world-wide. I will never leave you, although I may have to sit elsewhere. The battle is spiritual and physical (SAHT). I will deal with the physical (in the flesh) and up above will deal with down below (Hades). From today, I have made each of you one of God's Police, improvise and fight satan within God's Kirk in every nation. Life is your test and your ticket to eternal life. We are all just passing the time till Father's Sign, tick tock tick. I have foretold you that change is imminent.
5:11. I previously told you that God's colour is Blue. I told you that Satan and his Tempted (SAHT) have stolen and reversed everything from the Beautiful Bible. The primary colour of satanic freemasonry is Blue (research the Blue Degrees). So where did this reminder/message come from?. I took my real brother James (who's nickname is JC) to a new local Vet (October 2013). As we took his 2 small dogs into the Vet, a woman had her little dog running about the reception. She kept calling it "Stirling" and we had a laugh and a chat about Stirling being our surname. The woman left. We went into see the Vet and mentioned the coincidence? about Stirling and the female Vet said the little dog's full name was "Stirling Blue". I tell ye the truth, God's colour is Blue, Stirling Blue (smile).
5:12. Yes, satan/luci can read my thoughts and knows I would die every 3 days for Father. However, his tempted know nothing. They have forever studied, analysed and profiled my every word and movement since 1955. Here is a message for them as they desperately search for clues on what happens next, they should read Psalm 2 and especially the NIV version. The Holy Spirit compels me to warn them.
5:13. Reminder to God's Kirk. I do not want a penny, nor fame, nor a circus. I can leave as quickly as I came to you. Love Jesus as he loves you. I give you my promise that I will never lead you astray. Be aware that as the Holy Spirit writes for you, He toys with SAHT. Father helps me to reel them in. This double talk is to manipulate them who think they are in control. My role is the same as Elijah's challenge, to prove that satan/luci/baal has no power. My role is to save those conned by their own ignorance, however, a rabid dog protecting a poisoned bone (satan/luci/self) is a rabid dog. They shall be no more (fact). With great authority I can tell you that not one member of satan's secret societies will rise above unless ye repent. God always gives you a chance. My sceptre is being wrought.
5:14. On Monday afternoon (11/11/13), I took the left-over bread from Sunday's Communion and ground it down in the blender. I then took it to the place of the dead (the New Kilpatrick cemetery) and spread it all over the graves. I also spread some over the remains of the Roman Road (they shall see). I had previously done this (last month) at another place of the dead within the New Kilpatrick Parish boundary. I have no further need of the left-over bread since this date.
5:15. Why Millguy (Milngavie) I hear you cry?. I told you that God communicates by numbers. This is why SAHT have stolen and reversed God's numbers to try to further satan's plan (to exalt himself). I shall teach you. Research the "New Kilpatrick Parish Boundary". Milngavie and Bearsden are both within the New Kilpatrick (Ki = 119 Psalm) Parish Boundary (NKPB). Milngavie also sits on the foot of the Kilpatrick hills and the rainwater flows through and under Milngavie and Bearsden.
I previously told you about "The Scottish Mountain of God" whose rainwater flows into Glen Finglas (Finger/God's) and then into Loch Katrine (Ki = 119), then through two tunnels (for 26 miles) to Mugdock Reservoir within the NKPB. I told you about my favourite fishing spot at Mugdock (it still has the pseudo security fence, wonder why?). I told you about my super-natural crimson bench incident with satan at Mugdock. I told you about Mount Zion which is within the NKPB and is less than two miles from our home. I told you about the purple-blue dove incident at Craigallion Loch (means beautiful rock). The Romans have been in the New Kilpatrick Parish Boundary. You can clearly see the remains of the Roman Road within the NK Cemetery (check online).
Hear me, the Water Works within the NK Parish boundary will be the New Eden, minus talking serpents. If you reject me, I will go across the water and start again. When you fight for God, you can never lie down. I am still not angry, I have no control over God the Father's Wrath. No, I do not see everything, only what the Spirit shows me. I tell you this as perhaps God knew (or planned) something was going to change (bad seeds). It is difficult to teach the blind who think they can see (traditions of men).
5:16. There is only one visible and super-natural obstacle, SAHT. The criminal elite and their satanic-masonic police, military and politicians. Not all are bad but almost all are ignorant. You are standing in the middle of the track with your back to the fast oncoming train. SAHT have covered your ears. Why don't you look behind you? Why do you trust the false jew media without question?. You just don't get it, do you?, SAHT hate anything good. Christianity and anything good is a threat to them and their power over you. This is satan-luci's plan, to destroy the Truth (Jesus) and build his own temple of satanic sewage. I make no apology for my derogatory choice of words. I will not wrap you up in cotton wool, I will teach you Truth.
It is getting harder to write for you as SAHT have all the money and puppets. I only have the basics but they are getting old and full of viruses so I don't know how much longer I can communicate with you. In the flesh and as I approach 60 years of age, I am making small repetitions and minor mistakes. It is hard fighting for the luci-lovers who want to finish me off. I am not phased as I trust in God with all my heart, mind and soul, regardless. I constantly take notes but I do not know what happens next. God sees what I see and write. The Holy Spirit compels me to teach you. I follow guidance as should you. Only a selfish person would selfishly deny that God exists or that God loves you. Listen to me closely, do not worry.
Teach yourselves not to celebrate pagan holidays. Jesus was not born on Christmas day, this is the criminal-elite fabricated date when the false jews count the money. The Internet is a gift from God, find Truth, find Jesus. Stop hiding behind the fluffy church pews, they will not save you. Stand up for Jesus and be counted. Just a closer walk with thee.
Love, peace and FR33DOM..... Joe Stirling Christie (17th Dec 2013).
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What is 'Relay for Life'? It's a Community Gathering Against Cancer June 8–9
Relay For Life is a community gathering where everyone can participate in the fight against cancer, and it's returning to the Highline High School Memorial Stadium the weekend of June 8–9!
Teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event – because cancer never sleeps. Relay For Life is an overnight event.
It brings together millions of people to raise money to help prevent cancer and save lives. While you're raising much needed funds, you will also be raising awareness of cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, and patient support. Relay brings people together from all walks of life with the common goal of eliminating cancer. No matter who you are, there is a place for you at Relay. Please, join us today!
When the sun goes down hundreds of luminaria light the way under the stars to remember those lost to cancer, those fighting cancer, and those who have fought cancer and won. This ceremony of light symbolizes the hope and perseverance with which we all continue to fight.
All survivors (anyone who has faced a cancer diagnosis) are invited to join us as our honorary guests in the Survivor Lap, which opens the Relay For Life. Their strength and courage help the community see that cancer survivorship is real – that we are making progress in the battle against cancer.
This year Relay is back in the area and going to be better than ever! It will be held on June 8th-9th at Highline High School. They are always looking for new teams, Survivors, sponsors, and more!
If you are interested in or have questions about Relay or how to sign up a team, you can contact Donna Simpson (Event Chair) @ [email protected] or Abby Ronnebeck (Event Chair) @ [email protected].
Are you ready to help create a world with MORE birthdays??
Are you ready to RELAY…..Making HOPE Happen!!??
Join us at our next Relay For Life of Highline 2013 Team Meeting on Tuesday, March 5th at 7:00 PM. Every Team Meeting will be held the first Tuesday of the month. Our NEW Team Meeting location is NAVOS Mental Health & Wellness Center 1210 SW 1136th St Burien WA 98166.
You can also visit the website at www.highlinerelay.org.
"We are working together in the fight against cancer and would love for each and every person in the community to participate in our fight!"


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Pope Francis' enormous popularity may not have translated into more parishioners in the pews or penitents in the confessional, but a new survey indicates it may be persuading Catholics to dig deep and give more to the poor — another priority for the pontiff, who was elected a year ago Thursday (March 13).
The survey shows that one in four U.S. Catholics say they have increased their charitable giving in the past year, and 77 percent of them say it's because of Francis.
"It is clear that Pope Francis and his message of mercy and joy, and a special concern for the poor, are inspiring U.S. Catholics in their giving," said Alexia Kelley, head of Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities, or FADICA, an association that promotes Catholic philanthropy.
The survey of just over 1,000 Catholics, conducted March 7-10, was done for FADICA and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Office of National Collections by Zogby Analytics. The survey has a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.
The results also showed that half of those who were inspired to boost their donations were motivated by the pope's message of compassion for the poor, and 44 percent said Francis' exhortations to care for others will inspire them to give more to Catholic efforts or organizations in the future.
"As FADICA looks to the future, this data suggests that the 'Pope Francis Effect' on Catholic giving will continue to grow, thus bringing the church's critical ministries and mercy to those who need it most," said Kelley.
A Pew Research Center survey released earlier this month found that American Catholics and the public give Francis high marks as pope — 85 percent and 66 percent favorability ratings, respectively — but so far that has not translated into higher rates of Mass attendance, volunteering at church or going to confession.
Copyright: For copyright information, please check with the distributor of this item, Religion News Service LLC.


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The Story of an Imprint
This a story about Quil and Claire and how they face the hardships of the imprint and Claire's destructive family life. Set in Claire's POV about 13 yrs post BD.
1. Chapter 1- Flashback.
Rating 5/5 Word Count 1135 Review this Chapter
It seems like I've been driving for hours. My eyes were starting to burn from all my crying. I wiped them vigorously hoping they would stop but they continued. I looked at the clock, 11:00pm, Quil was still on patrol. I needed to talk to him; he had to explain how everything had gone wrong for me. I needed my best friend now more than ever. I stopped at the stop light took a deep breath and looked down. My dress was ripped in several places. I flinched at the pain of the memory.***Flashback***
Greg, my boyfriend of 3 whole weeks, and I walked to my car after we went to the movies. I was trying to impress him because he was 17 and I was only 15. My mom would kill me if she knew I took the car without permission, but she was out of town until Sunday besides my twin sister Cassie always took the car. He got in the drivers side because I told him I didn't want to drive.
"Where are we going now?" I asked when he started the car and headed the opposite direction from both our houses.
"Well…you don't have to be home anytime soon so I was wondering if we could go to the park and talk for a little bit?" he said. I really didn't care what we did as long as I didn't have to go home to that stupid party my sister was throwing which was going to get us both in trouble.
"Ok" I said I might as well enjoy the freedom while I can.
He parked the car underneath the streetlight and turned it off, but left the radio on. I laughed at the song; it was one of my favorites: Misery Business by Paramore. Greg sighed and leaned over to me. He kissed me and I willingly kissed him back. He pulled back as I was really starting to get into it.
"What wrong?" I said a little out of breath.
"It's just…the stick shift is in the way" he said pointing to it.
I laughed and jumped in the back seat. He got in the back with me. He grabbed me and pulled me to him and we began kissing again. I was really getting the hang of this making out thing well at least he seemed to think so. After about 10 minutes his kisses got more urgent and rough and then he tried to pull me on top of him. I had a dress on so I resisted. As his hands pulled me to him my feet pushed off the floor sliding me back in the opposite direction. He wasn't getting the hint, so I broke the kiss.
"No" I whispered.
"Awww come on Claire. I just want to be closer to you." He said laying his head back on the seat.
"Greg can't we just make out like this?" I told him. I wasn't ready for anything more well at least I thought so.
"Fine. I just thought you were more mature." He said shaking his head. He leaned into me but I pulled back.
"I am mature. I just…" I didn't know what I was doing. He was 17 and I knew he had plenty of experience and he was here on a date with a 15 year old who had none.
"It's okay Claire, let me take you home." He said climbing back into the front seat.
I stopped him and pulled him back down and started kissing him. He pulled me on top and I willingly did, but I pulled my dress down as far as it would go. I continued kissing him. He moved his hands down my back and I broke the kiss to get air. As I pulled in air he kissed down my neck and over to my collarbone and down to my cleavage. I gasped as he lightly thumbed my breast. It felt good. I pulled his mouth to mine and started kissing him roughly. His hands grabbed my hips making them grind on top of him. What the fuck is he doing? I stopped and jumped off his lap.
"What are you doing?" I told him fixing my disheveled hair.
He sighed heavily. "Claire…it's what teenagers do? You can't say you didn't like it?" he said.
"I did but…"
"But what? You trust me right?" he interrupted.
"Yea but…" I was still trying to wrap my head around it. Did I trust him?
"So relax and stop thinking about it so much" he said as he leaned and kissed me.
He hovered above me as I kissed him timidly. The kiss started like before and I started to relax. He kissed my neck and collarbone and lightly rubbed my breast again. I threw my head back and gasped. He came back up to kiss me again. I could feel his hips pressing lightly against mine, but I was trying not to think about it so much. I felt him pull the strap down on my dress and I heard a rip as he pushed my dress up. He kept kissing me which was a distraction to what his hands were beginning to do. His hands brushed more urgently against my breast dipping into my dress to feel them. I moaned as he thumped my bare nipple. I let him keep going because it did feel good. Hell better than good; it felt great. He pulled away from my mouth and started kissing my chest his tongue smoothly licked over my nipple sucking it lightly. I moaned again. Now I see why my sister liked it so much. His hands started moving up my dress grabbing my underwear I gasped. And grabbed his hands stopping them.
"No" I shouted. But his hands still tried to pull them down.
"Greg I said no" I shouted again. He sighed.
"Come on you'll like it." He said as he dipped his hand passed my underwear and stuck his finger inside me. I tried to get up but his hand kept me down as he kept pushing his finger inside me. My hands were grabbing his trying to stop him, but my strength only stopped him from going in further. I let my hands go and he trusted 2 fingers inside me. I yelped and his other hand had my shoulder pinned down as he continued to finger me.
"Stop" I yelled but he didn't so I thrust the back of my palm up his nose. He fell back to the door and I jumped up and opened it, so he would fall out. I locked the door and jump in the driver's seat and took off leaving him there.
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Dec. 4, 2013 — Coastal portions of the world's oceans, once believed to be a source of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere, are now thought to absorb as much as two-thirds more carbon than they emitted in the preindustrial age, researchers estimate.
These coastal areas, which now appear to operate as one of the several types of so-called carbon "sinks," may help moderate global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide, counteracting some of the CO2 released into the atmosphere by human activities. Scientists refer to the extensive shallow waters between land and open oceans as the "coastal ocean."
That shift of the coastal ocean from carbon source to sink, quantified for the first time in the Dec. 5, 2013, issue of the journal Nature, suggests coastal areas are a key component of the global carbon budget, the scientists say.
"Compared to the open ocean, we know less about the coastal ocean's carbon cycle even though it's right in front of us," said James Bauer, professor of evolution, ecology and organismal biology in Ohio State University's College of Arts and Sciences and lead author of the paper.
"There is an intense need for more research because we don't currently have the data to know exactly what's going on everywhere," he said. "The methods are there now that weren't available 50 years ago. We just have to commit to increasing the number and types of coastal regions being studied."
Prior to the industrial age, decomposing plant materials in coastal waters and sediments likely led to the release of carbon dioxide. The Nature paper suggests that microscopic plant growth in coastal areas, fueled by fertilizer runoff, is now leading to greater uptake of CO2. It also suggests that the atmospheric buildup of carbon dioxide caused by the burning of fossil fuels is further contributing to this uptake of CO2 by coastal waters.
New instrumentation allows scientists to generate new best estimates of carbon cycling in coastal areas. Using the latest measures available, Bauer and colleagues created a model estimating that coastal areas released, on average, about 150 million metric tons of carbon per year a century ago. Now, these same waters are estimated to absorb approximately 250 million metric tons of carbon each year.
"Some coastal oceans are still emitting carbon dioxide, so this is a global average and our best estimate of how they're behaving as a whole around the earth if we add them up based on our current knowledge base," he said. "To discern a large-scale switch like this on a global scale is fairly unusual."
Bauer also noted that for the first time, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate-Change'>Climate Change (IPCC) is expected to acknowledge the importance of coastal waters to the global carbon cycle in its next report, due out in early 2014. The IPCC's 2007 report and other analyses of the global carbon cycle have largely neglected to take coastal oceans into account, he said.
"When we're counting every ton of CO2 that we're putting into the atmosphere, every additional sink is an important one to identify," he said.
The capture and release of carbon dioxide is difficult to study in coastal systems because of their diverse and variable nature. Coastal areas also represent an enormous part of the global landscape: The current length of all coastlines could wrap around Earth 41 times.
"The coastline represents a huge linear interface between land and the open ocean, and is very important in the transfer of nutrients and carbon between the two," said Bauer, also a faculty member in Ohio State's Environmental Sciences Graduate Program.
The scientists detailed their best effort to come up with estimates of carbon cycling in three subsets of coastal areas: those dominated by river outlets, others consisting of filtering estuaries and bays, and the continental shelf -- any coastal water reaching a depth of about 200 meters or fewer. The researchers used what little evidence was available about the preindustrial age to develop a likely scenario for the coastal ocean at that time.
In broad terms, coastal waters were primarily full of decomposing plant materials 100 years ago, which suggests that the coastal ocean of that era released carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
With the human activity associated with industrialization, however, came the burning of fossil fuels for manufacturing and transportation, putting more carbon dioxide into the air and creating an increased pressure of this gas on some regions of the earth's surface -- including coastal areas. Following World War II, manufacturers also began producing vast quantities of agricultural fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorous -- and about 95 percent of these nutrients run off into rivers and are flushed into coastal waters. There, these elements stimulate microscopic plant production, which draws carbon dioxide into the water to aid in plant growth.
"The evidence suggests that human activities in coastal zones will continue to have an important impact on global carbon cycling," Bauer said. "It's a tricky area of study, but omitting the coastal ocean from the overall carbon budget leaves a gap in projections for future atmospheric CO2 levels."
This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation's Chemical and Biological Oceanography, Integrated Carbon Cycle Research, Arctic Natural Sciences, Long-Term Ecological Research, and Ecosystem Ecology programs; NASA's Interdisciplinary Research in Earth Science program; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Georgia Sea Grant; the European Union's Seventh Framework Program project GEOCARBON; and the government of the Brussels-Capital Region.
Co-authors of the paper include Wei-Jun Cai of the University of Delaware; Peter Raymond of Yale University; Thomas Bianchi of the University of Florida; Charles Hopkinson of the University of Georgia; and Pierre Regnier of the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium.
Tell us what you think of Chemistry 2011 -- we welcome both positive and negative comments. Have any problems using the site? Questions?


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Comics, book, and DVD reviews (and occasional eruptions of other kinds)
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Comics Reviews: DISNEY'S HERO SQUAD #3 and WIZARDS OF MICKEY #3 (Boom! Kids, March 2010)
We seem to be no closer to "closing the loop" on the Ultramachine saga in HERO SQUAD. Thanks to some quick thinking by Duck Avenger, The Phantom Blot loses all control of his motor functions (ewww!) and the Ultraheroes are able to finally claim control of Ultrapod-5, helping make up for Super Daisy and Iron Gus' inability to keep Roller Dollar from spiriting away Pod-6. Just when Eega Beeva (who has contributed absolutely squat of note to the Ultraheroes' campaign, I might add) is declaring the contest a draw (and thus, a victory for the turf-defending Ultras) in between puffs on his gum bubble, the other shoe drops as Emil Eagle gleefully announces that The Sinister 7 have captured Mickey. (Remember, Mickey went in search of Scrooge? Remember?) I foresee the Ultras having to give up their Pods in exchange for Mickey and then breaking their necks to prevent The S7 from completing the Ultramachine. Duck Avenger and the "liquified" Blot have a nice battle in the sewers, but that's it insofar as action goes for this ish.
Somewhat surprisingly, the "Origins" back-up feature passes over the origin of Duck Avenger and gives us part one of "Origin of the Red Bat". Actually, I'm impressed that The Red Bat actually rated an origin, albeit one in an obscure Brazilian story from 1972. The uninspired drawing could easily have been plucked from one of the Disney Studios stories of the era, and the premise -- a costumed Fethry and Donald crashing a masked ball to get a scoop for Scrooge's newspaper -- is equally blah (does Scrooge really have the time to play J. Jonah Jameson like this?). Even the ultimate villains will not be a surprise, as the "disguised" Beagle Boys give their i.d.'s away before we reach the inevitably awkward "To Be Continued" cut-off point. Bring on the Italian origins of Duck Avenger and Super Daisy with all deliberate speed, please!
In WIZARDS OF MICKEY, after an attempt by The-Villain-Who-Supposedly-Was-Destroyed-But-The-Joke's-On-You-He-Really-Wasn't to "rig" a multi-handed sorcery match and win a whole bunch of Diamagics has failed, our heroes get a call for aid from the mysterious magic-wielding dragons. It seems that "The Warlock Robot" and its minions have swiped a dragon egg and intend to probe it to provide TVWSWDBTJOYHRW with additional magical resources. Here, we see the influence of Tolkien peeking through, with a villainous adversary willing to employ "technology" as well as magic. Wizards of Mickey proved their bona fides to the dragon lord by (1) caring for the dragon puppy Fafnir and (2) using their smarts to defeat a team of oversized warlocks named The Giant Gonzos (no, this is not a crossover with Boom!'s MUPPET SHOW titles). Mickey, Donald, and Goofy probably could use the help of "Team Diamond Moon" on this mission, but, alas, Minnie, Daisy, and Clarabelle were left behind (along with "Team Jinx," which got surprisingly little to do in the wrapup of the latest completed chapter). Contrary to Boom!'s blurb for WOM #3, the dragons have not yet officially declared war on the "scaleless" over the theft of the egg, but the fires will be stoked if Wizards of Mickey do not succeed in their mission.
6 comments:
- ramapith said...
"...Does Scrooge really have the time to play J. Jonah Jameson like this?"
Yep. From about 1970 onward, Scrooge is explicitly a *newspaper* tycoon in the Studio stories. It's treated as his most important business, and referenced in dozens of adventures even when the Duckburg Chronicle editorial office itself does not appear.
The newspaper concept bled into the Italian and (as here) Brazilian production too, though never becoming quite as central as in the S-coded stories.
I'm hoping some of the original American-produced Chronicle stories will eventually appear Stateside as well. Many are drawn by Tony Strobl, and some are absolutely hilarious.
And Scrooge, as you'll see, absolutely stays Scrooge.
- April 4, 2010 at 9:20 PM
- Chris Barat said...
Thanks for clearing this up. The obvious question is, why did the Studio feel compelled to lock Scrooge into a SINGLE "major" business venture? Granted, it would be a good jumping off point for stories, but why constrict one's creative vision in such a manner?
- April 5, 2010 at 1:54 PM
- GeoX said...
An effort to fashion him as a duck version of William Randolph Hearst? It does seem kind of arbitrary, though.
- April 5, 2010 at 9:04 PM
- Joe Torcivia said...
Well, Scrooge DID also have that MIA "Secret Agent" business… And for a lot longer than I realized!
- April 5, 2010 at 10:31 PM
- Chris Barat said...
It wouldn't make any more sense to make Scrooge's "main" business the care and feeding of spies than it would to make him a newspaper mogul first and foremost!
- April 6, 2010 at 3:30 PM
- ramapith said...
"A lot longer"? Scrooge *still* runs the MIA in some modern Italian stories, though with Donald and Fethry rather than Donald and Daisy as the agents we usually see. (A bit of a shame; as much as I like Fethry, I also like the idea of an interesting role for Daisy.)
- April 6, 2010 at 9:55 PM


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JENNIFER LAWRENCE's recent chest infection has left the actress scarred for life - X-rays have revealed she has uneven breasts.
The Oscar-nominated Silver Linings Playbook star has been battling pneumonia for weeks and she thought the worst was over when she visited her doctor for a check-up on Thursday (31Jan13), but she left with a new concern.
Lawrence tells U.S. chat show host Jimmy Kimmel, "I just went to the doctor and I got a chest X-ray of my lungs and discovered that my breasts are uneven. That was all I saw.
"I was, like, standing there with these doctors and they're, like, looking at my lungs... and it felt like an elephant in the room and I was like, 'Are my breasts uneven?' They were just kind of like stifled and uncomfortable, obviously, and so I kept thinking, 'Well, I'm gonna dig myself out of this hole by bringing it up again...
"Now I just hope that no one will ever see my breasts in an X-ray."
But she's glad her fever is over, because she was so hot and drugged up at the 2013 Golden Globe Awards last month she missed out on the chance to chat to her favorite singer Adele.
source: data archive


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Spa Valley Railway » Visitor Information » Catering
The Spa Valley Railway offers a number of refreshment options to passengers. These include our static buffet car 'Emily' at Tunbridge Wells, the refreshment bars at Groombridge and Eridge, and of course our award winning Bar Car 'Kate', which we endeavour to run on green timetable trains, plus during many special events.
Emily - With FREE wifi!
'Emily' is an ex-mainline Sussex Coast electric train buffet car, and now lives in the platform at Tunbridge Wells. She is open on most running days. The menu includes teas, coffees and soft drinks, hot pasties, bacon sandwiches (when available), sausage rolls, sandwiches and crisps, as well as a range of fresh cakes.
We now also have free wifi in 'Emily' which is available for all our visitors whilst they enjoy a fine pot of tea!
Emily is available and the perfect venue for children's parties, especially birthdays! These events include a ride on the train and then a party in the buffet, we can even provide a party box per child for an afternoon snack plus some goodies!
Kate- With Complimentary* wifi!
'Kate', our award winning on train Bar Car which was refurbished in 2018 and can be found in most green timetable trains, with her staff serving a range of refreshments as you roll along through the Kent and Sussex countryside. Converted from a former passenger coach, Kate sells teas, coffees, beer, wine, spirits and food including doughnuts and scones. Her cream teas are the stuff of legend, and on some special days, real ale from local breweries is on tap. Kate is available for hire for your special day; birthdays, weddings and corporate events are very popular! *WiFi password obtained by requesting a reciept when making a purchase at the bar. WiFi subject to availability and mobile data coverage as the train makes it's journey through the High Weald.
The Groombridge Station Refreshment Kiosk has been developed by the FROGS (Friends Of Groombridge Station!). This building was formerly a farm shop selling asparagus near Tunbridge Wells. It has been completely refurbished to meet current standards, and sells a full range of light refreshments. As you'd expect (!), ice creams are also available, and there are a number of picnic benches on the platform, both in the open and under cover.


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WASHINGTON >> U.S. employers extended this year's hiring surge into July by adding a solid 209,000 jobs. It was the sixth straight month of job growth above 200,000, evidence that businesses are shedding the caution that had marked the 5-year-old economic recovery.
The unemployment rate ticked up to 6.2 percent from 6.1 percent as more Americans started looking for work. Not all found jobs, but the increase suggests that they are more optimistic about their prospects. The jobless aren't counted as unemployed unless they are actively seeking employment.
Average job gains over the past six months reached 244,000 in July, the best such average in eight years.
Still, the employment growth may raise alarms for investors, some of whom fear the Federal Reserve might increase short-term interest rates sooner than expected.


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Last weekend, only one pass was thrown in the direction of Rams rookie receiver Tavon Austin, the eighth overall pick in the 2013 draft. Tonight, quarterback Sam Bradford targeted Tavon four times in two drives.
The first came on a third-and-12 play. Lined up in the left slot, Austin crossed to the right, squatted in an open zone, caught a short pass, and then tried to juke his way to daylight. As he was swarmed by three Packers defenders, it appeared that he spent more tim juking and not enough time moving toward the sticks. But Austin still gained nine yards.
On fourth and three, the Rams opted to go for it. From the right slot, Austin crossed just short of the line to gain, caught a quick pass from Bradford, and was hit and tackled by Packers safety Morgan Burnett before getting a first down.
Though it wasn't obvious during the game broadcast, the officials also ruled that Austin dropped the ball.
On the next drive, Bradford went twice to Austin again, missing him on a short out route near the goal line for what would have been a walk-in touchdown. Bradford then hit Austin with a short dart that was short of paydirt.
During Friday's edition of The Dan Patrick Show, Rams coach Jeff Fisher told me that Austin has shown on the Rams practice field the same separation and burst he demonstrated regularly at West Virginia University. So far tonight, we haven't seen it against Green Bay.
But the Rams are definitely trying to give him chances to make it happen.


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New cards and giveaway
angela carta,inc. at 4:03 PM
23 comments:
These are great! A wintery-ish pattern, but with a bright color. I love 'em.
- November 14, 2012 at 4:15 PM
- Carla Cavellucci Landi said...
Letterpress is tradition, your design is so perfect, this color is a great contrast to make everything chic and elegant - and timeless.
- November 14, 2012 at 4:25 PM
- silvia raga said...
Angela, a me piacciono molto... Le trovo eleganti e moderne!
Un caro saluto dall'Italia,
- November 14, 2012 at 4:40 PM
- Sewing Princess said...
Idea fantastica! Diverse dai soliti colori natalizi...e si possono usare anche per altre occasioni
- November 14, 2012 at 4:49 PM
- Rachael Hardison said...
I absolutely love these! I love the fuchsia coloring paired with the leafy pattern. :)
- November 14, 2012 at 4:49 PM
- Arzigogolare said...
The new cards are lovely - very festive! I think fuchsia is a timeless color...appropriate in any season...and it seems especially perfect to bring some cheer and brightness to the holidays.
- November 14, 2012 at 5:10 PM
- Jaime said...
Sweet colour combination! Pink + red = lovely!
- November 14, 2012 at 7:01 PM
- spunthoughts said...
Very unique colors, I would not have thought to put them together but they do provide a certain brightness! Still love the original cards & color combinations as well.
- November 14, 2012 at 8:10 PM
- nole said...
Love, love, love the new colorway Angela!
- November 14, 2012 at 11:16 PM
- ringo's girl said...
Oh Angela, you've done it again! I love these...pure eye-candy, my dear!
- November 15, 2012 at 12:32 AM
- Jacqui Dodds said...
Fuchsia is one of my favourite colours. These cards are lovely.
- November 15, 2012 at 6:49 AM
- magdalena said...
Fuchsia is such a wonderful color to perk up dreary winter!
- November 15, 2012 at 8:44 AM
- Gayle said...
I love the color. It is a great thing to have a bright non-traditional color this time of year. I vote yes.
- November 15, 2012 at 6:55 PM
- Nicole said...
What a wonderful way to show some love with a hand written note. It's like opening up a mini gift!
- November 16, 2012 at 6:08 PM
- Lynn Taylor said...
Love the crispness of the print and the indentation of the print. What do you think about having fuchsia coloured envelopes as an option too. :-)
- November 17, 2012 at 2:57 AM
- Lynn Taylor said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- November 17, 2012 at 2:58 AM
- inkala images said...
Utterly delightful (as always)!
Ingrid x
- November 19, 2012 at 7:57 AM
- Tanya M said...
Looks like a cute little Christmas tree and I like the colors.
- November 19, 2012 at 2:46 PM
- Tanya M said...
Looks like a cute little Christmas tree and I like the colors.
- November 19, 2012 at 2:46 PM
- angela said...
Truly happy to read all of your comments! So helpful for me to read your feedback on a new product. The winner is Carla Cavellucci! Please send me your mailing address and I wil be happy to send you one set of stationery asap.
Thank you so much to everyone that partecipated!
- November 21, 2012 at 10:20 AM
- nery flan said...
What A Nice post here ... I do not ... I do not enjoy the read Information for your wonderful post on your own site. I will definitelycome to check again .. Thank you.
- November 27, 2012 at 11:07 AM
- nery flan said...
This is really great. I like to visit your blog. Thank you very much for sharing all this great information here.
Led Sign
- November 29, 2012 at 8:31 AM
- nery flan said...
I read your post .. I held a lot of information to read this content .. I really feel that I have a better understanding of the essential and ... Thank you for sharing and for your guidance ...
Chicago Sign Companies
- December 3, 2012 at 11:15 AM


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Joe Cole's debut for Liverpool ended in defeat as the Reds went down 1-0 to Borussia Monchengladbach.
Roy Hodgson fielded a strong side including England's World Cup captain Steven Gerrard as well as Jamie Carragher and Glen Johnson while Fabio Aurelio was named on the bench after re-signing for the club on Saturday.
Monchengladbach had arranged the match as part of their 110th anniversary celebrations at Borussia Park and the hosts made an early breakthrough through Karim Matmour in the eighth minute. The Algerian took advantage of some poor play by Daniel Ayala inside the area and the defender was duly punished as Matmour produced a powerful finish.
Matmour was proving a real irritant for the Anfield club and came close to doubling his side's lead with Liverpool having to wait until the 56th minute for their first real chance when Cole's low drive was parried, with the former Chelsea player withdrawn nine minutes later.
The hosts continued to threaten and, although David Amoo headed narrowly wide, Monchengladbach fully deserved their victory.
A goal eight minutes from time by Ian Harte gave Carlisle victory over Hibernian in a low-key game at Brunton Park.
Harte headed home a James Berrett corner after losing his marker to earn a deserved win for the League One side, who also came close through Craig Curran.
Hibs had a goal disallowed for an apparent offside in the first half but they produced little in attack after the break bar an attempt by Anthony Stokes which goalkeeper Adam Collin saved with his leg.
A late goal by Liam Davis earned Northampton a 2-2 draw with a Birmingham XI at Sixfields.
Copyright (c) PA Sport 2009, All Rights Reserved.


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Hi folks
Continuing on with a series of blogs on UC and managed services, Elizabeth Klingseisen is back with a blog discussing critical success factors for outsourcing.
Three factors are crucial in making outsourcing a success: smart sourcing, due diligence and strategic risk partnerships.
With pressure still on both the top and bottom line, IT professionals are finding it harder than ever to walk the tightrope of operational efficiency versus building for growth.Continue Reading...


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Natrona's Brecken Biggs Named Wyoming Gatorade Football Athlete of the Year
In its 28th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, announced Brecken Biggs of Natrona County High School as its 2012-13 Gatorade Wyoming Football Player of the Year.
Biggs is the third Gatorade Wyoming Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Natrona County High School.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Biggs as Wyoming's best high school football player.
Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award announced in December, Biggs joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.), Wes Welker (1999-00, Heritage Hall HS, Okla.), Terrell Suggs (1999-00, Hamilton HS, Ariz.), Anquan Boldin (1998-99, Pahokee HS, Fla.) and Jerome Bettis (1989-90, Mackenzie HS, Mich.).
The 6-foot, 175-pound senior quarterback and defensive back led the Mustangs to a 12-0 record and the Class 4A state championship this past season.
Biggs passed for 1,584 yards and 19 touchdowns, completing 115 of 187 passes.
He also rushed for 697 yards and 14 touchdowns on 120 carries, adding eight interceptions on defense.
Biggs was named the Class 4A Offensive Player of the Year.
Biggs has maintained a 3.34 GPA in the classroom.
He has volunteered locally on behalf of a food pantry, the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Special Olympics.
"Biggs is a very good athlete," said Jon Vance, head coach at Kelly Walsh High. "He can run the ball, he passes it efficiently and he made a lot of key plays on defense."
Biggs remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.
The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.
Biggs joins recent Gatorade Wyoming Football Players of the Year Jordan Roberts (2011-12, Sheridan High School), Jim Shellenberger (2010-11, Natrona County High School), Austin Woodward (2009-10, Sheridan), Tommy Earl (2008-09, Natrona County High School) and Alex Stratton (2007-08, Cheyenne East) among the state's list of former award winners.
Watch highlights of the 2012 4A State Championship Game:


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Are you searching for just the right Father's Day gift for your dad? We're here to help with a delicious selection of Father's Day gift ideas to please your Dad's palate. Our Father's Day gift baskets pack an incredible abundance of gourmet goodies into one affordable arrangement! Whether he loves luxurious chocolates, fine wines and cheeses, artisan brews or savory snacks, we have the perfect for your one-of-a-kind dad.
Send a Father's Day chocolate gifts for dad. Choose from chocolate truffles, gourmet cookies, brownies, and our favorite Father's Day gift – gourmet strawberries. Bring a smile to Dad's face this Father's Day with a surprise so delicious and so incredibly indulgent he'll remember it for years to come. We'll help you ditch the boring tie for a delightful selection of tasty treats.
This Father's Day, celebrate Dad with a variety of frosted cupcakes in some of his favorite flavors. Our mini, personal-sized cakes and cupcake bites are deliciously decadent and perfect for enjoying. How better to indulge Dad? Choose from richly flavored chocolate cupcakes, light and sweet vanilla bean cupcakes and smooth and creamy red velvet cupcakes no one can resist. Each one is beautifully hand-decorated and presented ready to enjoy. Yum!
Looking for some out of the box gift ideas to will satisfy Dad's sweet tooth. Check out our variety of chocolate treats for Father's Day. We feature an extensive line-up of high-quality chocolate truffles in milk and dark chocolate, as well as an amazing array of delicious candy favorites. You'll even find a great tasting line of sugar-free candies too. Does your dad love to raid the cookie jar? Then get him stocked up with some of our legendary cookies. From moist chocolate chip to peanut butter, our luscious cookies come in a host of sizes. We even offer an inspired variety of hand-dipped chocolate cookies, as well as personalized cookies.
Fruity, fresh berries and cherries meet rich, creamy chocolate in our ever popular and ever tasty hand dipped fruit ollection. Shop cherries for Dad on Father's day and discover an amazing variety of fruity treats. Or, get chocolate dipped strawberries for Dad to pair with some of our assorted nut baskets. We offer berries sprinkled with chocolate and nuts as well. If savory's more his style we have that too. We offer gift hampers loaded with game-night snacks, gourmet picnic treats and even premium wines. Just take a look at the selection our gift basket designers put together. Make it even more special with some chocolates and you have a delicious gift treat like no other. It couldn't be easier to send a wonderful Father's Day gift to your special dad. Let us deliver your gourmet choice, fresh and ready for Dad to enjoy.


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Pigeon Nursing Bottles are made of high quality, durable polypropylene (PP) which is BPA free. The streamlined shape makes it easy for mothers to hold and keep clean. Ultra soft silicone with its double thickness ensures ideal softness and elasticity so that your baby can latch on comfortably and easily. The shape fits perfectly onto your baby's tongue, allowing smooth tongue movement and minimizing air intake.
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Hunting, Fishing Fees Could Increase [AUDIO]
For the eighth year in a row Wyoming producers have done well at the World's Forage Analysis Superbowl in Madison, Wisconsin. Amy Richards reports. The cost of Wyoming Hunting and Fishing licenses could go up under a proposal from some state officials. Click past jump to listen to Wyoming Radio News.


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LONDON—An Al Qaeda-inspired extremist was sentenced to life without parole Wednesday for hacking an off-duty British soldier to death on a London street in front of horrified passers-by.
Images of Michael Adebolajo, 29, holding a butcher knife and cleaver with bloodied hands in the moments after the May 22 killing of Fusilier Lee Rigby shocked people around the world and sparked fears of Islamist terrorism in Britain.
More on thestar.com
The self-described "soldier of Allah" was sentenced at Central Criminal Court along with his accomplice, 22-year-old Michael Adebowale, who was sentenced to life with a minimum of 45 years in jail because of his age and lesser role in the murder.
The day ended in drama when both men were pinned to the ground and led out of the courtroom after scuffling with guards and shouting at the judge moments before their sentences were read out.
Adebolajo yelled "Allahu akbar" — "God is great" — while Adebowale called out "that's a lie" as the judge told them they had been radicalized.
Outside the court, protesters from two far-right groups erected gallows and demanded capital punishment for the two men.
The pair was convicted in December of murdering Rigby, 25, who was walking near his barracks in south London when the men ran him over with a car. They then dragged his body onto the road, and repeatedly stabbed him with knives. Adebowale attacked his torso, while Adebolajo attempted to cut off the soldier's head with a cleaver.
Moments after the killing, Adebolajo was filmed by onlookers delivering a rambling monologue justifying the attack as he held the bloodied weapons.
Rigby was killed because "Muslims are dying daily by British soldiers" — "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," he said in the video, which was broadcast around the world.
In his testimony, Adebolajo told the court that he loved Al Qaeda — though he never met its members. He also said he and Adebowale had decided to kill a British soldier and Rigby was the first they came across.
Judge Nigel Sweeney said their actions were "sickening and pitiless" and resulted in a "bloodbath." He added that he was certain Adebolajo had no hope of rehabilitation.
"You decided, between you, and in order to advance your extremist cause, to murder a soldier in public in broad daylight and to do so in a way that would generate maximum media coverage," he said. "You both gloried in what you had done."
Rigby's family said after the sentencing that they were satisfied justice has been served.


text: Korea Hosted 2013 World Winter Games. PyeongChang, Republic of Korea, was host of the 2013 Special OlympicsWorld Winter Games. Download Country Fact SheetIt's at the local level--right here--where interested volunteers meet the athletes. That's where the perceptions start to change and where the miracle of transformation takes place. Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Those activities give them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship.


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Most fitness facility operators have realized the importance of implementing fee-based programs in their clubs. Few club owners, however, understand how to use these programs as a bridge between the personal training department and the group exercise department to increase participation, increase revenue and create a cohesive team between the departments.
Here are five great ways to use your free and fee-based programming to build all the departments into loyalty and revenue-generating areas.
1. Build the team. When selecting the team that will lead your fee-based programs, do not overlook group exercise instructors. Most facility operators choose personal trainers to lead any program that has a fee attached to it. Think outside the box. Interview your group exercise instructors. If they are a good fit, allow them to launch a fee-based program. This gives them the opportunity to increase their own revenue beyond the hourly rate, feel more a part of the team and take additional ownership of the club programs. When considering a leader, look for the following qualities:
- Personality. Most group exercise instructors are gregarious by nature. But take into consideration their ability to be a team player. Will they build and promote all the programs and not just their own? The best instructors care about the entire club's success, not just their 5:30 p.m. step class.
- Commitment. Will the instructor go above and beyond to market and promote the programs beyond their own time slot? Trainers must be willing to spend extra time in and outside of the club to build a successful program.
2. Educate the team. When a new program is being considered, include the entire staff in the process. Hold a meeting with all directors and invite the personal trainers and group exercise instructors. Although most group exercise instructors work part-time and "run in and out of the club," including them in the programming process often makes them feel more included and increases their loyalty to the facility, which goes beyond the loyalty they feel to their class. Ask the instructors who attend to provide feedback and opinions. Once the new program has been selected, provide an intense educational process so all the employees, trainers and instructors understand the program.
3. Stop walking in fear. Many department heads and trainers fear marketing "other" programs because they believe this may cut into their clients or their compensation. In reality, if your staff markets all programs, they are putting the members' needs first and finding the best fit for them. During stressful economic times, your members may just need something free or less expensive. If your members cannot afford an additional $60 an hour for personal training, suggest they try a free group exercise class, or have them try group training at half the price. Many trainers fear they will lose their clients. In reality, your trainers' jobs are to find the best fit for their clients, whether it is free or fee. When your staff provides great customer service to clients and members, and they feel your trainer put their needs first, they will stay a client for life. When they have the resources to pay again for the individual or group trainings, they will.
4. Market as a team. You must request action. Ensure that all employees, trainers and instructors market the program. If you have selected a great team and provided great education, this component will be easy.
5. Be a great leader. As the club owner or operator, you are the leader. Your character, values and beliefs will dictate the success of all the programs as well as the club. It is your job to build a successful team with all your employees and departments, not just the ones that generate the most revenue. If you do not see the value in a department or program because it does not align with your values, then cut it. For example, if your group exercise team perceives you do not value your group exercise program, that department will not be successful, and the team members in that department will not care about the overall success of any program, much less your club. When leading your teams—both free and fee-based trainers and instructors—share with them the value of all the programs, all the departments and all the staff. This will guarantee success with all programs, fee and free alike.
Lori Patterson, owner and CEO of VicteliB LLC, is the creator of fee-based programs that include Boot Camp Challenge and Kids Kamp Challenge. Patterson served in the U.S. Army and has been in the fitness industry for 27 years. You can reach her at firstname.lastname@example.com, at 636-734-8594 or through the website at www.victelib.com.


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The $213 million, 15,600-member Garden Savings Federal Credit Union in Parsippany, N.J., and the $64 million, 5,700-member Morristown Federal Credit Union of Morristown, N.J., will merge effective Jan. 1, the credit unions said.
Garden Savings FCU will remain the name. The merger was approved by Morristown FCU members on Nov. 27 and signed by both credit unions' boards on Dec. 22, the credit unions said.
Garden Savings serves more than 100 SEGs, including Alcatel-Lucent, while Morristown FCU's primary sponsor group is Honeywell.
"The members of Morristown Federal Credit Union will be thrilled with the expanded product menu and additional locations that this merger will provide to them," Richard Myers, Morristown FCU president/CEO, said in the announcement.
"This merger has the best interests of our members in mind for both the short and long term. Both credit unions are based in Morris County and the resulting credit union will be diverse, flexible and dynamic," Myers said.
Lou Vetere, president/CEO of Garden Savings and current chair of the New Jersey Credit Union League, said, "Morristown FCU has been a healthy, successful credit union for six decades. To combine our products, services, locations and membership is an opportunity that will strengthen both credit unions in many ways. "


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Earlier today, Acer quietly unveiled the C710-2605, a brand new Chromebook and an update to its original C7 Chromebook that we recently reviewed. The newer model has better specs and nearly double the battery life.The display is the same as the original model, but Acer has doubled the RAM to 4GB and while also adding a larger hard drive. We were blown away by the original C7's $200 price tag, but for let's see what an extra hundred bucks will get you.
In our review of the Acer C7 Chromebook, we complimented Acer for making an attractive computer with speedy performance and an effective keyboard and touchpad. The only problems with the computer was a poor speaker and a not-so-great battery life. These problems seem to have been fixed in the updated version. As for the battery, it almost doubles in size. The first C7 had 3.5 hours of runtime and the battery was a 2,500 mAh li-ion. Now, the C7 uses a 5,000 mAh pack with an estimated runtime of 6 hours. The previous version's battery was said to last 4 hours, so even if the new C7 can last 5.5 hours, that's a big improvement. An extra two hours is the difference between watching one movie on the plane or two.
The new C7 Chromebook takes a huge jump in storage, moving from 320GB to 500GB. Google prefers that you use its cloud-based Google Drive storage, and Acer is offering 100GB free for the first two years of ownership.
Acer has yet to announce the release date for the new C7 Chromebook, but we can imagine it'll be pretty soon.