text:
Star Wars: X-Wing:
Lusankya Chapter Sixteen
Rating: R
Shadow Chaser
Authors Warning: This fic is rated R for heavy graphic violence, torture, and imprisonment.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars characters except those of Akiba Muune, Lieutenant Dysune Tayib, and Captain Falco Avin. All other characters belong to Lucasfilm and their respective authors. I am not making a profit out of this story, it is only written for fans to enjoy.
The steady dripping of liquids going through an IV band was rhythmic, soothing, and somehow, made Tycho feel at peace.Ā He could tell it was an IV band because of an acute pain that was pressed against his left wrist.Ā The next feeling was that a rather large fuzzy cotton had been shoved into his mouth and his throat was very parched and dry.Ā He slowly cracked open his eyes, and blinked a few times to clear up the blurry vision he had when he first opened them.
Slowly, the medical room he had been placed in came into focus and he looked around.Ā For reasons unknown, a slow welling of panic filled him as he looked around ... part of him demanded to know if this was a trap and another part of him was puzzled as to why he would think the medical room was a setting for a trap.
"Good evening Captain," the gentle modulated voice of a Two-OneBee droid suddenly spoke up to his left and his eyes darted to see its blue clamshell head glancing down at him before looking around to the monitors that surrounded him.
It was then that he finally noticed that not only was his wrist hooked up to an IV drip, his body was covered with different diodes and wires connecting him to various electronic equipment.Ā And part of him realized that some of the equipment weren't really for medical purposes ...
Putting that thought in the back of his head, he instead focused on the droid who made a few notes a data center near his bed.Ā "Where ... " he croaked out before clearing his throat, "where ... am I?"
"Medical bay, room 1138, aboard Home One sir," the droid replied before moving over and handing him a small bottle of water with a sip-straw on the end.Ā Tycho's lips took the proffered straw and he sucked greedily on the water before the droid pulled the straw out and placed the bottle back on a small end table.
"Thank you," he replied grateful that his throat didn't hurt as much anymore and the cotton-like feeling within them was starting to dissipate.
"Sir," the droid tilted its head in acknowledgement, "if you are well enough, General Cracken would like to see you."
"Cracken?" Tycho blinked before wincing as flashes of various images flitted through his head.Ā He saw what looked like a mission file he had been handed ... the bright streets of a bustling city ... mismatched blue and red eyes that had a malicious look to them ...
"Sir, sir," he didn't realize that the OneBee droid had been calling to him until he blinked and stared at the droid.
"Y-Yeah ... I'm fine ..." he said, feeling a bit shaky.
"Are you sure sir?"
Tycho nodded, suppressing a grimace.Ā He didn't understand why his memories were so fuzzy ... he knew he had been sent on a mission to Courscant ... but what had happened afterwards, he couldn't exactly remember.
A few minutes later, after the medical droid had left, the door to his room hissed open and the familiar form of General Airen Cracken walked in.Ā Tycho made a move to salute and sit upright when his whole body exploded in pain, protesting the movement he was trying to complete.Ā He barely managed to keep himself from yelping out in front of the general, but was only half successful in keeping the grimace of pain off of his face.
"Don't worry about moving, Captain," he glanced up at the General who gave him a smile and held up a hand to prevent him from doing anything else, "I'm surprised that you wanted to see me since you've just woken up."
Tycho leaned back against his pillows, feeling very odd that he wasn't sitting up and facing the General and instead, was staring at him while lying down.Ā The pain was starting to ebb away and he let himself relax slightly, only moments later, frown at the General's words.
"The droid said that you wanted to see me," he said, confused.
The General stared at him for a few seconds before nodding, "Good to know that your brain hasn't addled in your time away from us."
"Sir?" Tycho felt confused and in that confusion he could feel a slight bit of panic well up.Ā He didn't know the source of the panic, but it made him feel scared for some odd reason.Ā He knew that he had no reason to be scared of the General.Ā He forced himself to relax instead of causing more pain to his already protesting body.
... He had already tasted the blood in his mouth, and breathing in its coppery scent was an old habit right now as his cheek slipped slightly from the red crimson streaks that was already there ...
... A flash of a white hair and sparkling green eyes flashed across his vision and Tycho attempted to shake his head, but everything hurt ...
... Musty and damp was what the place smelled like. Its deep earth-enriching sense reminded him of his times in his family's Crevasse City estate ...
... The scream was inhuman ...
"-to which we found your TIE drifting ... Captain?" fingers suddenly snapped in front of his eyes, startling him from the surge of memories and he blinked rapidly, forcing himself to focus on General Cracken's weathered face.Ā It was also then that he realized he his breath came in short gasps and the monitors hooked up to him were beeping like crazy.
Suddenly a mask of pure oxygen was shoved over his mouth and nose and for a split second, Tycho tried to fight it off before he forced himself to remember that he was in Alliance care, not in that horrid prison or-
His thoughts suddenly ran into a blank wall and he realized that he knew he had been tortured, and from the way his body was reacting to everything, it was a very bad and probably long torture ... but enough that he couldn't remember where he had been tortured ...
... Lusankya ...
The name whispered like a lover's kiss in his mind and he hadn't realized that he had spoken it out loud until he saw Cracken's eyes widen like saucers and the General stepped back before staring at him with shrewd narrowed eyes.
"Captain, are you all right?"
Tycho could see the suspicion hidden in the man's eyes even though he tried hard to contain his surprise and knowledge of what he had just said.Ā Somehow, a part of him knew that this was real, and no matter what, he would not submit to another round of Iceheart's tortures even if it was a simulation the thought of that puzzled him for a second even if it was fake.
"I ... was at Lusankya ..." he said quietly, a part of him alarmed that he sounded so cool and detached, like his body wasn't his own, before flashes of images started to appear before his eyes.Ā He could feel tendrils of pain crawling up and down his skin, touching every fiber of his nerves.Ā The well of panic that he had felt earlier returned full force and he tried to scrunch his protesting body up together as much as he could, trying to will the pain away.
... Lusankya ... Lusankya ... Lusankya ...
The name whispered like a horrid chant in his mind, tormenting him, and he could see flashes of molten red, then icy blue ...
... Lusankya ... Lusankya ... Lusankya ... Lusankya ...
Then just as suddenly, he was thrown into a blissful blackness ... and drifted ...
* * * * *
General Airen Cracken prided himself on not reacting to the direst of situations and maintaining a level, cool head during the worst crisis.Ā He had flown through the Death Star as one of the gunners of the Millennium Falcon, keeping his cool as Lando Calrissian and Nien Nunb flew through the harrowing and narrow corridors of the space station to reach the core and back out, barely escaping the flames of the dying station.
But now, watching the sudden calmness of Tycho Celchu turn into a frenzied, hyper-induced panic attack disturbed him.Ā No, it was more than disturbing, it worried him.Ā Worried him to see a man he knew to be strong, cool, calm, and an efficient growing leader within the New Republic, reduced to something as trivial as this ... a panic-attacked man who had been tortured in Lusankya, Isard's little house of horrors, and possibly broken.
He nodded to the Two-OneBee droid who knocked Celchu out, the man's shivering and convulsing body suddenly falling limp before all of his shrieking monitors returned to their normal state.Ā "Please keep me informed and let me know the next time he wakes," he informed the droid.
"Sir, it would be advisable to keep Captain Celchu sedated for a while.Ā His brain scans indicate that he had suffered from both mental and physical trauma," the OneBee droid replied.
"It would, but we want him to heal naturally.Ā Keeping him sedated would probably enhance the mental trauma that he had suffered," he replied, "plus I would like to question him some more."
"Yes sir," the OneBee droid nodded once before adjusting the flow of one of the nutrient IV and returned to monitoring the unconscious Alderaanian.
Cracken left the room and made a beeline towards Admiral Ackbar's quarters.Ā It was a good thing that he hadn't told Commander Antilles or Winter that Tycho had returned yet.Ā He did not want them seeing Captain Celchu in such a state and also he didn't want anyone finding out that Celchu had spent some time in the company of Iceheart, even though he knew not to trust the man's words in its entirety.Ā And even if Celchu had spent some time in Lusankya, he was still suspicious.Ā No one from Lusankya ever remembered their time in there, nor did they say the word Lusankya until their act of sabotage was done.
So then why was Celchu muttering about Lusankya and why in such a moment of perfect and calm clarity did he say that he had been in Lusankya ... ?Ā It was disconcerting to someone like him who was a broker of information and intelligence.Ā Though he wasn't trained to examine the mind or pick out the inconsistencies as the psychologists the Alliance had within the medical wards, he did have some training to a degree when he had rejected his father's offer to become a starfighter pilot.
Instead, he had chosen to pursue a career in the more intellectual sense, first as a budding holojournalist in the Imperial Academy on Carida working for the Academy's holostation, then with his hunger for knowledge turn those skills towards working for Contruum and finally the Rebellion when he couldn't stand the Imperial propaganda anymore, especially with the Emperor's announcement of the Jedi Order attempting to assassinate him and scarring him for life.
From what he had learned through life's lessons, there were two distinctive categories the aliens and humans of the universe fell into.Ā Leaders and followers.Ā While most colored the grey areas of the categories, being both leaders and followers, there were those, especially in the Rebellion, that were most definitely leaders and not followers.Ā Leaders who inspired others, who helped those before they helped themselves and leaders who carried the heart of whatever their cause was.Ā Celchu and almost every member of Rogue Squadron before it had been disbanded, was a leader.Ā Twelve leaders working together for a common goal.
But to see leaders fall in the middle of battle psychologically scarred both followers and other leaders for life.Ā Cracken felt he was witnessing a leader's fall ... and he knew watching Celchu was scarring him; the knife of confidence plunged deep into him and twisting ever so slowly.
He knocked once on Admiral Ackbar's office before the rubbery Mon Calamari voice told him he could enter.Ā The door hissed open and Cracken didn't realize he had a deep frown on his face until he saw a warped reflection of his own face in the globe fish tank in Ackbar's office.
He forced the frown to at least lighten a bit and nodded a greeting to the Mon Calamari Admiral.
"General, what can I do for you?"
"It's related to the Celchu problem," currently only a handful of technicians knew that Tycho had returned from his ill-fated mission to Courscant and he made sure if the techs ever breathed a word to anyone they would be shot into space without any trial or due consideration.Ā However, he had also immediately informed Ackbar of Celchu's return, hoping the two of them could go over what happened to the mission.
This was an intelligence mission he wanted to look at personally and trusted no one else to sift through the data.Ā While he had the data Tycho transmitted out during his two week stay on the city-wide planet, he had now copied those data files to himself along with every recorded conversation he had with his contact, his agent Iella under the guise of being Ella Westerly, forwarded to him.
"Ah," the Admiral immediately picked up a small device he kept hidden in a cleverly concealed part of a vase near his desk and activated it.Ā After a few seconds, the device blinked a green and the Admiral nodded for him to continue.
"He claims to have been in Isard's Lusankya facility," Cracken said, watching the Admiral carefully.
Ackbar was certainly shocked by the news, his already buldging eyes growing wide before his jaw dropped slightly, the barbells twitching in surprise.Ā "Has he said anything else?"
Cracken shook his head, "I would think that Isard did a number on him, he was convulsing rather badly."
"Or he could have been put through extensive torture and made to hallucinate that he had been in Lusankya.Ā I remember one of the agents who betrayed us was whispering the name after he had blown up the Reverie but it was proven that he had not been in Lusankya like the other agents we've found," Ackbar didn't look too happy, "and I take it that you came to me to warn me of stormy waters?"
"Have you told them yet?" Cracken raised an eyebrow.
"I was about to, but this, as you say, complicates things.Ā If I tell Commander Antilles his executive officer is still alive, he would want to put him in the new roster he is creating for Rogue Squadron, unless you consider Captain Celchu a security threat to the Fleet?"
"I don't know," Cracken rubbed his chin for a moment, "he will definitely have to be debriefed and then we'll send in a psychologist to analyze him.Ā I was wondering, since you know Luke Skywalker better than I do, if he can come and figure out if Captain Celchu is really a Lusankya agent."
"A tall order," Ackbar tilted his head, "but I will see what I can do.Ā General Skywalker's whereabouts are currently not known to me."
They both knew that what he had just asked would not be asked for someone who wasn't as important as Tycho Celchu.Ā The Alderaanian never knew it and probably wouldn't for the rest of his life, but he was consider to be a symbol to the Rebel Alliance, one of the rare few that could inspire others.Ā In fact, almost the five legendary pilots of Rogue Squadron that had survived Hoth were symbols in their own right.
That was why he took so many precautions ... if Celchu was truly a Lusankya spy, then faith and hope in the Rebel Alliance would shatter in an instant.
"I say let Antilles know but make sure you stress to him the importance of not spreading this to anyone.Ā I will let Lady Winter know on my end," Cracken decided.
"I take it you're shipping her out on another mission soon, am I not correct General?"
Cracken blinked in surprise at the Admiral's words before a crooked smile worked its way up his face.Ā "If I thought any less of you then I would have thought that was a grab for my seat."
"Only our mutual friend Fey'lya does that, General.Ā I only aim to make the waters calm once more," Ackbar laughed, a rubbery popping sound.
"Yes.Ā You know as well as I do, Courscant is nearly within our grasp.Ā The only piece left in the puzzle is for Rogue Squadron's final roster to land on your desk."
"If things are going well with Commander Antilles, I daresay it would be within another month or two before Rogue Squadron can be sent out on its first mission," Ackbar replied, his expression serious once more.
* * * * *
Wedge wanted to scream in frustration as he stared at the current list of pilots that had applied to join Rogue Squadron.Ā The conditions he was given beforehand said that he could not accept any former member's application so that meant telling Wes, Hobbie, and the others that their applications were declined.
And it left him with a giant pile of applications to which he really needed to sort out.Ā He also knew that he have to choose his new executive officer from the same pile.Ā He had gone through most of it in the initial phase, but still there was a lot of pilots that fit the requirements General Cracken and Admiral Ackbar had handed down to him.Ā If they were going to retake Courscant, he didn't know where to start.
The only thing he knew was that he definitely wanted a squadron of pilots first and foremost.Ā Rogue Squadron was more military than intelligence and there was no way Cracken would get his hands to convert the squadron to an all intelligence unit, not while he was still in command.
He wished Tycho was here, sitting with him, going through all of the files.Ā It was much easier to bounce ideas off of another person, especially someone like him since he was so good at reading others.Ā He sighed and raked a hand through his hair ... perhaps he should start by finding a new XO.
There was one Captain Aril Nunb, sister to Nien who had flew with Lando in the Falcon during their assault on the second Death Star, and she had excellent records.Ā Perhaps she would be a good fit for the squadron ... Ā Surprisingly he was a bit shocked to find Captain Pash Cracken's files amongst those that wanted in with the Rogues.Ā He knew Pash's reputation was with A-wings after he had defected to the Alliance and was puzzled.
There were a couple of other candidates, but somehow, he felt that they weren't going to be a good fit.Ā It was then that he realized why he was mentally scratching them out of his mind.Ā I'm comparing them to Tycho and how well they would work with me like Tycho did with me ...
He gritted his teeth in frustration and angrily dumped the files on his desk once more.Ā He knew that his own reasoning of trying to somehow force the Alliance to show that they had Tycho's body was eating away at him.Ā Though he had not vocalized it to anyone, a part of him desperately wanted to see his former second-in-command's body just so he could have closure and move on.Ā It was also then that he realized just how much Tycho was like a brother to him, his best friend and counterpart.
When Tycho had initially joined the Alliance right after Yavin, he didn't trust the Alderaanian, even though he sympathized with his loss of his homeworld.Ā To him, he was just too Imperial, too by the book, and too ... perfect was the only word he could think of at the time.Ā There was something about the Alderaanian that made his hackles rise each time he was within his presence.Ā He had seen the rest of his squadmates and Luke included slowly embrace the young man.
It was only until they had barely escaped the ambush of the Redemption to Imperial forces that he had truly began to respect Tycho and become friends with him.Ā Their posting at Hoth with Luke and the other Rogues only help tighten their friendship with each other and made them a tighter group, especially in the wake of the loss of Commander Narra and most of Renegade Flight.
A soft beep from his comlink startled him out of his dark thoughts and he flipped it on.Ā "Antilles here," he steeled himself to sound cordial, but instead found that his voice was sharp and still full of anger.
"Commander, please meet me in the Medical Bay immediately," if Admiral Ackbar sounded offended, his gravelly voice did not show it.
"Yes sir," Wedge replied before shutting the link off.Ā He got up and grabbed his nerf-hide flight jacket before exiting his office, for once, glad that he was interrupted.Ā He really did not want to look for another XO right now.
* * * * *
Authors Notes: Torturing the psyche of characters is more fun than torturing them physically in my opinion.Ā But if you can do both, why not go for it!Ā ^_^Ā Yes, I am a bit warped.Ā No, I do not have a degree in psychology (though almost everyone I've talked to says I should).Ā Yes, I am a journalist and therefore have done some research and have a very overactive imagination.Ā And yes, I have finally updated in Lusankya.
Disclaimer: All content is made up, and no profit or lucre is expected, solicited, advocated or paid. This is all just for fun. Any comments, please e-mail the author or WOOKIEEhut directly. Flames will be ignored. Characters and situations are based on those which are the property of LucasFilms Ltd., Bantam Publishing, Random House, and their respective original owners and developers. The rest is this story's author's own fault. This story may not be posted anywhere without the author's knowledge, consent, and permission. This web page is presented by Wookieehut.com.


text:
Essence for Lemon balm bath.
Antidepressant and antispasmodic properties are attributed to the essential oil of Lemon Balm plant.
IngredientsWith essence of Lemon Balm.
TreatmentInhalation or relaxing showers: For better rest, put between 3 and 5 drops in a flavoring to spread the molecules in the environment, either in the bathroom or in the room.
TipsExcessive stress shortens life expectancy by destroying defenses.
Your Review
13 oz
1 oz

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Prey 2 Looks Amazing In These New Screenshots
Prey 2 is easily one of my most anticipated games coming next year. The game is so vastly different from the original title, but in this case, that's not a bad thing at all. We've seen the game in action at E3 and it's just amazing. Graphically it's spot on (as you can tell from the screenshots below), the character personalities are unique, and the world your in is a city wide version of a night club…but dirtier.
This new batch of screenshots has a heavier focus on the world of Prey 2. The alien planet that's full of neon lights, tall towers, and it's full of aliens who either hate your or are scared of you. It looks like a lot of fun and we really want to get our hands on it.
There's a lot to do in Prey 2 and one of the coolest ways to get around is by climbing; think first person Assassin's Creed only in the future. Combine your uncanny agility with some hover boots and you're the most mobile person in the city.
Check out the rest of the screenshots here and let us know what you think in the comments below.


text:
mon 18 sep
Meet in Gelman Library 702, Teamsters Reading Room, Special Collections Research Center, Foggy Bottom.
- Project 2 Assignment Sheet (left menu, Wp): Proposal/Bibliography. (Note: just read the sheet; don't try to do the assignment yet!) No other prep.
- In this Special Collections session, you will meet Leah Richardson, Public Services and Outreach Archivist at GW's Special Collections Research Center. You will work with historical graphic materials (posters, photographs, engravings, yearbooks, etc.) to get ideas about what kinds of primary source images you might be interested in and how to analyze them. Please do not bring any food or drink to this class session.
wed 20 sep
Meet in AMES 106, Mount Vernon campus
Library Prep Assignment: Secondary Sources: Scholarly Arguments/Methods (linked under Calendar 2). Note: secondary sources, not primary.
Note: The library prep research should take 2 hours to complete. It is worth 2.5% of your course grade. You must have it in print at the beginning of the session.
Seriously, this will take two hours. But it will set you up for the rest of the term!
Make sure to bring your list of citations printed and ready for me to collect at the beginning of class.
fri 22 sep
Class visitor! Each section has a former UW1020 student visiting to discuss their excellent essay from last term's class. To prepare, print out the appropriate paper (below), read it, mark it as you see fit, and type up questions (also below).
Note: please bring the printed paper if possible. If you need or prefer a tablet/notebook to mark up the text, you may bring that instead.
The two papers are on Blackboard > E-Reserves. You are welcome to read both, but required to read only the one for your section:
- 10:00 am section: Jack Connoly, "Is Gender Really That Significant?: An Analysis of If and How a Candidate's Gender Affects the Way He or She Will Advertise"
- 11:30 am section: Henry Shu, "'Prescribing Cancer': Cigarette Advertisements Targeting Physicians as their Audience from the 1930s-1950s"
Sketch credit: Type up six questions below (I'll ask to see them), and be ready to ask them of our guest:
- 4 specific questions about the argument (research question, use of scholarship, descriptive analysis of primary sources, articulation of claim, counter-claims, organization, tone, word choice, etc.)
- 2 specific questions about the research and writing process (origin of ideas, changes in focus, deciding on the claims, drafting, peer responses, revising, reorganizing, final editing, etc.)
mon 25 sep
Meet in Gelman 301.
- Complete the Library Research Prep Assignment: Primary Source Images in GW Digital Database, linked under Calendar 2. Note: this research prep assignment should take up to 2 hours and is worth 2.5% of your grade. You must have it printed at the beginning of the session. No exceptions. If you run into any problems completing it, please contact a Reference Libarian in Gelman or Eckles. If absent, you must make up this graded assignment within one week.
- NOTE: make sure you do the right prep: primary source images. You'll start here:https://visualpast.wordpress.com/library-prep-finding-primary-source-images/
- And it will take you to the list of primary source databases here: https://visualpast.wordpress.com/primary-souces-in-gw-library-databases/
- Optional: for non-US topics, ask a reference librarian about other primary source databases (newspapers, magazines, photographs, etc., from the time period) that you might explore.
wed 27 sep –
Re-read assignment sheet.
Everyone brings full draft of Research Proposal & Annotated Bibliography. We'll do peer responses live in class. After class: revise in light of this response.
Optional: if you bring laptops, it might be helpful; you might do some further searching for sources.
fri 29 sep
Everyone brings fully revised draft of Research Proposal & Annotated Bibliography. We'll do a second round of peer responses live in class.
Optional: if you bring laptops, it might be helpful; you might do some further source searching.
mon 2 oct – wed 4 oct – fri 6 oct
Individual, with your final version of your proposal/biblio. See Bb > Wiki schedule. Meet in 237 Ames Hall, my office. No class meetings.
mon – tu 9-10 oct
Fall Break!
. . . continued on Calendar 3.


text:
by Raymond Chan
Healthscope is the largest IPO in 2014 with proposed market capitalisation of $3.3 - $3.8 billion. CIMB is a Joint Lead Manager and Morgans is a Co Lead Manager to the Float.
Click here for larger version of the table.
Our Site Visit and Feedback
Our adviser Anthony Hung has personally met the management team during a recent site visit to one of its operations (Knox Private Hospital in Melbourne) and a recent management presentation and was impressed by the sensible management team which has delivered both growth and margins expansion. It is undeniable that population is both growing and greying and putting pressure on the health system.
Anthony suggested: "There is no denying the macro fundamentals surrounding the healthcare space and the increase demand for hospital to service a growing and ageing population. The fact that Healthscope hospital covers every state and territory gives it good diversification and there is plenty of growth in margins to be achieved via procurement of consumables which are at a total cost of $300m p.a. Also the fact that it is receiving 5% less from health funds compared to Ramsay gives it room to catch up. The alignment of interest for employees shouldn't be underestimated as turnover of staff has been significantly reduced since MD Robert Cooke has come on board and many of the hospital manager's have equity in the business.
In terms of labour, management expects there should be no breakout in wages as there is currently an oversupply of nurses especially in the suburban areas. There is little-to-no public hospital flow over work yet for Healthscope but the Victorian Government has announced it will be tendering $420m of public patient elective services over four years where Healthscope has the largest presence. The current tender for the construction and operation Frenchs Forest/ Northern Beaches hospital, if won by Healthscope could fuel growth from 2019. Also the forecast for FY15 numbers growth is coming from conservative organic numbers and does not include any top up payments from private health fund for hitting KPIs.
Yes, the pricing metrics seem expensive on a stand alone basis but you are getting a quality and reliable business with a strong board and management team with plenty of experience. It is however priced at a discount to all its peers in the Asian region."
It's a Core Portfolio stock
According to AFR, the IPO has been cornerstoned by sovereign wealth funds globally to the tune of $1.7 billion of the minimum raising of $2.2 billion and the final price will be determined by institutional bookbuild and ranging from $1.76 to $2.29, implying a FY15 PE of 20X - 23X (at discount to Asian and Australian peers) and yielding of 3 - 3.5 per cent. Please note that due to different industry dynamics we understand the US and European peers are trading at much lower multiples.
Click here for larger version of the table.
Latte with Ray are of the view that Heathscope IPO is suitable for long term investors gaining expose healthcare sector, rather than professional traders chasing an IPO stag. Subject to the final pricing, we're looking to include Heathscope to our Morgans Hunter Street - Model Core Portfolio.
Important Notice - Intending investors should read the Healthscope Prospectus dated 30 June 2014 to determine with an investment is appropriate for them. Applications for shares can only be made on the application form forming part of the Prospectus. Morgans is a Co-Lead Manager to the IPO and it and its advisors will receive fees in this regard.


text:
Yes Virginia—There is a God
Haircuts were not allowed. Pants and jewelry were not allowed. Hospitals and medicine were not allowed. Talking to "outsiders" was not allowed in the church in which Virginia was raised. She was strictly forbidden to ever question any rules or doctrine that came from the pulpit at her church, as her pastors claimed they had the only "truth." Breaking rules meant that God would strike you with sickness or even death. Virginia chose early on to walk the straight and narrow path so no punishment would come upon her, so when illness struck her as an adult, she began to call out to God and question whether or not He was real. She wasn't entirely prepared for His answer.
Virginia married Richard, a man from within her church, and was living her life as she was taught she should; avoiding people outside the church, despising television, radio, and social events. She recalls looking at people with condemnation in her heart. "I was so steeped in self-righteousness and legalism," Virginia said.
Two years after having her second child, Virginia became seriously ill. Standing firm on her belief that going to a hospital was giving place to man and abandoning God; she instead put faith in her own righteousness and believed that God would heal her because she was so good. Unfortunately, Virginia only grew worse; her fever was so high she could peel her skin off, her hair fell out and she could feel a slow burning in her side. She grew so sick; she could no longer care for her children. "I couldn't understand why God was doing this to me," Virginia said.
Her sickness led Virginia to a crisis of faith. She shared with her sister that she had begun to doubt whether God was real. One day, out of desperation, Virginia reached for her Bible and began to read. Right away she began to receive revelation from the Word of Truth; however, she didn't trust it. According to her doctrine, only the men in the church could interpret and understand God's Word. Virginia believed that she was hearing and being deceived by the enemy and she put her Bible away.
Three days later, as Virginia continued to fight her illness; she heard a voice say to her, "Why aren't you reading My Word?" Virginia asked, "Who are You?" She heard in reply, "Read My Word." Although she was afraid, Virginia began to read the Word and found that she was so hungry that she could not stop. Her heart became full of revelation, yet she was too afraid to share what God was showing her.
Before long, Virginia began to share a bit of what she was experiencing with one of her sisters, and was thrilled to hear that her sister was hearing from God as well. It was encouraging to know she wasn't alone, but the rest of the family would hear nothing of what they had to say.
Virginia soon felt brave enough to buy an old television and VCR at a yard sale so she could play nature films for her children. Since she had no antenna or cable service, she made a habit of putting the VCR tape in the machine before she turned the television on so that she didn't have to listen to the annoying white noise. One day, however, Virginia turned the television on first and instead of white noise, a man's voice filled her living room. It was Andrew! His teaching immediately caught her attention, and although she thought what he was saying was quite bizarre, she knew she needed to keep listening.
Virginia, still perplexed by how she was able to hear this voice on her television at the same time each day, began to use all of her children's VCR tapes to record Andrew's voice from the Gospel Truth program. Virginia would hide the tapes from her husband and then listen to them over and over during the day. For eight months Virginia recorded Andrew's program, and also ordered the free tapes and CDs that were made available during the broadcast.
Eventually, Virginia's husband knew something was up. She had overcome her illness and had begun to speak out at church when the pastor said something directly contrary to what she knew was the truth. Her husband was outraged and became verbally abusive and threatened to take the children. He forbid her to go to church, but continued to attend with the kids. Virginia didn't want to cause trouble in her family, but she had come to know Jesus. "I, a woman, could have this God love me. He wasn't up there waiting to strike me dead if I didn't do something right. It was life changing," said Virginia.
Despite her husband's attempts to destroy their marriage, Virginia kept herself full of God's Word and love, and managed to keep herself from repaying anger with anger. During Virginia's unplanned fourth pregnancy, she had labor complications that led her husband to make the decision to bring her to the hospital; a decision they both believed would send them straight to hell. Although Virginia had been set free, she found, in her moment of weakness that she still had fear regarding hospitals being one of the worst sins.
When she arrived at the hospital they told her that her baby had already died, and that she had a raging infection that would most likely take her life within an hour. As they proceeded to deliver the baby via cesarean section, they were able to shock him back to life, but his prognosis was very bleak. Virginia had spent a week trying to deliver the baby at home and the pressure had caused his leg to be wedged in her hip bone and also lacerated his shoulder. The doctors told Virginia that although they felt they needed to operate to address her deadly infection, they would not do so, for fear of the almost certain life-threatening complications that would follow. The doctors left Virginia to face death on her own.
Virginia strengthened by the seed of God's word, did not die and her son is strong and healthy today. In addition, because her husband was no longer welcome at church, as a result of his decision to go to a hospital, he became more open, little by little, to what Virginia had wanted so much to share with him. Virginia, her husband and their four children now attend Andrew's seminars and a Bible believing church, as a family.
"I tell people all the time, Jesus can't be explained, He can only be experienced," Virginia said. She certainly knows that for sure.


text:
Building Bridges: GoArmyEd, Soldiers and College Best Practices
Dr. Alexander McNamara, SOCAD Associate Director, GoArmyEd Team, Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges; Andre Pate, GoArmyEd Non-LOI Coordinator, Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges; Sook-Yi Yong, GoArmyEd Academic Liaison, Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges
Session Time 1: Thursday 9:30 - 10:30 am
Room: Cobalt 503
Session Time 2: Thursday 12:45 - 1:45 pm
Room: Cobalt 520
This interactive workshop led by Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges will provide a brief overview of the evolution of the Army Tuition Assistance process for GoArmyEd LOI and Non- LOI schools. Through small group discussion, the workshop will provide an opportunity for schools to identify and prioritize improvements, desired changes, and new functionalities to enhance best practices and successful integration of colleges intoGoArmyEd in support of Soldiers' education goals.
Learning Outcomes:


text:
In her master class, Newborn Photography: Props and Posing, Ana Brandt broke down what she keeps in her bag — which, she says, is actually a bag made to carry scrapbooking supplies.
Of course, Ana also bring props, outfits, and other accessories — but these basics, she says, always come with her on location.
Tags: Ana, baby, Brandt, Brown, gear guide, Kelly, newborn, newborn photography, Photography, posing, RSVP, safety
What One Newborn Photographer Brings on Every Shoot March 2, 2016
Photography bags have a reputation of being comically large — lenses! Accessories! Tripods! — when, truthfully, packing light can be just as effective as bringing all of your earthly possessions to a shoot. In newborn photography, though, it's a little different. New babies have a lot of needs, not to mention parents whose world has just become radically different than it was just a few weeks ago. If you're going to be shooting on-location, you need to not only be prepared for the inevitable messes, but also have something in the bag for mom and dad, too.
–Cloth diapers–Wipes–Antibacterial gel–Burp cloths: "We just cut it," says Ana about her small squares of absorbent material, which she hides in the props she uses with the baby.–Chux pads: These are absorbent liners which are great for keeping your set — whether it's a parent's home or your studio — tidy and dry during a shoot)–Rice paper: Ana uses these blotting papers for parents, because "it saves on retouching."–Aquaphor: Similarly, says Ana, newborn skin frequently experiences peeling, which she also has to retouch. This gentle lotion helps minimize the appearance. "It's the best thing for babies. Pediatricians recommend it," she explains. Peeling is perfectly natural, but as a photographer, any way to reduce retouching is a smart investment. "It will save you hours of retouching," she says.–Gripe water: "We just give it to the parents for free," says Ana of this natural gas-soothing remedy. Not only does it make the baby more comfortable, it can also help make a newborn shoot go much more smoothly. "I loved it with my daughters," she explains, "because they were so fussy."
Copyright © 2018 · Pretty Creative Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress
For more vital newborn safety tips, RSVP for the March 11th and 12th class Baby Safety & Posing for Newborn Photographers with instructor Kelly Brown


text:
Hey Gamers,
I'm going to take a different approach this time and introduce everyone to a game trader I met the other day…Sadly I was so excited about his collection and what he had for sale I never even got his name! For the sake of this post I will call him "the trader". Not to worry though, I am going to make it my duty to visit him at least once every other week to see what he has for sale. The trader started doing this as a summer hobby and it really took off. He drives around to game stores, other traders, and even orders his stock online, to bring his massive collection to the market every weekend. This collection is absolutely massive! The trader has games for almost every console you could want, and he sells them all at very reasonable prices. The trader has a lot of generic old titles that you would expect…but he also has a few you would never hope to see! Yesterday he showed me a Gold copy of Majora's Mask with the holographic sticker on the N64…I immediately had to buy it! I know it is not the rarest of rare titles…but it is on the list of most expensive n64 games in North America…and I couldn't seem to find a copy back in October of 2000! If he doesn't have what you are looking for he will tack it down for you! It doesn't matter what you are looking for, he will do his best to find it. I immediately asked him to track down the two Golden suns on the GBA…and now that i think about it, I should have him look for Cyborg Justice so I can relive some robot rampage.
So what am I going to do with these vintage games? Well I'm going to play them! I get the point of "mint in the box", but I couldn't just sit there and have the best titles of my past staring at me…mocking me.."Remember when you stayed up all night and drank a 12 pack of coke just to beat me before School started on Monday?…Bet you can't do that now!". Besides, this will all help towards my challenge of playing though my childhood favorites! So tonight I'm going to sit down with a coke, and start playing Majora's Mask, and relive a bit of my child hood!
I am very glad to see this sort of thing in today's age. I know that you can get almost any title via digital download, but I feel that owning the physical carterige of some of these older, rare, or unique titles, means a whole lot more. I promise that I will get the contact information for the trade so that anyone trying to track down that special title can. In the mean time, just drop me a line at email@example.com and I will keep my eye open while I'm out looking at his stock.


text:
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Solomon Gustavo/Review
Home Video on Stillwater Avenue in Maplewood, now closed, served as the pop culture portal for at least one strict family.
Hey, it's me, the new Review editor. I lived in Maplewood from early middle school until my sophomore year in high school.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Minnesota Attorney General, Lori Swanson
Over $21 million dollars. That is the amount of money consumers reported as lost to tech-support scams in the first nine months of 2017.
Wherever leaves fall, they decompose and restock the soil with nutrients and organic matter.
Joe Atkins
Dakota County Commissioner, District 4
Are you tired of elected officials who cannot seem to work together on anything?
MN State Senator Chuck Wiger, District 43
Americans spend more money on prescription drugs than people in any other country.
Mary Lee Hagert
Traumatic memories still reverberate, even when one doesn't realize it
Judge Steve Halsey
Over the past several months, there have been serious allegations of sexual harassment and criminal sexual conduct against many celebrities and politicians.
Angie Hong - Washington Conservation District
Three years ago, volunteers gathered in a wind-swept field on a rainy spring day to plant 3000 young oak trees for a future oak savanna.
Jump back to navigation
Lillie Suburban Newspapers
2515 E. Seventh Ave.
North St. Paul, MN 55109
Phone: (651) 748-7800
Fax: (651) 777-8288
Copyright 2014 | Lillie Suburban Newspapers | All Rights Reserved
Surf New Media


text:
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - Shares of Amazon.com fell 8 percent Tuesday on concerns the company's core book-selling business will be undercut by a rival's price-slashing plan.
As reported in this column last week, Buy.com said it's offering 10 percent off book prices listed on Amazon.com AMZN, +1.23%. Amazon.com lost $1.17 to $16.34.
Last Wednesday, Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based Buy.com said it would offer free shipping with no minimum purchase on certain items. The move came a day after Amazon lowered the threshold for free shipping, waiving charges on any order over $49.
"It's the only way these companies can compete because the shipping was killing them before when consumers wouldn't pay for shipping," said Geri Spieler, an analyst at Gartner.
On Monday, Amazon.com and Virgin Entertainment Group inked a deal to co-brand Virginmega.com -- Virgin Megastores' second attempt to have an online presence. The idea behind this partnership is to maintain the 30 million customers that walk into the 22 Virgin Megastores in North America by having an online presence, according to Dave Alder, senior vice president of product and marketing at Virgin Entertainment Group, North America.
Road Runner dilution
AOL Time Warner AOL, +4.00% shares lost 2 percent to $15.30 as the media giant consolidates Road Runner's losses on to its books, resulting in dilution of AOL's EBITDA. Road Runner is the high-speed Internet access cable provider with more than 2 million subscribers.
The Road Runner transaction, which is expected to close in the third quarter, is part of AOL Time Warner's restructuring of its cable systems partnership with Advance/Newhouse. Road Runner is on a run rate to lose $120 million in EBITDA.
The restructuring returns 2.1 million cable subscribers to Newhouse from a total of 7 million in the partnerships. This reduces AOL's total cable subscriber base to 10.8 million from 12.9 million.
"The motivation for the restructuring was concern on Newhouse's part about the cable systems residing in a large media conglomerate, which may enjoy benefits from the cable systems that would not accrue to Newhouse as it would if the systems were independently owned and operated," wrote Gordon Hodge, an analyst at Thomas Weisel Partners. "Notably, AOL has secured a multi-year high-speed access agreement with Newhouse to maintain its Road Runner and potentially launch AOL High Speed services on Newhouse systems."
Palm on deck
Palm PALM, +6.31% shares fell 3 percent to $2.64, a level that's more than 60-percent above the price investors sent the stock down to at the end of May when Palm warned about its fourth-quarter performance, to be announced after the close.
After the warning, analysts adjusted their numbers and now expect Palm to lose 3 cents on sales of $230.79 million. In the same period last year, Palm lost 16 cents on sales of $165.30 million.
At the end of May, Palm said that quarterly revenue will be about $230 million, or 22 percent below its previously expected of $290 million to $300 million. Additionally, Palm said that the company will not meet its goal to break even in the quarter. At the time, Eric Benhamou, Palm chairman and chief executive officer blamed weak demand in the spring for the shortfall.
Of note...
Other movers on the day include Yahoo YHOO, down 2 percent to $14.79; Overture OVER, +1.47%, down 2 percent to $22.94; EBay EBAY, +0.87%, down 1 percent to $61.90; and Siebel Systems SEBL, down slightly to $13.96.
Overture's partnership with Microsoft Internet Explorer expires at the end of this week. Cathy Waters, an analyst at CS First Boston, said she's confident the partnership will be renewed. Microsoft has also been vocal about the fact that it considers Google a competitor, suggesting little chance that Microsoft would partner with Google (as AOL did), Waters wrote.
Maynard Webb, who has been president of EBay Technologies, has been tapped to be EBay's chief operating officer.
Read more
Get free delivery of Bambi Francisco's Net Stocks daily. Sign up for Bambi Francisco's Net Stocks e-mail newsletter at CBS.MarketWatch.com. You can also subscribe to Bambi Francisco's Net Sense weekly commentary. See Runaway-to-the-upside stock myth.


text:
4 Hairstyles for Lazy Naturals
As simple as we might wish it could be to wake up and just do a wash and go, it's not as easy for those with kinky hair. I am a proud lazy natural and honestly for someone who wakes up early and has a long commute to work the last thing I want to do is spend 30 minutes in front of the mirror to do my hair. Here are some styles that you can either roll out of bed with and go or takes 5 minutes or less to style.
Buns are a simple style that can be done in so many ways. This is an easy fix for a failed twist out or a bad hair day altogether.
By far my favorite lazy style when I really don't have the patience to do my hair but still want to look cute. Curly wigs are ideal as you can hide those two strand twists or braids you put in the night before and you won't notice any odd bumps or bulges.
You can put your hair into a fro itself or if you want a bigger one you can just get a drawstring afro ponytail and secure it. I normally take a cut off the leg of a stocking and tie it and slowly tighten it until I get my desired puff.
Halo Braid… or Twist
This is a complete life saver as this is something you can leave in for a few days if you want. One of the best things about halo twists is if you haven't perfected the art of cornrows you can do a simple flat twist.
With these styles you can switch it up and not have to spend too long just to get ready. What are your go to styles when you feel a bit lazy?


text:
Solar eclipse by zip code: Find out if you live in the path
On Aug. 21 we will see the first solar eclipse in the U.S. since 1979. Our graphic explains exactly what one is, shows its path and some how-to viewing tips. By Ramon Padilla Karl Gelles, Dann Miller, Walbert Castillo, Janet Loehrke and Sara Wise, USA TODAY NETWORK
The total solar eclipse will begin in Oregon on the morning of Aug. 21 and move across the nation before ending in South Carolina by mid-afternoon.
Portions of 14 states are in the path of totality of the eclipse, when the sun is completely covered by the moon. Totality begins in Oregon at 10:16 a.m. PDT.
Over the next hour and a half, it will cross through Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North and South Carolina. The total eclipse will end near Charleston at 2:48 p.m. EDT.
Everyone else in North America will be able to view a partial eclipse, when only part of the sun is covered by the moon.
To find out whether you'll need to drive to the eclipse or just step outside your house, use this interactive map that shows whether you are in the path.
Can't see the map? Visit here to see if you live in the path.


text:
If you are facing charges for a DWI in St. Louis, you probably know that it is illegal for anyone to operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or greater. This applies to anyone who is over the age 21. There are multiple factors the prosecution will take into consideration when building the case against you. One of them includes the results of the breath test.
How to avoid a DWI this Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is a popular holiday in the United States. The holiday's origins relate to Mexico's victory over the army led by Napoleon at the Battle of Puebla. However, for many people, the day is an excuse to spend time with friends and go out drinking.
How does a DWI affect your ability to own a firearm?
Every state has drastically different gun laws. In Missouri, individuals who have a felony conviction on their record are unable to own a firearm. For a first DWI offense, you can expect to receive a misdemeanor charge. Most of the time, it takes three DWIs for police to charge the individual with a felony. However, even a first offense could be a felony if you caused physical injury or endangered the life of a child.


text:
Copper is the New Gold
The last few years, gold has definitely been the darling of metallic accents. Lately though, I have been seeing a lot of copper, and I have to say I like it. The metal has a nice sheen and instantly adds warmth to a space. I'm especially drawn to the combination of crisp white and raw wood with a dash of copper. Here's a little inspiration if you're thinking about incorporating some copper accents into your home decor.


text:
Click an Image below to Enlarge
"I get up in the morning and turn on the chainsaw, that's the professional part, making sculptures, calling clients," he says. "The drawing is more like relaxing, almost meditation, a way out that is genuinely enjoyable. Because I never intended to show it, there is no pressure, no dates to meet. There's no trauma involved." *
Bruce Armstrong (b. 1957) is one of Australia's most celebrated contemporary sculptors. Armstrong studied painting and sculpture at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). In 2005 Armstrong was an Archibald Prize finalist with a self-portrait inclusive of his iconic eagle motif. His totemic sculptures , so unmistakable conceptually, through his repetition of the same imagery of animals, birds and mythological creatures.
"In a way, for me, birds represent all things," he says. "They are all sorts of different things to different people, you can have a predatory bird, a nurturing bird; it's a pet or a threat. I find they say more about people than people, in that their allegory is unrestricted. If it were a person doing what the owl is doing in these pictures, it would just be less interesting, it would be more literal."**
Crafted using Australian timber, enacting a feat of physical dominance using only a chainsaw and his own brute strength, Armstrong's sculptures have touched the lives of most Australian's as they assume positions in grand public spaces in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Canberra. His public sculptures work as totemic features along paths or guarding gateways. And because of their monumentality they are treated with a kind of awe.
Armstrong 'sculptures proliferate Melbourne's city district. 'Guardians' 2009 out the front of the Grand Hyatt Hotel on Russell Street, at the Yarra Turning Basin there is a series of angled pillars, Armstrong's 'Constellation' 1997, made in collaboration with Geoffrey Bartlett. His 'Tiger' 1985 is out at Heide Museum of Modern Art. Since 1987 'Untitled Beasts' 1986, two lion-like beasts have stood at the entrance to the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) on St Kilda Road. 'Bunjil' 2002 located in Melbourne's Docklands on Wurundjeri Way for over ten years, an iconic sight to millions as the train wound its way around the city loop. 'Bunjil', cast in aluminium, stands at twenty-three metres in height, a formidable presence amongst the tangle of railway lines, roads and buildings. Armstrong was here inspired by Bunjil, the 'Eaglehawk 'regarded as the spirit creator of the Kulin nations, which include the Wurundjeri people.
'Owl' 2011 located in Canberra on the Corner Belconnen & Benjamin Way is a landmark sculpture which honours the Powerful Owl, which is the largest owl species in Australasia. The owl is classified as an occasional resident to the ACT and has been sighted in the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra Nature Park and Namadgi National Park. The owl has a commanding and enigmatic presence when encountered in the wild. Armstrong portrays the owl as a guardian spirit or totem overlooking its domain.
Most who come into contact with these great works might be oblivious to their creator, but with certainty, all who come into contact with these sculptures, must surely feel enriched. In this sense, Armstrong like his contemporaries, John Kelly (born 1965) and Bronwyn Oliver (1959-2006) to name a few, has made an immense contribution to the aesthetics of our lives; our cities and our parks.
In recognition of this great Melbourne artist, the NGV holds eight of his works. 'Savage Beauty', a critically acclaimed retrospective of Armstrong's sculptures, prints and bronzes curated by Ted Gott, was held in 1999 at the Museum of Modern Art at Heide. Concluding in January 2017, Armstrong's oeuvre was celebrated at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in the first major survey of his work, exploring his practice from the eighties to the present day. In the words of then Director, Tony Ellwood, "Armstrong's sculptures are at once commanding and playful, contained yet expressive."***
* Bruce Armstrong cited in 'Drawing Out a Sculptor', The Age, June 2003 https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/drawing-out-a-sculptor-20030609-gdvuhd.html
**Bruce Armstrong cited in 'Drawing Out a Sculptor', The Age, June 2003 https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/drawing-out-a-sculptor-20030609-gdvuhd.html
***Tony Ellwood cited in McDowall, C., 'Bruce Armstrong, Sculptor – Captivating Creatures at the NGV', August 26 2016, The Cultural Concept. https://www.thecultureconcept.com/bruce-armstrong-sculptor-captivating-creatures-at-the-ngv
Copyright © 2008 Art Nomad. All rights reserved. Click here to view copyright statement


text:
Celebrating 10 years of successful delivery from Shah Deniz platform
Ten years ago, this day, production began at the Shah Deniz gas condensate field in the Caspian Sea. Over the past ten years, Shah Deniz Stage 1 has been providing a consistently secure and reliable supply of gas to the three regional countries – Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. This was a significant achievement for BP, its co-venturers and many teams worldwide that have been involved in the design, fabrication, construction, transportation and hook up and commissioning of the project since the signing of the Shah Deniz PSA in 1996, and gas discovery in the Shah Deniz field in 1999.
The project has generated huge international interest and represented the beginning of an era for Azerbaijan as a gas-exporting nation. Ten years on , the Shah Deniz Alpha platform continues to operate at full capacity. During the three quarters of 2016, the field safely produced about 8 billion standard cubic metres of gas and 1.9million tonnes of condensate. Elkhan Mamedov, vice president production says: "SD field is one of the most strategic fields for both BP and Azerbaijan. Our first platform on this development SDA has a number of great track records to be very proud of such as highest plant efficiency amongst AGTR and BP global benchmark (often reaching 100%!), has a number of biggest wells in BP portfolio and many more. But what is even more important that SDA supplies gas energy to the three countries, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey and helps people in these countries keep their homes warm and light. Therefore each individual working on SDA must be proud of what has been achieved so far and it is certainly great place to work! My sincere and warm congratulations to all SDA team with 10 year anniversary," SDA is a large jack-up comprising drilling, production and accommodation for 120 personnel with a total weight of 32,000 tonnes (topsides 22,000 tonnes, legs and foundations 10,000 tonnes). The platform's drilling facilities are capable of drilling wells with a length of over 7 km and with an outreach of more than 3 km, while its production facilities are capable of processing approximately 1 billion cubic feet (28.5 million cm) of gas and 60 thousand barrels (8000 tonnes) of condensate per day.
Without any doubt a decade of the platform's safe and successful operation is an incredible achievement of teams and individuals who keep demonstrating an enormous efforts, dedication and professionalism. For them SDA is not just a gas producing facility or their work place, it is part of their life, family and a school where they have developed their skills and grown professionally to confidently manage all technical aspects of the world class platform to produce and deliver the gas and condensate to the processing facilities at Sangachal terminal. Kieran Smith, control room technician (CRT)/coach who arrived on Shah Deniz almost 11 years ago as a CRT/production technician coach whilst the platform was still under construction at Zikh yard shares his memories: "We were a small team of expats and national technicians and over the course of the next 11 years I have been fortunate enough to see and play a small part in Shah Deniz growing from the construction yard to one of BP's largest producing and reliable platforms in the world. I have also looked on with great pride as I have seen all of the national technicians develop to the point where each of the national technicians I met in those first couple of months in the yard has progressed through the ranks within BP and are now all in supervisory positions. To think it is now 10 years since first gas on Shah Deniz of all the important steps on our journey, the first was the most important and allowed us to achieve so much on the way including, 1000+ days without a shutdown to continuing to break production records each year.
Without a doubt the last 10 years of production on Shah Deniz are my proudest in my working life not only because of what we have achieved from a production point of view but also having watched the operations team develop into the first class team that currently operates Shah Deniz to the highest and safest standards possible." Parviz Safarov, offshore maintenance planner recalls: "I joined Shah Deniz Alpha project in August 2006. I remember a small team with few national technicians working for operations at that time. SDA has been a good school for us, where we gained good knowledge of job we are doing. Now I am proud to see that SDA is being run successfully by almost national staff. I thank SDA all who made contribution to this great achievement." Isa Manafov, SDA maintenance team leader said: ''I am proud to be a part of BP family. I feel a sense of pride when I talk about the BP culture, when I see the people following the procedure and safety in work. I would like to congratulate every single person working on SDA platform.'' "I joined the SDA platform straight after the completion trainings in CTTC as production technician in August 1, 2005. At that time platform construction was ongoing on Zykh Yard. I worked with my team through the construction and then commissioning stages. I worked then as CRT for several years and then was promoted to production supervisor position in 2013. My colleagues and coaches have always supported me and this helped me build up my competency and skills," added Samir Garajamirli, production supervisor. Today's celebration of a decade of success gives a confidence that with such a dedicated world class team this success will continue for years to come delivering gas to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.


text:
Pasco Real Estate Prices Continue Upward Movement:
The new construction market in Central Pasco continues to grow and attract new buyers. There are more than a dozen builders working on 20 new communities. There are numerous benefits to new construction but speed of occupancy isn't one of the big benefits. Many families need a home in the short term. They need to buy an existing home. But there is a problem—there is a shortage of moderately priced homes. As a result we are seeing steady upward increases in house prices in Pasco County. The median price of homes in TampaBay is approximately $240,000 which is close to a ten percent increase year over year. Rising interest rates are in our future so, if you have been thinking about selling, its time to list your home. We can provide a very reliable pricing analysis and confirm that you have an opportunity to list and sell in a rising market—that's the way it's supposed to be.


text:
Still Virginal After All These Years
Eric the Midget called in and Howard told him he has received numerous e-mails from people who couldn't believe he turned down Tabitha Stevens' offer to deflower him yesterday. Eric responded that he got the same comments on his MySpace page, but added he wasn't going to change his mind out of fear that his parents would stop paying his rent if they didn't approve of him having sex with a porn star. Robin then wondered if Eric's parents would really let him go homeless if they didn't like his behavior, but Eric told her they wouldn't go that far, but they might make him move back into their house. Howard went on to play a clip of what it would've sounded like had Tabitha and Eric got together, but Eric replied the scenario wasn't realistic because he could tell Richard was playing the part of Tabitha and he never would've requested Tabitha to urinate in his mouth as his character in the skit did. Howard ended Eric's call saying he'd send pictures of Tabitha to Eric's dad to see if he'd change his mind about the situation.


text:
9th PKRA Tarifa
After a very bad start in the Single Elimination, today I finished 9th in the Double Eliminations. I was against Rui Meira in my second heat who really was the most difficult rider to go against in the second round so I went to the water with lots of concentration. The wind was super gusty and strong, but I managed to do lots of stuff including a well powered Pete Rose so I won. The next heat I had to go against Julian Hosp who was pretty lucky in the last competitions, so I took that one more relaxed and advanced to the next heat against Madison Van Heurck.Here the wind dropped a lot, I had a good heat according to the conditions again but this time I mysteriously lost. So it could have been the 7th, but in the End I ended up 9th, which isn't bad at all. Feeling more sure about myself again regarding competition riding, hoping to keep it up!


text:
Now I do not believe you wanted to do that !
03/09/2012 2 Comments
Went up to the Secret Room to varnish the Chaos gate I finished yesterday.
Place said item on newspaper, picked up spray…
…and thought: Now I do not believe I wanted to do that.
Yup, I had left a can of Roughcoat out after prepping some more CDs for scenery bases.
Roughcoat is very different to varnish spray.
So have spent today repairing the damage.
Had to work out that you can actually highlight static grass.
Luckily, the main area effected was the paving which was grey anyway a bit of highlighting sorted that out.
Of course it is at these times you have to remember what paints you used in the first place ! Some Byakhees have even taken to writing down their recipes.


text:
Read about for 'Installing a kodak ink cartridges'. If you have problem with installing ink cartridges for your kodak printers then follow the steps outlined here, it has some really good tricks and suggestions to troubleshoot the problem.
Tag Archives: Kodak Printers
My printer wont print. I bought new Kodak ink but it did not work
A typical problem that people with Kodak printers encounter is difficulty with printing after inserting a replacement ink cartridge. If you have tried to print a colour document and only some or none of the ink are printing then it would be a good idea to follow the steps below:
- Firstly remove all the ink cartridges from the printer.
- Check


text:
The Professionals And Cons Of Various Kinds Of House Siding
Do you want to build a new custom home on a piece of bare Real Estate? You may want to custom design the floor plan to accommodate your family and lifestyle.
Water based stains typically form a coating on the surface of the wood and have a low odor. So let's look at larchdeck.com and how it relates to wood siding. They can be used on logs or wood siding but can present problems when used on decking surfaces. Not all water based stains are created the same.
Because of this, the preparation process not only involves cleaning the wood surface, but often much of it has to be primed before the finishing paint can be applied.
Metal sheds are actually a way to add a little value to your home, plus an avenue to keep items from becoming lost or broken. Yard tools hung neatly, pool equipment lined up in a row, and the lawn mower parked out of the rain is a satisfying change.
Once established, the new colony will grow slowly, but steadily. After a few years the colony may have eaten their way well into the framing around their initial entry point. A mature colony may grow to several thousand members. Given time, their galleries may extend into wall framing in all directions, into substructure timbers and floors and into the ceiling overhead.
Taping and tarping are the final steps before painting. Tape off any areas not be painted, such as around the windows. Place drop cloths over shrubs, bushes, porches or anywhere else you do not want paint to drip on.


text:
This content is only available to registered users. Log in or create a new account for free.NOT REGISTERED? CLICK HERE
Lost Password
» Click here to create a new account
Acute Occlusion of the Middle Cerebral Artery Frontal Branches
Plaque with Positive Remodeling
Aortic Endoprosthesis with Type II Endoleak
Traumatic Injury to the Right Hemi-diaphragm


text:
DAYTONA BEACH -- A preschool that serves children of Daytona State College students and parents in the community is closing at the end of June.
Children's Home Society, which has managed the Child Development Lab School at the college for the past five years, attributed the closing to declining enrollment over the past two years.
But parents, whose children were going to be in summer camp programs there, are now scrambling to find summer placements for the 30 children before the center closes on June 30. The 10 teachers, who are employed by Children's Home Society, are also looking for new jobs.
Christine Davenport, executive director of Children's Home Society North Coastal Division, said the average census throughout the year was 48, down from 59 last year and 71 in previous years.
"It really is a special center, but it just wasn't being utilized," Davenport said, adding that only 13 students this past year sent their children there and three faculty and staff members.
The agency's contract ended in April, but Davenport said the agency kept the center, which serves children 2 to 5 years old, open as a courtesy to parents so students would not be disrupted during their school year.
Parents were notified last week, she said, giving them a six-week notice.
Davenport said the agency lost money the last two years and it was hard to keep it open the past year because the agency had a deficit.
"This was such a difficult decision for us," she said. "We truly believe in the lab school and are as sad as the parents are. We just could not maintain it with decreasing enrollment."
But some parents say they were shocked and did not understand why the agency couldn't have talked to the parents and teachers to try to work something out to lower costs.
Dr. Jennifer Iannarelli, a Daytona Beach optometrist whose 3 1/2-year-old daughter attends the preschool, brought the issue to the board of trustees Thursday. She asked why the college couldn't find another managing agency to take over the center.
The board chairman said she could meet with college staff to get more details.
Carol Eaton, Daytona State College president, said Friday a couple of other people contacted the college wanting to manage the school, but they wanted the college to "underwrite their business and we can't afford to do that right now either."
With the downturn in the economy, Eaton said some students are attending college part time instead of full time, causing the need for a child care center on campus to "significantly" drop. She does not yet know what the college will do with the building.
Iannarelli said by phone Friday she expected her daughter, who has been there since she was 2, to remain at the school through voluntary prekindergarten and not make a "transition in the middle." She said it's also difficult to find a center that is open year-round with extended hours for working parents.
She said there were no opportunities for parents to pay more or for the parents and community to be involved in trying to boost attendance.
"I'm on a search (now) like all these families are for quality care," Iannarelli said.
Parent Ashley Biggs, 26, recently graduated with her bachelor in business management and supervision and is looking for a place to send her 4-year-old daughter, who was already planning to attend summer camp programs there and voluntary prekindergarten in the fall.
Many schools, she said, do not start until August or September.
"It's just really a sad thing especially for the teachers who have been there for years," Biggs said. "It's too bad someone can't take over ownership of the building. It's a great school."
Tammy Schrader, a preschool teacher at the school for 10 years under Children's Home Society and a previous agency, said she is "saddened" and added it's "an awesome school" with quality care. She's hoping to be hired by another area school.
"I really feel for the families," Schrader said.
Crystal McCaddon, 42, a student at Daytona State College who has worked in the preschool for more than year, has a 4-year-old son who was going to be in the voluntary prekindergarten program in the fall. She will be out of a job and searching for child care. She will receive her associate degree in the fall and was hoping to continue at Daytona State to get her bachelor in exceptional student education.
"I don't even know how I'll go on to get my bachelor's at this point without having somewhere locally to put him now," she said.
The parents were given information about websites for the Early Learning Coalition and the state Department of Children & Families to find other providers.


text:
MTA is starting to make plans for a new event in town this Spring . . . involving chocolate!!!! Sweet right????
For those that may be interesting in the planning/brainstorming for the event, we are going to meet on Friday morning, January 19th at 9:15 a.m. in the Jefferson Room of the Park Inn by Radisson (formerly Ashland House). This room is located right inside the "back doors" by the big banquet room.
We have several businesses that have expressed an interest in joining in the event so it should be a sweet event for sure!!!!!
Feel free to share this with other businesses that may be interested, too!


text:
PRE website the overall winner in this year's WebTop100 competition
Web Prazska energetika has became the absolute winner of this year's contest WebTop100 in the category "Corporate Website".
PRE.cz was the overall winner in the main competition category and first in the Industry and Energy section. These wins come after a number of successes in recent years, in which Pražská energetika has consistently come near the top in the Energy and Overall winner sections.
In website design, Lundegaard is a strategic partner of Pražská energetika and is involved in usability analysis, website architecture and prototype preparation. The PRE website received the maximum rating in, among others, the User Experience section, which together with web content was the most important judging criterion.
As well as its role in the conceptual phase, Lundegaard is involved in web management and development. In addition, term the company has been providing PRE's website development capacities on a long-term basis. Lundegaard also acts as a adviser on the CMS LARS Vivo system, supplying theLDK (Lars Development Kit) licence to PRE, which allows the energy company to modify and extend the source code, in order to add custom functionality.
The CMS LARS Vivo platform – joining all solutions together
CMS LARS Vivo serves for easy website creation and editing, and no programming experience is required. The system is designed for medium-sized and large organisations, and a simpler, more attractively priced version known as LITE can be purchased. It is designed for smaller websites. For the company's development needs, the LDK licence is available, allowing the source code to be modified and the system to be expanded by addition of the PRE's own components.
Website portal prototyping
For making website creation as effective as possible and checking a draft, Lundegaard uses the rapid prototyping method. The output is an interactive mock-up of a proposed portal, which simulates key functionalities and in some instances the final appearance. In most cases it is produced in the initial phases of a project and, thanks to specialised tools, the prototype can be produced very quickly. As time is of the essence for prototyping, many designs can be created based on clients' comments and user testing results. After the key features of the design (in a few quick iterations) are checked, the prototype will represent key sections of a website for subsequent development.


text:
On December 3rd, 2014, Professor Daniel Nexon discussed key political themes in The Hunger Games trilogy: Does human nature doom us to a world of conflict, oppressive regimes, and economic inequality? How does Katniss' vision of a dystopian world speak to theorists like Machiavelli, Marx or Tocqueville? From reality television to why Katniss is not Bella, this session was a lively conversation for Hoya fans of Suzanne Collins' vision.
Moderated by Prof. Kathleen McNamara, Director of the Mortara Center for International Studies.


text:
"Connecting is important, I think we can make a bridge between us and Africa," said the owner of the Appel&Ei Groningen, who also runs a foundation for disabled children in Africa.
Griet van der Haar believes that everything in the world is connected. This is why her Appel&Ei stores focus not only on using recycled materials when constructing the store, but also sell products that were handmade in Africa.
Appel&Ei is a vintage store franchise in the Netherlands that lets the owners of the store decide on their own concept.
"In our organization, you can be who you are," Griet told The Scoop about Appel&Ei. And she completely embraces that idea.
The store in Groningen opened in late September and has been a success so far, according to Griet. During the first week, people were still somewhat shy about entering the store, but after less than a month there are already lots of customers, which Griet is satisfied about.
Aside from running the vintage store in three locations, Deventer, Zwolle, and Groningen, Griet is very passionate about her foundation, Griet's Oogappeltjes, which helps disabled children in Africa.
To combine the two , she uses part of the profits made from selling the clothes and accessories to send money to projects in Uganda. One of these projects was building a well at a local school to provide the children there with clean water.
Griet cooperates with the Dutch airline KLM to transport various goods for the disabled children, like special need shoes, wheelchairs and books.
But it also goes the other way around: Griet goes to Uganda every two months, in order to help monitor the situation of the disabled children there, and give them opportunities to create products which they can sell in the Netherlands.
At the store in Groningen, handmade elephant puppets and hand woven baskets can be purchased. All the profit of these products will go back to those, who produced them in Uganda.
Every time you buy one of these products, it will have a tag included, thanking the customer for their purchase, of which all profits go to the foundation.


text:
Kantai Collection ~KanColle~ : Prinz Eugen
Prices are automatically linked to market prices in Japan, some rare items are more expensive than regular price.
In Stock
Inventory information is updated once each day. All products are new, however, the condition of the box is not guaranteed.
Product Shipping Estimate: [How to Calculate Shipping Cost (?)]
- Asia (SAL Parcel): US$22.55
- Oceania,North America,Central America,Middle East (SAL Parcel): US$36.17
- Europe (SAL Parcel): US$36.17
- South America,Africa (SAL Parcel): US$46.97
You may be subject to import duties and taxes. [... more info (?)]
- Code: 148085
- Japanese: 艦隊これくしょん ‐艦これ‐ Prinz Eugen 1/8スケール ABS&PVC製 塗装済み完成品フィギュア
- Weight: 1.021kgs
- Package Size: 21cm x 29cm x 27cm
- Manufactured by: Good Smile Company
- Release Date: Tuesday 30 May, 2017
H225mm , 1/8 scale


text:
Friday, March 2, 2012
Linked 52 Spirit…
There have been many times in the past that I have felt His spirit, while sitting in this church.
Most of those times were when my children were young, I think maybe I needed His spirit more at that time in my life.
I remember sitting in the pew, I'd take a deep breath and feel the stress and strain flow away from me and in place would come a feeling of peace and quiet and calm.
There were other time when I would swear I could actually feel His arms holding me.
I miss that.
I miss that feeling of comfort.
I miss that feeling of peace.
I miss that feeling of quiet and calm.
I'm in a less stressful place in my life right now, so I'm not as needful of His calming presence.
I don't need to feel His spirit to Believe, I know He is with me always.
Click on Linked 52 in the bar up above to see photos and ideas that all the other talented ladies have.
11 comments:
- rhonda said...
Beautiful truly!
- March 2, 2012 at 9:11 AM
- Andrea said...
Gorgeous! I love the colorful stained-glass and the light. Beautifully captured.
"I don't need to feel His spirit to Believe, I know He is with me always." - so true.
- March 2, 2012 at 10:38 AM
Yes, our lives happen in seasons. Some seasons His presence "feels" stronger than at other times. What I remind myself of is that regardless of what I feel, His presence IS always there. It's so comforting to remember that. Lovely image. So peaceful.
- March 2, 2012 at 10:49 AM
- Heidi said...
Great image. I always try to interpret the theme by taking a photo of something around my house - I love how you go out in the world and draw inspiration from more than just your personal space at home.
- March 2, 2012 at 11:42 AM
- Tracey said...
You are so right...that we don't need to feel his spirit to believe. Otherwise I'd be a lousy believer! That stained glass is beautiful!
- March 2, 2012 at 11:47 AM
- Jean said...
new to linked 52! :)
i didn't grow up going to church, but whenever i go, i love, love being there.
- March 2, 2012 at 5:03 PM
- stacey said...
This is so lovely, Janet.
- March 2, 2012 at 10:07 PM
- Heather M. said...
this is just beautiful. love your words and how honest they are.
- March 2, 2012 at 11:51 PM
- liza said...
His power is strong and so is your faith..."i don't need to feel His spirit to believe, I know that He is with me always." That's true faith.
- March 4, 2012 at 11:44 AM
- Simply Sara said...
so beautiful janet!
- March 4, 2012 at 11:48 AM
- Amanda Kelley said...
Now this is super cool! Perfect shot!
- March 8, 2012 at 12:53 AM


text:
Whistler Blackcomb looks set to end 2012 with a bang.
Year-end results released today show total visits increased by 5.3 per cent to 2.647 million as a result of a 20 per cent increase in destination skier visits and record summer visitation.
Said Dave Brownlie, President and Chief Executive Officer of Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc.: "Our solid fourth quarter benefited from increased visitation, which contributed to strong financial results for fiscal 2012.
"We have now completed two years as a publicly listed company and we have demonstrated success in driving increased destination skier visits and record season pass and frequency card sales.
"We began our 2012-13 ski season five days early on November 17 as a result of excellent snowmaking conditions and since then we have received more than (3.5 metres) of natural snow. I am confident that we are well positioned for the season ahead."
Results for the three months ending Sept.30 showed summer visits increased by 8.1 per cent to 375,000 as a result of strong destination visitation, particularly from outside of North America and record visitation resulted in a 6.9 per cent increase in revenue to $27.4 million.
More to come.


text:
The differences between Kanthal and Nichrome heating coils rarely come up when discussing sub-ohm tanks and standard 510 cartridges. However, it is an important factor to explore and understand, especially when you start delving deeper and deeper in to the world of vaping. Today we're going to look at these two commonly used wire types, looking at the benefits and differences of the two.
What is Kanthal?
Kanthal is a type of iron-chromium-aluminum alloy. It's probably the most common type of heating coil, whether you're building your own RBA's or simply using replaceable atomizers, you have probably used a Kanthal coil in your life-time. Kanthal is generally accepted as the industry standard for what resistance wire should be, it has a high range of temperatures that it can be used at without sustaining damage, and it heats up at a rate most would consider pleasing enough. Kanthal, in general, is also less dense than Nichrome wire, but we'll talk more about that in a moment.
What is Nichrome?
Nicrhome is a nickel-chromium alloy. And it's probably the second most commonly used resistance wire in the vaping industry. It's slightly less dense than Kanthal, and unlike Kanthal, it contains no iron. It also has a slightly lower maximum temperature than Kanthal, but try not to worry as both of them can sustain temperatures high above 2000°F.
What Benefits Do these Wires Offer?
As I mentioned earlier, Kanthal is slightly thicker than Nichrome. Why is this important? Well, resistance is dependent on things like the volume, diameter, and length of the resistance wire used. The length is dependent on how you, or the manufacturer, builds the coil, but the volume is something that varies with material. With that change in resistance, comes a change in performance. For instance, Nichrome, due to its less dense composition, heats up faster than Kanthal. This is the main reason that when participating in competitions vapers generally use Nichrome wire. However, the density of the resistance wire does effect the life of your coils. Kanthal, having a higher maximum operating temperature, will actually last longer as a coil than Nichrome will.
What about the Taste?
While some would disagree, others claim that the fact that Kanthal contains trace amounts of iron affects the taste of their e-liquids. Whether or not it's for the better or worse, that largely depends on your own taste buds. After all, Kanthal is the most widely used and accepted material available.
All in all the differences between Kanthal and Nichrome are very minimal, and most casual vapers would never notice the difference. But once you begin building your own coils or taking up vaping as more of a personal hobby than an alternative, you may find yourself becoming more and more aware of the benefits or disadvantages of each material. Overall, Kanthal is a more reliable, long lasting coil, while Nichrome is the perfect material for cloud chasers and vaping aficionados alike.
If you're looking for a powerful tank to get you started, feel free to check out the Sub-Vers and Sub-Vers Mini. Both come prepackaged with Kanthal coil atomizers, and each are also compatible with lower ohm Nichrome coil atomizers.


text:
Research Repository
Assessing and certifying generic skills: what is happening in vocational education and training?
Clayton, Berwyn, Blom, Kaaren, Meyers, David and Bateman, Andrea (2003) Assessing and certifying generic skills: what is happening in vocational education and training? Project Report. National Centre for Vocational Education Research NCVER, Adelaide, South Australia.
Download (935kB)
The purpose of this research was to investigate how generic skills are being assessed and certified in practice, and accordingly, to provide a study of current practice to complement existing Australian studies of generic skills such as Moy's consolidation study (Moy 1999) and Kearns's review of research (Kearns 2001). The goals were to: investigate the nature of generic skills as they are commonly defined and understood in contemporary Australian and international VET contexts. Ascertain how generic skills are identified within training packages and accredited courses and the extent to which generic skills are embedded into such documentation. Explore practical and applicable ways in which trainers and assessors are incorporating the assessment and certification of those skills into their programs. Determine the critical elements of effective assessment of generic skills. Discuss the implications for the Australian VET system of the increased emphasis being given to the role of generic skills.
|Item Type:
|Monograph (Project Report)
|Additional Information:
|Uncontrolled Keywords:
|ResPudID18834, vocational education and training, VET providers, assessing generic skills, teaching and learning, Australia
|RFCD Classification > 330000 Education
Faculty/School/Research Centre/Department > Work-Based Education Research Centre (WERC)
|Depositing User:
|Ms Marcia Millard
|Date Deposited:
|19 Dec 2008 03:36
|Last Modified:
|03 Sep 2013 07:24
|ePrint Statistics:
|View download statistics for this item
Repository staff only
|View Item


text:
Mike is working down in Florida for SM&P side of USIC.
Anybody know if Mike Marrero is still in the business? Worked for Consolidated and did lots of work for Locate Rodeo..
Mike is working down in Florida for SM&P side of USIC.
Job Applicant: What does this job pay?
Employer: I'm going to pay you just what you are worth!
Job Applicant: I don't think I can work for that......
He's the manager at USIC's office in Jacksonville,FL
Why not for long?
Mike is the Regional Manager for Oklahoma currently.
I met that guy when I was in training in Orlando back in April of this year...


text:
Using Google Maps technology, customers can now visit PettyFarms.com and plan out their next fence. Customers can place points on the map and draw out their fence while receiving information on the length and perimeter of the fence they are planning.
Once customers are happy with the fence they have planned, they can submit a request for a quote and we will get in touch with them as soon as we can!
Visit our FENCE page to view photos of different types of fencing.


text:
Poconos has always been a spectacular destination point for locals and visitors but the area has recently seen a rise in population and the formation of various new communities. These advances make this a great place for settling down as there are loads of employment opportunities in the tourism sector. Besides, most of the vacation homes have been turned into permanent residents with newhomesource.com having some say and share in the development. Make the right decision and contact them for details on their housing- from modular homes to luxury homes- before you move to Poconos.
Masthope Mountain Community by The Coutts Group
From $225,900 - $343,900
2575 Route 6 Hawley PA
Hawley, PA 18428
Liberty Homes Custom Builders by Liberty Homes
From $149,900 - $345,900
928 Route 940
Pocono Lake, PA 18347
Keswick Pointe by Keswick Pointe
From $279,900 - $472,900
135 Keswick Drive
Blakeslee, PA 18610
Timbercrest Builders by Timbercrest Builders
From $219,900 - $599,000
Paupack, PA 18451
Builder Community
East Stroudsburg, PA 18301 - RGB Custom Home Builders
Custom Homebuilder
Builder Community
Builder Community
Stroudsburg, PA 18360 - RGB Custom Home Builders
Custom Homebuilder
East Stroudsburg, PA 18301 - RGB Custom Home Builders
Custom Homebuilder


text:
- ©
- Margaret Lister
Mo Hayder
- Essex
Mo Hayder is an author of crime and thriller fiction.
She left school at 15, and after a series of jobs, studied for an MA in film from the American University in Washington, and an MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.
Her first novel, Birdman (2000) was a bestseller, and introduced Detective Inspector Jack Caffrey, who also appeared in her second book, The Treatment (2001). Tokyo (2004), was shortlisted for three Crime Writers' Association Daggers. Pig Island (2006) was her fourth bestseller and was nominated for both a Barry Award and a CWA Dagger.
Her latter novels, Ritual (2008), Skin (2009), Gone (2010), Poppet (2013) and Wolf (2014) are collectively known as the 'Walking Man' Series and reintroduce DI Jack Caffrey. Ritual and Gone were shortlisted for a Crime Writers' Association Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award, and Ritual for a 2009 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award.
Mo Hayder lives in the Cotswolds.


text:
Image Credit: Solarpix/PR PhotosThis weekend, I will be front-row-center at The Expendables. I'll be the guy with the drool bib on. Now, let me be clear: It's not because I'm dying to see the side of aged beef that is Sylvester Stallone or soak up the chrome-domed Cockney bad-assery of Jason Statham (who I like a lot). It's not because of Jet Li, who I could take or leave. And since I never really got all that geeked up about mixed martial arts or professional wrestling, the presence of Randy Couture or "Stone Cold" Steve Austin doesn't mean that much to me. No, the main reason I'll be coughing up my 10 bucks is to see the granite-chiseled mug of Dolph Lundgren, who is finally returning (at least for one weekend) to the A-list where he's always belonged. If you're not a die-hard Dolph disciple, let me give you five reasons why I love the guy even though his career for the past decade has been confined to a string of low-budget straight-to-DVD action flicks:
1. Let's get the obvious out of the way first. His Russkie villain in 1985's Rocky IV, Ivan "I must break you!" Drago, is one of the greatest he-man action heavies of the past 30 years. Not just because he makes Stallone look like a shrimp when they touch gloves in the middle of the canvas (he actually put Stallone in the hospital for nine days during the shooting of their fight scenes), but because he managed to inject a little bit of character into what could have easily been a one-dimensional bad-guy role. Lundgren's Drago was scientifically engineered to be a killing machine in the ring — his Soviet trainers (including the uber-hot Brigitte Nielsen) had all but programmed him to squash the Italian Stallion and, by extension, America like a pesky fly. But the expression on Lundgren's face (and sometimes the lack thereof) hinted at how helpless he felt in this quest. He was a monster created by others — his mission was not his own, but Mother Russia's. Let's forget for a moment that he killed Apollo Creed with one of his haymakers. Behind his menacing, thousand-yard Terminator stare was a guy who was conflicted and human just trying to get out and maybe help melt the Cold War chill. Am I reading too much into a third-rate Rocky sequel? Perhaps. But that's only because of the genius of Lundgren's performance.
2. Seven years after Rocky IV turned him into a sort of freak Hollywood star (e.g. Masters of the Universe, Red Scorpion, I Come in Peace), Lundgren costarred with another lethal action-hero import, Jean-Claude Van Damme in 1992's Universal Soldier. It's not a great movie, but it sure is a fun one. I could go on all day about how this B-grade slice of sci-fi cheese is unholy because it's responsible for unleashing hack director Roland Emmerich on the world. But I'll spare you. Instead, let's focus on Lundgren's turn as Andrew Scott, an American soldier killed in Vietnam who's then flash-frozen like a bag of Green Giant peas and shipped off to a hush-hush facility where he and The Muscles From Brussels are reanimated into unstoppable futuristic killing machines. Most of the movie follows Lundgren as he tries to track down Van Damme, who's regained his memory. And I would have loved the movie more if the two stars switched roles and Lundgren got to be "the good guy", but man do I dig this thing anyway.
3. After years of enjoying Lundgren's Scandinavian mug in countless trash epics, someone told me that he was actually a genius. To which I responded, "I know, I saw Rocky IV and Universal Soldier." My friend replied, "No, he's actually a genius genius. Like he's super smart in real life." I looked it up and it's true. Before he became an onscreen badass — the guy I began thinking of as The Swede Who'll Make You Bleed — Lundgren was a brainiac. He attended the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. He received a master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney. And he was awarded a Fulbright to study engineering at M.I.T. The guy's got brawn and brains! I don't know why, but I love the fact that he could totally school you in obscure academic stuff while beating the snot out of you.
4. Because unlike Wesley Snipes, Van Damme, and Steven Seagal, some of Lundgren's recent straight-to-DVD movies are actually pleasurable guilty pleasures. It's no secret that these days Lundgren is not exactly at the top of the big studios' wishlists when they're putting together their A-list projects. And as a result, he's had to look elsewhere for film work. But Lundgren has fared better than most — and he has a huge mansion in Marbella, Spain to prove it. He's made stacks of loot from his under-the-radar cheapies, sometimes even moonlighting as those films' writer and director, too. That's right: he's an action goon, a brainiac, and an auteur! Beginning with 2004's The Defender, Lundgren has helmed six flicks. But my favorite has to be 2009's Command Performance, which is set at a Moscow charity concert where armed thugs take the American pop star headliner and the Russian president hostage and it's up to Dolph's ex-biker/heavy metal drummer to save the day. If it sounds ludicrous, well, that's because it is. But it's also an undeniable hoot.
5. Last but not least…there's this story: Last May, a pair of burglars reportedly broke into Lundgren's hacienda in Marbella to rob the joint. They also reportedly tied up his wife and forced her to hand over cash and jewelry. Then, as they continued to ransack the place, they noticed a framed photograph of the 6-foot-5-inch muscleman and his children in one of the bedrooms. Then it hit them: "Holy s***! We're robbing Dolph Lundgren!" They basically wet themselves, stopped what they were doing, and hightailed it out of there.
Honestly, how can you not love the guy?


text:
Common Or Casual Wear Or A Sportswear
Privacy Coverage
Submission Guidelines
Join Us
The Summer time Scarf Is Your Fashion Accessory In addition to Protection Gear
Tonneau Covers are certainly one of the favored selections of product for truck drivers. They've been round for years and to this acid reflux disease signs day still handle to offer distinctive functionality. They act as lids that cowl up Custom Pin Up T Shirt a automobile which might serve a spread of functions.
Each pile of Clothes is now a load Men's Print Desire Short Sleeve Tee Shirt Men's Desgin No Ectoderm, No Problems Short Sleeve T-Shirt of laundry. Begin with your top precedence pile, or the towels, whichever is most important to finish. Towels are good to begin with as a result of they take the longest to dry, so if you will want a towel inside a brief interval, they must be washed first.