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The slight drizzle in Dubai on Friday threatened to pull the rug (or should we say red carpet) right from under our feet. But when you have stars such as Colin Firth, Frieda Pinto, Kristin Davis of Sex And The City fame, Rooney Mara and Arab star Amr Waked in the same house despite some moody clouds, it would take no less than a hurricane to make the journalists in the press pen budge. And what a night it was.
The annual black-tie charity gala One Night To Change Lives held in association with Dubai Cares and Oxfam took place outdoors against the backdrop of a towering Burj Khalifa where the magnificent fountains at Armani Hotel Dubai lived up to their reputation.
The stars joined forces and raised a whopping $542,000 (Dh1,990,386) in less than three hours of relentless, but highly entertaining bidding. This year's collection may not have surpassed last year's $1 million mark, but it's never easy to put a price to an evening that saw Firth impulsively auction off his Paul Smith "guilt-free" organic tuxedo or Frieda Pinto tease the bidders to unzip their wallets to take home her strapless red Valentino gown that she was wearing for the night.
"Come on guys, make me happy… I will give you the gown after I slip into my pajamas," joked Pinto as she twirled to give her well-heeled guests a better look at the item on the auction block.
It was snapped up for $18,000 after she generously threw in a dinner and some dessert with her.
The Kings Speech actor took it up a notch as he gave the ladies a feel of the fabric by going to a potential bidders' table to display his fashion wares. He even threw in a hug to crank up the bidding war. "This tux has got a bit of give… I promise you can wear it before and after breakfast," said Firth.
Earlier on the red carpet, the former Mr Darcy was relatively sober as he implored governments to ease trade regulations.
"I profoundly believe that any campaign against poverty is not just about handouts and charity or building paternalistic relationship. They should give people an opportunity to trade their way out of poverty," said Firth. Referring specifically to Oxfam's Trade Campaign, he expressed his desire to see big economies like Europe and America exercise free trade policies, plus open their markets to vulnerable countries to give the struggling markets a chance to survive.
"I could talk about it for days… But I believe that film festivals such as the Dubai International Film Festival can serve many functions. They can often be a vanity project or just a way to get people into one place. But this can be made into more than just an economic intersection. We can cross-pollinate culturally and build relationships for life," said Firth who said his association with Oxfam began when he purchased his first CD in the store in his neighbourhood.
"I don't know if I have changed lives, but Oxfam has certainly changed mine. I have met people who would never have been a part of my vision through Oxfam," he said.
The Academy award winner was accompanied by his fashion entrepreneur wife Livia Firth who vociferously promoted fashion with a conscience on the red carpet.
While Firth was Mr Darcy-like (with that legendary Englishman reserve that grows on you) on the red carpet, 'Sex And The City' siren Davis was pretty Charlotte-like in her mannerisms. For those asking, there was no tantalising strip-tease but just pure, unadulterated charm from the Dior-clad Davis. She gushed about how wonderful Dubai was and joked about 'Sex And The City's' not being filmed in the UAE despite the story being set here.
"I am in Dubai… I am pretty sure we are in Dubai right," said Davis turning to her publicist for mock confirmation.
"Look, it [Sex And The City, the film] is a fictional movie. It was inspired by Dubai, our writers came here to Dubai and Abu Dhabi as well, but it is wonderful to be in person to be here… It's my first time and it definitely won't be my last," she said.
Asked about her future projects, the on-screen Park Avenue princess from the hit TV series dubbed her current project as "playing mummy in real life".
"Last year we were in England and discussing what happened here, the people in Dubai were so generous. The helped build so many schools in Pakistan and was a legendary fund raiser," said Davis.
Later that night, she didn't go all soft like a mother on the auctioneering front as she coaxed bidders to raise the stakes. She rushed to the stage as the limited edition collectible Hans Solo statue signed by George Lucas that depicted Harrison Ford's iconic character in Star Wars: A New Hope went up on sale. The iconic statue was initially slated to be given away as a raffle draw, but generous guests were more than happy to make a bid.
While local crowd favourite and 'City Of Life' director Ali F Mostafa kicked off the bid, Davis helped in closing this deal.
"Wow, with this one in your hand you will be a hero among your friends. Even in the US, I have never seen anything like this. I bet, this is an investment piece and its value will definitely go up in five years," said Davis.
They believed her. It got plucked for a healthy $14,000. The proud owner also did the unthinkable as she gifted Mostafa – an ardent Star Wars fan – with her latest acquisition.
The 'Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' Rooney Mara may have impressed us with her daring fashion choice – a sheer black dress with interesting bust detailing – on the red carpet, but she wasn't as robust as her glamorous peers during the gala dinner.
Livia Firth gave it her all as she placed her innovative red gown that she wore for this year's Oscars under the hammer. Designed by Valentino duo Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, the stunning gown was formed using recycled polyester from plastic bottles.
"Are you guys ready to make fashion history?" hollered Mrs Firth.
The eco-friendly gown which started bidding at $5,000 was picked off the rack for $14,000. Her true star power was displayed when she managed to raise $64,000 for diamond encrusted bespoke jewels.
"Come on make it higher, she may come to your date just wearing that," said Firth in a suggestive tone.
Arab actor Amr Waked played his part to perfection as he made a rousing speech about lending a helping hand to the underprivileged – especially children in Tanzania.
"It's up to us people to change their destiny. In Tanzania, children are deprived of education, sanitation and clean water. We are the privileged lot, let's give them what we have," said Waked. His emotionally-charged speech led to the pledge of $200,000 to Tanzania project.
Bollywood was represented by the likes of Malaika Arora Khan and designer Vikram Phadnis.
Khan took it upon herself to raise $18,000 for the renowned oil on canvas painting Lute Player and Horse in green by Iran's Nasser Ovissi.
"Hello Dubai, I am so impressed with Dubai's generosity. A big thank you. This painting will look great in your living room," said Arora Khan with a flourish.
The rain gods may have threatened to play spoilsport during the evening held on the sidelines of Diff, but there were no cloudy faces in sight as stars and guests took it upon themselves to build a brighter a future for the poor.
Davis' verdict about Dubai's legendary generosity didn't fall short of expectations.
"What's not to love. We always talk about how generous Dubai is," she said.
We second that.
Via SyndiGate.info
© Al Nisr Publishing LLC 2019. All rights reserved.


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Home - Guru Nanak Dev Ji
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Neech Te Neech Att Neech Hoye
A Divine Treat on the Subject of Humility, Nimrata - the highest of all virtues.
Sri Guru Nanak Saheb says in Asa Di Var - "Meethat Neeveen Nanaka Gun Changayaiyan Tatt". Humility, Nimrata is the "Mool" (root), the "Tatt" (crux), the very seed of all the Divine Virtues of the Lord.
Listen to what prevents us from embracing this greatest of virtues, how to invoke Satguru's nadar (blessings) and how Satguru blesses the humblest and the lowest of hearts. Explained with many references from Gurbani.
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Alternatively Psephomancy and Psephology.
A type of Sortilege, consisting of divination by the drawing or casting of pebbles or beans.
Sometimes the pebbles or beans are marked with special symbols or colors relating to health, success, travel, communications, etc.
Pebble and bean selection are said to be critical for an accurate prognostication. The selected pebbles have to be of approximately the same size and preferably smooth.
Depending on the technique used by the diviner, special characters, such as sigils, letters, numbers or symbols, should be drawn or engraved in the pebbles or beans. Color can also be applied to the beans, possibly coordinating with meanings related to personal health, success, love, etc. The stones can be either thrown out after mixing in a bag or drawn out at random.
Nathan Bailey, in his An Universal Etymological English Dictionary (1727) states:
"Psephomancy, a divination by pebble-stones, distinguished by certain characters, and put as lots into a vessel; which, having made certain supplications to the gods to direct them, they drew out and, according to the characters, conjectured what would happen to them."
Psephomancy has been practiced, in one form or another, all over the world. Many African witch doctors keep bags of "wise stones" that they cast to foretell the future. In the Arab tradition, the pebbles are turned out into a heap, and the omens read one at a time as the stones are drawn at random.
You can practice this form of Psephomancy today. Gather thirteen white, or light colored, and thirteen black, or dark colored stones. All should be of approximately the same size. While asking your yes/no question, place the pebbles in a small bag or a metal bowl. Shake the stones at least twice. Then repeat the question a second and third time. With your eyes closed, reach into the bowl or bag and grab a handful of stones. Place them on a surface, a table or the ground. If there are more white pebbles than black, the answer to your question is favorable. If more black stones have been collected, the answer is no. If you've retrieved an equal number of each, there is no answer at this time. You will need to try again later.
In Scotland and Wales it was a Pagan costume at one time for persons to cast a white pebble bearing their name into the All Saints Eve bonfire known as the 'Coel Coeth.' In the following morning, after the fire had died out, the pebbles would be checked to see if any were missing from the ashes, and any person whose name was written on a missing pebble was believed to be destined to fall ill or die within the ensuing twelve months.
Psephomancy, like most divinatory systems, is quite ancient, and has been practiced since time immemorial.
Psychic Powers 101; Enroll Today!
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Sources: (1) Spence, Lewis, An Encyclopedia of Occultism, Carol Publishing Group; (2) Dictionary of the Occult, Caxton Publishing; (3) Pickover, Clifford A., Dreaming the Future: The Fantastic Story of Prediction, Prometheus Books; (4) Dunwich, Gerina, A Wiccan's Guide to Prophecy and Divination, Carol Publishing Group; (5) Buckland, Raymond, The Fortune-Telling Book: The Encyclopedia of Divination and Soothsaying, Visible Ink Press; (6) Cunningham, Scott, Divination for Beginners: Reading the Past, Present & Future, Llewellyn Publications.
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Four Pillars of Wisdom - Chinese I Ching Astrology Software
Four Pillars Of Wisdom is a program, which creates a personal horoscope according to the I Ching Astrology system on the basis of date and place of your birth. It can be date of your birth, of birth of your relatives or friends, date of birth of your business, project and any other event as well.
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Access to, and use of, text and image files from The Ringling web site are subject to the following terms of copyright, under the control of all state and federal copyright laws: The graphics, photographs, and text from The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art web site (www.ringling.org) are copyrighted and redistribution or commercial use is prohibited without express written permission. You may print (but not redistribute) images or information from our web site for non-commercial, personal or educational purposes only. The user assumes all risks of copyright infringement.


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Surfside Beach
RE/MAX Southern Shores Sells Homes in Surfside Beach, South Carolina
Surfside Beach is a small seaside community nestled in the heart of South Carolina's Grand Strand. It encompasses two miles of pristine beach, enjoys a temperate climate and is both an active residential community and a thriving vacation destination.
Surfside Beach strives to maintain a small-town, slow-pace, friendly environment for its residents and guests. It is a quiet haven close to all Grand Strand attractions with a Town-owned fishing pier, water-park, supermarkets, mini golf, and restaurants. This piece of paradise, just a short walk or golf-cart ride away from the water, make Surfside Beach and a coastal Carolina home a great real estate investment.
RE/MAX Southern Shores agents know the Surfside Beach market and properties, so they can find the perfect condominium, townhouse, investment property or year-round residence YOU are looking for!
RE/MAX Southern Shores sells Surfside Beach real estate!
Welcome to the search page for RE/MAX Southern Shores where you can find a highly qualified and trained Surfside Beach real estate agent! On this page you can input your specific needs to search all of Surfside Beach, South Carolina real estate to find the perfect property for YOU. There are thousands of homes and condos owned for the sole purpose of attracting weekly vacation rentals. Surfside Beach can be the perfect Myrtle Beach location to invest in rental property.
Use the form on this page to search Surfside Beach real estate listings or choose one of the links to learn more about other Grand Strand communities. RE/MAX Southern Shores agents sell both residential and vacation homes in this quiet section of the Grand Strand where newly constructed, pastel colored beach houses dot the shoreline of this quaint, seaside town. When you call 843-839-0200 you will get to talk with a RE/MAX Southern Shores agent who will find the home, condo, vacation home, investment property, or land that YOU are looking for.
If you have any questions, please contact our office at 843-839-0200 where RE/MAX Southern Shores agents are available every day to assist with all your Surfside Beach South Carolina real estate needs. We'll help you navigate the touring, selection, negotiation, and purchase process for the property that is perfect for YOU!
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How to Customize Your Twitter Profile
Your public page on Twitter, also known as your profile, is other Twitter users' first impression of you, and it can make a big difference in whether they decide to follow you. Customizing your Twitter profile page so that it reflects you or your business makes all the difference when it comes to whether people follow you to see what you have to say.
After you sign up for Twitter, one of the first things you should do is personalize your profile. Make sure that you have
An avatar (a picture that shows up to the left of your tweets, representing you or your company)
A background image or background color for your home page
A bio that's 160 characters or less
A link to anything else you want to share
After you log in to Twitter, you can customize your profile at any time by clicking your Twitter username in the top-right navigation bar and choosing Settings from the drop-down list. You change your background image by clicking the Design tab on the Settings page.
From the Design tab, you can change the background colors and text colors of both the main Twitter timeline and the sidebar on the right. And, of course, you can change the background image that sits behind it all. Twitter offers you some themes that set all of these for you, or you can click the buttons below those themes to adjust them yourself.
Some of the best profile pages on Twitter are the ones that give you a look into that user's personality. Someone who loves to ski might upload an image of his favorite mountain range as the profile background and pair it with an avatar that depicts him in ski goggles.
You don't have to bare your soul, but people on Twitter want to know something about you, and the public page is where they can first discover it.


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Can Love Reduce Pain?
by Pamela Katz Ressler, RN, BSN, HN-BC, MS-PREP graduate student and PREP-AIRED blog moderator and administrator, Tufts University School of Medicine
In honor of Valentine's Day and in celebration of "heart month", February, today's blog entry asks the question…can viewing a photograph of a romantic partner reduce pain? This was the research question posed by investigators from Stanford University in a study entitled: Viewing Pictures of a Romantic Partner Reduces Experimental Pain published in PLoS ONE. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the investigators examined fifteen individuals in the early stages of a romantic relationship (first nine months). Participants completed three tasks under periods of moderate and high thermal pain: 1) viewing pictures of their romantic partner, 2) viewing pictures of an equally attractive and familiar acquaintance, and 3) a word-association distraction task previously demonstrated to reduce pain. Viewing pictures of a romantic partner and the distraction task both decreased the amount of self-reported pain experienced by the study participants. However greater pain relief was reported while viewing pictures of a romantic partner and this was the only study condition associated with increased activity in several reward-processing regions of the brain. According to the research team lead by Dr. Jarred Younger, "The results suggest that the activation of neural reward systems via non-pharmacologic means can reduce the experience of pain". In the clinical setting, creating an environment that encouraging patients to have pictures of loved ones within view may help to achieve more effective pain management.
What are your thoughts on this study?
1 comment February 14th, 2011


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(Winner of an HP Workstation)
Sustainable, Durable Bridges of the Future
Ibrahim Al-Khattat Talacre, Wales, United Kingdom
Alight, pre-stressed, segmented-arch (LPSA) bridge-building system uses a kit of compact parts that can be manufactured and transported, resulting in cost, energy, and capital investment savings. In addition to providing an alternative to heavier energy-consuming bridge materials like concrete and steel, the framework's design flexibility helps to withstand natural disasters like earthquakes.
A typical structure consists of nodal connectors, or clusters, of thin-wall pipe sockets. Connecting these nodes are longitudinal members, or small-diameter timber (SDT) posts. SDT ends then slide-fit into nodal sockets, and a tensioning system compresses the assembly into a rigid, load-bearing structure. The posts, made from the decay-resistant black locust (robinia pseudoacacia) hardwood species, provide two to three times the compressive strength of concrete, according to the inventor.
"[Winning the category] gives exposure to our mission. SustainableScience.org Inc. is a non-profit engineering R&D charity, run on behalf of humanity by unpaid volunteers. Its end products, through engineering science, seek to transform sustainability into a tool of development. We see our role as providing both the technology and the dynamics for public/private sector alliances to generate wealth and empower communities." – Ibrahim Al Khattat, Inventor
By virtue of the connection mechanism, LPSA bridges dissipate distortion energy, offering a sustainable option for regions prone to earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods. The technology has won several R&D grants in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Click here to view the Meet the Judges.
Honorable Mentions
CCFL as Alternative to CFL and LED
Fred Elvin
Oakland, MI
As an alternative to LED technology, A Versa Lighting (AVL) developed Green Star-compliant light fixtures based on Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (CCFL) devices. The CCFL design restricts light dissipation as the adjacent coils obstruct the light of each other, reducing emission efficiency. The replaceable light engine reuses the driving circuitry. Optically optimized components and microprocessor supervisory capabilities enable dimming, remote control, and integration functions into smart energy management systems. The light engines exhibit comparable efficiency profiles with alternative power sources, such as batteries charged from solar, wind, and water power sources.
For more information, visit www.techbriefs.com/ctf_ccfl.
AirWatt Air-Driven Power
Melvin Prueitt Los Alamos, NM
Whereas solar-powered machinery only works during sunlight hours, the AirWatt power plant can run close to 24 hours per day in some locations. AirWatt plants use atmospheric air as their heat source and evaporating water as their heat sink. The warm air is used to boil a refrigerant, which turns a turbine, and the water evaporation then condenses the refrigerant. The AirWatt air is cooled further in a heat exchanger, and then it flows to surfaces in the condenser where water films flow downward. Since the air has been cooled considerably, it becomes quite cold as it evaporates water on the condenser surfaces. After the cold air leaves the condenser, it flows back through the heat exchanger to provide cooling for the incoming air.
For more information, visit www.techbriefs.com/ctf_airwatt.


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"Sesame Street" became fodder for late-night comedy again, with Jon Stewart taking a swipe on Monday's "Daily Show" at Republican critics of the children's show. Stewart also suggested a few programming tweaks to make the show more palatable to conservatives.
"Why would conservatives feel so strongly that Sesame Street has to go?" asked a dumbfounded Stewart. "I'm kinda getting the sense there might be something else going on here."
"Sesame Street" most recently made the news after Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said during last week's presidential debate that he would cut taxpayer funding for PBS.
Romney's stance prompted Stewart to show a montage of clips from Fox News, in which the on-air personalities accused "Sesame Street" of getting "more liberal" and "propagandizing children" with "lofty left" politics.
To back up Fox's claims, Stewart cut to a "shocking clip" of "Sesame Street" muppet Grover asking a young girl whether she would share her food.
"So Fox News is upset that empty-headed puppets are trying to brainwash and indoctrinate Americans?" Stewart mocked.
To make "Sesame Street" more palatable to conservatives, Stewart, alongside correspondents John Oliver and Wyatt Cenac, provided a few suggestions: change the show's name to "Patriot Street," introduce Mrs. Bert and Mrs. Ernie to "clear up those vicious rumors," and put the notion of sharing into perspective.
Eager to put the last suggestion into practice, Stewart and company ran the clip of Grover once again, but with a different voice over for the muppet.
Upon hearing the little girl's willingness to share her food, Grover points out her actions would "create a culture of dependency."
"You're taking away the motivation to earn the food for themselves," Grover told the little girl. "Did you not read that copy of 'Atlas Shrugged' I loaned you?"
To see more of Stewart discussing "Sesame Street," check out the clip below, courtesy of Comedy Central:


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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – In saying goodbye to its pair of seniors – Kelsey Adrian and Emilie Johnson – the UC Santa Barbara women's basketball team also said goodbye to Long Beach State's chances with a dominating defensive effort on Saturday.
The Gauchos held Long Beach State to just 25.5% shooting in the Thunderdome, including a paltry 16.0% in the first half in the 47-35 win. It marked the fifth win in six games for UCSB, which improved to 13-14 overall and 7-7 in the Big West. Long Beach State falls a spot below the Gauchos in the standings at 11-16, 6-8.
Despite committing 27 turnovers, the Gauchos made up for it defensively by holding the entire 49ers team in check. The 11 first-half points allowed by the Gauchos is the fourth-lowest tally in a half in program history.
Johnson led all scorers with 13 points while Adrian finished with six in a balanced scoring attack by UCSB. Nicole Nesbit had 10 points and five assists off the bench while Angelei Aguirre added six points and seven rebounds. Kirsten Tilleman and Sweets Underwood each pulled in nine rebounds.
That final stat was also hugely important in the victory – UCSB outrebounded Long Beach 46-17. In doing so, UCSB also did not allow a single second-chance point by the 49ers.
UCSB led by as many as 14 on Jackie Luna-Castro's baseline jumper with 15:16 remaining and kept the lead in double figures the rest of the way. Long Beach threw a full-court defense at UCSB for the entire second half and although UCSB turned the ball over 13 times in the final 20 minutes, it never came back to haunt the Gauchos.
Long Beach did score 17 points off the Gauchos' turnovers, but the game never seemed in doubt. The Gauchos went on a 19-4 run early in the first half and kept the 49ers at bay the rest of the way.
UCSB will travel north next week to face Pacific and UC Davis in the final regular season games of the season. Listen live on AM 990 in Santa Barbara or online by clicking here with the pregame show starting a half-hour before tip-off.


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"A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and … gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne." -Revelation 12:1-2, 5
Yesterday, December 9, the universal Church celebrated the feast day of the Immaculate Conception. Since Mary is the patron saint of the United States of America, yesterday was also the feast day of our country!
Protestants, my brothers and sisters in Christ, are allergic to Mary, insisting on their mistaken notion that Catholics "worship" Mary when in fact we don't. But Catholics do honor, revere and love Mary for she is the Mother of Jesus the Christ, as she rightly should be. Imagine how we hurt Him when we dismiss and disregard His mother. He respects her so much that, even though it wasn't yet time for Him to begin His public ministry, He performed His first miracle changing water into the finest wine because His mother asked Him to.
As the mother of God, Mary must have been a very special and remarkable woman. Scripture tells us she was a virgin (see also "The Christmas Miracle: Scientific Evidence of the Virgin Birth") and that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Still, it took the Church more than 1,800 years to definitively determine another of her special and wholly remarkable attributes.
On December 8, 1854, in the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus of 8 December, 1854, Pope Pius IX pronounced and defined that the Blessed Virgin Mary "in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin."
In other words, Mary was conceived without sin — thus, the Immaculate Conception.
But you don't have to take Pius IX's word on this. We can deduce this ourselves, with the help of science.
Are you ready to put your thinking caps on and take a trip in logic, reason, and science with me?
Here we go . . . .
1. Scripture tells us that, as a result of our first parents' disobedience of God's explicit command because they wanted to be "as gods," Adam and Eve's offspring — all human beings — are born with the Original Sin. We are each born with concupiscence — an inclination toward evil, which renders us "tinder for sin" (fomes peccati).
2. Translated into the language of modern science, "born with the Original Sin" can only mean this concupiscence is biologically INHERITED. That in turn means it is transmitted from parents to child through all the generations via some genetic code or DNA.
3. Jesus, being God Himself (Son of the Father and the Second Person of the Trinity), by definition is without sin and without the Original Sin, for He is all good.
4. But the Second Person of the Trinity so loves us that He chose to become incarnate as a human being, to be born of a human mother, and to suffer and die for our redemption and salvation.
5. Since a baby is formed in the mother's womb out of her very blood and tissue, the human mother of the incarnate God must be free of the primeval stain of Original Sin that is the genetic inheritance of every human. That means Mary could not have transmitted the concupiscence DNA to Jesus, which implies she herself did not have the Original Sin genetic marker, which is another way of saying she was conceived without sin.
Now we come to the Science part of our exercise in reasoning….
6. In 1979, researchers at Stanford University made a shocking discovery: They found a pregnant mother's blood containing cells with Y sex chromosomes. Since women only have X chromosomes, they concluded that the cells must have entered into her body from the male baby she carried within her. That discovery began a new field in science — the study of fetal cell microchimerism.
As recounted by science writer Jena Pinctott in her October 2011 book, Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies?: The Surprising Science of Pregnancy, "During pregnancy, cells sneak across the placenta in both directions. The fetus's cells enter his mother, and the mother's cells enter the fetus." How amazing is that?
More amazing still is that one kind of fetal cells that enter into the mother's body is the baby's stem cells, which can "morph" into other types of cells through a process called differentiation. The baby's fetal stem cells can actually become the mother's own cells that make up her liver, heart, or brain. More than that, there is evidence that fetal cells may offer the mother increased resistance to certain diseases. (Read more about this in my post of Jan. 15, 2012, "Baby in womb protects mom from disease.")
There you have it: During her pregnancy, across the placenta Mary's cells entered into baby Jesus and baby Jesus' cells entered into Mary, and baby Jesus' stem cells became the cells of Mary's liver, heart, and brain.
God and woman became one.
That is why I honor, revere, and love very much our Blessed Mother Mary with all my heart.
"Then the dragon became angry with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God's commandments and bear witness to Jesus." -Revelation 12:17


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Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Location: Austin, Texas
Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 4:26 pm
Post subject: Short stories
Dramatis Personae
First Strike Squadron
Major Kale Ridge (Strike One) (human male from Kuat)
Captain Selph Ker (Strike Two) (Shistavanen male from Uvena Prime)
Lieutenant Salairis Eaton (Strike Five, squadron XO) (human female from
Lieutenant Anton Orden (Strike Six) (human male from Chandrila)
Flight Officer Jace Devlin (Strike Nine) (human male from Coruscant)
Krath Wraith Khardo (Strike Eleven) (Defel male from Af El)
Karn Saitek (Strike Eight) (human male from Balmorra)
Tesh Keyfe (Strike Three) (Bothan male from Kothlis)
Rren Pischik (Strike Ten) (Bothan female from Bothawui)
AlTrrez Grub NiitKrrawllErr (Strike Four) (Talz male from Alzoc III)
Cole Banton (Strike Seven) (human male from Taanab)
Arie Nnieb (Strike Twelve) (Sullustan female from Sullust)
Rontu Nuekysh (Strike Thirteen) (Rodian male from Rodia)
Support Personnel
Toner Marsh (chief mechanic) (human male from Corellia)
Dobber OMally (assistant mechanic) (human male from Fondor)
Elly (LE repair droid)
Rotor (R5-D2 unit)
Imperial Forces
Admiral Holt Torne (human male from Carida)
Captain Avry Feuer (commander of the Star Destroyer Asp) (human male from
Marion Zhanel (human male from Telti)
A middle-aged Bimm sat dressed in his finest royal Alderaanian gown at a corner booth in a dingy little cantina located in the Pemblehov District. Disgusting, he thought as he had entered the designated rendezvous. He glanced around the drinking establishment, his head lowered, inconspicuously eyeing the other patrons. Ruffians. All of them. He turned back to his still full glass of Atzerri Ale, the greenish-brown liquid markedly slanted. He pressed down on the table and watched the liquid turn to a level surface. He let the table return to its natural position.
The Bimm decided the moment the dilapidated R-10 droid brought his drink that it was best not to taste the concoction. The slight odor of servo lubricant oil and the black streak of liquid running down the inside confirmed his judgment. He would have to have a talk with the owner.
He had been waiting for over half an hour for his soon-to-be ex-business partner to show. He was becoming irritated. The trip had gone badly from the beginning. First, his personal ship, The Sabacc Dealer, was impounded and searched as soon as he landed, spaceport officials saying he was suspected of carrying contraband. Contraband? What contraband. This is a free-trader world. Then he had to purchase a room for the night in a rundown, greasy motel on the edge of the Plaza, because his ship was held overnight for further inspection. Further inspection my foot. After that, he was accosted by a small band of Meeks wanting a handout. Credits, no less. Filthy rodents. And to top it all off, the human is late. Humans. They have no sense of time.
He rested his elbows on the table and slouched forward. He picked at a piece of dried nerf meat stuck to the table, flicking it to the floor. Slobs. He looked around again, an obvious expression on his face. Why did I ever let him pick the place. And why here? Next time, I pick the meeting place, Tiga twisted toward his associate sitting next to him and glared. His protruding gut jostled the table. A drop of the greenish-brown liquid trickled down. The Bimm glanced down at the tail of his light robes swaying against the unsanitary floor.
Tiga Loreng Misaari; his parents had named him after the colorful, feathered creatures that inhabited his home planet, scrutinized over his robes looking for any grime that may have collected on them. Tiga Misaari loved wearing the beautiful garments of the dead world, because they were rare and expensive, and extremely extravagant. He especially loved this one because it was yellow. Made out of the purest silk from extinct native killiks, it had a gold sash and trim around the collar, cuffs, and tail. The fact that the gowns were designated to the Royal Family and its closest confidants only made it that much more alluring to passersby, and more fun to wear. He loved the way other sentients gawked in awe as he strode by, believing he was a member of the Royal Family net. Tiga often told inquirers that he used to be a close friend of the late Bail Organa and grew up with his adopted daughter Princess Leia Organa. He had purchased a trunk full five months ago from a trader on Nar Shaddaa for the price of one standard years free pass on one of his pleasure yachts. A definite steal. A lowlife trader. One of many. The fool didnt even know what he had. He caressed the luxuriant fabric enjoying the tender feel against his bare palm.
He checked his wrist crono again. Fifty minutes. Perfect! He threw his hands into the air, slamming them down on the table. The drink sloshed over, splashing onto the gowns sleeve. I wasted seven days to get here, and for what? Nothing. Who does this fool think he is. He thinks he can play games with me! Tiga turned to his associate and abruptly stood, catching the rickety table and spilling the greenish-brown substance. He raised his voice, the pitch becoming higher. Tahoona. Lets get out of this bantha fodder. Hes not going to show. I hate this place. I hate this planet! It stinks! Nearby patrons began to turn and listen to the disturbance. Thats right! I hate your free-trader planet! Atzerri smells worse than Nar Shaddaa or Nal Huttawhatever you scoundrels call it. Tiga glared down at them not afraid.
The onlookers stared back in silence.
Stop singing pip-squeak! a drunken horned Devaronian yelled from the crowd. The throng of listeners broke out in laughter.
Shut up Bimm, a voice came from the bar.
Ya, pip-squeak! another voice yelled. The laughter grew louder.
Bimms are funny creatures, the Devaronians inebriated drinking partner said.
The fur covering Tigas body began to ruffle in irritation. He was about to yell out another insult when his associate began tugging on his robes. He looked down noticeably annoyed, and was about to admonish Tahoona when he observed two human-shaped feet covered in Atzerri Ale, standing in front of him.
My sincere apologies, Sir, Tiga Misaari apologized, staring up at the human towering above him. He grabbed a damp cloth from the R-10 droid that had come to clean up the mess. He hurriedly wiped the table clean catching more of the liquid substance as it dripped off the lip. He moved the table back to position. My assistant is quite the oaf. He turned to Tahoona. Apologize to the man you fool. Tahoona glared back at him. Never mind. He leaned over to whisper in the mans ear. He is what you humans call slow. Tahoona could still hear him. Tiga tossed the rag and sat down, motioning to the human. He noted his casual attire. It blended well with the other miscreants. He shrugged.
Now, let us get down to businessthat is why we are here? I hear you are considering selling me a starship.
The two beings haggled over the price for a few minutes, then agreed on a location for the exchange. Throughout the short meeting Tiga noticed the human squirm several times in his seat. He asked if he was uncomfortable, but was greeted with only silence.
Tiga clapped his hands together, elated. Perfect. I already have a name picked out. He displayed his small hands before him in a gesture. Stardust. What do you think? The human nodded. Excellent! Tiga stood and extended his hand. The hairless human stood, took his hand out of his trouser pocket, and shook it. I hope I didnt ruin your boots, he said glancing down at his feet. Those are quite nice. Theyre made from the hssiss? Of Ambria, right? Very expensive. Black even! Quite nice. You wouldnt mind telling me where you got those from, would you?
Tiga took the hint. Well it was nice doing business with you. I hope to do it again soon. He let go. If youll excuse me, I have some other business to attend to. Tahoona.
He shook hands with the Bimm again and watched as he and his mute friend departed to speak with the bartender. The talkative one began throwing his hands in the air in a sign of frustration, singing another annoying verse, then turned on his partner. Fools. I cant stand those sub-sentient creatures. Them and their annoying singing language. He straightened his clothes again. He brushed back what little hair he had left and marched out of the cantina, overhearing part of the conversation. Oaf! Why didnt you tell me I had soiled my robes.
The man stood outside and grabbed the scanner out of his trouser pocket. No tracers. He placed it back, and looked over his outfit. He grimaced. He would have to change. As soon as possible. He waited for a few pedestrians to walk by, out of earshot, then took out his comlink. Sir.
Did the mission succeed, the other voice responded. It was not a question.
Did your people find anything.
No, Sir. He and his ship were clean.
Good, I didnt think so. I knew the Bimm wouldnt be able to resist such a bargain.
Sir. He paused.
You have a question, the voice stated sternly.
Yes Sir. If I may?
The man waited for another pedestrian to pass. He spoke a little softer. Why an ISD. And why so cheap? Even a stripped down version could Another pedestrian passed by. The man moved to a side alley and continued. Even with a stripped down version we could have gotten three times as much as you were asking forat least!
Credits are not the issue.
Then why that ship, Sir?
Chapter 1
The peaceful, quiet slumber that always comes from the boredom of long hyperspace jumps came to an abrupt end.
The rookie fighter pilot Karn Saitek started out of his somewhat comfortable hollow banging his helmeted head on the transparasteel canopy of his A-wing starfighter, despite the built-in seat restraints. He swore. He had been awakened by the high pitched wail of the jump exit indicator. Karn reached to turn it off. Groggily he sat up and shifted in his seat to give his buttocks a rest and checked his onboard crono.
Twenty minutes. Plenty of time.
He gingerly unclipped the chinstrap and removed his protective headgear; setting it in his lap, and lightly massaged the tender spot on the crown of his head. He then wiped the sleep from his eyes. Time to stretch, he yawned aloud. His back ached not surprisingly. Sitting in such a position for a long time always did that. Tensing and relaxing the back muscles was helpful. Karn rotated his shoulders a couple of times. Reaching over to stroke a cramp out of his leg he cringed noticing a slight pang of stiffness in his neck. The cramped cockpit had been home for him and his fellow eleven squadron members, somewhere out there in the brilliant blue-black kaleidoscope of hyperspace, for the past ten hours.
The A-wing class intercept/fighter, while known for its speed and maneuverability lacks considerably in the way of arm, leg, head, and elbowroom.
These are definitely cramped quarters; not the preferred means of transportation through hyperspace, especially in such a long trip.
Karn had been assigned to First Strike twelve weeks ago; a lateral promotion as far as pay grade was concerned, but leaps and bounds in the way of possible combat experience and promotion. Compared to his previous appointment; a marked improvement. Karn slipped on his flight gloves and took a couple of minutes to re-familiarize himself with the controls of
new personal starfighter, one of the perks of being assigned to an active combat ready regiment.
The second he learned of First Strikes designated starfighter classification he was beaming. Being assigned to a fighter squadron was one thing, but to find out he was going to be entrusted with one of the New Republics newest top-of-the-line fighters, that was totally something different, and this was his first mission.
First mission.
He repeated it.
First mission.
My first real mission, Karn stated out loud. The phrase brought a smile to his face. He liked the sound of it.
He had flown assignments before, in fact several of them: inspecting downed nonessential communication relays, escorting non-important dignitaries -- strictly ceremonial, and bulk freighters transferring cargo, and traffic control duty. All very routine. And all very boring. But this was his first sortie. Karn was overcome with giddiness. He still couldnt believe it. His first real test experience outside the simulators and he had been itching for a scrap since his reassignment.
He winced as he tried to give himself a neck message.
Fifteen minutes.
My first mission.
Karn frowned.
He had been repeating that phrase to himself for most of the trip inside his little one-man fighter, but for the first time that phrase brought a sense of dread.
What if I screw up? What if I let the enemy get behind me?
What if I
He mouthed the words number seven. He didnt want to think about that.
That wouldnt happen anyway. I have my
Oh. I almost forgot. Karn reached into the left breast pocket of his jumpsuit.
Sithspawn! Where is it? He reached deeper into the pocket, grasping, hoping he wasnt feeling what he thought. Nothing. Nothing. Its not here. I know I brought it. Where is it? He rummaged through his other pockets burying his hands in them, dumping out the contents. No. No. No! I know I didnt leave it. I couldnt have. Not now!
His gloved hand touched something familiar. Aha! He pulled it out clutching it in his fist, and kissed it. Thank Thon. Tentatively Karn unclenched his fist revealing what lay there; a crumpled piece of plasteel.
His body relaxed.
Karn Saitek found out while on the short shuttle skip to the
, his new home, that he was taking the place of a much beloved and respected pilot, one who had been with the squad since its inception. This news in and of itself wasnt anything profound. It was par for the course. Unfortunately in times of war the most common way for pilots to move up within the ranks was by replacing a fallen comrade. The rub was that this former fellow fighter jock he was replacing had been replaced by six previous rookies in the past standard year, all of them lost in combat. This made him the seventh in succession of the unluckiest position in one of the most unlucky squadrons in the New Republic fleet. He promised himself he would not become number seven.
Because of all the tragedy First Strike had become a close family. This tight nit group was weary of letting anyone new into the fold. As of yet he still hadnt been totally accepted. The only one who had was Captain Hal Decker. He was the only member of the squadron to greet him at the hanger bay when he first boarded. He had taken him under his wing right from the start introducing him to the flight crew and other pilots, taking him on the tour of the
, and explaining the situation.
Apparently the pilot he had replaced, a Sullustan, had had to be discharged because of some mysterious infection he had received while on leave on Coruscant. People were calling it a plague; the worst kind. The Krytos virus, a horrible disease that appeared to dissolve the flesh of its victims, caused an agonizing and gruesome death, and was 100 percent fatal if not treated. However, it was a relatively simple virus; easily treatable, with a few treatments of Bacta, the universes wonder drug. And it only affected a few specific sentient species.
Thankfully humans were not one of them
, he thought to himself as Hal told him the story.
The problem was that the two leading distributors of Bacta, the Xucphra and Zaltin corporations, often referred to as the Bacta Cartels because of their ever escalating and competitive price gouging, were at war with each other leading to a severe reduction and depletion of Bacta supplies.
Karn had a lot of respect for Captain Decker, not only for befriending him, but for sticking up for him especially when it came to Major Kale Ridge, Deckers immediate superior, and commander of the flight group,
best friend.
Command had saw fit to promote Ridge and give him his own fighter squadron after the battle to seize control of Coruscant from the Empire. Ridge and his team had tried heroically to defend several troop transports from numerous squadrons of TIEs, so that the commandos could capture one of the Golan II battle stations orbiting above the planet. Ridge brought along Decker, his First Lieutenant, from the previous squad, and First Strike was born.
Karn was astonished, and somewhat embarrassed, to realize that Decker had alienated his best friend and snubbed his nose at the rest of the squad.
To make some new guy, he didnt even know, feel more comfortable in his new surroundings that going by the previous recruits wouldnt last two months.
Wow, he mouthed to himself.
A definite class act.
Hal Decker was a tall, thin, and surprisingly very well fit individual Karn discovered when they met and shook hands. He had the typical straight and tight crew cut of a naval officer which enhanced his classically handsome features. He was just over middle-age; at least twenty years his senior and ten years older than Major Ridge, a fatherly figure for the flight group, which consisted of mostly relatively young pilots, as far as the humans went. Karn hadnt been around other sentient species much in his life. Decker was a stoic man, and the lines on his face and salt and pepper hair gave away his age and experience, but his eyes betrayed that and gave him a youthful, charming demeanor. Karn could tell he was a very well liked and respected leader, and much deserved so.
When he was told a week ago the squadron had been picked to be the point team for an upcoming strike on an Imperial naval base, Karn was elated. He had been hoping to see some action soon, and for a chance to prove himself to the rest of the squad. He had also hoped to at least get one kill on the flight roster. His was the only name on the board without a hash mark next to it.
Decker explained the lingo to him that starfighter jockeys went by in combat during one of their training exercises. TIE fighters, the typical enemy craft, were called eyeballs. Then there were the TIE Interceptors, or squints newer, faster, more maneuverable, and deadlier, with quad-lasers like the New Republics famed X-wing starfighter, and with a stronger hull to boot. A-wings could easily match them speed for speed and agility. Though the Interceptors did have more standard firepower, the A-wings shields and the squints lack there of more than compensated for it. Even still Decker suggested it wasnt a good idea for a rookie to engage them.
TIE Bombers, the slow clumsy cousin, called dupes were typically easy pickings for any and every New Republic fighter including the equally as clumsy semi-retired Y-wing. But, Decker had warned, practically hammering into his head. Never engage a dupe head-on. Ive seen too many young pilots like yourself loose playing chicken with one. You see a lone dupe and get cocky thinking easy kill, and go full engine burn towards it, and before you know it, its dropped a torp up your nose, and
. The recovery team comes and all they find is a charred, frozen finger or ear to send home to your parents.
Karns hopes were quickly dashed during the mission briefing, the day before. First Strikes orders were very strict: do a fly-by of the base, collect data on all ships entering and leaving the target area, then report back. They were not to engage the enemy. If attacked, retreat immediately. First Strike was there only to acquire more precise data for the upcoming assault. Nothing more. To accomplish this task they were to navigate their recon fighters within five klicks of the mobile field base, and do two complete sweeps. This would give Command and the main strike force much needed up-to-date information to better prepare.
New Republic Command had set up patrols of the Mid Rim after the successful occupation of Coruscant; hearing of a possible buildup of enemy forces. By sure dumb luck, a Corellian Gunship, while doing a routine sweep of its sector, stumbled upon a drone ship. Apparently the automaton had blown out its hyperdrive motivator and navigation system after it did an exit jump to make a course change. The crew was astonished to see such a relic. In fact the only one found in recent memory, and in actual use was right after the death of the Emperor during the destruction of his second Death Star at Endor.
The Old Republic had stopped using them as message couriers almost four decades ago because they were slow and unreliable. Most long distance communications now were done by hypercomm, allowing for practically instantaneous news distribution. The most anyone had expected to find was some old tactical information on some long forgotten skirmish before the Clone Wars; the least, nothing. Upon much closer inspection it was discovered to be of Imperial origin, much to the dismay of several high ranking officers after its retrieval.
As it turned out, this type of communication was no surprise at all to New Republic Intelligence. The massive city-covered planet in the Core had been home to a major Imperial Intelligence training facility. Since Rogue Squadrons much acclaimed incursion into Coruscant some of the Empires most talented Intel Specialists and hackers had sought asylum within the New Republic, and had since started working for the Intelligence division. With the overwhelming deluge of qualified, new Intel officers at their disposal NRI had begun intercepting and deciphering all sorts of secure Imperial hypercomm transmissions. A few splinter groups of the now defunct Empire had obviously figured this out after several failed attempts to reclaim Coruscant and other worlds. Using drones was just the next obvious means of communicating along vast distances, next to sending actual sentient messengers, and it was only a matter of time till one of those antiquated machines broke down.
The drone turned out to have a wealth of information.
The message inside; however, did surprise NRIs tech team assigned to break its cypher. The message was from an Imperial captain by the name of Avry Feuer. Its recipient was to an unnamed Imperial admiral requesting assistance on a mounting assault on what had recently become a New Republic major hyperspace lane, part of the Perlemian Trade Route. Unfortunately, the damage caused during the course correction also erased its entire preprogrammed navigational chart, giving the intel team very little clue to its origins and none to its intended destination.
Through very meticulous calculations on fuel expenditures, known Imperial strongholds, and cross-referencing those with hyperspace lanes that would have brought the drone to its last exit jump NRI was able to conclude it had come from somewhere in the Minos Cluster, and after much reconnaissance they had been found.
New Republic Command began cautiously monitoring the fleets movements through secret listening posts. After two months of constant surveillance they decided they had obtained enough information to give the preemptive strike force a good indication of what they were up against.
First Strike knew to expect several Victory-Class Star Destroyers; as many as seven, probably a dozen or so Carrack Cruisers and Dreadnaughts, and maybe one or two Imperial-Class Star Destroyers. Other than that, it was a very well educated guess, but a guess none-the-less.
Imperial-Class. Deuce. Victorys big brother.
So many ships. And that doesnt include countless fighters and light support craft. At least there arent any more of those Supers
, Karn reflected.
He recalled viewing the holovid of the battle above Endor as a teenager and seeing the tiny flash that had initiated the demise of the immense flagship Executor. Karn shuttered. He glanced down at the piece of plasteel still in his hand. His gaze shifted toward the onboard crono again.
Five minutes.
He paused, placed the object in his left breast pocket then put his helmet back on.
Karn rubbed his head through the inside of his helmet, easing away the ghost pain. Captain Decker had told him before the team had suited up that it was safe to remove his headgear and seat restraints while he slept during the trip so he could be more comfortable. He had said, Every inch of extra space you can acquire can make a whole galaxys worth of difference, especially in an A-wing. But Karn had decided against it. He had flown enough escort missions and practiced in enough sims to know the rules and regulations of space flight. The restraints and headgear were designed to prevent or absorb most bodily injury from any sudden jerk or impact. However, his recent test had proven that theory to be inaccurate at best.
Still, you never knew what could happen, Karn mused. You could be gliding comfortably through hyperspace one minute, and the next be suddenly torn back into real space by one of those new interdictor cruisers or some uncharted planetary mass or star and smack your head full force into the canopy. That would end your trip real quick. In more ways than one.
He would have to adjust the flight restraints to make them more secure.
Three minutes. Time for a system check.
He was still grateful for the extra padding the helmet gave. I could have had a concussion, he said to himself ruefully. Decker was right though, every inch does help, he thought as he still tried to work one last kink out of his neck.
The others had undoubtedly slept much better.
Next time Ill try without the helmet maybe.
Forty five seconds.
Karn tugged on the ends of his flight gloves for a snugger fit.
He interlaced his fingers; stretched his arms out. He heard his knuckles pop.
Thirty seconds.
He clasped his chinstrap back in place.
Karn pulled out his lucky charm, kissed the piece of plasteel again, and placed it securely back in his left breast pocket.
5 4 3 2
Chapter 2
The mottled blue and black of hyperspace dissolved into a tunnel of white lines, then snapped back into the bright pinpricks of distant stars.
Three A-wings shot out simultaneously in front of Karn Saitek. He counted them, ticking them off in his head. He added himself. Thats four. He checked his port; two, then starboard; one. Seven. His eyes rolled up. Eight. Nine. He focused on the radar display. Three below. Five behind.
More blips emerged on the screen, seeming to split apart. Eighteen? Nineteen? Twenty?
Red? The fighters Friend/Foe Recognition finally dawned on him.
He felt a sudden, violent explosion from behind.
A tall, lanky figure, wearing the uniform of an Imperial Admiral, stood erect with hands clasped behind the small of his back on the bridge of the Star Destroyer Asp, his flagship. He watched in satisfaction as his fighters instantly overwhelmed the enemy, caught off guard by the surprise attack.
It appears they received the message. The corner of his mouth lifted. Slightly.
The communications chief turned and looked up to his captain seated in the command chair. Captain.
The Fleet wish to know your orders, Sir.
. Have the fleet stand down for now. Admiral Holt Torne interjected cutting off Captain Avry Feuers response. He then turned and looked down at the communications chief standing in the crew pit behind him. The chief nodded in punctuated affirmation and issued the orders to his subordinates. The Admiral glanced back at Captain Feuer seated a few feet behind him then turned his attention back to the viewscreen. I would like to see what our new pilots are capable of, he paused. Dont you agree Captain.
Yes, Admiral.
Karns head snapped forward and felt his body become weightless.
His body slammed back into the flight cushion as the g-force dampeners overcompensated. His head was swimming. He could feel his little fighter flipping end over end tumbling out of control. Every muscle in Karns body tensed as he fought to regain control. His A-wing began to respond. He shook off the waning dizziness. He glimpsed a green flash to his right and yanked the control stick to the left and felt the g-forces press him further into the seat. Scramble, scramble, scramble! Commander Ridges voice shouted into his right ear. Evasive maneuvers!
Two squadrons of TIEs screamed past from behind.
Report, Major Ridge yelled into the comm, sending his A-wing into a 180-degree arch and vaporizing one enemy fighter. He cycled through the available targets. Star Destroyer, Class-II. He looked again. Behind us? How? He checked the distance indicator. Seven kilometers. He sighed in relief. His attention snapped back to focus.
evens gone.
We gotta deuce behind us!
Three and Six are disabled, Grubs mechanical voice reported back, sending two red lances into a lone enemy fighter.
Sevens gone? Kale focused on the more pressing issue. Ignore it. Three? Six? Can you hear me? Two TIEs screamed past his peripheral vision.
Six here. Im a sittin womp rat, Sir. Maneuverability and shields gone. Weapons offline. Life-supports damaged. Hulls at sixty-five percent, Lieutenant Orden managed a grin. Comm still works.
Life-support, Kale pulled back, climbing up, avoiding two deadly blasts. How bad?
Not bad. Dont know how long itll last and dont wanna stick round to find out.
Two. Four. Protect Six. Ridge dodged another volley. He turned his attention back to his disabled friend. Hyperdrive?
Can it be fixed?
Dont have much of a choice do I?
First priority Lieutenant, reroute everything you got. As soon as its repaired were outta here. Kale settled his crosshairs on the remaining wingman and fired. The ball-shaped cockpit erupted in sparks and went dead. Three! Somebody give me a visual on Three! He took one last look at the inert object, still intact.
Karn jockeyed his interceptor in behind a TIE, and steadied his craft, waiting for his targeting system to turn green. Come on. Come on. Gottcha. He lit him up, searing off the port solar panel. The Imperial fighter tumbled in a spiral trajectory. He caught an explosion over his left shoulder.
Yeeehaa! An A-wing roared past overhead.
Thanks Nine. Just a sec, Sir. Karn decreased his throttle to a crawl to get a better look. I see movement!
Hes yours Eight. Five, help em out. The rest of you pair up. Nine and Ten. Eleven and Twelve.
Kale Ridge traced his A-wings lasers over an approaching enemy, reducing the Imperial fighter to slag. Guiding his interceptor/fighter towards another advancing TIE he was greeted with four direct hits. He threw his ship into a corkscrew dive avoiding two more blasts. That was too close. Both starfighters banked right and came back for another approach. Stupid move Imp. Kale transferred laser power to deflector shields and cannibalized all his shields to the forward position. Two pairs of beams of supercharged energy shot forward, each striking their intended mark. Out of the fiery ball of debris Kales fighter erupted, victorious.
Kale cycled back to the Star Destroyer behind them. Its not moving? Its just sitting there. He noted the name. Stardust? Odd.
Nine, help me out! Ive got an eyeball suckin on my exhaust.
Im tryin. Flight Officer Jace Devlin fired and missed, the enemy fighter slipping in and out of his reticle. Slow down a bit. He fired again; another miss. Stop weaving. Im right behind ya.
Easy for you to say, Rren Pischik retorted.
Flight Officer Jace Devlin reduced his speed to stay behind the TIEs unprotected aft section. Steady steady. He fired. Two red beams of energy converged on the crafts ion engine. The engine detonated, propelling the craft upward until it disintegrated.
Its about time!
Youre welcome Ten. Jace increased the throttle adjusting power back to his depleted lasers. He listened to the comm.
Watch your six Eight.
I see em.
Thanks Five, Karn said as he circled back, watching the crippled TIE as it lulled towards an unknown destination.
Well here comes two more, Lieutenant Salairis Eaton said, wiping out one more Imperial from existence.
Right there, Five.
Karn raced back towards the still crippled A-wing, switching shields to full forward, and let loose a volley of red-orange bolts not waiting till his computer had a targeting scheme. One heated beam melted through the top corner of the lead TIEs starboard solar wing array. The other hit home striking dead center, smashing through the cockpit viewport, then ripping out the port ion engine, causing the lead TIE to careen, colliding into his wingman. Both fighters blew up on impact sending shrapnel and debris in all directions. Two for the price of one! Thats four for me.
Good, dont get cocky.
Eleven, you got two eyeballs on your tail.
Dont worry, I see them. Krath Khardo accelerated his nimble fighter jinking left then right avoiding the deadly bursts of enemy fire. One blast clipped his starboard stabilizer sending a wash of green energy across the right side of his ship. He checked his shields. They were still holding. Krath cut hard to port, letting his foot off the left rudder. His fighter fishtailed and whipped around. He dropped his speed.
As predicted, the lead TIE overshot, not having enough time to react, and circled back. His wingman, seeing the A-wings guns bearing down on him, aborted to come back for another pass.
Classic Imperial squeeze play. Krath waited till both were facing him, then shot towards the oncoming TIE, targeting it. A salvo of green laser bolts rushed towards his craft from both directions. Two more hits. He evened out his shields, relocating power from the lasers to them, dodging as best he could. He watched as the numbers on the distance indicator ticked down. Another hit.
He reached for the repulsor switch.
One-fifty. One hundred. Seventy-five.
Krath fired the landing jets launching his A-wing vertically out of the enemies line of fire and rolled the craft upside down just in time to witness a spectacular collision. Krath bared his fangs and howled over the comm.
Nice, Lieutenant Selph Ker growled in his ears.
Thank you Twelve. Krath smiled.
Comon baby, come to life for papa, Anton Orden whispered trying to coax life out of his wounded little fighter.
Six. Status report, Major Ridge called into his ear.
Uh um , Anton, hunched over, looked at the multiple spliced wires in his hands. Just a sec. He picked two, licked his fingers, and twisted them together. Sithspawn!
Lieutenant! Ridge barked.
Sorry. Anton bit his fingers then shook them cursing under his breath. Almost there, Sir. Anton peeked above the control board and quickly ducked back down. Uh, fellas. Its gettin alilbit crowded over here. Five Imperial TIE fighters were speeding straight towards him.
Ill take care of it. Captain Hal Decker banked left, receiving a glancing blow to his rear shields. Four, stay with Six. Ill see if I cant get a few of these Imps to follow me. Hal cut a sharp angle right, raking tertiary fire across their flight path, nailing one, then veered off. He looked over his left shoulder as the four remaining TIEs changed course vectoring in on his flight path. It worked! These Imps must be rookies.
Hal accelerated his fighter, transferring all laser power to his engines. Four bursts impacted his aft section. He looked behind him again. Too well. He evened out his shields. Two more hit punching through. Hal switched all remaining shields to the rear. He threw the control stick to the left, three more deadly emerald beams singed his starboard side wiping them out again. Need some help here!
This is Lead. Im on my way.
Hal transferred engine power to his shields, causing the fighter to slow. He felt another hit. His fighter shuttered. Hal juked right, one of the lethal beams just missing his port stabilizer. Guys?
On my way.
Another glanced off his starboard side canopy. He transferred more power to the shields slowing his fighter more. He felt another more violent shutter. Another hit. Shields gone! Hal juked left and slammed the control stick down.
Kale Ridge tore through the void of space in a race to save his second in command. Almost there just holder together a little while longer, Kale spoke into his headset, a slight quiver in his voice.
Im gettin torn apart!
Hal looked over his shoulder and saw another glancing blow off his starboard engine and felt sparks sear across his face and jumpsuit. He looked down. Sensors are gone. I cant see em. He searched over both shoulders in a vain attempt to see where the enemy fire was coming from. He threw the flight stick to the left. Nothing happened. He shoved it to the right. Nothing. Ive lost controls! I cant maneuver. Somebody get these guys off
Eject! Hal! Eject! Kale screamed into the comm.
I can
Kale watched as two green cylinders converged on their target.
Major Kale Ridge stared in stunned disbelief as his second-in-commands fighter enveloped into a grotesque incandescent ball of flaming debris, then quickly dissipated. The static reticence rang in his ears. His friend of six years, gone. He slumped in his seat.
Twos down! Twos down!
Weve lost Hal!
Oh, no.
Sir, the Imp Star is launching more fighters. I count eightmake that twelve. Bombers, Sir. Jace dodged a pair of lethal verdant rays. Commander! Commander!
Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of a brilliant flash. Kale Ridge shook himself out of his daze. Six.
Hyperdrives fixed, Sir.
Eight, hows Three?
His comm system must still be out. We havent been able to contact him yet.
Any other readings?
His ship is badly damaged. He isnt moving.
Kale didnt respond.
Whatta we do?
Leaveem, Commander Ridge finally answered.
You heard me Five.
Commander, the dupes!
we cant just leave him!
Sir, theyre locking on. Missiles!
Yes we can.
But, he might still be alive.
They got lock!
Thats an order, Lieutenant. We cant do any thing for him.
First Strike, jump to lightspeed!
Admiral Holt Torne stood erect with hands clasped behind his back on the bridge. He watched as the New Republic starfighters changed course and jumped into hyperspace, his face an unreadable mask.
Lieutenant. You may reduce to standard visual observation. The sensors chief complied with the Captains orders.
Yes, Admiral. Captain Avry Feuer cut short his conversation with the Search and Recovery team. He raised himself from his captains chair, behind the Admiral, and smoothed the creases from his uniform. He marched forward, palming a datacard reader from a nearby officer, positioning himself just behind and to the right. He stood at attention.
How did my fighters do? The Admiral remained facing the observation screen; his stance unchanged.
Feuer glanced down at his right hand. We lost seventeen. Ten from Delta Squadron. Seven from Gamma, Sir.
And the Rebels?
He glanced back down. A total of three. Two destroyed. One disabled. I just sent a recovery team to retrieve the pilot. Hopefully we can extract some useful information out of the Rebel.
I doubt that Captain, but you may do with the pilot as you wish. He paused, Your fighters didnt do quite as well as you had predicted.
Yes, Admiral.
I had hoped for better results. He paused, contemplating. It was just a test.
Yes, Admiral.
I had planned on letting at least one of them live anyway. A few more doesnt change things.
Yes, Sir.
Admiral Torne glanced back, cocking his eyebrow, meeting the others eyes. Dont disappoint me next time, Captain. He returned his attention back to the screen. You are relieved.
Thank you, Admiral. Feuer saluted and handed the officer back his datapad, leaving the Admiral to himself.
Lieutenant, recall our bombers, then join up with the rest of our fleet. Communications.
Relay a message to the fleet. We are evacuating. They have one standard hour.
Yes Sir.
The lieutenant looked back up from his post. Admiral? What about the fighters?
He paused.
Recall the fighters.
Yes, Sir.
He turned to the weapons station chief. Power up the forward batteries. When they are within range, fire. He averted his attention back to the viewscreen, no visible expression on his face.
The Admiral remained, staring out into space, his hands clasped behind his back. Things had not changed. Not at all.
Life's alot like a box of Legos. Just follow the directions, and you can create something spectacular.
Last edited by starwarslegofreak on Fri Sep 19, 2008 8:30 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Lego Apple
Joined: 06 Jan 2008
Location: Behind the Mayonaise, to the left of the coleslaw, right of the potato salad
Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 4:48 pm
Post subject:
This is a work of art, slf! This is something I don't think George Lucas could replicate. I can see it now..... StarWarsLegoFreak Enterprises®: We believe in making quality Star Wars short stories for everybody to treasure.
Lego "Granny Smith" Apple
P.S. I think you have a great deal of potential to be an author.
Don nuked us all. Now what?
Last edited by Lego Apple on Sun May 18, 2008 9:25 am; edited 1 time in total
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Zombie Typo
Joined: 01 Dec 2007
Location: Trapped inside a quadrilateral receptacle that is in front of you.
Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 8:38 pm
Post subject:
Shee, Apple, did it really take you 4+ hours to read the rest of that?
This is really good, SWLF! While I was reading it, I felt like I was reading an actual Star Wars book! I'm really looking forward to seeing more!
You've really got talent in the area of writing!
This post was only a test.
In the event of an actual emergency, the post would have been a lot more foolish.
Proud member of the AFEC
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Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Location: Austin, Texas
Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 5:29 pm
Post subject:
Thank you Lego Apple and Captain Typo. Knowing that Star Wars fans appreciate this little project of mine
can see talent in it gives me a huge boost of confidense. So far I have 3 chapters in the works, and hope to continue this. Chapter 1 should be up relatively soon. Thanks again.
Life's alot like a box of Legos. Just follow the directions, and you can create something spectacular.
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Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Location: Austin, Texas
Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 3:54 pm
Post subject:
anybody else got any material they would like to share. i'm curious who else dabbles in fiction writing.
Life's alot like a box of Legos. Just follow the directions, and you can create something spectacular.
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Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Location: Austin, Texas
Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 1:58 pm
Post subject:
OK Chapter 1 is now up. Hopefully yall like it. Any constructive criticism or questions are welcome. Happy reading.
Life's alot like a box of Legos. Just follow the directions, and you can create something spectacular.
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Lego Apple
Joined: 06 Jan 2008
Location: Behind the Mayonaise, to the left of the coleslaw, right of the potato salad
Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 2:08 pm
Post subject:
Sarcasm:On- Oh great! You wrote more! And you made it even longer then the last one! Gee, thanks alot. Sarcasm:Off
I can't wait to read this. Just give me some time and I will...
Edit: I'm telling you swlf, you need to become an author. The amount of effort and dedication you put into this amazes beyond description. The way you capture the thrill and excitement, makes me want to read more. I am immensely look forward to future stories.-
Lego "Granny Smith" Apple
Don nuked us all. Now what?
Last edited by Lego Apple on Thu Jun 19, 2008 10:36 am; edited 1 time in total
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Zombie Typo
Joined: 01 Dec 2007
Location: Trapped inside a quadrilateral receptacle that is in front of you.
Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 2:21 pm
Post subject:
Well, Apps, I hope it doesn't take you as long to read this as it did last time!
I've read about half of the chapter so far. Can't finish, because I've got to go somewhere. But from what I've seen so far, this is great! I think it is quite a pity that LA and I seem to be the only ones who take the time to read and comment on your writing, because there are many other members who would thoroughly enjoy it, I'm sure! But I'm sure that, as you go along, others will take notice, and then you'll have people other than me and Apple commenting on your work!
Again, Keep up the incredible work, SWLF!
This post was only a test.
In the event of an actual emergency, the post would have been a lot more foolish.
Proud member of the AFEC
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Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Location: Austin, Texas
Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 8:32 pm
Post subject:
OK to everyone that is interested CHAPTER 2 is now up. Hopefully it was worth the wait. Enjoy. Again any comments or criticisms are much appreciated.
Life's alot like a box of Legos. Just follow the directions, and you can create something spectacular.
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Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Location: Austin, Texas
Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 8:54 pm
Post subject:
bump diddly bump bump
Life's alot like a box of Legos. Just follow the directions, and you can create something spectacular.
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... eats you all. [zMOD]
Joined: 05 Feb 2005
Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 9:27 pm
Post subject:
You're lucky I don't have my special buttons anymore, because a needless bump like that is just asking to get thrown in the trash.
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Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Location: Austin, Texas
Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 12:31 pm
Post subject:
thanks for your help in keeping this thread alive don. if you have any other needless replies feel free to get in the last word.
Life's alot like a box of Legos. Just follow the directions, and you can create something spectacular.
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Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Location: Halifax
Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 3:28 pm
Post subject:
starwarslegofreak wrote:
thanks for your help in keeping this thread alive don. if you have any other needless replies feel free to get in the last word.
Not wise, kid.
JackFr regrets pretending he was banned, and apologizes to anyone fooled by it.
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Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Location: Austin, Texas
Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 8:36 pm
Post subject:
thanks for the advice toddler.
Life's alot like a box of Legos. Just follow the directions, and you can create something spectacular.
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Zombie Typo
Joined: 01 Dec 2007
Location: Trapped inside a quadrilateral receptacle that is in front of you.
Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 9:12 pm
Post subject:
Oh, no... Don't do this, man... Not to boss you around, but you really should stop while you're ahead! Your stories are really brilliant, and it would be a shame if they got sent to lockytown.
This post was only a test.
In the event of an actual emergency, the post would have been a lot more foolish.
Proud member of the AFEC
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The Brain Eater
Joined: 15 Dec 2008
Location: Eating brainsssss in The Bay
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 1:24 am
Post subject:
Agreed. I just read this story. Quite good. I've only read a couple of Star Wars novels (since my parents discourage reading books such as these, unless I just finished several massive classics or something...), but I could see this being in one of those Timothy Zahn novels. In fact, the first part of the prologue I thought came from
Truce at Bakura
, one of two SW novels I've read. VERY GOOD.
I've sort of done some fiction writing, none on my computer though (silly, I know, and I really should type them up), but no SW short stories, or novellettes in your case.
Maybe I should start...
You can never eat too many brains, because there will never be a shortage of them. Oh wait, there already was before the zombie outbreak!
You can always eat the brains of fellow zombies for a snack.
Me bite your BRAINSSSSS!
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ZOMBIE Snaaaake?!
Joined: 17 Dec 2008
Location: The cold hell known as Edmonton
Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 10:50 pm
Post subject:
SWLF, currently, I am working on some short stories, but it's borderline 'book length'. My SW one is called 'Red Dawn' or 'Assault on Axiom III' and it takes place in the Clone Wars. I would be unable to post it here as it is 49(and growing!) pages long.
and please ignore the sig on this post
Anything above is either a) Sarcastic or b) idiotic.
Also Known As snake...SNAKE...SNAAAAKE?! on eurobricks
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The Brain Eater
Joined: 15 Dec 2008
Location: Eating brainsssss in The Bay
Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 1:13 am
Post subject:
Btw, SWLF, how long is your short story when put on paper, such as a word document?
You can never eat too many brains, because there will never be a shortage of them. Oh wait, there already was before the zombie outbreak!
You can always eat the brains of fellow zombies for a snack.
Me bite your BRAINSSSSS!
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Joined: 04 May 2007
Location: Zombie infected Boston Garden.
Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:17 pm
Post subject:
You have to write more! I was considering writing my own and posting them here. But thanks to you, you've spared FBTB the horror of reading my would-be pathetic work! I really can't come near it. Great peice of work here SWLF.
ZombieSolo wrote:
/me takes a chunk out of Kit's arm... *nom nom nom*
Vidzombie wrote:
/slurps up Kit's remaining mess.
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Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Location: Austin, Texas
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 7:38 pm
Post subject:
Thank you Kit Fisto. If I remember correctly, The Brain, I copied verbatim one page of an X-wing novel in paperback on word and compared it what i have, and it came out to between 75 to 100 pages. That was when i first started writing this so its probably closer to 100 by now.
Life's alot like a box of Legos. Just follow the directions, and you can create something spectacular.
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Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Location: Austin, Texas
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 7:45 pm
Post subject:
I would like to read other ppl short stories btw, so feel free to post here. im sure other ppl here would like to read other stories as well.
Life's alot like a box of Legos. Just follow the directions, and you can create something spectacular.
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The Brain Eater
Joined: 15 Dec 2008
Location: Eating brainsssss in The Bay
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 1:37 am
Post subject:
starwarslegofreak wrote:
Thank you Kit Fisto. If I remember correctly, The Brain, I copied verbatim one page of an X-wing novel in paperback on word and compared it what i have, and it came out to between 75 to 100 pages. That was when i first started writing this so its probably closer to 100 by now.
1 page of a paperback=75-100 pages in Word? No offense, but that really doesn't add up with my sort of math.
You can never eat too many brains, because there will never be a shortage of them. Oh wait, there already was before the zombie outbreak!
You can always eat the brains of fellow zombies for a snack.
Me bite your BRAINSSSSS!
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Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Location: Austin, Texas
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 7:41 am
Post subject:
:D, no you misunderstood. I typed out 1 page of a paperback novel into word at a 12pt size text. I forget how many pages or fractions of a page that equaled in word. (don't feel like doing the math right now). Then compared that to what I had. Using that estimation I calculated what I had typed and figured that if the story i had so far was published in paperback it would be equivalent somewhere between 75-100 pages.
Life's alot like a box of Legos. Just follow the directions, and you can create something spectacular.
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The Brain Eater
Joined: 15 Dec 2008
Location: Eating brainsssss in The Bay
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 10:35 pm
Post subject:
Ah, a bit more clear. But how many pages was your short story alone in a Word document?
You can never eat too many brains, because there will never be a shortage of them. Oh wait, there already was before the zombie outbreak!
You can always eat the brains of fellow zombies for a snack.
Me bite your BRAINSSSSS!
Back to top
Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Location: Austin, Texas
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 7:19 am
Post subject:
It's 43 pages in word now. I don't know what it was when I compared it to paperback.
Life's alot like a box of Legos. Just follow the directions, and you can create something spectacular.
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text:
Ethan: I gotta tell you, Phil, with Obama's State of the Union, it sure feels like the conservative era of former President Ronald Reagan is over.
Phil: And Bill Clinton's legacy of "the era of big government is over" is in the rear view mirror, too.
Ethan: No, no. Obama made clear that every proposal he laid out was fully paid for either through cuts or closing tax loopholes.
Phil: Except he forgot to address the $4 billion a day we're borrowing now to feed the status quo. What does your man do now to fundamentally transform America now that his true agenda has unfolded?
Ethan: I do agree that a transformation is at hand. His plans for investing in our economy, improving our educational outcomes, reforming immigration, passing safer gun regulation, pay equity for women, minimum wage increases for everyone and even his determination to get our long-term entitlement spending under control will certainly usher in a new era of prosperity for America.
Phil: I thought the $800 billion "shovel-ready" stimulus that was rammed through Congress in 2009 was supposed to rebuild our roads, bridges and cargo ports.
Ethan: Unfortunately, most of it was tax cuts that your party insisted on and then voted against. Had we been able to convert the tax cuts to truly rebuilding our infrastructure, our economy would now really be humming.
Phil: Actually most of it was used to entice states to lock in unsustainable welfare benefits even though the stimulus money was temporary. As for gun-safety laws, without tackling mental health issues I fear all he is proposing are feel-good measures that will not put an end to the mentally ill person inflicting horror and terror.
Ethan: I agree, but background checks, magazine limitations, restrictions on trafficking and an assault-weapons ban will also do a great amount of good. Do you realize that most gun violence is perpetrated by people who buy guns legally?
Phil: Unless Obama — who is not running for election again — puts his legislative language into the hands of Congress, stating specifically what he means by entitlement reform, we'll see more of what has been Obama's "blame Congress" agenda.
Ethan: Obama was pretty clear that he was willing to limit entitlements for those who don't need them and put restrictions on prescription drug payments to companies. But I actually think it is smart politics to be willing to let Congress write the legislation with his input. He doesn't care who gets credit; he just wants it done.
Phil: Really? You believe our economy can withstand four more years of Washington back stabbing and posturing? Who has the courage to propose solutions to reduce spending now? If anyone on our side does, the Obama-David Axelrod squad and their sympathizers in the constitutionally protected media will vilify them as they did Mitt Romney. Time for the president to put down his weapons and lead our country, not just the Democrats.
Ethan: Obama has taken the lead on many of these issues. He is clear on what he wants to accomplish with immigration reform, gun safety, investments in education and the economy. I will agree with you that he is less specific on entitlement and tax reform. But while we have political consultant Axelrod, you have Karl Rove. While we have business magnate George Soros, you have the Koch brothers. Both sides have their Darth Vader funded by an emperor, so don't go pretending we are the only ones who will crucify a tough political position.
Phil: You have the trump card within the mainstream media; they choose to report what advances their complementary agenda, while (with few exceptions) they vilify anyone who objects to the Obama agenda.
Ethan: That's debatable — in fact, a great topic for an upcoming Agree to Disagree column.
Phil: You're on. Do you remember Obama saying, "After shedding jobs for more than 10 years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three"? The Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us that we have 1.8 million fewer manufacturing jobs since 2007 and 600,000 fewer than when Obama took office. What did you hear that I didn't addressing how the heart and soul of our economic vitality is going to improve?
Ethan: Eliminating tax loopholes that send jobs overseas. Incentivizing companies to do business here. Investing in infrastructure that will call on our factories to create the steel needed to build America. Level international trade agreements to protect American-made products. Simply put, continue doing more of what he has done to reverse the trend.
Phil: We'll see how that works out in the cross currents of carbon taxes, Obamacare, a $9 minimum wage, National Labor Relations Board edicts and the highest corporate tax rates in the world.
Ethan: Highest corporate tax rate in the world, with the deepest loopholes, meaning our corporations actually end up paying less than the European average.
Phil: Speaking of "loopholes" — also known as laws passed by Congress and signed by the president — I assume you include tax incentives for oil and gas, General Electric, General Motors, solar and wind power loopholes too?
Ethan: Sure. Eliminate all those, and watch alternative energy flourish, while the fossil fuel industry cries a polluted river over all the lost taxpayer money that has propped up their industry for the past 100 years.
Phil: Obama has precious time to shape his legacy. Will it be one of winning at politics or winning at a better future for the children? Sure hope it's the latter.
Ethan: Agreed, although, you gotta win at politics before you can win at policy. And, on that count, you have to accept that Obama has won.