text:
getting induced at 39 weeks
im getting induced tommorow and im already 3cm dialated..what should i expect?....has anyone else been threw this?
I was induced with my oldest at about 42 weeks. The experience was very good and so I went in to my other 4 pregnancies knowing that I wanted to be induced a little earlier. So, I was induced with all 4 of them about this time. It all went very well and fairly easily for me. Good Luck and try to just enjoy the time.
Quoting BabySocks0912:
You'll be in labor by 4.. Why not wait?
With my first I went information my induction and was already 4cm. They broke my water and began the pitocin. Once I started feeling painful contractions I asked for something to help with the pain(I was about 6 hours in by then). They have me a medicine in my IV to relax me and I fell asleep really quickly, but woke up 3 hours later. I sat around for as long as I could and asked for an epi when it was more than I wanted to handle. My doc checked my cervix and I was 7cm and 50% effaced, so they have the go ahead. It took a few painful attempts to get it in, but once it was in I had no pain and could still feel a little bit. 5 hours later my little man arrived.
With my second I didn't get the IV pain meds, and they waited until I was 7cm to break my water. It was pretty quickly after that that my son was born(an hour and 44 minutes), but that's also wen I started feeling pain and when I really wanted an epi. My pitocin had been up to the legal limit for several hours so my contractions were very very strong, and I was in a lot of pain with no way to cope since I was unable to take birthing classes and couldn't get an epi in time.
Quoting Giselle1992:
wish i could wait but i have a severe UTI and ive been peeing blood and ive taking anitbiotics and it still hasent cleared so my doctor said its best to get induced so they can give me a stronger antibiotic
Quoting Mrs.Pedro:
That's not necessarily true. I was walking around at 4cm with my first and had no contractions or any signs of labor.
Quoting BabySocks0912:
You'll be in labor by 4.. Why not wait?
Depends on the route and how urgent your health complication is (how fast the force).
Do you know the induction routes?
If you have a poor Bishop's Score will you wait until it's more favorable?


text:
RALEIGH, N.C. — Duke Energy told North Carolina lawmakers Tuesday that removing all of the company's coal ash away from the state's rivers and lakes would take decades and cost up to $10 billion, with its electricity customers likely footing nearly all the bill.
In a presentation to a state legislative committee, Duke's North Carolina president Paul Newton suggested the company needs flexibility to consider more cost-efficient options. The company's proposal is to remove the coal ash stored in unlined dumps at three of its power plants, but then potentially leave much of it at its other sites in place after being covered with giant tarps and topped with soil.
Environmental groups are calling for new legislation requiring Duke to move its coal ash to lined landfills away from waterways following the massive Feb. 2 spill from a collapsed pipe in Eden that coated 70 miles of the Dan River in gray sludge.
State officials say all of Duke's 33 unlined dumps at 14 coal-fired power plants scattered across the state are oozing out contaminates into the ground. All told, Duke has more than 100 million tons of coal ash that contains numerous potentially harmful chemicals, including arsenic, lead, mercury and chromium.
Newton made no mention of that ongoing pollution as part of his presentation, which included photos of pine trees, waterfowl and deer living at some of the company's older ash dumps closed in the 1970s. He also emphasized recent testing that shows the high levels of toxic chemicals present in the Dan River immediately after the spill have dropped back to within state safety limits.
"We are doing, and will continue to do, what it takes to make this right," said Newton, who repeated his earlier public apologies for the spill.
Duke, the nation's largest electricity company, has spent more than $15 million to plug the pipe that collapsed at its Eden plant. It has also begun dredging out large deposits of ash found on the river bottom at three locations, the furthest more than 20 miles downstream in Danville, Va. The company has said it will pay for the spill cleanup, but may ask state regulators to raise the rates it charges customers for any additional costs incurred as a result of new regulations or requirements at its other sites.
To help illustrate the potential challenge and expense of moving all the company's ash, Newton showed a graphic of what it would take to clear out the 22 million pounds stored at the Marshall Steam Station on Lake Norman, near Charlotte. If workers hauled away a dump truck full every three minutes for 12 hours a day, six days a week, Newton said it would take 30 years to remove all the ash from just that one facility.
Newton also disputed a recent finding by North Carolina environmental officials that Duke broke the law when it pumped out 61 million gallons of contaminated water from one of its dumps into the Cape Fear River, describing a large crack found in an earthen dam there as a "superficial gap" that the company quickly repaired.
Molly Diggins, the director the N.C. Sierra Club, urged lawmakers to pass a new law with firm requirements and deadlines that would make Duke deal with its coal ash pollution in a timely manner.
"Despite being a Fortune 500 company, with profits of $2.7 billion last year, Duke Energy has successfully been allowed to manage its wet coal ash waste as if the clock had stopped half a century ago," Diggins said. "Coal ash is a can that has been kicked down the road for far too long. The Dan River spill was a terrible disaster, but it's opened all our eyes to the reality that we need to deal with our state's coal ash problem now."
Duke should move all its coal ash into lined, dry pits and stop disposing of it in ponds, Frank Holleman, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, told Bloomberg News. Unlined ponds invariably contaminate ground water, and their dams can fail, he said.
The North Carolina Utilities Commission will decide who pays for the cleanup, Holleman said. "Our position is that law- abiding citizens should not pay," he said. Duke shareholders are liable for the cost because its ash ponds violate pollution laws, Holleman said.
Some analysts disagree with that position.
"The costs of cleaning up the waste from fuel from coal should be a ratepayer cost and not a shareholder cost," Kit Konolige, an analyst with BGC Partners LP in New York, told Bloomberg News. "The traditional regulatory compact, the cost of fuel and cost of cleanup of fuel, should be passed through ratepayers. It really shouldn't come out of shareholders' pockets except to the extent that the company has done something wrong."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
If you know how to code, I would like to see what you have.
I have been debating a revival of this mod, and I may be interested in enlisting your help.
I had a ton of assets that I never released. Perhaps we should talk...
This member has provided no bio about themself...
If you know how to code, I would like to see what you have.
I have been debating a revival of this mod, and I may be interested in enlisting your help.
I had a ton of assets that I never released. Perhaps we should talk...
No, you are not the new owner. Don't even try to lie about it.
Some were eaten.
Camping trips can be so dangerous...
I dunno...somewhere between 0 and 100 I guess.
If your game is legit (and I hope it is) then yes, you need the disc.
Talking about cracks and/or game fixes and/or pirated games here is not allowed. Please do not ask about these things.
If you have a legit game, you should be fine.
No worries.
I am working hard on GaW 2.1. I am being very meticiulous and making sure I can polish it as much as I can. I want to try to mitigate the amount of problems faced by the end uses as much as I can.
However, with that said, I am a firm believer in the principle of diminishing returns. I can only give it a "once over" so many times before I am just wasting people's time. I really want to release 2.1 but I need to be sure that I am handing out a product that is of higher quality than 1.0 and 2.0
Well...the way that I do it is as follows:
Step 1 - Find your FOC folder. and then right click, and select copy, then right click below it (in the same window) and select paste.
Step 2 - Wait for it to paste
Step 3 - RENAME (so you dont get confused)
Step 4 - Open the renamed folder
Step 5 - Open the DATA folder
Step 6 - Delete the files that are not .meg with the exception of MegaFiles.xml
Step 7 - Open the .Rar file
Step 8 - Extract the contents into the renamed folder. You will be asked to replace things, just click "YES TO ALL"
Step 9 - Right click on the SWFOC.EXE and select "send to" "desktop - create shortcut"
Step 10 - Go to the desktop and RENAME the shortcut(so you dont get confused)
Step 11 - Double click on the new link and it should open...
(If you dont know how to open an rar. file download 7-zip or Win RAR.)
just thought I would post this so people dont get confused also this only applys to 1.0 and 2.0 I hope that helps :D
(these instructions are courtesy of DEATH_TROOPER. PM me if you have problems. Be sure to download the mod first.
Ground is in the works. Creating assets for ground is much more difficult than creating assets for space.
However, yes, every faction will eventually have ground units to compliment space.
Yeah, 3DS Max 9 does not do things like real time shadows and reflections on the meshes while in perspective mode.
As for my name, it really isn't that big of a secret. Even if it wasn't there, anyone with enough know-how could use ONE piece of information on my moddb page to find out what my name is ANYWAY.
I am not too worried, but thank you for your concern none-the-less.
That is the Covenant Destroyer from Halo Wars.
Well...The Rebels have a lot of smaller ships, but they can typically swarm their enemies with dozens of ships at a time.
The Empire is large, and capable of deploying massive amounts of small fighters to act as support. They are offense orientated, and they specialize in hitting very hard.
The Zann Consortium hits hard, and uses bribery to bolster numbers. They have powerful front facing weapons, and have limited support for fighters.
Starfleet is a highly defensive faction, that puts emphasis on defense and shields. They are capable of producing large numbers of ships. The Federation is also good at taking out fighters and other scientific abilities.
The Borg is heavily offensive, and single cubes can challenge small fleets. The Borg has almost no support for carriers, and they can assimilate other ships during battle.
The UNSC is also offensively orientated. They have no shield systems, but they have powerful front-facing weapons, and they specialize in rapid strikes. Support ships are the key to their victory.
The SGC is like the UNSC, except they have ships with shields. Their offensive capabilities are slightly less, however.
The Goauld are very much like the Empire, where they can deploy lots of fighters, using large capital ships. However, they are also like the federation where they are defense orientated.
I have beefed up the pirate factions. In IGC, they have control, over planets with fleets of ships.
Fear not!
And yes, I agree...
Lets move this to PM. I don't wanna flood the comment section.
Check your XML directory for something called GraphicDetails.xml
Move that XML out of the XML directory (but do not delete it)
Test your game and report back. If the game fails to launch, put GraphicDetails.xml back into the XML directory, and we will try something else.
How much RAM do you have on your computer?
I have seen this issue before and it could be one of a few things...possibly what I am thinking of.
Saying something "does not work" is like telling me you "painted your house a fabulous shade of color".
Be more specific. What exactly is not working? When does it crash? Does it give error messages? I need details if I am going to help you.
Well...I am aware that I need to make pirate planets more difficult. THis is something I have already done.
Besides...as it stands now, The Covenant are lacking some ships...so I might as well fill some gaps with Forerunner ships.
If I ever do add Forerunners...it will be a VERY long time down the road.
Unfortunately...no. However...we may see some Forerunner ships on The Covenant side at some point.
IGC will be included. The AI has been vastly improved (that was like...80% of the development). There are new IGC campaigns (which vary in size and number of planets). I haave tried to optimize IGC to reduce lag and slow-downs as much as possible, s well as making a more aggressive and pro-active AI. SGC and The Goauld are Skirmish ready (but they have been excluded from IGC. I have done more balancing, I have streamlined some meshes to improve performance. I have fixed strings, hard points, and tooltips. The Starbases have been improved and their hard points ave been removed. I have added a few new units for a few of the factions, and we also have new maps.
Pretty much...it has been polished.
Well...hopefully that person has learned their lesson. It is a total betrayal of trust IMO.
Stop spamming. Wait for 2.1...the fix is not simple.
Only I know.
Very Nice
When you say auto-installer, I am assuming you are referring to something that installs the mod for you.
2.1 ships with something like this.
There is a whole sub faction of old and new republic ships classified as Pirate ships that are available for every faction. In Skirmish, they are built at a black market, and in IGC, they are built on Designated Planets.
There are not really any bad guys or good guys. GaW is about everyone trying to conqure everyone. Yes, this seems kinda out of Character for someone like...The Federation...but it is about gameplay.
There is going to be Galactic Alliances. If you have been keeping up with GaW, you will know there are currently 2 Galaxies (The Blue and Red galaxy). The Blue galaxy is populated with Rebels, Zann, and Empire and the Red galaxy is populated with Federation, Borg, and Halo. Any game type that involves teams would be Red Galaxy vs Blue Galaxy.
I guess this is an unfinished mesh. Looks good thus far.
Does anyone else think it looks like a pope hat?
Error in AI scripting. Please read the comments section before asking your questions.
I cannot say at this point. I would hope I would be able to...but there is a lot of stuff that needs to come before that.
Nice, loving the texture.


text:
"I am fine, just a little tweak," said Sylvester, who isn't sure how long he will be out. "I got lucky."
Sylvester made a tackle on a punt when rookie receiver
"It was just an unfortunate event," said Sylvester. "It's the first preseason game and everyone is hustling to make a play and I just got cut.
"I understand his position. I have been in that same position. It's hard to get out of the way at that time. He is hustling, he is a gunner and they had him double-teamed. You are trying to run as hard as you can to get away from some of those guys and as soon as I looked to my right someone came into my leg. I got lucky it wasn't a major injury. Hopefully I get out there as soon as possible."
Sylvester said the most disappointing thing was at the time of the injury he was due to be a part of the defensive package on the upcoming series and instead had to leave the game.
"It's definitely frustrating," said Sylvester. "You always want to be out there. You have to deal with it and know it's the game of football and injuries happen and you have to take it as you can and just get ready to go back the next time around."


text:
August 30, 2010
(I am re-sending as I noted I keyed in my email addr. incorrectly.)
I'm completing this form after reading an article in the Milwaukee Journal called "The SEC wants your opinion". I'm not at all informed on the difference between brokers, dealers and investment advisors. My agent for my investments uses the title ChFC, CLU. He calls himself a financial advisor. Recently I've become quite unhappy with some of his recommended changes, namely selling stocks that were doing well and incurring negative capital gains, and investing heavily in equity indexed annuities. In October 2009 he advised me to sell three Sun life EIA's that were three years old and invest in two more Allianz annuities for a term of 10 years. The Sun Life policies were sold at a considerable loss and my agent's explanation was that "we sell when investments are low." Unfortunately I took his advice and later learned from other professionals that this was not to my benefit. I am now locked in to the Allianz policies for 10 years and the promised bonus will likely never occur, either because of required minimum distributions or my need for this money before the 10 year term is up. This was not explained to me by my agent. He also made other investments where I incurred substantial fees and this was not made known to me up front. In the opinion of other professionals, the stock and annuity sales benefited my agent but were not particularly good for me in my situation. I am interested in knowing the difference between the categories of persons/agencies who assist in making investments so I am better prepared to make decisions in the future. I am a 72 year old retired female.


text:
Ideas of Programming Languages by Robert W. Sebesta
English | 11 Feb. 2016 | ISBN: 013394302X, 1292100559 | 792 Pages | PDF (True) | 6.48 MB
Ideas of Pc Programming Languages introduces college students to the elemental ideas of pc programming languages and supplies them with the instruments vital to guage modern and future languages.
The Eleventh Version maintains an up-to-date dialogue on the subject with the removing of outdated languages comparable to Ada and Fortran. The addition of related new subjects and examples reminiscent of reflection and exception dealing with in Python and Ruby add to the foreign money of the textual content. By means of a important evaluation of design points of varied program languages, Ideas of Pc Programming Languages teaches programmers the important variations between computing with particular languages.


text:
Chris johnson vs nyj or
David wilson vs atl
Return yardage and ppr league
Which rb to start
Start, sit, who to acquit? My QB just lost a finger, wuss, who should I pick up?
4 posts • Page 1 of 1
- rightwingjedi
- Sponsor
- Posts: 1870
- Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2010 5:20 am
- Location: In The Hole
Re: Which rb to start
I like Wilson
Re: Which rb to start
I'd prefer CJ there unless you need upside.
Sky Sperling is a contributor for Razzball Football and Razzball Baseball. He's also a lover of fine beer, fine women and fine-toothed combs. You can follow him on twitter @Sky_Razzball and in your most sweetest of dreams.
Re: Which rb to start
I have the same problem but im rolling with Wilson. Its a coin flip, I would go with your gut.
4 posts • Page 1 of 1
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text:
Career Highlights
Shields is the only child of Ralph and Laura Shields, and has has several pets in her family. She says that some of her acro teammates are like sisters.
Personal Information
Nickname: Savannah Banana
Hometown: Grain Valley, MO
Year in School: 9th (Fall 2010)
Interests Outside the Gym
Hobbies or favorite activities: Reading
Favorite music: Country
Favorite book(s): Any vampire book
Favorite TV show(s): Degrassi
Favorite Food: Sushi
National Competition Results
2009 Visa Championships, Dallas, Texas - 2nd-AA (WG)
2009 Junior Olympic National Championships, St. Paul, Minn. - 3rd-AA (WG)
2008 National Championships & J.O. Nationals, Des Moines, Iowa - 1st-DY; 2nd-AA, BL (WP)
2007 Visa Championships, San Jose, Calif. - 1st-AA, DY, BL (WP)
2007 Junior Olympic National Championships, Palm Springs, Calif. - 1st-AA, DY, BL (WP)
2006 National Team Trials, St. Paul, Minn. - 1st-AA, DY, BL (Level 10, WP)
2006 National Championships, Kansas City, Mo. - 1st-AA, DY, BL (Level 10, WP)
2005 National Team Trials, Indianapolis, Ind. - 2nd-AA (Level 8, WP)
2005 National Championships, Louisville, Ky. - 2nd-AA (Level 8, WP)
International Competition Results
2010 Volkov Cup, St. Petersburg, Russia - 3rd-AA (WG)
2009 Freedom Cup, St. Paul, Minn. - 2nd-AA, BL; 3rd-DY (WG)
2008 Maia Cup, Maia, Portugal - 1st-AA, BL; 2nd-DY (WP)
2007 Freedom Cup, Palm Springs, Calif. - 1st-AA, DY, BL (WP)
2007 International H. Chmielewsi Tournament, Swidnica, Poland - 1st-AA, DY, BL (WP)
2006 British Open Tournament, Stoke-on-Trent, Great Britain - 1st-DY: 2nd-AA, BL (WP) (Jr. Div.)
2006 H. Chmielewski Tournament, Swidnica, Poland - 6th-AA (WP) (Jr. Div.)
2005 Freedom Cup, Landover, Md. - 3rd-AA (WP) (Jr. Div.)


text:
Luciano Moggi has explained why he didn't attend Saturday's match between Juventus and Milan in Turin.
The disgraced former general manager was due to make his first high profile appearance back at Juventus since Calciopoli.
Interviewed on Diretta Stadio, he said: "The principal reason for which I didn't go to the stadium on Saturday evening was of a personal character [his mother required an operation].
"But aside from this, if I had gone to Turin I would have been welcomed by the applause of the fans in a moment in which the team is not doing well, and this wouldn't have been OK with me.
"I will go to see Juventus when they win some games. I would like to thank the fans again because [their chanting of his name] means that I have left a good memory, but I didn't like the idea of receiving their applause in a moment like this."
See the latest Serie A predictions and betting tips with Eurotips.co.uk


text:
Significance of Environment
In what ways has learning about the environment changed the way you feel about living more sustainably?
What information in this class had the greatest impact on the way you think about the environment?
How will you apply this new knowledge in the future?
Solution Preview
In what ways has learning about the environment changed the way you feel about living more sustainable?
Environment consists of two basic components - abiotic and biotic factors. Environmental studies are about the structural and dynamic relationship between these two factors. Learning environment make individual a bit more responsive towards the abiotic factors as the fate of biotic factor is highly dependent upon it. Sustainable development, ...
Solution Summary
Learning environment will make us more responsive towards the nature and will help in reducing pollutants at global level. We will learn more about the recycling so that damage to the nature can be minimized.


text:
The B word is increasingly being heard on the streets of Detroit. Analysts and those in the motor industry are debating which of the big three auto companies is set to declare bankruptcy. The sector is under such stress that any one could go under in the next year.
Jerry York, a consultant who has served on the Chrysler and General Motors boards and is associated with the billionaire investor, Kirk Kerkorian, says he has 'never seen a firestorm like this. This is a murderous ballgame and when you are in a murderous ball game, you had better have good ball players.'
Shares in the largest of the trio, General Motors, have lost two-thirds of their value in less than a year.
GM's chairman, Rick Wagoner, has started to cut back on gas-guzzling brands, like the Hummer, but observers say this is too little, too late. 'A lot of [GM's] brands are dead brands, and I can't imagine how much money it would take to resuscitate them... GM has got to get rid of some of them.'
The risk of bankruptcy at Chrysler looks, if anything, even worse. Fitch Ratings has downgraded Chrysler's issue default rating from B to B minus, because of the steep downturn in its sales caused by 'weak economic conditions, high fuel prices and an accelerating shift to fuel-efficient vehicles'.
Chrysler relies on selling sports utility vehicles but sales have collapsed. One former director, who did not wish to be named, doubted whether the company had a long-term future. Its prospects will be decided by Cerberus Capital, the private equity company that bought control last year. Cerberus has denied it is looking to sell out.
Ford's share price is at a 25-year low and it has sold virtually everything, except its key manufacturing plants. It now has $46.5bn (£23bn) in its coffers to keep out the cold. Analysts do not expect that to be sufficient, and it is likely to seek fresh capital. Salvation may come through the intervention of Ford's latest investor, Kerkorian, who owns about 6.5 per cent of the car company. He has a long track record of investing in the US motor industry.
Sources close to the 91-year-old say he has picked the company with the best chance of survival. 'Ford will be by far and away the most profitable of the three auto companies by 2011, when its restructuring has been completed.'
The former head of Boeing's aviation division, Alan Mulally, joined Ford in 2006 and began closing down factories that made SUVs, and moving the company towards building greener cars.
John Murphy, Merrill Lynch's auto analyst, says that Kerkorian's investment is a 'vote of confidence in Mulally's ability to turn the company around'. But more of the company, such as its Volvo subsidiary, will be offloaded if the investors have their way.
But Murphy believes that, like all the shareholders, Kerkorian sees the Ford family as 'getting in the way of moving the company forward'.
The family has voting control through its ownership of so-called B shares. But its combined financial interest amounts to no more than 4 per cent of the equity. The family has watched the value of its shares drop to about $550m, from $2.25bn in 1999.
Rumours persist that divisions are growing within the Ford family, between those that want to hold on to control, and those that want to cash in. One analyst envisaged a situation where 'Kerkorian gives the family the stark choice of saving the company through a merger, where it gives up its voting power, or having him leave the company and seeing the shares fall further.'
While financial engineers cobble together lifeboats so the auto companies can remain afloat, industrial engineers seek to tool up workshops and platforms that will produce the small, fuel-efficient cars Americans now demand. The cost and outcomes of doing so are far from certain. As David Healy of Burnham Securities says, Ford and General Motors 'have only proved their ability to make money from selling big cars. They have to change their product mix a lot and that is a hard sell.'
It is only a matter of time before the US auto industry takes radical action to save itself. The squeals of pain have only just started.
· Nick Kochan is the author of Breakdown! End of the Road for US Auto? to be published by Cosmos Publishing in 2009. www.nickkochan.com


text:
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – The Buffalo Sabres released the team's 2014 preseason schedule today, with matchups against Washington, Carolina, and Toronto.
The Sabres will play each team twice in the preseason – once at home, once on the road. Included on the First Niagara Center schedule during that timeframe is also the All-American Prospects Game, set for September 25th at 7pm.
Buffalo's complete preseason schedule is included below.
Sept. 21 Buffalo @ Washington 5:00 p.m. Verizon Center
Sept. 23 Buffalo vs. Carolina 7:00 p.m. First Niagara Center
Sept. 25 CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game 7:00 p.m. First Niagara Center
Sept. 26 Buffalo vs. Toronto 7:00 p.m. First Niagara Center
Sept. 28 Buffalo @ Toronto 7:00 p.m. Air Canada Centre
Oct. 1 Buffalo vs. Washington 7:00 p.m. First Niagara Center
Oct. 3 Buffalo @ Carolina 7:00 p.m. PNC Arena


text:
Title: No Way To Spend A Vacation
Author: LadyNRA
Rating: T - Given for some minor violence/gore and suggestive situations
Spoilers: None that I can think of
Characters: Everyone in the J2 crew although the Robot doesn't have much to do.
Genre: Action/Adventure
Disclaimer: The folks who created LIS, pure geniuses that they are, are responsible for everything on the show. I'm just having fun with the characters. They were spending entirely too much time cooped up on the Jupiter 2 or stranded on barren planets and it was time to set them free for a little while on a lush world with native inhabitants.
Summary: The Jupiter 2 lands on a planet for a brief respite from the confines of the ship and find the natives are not exactly friendly.
Author's Note: Thanks to Lostinspacefan for the beta read. This story was written about 12-14 years ago. It sat and sat completed but not proof read all this time until LISfan saw it and suggested I put it up on this site, so here it is…
No Way To Spend A Vacation
By LadyNRA
"Uhhhh-huh-huhhhhhh," an open mouth yawned loudly from the small stateroom belonging to Zachary Smith, the Jupiter 2's resident stowaway. "Oh, how gauche! Excuse me my dear," the doctor added, self-mockingly, with a vague wave of his recently manicured hand.
That hand swooped down to select a pawn from the chessboard, and he moved it diagonally to capture his opponent's rook.
"Drat!" hissed the beautiful blonde seated across the small folding table from him. She watched him idly pick at a minuscule strand of cuticle that was ruining the near perfection of her work. If she lost one more game to him she was going to be giving the middle aged doctor a pedicure, and she really, really had no desire to do that. It was true that he was more fastidious than Don, but older feet were still…well, older.
Smith yawned once more, not bothering to cover his mouth. Judy, the Robinson's eldest daughter, didn't deign to even notice. After years of living in close quarters, rude noises, poor manners, and odious bodily emanations went by without comment because it simply wasn't worth maintaining decorum with people one knew so intimately.
From around the corner, Will Robinson, bordering on his 'teenage' years, peeked at the game in progress and shook his head with a wry smile. Judy was going to face checkmate in 3 moves if she wasn't careful. He was tempted to help but if there was one thing he knew, it was that, even with the threat of having to do a pedicure on fifty year old feet, Judy would never allow him to assist her. The longer they had been in space, the more stubborn she had gotten in some areas, and this was one of them.
The truth was, for reasons even she couldn't fathom, she had sworn to beat Smith at this game. Outside of Will and the Robot, no one had ever beaten him. Not even her own father, though John Robinson really had as little to do with Smith as possible under other circumstances.
Looking at the doctor, she caught the smug smile. She was losing big time. She knew it. And she couldn't figure out how to change the outcome. Suddenly, she hoped Smith's feet weren't sweating inside his boots. Mentally swatting the thought aside, she made her move.
Behind her, she heard Will groan. As she turned to catch his eye, she also saw Smith swoop over, move his queen and state, haughtily, "Check!"
Overwhelmed by frustration, she made a crazy move that neither of the males expected. Two sets of eyebrows, one graying, and one reddish blond, raised toward the ceiling.
"What are you doing, my dear?" Smith asked incredulously. It wasn't like her to just throw the game, no matter how badly she was losing, which was all the time.
"I give up!" she muttered. Then she stretched out one slender hand. "Hand it over!"
Smith's brows, previously skyward, came together over the bridge of his nose. "Excuse me?"
"The foot!" Judy snapped uncharacteristically. "Hand over the foot, and let's get this over with!"
Instead of offering the requested appendage, Smith leaned toward her, until their faces were only twelve inches apart, and murmured, "Are you sure that's what you really desire?"
The very suggestiveness of the tone popped open the blonde's eyes. In all their days together, cooped up in that little space vessel, Smith had never made the slightest innuendo. High praises certainly, debonair gestures most definitely, even some playful teasing designed to irritate Don, but never, ever, anything remotely resembling a genuine "pass". In response, her jaw dropped.
For a second she was speechless, until she saw the minutest upturning of his thin lips. He was playing with her. At first, she was tempted to get really angry, but then the ire drained away in a wild rush, and she found herself laughing.
Still standing behind her, Will just shook his head in disgust. "Grownups!" he muttered, as he stalked toward the Robot, who was standing watchfully in the corner. "And it's worse when they're sisters too!"
"Boy, you said it," the robot chimed in, not meaning a word of it, but knowing that Will needed a youthful brand of sympathy at the moment.
"At least they aren't playing Strip Chess," the Robot added once William had gone to the upper deck in search of his father.
"Then my husband would be forced to kill him," Maureen Robinson said with a sweet smile, as she sat mending a torn tunic. She didn't really mind the wagering that Smith and Judy had set up lately. At least it had added some diversion from the star hopping that had gone on for three very long, and equally boring months. Fortunately for the doctor, she hadn't heard his last comment, or she would have killed him herself.
Glancing at the cabin, she heard the metallic hiss of a zipper being opened, and a sigh of pleasure from the doctor. Despite herself, she cringed slightly, and then leaned over far enough to glance into the open cabin. With relief, she saw Judy slipping off one of Smith's black boots.
Soon her thoughts were back on the tedious routine of their days. It had been some time since they'd been aboard the Gaelorian Gem for their last vacation. Then they had returned to the never-ending blackness of space, and the never varying sand and scrub brush of several worlds. They'd refuel, get out long enough to stretch their legs, scout the terrain for any potentially useful supplies, and then venture off in the vastness of space again.
Accompanied by the sound of sloshing water and a male baritone voice murmuring an occasional 'aaahhh' of delight, Maureen went in search of her husband.
As expected, she located her husband, son, and Major Don West in front of the large viewscreen staring at the same dark emptiness that she had seen for weeks. Only an occasional and very distant star flickered in the distance.
"Hello dear," Maureen said, as she drew up behind her husband's command chair. Lightly she massaged his shoulders. John reached back to lovingly pat her hand, then clasped her fingers gently in his.
"Everything okay down below?" he inquired absently, as if it was more for conversational purposes than out of real curiosity.
"As well as can be expected. Penny is napping. Judy lost another chess game to Dr. Smith. "
John shook his head slowly. "And what was the wager this time?"
"A Pedicure," she supplied with a roll of her blue eyes. "I think they are running out of things to wager. She has already served him breakfast in bed, done a manicure, mended some of his clothes, and gave him a shave and haircut. I can't wait 'til she realizes she's never going to beat him at his own game, and give up on it."
"Boredom can do strange things to people," Don sighed. Much as he would have liked to wring Smith's neck for manipulating Judy, he had vowed to stay out of it. The quarters were too tight to spend every day arguing over inanities. As long as Smith didn't get any funny ideas over 'his woman', he was content to just sit back and leave her alone in her quest to best the doctor. He reminded himself that after three years in space, Smith appeared to have respected the family enough to ignore the beautiful blonde, except when he was manipulating her into getting involved with one of his typically unsuccessful schemes. So, for the moment, he relaxed.
John fixed his wife with warm brown eyes. "We are following the star charts we got from the 'Gem' and, so far, we appear to be on course. According to my calculations, and barring mishap, we should be approaching a planet suitable for us to land and …"
"Take care of the usual?" Will asked ingenuously.
"Right, the usual. Fuel, food – - "
"A swim in a lake?" Will queried, ever hopeful that the next landing will provide them with a more earthlike planet.
John tousled his son's reddish hair. "Sure, after it's been checked thoroughly for anything dangerous."
Will's smile drooped instantly. "There's always something dangerous, Dad. Seems like there's never a decent place to set down that doesn't have space dragons, space werewolves, space demons, space - "
"Okay, okay, we get the idea. But please, son, don't sound like Smith when you try to get the point across."
"Sorry," the boy said ruefully, "Couldn't help myself."
John laughed for the first time that day. "That's okay, I understand perfectly. But the good news is that this planet promises to be more earthlike than any we've seen since we landed on that rainforest planet."
"You mean the one with all those worms under the surface?"
"That's the one, but there was nothing in the star charts to indicate this planet's surface can't be traveled. Still you will need to be patient until I am sure that there are no carnivores big enough to eat little boys."
Will smirked. "Oh Dad, that's never stopped me before."
"Don't I know it!" John chuckled. Without another word he turned back to the darkness before them, gazing into space as if he could already see the planet they were searching for.


text:
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The Holman Highway 68 Roundabout will relieve congestion at the busy intersection of Holman Highway 68, Highway 1 ramps and 17 Mile Drive near the entrance to Pebble Beach and the Community Hospital. This project is the result of a collaborative effort and a public-private partnership between the City of Monterey, Pebble Beach Company, Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District, County of Monterey, City of Pacific Grove, Caltrans and the Transportation Agency for Monterey County. Click the logo above to find out about up to date work.


text:
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho denies he attempted to sign QPR fullback Jose Bosingwa.
Bosingwa became available after coming off contract at Chelsea in the summer.
Mourinho said: "No, I did not think about it. You have to be good to bring the Portuguese and Portuguese to Madrid, would be mean to them."


text:
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
They shall not pass...
Dear reader, our blog has moved to a new address.
Do come on over (and change your bookmarks accordingly): rationalist.org.uk
But on a serious note, this list poses some interesting questions for free speech advocates. Let's face it, those on the list hardly make up a desirable bunch, and we could certainly manage perfectly well without hearing what any of them have to say. But as I've said on here before, this idea that the Home Secretary acts as some sort of gatekeeper, deciding what views are acceptable and then keeping out any foreigners who don't hold to them, is incredibly discomforting. We should have some confidence in our ability to argue back against these people. It's not often that I find myself agreeing with Inayat Bunglawala of the Muslim Council of Britain, but what he is quoted as saying in the BBC article on this is spot on: "If they step over the line and break the law, it's at that moment the law should be enacted, not beforehand. If people are keeping their odious views to themselves, that's their business. We should not be in the business of policing people's minds."
Posted by New Humanist at Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Labels: bans, censorship, extremism, Geert Wilders, government, Westboro Baptist Church
5 comments:
- Anonymous said...
I disagree with the view that they should keep their views to themselves. Who decides which views have to be kept quiet and which are allowed to be aired openly? We already have laws covering incitement to commit criminal acts. We should use them if people incite and, if not, laugh, point, debate and generally work out for ourselves why they're wrong...
- 5 May 2009 at 11:45
- Paul Sims said...
I agree. I think the point is that the law will be used if there's incitement. Otherwise yes, let's defeat them with argument, and of course mockery (especially for the Phelps's of this world). The point is you can only do something about it when it happens, not preemptively.
- 5 May 2009 at 11:48
- digitaltoast said...
The true hypocrisy of the MCB is shown clearly now.
They wrote a letter asking for Geert Wilders to be banned as he might say something they don't like.
But when they want to import a hate preacher, it's a different matter! What a bunch of clowns!
Full blog post with text and links here on the site link
- 5 May 2009 at 13:56
- Joe Hayhurst said...
Hmm. If you know what someone is going to say: 'god hates fag-enablers', 'kill the infidels', etc, and you know why they're coming to Britain (to stir up trouble) then to be honest I don't really give a shit if they are banned. Why should our taxpayers money have to be spent on security for these foreign people who want to abuse our hospitality?
While they're at it, maybe they should ban Carol Thatcher for good measure!
- 5 May 2009 at 14:16
- Anonymous said...
THE government's decision to ban some foreign people with unpleasant views has made everyone incredibly nice, it was confirmed today.
Within minutes of the Home Office announcement, racists, violent extremists and homophobes agreed to put down their placards and stop being so ruddy unpleasant all the time.
The Reverend Fred Phelps, the US psychopath who thinks all soldiers are gay witches, said: "The British government makes an excellent point. I will stop thinking these thoughts immediately."
He added: "Would you like to touch me on the bottom?"
- 6 May 2009 at 16:53


text:
: Video Games
Game Consoles Are Already Dead And Developers Know It
View Single Post
In Search of a Life
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: San Antonio Tx.
Casino cash: $34554
Originally Posted by
I think the next gen consoles are gonna be hurt by the fact that there isn't a new DVD format.
Playstation sold because it was a great piece of hardware and the games were awesome at launch.
Playstation 2 sold because it was cool looking, had a few cool games, but it was MANY people's first DVD player. It was an excuse to upgrade.
Playstation 3 didn't have much at launch, and what they did have didn't fully use the capabilities. Madden was a huge disappointment. But it was cool, and it was everybody's first BluRay player. I actually splurged that day and got a new TV and an HDMI cable... It was freaking beautiful. Now I use it every day to watch movies, get online, game (only every once in awhile), and I watch a crap ton of Netflix.
I watched the launch party 2 hour event for PS4, and while it all looks neat... It's just not anything I feel like I need right now. Don't get me wrong, I'll prob start saving now and go get it at launch, just to have one (because I'm a tool like that). But overall... I guess I'm just hoping for a better version of what I already have. Less noisy fan and heat, much better browser, lower download times, much less lag with online gaming, etc... Maybe it'll have .mkv support?
I'll be thrilled if they significantly upgrade the Madden franchise, and can make a few games that will suck me in the way Ninja Gaiden Sigma did. But overall I'm just not a gamer anymore. Haven't been in a long time.
Somewhat. They are hurt because the technology leap and innovation isnt as great as it was from the PS2 to PS3, XBOX to 360 and Gamecube to the Wii
Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning:
Matt once made a very nice play in Seattle where he spun away from a pass rusher and hit Bowe off his back foot for a first down.
One of the best plays Matt has ever made.
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text:
You have reached the Cape May Birding Hotline, a service of New Jersey
Audubon Society's Cape May Bird Observatory. This message was prepared
on Thursday, February 13, 2003. Highlights from the last week include
SORA, COMMON EIDER, BALTIMORE ORIOLE, and GREAT HORNED OWL.
The North Wildwood LONG-BILLED CURLEW remains present through at least
Feb. 9th. Best viewing for this bird is at lower tides from the west
end of 26th, 19th, 17th, and 14th Streets in North Wildwood.
An adult LITTLE GULL was seen on Feb. 13th at the Cape May ferry
terminal. Later on the 13th an adult BLACK-HEADED GULL was found at the
same location.
Two LAPLAND LONGSPURS were found with more than 30 HORNED LARKS at the
Cape May County Airport on Feb. 13th.
A SORA was seen at Turkey Point on Feb. 8th, walking around the last
pond on the right along the road to the point.
The COMMON EIDER at the Avalon Seawatch site was most recently reported
Feb. 9th.
A BALTIMORE ORIOLE continues to frequent feeders on Foster Lane, near
the Cape May Canal, our most recent report being Feb. 9th.
GREAT HORNED OWLS are nesting on an old Osprey nest in Avalon again this
winter, visible from shore from Moran's Marina (14th and Ocean Drive).
NORTHERN GOSHAWKS and RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS are being regularly seen
around Cape Island this winter; we have several reports of each from the
last week.
Two HORNED GREBES are being consistently seen at Sunset Lake in Wildwood
There is a pelagic trip scheduled out of Cape May on March 2nd with a
weather date of March 9th. The trip will be targeting winter seabirds
such as alcids, Fulmar, Kittiwakes, etc. It is aboard the Miss Chris and
the cost is $90. Another trip is scheduled for March 15 leaving out of
Lewes, DE. For information on these trips, contact See Life Paulagics
at 215-234-6805 or check the web site at http://www.paulagics.com
The Cape May Bird Observatory offers an extensive series of regular bird
walks that require no pre-registration and many special field trips and
programs for which advanced registration is required. To receive a copy
of our Program Schedule, stop at one of our centers, call the office
during business hours at 609-861-0700, call our natural history and
events hotline at 609-861-0466, or go to New Jersey Audubon's WEB SITE
at http://cmbo.njaudubon.org
This Cape May Birding Hotline is a service of the Cape May Bird
Observatory, which is a research, conservation, and education unit of
the New Jersey Audubon Society. Our aim is to preserve and perpetuate
the ornithological significance of Cape May. Your membership supports
these goals and this hotline. We detail sightings from around Cape May
County, and also include reports from Cumberland and Atlantic Counties.
Updates are typically made on Thursdays. Please report your sightings
of rare or unusual birds to CMBO's Northwood Center at 609-884-2736, or
e-mail reports to firstname.lastname@example.com. Thanks for calling and
Mark S. Garland
Senior Naturalist
New Jersey Audubon Society
Cape May Bird Observatory
Northwood Center
701 E. Lake Dr.
PO Box 3
Cape May Point, NJ 08212
(609) 884-2736


text:
The Vermont Community Foundation uses a governance model that provides a thoughtful framework to help guide the board in their important work.
Ultimately, the board is responsible for determining the strategic direction of the Foundation. Part of this process is articulating an ends statement that describes a vision for our work in the state of Vermont.
In conjunction with the ends are the "means," which are the staff activities controlled through a set of written policies that clearly define limitations. Because the staff has tremendous flexibility within these limitations, they can be responsive to community needs and opportunities.
Each year, as the board engages in discussions about the long term strategic direction of the Foundation, we revisit the ends statement to ensure that it remains relevant and clearly represents our vision. To help inform our discussions, board members communicate regularly with a wide variety of people: existing and prospective donors, nonprofit leaders and employees, volunteers, policy-makers, business people, and others. While the general direction of the ends statement will not change often, this thoughtful governance allows the Foundation to respond to changes in our communities.
At their April 2011 meeting the Foundation board of directors reviewed and recommitted to the following statement:
The Vermont Community Foundation helps to build philanthropic resources to sustain healthy and vital Vermont communities in which:


text:
Antony is an off-line and cross platform tool for organizing and sharing photos that makes it possible for a group of peers to keep a common photo, image, or picture collection current and synchronized. Users can tag images (year, event name, event place, or event type, photographer, people, comments). Images are stored in a local file system, and tags are stored in an SQLite database. To identify images, their MD5 sum is used, which makes it possible for users to merge collections. Images can be searched using tags, and images and metadata can be exported to a folder. A thumbnail representation and a zooming image viewer are provided.
Antville is high performance, feature rich weblog hosting software based on Helma Object Publisher, an Open Source Web application server entirely written in Java. Antville itself is written in JavaScript and scales very well up to tens of thousands of weblogs on an ordinary machine. It is easy to use while offering a lot of advanced features which make it capable of hosting other types of websites as well. It features per-site language and timezone definitions, import and export of layout templates, import and export of stories (.xml), tags, polls, file uploads, user rights management, Blogger, MetaWeblog, and MovableType API support, virtual site hosting, feeds (full content or just stories, comments, per tag), and disk quotas. The AntClick package contains everything you need to run Antville on your own computer (Web server, application server, embedded database). It is already configured; just unpack the file, and you're done.
Anuko Time Tracker is a simple, easy to use, Web-based time tracking system. It allows you to track the time which employees, colleagues, or teammates spend working on projects and tasks. It needs a Web server such as Apache, IIS, etc. to run on, and a database to keep the data in, such as MySQL. Free hosting of this service is also available.
ApPHP Business Directory is a simple, powerful business directory solution. This script allows you to add categories, then associate added businesses with these categories. You may also add business profiles, including basic business contact information, business description, Website link, email contact, categories, map links, and more. ApPHP Business Directory allows you to a build business directory Web site in a few minutes and then easily add and edit the content. It provides listings management, search-engine-friendly URLs, database backup, an advanced text editor, a banner rotation system, and more.
Apache OpenMeetings is a multi-language customizable video-conferencing and collaboration system. It supports audio/video and allows you to see the desktop of any participant. It includes a whiteboard, the ability to import a variety of image formats, invitations, a moderation system, backup and language modules, private and public conference rooms, and the ability to record meetings. The project also provides integrations for Asterisk, Jira, Confluence, Moodle, Sakai, and SugarCRM, and connectors for LDAP and ADS.
AppLaunch is a Mac OS X version of the common "Run" or "Launch" dialogs provided by other operating systems and window managers such as Windows or KDE. It consists of an input box where the user enters a command line that will be passed to the applications workspace. A command in the AppLaunch meaning is not only a "pure" shell command; as of version 2 it may also be a file, an application, or an URL.
Appointmind is a Web application that makes it possible for customers to select and schedule appointments from anywhere, which means that service providers and their employees spend less time on the telephone or answering emails. It can be used by contracting companies, physicians, consultants, and other service providers. The software is also suitable for administrative purposes or as a reservation tool for company conference rooms. Staff members can reserve the facilities conveniently over the intranet.
Appomattox is a project to build a set of cross-platform mapping objects for the .NET framework. It is also a desktop GIS application. It currently supports the following data sources: shapefiles, raster data (JPEG, GIF, TIFF, bitmap, and PNG), and PostGIS. The goal of Appomattox is to provide an elegant and intuitive user interface for mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) without sacrificing power and functionality.
AqFinance is the successor to QBankManager. It is a graphical accounting application based on double-entry accounting. The GUI uses the FOX toolkit. The package contains AqFinance (the GUI application), AqFinance-CLI (a command line tool to manipulate and export the AqFinance database), and AqBanking-CLI (a command line tool for online banking tasks). It supports all online banking protocols provided by AqBanking (currently HBCI and OFX DirectConnect). A version supporting EBICS (a German online banking protocol) is also available. AqFinance contains the latest versions of AqBanking, Gwenhywfar, and Libchipcard.
Aqualung is an advanced music player originally targeted at the GNU/Linux operating system, and also running on FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and Microsoft Windows. It plays audio CDs, Internet radio streams, and podcasts as well as sound files in just about any audio format, and has the feature of inserting no gaps between adjacent tracks.
A level editor for Prince of Persia 1 and 2.
A C library providing HTTP server functionality.


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Free Flu Free and a Mom-to-Be Tip Card
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Help your patients understand why the flu vaccine is importantespecially if they are pregnant, hoping to become pregnant or breastfeeding during flu season. The Flu-Free and a Mom-to-Be card offers easy-to-read and understand flu facts and prevention strategies. Part of the Flu-Free and a Mom-to-Be flu prevention campaigna partnership between the National Women's Health Resource Center and the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. Place an order for your practice today.
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text:
"I love this store!"
"It's nice and warm in here."
"It's so easy to see everything."
"The music is wonderful."
"So many talented dealers and unique pieces."
"All of the spaces are staged so nicely."
Stop in and see for yourself what people are talking about...
Don't be left out in the cold...see you soon!


text: Hi Alan, Bert.>> Are you saying that we can't divulge security problems in our own>> software anymore for fear of being sued by affected parties?> Not even affected parties - the government can do it too without> anyone else and indeed even if their are contractual agreements> between parties permitting the data to be released..Even if there are contractual agreements REQUIRING the data to bereleased between the parties (as currently exists between Lockheedand the USAF that require the mutual release of certain sensitiveinformation), the government would have the right to prosecute boththe USAF for releasing the information and Lockheed for accessingit once it had been released - even if nobody at Lockheed ever readthe information in question.That is how ludicrous it is.If the said bill ever becomes law, then the US will of necessity becomea third world nation. However, until the idiots sponsoring it get theirfaces muddied, the rest of us have to act in just such an insane way!!!> I hope to have the security stuff up on a non US citizen accessible> site in time for 2.2.20 finalThat's an impossibility!!! However, if you remove the word "citizen"from that statement, then it becomes possible.Best wishes from Riley (a US citizen living in England).-To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" inthe body of a message to firstname.lastname@example.com majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.htmlPlease read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/


text:
TICKETS ON SALE NOW --> http://bit.do/Kllo
Live Nation + L'Affaire Musicale + Ouija Entertainment Present:
Kllo at Multiply.LA w/
STARFARI (L.A. Debut)
Sunday, December 4th
Multiply.LA - 200 S. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA
All Ages
Ater the release of their commanding debut EP, Cusp, last year, Kllo (formerly Klo) are putting the finishing touches on new material that expands the borders of their sound while staying rooted in subtle, bewitching pop melodies.
A collaboration between Melbourne cousins Simon Lam and Chloe Kaul, Kllo have already garnered praise from critics and peers. Their warm, woozy first single, Make Me Wonder, was picked up by BBC Radio 1, and the duo were named Artists to watch in 2015 by Spotify and Elle Magazine.
Their live-show has also developed considerably since their debut headline
show less just over a year ago. After a string of festival performances (Bigsound, Splendour in the Grass, Melbourne Music Week and Dark Mofo among others), they have debuted new music earlier this year opening for UK acts SOHN and Maribou State on their Australian tours.
Things then ramped up in May-June, as the guys spent a month on the road in Europe. Playing at the Great Escape and Liverpool Sound City festivals (as well as stand-alone shows in the UK), they finished off the tour with a crowded, sunset performance at Primavera Sound in Barcelona.


text:
In a dashing display of empathy, CNBC's Joe Kernen attempted to make his run as an American ambassador to Indian peoples everywhere on live television. Spoiler alert: He failed miserably.
On a Friday edition of the "Squawk Box", Kernen and his co-hosts were talking about exchange rates and foreign currencies when Becky Quick said she had traveled to India recently and had a few rupees in her wallet to show everyone.
"Gandhi! Gandhi!" Kernen squawked in a mock Indian accent.
Feeling a slight tremor in the Force, Quick quickly tried to get Kernen to stop but to no avail. Kernen, seemingly oblivious to what he was saying, got off one last salvo of insensitivity:
"Are they good at 7-eleven?"
Stay classy, CNBC.
(h/t MSN)


text:
Monday, Nov. 1
Mass Decision 2010, The Final Push
Tomorrow is the moment of truth in the midterm elections, and today we're taking the temperature of Massachusetts voters in the final hours before votes are cast. Will Massachusetts buck the anti-incumbent trend, or will the Scott Brown enthusiasm carry over to contentious races for both congressional seats and the governor's office? We'll also discuss voter turnout. In 2008, President Obama rode into office with record voter turnout for both the youth vote and the African American vote, but in the midterm elections a lot of those people might stay home. How will voter turnout impact races tomorrow? To discuss these questions and more, we're joined by our political commentators, Kelly Bates, executive director of the Access Strategy Fund, and Marvin Venay, executive director of the Black And Latino Political Caucus.


text:
Full title reads: "London. Lion Cubs' First Film".
London Zoological Gardens.
CU of children and two keepers crowding round baby lion cubs who are playing on top of a basket.
CU two baby lion cubs.
CU children watching.
CU of the two cubs.
SV of the father of the lion cubs 'Sultan' who is laying majestically in his cage. S
CU of a notice reading "These Animals Are Dangerous".
SV of keeper holding the two baby lion cubs showing them to sultan the father who rubs his head on the bars of the cage in catlike fashion.
(Pathe Neg)
Full title reads: "London. Lion Cubs' First Film".
- Archive
- British Pathé
- Issue Date:
- 28/08/1961
- Sound:
- Sound
- Media URN:
- 53831
- HD Format:
- Available on request
- Film ID:
- 1734.29
- Stock:
- Black & White
- Duration
- 00:00:34:00
- Time in/Out:
- 01:46:54:00 / 01:47:28:00
- Canister:
- 61/69
- Sort Number:
- 61/069


text:
LEE CONGERTON is in line to become Sunderland's new director of football, the Echo understands.
The Black Cats have taken their time considering various options to replace Roberto De Fanti after the Italian was sacked in January, just six months into his tenure at the Stadium of Light.
But Sunderland have been keen to persist with the director of football model and Hamburg technical director Congerton is believed to be the man they have chosen to replace De Fanti.
Former Chelsea chief scout Congerton has impressed Sunderland's hierarchy and he is now expected to be appointed at the Stadium of Light.
Crucially, it is also understood that head coach Gus Poyet has had a say in Congerton's appointment and is happy to work alongside him.
Poyet did the majority of Sunderland's January transfer work with chief executive Margaret Byrne, but was conscious of the workload demands.
And the former Brighton manager hinted last month that Sunderland were likely to appoint a new director of football after their Capital One Cup final commitments were concluded.
Welshman Congerton, who was linked with a similar role at West Brom 18 months ago, climbed the ranks at Chelsea - working with the club's Under-19 side before eventually being promoted to the chief scout role under then technical director Frank Arnesen.
When Arnesen joined Hamburg in 2011, Congerton followed him to the Bundesliga and he has built an impression reputation in Germany.
It is thought that he has always been Sunderland's principle target to replace De Fanti and certainly has better credentials for the role than the dismissed ex-agent.
Former Leeds United technical director Gwyn Williams, who was responsible for taking Poyet to Chelsea during his playing days, had also been linked with the job.
But it is understood that Williams was never seriously in the running for the post.
Sunderland chairman Ellis Short continues to believe the director of football system will provide greater success for the Black Cats in the transfer market.
Short appointed De Fanti during the summer after questioning the money Sunderland had invested in players, without the club reaping any significant rewards.
And it is hoped that Congerton, together with Poyet, can find better value for money in the market.


text:
Sony's newly acquired development studio Zipper Interactive recently updated its job postings with a number of new open positions focusing on the next generation of hardware (aka, the PlayStation 3).
Among the positions listed within the classified ad is that of a Software Engineer for Character Behavior and Dynamics who must "Design, implement, and integrate a character into a large-scale next-generation game. Work involves character animation states, dynamics, gameplay code, and networking."
Another advertised position is that of a Senior Server Engineer who must "Develop server-side components for a large-scale multiplayer game on a next-generation console." Other positions that Zipper is looking for include Level Designers, Software Managers, AI Engineers, Senior Network Engineers, Art Modelers, and more.
Zipper Interactive is best known for its work on the three installments of SOCOM for the PlayStation 2 as well as the downsized PSP version, Fireteam Bravo. Whether the forthcoming PS3 project is an extension of the highly-popular military shooting series or not remains to be seen.


text:
When it comes to telling us what to eat, the evidence is mounting that the government doesn't actually have your best interests at heart.
Two members of President Obama's cabinet, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, recently were called before a congressional committee in Washington to answer questions about a controversial new 571-page report issued by the federal government's Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC).
In 1990 Congress passed a law mandating that the DGAC, made up of a rotating panel of nutrition and health experts, meet and issue a report on dietary recommendations every five years. The DGAC's mission, as outlined in a federal government statement, is to use "solid science…. to help people choose an overall healthy diet that works for them." Its recommendations help form "the basis for federal food and nutrition policy and education initiatives."
The DGAC's recommendations are not binding. Instead, they're used to inform—rather than to set—federal policy. The USDA and HHS have reviewed the report and are expected to release their final dietary guidelines before the end of this year.
The current DGAC report is the most controversial report, by far, in the committee's history. Just why have the DGAC's recommendations faced withering scrutiny this time around? Largely, the DGAC has been attacked both for the science it used and for the science it ignored.
Representatives from a variety of food producers, including beverage industry and meat industry groups, for example, blasted the DGAC's recommendations. The North American Meat Institute called out the report for its recommendations to limit meat consumption, calling the stance "nonsensical" and "flawed."
The American Beverage Association argued that "the Committee did not consider the body of science" on sugar-sweetened drinks such as soda. The DGAC's recommendations for establishing healthy food environments includes calls for new taxes on a host of foods the committee labels "unhealthy." Specifically, the report calls for new taxes on "sugar-sweetened beverages, snack foods and desserts high in calories, added sugars, or sodium, and other less healthy foods[.]"
Recommendations like these, which don't appear to reflect the DGAC's mission—how does taxing a candy bar help me to choose an overall healthy diet that works for me?—were, unfortunately, a predictable outcome of this year's recommendations. When I looked at the transcript of one DGAC hearing in 2014, for example, I found the conversation littered with discussion of new food taxes and regulations. Worse, I noted that the DGAC had considered monitoring the eating habits of overweight Americans by sending them scolding text messages.
At least that awful suggestion didn't make it into the final report. But what did make it into the report is bad enough.
Journalist Nina Teicholz, author of the award-winning book The Big Fat Surprise, wrote in the British Medical Journal that the DGAC failed to consider "any evidence that contradicts the last 35 years of nutritional advice." Specifically, Teicholz argues that decades of nutritional recommendations have wrongly demonized fat and that a review of existing research should have pointed the DGAC in a different direction. But it appears the DGAC didn't take such research seriously.
"What I found was that on many key issues, the DGAC did not use a systematic methodology for reviewing the scientific literature," Teicholz told me earlier last month.
While Teicholz has criticized the science the DGAC ignored, other criticism of the committee's work goes to the heart of the science the DGAC actually used. In fact, the most damning criticism so far of the DGAC's work may be that the data that form the very basis of its recommendations is completely without scientific merit.
University of Alabama-Birmingham researcher Edward Archer's excellent Mayo Clinic Proceedings article on the DGAC's reliance on self-reported data punched a gaping hole in the DGAC's data earlier this year. As Archer told me in June, his research exposes the fact the DGAC is guilty of "presenting anecdotal evidence as science." Anecdotal evidence is not science.
What's more, an earlier article by Archer revealed that if the self-reported nutrition data used to form the basis of the DGAC report were correct, then most Americans would be starving or dead. People, Archer told me, "could not survive on the amount of foods and beverages they report."
So what does this mean about the data that forms the basis of the DGAC report? In short, it's largely useless. It's the kind of data that any reasonably good college professor would warn her students not to rely on under any circumstances.
It's not just me, food-industry groups, Archer and Teicholz who've been critical of the DGAC report. Even former DGAC members have criticized the committee's latest recommendations, saying the current report needlessly "demonizes" a host of foods, including meat, potatoes and sugar.
Show me someone who hasn't met you but claims to know exactly what you should and shouldn't be eating—meat or no meat, sugar or no sugar, grain or no grain, potatoes or no potatoes—and I'll show you a person who's deluded, a liar or both. Now why would you expect a government—one that doesn't know you personally, is using flawed and questionable science, and is playing politics with your food—can design a diet that's right for you?
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services Secretary Burwell told lawmakers that they'll ignore some of the DGAC report's more controversial recommendations. Taxing sugary foods, for example, says Burwell, is "not an issue that we will address."
That's a promising sign. If cabinet officials can ignore some of the DGAC's flawed recommendations, then you certainly should, too.
Baylen J. Linnekin is the executive director of Keep Food Legal Foundation and an adjunct professor at George Mason University Law School, where he teaches Food Law & Policy.


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Around Us 10-05-09
Published 7:00 pm, Sunday, October 4, 2009
AMARILLO — Amarillo firefighters cut two people out of an SUV Saturday night after it was struck by a train.
Amarillo police said they did not have the condition of the two occupants, who were taken by ambulance to Northwest Texas Hospital.
They said the SUV was northbound on North Eastern Street when it went around a railroad gate about 10 p.m.
Police said the vehicle was struck by a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train that was heading westbound toward Amarillo.
Trailing cars on the train blocked the intersection and hadn't been cleared by 11:15 p.m.
Police said the train traveled about a quarter-mile before it was able to stop. The engineer was not injured. — Amarillo Globe-News
• • •
LUBBOCK — Less than two weeks after he was arrested in Oregon on two charges of murder, Mickey Patterson arrived in Lubbock Sunday afternoon accused of murdering two female former co-workers who mysteriously disappeared from work at the Lubbock State School in 2006.
Patterson, 59, arrived at the Lubbock County Jail at 2:45 p.m. Sunday after he was arrested without resistance Sept. 23 by authorities in Bend, Ore., for the murders of Kay Harrelson, 51, and Peggy Merimon, 61.
Patterson's arraignment before a Lubbock magistrate could come today, Lubbock Sheriff's Maj. Kim Howell said.
Earlier in September, a Lubbock County grand jury handed down two sealed murder indictments, each carrying a $5 million bond.
Merimon was last seen leaving the Lubbock State School with Harrelson on Aug. 9, 2006.
Police wouldn't say last month what finally broke the case and led to the indictments. A department spokesman said to protect the case for trial, officials weren't releasing details.
In September, Lubbock police Sgt. Jimmy Pachall said the district attorney's office asked to review the case in June and decided there was enough evidence to proceed.
A wrongful death civil lawsuit filed last year by the families accused Patterson of luring the women from the school, killing them and then hiding their bodies.
Merimon and Harrelson were last seen leaving work during their lunch break with a male employee.
Harrelson's mangled body was found in a ditch near Shallowater almost two weeks later. The cause of Harrelson's death was never determined.
From the earliest days, the investigation focused on Patterson, who was director of risk management at the Lubbock State School. He was put on paid administrative leave shortly after the disappearances and was fired a year later.
Police searched Patterson's home and vehicle less than a week after the women disappeared, but officials said at the time they weren't able to find enough evidence to make an arrest. — Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
• • •
LUBBOCK — The Texas Tech University System has raised more than $100 million for the third time in as many years.
Since Kent Hance took over as chancellor, starting the 2007 fiscal year, the university system has not failed to meet the century mark and this year raised nearly $113 million.
The state will match about $21 million, bringing this year's total to more than $133 million.
Hance said he has made a specific effort to raise cash donations, as opposed to insurance policies, so the money can go to work immediately, helping to pay for scholarships and endowed chairs and professorships.
With a systemwide budget of $1.5 billion, the money raised this year amounts to approximately 1/15 of the budget.
Hance said that's good, but the system needs to continue to increase the amount of money raised. — Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
(Contact Deborah Zacher at email@example.com or 806-296-1360.)


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Mud Creek Trail is a 7.1 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near San Antonio, Texas that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
mountain biking
road biking
trail running
wild flowers
old growth
over grown
Good trail to use during the week. Not a bad little hike. Trail could stand to be marked better. Starts off up hill then right and across a rocky area. Cool sink hole if you look for it. Can be really muddy after rain. Hence the name Mud Creek!
love it
There are some pretty great trails in here if you take the time to figure out the loop. Makes for a great hike, trail run, or mountain bike ride.
This is a great liitle park for walking. Some of the trails are nice and shady and some parts are really rocky and in the full sun. Even in the middle of September we saw quite a few wildflowers. I would not classify this trail as moderate but easy.
Good workout !
Could use some trail marking. Some of the trails were washed away or brush is to high.
I would say it is more suitable as MBT over hiking
Has potential to be a good trail but the mosquitos were RELENTLESS and the cockleburs were too numerous for our dog to ignore. Had to carry her for a while to get through a certain section that was unbelievably bad. I pulled 84 out of my shoes! I might try this trail one more time in the dead of winter when we've had a freeze and I know both bugs and burs are dead.
LOVE this trail, well marked, many tangents, and goes through foresty areas straight outa a movie! Would have given it 5 stars but there's some poison oak :/
To the 1 star reviewer: it's muddy and rocky... really!? It's called MUD CREEK, and that was listed in the description...
The biggest problem is that trail is not marked at all flat rocky trail not very kept up but for a short workout not bad
Not a great trail, rocky, muddy and hard to follow
Cecelia M.
I have just started trail running, and I really enjoyed this one. I thought it was a great option for those just starting out with trail running. My friend and I added about two miles of road running in the middle (ran a loop along the feeder road of 1604). We ended up with a total of 5 miles.
Too many walkers with unleashed dogs and none of them pick up their dog feces.
Good week use trail. Go when it hasn't been raining


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The so-called Gang of Eight, a bi-partisan group of lawmakers, unveiled their blueprint for immigration reform on Monday. The five-page draft comes a day before President Obama is expected to outline his own proposals for immigration reform in Las Vegas.
Our series "Broken Borders" breaks down all the major issues: pathway for citizenship for 11 million, the gang of eight, temporary worker visas, border security and the Latino Vote. Read it now
The draft is a compromise. There's a pathway for the 11 million undocumented immigrants to gain citizenship, a must for Democrats. But many of those immigrants would be placed in a 'probationary' status. They would only be considered for a green card after the blueprint's proposed enforcement measures are met. From The New York Times:
Among the plan's new proposals is the creation of a commission of governors, law enforcement officials and community leaders from border states that would assess when border security measures had been completed.
Here's five interesting points from the blueprint that will drive the national debate for weeks to come.
1) When will our borders be 'secure' enough to begin the pathway for the 11 million undocumented immigrants?
"To fulfill the basic governmental function of securing our borders, we will continue the increased efforts of the Border Patrol by providing them with the latest technology, infrastructure, and personnel needed to prevent, detect, and apprehend every unauthorized entrant."
What's happening now:
Is a 'secure border' possible?
The United States already spends more on border and port patrol and security than drug enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI combined.
What's happening with drones along the border?
The border patrol's successes have been questioned
Border patrol shootings are going unresolved
2) DREAMers and DACA applicants may have an easier ride.
From the blueprint:
"Our legislation also recognizes that the circumstances and the conduct of people without lawful status are not the same, and cannot be addressed identically. Individuals who entered the United States as minor children did not knowingly choose to violate any immigration laws. Consequently, under our proposal these individuals will not face the same requirements as other individuals in order to earn a path to citizenship."
What's happening now:
New federal guidance may inform the debate over whether these DACA recipients can get driver's licenses in some states.
Jan Brewer's executive order banning Arizona DACA applicants from receiving driver's licenses is prompting legal debate.
3) Will immigrants need to pass an English test to become citizens?
From the blueprint:
Once the enforcement measures have been completed, individuals with probationary legal status will be required to go to the back of the line of prospective immigrants, pass an additional background check, pay taxes, learn English and civics, demonstrate a history of work in the United States, and current employment, among other requirements, in order to earn the opportunity to apply for lawful permanent residency.
4) There's recognition that farmers create jobs vital to the U.S. economy and their visas may be fast tracked. The question is, how long will they need to work after getting their green card?
From the blueprint:
Due to the utmost importance in our nation maintaining the safety of its food supply, agricultural workers who commit to the long term stability of our nation's agricultural industries will be treated differently than the rest of the undocumented population because of the role they play in ensuring that Americans have safe and secure agricultural products to sell and consume. These individuals will earn a path to citizenship through a different process under our new agricultural worker program.
What's happening now:
Both farmers and employers want a new visa program. They claim the old one is choking in red-tape.
5) Who will be the "leaders" along the Southwest border to determine when it's safe enough for a pathway to citizenship?
From the blueprint:
We recognize that Americans living along the Southwest border are key to recognizing and understanding when the border is truly secure. Our legislation will create a commission comprised of governors, attorneys general, and community leaders living along the Southwest border to monitor the progress of securing our border and to make a recommendation regarding when the bill's security measures outlined in the legislation are completed.
What's happening now:
San Diego and Tucson seeking to increase business and personal ties across the border. Arizona governor Jan Brewer wants a more secure border.
Congressman Ron Barber is holding his first community meeting to discuss border security along the Arizona-Mexico border tonight.


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If you want to book Urban High Roping from Monday – Wednesday you can contact us on phone and e-mail.
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You gotta love this. 14kt forgets to submit his rmx as requested for Devonwho and finds it 1yr later. He then decided to throw it up for masses to enjoy. Nice. Can't be mad @ that.
Devonwho "Nimbus" [14KT flip] by 14KT
Hit the little arrow and it's all yours.
Say Wrd.
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The word Sikh is derived from the Sanskrit 'shishya' meaning disciple. Sikhs are the disciples of their ten Gurus beginning with Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469 - 1539) and ending with Guru Gobind Singh Ji (1666 -1708). There are over 20 million Sikhs in the world today, the vast majority live in the north Indian state of Punjab.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji the founder of the Sikh faith was the son of an official with a small holding of land in a village northwest of Lahore. Guru ji had his elementary education in Sanskrit and Persian. His father intended to train him as an accountant so that he could get a job in the court of the Muslim governor of the district. But Guru Nanak Dev Ji turned out to be indifferent to his school text books and instead engaged in long discourses with holy men both Hindu and Muslim, who turned up at his village. He was the despair of his parents as he would not attend to family business and spent what ever money they gave him on feeding the poor. When he grew up to be a young man , they arranged a marriage for him. For a time he devoted himself to the care of his wife and two sons.
There are countless stories of Guru Nanak Dev Ji's travels. Once Guru Ji came to a river and in it he saw many Hindus who were taking water in their clasped hands and offering it towards the Sun. Guru Ji enquired about what was going on. One person replied " we are offering water to our ancestors who are in the next world ". Guru Ji replied " This sounds like a good idea, let me try". With this Guru Nanak Dev Ji started offering water to the opposite side to the crowd. The throng looked on and were very puzzled. "What are you doing Fakir Ji ?" they asked. "Why, I am offering water to my fields in the Punjab" he said "if your water can reach the next world surely mine can reach the Punjab which is a few hundred miles away". With this the people realised their folly.
On his travels Guru Ji met a very rich and successful man. The man invited Guru Sahib to his large a luxurious house. The man had accumulated a vast fortune with deciete and foul means and he boasted about his wealth. He asked Guru ji if there was anything he could do for a man of God. Guru Ji saw a needle on the floor picked it up and handed it to him , "Please give me this needle in the next world". The man was puzzled "How can i do this" he said " One comes into this world with nothing and leaves it with nothing". The penny dropped and he realised that he had wasted away his whole life. He fell at Guru Sahibs feet "Forgive me " he cried. Guru Nanak Dev Ji blessed him and told him the three rules all should live by : Naam Japo - Recite the name of the Lord at all times, Kirat Karo - Do an honest days work , Wand Shako - Share your food with those around you.Guru Nanak Dev Ji's crusade was against intolerance which had become the practice of the Muslims, and the meaningless rituals and discriminations of caste and gender which had become a integral part of Hindu life.
Guru ji spent the last years of his life with his family in the village of Kartarpur. Here people flocked to him and heard him sing his hymns. Even today Guru ji is regarded as the symbol of harmony between the two communities.
popular couplet describes him as :
The teacher Nanak is the King of holy men.
The mentor of the Hindus, religious leader of the Mussulmans.
Guru Family Tree
Guru Angad Dev Ji.(1504 -1552)
Bhai Lehna Ji was a devout Hindu before he met Guru Nanak Dev Ji. At the very first meeting he fell under his spell and abandoned all other worldly businesses to devote himself to the service of the Sikh community at Kartarpur. Guru Nanak Dev Ji set a number of tasks to test his devotees, in all of them Bhai Lehna came out top. In one test Guru Nanak Dev Ji asked for someone to jump into a pool of thick mud and pick out an old cauldren, all refused saying they could get Guru Ji a better one from the local shop, only Bhai Lehna Ji jumped in without regard for his safety and brought the object back. As time for Guru Nanak Dev Ji to ascend the heavens came, Guru Ji took a journey and said harsh words to any person following him. One by one all left his side. Those remaining were pelted with stones by Guru Ji, all abandoned the Guru except Bhai Lehna Ji. " Why are are you still following me?" Guru Nanak Dev Ji said in harsh tones. "Where else have I got to go?" replied Bhai Lehna Ji "without you O, Lord I have nothing." Guru Nanak Dev Ji took Lehna Ji in his arms, he had found the most worthy person to carry on his work. His devotion convinced Guru Nanak Dev Ji that Bhai Lehna Ji, would be a better leader then his own sons.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji proclaimed "Thou art Angad, a part of my body" and had one of his chief disciples Baba Buddha Ji daub (Guru) Angads forehead and proclaimed him as the second Guru.
Guru Anagad Dev Ji was Guru for thirteen years (1539 – 1552). In his quite way Guru Angad Ji expanded the fledgling community, opening more centres and organising a regular system fro collecting offerings. Guru Ji made copies of Guru Nanak Dev Ji's hymns and supplied them to all the centres. The Guru also took the thirty five letters of the alphabet and created a new script gurmukhi . This had far reaching consequences, for the Gurus compilations became the nucleus of the sacred writings of the Sikhs. It gave the Sikhs a written language distinct from those of the Hindus and Muslims.
Guru Sahib Ji was also very keen on physical fitness and instructed all his followers to take part in drills and games after morning service. Under the auspicious of Guru Angad Dev Ji, the Sikh community was growing. Guru Ji had two sons but chose a seventy three year old disciple, Amar Das Ji as his successor.
Guru Amar Das Ji.(1479- 1574)
Guru Amar Das Ji succession was resented by Guru Angad Dev Ji's son Datu, who ejected Guru Amar Das Ji from Khadur. Guru Ji moved to a town called Gowindwal. Guru Amar Das Ji was a very pious and humble person, once when Datu in a rage kicked Guru Ji, with hands together Guru Amar Ji said humbly " This must have hurt your foot."
Guru Ji showed great devotion and made the langar an integral part of Sikhism insisting that anyone who wanted to see him had first to accept hospitality by eating with the disciples. Among those who came to see Guru Ji was the Emperor Akbar, who was so impressed with the way of life in Gowindwal that he assigned the revenues of several villages to Guru Ji's daughter Bhani Ji as a marriage gift.
Guru Ji increased the number of parishes or manjis to twenty two and appointed masands to organise worship and collect the offerings. Copies were made of the hymns of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Guru Angad Dev Ji and were added to those written by Guru Amar Das Ji. Since this was written in gurmukhi it gained great popularity amongst the masses. Guru Ji also introduced new forms of ceremonies for birth and death. The Guru rejected the practises of purdha (veiling of women) and of sati , the burning of widows on the funeral pyres of their husbands. This aroused the hostility of the Brahmins who saw the size of their flock dwindling and started to persecute the Sikhs, they also tried to turn the Emperor against the Guru, but when he refused to take action they bribed local officials to harass the Sikhs. This was the start of Sikh oppression which eventually made them take up arms and break with Hindu social traditions.
Guru Sahib Ji lived to the age of ninety five, he did not choose any of his sons to succeed him, instead he chose his son-in-law, Ram Das, a Khatri of the Sodhi family.
Guru Ram Das Ji.
Guru Sahib Ji set about looking after the community and commenced the construction of a large tank. This was to be built on land that had been purchased from Emperor Akbar for the sum of 700 Rs. The town that grew up around it was destined to become the capital of the Sikhs and was known as Chak Ram Das. Like his predecessors Guru Ji composed hymns which were later incorporated in the sacred writings. Guru Sahib Ji had three sons, of whom he considered the youngest, Arjun Mal the most suited to succeed him. This caused great resentment in the eldest son Prithi Chand. Nevertheless Guru Ji had Baba Buddha Ji invest Arjun Mal as the fifth Guru as Guru Ram Das Ji saw his end on this earth coming near. "As one lamp is lit from another, so the Guru's spirit will pass into him and will dispel the darkness from this world."
Guru Arjun Dev Ji.
As soon as his investment was proclaimed his elder brother Prithi Chand turned hostile. Guru Sahib Ji was fortunate in having the support Baba Buddha Ji and Bhai Gurdas Ji in rebutting Prithi Chands accusations and preventing a split in the community. Guru Sahib Ji's first task was to complete the building of the temple started by his father as Chak Ram Das. Guru Ji invited a Muslim saint, Said Mian Mir Ji of Lahore, to lay the foundation stone of the Harmindar Sahib, the temple of the Almighty. Instead of building the temple on a high plinth as was the Hindu custom, Guru Ji had it built on a lower level then the surrounding land , so that the worshippers would have to go down the steps to enter. Unlike Hindu temples which have only one door, the Harmindar Sahib was open on all four sides. These features were meant to be symbolic of the new faith, which required the lowest to go even lower, and unlike the Muslim mosques, its doors were open to all who wished to enter.
To raise money for the construction all Sikhs were required to donate one tenth of their income (dasvandh) in the name of the Guru, and the masands were required to collect this revenue and bring it to the Guru. The modest town now grew into a commecial city and the tank was filled with water, it was given a new name, Amritsar. What Benaras is for the Hindus, Mecca is for the Muslims and Jerusalem is for the Christians, Amritsar became for the Sikhs: there most important place of pilgrimage.
Guru Ji had another tank built about 15km from Amritsar, which he blessed as Taran Taran (the pool of salvation). It soon gained a reputation for having healing properties and also became a place of pilgrimage. From Taran Taran, Guru Ji went to the Jallundhar district and raised another town call Kartarpur. From Kartarpur Guru Ji went to Lahore and from there to the river Beas. In five years of travelling Guru Ji brought into the fold thousands of persons into the fold.
When in 1595, Guru Ji returned to Amritsar he found that Prithi Chand had not been idle. Prithi has been writing his own compositions and inserting them with the writings of the Gurus. Guru Arjun Dev Ji realised the danger of spurious writings gaining acceptance. So Guru Ji abandoned all other pursuits in order t o make an authentic compilation of of the writings of his predecessors. Guru Ji persuaded Bhai Mohan, son of Guru AmarDas Ji to give the collection of the first three Gurus, these together with his fathers compositions and his own Guru Ji set about the compilation. Guru Ji welcomed contributions from different sects of Hindus and Muslims as long as they measured up to the strict criteria set. This task took many years to complete as Guru Sahib Ji would dictate and Bhai Gurdas Ji would write. Then in 1604 the mammoth task was complete and installed at Harmindar Sahib Ji.The
Aadh Granth reflected the faith of Guru Nanak in its entirety. Apart from
the writings of the Gurus, it contained compositions of Muslim and Hindu
saints of all castes including the so called "untouchables."
Guru Arjun Dev Ji writes :
"In this vessal you will find three things - truth, peace and contemplation; in this too the nectar that is the name of the Master which is the uplifter of all mankind." Emperor
Akbar was much impressed with Guru Sahib Ji's work for it echoed some of his own beliefs. On one occasion he stopped at Gowindwal for the express purpose of meeting Guru Sahib Ji. But, with the death of Akbar there came a reversal of policy of the state towards the Sikhs. The new Emperor Jehangir disapproved of the growing popularity of Guru Sahib Ji.
In his autobiography, the Tuzuk-I-Jehangir the Emperor writes about Guru Sahib Ji :
"So many simple minded Hindus, nay many foolish Muslims too, have been fascinated by his ways and teachings. They called him Guru, and from all directions crowds of fools would come to him. This busy traffic has been carried on for four generations. For years the thought has been presenting itself in my mind that either I should put an end to this false traffic, or he should be brought into the fold of Islam."
Jehangir found an excuse within a few months of his accession to the throne. The emperors son Khusaru rebelled against his father and sought Guru Ji's assistance and blessing. Guru Ji received the prince and apart from blessing him gave him no material assistance. Nevertheless, after the rebellion the Emperor wreaked terrible vengeance on all the people who he suspected of assisting his son. Guru Sahib Ji was arrested. Together with Chandu - a Hindu banker whose daughters hand Guru Sahib Ji had refused to accept for his son – poisoning the Emperors mind against Guru Ji, Guru Arjun Dev Ji was sentenced to death.
Guru Sahib Ji was viciously tortured, he was placed on a large metal plate, tavi, which had a fire blazing undeneath it and burning hot sand was poured over his body. Said Mian Mir Ji tried to intercede but the Guru forbid him to do so, saying that this was the will of the Almighty. Not a word of pain or a moan was uttered by Guru Ji as he bore all suffering that his tormentors meted out. The Guru sent word to his son, Hargobind, who was eleven years old, to ask Baba Buddha Ji to instal him as the sixth Guru. On May 30th, 1606 Guru Ji ascended to the heavens.
Guru Arjun Dev Ji was a very gifted and prolific writer. His compositions are filled with bejewelled phrases and of haunting melody. Guru Ji's masterpiece was the Sukhmani Sahib, in it Guru Ji says "Of all creeds, the sovereign creed is to pray to God and do goodly deeds."
The death of Guru Arjun Dev Ji was a turning point in the history of the Sikhs. Guru Ji was the embodiment of all the things that Guru Nanak had preached and stood for. He had brought together the Hindu and Mussalman in creating a scripture where both were represented, he was a builder of cities and brought prosperity to the community.