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Ok folks, I am starting up doing this story because it was knocking in my head for a while. I love District 9 and wanted to dwell in the sci-fi. This will have alien loving eventually, I never really thought but like Xeno is kinda weird. Oh well, I like it. I have to thank Kuragari 1024 for allowing me to borrow some basic concepts from her wonderful story. I am following the time line as much as I can…sorta…but with all current technology because I like the current releases of things. Also, the character Paul (Christopher's friend) won't be dying in my story…because I hate killing minor characters that are interesting. This is the first chapter and may very well be re-done in the future if it needs a lot of work. I don't think it does, but I am the writer, not the reader, so my opinion is bias. Please enjoy.
Kichi's P.O.V.:
When I was a little girl I was living in a farming community in America, the type where everyone knew everyone. It was nice for me, you learn respect and understanding. Living in the small area though, you don't realize how horrible the world is, for all you are doing is farming day in and day out. I guess you can say it had me being sheltered. I did learn to appreciate the little things and to see that there is more to people then what you see, that everyone has a story of how they got here and a reason. It gives you a new respect on life.
Growing up on the farm I did a lot, my dad worked in the military and my mom owned the place. Most of the time it was just my mom, my sister, and me working on the farm. I had to help with it all, even the butchering. I know it may sound horrific for a 10 year old to be killing a cow, but in all honesty, we needed to for our living. We needed the meat, which was either dried, frozen, sold, etc. It was part of having a farm. We had a lot of animals on the farm, from goats and cows to pigs and sheep. I never had horses; they weren't the animal we were in the business for. Sadly I was bullied in school by some stupid boys, and for a while I let it happen. They bullied me and I believed their words, until I started thinking about what they were doing. Then I started speaking my mind and verbally holding my own. My sister is 6 years older than me so she tended to show me how to do each thing when I was old enough, my mom busy doing her own things on the farm. My parents did the most they could for giving me a childhood, but you end up finding happiness in small things with them. Like laughing over riding a pig once you wrestled it….and then falling off said pig. It was hard work, but we made it fun work.
When my sister was 18 she went to gain a business degree, by the time she was 21 she was 2nd in charge of Security International (AN: this is a made up name). My sis moved to Nigeria at the point where they were based out of, just after my 15th birthday. Two months after her departure is when my whole life changed. My parents died in a plane crash. My sister flew back and sold the farm and held the funerals. I was numb through it all. She took me with her, to stay in a posh apartment in Johannesburg. Living in the city was weird, even in the upper-class area. When I turned 18 I went and took business classes, also taking advantage of the Poleepkwa language course offered by the MNU for translators. I learned a lot about them, what I couldn't understand was what made people think they were idiots. They mastered long distance space travel…wouldn't that make them way more intelligent than humans? We were the ones that made them live in squalor. I don't know, I suppose people are just afraid of something new.
When I turned 20 I had finished my schooling and my sister helped me by making me a co-owner of a butcher shop, the much older gentlemen teaching me all I needed to know about butchering and owning the place. In the shop I had heard of a place called Styx, an in-between place between District 9 and the public, where people mingled with the aliens. It's where the poleepkwa went and sometimes worked and bought supplies and where humans went to buy cheap food or protest. By the time I was 25 I had built up a good chunk of money, as the business had come from a small little shop into a bustling store. The older gentlemen told me he was buy out my half if I wanted to move on. I decided to look around into making my own butchers shop then, the question was, where?
This is what had me standing outside of an empty shop in Styx with humans and Poleepkwa passing around me as I stood in front of it. I called the number on the sign and got a very old woman who said it was once her husbands. She told me to wait and she would be right down for me to look at it. I leaned against the window in front of the shop and looked around at the people rushing to and fro. It was my first chance to actually look at poleepkwa, and here at least more humans didn't seem to care they were there, though the freakish MNU soldiers seem to be helping with that, standing up on sentry towers. I got many strange looks from poleepkwa and human alike, just standing there.
I guess I should explain what they were actually seeing. I was 5'10" woman, though with my bright blue stiletto heels I was probably a little over 6 feet. I had on a black business suit, the skirt coming to my knees. The top was a jacket of a white t-shirt…though you couldn't see the sleeves on it. I am a skinny women, though have sculpted muscle slightly from moving and lifting things often. I didn't have a large chest, though it was large enough for me to never be mistaken for a man. My skin was a coppery tan from working in the sun often. My hair was odd with the contrast to my attire. I had electric blue hair that fell in a straight sheet to my shoulder. My hair was naturally strawberry blonde, but I just loved blue. I had a bright blue clutch in my hand, ready to make a purchase if I felt it was right. I smirked at how weird I must look to them, standing in what was like any other cities slums in a business suit with a crazy style. I also had a nose piercing and an eyebrow piercing, both just small diamonds on the ends.
I glanced at my clock; it was almost 15 minutes since the elderly woman spoke to me. I felt a tap on my arm and looked down. Before me stood a very elderly Japanese woman who couldn't have been more than 5 feet tall. The woman looked up at me, "Are you to woman I spoke to on the phone."
"Yes mam, my name is Kichi Maru." I said extending my hand. She shook it lightly.
"I am Mia Ken; let us go in so I can show you the place." The woman said and opened the store and let me in. I looked around casually as she gave me a tour. The front of the store was a nice display area, being mostly open until the counter, which went around in a horse-shoe to display tons of supplies. She had me walk into the next section behind the counter, which I got to through a flip up part of the counter in the middle of the display glass. I walked through and looked around more carefully, it had a large preparation area for me to be drying my meats and one wall was for spices and similar supplies for me to work with. There was a large wall for drying and jerky. The smaller pieces were meant to be put in the display cases and the sausages were meant to hang from the hooks in the area the customers were to be. She led me through another door which led to a large back room. The room had a spot to hang the meat when working with it, a part to slaughter the animal, a door to a large fridge/freezer, and a door in the back led to a large alleyway to bring animals in, it had many locks on it. I nodded my head in approval. While the place wasn't very wide (though it didn't need to be) it was very long. She led me back to the 'kitchen' area of the shop and up some stairs I noticed the first time around.
The stairs were slightly steep but the ceiling was high enough up that it wasn't a problem. It seemed the average ceiling height in the place was around 10 feet tall; it was like someone took a square and squished it. Upstairs was a lovely apartment with three bedrooms, one was even a master bedroom. I didn't know how this place once was but it seemed that it allowed them to be very well off. It was nice; the kitchen connected to the living room, a table could be placed in between the two for dining. The bathrooms were pretty large, having a shower/tub combo in the main that was pretty large and the master bathroom has a large tub with a nice shower separate from it. I really liked this place, who knew such a fine place could be in a slum…then I began thinking how expensive this place must be.
"It's really nice. How much are you asking for it?" I said, praying that it wasn't out of my range.
"Well…Considering the location…and it's been on the market for two years now…and it has way to many memories for me….I will ask 340,000 rand if you buy it outright." The woman said, looking up at me. I nodded my head in thought. I had slightly over 750,000 rand from my portion of the old store being bought and all that I had earned, since I had stayed living with my sister the entire time since she was barely home. I looked around, I would need furniture, I would need to replace the flooring and wallpaper in the entire place, outfit downstairs with new equipment, get stock, get employees, buy furniture…adding up the expenses I decided I could manage it. It was a really good deal really, it would just be a gamble, and if it didn't take off I was out a lot of money. It was a gamble I wanted to take.
"Deal, will you take a check?" I asked, the woman smiled broadly and nodded quickly.
"Yes, yes. Come, let us finalize the paperwork and celebrate over Sake." She said and led me to her home. By the time I left I had the deed in my hand and the bank had already pulled the money. I was happy. The next few weeks were setting things up. My old partner helped me get started, being on opposite ends of the city made it hard for him though, so he mostly just helped me set up suppliers. I ordered some strong furniture in case I had locals over and outfitted my home, one spare bedroom had nothing in it though, the other a spare just a basic bedroom for guests. I ordered security systems and all my new technology, for a butcher shop it was very futuristic looking actually…especially in the slums. Well, I liked to be weird, it made life interesting. I even went down and had the paperwork done so I could hire the local aliens. Before I knew it I was having movers take my clothes over and move my personal supplies in and set it up. I was much lower on money and I finally got the chance to see the completed shop. I walked down the street in bright blue stilettos again with a short white business top and black slacks, dressed up still since it was a Friday.
I could feel myself smile large as I looked up at the sign above the store; in bright blue neon it read "KICHI'S BUTCHER SHOP". It was completely outfitted; the only thing I needed to do was load the product in, not butchering anything to start with. In one of the front windows it had both open and closed neon signs, the closed lit up. I unlocked my door and walked in and walked through. It looked like a butcher shop of the future, everything stainless steel. The floors were metal as well, though they had dimples in it going up to give traction. The walls were a darker blue, but still bright enough and glossy that you didn't feel closed in. I had a large sign hanging over the counter for the prices, waiting to be filled up. I walked through and was thrilled to see how well the place came together. My old partner had even allowed me to prepare some meat ahead of time, which would be delivered in the week. I walked up to my apartment and sat down on my couch.
I pulled out my laptop and started typing up a hiring sign, stating that I would hire poleepkwa and human alike at the same wages. Happy with my sign I printed it off and grabbed tape, posting it on the front window of the store. Happy with that I made sure the door was unlocked and the bell over the door was working before I grabbed some cleaning supplies and started scrubbing down every display case and kitchen surfaces to start. When I was halfway through cleaning the display cases I heard a bell and looked up. I saw one of the weirdest things to ever walk into a butchers shop…a hippie.
"Hello, may I help you?" I asked, placing my supplies down.
"Yeah, man. I saw this sign there….you hiring?" The man said, causing me to resist banging my head against something….did he not get the "Now Hiring" sign?
"Yes I am hiring. Are you interested in applying?" I said, trying to remain professional.
"Yeah man. I love the animal's man. They die, so like, we can live. It's like, the circle of life or something!" The man said…I silently chuckled.
"So what are you skilled in, I could use help lifting things, seasoning and cooking some of the meats, running the register. Also, can you speak the poleepkwa language?" I said, grabbing a pen and some paper to write everything down.
"Yeah man, I can do that. I can work the money thing, slice the meat stuff to man. I can even help you lift stuff." I nodded and wrote it down….well, a cleaner version of it.
"Ok, so what is your name?" I asked, looking at the man. He had longer brown hair that was pulled back with a color ribbon on his head, with a tie-died shirt and bell-bottom jeans…he was a sight to see here.
"My name is Reggie, man….Reggie Falcon." I raised my eyebrows at this and just wrote it down. I then explained to him the pay and work hours, break times, etc. Well, ok, I more just handed him a sheet with the info I had typed up. Honestly, I just didn't want to be called man constantly.
"You will get a trial period, if you do well then I will keep you." I said, shaking his hand. He smiled.
"Thanks man, when do I start?"
"Tomorrow, I need you to come in at 6am to start unloading the shipments." He nodded.
"Ok man, I will be there. See ya then man…" He then just waved and walked out. Day one and it was already interesting… I laughed softly at the entire encounter and went back to cleaning everything. I put away the supplies for cleaning when I was done. I went over and grabbed a soda from the cooler for selling drinks, having placed my own in until tomorrow. I leaned against the front window, where I had added padding so you can sit in front of it. I looked over my work happily. I glanced over when I heard the door open next to me and smiled when I saw a cute little poleepkwa peek his head in and look over to me.
"Hi there sweetie." I said, smiling softly. The little one walked over to me, he was around 3 feet tall and was a very dark blue.
"Hello pretty lady, I saw you there, my daddy was talking about seeing if you would hire him, I couldn't understand why he just didn't come in, So I did, you are very pretty lady, you have pretty hair." I paused for a second in my drinking…that was one sentence said in a rush of clicks and varying pitches. Once I processed everything I smiled.
"Thank you sweetie. If your dad could do the work then I would hire him. Where is he?" I asked, smiling softly as he pointed over to a tall poleepkwa who entered quickly and quickly pulled the little one to him. He was around 7'5" tall and a sky blue, with darker highlights. I smiled softly at him. "Your son here told me you wanted to apply here, do you?" I asked as kindly as possible. I knew that few people wanted poleepkwa working for them, most still being hateful if they had to work with them. They may ignore them when they had passed them on the street, but handling food and in tight quarters normally not so much. It seemed they were only accepted if they were only walking by with looming guards.
The large…let's just call him a man, nodded hesitantly, "Do you hire…my kind." He asked. I just nodded.
"Sure, let's go upstairs so we can talk about what it entails, you little one looks like he is bored." I stated, motioning to the child as he made faces in the reflective surface. The man gave a weak 'smile', or what I assume was a smile. At his acknowledgement I led them both up the stairs behind the counter to my house. I let them sit on my sleek grey couch and gave them each a soda. "So let's start with what your name is." I stated, sitting down on my overstuffed chair.
"My name is Blake Martin." He clicked out, pulling his child back to him since he tried to explore again.
I smiled softly, "And what is the name of the little one here?"
The child clicked unsure at his father waiting for the ok, I smiled from the soft nudge of encouragement to the boy who turned to me and with a small amount of shyness chirped out, and "I'm Dylan! What's that pretty lady?" He pointed to an iPad sitting on my coffee table. I picked it up and motioned him to come over to me, which he did timidly.
"This, "I said, "Is an iPad. You touch the screen to use it. Would you like to play a game on it while me and your Dad talk?" I located a simple and fun game and handed it to him. He looked at me in awe.
"I can use this? Really?" He chirped out excitedly.
"Yes, really." I said, and quickly showed him how to play the game…which was ironically based on a space ship. The child drifted over to a grey overstuffed chair and made himself comfortable, completely immersing himself in it. Seeing that the boy was satisfied I looked back at the father who was staring at me strangely. "What?" I asked, trying to figure out why he was looking at me like I had grew another head.
"You are…treating my son like you would a human child…and trusting him. No one has ever done that." He stated, I think he was trying to explain himself without coming off as ungrateful. I smiled softly and glanced at the child who was intently trying to fight on a spaceship, killing off infected humans. I chuckled at the thought of the irony in it which earned me a strange look. I waved it off.
"I see no reason not to. You are people, you are just different. What I don't get is why you guys are treated like you are nothing but an annoyance. You guys came here in a highly advanced space ship, which makes you guys extremely superior to us. Anyway, the job entails handling money, lifting up meat, cleaning surfaces, helping prepare the products with my instruction, and other such tasks. Is that acceptable?" I asked, I continued when I got a curt nod from him, "I will need you to work Monday through Friday most of the time. Working weekends if you want to, you may get days off when you have built up vacation time and for any holidays that your people celebrate. Hours will vary, roughly 6am to 6pm, though often there will be switches that I will state earlier rarely, but sometimes you may get off earlier or later. Is this acceptable?" I asked and waited for a response.
"That is…more than acceptable. What is the pay if I may ask?" He said tentitively. I smiled.
"Well, the pay is 60 Rand an hour. I hope that is acceptable to you." I stated.
"That is…wonderful." He said. I think I broke him; he was having problems composing words.
"Great! You're hired! When can you start?" I said extending my hand for him to shake to seal the deal.
He shook my hand with a strong grip, careful not to injure me. "I can start as soon as you please." He said.
"Well, I need you to work this weekend. I am getting my initial shipment in and need everything done in two days. Since I have you here if you know 2 or 3 more people who wouldn't mind working this weekend I can pay them for 2,000 Rand a piece for the two days. I may even hire one of them after that if they would like. So…know anyone?" I said with a smile and I think I may have also showed a little desperation. It would be really hard to do all of that unloading and setting up without more help, it was a lot to do.
"2,000? I know three people who could use the money badly. I don't think I would be able to go and bring them back so you can meet them beforehand though…" He said and my smile grew.
"It's fine. You guys need to arrive at 6am, no reason to arrive earlier since they won't be delivering until 7, but I do want to get to know everyone more then. You can fill out the necessary papers then to. You have a place for Dylan to stay while you are working?" I asked wanting the child to be watched when his dad was gone.
"Yes, he stays with the other children with a caretaker of ours." I nodded in understanding and looked at the time. It was nearly 7pm now, time for them to be going and getting home.
"Ok, well, bring them with you tomorrow then. It's getting late, and I am sure you guys need to be getting back, you don't need MNU freakin' out because you guys are out late. Oh, and please lock the door on your way out." He nodded and got up. I turned to the little one, "Ok Dylan, you need to go back home now. Ok, Kiddo?" The little one chirped an agreement that had me smiling softly as he handed me back my iPad.
"Farewell Kichi, I will see you with the others tomorrow." Blake clicked before showing himself out with Dylan trailing behind happily.
I sat on the couch they just left and decided to make dinner. I pulled my clothes off so I could clean them and tossed them in the washer, going to cook a pasta dish for dinner in nothing but my bra and underwear. I sat down at the island I had on a stool and ate my mood quietly, reflecting on my first day. Was it really the first night I was spending here? I shrugged….and it wasn't mentally. Finished with my eating I got up and cleaned my dishes. It was almost 8pm, so I laid out on my couch and began channel surfing before ending up on show that was about helping less fortunate people. I tuned out and watched that for a good two hours before walking to my bed that was designed to be on the floor (all very modern) and fell asleep after checking the alarm clock. I was tired and my mind didn't have time to start racing over the day like it normally did.
Waking up to the loudest alarm clock ever just had me rolling over in and automatic reaction and turning it off with a slam. I groaned and glanced at the clock.
"Fucking 4:00am…Why god? Why?" I cried out…what can I say; I love theatrics…even alone.
After realizing that crying out in despair wasn't going to help I decided to get up and began looking through my clothes in the closet in next to nothing.
"T-Shirt? No, to heavy. How about that top…wait, to showy…Guess I can go with this tank…and…these short-shorts…" I mumbled to myself, slipping on the black top and blue jean shorts that just barely covered my ass. I chose clothes that would be easy to do a lot of work in. I slid on some flip-flops and went and put on my make-up and straightened my hair out before I walked out to my kitchen. I grabbed some eggs and scrambled them before eating my food with some juice before I went and cleaned up the house some.
I glanced down at my delicate watch, "5am? Seriously? That's it…COME ON! I fail at timing shit!" I yelled out and stared up at the ceiling. "Ugh…" I groaned, "Guess I will go and start setting things up." I grabbed my laptop and walked down my stairs before opening the computer. I searched around until I came to an American country radio station and turned the volume up. "Mind as well make this shit tolerable."
I began swaying to the music and organizing trays with labels in the large display cases. I didn't pay attention to anything around me anymore and just started to enjoy the music, breaking out in random dancing when a good song came on.
Blake's P.O.V.:
I had dropped off my little one when I had ran into Christopher Johnson, my best friend who raised his son with mine.
"Hello Christopher, ready to go and meet my new employer?" I said to him.
"Ready as possible, let's just hope she doesn't choose not to pay us like some of the others have done. Paul and Cade should be her shortly." He stated with a doubtful sound. I had good feelings about the odd woman.
"I think she will follow through, when you see her you will see she is…different. I haven't seen a woman like her before." I stated, remembering how odd her hair was. We stood there in silence waiting for our friends to come. They were a happily partnered couple….who just happened to show up. I glanced up at the clock, "Well, let's go. By the time we get there it will be 5:30, a bit early but hopeful she won't mind." Our small group nodded their heads and we began walking.
"Do you really think she won't mind that we are early? So many of these humans treat us like scum." Paul said, glancing at the MNU agents along the walls.
I just went with how I felt, "She is different. She let Dylan play with an expensive piece of their technology even because he was bored. She just handed it to him; she even gave us drinks as we talked. And once you see her you will see, she is different." I said, confident and not at the same time. They were taking my word, and I was following a feeling that I felt strongly. I received skeptical looks and they were silent for the rest of the trip. Even passing through the checkpoint for weapons was done in silence. With sun starting to rise we stopped in front of the lit up store.
"Kichi's?" Christopher said, looking at the store. It really did seem out of place with its surrounding shops.
"This is the place." I said, looking at the window and seeing an odd sight. Kichi was dancing around to music. It was pleasing to the eye; I assumed it was to entice a partner with their body and movement. (AN: Look at the music video for Country Girl by Luke Bryan for the style of dancing I am talking about, the country but flashy and also the following lyrics following)
"That blue-haired girl that is dancing around is your new boss?" Paul clicked roughly. I couldn't help but appear a little amused.
"That would be her…." I said, all of us watching her dance enticingly. Music trickled out from the closed door.
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon
Shake it for the birds, shake it for the bees
Shake it for the catfish swimmin' down deep in the creek
For the crickets and the critters and the squirrels
Shake it to the moon, shake it for me girl
She shook it alright, her body constantly moving to the music. "We should tell her we are here." Christopher said….oh Christopher…why couldn't I enjoy that view just a bit longer. Not many humans were appealing to me with looks but she certainly was. Of course I wouldn't say this because I would just be scolded by my dear friend.
"I suppose." I chose to say, before tapping on the door. She danced her way over to the door and opened it up, motioning for us to enter while she danced around still. We looked at each other before following her in and just stood there awkwardly. She stopped dancing once the music ended.
Kichi's P.O.V.:
"Sorry, really liked that song." I said and glanced at my watch, not really caring they saw me dancing without restraint. "Oh, you guys are early!" I said…and quickly thought it sounded stupid to say. "Oh well. So….my name is Kichi…which you probably noticed from the sign…which makes me sound like an idiot. Which I probably am…or not… I don't know. Yeah…so…hi." I stumbled out, not knowing what to say and making myself look like a fool. I looked at the new comers. One of the poleepkwa was yellowish, another was reddish, and another was a light blue. We had full colors going on here.
The red one stepped forward slightly, "I am Christopher, this is Paul," He said motioning to the yellow one, "And this is Blake." He said motioning to the brown one. I smiled largely, names to the faces!
"Greetings! Come on, I am sure you guys haven't ate yet, so let's go up and get you guys some food and I can get to know you guys." I then walked over to the stairs and waved for them to follow before walking up.
I think the delay may have been from my unusual approach to them…oh well. I walked over to my kitchen and started looking through my fridge for food. I smiled when I heard them all standing in my living room. "So are scrambled eggs fine with you guys?" I heard a murmured 'Yes' from one of them and began pulling out the eggs and grabbing the dishes. I looked over at them and nearly laughed at how awkward they looked. "You guys can sit on the couch or chairs and watch television or something while I make this." I said, motion to everything. I walked over to the remote and turned the T.V. on before handing the remote to Blake to use. When I saw them slowly sit down...with lots of looking back at me, I went back over to my supplies and started the process of breaking the eggs. I was almost done when the channel was switched to news.
"Today, we are discussing MNU. Spinner of lies? Or teller of truths? MNU says they have poleepkwa best interests at heart. The question is do we believe them?" A reporter stated standing in front of the MNU headquarters. I snorted in laughter at the comments.
The red one turned to me, "What do you think of this matter Kichi?" he said in a not-so-subtle hint in trying to understand my views.
I trashed the empty shells and wiped my hands off. "I think that MNU doesn't understand the concept of truth. Their name should go hand in hand with the word lie." I said with a shake of my head. I started beating the eggs and adding some spice before pouring the mix into a large pan. I turned slightly when Christopher spoke again.
"That is a very…enlightened view. Why do you think that?" He was again, trying to figure how I stand.
I stirred the eggs, "Well, you guys came in a space ship, right?" I looked over to him and got a nod, "Well, that instantly outranks us in intelligence. I mean, we just barely understand how to travel short-distance in space, never mind from one habitable planet to another. We aren't even close to understanding that. MNU would have us believe you are all idiots, that we know more. That is obviously not true." I stated, finishing up cooking the eggs and taking them off the heat.
The reporter on the television gave an MNU official the microphone, "We have spent years to heal and help these people. If it wasn't for us they wouldn't be alive, yet how do they show their appreciation? By attacking us, forcing us to employ more and more soldiers to keep them safe from themselves! Their thanks for their safety? Attacking us. Killing our men. Ripping them limb from limb!" He ranted.
I snorted, "Yeah; that tends to happen when you use machine guns on them." I said shaking my head and serving the eggs to my guests. (AN: Kudos to those who know where that line actually came from originally.) I got weird looks from my guests. "What? It's true." I said and sat down next to Blake. They looked at each other, causing me to become nervous. Did I do something wrong?
"Um…is everything fine here? What?" I questioned nervously, I hate not knowing what is going on. This seemed to make them react as motion resumed.
Christopher spoke up, "We have never dealt with a person like you before. It caught us off-guard." He clicked out as they began eating as polite as they could with their mouths.
I smiled broadly, "I aim to be as unusual as possible, so thank you!" I said happily and dug into my food. The rest of the breakfast passed in silence over the television which switched to news on pop culture. I silently cleaned up their plates as they watched the television.
"Enjoying the news?" I asked as I stood to the side ready to go meet Reggie.
"Humans are…unique." Blake said unsure.
"Strange is more accurate. Obsessing over a woman because she can sing or a man because he can hit high notes. Caring what clothes they wear. You are a race of idiots." Paul said bluntly.
"Both are correct, come on! Need to meet your co-worker!" I said before bounding down the steps. Reggie was just about to knock on it when I motioned for him to enter. He entered and stared at the poleepkwa.
"Whoa man, they're aliens! Never dealt with any of them before." Reggie said with a smile. I laughed.
"Yup, they are a pleasant bunch!" I said before running through who would be arriving with deliveries and when. Before I knew it the store was filled and it was time for dinner. Lunch was a small affair with me delivering chicken and rice to each that ate it when they could. We all stood behind the counter of the store looking over our work.
"Nice job! I really appreciate it. Let's get you paid quick so you can get home, pick up your little ones, etc." I said happily before running upstairs to access my money stash. I counted out each bundle before taking the stairs two at a time coming back down. I handed a cash bundle to each, feeling it was only fair to pay them all the entire amount now with all the labor they did.
"That should do it guys! Thank you so much!" I said happily looking up at the poleepkwa mostly. They all nodded, but the poleepkwa looked shocked.
"What?" I asked nervously. "Did I count wrong?" I said. I thought I had counted each correctly.
"No. We are just surprised a human paid us real wages." Christopher clicked out.
"Yes, they normally decide that us bottom feeders don't deserve the money, though they themselves normally don't deserve anything." Paul said bluntly.
"That is wrong man; we are all the same in spirit. Thanks for the cash man; I can buy some needed stuff now. Haven't bought things in a long time." The hippie said which caused me to shake my head.
"Spirit is a good thing we have in common. Of course I paid real wages! I worked you past your exoskeleton!" I said with a smile.
"Now go! I will see you Reggie and Blake tomorrow! It was a pleasure meeting you Christopher and Paul. If I can afford to take more people on soon I will have Blake tell you I am looking. You guys were all great workers, this could have taken days but you got it done in no time at all!" I said.
"Thank you." Christopher and Paul said in unison before a goodbye was said and they departed.
"Bye man." Reggie said before going out the door bobbing his head to music only he could hear. Blake stood there awkwardly again, his smaller limbs fidgeting.
"I will see you tomorrow. Thank you for giving my friends honest pay, we normally are laughed at when it comes to pay time. I need to go get my young one now. Thanks to your pay he can eat well now." Blake said.
"You're welcome. What does he like for meats?" I asked a plan forming in my head.
"He likes raw goat mostly, but it is expensive." Blake said looking at me questioningly. I smiled and went over the fridge and grabbed two pounds of goat meat and put it in a bag before walking over to Blake and handing them to him. He stood there looking at it. I moved it a bit trying to show I wanted him to take it.
"Here, from me to you. One for each of you guys. Consider it a 'thank you' for getting me such hard workers." I said as he finally took it. He looked at it unsure.
"Thank you. You really are unusual. I like it." He said and I smiled a large grin.
"Thanks! Now go, I am sure Dylan is hungry!" I said with a small laugh and he gave me his version of a smile before he softly clicked 'goodbye' and left.
I walked over to the door and locked it before walking up into my apartment. I quickly made a simple sandwich and ate it before I went over and collapsed in my bed.
"This will be interesting…." I muttered before shrugging out of my clothes lazily and sliding under my covers. I quickly set my alarm clock before I drifted off into blissful nothingness.
THAT IS THE END OF THIS CHAPTER LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! Please Review, I really do appreciate it. I am unsure on how this story is going to go, I just felt an urge to right a D9 fic. Thanks for reading!


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Thanks to a bold, precedent-setting initiative approved in March by the Orange County Board of Supervisors, an amnesty period for illegals began today that allows the undocumented to fill out the required paperwork to reside legally within county lines. Hurry: May 15 is the deadline.
And here's a hot tip to save big on filing fees: get sterilized.
Snip-snip, thank you ma'am!
Check that: what the board adopted March 2 was an amnesty for dogs, not people. Because that would be silly. Showing compassion to human beings? Pfft. How retarded.
Under the program, through May 15, dog owners in the 17 cities and unincorporated areas served by OC Animal Care can renew the expired licenses of their pooches or obtain new licenses with no worry of late fees or extra charges.
"OC Animal Care wants to be sensitive to dog owners experiencing financial hardship," says Ryan Drabek, interim director for OC Animal Care.
To be crystal clear, Drabek and his agency want to be sensititve to dog owners experiencing financial hardships, not undocumented human beings who find themselves in tight spots.
Whew! That was a close one. Go on, Ryan . . .
"It is our goal, through this program, to ensure more pets are returned to their owners when the unfortunate happens."
About 97 percent of the animals impounded by OC Animal Care that are wearing tags are returned to their owners, according to the agency.
Ironically, about 97 percent of the undocumented wearing crosses are praying that they don't get deported.
As for their views on discounts-for-sterility, that's unclear because Clockwork don't speak-a the dishwasher-a.
Oh, you wanted to learn more about that from OC Animal Care?
The agency will allow owners unaltered pets to pay
the discounted fees during the amnesty period so long as they submit
proof that Fido become a falsetto within two weeks of licensing.
Licenses can be purchased online at ocpetinfo.com, by telephone at (714) 935-6848, or in-person at OC Animal Care, 561 The City Drive South, Orange, CA 92868.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Nissan Repair Questions? Ask a Mechanic for Answers ASAP
What model / year of nissan car do you have?
Thanks. I have sorted the problem myself
Hi.. Ok..thats fine,glad you got it sorted out . thanks for update...
however if you should ever need to ask anything or advice as such then your more then welcome to ask me at anytime..best of luck Robert


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favie erase
Christmas With You - Poem by favie erase
This Christmas i am not alone
This Christmas i have somebody to hold
This Christmas doesn't feel like last Christmas
This Christmas is when I came alive
Last Christmas I was sad
Last Christmas I was lonely
Last Christmas I had nobody to hold
But then This Christmas came
I was happy
I was excited because I had somebody to hold
This Christmas was better with you then without you.
Comments about Christmas With You by favie erase
Majestica Storm (11/22/2013 6:22:00 PM)
This poem really touched me, it really shows the true meaning of Christmas. It was very very very good Fave. (Report) Reply
Chaotic Life - Curly M. (1/13/2008 8:42:00 AM)
awwwwwwwww...how sweet
christmas with u is a great poem
i never u could be so good at poems Fave
ur excelent, good job
voted 10/10 for u and added that as my favorite poem
: -> (Report) Reply
Melvina Germain (1/12/2008 10:15:00 PM)
This poem shows that sharing Christmas with others is a wonderful thing and hopefully we also remember the true meaning of Christmas. I gave you a (10) for this poem, it also showed how the sadness of being alone can hurt and cause pain. I hope your Christmas's to come will be blessed with love.
Melvina (Report) Reply
Read this poem in other languages
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem »
favie erase's Other Poems
Famous Poems
Phenomenal Woman
Maya Angelou
Still I Rise
Maya Angelou
The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost
If You Forget Me
Pablo Neruda
Langston Hughes
Annabel Lee
Edgar Allan Poe
Caged Bird
Maya Angelou
Rudyard Kipling
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
Robert Frost
I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You
Pablo Neruda


text: Howdy. I'm trying to get set up to do "cold SSCP" a la Hongyo et al (NAR 21:3637-3642), and am wondering if there is an equally good alternative to their use of methylmercury hydroxide as a chemical denaturant in the gel loading buffer. They state that NaOH is inferior in performance in their hands; anybody else's experiences would be very much appreciated, as I'd rather not deal with this expensive and doubtless toxic compound if it can be avoided. Thanks in advance, Alex Parker aparker at maine.maine.edu


text:
Doomsday attacks by terrorists outlined
Page Tools
The US Department of Homeland Security has listed a dozen possible terrorist strike plots, including the detonation of a nuclear device in a big city, release of sarin nerve agent in office buildings and the truck bombing of a sports arena.
The National Planning Scenarios reads more like a doomsday plan, with estimates of the number of deaths and economic damage caused by each type of attack.
The imagined plots include blowing up a chlorine tank, killing 17,000 people and injuring more than 100,000; spreading pneumonic plague in the toilets of an airport, sports arena and train station, killing 2500 and sickening 8000; and infecting cattle with foot and mouth disease, costing billions of dollars in losses.
The agency says its objective is not to scare the public, and department officials said they had no credible intelligence that such attacks were planned. The department did not intend to release the scenarios publicly, but a draft was accidentally posted on a Hawaii government website.
Identifying possible attacks and deciding how government agencies should respond to them will help decide how billions of federal dollars are distributed in the future.
President George Bush requested the list 15 months ago to answer widespread criticism of the agency from members of Congress and anti-terrorism experts that it was wasting money by spreading it out instead of focusing on areas or targets at greatest risk. Critics have also attacked the agency for not having a detailed plan on how to eliminate or reduce those risks.
The Government could not protect the public from all possible terrorist attacks, and instead must focus on trying to prevent more serious or catastrophic strikes, the Homeland Security Secretary, Michael Chertoff, said on Wednesday.
"Threats are important, but they should not be automatic instigators of action," Mr Chertoff said in his first extensive public comments since taking over the department a month ago. "A terrorist attack on the two-lane bridge down the street from my house would be bad, but would have a relatively low consequence compared to an attack on the Golden Gate Bridge."
Mr Chertoff's remarks reflected his view that the department must become more focused, sustainable and reasoned in the battle against terrorism. "This is a marathon, not a sprint," he said.
The Government needed to have a more restrained and co-ordinated public message than during the first Bush term, when discussing potential terrorist threats, he said.
He did not mention the much criticised colour-coded alert system, but has said previously it might be modified. "I don't want to get up in public and say 'The sky is falling' if it's not falling," he said. "I'm going to try to be very realistic ... about the kinds of trade-offs that we have to consider when we're making decisions about protecting ourselves."
That approach would be similar to that of the British Government, which has long waged a battle against domestic terrorism. Mr Chertoff also said there must be more respect for civil liberties, even while hunting would-be terrorists, in a reference to allegations of mistreatment of Muslim Americans by law enforcement officers.
The New York Times
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text: I have made a patch for -current to get the RTL8185 to be identified and work. http://www.linbsd.org/8185.diff Was looking for feedback, and if once cleaned up if it could be commited. Thanks. I have yet to get it actually tested for functionality as I am still getting rtw0 at pci0 dev 14 function 0: Realtek RTL8185 802.11, revision 2.0 pci_intr_map: no mapping for pin A (line=00) rtw0: unable to map interrupt Working with different fixups/config options to attempt to get it working. -Jaime Fournier firstname.lastname@example.com


text: insulation Home Improvement: Winterizing Your Home By Charity Nebbe • Oct 30, 2012 Elizabeth Thomsen / Flickr The windows are shut and the furnace has been running. It's time to make sure your home is ready for winter. Our home improvement expert Bill McAnally talks about winterizing your home and how to get the best value if you need to make a big investment in a new furnace or insulation.


text:
im a beginner to Java language:
i need to prompt the user to enter their name. then i need the program to print that name once for every letter in the name. im not sure how to set this up though i do know i need to use a loop and the string length comes into play,anyone plz help. i also need to prompt the user user to enter an even number after their name loop ends and if they dont enter an even number the loop needs to continue asking for one until they do if anyone can help with these questions that would be helpful.


text:
It`s not the major headline stories that tell us the most about what is happening to our world; sometimes the smaller news items speak much more eloquently of what is going on.
And so it is that the most telling and symbolic story of the year is the mugging of Howdy Doody.
If you saw the story at all, it was probably in one of those ``people``
columns that boil news of ``personalities`` down to one paragraph. The news was that the original Howdy Doody marionette had been assaulted and damaged in a New York suburb.


text:
Programs and Tours
A Sense of Steel: Dances for di Suvero
Under the direction of UM Department of Dance faculty Amy Chavasse and Peter Sparling, students perform in movement dialogue with outdoor works Orion and Shang and alongside smaller works in the special exhibition Mark di Suvero: Tabletops.
The exhibition gallery will be open until 9 pm for guests to enjoy. Also don't miss the screening of North Star: Mark di Suvero (1977, de Menil and Rose, 33 minutes), an illuminating portrait of the artist with an original music score by Philip Glass, at 8:15 in the Helmut Stern Auditorium.
The SMTD@UMMA concert series is made possible in part by the Katherine Tuck Enrichment Fund. This exhibition is made possible in part by the Office of the President of the University of Michigan, the University of Michigan Health System, and Laura Lynch and Hugh McPherson.
Sunday, 09 October, 2011
7–9 p.m.
Location: Map
University of MichiganMuseum of Art
525 South State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1354
United States
Weather: Forecast
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text:
'Snow White & the Huntsman' Set Photos: Kristen Stewart Goes Medieval [Updated]
- By
- 53 Comments
UPDATE: We've added a few more images of Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth in costume on the Snow White and the Huntsman set to our gallery.
Universal and Relativity are silently waging a war of the Snow White movies. The latter has director Tarsem Singh working on a "modernized," but still fittingly fantastical, adaptation of the classic fairy tale – whereas the former is aiming for a re-interpretation in the mode of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Game of Thrones, titled Snow White and the Huntsman.
Twilight's Kristen Stewart is portraying the iconic fair-skinned princess in Huntsman – so, it's all the more appropriate that the first set photos from that production should largely feature the actress in her Snow White getup.
Huntsman made quite the splash at the 2011 Comic-Con, where early footage unveiled from the film – coupled with a handful of grim character banners – suggested that it would be a genuinely dark and gritty period action-adventure variation on the traditional fairy tale. These new set photos do nothing but lend further credence to that idea; honestly, if you hadn't been told otherwise, you might have assumed some of these set images were from Ridley Scott's Robin Hood (or that Stewart was playing Joan of Arc in a new movie).
See what we mean by checking out the Snow White and the Huntsman set pics (via Pop Sugar and Splash) in the gallery below:
Here is an official synopsis for Universal's Snow White and the Huntsman:
In the epic action-adventure "Snow White and the Huntsman", Kristen Stewart plays the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen (Oscar-winner Charlize Theron) who is out to destroy her. But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the young woman threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth, "Thor") who was dispatched to kill her. Sam Claflin ("Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides") joins the cast as the prince long enchanted by Snow White's beauty and power.
The breathtaking new vision of the legendary tale is from Joe Roth, the producer of "Alice in Wonderland", producer Sam Mercer ("The Sixth Sense") and acclaimed commercial director and state-of-the-art visualist Rupert Sanders.
While Stewart is looked down upon by many a Twilight hater, Huntsman will provide her an opportunity to portray a far more physically-active and emotionally tenacious character than Bella Swan – and, should her performance be up to scratch, demonstrate to her detractors that it's actually her Twilight persona (not her acting abilities) that they truly dislike. The rest of the cast for Huntsman reads as by and large solid, especially with regards to the crew of generally-beloved character actors that have been assembled to play the film's seven dwarfs – including fellows like Nick Frost, Ian McShane, and Bob Hoskins, among others.
Another good sign: the original Huntman script co-penned by relative newcomer Evan Daugherty and Evan Spiliotopoulos (The Jungle Book 2, Tarzan 2) was reworked a bit by Oscar-nominee Hossein Amini – whose recent work, Drive, was mindfully crafted as a true "re-imagining" of a traditional Brothers Grimm fairy tale. So Amini's involvement with Universal's Snow White project should help ensure the final product does end up being more on the darkly dramatic side.
Snow White and the Huntsman is scheduled for theatrical release in the U.S. on June 1st, 2012.
Source: Pop Sugar (via Collider), Splash
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text:
What does CLOU mean in Stock Exchange?
This page is about the meanings of the acronym/abbreviation/shorthand CLOU in the Business field in general and in the Stock Exchange terminology in particular.
Currency Linked Outperformance Unit
Find a translation for CLOU in other languages:
Select another language:
What does CLOU mean?
- Clou
- Clou is a Czech rock band from Prague, Czech Republic formed in 2001. They released their EP "First" in 2004 which includes 3 songs. After many concerts they started to make their debut album "Poscards" in 2005. They've had a great success with the album due to singles like "Island Sun" and "Lean On My Shoulder". The clip "Island Sun" reached the TOP10 on MTV and it was the most played song in The Czech Republic. Bugsy, their former bassguitarist, left the band in July 2006. It was a difficult situation for Clou so they had to play acoustic concerts. It was close the break up of Clou. They decided to play but the didn't have a bass guitarist. Steph replaced him and played some summer concerts. They found out that Steph is a good bass guitarist and they agreed on a mutual cooperation.
Discuss this CLOU abbreviation with the community:
Use the citation below to add this abbreviation to your bibliography:
"CLOU." Abbreviations.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2018. Web. 24 Mar. 2018. <https://www.abbreviations.com/term/15028>.


text:
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Palm Length - Measure from bottom edge of palm to the tip of your middle finger to determine your finger-length size.
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In the event that a parcel is returned to us and there are some issues that should be resolved, an email is written to the customer notifying him/her of the parcel. If 60 days lapse without any response, the goods are warehoused and disposed of.
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We are more than happy for you to return any of our goods for a refund or exchange within 60 days of receipt, as long as, they are in resellable condition with any packaging and labels intact. So feel free to try any of our fantastic range available with our no quibble, no question returns policy.
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These gloves are very comfortable to wear the stitching is top class quality they keep hand very warm these will protect you from any harm if you are doing specialist work i.e. Door work security etc good to have them for your piece of mind the gloves are not heavy and they do not have a clumsy feel to them also with the Velcro fasteners they keep them in place better these are in my view a decent pair of gloves for the money really decent as a ex soilder I wish I had them in my kit when needed they get my toms up pentagon gloves well worth the investment also thanks to military first for the quick delivery of these gloves. Cheers


text:
Stitching a Design Winner
USF's School of Architecture sponsoring a design competition connecting Tampa's downtown with the Hillsborough River.
TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 29, 2011) – So many of the world's greatest cities are connected to iconic waterways, such as the Seine, Thames, the Chicago River and New York's Hudson.
Tampa could be one of them, with its meandering Hillsborough River. But a patchwork of hits and misses along its banks has presented challenges, although improvements have been made in recent years.
A new contest hopes drive even more change.
"[re]stitch Tampa, an international ideas competition," is inviting designers everywhere to compete with proposals that work to connect Tampa to its riverfront using the area's underutilized public spaces. It is supported, in part, by a National Endowment for the Arts Access to Artistic Excellence grant and sponsored by the University of South Florida School of Architecture and Community Design. (SACD).
This national and international competition launches with a reception at the Tampa Museum Sept. 1 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., with comments about the competition starting at 7 p.m.
The deadline for submissions is the first week of December. The first round of winners will be announced in the middle of December. In April 2012, the second stage of submissions will be due, and an awards ceremony and exhibition reception will be held on April 13. The reception will feature presentations and lectures by the jurors followed by workshops the next day by jurors, professors from USF SACD and members of the community.
"We're looking at this project through the lens of landscape urbanism to refocus the Hillsborough River as a social, economic and ecologic spine for our city," said Shannon Bassett, an assistant professor of architecture and urbanism at USF SACD. "But first we have to create a setting and an atmosphere that draws people to the riverfront, making it a destination where there's a variety of experiences to take in again and again."
The competition will be judged by a renowned International jury, as well as local stakeholders, and includes competition prize money.
Among the jurors are Charles Waldheim, principal, Urban Agency; John E. Irving professor and chair of landscape architecture from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design; Juhani Pallasma of Arkkitehtitoimisto Juhani Pallasmaa KY; Ruth & Norman Moore, visiting professor at Washington University and Plym Professor at the University of Illinois; and Chad Oppenheim, principal of Oppenheim Architecture + Design in Miami and professor at Florida International University.
"This is not to say we will build the winner's design but it will serve as an important catalyst," Bassett said. "We're looking for ways to shape the future development of the waterfront with the designing of public urban spaces of the city," she said. "We hope that this will be an envisioning process for city officials and developers, constituents and stakeholders, particularly with the $1.8 million HUD grant being awarded for an urban master plan for the city."
Bassett's landscape architecture students completed designs as a class project in a course she gave this summer. The drawings and models will be on display at the Tampa Museum, providing a bit of a jump start to a competition organizers hope will attract a great deal of attention.
"This is a rare opportunity," Bassett said. "As architects and urban designers we love the challenge of finding solutions for real world problems and there aren't that many cities left on which to have this kind of impact.
"We expect the designs to be more than just walkways skirting or crossing the river, we're looking for a sustainable balance between the built and natural environments. They will need to address issues of storm water management and ways to promote green infrastructure throughout downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods, as well as keeping and maintaining bio-diversity along the blue artery."
The competition is seeking community sponsors through the USF Foundation. Visit http://restitchtampa.org/sponsor_info.php for more information. Or contributions can be sent to Mary Daley/Florida Center , SACD [re]stitch Tampa, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., HMS 301 Tampa, FL 33620. Competition information and registration materials are available at http://www.restitchtampa.org/.
Barbara Melendez can be reached at 813-974-4563.


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David Yamada crafted the Healthy Workplace Bill, here is an update: http://newworkplace.wordpress.com/2014/07/30/new-hampshire-veto-of-workplace-bullying-bill-highlights-need-for-healthy-workplace-bill-approach/
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Everyone on this site, from the new badgeholder to the longtime Super Moderator, started off as a new user at some point. Yet for some reason, plenty of people forget this and instead treat people who are as new as they once were treated—condescendingly—thereby inhibiting their growth as users. In this article I'd like to make a case for why more established users should take it on themselves to be nicer to newer users and make Smogon a more pleasant place for everyone to be on, as well as how they can go about doing so.
Not the most polite heading, but it really does encapsulate the heart of the issue when more established users insist on being mean or rude or unhelpful towards newer users for no reason. Think of the people who are always picking on whoever it's cool to make fun of at the time in their own desperate search for acceptance, despite the fact that they're probably no more established than the person they're mocking. Or the person who never seems to actually direct confused new users to the resources they need to get better and instead always makes fun of them, or has to preface their help with a snide comment or remark. While many people like this think that they're somehow cool or witty for doing these sorts of things regularly, in reality there's no better way to broadcast words like arrogant, insecure, or downright useless to others who are forming opinions about you.
Simply put, behavior like this is often born from a need to be accepted or from just being a jerk. When people do things like this consistently, they're using cheap slights to mask the fact that they're unable to say something actually clever or do something helpful to others. Now, I'm not going to sit here and pretend that mocking other users is never considered funny by others (I've liked a funny dig at another user before, and so has just about everyone else onsite). However, when it's a recurring thing, it stops being funny and just goes to irritating. Imagine if every time you needed a favor from someone they had to insert some barely veiled insult or snark, or if you were hanging out with them in a large group they always had to pick on someone or embarrass them to draw laughs. You'd probably stop wanting to be around them after a while, and you'd likely start to lose respect for them too.
Consistent behavior like this is irritating when seen in people, a huge turnoff when it comes to potential promotions to leadership positions, and a sure-fire way to be known as a complete douche, so why do it? While you'll likely win their laugh (or like in the case of forum posts) in the short term, you'll almost certainly lose their respect in the long term and develop a reputation for being a negative person. Instead, build a name as a nice, helpful user. When people clearly need help, actually seek to help them better themselves without needing to make yourself look better. And when someone's being treated unfairly, just reach out to them instead of mocking them all the time. It might seem like you won't get as much attention that way, but believe me when I say that people take note of it and respond accordingly. For example, there are plenty of instances where badge nominations are opposed due to a poor attitude on the part of the recipient, but it's never been said that someone was too nice for a badge. On the contrary, consistently helpful users are often rewarded with promotions and leadership positions. So yeah, next time you think of doing something that's mean, try being kind for a change. It can benefit you in ways you haven't even thought of.
If you'd like to better aid new users but are unsure how, the answer is surprisingly simple. All it takes is a reasonable proficiency in the area in question and the willingness to take a conscious stance to help others. For example, if you see someone posting a thread in the wrong location, simply direct them to the right one. Or if someone posts a team in the RMT section that's clearly unviable, instead of telling them their team is trash or just saying nothing, you could simply direct them to Battling 101 or the Smogon Mentorship program. Little things like this that seem trivial to those who already know what they're doing can make a world of difference in the online journey of a new player. In addition, if you decide to go a step further and actually offer mentorship to a new player, that's even better. Having someone to guide them through Smogon's social culture as well as helping them navigate various sections of the site is what can help people get the starting knowledge they need to start their journey from lost new user to all-star contributor.
When you see someone who needs help, just help them. Seriously, do it. Whenever you help another user, you improve your own reputation while simultaneously making the site a better place to be for someone else, and potentially starting them down the path of their own journey on Smogon. In contrast, through consistently being mean you develop a worse reputation, hurt your chances of being promoted, and become a person who's generally less enjoyable to be around. So be nice. When you put these things side by side, the choice is a no-brainer.
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I started blogging on January 20, 2006, after becoming inspired by some terrific writers shouting out from New Orleans after The Flood. The first few years of this site are archived elsewhere, for my own personal diary of sorts.
Back then, I blogged under quite a bit of comfortable anonymity; it was easier to speak my mind from behind that mask. Today, however, most people reading this blog know who I am in real life. Unfortunately, I've found it stifling.
There are many topics I would love to express, but they are centered around three main areas:
1) work – I value my professional consulting work too highly to jeopardize it with even the most well-deserved criticisms;
2) family – My children are both teenagers, now. They deserve their privacy, so I no longer post about my children's antics, emotions, school hazards, or other life events. It is what I would have wanted as a teen, so I can only give them that much; and,
3) being judgmental – this just pisses off everyone else I know.
So, I believe it is time to shutter this old gal. But, before I go, below is a re-post from the first days of my original blog on what it means to be "seester."
I'll see y'all around. Most of you know where to find me in real life. I still use the saintseester handle on places like twitter, flickr, geocaching, and my gmail account. Come see me over there, at least for annual halloween photographs.
Many people have asked me why I refer to my sister, as "seester". For one thing, we've been calling each other that for decades now; I don't remember how it got started – it just "is". For a long time, I selfishly thought we were the only people who used that term for one another, but when I searched the internet for the term "seester", I found many, many other seesters out there.
So, what exactly does seester mean? For me, it is my biological sister. Here's the best summary of seester I can come up with before my required allotment of morning coffee:
1. Your seester always thinks you are beautiful no matter what.
2. You don't have to get along in childhood to be great seesters when you grow up.
3. Everything your seester says seems to make perfect sense.
4. Seesters find every joke you make to be hysterical, gut ripping, or just insanely funny.
5. Seesters laugh at inappropriate moments. Seesters make it impossible for you NOT to laugh at inappropriate moments.
6. Seesters never make bad decisions. Seesters never judge your decisions.
7. Seesters have issues with their mothers, but love them unconditionally.
8. Seesters are very good at board games of all sorts. In fact, they are SOOO good, most people will not allow them to be on the same game-playing team. Either they will thrash you, or get drunk and forget what the game was about.
If you don't have a biological seester,think of the other potential-seesters in your life such as in-law seester, cousin seester. Just make sure you have a lifelong connection. Remember to stick to the rules above and you will have a comrade forever.
11 Responses to "Saintseester Says Goodbye"
November 7, 2011 - 8:35 pm
If anyone understands I do. I closed my first blog last year and reopened another site that is very different. I hope to still see you around.
November 8, 2011 - 5:07 am
I'm very sorry to hear this news. I understand the reasons as explained above but still it's sad to know you're closing the blog down. I've always enjoyed reading it and hearing your stories so I hope all works out for you.
Stay in touch and best wishes.
November 8, 2011 - 8:14 am
@Tara – i am glad you are still blogging, no matter the format!
@Peter – thanks for the compliment. It's just impossible to work half in and half out of anonymity. Perhaps I should start a sports blog?
November 8, 2011 - 10:04 am
I will miss you.
November 8, 2011 - 5:58 pm
Sorry to see you go! You'll be missed!
November 8, 2011 - 8:06 pm
My friend, though I understand your reasons, I'm very sad to see you close Saintseester Says. I'm glad we got a chance to visit at some length about it today.
You have a standing invitation to guest-blog at BoWilliams.com, whenever you want and about whatever you want. Say it and it happens.
November 8, 2011 - 10:46 pm
Well, poop.
It's not like you're going away forever, but it still has a bit of suckitude about it. But I know where to find you.
I should get my own butt writing again so that you'll at least have a place to drop comments.
November 9, 2011 - 1:34 pm
[…] – farewell, Saintseester. You will be […]
November 10, 2011 - 5:28 pm
I sure am going to miss your words. at least I can find you on Twittah & G+ 😀
November 10, 2011 - 10:19 pm
Thanks, dears, especially my newest peeps. I will probably end up somewhere, when my groove comes back, just not here. Will keep you posted. I know where to find you all. So, keep writing!
November 11, 2011 - 7:53 am
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How to Dispute the Amount on a 1099 Miscby Paula McCullough ; Updated July 27, 2017
Business owners are required to issue 1099-Misc forms to non-employees to whom they have paid more than $600 in a year for goods and services, unless paying it to a corporation. The amount that is reported on the 1099-Misc will usually match the records of the person receiving the form. However, occasionally the person receiving the form does not agree with the amount reported on it. The IRS does not provide a method of disputing the amount on the form, but you do not have to report an incorrect amount on your tax return.
Contact the issuing company first and ask for a breakdown of its total. Once you can compare the specific payments it has recorded with your own records, the discrepancy may become obvious. If the error is the company's, provide it with proof of the mistake and ask for a corrected 1099-Misc. If the company is unwilling to do so, or disagrees with your findings, proceed to Step 2. If the company is willing to correct the 1099-Misc, skip the remaining steps.
Input the amount shown on the 1099-Misc onto your tax form. If you are filing a Schedule C, show the amount from the 1099-Misc as gross income.
Add an additional line on the detail for income showing the necessary adjustment to the 1099-Misc amount. If the amount on the 1099-Misc is more than it should be, enter your adjustment as a negative number. The description for the detailed statement should read "Adjustment to Correct 1099-Misc."
Maintain your records with proof that your adjustment is valid. If you are audited by the IRS, you will need to show the auditor why you made this adjustment and prove that it was appropriate.
If your total business income exceeds the amount reported on 1099-Misc forms, it does not matter if one of the forms is reporting an incorrect amount. The IRS will compare the total reported to it from 1099-Misc forms and the amount reported on your return and will only question you if you are reporting less on your return than is reported to them on the 1099-Misc forms.
If you adjust your income down from the amount reported on a 1099-Misc, make sure you are correct and that you can justify this adjustment under audit. If the auditor finds the adjustment to be invalid by receiving proof from the payee that the 1099-Misc is correct, you will have to pay taxes on the additional income along with late interest and penalties. Other penalties, such as for fraud, may be attached if the auditor believes the adjustment was made only to evade tax.
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Having problems with your Vacuums ?
I need the manual for a 1988 Hino Rainbow CH160A With a : WO6E Hino Engine, I am trying to lean out the fuel mix from the injectors to compensate for a hydrogen conversion kit
\015 We have installed a hydrogen kit into a 1998 Hino Rainbow bus we need to lean back the fuel supply so we can compensate for the hydrogen mix\015
Answers :
Dear Conway san
Can't you get the manual in English from this Australian company since it seems to be selling that type of bus?
Can't you get the manual in English from this Australian company since it seems to be selling that type of bus?
Repair Help & Product Troubleshooting for Vacuums
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I need the manual for a 1988 Hino Rainbow CH160A With a : WO6E Hino Engine, I am trying to lean out the fuel mix from the injectors to compensate for a hydrogen conversion kit
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text:
Bulletin de La Societe de Legislation Comparee, Volume 35
Created by Soci T De L Gislation Compar E, Created by Societe De Legislation Comparee
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfectionssuch as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed worksworldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.++++The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ Bulletin De La Societe De Legislation Comparee, Volume 35 Societe de legislation comparee Cotillon et fils, 1906 Law Comparative Comparative law Law Law / Comparative
D.W. All Wet
In pace con Dio grazie a Gesu
Anso-Echo, Aragues-Jasa
The New Spell-well: Bk. 6
Eco Gardening


text:
Decompression of degenerative lateral spinal stenosis in a full-endoscopic transforaminal and interlaminar technique using new endoscopes and instruments
Search Medline for
|June 13, 2005
Surgical therapy of lumbar spinal canal stenosis aims at sufficient decompression with reduction of operation-induced traumatization and destabilization. The objective of this prospective study was to assess a full-endoscopic technique for surgery of degenerative lateral spinal canal stenosis.
Materials and Methods
61 patients were operated in 2003. Inclusion criteria were: one-sided neurogenic claudication, monosegmental lateral recessus stenosis, spondylolisthesis max. Meyerding Grade I, scoliosis less than 20°. The operation was performed full-endoscopically with 7-mm endoscopes with 4-mm intraendoscopic work channel. Specific anatomical criteria for using the interlaminar or lateral transforaminal approach were given. The follow-up time lasted from 12 to 19 months. 57 patients (93 %) were included in the follow-up.
The planned operation was technically feasible in all cases. No serious complications occurred. The mean operation time was 43 minutes. There was no measurable blood loss. The max. hospital stay was 4 days. 47 patients (82 %) reported no further radicular leg pain, 7 patients (13 %) occasional pain. 3 patients (5 %) experienced no improvement and underwent conventional revision. No increasing instability could be determined radiologically. All results remained constant.
Within the prescribed narrow indication criteria, the method described is technically possible. It enables a more selective procedure with visualization of the recessus without extensive resection of bone structures. Based on early results, decompression is found to be sufficient and free of complications, while offering the advantages of a truly minimal-invasive procedure. Further studies will be conducted to answer the question of recurrence and stability.


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Like it says in the title, what's your fave merc to solo (molo) with and why?
To answer the thread's question, my Inqy just hit lvl 84 today, and I've been using the Shadowknight merc from Neriak. I've pretty much been able to molo every heroic instance through TSO content, and some SF instances as well (I haven't tried them all yet). It does decent dps, doesn't die 5 seconds into the fight like the pally merc, and keeps all the mobs off me.
The only time I use a merc is when soloing VP to pull mobs, especially in the large circular room which splits off into the wings. I tend to favor the inq merc only cos' its a smaller ratty versoin of me, game it the same apperance and name too.
Human paladin from Qeynos Harbor. Love to watch the Q's get frustrated trying to NOT die from him...
Brig is my favorite. DPS is comparable to any of the other DPS mercs, but you get a lot of nice debuffs including dispatch. The merc doesn't have to be behind the mob to dispatch. I tried dirge and troub, but their dps is horrible, and the boost I got from their buffs was minimal. They regen power too, but that's minimal and I don't usually have much of a power problem soloing. I got more "utility" out of the brig.
^same, I use Brig and have tried others, seems the debuffs helps the most.


text:
St. Paul-based Sunrise Banks said Monday, March 11, that it will consolidate its three Twin Cities bank brands under a single name and expand into new products, including a relatively low-interest employer-based payday loan program for underserved banking customers in urban areas.
The company's three brands, Franklin Bank, Park Midway Bank and University Bank, will become known as Sunrise Banks on April 1. It will have $750 million in assets and eight branches in the Twin Cities metro area.
CEO David Reiling said Monday that the family-owned company has received approval from its federal regulator, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, to merge the three separately chartered institutions. Bank customers were informed of the change last week.
Among the reasons for the change, Reiling said, is to expand into new product areas, including the payday loan program. He said this program would differ from traditional payday lenders in that it would be offered through one's employer, offering small-balance loans that would be paid back over 12 months, at 24 percent, with no fees, through an automatic payroll deduction. The target customer would be someone who is underbanked, Reiling said, or who wants to pay off higher-interest balances on other loans, such as credit cards.
— Staff report


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I saw Sheikh Nazim in my dream. Maasha Allah, he was smiling and telling me something (I dont remember what he said but I remember he was happy) And then he gave me a plain white paper. Please interpret for me.
Jazak Allahu Khair
Walaikum assalam,
You have a sincere heart and Mawlana is happy with you.
Allah knows best,
Ali Elsayed


text:
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Topic: Setting up Pianoteq with a DP - hissing noise problem solved!
I thought I would share my experience of setting up Pianoteq to run through a digital piano in case this helps anyone else.
I wanted a complete solution that gave me an attractive, convenient installation using Pianoteq. I did not want any visible wires, speakers, amplifiers etc. I decided on a Roland HP 605 as this has USB MIDI out and also has an AUX IN. I built a mini PC to run Pianoteq that is located behind the back board of the Roland so it is not visible. I made a small box with a push button switch and an LED which connects to and switches on/off the PC. This small box is located on the top of the piano and is the only visible component. I connected the USB MIDI from the Roland to the PC, the sound output from the PC to the AUX in on the Roland. Once I had installed and configured Pianoteq and the other software so it automatically starts when switched on, I removed the PC Screen and keyboard. Now I have what looks like an ordinary digital piano.
To play the piano, I push a button to turn on the PC and push a button to turn on the Roland. Then I use the Menu on the Roland to turn Local Control OFF and I am ready to play.
I found a slight harmonic resonance in the cabinet but using the graphical equaliser in Pianoteq I was able to smooth this out BUT I found that there was an annoying background noise/hissing from the Roland speakers. At first I thought this was the sound card on the PC so I purchased a Behringer UCA222 and connected this. The problem did not go away. Finally I realised that the noise was due to the USB cable that was sending MIDI from the Roland to the PC. Unlike a standard MIDI cable which is electrically isolated, a standard USB cable connects to the electrical systems of both the computer and the piano. Electrical noise from the computer via the USB cable was causing noise in the speakers. I researched this and found I could buy a USB ISOLATOR on eBay for about $20. This plugged into the USB port on the computer and then the cable plugged into this. PROBLEM SOLVED.
I am very happy with this setup. It looks smart, sounds beautiful and is easy to use. Many thanks to the team at Pianoteq for such a superb program.


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Pet Pals TV's Patty Spitler talks to Jack Hanna and some "special guests" from an all-new exhibit at The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
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text:
Please keep in mind that there is NO confirmation about The Crane!!
Please keep in mind that there is NO confirmation about The Crane!!
WHEW - Hang IN & Hang ON
There is another picture of Amanda that shows her wearing a blue denim looking top that looks like a bed behind her I got the picture but it may not let me post it as it in my personal files. .Originally Posted by cupcakes;2912155;
I know which picture you are talking about... I believe that was during the show while she was getting ready for the Americana date...that was at the mansion.
Thanks so much for doing this, cupcakes!! For all 3 girls!! The way you organized it is going to make it so much easier to keep track of.
One thing I noticed w/Amanda is that there are no pictures of a hotel room which would indicate a fantasy suite. Is it possible that Amanda refused the invitation to the FS? I just think it is odd that we have pictures of Chelsea and Shayne in hotel rooms, but not Amanda...
"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." ~ Elizabeth Stone
Check the screencap I just added to the screencap thread and tell me if this is a bed behind amanda and where this PI is at ? Amanda wearing a denim top in it . could it be from zip line as you might carry a jacket on that type trip?Originally Posted by bugsme3;2912183;
Originally Posted by Maidenlady;2912371;
This is from the rugby/hot tub/pool group date - and I imagine in one of the bedrooms at the bach pad
WHEW - Hang IN & Hang ON
Checkout SC Thread Post#141 Picture of Robin in same roomw/ bed & lamp is about 6 to 7 down on #141. It is at mansion.Originally Posted by Maidenlady;2912371;
To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world
found this about the Plantation Roots and Rhythm..is it a match?Originally Posted by cupcakes;2912153;
The Plantation Theatre
"Reality is the leading cause of stress among those in touch with it!"
Lily Tomlin
I think the group on the beach with Amanda is a much smaller group of entertainers - many places have beach things like this in the Caribbean - a hotels/resorts - the Plantation troup is a huge production type of thing
WHEW - Hang IN & Hang ON
Awesome job cupcakes - thanks so much!!!!