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Myanmar Muslims jailed for killing Buddhist monk
Khin Maung Win
May 21, 2013
MEIKHTILA, Myanmar — A Myanmar court sentenced sevenMuslims to prison Tuesday — one of them to a life term — in the killing of a Buddhist monk amid deadly sectarian violence that was overwhelmingly directed against minority Muslims but has not led to any criminal trials against members of the country's Buddhist majority.
As the country tries to rebuild democracy after decades of military rule, the issue poses a dilemma for politicians who would lose support if they embraced justice for the unpopular Muslim minority. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent years under house arrest under the former ruling junta but now hopes to bring her party to power, spoke of the law but not of sectarian tensions when asked about the verdict.
At least 44 people were killed and 12,000 displaced, most of them Muslim, in more than a week of conflicts with Buddhists that began March 20 in the central Myanmar city of Meikhtila. A dispute at a Muslim-owned gold shop triggered rioting by Buddhists and retaliation by their Muslim targets, and the lynching of the monk after the gold shop was sacked enflamed passions, leading to large-scale violence.
While the violence is now contained, questions are arising over whether minority Muslims can find justice in overwhelmingly Buddhist Myanmar. Hundreds more Muslims have been killed, and tens of thousands have been made homeless, in violence across the country over the past year.
The sectarian strife has tarnished the image of Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate who has been criticized for failing to speak out strongly in defense of the country's Muslims despite her long commitment to human rights. Her supporters, especially abroad, fear she is afraid to take a politically unpopular stand now that her party will mount a bid for power in the next general election in 2015. Prejudice against Muslims is widespread in Myanmar, and it is hard to find public figures willing to speak in defense of the Muslim community.
In a press conference Tuesday in the capital, Naypyitaw, she did not directly address the plight of the Muslim minority. Instead, she spoke in familiar terms about the rule of law when asked about the verdict.
"There is no transparency in Myanmar's justice system and there is too much influence from the administrative branch," she said, echoing the opinions of many human rights groups. "The judicial system has to be independent to be credible."
Suu Kyi has been criticized for failing to take a strong stand on attacks last year against the Muslim Rohingya community in western Rakhine state. Mobs of Buddhists armed with machetes razed thousands of homes, leaving hundreds dead and forcing 125,000 people, mostly Muslims, to flee,
When asked whether she was concerned about her reputation over the issue, she said she wasn't worried. "If I had to be concerned about my image, I should not have become a politician right from the beginning," she said.
The issue of ethnic strife also marred this week's Washington trip by President Thein Sein, a trip otherwise filled with accolades for the first leader of Myanmar to visit the White House in 47 years.
President Barack Obama praised Thein Sein on Monday for his efforts to lead his country back on the path to democracy, but also said he expressed concern to his counterpart about violence against Muslims. "The displacement of people, the violence directed toward them needs to stop," he said.
Thein Than Oo, a lawyer defending the men sentenced Tuesday, said one of his clients, Myat Ko Ko, was given life in prison for murder. Myat Ko Ko was also sentenced to an additional two years for unlawful assembly and two for religious disrespect.
Of the remaining defendants, one received a two-year sentence while the others received terms ranging from six to 28 years. Four of them, including a minor tried in a separate court, were convicted of charges including abetting murder. Two were convicted only on lesser counts. Mandalay Advocate General Ye Aung Myint confirmed the sentences.
"It's not fair!" shouted one of the convicted men shouted from inside a prison van as they were being driven away after the trial.
But members of a crowd of about 30 people outside the court house expressed unhappiness over the verdict for a different reason: They said they wished the death penalty had been applied against those who were convicted of killing the monk. Myanmar has the death penalty for premeditated murder, but the defendants were charged under a different murder category.
Thein Than Oo said he would await his clients' instructions on whether to appeal the verdicts.
The lynching of the Buddhist monk enflamed passions in Meikhtila, especially after photos circulated widely on social media of what was purported to be his body after he was pulled off a motorbike, attacked and burned. Monks are highly respected both for their religious devotion and as community leaders.
Entire Muslim neighborhoods were engulfed in flames, and charred bodies piled in the roads. The government declared a state of emergency and deployed the army to restore order, but the unrest later spread to other parts of central Myanmar.
In parliament in Monday, Religious Affairs Minister Hsan Hsint gave the official figures for casualties and damage from March 20 to 28: 44 people killed, 90 injured, 1,818 houses, 27 mosques and 14 Islamic schools destroyed. He said 143 people were arrested in connection with the violence, out of which 47 have been formally charged. Parliament on Tuesday formally approved the state of emergency.
The gold shop owner and two employees, all Muslims, were sentenced in April to 14 years in prison each on charges of theft and causing grievous bodily harm.
Hsan Hsint did not break down arrests and charges by religion, but no major cases involving Buddhist suspects have been announced.
Asked why only Muslims have faced trial in Meikhtila, Ye Aung Myint, the advocate general, said the courts were starting with the initial incidents that triggered the violence, and those involved in later incidents would be tried subsequently.
"There is no discrimination in bringing justice. We dealt with the first two cases and 11 more cases involving Buddhists will be dealt with very soon," he said, adding that about 70 people will face charges for murder, arson and looting.
Thein Sein's administration, which came to power in 2011 after half a century of military rule, has been heavily criticized for not doing enough to protect Muslims or stop the violence from spreading since it began with clashes between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya last year.
In a speech Monday at a university in Washington, Thein Sein vowed to ensure an end to the violence and justice for the perpetrators. He also called for a new era in U.S.-Myanmar relations.
Rights groups have criticized Thein Sein's U.S. visit, saying human rights injustices are still rampant in Myanmar despite progress made in freeing political prisoners, and in granting more freedom to political opponents and the media, among other changes.
U.S.-based Physicians for Human Rights released a report Monday detailing a gruesome massacre carried out by Buddhist mobs who hunted down and killed at least 24 Muslim students and teachers from an Islamic school as Meikhtila descended into anarchy in March. The report, based on interviews with survivors, accuses state authorities and police of standing idly by while the killings were carried out.
Richard Sollom, the report's lead author, called for Thein Sein to support an independent investigation into the killings and speak out more forcefully against anti-Muslim violence.
AP writers Aye Aye Win in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, and Matthew Pennington and Nedra Pickler in Washington contributed to this report.


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Doing business guide
Understanding Iraq's tax position
The "Doing business guide - Understanding Iraq's tax position" addresses the key tax considerations for doing business in Iraq, alongside key economic, industry and market drivers which impact starting up a business there. The complexity of tax compliance in Iraq has grown in recent years; and as Iraq is mainly dependent on oil for revenues, the drop in oil prices is having a significant effect on the investment market in Iraq.
The report discusses the following topics:
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We have a deep understanding of the Iraqi accounting and tax compliance process and we manage accounting and audit, corporate income tax, withholding tax, employment tax and social security compliance for some of the world's largest companies operating in Iraq. Deloitte has legal entities registered in Baghdad, Federal Iraq and Erbil, and Kurdistan Region, with dedicated Iraqi nationals on the ground to liaise with regulatory and tax authority personnel.
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Contact us
If you would like to discuss any of the aspects referenced in greater detail, please get in touch with the Deloitte Iraq Tax Services team

subset: commoncrawl


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We don't mean to imply that Jeff Gordon's newborn child — Ella Sofia Gordon, born yesterday at 9:09 — isn't going to be the most important person in her own family, but the following paragraph appeared on his official site today. (Via the Celebrity Baby Names Blog ... now there's a blog! It's almost as good as Cakes And Babies!)
The four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion will travel to Northern California later this week and is scheduled to participate in all on-track activities at Infineon Raceway, site of this weekend's NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race.
Good to know! Oh, kid, you got a week until you're working on the pit crew. Enjoy this brief time off.
Baby Girl For Jeff Gordon, NASCAR Champion [Celebrity Baby Names Blog]


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How much data is stored in everything from your phone to sperm? Our infographic compares the information sources around... and inside us.
Information is everywhere – whether it's digital information in our devices, analogue content in books, or biological data encoded in our cells. But how do they compare in terms of storage amount? How have our means of storing information grown over the decades? And do you know what a zettabyte or a yottabyte is?
Thankfully, we're here to help with our infographic guide to data storage.
What have we missed? What else would you have liked to have seen in this graphic? Let us know on our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.


text:
Mansur Gavriel has slowly increased its production and made its bags a little easier to get, but because the brand makes so many exterior/interior color combinations and most third-party retailers only select a handful for their own stock, getting the exact version you want of one of MG's super popular bags can be tricky, if not occasionally impossible. If that's the problem you've been having, then today is your day.
At 11am Eastern, which is the only place in the world that stocks every single color and size combination the brand offers, as well as its full line of simple sandals. Longtime fans of the brand know that a site restock can be a bit frenzied, so even though more stock will be available today than when MG started selling on its own site, you still probably want to open the brand's online store in a browser window and pounce right at 11 if you've got your heart set on a very specific bag. The restock doesn't include any brand new releases.


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Commemorative Bob McDonnell vaginal ultrasound probes!
As featured in tonight's segment on Virginia's pending law to require transvaginal ultrasounds of women seeking abortions, commemorative vaginal probes like these could one day be collectors' items should Virginia governor Bob McDonnell join the Republican ticket as the vice presidential candidate in 2012:
*Special thanks to Ali Davis and Jess Idres for their contributions.
More Like This
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Bob McDonnell, Reproductive Rights and Virginia
Commemorative Bob McDonnell vaginal ultrasound probes!


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The Newsroom Series Finale: How Did It All End?
Dec 14, 2014 10:00 PM EST
[WARNING: The following story contains spoilers from the series finale of HBO's The Newsroom. Read at your own risk.]Even though The Newsroom's series finale featured a funeral, it was unlike the final send-offs of so many other death-obses… Read more


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If you're a CrossFitter, myWOD — All-in-One WOD Log for CrossFit is an iPhone and iPad app for you to log your CrossFit workout of the day (WOD), keep track of your records, and
brag share your accomplishments on Facebook and Twitter. myWOD also allows you to log your Max Weight achievements, as well as pull daily WODs directly from CrossFit.com or your favorites gym's RSS feed. If you prefer to create your own custom WODs, you can do that too.
Some other features of myWOD include graphs to see your progress over time, over 100 preloaded common WODs that are remotely updated, and a built-in heart rate monitor. There are also standard, lap, countdown, interval, and Tabata timers. myWOD is universal for iPhone and iPad and keeps your data in sync with iCloud.
If you do CrossFit and pick this one up, let us know what you think!
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Thanks to @crisisofdesign for the screenshots!
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Chapter 1 - Beginnings
From the windy mountainpass a man and his mule travels down to the gates of Brinnar , the fortress-city on the boreder of the Hyathen Empire.
6'3" tall and entirely clad in purple silk clothes , including a broad-rimmed flat-top hat , he doesn't seem to care wether he'd be seen or not.
"Your buisness , sir?" The heavy-musceled Gate-guard inquired.
The tall stranger takes off his hat and makes a courtious bow , sweeping his hat so ,that it just doesn't hit the ground.
"Megamieuwsel is the name , good man. Master of the arcane arts and undoer of evil. My traveling lead me far and wide and now I'd like to regain some vigor , shamelessly profiting from the utilities , set up in your fair city to that purpose. May I enter , or doth thou cast me out , to sleep amongst the wild wolves and monsters , that might be lurking in the shadows , just outside view of your magnificent walls?"
A puzzled look crosses the guards face.
"Ehh, say again?"
"Sigh... Got an inn in this jumble of bricks? I'm tired and hungry and looking for a place for the night."
"Sure ; The " Dragon's Hangover" is in the third street on the left. No messin' around here , or your stay will be in the cellars of the garrison. Good day sir."
<Crappy Sig...>
As the figure clad in purple silk clothes moves into the city a rumble can be heard just over the horizan as a merchant convey approches the fair fortress city ahead. The Guard turns his attention to the approching caravans, seven caravans in total. Two strong horses pull each caravan and one guard clad in breast plate rides silently alongside each.
As the first caravan approches into talking distance is crawls to a hault as the Garrision Gate Guard approches the first driver.
"Your buisness , sir." He asks again for the second time in the past few moments in his life.
"We bring supplies and goods from across the realm," The man says. "We travel from city to city selling our goods to local merchants." He explains at the guards confused glare.
"Very well, what have you to delcare?" The Guard says taking out a pad and ink pen.
"Twenty One Horses, Seven Guards, Seven Caravans, Seven Drivers and Four Others." The Driver says and watches as the guard drots down the notes.
"Four others?" He questions.
"Aye, Two Women and a child we found along the road, and a blind man who asked if we could give him a helping hand." The Driver explains.
The Guard glances down the line of caravans spotting the two women and the young child, clearly of the same family. 'Dreaded Tuskers' The Guard groans using the local term Tuskers for "Orcs" as he eyes the frightend faces of the three. 'Will they never cease to destroy the hopes and homes of the weak.'
A Silent nod of agreement is all the driver does.
"Where is this blind man?" The guard looks puzzeled.
"Oh he is back there. Somewhere, most annoying chap if I do say so myself." The Driver explains.
"Hey! Hey! I heard that!" Comes a cry from the rear of the troop as a middle aged man stumbles off the rear caravan and nearly falls face first into the dirt road. Standing barely 6ft tall the mans clothing is stylish but well worn, wearing a pink shirt and blue pants his eyes are covered with a length of white cloth. He grabs around the back of the caravan for some time before finding his favourite 'seeing' stick.
"I'll have you know im hardly as annoying as this man claims!" The Man walks forward swinging his stick wide infront of him hitting first the caravan then nothing, the caravan the nothing, the caravan then a near by guard in the shin who had just dismounted. Obilivious to the curse as the guard now moves around hopping on one leg holding his other high to his chest in a comical fasion. The Blindman stops to reconcider his course for a second, then moves directly towards a caravan.
"You fool! Stop!" a near by guard cries but its too late, a deafening thud is heard and the Gate Guard shudders and moves forward down the line to find the man laying flat on his back grumbling about 'how inconciderate people just leave caravans parked everywhere these days.'
The Guard lifts the man to his feet.
"State your bussiness Sir." He questions.
"My Bussiness? Well.." The man begins to ramble on about seeking adventure and proving himself a worthy person and how the blind have been descriminated against through out the ages. This carries on for a few minutes and the guard lets out a long winded sigh.
"Ok, Sir."
"But you see I really..." The Man continues and the guard is forced to grab him by the shoulders and shake his wits about him.
"Sir!" The guard nearly cries at the top of his voice.
"Why yes?"
"What is your name Sir?"
"Cadogan Trahem of Oakendale Shire."
"Thank you Sir." The guard moves down the road towards the gates and motions a young private forward leaving Cadogan to say 'you're welcome' to nothing but thin air.
"Private, take this Trahem fellow to the Dragon's Hangover and make sure the Inn Keep knows about his condition and special requirements." With a quick salute the private rushes up to Cadogan.
"This way Sir." He takes the man by the arm. "And err.. sir, if you dont mind me asking, why are you wearing Pink?"
"PINK!?! I'll have you know this is Rosey Peach! Atleast.. I was told it was..." was the last think the gate guard heard as the man and his private walked through the gate and into the city.
Last edited by Cadogan Trahem; 30th of January, 2002 at 04:15.
Dragon's Hangover
Cappucina is trying to work her way up to the bar counter, but there is quite a crowd. There always seems to be a good crowd here at the Dragon's Hangover. She tries to push her way through all the legs in front of her, but this is far too frustrating. She is tired of being jostled by the customers who don't bother to look down before they take a step. She spies a sturdy looking fellow, takes a few steps back, and runs right at him. She jumps, grabs his sleeve, kicks off against his shin, and in a few steps has scrambled up this guy and perches on his shoulder. "Thanks." she tells him. She starts hopping nimbly from one shoulder to the another headed right for the bar. One last jump from one last shoulder, and she lands with both feet on the counter. "The usual." she pipes up in her squeaky voice. When the bartender gives her an odd look, she laughs and tries to keep his attention so he will serve her before all these other people she just climbed over.
Then she smacks her forhead in an exaggerated "I'm so forgetful today" whack. She squeaks out, "Oh that's right. I just got here today! Do you have any rasberry brandy? Or not that then how about a nice lambic? And hey, excuse me, but what do people do for fun in your wonderful establishment? You know, dart games or dice or what not? You got a bard coming to sing tonight? Any entertainment?"
Last edited by cappucina; 31st of January, 2002 at 18:21.
The usual bussle of the Tavern draws to a quiet mutter as a strange pair of men walk through the door, a City Guard arms in arms with a man dressed in a Pink shirt, the guard sits the man down on a stool and quiet walks over and mutters something into the Keeps ear before the keep nods quietly and approches the man.
"HOW ARE YOU TODAY SIR?" He screams at the top of his lungs.
"Egads Man! Im Blind Not Deaf!!" Is the reply and the chorus of laughter around lives on the moment before going to a quiet mutter again.
"Very well Sir, what would you like?"
"Like? Well.." The man goes on about a list of things he would one day like, including world peace and a farm of his own.
"Sir! Sir! Thats all good and well, but what about a drink?"
"A Drink? Why on earth would I want a Drink in this.." the man sniffs the air. "..This... This... Where Am I? This place smells like a pig farm!" Another Chorus of laughter follows.
A heavily muscled dwarf grins at the newcomer's remark, his broad face showing large white teeth. He stands and clears a path to Cadogan moving humans, tables and other objects with equal ease.
"Aye, but smells can be decieving. The ale is better than what you'll find the swine drinking!"
The short dwarf utters a bark of laughter at his own joke and downs some of his drink. He puts a rough hand on Cadogan's elbow and steers him toward the bar.
"Have a drink on me, friend. Gralhruk is my name."
Having only just come to the city malimax inters the Dragons Hangover.
Entering the crowded bar malimax yearns for the taste of ale. The road has been long and the trail dust is thick in his throut. The humiliation of walking about the land instead of riding is only worsened by his lack of monitary funds. Sometimes good doesn't pay that well.
Quickly malimax touches the holy symbal hanging from his neck. "Forgive me pelor for my impure thoughts of monitary gain." he mumbles under his breath as he makes his way towards the bar.
Reaching down to stuff his belt pouch deeper into his wastband he silently curses to himsef "These places seem to breed the very vermon that would make off with a mans purse given the chance!"
"Hey there good man an ale if you please" awaiting his ale malimax leans with his back against the bar surveying the croud reaching out with his fealings, searching, for any evil that may suround him.
as a free action i scream
as a full round action i run in the opposie direction
if that doesn't work i scream again!
The Tinker
A few minutes after the last of the caravan has passed through the gates, a lone figure rides up on a cart pulled by a small, sorrel colored horse with blond main and tail. Crito, a small young man with raven black hair and dark brown eyes, hums a lively tune as he reigns in the horse in front of the gate. He brushes a lock of hair back from his eyes and addresses the guard.
"Goot day, sir. Can you direct me to a reputable Inn, pleass?"
The guard gives Crito directions to the Dragon's Hangover. Eyeing the jumble of pots, pans and other assorted equipment in the back of the cart, the guard warns Crito, "You'd better get yourself a license before you do any peddling around here, lad."
Crito sighs. "And I supposs it vill cost me, eh? Vhere do I get dis license?"
The guard chuckles. "Of course it'll cost. See the clerk in the town center. It won't be that bad." He waves Crito through.
"Vell", Crito says, "I vill get da license. You need anythin' fixed, buckles, harnesses, vhatever, you come see me. I gif you goot price. You got mice? I haf goot mice traps."
Crito flips the reigns and clucks at the horse. He starts humming the tune again as he heads into town. May as well get settled at the Inn first, grab a bite and then see about that license.
He eyes the Dragon's Hangover with a bit of skepticism. Reputable? Well, doesn't look like much choice around here. He hitches the horse to the rails outside the Inn, ties down the canvas tarp over the back of the cart and heads inside to make arrangements.
Inside the place seems friendly. Lots of laughter. Some customer, apparently a blind man, seems to have just told a good joke from the way people are looking towards him and laughing while another customer, a dwarf buys him a drink. Crito smiles and heads over to the innkeeper.
In a dusky and grimy alley Megamieuwsel trods along the filth and refusal of the town's households.
It's not , what one could call "the well-off side of town" , he's in; Cracked walls , rotten wood for doors , creacking windows and , if one cared looking up , roofs of disputable weather-resistance. The folk , scurrying around , doesn't look too rich either ; rags and tags and filth being their latest "fashion-statement".
"O great! Praise my marvelous direction sense! Got me completely lost again.
Well , that and my astounding recall..."
A bitter smile crosses his face ,as he pats his mule on the neck.
"Fair lady ," he adresses a plump matrone , interrupting her , doing some household-chores , involving a bucket of human disposal, "I was directed to the fair inn , called "The Dragon's Hangover" , but unfortunately , I lost my way. Could you , from the kindness of your heart , tell me where to find this locale?"
"Information eh?" cackles the fat hag "That's five gropers for starters and I'm cuttin' ya slack , for being new here in this hellhole."
She spits to the side , releasing some brownish goo , she's been chewing on previously.
"Well , that and b'cause you're kinda good-lookin'" she adds with a wink.
"Ehh.... gropers? Excuse me , but what are these? I'm rather unfamiliar with that name. Are they some sort of coin?"
"Some sort of coin? HAHAHAHAHA... What else do you think , slumpy? Gotta feed that good-fer-nuthing man of me somehow. Life's hard down here , y'know..
I'm talking five of those nice shiny , round , good-fer-a-munch copper pieces and add one tho the price for that extra info , cutie-pie.
Now hurry , man. Ya want to find that inn or not? I haven't got all day , y'know."
"Six coppers total it will be , mylady , let's see...."
Rummaging in his pouch , Megamieuwsel is unable to lokate the required six coppers amongst the few golds and silvers in there , so he just pulls out a random coin and hands it to the woman.
A golden Obool...
<Crappy Sig...>
On track again...
"Sorry madam , I don't have any smaller. Nothing bigger either , I'm afraid. I hope you'll settle for this one..."
The woman's eyes bulge to the point of nearly dropping from her head , seeing this big golden disk , resting in her grimey palm.
Recomposing herself quickly , she slaps the tall man on the *ahem* "lower part of his back" and with a broad smile , she cackles:
"Wowsers man! Not only did ya buy yaself the info , you'd get a save-pass and one of my sons takin' ya there as well.
OK boys! ",she calls over her shoulder, "Let go off ; no muggin' of this one today."
Two gargantuan ,unshaven and heavily muscled men appear seemingly out of nowhere. Their faces aren't exactly showing the brightest of minds , but one could dispute , wether they needed that , taking the big , two feet long knifes in their hands.
"See [i]this[\i]?" the woman shows the Obool to the ugliest of the two , "This gentleman just made sure , we got beef on the table tonight. Now , YOU go and show him to tha draguns hanguver and make sure no other buggers kick his junk , gottit?
Laddy here show ya the way , sire. Wish ya a really good day."
And with those words , the hag turns her back to Megamieuwsel , taking the other thug by the ear , into a house.
"And you are to go with me to the market , young fella. you're to carry the stuff and...."
The ugly , and admittingly rather unwashed , giant exclaims:
"Me lead. You follow."Then turns around and starts walking.
{{OOC.-DUH! had to cut the post in two....-OOC}}
<Crappy Sig...>
Dragon's Hangover
Cappucina is aware that the bartender's attention has wandered and is paying no more attention to her numerous questions. Actually, he is wandering, right out from behind the bar toward the front of his dark, musty smelling establishment. In fact, the whole crowd has turned around to observe the newest two patrons. One is a guard. Guard! Aw fiddlesticks. Cappucina still standing on the bar, ducks down behind the heads and shoulders of the crowd. She observes from cover as the bartender, Her bartender!, goes to cow tow to authority.
In fact, all of the attention of the crowd soon becomes focused a blind man and the guard. The blind guy has a bit of an attitude. Interesting. He also wears a pink shirt and this gets Cappucina thinking.
While everyone is distracted, she jumps across the counter to the shelves and pulls herself off a pretty bottle of something dark brown and sparkly. She finds a sort of clean large glass and pours the sparkly liquid all the way to the top. She then returns the bottle where it came from.
As soon as the bartender looks like he is returning to his duties, Cap scoots down off the bar and into the crowd legs with her cocktail. She weaves her way through the sea of legs and toward the man with the pink shirt. She doesn't have to go far before she runs into him as he was on his way, led by a dwarf, to the bar. She starts tugging on his sleeve. "Excuse me. Excuse me! Here is the drink you ordered Sir. Our very finest! A double or a triple beverage perhaps. On the house." she squeaks as she maneuvers the glass into his hands.
Now that she has his attention, she asks him some questions. She pipes, "Excuse me. Excuse me again sir! You are blind right? That must be troublesome. And you are a traveler right? Like me? But, I go places to see the sights. Why do you travel from place to place? And you travel alone? How can you trust strangers you meet and then depend on for food and shelter in all the new places you go? Can you tell a gold coin from a silver coin from a copper? They are all the same size! How do you know if someone trys to give you the wrong change? How do you keep your own coins straight so that if something costs two silvers you don't by mistake give over two golds?"
Dragon's Hangover
The Dragon's Hangover is a busy establishment tonight as several caravans have entered the city during the day. A continuous trickle of people in those caravans have asked the gate guard about where they might find an inn or a drink. This guard directs them to his brother's establishment for a 10% kickback. He always adds that this is the only place in town.
It's located on one of the dirtiest streets in the seediest part of town. The regulars are a bunch of skuzzy looking thugs and drunks. There always seems to be a pickpocket or two in the crowd, looking for an easy mark.
The establishment itself takes up the first floor of a two story building. The tavern is large and made of wood and stone. At the far end is a long dark wood counter with a half barrel sink and shelves full of various bottles, mugs, and glasses behind. Thick brown water fills the half barrel. It is a makeshift sink. The brown water is the dishwater, and it hasn't been replenished for quite some days and has a sludge and muck on the bottom one ince thick.
One one side of the door to the place are some small tables with two, three, or four chairs around them and a fireplace. On the other side is a lone long table with over a dozen chairs around it. On this side of the room are also some dartboards with room for a game and along the wall a staircase leads to the upper floor and guest's rooms. Between the stairwell and the end of the bar counter is a door to the kitchen. Most noticible of all the various decorations in the place is the strange chandelier. It is made up of hundreds of huge horns and bones and extends from one end of the long room to the other. Candles and lanterns are placed among it in a random fashion, casting light here and there, in the otherwise dark and dank practically windowless room.
Two men sit smoking strong, cheaply grown and poorly dried stinkpipeweed in large rounded pipes. They don't talk or anything, just puff and puff. The smoke from these noxious stinkpots has evaded the air and permeates everything. There are thick blue lines of smoke hovering just at 6'3" off the floor, swirling about at exactly this height from some strange combination of air pressure and draughts. This thick swirling smoke is visible from underneath, anyone standing with their heads in it's eyes start to water and ache like crazy. And sting like mad. Shorter customers don't get bothered that much by the smoke.
Cadogan is suprised to find himself being ushered through the crowd by a small fellow with a rather deep throaty voice introducing himself as Gralhruk.
"Thank you thank you!" Cadogan exlaims as he finds himself sitting on a bar and Gralhruk ordering him a drink he doesn't want but he continues to smile and nod politely. Before long a squeakly little voice jumps upon Cadogan.
"Excuse me. Excuse me again sir! You are blind right? That must be troublesome. And you are a traveler right? Like me? But, I go places to see the sights. Why do you travel from place to place? And you travel alone? How can you trust strangers you meet and then depend on for food and shelter in all the new places you go? Can you tell a gold coin from a silver coin from a copper? They are all the same size! How do you know if someone trys to give you the wrong change? How do you keep your own coins straight so that if something costs two silvers you don't by mistake give over two golds?"
"Arggh! What Manner of Beast are you! Back Back!!" Cadogan swings his favourite 'seeing' stick back and forth... rather too high to hit the Halfling infront of him but just high enough to hit a few heads and drinks around the bar.
Its not long before he has composed himself and he gradually moves the stick lower, and lower, and lower. *Tap*
"Ah! Found you." He mumbles. "Now.. what was it you wanted?" The halfling goes into a flurry of questions.
"Slower! Slower!!" Cadogan taps the halfling on the head with his stick. The halfling recites the questions one by one. Cadogan nods, smiles politely and answers.
"Aye, im blind but troublesome nay. I like to travel yes, but sights are not one of the reasons I do so." chuckles from around the tavern follow. "I travel to prove myself just as capable as any man!" A Round of Huzzahs roar through the bar. "Alone I travel, but not by choice, you see no one really seems to stick with me long." Cadogan frowns. "They dont seem to like me much."
"Food has been a problem, but so long as I can locate a road I can locate a town, and once I locate a town I can locate an Inn or Market and once I locate and Inn or Market I can locate Food! Rather simple you see." The bar falls silent.
"Err... well anyway moving on. I can feel the difference between coins, their shape, size and weight are all different you see, not so much different that you or even Gralhruk here can notice, but me, I can tell the difference from experience." Cadogan explains, and much to his amazement he hears people all around him fetch coins and fiddle with them trying to see if what he says is true no doubt.
The halfling pulls Cadogan's seeing stick away from his hand and replaces it with a glass so fast that Cadogan is struck with true terror. He jumsp to his feet before he stumbles around the bar blindly trying to locate his stick (which is strung to his arm by a peice of leather) screaming.
"Im Blind! Im Blind!"
Its not long before Cadogan is settled down by Grulhruk and the Halfling fellow and a Big Fellow trods through the door followed by a man clad in purple. The bar goes quiet at the two new entries before a Sentry comes charging through.
"Tuskers! Tuskers! They've breached the North Walls! Every able man To Arms! To Arms!" Before he charges out the door and down the road screaming the same warning as he goes.
The bar jumps into life, as every man, and some women jump to their feat and draw their weapons and charge through the door, leaving alone the Dwarf, Halfling, Purple Clad man, and the Blind man who had entertained the bar for so long.
"Oh Tuskers!" Exclaims the blind man, before turning to Gralhruk and whispering. "who or what are tuskers?"
"Rakhâs!. Orcs!"
The dwarf spits the words out distastefully, his face plainly showing his feelings for the beasts.
"Town's been having trouble with them, tryin' to loot where they can. Looks like they're back. The guard's been sayin' it's nothing, but I'm thinking there's somethin' bigger behind it. They're a bit too organized, workin' a bit too well together for my liking."
"I'm Cappucina. And you are?" she asks the blind man and the Dwarf after she introduces herself. Moments after the introductions, someone starts shouting for Tuskers. Cap can't see through all the legs as she is on the floor again. Quite a lot of people are named Tuskers, because most of the patrons stream right out the door. "I don't know anyone named Tuskers. It is a nice sounding name though. Tuskers. Hey! A free chair!" Cap drags it over to stand on.
Cappucina is a female halfling. She has chin length straight thick black hair, black eyes, a little round nose and a small but pointy chin. Right now, a large handful from the front and top of her hair is pulled up and held together by a band right over her forhead. The result, it looks like she is wearing a hair umbrella as the last two inches of ends spray out in a neat circle.
Last edited by cappucina; 2nd of February, 2002 at 16:45.
"well now the quiet is some welcome,no?" Malimax says to the small group left in the bar as he picks up his mug and walks towards toh group. "I do say I have seldom seen quite a sight as what is now before my eyes!! A blind man who trusts Dwarves to lead the way yet has been missled on the very collor of his shirt. A halfling who as far as I could tell has yet to steel anything from a blind man. And last but not least you fine fellow in purple." extending his hand in the common handshake of the land malimax talks directly to the man in purple " The name is malimax son and worshiper of Pelor, new to town as you might tell, could I buy you a drink and possibly bend your ear good fellow" (OOC; use class feature detect evil on the charcters in the bar. concentrate first on the man in purple) "After all I see no need to rush off in chase of what is most certainly 90% panic and 10% tusker do you?"
as a free action i scream
as a full round action i run in the opposie direction
if that doesn't work i scream again!
A halfling who as far as I could tell has yet to steel anything from a blind man Cappucina hands go right to her hips and she starts stomping on the chair she stands on in a terrible pout.
"Hey! Heeeyyyy! Sir. I am offended by your comments about Dwarves and halflings. You must be biased toward the shorter races. Also, mister, it's rude to stare! Didn't your dad Pelor raise you to have manners?" (said to Malimax with a shake of the fist as he does his detect evil inspection of them all).
"Do you think we should help with that Orc attack or what?" asked of everyone left in the tavern.
Crito doesn't even have a chance to get his food order in before some guardsmen runs in screaming something about "tuskers". In a flash, the Inn is practically emptied out except for the female staff and patrons plus a few stragglers, including the blind man and dwarf, who appear to be out-of-towners like himself.
The strangers are drifting together, starting to make introductions. The dwarf explains to the blind man that "tuskers" are orcs. A man who introduces himself as Malimax comments that there's no need to rush off.
Crito looks at the array of weapons and armor being carried by most of the group.
"Da... Ya, no need to go rushin' off right away. Anyvun need blades sharpened? Armor straps or buckles repaired? Crito's my name. I fix. I do goot work, gif goot price. You be ready for tusker orcs, right?"
Crito lifts his mug in salute to the group.
Cadogan jumps to his feat.
"been missled on the very collor of his shirt!?" His face goes bright red and turns towards the sound of the man who spoke the words. "Missled! Missled! I'll have you know this is Rosey Peach! And i'll hear nothing otherwise!" Cadogan pauses for a moment and visually calms down, raises his seeing stick and pokes about, casually tracing the outline of the man, from arms up shoulds and over head before going back down again.
"You're...errr.. Alot Larger then I would have thought." Cadogan lowers his seeing stick to his side.
"I'll have all present know Im quite a capable man!" He raises his finger to his chin for a moment. "And to prove it..." Cadogan reaches down and feels for his back pack. Finding it he undoes the strap and feels inside pulling out what at first appears to be a large metal dinner plate, a large metal dinner plate... with straps? He ties the straps onto his arm.
"And to prove it, im going to find me some... err.. Tuskers!" He grabs his backpack and secures it before putting it on, he reachs down to a pouch on his side, reachs in and pulls out some items too small for someone to see and begins to speak in a strange, almost inhuman language (Spellcraft check DC 17 - Extended Mage Armour) before there is a quick flash of magical energies. He stands idle for a moment to make sure his spell is in place before heading in the general direction of the door. Pausing once he has found it.
"Care to watch?" He has a smug little smile on his face, but truely is scared out of is wits, if it wasn't for his shaking voice, hands, legs, and well most of him, you would assume he was actually brave.
"my loud voise and strait ahead speach have once again given the wrong idea" malimax sayes as he pulls his longsowrd from it's sheith "Ralley around the blind man one and all!! Let these tuskers feal the power of the dwarven axe! Come along little one, I have no hatred for the shorter races , only respect for quick hands and clever minds. Warriors one and all feal the power of Pelor (ooc: aura of courage) al you prepare for battle." Malimax heads for the door, but as he does so he passe close enough to the blind man to give him ample opportunity to follow in his wake. Giving the blind man opportunity to be led without making it appear that he would need any such help.
as a free action i scream
as a full round action i run in the opposie direction
if that doesn't work i scream again!
"Well, I'm not one to stand around and watch folks get butchered but defending the town is guard work. Let'em earn their pay, I say. No need to go running off to defend us, Cadogan, I can see you'd make a dangerous foe."
He takes another drink and thumbs his axe thoughtfully. His voice drops to a low grumble, barely audible.
"Why not trust a dwarf to lead? Power of a dwarven axe. Bah, I'll show you the power of a dwarven kick in the behind. Humans, always running off first and asking questions later . . . "
He trails off, muttering curses in his own language. A quick tug and his axe pops out of it's belt sheath. He deftly catches the heavy thing with one-hand and lobs it over to Crito.
"Here you go; I'll double your price if you can improve the edge on that. Hasn't been the same since I dinted ol' Marek's helm last week."
A half-second too late, Crito grabs at the flying axe. Jamming a finger painfully into the haft, Crito watches helplessly as the heavy object falls straight down on his foot.
Luckily, only the blunt part of the axehead struck his foot. Crito shakes his hand and, muttering, bends over to pick up the axe. He examines the fine workmanship of the masterwork item with a critical eye.
"A find piece of work. I make sharp, you slice hair into t'ree strips wit' it." Crito grins at Gralhruk. "My stone is outside. Come, ve sharpen and maybe ve see vat goes on out t'ere."
Crito carries the axe outside to his cart, trying unsuccessfully not to limp. He unties the tarp and pulls a miniature, table-top sized whetstone wheel device into position at the edge of the cart bed. With a quick glance to see where Gralhruk is standing, Crito turns his back to the dwarf and utters a few strange words with a quick gesture. He presses the miniature pedal once to get the wheel moving and saying something in his language that sounds like a command, he fills the water trough in the device, picks up the axe and begins the sharpening. The wheel continues to spin on its own.
Working diligently and carefully for a few minutes, Crito brings the edge to the peak of sharpness. He stops the wheel with his hand, again speaking a few words in his native tongue, and hands the axe back to Gralhruk.
"T'ere you go. Goot as new. I usually charge t'ree coppers for t'at. You vant to go test it out? Maybe ve see vat t'e blind man is doin'."
Crito looks to see where the commotion is, trying to spot the others from the Inn. Once he and Gralhruk start moving away, the stone sharpening device slides back into the middle of the cart and the tarp seems to tie itself back into place as the Unseen Servant does its bidding before silently slipping off to follow Crito.
Last edited by Crito; 2nd of February, 2002 at 08:34.
As the two peer back at the inn, they spy a man walking up, wearing a long sleeved white shirt noticeably too large, a dark green cloak and matching hat with a large white feather shoved into the band, and simple brown pants and boots. On his back, under the cloak is obviously a pack of some sort, to which a large wooden shield and quarterstaff have been strapped. A dagger sits on his left hip, while a club hangs from his right, and a small pouch sits above it. The man is yelling loudly, and it takes you a moment to figure out that he is conversing with his hand.
"..No, I don't care what you think! ........ Really? Well same to you, buster!!......... Aww.. don't be that way......... Look, is this the place? Well? Is it?"
He raises his arm, palm open and facing the sign for the Dragon's Hangover.
".. It is? Finally!.. about time I found this place....... No, shut up, I was not lost, merely exploring. Seeing what there was to see. Now quiet, you."
He then shoves his hand into a pouch on his belt, and tilts his hat up, nearly dislodging a large white feather stuck into the hat, and revealing an odd sight. The man's hair, pulled back into a ponytail, and his beard are both the same green as his hat and cloak.
Throwing open the door, and startling a paladin that was just about to open it, he strolls inside and just begins speaking to no one in particular.
"I am Second Talon. .... someone's supposed to meet me, right?"
Looking at the very confused faces of the other patrons, Second's bright and happy smile slowly melts away, and the man looks as though he is on the verge of tears.
"Guess not..."
Suddenly brightening up, he remarks "Hey, you guys'll work anyway. So... how is everyone?"
"Anyone want to follow?" Hooo yes I want to watch the blind man fight orcs with his seeing stick. That would be something new. Cap follows the blind man to the doorway of the tavern and is all set to go out to watch him fight along with Pelor's illmannered son when she gets distracted by the Dwarf. He can't seem to make up him mind whether to go or stay and ends up hiring another fellow to sharpen his ax. Cap ends up following those two instead and watches with interest as the ax is gone over carefully and the unseen servant tidies up. Maybe I'll have to introduce my unseen servant to that unseen servant. They could get to be good friends! They both have so much in common. Both unseen. Both servants.
Baskets and pouches and large wrapped up packages fill the tin tinkerers cart. Conveniently, there is also a large tarp covering the whole interior from anyone else's prying eyes. Cappucina is under that tarp among all Crito's professional belongings and starts to rummage. The most intersting (to her) thing she finds is a beautful green felt bundle with a satin ribbon holding it together. She unwraps it. Inside are tiny tinpunched stars, trees, and other various figures. Each figure has patterns of hundreds of tiny punches visible when light is shining through them. Cap has seen these decoratations on the fancier lanterns people choose for finer homes and sometimes just hung in front of windows as free standing decoration. She peruses through the various figures, picks the one she likes the best, and shoves it in a pocket.
She crawls from under the tarp down under the wagon quick like a spider. From under the wagon, she looks all around to make sure no one can see her, then slipping from shadow to shadow she makes her way back into the Dragon's Hangover unnoticed by all who remain.
She walks up to the accented tin master and starts tugging on his sleeve until she gets his attention, "Excuse me! Excuse me Sir! Is this for sale?" She pulls out the decoration and gets ready to haggle.
Her attention is immediately distracted by the latest newcomer to walk into the bar. Crikey. His hair is green! She puts the tin decoration into her belt pouch in the middle of the haggling and wanders off and over to the green haired man. "Excuse me sir," she tugs on his sleeve, "Did you know your hair is green? It must be hard to go unnoticed if your hair is green. You can't just slip into a crowd and dissappear when your hair is green can you? Or, say, someone with green hair breaks a law and the guards are looking for a guy with green hair. They will stop you for sure. You have to always be real careful not to get into any trouble I bet, with green hair you can't get away with much? Is that right? Why is it green like that?"
Last edited by cappucina; 2nd of February, 2002 at 18:44.
"Gralhruk you say these Orcs have been causing problems? Too much organisation you say? Interesting indeed." Cadogan thinks aloud from the door way.
"I thought Orcs would stick to small nomadic tribes... and only attack human farms on the outskirts of any major city, and always at night." He swings his stick around trying to locate a chair and when he does he sits down and continues.
"So why I wonder, would these Orcs attack a major fortified city... in the middle of the day?" Cadogan reaches up and scratches his face. "And from what we've heard they have larger numbers, or else I doubt the guards would alert the locals and spread panic." Despite the cloth across his eyes, its obvious Cadogan has become quite composed in rational thought.
"Interesting, Interesting. Interesting Indeed." He mumbles to himself. However his concentration is broken as a city guard stumbles through the door, holding a bloodied sword in one hand he cradles a deep wound that has cut right through his breastplate. He takes a few steps and stumbles to one knee.
|Thread Tools


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I am often asked questions regarding Master Gardeners and, with a new class for this program beginning next month, thought that I would offer a little insight into this terrific program.
I am often asked questions regarding Master Gardeners and, with a new class for this program beginning next month, thought that I would offer a little insight into this terrific program.
The Extension Master Gardener program, conducted throughout the United States and Canada, is a two-part educational effort, in which avid gardeners are provided 40 hours of intense home horticulture training, and in return they �pay-back� local university extension agents through volunteerism. Extension Master Gardeners assist with garden lectures, exhibits, demonstrations, school and community gardening, phone diagnostic service, research and many other projects. There is no better way to promote gardening in your community.
A master gardener is first and foremost a volunteer. In exchange for horticulture training, we agree to volunteer 40 hours the first year and at least 20 hours in subsequent years on local university extension-approved programs and opportunities. Master gardeners must also dedicate some additional hours every year to continuing education, which is an excellent way to stay on top of new and developing trends.
After the initial training, master gardeners are free to spend their volunteer and continuing education hours on almost anything they want, as long as it is extension approved. I know some gardeners who spend hour after hour preparing, tending and promoting public gardens and the demonstration gardens at the Craven County Agricultural Building off Clarks Road. Other volunteer opportunities include going on plant digs, talking at senior centers and to school children, planting and harvesting veggies for the local food bank, planting bulbs at the airport and many other worthwhile projects.
The demonstration gardens at the Craven County Agriculture building grounds began in 1988. As with all landscapes, the gardens are constantly evolving. Not all plants have survived our unique Eastern N.C. climate, but in many ways our plant failures provide as much information for local homeowners as do our successes. Most of the gardens you see on the site receive little or no supplemental water. So, most anything you see there will also grow in your yard.
Being a master gardener isn�t for everyone, but it is an impressive example of what can happen when a group of gardeners joins forces. It�s also a fabulous resource for the general public. For years people have been told to check with their local extension offices for gardening questions specific to their areas. Extensions are designed to help serve the public. After all, those are your tax dollars at work. By the way, the number for the Craven County Cooperative Extension office is 633-1477.
Don�t be afraid to check out the master gardener program in Craven County. The next training program begins on Feb. 11, but you must sign up. Please call the number above for details or to sign up. There is a small fee to cover staff time and materials needed. Extension offices aren�t trying to profit from these classes, and you�re likely to get some amazing resources you couldn�t buy anywhere.
Judi Lloyd lives in River Bend and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Researchers use oxygenated phosphine fumigation to control insect pests
A fumigant called phosphine is more effective at controlling insects when it's combined with oxygen, according to findings by a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist. The oxygen-phosphine combination could be an environmentally friendly alternative to methyl bromide for combating pests on harvested fruits and vegetables.
Entomologist Yong-Biao Liu with USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Salinas, Calif., found that oxygenated phosphine fumigation effectively controlled several insect pests during laboratory studies. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency, and this research supports the USDA priority of promoting international food security.
In the ARS Crop Improvement and Protection Research Unit at Salinas, Liu tested phosphine fumigation under high levels of oxygen against four pests: western flower thrips adults and larvae, leafminer pupae, grape mealybug eggs, and Indianmeal moth eggs and pupae. The four species represent insect types and life stages for which quarantine treatments are needed.
In 5-hour fumigations with 1,000 parts per million of phosphine at 41 degrees Fahrenheit, control of western flower thrips on lettuce increased from 80 percent to 98 percent when oxygen was increased from 21 percent to 40 percent. When the oxygen level was increased to 80 percent, 99 percent of the western flower thrips were killed.
Western flower thrips are a common pest of fruits and vegetables in the United States and are often found on fresh products exported to Taiwan, where it is a quarantined pest. Currently, fresh fruits and vegetables exported to Taiwan are fumigated with methyl bromide to control western flower thrips, but use of methyl bromide is being phased out due to environmental concerns.
Liu used varying concentrations of oxygen at 41 degrees F and 50 degrees F and found that oxygenated phosphine fumigation was also effective in controlling leafminer pupae, grape mealybug eggs, and Indianmeal moth eggs and pupae.
Phosphine has been used for more than 80 years as a fumigant to control pests in stored products. It acts slowly against insects. Many insects, especially at egg and pupal stages, are very tolerant of phosphine, and it may take more than 10 days of fumigation treatment to control them. The new treatment would help speed up this process and control insects more quickly.
Read more about this research in the July 2012 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.
Explore further


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La Liga: Barcelona claim title after Espanyol hold Real Madrid
Barcelona claimed a fourth La Liga title in five years without kicking a ball after Real Madrid drew 1-1 at Espanyol.
Last Updated: 12/05/13 8:09am
Espanyol powered into the lead thanks Christian Stuani's strike but though Gonzalo Higuain equalised in the second half, Jose Mourinho's defending champions slipped seven points behind their rivals with only two games left.
Tito Vilanova's side travel to Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao took a giant step towards sealing their Primera Division status after overcoming nine-man Real Mallorca 2-1 at San Mames.
Aritz Aduriz gave the hosts an early lead but then missed a penalty after Andreu Fontas was sent off on 25 minutes.
Fernando Llorente doubled the advantage late in the second half but Mallorca forward Giovani Dos Santos made for an exciting finish by netting a superb goal two minutes later.
However, Mallorca's hopes of snatching a late equaliser were struck a blow in injury time when Ximo Navarro was also sent off for a second booking and Athletic were able to hold on.
Osasuna also moved closer to survival when Alejandro Arribas struck a second-half winner in their 1-0 victory over Getafe.
Arribas netted 16 minutes from time as Osasuna ended a five-match winless streak with a deserved triumph that moves them four points above third-bottom Deportivo La Coruna, who lost 1-0 at Real Valladolid earlier in the day.
While Saturday's result could help save Osasuna's Primera Division status, it was a blow to Getafe's hopes of getting into Europe next season.
Valladolid are guaranteed top-flight status for another season after their win.
Javi Guerra struck three minutes into the second half to score the only goal of the game and take his team onto 43 points, 11 ahead of the Galicians, who still occupy the final relegation spot.
The game was a tight affair from start to finish, with neither side taking many risks and few openings appearing.
After a first half of no clear chances, the home side made the decisive breakthrough four minutes into the second period.
Patrick Ebert swung in a corner into the six-yard box and Guerra showed great technique to backheel the ball into the net.


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Indian Recipes Collection with more than 1000 Indian Recipes
Indian Recipes Site made for Indian food lovers. Wide variety of Indian recipes for anyone who loves hot & spicy Indian food. We have more than 1000 Indian recipes carefully chosen by Expert Indian chefs.
Indian Recipes with a wide range of Indian Recipes for Indian food lovers. Download our Indian Recipes e-book for a huge collection of Indian Recipes. Great variety of delicious Indian recipes for anyone who loves spicy food. Carefully chosen Indian Recipes by Expert Indian chefs. Over 1000 Indian recipes to choose.
More About Indian Recipes
Indian recipe is popular among spicy food lovers. This site provides you with Indian Recepies to make Curries of your choice.
This site offers Free Indian recipes Indian food lovers like to have. Step-by-step instructions to make delicious Indian recipes . Spicy and Non-spicy recipes for India food lovers.
Group of spicy recipes India by categories. Remember, most of the Indian foods are spicy. There are non spicy recip es as well.
We have included regional Indian cooking recipes like Punjabi recipes, Gujarati recipes, Bengali recipes, South Indian recipes, Chicken recipes Indian style, Indian Vegetarian recipes, Indian curry recipes, Kerala recipes for kerala cooking, tamil cooking recipes, North Indian recipes, Indian veg recipes, dosa recipes, paneer recipe. Authentic Indian recipes include vegetable korma, Indian sweets recipes, aloo palak, indian snacks recipes, Indian chicken curry recipes.
The section of Vegetarian India recipe contains Paneer recipes, aloo recipes, korma recipe, samosa, sambar, palak recipe, vegetable biryani, masala recipe, idly, indian mushroom recipes, indian recipes spinach, indian chinese recipes, healthy indian recipes, indian eggplant recipes, indian snack recipes
Popular India food Biryani is located in the Rice section under Biryani recipe. In India cooking of biryani is very popular during muslim wedding ceremonies.
Indian curry is popular among many who like to have a hot and spicy food. The term Khana in Hindi means food. Indian snacks are very apetizing. Special Indian cookery is not required to prepare this. Wide range of Indian desserts to choose includes payasam, pradhaman and many popular Indian dessert recipes. Indian Recipies are very similar to pakistani recipes. Pakistan food is also popular among Indian food lovers living abroad. Pakistani food lovers mostly like to have north indians food instead of south indian food. Pakistani cooking styles are very common to Indian cooking.
Indian bread recepies include Naan bread. Get naan recipe from Roti & Breads.
Common Chicken recipes Indian food lovers like to try best Indian recipes butter chicken. Indian fish recipes section will give your wide range of hot and spicy Indian Fish curry.
Indian dishes recipes make Indian food are very colorful. Hindu food is normally considered as Indian vegetarian food. You can download an E-book of Indian cookbook. Please follow the link above. The numerous recipes for indian food has gained a lot in India's food varieties. Simple Indian recipes Indian cuisine lovers. Indian sweet recipes make a colorful range of India's food - Indian dessert.
We have also added microwave indian recipes, indian bread recipes, indian breakfast recipes, south indian vegetarian recipes, indian cabbage recipes, south indian chicken recipes, vegan indian recipes, indian cookery recipes, indian shrimp recipes, south indian cooking recipes, indian vegetable recipes, traditional indian recipes, indian non veg recipes, indian lamb recipes, quick indian recipes, indian desert recipes, indian recipes cauliflower, south indian food recipes, indian recipe vegetarian, indian recipe south.
This collection has recently expanded with indian foods recipe, ancient indian recipes, low fat indian recipes, indian chutney recipes, indian dal recipes, indian mutton recipes, indian snack, indian egg recipes, indian pudding recipes, indian recipes desserts, vegetarian indian food recipes, indian chinese food recipes, southern indian recipes, indian vegetarian recipes, indian salad recipes, indian soup recipes,indian lentil recipes, indian non vegetarian recipes, indian cuisine recipes, indian party recipes, thosa, lowfat indian recipes, chicken indian recipe, indian recipe sweet, indian fry bread recipe, indian cuisine recipe, chicken curry indian recipe, indian north recipe, chinese indian recipe, bread indian recipe and Much more...
We are improving the Indian Recipes section by adding more quality recipes.
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|Oracle Call Interface Programmer's Guide
Release 2 (9.2)
Part Number A96584-01
More OCI Relational Functions, 92 of 106
Prepares a transaction with multiple branches in a single call.
sword OCITransMultiPrepare ( OCISvcCtx *svchp, ub4 numBranches, OCITrans **txns, OCIError **errhp);
The service context handle.
The number of branches expected. It is also the array size for the next two parameters.
The array of transaction handles for the branches to prepare. They should all have the OCI_ATTR_XID set. The global transaction ID should be the same.
The array of error handles. If OCI_SUCCESS is not returned, then these will indicate which branches received which errors.
Prepares the specified global transaction for commit. This call is valid only for distributed transactions. This call is an advanced performance feature intended for use only in situations where the caller is responsible for preparing all the branches in a transaction.
Copyright © 1996, 2002 Oracle Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.


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To achieve its goal of blasting through 60 feet of concrete with a bomb exploding at 200 feet underground, Boeing's Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) team just won a prestigious prize.
The group's recognition with the William J. Perry award was delivered by the Precision Strike Association to honor "one of the Secretary of Defense's number one weapons program s."
At over 20 feet in length and weighing 30,000 pounds, the MOP is a precision guided bomb whose first successful test in 2007 led to an Air Force order for eig ht more worth $28 million in April 2011.
One of the requirements of Boeing and Lockheed Martin's next generation bomber is to accommodate the MOP as the B-52 does now.
Massive bombs like the MOP are part of the U.S.'s initiative to decrease dependence on nuclear weapons as a deterrent.


text:
Qt: Session management error: Could not open network socket
QMutex::lock: Deadlock detected in thread -1241241936
使用这个方法需要sux工具 (http://fgouget.free.fr/sux/sux-readme.shtml)。sux工具在大多数发行版上是可用的。当然你也可以参考下一篇 normal shell without sux 的文档。sux可以让您用一种干净而简洁的方式在切换到其他用户帐号时隐式地管理X转发(认证和显示输出)。登录时请输入
sux - kde-devel
启动KDE 4应用程序最简单的方法是用su作为kde-devel用户登录,然后从命令行简单启动。登录,输入
su - kde-devel
export DISPLAY=:0
sudo xhost +local:kde-devel
Although your X server should accept incoming TCP connections, this is often switched off as a distribution default (like with Kubuntu Feisty). When using kdm you must edit /etc/kde3/kdm/kdmrc as root and make sure it does not contain:
ServerArgsLocal=-nolisten tcp
Once you have fixed this, you will need to restart your X server. The xhost command should no longer return an "unable to open display" error.
For convenience, you should put this in the Autostart of your regular user. To do this, create a new file in the $HOME/.kde/Autostart directory of your regular user with the following content:
#! /bin/sh
xhost +local:kde-devel
确保新文件是可执行的,对他执行chmod +x。If you'd like to find out more about the security issues involved with using xhost,详见此文
The simplest way to run a KDE 4 application with SSH in your current desktop environment is to get an X-aware shell prompt as the kde-devel user like this:
ssh -X kde-devel@localhost
The two lines can be conveniently combined:
ssh -X kde-devel@localhost kwrite
ssh-keygen -t rsa
连续三次回车以接受这个路径~/.ssh/id_rsa,不填任何东西。Now, copy the single line in ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub that's printed after running this command:
cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
After that line is copied, ssh back into the kde-devel user and put the copied line in the file $HOME/.ssh/authorized_keys:
ssh -X kde-devel@localhost $HOME/kde/bin/kwrite \ $HOME/.ssh/authorized_keys
Paste in the line, save the file, and quit KWrite. Now try running KWrite again with the same SSH command; you shouldn't have to enter a password anymore:
ssh -X kde-devel@localhost $HOME/kde/bin/kwrite
|无密码SSH登录有一定 安全隐患,取保你~/.ssh/id_rsa文件的安全性,要限制接触可以做如下操作:
chmod og-xrw ~/.ssh/id_rsa
If you want to be able to launch apps more easily than running them with an SSH command from the command line, one way is to create .desktop files that ssh into the other account.
|This will only be useful if your desktop environment supports .desktop files, but at least KDE and GNOME do.
You can start with an existing .desktop file as a template (like one from your desktop) or you can make one from scratch. The main idea is to prefix the command being run with this string:
ssh -X kde-devel@localhost $HOME/kde/bin/
[Desktop Entry]
Exec=ssh -X kde-devel@localhost /home/kde-devel/kde/bin/kwrite %U
GenericName=Text Editor
Name=KWrite (kde-devel)
|Apps launched using SSH like this don't trigger the correct launch responses, so you probably want to disable "launch feedback" for your .desktop files
|In order to create a .desktop file for a KDE 4 app by using this pattern, the app's package will have to have been installed into ~/kde/bin using the cmakekde command
Instead of using a full-blown new virtual X for developing software you can use Xephyr to embed your KDE 4 session into your working KDE 3 or other X11 environment.
You can also do this with xnest, but as xnest cannot handle extensions like Render many people prefer Xephyr.
If you want to get a minimal KDE session up and running, just launch Xephyr (available in Kubuntu as xserver-xephyr; Gentoo users compile x11-base/xorg-server with USE="kdrive"):
Xephyr :1&
export DISPLAY=:1 /path/to/kde4/bin/startkde-modified &
startkde-modified is a copy of the startkde-script which includes the following lines on the top:
export KDEDIR=`kde4-config --prefix`
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$KDEDIR/lib
export PATH=$KDEDIR/bin/:$PATH
export KDEHOME=~/.kde4
可以在KDM上通过Xdmcp协议使用Xephyr,创建一个新的KDE 4连到KDM。
在Kubuntu上, 可以这么做
# Whether KDM should listen to incoming XDMCP requests.
# 缺省是 true
in /etc/kde3/kdm/kdmrc to
# Whether KDM should listen to incoming XDMCP requests.
# 缺省是 true
and adjust your /etc/kde3/kdm/Xaccess to allow your local machine access. Additionally you should make sure to set up a port blocking policy on all external interfaces for the Xdmcp port if you are doing this on a laptop or a PC in an untrusted environment.
If you are done, simply launch Xephyr:
Xephyr -query localhost :1 -host-cursor -screen 1024x768&
where -host-cursor tries to reuse the host's cursor and -screen sets the screen dimensions.
Note: If you get lots of refused connection errors, you might want to use the -ac option of Xephyr. For example:
Xephyr -ac :1&
Another option to try if you get lots of refused connection errors is you may need to grant assess to your kde-devel user to your X server. As root or using sudo execute:
xhost +local:kde-devel
Xnest -ac :1& export DISPLAY=:1
|This section needs improvements: Please help us to
cleanup confusing sections and fix sections which contain a todo
I use this for my start script nested_kde4.sh:
#! /bin/bash NESTED_KDE_DISPLAY_BACKUP=$DISPLAY export DISPLAY=:0 Xephyr :1 -screen 1024x768 & export DISPLAY=:1 $HOME/kde/bin/startkde-modified & export DISPLAY=${NESTED_KDE_DISPLAY_BACKUP}
"Call to lnusertemp failed (temporary directories full?). Check your installation."
mkdir /var/tmp/kde-devel-kde4
The above code assumes you work with user kde-devel.
运行一个完整的KDE 4桌面会话,you can either start it from the command line as you normally would, with something like this:
X :1 & export DISPLAY=:1 startkde
|If the X server refuses the connection saying something like: Xlib: connection to ":1.0" refused by server, try X -ac :1 instead.
or you can can add it to your login manager. If you are using KDM (or a compatible login manager) this is done by creating a .desktop file in either `kde-config --prefix`/share/apps/kdm/sessions/ or in /usr/share/xsessions/. The easiest thing to do is to copy an existing kde.desktop file and name it kde4.desktop. Open this new .desktop file in a text editor and change the Exec, TryExec and Name entries to look something like this:
Replace $HOME/kde in the example above with the prefix you are installing KDE4 into.
After restarting the login manager (Alt+e in KDM) this new entry should appear in the sessions menu.
|You should have path to 'qdbus' program (usually it is $QTDIR/bin) in your $PATH to login successfully. If it is not there, you'll get an error message "Could not start DBus. Check your installation."
这里讲述如何用Kdeveloper 3.4 开发KDE 4 的应用。有问题,建议,纠正的话,请在讨论页面提出。
You need at least KDevelop 3.4 for this, which is still a KDE 3 application. Versions lower than 3.4 do not have Qt 4 support among other things. The KDE 4 version of KDevelop is not yet ready for serious development. You can get KDevelop at the KDevelop homepage. Make sure you install KDevelop like all other KDE 3 applications, not with your kde-devel user.
本地安装kdelibs API文档,里面简述了构建指令。
你还需要ctags, htdig, htmerge 和htsearch. valgrind 和callgrind也是有用的。
确保你遵循KDE 4的构建指令以及一个可用的KDE 4环境。确保一些简单的KDE 4应用如Konsole或KWrite,可以从命令行构建,用kde-devel用户。The following steps are all done with the kde-devel user. You need to login as that user by typing
su - kde-devel
KDevelop并不与生俱来就支持CMake。但,CMake可以产生KDevelop项目文件,只要在执行cmake命令时加上 -GKDevelop3。他会告诉CMake,产生KDevelop项目文件和通用makefiles文件。The best way to do this is to modify your cmakekde function in your .bashrc。改变如下:
cmake $srcFolder -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$KDEDIR \
-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=debugfull&& \
make && \
make install;
cmake $srcFolder -GKDevelop3 -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$KDEDIR \
-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=debugfull&& \
make && \
make install;
After you have done that, re-login so that the changes to the .bashrc file take effect. Then you need to rerun cmakekde in the (root) build directory of the project you want to work on with KDevelop (if you didn't use -GKDevelop3 on the building step). For example, if you want to work on Konsole, which lives in kdebase, you need to run cmakekde in the $KDE_BUILD/KDE/kdebase directory. This unfortunately completely rebuilds everything, but only once when you change the generator.
Since all environment variables of the kde-devel user are KDE 4 specific, these need to be set back to match your KDE 3 environment before starting KDevelop. A simple way to do this is to add the following function to your .bashrc:
function start3app {
mkdir -p /tmp/$USER-kde
export PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin/X11:/usr/games
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=
export KDETMP=/tmp/$USER-kde
export KDEVARTMP=/var/tmp/$USER-kde
export KDEHOME=$HOME/.kde
export KDEDIR=/usr
export KDEDIRS=$KDEDIR
export DISPLAY=:0
eval "$@"
source $HOME/.bashrc #Reset environment variables again
echo $PATH
echo $LD_LIBRARY_PATH
Now you should be able to start KDevelop by typing start3app kdevelop. Do that now.
|可以用start3app启动KDE 3应用程序。Useful candidates include Kompare and kdesvn. However, you can not start KDbg this way to debug KDE 4 applications, since then the environment variables for the debugged application are wrong.
Now that KDevelop has started, you need to adjust a few settings. Go to Settings->Configure KDevelop...->Documentation for this. Remove all entries that are not relevant to KDE 4 coding.
|Although environment variables like $HOME are used in this section, you should replace them with real paths because KDevelop does not resolve environment variables.
添加Qt API文档,用下列设置:
After you have added kdelibs and Qt API documentation, make sure all checkboxes (TOC,Index and Search) are enabled. Then, go to the Full Text Search tab and make sure the paths to the htdig, htmerge and htsearch executables are correct. You can then close the settings dialog.
Now it is time to open the project you want to work on by clicking Project->Open Project.... The project files are located in the directory. For example, if you want to work on Konsole, you need to open $KDE_BUILD/KDE/kdebase/apps/konsole/konsole.kdevelop. You now need to adjust a few project-specific settings in Project->Project Options. You need to do this every time you start to work on a different project.
This can have several reasons, it depends on how the CMake files are written. Usually, CMake files which have a project(projectname) statement in them should work fine. Once you are familiar enough with CMake, you can try adding the statement.A workaround for this is to simply use the KDevelop project file of the parent folder, or even higher. In this case, you need to use the Make Active Directory entry in the context menu of the File Selector sidetab. With this, you can ignore the other unwanted folders when building and installing.
|The Qt4 PCS Importer is only needed if you didn't install Qt4, i.e. you use it directly from the build directory. The drawback of using the Qt4 importer is that it doesn't show progress and the application seems to hang while it imports. The alternative is to use the Custom Directory PCS Importer for this too
Now you have finished adjusting your project-specific settings. Now you should remove some plugins you do not need, in Settings->Configure Plugins.... I for example disable the following plugins:
Abbreviation Expansion, Code Snippets, Doxygen Support, Embedded Konsole, File Tree, Final Packaging Support, "Open with" Menu Addon, QuickOpen, Regular Expression Tester, Scripting, Security Checker, Shell Filtering and Insertion, Text Structure and Tools Menu Addition.
Now, open any source file if none is open already. This will enable the Settings->Configure Editor... entry, where you need to set the tab options to match the tab style used by the project you are working on. The important settings are:
在主窗口, 点击下部的CTags插页, 然后选Regenerate按钮来创建一个CTags数据库;这样可以方便的在代码中穿梭来回。
参考KDevelop手册,那里有关于KDevelop的整体介绍。下面会介绍些KDE 4的一些特殊事物。
|KDevelop目前还不支持编辑CMake联编系统。This means you can not use KDevelop to add or remove files from the project or to change any other aspect of your project's build process. 你的手工编辑CMake文件and then rerun cmakekde instead. 请阅读 CMake教程以了解如何实施。
这个很麻烦也很耗时间, 你应该对所有可能引用到的类库建立符号链接((ln -s)),把它们从构建目录连到安装目录。通常,最简单的程序也会在其中调用一些类库,例如Konsole就是一种类库。
This describes how to use Eclipse to develop KDE 4 applications. It has been tested with Eclipse Ganymed and SUSE Linux 11.1 but should work same or similar with every combination. As an example KDE application we use ktimetracker from the kdepim module, other applications short work analog.
Using this description you will be able to
svn co svn://anonsvn.kde.org/home/kde/trunk/KDE/kdepim
If you want to integrate the cmake build step into your build toolchain, you will need to
cat >/bin/eclipsebuild<<EOF cmake . && make -j4 && make install EOF chmod 777 /bin/eclipsebuild
To revert what eclipse did to your project simply run
rm -rf .externalToolBuilders/ .project .cproject
When using eclipse's svn plugin and building a KDE program, you will get error messages complaining that your svn binary is too old. If you want to try and change this, here's how you get to that error:
这里说明如何使用 Qt Creator 开发 KDE 4 应用程序。It has been tested with QtCreator 1.2.80 and SUSE Linux 11.1 but should work same or similar with every combination.我们使用来自 kdepim 模块的ktimetracker作为 KDE 应用程序的范例。
我们使用 ktimetracker 作为范例项目。
File -> Open -> kdepim/CMakeLists.txt.
Projects -> ktimetracker -> build settings -> Add a configuration ktimetracker.
As build directory choose /home/youruser/kdepim/ktimetracker. As arguments for cmake use ...
想要开始一个新的项目你需要告诉 Qt Creator 建构时使用 KDE 链接库。因此,选择 File -> New... 并创建您的专案。在这里我们称为yourproject。为了能够使用 KDE 链接库,在你的家目录,cd 进入yourproject并修改 yourproject.pro。加上
LIBS += -lkdeui


text:
The robbers pulled Matthew Dicks off the floor and shoved him into a chair.
"Liar!" they barked at Dicks, then 22 and manager of a McDonald's. "Use the key!"
Two of his employees lay nearby, faces down, one screaming that Dicks was telling the truth. Only the owner could access the safe.
"I'm going to shoot you in the head if you don't open the safe!" persisted the man brandishing the biggest gun. Dicks felt metal jabbed against his hair.
Then: Click.
Click. Click, he heard a third time before the criminal with no bullets began to pistol-whip his skull.
Dicks, 38, is now a West Hartford elementary school teacher, among the best in the district, the kind who gets rambunctious boys to memorize verses of Shakespeare's "The Tempest."
He lives in Newington, where he maintains a methodical escape plan should intruders enter the house he shares with his wife, Elysha Dicks, and their 6-month-old, Clara.
After the 1993 robbery in Brockton, Mass., that became common with Matthew Dicks — noting all exits in restaurants, keeping a fire extinguisher on every floor of his home, stocking his car with flashlights, sleeping bags, first-aid kits. Thinking 12 steps ahead. A system, he said, that helped him cope with post-traumatic stress disorder.
In 2005, about the same time he was named West Hartford's Teacher of the Year, Dicks began writing a book about a thirtysomething, obsessive-compulsive burglar from West Hartford named Martin. Teachers at Wolcott Elementary School read along, chapter by chapter, offering editing.
As caring a crook as one can be, Martin is successful, because he is always thinking 12 steps ahead.
The advance for that novel, "Something Missing" — released by Doubleday Broadway, a division of Random House, in U.S. bookstores Tuesday — is three times Dicks' teaching salary. Simultaneously writing and visiting a therapist, his daily nightmares are gone. Dicks used to hear the metallic clicking of the gunman's trigger in the middle of the day. Not anymore.
"Ten years of nightmares suck, but I'm grateful," he said. "All the rotten things that have happened to me. … I always think today could be the last day, and how am I going to use it?"
The Risk
The McDonald's robbers, a trio of violent men who had killed before, fled the restaurant after leaving him with a concussion. They later died in a failed bank heist, "which makes me happy," Dicks said.
He survived a near-fatal bee sting at age 10 and a head-on car accident at 17, but it was the robbery, he said, that finally jolted a life urgency in him. He wanted to "stop spinning my wheels."
He moved to Connecticut and worked at a bank for almost a year, then enrolled at Manchester Community College in 1994 and later Trinity College. At the same time that he worked on his bachelor's degree, he took teaching classes at St. Joseph College and managed the McDonald's on Prospect Avenue in Hartford.
"I always wanted to be a teacher, ever since I was little," Dicks said. "It's the only thing I remember wanting to be, other than a writer."
Growing up, Dicks loved the classroom because he hated being at home.
His stepfather and mother were in a difficult marriage. As a teenager, before the family house in Blackstone, Mass., was foreclosed on, he lived in the basement and later with friends, paying his own bills at 18, subsisting on elbow macaroni. College was never discussed in his family.
When he interviewed for a job at Wolcott Elementary School in 1999, "There was no question he was a risk," said Plato Karafelis, the school's longtime principal. "He doesn't fit the mold of your typical professional."
Dicks had no teaching experience, aside from forcing his younger siblings to sit still while he instructed them with a globe and atlas as a child.
Karafelis called a colleague who had also interviewed Dicks and heard, "He's way too risky, he's not prepared for success in West Hartford."
"Something in my gut said 'Hire him,'" Karafelis recalled. Six years later, "He is the West Hartford Teacher of the Year."
Dicks, who taught third grade and now teaches fifth-graders, also became a finalist in the state competition. He is known for making his students fans of Shakespeare — "You read them 'Hamlet' and at the end everyone's dead but Horatio, and they've all died because of stabbings and poison," Dicks said — and for creating an oppositional environment where the kids must bond together to defeat his challenges.
One example: If the class reaches a target number of learning points one week, each kid gets a Popsicle. If they don't, Dicks enjoys 28 Popsicles in front of them throughout the following week.
Meanwhile, Karafelis would insist to him that one didn't have the life experience to write a good novel before age 40.
In "Something Missing," the home of Martin, the obsessive-compulsive anti-hero, is partly based on Karafelis' well-organized West Hartford house.
"I tell him a lot of times that I published my first book out of spite," Dicks said.
A Clever Burglar
Dicks tried to write a novel in 1997, but thought it was lousy and quit.
"I used to hear people say that stories already exist until you find them," he said. "I used to think that was a lot of crap because I'm not a touchy-feely person."
But it happened over dinner in November 2004. Wolcott teacher Justine Wolgemuth, a friend, remembers complaining offhand that she lost an earring. Dicks replied that a clever burglar might have taken the earring — and stolen just one — so she wouldn't suspect theft.
"He took that idea and wrote a book off it," Wolgemuth said.
The meek, lonely criminal, Martin Railsback Jr., is a part-time Starbucks barista with a secret, life-consuming career. He slips into Hartford-area homes during the day, swiping cans of corn, scoops of laundry detergent, postage stamps — and the occasional diamond earring.
His victims, upper-middle-class couples in towns such as Cromwell and Middletown, never notice the items are missing. That is because Martin chooses his "clients" carefully.
Dicks began his weekdays pre-dawn, writing about Martin an hour before work, sometimes during lunch in the teachers' lounge or school library, and perhaps two hours in the evening. He e-mailed each chapter to co-workers and friends for input.
"I would send back little tidbits," teacher Cindy Raynis said. "'This doesn't sound right. What did you want to say here?' Like a writers conference."
"I had read 15 pages," said Jane Casper, whose two children were taught by Dicks, "and thought ... 'Oh my god, this is going to be a really good book! This is going to catch on. This is going to be the real thing.'"
But nightmares plagued Dicks' sleep. Midway through the writing, Wolcott School teacher Elysha Green, then his fiancée, persuaded him to seek therapy. Nearly every night after the McDonald's robbery, Dicks would awake in a sweat, gasping, the moment the gunman pulls the trigger.
"I was unwilling to talk about what happened to me," Matthew Dicks said. "When I created the character of Martin ... my therapist said I was expressing myself through writing."
Toward the book's end, Martin, who despises his stepfather and was never encouraged to attend college, begins to feel less need for his rigid thievery. He meets a woman who inspires him to write. He battles a violent man who has evil intentions toward one of Martin's clients. And he reconnects with his real father for help.
Dicks finished therapy about the same time he finished "Something Missing" in June 2007.
In his own life, Dicks hasn't spoken much to his biological father since childhood. He wants to introduce his daughter to him. He thinks about sending him the book.
"I know my father's phone number," Dicks said. "It's one of the only phone numbers I know, but it's the only number I don't call. … I'd like him to meet Clara, and I'd like Clara to meet him, but it's hard. I saw him at my mom's funeral, but we avoided each other. In the past 10 years, the only time I saw him was probably at my mother's funeral."
Little Sleep
As an unknown author, Dicks received more than 70 rejection letters from literary agents for "Something Missing"; a film producer is shopping it to networks as a possible TV series.
Dicks sold a second novel, "Unexpectedly, Milo," to his publisher this month, allowing Elysha to take a year of maternity leave. He emcees weddings as co-owner of a DJ company, slips new ideas into a voice recorder he carries, and is 25,000 words into a third novel about a funeral home with a restaurant that sells fried chicken.
He operates on little sleep. The years of nightmares got him used to it.
"If I had to go back," he said, "I wouldn't change anything at all."


text: Updated 2016 Chiang Mai is the principal northern Thailand city and a good base from which to explore the surrounding countryside. Although it's nucleus for tourism, it's still an fascinating place to visit with it endless supply of temples, affordable accommodations and good international food. It's an excellent base to organize treks around the region.


text:
Post-Broadcast Democracy
How Media Choice Increases Inequality in Political Involvement and Polarizes Elections
Part of Cambridge Studies in Public Opinion and Political Psychology
- Author: Markus Prior, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, New Jersey
- Date Published: April 2007
- availability: Available
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9780521675338
Other available formats:
Hardback, eBook
Looking for an examination copy?
If you are interested in the title for your course we can consider offering an examination copy. To register your interest please contact email@example.com providing details of the course you are teaching.
The media environment is changing. Today in the United States, the average viewer can choose from hundreds of channels, including several twenty-four hour news channels. News is on cell phones, on iPods, and online; it has become a ubiquitous and unavoidable reality in modern society. The purpose of this book is to examine systematically, how these differences in access and form of media affect political behaviour. Using experiments and new survey data, it shows how changes in the media environment reverberate through the political system, affecting news exposure, political learning, turnout, and voting behavior.Read more
- Suitable for advanced undergraduate students studying political science, communications/journalism and history
- Provides up-to-date coverage of political polarization, new media, and fragmentation of the news audience
- Adopts a multi-method approach, including experiments, survey research, and analysis of vote returns
Reviews & endorsements
"[Markus Prior] presents a highly compelling story by building his case carefully and thoroughly using a wide array of data, aggregate and individual, covering many decades and areas ranging from the history of broadcasting to activities of Congressional incumbents...the prose is lucid and easy to follow."
-Keiko Ono, Millikin University, The Journal of PoliticsSee more reviews
"This account of the effects of media environment on politics is important, well argued, and clearly documented. Prior argues that the shift from a low-choice environment of broadcast television dominance to the world of cable and Internet choices has changed the behavior of the electorate. While 'news junkies' can consume more news, fans of entertainment turn increasingly to other options…Prior's analysis of the consequences is both new and noteworthy. He argues that because entertainment fans follow news less frequently now, they will vote less frequently…Prior's 'inequality by choice' argument contrasts with the 'digital divide' argument based on skills and resources…Those interested in media or broader issues of American political behavior will find much to ponder here. Summing Up: Highly recommended."
-J. Heyrman, Berea College, Choice
2007 Outstanding Academic Title -- Choice Magazine
"[Prior] presents a highly compelling story by building his case carefully and thoroughly using a wide array of data, aggregate and individual, covering many decades and areas ranging from the history of broadcasting to activities of Congressional incumbents. Despite the complexity of the question asked and multiple methods used, the prose is lucid and easy to follow."
Journal of Politics, Keiko Ono, Millikin University
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Product details
- Date Published: April 2007
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9780521675338
- length: 338 pages
- dimensions: 226 x 147 x 23 mm
- weight: 0.52kg
- contains: 22 tables
- availability: Available
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Conditional political learning
Part I. The Participatory Effects of Media Choice:
3. Broadcast television, political knowledge, and turnout
4. From low choice to high choice: the impact of cable tv and internet on news exposure, political knowledge, and turnout
5. From low choice to high choice: does greater media choice affect total news consumption and average turnout?
Part II. The Political Effects of Media Choice:
6. Broadcast television, partisanship, and the incumbency advantage
7. Partisan polarization in the high-choice media environment
8. Divided by choice: audience fragmentation and political inequality in the post-broadcast media environment.
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text:
|Dr. Bakker (right) and Chris Flis
dig the "Uma" site in Seymour.
Our paleontology team – led by Dr. Robert Bakker – is back in Seymour, TX this week, digging for Dimetrodon at a site they've now been working for several years. (You can read more of what's been found already in our daily blog from the field in 2007).
Chris Flis sent the update on yesterday's progress – the day was filled with new finds which you can hear all about in the podcast below.
In the podcast, Chris also talks about "jacketing" several fossils – this is done when a site yields so many fossils that they can't safely be excavated in the time the team has available. So, the team digs a trench around the site, covers it with many layers of plaster and burlap to stabilize it, and flips it to cover the bottom. You end up with a giant slab of plaster-encased dirt that can be brought home for further excavation and study.
And when I say giant, I mean it – our team has brought home jackets weighing up to 500 pounds. The jacket made for Leonardo, the mummified dinosaur that was found in Montana (which is now on display here) weighed 6 tons!
The team's 2007 blog has a great video of the end of the jacketing process – and a bit more detail in how it happens.
More from the field tomorrow! Until then, you can also check out earlier updates from this dig trip:
Day One: Live from the Fossil Field
Day Two: The Smoking Gun