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The British Council is presenting a live music and film screening this Wednesday (18 May) of All Night Long, an updated version of Shakespeare's Othello, as part of the EU Film Festival in Nairobi and the Shakespeare Lives celebration.
The evening hopes to recall London's smoky and sensational 1960's jazz scene with saxophonist Joseph Rabai and percussionist Kasiva Mutua providing live music at the event.
All Night Long is a 1962 movie which charts virtuoso drummer Johnnie Cousin's (Patrick McGoohan) attempts to persuade singer Delia Lane (Marti Stevens) to join his new jazz band. When she refuses he ensnares her possessive husband by insinuating that Delia's having an affair with the band manager.
The movie cleverly transposes Shakespeare's Othello to the 1960s Soho jazz scene, and among the terrific cast, jazz luminaries Dave Brubeck, Charlie Mingus and John Dankworth break up the intense drama with tunes that bring this curio to swinging life.
The evening begins at 7pm at the Alliance Française Cine Cafe with tickets costing Ksh100 for adults and Ksh50 for students.
If you are unable to make the film and jam session, there is another chance to see the movie itself the following Thursday (26 May).


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Carol Burke
Since 1998 Carol Burke has been serving the real estate community starting in Hampshire, England as an Estate Agent then continuing in 2004 to the Sarasota Florida area as a Licensed Real Estate agent. Her experience comes not only from living abroad, including England and France but also having lived in Pennsylvania, Texas, Oregon and New Hampshire and learning first-hand what it's like to be a buyer coming to a completely unfamiliar area. Carol realizes that it takes more than just book knowledge and how to write a contract but familiarity with the areas, a network of trusted business partners, real estate fluctuations and most importantly a human connection to the customer she is serving.
Allow Carol to help you discover your dream and navigate through the many options. There are so many choices for buyers. You can live by the beach, choose a golfing or tennis community or how about a trendy urban condo or out east country living including properties for equestrian
enthusiasts? Let's not forget the many choices boaters have with dedicated boating communities featuring canals in your back yard or a neighborhood marina. Sellers will appreciate the attention to detail and the marketing that is required to attract these buyers.
Living her life as a "nomad" in her earlier days also taught her how important a trusting relationship is with the real estate professional handling your purchase and Carol is ready to be that person for you!
Awards & Designations
1990 Main St
Sarasota, FL 34236
Phone: 941-923-5835 Ext 102

subset: commoncrawl


text: Share: Comments Print March 11, 2009 at 4:11 PM A couple of more odds and ends Posted by Jose Romero 710 ESPN Seattle, which is soon to debut, announced its weekday lineup of programming today. Kevin Calabro, the voice of Sounders FC, has a show. Here it is. 3 a.m. – 7 a. m. – "Mike and Mike in the Morning" 7 a.m.-11 a.m. – "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" 11 a.m.-3 p.m. – Brock Huard and Mike Salk 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Kevin Calabro 6 p.m.- 7 p.m. – Mariners pre-game show or ESPN GameNight 7 p.m.- 12 midnight – Mariners Play-by-Play broadcast or ESPN GameNight Second thing, you can get a nice-looking blue SSFC T-shirt at QFC, but there is a condition. Read about it here from Sounders FC Web site. Looks like there will be player appearances at select locations, too. Third, I've been asked to appear on the Seattle Soccer Show podcast with Matt Gaschk (who I couldn't turn down because he laughed at my Lou Piniella and Marv Albert impressions) and Mati Bishop this Friday. Listen to previous shows here. Comments


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Our Clients
Learn more about companies that have joined the e-commerce movement.
Customer overview
These are some of the companies that use Sana Commerce to provide the best possible customer experience for their clients.
"With Magento, we were having to build our business logic twice, once in the ERP and again in the web store. Whereas with Sana's ERP integration, there was no need to replicate our data. That was a huge time saver – not only in terms of getting the project live, but also in terms of the day-to-day management of the website."
– Sean Hefferin | Supply Chain Manager at Moto Direct


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Thursday, February 14, 2008
Compassion for All Concerned
The Webster dictionary defines compassion as "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it." Compassion is at the heart of what we do as caregivers but it is also the area where we get most confused.
What happens when your patient has a disease that has no cure? What happens when grandma refuses your help and insists on sitting alone in her chair day after day despite your best efforts? Is it ever compassionate to say "No, I can't do this for you. You'll have to try to do it yourself."? When is it compassionate to put family caregiving down altogether and hire a case manager or use a care facility for the bulk of the care?
Very often in my work as a caregiving consultant I find myself asking the same kinds of questions. How can I help this person who seems to refuse my every suggestion? What can I do for this person whose problems seem so big I can't even imagine a solution? What do I do when a person is begging me to help them avoid the pain of the only thing I know will make their situation better (using psychotropic medications, facility care, or accepting their patient's impending death). Most of the time all I can think of to do is to simply sit with them and help them cry.
The one thing I'm sure about is that compassion needs to apply to all people involved. If the caregiver is not compassionate with themselves they can't make truly compassionate decisions for someone else.
Lately, I've had a rash of caregivers who are in much worse condition than the people they are caring for. In their desperation to keep their patient from experiencing the disappointments, frustrations, and unavoidable sorrow associated with living a life with disability and loss they have put themselves through far greater pain and suffering. Is this really compassion?
To avoid pain is to avoid life. Avoiding feeling one's feelings leads to addiction to alcohol, drugs, sex, food and TV. It's a form of suicide and, in the most extreme circumstances, can literally lead to one's death. Yet, ironically, in our society we think it is a form of "compassion" to focus all our attention on helping ourselves and others avoid difficult feelings at any cost. Rather than grieve our losses, move through the pain, and make decisions from a place of what makes sense, we medicate ourselves into a "happy" place and do whatever we can to keep things the same.
When a caregiver sacrifices it all so a loved one can refuse to be helped by anyone but her, she has chosen to impoverish her own being. A person who was rational and truly coming from a place of love and compassion for others would never expect someone they love to destroy his/her life in order to help them avoid developing relationships with more people who could help. A person who was truly being compassionate to themselves would never allow someone to treat them like that. They would say, "I'm sorry, Dad, that's not possible. These are the options we really have. I'm sorry you feel badly about that. What will make this easier for you?" THAT is what compassionate care really looks like.
It takes courage. It takes knowing what your limits and boundaries really are and facing the fears and grief related to not doing what others have come to expect you to do. It takes knowing what you need for your own well-being and having the ability to say, "This is no longer negotiable."
In reality, allowing yourself and others to be disappointed IS the best choice for all concerned. It allows people to see things as they are. It helps people accurately evaluate what needs to be done without the superhuman (and unsustainable) efforts of Super-Caregiver getting in the way. Super-Caregiver is really only human. We all have physical and emotional limitations and when we go beyond those limits eventually there's always hell to pay. When we surrender to what's actually happening—not only to our care receiver but to ourselves—we will always make the best choices. And sometimes those choices involve facing great loss and pain.
Sometimes the only rational thing we can do is help each other cry. This is NOT how we wanted our lives to be! This is NOT the sweet end of life we always dreamed of for our relatives! This is NOT working out the way we thought it would! And when we finally let go of the struggle to make life be what it is not, and our grief and tears are finally vented, we look up and see the world through new eyes. The old unworkable solutions can now be discarded and new choices can be made. They're not the choices we thought we'd be making. They're not the choices our relatives and friends might think we should make. But, they're the best choices we CAN make given the reality of where we are today. To bravely go where we never wanted to go before, with the intent of making this choice be the best we can make it be, is the most compassionate decision a person can make.
The previous blog was an excerpt from The Spiritual Journey of Family Caregiving. Buy the book at Lulu.com.
Posted by Sheryl Karas at 4:26 PM
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The human brain is a most amazing thing. When we focus, set out to do something and take action, our brains can lead us to accomplish amazing feats—finishing a marathon, losing weight, taking a risk at a new career, to name just a few. On the flip side, our minds can also be our biggest enemy, and if we don't acknowledge the power of our thoughts, we may fall short of our potential in all avenues of life.
It can be a constant challenge to find balance and achieve mindfulness. It is a journey of growth, introspection and change. But this process can be so fulfilling if we take the time to invest in our mindsets and ourselves. This stuff is heavy lifting—meaningful change won't happen overnight. In fact, it's much like training for any other physical feat—you have to train consistently. Here are SIX questions worth asking yourself as you work toward achieving mindfulness.
Literally, be in the moment. When you are participating in an activity or event, be there and no where else. Turn off your phone, disconnect from cyberspace, and experience what is going on in that very moment. Keep your mind centered, and if it starts to wander, bring it back to the present moment. If you are always on to the next thing, how will you ever enjoy the now? Make a conscious decision to unplug from electronics. This can be a difficult task, as the culture we are in is literally connected all of the time. You might even consider turning your phone to airplane mode so that your time isn't interrupted by phone calls and text messages. There are so many distractions crying for our attention constantly, that we can easily miss out on what matters most, and that is this moment. Challenge yourself to be present, now, and every moment from here on.
From daily decisions like what to eat or what to wear to larger decisions like taking a new job or moving, here is a great question to ask yourself: Will this matter in a year from now? Often, you will find the answer is no. The energy spent struggling or worrying about a decision can be put to better use. Spending time worrying about things that don't really matter can become a habit. If you aren't mindful of the time you spend worrying, you may lose out on the things, situations and people that really do matter now. Once you take a minute to step back, regain perspective and realize the insignificance or significance of a given situation, it can often alleviate the stress associated with it.
This is one of the most important questions you can ask yourself about any situation in life. If the answer is no, change your situation. We sometimes go through life "hoping" to find happiness instead of creating our own happiness. We wait for the right job, the right relationship, and the right income—whatever it may be. We wait until we get "there." But there is no such thing—we only have right now where we are. We have right now to be happy. This is kind of hard to embrace, if mentally we aren't in that space, because it means we need to take ownership of our own happiness. Once this happens, no person, no job, no thing can take away your happiness. You own it.
In an effort to alleviate any stress or anxiety regarding a thought, ask yourself: "Do I know this is true?" Many of our greatest struggles stem from the fallacies we convince ourselves are true. We spend a lot of time being critical and doubting ourselves. Again, all of this in our minds, but we have no evidence to prove it. We over think a conversation, we associate meaning to objective situations, we assume without having proof. This creates stress, anxiety and fear—none of which are necessary. The next time you catch yourself worrying about a situation, a thought, a text or whatever—ask yourself, "Is what I am thinking true?"
This is also known as "positive pessimism". Here's an example: If you're in a miserable work environment or relationship, but can't see how you can possibly leave, it can be helpful to ask yourself: What is the worst possible thing that can happen?" Would you be worse off staying in your situation or making a change? Often, we put pressure on ourselves to fix everything, alone, and just suffer through it. But life is too short for that. Why would we want to willingly choose to simply "get through" anything? We aren't promised tomorrow—we only have today. No matter how difficult a situation may seem, ask yourself, "What is the worst possible thing that can happen?" Go there and then ask yourself " Would I be okay?" You will be.
Take the time to answer these questions and see if they help bring you closer to living a more mindful live. Control your thoughts don't let them control you.
Notice if it has become shallow or uneven, or if you have been holding your breath. Bring mindfulness to your breath and just follow it without trying to change it. Mindfulness of the breath will lead to it becoming more relaxed. A calm breath leads to a calm mind. If you're extremely stressed, consciously control your breathing. Start to breathe in a slow, deep, quiet, smooth fashion, from your abdomen and with a prolonged exhalation. Connect the breath and the body to help to calm yourself down. When you're experiencing a strong physical sensation, such as pain or tension, consciously bring the relaxed breath to the site in the body where the physical tension is being felt. Breathe into and out of that specific spot. Imagine that you're directing the breath into the area of physical discomfort. This calming attention will relax the knot of stress and lessen the pain in the area.
The breath supports every moment of mindfulness. It's of utmost importance!


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Kat Von D MetalMatte eyeshadow Palette has been one of my favourite palette. In this palette alone consists of 9 metallic shades and 13 matte shades that the colours variance would match from darker, cool to warm skin tone.
A mega-exclusive, super-limited new eyeshadow palette with 13 rich mattes and 9 Metal Crush shades.
Two finishes face off in one high-contrast palette! The MetalMatte Eyeshadow Palette is an all-new mashup of bold colors and must-have textures, celebrating the two sides within everyone—whether it's soft and romantic, rock 'n' roll, or both!
The palette's top row features an explosive lineup of exclusive, never-before-seen metallic shades in Kat's max-pigment Metal Crush Eyeshadow formula, plus "Synergy," a bestselling bronze from the original collection. The bottom of the palette is a rainbow array of buttery mattes, in a range of new tones from dark and moody to pastel neutrals—all in Kat's signature blendable, pigmented eyeshadow formula.
This insane assortment of tones and textures gives you endless combinations for a range of awesome looks. Or, get inspired with the included insert's three fearless tutorials, each with step-by-step instructions!
Just like every Kat Von D product, Kat left her mark with a piece of original artwork. The logo on the outside of the palette was hand-drawn by Kat as an ambigram—it reads "Metal" one way, then flip it upside-down to form "Matte."
Palette Includes
- Eight never-before-seen shades of Kat's super-charged metallic eyeshadow formula Metal Crush: Nebula (metallic navy), Watt (metallic teal), Ignite (metallic sea foam), Tinsel (metallic pewter), Glitz (metallic rose gold), Twinkle (metallic lilac), Volt (metallic violet) and Flash (metallic gold).
- Fan-favorite Metal Synergy (metallic bronze) from the original collection.
- 13 signature triple-milled matte formulas: Linen (matte white), Jet (matte black), Velour (matte royal blue), Stone (matte cement gray), Moss (matte forest green), Ribbon (matte deep purple), Silk (matte terracotta), Fringe (matte peach), Feather (matte dandelion), Oak (matte chocolate brown), Suede (matte fawn), Bone (matte cream) and Velvet (matte deep plum).
- Original artwork by Kat.
- Tutorial insert with three looks.
- Kat hand-sketched the logo that decorates the outside of the palette. It's an ambigram— it reads "Metal" one way, then flip it upside-down to form "Matte."
- "I am proud to say that Kat Von D Beauty has never tested on animals—and never will." —Kat Von D
Since I got this palette, I've been trying to explore all the colour variance and noticed that I always pick the pastel colours.
Metal Shades:-
Matte Shades:-
How I apply the colours from this palete?
Day look
I always use Suede as my transition shades as a based. Then I use either Silk or Fringe all over my Lid and bring this colour up nearer to my brows. I have hooded eyes so I need to ensure that the colour can be seen on the lid when I open my eyes. Then I will use Ribbon or Oak at the outer corner of the eyes to give more dimension to the look. Then I will add Glitz at the mid part of the lid to give some highlight and dimension at the middle of my lid. I then used Tinsel at the inner corner of my eyes to brighten up my eyes. For lower lids, I will repeat the same process.
Then finish up the looks with black eyeliner and mascara. This is my everyday to work look. I find it very sweet and mild, not too extreme and suits my skin complexion.
Night Look
Again, I use suede as a transition shades. Then I use Oak to deepen the shade at the outer corner and also to build at the crease to give more depth. Then I would apply velvet on top of oak to create more intense looks. Then I create cut crease from inner corner to the mid section of the lid with concealer. Then I applied Flash on top of it to create more vibrance gold look in the middle section of the lid. Then smooth out the harsh line for both colours. Repeat same process at the lower lid and finish it with thick liner and lots and lots of mascara.
My Verdict
- The colour pay off are incredible! They are so pigmented and I noticed that I do not need to use too much just to create the look that I desire!
- All the shades feels so velvety and buttery. They are easy to be applied on my eyelid – can use brush or fingers.
- The colour intensity are buildable. I can control how intense I want the colour to be. The colour more intense with eye primer.
- I can feel that this palette is created to suits all skin tone because of the colour variances and options would be able to cater your everyday looks.
- From this palette alone, we are able to create any looks – From sweet and natural looks to more Gothic with darker and intense looks.
For me, retail at MYR140 this palette definitely is a huge steal. Based on its quality and colour selections, I think this palette worth every penny. Furthermore its cruelty free. But then again, it depends if this palette would be suitable for you.
This palette is available at Sephora Online. You may also get the same at any sephora store in Malaysia. Until we meet again in my next post! XOXO


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L-Arginine is a versatile amino acid serving as a precursor for the manufacturing of proteins, nitric oxide, urea, glutamate, and creatine in the body. Increased L-Arginine in the body may lead to an increase of Nitric Oxide (NO) production, which may also increase blood flow during exercise, allowing for muscles to perform longer under stress. The vasodilation effect of Nitric Oxide may provide a fuller and more satisfying pump during exercise.†
Nitric Oxide (NO) production puts the urea cycle into overdrive, allowing it to absorb more ammonia (composed of nitrogen molecules) produced by working muscles. Removal of ammonia from the brain is believed to have detoxification and neuroprotective qualities.†
Alpha Ketoglutarate is considered to help improve absorption and increase the bioavailability of L-Arginine, making the supplement more efficient and effective.†
Directions & Allergens
Suggested Use:
As a dietary supplement, take 3500 mg (~1/2 tbsp) 1-2 times daily with 16 ounces of water or suitable beverage. Taken once in the morning on an empty stomach and/or again one hour prior to workout for best results.
This product contains no Soy, Dairy, Dairy byproducts, Eggs, Fish, Shellfish, Wheat, Gluten, Tree Nuts, or Sesame Seeds.
This is a NON-GMO ingredient manufactured using organic starting ingredients.
Store in a cool, dry place. Re-seal zipper immediately after use to preserve freshness.
Statements & Warnings
† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases.
Keep out of the reach of children. Do not take this or any other supplement if under the age of 18, pregnant or nursing a baby, or if you have any known or suspected medical conditions and/or taking prescription drug(s) or OTC medication(s). Always consult with a qualified health physician before taking any new dietary supplement.
6 Reviews
good stuff
I enjoy this AAKG powder -- I've used a couple different brands but the consistency seems to be pretty on point with the hard rhino stuff. It's not overly priced and works well for me so I'll be sticking with it!
great pumps
Great pump and recovery
The product comes quickly and in a durable (sealed) package. Taking this product for about one month and then stopping helped me feel and see the difference in total workout muscle endurance. It helps with endurance and recovery. High quality source - as good as it gets - and worth the money. I bought this same product from a different bulk supplier and the quality was below Hard Rhino's.
quick recovery after work outs
I find this to help with a quick recovery after a work out .I'm 56 years young but sometimes recovery takes a long time this product helps with the day after recovery & quickly returns you to everyday activity.


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Viewing posts for the category Fundraisers
It truly takes a community to make the work that Classroom Central does possible. From our corporate donors, to our volunteers, to our supply drive superstars, we couldn't do it without the help of dedicated individuals and companies. Many times we showcase amazing supply drives and events, but today we wanted to showcase some behind-the-scenes stardom.
On Saturday, November 4th, we held Classroom Central Field Day at Memorial Stadium. The event was a day of nostalgic field day games, food and family fun. Corporate sponsors and the community had a blast participating in the festivities together.
A few weeks ago, we were fortunate to have a group of super volunteers organize a golf tournament on our behalf. The tournament was inspired when a few of them attended our 2011 Color A Brighter Future Luncheon. As that event showcases stories from students and teachers about how Classroom Central helps them, we can't blame them for getting motivated to help us in our efforts!
Here at Classroom Central, Summer is our busiest season. It's the time we are collecting supplies, organizing them and why we are here: delivering them to the kids. In August, we are grateful that our warehouse is busy with supply drive drop offs to help make our mission to supply the 135,000 students living in poverty possible.


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National Novel Writing Month/
November is National Novel Writing Month, better known as NANO.
The challenge? 50,000 words in 30 days.
I've signed up.
You all are supposed to be my friends. Why do you let me do these things?
I've looked at participating in NANO before and have never quite found the courage to do it. It translates to roughly 1700-words per day. That equates to 51,000 words but the thought is that if you fall behind, you'll never catch up. At least this way I'll have a few words banked if something (like a nap) should come up.
The idea behind NANO is to just write. No editing. Write, write, write. Get the words down. Is anyone going to write a good novel in 30 days? Doubtful. But again, not the point.
For me, I'm proving to myself (yet again) that I don't have to be in the mood to write. My only job is to show up, sit down, and start working. The sooner I get 1700 words on the page, the sooner I can get up and go do something more fun, like trying to bathe the cats. But if I can write 1700 bad words for 30 days, it inspires me to attempt something more reasonable, like 500 good words a day, on a book I might really care about.
As it stands, I only have the vaguest of ideas about what I may start writing on November 1st. That's okay. This isn't anything I plan on publishing or even editing. It's just writing for the sake of writing.
Why share this will all of you? Accountability. I can guarantee the shine of attempting something new will wear off by day 3 and I'll be making up excuses faster than a teenager caught joy-riding about why I can't work on my novel.
The blog may suffer. Or it will suddenly be filled with snippets of scene descriptions and dialogue that appear to have been written by a drug-addled monkey. Yea! That means I'm writing.
For those of you who follow me on Facebook and Twitter and are sick of seeing me post about my workouts and running times, good news! Now I'll be posting exciting daily word counts as well.
p.s. In the Triad and want to join me? The kick-off meeting is Thursday November 1st at the High Point Library from 5-8 pm.


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A quick tip to lose weight FAST
I recently had the pleasure of coaching the Easton High School Wrestling team. It was New Year's Eve and the hot topic of conversation was weight loss. Wrestlers are notorious for having to cut weight, do it quickly, and in an unhealthy manner. Some students had just a pound or two, but others, like so many adults who have endulged this season, have more. What did I tell them?
As a food coach and human, I like to encourage my clients to MAINTAIN their weight over the holiday season. To simply avoid or refuse the feasting is just torture and not really worth it. Humans have feasted since the beginning of time and we're unlikely to get rid of the tradition anytime soon. Depriving yourself will result in a bad mood and, eventually, a binge. To illustrate, someone recently asked me, "What if I really crave chocolate at that time of the month?"
Have the dang chocolate. Just not ALL of the chocolate. You know what I mean.
We've come to the question of what I told those wrestlers to do to safely take off the few pounds they've gained and the most likely reason it's there. Well, usually people are eating excess carbohydrate at this time of year and your body will store what it doesn't use. A couple of pounds of fat, yes, but also pounds of water.
You're bloated.
Your body stores carbs as glycogen, which requires water in storage. Burn the glycogen, lose some bloat. In other words, lay off of the starchy carbs for a couple of days and take a walk! It really is that simple.
In addition, the bacterial flora in your gut have enjoyed the feast as much as you have, so—STOP FEEDING THEM. Put the cookie down, and focus on more colorful choices. The bad gut guys (candida, proteus, serratia, clostridium difficile....) will be sorely disappointed and you just might feel a little better, with less gas and tummy troubles.
Take note, though!
You will deplete glycogen stores and certainly take off some weight but it is NOT fat loss. It's just a start. Keep eating colorful, healthy carbs and you'll start to see the fat loss. Rembember, the more colorful your choices, the more vitamins and minerals your body gets. Eat smaller meals, more frequently (about every 4 hours) and you'll fuel efficiently. Eat colorful carbs WITH protein and you'll control your blood sugar, keeping it in a steady state. Eat a little fat with your small meals and you will be satisified longer.
Let's turn your New Year's Resolution into your life!!


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Stop Saying That!!! 27 Slang Terms To Drop
The picture below is making the rounds online. It is rumored to come from a Chick-Fil-A restaurant where a store manager is trying to ban certain slang words. The frustration in the manager's tone is obvious and, frankly, hysterical.
If you aren't, however, a hip millennial, you may not track with what these comments even mean!
I appreciate this list, but I'm not sure it takes the ban far enough. I reached out to my usual "blogstorming" group and asked them to help me compile a list of the slang they would most like to ban.
Suggestions came fast and furiously and note, no one suggested banning "bossy" (Lean in to THAT Sheryl Sandberg!). What they DID suggest was killing the following expressions:
- Cra-cra - This may be gone, but sometimes it pops up
- Throwing shade - I mean, most of us aren't rappers or MTV DJs, so let's not sound like one)
- Kidding… - If you have to explain that you were kidding, we all know you weren't
- Yaaaah - No need to ruin a perfectly good "yes."
- Yeah, yeah, yeah - said really fast (WAIT a second!!! This is my signature expression. I can't believe one of my friends is telling me to stop!)
- Rawkin - I don't think anyone says this really. Do they? Dork alert!
- Bae - What is that?! I see it everywhere. I know, the manager had this on his list, but it's just awful
- Crib - If you say this, you sound old and washed up
- What up?! - Grammar people get apolplectic when they hear this
- Totes - Just totally stop
- Obvi - You sound like a Jedi when you shorten obviously which you obvi aren't.
- I know, right? - OK - I say this too much. I will work on it
- Besties - even middle school girls have moved away from this term, so should you.
- I can't even - then don't try.
- Freaking anything. As in: No Freaking Way. Actually anything used in place of the F-word just needs to stop. We all know it's just F-Word Lite. And nobody's grandmother wants to hear any version of it.
- Gawd - Just oawd
- TBT - when it's not a photograph posted on a Thursday.
- Hashtag -- You can use the # symbol, but don't say "hashtag" when you're speaking. You sound like a SNL skit!
- "hella" - because "really" is a perfectly good (if not radically overused) word! - sorry Taylor Swift
- Amazeballs -- this is so 2012 - old enough that it's new again. I admit I still like the word but it's still obnoxious.
- YOLO - unless you're talking about a brand of paddle boards!
- To tell you the truth - I mean I hope you already do tell me the truth.
- Seriously. No. Seriously. - just stop.
- Shut UP!!! - Or perhaps, stop saying this.
- NO WAY! - Yes. Way.
- Holla! - I don't need to explain why this should go.
- OMG - The most obnoxious acronym of all. Seriously. No. Seriously.
What slang expressions would you like to slay?


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ICOs are like the Lady Gaga of the digital world – popular, intriguing, slightly unusual and at times – completely crazy. They've the media hype needed to stand out from the crowd yet are simultaneously just doing their job – and what's that you might ask? Well, to fund new ventures typically within the cryptocurrency world.
But of course, it's not that simple. ICOs are popping up left, right and centre making marketing an essential part of the ICO journey. The goal is to stand out from the crowd, so let's take a look at the strangest ICOs with the most quirky and unusual marketing campaigns to date.
ASTRCoin ICO
Love Star Wars? Perhaps you're a Trekkie? Then get out your telescope and zoom in on ASTRCoin – a new cryptocurrency ICO reaching for the stars. Literally.
Simply put, ASTRCoin is part of a blockchain-based database system that will be used to record ownership rights for a number of asteroids in orbit around the sun. Yes, you heard right. Parent company Asteroid, Ltd have focussed on the asteroids in our near celestial orbit and are attempting to democratise space one BlockClaim® at a time. ASTRCoins are currently being exchanged for Ethereum.
It all sounds a little bit spaced out, right? Well, this is certainly a STARt-up venture with plenty of sparkle and they've not scrimped on their marketing efforts with a whitepaper, video content and a strong social media presence helping to get their space mission across effectively.
Monster Byte INC
If the image of a furry monster chewing on a crypto token comes to mind when you hear Monster Byte – you're not alone. The name is catchy and memorable (if not a little unusual for a finance-related product) which is always a good start when launching an ICO – after all, competition is fierce so it's essential to do everything in your power to get noticed.
Their strapline is just as punchy with "play for fun, win for real" giving a nod to their mission: to leverage the power of cryptocurrencies within the online gaming world.
While Monster Byte might sound like some kind of sugar-laden cereal and while you might expect to find some googly-eyed caricature associated with their marketing material, the promotional activity around this ICO is relatively straight laced. The concept speaks for itself and it's a popular one at that. On 3rd July 2017, the Monster Byte ICO presale sold out in less than five minutes with investors purchasing $207,449.28 worth of Monster Byte tokens with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Waves.
SpankChain is an adult entertainment ecosystem built on the Ethereum network and founded by individuals from both the adult entertainment industry and blockchain development world.
In short, it's a way for viewers to pay performers directly. This solves two problems: It gets more in the pockets of the performers (vs. in the pockets of the industry intermediaries), and it eliminates the need for banking networks.
As Forbes contributor Zara Stone explains, this second aspect is critical. Porn performers, like those in the cannabis industry, face business banking challenges because banks can refuse to do business with them. That leaves operating on a cash-only basis or opting for far costlier services.
Useless Ethereum Token (UET)
The "let's make a point" ICO that probably received the most attention in 2017 was that for the Useless Ethereum Token. It billed its ICO as "the world's first 100% honest Ethereum ICO."
You really need to read part of the pitch for yourself to get the full effect:
"The UET ICO transparently offers investors no value, so there will be no expectation of gains. No gains means few investors, few investors means few transactions, and few transactions means no Ethereum network lag — not to mention no depressing posts … about people losing all their savings!"
Jesus Coin
This one started as a hoax, explains Forbes contributor Shannara Johnson. However, soon after its ICO launch, cryptocurrency investors began taking it seriously.
Given the irreverent whitepaper, it's hard to imagine why. Here's an excerpt — but the whole thing is worth a read:
"Unlike morally bereft cryptocurrencies, Jesus Coin has the unique advantage of providing global access to Jesus that's safer and faster than ever before.
• Sin Forgiving — Jesus Coin is negotiating with churches to outsource sin forgiveness.
• Transaction Speeds — Record transaction times between you and God's son.
• Predicted to Achieve $50bn Market Cap — Predicted by Peter (not the disciple)."
Speaking of religion… Many of 2017's ICOs were by nonprofits or others seeking (or claiming) to do good.
One nonprofit used its Initial Coin Offering to fund a dApp:
I am by Infobeing (Washington-based nonprofit)
Infobeing is essentially a social dApp. The IAM token, according to the developers, is cryptocurrency "deriving its value from unleashing human potential." It allows for transactions with the Infobeing social dApp, which matches people for relationships and business and allows users to buy and sell goods and services on the platform.
In a recent Irish Tech News interview, Mark Manney, founding partner, offered the following: "'I am' enables people to effortlessly meet, form new relationships and business connections, make contracts, and conduct transactions in freedom. We are unleashing human potential by bringing all these elements together into one decentralized platform."
CrowdPainting calls itself a decentralized art project. Its goal: "Become the world's largest collaborative painting, owned and managed by all of its contributors."
CrowdPainting has been around since 2014. The ICO's objective was to raise funds that would integrate CrowdPainting to the blockchain so it would "exist autonomously and allow all participating artists to own the canvas forever!"
INK tokens allow artists to paint empty areas and receive a canvas address for their painting. Users can also use INK to upvote and downvote the work of others on the platform.
ACE TokenStars
This is a blockchain-based celebrity management platform. It launched with tennis and football, and it plans to add poker, basketball and hockey players, as well as actors, models and musicians.
At this point, TokenStars seeks to find, fund, and promote talented tennis and football players while they are young. Fans can support the athletes via tokens; the platform also incentivizes scouts and promoters for finding and supporting players.
Privatex bills itself as the "first internet broadband marketplace powered by P2P VPN network on blockchain." As the description suggests, this may be the least weird IPO of the bunch.
This Ethereum-powered peer-to-peer product takes spare power from its users and gives them access to powerful, distributed proxy software that, according to the developers, would let users bypass China's "'Great Firewall" or watch Netflix from another country.
The developers say it's more secure and less detectable that other VPNs; the goal is to create a network that can't be blocked without blocking the entire Ethereum blockchain — which is essentially impossible.
Dentacoin, according to developers, is the first blockchain concept designed for the global dental industry. The Ethereum-based platform's stated goal is to improve the quality of dental care, reduce treatment costs, and build a "global dental community."
Opinions are mixed.
Digital Trends was less than impressed, comparing it to a grocery store reward point system, or a gift card. "At best, Dentacoin is a misguided attempt to leverage a vogue technology to over complicate systems already in place. At worst, it could wipe the smile off the face of naive investors — and patients."
On the other hand, CIO Review named it one of the 20 most promising blockchain solutions of 2017.
Ok. Gaming ICOs are incredibly common. But this one seems a little different than most. Think gladiators, who use FAME as currency.
BattleDrome is a gaming platform built on an Ethereum-based Battle Arena. Anyone can create a Warrior that can be traded, trained, equipped, and entered into combat events.
Gladiators gain FAME, and FAME is used to create a gladiator, and to equip them, train them — and heal them when injured. When one is defeated in battle, the gladiator who defeated them takes half of the fame held by the vanquished. To cash out, the owner retires the gladiator.
Let's end with one of the weirdest: Synthorn — "synthetic rhino horn aphrodisiac tokenized on the Ethereum blockchain."
In 2017, it tried to raise money via an ICO to "help measure demand for synthetic rhino horn aphrodisiac pills." The website has disappeared, but the whitepaper lingers.


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News & Media
The Truth About Hospice in Palm Beach County To our community The Palm Beach Post published a story about Trustbridge on Sunday June 17. This story was also distributed online. It is the same... + read more
End-of-Life Hospice Care Underused "People need to understand that hospice is about living,..."It's about living as well as you can when life has dealt you a bad deck of cards. Having... + read more
A special message from our Foundation For more than 40 years, Trustbridge has made a difference in the lives of countless families in our community. When caring for our families,... + read more
The Prisoners Who Care for the Dying and Get Another Chance at Life "Most prisons were never built to be nursing homes. Correctional officers often aren't equipped with the necessary training, and medical staff can be... + read more


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California Judge Certifies Class of Kaiser Traveling Nurses/
U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero certified a class of Kaiser Foundation traveling nurses after the caregivers alleged they were shorted on overtime pay, denied required meal breaks and rest periods, etc. The judge granted class certification after the nurses raised valid issues about broad policies that were applicable to all class members.
The judge granted a bid to certify a class of R.N.'s and licensed practical nurses who were all employed by AMN Healthcare Inc. The health care staffing contractor staffed Kaiser Foundation hospitals with nurses in California. The suit included numerous allegations of wage and hour violations of California Labor Law.
The judge concluded that the plaintiffs met the requirements for both commonality and predominance prior to granting class certification. Judge Spero said the nurses' theories that the defendants in the case discouraged overtime and didn't adequately prevent underreporting raised a number of common issues that were susceptible to common proof.
In reaching this conclusion, Judge Spero rejected a number of arguments presented by Kaiser, the defendant in the case, who was arguing against class certification: evidence of minor variations in how the company policies were implemented in various facilities and that potentially removed the commonality of issues regarding the nurses' overtime payment.
When there is evidence of a common business policy that is applicable to all members of a class with concerns to the payment of overtime, and all the class members can be said to share the same core duties that tend to routinely lead to unscheduled overtime, the judge argued that some class members who did not find themselves working unscheduled overtime or who were provided adequate compensation for the overtime hours was not sufficient to defeat predominance. Based on this logic, the court found that the common issues predominate over individualized inquiries in consideration of the overtime claims being presented by the plaintiffs.
The Kaiser nurses' suit was removed to federal court in early 2016. The original lawsuit alleged that the Defendant suppressed overtime by advising their traveling nurses that it wasn't permitted and that they further discouraged overtime by keeping an over-difficult overtime approval process in place. The plaintiffs also alleged that they were not provided with the required meal breaks and rest periods. This was accomplished through a number of different policies the company implemented.
In addition to AMN Healthcare, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Southern California Permanente Medical Group Inc. and the Permanente Medical Group Inc. were also named as defendants. All are Kaiser entities.
If you have questions regarding proper meal breaks and rest periods or if you need to find out what the legal requirements are for overtime pay, please get in touch with one of the experienced California employment law attorneys at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP.


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Trump criticises 'fake news' reporting over Melania
The US president insisted his wife, who has not been seen in public since May 10, is doing really well.
US President Donald Trump has complained about media reports questioning the first lady's recent absence from public view.
Mr Trump said the press has been "so unfair, and vicious" over his wife Melania.
The Fake News Media has been so unfair, and vicious, to my wife and our great First Lady, Melania. During her recovery from surgery they reported everything from near death, to facelift, to left the W.H. (and me) for N.Y. or Virginia, to abuse. All Fake, she is doing really well!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2018
The US leader tweeted that during Mrs Trump's recovery from a medical procedure "they reported everything from near death, to facelift, to left the W.H. (and me) for N.Y. or Virginia, to abuse".
He adds: "All Fake, she is doing really well!"
...Four reporters spotted Melania in the White House last week walking merrily along to a meeting. They never reported the sighting because it would hurt the sick narrative that she was living in a different part of the world, was really ill, or whatever. Fake News is really bad!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2018
Mrs Trump recently spent five days in the hospital following a kidney procedure and stayed out of sight for more than three weeks before re-emerging at a private White House reception on Monday.
Mrs Trump will join the president for a briefing at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters.
It would be her first appearance outside the White House since May 10.
PA Media


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Looking ahead in the above 2017 Classic Rock Preview, some things are clear – while others most certainly are not.
We know, for instance, that Guns N' Roses will be extending their Not in This Lifetime tour. But will the Allman Brothers Band get back together? Or the remaining original Alice Cooper lineup? And what about AC/DC?
We know there will be a meeting of the classic-rock minds when Styx and former Eagles guitarist Don Felder join up for their Renegades in the Fast Lane residency at the Venetian in Las Vegas. But will Journey and Yes reunite with their respective classic-era frontmen for this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions?
Robert Plant is talking about a new album with the Sensational Space Shifters. But can the Rolling Stones finish the all-original follow-up to their celebrated blues offering of 2016? We know we're getting new music from Deep Purple, but what's up with Jimmy Page's long-awaited new studio project?
Ready to mark your calendars? Click through the above gallery as Ultimate Classic Rock runs down what you can expect from more than 100 big acts in our 2017 Classic Rock Preview.
To keep reading this article, click here.


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mWarlords of Draenor offers a pleasant enough levelling experience, I can vouch for the high quality of the Highmaul raid instance. Blackrock Foundry continued this trend I hear, so raiders have been reasonably well catered for, as far as raiding goes anyway. So why is Warlords of Draenor sounding the death knell for Warcraft rather than peals of celebration?
Part of the problem is the dearth of end game content and undelivered 'promise' of all the pre-release hype discussed in part one. The second half of the problem is one of the core features of WoD: garrisons. They were described at Blizzcon as "…the farm times a hundred", which is exactly the problem. The farm, like cooking and fishing, had been a option, take it or leave it. I enjoyed the process of slowly increasing my reputation with the Tillers to expand the number of working plots and grown more crops. However the farm wasn't central, wasn't compulsory, was in no sense required and many people didn't bother at all.
One of the reasons Blizzard gave for not needing to put faction capital cities into WoD was that all of the functions of capital cities were part of what made Garrisons compelling. Repairs, vendors, banking, daily quest givers, profession trainers and vendors and auction houses. All this has made professions and character housekeeping much easier and more convenient. Sadly, as the title of this post suggests, that is the problem. Flying mounts are a perfect example of this: while convenient they trivialise content and don't make for engaging gameplay.
When there were no flying mounts it was necessary for you to travel to a quest location, the world had an imposing scale, and travelling in Warcraft proved the old cliché that it's as much about the journey as the destination. Something Blizzard should bear in mind with their Character Boost feature. Not only was travel to the zone a thing, but fighting your way down to the quest mobs and into the buildings was part of the experience. Picking up a quest, flying out, swooping in, killing the mob, mounting, flying out, handing in is more convenient. Sadly, this convenience has taken away some of the fun and engagement.
Garrisons have brought enormous convenience. Professions and mat grinding now takes place not all over the map but in confines of your player housing. Fishing can do in the pool inside your garrison, just dropping you line will yield fish and special bait that will allow you to catch any of the Draenor fish. All you herbalism needs a met in the tiny garden next to the fishing pool. Your garrison features a mine that yields multiple nodes take take minutes to harvest everyday. Once you've reached max level there's little or no reason to leave your garrison, not even to grind mats.
Then there's the Follower Missions. Essentially this is a mobile/Facebook game: you send followers with attributes to counteract they enemy attributes. After a period the followers return having gained some experience and if they 'won' you get a reward. This is content at it cheapest. Invisible content. 6.2 offers a new shipyard extension to the garrison which gives you another command table to send minions off on imaginary naval missions. None content.
Mike "Preacher" at Preach Gaming has done a superb video, with more ideas frankly than I could be bothered to come up with, discussing what Blizzard could do to make garrisons compelling and interesting content. Fundamentally the garrison needs to be fun and it shouldn't be compulsory. Customisation is key for this, not just in being able to place the garrison in different places in multiple zones, but in terms of architecture. How much more fun for a lover of Forsaken lore to have architecture straight out of Brill or Hillsbrad! Trophies were an interesting (but scrapped) idea, I love the idea of putting up the head of raid bosses I have killed. Not only is that a personal celebration, but put a date on plaque under Onyxia's head and friends and guildies visiting your gaff can see you slew her when that content was contemporary. There would be a draw to visit other's garrison for fun, social reasons. It would also revitalise achievements, with the promise of new trophies and statues.
Blizzard have long talked about getting people out into the world, but then they put things like garrisons in the game, which make capital cities look social. Toss in flexible raid sizes and the ease with which you can cobble together a raid for anything other than top level Mythic raiding and why even join a guild? For crafting? For questing? Everything is available from you garrison and questing has become derisively easy – a race to max level and the lack of end game content. Warcraft has become the smallest and most anti-social Massively Mutliplayer game. End game content has become a choice between joyless and variation free Apexis Crystal grinding and sending followers out to quest for you.
World of Warcraft has become much more convenient and simple to play. Unfortunately for the franchise the complexity and difficult were part of what made the game interesting and engaging. Warlords of Draenor is sounding the death knell for Warcraft as Blizzard become dismissive and contemptuous of their player base. With no new battlegrounds or arenas for PvPers for over a year and scrapped and undelivered levelling and end game content Blizz has had two opportunities to provide more content. After two patches the company has effectively yawned, put it's feet up on the desk and put it's best content into the new store.
I cancelled my subscription a fortnight ago and I haven't logged in despite having paid until 4th June. I miss the game I used to play, but I've been missing it more and more since Cataclysm. I won't miss the game Blizzard gave me in November.


text: We all like having friendsThe word of the month is friendship. It's something everyone needs more of, so several blogs this month will be about this.Friendship is a very important part of a child's life and its often over looked by most adults.Friendship is one of the core parts of our personalities and futures. This is why it is essential that children should learn how to make friends early on. As an adult it is quite easy to dismiss this by just saying something like "just go and talk to new people". Let me ask you this first though, when was the last time you made a new friend, a genuine friend. Not just someone you say hello to in the morning? How easy was it to make a new friend?The rules for making a friend change as one grows and gets older.For a young child, simply saying "can I be your friend" to another child of similar age may be all that is needed (this of course also involves other things such as confidence). Saying this as a teen or an adult may be received with an odd look as that other person gives you an uncomfortable smile while backing away.One way that people make friends is through shared interest. This is especially true for children who can usually only see a few ways in which they can link to another child. That link is essential, it is the bridge that can start the friendship.It is proven that people who gain friends at a young age are more likely to be happier and more successful in life later on.I mention this because we think it is important within MAC too.We all know that one of the big goals in MAC is gaining the black belt. This IS a big goal but with friends along the way that goal is worth so much more. Some of those many strands that make up that black belt you will wear around your waist are the number of friends you have gained along the way.


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$226 - $330
3 - 5 inches
|Most popular in
|High demand for flights, 7% potential price rise
|Cheapest in
|Best time to find cheap flights, 2% potential price drop
|Average price
|Price for this month
|Cheapest price
|From Los Angeles to Atlanta
Atlanta is a city that's rich in culture and history, and offers some of the most beautiful natural scenery in the country. Whether you're visiting Atlanta for business or taking a holiday vacation, there's plenty to do and see, and the local residents are friendly and welcoming. Known for having some of the most decadent and delicious food in the world, you can't visit Atlanta without sampling some local BBQ, lobster or oysters, and a visit to the Coca-Cola bottling plant is definitely worth your while. Atlanta experiences the four seasons, so any time of the year is the right time to visit, as you'll be surrounded by lush greenery, autumn leaves, and the warm breezes of summertime.
On average, it takes approximately four hours to fly from Los Angeles to Atlanta. Flight times may vary slightly depending on weather conditions.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) serves a wide variety of airlines that fly into Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport (ATL). Airlines offering flights to Atlanta include Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Airlines.
Los Angeles International Airport serves multiple airlines that offer up to 25 outbound flights to Atlanta per day. Flight frequencies can vary during holidays and on weekends, and cancellations may occur when weather conditions or unexpected delays require that flights remain grounded.
Los Angeles International Airport serves all flights departing from Los Angeles and flying into Atlanta, at Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport.
Frontier Airlines direct flights from Los Angeles to Atlanta is currently the cheapest route, followed by Spirit Airlines direct flights. Delta Airlines direct flights from LAX to ATL is the third most affordable flight.
Atlanta and Los Angeles are both bustling cities with exciting nightlife, historic architecture and an abundance of attractions that keep visitors busy and entertained. While Atlanta is a large, populated city, the overall atmosphere is slightly more laid back than the big city vibe of Los Angeles, which makes it the perfect spot for a holiday getaway. When you're in Atlanta, a couple must-see attractions include the Jackson Street Bridge, where you can get a bird's eye view of the city from the observation towers, and Tulie Smith Farm, where visitors tour historical buildings and learn about the Civil War. You'll also want to be sure to check out the Fountain of Rings, a gorgeous fountain in the center of Centennial Park, which was also home to the 1996 Olympics.
Flying to Atlanta from sunny Los Angeles takes just a mere four hours, and Cheapflights can make your journey even easier by helping you find the best deals on tickets any day of the year. Whether you need a last-minute ticket for a business meeting or an impromptu weekend with friends, or you're planning an extended family vacation, booking your flight is easy and convenient.
Per day, 184 flights depart from Los Angeles to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson on average.
Early Morning (Midnight to 6am) - 15% of flight departures
Morning (6am - Noon) - 42% of flight departures
Afternoon (Noon - 6pm) - 23% of flight departures
Evening (6pm - Midnight) - 19% of flight departures
Your journey will take you approximately 5 hours. Your flight will cover a distance of about 1,214 miles.


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Heather Vogel Frederick is a real gem of a person and a blast to read no matter what your age. My family is working our way through her Mother-Daughter Book Club series and enjoying every minute. Please help me welcome Heather!
Introducing Heather Vogel Frederick
After a 20-year career as a journalist, Heather Vogel Frederick decided it was high time to fulfill her lifelong dream of writing fiction for young readers. Today, she's the author of over a dozen books, including Once Upon a Toad and the popular Mother-Daughter Book Club and Spy Mice series. Heather's work spans many genres, from picture books to fantasy, historical fiction, fractured fairy tales, and contemporary realism and has been honored both nationally and internationally and translated into a number of languages. A former staff reporter and children's book review editor for The Christian Science Monitor, Heather has also written for the New York Times, Child, Family Life, and Publishers Weekly, where she was a contributing editor for many years. Learn more at http://www.heathervogelfrederick.com/.
Learn about Spy Mice: The Black Paw
In Book 1 of the newly repackaged Spy Mice series, a savvy secret agent mouse teams up with a kid who has superspy aspirations.
Fifth-grader Oz Levinson has always dreamed of being a spy, just like his hero James Bond. In real life though, Oz's 007 moves are seriously lacking, and he's a target for bullies. Then he stumbles upon Glory Goldenleaf, a secret agent mouse based in Washington D.C.'s International Spy Museum.
Glory is a tiny spy with a huge problem: The evil rat Roquefort Dupont has kidnapped her father, and she needs to launch a rodent rescue! Recruited to lend a helping hand, Oz and his new friend D.B. are swept into an exciting world of small-scale espionage. Armed with high-tech gadgets, pigeon power, and a whole lot of cheese, Glory and her team won't rest until her father is rescued and justice is done.
Learn about For Your Paws Only
Joining Glory in the big city is fifth-grader Oz Levinson, who's a finalist in a junior bake-off contest. He and his friend D.B. will be competing against the best bakers in the country on live TV! But when Glory gets mouse-napped in Manhattan, Oz and D.B. need to stage a rescue mission. It will take all of their spy skills to save their favorite mouse, stop the rats' dastardly scheme—and pull off the perfect dessert.
Learn about Goldwhiskers
Soon though, their vacation turns into a business trip. A series of jewel thefts have left the police baffled, and Glory has her eye on some pocket-size suspects. It looks like Goldwhiskers—the richest rat in the world—and some familiar rodent villains have their paw-prints all over this. Then the rat thieves go after the big cheese: the Crown Jewels. In a race to return England's national treasures to safety, Glory Goldenleaf, international mouse of mystery, and her friend Oz are on the case!
I asked Heather three questions about our giveaway's theme topic, self-expression:
1. Is self-expression an important part of your life today, why or why not?
Self-expression is as natural to each of us as breathing. In fact, it's basically the first thing we do when we enter this world. What is an infant's cry, if not self-expression? We are literally born primed to create. Each one of us has unique gifts, unique talents we're meant to share, and mine happens to be writing. Is it an important part of my life today? Absolutely. I get restless when I'm not writing. If I'm between stories, even if I have no clear end in mind I'm still scribbling things that come to me—lines of dialogue, character's names, snippets of description—into notebooks and onto napkins at restaurants or stray pieces of paper fished from my purse. Writing is simply what I do; it's how I make sense of the world.
2. What does self-expression mean to you and how do you do it in the world?
After every book I finish, I nearly always think, "That's it; I'm done. I'm out of ideas for good." I'm sincerely convinced of it. And then, after a while, the restlessness sets in and a story begins to nibble at the edge of consciousness. It starts as a drop or two, grows to a trickle, and soon it's a deluge that can't be ignored and I'm off and running again.
I can tell you a funny story about how one of my books came into being. We have fabulous berries here in Oregon, and I was at my favorite farm one beautiful summer day picking boysenberries for a pie. Like most writers I know, I'm constantly noodling around with words no matter where I am or what else I'm doing, and all of a sudden it struck me what an odd word "boysenberry" was. "There really should be a girlsenberry, too," I thought. From there my mind leaped directly to "babyberry," and since I was planning to go home and make a pie, naturally that expanded into Babyberry Pie, which ended up being my first picture book.
3. How does your self-expression impact the world—your family, your friends, your readers, and everyone else?
As a writer, you obviously hope that what comes from your heart will touch other hearts. There's no greater joy than hearing from a reader, and I've been tremendously fortunate in this regard. As for family and friends, their support for what is often an odd lifestyle—we literary types can be distracted, even peevish creatures, and my family has endured a great deal of pizza over the years when I'm on deadline—means the world. So does their encouragement and praise. The very best compliment I've ever received was from my son Ian, who was in middle school at the time. After he finished reading my book The Voyage of Patience Godspeed, he came to me and said, "Mom, that last part was so exciting I forgot you wrote it!" It doesn't get much better than that.
And Now, Your Turn…
You remember how this works right?
Please read the complete rules at least once!
I ask you a question.
You answer in the comments for your chance to win a book each day.
Please just respond once, even if you make a typo.
Answer in the comments in 50-200 words (no less and no more to qualify to win one of today's books).
Where do your best ideas come from? How do you track your ideas? Do you think you could ever run out of ideas?
Ready, set, comment! I will hold the drawing tomorrow and post the results here in my blog.
Thanks for participating in the Writer Mama Every-Day-In-May Book Giveaway!
And thanks for spreading the word. We will be giving away great books by wonderful women authors all month.
View the complete list of authors and books.
View the giveaway Pinterest board


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It's difficult to interpret a rational response to an untested modern day warfare strategy using nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, below are a number of possible market scenarios under 'flash' and 'short-term' constraints.
A nuclear flash point is difficult to factor as it's considered a non-traditional build up to conflict.
It's assumed that the US would be required to destroy North Korea's ability to retaliate in one massive short onslaught, not just its ballistic missile capability. Any strike of this scale would require a massive deployment of battleships and aviation assets to the region.
There are two main reasons for that:
1. Seoul, South Korea lies less than -100km from the border. It is within artillery strike.
2. Japan is also within range of missiles and could expect a heavy bombardment.
In a war scenario we could expect the following under flash conditions:
· USD/JPY could rally immediately above ¥130.00 (possibly ¥140+) and the Nikkei could drop by as much as ~20%. By day's end, JPY may "not" be a safe haven. However, negating some of the 'big' dollar moves will be the fact that Japan is a net overseas investor, both on the retail and institutional levels. Thus, investors who have their assets in 'non-yen' is at risk because they are exposed to FX volatility – expect many domestic investors to want to reduce their risk by unwinding some of their overseas investments.
· USD/Asia – all Asian currencies could depreciate aggressively ~10%+
· ASIAN stock markets could collapse significantly and probably more in China and Hong Kong.
· KRW will most likely be untradeable due to liquidity constraints.
· With trade routes, both east and west, expected to be severely disrupted, this could be particularly bad for Australia. Expect the ASX to come under immediate pressure as a high beta to China and its main export market. Expect the AUD to drop by at least ~10%.
· USD is expected to appreciate by at least ~5 to 10% against G10 pairs for starters.
· Global stock markets ex-Asia and APAC could fall significantly, but not at the same pace as its Asian counterparts.
· Oil will be expected to rally aggressively, up to $70-90+ a barrel (first and second strong resistance points) and then some.
· CHF could appreciate by ~10% crushing the SNB along the way. It's already posted its biggest daily rise in 2 and a half years this week on 'carry' trade unwinds.
· Gold will move higher by a minimum of ~20% to towards the key psychological $1500 level and expected to go much higher. Similar moves will be seen in Silver and Platinum.
· Base metals could collapse as demand from China plummets, or because it is unsafe to transport raw materials.
· Food prices will suffer a knee jerk reaction higher as Asia scrambles for supplies to stockpile but probably finds that no one will be willing to ship them.
· Remember: Weekend moves are more prone to significant price gaps due to liquidity constraints.
Under Short-Term conditions:
· G7 Central Banks will be expected to produce massive cuts in interest rates to head of a liquidity crisis.
· U.S Treasury's, Bunds, Gilts yields will collapse – Bunds going strongly negative and U.S 10-year yields to plummet towards +1 – 1.5%.
· On collateral damage to either South Korea or Japan could see a reversal of some of the USD bets into EUR as a safe haven.


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North Point Dedicates Its New Digs
Seattle Presbytery
The session was blessed with helpful guidance during the planning phrase. Elder Bill Johnson, a renowned landscape architect led us in thinking about the use of our land and the impact of construction on the environment, our neighbors and community. Then, architect Charlie Wenzlau translated our mission priorities and financial limitations into a beautiful and efficient design.
With a plan in hand, we launched a capital campaign, New Horizons, with the assistance of the Generis stewardship ministry. The congregation was pleased with the vision and the response exceeded our hopes. With over $1,000,000 pledged, we felt we could move forward.
The planning phase went very well. The congregation followed through on their pledges and we were finally issued a building permit. But two challenges to our faith immediately followed. Our general contractor, Mike Stimac was diagnosed with a serious melanoma cancer, and the banking crisis hit—no banks were making construction loans! It seemed as if God were telling us, "Not now." But, within the year Mike was given a clean bill of health and a newly chartered local bank with money to lend told us they were interested in our project. However, with two years left on the capital pledge period, they asked for more money up front. So we raised an additional $500,000 by selling debentures (promissory notes) with a better than average rate of interest. The bank was pleased and construction began in the Spring of 2010.
During this past year the congregation has been faithful in prayer, giving, and leadership. We deepened our life together and grew in ministry even as we watched the construction progress. When the project was completed, we rejoiced that it had been finished ahead of schedule and under budget!
We had been hearing from the community that many were interested in attending North Point when our building was completed, but it was hard to know whether this was polite conversation or genuine interest. Yet we sensed that God was doing something special. On our grand opening Sunday, we saw it—over 340 people were present. Every seat was taken, the nursery full to overflowing, and the children's ministry classrooms were packed.
We are so grateful to God for what He is doing, and deeply desire to be faithful to what he is entrusting to us. From the beginning, when North Point was an idea in our hearts, we have said that we believe that the Church exists for others and not just for ourselves. We have pledged to one another that we will use what God enables us to build as a platform for serving the people he loves, both locally and beyond. To that end, we are stepping up our commitment to service.
Locally, we provide lunches for high school students during the fall and spring. We prepare great lunches on designated weeks for students to enjoy as a way of telling them that they matter to us. On a typical "Jesus Food" Monday, about 250 students walk across the street for food and conversation. Starting this fall, we are becoming a job site for the Life Skills class of special needs kids at the High School. We are also the distribution center for weekend lunches, school supplies and Christmas gifts for low income
families through our partnership with our local food bank. We also put together an annual "Big Band Christmas" concert and dance as a fundraiser for the food bank. Most recently, we began a ministry for homeless women who live in cars, providing comforters and personal hygiene items.
Internationally, we have committed support to Oasis India an organization which ministers to women and child victims of sexual trafficking in Bangalore. We visit Oasis every other year for on-site evaluation and encouragement, and raise funds through art auctions and personal gifts in support of their work. Currently, we are establishing a sister church covenant with two South African congregations for mutual support and encouragement. We hope to contribute to the post-apartheid efforts at racial reconciliation and support the ministry of these two dynamic churches and their outreach to the poor, children, and victims of HIV/Aids. The pastors of these congregations visited us this summer, and we signed a formal covenant of mutual support on Sunday, July 10th.
In addition to our South African and Indian missions, we support a member of our congregation, Beth Roadarmel, who is doing geriatric medical missionary work in Thailand.
In conclusion, we need to say that we are aware that North Point has prospered because God wanted it to happen. We give Him the glory, and commit ourselves to do the hard work of love and service that constitute something of what Jesus means when he calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him.


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We are taking time to explore and celebrate Self-Love. Traditionally this time of year can focus only on romantic love (which is great, but...) we wanted to focus on something that we can gift ourselves with.
Events throughout the week will be:
Florence Oliver--Wild Beauty Pop -Up Shop: Gem will have these amazing plant infused herbal body care products (all week 2/8/18-2/14/18). @florenceoliver
Dreamboat Ritual Potions Pop-Up Shop: Gem will have these heavenly Bath Salt Soaks (2/8/18-2/14/18) @dreamboatritualpotions
Self Love Friday Event(10am-7:30pm*) including Love Readings, Heart Chakra Meditaion, Wild and Vibrant--Sexual Ecology Pop Up Shop @wildandvibrant
Instagram Take Over by Erin Anderson @thegoldrunner (who by the way is the newest member of the GEM Team) discussing topics related to Self-Love, Healing & Self Acceptance. So excited about this!!
* Go to Friday Events Page to see more details of this event


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Here it is!
My passion, my love and my life all in one website. I hope you love it as much as I do and join the BBS Nation with me! People have been asking, commenting, prying and really just wanting to know what was going on and as much as I wanted to spill the beans, I couldn't! This is why! Its here!
There are three components: The Fuel System, The Shape System and The Master Systems.
The Shape System
Going to the gym sucks, especially when you don't have a clue what to do. How many times have you set a goal, gone to the gym and ended up hopping on the treadmill for a bit, do a couple of crunches and call it a day? ALL THE TIME!
The Shape System was designed for you to get the workout you desire and deserve. It's like having a personal trainer beside you, without having to pay the cost. I have trained hundreds of individuals and am constantly asked for my workouts. Well here is the chance. Professionally shot workout videos with me doing the workout with you! Watch, learn and do, or better yet, take your phone or ipad to the gym, living room , or track and push yourself like you have never before. Videos will be posted for our BalancedBodyNation members and videos wil be archived so you always have something new, fresh and ccan go back if you liked a certain workout.
The Fuel System
It's simple. I created a system in which clean, healthy, nutritious fuel can be learnt. I hate when people hire dieticians, nutritionists or go on "fad diets" just to fall back to their regular routines and have to invest again into their "goals". Its about education and making smart decisions. My program will teach you that so you never have to "restart" and "invest" again. Learn a simple, step by step method on how to fuel your body for your workouts and for life.
The Master System
Have you ever been to a class and the instructor was horrible and all you could think of is how you could possibly sneak out? Or you end up doing your own thing because the instructor has no idea what they are doing?
We have all been there. That is the most horrifying position to be in, especially when you pay an arm and a leg, plus your first born for a fitness class. I've been there, multiple time. I have sat there and created lists of everything the instructor has done wrong. From basic physiology, to cueing, to music selection, to motivation, to engagement, the list goes on and on.
That is where I have developed the Master systems. The goals is to get all instructors to be their highest potential!
Within the Master System there are two packages, as well as mentoring and development. The master systems is for the new business about to launch, an experienced business that aren't seeing success out of their instructors, instructors who just get out of their "certification" and don't have a clue where to start. Each package specifically designed to see success
Can't figure out which one is best? Take a look and let me know what you think!
I hope you can see my passion and love for helping others through my words and pictures.


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As the people got to know him bet er they soon discovered that
he was also extremely good at reading their fortune and pre-
dicting the weather. Even by his daily actions they were able to
guess the outcome of the weather conditions for whenever he
was seen hurrying around in wet sandals, rain was sure to fol ow,
and whenever he was seen wearing shoes and relaxing here and
there, bright and sunny days would prevail. He also had many
other peculiarities some of which bore similarities with those of
another famous monk CHI KUNG of the Sung Dynasty. Pu Tai
was often seen to be sleeping very comfortably on the snow dur-
ing the cold winters and at the same time resisted taking a bath
during the hot summers. He died in a sit ing posture at the cor-
ridor of a temple and left behind a verse which said:
"Maitreya is a real Maitreya, who manifests
uncountable transformed bodies.
Constantly he manifests before living beings
who are not able to recognise them."
rough this verse, people later began to accept him as an incar-
nation of the Maitreya Buddha which also explains the accepted
appearance of the current day's depiction of him.
In his many other recorded incarnations in China, he frequently
appeared as great and learned persons whose lives have been re-
corded in many books. e fol owers of the Tien Tao Movement,
ˇűBACKˇű |INDEX| ˇúNEXTˇú


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Laura Tadd is an internationally known psychological astrologer. She is so passionate about her work and loves teaching astrology, giving guest lectures, and doing private consultations (thank you web!) with clients. Meet Dr. Laura Tadd! Tell us about what you do. As an astrologer, I wear many hats, but primarily I work with clients in … Read More
Author: Wild Web Women
Over-Communication is Key in This Wild Web Work World
In a day and age where there are various methods of communication happening across a wide range of platforms, over communication is a Wild Web Woman's key to maintaining functional, productive, and healthy working relationships. Lorrie Thomas Ross always reminds me as we collaborate during my internship that "silence is death" to a woman working … Read More
Featured Wild Web Woman: Jessica Freeman
Meet Wild Web Woman Jessica Freeman! Jessica is the founder of Jess Creatives and is an award-winning graphic and web designer that enables service-based entrepreneurs to have a solid online presence through strategy, design, and video. Meet Jessica Freeman! What inspired you to launch your web-based business? I wanted to do more of the projects that … Read More
Featured Wild Web Woman: Sandra Lewis
Meet Wild Web Woman Sandra Lewis! Sandra is the founder of Boldly, a premium virtual business support company with team members across North America and Europe. Sandra and her team help founders and executives provide skilled, trusted remote talent to do work including: executive admin, marketing, project management, bookkeeping, social media management and more. Meet … Read More
Featured Wild Web Woman: Patricia Lohan
Meet Wild Web Woman Patricia Lohan, transformational business and life mentor! She helps women accelerate success through creating powerful environments. She shows you what they don't teach in business school, what lies between the lines, and your top secret tools for success. She is a Feng Shui expert, a healer and passionate female entrepreneur who … Read More
Featured Wild Web Woman: Stephanie Sprangers
Hey ladies! Get ready for another awesome Wild Web Woman interview! Meet the founder of Glamhive, Stephanie Sprangers! Glamhive is an online personal styling marketplace. They help you improve your style by connecting you with stylists and makeup artists that are affordable for everyone. Meet Wild Web Woman Stephanie Sprangers! What inspired you to launch … Read More


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Rating: 7.8/10
Director: Andrew Davis
Writers: Jeb Stuart (screenplay), David Twohy (screenplay)
Stars: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward
Runtime: 2h 10min
Genre: Action , Crime , Drama
Released: 6 August 1993
Summary: A well respected Chicago surgeon Dr. Richard Kimble has found out that his wife, Helen, has been murdered ferociously in her own home. The police found Kimble and accused him of the murder. Then, Kimble (without Justifiable Reason) was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. However, on the way to prison, Kimble's transport crashed. Kimble escapes and is now on the run. Deputy Samuel Gerard from Chicago takes charge of the chase of Kimble. Meanwhile, Kimble takes up his own investigation to find who really killed his wife, and to lure Gerard and his team into it as well.
The Fugitive 1993 Full Movie Download in 480p & 720p MKV:
400mb 1.2GB Google Drive Links
Source link


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Tune in to surf our amazing collection based on the beautiful theme of roses of various colors like red, pink, orange and more to describe beautiful love between two people who together make a couple and celebrate valentine's day by presenting fresh bunch of roses or a single rose to denote their love for each other. You can preview these valentine roses wallpapers to gift it to your lover, friend or buddy as a token of your wishes and affectionate love for him/her.
Valentine Roses Wallpapers, Free Valentines Dar Rose WallpaperPosted by Holiday Wallpapers at 11:33 AM | Labels: Valentines-Day Monday, January 25, 2010
Attractive Valentine Wallpapers, Attractive Valentine's Day CollectionPosted by Holiday Wallpapers at 11:24 AM | Labels: Valentines-Day
Let your screen attract everyone from far by just looking at once with an attrative wallpaper background to make your deck adorn itself in beautiful theme of love, roses, hearts, couples and other valentines day related themes. Pass on the attractive valentine wallpapers to your online circle, friends, colleagues and buddies. The attractive design, background image, pattern and looks attract everyone atleast once if he/she looks at your system.
Valentine Couple Wallpapers, Valentines Day Couple WallpaperPosted by Holiday Wallpapers at 11:18 AM | Labels: Valentines-Day
Welcome in to explore couples celebrating valentine's day in their own way of love and romance. Preview the collection of valentine couple wallpapers to download and exchange as a gift for your lover. Express your sentiment of being together on 14th February as valentine couple together enjoying the beauty of the day.
Valentines Day Wallpapers, Free Valentines Day WallpaperPosted by Holiday Wallpapers at 11:04 AM | Labels: Valentines-Day
Celebrate your valentine's day with the love of your life by going out and enjoy the beautiful day with complete fun, entertainment and pleasure of your togetherness. Wish your lover, a happy valentine's day with below displayed any of these valentines day wallpapers sharing warm notes of love and passion for each other. Download these exclusive backgrounds for free by clicking on them.
Valentine Computer Wallpapers, Valentines Day Computer WallpapersPosted by Holiday Wallpapers at 10:53 AM | Labels: Valentines-Day
Enjoy decorating your computer system to look in spirit with theme of love and romance for the coming February month through this beautiful gallery of valentine computer wallpapers available in various themes, color styles, layouts, designs like heart, puppies, flower, teddy, rose, chocolates, couple and more. Celebrate valentine's day by gifting these backgrounds to pamper your valentine.
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Astros' Alex Bregman mimics James Harden's walk-off GIF
Alex Bregman can do no wrong right now.
The 24-year-old third baseman leads the Astros in most offensive categories and has been especially sizzling lately, hitting .458 with 5 home runs, 9 doubles and 18 RBIs in the past two weeks.
HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Alex Bregman's HR helps Astros sweep past Twins
He's been just as big a hit outside the batter's box as well. First, he popularized the post-home run #DugoutStareChallenge that has caught on not only in the Astros dugout, but also in schools and places of business around Houston. On Wednesday, he came up with a new antic - hitting AT&T SportsNet Southwest's Julia Morales with a move similar to one the Rockets' James Harden gave Matt Bullard in a postgame interview.
When Morales asked Bregman about the upcoming series against the American League East-leading Boston Red Sox this weekend, Bregman gave his best Harden impression. When Harden did it, the clip instantly became one of the most popular GIFs on Twitter. We'll see if Bregman's imitation rides the same wave.
Browse through the photos above for a look at Alex Bregman's greatest on-field and off-field moments.


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KC123 Cascade Wrist/Arm Warmers
Wrist or Arm warmers in two lengths! Pick either the mid-arm or above the elbow length ( or anywhere in between).
The Cowl-Hood and Cuff Kit comes complete with Columbia Yarn, Imperial Collection Pattern, and Our Iconic Bell. It arrives handsomely packaged, ready to earn its place among the ranks as your next project or to be presented to your favorite artisan as a gift. Happy Knitting!
Yarn: Columbia
Yarn Weight: Worsted
Craft: Knit
Needles: US size 8 (5 mm), set of 5 double-point needles.
Notions: Split-ring stitch marker; tapestry needle.
Skein: 2
Level of Difficulty: Easy


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The year is 3279 AD and the once great civilisation of the United Federation of Planets has crumbled to a few residents residing in the distant corner of the galaxy in the Omega quadrant. The few survivors of the war with the Cybornians, an intelligent race who live on destroying other planets, now reside on the planet Xenophon that had been taken over by the Cybornians over 3 centuries ago. The entire population of the human race had been diminished to a thousand or so people.
Of course the Cybornians had also been destroyed, crushed by the retreating fire of the Federations ships. The Federation assembled an armada of every single star ship and pilot who was worthy to fly. All kinds of ships ranging from the small Delta class fighters to the Capital ships of the Prometheus class. There were countless scout ships, gathering information from every corner of the galaxy and relaying it back to Home base.
All diplomatic efforts to reinstate an alliance with the Cybornians had failed and aware of the Federations mass assembly, the Cybornians had also assembled a mass armada in the Delta quadrant unknown to the Federation.
Lieutenant Jack Xavier quietly stepped onto the catwalk and walked to the debriefing room. The sliding glass doors opened and the faces of Starfleet Admirals and Captains stared at him. "Well good to have you to here Lieutenant Xavier. We are just about to start"
"At 1845 hours, we had received word from our scouts in the Delta Quadrant, that the Cybornians are preparing for an all out war with the Federation of Planets. "Gamma ray scans indicate that the Cybornians are assembling a fleet of mass proportions to destroy the Federation. "Previous efforts to reinstate the alliance with them have thus far failed and it doesn't look like they are going to".
"The Fleet admiral and the Heads of Government have decided to assemble a counter attack force of every ship in the fleet. "I want everyone to prep themselves for battle and arrive at your designated ship within 2 days".
Xavier woke up and stared at the planet in the star filled night sky. He walked to the cabinet in his house and slipped on into his formal uniform. "Where are you going" asked a quiet voice in the dark. It was Sarah, his wife. "I can't tell you" Xavier replied. "Well wherever you are going, you better be back". "I can't live without you". "I will be back", replied Xavier. He then started his hover car and drove to the Spaceport.
"All pilots are to report to their ships immediately". "Captains and Lieutenants are to assemble at the conference room at Starfleet headquarters without delay." Xavier headed up the elevator to the conference room at the HQ.
Xavier took a seat near the circular conference table. Admiral Brent started to talk about the situation. He assessed each Captain to a Capital ship. "Captain Flynn, you will command the USS Polaris, Captain John, you will command the USS Messier. He read on the short list of names. He assessed each Lieutenant to a certain ship in the fleet known as the Odyssey class. These were the newest ships at the time and the most advanced.
Lieutenant Ford, you will command USS Prometheus, Lieutenant Xavier, you will command the USS Odyssey. Xavier was shocked. He never expected to command a Capital Starship.
Xavier took a shuttlecraft to Spaceport 7 where the USS Odyssey awaited him. It was incomprehensible. The sheer magnitude of titanium alloy mixed with regenerative hull armour and shields meant the ship was solely designed for combat. Starfleet had built 10 of the massive star ships.
"Captain on the bridge" the ensign called. Until further notice, and for the duration of this mission, his rank was changed to Captain. Xavier took a glance at the plush interior of the ship. No wonder it was designed for combat. The multitude of phaser arrays and quantum torpedo launchers had made him gasp.
"Captain, all flight checks complete, we are ready for launch on your command." The fresh-faced ensign announced. Retract all moorings and group with the rest of the fleet near the assigned coordinates. The helmsmen swiped something on the touchscreen, which in turn activated the impulse engines.
The USS Odyssey travelled for a constant 20 minutes on impulse power until it reached the rendezvous point for all ships in the fleet. In that time, preliminary flight checks were completed and the warp drive was prepped for flight. Out of the star filled night sky, one of the biggest fleet assembly operations were undergoing.
"Commence warp systems check and prepare for warp in one minute". Xavier said. The computer showed all the vital instrumental data. "Warp systems are fully functional Captain".
The fleet admiral announced for all ships to commence warp at the same time. Fighters were stowed into hangars and the countdown began. Engage warp in 3…2…1.
This story was submitted by Terminator7457 for the AE Stories Event. Find Details on sending your own Story here.


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Music City Lament: Nashville SC 2 – 0 Ottawa Fury
Nashville has historically been the home of heartfelt laments, so the Ottawa Fury won't have had to look hard for an appropriate soundtrack for their journey home after a 2-0 loss on Friday night.
Merle Haggard's "Sing Me Back Home" might be a good selection, seeing as this mini road trip has failed to deliver the bounty of points the Fury set out to collect after the final game of their homestand. Against Atlanta United II on Tuesday, in the strange continuation of a match which began two months ago, neither team managed to pry the extra two points on offer. Nashville SC, however, had little difficulty in dispatching what looked like a tired Fury squad in the first half.
From the earliest stages of the match, it became apparent that the primary battle on the field would come on the far flank between Nashville's Taylor Washington and the Fury's Eddie Edward. The wingbacks took turns beating each other and getting the ball deep into enemy territory. Washington certainly won the first half, as the men in gold dominated possession and the Edward spent most of his time mindful of the lively 23-year-old American.
Though the play in the first half was mostly a midfield battle of attrition, Nashville's breakthrough would come in the 31st minute. South African midfielder Lebo Moloto left Fury centre-back Nana Attakora holding his boots with a nice shimmy and rolled a perfect pass back to the penalty spot where Matt Lagrazza was completing a long support run. Lagrassa was unmarked as he slotted the ball past the helpless Maxime Crépeau.
If the Fury looked a step slow in the first half, whatever was said in the halftime team talk seemed to wipe the cobwebs from their eyes. Sadly for the Fury, one of their former teammates would play a key role in extending Nashville's lead before they could do any damage. Tucker Hume, who spent the 2017 season as part of Paul Daglish's Fury, drew a penalty when he took to the air to chase a Nashville cross from a free-kick. Hume, who has recently drawn the ire of FC Cincinnati's fan base for his reputation as a bit of a flopper, felt a nudge from Steevan Dos Santos, threw his arms into the air and was rewarded with the referee pointing to the spot. Up stepped Brandon Allen to put away the penalty.
Fury Head Coach Nikola Popovic has spoken consistently since his arrival in Ottawa about his desire to see his team fight to the end. That spirit was on display immediately following Nashville's second goal, as the return from injury of Fury captain Carl Haworth was made complete when the fourth official flashed a green "8" on the electronic substitutes board. It was a double substitution, with Popovic handing new signing Daniel Kinumbe his first professional appearance. Dos Santos and Daniel Haber would make way.
The substitutions immediately injected a spark into the Fury's offensive play. Haworth was decidedly buzzing, haranguing Nashville's back line and making a nuisance of himself. The tone of the match also shifted with Kinumbe's blazing pace, as the 19-year-old Canadian had a go at Nashville's defence and was mostly successful.
For the final 30 minutes of the match, the Fury did everything but score, with Haworth and Kinumber even exchanging shots off the bar. Nashville was on the ropes, but the Fury could not find a way back into the match, despite clawing their share of the possession back to an even 50/50 by the final whistle.
All in all, the road trip will go down as a disappointment for Fury supporters. The Fury can ill-afford to continue dropping points against their playoff rivals like Nashville SC, and much less fail to snatch points from bottom-dwellers such as Atlanta United II.
In light of these results, the Fury's upcoming match on Wednesday night at home against the Richmond Kickers represents an opportunity to take three points from another struggling Eastern Conference team. The Fury will be hoping they can replicate their second-half showing against Nashville from the outset, rather than finding themselves two goals down before taking the initiative.
Furious Observations:
- Nashville's commentary team started brightly, but as the match wore on devolved into the homerism so commonly heard on USL broadcasts. One particularly egregious insult came when the play-by-play announcer was listing off facts about Ottawa and said: "Did you know that 37% of people in Ottawa can speak both English and French?" "I doubt that," came the reply from the colour commentator. The war on facts continues unabated, folks. Fake news, indeed.
- Maxime Crépeau and Thomas Meilleur-Giguère, two current Ottawa residents who speak both English and French, had another solid game. Crépeau wasn't at fault on either of Nashville's goals, showed again that balls in the air inside the Fury's 18-yard box are almost sure to land cradled in his arms. TMG, for his part, continues to draw attention from the Montreal media, who seem to believe he's a lock to be part of the Impact's squad in 2019.
- Fury Man of the Match: Carl Haworth. Coming off the bench, the Fury captain proved to be a handful for Nashville's defenders, forcing a beautiful outstretched save from Matt Pickens, drilling a ball off the crossbar and unsettling his markers with energetic runs off the ball.


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|Former President Cory Aquino, photo from Philippine Star
Unfortunately, On June 1986, barely 4 months after the People Power revolution, President Cory Aquino, in a baffling move that defied logic, deliberately abolished the Ministry Of Energy, and put Petron under the Office of the President.
It was all downhill from there.
Why Cory, Why?
|Photo from The Kahimyang Project
Vested Interest
The Aquino administration defended the move saying that they wanted to do away the government monpoly in the energy sector. To further justify the abolition, they charged Energy Ministe Geronimo Zamora for graft and corruption. Zamora was later acquitted by the Supreme Court.
Interestingly, one of Cory's presidential advisers during that time was Cesar Buenaventura. It appeared that the abolition of the Energy Ministry was advised by Buenaventura, who, aside from being Cory's closest adviser, is also the president of Pilipinas Shell.
Experts agree that Buenaventura has Shell's interest in mind when he recommended for the Energy ministry's abolition. The country's non-oil resources preference is obviously bad for Shell's business in the country.
Due to the Aquino administration's misgovernance of the energy sector, foreign oil companies took advantage of the deregulation, formed their own cartels, and left the Filipino people helpless on the effect of the rising prices of oil and other commodities. Our country has suffered from retrogression, and remained as Asia's economic dawdler.
Source: kahimyang.com