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|Soulcalibur II
|Japanese title
|Namco Cybertainment Inc.
|Release date(s)
|Arcade, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
|Preceded by
|Followed by
|Soulcalibur III
|Neoseeker Related Pages
|Soulcalibur II Channel
|YouTube Gaming
|Soulcalibur II Channel
Soulcalibur II is the sequel to Soulcalibur and the third game in the Soulcalibur fighting game series. It was developed and published by Namco.
Soul Calibur is the name of the holy sword, created to battle the evil sword Soul Edge, which the games' story-lines revolve around.
Compared to Soulcalibur, Soulcalibur II boasts improved graphics and introduces new characters, stages, and music. With respect to game mechanics, the two games are very similar, with Soulcalibur II generally considered an updated version of Soulcalibur.
Key game engine improvements include:
- More powerful "step" and "avoid" systems, which made evading vertical attacks noticeably easier
- Arena walls, rather than ring-out ability on all sides, and subsequent wall-specific moves
- A three-step Soul Charge system
- A clash system, one that is used when two attacks would hit each other resulting in a white flash and no damage to either opponent
The game is set 4 years after the end of Soulcalibur, which based on calculations from a timeline released on the Soul Archive website, puts the game's story in the year 1591.
The wave of slaughters that terrorized Europe reached a sudden end. The knight in azure armor, Nightmare, and his followers were successful in collecting enough souls and were about to start the restoring ceremony on the ruins of the once-proud Osthreinsburg Castle. But just as the ceremony was to start, three young warriors assaulted the castle. In a matter of time the clan was defeated and Nightmare stood in front of the young warriors wielding the Sacred Trinity. After an intense battle Nightmare fell, but then the evil soul inside Soul Edge sent the young warriors into a vortex of hellfire and stood to confront them. As result of Soul Edge's evil aura, Krita-Yuga revealed its true form: that of the Holy Sword, Soul Calibur.
The intense battle ended with the victory of the holy sword, but at the collapse of the vortex of Inferno, both swords along with the azure Nightmare were sucked in a void and expelled in another place. Siegfried Schtauffen, who was until a moment before the Azure Knight, restored his mind. Recognizing his sins, he set on a journey of atonement. Still the blade held a strong bond, and every night it took control of the body and took souls of those nearby. The efforts made by the young knight were fruitless, and four years later the Azure Nightmare returned.
Around those times various warriors came into contact of the blade's remaining fragments, revealing Soul Edge's ultimate survival after its defeat. Driven either to possess or destroy it, they join a new journey, while Nightmare starts his rampage once again, seeking souls to restore Soul Edge once again...
Table of Contents
- Soul Edge (Moves)
- Soulcalibur (Moves)
- Soulcalibur II (Moves)
- Soulcalibur III (Moves)
- Soulcalibur IV (Moves)
- Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny (Moves)
- Soulcalibur V (Moves)
- Soulcalibur VI (Moves)
- Abelia
- Abyss
- Algol
- Amy
- Angol Fear
- The Apprentice
- Arthur
- Ashlotte
- Assassin
- Astaroth
- Aurelia
- Azwel
- Berserker
- Cassandra
- Cervantes
- Charade
- Chester
- Dampierre
- Darth Vader
- Demuth
- Devil Jin (style)
- Edge Master
- Elysium
- Ezio Auditore
- Geralt
- Girardot
- Greed
- Grøh
- Heihachi
- Hilde
- Hualin
- Hwang
- Inferno
- Ivy
- Kamikirimusi
- Kilik
- Kratos
- Leixia
- Li Long
- Link
- Lizardman
- Luna
- Lynette
- Maxi
- Miser
- Mitsurugi
- Natsu
- Necrid
- Nightmare
- Olcadan
- Patroklos
- α Patroklos
- Pyrrha
- Pyrrha Ω
- Raphael
- Revenant
- Rock
- Scheherazade
- Seong Han-Myeong
- Seong Mi-na
- Setsuka
- Shura
- Siegfried
- Sophitia
- Spawn
- Strife
- Taki
- Talim
- Tira
- Valeria
- Viola
- Voldo
- Xianghua
- Xiba
- Yoda
- Yoshimitsu
- Yun-Seong
- Zasalamel


text: This website was created with the intent to share some of the knowledge I've gained as a youth services assistant at a public library. I hope you find this information as useful as I have. If you have any questions please post a comment and I'll do my best to get back with you as soon as I can. Also, feel free to share your tips/tricks I'm always open to learning more!

subset: commoncrawl


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Finally, our first free day! Nothing scheduled on the agenda, we can do what we want, roam as we please. The program advisers created a fun scavenger hunt that we could do around the city, but most people just made their own plans.
I decided to sleep until noon, take lunch at the hotel, and then join the group of about 20 students who were leaving for the hamam. Turks go to the hamam once a week or once a month to bathe and socialize with friends. Men and women sections are separated. After a long week, I knew I could use a massage and a good cleaning, but little did I know what was in store for me.
Three girls and I carpooled a taxi to the hamam, which cost all of us 5TL. I'm learning that carpooling is an efficient and cheap way to get around. When we arrived, we met up with the other 8 or so girls. Everyone paid for the package they wanted—majority of us selected the scrub, coffee bean cleansing, a soupy massage cleansing, and a pedicure, costing 72 TL (~$25, pretty cheap by U.S. standards). We were directed to changing rooms, where we took off our clothes and emerged in towels. Then we entered the "bathing section"—the hamam where the magic happens. At first, I was really uncomfortable at the sight of topless women having a good time, chatting about, and casually cleaning themselves and others. I didn't know what to do, so I followed the lead of Bianca, a returning grantee. When she took off her towel, my jaw dropped. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do the same. But then, after a few moments of thinking, I thought to myself: when in Turkey, do as Turks do.
There was a hexagon-shaped pedestal in the center of the hamam. Along the walls, there were mini stone bathtubs holding lukewarm water. I copied what other women were doing, and began to wash myself with soap and warm water. There was a sense of discomfort and excitement on all of our faces; and I must admit, this was quite an intimate way of getting to know my fellow peers. Then, the cleaning ladies dressed in black bathing suits came and grabbed us one by one. They asked us to lie down on our stomachs, each of taking one side of the hexagonal centerpiece. Once the magic started, people were no longer staring at one another.
|People are washed on the hexagonal center of the hamam.
First, the lady scrubbed me with a special glove, which peeled off my dead skin cells. I could see black dirt-like pieces falling to the ground. It was utterly gross. I then took a warm shower to wash it all away. Second, she used crushed coffee beans to exfoliate my skin. It felt like I was covered in mud, both on the back and the front. As she scrubbed me all over my body, she also massaged me and took out some knots from my shoulder muscles which had become tense from the travels and the long Orientation sessions. Again, I washed away the coffee with a quick warm shower. My third cleansing was with a soft soap that felt like silk and smelled like roses. Once again, the lady massaged me and I felt at ease. I showered off the bubbles, and sat in the steaming room for a few minutes to soften my skin. I grabbed my towel, and left the hamam for the upstairs spa where I got a pedicure. I was feeling Turkish so I asked that my toes be painted in red. My toes smiled to thank me.
By the end of the experience, I felt clean, happy, relaxed, and also empowered. I embraced my femininity, celebrated my womanhood with other women, and appreciated my female body. I saw women of all ages, shapes, and sizes, and it was beautiful. I expected to form many friendships during my Fulbright experience, but I had underestimated the depth of those bonds. The intimate experience at the hamam will be one that will be remembered forever.
The group broke up and everyone pursued different activities. I spent the rest of the day walking around with Alex and Karlene. We practiced our limited Turkish when purchasing a simits, buying ice cream, and traveling on the bus. We strolled through the beautiful Luna Park, which is split into a scenic picnic spot and an amusement park (which only cost 25 kuruş to enter). We watched families having a good time at the rides or relaxing under trees. Friends were taking pictures and young couples held hands. Ankara appears to be more liberal than the eastern part of Turkey. Thanks to Karlene's intermediate Turkish, we were able to find the correct bus back to the hotel, where we exchanged stories with our peers about today's exciting events as we ate dinner.
|Karlene, Alex, and myself at the Luna Park (amusement park).


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Following is an article written by Jack Dea, a former 4CORE intern, describing his Solar Barn Raising experience.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
On the 25th of October I had the pleasure of participating in a solar barn raising in North Dalton Ranch, about 20 minutes North of Durango, the exact location being the lovely home of Norton and Debbie Hindley. Despite my enthusiasm for renewable energy, I had never actually seen solar panels being installed on a building before, nor really given any serious thought to actually doing it myself.
I certainly had some butterflies to accompany my excitement about the experience. I didn't want to be the tyro getting in the way of the pros, but luckily the experienced part of the crew, which was all but myself and one other person, were incredibly accommodating toward my complete lack of knowledge. Luckily, it doesn't take too long to catch on to some of the basics of installation.
My solar installation education began with the 'slap in the face' realization that solar barn raising does not have anything to do with the construction of a barn. Looking back at it I feel rather silly, having worked for a company that dealt in the sale of wind and solar energy supply to homes, but I showed up thinking, "Where's the stuff for the barn?" I was unfamiliar with the term "solar barn raising", which led me to assume we were putting together a stand alone barn or shed like structure that the solar array would be placed upon.
Turns out, I wasn't too far off, as a solar barn raising can mean both the construction of a stand alone array, which could be an actual barn if you so desire, or the installation of photo voltaic panels on the southern facing portion of the roof of a home. Really it was one of those instances where my insecurity of not knowing anything about what I was doing or anybody I was working with got in the way of me looking it up on Google.
The day before, solar panel installer Jay Hecker and company had started some of the initial installation steps for the panels by drilling holes into the trusses. We began by installing metal flashing between the layers of shingles, followed by flanges into the flashing, which would later hold the beam, or racking, that panels would be tightened to. It doesn't sound like a lot when put into words, but make no mistake, installing solar panels is time consuming, and if it's a warm fall day, roofs can become very hot, especially if they are covered with black tar shingles. The day's work was extended well past 4 PM for some of the crew.
Since I'm no expert, I can't quite say that any single material is the most important in solar panel installation, but it turns out that having the right grade of aluminum nuts for bolting down the panels is extremely critical. Because of their relative lightweight and large surface area and general exposure to the elements, if a gust of wind is at the right speed, it can tear a solar panel off of a roof if it is not held down properly. Because the grade of aluminum nuts we were using was inferior, they kept cracking when we were tightening them down with a torque wrench, which didn't bode well for the possibility of high winds, which are not uncommon in the San Juan Mountains. Barn raising coordinator John Lyle had to drive back into town to purchase nuts that are most commonly used on toilets, which are currently holding up quite nicely.
Because of La Plata Electric Association's (LPEA) guidelines, Norton and Debbie could only have fifteen solar panels installed that day, even though they intended to install quite a few more. However, they were able to successfully petition LPEA and now their home is primarily powered by solar.
The best thing I took away from my day in North Dalton, aside from better knowledge of solar panels and their installation, was the fact that solar barn raising help increases the community visibility and strengthening and building camaraderie among volunteers, and significantly reducing the costs for the homeowner. Solar panel prices are still decreasing, but by cutting out the costs of labor, the return on investment is larger and the payback time is much shorter. It also serves as an excellent community building exercise, where individuals can get together and have a positive impact on their surroundings.
Other than that, I took home probably one of the gnarliest sunburns I have ever had in my life from the combination of eight hours of sun and hot roof. Join the next solar barn raising effort, but don't forget to wear sunscreen.
About the Author
A Durango local, John 'Jack' Dea is a 4CORE intern who recently graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelors in Political Science, specializing in Environmental Policy and Political Economy. After a term at Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh, PA, John decided that his true passion lay in environmental sciences, conservancy, and sustainable residential and business practices. John's professional background includes working in sales for Green Mountain Energy Company, a national wind power supplier, before finally relocating back to Durango. John is currently preparing to apply to Graduate School in pursuit of a Master's in an environmental science related degree.
Link http://www.fourcore.org/AboutUs/News/EnergytoEvolveBlog/tabid/224/EntryId/5/Solar-Barn-Raising-Demystified.aspx


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Puerto Rico Revealed
2017 Interactive Travel Guide
Shawn Michael Diaz
This book is available for download with Apple Books on your Mac or iOS device. Multi-touch books can be read with Apple Books on your Mac or iOS device. Books with interactive features may work best on an iOS device. Apple Books on your Mac requires OS X 10.9 or later.
The ultimate interactive travel guide of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico Revealed is a fun, cool, immersive, and unique perspective of "La Isla De Encanto" in the Caribbean. If you're traveling or moving to Puerto Rico, then this is the perfect book for you to take with you on your iPad or iPhone! Discover hidden gems, best restaurants, day trips, direct links, maps & direction links, and much much more!
Customers Also Bought
- $9.99
- Category: Caribbean
- Published: Aug 08, 2015
- Publisher: Escalera 4
- Seller: Escalera 4 Inc
- Print Length: 718 Pages
- Language: English
- Version: 1.0


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Swimming is a completely fun filled activity that is loved by many people as it is very much enjoyable when you have the right gear on it. If you want to go underwater and would like to enjoy the fishes underwater, then it is essential to wear swim goggles so that it will be helpful to find those during swimming. They are even used in indoors and in dim light to get a great visibility. With goggles one could see the underwater easily, thus it enhances the enjoyment time overall. It is also used in swimming competition such that the swimmer can clearly identify the track of other swimmers easily. The other importance of wearing swim goggles during swimming is that they keep their eyes well protected from the chemicals that are present in the pool water which are harsh to the skin too. Chlorine is the chemical component that is mainly used for cleaning the pool water but it is a bitter truth that they could cause eye irritation or even breakdown the eye tissue. But when you wear the goggles then it is guaranteed that your eyes are completely protected from the harsh chemicals. Buying the highest quality goggles is the most vital thing so that one can get the durability. By reading the swimming goggles reviews that are present in the internet, one can make the perfect buy.
Features of swim goggles
The swim goggles in general should possess certain features that include the following:
- The watertight seal is the vital thing for the goggle; this is because when they leak water, then it will lead to risks at the time of swimming and makes the job into a difficult one.
- The swim goggles should be made of soft and hypoallergenic material so that one can get complete comfort while swimming. This will even protect you from ignoring any kinds of allergic reactions and even protect your goggles for a long period of time.
- The goggles that are made of easy buckle system is the other feature of the good swim goggles, they will give you the right fit when wearing and also makes you feel comfortable.
One can even get more ideas if reading the swimming goggles reviews that are present in the various websites on the internet.


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Centro Box Hill Market Box Hill 3128
(03) 9899 8966
An old Box Hill dumpling house has recently had a refresh, and offers even better value than before
Located within the market at Centro Box Hill, RaRamen is one of the older eateries in the center and is not located in the food court, so visitors often miss it.
Until last year RaRamen was slightly dingy and dark, but always popular. At some stage this year they've refit out the premises (possibly taking over the store next to it) with the new decor offering a more appealing venue to eat at.
Most locals would know the place for its dumplings, but the menu is far more extensive that that, offering pages and pages of Chinese soup and noodle dishes, many under $15.
Meals come with a free red been soup and free unlimited use of a slushie machine…sure, an interesting touch in a Chinese eatery, but it means you save even more on your visit.
The service is super quick and so is delivery of the food: you won't wait more than 5 minutes to eat, and the place specialises during the day on quick turnover of customers, probably a key to why their prices are so affordable.
On our most recent visit, we ordered the pork dumplings and mixed tempura dish. The dumpling were something insanely cheap like $8 for $15, the tempura came in at $10.
I can best sum up the dumplings one way: love them. Fresh, easy to eat, and far too many for one person to consume. The tempura was a little heavy on the batter compared to say a good Japanese restaurant, but more than enjoyable to eat.
I don't live close to Box Hill anymore, and when I do head out that way I tend to favor local Vietnamese eatery Indochine, but RaRamen is definitely second on my list of local favourites, and I most definitely will eat there again.
3.5 stars out of 5
For: cheap, quick,delicious food
Against: parking is a pain in Centro Box Hill, but nothing at all wrong with the food at RaRamen
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Bicheno Hideaway
These curved-roofed timber and glass oceanfront chalets are nestled into bushland at the edge of Bicheno's amazing coastal rock formations. The most private – and romantic – of the chalets, with one queen bedroom, is tucked away at the end of the driveway. The other three chalets have extra bedrooms for families or two couples. The Boathouse is ideal for large families or groups with its three bedrooms, bunkroom, maritime-themed lounge and two decks.
Contact information
179 Harvey's Farm Rd; (03) 6375 1312


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I've decided to start a daily photo series to force me to practice my photography skills. Today had no theme; I went for a walk and took photos of things that looked interesting. On Monday, a photography prompt book gets here, and I'll start using that for assignments.
Greendale, WI.


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Smart Placement Modern Bathroom Ideas : Modern Bathroom Furniture
Modern bathroom furniture is one images from smart placement modern bathroom ideas of GMM Home Interior photos gallery. This image has dimension 1200x899 Pixel and File Size 37 KB, you can click the image above to see the large or full size photo. Previous photo in the gallery is incredibly modern mid century bathroom interior designs. For next photo in the gallery is modern bathroom design ideas remodels photos. You are viewing image #24 of 37, you can see the complete gallery at the bottom below.
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I highly recommend listening to his entire Youth EP. Again and again. And again. Sooo good.
Daughter "Youth"
This song came up on shuffle on my iPod last week. I knew I had the song on there, just never really listened to it (if you know what I mean). But when I really gave it a good listen, I realized how gorgeous it is. And the lyrics are beautiful/relatable.
Ben Khan "Youth"
This song has an earthy feel to it. Very natural and freeing.
My Favorite Songs of 2013
It's been a great year for music. Here's a link to a playlist with my picks for best songs of 2013. That are on Spotify, that is.
Zedd ft. Foxes "Clarity" (Acoustic version)
What do you get when you combine one of the hottest EDM acts right now, an exceptional pop artist from the UK and a piano? Perfection.
I've been a fan of Foxes for a while now since discovering her fabulously flawless anthem "Youth", so I was eager to check out this collaboration. You can listen to the original track here. It's totally brilliant but I'm a sucker for acoustic piano songs. Someone please tell me where I can download this immediately!


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Backyard blitzed for Waldrons and Smart Pup
SPREADING your toes in soft, luscious lawn is always a feeling worth savouring but knowing the turf means your family is one step closer to bringing home a Smart Pup is priceless.
Thanks to the generosity of two local businesses, the Waldron family will be able to bring home a Smart Pup assistance dog sooner now they have a backyard where the kids and puppy can play.
The backyard blitz took place after mum Phoebe contacted Simon and Patricia Sullivan at Emerald Green Turf and Dominic Broadwith at Pro Turf, asking if there was anything they could do to help.
"We had no grass and mostly weeds in our back yard area and quite honestly, were to low on finances to be able to get it renovated in time if at all," Phoebe said.
"Like nearly all of us in town the downturn has hit us pretty hard.
"Before I knew it, they had called and come and checked out the yard and sprayed to kill everything that existed, in about a period of four hours.
"After spraying, they prepped the area which was a whole-day job for Dominic in horrible heat. He donated and put in the irrigation for the grass patch.
"Simon and Patrina donated lovely Sir Walter turf and made us a beautiful patch of green for the kids to run on and throw the ball for the Smart Pup, and they tidied up our fort and trampoline area by replacing the weeds with softfall. They also turfed around the kids' cubby house.
"None of it would have been possible without their kindness and I still can't believe it's done.
"I am literally without words, I can't say thank you enough."
Phoebe said the kids love playing in the blitzed backyard and said they were delighted with the renovation.
"Their reaction was priceless," she said.
"Hayley's face was sheer joy when she first saw it, Connor keeps rolling around on it.
"They are going to be able to exercise and have outside time comfortably with their Smart Pup and practise the tricks he/she will be able to do with them and play fetch."
Smart Pup trainers are currently working with puppies with the hope one of them will be placed with the Waldrons later this year.


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Pier Raf Double Seat Gray
Our laid-back outdoor loveseat, with its arm positioned on the right side, is finished in grey with dimensional grey linear straps for side and back support. Open side on the right can be combined with other pieces in the collection to create a larger seating area or sectional. Cushions are firm for stability, but soft to the touch and comfortable. Built to withstand the elements with its galvanized aluminum frame and weatherproof fabrics, it will look beautiful for years to come. Also available in the collection: armless chair and left-hand facing loveseat.
Weight (lbs.):32
Length (in.):53.5
Width (in.):30
Height (in.):27
Ships To
Additional Item
Continental United States
This product usually ships in 4 business days and should be delivered in 10 business days.
Shop worry free! If you're not 100% happy with your purchase, you can return this item within 14 days of receiving it.


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Be careful when Holding Open Houses. There have been many robberies that have happened while open houses are being held. The State of Michigan recommends that if you are doing an Open House, to have another agent there with you. Why is this you ask? By having two agents roaming around the house, it lessens the chance of anyone being alone for the right amount of time to snatch something up. There has been a chain of robberies going on in different areas of Oakland County. They have the description of the four people that have been at each open house! Some other things that they suggest is telling the home owners about the previous events and suggest to them to put away any valuable items they dont want strangers to be seeing. Now, this advice is not the same for vacant homes. Most vacant homes are staged and dont have any valuables laying around.
Homes for sale in Oakland County MI
Are you interested in the life of lake living? Check out Lakefront homes for sale Waterford Michigan. Feel free to browse through my websites and see some information on Lakefront Homes for sale and see additional information on individual lakes, such as Lakefront Homes for Sale Mandon Lake White Lake Township or Lakefront Homes for Sale Loon Lake Waterford Township Michigan. I can help you find your dream home and lake.
I will set you up with a personalized list of homes that meet your criteria, to insure that your next home features all of your wants and needs. That is the most important key in today's market, getting the listings first so you dont miss out on the best deals that are currently out there on the market. The good homes are selling fast, so when you see something that you like, contact me right away so I can get you inside of the home to take a look around.
If you buy and close on a home that is $150,000+ with me as your realtor, I will buy or credit you a new Kayak or Lawnmower. So what are you waiting for? Pick up the phone and give us a call today at (248) 310-6239 or email us directly at firstname.lastname@example.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
6 home selling tips – Northville homes
Lowering your Michigan property taxes
Why are you mad at that Northville Real estate agent?


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T'hy'labyAnn Douglas©
The following is a work of erotic fiction and includes scenes of sexual activity. It includes characters that are copyrighted by Paramount Pictures. This story is intended for the non-commercial enjoyment of fans and should be considered a parody. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit will be made from the distribution of this story.
Written for the Femme Fuh-Q Fest.
"Rihannsu Warbird decloaking at 118 mark 12," the excited voice of Lieutenant Jenkins called out from the Science Station. "They're powering up their disrupters!"
"That makes six," Mark Adams at Navigation took note, "We're surrounded!"
Demora Sulu, manning the helm of the Enterprise, took a brief second to glance up from the tactical display in front of her and shot a look of incredulity at the officer sitting to her right. In the days her father had sat in the same position she now held, most of that time had been spent with her "Uncle" Pavel at his side. She had the misfortune to be saddled with this idiot.
"Like we weren't pretty much surrounded when the third Warbird had come out of hiding," she thought scornfully, "or the two Birds of Prey before that."
"Chief Engineer reports damage to the main energizer," said Pierce at Communications, "another hit like the last one and we're going to lose the warp core containment fields."
"Then we either jettison the warp core or we go up like a nova," Anthony Yeager completed Pierce's thought from the Captain's chair. "Not much of a choice," he added, seeing that they weren't going to last sixty seconds against that force out there without warp power. Even with it, the odds of them lasting much longer than that were growing greater by the moment.
The Enterprise had been patrolling the edge of the treaty zone and responded to a distress call from within. Too late they discovered that it was an ambush.
"The Romulans are making another run," Adams reported using the old human term for their adversaries, a strong sense of fear in his voice.
"Sulu ..." Yeager called out, a supplication mixed with prayer.
The second-generation helmsman's face held a serious grin as her hands danced across her controls with an artistic flair. The awesome power of the dying starship replied to her command, sending triple spreads of photon torpedoes across the darkness, interlaced with deadly streams of phasers.
The structure of the ship groaned in protest as it spun into a series of near impossible maneuvers in response to her bidding. With all the speed the engine room could deliver, the Enterprise pressed forward into the empty gap that her weapons had just blasted open. If the luck of her heritage held, they might still have a chance.
But there are times when even luck isn't enough as the closest Warbird and Bird of Prey exploded into fiery hulks, only to have two other Warbirds avenge their deaths as multiple salvo's ripped through the Enterprise's shields.
With the bridge exploding around her, Demora held her position, trying to coax just one more shot out of the phasers, hoping to will one last photon out of the torpedo tubes. A final effort that proved futile as screens and consoles went dark all over the bridge as the Enterprise died.
"Well, that wasn't much fun," Mark Adams said, as he broke the loud silence that had descended on the dimly lit bridge.
Demora desperately wanted to hit her classmate, preferably with something heavy enough to piece his thick skull. Her fantasy was interrupted, however, as the even larger fantasy around her ended. The lights of the fictitious starship grew to their normal intensity and a section of the wall gave way, allowing the senior officer who was observing the exercise to step onto the bridge.
As uncomfortable as losing the battle had been, Demora had the impression that the debriefing and critique that followed was going to be more so. It was going to be a very long afternoon.
"You could've at least warned me," Demora said to the tall Lieutenant walking along the shoreline with her. "Then I might've been better prepared."
"It is not a test of preparedness, rather one of character," her companion, a tall dark haired woman dressed in a Lieutenant's uniform, replied. "As such, one must enter it without any advance knowledge of the scenario."
"Well at least tell me one thing," the newly commissioned Ensign asked, "did you do any better?"
Saavik paused for a moment, her thoughts drifting from their walk alongside San Francisco Bay back to her own encounter with the Kobayashi Maru. Even now, she still remembered making all the right logical decisions, yet still failing to rescue the trapped fuel carrier or to save her ship.
Standing amid the wreckage of her test command, she had protested to then Admiral Kirk that it had been an unfair test. After all, she had reasoned, there had been no way to win. He had responded that a no-win scenario was a possibility that every Commander might face and asked if that had ever occurred to her?
When, in her youthful arrogance, she had said that it certainly had not. The veteran Starship Commander had simply smiled that famous grin of his and said that now she had something new to think about. And think about it she had, about that and so many other things in her life.
As a young child, she had spent the first third of her life on Thieurrull, a failed Rihannsu colony. The daughter of unknown parents, Vulcan and Rihannsu, she had been abandoned along with the rest of the half-breed children to survive on their own or die.
Salvation had come in the form of a team of Vulcans sent to explore the world they knew as T'Vorus. The leader of that expedition, a Starfleet officer named Spock, saw something worth saving in the street urchin who introduced herself with an armed attack on his person.
She had spent the second third of her life as the adopted daughter of Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan and T'Sai Amanda, Commander Spock's natural parents. Devoting herself to the discipline of d'Vel'nahr, Vulcan by choice, she became as the saying went, more Vulcan than Vulcans. Following the example of her savior now turned mentor, she had followed the path that led to Starfleet Academy.
In the most recent third of her life, the daughter of two worlds had finally come to terms with her dual heritage. No longer ashamed of the circumstances of her birth, she celebrated what was the best of each.
"Earth to Saavik," Demora laughed as she waived her hand to get her friend's attention, "come in Saavik."
Snapping out of the brief journey through her memories, Saavik recalled the question that prompted that trip.
"No, I didn't do any better," she said. the faintest of smiles forming at the corner of her mouth.
"Well, if no one ever wins," Demora replied, her own smile much more evident. "I don't feel as bad."
Saavik was about to correct her error, then thought better of it. Knowing that one Cadet had actually beaten the no-win scenario would immediately send her back to the simulators to try and duplicate his performance. Instead she moved the conversation in a more pleasant direction.
"Now that you have taken the Kobayashi Maru scenario, you are officially done with the Academy, are you not?" she said.
"That's right," Demora exclaimed, her broad grin growing even brighter as she realized what that might mean for the two of them.
After an extended absence from Starfleet, Saavik had returned to the Academy as an instructor earlier in the year. A former shipmate of her Father's, Saavik had made it a point to meet Demora and offer her best wishes. They found themselves spending more and more time together and soon became friends. To at least one of them, it was a friendship that was more than just friendship.
Still, technically, Saavik was one of Demora's teachers and Demora felt that as long as that continued, there had to be some limits to their relationship. Now that Demora's commission was official, those barriers no longer existed. A fact that had been forgotten by the young Asian woman in all of her concern over the final training simulation.
"We have to celebrate," the shorter woman continued.
"I had assumed that you would be attending the Cadet Party tonight to celebrate with your classmates," Saavik replied. "You have much to be proud of."
"I'd rather celebrate with you," Demora replied.
"I think you would be better served if you went to the party," Saavik said. "It would not be proper to ignore your classmates."
When Demora considered the idea for a few moments, she realized that Saavik was right. Years from now, when she encountered her friends, she didn't want to be remembered as the one who was too stuck up to show up for the traditional graduation bash.
It had been a long path to the Academy for Demora as well. Like Saavik, her own childhood was far from ordinary. The daughter of Susan Ling, she didn't learn until the death of her mother that she was also the daughter of Hikaru Sulu, a rising star in Starfleet. The appearance of a seven-year-old child came as a surprise to the helmsman of the Enterprise as well, seeing as he had only known Susan for a brief time years before.
Still Demora, named after the city where Hikaru and Susan had been lovers, was loved no less by her father than she had been by her mother. Turning down his chance to be First Officer of the Bozeman, he had instead requested an Earth bound assignment for a few years in order to be a proper parent to his child.
A task of love in which he was assisted by Pavel Chekov, a friend who became Demora's godfather in fact if not in name, and Janice Rand, another old friend who provided a woman's influence when needed. By the time the elder Sulu did return to space, this time as the Captain of the Excelsior, his daughter had grown into a young woman and begun her own path to the stars.
A few hours later, the graduation party was in full swing. The Starfleet Class of 2293 were now officially members of the Fleet. Only one out of every ten who started at the Academy made it all the way through, so the young men and women that filled the banquet hall did indeed have reason to celebrate.
"Demora," the tall redhead called out across the crowded floor, trying to catch the attention of her roommate.
Pushing her way through the crowd, she finally caught up to the black haired Asian woman she had been searching for. Throwing her arms around Demora, Kathy Stanton gave her friend a congratulatory hug.
"I just saw the ship assignment's on the Net," Kathy said excitedly, "You got the Enterprise!"
Demora smiled, the same infectious grin she had inherited from her father. She had known about her assignment for the past few days. Starfleet Command was very specific that each Cadet received and acknowledged their orders before they were posted for public consumption.
"And you are going to Starbase Nine," Demora replied.
"Well we all can't be lucky enough to be posted to the newest ship in the Fleet," Kathy replied, "but I know you got there on your own. So I'm only a little jealous."
When she first received her orders to report aboard the new Enterprise as helmsman, Demora worried that some of her classmates would consider it nepotism. After all, hadn't her father had held that position for many years on both previous versions of the Enterprise under James T. Kirk? She was glad that at least her best friend of these past few years didn't take it as that.
"When do you ship out?" Kathy asked.
"I report aboard next week, but they're not going to launch her until the end of the month," Demora answered. "I hear that Starfleet is going to make a big show of it all."
"Well Harriman has some pretty big shoes to fill," Kathy commented. "April, Pike, Kirk, Spock. I wouldn't want to be in his place."
"I'd like to remind you that's my Captain you're talking about," Demora said, already defending her new superior officer.
"I just meant that it's hard enough to be the Captain of a new ship, without the weight of history on your shoulders as well," the redhead offered in way of apology. "Especially after today's announcement."
A quizzical look appeared on Demora's face. It was obvious that she hadn't heard what Kathy was referring to.
"They've invited Captain Kirk and a few other members of his Command Crew to the launch of the Enterprise B," she explained. "Talk about adding even more pressure on Harriman."
Demora spent a few brief moments thinking about the announcement. Despite her father's half lifetime of service under Kirk, she had actually only met him once when she was a child. Still, she knew the legends that followed Kirk well enough through the media as well as countless letters from her father over the years. It was a legend that Harriman would indeed be hard pressed to live up to.
"I'm sure Captain Harriman will be up to the challenge," she finally replied. "I hope," she silently added to herself, remembering her father once making reference to John Harriman as owing his advancement more to Starfleet politics than ability. Since Hikaru Sulu rarely uttered a negative opinion about any of his fellow officers, that casual comment said a lot.
"Anyway," Kathy said, snapping Demora's attention back to the present. "A bunch of us are planning to take a shuttle down to San Pablo after the party, interested?"
"Maybe another time," Demora said, a faraway look on her face for a second. "I've got plans."
"Oh no," Kathy said with exasperation. "You're not going down that road again are you? Haven't you figured it out by now that it's a dead end?"
The newly commissioned Ensign just shrugged her shoulders in response. They'd had this conversation more than a few times in the last few months.
"Five thousand people at this school and you have to fall in love with a Vulcan!" Kathy said, hard pressed to keep her voice low. "When are you going to realize that she's never going to reciprocate your feelings."
"I can always hope," Demora admitted.
"Well," Kathy said as she glanced at her chronometer. "I have to meet the others. If you wind up needing a shoulder to cry on again, I'm only a communicator call away."
Demora watched her friend disappear into the now dwindling crowd and then caught a glimpse of her and some classmates heading out the door. An hour from now, they'd be continuing the party down in San Pablo, far from the watchful eyes of the Academy facility.
The party here was definitely winding down as small groups like Kathy's left for other locales. Not wanting to be the last to leave, the daughter of one of Starfleet's finest quietly made her own way out one of the side doors.
Despite the lateness of the hour, Demora knew where the object of her thoughts would be. It had become Saavik's practice to meditate late at night on the observation lounge overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. It was normally deserted this time of night.
As the double glass doors to the lounge opened at her approach, Demora was surprised to find the lounge empty. She had been so sure that Saavik would've been there. Stepping into the large room, she stood for a moment and looked up into the clear star filled sky.
"Kathy might be right after all," Demora considered as automatically looked to the spot she knew Enterprise now orbited. "Maybe I am wasting my time."
In the four months since she had become infatuated with her career advisor, the twenty-four year old had made no attempt to keep that interest from the older woman. Older being a relative term, Demora reminded herself. By human measures, her advisor was a decade older, yet by Vulcan standards was considered barely out of her formative years.
Yet despite her interest, the relationship the two of them shared never varied a millimeter out of proper bounds. Oh they'd shared hours in discussions on topics they both enjoyed, as well as field trips to points of interest in the area. Yet in all that time, Demora had never heard a single word that might speak of love.
"Maybe this is her way of letting me down easy," Demora thought as she walked out of the semi-dark room. "I never wanted to consider that I was the only one who wanted to take this to another level."
Since she had already moved out of the Academy Dormitory, Demora headed into the city to the apartment she shared with her father. With him off world these past few years, it had pretty much become just hers.
The apartment door slid open in response to her voice print. The walk in the night air hadn't done anything to improve her mood. She blamed only herself. After all, who told her to fall in love with a Vulcan. Hadn't her father told her often enough about the futile torch Christine Chapel had carried for Mr. Spock for so many years on their first five-year mission.
"Computer, lights," Demora said as she suddenly realized that they hadn't automatically come on when she had first entered.
The room remained dark, illuminated only by the outside lights filtering through the large bay windows. Reaching for the manual wall control, the young woman found that inoperable as well.
"It doesn't matter," she said silently to herself, "I'll call building maintenance in the morning. All I want to do right now is sleep."
Having spent over a decade living in an apartment that never changed, Demora effortlessly navigated across it in the dark. Turning the handle to her bedroom, she was surprised to find that room at least was well lit.
It was a light, however, that didn't come from the overhead panels. Instead it came from literally a hundred small, scented candles scattered across the room. The room smelled of cinnamon, her favorite aroma. It only took her a brief heartbeat to take it all in. A span of time she knew to be just a heartbeat because she was certain her heart stopped after that.
"Blessed Mother!" Demora exclaimed as she looked to the center of the room and saw the most wonderful sight she could've ever imagined.
"I was beginning to wonder if you would ever come home," the tall dark haired woman in the green, translucent gown said.
"Saavik!?" Demora said, the name both statement and question.
"I would hope that you weren't expecting someone else," the now out of uniform Starfleet instructor said as she slid off the bed and moved to Demora.
"Of course not," Demora quickly said, her eyes taking in the beauty that had so long been hidden by a Starfleet uniform.
"That is good," Saavik smiled. "I would be most distressed to think that I had misread your desire for a closer relationship these past months. A desire that I have also shared I must confess."
"Oh, Saavik," Demora replied breathlessly, as she realized that her hopes hadn't been in vain. "I do love you."
"And I love you as well," Saavik replied as she leaned downward and kissed Demora with all the passion of her dual heritage.
If ever Demora had believed the fictions that Vulcans couldn't love or were devoid of passion, this single kiss dispelled them both. The softness of the Vulcan's lips drew her in, coupled with the even greater softness of her mouth. She could feel the heat of Saavik's body pressed against her own, the greater body temperature of the alien woman apparent even through her uniform.
"I can't believe this is really happening," Demora said as they broke both their kiss and embrace.
"If it is but a dream," Saavik said as she undid the clasp of Demora's jacket, "perhaps we should make the most of it while it lasts."
They kissed again as Saavik helped Demora first out of her jacket, and then the sweater beneath it. The mixed Asian woman had breasts small enough not to need a bra and had never seem the need to wear one simply for decorum's sake.
Saavik ran her hands across the small orbs, caressing the dark, erect nipples that capped each. A quiet sigh escaped Demora's lips. A soft sound that was replaced with a loud moan as Saavik replaced her fingers with her mouth.


text:
Galapagos Natural Life
Tourist Class - Yachts Galapagos
Golondrina I
7 Double Cabins with Private Bathroom, Air Conditioning, Full Carpeted, Living Room, TV, VHS, Dining Room, Bar, Solarium, Technical Facilities to Dive, Diving Full Charters, Complete Snorkeling Gear, (Mask, Tube, Fins).
Type: Motor yacht
Navigation equipment
Safety equipment
Departure day Departure dates for 5, 4 and 8 day cruises starting Friday and Monday
Itinerary "A":
4 Days – 3 Nights (Tuesday-Friday)
Itinerary "B":
5 Days – 4 Nights (Friday-Tuesday)
Itinerary "C":
8 Days – 7 Nights (Friday-Friday)
Itinerary "D" = B+A:
8 Days – 7 Nights (Friday-Friday)
Itinerary "H":
5 Days – 4 Nights (Monday – Friday)
Note: includes the first night in hotel in Puerto Ayora
Rate includes:
Rate does not include:
• The route of the ship and the itinerary are subject to change and can vary depending on the regulations and policies of the Galapagos National Park, weather, seasonal changes, safety, etc.
Quito - Ecuador - South America
Enjoy Ecuador with Galapagos Natural Life


text:
Carl struggled with a bit of dental phobia over the years.
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Duty Roster For Senior Residents
- Incharge Seminars/Journal Clubs/ Dr. Vijay Bodh
Friday statistical meeting.
- Incharge Radiology/Pathology Rounds Dr. Swastik Aggarwal
& Lecture Theatre
- Incharge Monthly Departmental Statistics Dr. Rahul Rai
Liver Transplant Forum
- Consultation Register to be maintained by S/R on Consultation
- Procedure Register to be maintained by S/R Procedure
- Log Book to be maintained by all Senior Residents
- Senior Resident not looking after ward must reach Liver Clinic at 9.00 AM positively.
- Senior Residents posted in the procedures should divide themselves in such a way that at least one Sr. Resident is present in a procedure in case of simultaneous procedures on a particular day.
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text:
Website Design & Development:Wall-to-Wall Studios
Last Week!
Life on Mars ends Jan. 11.
Take a small Life on Mars web site survey and help us answer the big questions about direction for our future web-based projects.
Born: 1968, Volkel, The Netherlands
Lives and Works: Arnhem, NL, and Ronse, Belgium
Since 1986, Mark Manders has been engaged in an ongoing project he refers to as "Self-Portrait as a Building," mapping his artistic persona through site-specific renegotiations of physical materials in space. Taking the shape of sculptures, installations, and drawings, these subtle rearrangements of existing and invented forms fuse specific and seemingly incongruous elements--figures, animals, archaeological fragments, everyday objects, and architectural components--into a new visual language. Room with Clothes, Belt and Contact Lenses (1992-2008) is the title of a sculptural installation consisting of multiple works. In the largest work, Continuous Livingroom Scene (2007-2008), two figures appear split down the middle and arranged with wooden beams and plates, while a third, abstracted figurative "fragment" is discernible only by its mop of hair. Chair (2003) is a "found" object as its title suggests, while Assignment (2008) is an odd accumulation of the artist's clothes, shoes, contact lenses, and money. Also on view Fox/Mouse/Belt (1992) is a poignant floor sculpture of two incongruous beings arrested mid-leap. Bound together by a leather belt and placed on the floor, the animals are frozen in an indeterminable moment in time. Within each object and from one installation to the next, Manders expresses the potential for symbiotic relationships between disconnected or opposing parts.
Links: Mark Manders web site; Review of Mark Manders exhibition at Baltic
Watch more video interviews in the Video/Audio Library.


text:
In February, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released its "Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity." NIST aims to provide a structure that organizations, regulators and customers can use to create, guide, assess or improve cybersecurity programs. For organizations that don't know where to start, the framework provides a road map. For organizations with more advanced cybersecurity protocols, the framework offers a way to better communicate across their organization and with suppliers about management of cyber risks.
To help company executives understand, use and discuss this framework with their cybersecurity team, A&M offers recommendations in a new report NIST Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity.
To receive a copy, please fill in the form below. The contact information you provide will be used only by Alvarez & Marsal and will not be shared with any other organization.


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Warriston's Disease
Gil Williamson
Some secrets ought not to be shared.
Despite himself, Leon was a little intimidated by the streamlined, palatial offices of Driffield Brown Pharmaceuticals. Having been approved by the formidable security front desk and escorted through an atrium like the main glasshouse at Kew Gardens and whisked up some hundreds of metres in a transparent elevator, shepherded by a supermodel with no conversation, he now found himself in a large space, two walls of which were of tinted glass, commanding impressive views of London and the Thames. The floor was covered with a thick brown velvety carpet in which the dents of his own footprints were clearly visible. He was perched on a black plastic and chrome chair of such modernity that it was barely recognisable as furniture. The chair was placed opposite a desk composed of a single irregular rectangle of black granite balanced on trestles of chrome-plated tubular steel. Behind the desk, in a monstrous big brother of Leon's chair, Professor Hiram Ochre, a very important man at Driffield Brown Pharmaceuticals, squatted like a bulbous toad. Leon had only met Ochre once, when his research grant was initially awarded.
Ochre's desk was completely clear except for a black cellphone as slender as a credit card, almost invisible against the granite, and one of these fancy devices that projected a holographic keyboard and screen on the desk surface. Professor Ochre touched one of the phantom keys on his desk, and a disembodied female voice trilled, "This conversation is being recorded."
"Dr Hartmann, thank you for coming to see us today," said Professor Ochre, without any actual appearance of gratitude.
"It's a pleasure," lied Leon, whose mind buzzed with serious concern about the status of his Driffield Brown grant.
"I expect you are wondering why we called you in today. I am aware that you have been sending us quarterly reports on your project, and I am told that your work is satisfactory, if a little long-term."
Leon cleared his throat to remind the professor that a five-year clinical trial of a new drug was necessarily long-term, but Ochre silenced him with a gesture of his pale hand.
"I should like you to cease work on the er... work you are doing. We are not cancelling your research. It will be continued at a later date."
Leon felt he had to speak now. He needed the money the grant represented to pay his rent, grocery bills and other expenses. "But surely..." he began.
Ochre again gestured for silence and touched a corner of his keyboard. "This conversation is now off the record," trilled the voice of the recorder, "Information communicated now is secure, non-disclosable and deniable."
sick persons all over the world will be healed"Dr Hartmann," said Ochre, "I am authorised to tell you that we already know that the drug you are testing not only does not work very well but has a number of embarrassing side-effects. You are conducting this trial in order to play for time while we develop something better, so the longer it takes for the results to come out, the better it is for all concerned, except, perhaps, the patients on the trial." Ochre then read a form of words from his holographic screen, "You may not disclose this information but you may use it to assist your decision- making process now and in the future."
Leon was lost for words, choking with surprise, or shock, but before he could express himself, Ochre had re-activated the recorder. "This conversation is being recorded".
Ochre continued: "You are acquainted with Doctor Jennifer Warriston." It was not a question, but Leon managed to nod. "You were, in fact, ah, romantically involved with Doctor Jennifer Warriston."
"We were, yes."
"Now, this is important. Do you still harbour friendly thoughts towards her?"
"Yes, I do, but..."
"But you fear that these friendly thoughts are not reciprocated. We thought so. However, if you could help her, you would."
"Yes, indeed." Leon's brain was in orbit by now. What was this?
"And if by helping Dr Warriston you could help Driffield Brown and help yourself..."
Ochre's hesitation gave Leon the opportunity to ask, "Can you just tell me what's going on?"
"In short", replied Ochre, "We would like you to recruit Dr Warriston. We will reward you well for even making the attempt, with a bonus if you succeed."
Leon weighed three facts in his mind before replying. Fact one: Jennifer Warriston would never work for a pharmaceutical giant - Jenny's walk-out on him was provoked primarily by Leon's surrender to a business she considered criminally immoral. Fact two: Leon would very much like to be rewarded. Fact three: he would like to see Jenny again. By accepting Ochre's offer, which was, in any event, probably one of these offers you cannot refuse, he could do himself some good and Jenny no harm. "I'll certainly do my best, Professor."
Ochre continued: "I am aware of the resistance Dr Warriston may feel. She is a principled person running her own production facility in a remote part of Africa, providing inexpensive pharmaceuticals for underprivileged third world people. We have approached her officially and been rebuffed. She would not even discuss the package we offered her, a package that guaranteed to maintain and increase her philanthropic output, while making her medicines available to all our customers and, incidentally, allowing her virtually unlimited funds and research facilities. As it is, we now sell our own drugs into these markets at a trifle above cost price. She's going to go out of business."
"What can I offer her that's better than the offer you have already made?"
"We believe that she distrusts us, and has not even considered our terms. You are to be the honest broker. We will give you the contract. You will then carry it to her. She will be unlikely to refuse to look at it if you lay it at her feet. You will find out what she really wants; we will make the requested changes to the contract; you will have it checked by a lawyer of your choice. She may perhaps accept our terms; sick persons all over the world will be healed; Dr Warriston will be rich, fulfilled, and grateful to you; you will be, at least, rich, perhaps also fulfilled, and happy; Driffield Brown will be more profitable."
At the time, Leon found these aspirations rather appealing. "O.K. I'll try," he said.
Tripoli was founded by the Phoenicians, who called it Oea, at about the time when Homer was having his nappies changed. It was then civilized, century by century, by Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Turks, Italians, not necessarily in that order, and, eventually, by the Libyans themselves. Much of the city's architectural history still lurked behind the modern concrete and glass. One such remnant was Café Hassan, more of an expatriate club than the teashop it purported to be. Its battered frontage, eroded by time, traffic and bullets, carried no sign. Leon only knew he'd made it to the meeting point because his g- phone, having guided him through a warren of alleys, told him so. The walk from his hotel had nevertheless been rather alarming. He was assailed in the broad modern streets by noisy fast traffic, most of which was propelled by big brutish internal combustion engines - unheard of in the oil-starved West. The few solarcars, with their 30kph top speed were treated like ox carts. Once in the souk, he had been constantly importuned by sellers of carpets, brasswork, oriental pleasures and hashish, so that he was baked and shredded by the time he stood in the doorway, nineteen minutes late.
As Leon entered the establishment, eyes glanced briefly at him and turned away. Only one pair of eyes met his and stayed. Leon threaded his way to a tiny table of wrought metal and plastic at which a thin woman was seated. Her physique and manner were young, but, up close, Leon realised that she must be in her fifties, lean and sinewy, with a lined, tanned face, grey eyes, and dressed in clean khaki shirt and trousers. He tried not to show surprise, but she grinned and said: "Hi, I'm Rae. Don't tell me. You expected your pilot to be a man."
"I guess so. I'm Leon, Rae. I didn't have any expectation at all. I was more puzzled about the route I'm having to take to Chad."
"Well, as you probably already know, it's impossible for a foreigner to enter the country without a lot of hassle and a huge chain of bribes. If you slip up anywhere you could land in jail or in a ditch. It's actually quicker, cheaper and safer to enter illegally."
"How close can you get to where I'm going?"
"There's an airstrip and there's some route from there to the hospital. I'm taking supplies in quite regularly, but I've never seen the medical facility. You a medic, then?"
"Kind of. But it's news to me that it's a hospital. The doctor I'm visiting is a pharmaceutical expert. I thought she was manufacturing drugs."
"Oh, yeah, I heard that, too, but they've definitely got patients. A couple of Chinese medics went in a few weeks ago. Some of my passengers are mercenaries for the so-called freedom fighters. Not many of them make the return journey. White man's grave. Worse now, because of the war. But there's a steady trickle of patients for the hospital. There's a rumour they can cure AIDS there. The patients I ferry in and out are rich and sick. I think they're what's funding the hospital, and this trip you're making is not cheap, 'cos it ain't legal. Anyway, you've brought everything?"
"The money?"
The money. No-one used money much these days. In London, Paris and New York, the only thing you could buy with actual banknotes were illegal narcotics and services from various freelance enterprises - chiefly bookmakers, prostitutes, plumbers and electricians.
The wad of US dollars that Leon handed over would have paid for a round-the-world cruise in a luxury cabin on the QE4. Leon had wondered how Driffield Brown explained the cash to their accountants.
"I take it, even though this is strictly illegal, you don't anticipate any trouble?" Something about handing over this much cash made Leon a little nervous.
"We don't show up much on radar, and we don't look like a military threat. When I first started these trips, they scrambled a couple of Russian helicopter gunships to look me over. They don't bother any more. Don't worry."
"OK. I won't."
"Anyway, this is a two day trip. I'm taking you as far south as I can today. Then, if the weather's OK, we'll get where you're going tomorrow."
"Let's go, then," said Rae, leading the way out to a battered Toyota Ecojeep which was soaking up some solars in a nearby dusty square. "Don't know why I bother with this sun-bucket," she apologised, as they entered the maelstrom that was Tripoli traffic, "Gasoline is only ten dollars a gallon here." It was eight euros a litre in London, more than fifty dollars a gallon, and it was rationed.
Twenty minutes and ten near-death experiences later, they arrived at what appeared to be a private airfield. If Leon expected anything of Rae's aircraft, it would have been like something out of a 20th century thriller movie - a small monoplane with a single gasoline engine. The craft Rae drove him to wasn't remotely like that. It was dominated by its slender wing, thirty or forty metres in span, matt black on top, light grey below. The fuselage and tail assembly were hung on below the wing like an afterthought, as were a quartet of what looked like jet turbines. It stood on a seemingly random set of skinny undercarriages which supported the long wings and stubby body at various points.
"Wow, Rae, what's this?"
"Another surprise, Leon? Meet Nostromo."
"Nostromo? Wasn't that the spaceship in Alien?"
"Yup. She's made of the lightweight stuff they make tennis racquets out of. The wings are photo-voltaic collectors, it's got these new lightweight batteries and it's entirely electronically controlled. More of a powered glider, really. Solar powered. A dream to fly."
"So these aren't jet engines under the wings?"
"No. Electric fans. They give propulsion when needed and generate electricity on the overrun."
"Wow. It looks as if it would blow away in a brisk breeze. I can see it shifting as I stand here."
"Watch the tail."
"Oh, I see. It's trimming itself all the time to face the wind."
"That's right. It needs lots of room so it can turn itself around. Up to a sixty knot wind, it automatically adjusts its orientation and control surfaces to stay lift neutral. The harder it blows, the harder it stays down. Above sixty knots, it's safer airborne. The makers recommend you get a line on it and let it fly like a kite. But I've never tried that because you'd need much more flat ground than I've usually got. High winds like that only happen a couple of times a year around here, and if Meteorology says there's a storm on the way, I just fly out and dodge it. The harder it blows, the higher I fly."
"It looks expensive."
"It was, but the running costs are negligible. You ready?"
The heroes of the revolution down below like to take potshots at any aircraft they seeLeon watched as Rae organised an operator with an ancient Land Rover to tow Nostromo to the start of the runway. The Land Rover drove a few hundred yards down the tarmac, paying out a long nylon rope. Leon climbed aboard into a seat behind the pilot, surrounded by crates of plastic containers, while Rae connected the end of the rope somewhere up front. She then climbed in, pressed a button to start the fans, and waved to the driver of the Land Rover. In seconds, they were bowling along steadily, the aircraft already alive and eager to fly, towed by the Land Rover. Rae operated something up front, and they leapt into the air quite suddenly. She pulled a lever, and they were free, still climbing under the power of the fans. Rae was working hard, pulling and locking various levers.
"Getting up the undercarriage," she explained over her shoulder, "Saves electricity if I do it by hand."
"Do you always need a tug to get airborne?" asked Leon.
"No. Same answer. The fan'll get us up, but a tow saves juice. Give me a minute or two. I'll just find us a nice thermal for altitude."
From several thousand feet, Leon could see the startling effects of the Libyan desert irrigation project. Sea water distilled to fresh. Huge rectangles of arable land were appearing in the desert.
The only sounds in the aircraft were the wind and the intermittent hum of the fan. The ride was amazingly smooth. Rae talked endlessly about the wonders of Nostromo. Theoretically, she could stay airborne indefinitely, like an albatross, drawing on the energy of the wind and sun, though, of course, there were food, drink and other matters to consider.
Progress was irregular. Sometimes they paused and circled in an updraught to gain height; sometimes they flew steadily with the electric fans humming; often, they cruised in straight and slightly downward flight like a sailplane. Some six hours after take-off, they landed at what appeared to be a former oil company airstrip, attended by an Italian-speaking caretaker who seemed to have been expecting them.
They ate pasta prepared by the caretaker, drank water, and bedded down for the night in a corrugated iron hut. They took off in the early dawn next day, an almost vertical ascent into a stiff breeze. A few hours into the flight, Leon started to see the signs of stunted bushes and trees, which thickened as the day progressed. The vast Lake Chad (less vast than it was in yesteryear) stretched to the southern horizon.
Eventually, Rae pointed out a set of military huts below. "There's your hospital. I'm turning west for the airstrip."
The setting sun blazed into the cockpit, and Leon heard bursts of crackling over the wind rush.
"What's that?" he asked.
The airstrip was visible now. Tiny figures in a jeep below were gesticulating. They were only 30 metres above the raw desert. Rae was busy deploying the undercarriage as she spoke: "Gunfire. The heroes of the revolution down below like to take potshots at any aircraft they see in case it's a government attack. They use SAM missiles from time to time, but I don't generate enough heat or radar signal for them to get a target lock. They seldom hit anything with small arms fire."
A loud ping and rattle somewhere up front gave the lie to this statement, but nothing more happened before they were dropping onto the start of a rough runway of crushed red gravel. There was another aircraft drawn up to the side, a couple of army trucks decorated with red crosses on white circles and a few men in khaki.
"Hello, what's this?" said Rae, "I don't usually have any company here."
"Looks military medical," said Leon.
"It certainly does. If you don't want to stay, I'll take off right away."
While it looked a little iffy, Leon wasn't keen to abandon his mission at this stage. "They don't look particularly hostile. I'll see if they'll give me a lift to the hospital."
Rae taxied to an open space, and they climbed stiffly to the ground. Surprisingly, most of the soldiers paid no attention to them as they approached. One, however, came towards them with a smile.
"Leon, I think they're Chinese," said Rae. "That's one of the medics I flew in last month, but he wasn't in uniform then."
The medic concerned spoke good English, greeted them politely and was apparently delighted to ferry Leon to the hospital. But he pointed out that Dr Warriston was not there.
"Do you know where she is?" asked Leon.
"Yes, I do."
"She is here, of course. I will take you to her."
Jenny, perspiring in the loading bay of the aircraft, was surprised, but not pleased, to see Leon. She broke off from whatever she was doing, and jumped down.
"What in God's name are you doing here, Leon?" were her exact words, uttered in a voice that discouraged reply.
"Hi, Jenny. This is Rae, who brought me here."
"Hello, Rae, we've never met, but I'm aware of your shuttle service. I suppose, Leon, that these clowns at Driffield Brown are still trying to recruit me, and that you are their latest desperate attempt. Professor Ochre, yes?"
"He's had my answer by phone, letter and e-mail."
"I told them they were wasting their time, but I thought 'Why not come and see you, anyway?'"
"It's not a good moment."
"I imagine not. What's going on?"
"Well, maybe it is a good moment. I'm closing down here and setting up a new facility in China." She paused, and eyed Leon carefully. "Got your passport?"
"Of course."
"Well, give us a hand here, and you can come along. I've been told I can bring anyone I like. I'm sure Professor Ochre would approve of your persistence. You can decide later whether to ditch Driffield Brown and join the good guys."
Leon stared.
"C'mon. It's either this or back to the Professor. I think the People's Republic is much less risky."
Half an hour later, they waved to Rae, who was repairing a bullet hole in Nostromo with a sort of puncture repair kit, and boarded the plane chartered by the Chinese, an elderly, not to say ancient, Canadian de Haviland Dash 7, painted in camouflage colours, with Red Cross symbols and hard-to-read identification insignia. On board, in addition to the French pilot, Jenny and Leon, were the two Chinese medics and four Africans in medical stretchers, who nevertheless looked pretty healthy to Leon. Every inch of cargo space was occupied by cardboard crates.
It was pitch dark outside as they took off along a faint flare path of flickering LEDs. In the spartan cabin, Leon looked at Jenny and raised an eyebrow. He felt a thrilling frisson at being with her again.
"What?" she asked.
"It's nice to see you, too." He said it sarcastically, but he smiled to take the sting out.
Jenny's mouth firmed into a straight line. Then she said, "It's a bit of a surprise."
"But a pleasant one?"
I'll get back to you on that. I'm very busy right now, as you may have noticed."
"Can you bear to fill me in?"
"We fly to Sudan, transfer to a Chinese military transport, and continue to Tientsin in Northern China. There's a new facility out in the sticks just waiting for us to arrive, and I won't be starved for resources."
"What happened to 'cheap medicines for third world countries'?"
"You know what happened. I wasn't the only pirate operation in the world. Every philanthropist with a degree in pharma started a cottage industry, and now all the big companies are doing what we asked them to do years ago, and selling their mature products at a price a small setup couldn't match."
Leon began to feel uncomfortable at this hard-faced Jenny, "So you're out of business."
"In that respect, yes. But what I've got now is something very much better."
"And that is?"
"A breakthrough in HIV treatment."
"But the entire board of Driffield Brown would crawl over broken glass for that."
"Not for my cure."
"Why not?"
"You're getting into too much detail. I don't want to discuss it."
"You've got a new treatment for HIV, and you don't want to discuss it?"
"Not with you. Not with anyone."
"Except your Chinese friends."
"So you can corner the market? Like one of the pharma companies you always hated?"
"No. Look. I'm going to make it available. I'm going to China so that the big drugs companies can't suppress it with legal injunctions, negative propaganda and commercial blackmail."
"So what is it?"
"Are you sure you want to know? Knowing will commit you. I may have to kill you."
"Oh, Jenny, you can trust me."
"Can I?"
"Absolutely. Let's have it." Leon was sure of this. Part of it was to get closer to Jenny, he realised that, but being associated with an important discovery was a huge potential bonus.
"OK," said Jenny, "I'll go back to the beginning. I started out by building a production line for nuceloside analogues - HIV inhibitors - like AZT et cetera. I knew how to do that."
"Sure. That was the way to go."
"And a protease inhibitor for combination HIV therapy, also freely adapted from a commercial product."
"Obviously," said Leon, "You'd need that too."
"You realise why I had to do this in a third world country."
"Of course. If you set up a production line in South London, you'd be locked up for patent infringement in a fortnight. I'm just sorry I didn't feel rebellious enough to come with you."
"But here's the thing, Leon. I needed a whole raft of HIV sufferers to test on. I mean, the chemicals were OK. They analysed indistinguishable from the pukka product. I just wanted to build a little confidence. This was Africa. There would be no shortage of HIV positives, I thought. But there was a shortage. In the precise area of Chad where I'd set up shop, where HIV and AIDS were a big problem a few years ago, I could only find a handful of subjects - less than fifty. It turned out, and this is where it starts to sound weird, a local village doctor had a cure."
Leon smirked. How often had there been rumours like this? "Oh, c'mon, Jenny."
"I know. But listen. Among my test subjects, there was a pair of sisters that I'd been treating. I had good records on them over several months. Both were HIV positive. In the middle of my drug trial, their relatives saved up enough money to send them to the doctor. We're not talking big bucks here. A breeding pair of goats in Chad will cost a peasant a year's income. The sisters were cured. Both of them. The HIV had gone. No trace. Well, I say 'no trace'..."
"The 'cure', you see, is actually another disease. It's been known for some time that one virus can interact with another and produce a different virus by a process of reallocation of viral RNAs. It appears that two different HIV strains have combined to create a new virus which doesn't cause immunity problems in humans, and which out-competes the strains of HIV that do cause trouble. It's also been known for some time that occasional patients turn up, who appear to be immune to HIV. You know about the Kenyan prostitutes?"
"Didn't they turn out not to be immune after all?"
"Well, those that ceased to have regular contact with HIV eventually lost the immunity, that's true. But it appeared that continuous exposure maintained the resistance. My theory is that this new disease resembles HIV sufficiently closely to give the body immunity."
"So where did this witch doctor get the treatment from?"
"He's not a witch doctor. He's more of a herbalist and vet. Don't ask me how he stumbled on it, but it appears that one of his tricks was to draw blood from one person and inject it into another. I think he had a sort of vague idea of vaccination. He'd been doing it for years. You may know that Chinese alchemists administered smallpox inoculation a thousand years ago, so it was a known technique before it was discovered in the West."
"Yes, I heard that."
"Well, at some point, he must have mixed up strains of HIV and produced this new one in a patient, then transmitted it along not knowing what he was doing. His patients also spread it by sexual contact, and in a remarkably short time, he had a healthy population of HIV-resistant patients and their friends and relatives. It's a small world in an African village. I did a lot of checking, and a little experimentation, but it worked. It really works. All that's required is to spread the disease. I'm having the impudence to call it Warriston's Disease."
"So why don't you tell everybody?"
"It has a side-effect."
"Which is?"
"Leon, there's a plague in this world. It's a plague that's destroying quality of life for millions, killing the planet, threatening even the continuation of the human race."
"AIDS is hardly that bad."
"I'm not talking about AIDS, Leon. I'm talking about over-population."
"So you're going to withhold your cure and let everyone die of AIDS?"
"No. I'm going to let the side-effect run amok."
"What's the side effect?"
Leon was silent for a moment or two. "But that means that people have to choose immunity or children."
"Not if they don't know."
"But it'll leak out."
"Eventually. It'll be noticed. Meanwhile, the Chinese and Indians are very interested because both have exploding populations and a largely hidden HIV problem. For many in the West, immunity from AIDS and a lifelong contraceptive would be a bonus, by the way."
"And meanwhile?"
"Meanwhile, I'm starting with four donors - you saw them being loaded - and a plan to create thousands more in a project in China. A test tube of blood from a donor will treat twenty or thirty patients, but we still have to build a production facility like an inverted pyramid. A donor can give a pint of blood every couple of weeks, but will take thousands of donors to manufacture doses in sufficient quantity to be effective. It will be a while before it becomes widely available. Certainly, it could be years before the problem became well known. And even then anyone with HIV would probably be glad to make the sacrifice of sterility in return for a permanent cure, don't you think?"
Leon was horrified. "I don't believe you are doing this. A bit of philanthropic patent busting is one thing, but knowingly spreading a sterility virus in secret is something else altogether!"
"I thought it might be a mistake to tell you. You were always a sanctimonious little prick, Leon."
"You've changed."
"No, I haven't. I've still got the good of the planet at heart." Jenny was silent for a few moments. "Look, I need to know if you're with me."
"You can't expect me to go along with this!"
"I'm sorry to hear that, Leon. It's pretty lonely out here. Anyway, I have to keep the lid on it for the time being. So... I'm afraid you are going to be another donor for a while. I can't let you go now, Leon. I'm sorry. Perhaps we can work together when you get used to the idea."
Leon tried to stand up, but the Chinese medics grabbed him and strapped him down to a spare stretcher.
"You'll never get away with it!" he yelled.
"Oh, God. That line comes from a James Bond movie, Leon. I already have got away with it. My teams of donors are already spreading across Africa, keen to mingle their body fluids with willing patients, spreading good health and birth control throughout the continent. Your little friend Rae has ferried quite a few gratefully diseased well-off people to Tripoli, most of whom will energetically introduce the virus into Europe and America."
Leon resorted to insults and entreaties. The plane droned on and Jenny caught a little sleep. Her lack of response made Leon even more desperate.
Shortly thereafter, one of the Chinese medics anaesthetized Leon to keep him quiet.
Copyright © Gil Williamson 2010 All Rights Reserved
Date and time of last update 16:24 Wed 24 Feb 2010
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Amid escalating tensions with socialist Venezuela, the US State Department on Wednesday announced sanctions against officials it said committed human rights abuses during a crackdown on anti-government protests.
The department is imposing a travel ban on a list of unnamed Venezuelan officials, jumping ahead of Congress, which has been pondering a similar move since the height of the protests in March.
The visa restrictions, the US' strongest action yet against the South American country, "underscores our commitment to holding accountable individuals who commit human rights abuses" deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.
The action targets 24 high-ranking Venezuelan officials including Cabinet members, senior judiciary members, and senior military, police and National Guard members, according to Congressional aides who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter.
In announcing the sanctions, the department cited the months-long street protest movement that left dozens of people dead earlier this year. It said the Venezuelan government had responded in many instances with "arbitrary detentions and excessive use of force."
The department declined to publicly identify those on the list, citing confidentiality rules surrounding visa processing.
US Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, a chief advocate of increased US involvement in Venezuela, in May released a list of 23 "human rights violators that should be sanctioned." The list named governors, Venezuela's chief prosecutor, and the country's minister of justice and the interior.
On Wednesday, Rubio applauded the travel ban, but said the administration should do more to punish bad actors and "support the democratic aspirations of the Venezuelan people."
The State Department move comes days after one of the most dramatic diplomatic dustups between the two countries in recent memory.
On Sunday, Venezuela secured the release of a powerful Venezuelan general who had been detained in Aruba at the request of US authorities. The US has accused Hugo Carvajal, former head of military intelligence, of using his high-level position to protect drug traffickers.
He was expected to face extradition to the US Instead, after initially arresting him, Aruba released Carvajal back to a hero's welcome in Caracas. The State Department on Monday charged Venezuela with using threats against the Dutch Caribbean territory to circumvent international justice, a charge Venezuelan officials emphatically deny.
After Carvajal's detention, it's unclear whether top-ranking Venezuelan officials would have attempted to set foot in the US — travel ban or no.
Congress has been debating two bills that would sanction Venezuelan officials charged with human rights abuses by banning visas and freezing their assets.
After months of slow progress, one of the two bills surmounted a significant hurdle this week when a Republican senator dropped his objection, citing outrage about the Carvajal case.
The administration of President Barack Obama had previously opposed sanctions, saying such measures could help the Venezuelan government rally its base and cast the US as a scapegoat for the oil country's continuing economic crisis.
But in the end, mounting pressure from Congress to take a tougher line proved impossible to ignore, according to a person briefed on the decision. While frustration with the release of Carvajal may have influenced the timing of the State Department's decision, the larger goal is to stunt calls for stronger action, such as a freezing assets, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the administration's thinking.
The sanctions are likely to be a boon for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at a time when he faces an ideological split within his own party, according to David Smilde, an analyst for the non-governmental Washington Office on Latin America.
"The whole thing will be a net positive for Maduro in terms of his ability to get past this crisis," Smilde said. "Getting into this kind of tit-for-tat is not productive. It's going to allow Maduro to rally his base just when there's dissent in the party."


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Although services are winding down on parts of Fire Island, special tours and seasonal programs are planned for October 2011. The fall can also be a great time to explore the park on your own when the weather cools and "critters" like mosquitoes and ticks are less abundant.
Ferry service to Watch Hill and Sailors Haven, which is already limited to weekends, will end for the season on Monday, October 10. The visitor centers and snack bars at each of these sites also close on October 10. However, the two marinas and the Watch Hill Campground will remain open until October 25.
The William Floyd Estate will continue to be open until November 13, on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In addition to the guided tours of the Old Mastic House (offered every half-hour between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. when the grounds are open), a variety of indoor and outdoor programs are offered in October:
- October 8, 10 am - Old Mastic House: A Simple Architectural Tour
- October 22, 10 am - Trees, Wood and Tools: The Colonial Uses of Wood
- October 29, 10 am - Documents in Stone
- October 30, 10 am - Wildflowers in Autumn
For more information about programs at the William Floyd Estate, or to make reservations, call 631-399-2030.
At the Wilderness Visitor Center (631-281-3010), a special program for beginning birders will provide instruction and useful hints to help people better observe the annual fall migration of birds. Later in the month, local musicians will share their stories through song.
- October 15, 10 am - Birding for Beginners
- October 28, 7 pm - Shipmates: Sea Chanties


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Press release, funkstrahlung.ch, 7 June 2018 (translation)
|National Councillor Thomas Hardegger hands over a
measuring device for mobile radiation to his colleague
Maximilian Reimann
Radiation is difficult for most people to grasp, because you cannot see, hear or smell it. This is one of the reasons why there is little awareness of the health risks of this radiation. National Councillor Thomas Hardegger is therefore of the opinion that measuring instruments will make a contribution to raising awareness because they make the invisible mobile radiation audible. This allows unrecognized radio transmitters such as mobile phone antennas, WLAN devices, cell phones and cordless phones to be located and suitable protective measures to be taken. It is important to Hardegger that the measuring instruments in the hands of his colleagues also trigger important questions and discussions about precautionary risk limitation.
Thomas Hardegger introduced the idea with the measuring devices to the "Dachverband Elektrosmog Schweiz und Liechtenstein", the umbrella organization for electrosmog Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The organization quickly found a solution for the implementation. There are now a large number of new devices available on loan, which today were handed to the members of the parliamentary group and other parliamentarians. After use, the devices can be passed on easily.


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Just one more chance to rack up some points in the 2016 edition of the $50,000 James J Patton Silver Cup. Twenty-four greyhounds are left and there is still time to surprise everyone, post up a win, and sneak into this final round field which will run on Saturday evening March 12th at bestbet Jacksonville. Let's take a look at the remaining competitors and see if we can't get you cashing some tickets this weekend.
Semi-Finals of 2016 $50,000 James J Patton Silver Cup
Saturday evening –
Race 7 – Closing is the word in this race! No one, and I repeat, no one in this effort has early speed. Someone has to break, but it will be a closer coming out of the starting box in a hurry. That could mean bad news for the rest of this field as they are going to be tough to catch at the end of the race. Here we can't ignore the last effort by Real Good Feelin. This greyhound might have run second, but ran a race worthy of a win. Tonight she is posted outside and that could give her even more room to run. She will not be on top at the start, but she will out close the rest in the stretch and find a way to put up another win in the stakes rounds. Trying to make her work extra hard will be the two time winner, Ln Houdini. Trying to pull another rabbit out of his hat on this occasion, Houdini will need to break well again if he wants a chance to be in the mix at the wire tonight. The tough 5 box could be his demise in this effort. Sunkist N Salty was in a world of hurt last time out and never recovered from the trouble as she finished out of the money for the first time in the rounds. Here she gets the same starting box and if she can't find room early, she might suffer the same outcome. If she wants to go early, she might just be the best breaker in this field. If she is clear on the lead, she could wire everyone for the upset. Don't forget about Ddem's Black Hole either. This closer is as fast as she wants to be and can run down anyone at the racetrack. (ie see her last start where she ended an 8 race win streak) Posted well inside, she is near her beloved rail and will be coming on strong in the stretch again tonight. If she is in the conversation early, she too has a chance at the W. (7-5-1-3)
Race 9 – Great front running match-up in this effort as DQ's all out early machine Pippi meets the Lester Raines raw power running Se's Real Deal. Both greyhound can get out of the box in a hurry and both should be ok with the starting boxes in this effort. It all comes down to heart and just who is going to want to win more. Pippi is the better rusher, might be the best at the racetrack, as she has not been bested to the turn in her last 9 races in a row, but she pays for that at the end of her effort. Granted she has been holding on late to score the slim wins, but she was caught from behind in her last start to see her 8 race win streak stopped at the wire. Here Se's Real Deal is just as good and is probably faster than Pippi is in the wide open. Early this should turn into a two greyhound race as this dynamic duo stretches out the front end on the rest of this field. Pippi will hold tough to the stretch, but I think that Real Deal lives up to her name again and scores her 3rd win in her last 4 effort. Pippi gives another strong performance, but has to settle for place here. Closing late and making up some ground will be the very well posted stakes veteran O Ya Gunsmoke. Looking for an upset, he will have to hit the lid and find the lead at the break if he wants to take down the rest at score the 19 points. The good news is that this is his best box! Does it want it here? We Will See! Watch out for the former stakes runner Sheezsohot as well. She has not been winning races in the rounds, but she has been closing fast in each and every effort and has not missed the trifecta in any of those starts. From another good inside post position, she should give a similar performance and should be a solid play under on your tickets. (1-7-8-3)
Race 11 – It's All-American time in the 11th on the card as Need My Moneynow is looking to make amends for his last effort where he got caught at the wire. In that race he didn't break at all, rushed with everything he had to make the lead, and paid for it dearly in the final few strides. Tonight everything is going in his favor. He is posted outside, the early speed is to his inside, which gives him a lane to rush in, and Ww's Sammy is next door in the 6 box and will be headed to the rail early on. He will have oodles of room to run at the start of this effort and I expect him to remember how to break this time around. Looking to start off a new win streak, Need My Moneynow shows off tonight. Granted there will be greyhounds pushing him for the majority of this effort. Stakes winner, Pullyanallnighter, and Stakes veteran, Ww's Sammy, both can get out of the box well and both should be stalking the pace as they rush to the turn. Both greyhounds have proven that they can win races against the best, and tonight they will be giving their all to try and move on to the finals. Allnighter has the edge as she loves the rail and gets it here in the 1 box and Sammy will have to go all the way across the field to get to the rail as well in order to be effective in this effort. Both greyhound better be wary of the upstart Pat C Outbounds late in this effort. This new arrival has really coming into her own as of late and has been flying at the end of her races in the rounds. With 3 straight in the money efforts, including back to back close 2nd place finishes, she too must be considered a threat to contend for the win from a great starting box. (7-1-3-6)
Remember that March is the 70th anniversary of the Orange Park Kennel Club and we are celebrating with promotions on every evening card throughout the month. In conjunctions with the finals next Saturday evening we will have several things going on where you can cash in with money and prizes. So make sure you gets your plans straight as you are not going to want to miss the finals of the 2016 $50,000 James J Patton Silver Cup, or the great promotions that are going on.


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