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Carpet Cleaning Paradise Valley Service
Do you have crunchy spots or heavily trafficked areas in your home? Are your carpets appearing tired and grungy? Do you want to bring new life to your carpets and really compliment your home? Our carpet cleaning Paradise Valley service technicians will remove every trace of dirt and deep-rooted germs and leave your carpets looking and feeling fresh and clean.
The Paradise Valley Carpet Cleaning Pros
Every day, dirt and muck build up within the fibers of your carpet making it tougher and tougher to extract. We take extreme pride in our work because we know that clean floors make your home more comfortable. Every part of your home deserves the right touch. Refresh your home today by giving your carpet the much needed attention it deserves with the most professional carpet cleaning Paradise Valley specialists in Southern Arizona.
Call 602-903-3005 Now to ask about our Carpet Cleaning Paradise Valley Specials or Book Online to schedule an appointment Today
Our Carpet Cleaning Process Includes:
- Pet Treatment and Solution*
- Pre Spray Solution*
- Steam Cleaning
- High Temperature Cleaning
- Truck Mounted Water Extraction
- Carpet Dry Strokes
- Carpet Raking
Trust is built on quality, honesty, and reliability, and that's exactly what you can expect when our certified technicians come to your door.
Our Paradise Valley Carpet Cleaning Process Will:
- Compliment Your Home and Give You a New Appreciation for Your Flooring
- Protect Your Investment and Extend the Life of Your Carpet
- Get Rid of Pesky Set-In Stains and Unrelenting Odors
- Extract Embedded Dirt And Dander to Revive Your Carpet's Color
- Refresh Crunchy Carpets and High Traffic Darkened Areas
- Remove Mold and Allergens Creating a Healthier Home Environment
Let Us Show You The Difference
Avoid sloppy, "too good to be true" carpet cleaning and rent-able carpet machines that don't deliver real results. If your carpets are due for a little TLC, contact the best carpet cleaning Paradise Valley service specialists now and take your carpets to the next level of clean.
Call 602-903-3005 Now to ask about our Carpet Cleaning Paradise Valley Specials or Book Online to schedule an appointment Today
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Best Skis 2017 – 2018 – Völkl Kenja Women's All-Mountain Ski
Our testers found the 2017 – 2018 – Völkl Kenja Women's All-Mountain Ski to be stiff enough for carving on the groomed runs but versatile to be able to go in the bumps, slush and powder. A true one-ski quiver for the ladies to rip on.
Susan Kinstler said this ski was "one of my favorite skis, fun on the groomed and in Nastar. Holds carve with confidence, floats in slush and is great in bumps". A great women's specific ski by Völkl, perfect for hard charging ladies but also stiff enough for lighter males according to PJ McGovern.
From Völkl: The Kenja is the slimmer, a little more piste-oriented version of the Aura. It features a 90mm waist, moderate taper in the tip, and the added maneuverability of tip and tail rocker. These design elements create easier, more playful handling, while maintaining the edge grip, stability, and frontside performance that have made it one of the most popular all mountain skis on the market.
Learn more and Shop at voelkl.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Sports awards again pay tribute to Arizona's best young athletes
Corona del Sol's Brooke Nuneviller was named the Girls Athlete of the Year at the azcentral Sports Awards show held June 10 at ASU Gammage.
Team gallops off to PONY nationals; Pearsall, Peat contemplate new roles
Twelve young 10 to 11-year-old baseball players make up the 2018 Chandler All Star team chosen to represent Chandler Youth Baseball in the PONY National League tournament to be held July 18-22 in Walnut, Calif.
Aztec seniors' departure leaves a void in track prospects
Corona's track and field program is going to miss several seniors on both the boys and girls team that left their mark on the program
Aztecs win Central Region title
Brooke Nuneviller and Mady Noble, two of Corona's best indoor volleyball players, played together to win the first Division I State Beach Volleyball Championship Pairs title on May 10 at Mesquite High School.
Corona JV softball team goes undefeated
Corona's girls JV softball team had a recordsetting year with an undefeated 18-0 season. Even more remarkable is the ages of the players on the team with seven freshman having prominent roles.
High school sports notebook
Corona's track and field teams competed in several meets in March with athletes from both the boys and girls team attempting to improve their times in the running events and heights or distances in the field events to qualify for the state meet in May.
Aztecs' youth hasn't stopped baseball team's rapid rise
Corona started the Boras Classic on fire, March 14, defeating Skyridge, from Lehi, UT, utilizing the 10-run mercy rule when junior Bryan Kalmer's homerun gave the Aztecs a 10-run lead or a score of 11-1 ending the game at the 6th inning.
Two new coaches for Aztec track, field program
The Aztec track and field program has two new head coaches this season.
Aztec team shines so far despite lack of seasoned players
After losing 13 seniors to graduation and only returning seven players from last season's team, it was assumed that this spring would most like be a rebuilding year for Corona's baseball program. Wait--not so fast.
Tempe High school athletes tackle a new challenge: Helping kids learn to read
Reading is the foundation of any well-rounded education. For some fortunate kids, reading is a joy they embrace at school each day. For others their...


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Walk - Porthcothan to Mawgan Porth
4.5 miles (7.2 km)
Porthcothan car park - PL28 8LW Mawgan Porth
Moderate - Coastal path above high cliffs which have slumped in places: take care near the egde. There are stretches of ascent and descent, some of it steep.
A one-way walk from Porthcothan to Mawgan Porth, giving breathtaking views from the high cliffs over sandy coves, out across the rolling Atlantic. North Cornwall's ragged rocky coastline is particularly spectacular at Bedruthan Steps, where the sea has carved dramatic cliffs, caves, stacks and islands, making it one of the Coast Path's most iconic beaches. It is also of national importance for its fossils and the unusual plant life in its slumped cliffs.
Old Macdonalds Farm
Small family run Farm Park, B&B plus Campsite just ½ a mile from beautiful Porthcothan Bay, along the coast between Padstow and Newquay.
The Red Buoy
Penlan B&B
Situated 250 m from Porthcothan Bay beach close to the coast path. We have 2 double ensuite rooms and a room with 2 single beds and a private bathroom. Free wifi. Dog friendly and can help with kit transfer.
Carnevas Holiday Park
Located in unspoilt countryside bordering the North Cornish coastline, a short distance from Padstow and wonderful beaches. Bar serving food available at certain times and shop.
Penhalonga B&B
Newquay Bay Resort
Set in a peaceful valley just 2 miles from Newquay & within walking distance of Porth Beach. Includes indoor.outdoor pools & spa.
Sunny Corner
Close to the sandy beach. Double/twin bedrooms both ensuite £85 per room (£60 single occupancy) includes full breakfast, wifi, parking
Dennis Cove Campsite
Closest campsite to the harbour,10min walk from the Path via the Camel Trail. Serene site bordering the Camel Estuary. A perfect base to explore the Cornish coastline & beaches.


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So you claim you are Nigerian and yet you don't have this beautiful Gold plated chain? Order yours now before your mates pass you by. Show your Nigerian pride and get this necklaces to wear at African parties and even as an everyday necklace to showcase your culture.
CHAIN TYPE Water-wave Chain
*THIS ITEM IS A PRE-ORDER ITEM. (between 10-20 days to ship)
Please check our Shipping policy, if you have any question before purchasing .


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Vital Pieces of Foot Massage
Clearly, 세부마사지 massage has a host of advantages for you whether you especially have diabetes. With many settings, you can correct your private massage to your preferences. For lots of people, pairing massage with different therapies, including wearing a night splint, can be sufficient to overcome the affliction.
Details of Foot Massage
To get going on your foot massage you'll must have your feet cleaned. The foot is prone to lots of stress probably because it's the most used body part. The foot is a gateway to the remaining part of the human body and reflexology demonstrates that stimulating certain components of the foot will guarantee that the remainder of the body stays healthy. When purchasing the ideal foot massagers for home usage, it's important that you know your feet. If you've ever had an excellent foot rub you are aware that it can relax your entire body! If you've tired and aching feet, it can on occasion feel impossible to obtain a solution.
The Downside Risk of Foot Massage
Each foot massager can differ. For example, foot massagers with numerous intensity settings and massage types did better than machines that have just one option. They are beneficial for any user. The Sharper Image Shiatsu Foot Massager is a great price, especially if you prefer to take it on-the-go.
If this is the case, you will likely love Foot Massage. The foot massage for those toes starts with all the large toe. Few men and women believe they understand how to provide a foot massage. Despite the fact that foot massages from licensed masseuses are wonderful, there are lots of times where people simply do not have adequate time and money to receive one on a normal basis.
Foot massagers can save yourself time, money, and supply comfort in the privacy of your own house. The MMF06 foot massager aids in the stimulation of blood flow throughout your entire body. MedMassager MMF06 foot massager is just one of the ideal foot massaging units in the marketplace for diabetics.
Massage is among the fastest growing complementary therapies on earth. Foot massage brings a degree of relaxation over the whole body. Then supply the single women you satisfy a foot massage. Everyone loves to receive an outstanding foot massage. Learning to provide your wife or girlfriend a terrific foot massage can work wonders for your relationship.
When something feels like a foot massage, it's probably not going to remain undiscovered for long. From the Emperors to the little folks, foot massage is often related to good general wellness and energy. It has been used for thousands of years all over the world. An excellent foot massage can surely help to ease stress and decrease foot pain. Giving a great foot massage isn't difficult in any respect, but nevertheless, it can be time consuming. It is really very easy to provide a fantastic foot massage.
Construction and durability A foot massager ought to be made from premium quality materials in order for it to serve your needs for a long time. Naipo's foot massager is a good choice as it pampers, all of the while producing results. The Beurer foot massager comes packing a good deal of helpful qualities to receive your energy levels back to where they need to be right at the top. What you have to know is that not all kinds of foot massagers are safe for individuals with diabetes. If you've got your very own deluxe foot massager at home, it is going to pay for itself in only a few uses. An excellent foot massager can have a heat function that helps to relax and offer stress relief.


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September 10 — October 8, 2011
Things Change
Sandra Ono
Sandra Ono is a San Francisco based sculptor who assembles everyday materials (Q-tips, rubber bands and aluminum foil) into beautiful and curious biomorphic shapes that transcend their materials. Her media, carefully chosen consumer goods typically used on the body, subtly refer back to the body and reference the micro and the macro of everyday consumerism.
Sandra Ono earned an M.F.A. from Mills College in Oakland, CA in 2008 and a B.F.A. from the University of California, Davis in 2003. She has exhibited through out California including: Electric Works Gallery, San Francisco, CA; the Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA; the di Rosa Art Preserve, Napa, CA; the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA and has been awarded the Kala Art Institute Fellowship Award, a Vermont Studio Center Full Fellowship Award supported by the Joan Mitchell Foundation and the Jay DeFeo Merit Award. This will be her first exhibition inTexas.


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By Roger Winship
The St. Sabina food drive was a major success thanks to all the generous Kenilworth Union Church donors and the multitude of helping hands! We exceeded our last year effort by double; filling two large SUV trucks completely to the brim!
We were able to spend time with the food pantry staff , headed up by Craan Fitzgerald who attended St. Sabina Sunday School as a child and later obtained his graduate degree in social work. They shared heartening stories of the severe periods of cold and how important a role they play in supporting the Chicago south side communities. Our food donation was a Godsend in helping to replenish the pantry shelves.
Come to me all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest for your weary souls…Take up my yoke it is easy and my burden is light. —Matt 11:28–30
We then had a great meeting with Father Pfleger who shared his Friday night walk experiences ministering to those in need. This not only includes the hungry in search of a warm meal, but also many gang members seeking refuge by renewing their faith; even on the coldest nights! Father Pfleger extends his deepest gratitude and blessings to our entire congregation.
You are the light of the world…let your shine so we may see your good works and give glory to God in the highest. —Mat 5:14–16


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We know he's the present, but is Lamar Jackson the future as a franchise QB? Or just another "running QB" with limited shelf life? We talk to QB Coach Chris Johnson about that very topic. We are also joined by Pro Football Focus' Harley Sherman, who covers the Ravens. Finally, Baltimore Ron weighs in on the NFL's Crying Game.
Follow Tony Lombardi on Twitter here.
Follow Harley Sherman on Twitter here.


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East Clinton Middle School held its Academic Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 23 in the middle school gym. VFW winners were (in no particular order) Paige Harrell, Josie Runk, Tessa Bosier, Jon Fast, Michael Horn, Ana Malone, Kenton Deaton, Justin Arnold, Jayson Edison and Van Frye, shown with teacher Peggy Jeffries and VFW representative Brady Stevens. More photos of ECMS students who earned 2017-18 honors will appear in the News Journal at a later date.
Project Trust Award Winner is Peyton Garen, shown with Mrs. Lynch, Coordinator.
Sixth Grade Perfect Attendance all year was earned by Kaden Hiles, Dylan Arnold, Hayden Beiting, Aaron Rolfe, Liam McPherson, Austin Hodson and Aiden Walker.
Seventh Grade Perfect Attendance all year was earned by Megan Tong.
8th Grade Perfect Attendance all year was earned by Jenna Stanley, Chris Norman and Arwen Griffith.
Sixth-graders earning Straight A honor roll all year are Hayden Beiting, Megan Hadley, Emmy Chamblis, McKayla Long, Molly Seabaugh, Abbi Reynolds
Seventh-graders who earned Straight A honor roll all year are Lex Frye and also Reagan Watkins (not pictured).
Eighth-graders earning Straight A honor roll all year are Jenna Stanley, Justin Arnold and Carah Anteck.
BETA Club honorees are Alexis Fair, Regan Walker, Jenna Stanley, Justin Arnold, Tessa Bosier, Lydia Kessler, Shane Lynch and Araura Fair.
Sixth Grade Band Bronze Chunking Winners are Natalie Anderson, Dylan Arnold, Aiden Walker, Nick Gates, Seth Rowley, Kaileiana Pennisten and Georgia Looper.
PE Award winners with Mr. Miller are Anthony Allbright, Jaden Singleton, Coya McClaskie, Skylar Slagle, Libby Evanshine, Carah Anteck and Molly Seabaugh.
News Journal


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Medical assistance is ensured from Monday to Sunday from 8.00 to 20.00. A fee of € 20,00 for surgery visits and of € 30,00 for home visits is charged.
Foreigner healthcare: starting on July 1st, 2004, all residents of EU countries will have direct access to the healthcare services provided in other member States by simply submitting their TEAM card (or an equivalent document). The healthcare forms for members of foreign healthcare organisations (green booklets) are no longer used.
Residents of non EU countries having underwritten specific healthcare agreements with the European Union (Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, former Yugoslavia, etc.) will have to submit to the local healthcare offices the document issued by their native country. Please note that without a proper healthcare document (TEAM card or native country document), patients will be charged full current rates, even if they have underwritten a private healthcare insurance policy.
From 8 pm to 8 am, Tourists staying in lower Val di Sole (from Commezzadura to Cavizzana, Val di Rabbi) can contact the Malé Surgery: 0463 909405.
From 8 pm to 8 am, Tourists staying in upper Val di Sole (from Passo Tonale to Mezzana, Val di Pejo) can contact the Pellizzano Surgery: 0463 752538.
The District of Val di Sole has the power to change the above surgery hours due to particular service needs. Definitive hours will be posted on surgery information boards, the telephone n. and how the service is carried out.


text: This is the H-Bridge from Chapter 5 Wally the Wall-bot done up on a breadboard. In this shot, I am missing a connection from the The A high side Mosfet driver to V+ but it still works. Also, The low-side N-Channel transistors are IRF510s which will not switch off on LOW signal output from the Arduino. The DC motor is a keysan I found at a surplus hobby shop. They're tough apparently because when I sent the Reverse output from the sketch, they just sat there and jerked around withoug blowing up, smoking or anything. Since each Low Side MOSFET stayed open, I was sending +/- to both terminals of the motor.


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Manama, Director-General Dr. Samah Al Ajawi of Bahrain Training Institute (BTI) and British Council's Director-General Richard Rose discussed cooperation to develop the BTI's training programmes.
The BTI's move aims to develop its programmes to keep pace with the Labour Market requirements, in addition to raising its training staff's competence by engaging them in training workshops and educational seminars, which will assist the students to meet the Labour Market requirements.
Source: Bahrain News Agency


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Panj Piyare have remained steadfast at their decision for the ousting of 3 Takht Jathedars for attending the Sauda Sadh pardon meeting.
Top SGPC officials are bracing themselves to tackle the situation after an ultimatum served by the Panj Pyaras in the form of gurmata to oust jathedars of three Takhts (who were removed by Sarbat Khalsa on 1oth November) , being controlled by the committee.
SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar is all set to hold a meeting of committee officials tomorrow. He, however, refused to divulge any details.
The Panj Pyaras, meanwhile, today held a meeting. One of them, Bhai Satnam Singh Khanda reiterated that in case the SGPC failed to expel the jathedars by January 1, they would take a concrete decision on January 2.
Makkar said Akal Takht had three sets of Panj Pyaras to perform duties such as amrit sanchar (baptism), leading nagar kirtans and other religious programmes.


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Located comfortably in between Houston and Austin, Brenham is well known for its natural beauty and expansive and enthralling history. Often considered to be the best place for finding Bluebonnets in Texas, this quaint and friendly city is perfect for escaping the rat race of modern life. CDC information for travelers. Hours/availability may have changed.
1.Blue Bell Creameries
2.Home Sweet Farm Market and Biergarten
3.Antique Rose Emporium
4.Unity Theatre
5.Windy Winery
6.Simon Theatre
7.Giddings-Stone Mansion
8.Brenham Fire Company Number 1 Fire Museum
9.Giddings-Wilkin House
10.Tegg Art Studio
11.Kay's Cuisine for the Soul
12.Nathan's BBQ
13.LJ's BBQ
14.Funky Art Cafe
14 Best Things to Do in Brenham, Texas
- Blue Bell Creameries, Photo: Blue Bell Creameries
- Home Sweet Farm Market and Biergarten, Photo: Home Sweet Farm Market and Biergarten
- Antique Rose Emporium, Photo: Antique Rose Emporium
- Unity Theatre, Photo: Anna Jurkovska/stock.adobe.com
- Windy Winery, Photo: Windy Winery
- Simon Theatre, Photo: graghine/stock.adobe.com
- Giddings-Stone Mansion, Photo: Giddings-Stone Mansion
- Brenham Fire Company Number 1 Fire Museum, Photo: Brenham Fire Company Number 1 Fire Museum
- Giddings-Wilkin House, Photo: Giddings-Wilkin House
- Tegg Art Studio, Photo: Tegg Art Studio
- Kay's Cuisine for the Soul, Photo: Kay's Cuisine for the Soul
- Nathan's BBQ, Photo: Nathan's BBQ
- LJ's BBQ, Photo: LJ's BBQ
- Funky Art Cafe, Photo: Funky Art Café
- Cover Photo: Thomas/stock.adobe.com
You are reading "14 Best Things to Do in Brenham, Texas " Back to Top


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The World Bank pledged $100 million in additional funding to the Ebola crisis in late October, part of which will be used to establish a coordination hub that could hopefully address bottlenecks in the recruitment of international health professionals — and jumpstart a permanent global health security reserve corps.
The hub will be established in close coordination with David Nabarro, senior U.N. system coordinator for Ebola, and the U.N. Mission for Ebola Emergency Response led by Anthony Banbury; with technical support from the World Health Organization and other partners. It aims to tackle issues ranging from pay and benefits to "provision of urgent medical care and/or medical evacuations for any infected staff."
Lack of guarantee for the latter has been among the biggest reasons why many health workers refuse to volunteer in West Africa, Oxfam humanitarian policy adviser Debbie Hillier told Devex earlier this week. To alleviate health workers' concerns on this front, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen apportioned a significant share of his $100 million pledge this month to the medical evacuation of international aid and health workers.
"Health workers take an oath to treat the sick — and so it's no surprise to me that many health workers want to go treat Ebola patients at the source of this epidemic," World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, who himself is an infectious disease doctor, said in a statement. "So we need to find all ways possible to remove any obstacle that stops health workers from serving — whether it is pay for workers in developing countries or the promise of evacuation services."
But Kim is also considering the hub's potential for long-term use, and believes it can eventually serve as a base for a reserve corps of health workers who can be readily deployed in the event of another global health crisis.
"Even as we focus intensely on the Ebola emergency response, we must also invest in public health infrastructure, institutions and systems to prepare for the next epidemic, which could spread much more quickly, kill even more people and potentially devastate the global economy," he said.
This $100 million pledge likely forms part of the $170 million the bank promised to provide in September, which came on top of an earlier $230 million pledge. As of late October, the bank had disbursed only $117 million from its $400 million in pledged funds for the Ebola response.
Slow disbursement of pledged funds is not unique to the World Bank, however, leading many aid groups to reach out beyond donor agencies and appeal directly to the public.
The U.K. Disasters Emergency Committee, for one, made an unprecedented appeal Oct. 29 for its member agencies working in various capacities in West Africa. The appeal will be supported by the U.K. Department for International Development under its U.K. Aid Match funding scheme. The aid agency will match up to 5 million pounds ($8 million) in public donations.
Read more development aid news online, and subscribe to The Development Newswire to receive top international development headlines from the world's leading donors, news sources and opinion leaders — emailed to you FREE every business day.


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Is America A Christian Nation?
A journalist once asked Mahatma Gandhi what he thought of Western civilization. He answered: "It's a good idea. They ought to try it". America is the most religious nation in the industrialized world. More that 90 percent of our population say they believe in God, and that they pray regularly. In his New Testament Epistle, the apostle James expressed the Christian view that "faith without works is dead." In the same way the apostle Paul wrote, "Be doers of the Word, and not just hearers only, who so deceive themselves". Similarly, Judaism calls for bar mitzvahs. But how do these sentiments translate into action in 21st century America? Let's have a look at our national religious behavior report card. We define ourselves as being a Christian nation, and yet all of the following are happening on our watch:
[1] America is the richest nation in the world. Yet the Census Bureau reports that 50 million Americans live in poverty. That includes over one in five children.
[2] The U.S. poverty rate is the third worst among developed nations according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Demographers say that the poverty rate will rise this year from 13.2 percent to 19 percent which will be the highest percentage since the government began calculating poverty figures in 1959. Fifty million Americans are now on food stamps, the highest number ever since records have been kept.
[3] According to the Census Bureau, 30 million people lived in working-poor families in 2010. The Feeding America network reported that 36 percent of their client households have one or more adults working. Our growing population of working poor often have to choose between gasoline for getting to work and food for their families. Our nation's elderly are also often having to choose between paying for their medicine and buying groceries.
[4] The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty estimates that 700,000 to 2 million people are homeless on any given night in America. A new class has emerged: the working homeless. When the minimum wage won't even pay for rent and utilities on a 1-bedroom apartment, what America has ended up with are multitudes of working homeless, including whole families.
[5] 54.2 million Americans, including 21 million children, experienced hunger or the risk of hunger in 2012. That's right at 24 percent of all households. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, hunger in American households has nearly doubled in the last five years. As this is occurring, American restaurants throw away more than 6000 tons of food every day and Grocery stores discard an estimated thirty million pounds of food daily. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Loss Project estimates that Americans throw out 25.9 million tons of food each year. More disturbing: a University of Arizona study reports that 40 to 50 percent of all food ready for harvest never gets eaten.
[6] The United States is the only industrialized nation that doesn't provide healthcare for all its citizens. "Obamacare" promises to correct much of that but it falls far short of the mark. The 2010 Census Bureau figures show that 50.5 million Americans, including 18 million children, have no health insurance. The reasons are invariably due to economic hardship brought on by poverty.
[7] We have the best medical technology and treatment capability in the world. Yet the United States ranks 37th for health system performance by the World Health Organization. The latest report on life expectancy shows a slight drop in the United States that will place us even lower than the current ranking of 49th among nations of the world-- a lower life expectancy than many less developed countries. A Columbia University study attributes our decline from 11th place in 1950 to the much lower present ranking to our inadequate healthcare system.
[8] The current minimum wage of $7.25, which was raised from $5.15 seven years ago, still keeps families at or below the poverty line while stripping working Americans of their economic and political power. A more realistic minimum wage here in the US would be about $12.00 an hour. France, Ireland, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, England, the Isle of Man, Australia and many other nations have a higher minimum wage than we do. The Bible says, "The worker is worth his/her wages". Companies who don't pay a living wage are knowingly robbing their employees.
[9] The latest census figures show the gap between rich and poor widening to the largest margin ever. The top 20 percent of workers earning more than $100,000 a year received 49.4.percent of all income compared with the 3.4 percent earned by the bottom 20 percent.. The richest 1 percent pockets more than 20 percent of total income which is greater than the total amount earned by the bottom 50 percent. The wealthiest segment of the population is fighting tooth and nail for lower tax rates and other tax breaks while joblessness, poverty, homelessness and hunger are rampant in America.
[10] In 1994 a million innocents were slaughtered in Rwanda. We watched and did nothing. Similarly, we did little to stop the genocide in Darfur. Sudan has passed a referendum dividing the country into North and South. Numerous commentators foresee an imminent civil war that could lead to further slaughter and genocide. Will the U.S. intervene on humanitarian grounds? History does not suggest a positive answer. Unless, of course, the country in question has oil. That's different.
[11] There are at least 59 holocaust museums in the United States dedicated to raising awareness of the Nazi genocide and to help prevent similar horrors from happening again. Add to that the numerous holocaust museums and memorials around the world. Yet genocides, mass murders, and other atrocities such as the sex slave trade persist. Who is listening, who is learning? Who is acting?
[12] Americans make up 5 percent of the world population and produce 25 percent of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions, which are raising the earth's temperature ("greenhouse effect") to dangerous levels. Fossil fuel consumption is destroying the planet, but we refuse to develop a "Manhattan Project" for alternative energy. Scientists warn that the environmental doomsday clock is ticking. The icebergs are breaking away and melting before our eyes, revealing islands we never saw before. We watch and debate but do too little to preserve the environment for ourselves and future generations. In our hubris we forget that we are guests on a tiny rock floating – in an infinite universe of rocks – that uniquely supports life in a delicate balance of natural and mysterious forces.
[13] Smoking continues to compromise the health of more than 20 percent of our population who still smoke. The Surgeon General tells us that smoking, in addition to contributing to a number of cancers, increases the risk of almost every known disease. The American Lung Association reports that each day nearly 6,000 children under 18 years of age start smoking. But we refuse to put an end to smoking. (I recently quit myself. Yes you can!)
[14] Leaders of some of our biggest corporations, as well as prominent investment advisers (men and women of "faith"), have cheated, deceived and destroyed their companies and clients, ruining the lives and futures of untold numbers of individuals and families. Bernie Madoff was only the tip of the iceberg.
[15] We have the largest prison population in the world. Currently more than 2.5 million people are incarcerated; and 1 in every 30 adults is in prison, on parole or probation adding up to a total of 7.3 million. The U.S has a greater prison population (in percentage of population) than a number of countries that we consider in violation of human rights.
[16] According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, world military spending for 2009 reached $1.531 trillion, a six percent increase over 2008 and a forty-nine percent increase over the year 2000. The United States accounted for forty-six percent of the total world military expenditure ($661 billion). China was a distant second accounting for 6.6. percent followed by France's 4.2 percent, the UK's 3.8 percent and Russia's 3.5 percent. The proposed U.S. military budget for 2013 is over a trillion dollars.
What is religion? Love, caring, serving, giving, sharing, oneness, brother and sisterhood, compassion and selflessness. Summed up: "Thy neighbor is thyself", so we must continue to "Love your neighbor as yourself". It looks to me like America has a long way to go before it can truly be a Christian nation.


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How to Use Bitcoin: A Sports Betting Introduction
In case you haven't heard, there is a new cryptocurrency that has taken the world by storm and has created a buzz similar to the invention of the internet itself. This seemingly overnight rise to riches and foray into the mainstream media has left a cryptocurrency called Bitcoin (BTC) on the tips of everyone's tongue.
For those of you unfamiliar with who or what Bitcoin even is, let me give you a brief rundown of how it got to where it is today. Bitcoin (BTC) became relevant in January of 2009, when a person by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto (nobody knows who this person is) released the first Bitcoin client and "mined" 50 Bitcoins. Since then, the trajectory for this digital currency has been mostly up with the exception of a few hiccups.
If you enjoy the technical side of things, Bitcoin is run on something called the "Blockchain". This is a shared public ledger on which the entire network relies on. All Bitcoin (BTC) transactions are included on the "blockchain", and it helps calculate each user's spendable balance. Because Bitcoin was designed with a highly-sophisticated cryptography, the integrity and chronological order of transactions are of the utmost importance to keep Bitcoin's value soaring.
As you will see below, Bitcoin (BTC) started trading at $0.003 per Bitcoin in March of 2010. In May of 2010, a guy by the name of Laszlo Hanyecz made the first real-world Bitcoin transaction by buying two pizzas for 10,000 Bitcoin (BTC) - which is the equivalent of $7-million dollars today.
How to Set Up a Bitcoin Account
So now that you've gotten a little back story on the history of Bitcoin and what it actually is and represents, you need to know where to go to set up your very own Bitcoin (BTC) account. There are several different methods you can use to acquire Bitcoin (BTC), but for first-timers who are reading this article, the safest way would be to head over to Coinbase -- where close to 100,000 new accounts are set up daily -- enter in a valid email address and then follow the prompts. Coinbase is a U.S.-based company that specializes in buying and selling digital currency such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum and Litecoin - the latter two haven't quite taken off yet or gotten the mainstream media attention like Bitcoin has. Once you have created an account you will then need to link your "Bitcoin Wallet" to your bank account or credit card (whichever method you choose) and then you can begin buying or selling digital currency.
The only downfall to this method is that Coinbase uses multiple identity verifications steps than can slow the process down. This is also done in order to please authorities since Bitcoin isn't regulated by any corporation or single person.
There is, however, a way to buy and sell Bitcoin (BTC) without jumping through the identity verification loops, but I only recommend this option for serious traders who have the smarts to know a good transaction from a bad one. LocalBitcoins is the name of one several sites that connect you to other Bitcoin buyers and sellers around the world. However, in order to successfully buy Bitcoin from this website, you must buy the entire Bitcoin quantity a seller is selling and you must use their preferred method of payment.
How to Use Bitcoin
Now that you know how to get an account set up and purchase Bitcoin (BTC), you need to figure out what you can do with it. And to figure out what you can do with it, you must need to first find out what a single Bitcoin is worth in today's market. As of writing this, a single Bitcoin (1.00 BTC) is valued at $14,100. Yes, you read that correct - fourteen-thousand dollars. That is an increase in value from this time last year of $13,083, which is an increase of 1,287%.
Unfortunately, getting your hand on a single or even multiple Bitcoins is nearly impossible/only for those with a very large bank account.
This is where Bitcoin (BTC) becomes a bit tricky and confusing, so pay close attention. Bitcoins are divided out to eight decimal places (0.00000001). This is called a "Satoshi" which is named after the apparent creator of this digital currency, Satoshi Nakamoto. Once again, nobody knows who this Nakamoto character is, but this name is synonymous with Bitcoin.
If you log into your Coinbase account and spend $100 USD on Bitcoin, you will be able to secure approximately 0.007200 of Bitcoin. That doesn't seem like much, but should the market value increase, your 0.007200 Satoshi will increase it's worth as well.
So now that we know how the value of Bitcoin (BTC) and what $100 USD is worth in the cryptocurrency world, we can decide what to do with it. For starters, you can invest your Bitcoin. There will only ever be 21-million Bitcoin (BTC) available in the world, so as the amount of available Bitcoin dwindles down, the value will increase. Simple supply and demand. If investing it isn't your thing, you can also use your Bitcoin (BTC) to buy things from merchants that accept Bitcoin such as Expedia and Amazon. And finally, since you've turned to Doc's Sports to help you understand Bitcoin, you can now make Bitcoin deposits at your favorite sportsbook.
Why Use Bitcoin?
And now the last and probably most important part of the article you will read - why should you use Bitcoin? Well for starters, Bitcoin (BTC) is a currency of the people. I say that in the sense that no I.D is required for transactions and you have access to your funds almost instantaneously. Most banks place a hold on deposited checks because they can't trust that the funds are readily available. With Bitcoin, once the transaction happens the maximum wait time for it to be processed is 10 minutes. With "zero-confirmation" transactions, the wait time is reduced to mere seconds. Using Bitcoin (BTC) also prevents you from being charged transaction fees like you would be if you used a debit or credit card as certain locations.
Bitcoin is also super safe to use. Nobody can steal your information like they can if you constantly enter in credit card information online while attempting to buy something or make a deposit into your sportsbook. Bitcoins (BTC) are run off of two things - a public key and a private key. A public key is your Bitcoin address; this is where your Bitcoin comes from and goes to. A private key is another step that gets sent with incoming and outgoing Bitcoin in order to safely transfer the Bitcoins. Unless you blatantly tell the world your private key information, your funds will never get stolen.
And lastly, using Bitcoin (BTC) offers up some value that can't be done with cash. Since we are in the sports betting business, you should head over here to see how useable Bitcoin really is. And it's not only Bitcoin (BTC) that is lucrative. There is an alternative Bitcoin currency called Bitcoin Cash (BCH) that is also very valuable. Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is a branch of Bitcoin that came to light before the chain split in August. If you owned Bitcoin before prior to August 1, 2017, for each Bitcoin (BTC) you held, you also owned the same amount of Bitcoin Cash (BCH). This means that if you had .6 of a Bitcoin, you have .6 of a Bitcoin Cash token. The current rate of Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is $2,764.84 per token.
If you are one of the lucky people who own (BCH), you can sign up for a Bovada account and accumulate up to $3,250 in bonuses by depositing with Bitcoin Cash (BCH).
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Atrial fibrillation. Or more familiarly, "AFib," which sounds more domesticated, almost a pet name. So, AFib: have it, don't want it, not sure how much I'll be able to do about it.
It began, of all days, on Easter. All through the family get-together, and throughout the long night, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest: slowing down, speeding up, missing beats altogether then stumbling as if to catch up. At one point, as I lay in bed, my heart started spinning down, as if running on a depleted battery. Then it stopped. One second. Two. For those endless moments, I thought I was dying — or dreaming of death and clawing my way to wakefulness. Then, suddenly, my heart leapt back to life, skipping to its broken beat, and the nightmare was over.
In the morning, I drove myself down to the ER. They hooked me up, wired me up, scanned and monitored and poked and prodded. Nothing. It was like one of those frustrating and fruitless trips to the mechanic: the car stops making the strange noise just as you arrive. But the nurse was very understanding. "We believe you," she said reassuringly as she smiled and patted my arm.
I must have had that no-really-I'm-not-faking-it look on my face: I'm not a malingerer! Subsequent visits to cardiologists have confirmed that I have a problem, a real one. But I must confess, sometimes I feel like a malingerer. "AFib." Even the name suggests it: a little lie, a bit of fakery or exaggeration. No, really! My heart was doing that flip-flop thing just a second ago!
My friends and colleagues are generous of spirit. The problem is, I have difficulty accepting compassion for an invisible malady. The symptoms are sporadic and not life threatening, and I'm the only one who knows that they're happening: the thumping and fluttering, the occasional feeling of faintness, the slight shortness of breath. To some extent, the symptoms have become routine. They disturb my sleep, and the medications add to my fatigue. But I can live with that. My cardiac electrophysiologist (mere months ago, I didn't even know such a profession existed) even said it directly in our first meeting: "You're not going to die from this, ever."
Well, stroke, maybe. But not death, not directly.
By the numbers: a 2001 study estimated that 2.3 million adults in the U.S. have AFib; that number is projected to balloon to 5.6 million by 2050. AFib increases the chance of stroke five-fold, because the irregular rhythm can allow blood to pool and clot; without some other form of treatment, I will be on anti-coagulant medication the rest of my life.
The public health concern is that an unknown number of cases are undiagnosed. Had I not suffered that 16-hour Easter marathon that drove me to the emergency room, I wouldn't have known. I would have ignored lesser symptoms. And I wouldn't have told my wife, knowing that she would worry and then make me go to the doctor.
The resolution of the story? There isn't one, not yet. I'm scheduled for an ablation procedure in December to try to fix what is essentially an electrical problem in my heart (though, as of this writing, the insurance company is refusing to approve the procedure). It may work, or it may not. The electrophysiologist is optimistic, and I decided that it was better to attempt the ablation now, while I'm younger and healthier. We'll see.
But I keep coming back to the fact that this all began on Easter. Perhaps I am an Emmaus disciple, walking in the company of Jesus unawares? And AFib or no, death comes to all. That, however, isn't the end of the story — not for those who anticipate following in the footsteps of a risen Lord.
In this life, we suffer what bodily indignities we must, large or small, visible and invisible.
Yet somehow, it makes a difference to anticipate resurrection. I can even give those indignities a pet name, with realistic hope and a wry smile.


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In week 4 of my Sustainable Journey, we further explored empathic design in regards to sustainability. For this week's discussion and class activities, I was asked to read Niimimaki and Koskinen's article entitled I Love this Dress, It Makes Me Feel Beautiful! Empathic Knowledge in Sustainable Design as well as the article Design Probes by Tuuli Mattelmaki. While I was reading, I noticed a large theme that was interconnected between the articles and our class activities: emotion. Emotion is a large driving force for empathic design and it allows users to place attachment to certain products. The degree in which emotion is placed on a product is a determining factor of whether or not that product will be durable according to the user. In Niimimaki and Koskinen's study on empathic design, emotional value is seen as crucial to users in response to the products that they place value on. Attachment to clothing is also driven by emotions, and one of the ideas that came from the study was that clothing in and of itself has a strong impact on our emotions.
I personally found Niimimaki and Koskinen's study on empathic design extremely interesting, especially when I read about the reasons why one feels attachment to garments. Not only are we attached to garments because of the way that they look, but we are also attached to garments because of the "beauty experiences" that develop over time in our life experiences. After I read over this, it had finally hit me that I understood the reason why I am so emotionally attached to some of the items in my closet, such as the black lace dress that I wore to my sorority's initiation ceremony, and not others. One of the reasons that I am so attached to some garments and not others is based on the positive experiences that I had with specific garments.
I really felt the importance of emotional value in products when I had done the Design Probes packages this week for class. According to Mattelmaki, a probe is an automatic recording instrument sent out to capture signals and samples from places that where human researchers can't go and the package can be used to document thoughts, attitudes, dreams, and moods of a person. For a portion of the package, I was asked to document my mood when I woke up for each of the two days that I had decided to do the package during the week. After I reviewed my probes package, I had realized that my outfit choices for both days were reflected upon my mood when I woke up for that particular day. From this, I believe that emotions have a large impact on our garment choices.
I really enjoyed learning more about empathic design this week and I think that I am the most excited to learn about how empathic design can be used in the production of garments in order to increase their product life.


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Coast Guard Emblem
Cleatus Cups
Officially licensed product of the United States Coast Guard
Unique. An Original. The Cleatus Cup™ features a nautical themed mug made from BPA Free Plastic with our fun-meter™ embossed on the bottom. 6" nylon dock cleat is re-purposed as the cups handle. The Fathom Series handle is printed with a durable hydrographics design. Holds approximately 24+ ounces of your favorite beachside beverage.
Made in America.
Dishwasher top rack safe, but hand washing is recommended
Do not use in microwave
5 year warranty
Cup Color Style - Natural Clear (Frosted)
Cleat Color - Black or Royal Blue.


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SBOBET User and Expert reviews September 2020
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Anonymous User
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< Wyld Hunted | Sol Invictus Logs | Essence Flows >
Summary: Swift and terrible vengance is exercised upon gods who destroyed a villiage.
XP:P5, C5, M6, R5, Z5Tags:
As dust blows across the great battlefield where Walker in Darkness's vast army once stood, a looming figure in the intimidating gear of an undead general strides down the field, towards the Solars and the motionless figure which is the Mask of Winters.
- Cerin leaps lightly down from the archway where he perched, folds of red silk billowing about him as he lands
<Zahara?> ::The Magma Kraken's tentacles continue to beat futilely at the dust which used to be enemies. ::
- Markuran rejoins his Circle, wipping some of the behemotic abomination's blood from his face and flicking it to the ground. "We should find a way out of this..place."
The Walker strides up to within five feet of his unflappable foe, drives the point of his jagged soulsteel daiklave into the dirt, and spits with disgust.
"So pleasant to see you, Walker," the Mask intones.
With a flash, the Walker has pulled his blade from the ground and positioned the point directly against what one would assume to be the Mask of Winters' throat.
- Zahara watches, resting her own sword's tip in the ground. She does not act to hel
- Cerin watches, but not too closely, as if the pair are blinding him
"I see you are not as pleased as I am.", speaks the Mask
The Walker stares at him for a moment.
- Birds-of-Trinity allows herself to sink to the earth and watch the confrontation unfolding before her.
"Did you really think I wouldn't find out what you did to me? DID YOU?!", the Walker demands!
- Markuran idly plants his feet in the dust and starts cleaning the blood of the undead from his body with his ceremonial cloak.
The Mask raises his staff gently and pushes Walker's blade away from his throat. "I really have no idea what you could possibly mean. Unless you've been listening to that emerald strumpet you've taken up with."
The Walker seems taken aback for a moment. "That's nonsense! Everything she's told me is true! I've seen proof with my own eyes!"
The two Deathlords begin to bicker more frantically, talking over one another and gesturing with their weapons.
- Zahara idly sharpens her interpretation of the scene before her with a small movement of Essence.
The blood-red sun of the Underworld can be seen slipping down to the horizon. It will be day in the world above, soon.
After a few moments, the argument seems to abate -- Walker's face grows somewhat glazed and distant, and he turns to walk away.
- Zahara finally gets a bit bored listening to the two, and calls out, "What DID you supposedly do?"
The Mask returns to the Solars and laughs. "Ah, he seems to bear this strange belief that I had murdered him. What a silly notion."
<Zahara?> "He doesn't LOOK terribly murdered."
<Zahara?> "A little peaked, maybe."
"See? I knew you would understand my viewpoint."
The Mask pats Zahara on the back, leaving her with an unshakeable feeling of crawliness.
"I must say, I am quite impressed with the way in which you each leapt to my defense. Really quite noble of all of you. Shall I take that as an accent to my previously suggested offer?"
- Zahara refrains from making an 'eww-ick' face by an act of will. It wouldn't be polite.
<Zahara?> "Your judgment may be hasty, Mask of Winters. The army, I'm sure, would have harmed us had we allowed them to get close. It was self-defense, you see." She smiles
<BirdsOfTrinity> "You should take it as a statement that we do not generally wish for diplomatic meetings to end in casualty."
"Ah, polite and self-effacing to the end. A proper lady, you are, Zahara."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "Despite the best efforts of some of my brothers and sisters in the Sun."
The Mask begins to stride confidently back into the temple.
- Zahara curtsies deeply.
"Regardless, I consider this to have been a remarkably successful first discussion on this matter," he says, as he strides into the chamber where the mortal representatives are busily hiding, terrified, behind pieces of furniture.
"I hope we will be able to discuss this matter again soon, but I am afraid I must be leaving at this time. Please do have a safe trip to your respective homes." He steps back out of the temple doors and closes them shut. At that moment, the tiniest ray of the Unconquered Sun's light shines through the corner of one window.
- Cerin removes his helmet as the Mask enters, still weapped in the flowing red armour, locating the two merchants he is guarding, and waiting for them to sort themselves out... He looks to Zahara "You have my thanks for your help, Zahara, and Circle"
The merchants do not seem particularly less afraid of the Solars than of the Mask or the army of zombies.
- Markuran keeps scrubbing at the blood that is rapidly congealing. "You have ours as well. We would invite you to come to our home, all the Sun's children are welcome in Solaria and the Sunlands."
- Zahara turns to Cerin, "And you for yours, Cerin, wasn't it? You are a particularly fine bodyguard, it seems." She smiles wryly.
- Birds-of-Trinity snorts.
- Cerin smiles "Perhaps when I have delieved my wards to their homes, I will wander that way. Thank you for the offer in any case"
- Zahara looks at the cowering merchants, "Are you sure they wish to be delivered?"
<Cerin?> "Perhaps not. If they do not, I may well be visiting you all the sooner"
The merchants slide backwards along the floor, pushing with their legs. Once they encounter the wall, they continue attempting to push nonethless.
<Cerin?> "I take it you will not be wishing me to accompany you home?"
- Markuran helps one of the cowering merchants to his feet, smiling polietly at the man. "There's no reason to fear us. We have no quarrel with you and would find your friendship a great gift. There is no need to fear anything at the moment, in fact. The army is defeated, the deathlords gone and we have returned to Creation. Go home to your lands and prepare, however. This will not be the last of the Deathlord's maneuvers."
The fatter of the two merchants looks momentarily confused, and then begins to nod shakily at Markuran's words.
- Markuran grins. "The Sunlanders won't always be around to help our forgein friends either." manages to make it clear that they would be...if the other nations became part of the Sunlands..
"We will... return home... to prepare," he says, confusedly, then begins to lead his other companion out of the ruined temple.
<Cerin?> "It appears I am without employment once again, I think I shall take you up on your invatation, Zahara"
Four weeks later. After their ambush by members of a Wyld Hunt and the subsequent destruction of a Sunlands village by other Immaculates, the Solars have gone out to destroy those who sought to destroy them. Upon their return, all that is left to do is interrogate Cathak Relovia, the Immaculate who threw down her arms to swear herself to Markuran during the first fight.
- Birds-of-Trinity pokes Marku. "She's your concubine. Zealot. Whatever."
- Will is now known as Rannath
<Zahara?> "Indeed." She grins at Mark.
<Rannath?> "An Immaculate monk. This should be a challenge."
- Markuran looks at Birds, revolted. "I wouldn't soil myself with a heretic. Her soul is darkened by her blasphemous crimes."
<Cerin?> "So why then do you keep her around?"
<BirdsOfTrinity> "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that you were a zealot too." Birds looks at Relovia. "I'd like it if you would be our friend, rather than Marku's servant."
<Markuran?> "There's hope for her, since she has repented. But she is still marked by her sins."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "Please don't interpret that as an order, by the way."
<Relovia looks up from her position, seated upon the floor. "I would... like to be your... friend," she says, stiltingly.
<Zahara?> "Why would you like to be our friend? Fear does not make true friends."
Zahara's question seems to have confused Relovia tremendously. She begins to blink frantically.
- Rannath sits down across from Relovia, position changing ever-so-slightly.
- Birds-of-Trinity sinks to the floor, stroking Smoking Mirror absently. The bird's feathers make a soft tinkling noise.
<Rannath?> "May I question her, Zahara?"
<Zahara?> "Ask Markuran, She seems to listen to him best."
- Markuran nods absently, frowning down at the Immaculate with disapproval on his face
- Rannath glances over at Mark, snorts, and looks back to Delovia. "Why do you want to be our friend?"
Relovia seems to relax a little at the comforting sound of Rannath's voice. "I... I looked up into Markuran's face as he towered over me, and I heard his words... I... " she begins to falter for a second before continuing.
"Everything I ever knew shattered before me, and left my soul empty. All my previous deeds were a worthless lie."
- Cerin watches with only minimal interest, though he seems to grow more interesred as she speaks
- Rannath nods slowly, clasping his hands in his lap. "And of your faith? What do you think of that?"
Relovia begins to cry. Great heaving sobs wrack her athletic frame, and she crumples to the floor of the manse.
- Rannath leans over, placing a hand on her shoulder.
<Zahara?> "Ah, the poor girl." she says, leaning down and offering a hankerchief.
<Relovia> "When I was Chosen, I knew... I knew that I was one of those intended to lead those unfortunate enough to be born as mortals in this lifetime!" she works out between sobs.
<Relovia> "I spent over one hundred years training and readying myself, and... and now..." She cries with redoubled vigor.
<Relovia> "It was all a lie!"
<Rannath?> "It's not a lie, Relovia. You're just a piece in a much greater puzzle, now."
<Markuran?> "A corruption, a blasphemous twisting of the truth. You serve the Solars and by doing so, guide the less enlightened. But you are not the masters."
<Zahara?> "You still can lead the mortals, but you must know that We are those you should truly serve."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "Your training and learning are not a lie."
The Immaculate surveys the faces of the Solars arrayed above her.
<BirdsOfTrinity> "You are still a mighty person, whose talents can bring much good to the world if you so choose."
<Relovia> "I am... it is not all a lie?"
<Markuran?> "A perversion of the truth, not a lie. You can learn the true ways. I will give you that chance to redeem yourself."
<Zahara?> "Someone has hidden the truth from all of Creation. I wish to find that person." she says mildly.
- Birds-of-Trinity shrugs. "Your martial arts still work, don't they?"
<Rannath?> "The Immaculate Order thrived on using lies with the truth."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "You can still set my veins on fire with your secret atemi, or strike blows more perfect than those of any mortal."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "The only truth is power!"
"Then I can still use my skills to serve the true harbingers of Creation's salvation."
- Cerin nods to Zahara "That would be some hunt. One I would be most interested in joining"
<Rannath?> "And you will, Relovia."
"I... I thank you." She smiles slightly, from beneath her tears.
Relovia suddenly seems puzzled.
- Zahara looks to Cerin, "Have you heard any rumors, any word, anything about it?"
<Relovia> "I... I know that, surely, you had great reason to do so, so I do not wish to... question your actions, but.... why did you slay the citizens of Listran?"
- Rannath glances back to the Circle, slightly puzzled. "I have heard of Listran, but I've never visited it in my lifetime or any other."
<Markuran?> "We have not destroyed Listran. Another lie, to make you fear those you should loyally stand beside."
<Zahara?> "Nor have I." she muses. "Perhaps, though it may be not a lie, but a twisting of the truth. Perhaps... other Children of the Sun were there."
<Cerin?> "I have heard nothing of them, just holes in the fabric that tell me nothing. I will know them when I see them, though"
- Rannath nods. "Or it was the work of the Order, or any other source."
<Relovia> "But I spoke to the survivors myself. Four Anathe... four... four..." She loses her train of thought briefly.
<Zahara?> "We are known as Solars, or Children of the Sun." she puts in helpfully.
<Markuran?> "Do not fear calling those who murder the innocent by the names they earn themselves."
<Rannath?> "We are not Anathema. We are the Chosen of the Sun, and Exalted like yourself."
<Rannath?> "But.. yes, there are those among our ranks that deserve that title."
<Markuran?> "We, however, do not do such things."
<Relovia> "...four powerful beings came to Listran, and spoke that the citizens had not paid the proper tribute to their masters. When the citizens refused greater tribute, they slew the citizens to a man and woman, and levelled the town. Only those very few who hid amongst the bodies survived."
<Markuran?> "What did the survivors say of their appearance?"
<Zahara?> "Ah, well. There you have the reason. It was not, however, us."
"They glowed with an unearthly light, of opal and pearl, and they bore blades of light."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "Blades of light, you say."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "Were you present that this battle?"
<Markuran?> "Lunars do not carry blades of light."
<Relovia> "They were said to step upon the air itself, and the blades of the villagers passed harmlessly through them."
<Zahara?> "Perhaps they were artifacts of some sort. Or highly reflective."
<Relovia> "No, I arrived several days later. The city was already burned to the ground."
<Zahara?> "They sounds like spirits."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "We must find a survivor."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "An artist, if we can."
<Cerin?> "They do, though none I have hunted or talked with before"
- Birds-of-Trinity wishes to know more of this.
- Rannath stands, arms crossed. "Listran.."
<Relovia> Relovia looks suddenly crestfallen. "...The survivors were to be taken to the Isle for questioning. The escort must be well towards the shore by now."
<Zahara?> "Shall we visit this shattered city, then, and find out more? And perhaps lend a hand at rebuilding, if they wish our aid."
- Markuran snorts. "We can catch them. You will come with us. This will be your first chance to unlearn your old ways."
<Markuran?> "Then the rebuilt city can serve as a watchpost on the Mask. All the better."
- Rannath grins wickedly, golden pole appearing in his hand in a slight glittering of golden light.
- Markuran pulls Relovia to her feet. "Come, Zahara will be able to summon our rides in moments."
<Zahara?> "I'll send the Puppeteers to rebuild while we catch up to the survivors." She turns, and walks off toward her building buddies.
Relovia looks around briefly. "May I take my blades, in order to pledge them further to your service?"
- Rannath looks over at Relovia. "Is that all you wish to do with them?"
<Markuran?> "I'll have someone bring your equipment."
Relovia shifts nervously a little. "I... I will not end my existence here, today. I will serve you valiantly."
<Markuran?> "Good. You bring yourself closer to perfection by doing so."
- Rannath nods and snaps his fingers, his gleaming-red horse with the mane of orange fire appearing next to him within moments.
The plains. In the distance, the Solars can see the group of mortal legionnaires escorting the survivors towards the shore.
- Rannath is riding hard on his fire-maned mount. "Do we give them quarter?"
<BirdsOfTrinity> "Um. These are the good guys."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "Remember?"
<Cerin?> "It would be a needless series of deaths if we did"
<Markuran?> "Let me try to end this without their blood." Mark prods at his demon wasp, urging it lower.
<BirdsOfTrinity> "They're saving innocent villagers from a disaster they didn't necessarily cause."
<Zahara?> "Who are the good guys?" she says from atop her Manticore, the others riding on ridiculously beautiful wasps.
<Cerin?> "The realm soldiers I believe Birds is saying"
<Zahara?> "Oh, right. Well, Relovia thought she was right in attacking US as well. Perhaps, though, we should let her address them before we engage in battle. Somehow, I don't think they'll think us to be simply mortals."
<Cerin?> "Our mounts do give away our nature to be something other than that, yes"
- Markuran flies his wasp in a straight line to the front of the legionnaire's formation then sends it diving toward the ground. As it gets close enough the big Solar leaps from the Wasp and blazes up in a corona of solar fire, a living star falling to Creation. As the dust of his impact clears he strides confidently toward the Realmers.
<Zahara?> "Not to mention Markuran's grand entrance." she adds wryly.
The Realm soldiers are startled, but begin to fall into a drilled pattern, drawing out their weapons and preparing to go to their deaths.
<Cerin?> "He does not seem to understand the existance of the word 'subtle'"
<Markuran?> "Soldiers of the Realm, we have come to return these people to their home and rebuild what others have destroyed. If you try to stop us, we will destroy you to a man. You will have left us no choice. But we can let you aid our quest, join these people as their protection and defend them with your lives instead of losing them needlessly."
<Markuran?> "Surrender and win a far greater victory then you ever would serving the corrupt Realm of deceit."
The soldiers falter, their swords suddenly dropping to the ground. One man, clearly a leader, steps forward. "We... we wish to help these people. How can we do so?"
- Markuran nods at the man. "You have made the proper choice. As I said, we will return these people to their city. Already, we have sent builders to restore it. You will stay there as their guards and protection."
"What of our orders from the Realm?"
<Markuran?> "If you wish to do as I have said, you will no longer be of the Realm. Otherwise, you will have turned down my offer."
The soldiers begin to talk quietly amongst themselves. After a moment, their ranks divide, and a few hungry, pained looking souls walk from their rear out to Mark.
- Markuran moves forward, his stance protective and reassuring. "What I have said is true. We will return you to your homes and help you rebuild. These men will protect you there and you can live in peace."
One of the refugees walks up to Mark, and begins wailing. "Why did they kill our families? Why did they raze our homes? WHY?!"
- Zahara swoops low over the soldiers, idly inspecting their armor and weaponry.
<BirdsOfTrinity> "Why does anyone kill?"
- Markuran gives the old woman a comforting touch on the arm. "We do not know. We have come to find out and punish them."
"How can you DO so when even the sharpest weapons cause them no harm?"
- Cerin slips off his wasp behind Mark, listenning
<Zahara?> "I can hurt the very Gods, woman. There is little we cannot do."
<Markuran?> "What the weapons of mortal folk will not touch, ours can."
The old woman drops to the dirt, wracked with suffering.
- Markuran kneels and picks the old woman up, holding her gently. "Come old mother, we will take you home and you can begin healing."
Later. The newly rebuilt and strangely alien town of Listran gleams in the sun, the proud demons hopping between its roofs in excitement at their completed project. The few living refugees seem confused by their new home, but Solar magic keeps them from growing wrathful or dejected.
- Zahara instructs the demons to build a strong wall around the new village.
The demons hop to with vigor.
<Zahara?> "So, tell us more about those who destroyed your village, before it was rebuilt in such grand style."
<Cerin?> "Interesting creatures, them" he notes as an aside, before turning to listen
'The woman looks at Zahara, and a great sadness -- and rage -- fills her eyes.
"Our village was a happy protectorate of the Realm for many years. No one ever gave us trouble, and we paid all our tribute on time."
- Birds-of-Trinity sits in the dusty road to listen to the woman's story.
"But lately, the soldiers had not come as regularly, and many in the village began to believe that the Realm had abandoned us. So they turned to those who dwell in the sungrove to the east for protection."
<Zahara?> "What were they called, those in the sungrove?"
"They call themselves the Three Lights: Dawning, Shining, and Falling. They are the gods of the unique light that pervades the woods to the east."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "Can any among you paint a picture of these Lights?"
<BirdsOfTrinity> "I would like to see a likeness; perhaps I have encountered them before..."
"I have never seen the Lights, though perhaps one of the others has. I have only seen their cruel servants, who came to destroy our village."
- Birds-of-Trinity quirks a brow.
<Zahara?> "What were those servants like?"
The woman says, "Evil men. Or more than men. They glowed with a white light, like that their leaders are said to possess. And they each bore weapons of pure white light. They moved faster than even our village's bravest swordsman, and flickered in place when struck with weapons."
- Zahara frowns a bit, thinking hard, as she sifts through all the erratta in her brain to see if she can place any tales of flickering white-light-weaponed beings
"And upon each of their brows, they bore this symbol." She takes a stick and begins scratching int he dirt.
- Cerin is doing likewise, considering the discription "Not ghosts I dont think" he looks at the symbol
<Zahara?> "No... not ghosts, Gods."
The symbol she draws upon the ground is a four-pointed star, as if a circle were cut into four quarters and each one inverted from convex to concave.
"The more they fought, the brighter they glowed, until I was forced to look away."
<Markuran?> "Can one of you lead us to this Sungrove?"
"I can," says a younger, more able-bodied refugee.
<Zahara?> "We need to talk amongst ourselves first. If you will excuse us..." she motions to the others and walks a good distance away."
- Markuran follows Zahara
- Cerin seems to waken from his pondering to follow her. He looks a little puzzled though
- Rannath nods, walking over.
<Zahara?> "I read an account in my library of these gods. They are strong, but they have weaknesses, as all do. Can any of you others affect spirits when they are not solid?"
- Relovia timidly nods that she can
<Cerin?> "I can consume them utterly, if the need arises"
- Zahara nods a bit, and looks to Marku
- Markuran shakes his head.
- Birds-of-Trinity shakes head also.
<BirdsOfTrinity> "I am sure Smoking Mirror would not object to assisting in what ways he can."
- Zahara nods to herself. "Three of us should be enough, the others can form a distraction. Unless they materialize. However, these beings ARE Gods, and thus protected by the Celestial Hierarchy. If we slay them, we risk angering more.
<Rannath?> "Can we not present our case to Heaven? We *are* Chosen of the Sun, after all."
<Zahara?> "That might be the wiser course of action, Rannath."
<Zahara?> "However, they did not hurt our people, nor were they on our territory."
<Rannath?> "We are the rulers of Creation. It is our territory, and they are our people."
- Zahara laughs, "I'm sure many would disagree with you."
- Rannath grins slightly. "It may not be the practical truth, but it should be enough to have us heard."
<Zahara?> "We do not know if they people of this village WERE remiss in their promises, though. Perhaps the Gods have the right of it."
<Cerin?> "Perhaps we should start our complaint with the gods in question?"
<Zahara?> "We should indeed. So, we are off to approach them in a friendly way, then?"
- Markuran looks over at the bedraggled survivors. "..Friendly indeed."
<Zahara?> "Oh, and by the way, should this come to blows, we should each bring a weapon made of dark wood."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "Dark wood."
- Markuran nods. "We can find such on the way."
<Rannath?> "Hopefully, we won't spend too much time talking and avoid any possible future incidents."
<Zahara?> "What is our goal, here? To find out the truth, or to gain retribution?"
- Markuran nods.
<Zahara?> "And if the villagers were wrong? Then there needs to be no retribution."
- Cerin nods "Perhaps, though ...I have seen gods do this before" remembered pain crosses his eyes "They often feel their actions are justified, no matter waht the situation, but to gain the truth would be best done before..."
<Rannath?> "The only tribute the villagers need offer is to the Celestial Incarna."
<Cerin?> "And if the gods were not derelict in their duties, then tribute would have been passed on, that is the way of such things"
<Zahara?> "If they contracted with the Gods for protection, they then owe them for that. The Gods are part of the Celestial Hierarchy, after all."
That night. The forest is composed of unusual silvery trees, like magical birches. Each leaf is just slightly green, with an overall silver sheen; the light glints off of them to create an unusual, unearthly glow to the area.
- Markuran passes heavy ebon clubs to Rannath, Birds of Trinity and Cerin
- Birds-of-Trinity hefts the weapon uncertainly.
- Rannath looks at it, frowns, and keeps walking.
- Cerin gives a small nod of thanks, putting the club somewhere out of the way for the moment
- Markuran gives clubs to Zahara and Relovia as well.
- Relovia hefts hers uncertainly, then straps it to her back.
- Zahara accepts hers and hefts it, swinging it side to side, testing the balance. She then tucks it into her belt alongside her bell.
As the Solars approach, they get their first glimpse of the sungrove. There, the trees open up, and silver grasses grow in a circle between the birches whose leaves would lightly shade the ground, were it day. Upon closer inspection, there seem to be three figures -- ghostly, opaline figures of light -- resting against trees on the outskirts of the clearing.
- Markuran walks beside Zahara, letting the Eclipse lead the circle while he protects her from any threat the gods offer
- Cerin walks on the otherside of her, studying the gods before him with all his senses
- Zahara approaches the grove, and stands just outside the clearing. "Hail, those of the Three Lights, Dawning, Shining and Falling. We come to address a grievance the village of Listran brought to our attention."
There is a slight rustling from the grove, followed by the sound of ghostly snoring.
- Zahara clears her throat, and repeats herself, more loudly.
There is a slight shuffling, and one of the gods begins to shift around somewhat.
<Dawning> "...whaaaaa? Is it morning already?"
- Markuran bellows Zahara's words in a bull roar that would reach across a battlefield.
<Markuran?> "No. We have come to meet with you."
- Zahara winces and taps her ear
<Rannath?> "..They heard her, Zenith."
<Zahara?> "Perhaps a little sunlight would help them to wake up," she murmurs, and alights her anima, sending liquid light coursing through the grove
The first spirit rises up, and floats to the edge of the grove. "What? There shouldn't be anyone here. It's the middle of the night! What is it?"
- Birds-of-Trinity raises an eyebrow at Zahara.
<BirdsOfTrinity> "Tax collector."
- Zahara chuckles at Birds.
<Dawning> "What? We're not due for another three weeks. Who IS that?" The spirit wanders out into the woods, in the vague direction of the Solars.
<BirdsOfTrinity> "I'm afraid you are overdue"
<Zahara?> "AS I said, we Children of the Sun, rightful Rulers of Creation, have come to address a grievance, given unto us by the village of Listran."
Upon closer inspection, he has the form of a thin, tall man, made entirely of whitish light and vaguely defined around the edges.
<Dawning> "Listran? Grievance? I think the others should be awake for this." He floats back into the clearing, and begins shaking another god awake.
"Errrrk. What's wrong with you?" mumbles Shining as she arises. "I'm supposed to be asleep right now."
<Dawning> "There are Solars here, Shining. They want to talk about Listran."
<Shining> "Listran? Why haven't you woken up falling yet, idiot?"
<Dawning> "I was going to, I wanted to wake you up first!"
- Zahara waits patiently, shifting her official robes of office (well they LOOK official, don't they?)
The spirits continue to bicker for a few moments. After a little time has passed, all three arise and journey back out to meet the Solars
"What do you want?" the one who seems to be Shining says. She is a voluptuous, long-haired woman, though she is composed of the same wispy light.
- Markuran clears his throat and crosses his arms across his chest. "Zahara of the Diamond Sun wishes to speak to you, spirits."
Falling would best be described as "dark" were he not made entirely of light; his hair hides his face, and he looms ominously.
"Well, make it quick." Shining appears to be leading the discussion on her side.
<Zahara?> "We wish to know of the contract between yourselves and the villagers of Listran, and what led to the destruction of that village."
Shining bristles a little bit at the question. "We offered our protection to them when the Realm abandoned them. When things became more dangerous in this region, we asked greater tribute in compensation. They refused us. We grew tired of them and eliminated their village; it was bothersome."
<Markuran?> "What tribute did you demand?"
<Shining> "One citizen in good health each season, increased to two when times grew dark and dangerous."
<Zahara?> "What new dangers came to this region that caused you to increase the tribute?"
<Shining> "Those they call the Deathlords have been increasingly active, and the wretched fae have even come so far west as this. This is a dangerous place for fragile mortal husks."
<Zahara?> "As you demonstrated."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "So you saw fit to ...have a tantrum... when they decided they no longer wished to retain your services."
<Shining> "They brought it upon themselves."
<Shining> "Is that not right, Dawning?"
<Dawning> "Of course, if you say so. It must be correct, Shining."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "Surely if it were so dangerous, you could simply have left them to the wolves, and saved yourselves a bloody afternoon."
<Zahara?> If they did not pay, they should not get the service, true. But that is no excuse for killing them, near to a man."
<Markuran?> "They were unwilling to comply to your new bargain, but still honored the old. That is not their fault."
<Cerin?> "It does not sound like that to me, spirits of light"
<Markuran?> "You have mis-judged your rights in this case, godlings."
<Shining> "Perhaps, but we desired sport, and we had already gained enough of their tribute for our purposes anyway."
<Shining> "What are men, in this decrepit age? Naught but toys to us, I think."
<Zahara?> "You rise beyond your station to do such. Is it not your job to shine the light through the leaves in this grove?"
- Markuran steps forward, looming over the figure of light. "You dare speak such words to a Solar Exalted? My Circle wishes to call the hounds of the Censor upon you, but I myself would rather see you pay in glowing blood. I will heed their wishes. This time."
<Rannath?> "I doubt the Censor needs to hear of this. We can settle the matter ourselves."
<Shining> "You think you can do so easily, whelp? I think not. Guards!"
- Birds-of-Trinity sighs.
<sickquin> From the treetops, four opaline, glowing men and women drop towards the ground.
<sickquin> Each bears a weapon of shining light.
<BirdsOfTrinity> "Steel....Symphony....STANCE!!!" Bands of light lock around Birds' wrists as Essence weaves itself around her.
- Cerin shimmers as he flows like blood, calling bow and arrows of solar fire to his hands before the things reach the ground
- Rannath twirls the club as it becomes encased in a radiant shell of golden light, lengthening into something resembling a sword.
- Markuran hurls himself at Falling, the apparent leader of the three light gods. Snarling his fury as light cascades around him in streamers of brilliance that flow across his body like sweat and blood moving through and over his flesh. With a noon-bright flash as Markuran's fist impacts the godling's body, the light being is overpowered by the Solar fire within the barbarian, finding its own light dimming under his
Markuran's fists strike Shining's location... but pass harmlessly through her dematerialized body.
- Rannath doesn't laugh. It's a truly heroic effort, but all that comes out is a snort.
- Revolia draws her twin swords and leaps into battle behind the Solars, rushing ahead of the golden warriors to strike first blood from these heretical gods. Smoking essence slices toward the god of light that taunts Markuran, clouding the light of the god's body and trying to burn it :with the dark fury of ash and fire.
- Zahara gestures, and suddenly four more weapons appear from out of nowhere in a flash of bright light, and they hover thirstily around her, whirling, dancing. She lifts the golden bell from her belt, and strikes it once, tuning its peal with her Essence, so it strikes even those who are not in the world.
The shining people land around the outskirts of the clearing, what seem to be anima banners flaring around them in pearlescent white. Each selects a Solar upon landing, leaving only Rannath safe, and strikes twice with quick, vicious attacks.
Shining moves to avoid Relovia's strike, but does not move quite far enough -- her blow lands, and his Essence ignites in a brilliant flash of light.
- Zahara 's staff and chain leap to her defense, circling around her like snakes, catching the blows as they land
The nimble leaps and powerful parries of the Solars deflect each and every one of the attacks made against them by the shining people.
Zahara's bell ring strikes deep within the souls of the Solars' foes, causing them great pain, and causing the gods to shiver slightly.
<Zahara?> "You were fools to fight us, Lights"
As the men and women hasten to parry the Solars' attacks, their glow becomes brighter, and the four-pointed stars upon their brows begin to glow with a piercing light.
- Zahara yells "Get the hell away from me, Dynast!" and moves swiftly out of the way of her rabid anima
- Markuran hurridly backs away from the roiling flames surrounding Revolia, wincing as his arms and chest are deeply burned by her terrible anima. Despite the Terrestrial's good intentions, her firey aura seems to be inflicting far more harm on the Solars then than the enemies
- Revolia looks crestfallen as she burns her new masters, but she perserveres, attempting to win back their approval by fighting well!
- Cerin fires as the light blades pass though his body, each arrow of solar flame piercing a leaf falling from the trees, disturbed by the Shining beings decent. The bolts are by thier very nature immicial to the gods, biting deep into their souls, the essence of Falling swirling back to Cerin
Cerin's arrows pierce Fallen's ghostly body, and he lets out a horrific cry -- his spiritual form is consumed from within, burning up in midair into nothing.
The two men fighting the Solars drop to their knees, and begin to scream horrifyingly. A quick glance shows them bleeding profusely from their faces.
- Rannath tenses, crouching and raising his light-encased spear.
<Markuran?> "We have destroyed one of your brothers! Would you wait for your deaths as well, or will you yield to our demands? What say you, godlings?!"
Shining shrieks in anger and shimmers the tiniest bit, while reaching out to backhand Relovia.
Dawning, however, begins to flee rapidly.
- Rannath reacts instantly, flinging his spear into one of the tallest of the trees and launching himself up to grab it, whirling. He flings the spear directly at Shining's back, leaps off the tree, and positions himself to land on the haft feet-first to drive the strike home. Behind him, the tree glows brightly and then crumbles to ash.
Rannath's spear plunges through Shining's back. She gasps for a moment, then drops to the ground, twitching, utterly surprised at this turn of events. The two women also drop to the ground, also bleeding profusely.
- Zahara points, and the sword and hammer streak from behind her shoulders to strike at Dawning's legs, preventing him from fleeing.
- Markuran spits on Shining's burning body. "Your sport was more important then your life, was it?"
- Rannath rips the spear free, grinning wickedly.
- Zahara runs to follow the errant spirit, her footfalls marked only by the rustling of leaves. She rings the war bell, loud and clear, again tuning it to resonate with the spirit world. "Run, but you cannot escape, bastard!"
- Cerin leaves the clearing, taking off along the trail the spirit left behind her, knocking 3 shafts of light to his bow as he does, letting them fly as one, punching through the leaves and branches to drink of the Dawning's essence .
Dawning trips as the force of the bell's ring strikes him -- only to fall directly into the path of Cerin's arrows. As one, they strike, tearing his Essence to shreds and leaving nothing but a wisp of dust.
- Zahara pushes her hair back off of her face, tucking in the errant strands. "That went well." she notes.
<Rannath?> "Ah, vengeance. And less paperwork for Heaven. Good deeds all around."
<Zahara?> "I wouldn't count on THAT."
- Zahara sniffs and shifts her clothes back into something more practical. "But it was fun, wasn't it?"
- Rannath slides his faceplate back. "True."
- Cerin smiles "They will never trouble any one again."
<Zahara?> "We should arrange for protection for the villagers that are left. It wouldn't do to rescue them, and then leave them to die, hmm?"
- Markuran nods. "We can at least tell the villagers that they will no more face these creatures. And we have already done so, Zahara. I told the Legionnaires to protect them, and so they will."
<Cerin?> "That lacks a certain elegance, yes Zahara"
- Markuran looks over at Revolia "You did well. Though better to avoid setting fire to your allies.."
<Zahara?> "Ah yes, I'd forgotten in all the excitement."
<Markuran?> "Regardless, this place holds no further interest."
<Rannath?> "Mm, those Realm soldiers seemed decently-trained. Perhaps there's a use for them after we've consolidated our holdings in Listran."
- Zahara takes a few of the silvery leaves, idly considering their use in combination with the metal from the strange star that fell upon them the other day. "Cerin, do you wish to accompany us home?"
<Zahara?> "You have demonstrated great bravery and might today, as well as in the home of Mask of Winters. I believe I speak for us all when I say you are welcome to join us for as long as you like."
- Cerin smiles "I think I shall, you seem encounter such interesting things, and perhaps it is time to settle down for a while, Thank you"
<Markuran?> "It will be good to have another competent warrior."
- Markuran doesn't quite look at Rannath...nope..


text:
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text:
The Strand could be about to get a radical makeover thanks to a series of proposals put forward by the Northbank Business Improvement District (BID) and urban design consultancy Publica.
These include the redesign of the gyratory around Aldwych, as well as a new riverside promenade along Victoria Embankment.
The changes to the Northbank area, which stretches from Trafalgar Square to the Royal Courts of Justice, are designed to improve access for pedestrians and cyclists and make the environment more welcoming and safer.
Read more: London's Garden Bridge faces uncertain future after opposition at London Assembly
It will also ensure that the area's public spaces improve in line with future infrastructure projects such as the Garden Bridge, the cycle superhighway and the Thames Tideway tunnel.
Work is already underway on a number of projects and the BID has secured the initial funding for the Aldwych gyratory project.
The BID will now undertake a consultation process with a range of stakeholders such as Westminster City Council and Transport for London,
There are five "families" of projects covering all areas of the Northbank: Aldwych, Strand, Victoria Embankment, Villiers Street and then lanes, courts and smaller spaces.
The priority projects, out of a total of 40, are:
- Reconfiguration of the Aldwych gyratory, prioritising pedestrians and reducing the impact of traffic;
- The creation of a new landmark public space in between Aldwych and Somerset House around the St-Mary-le-Strand church
- Upgrading crossings to improve connections between key destinations and areas within our footprint;
- Creating a world-class urban promenade created to help improve both the river front and the historical ceremonial route of Strand and Aldwych
- De-cluttering key areas such as Charing Cross station forecourt
- Lighting and shopfront upgrades along the Strand, reinvigorating the night-time economy of the area
Ruth Duston, chief executive of The Northbank Business Improvement District said: "The Northbank combines all the elements that make London a great global city, yet despite its considerable assets the public realm has long let the area down.
"Pedestrians are poorly served, vehicles currently dominate and public spaces have been forgotten."
Read more: Crossrail for Bikes to link Tottenham, Stoke Newington, Dalston and the City of London
"Businesses understand that high quality public realm is vital for an area to thrive – it matters to employees and to customers, so therefore it matters to the 'bottom line'."
"The Northbank's Public Realm Strategy sets out our long term, deliverable vision – addressing the challenges, responding to the new developments in the area, meeting the requirements of businesses, visitors and residents and ensuring that The Northbank can reach its true potential as one of London's most vibrant, commercially successful district."