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Aquaculture is breeding, raising, and harvesting fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants. Basically, it's farming in water. U.S. aquaculture is an environmentally responsible source of food and commercial products, helps to create healthier habitats, and is used to rebuild stocks of threatened or endangered species.
Coral reefs are one of Earth's most productive ecosystems — both in terms of biology and cold, hard cash. Healthy coral reef ecosystems do everything from supporting millions of jobs to protecting lives and valuable coastal infrastructure, like hotels and roads, from storms and waves. In fact, each year coral reefs pump more than $3.4 billion into the U.S. economy And that's a conservative estimate!
Healthy coral reefs support commercial and subsistence fisheries as well as jobs and businesses through tourism and recreation. Approximately half of all federally managed fisheries depend on coral reefs and related habitats for a portion of their life cycles. The National Marine Fisheries Service estimates the commercial value of U.S. fisheries from coral reefs is over $100 million.
Hi, I'm Dallas Alston, I work with aquaculture in Puerto Rico. Our main research is to determine the effects of aquaculture on the environment.
If fish were cars the bluefin tuna would be the Ferraris. That's how sleek their lines are…and how quickly they accelerate.
The North Atlantic right whale got its name from whalers. Because these whales travel slowly and spend a lot of time at the surface, they were easy targets.
Many species of fish, including those that are important to the U.S. economy, migrate from the ocean to freshwater rivers and streams to spawn.
Marine protected areas offer a perfect adventure. They are places to explore and enjoy nature in and around the waters of Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Every year, North America's Marine Protected Areas contribute millions of dollars to the economy. Much of the sustainably caught seafood you see in grocery stores and eat in restaurants comes from these areas.
We've all heard that hurricanes are one of the most powerful and destructive forces on Earth. But did you ever wonder where they get their strength?
For nearly 200 years the US Coast Guard has been tasked with preserving our country's marine resources. That means tending to the oceans by protecting it from the castoffs of our human lives.
Once limited to the Indo-Pacific region, lionfish have invaded the waters of The Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean.
Watching whales in their natural habitat can be a breathtaking experience. This activity has become increasingly popular, now drawing over 13 million people a year.
For seven days in the Fall of 2012, Hurricane Sandy pounded the Caribbean and US East Coast with punishing rain, wind, and waves.
In the U.S., fishing is a national pastime. Nearly 12 million people call themselves saltwater anglers. And marine fishing is more than a hobby – this sport contributes $56 billion a year to the U.S. economy.


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"Aaaagh! IT'S IN MY MANE!" screamed Diamond Tiara, trying vainly to rub the maple syrup from her pink-and-white hair. "Get it out get it out get it out!"
"Keep still, DT!" cried Golden Parachute, trying to support a bucket full of water in her hooves. "I think I can clean it off of you… if you just… stay still!"
The cream-colored Pegasus swayed unsteadily as the water sloshed in the bucket, spilling on Roughshod and Toady as they tailed the bucket-laden filly.
"Watch it, Goldie!" snapped Roughshod. "Diamond needs to be washed off, not me!"
"Sorry! This bucket's kinda heavy, and the water's―…!"
Whatever the water was remained locked behind Golden Parachute's lips, as a giant spider fell on top of her. The filly immediately began to shriek, the bucket flying aside and dampening a pell-mell pile of pancakes five hooves to Diamond Tiara's right.
"Eee, get it off me get it off me get it OFF ME!" Golden Parachute screeched, flailing her hooves about to try to swat the oversized arachnid off, its long spindly legs encroaching around her barrel and scrabbling wildly.
"Get this off of me first!" Diamond Tiara squeaked. "It will take so much conditioner as it is to fix up my…!"
Freezing at the sudden wetness, as though she had been dunked into a tub of water like some common carnival harlequin, Diamond Tiara wiped away her forelock to look at the pony who'd thought to dump water on her. Standing before her, a second bucket before them, were her old friend Silver Spoon, as well as…
"How dare you…!" Diamond snarled at the Cutie Mark Crusaders, those insipid little blank-flank twits. Her namesake tiara slid down from its precipitous position on her poll. "How dare you, you stupid blank-headed blank-flanks! Who gave you the idea that I wanted to be soaked through to the bone?"
For some strange reason, the Cutie Mark Crusaders looked confused about the accusation, and Silver Spoon gave the trio of fillies an astounded look. The bespectacled Earth Pony filly blinked, before letting out a minute gasp − what was that about? − and pointing accusingly at the three.
"Yeah!" Silver Spoon shouted. "What's your deal, you stupid blank-flanks? If she wanted an ice-cold shower, she'd have asked somepony!"
Apple Bloom's peach eyes narrowed slightly, her jaw dropping.
"B-but… we weren't th' ones who―…"
"Look at what your bucketing did to her mane!" cried Silver Spoon in indignation, taking a piece of Diamond Tiara's curling mane in her hoof. Already the perfectly conditioned mane was becoming frazzled and unkempt from the undue soaking.
"But you're the one who did the bucketing!" snarled Scootaloo, looking mutinous.
"Don't listen to them, Di!" the gray filly cut in, her expression startlingly tense. "They're just a bunch of lying liar dung-heads!"
"But," Sweetie Belle looked teary, "we didn't even do anything…"
"Get out of here!" Silver Spoon shrieked, pointing off towards the distant Sweet Apple Acres, her glasses falling askew and shining menacingly in her anger.
Evidently deciding to grace Diamond Tiara and her posse of friends − and Silver Spoon − by vacating the premises, the Cutie Mark Crusaders scampered off, erratically evading skittering spiders and sticky piles of syrup and melted butter.
"Umm… thanks, I guess?" mused Diamond Tiara, adjusting her tiara atop her mane. "I really could've shouted them off myself, though."
"Oh. Well…" Silver Spoon stammered, her ears going slack. "You see, they didn't know that you were so messy, and it just so worked out that you're all clean now."
"Yeah," the pink filly replied bitterly, wringing out part of her mane. "Soaked through from poll to fetlocks, but clean."
"What are you even doing here, anyway?" snapped Golden Parachute, Silver Spoon whirling in astonishment at the rich Pegasus's accusatory tone. "You aren't Diamond Tiara's friend anymore, aren't you?"
"Yes, she's right," said Snake-in-the-Grass, approaching slowly with an ominously swishing tail. "You threw her aside when being a friend wasn't convenient to you."
"What sort of friend does that make you?" Roughshod hissed.
Silver Spoon shrunk back, slipping slightly on a freshly fallen pile of pancakes. Diamond Tiara made to step forward towards her former friend, but hesitated as she looked about at her posse.
"Guhh, where's all this coming from?" Toady grumbled, in between bites of pancakes stacked high with melted butter.
"No idea," Diamond Tiara said shortly, looking concerned. "This is just such a mess everywhere!"
That statement rang true to most everypony in the circle around her. Pancakes and hot melting butter and dollops of maple syrup were falling from on high, seemingly from out of nowhere. The residents of Ponyville, perplexed by this sudden and bizarre precipitation, began to bring out their umbrellas on an otherwise cloudless afternoon. Then the spiders began to come down, and the streets were filled with screams of terrified ponies running from the oversized arachnids.
"Maybe it's some bad prank from a weather-pony," Silver Spoon suggested.
"Hey!" snapped Silver Lining. "My mother is a proud weather-mare, albeit waylaid by that upstart Rainbow Dash. If she was not a Bearer of the Elements of Harmony, I'd ask Mother to have her fired for―…!"
"Wait a second!" Diamond Tiara interrupted. "The Elements of Harmony! Those blank-flanks know the Bearers! We have to go find them!"
And with that the posse of seven fillies began to make their way down the streets after their detested classmates, impeded by the straggling adults and the spastic spiders and the falling breakfast items.
Discord the draconequus continually rolled about on the ground, almost literally laughing his insides out. The grass that he rolled about across changed into pencil shavings, the flowers into buckets of popcorn kernels. Twilight and her band gaped at him in horror, glancing back at Ponyville intermittently.
"I… was wrong about you, Discord?" Twilight snapped. "What were you planning to do by pretending like you were reformed? Was this a ploy for time so that you could get your powers back all while keeping the Elements out of our hooves?"
Discord sat up, hands on his belly, sniffling and bringing up his claw to wipe away tears of mirth.
"Oh no no no, it's nothing like that," he beamed. "I just felt like starting small with pulling at your tails. I mean, my power is at a whole other level from anything that you mere mortals could comprehend. I am immortal, omnipotent, and I didn't even need to bust out my biggest tricks to pull the wool over your eyes!"
The draconequus's lips quivered in obvious mirth, his eyes watering afresh once more. The seven-member herd simply stared at him in shock and horror.
A curious tweeting reached their ears, and a small canary flitted up from the canopy of trees afar to the east. Fluttershy's eyes followed it with fear as it drew nearer and nearer to Discord. The draconequus stared at it with widening eyes, reaching out a talon that the canary graciously landed upon. Twilight's heart lifted; maybe, just maybe…?
"Pffft," Discord snorted. "Bo-ring…!"
And with a snap of his lion's paw, the canary gave a terrible squawk and its feathers shrunk into its flesh, organs pushing their way through the gaps in its ribcage as its eyes bulged horrifically.
Twilight's stomach lurched in alarm as Fluttershy gave a shriek, the butter-yellow Pegasus's cyan eyes wide as they followed the canary as it fell twitching to the grass, where it made retching noises as its wings feebly attempted to flutter.
"There, much better!" Discord said gleefully, barely covering his quavering grin with a shaking lion's paw.
To the astonishment of everypony else in the band, Fluttershy stomped forward with fury etched into her face, and force in her hoofsteps. Her wings flared, and she flapped up to Discord's face with eyes wide.
"You… big… dumb… meanie!" she snarled, with uncharacteristic vitriol, her pupils narrowed to points. "You turn that canary back to normal right now, or you're gonna regret it!"
Discord's eyes boggled out at Fluttershy… almost literally, as the optic nerves snapped straight out at the suddenly assertive Pegasus, his eyes less than a few centimeters from her own. Still, Fluttershy stood her ground, her wings flapping more fully than they commonly did.
With a smirk, Discord pushed his eyes back into place and rubbed paw and claw together.
"Well well well, I think I like this Fluttershy a lot more; so… aggressive," he finished with a flick of a snake tongue at the 's' in aggressive. "Why, you should come out and play more often. It would be quite… titillating."
As he spoke, Discord slowly began to reach his claw towards Fluttershy's temples, the butter-yellow Pegasus's eyes refusing to budge from the draconequus's…
"Fluttershy!" cried Rainbow Dash, darting up and pulling her friend back from Discord's reaching claw. As soon as feeling the cerulean Pegasus's grip around her, Fluttershy's wings went slack and the lines of rage in her face vanished. She gave Rainbow Dash a frightful expression.
"Oh my… I'm so sorry, Dashie. I just… I don't know what came over me. I saw what Discord did to that birdie, and then I…"
"It's alright, 'Shy," Rainbow Dash said with a rare tenderness. "It's not your fault; it was Discord's." A fresh venom entered the Pegasus's voice. "You should know how Fluttershy gets about animals; you were able to figure out which of the Elements we bore!"
"An' what about them Elements, ya backstabbin' varmint?" snarled Applejack, a faint emerald glow swimming behind her eyes and dancing about her hooves.
Discord sighed in frustration.
"Such a one-track mind, you little ponies. Your simplistic modes of thought have always been such a bore to me, far moreso than any of the other playthings I've had in all my time. I mean, really, if you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and crawl under your bed. And oh please do! Your homes are all so much more fun now!"
"Fun? This is just a bunch of horse-apples!" snapped Rainbow Dash, eyes and fangs flashing. "What sort of reason could somepony have to do this to a bunch of innocent ponies?"
"'Reason'?" Discord echoed, twiddling his antler in between the talons of his eagle claw. "No reason at all! Chaos has no reason; it just happens! I mean, suppose things didn't happen as they 'should' happen for a very good reason. That would make too much sense. Trust me, sense is far too common these days; you would not believe some of the absolutely sane things I have heard while entrapped in that Sculpture Garden. Inane drivel about 'sharing some of the wealth with the proletariat' and 'creating jobs for the working class' and some other third thing…"
Replacing his antler in his head (point-first), Discord floated into the air without the aid of his wings, the reservoir beside him rising upwards as a flurry of perfectly round drops of snow which turned into sugar-cubes and salt-licks…
Water turning into salt? Twilight's eyes widened. But that's impossible!
"So, while we're all here," Discord said suddenly, with a rather chipper grin on his face, "anypony want a flugelhorn?" He clapped paw and claw together, and when he pulled them apart the double-trumpeted trademark instrument of the Crystal Empire appeared as if out of nowhere.
"Ooh ooh ooh!" Pinkie Pie began to eagerly wave a forehoof in the air. "I want a flugelhorn!"
Discord dangled the flugelhorn temptingly in front of the pink-maned Pegasus mare.
"What do you have to say, Shutterfly? Want a flugelhorn?"
"Umm… I… think I'll pass, if it's okay with you."
"I won't pass!" Pinkie cried out, waving both of her forelegs over her head. "I want want want a flugelhorn!"
"Very well then," Discord huffed before presenting the instrument to an Earth Pony mare. "What about you, little AJ? Do you want a flugelhorn?"
Applejack frowned, "Ah'm not much of a music pony, if ya don' mind."
"I mind!" Pinkie shouted, looking and sounding quite cross as she stood on her hindlegs and waved her forelegs like a windmill. "I want that flugelhorn!"
Now frowning himself, the draconequus forced the flugelhorn into the face of a feathered filly.
"Come on now, Roy G. Biv! Surely you want a flugelhorn?"
Rainbow Dash sighed frustratedly, "No thank you! I don't like playing music instruments!"
"I like playing them, and I want the flugelhorn!" screamed Pinkie Pie, jumping and stomping furiously. Her coat and mane had actually gone rather red, her irises gleaming yellow.
Discord growled in his throat, steam actually streaming out of his ears, before he rounded on Twilight Sparkle and…
"No, Nein, not in a giggrossiad, Discord, would I ever take something from you even if it was mana from the Elysian Fields!"
"Hoo!" Owlowiscious hooted in sharp agreement.
Long face contorting in rage, Discord knelt sharply down towards Spike, flugelhorn held between two claws. The mulberry drake shrugged, "I dunno, I kinda think Pinkie wants it."
The sound of a deep breath being taken caught everypony's ears. Turning towards the source, only Twilight Sparkle seemed astonished at the sight of Pinkie Pie drawing in a deeper breath than anypony should have possibly been able to, her head actually swelling beyond its natural size. Her eyes bulged out of her head, focused on Discord.
"I… WANT… THAT… FLUGELHORN!" she shrieked.
The crimson Earth Pony clenched her teeth, breathing heavily out of her nostrils, her head shrinking back to its normal proportions and her color returning to its regular rosiness.
Discord cocked a shaggy white eyebrow at Pinkie's display, clapping his paw and claw together and making the flugelhorn disappear with a loud and rude fart noise.
"Well then… Aren't you an interesting little pony? You may very well indeed be my right-hoof~!"
Twilight bristled at the thought of one of her friends being turned against her, especially for such a random and illogical foe.
"Pinkie will never join you, Discord. And just to save your breath, none of the rest of us will either!"
Momentarily disregarding the fact that cotton-candy clouds had descended on her hamlet home, joined shortly by pancakes and syrup and butter, along with spiders far larger than most and yet not so large as acromantulae, and the fact that the Elements of Harmony were in a place yet unknown to them, Twilight Sparkle turned a rage-filled expression upon the mad draconequus, her alicorn flaring pink as dozens of offense-spells cycled through her mind to cast upon the diabolical trickster…
A flash of golden fire blazed from the North Equinus Mountains, Discord reeling in reflex towards the south as the flames licked the salts and sugars that were once the Ponyville Water Reservoir and giving off a strong scent of caramel.
Eyes turning up to the source of the blast, Twilight and her band bore awestruck witness to the Sun-Queen of Equestria with her power unsheathed.
Mane and coat blurred together in a haze of golden-orange, eyes burning like flames set inside coals, her feathers, mane, and tail all trailing streaks of fire that stretched back to the capital of Canterlot. Twilight's heart grew cold; she had never seen Queen Celestia bearing such rage before.
"Oh hohhh…" chuckled Discord, rolling back the fur and feathers on his arms like sleeves. "I see that precious little Sunshine has taken off her kiddy gloves…"
Queen Celestia collided with Discord, carrying him bodily away from Twilight and her band, leaving nothing but a trail of heat behind and the echo of her bellowing tones,
"Thou wilt not touch my beloved apprentice, thou old serpent!"
Twilight gaped in mingled terror and elation at the sight of her mentor in all of her immanence, snarling in rage as she plowed a manically laughing Discord through the air towards the South Equinus Mountains in all of their jagged foreboding. She shuddered involuntarily as she beheld the peaks of the austral mountain range that helped to form the bowl of the Saddle Valley; for grossenturies the southern half of the pair of Equinus Mountain ranges had held a fell air to the ponies of Equestria. The subject of many a writer's final confrontation in innumerable fantasy and, more recently, science-fiction novels, the location of numerous sacrifices and alien landings…
But Twilight Sparkle knew that the odious reputation of the South Equinus Mountains did not originate from these fantasy or sci-fi novels. To the contrary, these novels were inspired by the reputation that South Equinus received.
And why? Why was it that these mountains instilled such fear and unease when gazed upon, as though some horrific menace loomed over the Saddle Valley rather than simply a jagged mountain range?
Queen Celestia and Discord passed through the mountain range as though it were not there.
"Wait… What just happened?" Twilight asked, blinking.
"I saw that too, Mom," Spike added wondrously. "I mean, if what you saw was Celestia going right through the mountain like some kinda smoky magic trick. That was what you saw, right?"
"Yesserroonie, we did see that one, Spikey!" squealed Pinkie. "She must really be pushin' Dizzy away something hard!"
"Pinkie Pie, stop calling him Dizzy," Rainbow Dash grumbled. "He's not a good guy; you can see that."
"Umm, well, it's really your decision, Pinkie," interjected Fluttershy, offering a miniscule rendition of a nervous smile.
"And in addition," Rarity added, "it did not appear entirely as if she had plowed through the mountainside, but rather as if… do you recall how Twilight's ursa-banishment spell passed straight through Trixie's false ursa major?"
"Lahk it happened yesterday," answered Applejack. "But… Those South Equinus Mountains, they can' possibly be 'not there'. Ah mean, they're jus' too big."
'Thine eyes can be deceived, fair Applejack; so trust them not.'
Queen Selena had descended fewer than a dozen hooves away, the scent of caramel being wafted by her wing-flaps. She held a golden object in the purple-spotted black prehensile tip of her mane; after a moment, Twilight recognized it as Celestia's queenly crown.
"Queen Selena… what's going on?" Twilight asked, almost forgetting to bow before cantering quickly to the night-Queen. "I've never seen Queen Celestia like that, at least not in person. I mean, I've read accounts of her in a rage, but… Why are you holding her crown?"
As Celestia's unclear bellow at Discord echoed down from miles away, Selena looked darkly down at the crown.
'Thinkest thou of my sister and I as powerful, thou dost, Twilight Sparkle?'
Twilight nodded slowly.
'But our true power lies far beyond what thou couldst comprehend. So powerful are Celestia and I, that the merest whim of our magic couldst rain incontinent terror and death upon Equestria − neigh, Harmonia. Elder Sister's powers wert always so strong, so uncontrolled, as roiling and as deathly as her Sun. Mine own control of my dark powers hast always been stronger… barring the apparition of the Miasma, and NightMare Moon. As it is, needeth not your Queen of the Night external forces to constrain her ability. But mine elder sister hast had her regalia enchanted to holdest the true scope of her Alicorn powers back, such that her very equine emotions wouldst not sway the world unduly.'
"I know exactly what that's like, Queen Selie," said Pinkie Pie with a surprisingly dour expression. "I can do all sortsa things that other ponies can't, all sortsa fun things like jumping in two opposite directions at the same time or hugging ponies with more legs than ponies have, and I don't wanna do them too much 'cause other ponies can't do them, and other ponies might freak out if they see or feel or anything of me doing that, and then they would be sad and that wouldn't make me a very good party-planner pony, would it?"
The pink Earth Pony, as always, said all of this very quickly, and finished with a very wide grin.
Queen Selena cocked an eyebrow, 'Thou didst say that thou callest the Descort Fields thy place of birth?'
"Wellll, not really. See, Mom and Dad's rock farm is at the edge of the Descort Fields, and it's been there for way way way way way way longer than anypony in our family can remember. Now, I know that my family really really really really loves rocks and farming rocks and selling rocks and everything there is to do with rocks, and there are a lot of rocks all about the place where we are at the edge of the Descort Fields, and…"
'Stay thy tongue, rosy one,' interrupted Queen Selena, a slightly wary expression on her face. 'The Descort Fields doth have a murderous history; twas the site of mine elder sister's and my final confrontation agaynst the diabolical Discord. Twas in that fell place that did fall the first seeds of Everfree, and the air of wild magic began to grow.'
"Discord… Descort…" Twilight mused to herself.
'Yes, Twilight Sparkle, that indeed was where the "Descort Fields" did acquire their appellation. Even now, what you have seen of my sister is but the faintest glimmer of what she couldst accomplish on that day...' Selena shook her head. 'Neigh, twas not a "day" as any of ye wouldst perceive it. The Sun and Moon didst spin endlessly about the planet, but not with regularity; sometimes did they approach perilously close, and sometimes swinging out till they were but a twinkle and a memory. There was no counting of time; no use was there for calendars or sun-dials. Twas the dusk of the Age of Discord.'
Selena's batlike ears twitched, and she cocked her head off towards the south. Giving a curt nod, she allowed her eyes to rove over the band of seven before taking flight towards the South Equinus Mountains. As she followed Selena's path through the air, Twilight caught sight of a brilliant golden-yellow glowing figure hovering over the South Equinus Mountains, the clouds in the sky wavering behind it the sign that it was emitting a formidable level of heat. Squinting as Queen Selena approached the flaming figure, Twilight had a shrewd idea of what − or rather, who − it was as the sunlike glow faded from the being floating up there.
"What in tarnation was that all about?" queried Applejack, her scarred muzzle scrunching up in consternation.
"I think I know," Twilight answered. "I just wish that I knew more."
Seven pairs of eyes followed the distant figures as they approached from the high peaks of the South Equinus Mountains. The shapes of Queen Selena and Queen Celestia resolved into view as the flying figures grew closer, alighting beside the reservoir. Queen Celestia's pristine white coat seemed to be stained by what looked like ash, but apart from that she appeared perfectly fine.
"Queen Celestia," Twilight gaped, "what in the world just happened?"
Celestia's expression was dark.
"I could not bear to see you and Ponyville so beset by Discord and his madness. His prior reign is such a bitter memory to me that I could not bear to see it unfold again. Not with you in it, my little pony. So…"
'Elder sister did ask if I could unlock her full power by removing her crown as soon as we'd left Canterlot airspace,' Selena continued.
"You see," Celestia said slowly, "my true special talent is not merely to guide the Sun through the cosmos, ostensibly to supply Harmonia with light and life. No, it is my destiny to be the Sun. For as long as I can remember, I have exuded an aura of terrible nuclear fire whenever I could not keep my anger in check."
"'Nuclear'?" Twilight and her band echoed.
"Suffice it to say that the flames I project are not merely extremely hot, though that alone would be enough to incinerate most ponies within a few score hooves' distance from me. No. If I ever removed my crown… then the aura that would radiate out would cause horrendous mutations in all life physically near to me."
"So that's why you were untouched by the Sun's harmful radiation during NightMare Moon's reign!" Twilight gasped. "You yourself project it as part of your own magical talent!"
Celestia nodded.
"Yes, but can you imagine my horror, Twilight, when this broke out? I spent years isolating myself, trying to hold my magic in, using whatever spellwork I could to contain my own incontinent sun-fire. That is, until the mages of the nascent Canterlot helped to produce that which you see here," the Queen of the Sun spread each leg out one at a time, balancing on three legs as she did so, showing the golden greaves she was shorn in; the golden bracer on her chest gleamed as brightly as her crown. "As long as I wore this regalia in full, I could walk safely amidst my little ponies, and bring no harm to them. As I said to you in the throne room, 'Heavy is the head that wears the crown'."
"So… what happened to Discord?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I disintegrated him with my nuclear fire," Celestia replied simply.
Twilight felt her heart lurch in her chest. Disintegrated?
"Whoa nelly…" gasped Applejack.
"Oh my…" Fluttershy breathed.
"But, that being the case," Rarity mused aloud, looking back to Ponyville, "why is our town still so besotten with such wanton chaos?"
"Because I can regenerate from the mana in the air," replied a completely unexpected voice from the puddle of caramel in the reservoir. Discord lounged back in a chair made from melted salt-licks, an umbrella perched up just behind his head that rained what smelled like vinegar all over him. "Throw whatever you want at me, it doesn't matter, I'll just pop right back up again! So really, what did you accomplish apart from raising your blood pressure, my dear little ray of sunshine?"
Reaching up inside of the umbrella, Discord produced a vacuum cleaner. Plugging it into his own nostrils, he began to sweep it none-too-gently all across Celestia's body, the ash coming off all too easily. With an affronted expression, Celestia rounded on Discord as he unplugged the vacuum and ate it.
"And I must say, sunbeams, that you haven't changed at all in the time you've had me in time-out," Discord smirked. "You've still got that spark going for you. Really, you do. Why, we could have it just like in the good old days."
"There never were days that we shared which were good, Discord!" Celestia snarled. "Now tell me where the Elements of Harmony are, or else I'll―…"
"You'll what, 'Celestia'? Roast me again like a shish kebab at the barbecue? All you're doing is wasting my time doing that." He sighed. "But I suppose I could humor you lot and give you a sporting chance to find the Elements. Let's see if you can puzzle this one out:"
The draconequus cleared his throat, snapped his fingers to produce a pair of reading glasses in a flash of light, and looked down at his paw as though to read from it:
These words I speak are clear and loud,
And though harmony is hereafter disavowed,
Another chance will I give to you,
A brand-new adventure for the whole crew!
But what you search for is not what you think;
Into the quagmire of discord you may sink.
Generosity can be found in greed,
As want can be discovered in need.
To discard your joy is a mortal sin;
To find laughter, simply look within.
Fidelity is a trait found in deep straits,
Shining brightest behind hostile gates.
With all of the troubles that set one at unease,
Being kind and loving is not such a breeze.
To find the truth, you will have to seek
Where the air is strong and the earth is weak.
Twists and turns are my master plan,
And you will find magic back where you began.
Shaking his paw out as though to remove a fly that had settled on it, Discord removed the glasses and shook them out as well, turning them into a pair of drinking glasses, one filled with strawberry milk, the other with lemonade.
"So, anypony want a drink?"
Stony silence greeted his request. Even Pinkie Pie had had her fill with his mad chaos, what with his refusal to even acknowledge her desire for a flugelhorn.
Again, Discord found himself sighing.
"Fine. Guess I'll just drink these glasses myself."
Tipping his head back, Discord tilted the entirety of the glass of strawberry milk into his mouth, the glass flowing around the pink drink and down the draconequus's gullet while the liquid stayed in place.
Inspecting the glass-shaped blob of strawberry milk with narrow eyes, Discord lobbed it over his shoulder nonchalantly, the pink beverage exploding violently upon contact with the caramel reservoir. Waving his now-free claw in the air, Discord produced what looked like some sort of sieve and, holding it upside-down over his mouth, poured the lemonade through and produced a lemon which he caught in his teeth. The draconequus grinned comically as he clenched his jaws tightly, crushing the lemon and spewing bitter juice all over the herd of ponies (and Spike).
"So yeah," Discord said as he clapped paw and claw together, the sound of a bicycle horn emanating forth. "You six little ponies are gonna get a small respite from my chaos magic for a wee bit. Just wanna see if you can puzzle out my magic little riddle. And until next we meet…"
Discord floated up into the air, smiling manically.
"Good luck, my little ponies~!"
And with one last mirthful laugh he vanished in a flash of white light.
"What in tarnation was that all about?" Applejack muttered.
Before anypony could answer the apple-farmer, Queens Celestia and Selena lifted off of the ground and, as one, flew off towards Ponyville. In the flare of their manes, Twilight momentarily caught a glimpse of intense resolve on their faces before they escaped her line of sight.
"Quick, after them!" cried Twilight, galloping at full speed down the path back to Ponyville, with Spike on her back and her friends at her heels.
Ponyville itself was in pandemonium even with the pancakes and syrup and melted butter and giant spiders having stopped falling. Lyra Heartstrings nudged her wife Bon Bon back into their co-owned shop the BonBonnière, the aquamarine Unicorn levitating a black hoodie over their Unicorn daughter Toot Sweet. Ditzy Doo carried Dinky Doo under her barrel and over scurrying arachnids and sticky piles of mangled breakfast items.
"Remain calm, everypony!" cried out the Mayor, squinting about; a spider had smacked her pince-museau glasses off of her muzzle some time before. "Remain calm! The weather team has been dispatched to try to find some clouds that haven't turned into cotton candy!"
'Constable!' called out Queen Selena, alighting before the Mayor, who squinted at the Queen of the Night.
"Queen Selena…? And is that…?" Her eyes widened.
"Yes, Mayor Stable. Your Queens have come," answered Celestia with a dark expression. "And we will set to the task of cleansing Ponyville of this chaos."
Two horns lit up sun-yellow and night-blue, and immediately several piles of pancakes began to levitate up and off of the ground, vanishing in dual flashes of light.
"I'll see if I can help, Your Majesties!" Twilight interjected, her own alicorn flashing pink as she cast her mind about to all of the pancakes that lay about the streets of Ponyville…
"Wait!" cried Fluttershy, diving onto Twilight's back and knocking them both to the ground.
Twilight gaped. "What is wrong with you, Fluttershy?"
The butter-yellow Pegasus pointed at one of the further splattered piles of pancake; a small gray ball of fur was currently nibbling away at it.
"You could have zapped that poor little possum," she said with wide eyes. "That poor little thing; it must've woken up from all the screaming…"
"Yeah, I suppose. They are nocturnal, after all."
'"Nocturnal"?' echoed Queen Selena, cantering curiously off to the creature in question, tilting her head down for a closer look. The possum looked up from the pancakes and sniffed inquisitively at the nightly Alicorn's nose.
Selena's pupils expanded to fill her entire visible eyes, letting out a squeal of delight.
'Oh Celly! Gazeth thee upon this creature! It is so adorable and lovable!'
The possum was swept up in a deep-blue dwimmer shimmer and brought swiftly up to Queen Celestia's face, the bright Alicorn recoiling slightly at the sudden invasion of her personal space by the slender grey rodent.
"Selena… It is just a possum."
'A possum, thou sayest? Such an unbecoming name for such a fascinating creature. Nocturnal and adorable… Why hast such a creature not been brought before mine eyes afore now?'
Celestia weakly replied, "Well, most ponies see them as pests, Selie…"
'Pests? Hardly; surely this creature is the product of nobler lineage than thou or I.' She set the possum down on the now-cleansed pathway at her hooves, beaming down at the small creature. 'Tiberius thou shalt be, my familiar!'
The gray critter immediately perked up, scampering up Selena's leg and across her back and up her neck, perching himself just behind her crown.
Celestia just blinked.
A shrill cry brought them back to Ponyville, still beset by giant spiders and the detritus of so many pancakes and so much melted butter and syrup. The Cutie Mark Crusaders and a group of other foals were being herded together by an advancing cluster of spiders.
"Sweetie Belle!" cried Rarity in horror, but before anypony could so much as steel themselves, Spike launched himself forwards from atop Twilight's back, bolting on all fours towards the clutter of spiders and the frightened foals.
"Don't worry, Rarity! I'll save them!" he cried.
Meanwhile, the foals were not in a very friendly position.
"Keep them back, keep them back!" shrieked Diamond Tiara, rearing up in fright. "Do something, you useless blank-flanks!"
"Ah can'!" Apple Bloom squeaked. "They might touch me!"
"So much for 'masters of the earth'!" snapped Roughshod, nonetheless keeping a close eye on the spiders with their pincers and grasping legs…
Spike took a deep breath and, taking care to keep his aim off of the ponies, sent a blast of sparkling green fire all about the oversized arachnids, a torrent of columns of green-yellow smoke soaring into the air and towards the distant towers of Canterlot.
The mulberry drake wiped at his mouth, removing flecks of drool, before turning to the foals.
"Is everypony alright?" he asked with a worried tone.
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both heaved sighs of relief, and Sweetie Belle was fixing Spike with a wondrous gaze, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks, but for the non-Crusader foals, Spike may as well have not spoken at all. The pink filly fumbled with the tiara upon her head, and the gray one held one hoof against her glasses to keep them from falling away. Each of those eight foals offered Spike looks of varying levels of distaste.
"We didn't need your help, lizard," hissed Snake-in-the-Grass.
"We were perfectly capable of handling the situation on our own," Golden Parachute growled.
"Hey!" Sweetie Belle snapped, face flushing. "You leave him alone; he did what he could to help us!"
Diamond Tiara scoffed, "Leave it to the blank-flank to defend the dragon-cub. What will your little fillies look like, I wonder? As stupid as you are, probably!"
Spike folded his forelimbs, narrowing his eyes to demonstrate his displeasure even as his fins involuntarily drooped to represent his sadness.
"Git offa Spike's case!" snapped Apple Bloom, rounding on the cadre of bullies. "He done saved us from them spiders, fryin' 'em up the way he did."
"Well…" Spike rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't really 'fry them up'. I kinda sorta teleported them to Queen Celestia's bed-chamber."
"You what?" squealed the five fillies and three colts who still held themselves back in alarm from imaginary spiders.
"Oh dear…" murmured Fluttershy, gazing up at the distant parapets of Canterlot. "Those poor spiders are in a habitat that they're ill-suited towards…"
Rainbow Dash groaned.
"Really, Flutters? A mad god of chaos has just broken loose, turning all of Ponyville upside-down, and you're worried about some creepy-crawlies?"
"Well, it's just… I don't think that those poor spiders should be left alone in Celestia's chambers. We − we really should return them to the Everfree Forest."
"Return them?" Rainbow Dash's eyes boggled. "Discord just called 'em in from outta nowhere, and you think they belong in ―"
'Neigh, Lady Rainbow Dash,' interjected Queen Selena, Tiberius nibbling away at a loose strand of her forelock. 'What the Lady Fluttershy sayeth carryest the ring of truth. Matter it does not from whence thy soul originated, but only that thee shalt find thy place in the universe.'
"I agree," added Queen Celestia, nodding her head and wheeling off into the sky, vanishing in a whirling vortex of sunlight.
"So, uhhh…" Roughshod began nervously, her ears falling slightly limp, "you're Queen Selena, aren't you? Uhhh, I've always really thought your nights were pretty and, uhh…. nice?"
'I thank thee, child,' Selena said with a small nod, 'but in the present circumstances, I find that our thoughts best be turned towards more immediate concerns. Come, little children.'
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo approached the Queen of the Night with a giddy little trots, but the remaining foals each hesitated for a moment or two. Each one shared more or less the same thought: Queen Selena may like them, but she's too good for these blank-flanks. I don't want to go near them, even if it's near… the Queen of the Night. Nonetheless, it was Diamond Tiara who cantered forwards first to Selena's welcoming wing, then her posse of Roughshod, Golden Parachute, Toady, Silver Lining, and Snake-in-the-Grass, who huddled close together as they approached, to made sure that Silver Spoon did not get a clear shot back to the side of her ex-best friend. Once the ten foals were settled at either side, though, Queen Selena brought her feathered bat-wings about the young herd.
Silver Spoon shuddered.
"Your wing doesn't have feathers at the ends; they feel weird," she quavered, her ears flopping flat against her head.
'My apologies, dear filly,' Selena replied, 'but thy nightly Queen cannot amend that which is a part of her body. But thou may rest assured, for we are the safest place that any of ye could hopest to find, as in darkness one can not perceiveth the chaotic madness.'
The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked up at Selena in adoration, while the remaining foals bore expressions of mixed wariness and nervousness.
A bright golden flash alit none too far from the Queen Selena and her wards, and Celestia had returned.
"Well, now that those spiders have been transported to a proper environment," she said, her alicorn lighting up like the Sun, "let us restore some order to these proceedings."
'I am with thee, elder sister,' said Selena, standing tall and lighting her horn as well.
"Me, too," Twilight added, horn glowing pink.
In relatively short time, the sporadic splatter of falling pancakes and their syrup coating ebbed away, the giant spiders vanishing in twinkling flashes of pink, yellow, and blue as they were transported deep into the Everfree Forest, the piles of hot-cakes following suit.
"So, where exactly are y'all sendin' them pancakes?" asked Applejack, the palomino arching an eyebrow at the decreasing number of piles of breakfast materials.
"I am sending them," Celestia said matter-of-factly, "to my Sun. What better place to dispose of unneeded chaotic waste?"
'Thy Queen of the Night was disposing of these fried cakes of the pan,' Selena replied, 'within the caves beneath Canterlot. T'is an environment that is inhabited not, and the wafting sweetness shalt enricheth the air of the capital.'
"Really?" Twilight said, glancing at the dark Alicorn. "I've been dispersing the pancakes at the atomic level, so that they only leave the aroma of pancakes about Ponyville."
The gleaming-white Alicorn smiled approvingly down at the lavender Unicorn.
"Again and again, you remind me of your ingenuity, Twilight," she said glowingly. "Out of all of my faithful students, you were probably the keenest, which is not to speak lowly of those who came before you. I am sure that you've seen many of their names in history books, whether or not you've seen them connected to my name."
"Yeah, Twilight is amazin'!" piped in Apple Bloom.
"Well, Ah do hope that Ah cin measure up ta her anymore, li'l sis," Applejack said with a slightly lopsided smirk.
"A' course ya do, yer mah big sister, Applejack!"
"Don't forget Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo interjected, her undersized wings fluttering excitedly − "Oh no, they got them started…" grumbled Silver Lining, a hoof on his face − "She's the head of Ponyville's weather team, and soon to be the biggest, baddest Wonderbolt to have ever lived!"
"Here's to hoping, kid," Rainbow Dash grinned, running a hoof through Scootaloo's mane. "But I gotta hear back from them first, see if they're even going to let me run these boring-as-all-get-out flying tests, and even that's only enough to get me into the teamwork exercises."
"Hey!" squeaked Sweetie Belle, seeming uncharacteristically indignant, her leonine tail swishing as though to swat flies at her sides. "Everypony else has gotten the chance to gush about their favorites. Let me take a shot at it!"
"Ohh, well, of course you may, Sweetie Belle," Rarity said, waving a finely filed hoof in her little sister's direction.
"Okay then… Spike is the greatest!"
If nopony had been watching Sweetie Belle, they'd have thought that the Unicorn filly's voice was being imitated by Discord in a mean-spirited attempt at chaos and confusion. Nevertheless, however, the curly-maned filly was pronking about as though she were Pinkie Pie's little sister.
"He's just such a brave dragon! He stood up to those big nasty spiders and used his magic fire-breath to send them off to be punished by Queen Celestia! He's just so great and swell and… amazing!" This last was said with her head tilted at Spike and her eyelids batting in a childish attempt at appearing alluring.
The mulberry dragon cub scratched at the side of his neck nervously.
"Err, yeah, that's great," he said with a nervous smile, retreating behind Twilight's furthest hind leg, Sweetie Belle practically skipping along after him with a bewitched look to her face.
The collective groans of seven foals sheltered in Selena's wings gave the impression that a very surly hydra had suddenly acquired the ability to understand such sapient matters.
"Good grief, you're laying it on pretty thick, aren't you, blank-flank?" sneered Silver Spoon.
"I hate to say I agree with the bad friend," grumbled Snake-in-the-Grass, "but I do. This is a disgusting display."
"Hey!" snapped Scootaloo. "Let Sweetie Belle do what she likes with whoever she likes!"
"Come on now, everypony…!" Twilight snapped crossly, the dwimmer shimmer of her horn dimming slightly as she levitated Spike up onto her back, leaving Sweetie Belle pawing ineffectively up at the lavender Unicorn's flank. "We're losing focus on what's really important: Setting Ponyville back in order and finding the Elements of Harmony!"
"Awww…!" Sweetie Belle's ears flopped back. "But I wanted to take him home with me and give him cuddles…!"
Beneath Queen Selena's wing, Diamond Tiara made retching noises. Spike tried to avoid Sweetie Belle's gaze, his scaly face burning pink.
In almost no time at all, interruptions regarding possums and spiders having been dealt with, the pancakes had been cleared away.
"But there's still a ton of maple syrup all over everything in Ponyville," complained Silver Lining, muzzle wrinkling in disgust.
"Oh, oh! I have an idea!" Scootaloo interjected. ("That'll be the day," croaked Toady.) "Rainbow Dash is the head of the weather-ponies here in Ponyville; I'll bet that she and all the flying ponies in Ponyville could get some clouds together and rain on that syrup's parade!"
Roughshod tsked loudly in Scootaloo's direction. "I guess that leaves you out, doesn't it, Scootalow?"
"You leave this kid alone!" Rainbow Dash growled, baring her teeth as she flapped up to the recalcitrant little foals... who were still presently in the dominion of Queen Selena's wings. Upon realizing who she was confronting with such hostility, Rainbow Dash balked, her ears falling back. Almost automatically, the seven foals besides the Cutie Mark Crusaders began to affect exaggerated expressions of fear and terror.
"Rainbow Dash, please do not raise your voice upon these foals," Queen Celestia said with only the faintest hint of crossness in her tone. "You are only stooping to their level by indulging in such hostilities. Besides, they are young, and likely to change their ways as they mature. So, if you please, do as the young filly says."
Without a grumble, Rainbow Dash swallowed her bile and took to the skies. In no time, she had rounded up the Pegasi of Ponyville's weather team, who scattered themselves about the skies of the Saddle Valley to procure proper rain-clouds. Within minutes, Pegasi were sweeping the hamlet below with small dark puffs of cloud, light downpours weaving their way down the many streets of Ponyville, diluting the syrup and filling the air with a gentle earthy aroma.
"Ahhh..." Applejack sighed as she breathed in heavily through her nostrils. "Take great big whiff a' that. That right there, that's th' smell a' the world at its best."
'Aye, t'is an agreeable sentiment, fair Applejack,' nodded Queen Selena, betraying the lines of worry from her eyes to her muzzle. 'The scent of the midnight dew... The chill wind of sunless morn... This is what makes the world a wholesome place to belong to. But if that old serpent did haveth his own way, then no rest would there be to find in all the four corners of the earth.'
"Yeesh…" murmured Rainbow Dash, who had returned from her weather errands, standing by Fluttershy. "Sounds like our adventure's so popular that it got itself a sequel."
"Your Majesty," Twilight said suddenly, approaching Queen Celestia. Spike was looking up to the Queen of the Sun as well, partly because it also took his eyes off of the staring Sweetie Belle. "When you had assaulted Discord, you and him seemed to… vanish into the mountain range. What in the name of ponydom was that about?"
The ethereal wavering of the sunly Alicorn's mane and skirt-of-tail seemed to falter almost imperceptibly, the Queen bowing her head slightly.
"The Age of Discord," she began, "was too long for any pony to count. Nopony born at its onset lived still when it had ended. But, the First Age of Equestria before that, following the Time of the Three Tribes, could be counted in greater years than the Present Age. Even now, I can see a resurgence in what ponykind was able to accomplish in working together, albeit far sooner than before because of the more longstanding union of the three pony races."
Rarity raised an eyebrow, perplexion on her beautiful face, "Queen Celestia, Your Majesty, what in the world are you talking about?"
"Far more than just knowledge was lost to the Age of Discord, but technology as well," Celestia answered darkly. "Machinery the likes of which lies beyond the daydreams of the most fantastic science-fiction writer. The South Equinus Mountains − all that forms the southern border to the Saddle Valley − is a mass glamour of mine and Selena's invention. What lies beneath, is the fallen capital of Old Equestria, Liath Macha. A metropolis as wide as a mountain range… wiped out, at the whim of Discord. I will not bore you with the details of this world of technology that was lost because of a mad god, but suffice it to say that ponydom had come a very, very long way, before it fell into an age of darkness, and ignorance, and madness."
Twilight felt teary. "Ohh, Queen Celestia, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize just how entrenched Discord's evil was. If I'd only known, if I'd even bothered to ask why you were so adamant…"
"It could not have been helped, my dear apprentice," Celestia said with a sad smile, kneeling down to nuzzle the lavender Unicorn. "If anything, your actions may have given us a bit more time, keeping him preoccupied with simpler tricks that involved little of his unfathomable magic. Paper Mache and my most eagle-eyed Guards are scouring the land, searching for traces of the magic of the Elements of Harmony.
"For you see," Celestia continued, with a slightly mischievous twinkle in her eye, "though so much knowledge of the technology of Old Equestria was lost to the ages, some of that knowledge remains within one of those born in the dusk of that golden era." The white Alicorn tapped a golden hoof to her temples, the crown behind her alicorn glinting in the sunlight.
"So, you're saying...!" Twilight gasped.
"That so many of your Guards have super-sci-fi tech to track down the Elements?" Spike beamed with his claws balled into fists.
Celestia giggled shortly, "More or less. The technology is old, though, and imperfect; it has gone unused for meggrossia, and what back-up supplies that could exist to repair them are in as poor shape or worse. Nevertheless, Paper and her fellow surveyors will be able to pinpoint the locations of all six Elements, to within a few furlongs' diameter."
The lozenge-cut amethyst set into Queen Celestia's bracer began to light up intermittently, emitting a high beep as if it were some extravagant alarm clock. She brought up one of her greaven hooves and pushed into the gemstone, which depressed itself and began to emit a bright-blue cone of light, terminating in a life-sized and translucent image of Paper Mache.
"Ooooh, fancy~" Pinkie Pie said with wide blue eyes.
"Wh… What happened to Miss Paper?" Fluttershy asked worriedly.
Paper Mache snapped to a salute for Queen Celestia.
"Your Majesty." Her voice carried a modulation, as though she were speaking through a tinny radio broadcast.
"Paper," said Celestia with a delicate tone, "Have you and your search party turned up any clues as to the whereabouts of the Elements?"
The see-through Unicorn nodded. "Affirmative, Queen Celestia. Each of the Elements has been located. My party and I will rendezvous with you and the Bearers in the Canterlot throne room at dozen-six-gross hours."

subset: commoncrawl


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By Robert A. Vella
President Trump's decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to the contested city of Jerusalem was motivated by geopolitical and religious aggression; and, today, its deadly consequences came to fruition. This, unfortunately, is only the beginning.
From: United States opens its Israeli embassy in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM, May 14 (Reuters) – The United States officially opened its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem on Monday, fulfilling a pledge by President Donald Trump who has recognized the holy city as the Israeli capital.
Israel regards all of the city, including the eastern sector it captured in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed, as its "eternal and indivisible capital" in a move that has not won international recognition.
From: Israelis kill more than 50 Palestinians in Gaza protests, health officials say
ZEITOUN, Gaza Strip — Israeli soldiers on Monday killed 52 Palestinians demonstrating along the border fence…
View original post 200 more words


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Stolbjerg Copenhagen
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Hi, I am trying to delete the first line of an XLS file. The XLS file contains a PeopleSoft-generated extract files. For some reason PeopleSoft places the record count in the first line of the spreadsheet extract files. I need to remove that first line. I want to do it using a bat file. I load these extract files into SQLServer 2008 database. The MS SQLServer Import utility gets confused if the column headers aren't the first line of the XLS file being loaded. Any help would be much appreciated. Right now I call filename.xls in the bat file.
XLS is a spreadsheet, and a spreadsheet is binary data. You cannot modify binary data in pure batch. VBScript or VBA would let you modify the spreadsheet in Excel, so I suggest you look at that.


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Open Fund: New Writing North
Commissioned by:
Cuckoo Writers
Find out more by visiting:
Lead by songwriters Martin Longstaff (aka The Lake Poets) and Natasha Haws, Cuckoo Young [Song] Writers group is a weekly songwriting session for young people aged 12-19 who love lyrics, songs and want to learn more. Sessions are drop-in, so budding songwriters of all abilities can join in- whether they are a musician who wants to find out more about writing lyrics or a writer who wants to set their words to music. You don't even have to be able to play an instrument.
As well as writing songs, our young songwriters have the chance to perform at Cuckoo [Song] Writers gigs and get into the studio to record the songs they write.
Sessions take place on a Saturday at Pop Recs Ltd, the city's newest venue, record shop and art space.


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UK shares begin the last week's run into Christmas on a firm footing, with miners a particularly strong feature thanks to firmer metals prices. The FTSE 100 index rallies 55 points, or about 0.9%, to 6,108, although gains for midcaps and smaller companies are less eye-catching. Wall Street fell overnight Friday while Asia remains mixed this morning, with Europe's main markets also mildly firmer.
Miners queue behind Glencore (GLEN), up 5% to 85.1p, with Anglo American (AAL) and Rio Tinto (RIO) rallying close behind.
Oil firm BG (BG.) is up 1% to 917p on news it and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) will today seek High Court approval to hold shareholder meetings over their mega merger. The move follows satisfaction of the final pre-condition to the recommended combination and with the unanimous approval of both boards.
Broadcaster ITV (ITV) is up 3.5% to 272.9p on speculation linking US peer Comcast (CMCSA:NDQ) with an £11 billion bid.
Among the bigger movers, Weatherly International (WTI:AIM) jumps 38% to 0.45p as it reaches an amended agreement with Orion Mine Finance (Master) Fund, formalising the deferral in commencing repayments of the Tranche B facility and providing a further Tranche D facility of $4 million.
Oil explorer peer 88 Energy (88E:AIM) plunges 27% to 0.37p as it reveals that drilling at Icewine #1 is at 11,180 feet and approaching total depth. A core was successfully acquired in the HRZ interval from 11,075-11,165 feet with a 96% recovery factor.
Mining minnow ECR Minerals (ECR:AIM) crashes 22% to 0.02p despite saying the Canadian NI43-101 technical report for its Danglay gold project in the Philippines supports an earlier disclosure of an inferred mineral resource estimate for oxide gold mineralisation.
Non-life insurer Gable (GAH:AIM) dives 20.5% to 15.5p on issuing almost £4 million of loan notes on a 7.5% coupon to meet regulatory requirements. The group will also hold £15 million of its premium in reserve, a plan that could reduce profit by £2 million in 2016.
Shares in interactive TV gaming company Netplay TV (NPT:AIM) have been suspended at 7.4p on news it is considering a reverse takeover of Sportech's (SPO) football pools business. The shares have fallen by 18% in the last six months.
Flexible film specialist British Polythene Industries (BPI) slips 2% to 685p after saying raw material costs increased in November and December and are forecast to rise further at the start of 2016. It says the business is on course to meet its expectations for the year ending 31 December 2015.
Mecca Bingo and Grosvenor Casino-owner Rank (RNK) edges down 1.8% to 279.5p on news its rival Gala Bingo has been bought by private equity firm Caledonia Investments. The business was owned by Gala Coral, which is merging with bookmaker Ladbrokes (LAD).
Cathedral City cheese maker Dairy Crest (DCG) rises 2.25p to 653.25p on news it has taken full ownership of its Galacto-Oligosaccharide (GOS) business. GOS is a prebiotic added to infant formula to better match human milk composition and Dairy Crest has acquired the outstanding half held by Fayrefield Foods for £6 million.
Bombed-out Chinese orange plantations play Asian Citrus (ACHL:AIM) is marked up 0.5p to 6p, with bolder bargain hunters buying in despite Friday's disappointing winter crop report, the latest in a string of profit warnings from the weather-exposed small cap.


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Both the repugnant behavior of passengers and the ease with which you can piss off your flight attendant are well documented -- especially on this website. But rarely do the two collide -- quite literally -- in the way they did last week.
According to a report in the Aviation Herald, an altercation between two flight attendants on a Delta plane traveling from Los Angeles to Minneapolis on Jan. 22 devolved into a brawl within an hour of takeoff. Per the report, "two flight attendants disagreeing over work issues engaged in a fist fight," while "a third lady trying to calm the other two down was hit by the flying fists." And you thought getting hit with the beverage cart was bad.
The plane's pilot contacted air traffic control, saying he wanted to divert to "hear from his flight attendants." The plane subsequently diverted to Salt Lake City International Airport for about 80 minutes before it continued on to Minneapolis.
On Monday, Delta confirmed the kerfuffle to The Washington Post, as well as apologizing for the inconvenience to its passengers.
"Delta apologizes to those customers who were inconvenienced after flight 2598 from Los Angeles to Minneapolis-St. Paul made an unscheduled stop in Salt Lake City following an altercation involving two flight attendants on board," the statement read. "The actions of these crew members in no way reflect the values and professionalism we expect from all of our employees."
The airline said it offered airline miles to its frequent flyers and travel vouchers to non-frequent flyers.
Either way, they sure got a better show than if Taken 3 were the in-flight movie.
Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email, and get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.
Ryan Craggs is Thrillist's Senior News Editor. He has never fought a flight attendant. But he assumes they fight dirty. Follow him @ryanrcraggs.


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Spanish is a Romance language with approximately 480 million native speakers around the globe. After Mandarin, Spanish is the world's most commonly spoken native language. Spanish is also the official language in 19 countries in the Americas, which accounts for more than half of the countries on these continents. It's no wonder that this language is so common. For this reason, professional and accurate Spanish to English translation and interpretation is very important.
Today's world is a melting pot. Cultural globalization is part of modern society, making it important to be able to communicate our ideas, projects, and thoughts in different languages. Interpreting is not only about interpreting from one language to the other if that were the case you could simply look for a translator online and put any text there. This would leave you with an incoherent textual translation. Interpreting requires formal training in order to accurately translate a message, taking culture, intention, and idioms into account.
Translation means that you translate a document to a different language. Interpreting, on the other hand, means you interpret verbally in real time. Both are important, even though they're not used in the same situation. Being bilingual isn't enough, you are translating or interpreting Spanish to English. As we've said before, Spanish is spoken in 19 countries in the Americas alone and with this comes numerous variations of the language. This includes different terms, different accents, different expressions, and different ways to communicate, which are crucial when switching from one language to the other. Thus, only a trained professional who has gone through the necessary training and certification understands these nuances and is able to deliver the best translation or interpretation of what needs to be said.
You can count on us 24/7 to assist you for an effective communication
For over 10 years, Language Resource Center (LRC) has provided professional language services to meet the needs of a variety of industries including:


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All Furniture is for viewing & collection at our shop in Colwyn Bay. We are sorry but at this time we are unable to ship items of furniture.
Payment cash or credit/debit card on collection.
****Free Local Delivery****
A lovely Dresser, painted in Annie Sloan 'Old Ochre' with sanded, waxed & polished top
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A lovely Oak demi-lune table painted in Annie Sloan 'Old Ochre' with sanded, wax & polished top
Lovely Victorian or Edwardian salon / bedroom chair
A lovely victorian mahogany two tier occasional table
Retro G-PLAN nest of three teak tables, the largest having tiled top.Really useful tables
A beautiful Ercol Waterfall Bookcase, with original Ercol label.
Vintage Lloyd Loom style ottoman / blanket chest painted in Annie Sloan 'Paris Grey' Perfect storage solution
Vintage / Antique Piano Stool Painted in Annie Sloan Old Ochre chalk paint


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Blog Archives
Atmospheric Videos: Caligula's Horse – Into The White (live, supporting Opeth)
The C-Horse team certainly know how to make spectacular live videos! Similar to the last one, this video for the beautiful tune "Into The White" is filmed with fantastic images and audio, really emphasizing the greatest moments in the song. It's recorded at the Brisbane concert at Eaton Hills Hotel, where Caligula's Horse had the well deserved honour to be the opening act for Opeth. Who needs Opeth when you can listen to these guys? *wink*
Atmospheric Videos: Caligula's Horse – A Gift To Afterthought
Yesterday, through Revolver Magazine, Aussie prog rockers Caligula's Horse premiered a new video for the opening song of their 2013 album "The Tide, The Thief & River's End". The video was filmed at The New Globe Theatre in Brisbane, Australia by director Adrian Goleby. The main goal was to make a video to visualize the intense atmosphere during their live shows, and they managed to do so with great success!
"We love the videos we've done in the past, but this one captures something pretty special… This energy and interaction is what C Horse is all about, and this clip is dedicated to all of you: our amazing fans who let us experience it every time we tour." – Sam Vallen, guitarist
Song Of The Week: Caligula's Horse – Dark Hair Down (live)
A seriously good live recording by a seriously incredible band.
It was his neck or her wrist
Clean nails on iron fist
Dreams of peace beyond the wall
She'd cry out for mercy but she had no voice at all
Here and now it ends
This quiet victory
Her promise she would make amends
He lay not yet cold on the ground
This day of all days she would wear her dark hair down
This time the wheel has come around
Free of her cage she crows with a fearless sound
"Your fists can't hurt me now"
A fearless sound
She'll wear her dark hair down
And blood brought the answer that time could not provide
Scars that read like home could hide
Her prison swallowed everything but piercing open eyes
She proudly bore the mark
Where his brand had met her head
She spat "The coward could not kill what was already dead."
Dark hair down
This time the wheel has come around
Free of her cage
A fearless sound
Stand and fight
This is my salvation
Blood for blood my love
With a fearless sound
"Your fists can't hurt me now"
A fearless sound
She'll wear her dark hair down
Blood for blood my love


text: Fr. Vidrine is originally from Ville Platte. He was ordained a Deacon at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on October 6, 2005 and then a Priest for the Diocese of Lafayette, LA, on July 8, 2006. Fr. Vidrine entered the seminary in 1998 after graduating high school, completing a B.A. in Arts and Philosophy from St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, LA in 2002. Following college seminary, he was sent to Rome for theological formation at the Pontifical North American College and earned an S.T.B. and M.A. in Dogmatic Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum). Fr. Vidrine's previous Priestly assignments have included: Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Wisdom Church and Catholic Student Center on the campus of UL (2006-2008), Parochial Vicar of Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Scott (2008-2009), Pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Church in Gueydan (2009-2013) where he also served as Principal of St. Peter School (2010-2013), Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Joseph Parishes in Ville Platte (2013-2015) and most recently, Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church in Krotz Springs (2015-2017). In addition to his Pastoral duties, Fr. Vidrine currently serves as spiritual director of Our Lady of Grace Comitium of the Legion of Mary and assistant Master of Ceremonies for the Diocese of Lafayette.


text:
Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'Hats' started by AbbaDatDeHat, Sep 18, 2018.
Thank you, Roger.
Thanks D.
Maybe if I threw in a green hat to boot? Ha ha.
Some days this one likes brim up, others it doesn't want to cooperate.
Last night I went to hear a couple of solid local bands performing on the ped mall. It was wicked windy on the ride down there. Wore the presumed to be Polish cap.
IMG_1772 by Michael A2012, on Flickr
IMG_1766 by Michael A2012, on Flickr
The wind didn't give it any trouble.
IMG_1770 crop by Michael A2012, on Flickr
Only one hat on stage last night.
IMG_1792 by Michael A2012, on Flickr
Nicely done. Fine hat and outfit.
It was a bit cool and threatening to turn damp when I got dressed this morning. Marathon
IMG_1819 by Michael A2012, on Flickr
IMG_1821 by Michael A2012, on Flickr
IMG_1840 by Michael A2012, on Flickr
Now it's getting around to warm and threatening damp.
6-15-2019 Today's Clothes by Michael A2012, on Flickr
Have a great Saturday,
Morning coffee hat, Stetson Austral, scorching under the sun.
This hat is likely to change immediately to something lighter.
I put some sizing foam in it to make it fit, but the hat is heavy and the hand is terrible— probably mostly wool blended with a trace of Buffalo felt (not a Buffalo Trace, unfortunately).
But I like the style and color, and there is something extra comfy about the leather of its sweatband.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
...and bacon!
+1 to bacon. I like the look of the hat, but hat and bacon kick! Bacon and Hats needs to be a thread, IMO.
Hats at work. As I write this it does remind me an acoustic fingerstyle blues song needs to be written with this theme. Perhaps when the sun starts to tip past the horizon I will be motivated to solve this missing musical need.
A vintage Stetson Playboy (pine green) went to the butcher, liquor, grocery stores this morning. I am grilling some catfish for my dog and I to share. My grilling has me impatiently waiting sipping a stout beer. The hat pairs well with stout.
Our mid 60's f temps have made wearing a felt hat very comfortable this morning.
I am sure that the afternoon will bring different weather and hat choices.
Best, Eric -
Thanks, Michael. A very good Marathon for you today, but not your best
I love that two-tone gray!
Thanks, Randy. The hat was made by T&W Lees of Stockport.
My 50's Lion Hats.......and YES.....it is raining here...
I like your style, B'man!
Getting even more use out of my Knox Fifth Ave hat. It's easier to get the right tilt than my other hats for some reason, probably the fit is probably a little better. I thought I'd match the antique aesthetic of the train in my local town from the 40's and shoot some pictures. Let me know what y'all think!
Check me out on Instagram @Klimasclassic
Daquino Custom
Beaver Felt Tricorn made by Luisa in Portugal
That cross country is a lovely warm weather hat. It looks light as a feather. Is it a shade of yellow, or did the lighting and camera do that to something more cream?
Oh, so you're in WITSEC too. Totally understand!
Dobbs Cross Country will do that to you.
Great pic Bob!
Great hat!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


text:
Hey you,
Yesterday I
took my boyfriend to Michelin star restaurant Niven as a surprise to celebrate our 4 year anniversary. The basic principle of
this restaurant is to ensure that every dish consists of 80% vegetables. I
found a Groupon for a ten course tasting menu.
In total we were dining for 4 hours. It took quite some time before the next course came. Especially since we were pretty hungry when we arrived at the restaurant. Time only seems to go slower when you are hungry. The food itself was amazing! Such nice presentation, and exquisite taste.
I took a picture of every course. Some courses contained multiple little bites. The prices at the restaurant were pretty expensive though. A bottle of flat water costs €6,50 and a basket of bread €3,50. If we did not have the Groupon, we would pay more or less € 250,- for the ten courses. Even though the food is exquisite, the price range of this restaurant is pretty high. I don't expect us to visit this restaurant again any time soon.
See you soon,


text:
pairing: RoyxEd
Rating: Pg-13
Notes: Commission for Slashersivi http://yaoi.y-gallery.net/user/slashersivi/ she's a nice person who kindly paid more than I actually asked for this picture. thanks a lot for your support, love!
She asked for Roy pinning Ed down against his office desk but as I like Ed to be a pushy bastard I imagined him here saying something like " you better satisfy me, you old pervert!" or somethingXD
It's been an awful lot of time since I last did a FMA pictureXDDD
Oh, and BTW, she was kind enough to let me upload this with no watermark, so you all can see the picture with no restrictions!^^
I'm currently offering commishfor 6 €! If you're interested, drop a mail or a comment and I'll gladly give you any information you need!


text:
The Cultural Competency was developed specifically for the registered New Zealand health workforce and provides a basic understanding of cultural competency & health literacy in the New Zealand Health context.
Foundation Course in CULTURAL COMPETENCY (MAORI)
by Justine | Jul 13, 2016 | 9 comments
1 year of access
9 Comments
Maggie Davies on May 9, 2018 at 6:28 am
Thank you. Updating Cultural Competencies for our Cornerstone AccreditationLog in to Reply
julie john on June 1, 2018 at 4:28 am
ITS A GOOD EXPERIENCE TO LEARN ABOUT THE CULTURAL COMPETENCY OF MAORILog in to Reply
Nisha Devasia on June 3, 2018 at 6:45 am
I can understand the importance of cultural competency among Maori peopleLog in to Reply
Dorothy Wilcox on June 4, 2018 at 5:07 am
I enjoyed the whole concept of the cultural competency (Maori)Log in to Reply
Ripeka Wilcox on June 6, 2018 at 12:35 am
I am looking forward to completing this courseLog in to Reply
Ripeka Wilcox on June 6, 2018 at 1:57 am
I totally enjoyed that mahiLog in to Reply
Alice Cook on June 6, 2018 at 7:19 am
Interested in the Treaty of Waitangi to gain more knowledgeLog in to Reply
Te Wai Kapea on December 5, 2018 at 3:06 pm
Thanks enjoyed the learning.Log in to Reply
signe cunningham on May 1, 2019 at 2:16 pm
Looking forward to completing course.Log in to Reply
Submit a Comment Cancel reply
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text:
This is where I lived for the last week. Under the stars and at a monastery that is one of the oldest and most historically important in India and Monastic/ Tibetan/Buddhist world.
The camp to the side of the monastery accommodations was created especially for us with much love by Harmonica Co. and by the monks at Gaden Shartse Monastery.
Here and walking all around Mundgod, the sweet Tibetan (refugee) settlement where the monastery lives, I made new friends, new connections between old ideas or previous beliefs and realized new understandings (I wasn't new to these spiritual teachings, to chanting, meditation, prolonged breathwork or talks/studies around using the mind for good, but this experience brought it all home for me in unique ways that I'll still be downloading or processing for a long time to come).
At the center or heart of it all, through His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teachings, via the scholars' talks from around the world, as well as through private time a couple days with Jinpa, scholar and HHDL's translator for over 30 years (such rich Q&As), was, we could say, simple:
Compassion is the method through which you feel peace and create it in the world…
Compassion is the method through which you feel peace and create it in the world.
More complex, maybe (or in other words, more worth it) the more you sit with all that it means to devote yourself to doing this on repeat (akin to a mantra, a chant) when life isn't all monastic camping, slow-moving, thoughtful teachings and no traffic.
Just like my vision quest in July, what you (I) quickly realize is that the actual quest isn't or wasn't at all up on the mountain, it was returning home to 'regular' life ~ would you (I) work to actively engage with all gained and felt? Bringing the proverbial light from the mountain (or in this case ~ the monastery) with you/me and consistently so?
Speaking of light, I'm reuniting with Josh and Nolan soon! Much love from a plane over Southeast Asia!
[You can see what life feels and looks like inside a Tibetan settlement (especially when His Holiness visits) in one video, the sway I was talking about in The Buddhist Sway post from yesterday (bit.ly/2sREICh) in another and kids simply being kids in the last video (watch to the end). And with that last one as the perfect juxtaposition, happy holy days!].
Make happiness your business by creating your authentic brand…enjoy your business, enjoy your life!
Life is good,
Michelle Ghilotti
Success Designer, Brand Activator & Social Entrepreneur


text:
Almond Tea and Marza Panda Having Tea Under a Parasol Figurine Set
Sorry, this item is sold out.
This vintage Strawberry Shortcake miniature figurine set is "Almond Tea and Marza Panda Having Tea Under a Parasol." It's one of the most rare and hard to find items in the Deluxe Strawberryland Miniatures collection.
The set features Almond Tea, one of Strawberry Shortcake's International Friends, with her pet Marza Panda sitting on a cushion under a parasol. There's a plastic mat underneath the set. There are four pieces in the set: the mat, figurine, parasol stand, and parasol (which is removable).
The figurine still has a little bit of scent left. There are a few paint rubs on the figurine, as shown in the photos, but it's otherwise in good vintage condition.
We also have a Mint in Box Almond Tea and Marza Panding Having Tea Under a Parasol set available.
- Measurements:
Figurine height: 2 inches (5.1 cm)
Figurine Length: 2 1/4 inches (5.7 cm)
Figurine Width: 7/8 inches (2.2 cm)
Mat dimensions: 2 5/8 inches x 2 1/4 inches (6.7 cm x 5.7 cm)
Parasol height: 2 1/2 inches (6.4 cm)


text:
A little about me:
My husband, Josiah, and I have been married since 2010. I have known him since I was 6 years old. His sister and I were best friends which meant lots of sleep overs where I was just super annoying to him. Years went by and we started dating when I was 16 and we got married when I was 20.
We have 2 daughters. They are our biggest blessings. They are a HUGE blessing. I had 2 miscarriages before they was born and it was such a struggle but I learned that God is good in the midst of that and I am definitely a stronger person for going through that.
We have 2 dogs (Gunner & Bullet) and 2 cats (Ruger & Rivet). We also have 20 some chickens!
We live on 20 acres and our hope is to live off the land as much as we can! Have chickens, pigs and goats. Grow a HUGE garden. We've planted fruit trees and blueberry bushes. Basically, be little house on the prairie.
I LOVE thrifting and going to garage sales. My bestie, Kendra, and I have started an instagram where we share our good deals with you all. It's called simply provident.
I work at a salon part-time as a hair stylist. I am co-founder of Kingdom Kids, an organization for children in foster care. Our biggest event of the year is a week-long summer camp free to these children!
I love a good chai tea latte, thrifting (and shopping in general), looking at the stars, filling out a new calendar & making lists.


text:
A boys smart wear set for every occasion. In order to dress up the little boy in this ultra-fancy 3 piece set, you can just invest in it and sign up to make your little one the most fashionable one in the crowd. With times, the importance of looking fashionable has come up and had this would let your boy gain the confidence that he deserves to have.
© foreverkidz.in 2020


text:
Rib-WSFSize Guide
Our Frost Snowflake Star Wand will cast a frosty spell! Wanda Bea Star, our Wand Pixie, just loves to make frosty magic wands. She has made this wonderful snow white wand with snowflake details—sure to cast a "frozen" magic spell! Trailing ribbons finish it off. We securely fasten on clear 12" plexi rod for durability. Recommended for ages 4 and up.


text:
There is an ordinary research paper and another that captures the attention of the entire academic fraternity. Some papers are[…]Read more
Author: admin
Hello! I'm Josh, and I'm a college student. Research paper writing is a kind of a hobby for me, maybe because I love the things I study. I hope that my experience will help you to get better grades.
Little-Known Tricks For Research Paper Writers
A college research paper is demanding to complete regardless of the topic or length. There are people who struggle with[…]Read more


text:
Join brothers Dr. John Wood and Fr. Eric Wood for a family-friendly pilgrimage that will awaken your faith and deepen your love for the Universal Church. Travel to some of Italy's most holy shrines and beautiful landscapes including Rome, Vatican City, Assisi (Sts. Francis and Clare), San Giovanni Rotondo (St. "Padre" Pio), Mugnano (St. Philomena), the Grotto of St. Michael the Archangel (apparition), the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano, Pompeii, and the Amalfi Coast.
Dr. John R. Wood is the author of Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Mission: 5 Steps to Winning the War Within. It has been one of Dynamic Catholic's bestselling books, with over 200,000 copies distributed to date. For more information about Dr. Wood's mission, visit extraordinarymission.com. Fr. Eric Wood is a priest from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio, who is currently studying in Rome.
Itinerary (*subject to change)
Day 1: August 3 – Depart USA for Rome Italy
Depart on your overnight flight to Rome. Dinner served aboard flight.
Day 2: August 4 – Rome / Assisi
Arrive Rome where you will be met by your tour escort after clearing customs and retrieving your luggage. Transfer to Assisi and check in at your hotel. Enjoy some time to explore on your own the quaint streets that were home to St Francis and St Clare eight hundred years ago. Welcome dinner and overnight. (D)
Day 3: August 5 – Assisi
Celebrate Mass this morning at the tomb of St. Francis (pending confirmation), followed by a guided tour of the Basilica. Then, enjoy a walking city tour of Assisi to see the art and architecture of this Umbrian town. Visit the Church of St. Clare to see her tomb and the Cross of San Damiano. Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure to stroll around this charming village with its quaint shops and peaceful atmosphere. Dinner and overnight. (B, D)
Day 4: August 6 – Assisi / Lanciano / San Giovanni Rotondo
After breakfast, depart for Lanciano. Upon arrival, celebrate Mass at the Church of St. Longinus. This Church is the site of the Eucharistic Miracle that occurred in the eighth century. At the time of the Miracle, there was a Basilian monk who struggled with the belief in the real presence of The Lord Jesus in the Eucharist. During Mass, the monk, with doubt in his voice, said the "Words of Consecration" and the bread turned into living flesh, and the wine transformed into live blood. Continue on to San Giovanni Rotondo for dinner and overnight. (B, D)
Day 5: August 7 – San Giovanni Rotondo
After breakfast, you will visit the Old Church. After Mass, you will tour the sanctuary, it is here you will view the crucifix, in front of which St. Pio received the stigmata. Visit the confessional from where St. Pio spent an innumerable amount of hours listening to confessions. Later we will take the short drive along the beautiful Gargano Peninsula to the Grotto of St. Michael the Archangel, a shrine consecrated by St. Michael. At this grotto, St. Michael appeared to a Bishop to assure him that his diocese would not be annihilated as he feared. Return to San Giovanni Rotondo for dinner and overnight. (B, D)
Day 6: August 8 – San Giovanni Rotondo / Mugnano / Sorrento
After breakfast drive to Mugnano Del Cardinale Avellino, Italy to visit The Sanctuary of Saint Philomena, which houses the Sacred Body of Saint Philomena, the tiles from her tomb, the miraculous statue which exuded oil, the chair that Ven. Pauline Jaricot was sitting on when she received her miracle. Continue to Sorrento for dinner and overnight. (B, D)
Day 7: August 9 – Sorrento / Amalfi
After breakfast depart for the Amalfi Coast, one of the most beautiful roads in the world. Each winding turn reveals a dazzling and unforgettable view of the coastline and sea. The villas are perched into the rocky coastline and seem to hang from the heavens. Stop in Positano for a beautiful picture and the first lemon slush of the day then continue to Amalfi, one of the four Maritime Republics of Italy. Visit the Cathedral of Amalfi dedicated to St. Andrew, whose relics and crypt are located here. Explore the pedestrian streets of this quaint town where there are various bars and cafes. Return to Sorrento for dinner and overnight. (B, D)
Day 8: August 10 – Sorrento / Pompeii / Rome
After breakfast, depart for Pompeii, to visit one of the most important and interesting archaeological museums in the world. This famous ancient city was buried by the ashes of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79. Visit as well the famous Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary and learn about the life of Blessed Bartolo Longo, who built the shrine and dedicated his life to serving orphans and preparing them for careers. Here you will celebrate Mass. Continue to Rome for Dinner and overnight. (B, D)
Day 9: August 11 – Rome
We begin the day with Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, followed by time to explore this amazing and beautiful Catholic basilica. Tour as well the Vatican Museums and Gallery, Raphael's Room, and the Sistine Chapel. Afternoon at your leisure. Dinner and overnight. (B, D)
Day 10: August 12 – Rome
This morning attend the Papal Audience at St Peter's Square, pending confirmation. In the afternoon we will see ancient Rome, including the Capitoline Hill, the Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill, Circus Maximus, Colosseum, Arches of Titus and Constantine, to learn about the Roman context within which the Catholic Church was born and saw its early expansion. (B, D)
Day 11: August 13 – Rome
This morning, after breakfast, celebrate Mass at St. Mary Major. Then, take a Christian Rome Tour, with a guided visit of St. Mary Major, St. John in Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome, St. Paul's Outside the Walls and finally we visit the catacombs of St. Priscilla where St. Philomena's remains were discovered. Farewell dinner and overnight. (B, D)
Day 12: August 14 – Rome / USA
This morning depart for the Rome airport for our return flight home. (B)
NOTE: While no changes are anticipated, there may be occasions when certain alterations become necessary to this itinerary due to pending schedule confirmations, and/or, due to changes/closures beyond our control.
Total Price
$4,339.00 per person, Cash/Check discount, based on two buses of 40 participants each, double occupancy. (If paying with credit card full price of $4,512.00 per person.)
[Click to download Travel Itinerary, Registration Form and Terms & Conditions]
Pilgrims may leave from ANY AIRPORT, please contact Maggie if you are interested in this option. For additional information or to join us contact us at 419-290-8782 or email@example.com.
Round trip air from CINCINNATI/ ROME (CVG / FCO)
10 Nights hotels
10 Breakfasts / 10 Dinners
English speaking tour escort/guide throughout
Private motor coach throughout
Transfers to and from all international airports
Entrance fees as noted in itinerary
Private Mass arrangements daily (locations noted pending confirmation)
Taxes and fuel surcharge (subject to increase 30 days prior to departure)
Not Included
Optional Travel Insurance (strongly recommended – click here to purchase from our trusted partner)
Lunches & beverages with meals
Items of personal nature
All tips to tour escort, guides, and drivers.
Baggage fees imposed by airlines
Any items not specifically mentioned
Limited single rooms: $ 700.00 cash / check discount or full cost of $ 728.00 if using credit card.
For additional information, to register for this pilgrimage, or to customize your own group pilgrimage, contact us at 419-290-8782 or email@example.com
**Catholic Faith Journeys, LLC cannot change the cancellation terms or conditions based on the issuance of any warning or advisory issued by the State Department or Center of Disease Control, or the occurrence of any terror, health or other incident in one or more of the places this pilgrimage is scheduled to visit. All cancellation penalties remain in full force and effect. You are strongly encouraged to purchase Travel Insurance to protect your financial investment and any health issues you may have while traveling.


text:
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Legal Status
This site displays a prototype of a "Web 2.0" version of the daily Federal Register. It is not an official legal edition of the Federal Register, and does not replace the official print version or the official electronic version on GPO's govinfo.gov.
The documents posted on this site are XML renditions of published Federal Register documents. Each document posted on the site includes a link to the corresponding official PDF file on govinfo.gov. This prototype edition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov will remain an unofficial informational resource until the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register (ACFR) issues a regulation granting it official legal status. For complete information about, and access to, our official publications and services, go to About the Federal Register on NARA's archives.gov.
The OFR/GPO partnership is committed to presenting accurate and reliable regulatory information on FederalRegister.gov with the objective of establishing the XML-based Federal Register as an ACFR-sanctioned publication in the future. While every effort has been made to ensure that the material on FederalRegister.gov is accurately displayed, consistent with the official SGML-based PDF version on govinfo.gov, those relying on it for legal research should verify their results against an official edition of the Federal Register. Until the ACFR grants it official status, the XML rendition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov does not provide legal notice to the public or judicial notice to the courts.
Document Details
Document Statistics
Published Document
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT
Notice of intent to rule on application.
The FAA proposes to rule and invites public comment on the application to use the revenue from a PFC at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport under the provisions of the Aviation Safety and Capacity Expansion Act of 1990 (Title IX of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act Of 1990) (Pub. L. 101-508) and Part 158 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Part 158).
Comments must be received on or before September 25, 2000.
Comments on this application may be mailed or delivered in triplicate to the FAA at the following address: Federal Aviation Administration, Detroit Airports District Office, Willow Run Airport, East, 8820 Beck Road Belleville, Michigan 48111.
In addition, one copy of any comments submitted to the FAA must be mailed or delivered to LaVonne Sheffield-McClain, Director, Department of Port Control of the City of Cleveland at the following address: Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, 5300 Riverside Drive, Cleveland, Ohio 44135.
Air carriers and foreign air carriers may submit copies of written comments previously provided to the Department of Port Control under § 158.23 of Part 158.Start Further Info
Mr. Robert L. Conrad, Program Manager, Federal Aviation Administration, Detroit Airport District Office, Willow Run Airport, East, 8820 Beck Road, Belleville, Michigan 48111 (734-487-7295). The application may be reviewed in person at this same location.End Further Info End Preamble Start Supplemental Information
The FAA proposes to rule and invites public comment on the application to use the revenue from a PFC at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport under the provisions of the Aviation Safety and Capacity Expansion Act of 1990 (Title IX of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990) (Pub. L. 101-508) and Part 158 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Part 158).
Only July 24, 2000, the FAA determined that the application to use Start Printed Page 51895the revenue from a PFC submitted by City of Cleveland was substantially complete within the requirements of § 158.25 of Part 158. The FAA will approve or disapprove the application, in whole or in part, no later than October 11, 2000.
The following is a brief overview of the application.
PFC Application No.: 00-07-U-CLE.
Level of the PFC: $3.00.
Actual charge effective date: July 1, 1995.
Estimate charge expiration date: January 1, 1997.
Total approved net PFC revenue: $20,700,542.00.
Brief description of proposed projects: NASA Feasibility and Pre-Engineering Study for Relocation of Engine Testing Facility and Waste Water/Glycol Collection System.
Class or classes of air carriers which the public agency has requested not be required to collect PFCs: Air taxi/commercial operators.
Any person may inspect the application in person at the FAA office listed above under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
In addition, any person may, upon request, inspect the application, notice, and other documents germane to the application in person at the Department of Port Control, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.Start Signature
Issued in Des Plaines, Illinois, on August 17, 2000.
Benito De Leon,
Manager, Planning/Programming Branch, Airports Division, Great Lakes Region.
[FR Doc. 00-21818 Filed 8-24-00; 8:45 am]


text:
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:28-31)
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20)
Music Credit:
"Wisdom" Ryan Hicks
Conscious Positivity: Volume 2