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by James F. Reilly on Jan 4, 2010 in Short Fiction | 0 comments
By James F. Reilly
This story is part of our special Mayan Apocalypse issue!
"We should probably stop, no?" Margot pointed at the glowing sign of a general store up ahead. "I feel funny just showing up empty handed."
Billy shook his head and squinted into the swirling snow. "It's only another couple of miles, babe. I just want to get the hell out of this shit. Besides, we're not showing up empty handed. We come bearing the gift of booze, remember?"
Margot laughed. "I meant food, dummy. I don't want to look like a freeloader."
"If I know my sister-in-law, dinner's already on the table waiting for us." Billy rolled his head from side to side, eliciting a few audible snaps and pops from his neck, and then let out a deep sigh. "And, if I know my brother, he's probably bitching about how I'm always late." Billy placed a hand on her knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We'll come back out in the morning and get some stuff. You can cook dinner tomorrow night."
"Oh, I can, huh?" Margot punched him in the arm. "You are such a man."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Billy said, craning his neck over the steering wheel. "Christ, it's really coming down."
"Maybe just milk and eggs," Margot said softly. Billy said nothing. He just stared ahead into the churning white vortex, his face illuminated by the red taillights of the truck in front of them.
Margot stared into the windswept parking lot of the store as they passed. There were at least a dozen cars in front of the building, and six more at the gas pumps. A few of them had Christmas trees tied to their roofs, crushed under the weight of several inches of snow. Margot had a tingling feeling in her stomach as she watched the store slowly recede behind a glowing veil of white.
"Is it always like this?" she asked.
"What, the snow?" Billy shrugged. "Sure. Sometimes, I guess." He took his eyes off the road for a second and smiled reassuringly. "Trust me, you're gonna love it. Skiing, sledding, roasting chestnuts–all that good shit. This is a New England Christmas…a real Christmas."
"What? You don't think we have real Christmases in Georgia?"
"No offense," Billy said, "but backyard barbecues and pool parties aren't my idea of a real Christmas. It's like those people who go to the fucking Bahamas for the holidays. To me, that's like celebrating the fourth of July in Antarctica. It's…it's sacrilege! You can't have a real Christmas without snow. Period."
"Jesus was born in a desert."
"Yeah, and how did that work out for him?" Billy replied.
"Okay. First, you're going to hell for that, and, second, I disagree." Margot crossed her arms in front of her and leaned her head against the cold glass of the passenger window. "I happen to think Christmas is about surrounding yourself with the people you love, whether it be in the mountains or under a palm tree."
"And that's why you're with me." Billy squeezed her knee again and Margot pushed his hand away. "Oh, come on, babe. You know I'm just playing. This is our first Christmas together. I just want it to be special, you know?"
"I know. And I appreciate it."
"And I'll tell you what. Next year we'll go down to Georgia and have a lame-ass southern fried Christmas with your family."
Margot grabbed Billy's earlobe and crushed it between her thumb and index finger.
"Owww! Fuck! Owww!" Billy whined. "Truce, truce!"
"Not until you admit you're a dick," Margot said, squeezing harder.
"Fine! I'm a dick, I'm a dick! Jeeeesus! You're gonna get us killed!"
Margot jerked her hand away and retreated back to her side of the car. She milked the silence between them until the crunch of the snow beneath the wheels and the monotonous swipe-and-thud of the windshield wipers was more than she could bear. Finally she sighed, "Mind if I turn on the radio?"
"Knock yourself out," Billy said with a laugh. "I gotta warn you, though; once you get past Bretton Woods the pickin's are pretty slim."
Margot hit the auto-tune button on the radio. John Cougar Mellencamp's Hurt So Good gave way to Elton John's Tiny Dancer and then Young MC's Bust a Move.
"Christ, what decade are these people living in?" she asked.
"I told you," Billy said. "Slim pickin's. Just put in a CD."
Margot opened the glove box and groaned. "Ewww. All of your CD's suck."
"So now I'm a dick with bad taste in music? Why is it you're with me, again?"
"Apparently so you can show me the true meaning of Christmas," Margot quipped.
"Otherwise, I can't think of a single reason."
"Okay, well, so long as we're clear on that."
The radio jumped through a couple of channels of static, a warbling old country song, and a Spanish talk show before Margot turned it off and fell back into her seat. "Okay, New Hampshire radio officially sucks," she proclaimed.
"Well, not if you grew up in the 80s," Billy said.
"Or you've been in a coma since then," Margot replied.
The road ahead divided and Billy veered toward the right fork. The Camry bounced as it crossed the tracks of the truck in front and then fishtailed as he turned onto the road and started up a steep incline. Margot grabbed his shoulder and let out a feint squeal.
"Trust me," Billy said. "I've been driving in this stuff for nearly fifteen years." He peeled her hand off of his shoulder, rested it on his lap. "I'm a professional."
"Uh-huh," Margot said. She felt the tingling in her stomach again. She squeezed Billy's thigh.
The road curved sharply, and the car slid again as Billy took yet another sudden turn, this time up a narrow road hardly wider than the Camry. Gone was the yellow pall of the street lamps; beyond the swirling snow now lay nothing but inky blackness.
"The secret," Billy said, "is to steer into the skid."
"Okay, how much fucking farther, Billy? I'm seriously freaking out, now." Margot tugged on the shoulder belt until she felt it lock into place.
"Relax." Billy laughed.
The car lunged forward up one final incline before coming to a stop a few feet from the bumper of a snow covered Land Rover. He shut off the headlights and, once Margot's eyes had adjusted, she could see two shafts of warm, sparkling light emanating from the windows of a small chalet at the top of the hill.
Billy smiled and gave her a peck on the cheek. "We're already here."
Dinner was waiting on the table just as Billy had expected–a small pre-cooked Chicken, a bowl of mashed potatoes, baby carrots, and a salad. Billy could sense his brother, Rob's, displeasure at their late arrival, but they both loosened up after a couple of glasses of wine. They ate quickly and Rob's wife, Linda, took Margot up to the loft to show her their room while the couple's daughters, eight-year-old Maxie and five-year-old Quinn, rushed back to their handheld video games in the living room.
"This snow's something, huh?" Rob asked. "Must've been a bitch to drive in."
Billy shrugged and poured himself another glass of wine, and then slid the bottle down the table to his brother. "I've seen worse. Didn't get too bad until we got up past Concord. It's the wind, mostly. I didn't want to get Margot worried, but, man, it was like a whiteout once we hit the mountains."
"This her first snow?" Billy asked.
"Her first real snow. I mean, she's lived in Manhattan for a couple of years, now, so she's seen the stuff, but nothing like this."
"Yeah." Rob took a sip of his wine. "She's a good girl. Mom would have liked her."
"Yeah, she is." Billy smiled. "She's a lot like her, you know? I mean, not in a Freudian way or anything; just her attitude. She's a tough chick. Has a mouth like a sailor sometimes." He laughed.
"So how's it lookin'," Rob asked.
"How's what…? The relationship?" Billy shrugged. "I don't know, I mean, it's good. It's great, actually. But it's only been nine months, so…"
Rob smiled. "You'll marry her," he said. "I can tell."
"Oh, and how's that?" Billy asked.
"I just can, is all," Rob grinned. "I see it in the way you look at each other. I got a gift for that sort of thing, you know?"
Billy finished the rest of his wine. Rob slid the bottle back to him. As he poured himself another, Margot walked into the kitchen and rested her hands on his shoulders. She kissed Billy on the top of his head; her long, curly hair, still damp from the shower, draped over his face. It smelled of lilac and citrus. Billy leaned his head back and gave her a kiss. Her lips were soft and inviting and, in that moment, he knew his brother was right. This was the girl he would marry.
"Am I interrupting boy talk?" She asked.
Billy sighed. "Well, my brother was asking me if we could swap women tonight, and I told him you'd be up for it."
"Oh really?" Margot asked. "Sounds kinky!"
"Count me in." Linda shuffled into the kitchen, wearing a pink robe and matching slippers. She had a towel draped around her neck and three different bottles of shampoo and conditioner tucked under her arm. "God knows, I could use a change."
"That's nice," Rob said. "Real class acts, the lot of ya." He swigged down the rest of his wine and washed his glass out in the sink. "I'm gonna go get some firewood."
Rob left the kitchen and returned a couple of minutes later in a bulky, white, down jacket and white knit hat. Billy burst out laughing, and that set off Margot and Linda.
"What?" Rob asked, his arms hanging stiffly by his side.
"Need a hand, Michelin Man?" Billy asked.
"Yeah, real funny," Rob said. "We'll see who's laughing on the slopes."
"I'm pretty sure it'll still be me, Frosty," Billy said.
Rob flipped him off as he cracked open the back door and slipped on his gloves. A sudden strong gust shook the house and blew the door wide open. Rob took a step back as an avalanche of snow poured into the kitchen. "Woah!" He laughed, and tried to close the door. "Will you look at this?"
"Oh my God." Linda grabbed a broom from the closet and handed it to Rob. "There's got to be two feet out there already!"
"It's just a drift," Rob grumbled, as he swept the snow over the threshold.
"Still, you said we were only going to get a few inches!" Linda looked panicked. "If I knew it was going to be this bad…I mean, shit, the roads…we only picked up a few things from the store. I knew we should have gone to Stop & Shop! We don't have any milk or bread or…"
"Linda, it's fine," Rob barked. "I'll hit the grocery store first thing in the morning, just like I said I would. The Land Rover will roll right over this shit. Believe me, we'll be fine."
Margot's fingers dug into Billy's shoulders. "I told you we should have stopped," she whispered.
"Babe, relax," Billy said. He got up and slipped on his leather coat. "Rob, let's go get that firewood."
His brother heaved a sigh, leaned the broom up against the wall, and threw up his hands as he stepped over the drift and out the door. Billy followed, slamming the door behind him. Rob had already been swallowed up by the squall.
"For fuck's sake, wait up, Rob!" Billy took two steps forward and sank into a thigh-deep drift. He pulled himself free and followed his brother's tracks around to the front of the chalet. Rob stood at the top of the stairs that led down into the sunken driveway. The light from the chalet windows cut a swath through the night, making the snow that danced around them look like a luminescent swarm of fluttering moths.
Billy looked down into the driveway. The Land Rover was buried up to its headlights, with huge, windswept domes of snow on its hood and roof. Billy's Camry was completely covered, reduced to a smooth white mound.
Billy turned to his brother. "What are you thinking?"
Rob stood silently for a moment, his eyes shimmering, his face caked with snow and rivulets of snot and frozen tears.
"What am I thinking, little brother?" He asked, his voice nearly lost to the wind. "I'm thinking we're good and truly fucked."
The weatherman danced in front of a map of the northeast with a mixture of excitement and sheer panic. He pointed at New England–at least what little of it that could be seen beneath the massive animated cloud–and then ran his finger down the entire east coast, stopping at the Carolinas.
"Folks, I can safely say that this is something we've never seen before," he said breathlessly. "This massive system literally came out of nowhere and, in the past few hours, has absorbed several smaller systems riding the jet stream, forming a 'super storm' that is now blanketing the northeast. We're talking hurricane force winds, and snowfall at a rate of several inches per hour; in higher elevations, we could see as much as a foot or more an hour, with no sign of slowing …"
"Yeah, tell us something we don't know," Billy muttered. He cradled Margot in his arms. She snored softly, long ago surrendering to the valium Linda had given her. Linda sat next to Billy, equally as doped, but working on her fifth glass of wine nonetheless. Maxie and Quinn lay curled up on the floor beside Rob, who sat Indian style in front of the small television.
The weather-map had changed and now depicted the entire United States. The Great Lakes were obscured by a swirling mass of clouds the size of Texas, while two huge tropical storms book-ended Florida, one in the Atlantic, and one moving up toward the pan handle from the Gulf.
"This is unprecedented stuff, folks. Completely unprecedented. And they're no better off across the pond, where, we're told, much of northern and central Europe is experiencing blizzard conditions, with London reporting more than two feet of snow fall in the last three hours." The weatherman took a deep breath and shook his head and laughed. "This is…it's a little scary, is what it is." He looked at his watch and laughed again. "Here we are, thirty minutes away from December 21st 2012. I don't have to remind most of you what that date signifies. It's got to make you wonder, right? I mean…"
The camera panned violently and then cut back to the news desk. The anchors–a meticulously coiffed silver-haired man and an overly made-up middle-aged woman–stared slack-jawed at a commotion off camera. After a few seconds of silence, the male anchor regained his composure, looked into the camera, and smiled unconvincingly.
"Dan…Dan is obviously joking, folks," he said. The reporter paused, his smile wavering, as he held his finger to his ear. "We, here at WCTV, want…to…assure you that…okay, hold on a minute folks. We're getting some news out of…I can't make this out. Is somebody going to throw this on the prompt…?"
The image on the screen froze and flickered before giving way to color bars and a droning, high-pitched tone. Rob flipped through the stations and, after nothing but static, test patterns, or no picture at all, switched off the television.
"Satellite dish is probably buried," Rob said. "With that wind, I'm surprised we had reception as long as we did." He threw the remote onto the sofa and grabbed his beer off of the coffee table. "I'll get up there and clean it off in the morning."
"What if he's right?" Linda asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"What? What if who's right?" Rob asked.
Linda's eyelids fluttered and her head bobbed forward. "The fucking weatherman." She practically spat out the words. "What if this is it? I mean…you know…it?"
Rob sighed. "Jesus, Linda, you're half in the bag. Use your head, for Chrissake," he said. "That's all tinfoil-hat-wearing bullshit." He took a hearty swig from his beer and set the empty bottle back down. "A fucking Aztec fairy tale."
"Mayan," Billy said.
Rob waved his hands in the air. "Who gives a rat's ass? Mayan? Aztec? They could be fucking Oompa Loompas for all I care. It's a bunch of goddamn nonsense that I don't want to hear about. End of story."
Rob knelt down and scooped up the girls, one in each arm, and then carried them off to bed. Linda cursed him under her breath, and took another sip of wine. She looked at Billy and offered him a weak smile.
"I'm not stupid, you know," she said.
Billy nodded. "Yeah, I know."
"It's just…why the fuck not, you know? Why is it so impossible?" She reached for the bottle of wine, started to pour herself another glass, and spilt most of it on her wrist. "I mean…it's happened before…so… what makes us so fucking special, you know?"
Billy steadied the bottle for her.
"Thanks." She laughed. "I guess I'm just a little…I probably should go to bed."
"That sounds like a good idea," Billy said, setting down the bottle and wine glass for her. He helped her up from the couch and started to walk her toward her and Rob's bedroom.
"I'm okay, I'm okay." She tapped him on the wrist and pulled away. " I'll see you in the morning, Billy." Linda gave him a peck on the cheek. "We'll probably be laughing about this tomorrow."
Billy nodded and smiled, and wished he could believe it.
Margot awoke to cold blackness and throbbing inside her head, blissfully unaware of her surroundings until she sat up and her feet touched the frigid hardwood floor. With the realization came panic. She frantically patted the bed, hoping to find Billy sleeping next to her, but nothing lay beside her save for the sweater and damp jeans she'd worn on the ride up. She felt for the lamp on the night table and turned the switch, eliciting a loud click and nothing more. She turned the switch again, and again, the anxiety swelling within her.
"Billy?" she called.
There was no reply, just a distant penetrating whine, and a rhythmic, muffled crunch that came from below. Margot stood and fumbled through the darkness toward the dim light that bled in from beneath the door. She wrapped herself in her robe and stepped out into the loft. She could see Linda down in the living room, sitting on the couch and flanked on either side by her daughters. A Coleman propane lamp burned on the table in front of them; the source of the high-pitched drone Margot had heard from the bedroom. She hurried down the stairs and along the hall into the living room.
"Did we lose power?" Margot asked, her breath hanging in the air before her.
Linda nodded and offered Margot a tight, quivering smile. Rob sat on the ottoman, sweat-slicked and breathless, and cradling his head in his hands. His overstuffed jacket lay drying in front of the fireplace; a single log smoldered within it.
The front door was ajar and, through the gap, a pile of slush and snow spilled into the room. The two large windows above and on either side of the door, however, were gray and opaque.
"Where's Billy?" Margot asked.
Rob didn't look up. He just pointed at the door. She went to it, the snow crunching beneath her bare feet.
Beyond the door lay a long, ice-blue trench that ascended at least six feet before meeting a roiling dark sky. At the peak, Billy, caked in snow and a shovel hanging over his shoulder, stood screaming silently into the wind.
A box of Cheerios, six bagels, a small package of frozen chicken nuggets, five cans of Spaghetti-O's, and two bags of salt and vinegar potato chips. Those, along with the plate of leftovers from the night before, various sweeteners and condiments left behind by previous tenants, and an energy bar Rob had stashed into his overnight bag, were laid out on the kitchen table before them.
"That's it?" Billy asked.
"That's it," Rob said. "We figured we'd do groceries with you this morning. This was just…stuff from home. Stuff for the kids…" His voice trailed off and tears welled in his eyes.
Billy peered back into the living room. Linda was sleeping on the couch, and Maxie and Quinn were sitting in front of the fire bickering over whose turn it was with the Nintendo DS, and Margot was standing at the front door, holding her cell phone aloft trying to get a signal.
"So what the hell do we do, Rob?" Billy whispered.
Rob raked his hands down his face and sighed. "I'm gonna go for help," he said. "I've got my skis. I can bushwalk back down to the main road. I don't know; maybe it's not as bad as the mountain."
"No," Billy shook his head. "Fuck that. We should wait…"
"Wait for what, Billy?" Rob asked. "For help? You saw it out there. No one knows we're here. No one is coming. We've got, like, three logs left. After that, we'll have to start burning the fucking furniture. And this…" Rob motioned toward the table. "This won't last more than a few days. A week at most."
"At least wait for the weather to clear," Billy pleaded.
"We don't know when that will happen, Billy. It could get a lot worse before it gets better. I…can't take that chance. Not…not with the girls."
"Fine. Then I'll go," Billy said.
Rob laughed. "Don't be ridiculous."
"What? I'm younger, and I'm in better shape than you," Billy said.
"Younger, yes. Better shape?" Rob smirked. "That's debatable. Either way, I'm the better skier. It just makes more sense this way."
Billy sighed. His brother was right. He hadn't tackled anything more challenging than the bunny slope since he was a teenager. Skiing had always been Rob's forte.
"Look. It's only a few miles to the main road." Rob said. "I'll go; I'll see what I see and, if I don't find help, I'll turn right around. If I leave now, I can be back before nightfall."
Billy ground his fists into his eyes and groaned.
"Trust me, little brother. I've got to do this." Rob rested his beefy hands on Billy's shoulders. "C'mon. I want to show you something."
Billy followed Rob down the hall to his bedroom. They stepped inside, and Rob closed the door behind them. He moved to the other side of the bed and knelt behind it. When he resurfaced, he held a square plastic case, which he placed on the bed. He pulled a small key off of his key ring, opened the box, and turned it toward Billy.
"Jesus, Rob!"
"It's a beauty, ain't it?" Rob pulled the Khar 9mm out of its case and handed it to Billy. "Don't worry. It's not loaded."
"Yeah, famous last words," Billy muttered, as he took the weapon. It was surprisingly light, not that Billy had much experience with guns. "When did you get this? Fuck. Why did you get this?"
"It's not mine," Rob said. "It's Linda's."
Billy shot him a quizzical look. "Why the hell would Linda need a gun?"
"There was an incident a few months ago. Nothing major. Just some punks. Made off with her purse, and… well…it shook her up pretty good. We thought…" Rob waved his hands. "It's not important. I wanted you to know that it's here. You know; just in case."
"In case of what?" Billy asked, handing the gun back to him. "In case you don't come back?"
Rob shrugged. "I don't know, Billy. Just…just know it's here." Rob locked the gun back in the box and put the key in the nightstand drawer. "If push comes to shove, Linda will know what to do. Hell, she's a better shot than I am." Rob laughed and slipped the box back under the bed.
"All right," he said. "I'm going to get ready."
* * *
Rob stomped through the living room, his ski boots gouging the tile floor. Billy carried his brother's skis and poles and Maxie's Dora the Explorer backpack. Margot helped Rob slip into his coat, and Maxie handed him his gloves. Quinn held his hat. Linda was still in the bedroom, crying hysterically, as she had been ever since Rob had told her he was going.
Rob knelt and pulled the girls toward him, squeezing them hard.
"Daddy, you're crushing me," Maxie said.
"Me too," Quinn cried.
"I'm sorry, guys." Rob planted a kiss on both their heads. "Daddy just loves you both so much. You know that, right?"
The girls nodded in unison, and Rob smiled. "Now I've got to go, and I might be gone a while, but I'll be back."
"You promise?" Maxie asked.
"I promise," he said. "Now you guys behave, okay?"
"We will daddy," Maxie said.
"Can you get us batteries for our Nintendo?" Quinn asked.
"I'll see what I can do, honey." Rob stood and looked to Billy, tears welling in his eyes. He pulled his hat down over his ears, strapped on his goggles, and grabbed the ski poles from Billy. "Okay, let's do this."
Billy nodded and opened the door. The sky had darkened considerably, and at least another foot of snow had fallen since they'd finished shoveling out the trench barely an hour earlier. Rob started through the door, and Margot grabbed his hand.
"Good luck," she said. She kissed him on the cheek.
"Watch out for them," Rob said. He nodded over his shoulder toward Billy and winked. "All of them."
Rob bounded up the steep incline, and Billy followed, laying out the skis when they reached the top. Rob planted his poles in the snow on either side of him, locked his boots into the bindings, and propelled himself forward a couple of feet.
Billy opened the backpack and pulled out the bundle of shredded fabric he'd made from a day-glo orange fleece he'd brought with him. "Tie one of these to a branch every so often," he shouted above the wind. "To mark your route."
Rob laughed. "You're not nearly as dumb as you look, you know that?" He took the backpack and slung it over his shoulder.
"I threw that energy bar in there, too," Billy said. "Just in case."
"Yeah, just in case," Rob said. He pulled up his poles, grinned, and pushed himself forward. "Leave a light on for me," he shouted, as he vanished into the squall.
Billy waved, knowing then that it would be the last time he would see his brother.
On Christmas Eve, Margot decorated the fireplace with candles and some of the ornaments Linda and Rob had brought up with them. The girls' stockings were hung from the mantle, a single sleeve of fruit leather in each. Linda had left all the gifts in the Land Rover, so Margot had wrapped a couple of pieces of her own jewelry in the pages from a tattered copy of Life magazine and placed them on the mantle above each of their stockings.
Quinn wolfed down her dinner–a quarter can of Spaghetti-O's and half of a stale bagel. Maxie only ate a few bites, and set the rest down on the coffee table.
"Can I have it?" Quinn asked.
Maxie shrugged. She hadn't said a word since the night her father had left. Quinn happily finished off what was left in Maxie's bowl and then sat back on the couch.
Billy broke down another kitchen chair and threw the legs onto the fire.
"Did you talk to her?" Margot asked "What'd she say?"
Billy shook his head. "She didn't say anything."
Margot took him into the kitchen, out of earshot of the girls. "Linda hasn't eaten a thing in three days, Billy," she said. "She's hasn't even come out of her room."
"Can you blame her?" Billy snapped.
Margot saw anger in his eyes. She held his face in her hands. "Billy, I…I can't even imagine what she's feeling. What you're feeling. But those two little girls need their mother right now, and she needs to know that."
Billy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'll see what I can do," he said.
As if on cue, Linda emerged from the darkness of the hallway, holding a small, flickering candle, her eyes were almost swollen shut and her face was smeared with mascara.
"Linda, I…" Margot started.
"I just thought I'd come get the girls," Linda said. "Give you two some time alone."
"Why don't we all sit in front of the fire for awhile?" Billy asked. "We've still got a bottle of wine left."
Linda's eyes drifted to the girls on the couch. "No, that's all right. Really. I…I'd like to be with my babies. You two should be alone."
"C'mon Linda, don't be silly," Billy said. "None of us should be…"
Linda ignored him. "Maxie. Quinn. Come with mommy."
"But I wanna open presents," Quinn cried.
"You know we never open presents until Christmas Day," Linda said. "Now you two come along. Let's leave Uncle Billy and Auntie Margot be for a while."
Quinn pouted, as she shuffled past her. Maxie drifted by in silence.
"Can I get you anything?" Margot asked.
A weak smile crept across Linda's face. "No," she said. "They're all I need right now."
"Okay," Margot replied. "Well, just let me know if…"
Linda turned and shuffled up the hallway.
Billy put an arm around Margot's waist and walked her back into the living room. He sat on the couch and pulled her down next to him. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his stomach bubble and growl. He hadn't been eating either. He told her it was because he was trying to conserve food, but she knew better. He was as crushed by the loss of Rob as was Linda; he was just better at hiding it. Or at least he thought he was.
They sat in silence for awhile, staring at the fire, and then Margot sat up and slapped Billy on the thigh. "I know," she said. "Let's open presents."
"What? Now?" Billy asked. "No, c'mon. Let's just…let's wait until morning, okay?"
"I want to give you yours now," Margot persisted. She grabbed the flashlight from the end table and shone the light at Billy. "I promise, you'll love it."
He leaned his head back, threw up his hands, and smiled. "Fine," he said. "You've piqued my curiosity."
"Just give me a minute," she said. "And no peeking!"
Margot tiptoed up the hall, pausing outside Linda's room along the way. A dull light spilled out from under the door; from beyond the door, she heard a gentle rustling and a high-pitched snore. Margot smiled and padded up the stairs to the loft and into their room. She aimed the flashlight around until she found her suitcase; she then hoisted it onto the bed. She rummaged around inside until she found the black Victoria's Secret bag, and emptied the contents–a sexy-cute satin Santa skirt, matching red bra, and Santa hat–onto the bed.
Until a few minutes ago, sex had been the farthest thing from her mind but, as she'd lain with Billy on the couch, basking in his warmth and mesmerized by the lapping flames, she'd felt a strange urgency, an urgency unlike anything she'd ever felt before.
She needed him.
It wasn't entirely sexual. She needed to feel that closeness, that connection. She needed to get lost in it and let the feelings take her to another place somewhere far from the pain and the grief and the fear, if only for a few moments.
And she knew he needed it, too. Perhaps now more than ever.
Margot propped the flashlight up against the suitcase and stripped down to her panties. Her nipples stiffened the instant the chill air hit them, and the goose bumps followed. She wedged herself into the form-fitting skirt, and slipped into the bra. As she fumbled for the clasp, a whip-like crack shattered the stillness.
"Billy?" Margot cried.
She grabbed the flashlight, and ran out into the loft. She heard footfalls below, and rushed down the stairs into the hall.
"Jesus, Billy, what was that?"
Billy pounded on Linda's door. "It's locked," he shouted. "Goddamn it, Linda, open the door!"
There was another loud snap, followed by a muffled thud. Billy stepped back and kicked the door, splintering the jamb. He kicked it again. This time the hinges gave and the door fell inward.
Margot shone the flashlight into the room.
Quinn's body rested face down on the bed, arms by her side, a crimson soaked sheet draped over her head. Maxie lay across the threshold, her dark hair matted to her face; blood from a dime-sized hole in her forehead trickled into a slowly expanding pool beneath her. Linda stood in the corner, eyes shut, head hung to one side. She hummed softly and tugged at the front of her blood spattered nightgown with one hand. The pistol was in the other.
"Linda, please!" Billy shouted. "Give me the gun."
A manic smile spread across Linda's face, and her eyes snapped open.
"We're going to be a family again," she said.
And, with that, she put the gun barrel in her mouth and pulled the trigger.
Billy dragged Linda's body up the trench, rested it beside the girls, and began to dig three shallow graves in the ice. By the time he'd finished, nature had already claimed the bodies, coating them in two inches of fresh snow. He decided to leave them as they were, so planted the markers–three hastily assembled crosses fashioned from strips of fabric and the spindles from the back of a kitchen chair–in front of each smooth, white mound.
Margot clambered out of the trench and stood beside him. She grabbed his hand and bowed her head.
Billy wanted to say something–anything–but words eluded him. Instead, he found his attention drawn back toward the chalet. The snow had reached the upper windows, obscuring all but the peak and the chimney. The twenty-foot pines that dotted the property appeared to be reduced to the size of saplings. Only their tips poked through the icy crust.
In a matter of days, everything would be buried and, by then, they'd be out of food, out of firewood, just plain out of options.
Billy stared down at the shapeless mounds that formed before him, and wondered if Linda had had the right idea.
New Year's Eve came and went. There was no countdown, no midnight toast, only a long, desperate kiss as they clung to each other, naked beneath a pile of blankets, and watched the last of the cabinet doors go up in flames.
"I love you," Margot said, her sunken eyes glistening in the firelight.
"I love you, too," he said.
He caressed her sunken cheeks, kissed her again, and lifted her up onto him. Margot gasped softly in his ear as she wrapped her legs around his waist and took him inside of her, their bodies shuddering in unison as they made love one final time.
Margot died on January 5th.
Billy had gotten up early that day and, after a breakfast consisting of a handful of Cheerios and several cups of water spent the morning shoveling out the trench (which, at that point, had become more of a cave). At around 10:00 AM, he noticed that the sky had lightened and the snowing had slowed considerably. An hour later, it stopped altogether.
Billy threw down the shovel and scrambled up to the mouth of the trench, and what he saw caused him to drop to his knees.
Beyond a sea of rolling white hills and dwarfed pines, Mount Washington lay bathed in a shaft of golden sunlight, framed by the bluest sky Billy had ever seen. Shadows danced across the valley as the clouds raced eastward, leaving nothing but clear skies in their wake.
Billy howled and pumped his fists. He jumped back into the trench, sliding down on his backside, and threw open the door.
Margot lay amidst a pile of blankets, her hair draped over her face. He knelt down beside her and squeezed her shoulder.
"Margot, honey," he said. "You've got to see this."
She didn't move.
"Margot, wake up!" Billy shook her gently.
Her head lolled back, and her hair fell away from her face. Her eyes were half open and glazed; the side of her face was caked with a dry, greenish foam.
Billy pulled her toward him and, as he did, an empty prescription bottles rolled out of the blankets and into the puddle of acrid vomit and undigested pills that lay beneath her.
Linda's pills.
Somehow she had managed to take Margot with her.
After Billy had buried Margot, he went back into the chalet and gathered his things.
He knew he was going to die. He not only knew it; he accepted it.
But he'd made up his mind that he was not going to die here.
He rounded up the last of the food–the fruit leathers from the girls' stockings, a cup's worth of Cheerios, and three frozen chicken nuggets–and stuffed it into the pockets of his ski jacket along with the last two boxes of matches. He made a small fire, melted some snow in a pan, poured the water into three empty wine bottles, and packed the bottles, along with some extra clothes, into his overnight bag. The next morning, at first light, he slung the bag over his shoulder, slid Linda's pistol into his belt, and clambered out of the buried chalet for the last time.
He stood atop the roof, bathed in the early morning sunlight. He smiled and reveled in its warmth, amazed at how–despite everything–its mere presence offered hope. Snow crunching beneath his feet, he started down the hill, and then he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. A rabbit darted out from a hummock of snow and froze not more than twenty feet away. The rabbit's nose twitched, and then it bounded off in the opposite direction.
Billy stared at the valley before him; vast and white and immaculate. He didn't know what lay beyond it, if anything at all. What he did know was that, up until now, he'd gotten it all wrong.
He'd convinced himself it was the end of the world.
Now he realized it was only the beginning.
James F. Reilly's writings have appeared in several magazines, including Horror Garage, Apex Digest, City Slab, and Tales of World War Z, as well as the anthologies Gratia Placenti, Undead, Read by Dawn Vol.1, Vermin, and the upcoming Dark Futures from Dark Quest Books. James currently lives in Massachusetts, where he divides his time between feather-dusting his collection of Mandrill skulls and participating in Boer War reenactments. James has a wife and son. Pray for them.
Reilly also runs the popular Horrorview.com website.


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Burger Fuel turns to profit as it changes direction
Article – BusinessDesk
June 14 (BusinessDesk) – Burger Fuel Worldwide says it posted a $1.2 million net profit for the year ended March, a turnaround from the previous years $463,000 net loss, as it transitions to a new business model.Burger Fuel turns to profit as it changes direction
By Jenny Ruth
June 14 (BusinessDesk) – Burger Fuel Worldwide says it posted a $1.2 million net profit for the year ended March, a turnaround from the previous year's $463,000 net loss, as it transitions to a new business model.
Sales fell 15 percent to $21 million, mostly reflecting the sale of the company-owned store in the United States to founding director Chris Mason in March last year, while expenses dropped 22.7 percent to $19.2 million.
"This internal change lowers revenue from our proprietary product manufacturing operation but will ensure that this business unit becomes more financially efficient," the company says.
Total system sales – including both company-owned and franchised stores – fell 2.9 percent to $102 million.
There were 78 BurgerFuel stores operating worldwide and two new outlets in New Zealand, one for each of the company's new concepts, Shake Out, a new burger concept developed in-house, and Winner Winner, the chicken concept purchased by BFW in December 2017.
The company is in the process of changing from a single-brand international company to a multi-brand New Zealand company.
"This transition is going well, and we are pleased that we have managed to absorb all the costs associated with this transition, as well as the costs to develop the new brands and provide an acceptable profit for full-year 2019," the company says.
"We will continue to focus on the opening of new restaurants in NZ and we look forward to updating the market with these new openings as the year progresses," it says.
"As advised on Feb. 15, the board has sought input from KPMG's corporate finance team to undertake a full strategic options review of the business and to look at all potential opportunities for the group. That review is now underway."
Of the BurgerFuel stores, 56 are in New Zealand.
The company says there are still opportunities to open new BurgerFuel stores in New Zealand but it will only do so it we can achieve "both the right locations as well as the accompanying franchisees."
The Middle East "has been very challenging in recent years" and the company expects sales there will continue to decline.
In the US, Mason is still looking for "an established US partner" but the single store continues to trade, although sales have been declining.
Burger Fuel shares are 1 cent higher at 47 cents, valuing the company at $25.2 million. They have fallen more than 40 percent in the past 12 months.
The company floated and listed on NZX's Alternative Exchange in 2007 after selling 15 million shares at $1. They peaked at $3.80 in 2014. With the dissolution of the AX, the company plans to migrate to NZX's main board.
Content Sourced from scoop.co.nz
Original url

subset: commoncrawl


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I used my blue and black 1" Sweaty Band today at work yesterday. I found it a little tight, but it stayed put once the little piece of elastic found the perfect spot to stop at in the back of my head. I noticed that it did not stay flat on my head – it seemed to sit on an angle. After work I pulled my hair into a low ponytail and braided my hair – went for a run (2.21 miles – 29.19 mins) and it stayed in place and held all my little hairs in place. Took pictures – but having technical issues with my phone.
I saw the new Barbie Katniss doll that is available for preorder and she is absolutely adorable! The eyes are very nicely done – and it does resemble Jennifer Lawrence a bit. It definitely is one of the nicer Barbie character dolls that has been released recently.
Listened to my favorite podcast yesterday, DIS Unplugged, missed a couple of episodes since I don't have any plans to get up to Orlando anytime soon. I keep debating on signing up for the Tower of Terror run, unless I get a raise or a new job, just can't put it in my budget. But back to the DIS – love them and have been a listener for years. They are a quirky bunch, and the conversation can go a little to the adult side, but I like their honest opinions. They just reviewed the new Fantasy and it sounds FABULOUS!!! I may have to play the lottery to see if I can go on a Disney cruise.
A few weeks ago I entered in the Toms Shoe Essie nailpolish giveaway and received a bottle of barefoot blue to participate in Barefoot for a Day on Tuesday, April 10, 2012. I did kickoff my shoes a number of times in the office and as soon as I walked in the house – shoes came off – it might have even been a good day to start running barefoot, but I see way too much broken glass on the sidewalk that I could see ending my day with a trip to the ER, so for my run, I had to wear my sneakers.


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• Monday – November 26
(5:00 p.m. – 5:50 p.m.) Speaker at SHRM – Business Administration Room 121
Carol Taylor, a Health Reform Expert, from Beacon Benefit Consulting will be speaking on 'Health Care Reform.
Additional Public Info: If you would like more information please 'like' us on facebook at 'SHRM at UCF'
• Tuesday – November 27
(11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ) How It Works For You: Networking Techniques- Career Services Experiential Learning Room 115
Overcome fears and anxiety related to networking by using outcome based thinking. Learn what to do before, during and after a networking event.
(1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ) Workshop: Getting Started in Undergraduate Research - Student Union Room 224
Want to get involved in research? This workshop will discuss how to expand your academic experience through undergraduate research.
Facilitator: Dr. Kimberly Schneider
(8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. ) Jazz Chamber Groups Concert - Student Union Room 224
Free and Open to the Public
• Wednesday – November 28
(10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.) Free HIV Screening - Recreation and Wellness Center Wellness Center Classroom
Wellness and Health Promotion Services along with Hope and Help offer FREE rapid HIV Testing from 10 am to 2 pm in suite 111 at the Recreation and Wellness Center.
(12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.) Habitudes Workshop- Student Union Room 220
Learn the skills, attitudes and mindsets needed to be an effective and successful leader!
(4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.) Speaker at SHRm Meeting: Society of Human Resource Management - Business Administration Room 126
Barbara Thompson (UCF Diversity) will be speaking about 'Are you culturally competent?
(6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) Glow in the Dark Volleyball at Rosen - Rosen College of Hospitality Management Field
(7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.) Self Defense Class: Protection Starts with You - Recreation & Wellness Center Room 245
Did you know according to latest criminal statistics 1 in 70 females and 1 in 63 males were victims of violent crime in 2010. Now is the time to learn how to escape an attack, not to stay and fight! Protection startes with you. Sign-up now for our Self Defense class. Sign-up deadline is Monday, November 26 and the event date is Wednesday, November 28. The class will be located in the Group Exercise room on the first floor of the RWC. The class runs from 6pm-8pm.
• Thursday – November 29
(10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.) Free Flu Shots - Multicultural Student Center Room 153
Health Services will be giving FREE flu shots to students only. (Faculty and Staff may make an appointment at the Health Center to get their shot – charges may apply).
You must not currently be ill. While supplies last.
Getting a flu shot is the best way to protect yourself, and those around you, from catching the flu this season. It is recommended that everyone 6 months and older get a yearly flu shot.
(6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) First Generation Round Table Session - Student Union Room 223
Join us as we discuss the issues that First Generation students encounter, and the resources that are available to help you succeed!
• Friday – November 30
(12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.) LGBTQ and Ally Alphabet Soup - Ferrell Commons Auditorium
This is our weekly "brown bag" lunch for LGBTQ and Ally students to connect and talk about hot topics at UCF and in the LGBTQ and Ally community. Come and go as you please! Bring your lunch!
(8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) CAC Winter Showcase - Mathematical Sciences Room 260
Contemporary A Cappella will be hosting their annual Winter Showcase in the Math and Physics building! Start your holiday season off right with some merry songs and familiar tunes. We would love to see you there!
Want to know what else is going on around campus this week? Visit the OSI website or UCF's events calendar for additional events and information.
For questions or comments regarding "This Week @ UCF," contact Melissa Westbrook at email@example.com.


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Q. I have a new Windows 7 Dell PC that came loaded with Windows Live. Every time I launch Internet Explorer, I get an annoying message that says "Congratulations on your recent purchase of a Dell Computer preconfigured with Windows Live" which simply will not go away. How do I get rid of this message without deleting the application?
A. One of the problems with buying a name brand-name computer is that the manufacturer will often preload it with all kinds of junk and customize the user interface to be very brand-specific. This includes setting the Web browser's home page to something the manufacturer wants you to see every time you fire it up, which is what you are seeing right now.
Through Dell's partnership with Microsoft they have configured Internet Explorer to have the home page of dell.msn.com which is a version of the MSN home page specifically set up for Dell customers. When you visit this page, it is supposed to set a cookie which tells the page not to display that message the next time you visit. However, if you have the Internet Explorer privacy settings set to "High" or even "Block All Cookies", you will see that popup every time you visit dell.msn.com using Internet Explorer.
To work around this you could change your Internet Explorer privacy setting to "Medium high" or lower so that Internet Explorer will accept the cookie. Once you do that, you can then go back and reset the privacy settings back to the way they were. The security settings can be found by clicking on Tools, Internet Options and then clicking on the Privacy tab and using the slider to set to the appropriate level.
If you are wanting to keep your security settings on "High" or above you're going to have to jump through a few hoops.
Dell has taken this to a new level of irritating. On your computer, either when you bought it or placed there when you first connected to the Internet is a cookie which is designed to redirect you to dell.msn.com when you try to go to the main MSN page at www.msn.com. And it doesn't matter if you have a Dell or not. If you're security allows it and you visit dell.msn.com you will get this cookie and until it is gone you will not be able to go to www.msn.com and stay there. You will be redirected to dell.msn.com.
To be completely rid of this nuisance here is what you have to do. Inside Internet Explorer click on Tools and then Internet options.
In this window set your home page to anything other than MSN and then delete your Temporary Internet Files. Once the files are deleted you will be able to click on OK and close this window.
Now try browsing to www.msn.com and you should see that you are not redirected to dell.msn.com.
If you want to use MSN as your home page simply go back into Internet Options and set it back to www.msn.com.
Just be sure you steer clear of dell.msn.com or you will find yourself back in this mess all over again.
To learn more about cookies I recommend reading the The Unofficial Cookie FAQ. It's everything you ever wanted to know about these sometimes helpful, sometime treacherous snippets of web browsing computer code.


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Talking time out @ Coup Dee Touch Spa
Day Spas are no longer a luxury nor a thing for women. With all the stress of the modern rat race we all need to take time off once in a while and book ourselves in for a day spa even if it is just for an hour. Spa – an establishment contributing to people's wellness in an environment conducive to relaxation, offering as the main activity one or more forms of water therapy and one or several types of professional treatments, at least including massage therapy, offered in two or more treatment rooms and comprising a relaxation area reserved for this purpose. – * * Definition from the BNQ SPA Standard. We live in a world where we are always striving to tick the to do lists, thinking about the next thing to do. We hardly take time off and relax and enjoy just being. Stress is a word common in our daily conversations and if we do not address it in time it affects our health negatively.
I had a pleasure of being invited to take time off from taking care of others and be taken care of by Coup Dee Touch Spa. Ambience is everything when it comes to a Spa value add, and they did not do badly at all. The place is located behind Maun lodge in a residential plot of its owner Mrs Boitumelo Mapila. The first thing that calm you are the huge palm trees in the garden and the Thatched Swiss inspired building designs. Every client always wants to feel special and that is what you get when you visit the small intimate spa. Their service is at par with those of cities despite the fact that they are in a village. The service starts even before you arrive; they send their clients reminders of appointment time and directions a day before and another one two hours before the booked time. Clients are welcomed with a warm smile as the assistants come to greet you from the car park and lead you to the therapy room where client finds a personalised message on a black board at the reception.
Coup Dee Touch Spa offers an array of services from mobile spa treatments, couple treatments, beauty treatment as well as massages. With the weather permitting a spa day it does not need to be always an individual affair – one can take their partner, family or event host a group of friends or client for a day of relaxation and self-love. Some of the benefits of taking time out at a day spa depending on what is offered and your objective for the day include: Disengaged from work, family and friends; Slow down and allows the body to re-generate; Improves blood circulation hence sending more oxygen and nutrients through the body and cells; Stimulates the lymphatic system to rid the body of toxins; Body exfoliating treatments polishes the skin, promotes cells re-generation, refines pores and offers skin relief; Water is yin and yang – when body is submerged in water, it offers true balance; Heat treatments to stimulate blood circulation and initiate purifying process; Body wraps to re-mineralise the body, re-charge the body with nutrients and elements, boosting moisture in the skin, helping to rejuvenate and relax the body and mind.


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We're in the relegation zone and Reading are one place and one point behind us. If we win tomorrow we leave the relegation zone but if we lose, Reading go above us. A draw will mean we stay exactly where we are right now. So, question of the day is; is this game a six pointer then?
I'm not sure of the answer, but it probably is. I am sure though that this is a massive game for us tomorrow and despite all the talk, there is only one result that will be good enough and we all know what that is.
And as someone pointed out in the comments at the weekend; we played well against Arsenal because we were allowed to play well. Tomorrow is a different test, because to do well against Reading we are going to have to dominate from the first whistle and we're not going to get the freedom that maybe we got against an Arsenal side that doesn't like to tackle.
What has happened to Darren Bent?
And so I have another question. You see, I'm not sure what the general consensus is on Darren Bent; has he been dropped or is he not able to play because he isn't match fit?
I want to ask because I've got a feeling he has been well and truly dropped but I've got another feeling that if I wrote that, someone would say he hasn't been fit.
The reason I ask is because last season he was one of the best strikers in the Premier League, based on chances converted, and I just think, if you've got a player like that in the team, isn't the obvious thing to do - especially when the team he plays for find themselves in the relegation zone - is create more bloody chances for him?
I could be thinking of another game here, so shoot me down if you want to and I know Bent isn't the most lively of players, but couldn't that just be because that isn't his game and it never has been?
Prediction time
So, to the game tomorrow and I don't have a prize given, but I'm offering one up. Same rules apply, one prediction per user and if more than one get it right, names go into a hat and one person is drawn.
The prize if you win is a t-shirt from here - you get to pick the size and design, I get to order it for you. So predict away; I'm going for a 3-0 win for us and hugely renewed optimism.


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Product Description
Pure Water Systems Shower and Bath Filter products utilise the Sprite filter range, which are rated as some of the most effective and practical Shower and Bath Filters currently manufactured. Shower and Bath Filters help to process chemical disinfectants that may be present in the water. Because of the introduction of hot water, Shower and Bath Filters process water in a different way to traditional carbon filtration products. By using a specifically formulated media called KDF, Shower and Bath Filters are able to cope with and process the large amount of water that passes through the Filter Cartridge in a short amount of time, helping to convert disinfection products such as Chlorine into harmless Chloride. The manufacturer recommends that the Shower Filter Deluxe Cartridge be replaced every 12 months or sooner if required. For optimum performance, the Cartridge should be rotated periodically. Pure Water Systems offers a 3-year parts and labour warranty coupled with our Pure Quality Guarantee*, ensuring that you are receiving the best quality water available and value for money. *Available in chrome & white. Cartridge replacement: 12 monthly
- Environmentally friendly and economical alternative for healthier water when showering.
- Easy to use with no complicated features.
- 100% recyclable cartridge.
- May assist in the relief of skin irritations and breathing related ailments such as asthma.
- Softer skin & hair.
- Highest quality parts and fittings for greater peace of mind.


text:
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Historic American Buildings Survey,
Engineering Record, Landscapes Survey
View drawings from this survey. (Some may not be online).
Mesta 160-Inch Plate Mill, Defense Plant Corporation, Homestead Works, Homestead, Allegheny County, PA
- Title: Mesta 160-Inch Plate Mill, Defense Plant Corporation, Homestead Works, Homestead, Allegheny County, PA
- Creator(s): Historic American Engineering Record, creator
- Related Names:
Defense Plant Corporation
Mesta Machine Company
U.S. Steel Corporation
Iversen, Lorenz
Mesta, George
Carnegie Steel Corporation
U.S. Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program , sponsor
DeLony, Eric N , project manager
Herrin, Dean , project manager
Sabadasz, Joel , historian
Bannister, Jennifer B , historian
Price, Sandra , delineator
Ingram, Thomas , delineator
Blaire, Sean T , delineator
Ray-Fraser, Sean , delineator
Marston, Christopher H. , field team supervisor
- Date Created/Published: Documentation compiled after 1968
- Medium:
Measured Drawing(s): 7
Data Page(s): 28
- Reproduction Number: ---
- Rights Advisory:
No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. (http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html)
- Call Number: HAER PA,2-HOME,1-
- Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
- Notes:
- See also HAER PA-200-F for additional documentation. Includes photographs.
- See also HAER PA-343 for related documentation. Includes written data.
- Significance: Rated with an annual capacity of six hundred thousand tons, the 160" mill could produce plates of many types and sizes. Not limited to light-gauge carbon steel, the mill also produced alloy steels and heavy-gauge steel that required flame-cutting. Standard plate sizes ranged up to 720" in length, between 38 and 144 inches in width, and were typically between 3/16 and 1 1/2" in thickness. Although the 160" plate mill at Homestead contributed to the shipbuilding effort during World War II, its greater utility came during peacetime as a substantial addition to the industrial stock of the Pittsburgh region.
- Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N765
- Survey number: HAER PA-301
- Building/structure dates: 1941 Initial Construction
- Building/structure dates: 1993 Demolished
- Subjects:
- rolling mills (plates)
- steel industry
- war (World War II)
- ordnance industry
- labor unions
- steel mills
- continuous-type furnaces
- flash-heating furnaces
- heat-treatment soaking pits
- pump houses
- motor rooms
- electrical substations
- Fink roof trusses
- corrugated metal roofs
- monitors (roof appendages)
- corrugated metal siding
- ventilators
- plate levelers
- steel structural frames
- Place:
- Latitude/Longitude: 40.40521, -79.92229
- Collections:
- Part of: Historic American Engineering Record (Library of Congress)
- Bookmark This Record:
The Library of Congress generally does not own rights to material in its collections and, therefore, cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material. For further rights information, see "Rights Information" below and the Rights and Restrictions Information page ( http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/rights.html ).
- Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html
- Reproduction Number: ---
- Call Number: HAER PA,2-HOME,1-
- Medium:
Measured Drawing(s): 7
Data Page(s): 28
If Digital Images Are Displaying
You can download online images yourself. Alternatively, you can purchase copies of various types through Library of Congress Duplication Services.
HABS/HAER/HALS materials have generally been scanned at high resolution that is suitable for most publication purposes (see Digitizing the Collection for further details about the digital images).
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If Digital Images Are Not Displaying
In the rare case that a digital image for HABS/HAER/HALS documentation is not displaying online, select images for reproduction through one of these methods:
- Visit the Prints & Photographs Reading Room and request to view the group (general information about service in the reading room is available at: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/info/001_ref.html). It is best to contact reference staff in advance (see: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/address.html) to make sure the material is on site. OR
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- Hire a freelance researcher to do further selection for you (a list of researchers in available at: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/resource/013_pic.html).
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- Make note of the Call Number listed above.
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- The entire group can be ordered as photocopies or high-quality copies.
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- Call Number: HAER PA,2-HOME,1-
- Medium:
Measured Drawing(s): 7
Data Page(s): 28
Please use the following steps to determine whether you need to fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room to view the original item(s). In some cases, a surrogate (substitute image) is available, often in the form of a digital image, a copy print, or microfilm.
Is the item digitized? (A thumbnail (small) image will
be visible on the left.)
Yes, the item is digitized. Please use the digital image in preference to requesting the original. All images can be viewed at a large size when you are in any reading room at the Library of Congress. In some cases, only thumbnail (small) images are available when you are outside the Library of Congress because the item is rights restricted or has not been evaluated for rights restrictions.
As a preservation measure, we generally do not serve an original item when a digital image is available. If you have a compelling reason to see the original, consult with a reference librarian. (Sometimes, the original is simply too fragile to serve. For example, glass and film photographic negatives are particularly subject to damage. They are also easier to see online where they are presented as positive images.)
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a non-digital surrogate exists, such as microfilm or copy prints?
Yes, another surrogate exists. Reference staff can direct you to this surrogate.
No, another surrogate does not exist. Please go to #3.
If you do not see a thumbnail image or a reference to another surrogate, please fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. In many cases, the originals can be served in a few minutes. Other materials require appointments for later the same day or in the future. Reference staff can advise you in both how to fill out a call slip and when the item can be served.
To contact Reference staff in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, please use our Ask A Librarian service or call the reading room between 8:30 and 5:00 at 202-707-6394, and Press 3.


text:
Fig! Money! THANK YOU! I'll make a thank-you video where I read from upcoming writings!
0% of goal
Duth Olec is a novelist and writer of other weird things! I focus on humor mostly, but I do write some more serious things. The books and most stories are a science fiction/fantasy series called Cloudy Cuckoo Cosmos. Which really gives away the whole weird thing right off the bat.
Welcome to Duth Olec's Ko-ko! I mean, Teh-ee. Buh-er? Phroot-Paonsh?? Ko-fi! You can check out all sorts of free writings at my website. I want to give stuff for giving money, though, so depending on how many coffees you give me I'll give you stuff in return! 1C/$3--A Cloudy Cuckoo Cosmos ebook on Smashwords and next month's free online chapter, sent early. 6C/$18--A physical copy of any finished CCC book mailed to you, signed, along with an exclusive bookmark. 10C/$30--I thank you so much that I'll thank you in the next book! By name!
Ko-fi helps creators earn money from their passion. We don't take a fee from donations!Start a Page
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text:
Disclaimer: Although we make every effort to keep this list updated, we cannot guarantee the availability of any of the plants listed. Please call before making a special trip.
Dahlia 'Painter™ Berry Impressions'
Dahlia variabilis ('Painter™' Series)
Dahlia variabilis ('Painter™' Series)
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What's My Zone?
Zone: 9 to 11Plant Type: Annual
|Blooms all season
(click for map)
Cultivar Notes - 'Painter™ Berry Impressions'
Large double blooms in rich jewel purple tones outrageously splashed & painted with plum-black highlights. Flowers held upright well above the foliage.
Series Notes - Painter™
The Dahlia Painter Collection is the picture perfect: Rich saturated colors, spectacular flower shape and dramatic markings are all hallmarks of the Painter Collection. This flamboyant new collection comes to you from the breeder team of Georges Delbard in romantic France.
This new collection includes four audacious colors ranging from warm yellow with splashes of red to hot pink brushed on white. All boast large double blooms, up to 4" in diameter, held upright above vivid green foliage on strong stems that don't require staking. Strong compact habit. 24" x 24" at maturity. Long blooming period, summer to fall.
Genus Notes - Dahlia
Fewer flowers say "summer" like the bold blooms of dahlias. These favorite plants come in two basic types: compact bedding forms and tall border types. Both have upright stems and grow from tuberous roots. They come in an amazing range of colors and flower forms, from single, small, daisy-like blooms to huge, ruffled flowers up to 8" across. Compact bedding dahlias are ideal for container gardens and for edging beds. Use the border types to add height and color to gardens in late summer to fall. Dahlias also make great cut flowers.


text:
Computer Science
Course Title: GCSE (9-1) Computer Science
Syllabus Code: OCR J276
Exam Board: OCR Web link
Year 1 Term1
Learners develop an understanding of the principles and concepts of computer science.
Topics covered are:
- System architecture
- Memory
- Computational logic
Year 1 Term2
Learners understand the components that make up digital systems and how they communicate with one another and with other systems:
Topics include:
- System software
- System security
- Networks
Learners develop their practical programming skills using Python.
Year 1 Term3
Learners analyse problems in computational terms through practical experience of solving such problems, including designing, writing and debugging programs.
Topics covers are:
- Programming techniques
- Programming development
Year 2 Term1
Learners understand the impacts of digital technology to the individual and to wider society.
Topics include:
- Ethical and legal issues
Learners are given the opportunity to choose a computing problem to work through. Learners are required to analyse a problem, design a solution, develop a solution and evaluate the solution.
Year 2 Term2
Topics include:
- Computer systems
- Algorithms and programming


text:
Is there such a thing as being too patriotic? Kim Jong-un would answer that with a resounding "no", but the question is a bit more tricky with Americans.
Which brings us to 'Jingoism'. What the hell is Jingoism? Jingoism is an extreme form of nationalism often marked by supporting war-like foreign policy.
An example of a jingoist would be someone who, despite a General, Secretary of Defense, or Geneva conference, advising against, or prohibiting certain types of military intervention, would support war or acts of aggression anyway.
Moreover, a jingoist is someone who is likely to unconditionally support the actions of his or her government because they feel it's a representation of their country and it would be patriotic to do so.
When people think about the cultural and political atmosphere of America in the 1960s, they're likely to talk about the Vietnam war protests and the 'flower power' generation.
Because that imagery has been so ingrained in media, movies, music etc. some people wouldn't believe you when you told them that there was actually a 'pro Vietnam war' facet as well.
There were some Americans who marched against the anti-war movement, carrying signs like "Love it or Leave it" and "Let's Demand Victory in Vietnam."
There were also people who espoused that they wanted to bomb Hanoi or pull the U.S. troops and then just flat out nuke Vietnam. (Which according to Daniel Ellsberg, a former military analyst and Marine in Vietnam, almost happened. )
No action was too extreme for a jingoist, as long as those actions were consistent with their brand of nationalism.
On a social level, jingoists tend to be hostile towards anyone who even slightly deviates from hardcore nationalism.
The problem with jingoism (other than the obvious) is that it actually contradicts what America stands for; liberal democracy, a constitutional republic and a responsibility to question political leaders.
America is about the spirit of rebellion, the preservation of individual liberty and a sense of democracy, protest and dissent.
There's nothing wrong with loving your country and having a sense of patriotism, but if a person possesses an extreme, belligerent level of patriotism, or jingoism, they become in diametric opposition to the ideals of America.
I say with confidence that jingoism is anti-American.


text:
Image Property are the leaders in property management in Brisbane.
Specialising in management services that aim to add value to the property investor experience, we are committed to providing an unparalleled level of service and expertise for landlords and their tenants.
Image Property was established by Shannon Davis in 2004. Since this time, the business has continued to expand throughout Brisbane, with an office in West End, Aspley and one due to open in Camp Hill in March this year. With an inner north, inner south and city centre presence, we will be able to offer greater mobility and range across Brisbane.
email view profile
0422140356 07 3324 9144
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0448497900 0733973155
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0429201100 0733973155
email view profile


text:
The Best in Home Inspections
From roof to footings, we provide complete, detailed home inspections that leave you more empowered as a buyer or seller. We generate electronic inspection reports that make the negotiation process smoother, and maintaining your home easier.
When you hire Peak Home Inspection, you get a thorough home inspection that leaves you with not only with critical
Peak Inspection Services
When it comes to home inspections or other inspection types – we have you covered. Our 20+ years of experience help us to be able to find issues, help you understand them, and help you know the severity of those issues.
We are proud of how thorough our home inspections are. Our full home inspections take about 2-4 hours, depending on the size of the home or property. In that time period, we examine hundreds of items throughout your home, including the roof, exteriors, lots and grounds, structure, electrical, plumbing, heating, doors, windows, and much more.
To us, it is much more than a home inspection,
Additional Services
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Have your home professionally tested for this radioactive gas
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Newly built or older – make sure your deck is sturdy and ready
Make sure repairs are truly fixed and issues were taken care of
Detailed Inspection Reports
The home inspection report is one of the most important things we provide as home
After your home inspection is complete, we compile all of the information we gathered into a clear, detailed electronic inspection report. Our reports are not only
Since your home inspection is such an important time to learn about your home, you are encouraged to join the inspection and ask any questions you might have along the way. Being present at the inspection will also help you become familiar with the home.
Electronic reports complete with pictures and descriptions that make everything easier for you
The condition of every major component, from the roof to the basement
Major and minor deficiencies and any major expenditures necessary
What to watch out for and helpful home maintenance and preservation tips
Safety issues, hazards, and anything else that in the inspection that could harm you or your home
Radon Testing – Why Important
Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that is naturally occurring in the earth. Even though it is "natural", it is very dangerous.
Radon is the second leading cause of cancer in the US, second only to first-hand smoking. According to the EPA, it is also responsible for over 20,000 deaths per year.
Be sure to protect your family's health by having us professionally test your new or current home. The test is cost effective, and vital for your safety.
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text:
Corbijn, Anton
Anton Johannes Gerrit Corbijn van Willenswaard is a Dutch photographer, music video director and film director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2, having handled the principal promotion and sleeve photography for both bands for almost three decades
Corbijn began his career as a music photographer around 1975. He took a lot of photographs of the band Herman Brood & His Wild Romance and these led to a rise in fame for Brood and in exposure for Corbijn. From the late 1970s the London based New Musical Express (NME), a weekly music paper, featured his work on a regular basis and would often have a photograph by him on the front page. One such occasion was a portrait of David Bowie wearing a loincloth backstage in New York when starring in The Elephant Man. In the early years of London-based The Face, a glossy monthly post-punk life style / music magazine, Corbijn was a regular contributor. He made his name photographing in black-and-white but in May 1989 he began taking pictures in colour using filters. His first venture in this medium was for Siouxsie Sioux. Between 1998-2000, in collaboration with the painter Marlene Dumas, he worked on a project called "Stripping Girls", which took the strip clubs and peep shows of Amsterdam as their subject; while Corbijn later exhibited photographs, Dumas took Polaroids which she then used as sources for her paintings.
Anton Corbijn's photographs attest to the self-analysis of the portrayed and make it visible, while at the same time captivating the viewer with their appealing imagery and their seemingly abstract scenarios, in which the figures depicted allow an intimate glimpse into their personalities.


text:
|Renovascular disease in the elderly: an analysis of 50 patients.
MedLine Citation:
|PMID: 3157738 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE
|Fifty patients, 65 years of age or older, with renovascular disease were evaluated and treated between 1979 and 1981. Twenty-one patients were treated medically, 21 surgically and 8 with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the renal arteries. The age, sex, target organ involvement, initial blood pressure and serum creatinine were similar among the three groups. Sixty-six percent of the medical group demonstrated lower blood pressure. Ninety percent of the surgical group demonstrated a cure or improved blood pressure, and 43% of the patients with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty had improved blood pressure. Renal function deteriorated in 50% of the medical group, 19% of the surgical group and 25% of patients in the percutaneous transluminal angioplasty group. There was one operative death in the surgical group and one death related to percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. The data demonstrate that old age itself is not a contraindication to surgery. If hypertension is resistant to medical therapy, if the patient experiences undesirable side effects from the medications or if renal function is jeopardized, surgical therapy should be considered. More experience with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty is necessary to determine its precise role in managing atherosclerotic renal vascular disease in the elderly.
|J W Olin; D G Vidt; R W Gifford; A C Novick
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Publication Detail:
|Type: Journal Article
Journal Detail:
|Title: Journal of the American College of Cardiology Volume: 5 ISSN: 0735-1097 ISO Abbreviation: J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. Publication Date: 1985 May
Date Detail:
|Created Date: 1985-05-29 Completed Date: 1985-05-29 Revised Date: 2004-11-17
Medline Journal Info:
|Nlm Unique ID: 8301365 Medline TA: J Am Coll Cardiol Country: UNITED STATES
Other Details:
|Languages: eng Pagination: 1232-8 Citation Subset: IM
Export Citation:
|APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex
|MeSH Terms
Angioplasty, Balloon
Blood Pressure
Creatine / blood
Glomerular Filtration Rate
Hypertension, Renovascular / mortality, physiopathology, surgery, therapy*
Kidney / physiopathology
Reg. No./Substance:
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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text: RoastedRareByte 2 Posted February 10, 2015 (edited) Hi all, So, I was thinking about the beta update where a specific talent in the Agressor specialization now gave 1 conflict whenever it was used. I remember the change occuring with the reason of "setting presidence". This had me thinking, "setting presidence for what?" One idea that I came up with was that perhaps they may end up creating a supplement meant exclusively for dark side specializations, or rather, universal specializations that rack up conflict in exchange for cool abilities. I don't think it's unrealistic to think they will create a book full of universal specializations and "dark side" force using races, but I'm curious about what you guys think? Do you guys think it's feasable? If not, why? And if so (or whether or not you think so, I want to bounce ideas off of you guys), what kind of specializations do you think we could see that would really complement itself to a purely dark side user? Thanks for reading! EDIT: I also want to include in the question, what kind of dark side races do you think might be in such a supplement, too? Edited February 10, 2015 by RoastedRareByte Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text:
Acclaimed film-maker and photographer Terry Abraham has resigned from a charity over the planned zipwires at Thirlmere.
The cinematographer announced his decision at the rebranding launch of The Lake District Foundation on Friday.
The organisation was formerly known as Nurture Lakeland and has the stated aims of promoting the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment and cultural heritage of the Lake District by providing funding and support for conservation, environmental and cultural initiatives in the Lake District and Cumbria.
It also says it aims to inspire people to care for and contribute to the natural environment and cultural heritage of the Lake District and Cumbria.
Terry Abraham has produced two films on Lakeland peaks – Scafell Pike and Blencathra – which have screened on the BBC, and this year released a biographical work on mountaineer Alan Hinkes. He had been appointed an ambassador to The Lake District Foundation, whose trustees include Lake District national park chief executive Richard Leafe and Ian Stephens, former chief executive of Cumbria Tourism.
But at the launch near Windermere, he announced to the gathering that he was resigning the post. He said later on Twitter that he was not allowed to express his opinion on the controversial plans for the Thirlmere zipwire as the charity wanted to remain neutral.
He told the audience at the launch: "I have to stand against because the idea that it is meant to inspire youth for adventure and appreciation of the outdoors, I find tenuous at best.
"What it's likely to cost and what's involved with the ride, never mind the detrimental effects potentially in terms of conservation that it has on the area and the signal that that sends out at large across the whole of the national park and others around the country, I find laughable to a degree.
"You can go gill scrambling, scrambling, climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, fellwalking, wild camping. These things afford more in terms of your mental health, your physical health and inspiring people to appreciate the environment that they're in, the environment, and nature, conservation, to care and protect.
"I hope that you can understand why I have to decline the role and I do apologise for bringing it over to you this way."
He went on to point out that Zip World Lakes Limited has already been registered as a company.
"A few months ago I rode the longest zipwire in Europe and the fastest in the world in north Wales, on the edge of the national park, in a working industrial quarry is where that zipwire exists.
"And I did a video, I put it out on social media, saying how much I enjoyed it – it's fun, I am not anti-zipwire, but – I did make the point – in a suitable location," he said. "And I wouldn't like to see something like that bang in the heart of a national park, especially when it's just been designated world heritage site status."
He said he subsequently was persuaded to remove the video. He pointed out he was simply stating his opinion, that local people in north Wales who had been in favour of the development now complain about noise from the zipwire.
He added: "[Cumbria Tourism's] argument for the Thirlmere Activity Hub goes against not just everything I feel I stand for and care about in terms of inspiring people to care for the Lake District, in terms of conservation, and what the national park is about to protect, enhance and conserve.
"Hopefully the planners will adhere to the Sandford Principle."
Mike Turner, owner of Tree Top Trek which is applying for consent for the zipwires, is a member of the executive board of Cumbria Tourism. The Sandford Principle states that if there is a conflict between protecting the environment and people enjoying the environment that can't be resolved by management, then protecting the environment is more important.
Mr Abraham, who moved from his Nottinghamshire home to live in Cumbria recently, said: "I've wrestled with my conscience, and I wanted to maintain my integrity, and if I can get that message out there then I have done, but don't doubt I do not care about the Lake District – the blood, sweat and tears I've gone through in the last few years to produce the documentaries all by myself. I am beholden to nobody, I am independent.
"I can't not speak out when it's a conservation charity."
A spokesperson for The Lake District Foundation said: "The love of the Lake District runs deep and it's wonderful that people like Terry have such a passion for the area and such strong views on its future.
"We of course respect his right to express his opinion and wish him well as he begins work on his next film.
"The Lake District Foundation is a neutral organisation that raises funds for the area to distribute to a range of projects. As such, our job is not to campaign on either side of issues such as the proposed zipwire in Thirlmere. There are other highly effective interest groups that exist to do this.
"Therefore, although any of our ambassadors are welcome to express their views as individuals, it is important they don't use the Lake District Foundation as a platform as it would distract attention from our overall task of raising money for all the good causes we support.
"Friday was a great day in the life of The Lake District Foundation. We received so much support from businesses, partners and local beneficiary projects who are excited about our commitment to generate funds to protect this amazing place.
"Our launch is a step towards our ambitious plans to raise £1 from each of the 18 million visitors to the park each year."
Mr Abraham said he will make a further statement on Monday.
He told grough that before the YouTube recording started, he addressed the gathering. "I felt compelled to speak out. I spoke about how we're all standing in the shoulders of giants: Wordsworth sowed the seeds of the idea of national parks; John Muir emigrated and created national parks, we in the UK followed suit; the Kinder mass trespass; the roots of the National Trust; Beatrix Potter fought against the industrialists; and of course the national park we sit amongst today.
"Thirlmere was the birthplace of the conservation movement. Ullswater was planned to be a reservoir.
"I am still now so saddened I had to take that considered but ultimately impulsive decision. I'm genuinely sorry if I upset anyone. But my emotions are inevitably overruled by the bigger picture of what matters in the Lakes."
A YouTube video of Terry Abraham speaking at the launch has been posted.


text:
You Belong in Community
We know that Jesus deeply values relationships so we want to make sure we value them as well. In today's culture, cultivating deep relationships is incredibly rare because everyone stays so busy. We want to celebrate life together as well as encourage one another through the difficult seasons. For that reason, TWC chooses to make meaningful relationships a priority! Every group is different, from the time to meeting place to the time and personalities to that session's focus, but that is what makes it fun and creates room for everyone! We know life is better together and want you to join us!
Click below to check out all of the amazing leaders and groups!
Larry & Mary Galvan
Engaged & Married Adults Group
Scott & Christina Caldwell
Adult's Group
Ricky & Belinda Churchwell
50+ Group
Brandon & Michelle Moralez
Adult's Group
Click the CG link below to tell us more about yourself, and we will contact you!


text:
Looking for a rewarding and challenging career? Do you like to help people and engage with your community, while being surrounded by information, new technology, and innovative services? Consider working for the Atlantic County Library System with branches in 9 municipalities; Brigantine, Egg Harbor City, Egg Harbor Township, Galloway Township, Hammonton, Mays Landing, Pleasantville, Somers Point, and Ventnor.
ACLS offers full-time and part-time professional and non-professional employment with opportunities for advancement. Educational development is encouraged through workshops, conferences, and ongoing training. As a Division of Atlantic County Government, full-time employees of the Atlantic County Library System also enjoy comprehensive benefit packages.
To search and apply for other types of employment within the county, please go to the Atlantic County Government Division of Human Resources webpage.
If you are interested in applying to ACLS for a position not available, you may submit an application online for your preferred job title (e.g. page, library assistant, librarian) and whether you are interested in full-time or part-time work. Applications will remain on file with Atlantic County for 6 months. You can also download and print a application, or request a paper copy by calling the Division of Human Resources at 609-343-2211.
Open Job Postings
Title: Librarian 1
Salary: FT $40,000 - $58,878
Department: Department of Administration
Division: Division of Library Services
Location: Ventnor Branch
Civil Service Test (NJCSC) Required: YES
Schedule: 35 hours/week.The schedule for this position will include evenings and rotating Saturdays.
Duties: Under supervision, functions at the entry level of the professional librarian class of jobs providing a variety of library services; performs related duties as required. Click for more specific information.
Note: The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.
A Master's degree in Library or Information Sciences in a library program accredited by the American Library Association or from a New Jersey College Master's program in Library Science that has been deemed acceptable by Thomas Edison State College.
Appointees may be required to possess a valid license as a Professional Librarian issued by Thomas Edison State College.
NOTE: Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.
Volunteer Opportunities
There are a variety of volunteer opportunities for students, teens, and adults, from helping to clean and sort library materials and displays, to preparing crafts for programming. If you need to fulfill community service obligations or just have some extra time to give, get in touch with your local ACLS Branch for specifics. An application to volunteer must be filled out and submitted to ACLS for Atlantic County approval.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Atlantic County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Office of Equal Opportunity monitors county government for compliance with appropriate laws and guidelines regarding equal opportunity and nondiscrimination. This Office provides direct service to the citizens of our county through its effective oversight of these sensitive issues.


text:
As mentioned elsewhere on this thread, the technique for handling namespaces and local names in RDF is a hack that was carried over from XML---and even then some bad decisions were made, causing problems that could have been avoided. The worse transgression was to form an RDF URI as a mere concatenation of the namespace URI and the local name. As you alluded, this means it is impossible to create a set of rules to discover what the original URI was. A few years back it was advocated that one could search for the last occurring URI reserved character (e.g. '#' or '/'), and assume that everything after that character was the local name, and that everything before and including that character was the namespace URI. This approach is not foolproof, though. It won't work, for example, for a namespace like that of XLink, <http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink>. Worse yet, it requires modification of some namespaces to even create the correct resource URI. For example, the XML Schema namespace is <http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema>, as is clearly stated at <http://www.w3.org/TR/xmlschema-2/#namespaces>. However, in order to create the appropriate datatype URIs (such as <http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#int>), RDF has to pretend that the XML Schema namespace is really <http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#> so that the concatenation process will work; see <http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-rdf-syntax/#rdfmodel> for example. This is not just some esoteric example---RDF datatypes are central to RDF typed literals (which have significant other problems, as discussed on other threads). On top of all that, it's logically and aesthetically unappealing to think that <http://example.com/example#> is the URI of a namespace---it's a corruption of the usual semantics of the fragment identifier. The Uniform Resource Framework (URF) explicitly took note of this problem and was designed to avoid it. URF provides a rigorous specification of the relationship between a resource's URI and the URI of the namespace of which it is a part (i.e. the resource's ontology). These rules are laid out under "Ontologies and Namespaces" at <http://www.urf.name/>. In short, there are three types of possible relationships between a namespace URI and the URI of a resource within that namespace: * namespace <http://example.com/example> and local name "resource" yields resource URI <http://example.com/example#resource> * namespace <http://example.com/example/> and local name "resource" yields resource URI <http://example.com/example/resource> * namespace <http://example.com/example#fragment> and local name "resource" yields resource URI <http://example.com/example#fragment/resource> These rules provide deterministic transformations from namespace/local name to resource URI and back with no loss of information. It provides namespace URIs that look like normal URIs (not some strange URI with an empty fragment identifier). And it allows useful relationships, like modeling the relationships among a Java package, class, and a class's properties using the same namespace/local name paradigm: <java:/com/example/package/> <java:/com/example/package/Class> <java:/com/example/package/Class#property> Garret Max Voelkel wrote: > Hey semantic web, > > is there anywhere a general rule *defined* how to expand > namespace-prefixed-XML-localnames such as xs:dayTimeDuration into a full > (possibly de-referencable) URI? > > ---------- > in http://www.w3.org/TR/xpath-datamodel/#notation it says: > ---- > The following bindings are assumed. > xs: bound to http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema > ---- > > This implies from XML namespace rules that e.g. > xs:dayTimeDuration expands to > http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchemadayTimeDuration > which is not a dereferencable URI. > > Is this correct and intended? For RDF, one uses usually namespace declarations > that end with "/" or "#". > > Michael Rys responds: > MR> Namespace prefixes in XML are not concatenated to the names in the way that > MR> you do it below. Instead they form a tuple > MR> (namespace-uri, local-name). > > MR> There are different expanded name notations being used, such as > MR> {http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema}dayTimeDuration, > MR> which is non-dereferencable, or > MR> http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dayTimeDuration which can be. > > Thanks a lot for your quick response. Is there a sort of authorative "expanded > name notation"? Especially one talking about "#" would be great to > read/reference. I have no idea what to Google for. > > [1] 'defines' (but only in the examples) the rule: <url> = <namespace> + <localname> > > [1] http://www.w3.org/TR/rdf-primer/ > > Kind Regards, > Max > -- > Max Völkel > email@example.com | www.Xam.de > office +49 721 96 54-854 > mobile +49 171 83 59 678 > -- > FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik an der Universität Karlsruhe > Haid-und-Neu-Str. 10-14, D-76131 Karlsruhe > Tel.: +49-721-9654-0, Fax: +49-721-9654-959 > Stiftung des bürgerlichen Rechts, Az: 14-0563.1 Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe. > Vorstand: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rüdiger Dillmann, Dipl. Wi.-Ing. Michael Flor > Prof. Dr. Dr.-Ing. Jivka Ovtcharova, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Rudi Studer > Vorsitzender des Kuratoriums: Ministerialdirigent Günther Leßnerkraus > > >Received on Monday, 17 December 2007 02:18:31 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Friday, 17 January 2020 19:47:30 UTC


text:
Youtube2GIF is a free to use desktop application for Windows computers. The application comes in a small EXE file that is sized at nearly 0.9 MB. Once you download and install this file, you can open the app and find a resizable frame that you can place over any video that is playing on your computer. The source of this video can be anything – either a local video playing or an online video that you are streaming.
Once you have the frame on top of the video, you will view it playing. Click on the 'Start' button when you want the GIF recording to be initiated. Once this is done, the application will start capturing images regularly that pass through the frame. This way, the app will be capturing the changing images that appear on the video. When you are done, you can optionally add some text on your GIF image.
The "Create GIF" will finally produce your GIF image. If you feel that the speed of the GIF needs to be changed, you can do so in the future recording using the "More" menu in the top right of the application.
GIF animations created by the free version of this app carry a watermark with them. To remove this watermark, you will need to buy its license that currently costs $19.95.
- A user friendly desktop app.
- Compatible with Windows computers.
- Lets you create GIF animations from videos.
- Supports locally playing videos as well as online streamin videos.
- Related: GIFSoup, Convert YouTube Video To GIF Animations Online Easily Convert YouTube Video to GIF Animations Online There are often times when you wish you could turn a video into a GIF file. Maybe you want to pass a short clip around the office without getting anyone fired for looking at YouTube.... Read More .
Check out Youtube2GIF @ http://www.youtube2gif.com [No Longer Available]