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Title: The Night of the Intruder
Fandom: Wild Wild West
Pairing: Jim/Artie
Feedback: justblackchaps at yahoo dot com
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Jim has a wild night.
Disclaimer: All this belongs to CBS.
Note: This was originally published in Night of Wonder 3, March 2004.
Jim reined in his black gelding when he topped the rise and saw the Wanderer on a siding not far away. The Wanderer was quiet--no steam. The gelding stamped and snorted. He was ready for some oats. Jim made the horse wait and watched. Was Artemus home? Jim pulled off his hat and waited, but saw no movement on the train. Jim swallowed his disappointment and gave the gelding a bit of rein.
The gelding danced home with a great deal of enthusiasm, and Jim wished he shared it. A bath would be nice, but if it weren't for that, he'd keep moving down the trail until he bumped into his partner.
Jim shook his head. The odds of finding Artemus were slim to zero. He had a knack for disappearing. Jim put the gelding away after speaking briefly with their engineer. He was glad to see someone, and the two of them agreed to wait another day for Artemus before going to the second rendezvous point. He'd show up there if not here.
The bath did feel good. Jim went ahead and took a long one. He almost fell asleep. At last, he pulled the plug and dried off. His stomach complained about the lack of victuals, and he went to the galley naked to find some food. He probably should have stopped for pants, but he was too hungry. Heating up the stove seemed like too much work so he settled for an apple, hardtack, and some beef jerky. He took the food to the closet and found some blue trousers. The pigeons were hopping about, and he fed them enough to send them into coos of delight. He smiled at the little beggars. They had each other.
There were no more animals to feed, and Artemus was currently without a cat, so Jim took his meager meal to the parlor. The sun was going down. He turned up the lamps and used whiskey to soften the hardtack. It was food. His stomach quit fussing at him, and he cleaned his six-shooter before storing it away. The train seemed empty without Artemus, and Jim picked out a book to read. He was asleep before he finished the first chapter.
The cold kiss of a revolver stroking across his forehead jerked Jim awake. He'd forgotten to set the alarms. He cursed himself twice before he even bothered to open his eyes. Once there was a gun against his head, it didn't pay to make any sudden movements. It was nearly dark in the parlor car. One lamp across the car burned dimly.
Jim ignored the gun. "Can I help you?"
The dim light obscured the big, burly man standing over him. Jim could see a bandanna across the intruder's face.
"Give me a good reason not to shoot you," the gravelly voice whispered, and Jim began to get worried. This wasn't a normal robbery. Jim tried to sit up and the gun pressed against his forehead, keeping him down.
"One good reason."
Jim squinted and tried to get a good look at the fellow holding a gun on him. He was big, and Jim could see tufts of blond hair. Blond? Jim had half-convinced himself that this was Artemus playing a joke on him. That conviction went out the window. "Right off hand, I can't think of a thing."
"No wife to cry over you?"
"Nope, not even a dog." Jim slowly dropped an arm down the side of the sofa, reaching for the remote switch to the guns on the desk.
The six-shooter trailed down to Jim's groin. "Raise your hands and sit up."
Jim hoped this fellow didn't have a nervous hand and sat up. He put his hands about shoulder height. The gun never moved, or Jim would have. "There's money over there."
"I don't need money."
"Then why are you here?" Jim smiled. This had to be Artemus. A fist struck him across the face. Jim quit smiling. The bastard was going to pay for that. "Shoot me and get the hell out!"
"Tempting, but I want something else first. Put your head down on your knees and your hands behind your back."
Jim listened carefully for any nuance that would tip him to Artemus. Who was this guy? "No."
"Fine, say goodnight." The gun came back up to Jim's forehead. The hammer clicked back. Jim had three seconds to make up his mind, and he put his hands behind his back. The stranger growled, "That's better, now lean over."
Jim curled his lip in disgust, and he was tempted to force the issue. Very slowly, his back bent and his forehead pressed into his knees. His temper raged and went higher when a big hand kept his head down. Jim listened for the gun to be put away, but he heard nothing except the double click of the manacles behind him. He surged up, but a hand pushed him down to the floor.
"Give up. You're all mine now," the voice rasped.
The smug words made Jim rebel more, and he struggled against the hand. It released his head, and a boot shoved him to his back. He went down, and a boot kept him there. He couldn't see anything but a shadowy figure, and he'd had enough of this. "One mistake and you'll be mine," he growled. A hand reached down and pulled him up by the hair. On his knees, Jim quietly cursed. "Damn you."
"Shut up. Give me what I want, and I'll leave you to your lonely life."
In the shadow of the man's body, Jim could see almost nothing, but the gun was against the side of his head. A hard cock slapped him against the face, and Jim flinched away. "Get that away from me," Jim snarled. If this was Artemus, he was getting a real ass kicking once the manacles came off.
"Get it done."
Between the hand and the gun, Jim found himself where he didn't want to be, getting ready to suck cock. He'd done it before, but this was beyond the bounds of his temper. He clacked his teeth together. The gun pressed into his skin.
"Die or blow, you choose."
Jim answered immediately, "No, you choose. Take your chances or pull the trigger."
Silence. The gun holstered. Jim saw the twirl and the flourish against the dim light, and that gave him all the answers he needed. Artemus was going to pay for this. Two hands grabbed Jim's head, and he found the cock pressed against his mouth. Jim opened up. He'd suck and beat Artemus later.
"Smart man."
Jim's mouth was full, and he grunted. His cock started to get hard. Artemus was home. The parlor was quiet except for the sounds of Jim working. Back and forth, he took it all the way down when the hands pulled him deep. He twisted his hands in the manacles, and his own cock leaked into his pants. He groaned deep in his throat and quivered with lust.
"I knew you were easy."
Jim considered using his teeth, but the hands held him firmly. The big cock slammed down and pulsed. Jim swallowed the seed. His own cock twitched, and his pants were painfully tight. The hands released his face, and he fell to his side on the floor with a grunt. Two could play this game.
"Shoot me, please. Get it over with," Jim begged. "No more."
A boot came to rest on Jim's hip. "Don't beg."
"Please, it'd break his heart if I cheated on him." Jim did his poor best to look horrified.
"Jim, you're ruining this for me," Artemus said.
"Why is your hair blonde?" Jim didn't try to get up. "And you hit me!"
"It's a disguise, and you liked it." Artemus pulled his bandanna off and helped Jim onto the sofa.
"That was uncalled for!"
"You thought it was me. I had to do something." Artemus turned up the lamps and began to remove his disguise at the desk. "I didn't hit you hard."
"Take off these manacles so I can hit you." Jim jingled and glared at Artemus.
"Not until I've finished with you." Artemus grinned. "You're mine, remember?"
Jim scrabbled up. He had a lock pick in his room, but Artemus was behind him before he cleared the connecting door. Jim turned quickly to head butt him.
Artemus pushed Jim against the wall and laughed. "Come on, Jim. You know you want it."
"I want to give it to you." Jim braced himself and tried a sidekick. It missed only because Artemus twisted at the last moment.
"You didn't set the alarms. You're fair game." Artemus yanked Jim's pants down, effectively trapping his legs.
"Damn it, Artie. I was looking forward to you coming home!"
"That's sweet, Jim. Now give me your sweet ass."
Jim made one last desperate attempt to pin him. Artemus promptly knocked Jim down. He fell with a thud--no hands to catch himself, and Artemus was on him, keeping him down.
"You could at least take me to bed." Jim banged his head against the floor for emphasis.
"After I've fucked you into submission, we'll get comfortable." Artemus shed his shirt and began to fondle Jim's ass.
"Artemus, if I were you, I'd consider your next moves carefully." Jim tried to roll over, but Artemus was too heavy.
"Revenge is more my style than yours. As long as I make you love it, we'll be fine."
Jim couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. Artemus pushed a finger in Jim's mouth, made sure it was good and wet, and pressed it up Jim's ass. Jim gasped from the invasion. Artemus kissed and fingered Jim until he was writhing from the pleasure. Now, he really wanted to beg.
"Would you have sucked a stranger, Jim?"
"He did have a nice big cock," Jim said.
Artemus pulled his finger out of Jim's ass. Jim controlled a flinch and looked over his shoulder. Artemus was pushing down his pants. Jim groaned. Artemus pulled Jim up by the hips. "Beg for mercy." Artemus bit Jim hard.
"Please, don't! My boyfriend will kill me." Jim reached back with his manacled hands and found Artemus' chest. He grabbed hold.
"Fuck your boyfriend," Artemus growled and surged forward against Jim's hands.
"I plan to do that later," Jim gasped.
Artemus' cock was slick with something, and Jim was relieved. That cock was too big to take dry. Jim saw stars when Artemus hit bottom. Artemus didn't wait even a moment. He started fucking Jim hard. Jim tried to crawl off, but Artemus didn't allow that.
"Damn, what a sweet ass."
Jim panted and wished he had someone to bite. Artemus pushed Jim completely flat. Their bodies slammed together. Jim orgasmed on himself. It ripped his breath away and sent him gasping for air. He forgot about Artemus momentarily and began to relax. Lassitude spread over him. He felt fine.
"Have you submitted?"
"Oh yeah," Jim sighed. "I'm all yours."
Artemus laughed and got off. Jim lay in the hallway with had no desire to go anywhere. This was perfect. Artemus pulled him up, and Jim's trousers fell completely off. He leaned back into Artemus and let him steer. Jim fell onto the bed.
Artemus shucked off his pants and got on top of him. "Do you wish I was a stranger?"
"Aren't you?" Jim sucked in his stomach when Artemus started licking it. "You're not quitting."
"No, that's only one for you. You're good for another." Artemus licked Jim clean and headed south.
Jim grinned and shut his eyes to enjoy every sensation. Artemus could give out tremendous amounts of pleasure. Fingers, hands, tongue, and mouth combined to give Jim another orgasm. This one felt so good that he forgot his name. It was all a blur.
"I think I can go again," Artemus said.
"I don't believe it!"
"We've been apart for days." Artemus rolled Jim to his side and curled in behind him. Jim grunted when Artemus reinserted his cock. It didn't hurt. Hands pulled, the cock pushed, and Jim was groggy.
"So good," Artemus gasped.
"My boyfriend is going to be a mite put out with you." Jim laughed softly.
"I'm your new boyfriend," Artemus whispered into Jim's back. "You can shoot the old one for me."
"After tonight, I might." Jim was worn out.
Artemus managed to get a little deeper and cried out when he came again. "James!"
Jim smiled and pushed back into Artemus. He held Jim tightly and quit moving. They lay together. Jim shut his eyes and didn't open them again until the sun came up.
Jim flipped off the couch and landed hard. The book that had been on his face fell off and snapped shut. He lay there stunned. Sunlight streamed in the window, and his gummy eyes blinked. Groaning softly, he got off the floor and sat on the sofa. He rubbed the gunk from his eyes.
Jim put some power into it. Silence answered him. The train was quiet. He glanced out the window. The sun was well up. His mouth was dry as the desert, and he staggered over to the whiskey. He poured a generous two fingers in the glass and drank it fast. The whiskey burned away the scum in his mouth, and he took a deep breath. His vision was still blurry, and he shook his head to clear it. Bad idea. Dizziness spun him around. The back door shut. Jim heard it clearly, and he turned that direction. Artemus, with his saddlebags over his shoulder, stopped by the desk. Jim stared in disbelief.
"Jim, are you okay? You look awful." Artemus placed the saddlebags on the desk and moved to Jim's side. Jim sagged against him. Artemus helped Jim sit back down on the sofa.
"Artie, what game are you playing?"
Artemus peeled Jim's eyelid up. "Are you drunk? Is that why you didn't set the alarms?"
Jim grabbed Artemus by the shirt and shook him. "No, and I owe you a fist across the face."
"Jim, honey, I know you're happy to see me, but isn't a kiss more appropriate?" Artemus stood up, forcing Jim to release him.
Jim leaned back against the sofa. Last night was a blur, but a couple of events stood out clearly in his mind. "I thought you were wearing a disguise."
Artemus went and poured two whiskeys. "Here, you need this. Why would I need a disguise? All we were doing was interviewing bankers about counterfeiting in this area."
Jim slugged the drink back and tried to think. "You were here, and you fucked me half the night."
Artemus went back to the desk and started unloading his saddlebags. "You do have the look of a satisfied man about you, but I've been on the trail. Who was the lucky fellow?"
Jim rubbed his face. "Artemus Gordon, this isn't funny. You put a gun to my head, cuffed me, and--"
"James! Please Jim, stop. That simply isn't possible, and I don't want to hear about your games with your latest lover. Whoever it was, okay?" Artemus grabbed a handful of packages and left Jim sitting on the sofa.
Jim stared after him. What the hell was going on? It had been Artemus, right? Jim scratched his head hard. He remembered everything that happened last night. Well, not everything, but close enough. He hadn't been drunk. Artemus was still in the galley. Jim found his legs and managed to propel himself to the doorway. Artemus was making coffee and biscuits.
"You're pulling some kind of joke on me, aren't you?"
"Jim, think a minute. When's the last time you let me fuck your ass? And if I cuffed you, you'd find a way to kill me. I wasn't here. I'm glad you had a nice night. Can we drop it?"
Artemus wouldn't even look at him. Doubts assailed Jim. It had been dark, and he could have been mistaken. No, it had been Artemus. Jim leaned against the doorway. Artemus came over and put his hand on Jim's shoulder. "Go lay down. You'll feel better after you eat."
Jim tried to capture those brown eyes, but they turned away. He sighed softly and let Artemus walk him to the sofa. Jim sat down and shut his aching eyes. He heard Artemus go back to the galley. Jim had obviously upset his partner. They never discussed the topic of Jim's lovers, but this morning Jim had shoved it in Artemus' face. He sat there and refused to feel guilty. Who was that last night? He was no longer certain of anything.
Artemus brought Jim a cup of coffee and didn't linger. Hell, Artemus didn't say a word or look at him. Jim sipped his coffee. When the cup was empty, he placed it down carefully and went to clean up. He looked at himself in the mirror and tried to find some physical evidence of last night. No bite marks, no marks on his wrists from the cuffs, nothing. His eyes were bloodshot, and he had a boneless feeling about him that suggested he'd had more sex than he could handle, but that was it.
Jim shrugged into a white shirt and buttoned it up. Artemus didn't need any reminders. He was coming out of the galley with a plate of breakfast, when Jim stepped back into the parlor. Jim took the plate and felt like a shit. "Thanks, Artie. Listen--"
"Don't say a word. I don't want to hear it. Eat," Artemus said. His foot bumped against the book on the floor, and he leaned over to pick it up. He put it on the sideboard and went back to the galley.
Jim went to the desk, sat his plate down, and opened the back door. Fresh air whipped inside, and he sincerely hoped it would help clear his mind. Foggy was the best word to describe his brain this morning. Jim began to eat, but realized after a couple of minutes that Artemus would not be joining him. Shit. Jim had been looking forward to Artemus coming home, and now that was ruined. Artemus' open saddlebags were in front of him, and Jim went through them. He grabbed up a loose bandanna and stared at it. Artemus had worn this last night. This had to be some elaborate plot. Jim finished his plate and went to find his rotten, lying, scheming partner.
Tossing the bandanna at Artemus, Jim stood in the doorway of the lavatory. "You've had your little game, but it's over. Get out of that tub so I can fuck your ass."
Artemus rinsed his head and lifted the wet bandanna with two fingers. "If you want to fuck me, fine, but, be honest about it."
Jim tried to grab his temper, but it surged out of control. "Damn it, Artie. You had your way with me last night, now it's my turn." Artemus tossed the bandanna, got out of the tub, and dried off. He didn't say a word. A completely new set of doubts crept over Jim.
"If you wanted me that badly, you could have asked, you didn't have to use your gun," Jim said softly.
Artemus turned on Jim, fast like a snake. "I'm perfectly happy with what little we share. A kiss from time to time. A quick blowjob more often than not, and every now and again, when you can't find someone else, you fuck me. It's more than enough."
Jim took two steps back from the intensity behind Artemus' words. Artemus was angry, even furious. Jim rubbed a hand through his hair. Artemus pushed past him and out the door. Jim felt stunned. "Artie."
Artemus was gone down the hall, and Jim wasn't going to apologize. He had to say something though. What to say? He had no idea. A drink might help clear the cobwebs from his brain. Two whiskeys later, Jim still didn't know what to think. Artemus came into the parlor, fully dressed, and began to clean up.
"Jim, did you read this book last night?" Artemus was at the sideboard with the slim volume in his hand.
Jim had been staring at his partner, trying to think of something intelligent to say. He blinked and looked at the book. "Yes, well, I meant to, but I fell asleep." He looked at his bare feet. He should put some boots on and go feed the horses.
"Jim, sit down a minute." Jim looked up and sat down on the gold sofa. Artemus sat down right next to him. He examined Jim's eyes. "Open your mouth."
Jim opened his mouth, and Artemus sighed. "Jim, this book is a special one that I picked up from a friend of mine in San Francisco. He's an opium eater."
"He laced the book with opium, so he could relax and read." Artemus laughed softly. "Whatever happened last night, you were feeling no pain."
Jim frowned. "What?"
"I borrowed it to read it. When I finished it, I went to bed and enjoyed the pretty dreams for the evening."
"Artemus!" Jim couldn't believe it.
Artemus blushed. "You were out with a young lady. No one got hurt."
Jim put his head in his hands and moaned. "I was hallucinating."
"Yes, and now I do want to hear about it." Artemus wrapped a hand around Jim's neck and tugged him around and down to his knees.
Jim didn't resist. He looked up at Artemus in more of state of bewilderment than anything else. "Are you sure?"
"It sounded like we had a good time." Artemus squeezed Jim's neck gently.
"You threatened me with your gun, hit me, cuffed me, made me suck your cock, and fucked me until I begged." Jim thought that was about it.
"Are you sure this wasn't my fantasy instead of your hallucination?" Artemus smiled down at him and chuckled softly.
Jim laid his head on Artemus' leg. He breathed deep and tried to think. What did it all mean? Artemus stroked a hand through Jim's hair. Jim shut his eyes. "You made me like it." Hallucinating all night was exhausting.
"Jim, is it possible that you're not satisfied with what we have?"
"Before last night the answer would have been a resounding no, but--" Jim stopped talking. His head twirled around the room.
"You know I love you, Jim. Don't you want me to show it to you from time to time?"
Jim stopped breathing. He'd dreaded ever hearing those words, and they seemed to hang in the air. He thought that maybe he could see them. Were his eyes still shut? "Artie, can you help me lay down somewhere? I'm seeing things."
"Did you fall asleep with the book on your face?"
"I think so." Jim shuddered out a breath. He was dizzy.
"Jim, let me help you to bed." Artemus pulled him up and helped him back to his bunk. "We've never even slept together, ya big dummy."
Jim lay down and pulled Artemus in the bed with him. "The beds are little, and I get up early."
Artemus folded Jim into his chest. The bed was small, but they managed. Jim relaxed and watched the colors. Artemus laughed and made sure Jim didn't fall out of bed. The morning turned into the afternoon, and Jim was still in bed with Artemus. They had a lot less clothes on. Artemus was giving Jim a back rub, and it felt delicious. Every muscle in Jim's body was like jelly.
"Why do you love me?" Jim didn't understand it.
Artemus' hands stopped moving. "Too many reasons to count."
"I'm not easy to get along with." Jim put his arms back behind him. "And I've never said it to you."
"And you probably never will, but love is complicated and simple." Artemus rubbed Jim's arms.
Jim grunted and thought about it. "I was looking forward to you coming home."
"That's sweet, Jim."
"That's what you said last night, right before you said, 'Now give me your sweet ass.'"
Artemus laughed and got off Jim's back. He lay down flat, and Jim crawled on top.
"Maybe it was real." Artemus gave him a wink. "I redressed you, left the train, and waited until morning to come home again."
Jim stopped kissing Artemus' chest and raised his eyes. Artemus could have done exactly that. Jim glared at Artemus, but he just smiled. "I was only mad about being hit across the face."
"I would never hit you." Artemus ran his hands up to Jim's head and yanked him down for a long, tongue kiss. "Not hard, anyway. Now give me your sweet ass."
Jim jerked in surprise, but Artemus held him down. The kiss went on so long that Jim saw more colors. "Might as well get the cuffs. Where'd you leave them?"
Artemus met Jim's eyes. "Nicely done, James, but you'll have to keep wondering."
Jim laughed and got serious about letting Artemus take advantage of him.
The End


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She has a brother named Josh. She also has a sister, Heidi, who died from a tumor in 1994.
She has been married to Ernest "Ernie" Mirich since 1994 and has one daughter with him named Kathryn Grace.
She is a trained soprano and has a beautiful voice that your…more

subset: commoncrawl


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LIVE REPORT: Maribou State at the Roundhouse
Denzil Bell
, October 28th, 2018 11:29
Following the release of their second album, Kingdoms in Colour, Maribou State give us an amazing show at London's Roundhouse
To give you context of my love for Maribou state, we have to go back to 2013. I had just started university and I was looking for music that could help me study. My mate suggested Bonobo: his music was beautiful, and helped get me in the zone to complete my essays.
Fast forward five years – I'm a music writer looking for similar music and thankfully, I stumble on Maribou State. Just like Bonobo, they fuse electronic dance with astute instrumentation and it truly captivates me. Following the release of their second album, Kingdoms in Colour, the Hertfordshire duo embarked on a string of 36 live shows, including a sold out UK/EU tour, and I'm lucky enough to get into their performance at London's Roundhouse.
The first track is 'Feel Good', a collaboration with Houston-based trio Khruangbin. The audience goes hysterical. The feelgood vibe pulsates through the crowd, and then they bring out longtime pal Holly Walker for 'Nervous Tics'. The synergy between her and the band is on another level, and the light effects go ballistic on this track too, creating a cacophony of sense stimulators. The room is vibrating with spiritual fire.
They know they have us in the palms of their hands and, with that, they end the show abruptly. We are left in dismay. Everyone is calling for them to return and eventually they strut back out to wild cheers to perform their final track 'Midas'.
If you love our features, news and reviews, please support what we do with a one-off or regular donation. Year-on-year, our corporate advertising is down by around 90% - a figure that threatens to sink The Quietus. Hit this link to find out more and keep on Black Sky Thinking.


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Most major mobile technology companies across the globe seem to be restructuring their business these days in other to boost profits and the cellular network, Sprint isn't lagging behind as they recently unveiled one of the cheapest 3G/4G mobile data plans in the US.
With the new monthly plans fixed at $49.99 for 6GB and $79.99 for 12GB, all Mobile Broadband devices sold by Sprint, including tablets, dedicated mobile hotspot devices, USB modems, netbooks and notebooks will be supported.
Taking into consideration, folks on a tight budget and those who only need data plans for their tablets and/or mobile hotspot devices, $19.99 and $34.99 plans are available too with the former offering 1GB monthly for tablets only and the latter offering 3GB.
All four mobile internet plans are are as show in the image below:
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Logan participated in the 2016 Russian Summer Program in Russia.
I grew up in Midwestern America. I had a family I loved, friends that gave me the time of my life, and I was ready to take the next huge step in my life on the way to adulthood – I had a study group with the brightest people I knew, my teachers were all in on getting me to the university of my dreams, I was musically involved in every academic aspect possible, and I went home to a warm dinner and conversation with my parents and siblings every night. Every teenager has their drama, but I couldn't imagine a more picture-perfect life for a 17-year-old from the middle of nowhere.
And then, I went to Russia, and everything changed.
Russian friends don't smile or nod their head when they see you in a hallway at school; no, they run and hug you, tell you how good it is to see you, and ask if you already have lunch plans. If not, that's not a real "друг" as far as the Russians are concerned. If dinner in a Russian family takes less than an hour, then they're on their way to some museum, sports event, or concert where they can all be together.
It wasn't until I was sitting at a dinner table in a tiny apartment kitchen with my host family that I began to question what I had really been talking about with my real family back home the whole time. The Russian dinner table is a sacred place where never-burning bridges are built and social mountains are moved. We talked about the differences between our homelands and our families, the true concerns in our hearts (whatever they were at the time), and how we truly feel inside about overwhelming, even awkward, topics you simply can't talk about anywhere else. This magical conversation can last hours, and it's therapeutic to see someone you hardly know look into your eyes and show you their utmost concern and interest. What was I doing this whole time, bantering with my family about the silliest, least meaningful things in our lives when a single night with a Russian family opened up a window into my understanding of human connection? We were living in our own corners of our home, living our own lives, and we simply happened to live in the same house. It was because of those tragically short six weeks in Moscow that I learned to make relationships that would undoubtedly stand the test of time until our years on this planet are long passed.


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Aurora & Pilot Wish You a Happy Thanksgiving
Aurora eating her Thanksgiving Dinner last night:
Pilot doing nothing much as usual but he's laid back:
Aurora is thankful for table scraps we give her and Pilot is thankful his daddy gets up in the middle of the night to give him more dry cat food. They are both thankful for their window bed so they can watch the birds (when there are some) outside and they are thankful for 2 wonderful parents. Ok so they probably aren't thankful for anything…they are cats…they don't give a shit but I like to pretend.


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Oil and plastic pollution and sewage can come from both marine- and land-based activities. Large amounts of waste, mainly from urban centres, are carried along waterways and washed out to sea. Other waste can come from recreational boating, fishing boats, shipping, and oil and gas operations.
Habitats in coastal waters, and harbours, estuaries, and reefs along exposed coasts, are particularly vulnerable to the effects of plastic pollution (MacDiarmid et al, 2012a). While some waste collects on beaches, most remains in the ocean.
Marine debris
Some of the effects of build-up of debris in the marine environment include:
- marine animals and seabirds can become entangled in it and be injured or killed
- fish, seabirds, and turtles can swallow plastic debris they mistake for food
- debris drifting in the ocean can damage fragile marine habitats
- plastics can remain in the ocean for hundreds of years
- when plastics eventually break down into small particles they can enter the food chain (Derraik, 2002; World Economic Forum, 2016).
The data on marine waste in New Zealand's marine environment are limited. One New Zealand study identified that between 1995 and 2005, the incidence of fur seals and sea lions being entangled in plastic and other debris in Kaikoura was one of the highest rates reported in the world (Boren et al, 2006).
Globally, it is estimated that at least 8 million tonnes of plastic waste enters the ocean each year (Jambeck et al, 2015), with packaging comprising more than half this waste (World Economic Forum, 2016). Some of this waste forms huge drifting patches, such as the Great Pacific garbage patch in the North Pacific Ocean (Turgeon, 2014).
By 2050, there may be more plastic than fish in the ocean, by weight, based on the current estimated rate of global plastic entering the ocean (World Economic Forum, 2016).
For more detail see Environmental indicators Te taiao Aotearoa: Effects of marine debris on marine life.


text: Walking in the mountains, perhaps doing a ridge walk, hopefully a summit. Scrambling is rough walking over steep ground, where hands are needed for support, usually on higher mountain ridges. Being on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park means that we are excellently situated for mountain walking and scrambling. We can also offer lower level walks in less rugged terrain.


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Kasuf's music never fails to hit upon some emotion and this is no exception. With that dark vibe, laid back jazz Voodoo Woman is haunting thus bringing a hundred different scenarios to mind with regards to the origins of it or rather the story behind it.
© 2020 ChannelZero, All Rights Reserved.
Designed & developed by nvzion.


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Led by founder and managing director Miles Levy, 61, Oakfield imports more than 60,000 tons of meat products a year from countries including Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Thailand. The north London company supplies leading British retailers and manufacturers, such as Morrisons, and has been growing exports to Europe, Africa and China. International sales grew to £17.3m in 2015.
This profile reflects the company at time of publication and does not reflect any changes that may have subsequently occurred. Fast Track and its sponsors do not endorse, guarantee or recommend investment in any of the companies.


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Free email service is used by people if they want to have a personal email account. Though companies can use the free services but they prefer the paid ones due to the many features that is useful on their business. If you are an individual who is seeking for a free service, one of the best that you can find is the Aol mail.com. Many have found this email service worth using for because of the benefits they can get. Of course, you cannot really say that it is already perfect. There are still downfalls that you can experience. Even so, there are still people who like Aol better than other email services.
One of the biggest reasons why they love Aol is that it is one of the oldest email services among the internet world. That is why they prefer creating Aol login details. They are already trusted even long time ago by internet users. Another is that although this program is free, you have the privilege to enjoy the unlimited online storage of emails and very economical to users who do not have the money to avail paid email services. Lastly, you can access your account anytime and anywhere. If you have the gadget and internet connection you can always send a message. You can also see who's available with their instant messenger.
No matter how good a service is, there is still downfalls users' experience. One of it is the advertisements you can find on your account which is sometimes annoying. Ads maybe in the form of text, banner or Flash. Also, the security for spam and virus protection is not that good. But Aol is doing their best to come up with a solution in this issue.
Even how many not good sides' user experience people are still going to Aol sign up page. They realize something about this service better than others.


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It has been a while since I have written anything new on this blog. As a pastor, we are in one of the busiest times of the year. I have been busy preparing and teaching lessons as well as doing video recaps of lessons so I have not had the chance to write as much as I would have liked. I am back on track now. In our church, we walked through the entire Bible in 2016 and it was an amazing journey. Every attendee from bed babies to senior adults learned about the fact that the Bible is all about Jesus Christ, from Genesis to Revelation. We spent a great deal of time focusing on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
- The treasure of the kingdom of God
- Jesus feeds the 5,000
- Fear vs. Faith
- Lord, Teach us to pray
- The Sermon on the Mount
- Jairus learns to have faith
- Great in the kingdom of heaven
- Jesus saves Zaccheus
- Christ's Crucifixion
- The Ascension of Jesus Christ
- Jesus sends the Promised Helper
Jesus trained the disciples for a little over 3 years, gave them the power of the Holy Spirit, and then sent them out to preach the message of the Gospel to make disciples. They took this calling very seriously. Almost 10 years after the coming of the Holy Spirit, Saul, a persecutor of the Church, has an encounter with Jesus Christ and his life is transformed. Saul is born again. To demonstrate this change, Saul changes his name to Paul. He is known today as the Apostle Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles.
I. Paul the disciple-maker
Paul was trained by Jesus Christ, just like the original disciples/apostles. Paul was chosen by Jesus Christ to be the 12 apostle, the one who replaced Judas. Paul was discipled by Jesus Christ directly. Then, Christ sent Paul out to make disciples, preaching the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul took this calling very seriously, just like the original disciples. Paul took three major missionary journeys so that he could make disciples. He would look for Jews living in Asia Minor and Europe. When he found his fellow Jews, he would teach them to study and understand the Scriptures. Many did not believe but some did. When they believed, he would use their homes as a home-base to continue teaching the new believers while reaching out to the Gentiles of the city where he stayed. Again, many of the Gentiles did not believe but, some of them did. Jesus like in the Great Commission given to the disciples by Jesus, Paul taught the new believers to observe the teachings of Jesus Christ. At one point, Paul used a school and turned it into a disciple making factory. These groups of disciples were the beginnings of church plants that spread all over Asia Minor and Southern Europe.
II. Paul the church planter
No one really knows exactly how many churches Paul planted. Many of the churches that he planted ended up planting other churches. One example is the church in Ephesus. That church plant by Paul planted the other 6 churches that the Apostle John wrote to in the book of Revelation. I want to take a look at one of the churches planted by Paul. The story is told to us in Acts 16. Paul is on a trip, led by the Holy Spirit. He is working with a team of other believers led by the Holy Spirit. They have been called to Macedonia by God to make disciples. On the way, they meet Timothy and invite him to join them. They end up on the outskirts of Philippi meeting with a small group of Jews praying by the river. Paul, moved by the Holy Spirit, teaches the Scriptures and Lydia understands the message, believes in Jesus Christ, and is saved. She takes Paul to her home and he shares the message of the Gospel with all present. The entire household believes in Jesus Christ and is saved. Paul and his team uses Lydia's house as a home-base. On a daily basis, Paul and his team travel to the market and preach the Gospel. A little slave girl with an evil spirit of divination follows Paul and the team around telling everyone that they are preaching the message of the Most High God. Paul gets tired of being hounded by this evil spirit and he casts it out with the power of Jesus Christ. The slave girl's masters are upset because she was a fortune-teller and made a large profit. That profit potential was gone. They are not excited about a person being set free from the eternal damning grip of an evil spirit. All they saw was their $$$. These men are upset with Paul and have him and some of his team members beaten and thrown in jail. Paul and his team preached the Gospel when they have freedom. They make disciples when they have freedom. What are they going to do while in prison? While in prison, they pray, sing hymns, and praise God, sharing the message of the Gospel with all the other prisoners, including the head jailer who is in charge of watching them. About midnight, there is a large earthquake and the cell doors are opened up and the prisoners' chains fall off. The head jailer thinks that the prisoners escaped so he is about to commit suicide. Paul stops him and the man wants to know what he needs to do to be saved. The jailer believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and is saved. The jailer then takes Paul and his team to his own home and Paul preaches to all. The entire household believes in Jesus and is saved. Now we have Lydia and her household along with the head jailer and his household. They have all become disciples of Jesus Christ and the first church in Europe is formed. The ask Paul and his team to stay with them for a while and they do. Paul teaches them the Word of God, equipping them to observe the Lord's command and grow in their faith. While on another of his missionary journeys, Paul is led by the Holy Spirit to communicate with this new church. He writes a letter to them. That letter is known as the book of Philippians in the New Testament.
III. Paul the writer
As a disciple of Jesus Christ, Paul was called to make more disciples, not just to evangelize. Part of the disciple making process was evangelism. The other part was equipping the new believers to grow in Christ, serve one another, and reach out to the people around them and make more disciples. This involves time and communication. Paul spent much time in the new churches, sometimes one year, other times one year and a half. But, God constantly called Paul to new territory. Even while traveling to make disciples and plant new churches, Paul continued to communicate with the churches he had already helped establish. He would hear of a need, pray to the Lord for guidance, and then write to meet that need. This is exactly what Jesus told His original disciples to do, to preach the Gospel to all creation and then to teach the new disciples who believe in the Gospel how to study and apply the Word of God. Paul is a great example in this. He did it face to face and he did it through correspondence. Because of this dedication, 13 or 14 of the 27 New Testament books come from Paul. As disciples of Christ today, we also benefit from these writings because the problems of the early church are the same problems that we have today. Human nature has not changed a bit in the past 2,000 years.
My dear friend, are you being discipled by a disciple of Jesus Christ? Are you seeking to make new disciples every single day? Are you preaching the Gospel to anyone who will listen? Are you teaching new believers to study and apply the Word of God? Do you communicate well with your disciples? Do you see obstacles as a hindrance to the Gospel or as more opportunities? What gets you out of bed every morning? Is it to go to work and make money or, is it to go about the process of making disciples? May the Lord help us learn to follow the Lord, to surrender to His leadership the way that the Apostle Paul did!!!


text: Federal Universal Service Update: Understanding the 2010 499A , USF Compliance, Audits, and Enforcement Kelley Drye Webinar March 9, 2010 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Please click here to download webinar materials. As the federal Universal Service Fund contribution factor continues to balloon, USAC audits and contributor appeals have followed a similar upward trajectory. With a current assessment rate of nearly 15%, exposure can quickly rise to a material level. Further, the FCC published its annual revision to its Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet, the infamous Form 499A, making several changes of note to filers. In short, it has never been more important for broadband service providers, carriers, VoIP providers, and conference bridging providers to understand USF compliance, audit and enforcement issues. Join Kelley Drye for a lively and pertinent discussion of the most recent USF developments that could threaten your company's bottom line today. Our speakers will offer expert analysis and practical take-aways based on front line experience in ongoing audits and appeals, and years of providing compliance and enforcement advice in this area. The topics we plan to address are: Changes to the 2010 Form 499A and instructions • what you need to know to complete your April 1 annual filing USAC contributor audits • trends and issues in current audits • key strategies for a successful defense Current issues in USF contributor appeals • treatment of integrated T1 services, bundles, wholesale inputs, and broadband Internet access • process and retroactivity Steve Augustino, Partner, represents all types of telecommunications service providers, including competitive local carriers, VoIP providers and prepaid calling card providers. His work for these clients includes negotiating interconnection agreements, representing carriers in interconnection arbitration proceedings and advising on rulemaking proceedings. Mr. Augustino has experience defending clients in Federal Communications Commission (FCC) enforcement actions, including Universal Service Fund (USF) compliance investigations and Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) reporting audits. John Heitmann, Partner, focuses his practice on representing service providers and users in regulatory, appellate, litigation and transactional matters involving a broad range of communications law issues. He represents companies in proceedings before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and state public utility commissions (PUCs). He has extensive experience in and regularly advises clients on regulatory policy, interconnection, compliance and enforcement matters. To register please email email@example.com PeopleSteven AugustinoJohn Heitmann Related Practices CommunicationsCommunications Regulation OfficeWashington, DC


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Note: This was written on 5th March and scheduled for the 15th because I know I'll be away and I might not get much access to wifi while I'm away… So to Kor, "Happy Birthday! You're the best brother ever and I love you always! xx"
They say that a man who makes you cry is not worth your tears. In this case, it was my brother. And in this case, he is worth my tears.
In the last year, I think I have began to think more of my loved ones and have (hopefully) become less self-centred. I worry about their happiness and I want so much for them to feel and be happy. Of course, I know that I am not in control of their emotions, nor am I in control of their situations. But it makes me happy seeing them happy, and sad when I feel they are worthy of more.
I've mentioned here and there about what an awesome man my brother has grown up to be. He is thoughtful, gentle, and while he doesn't express his emotions so openly, he has a huge heart. He's generally mild-tempered unlike me who tends to be fiery like a chilli padi. He can be stubborn. He's very forgiving and generally doesn't hold on to negativity very long.
I'm often surprised when I hear of siblings who haven't spoken to each other for days on end. Months. Even years! When I ask why, I've had responses such as 'Oh! We had an argument and decided not to talk to each other. Since then we just stopped. I can't remember what the argument was about', or 'Because I can't stand him/her'. Growing up, of course Kor and I had petty squabbles. Quickly, we'd forget and find ourselves playing with each other again. Even as we grew into our teens, whenever we made the other angry, by next morning it'd be long forgotten and we'd be talking like it never happened.
As little children, we'd fight over toys but he'd always give in to his pesky little sister. All I had to do was scream. He never used physical force on me apart from once or twice although I probably deserved it. And obviously, he hardly got away with it because I would make sure the entire estate heard my wailing. Oh and I'd give him a good punch or kick back.
In a way, I feel that when I got sick, more attention was given to me and even though by that time, Kor was already studying in the UK, he could probably feel it whenever he came back for visits. Still, he never complained and was always concerned about me in his own little ways. He would try to encourage me to eat, to be strong, to get well again.
I don't know if he started to put his life a little on hold for me, wanting me to recover and waiting for me to get settled. I know there were girls he liked, and he always had a good group of friends made up of both guys and girls surrounding him, but he never had anyone serious that he brought home. I never thought much of it because I figured he would when the time was right, or when he met the right person.
He hasn't. Yet. But I know he will. At least, if that's what his heart wishes for.
I wish for him to be happy, always. I don't want him to ever feel lonely. If he is alone, and happy, I'm happy. Now, I'm settled with Flo. I'm in the most stable relationship I've ever been in. I'm just about getting there on the health part. And I hope that Kor too, will see that and seek that for himself because he honestly, truly deserves it. If that is his desire.
A couple days ago, we were texting and I mentioned Flo's and my upcoming trip to New Zealand. And he suddenly mentioned that if Flo were to pop the question, to please try not to have an August wedding since he has three to attend then, two of which he will be a Groomsman at. I told him that if it were to happen, IF, then I will take note and try to make sure it won't fall around the same time as his friends', especially since he'll have to fly over and it'll be crazy tiring for him.
Then he said "You know I will drop all the other weddings to come to yours right?".
Sigh. This brother of mine. As I said, he doesn't express his emotions always but when he says something like that, it just touches me to the bone. I couldn't help tearing when I shared this during a phone call later with Flo.
In 10 days' time, it'll be Kor's birthday. I hope that this year will see him gifted with immense blessings and that every wish his heart desires will be fulfilled! He has truly been a wonderful brother and will continue to be. In a similar vein, I am sure that any girl will be blessed to have him because he will make an amazing partner, and perhaps one day, an incredible dad. 🙂


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It's no secret that Karl Lagerfeld plays favorites. The Chanel creative director is known for tapping the same models and celebrities to anchor fashion shows and head campaigns for years at a time: In recent years, the German designer has turned to Cara Delevingne, Kristen Stewart, and Kaia Gerber to serve as the many faces of Chanel. In a new interview with British Vogue on Tuesday while backstage at the Chanel Fall/Winter 2018 show, Karl revealed that he has a very cute nickname for the members of this elite girl group.
"My favorite girl of the moment is a Dutch girl called Luna," Karl said, referring to Luna Bijl, who walked with the 84-year-old icon to close Tuesday's show. "There are people I call my Choupettes. She and the daughter of Vanessa Paradis, Lily-Rose Depp, they are my Choupettes." The designer also added Delevingne, and Adwoah Aboah to the list. We'll presumably be seeing yet another brand-new addition to the Choupettes soon enough, since Chanel announced on Sunday, shortly before she attended the Oscars as a nominee, Margot Robbie is now a brand ambassador for the 109-year-old French fashion house.
Besides being Karl's pet name for his favorite models, Choupette, of course, is also the name of his much-adored cat. The 6-year-old kitty has two "beloved maids," and more than 109,000 followers on Instagram. In a 2015 interview, Karl told The Cut that Choupette, who had made a cool $3 million the previous year, is "the center of the world." "There is something unforgettable about her, the way she moves, the way she plays. She's an inspiration for elegance. For attitude," he said, adding that parenting Choupette had "perhaps" made him a better, less selfish person. "I think it's grotesque, but what can you do? I believe in the unique. This is not just something to keep me company. It's only great because of the uniqueness of her," he said.
Related: Choupette, Karl Lagerfeld's Cat, Is "Devastated" To Be a Victim of Instagram Hacking


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Wednesday, 13 January 2010
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dailynews ONLINE
A third world phenomenon:
Prof. Wiswa Warnapala Higher Education Minister
Idi Amin Dada
Military dictator and
President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979
Amin held the rank of Major
General and Commander of the Ugandan Army
Charges:human rights abuses,
political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial
killings, nepotism, corruption and gross economic
General Sani Abacha
Nigerian military leader and
The de facto President of
Nigeria from 1993 to 1998
Accused of human rights
abuses,controlling the press and inconsistent foreign policy
Gamal Abdel Nasser
The second President of
Egypt from 1954 until his death
Led the bloodless coup which
toppled the monarchy of King Farouk
The democratic politics in this country began with the introduction
of the adult suffrage in 1931, the consequences of which were many, and
the entry of Sarath Fonseka, who shed military garb a few weeks ago,
into active Presidential politics, has introduced a dangerous element
into the whole process of democratic politics in this country. It
portends a great danger for the very survival of democratic politics;
therefore the magnitude of the political danger needs to be analyzed
from the point of view of the experience of the military regimes which
were a third world phenomenon.
The Opposition, which is in disarray due to the absence of a
leadership capable of coming to terms with the Sri Lankan political
culture, wanted a military man to challenge the incumbent President and
the basis for his selection was the popularity which he commands as a
person who led the Armed Forces. This person, who was in a military garb
a fortnight ago, is now a candidate for the forthcoming Presidential
The Executive Presidency is an institution of Government with
enormous power, and the plenitude of power, which an Executive President
wields on the basis of the 1978 Constitution, is so enormous that the
holder of this office can eventually become an all-powerful dictator,
and this feature, with its plenitude of power, needs analysis in the
context of the emergence of Sarath Fonseka as the so-called common
He says that he is an ordinary citizen, in the garb of an ordinary
politician but the fact remains that he donned a military uniform for
more than forty years and carried a gun. He, in my view, still remains a
man trained in the military tradition and derives inspiration from it.
He, because of his vast military experience in the last four decades, is
certain to get himself guided by those traits, and this has been the
experience in all regimes which came to be led by men in uniform.
It is at this point that I propose to examine the current political
scenario in Sri Lanka from the point of view of the experience of
military regimes in different part of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
All military leaders emerged on the basis of the slogan that their
services are required to restore democracy and good governance and
political stability; today Sarath Fonseka, wearing a white national
dress, is making similar rankings along with the entreaties of a divided
and disorganised opposition, which, apart from its common platform for
the purpose of promoting a common candidate, remain utterly confused and
The whole Opposition is a bundle of contradictions. A common front
cannot be constituted by an Opposition which remains divided on the
basis of ideas and strategies.
No democratic alternative could be built by the Opposition by
promoting a military man, and it is in this context that I would like to
quote C.E.M. Joad, according to whom 'the life of the citizen of a
democracy is like the life of man, the individual, in the sense that its
successful conduct requires the constant exercise of vigilance and
initiative, the vigilance to ensure that the gains of the past are not
lost." It is indeed inevitable, a necessity, that people of this country
need to exercise constant vigilance and initiative to prevent the
eventual emergence of a military dictatorship through the installation
of Sarath Fonseka into high office in Sri Lanka.
The military interventions, direct or indirect, have been a
phenomenon in many a third world country, and they became a form of
political intervention in most of the less developed countries (LDCs).
In these countries, in the first ten years after de-colonisation,
charismatic leaders who took over power as the first generation of
leaders in the post-independence period, were ousted by military leaders
in the name of democracy, good governance and stability. Stability and
continuity were treated as major slogans of the military aspirants to
high office. In Sri Lanka, a military leader is being promoted by a
civilian political leadership because of their absolute political
The nature of civil-military relations in the developing countries is
a special feature that needs discussion and elaboration as it impinges
on the role of the State in these countries.
In certain countries, there is an unique pattern of civilian control
of the military, whereas there are countries which have been ruled by
men in uniform. In Sri Lanka, the Army began as a small ceremonial Army
which has now been transformed into a professional Army with combat
experience and since independence the Armed Forces were under the
control of the civilian authorities.
They were never given opportunities to penetrate into the civilian
affairs of the country and it was only in the context of the
humanitarian offensive against the LTTE that it got certain
opportunities to penetrate into certain segments of the civilian life.
Still it was under civilian control, and this is something unique for
Sri Lanka, and no attempt has been made to deviate from the historical
The over-estimation of the contribution of the Armed Forces and the
unwanted publicity which the Armed Forces got in the aftermath of the
war created an unwanted impression that the Armed Forces have an
independent role, from which power-hungry and ambitious Sarath Fonseka
would have derived some inspiration. It, however cannot discount the
need for civilian control over the Armed Forces. A military man cannot
be allowed to assume high office as it portends a great danger for
democracy and Constitutional Government.
According to the classical theory in the West, the military is
neither expected or is it oriented to intervene in electoral or
representative democratic politics. It was this tradition of the West
which influenced the role of the Armed Forces in all the countries with
Westminster style of government.
Sri Lanka Army was nurtured in that tradition though an attempt was
made in 1962 to take over power. Most of the elements which were present
in the early sixties are present in the existing political scenario
where the same old forces have begun to play a conspiratorial role.
The common belief is that military emerges in the context of a weak
State, and this kind of analysis is based on praetorian model, according
to which military interventions are characteristically associated with
less developed countries which are described as 'praetorian societies'.
In such societies, the characteristic feature is the ineffective
political leadership and the absence of instruments to channelise
political support.
Voting is a democratic right often
suppressed under military regime. AFP
According to Samuel Huntington, who formulated the idea relating to
'praetorian societies', stated that such a regime is dominated by the
military or by a coalition of the military and the bureaucracy.
This happens in the context of a situation where the civilian
institutions are not strong enough to assert control over the Armed
Forces. In the weak states, there are opportunities for military
domination, and the only instrument available to them is force.
But everything depends on the political and social environment in the
given country. Huntington's argument was that the rise of military
professionalism resulted in the military take-over of power, and this
thesis has been expanded in Huntington's work titled 'The Soldier and
the State.' Both Huntington and Finer saw some relationship between the
military take-overs and the level of political development.
Huntington's analysis about the praetorian society was that its
civilian political institutions are always weak, and it was in this
environment that men in uniform take over power to achieve their own
This analysis was true in the context of military take-overs in
Africa, but the Latin American experience was linked to the level of
economic development. In most states, there is a casual link between
military interventions and the levels of economic development. There is
yet another argument; military groups exert considerable social and
political influence in a society - the reason for this kind of
development was the fact that military leadership came from the
privileged classes in the country, and this was the case in Sri Lanka
immediately after independence.
The 1962 coup leadership came from the upper strata of the Sri Lankan
society, and they, as a class, resisted the changes that came along with
the political change of 1956. They were largely committed to the
preservation of the old privileges and social relationships.
In other words, they were committed to defend the old social order.
In certain social situations, the Armed Forces largely because of
training and technical competence, maximise their power as patriotic
elements in society; this badge was attached to the Sri Lankan Army
after the demolition of the LTTE.
This, unknowingly, gave them opportunities to penetrate into the
civilian political life, and this I saw as a dangerous development from
which an ambitious man could emerge to taste political power. In this
context, the solution lies in the strength of our own political and
social institutions which still value non-military political secularism.
It would be interesting to examine the role of the Army in Asian and
African countries where they have set up military regimes. A military
dictatorship is a regime where the power resides with the military, and
it is a State directly under the rule of the military.
In the 1960s and 1970s, a large number of third world countries were
plagued with coups and counter-coups; in the subsequent decade there was
some kind of a reversal of this dangerous trend with which many a State
became ungovernable. Certain countries, despite this trend, alternated
between civilian and military regimes.
Military intervention became an important phenomenon in the third
world. It would be useful to import the Marxist analysis into our
discussion. Fredrich Engels once noted the divisive and independent role
of the Armed Forces within the State; he, in his work 'Role of Force in
History', stated that 'in politics there are only two divisive forces;
the organised force of the State, the Army, and the unorganised,
spontaneous force of the popular masses'. This, in other words, meat
that an Army has a dual role.
The role of the Army in safeguarding internal security has grown
appreciably, and the Army in the developing countries realises its
supremacy over all other organisations.
For instance, in an economically backward country, an Army represent
the most significant, unique force, having an effective vertical
structure and social and cultural homogeneity. In the Asian and African
countries, the Army is not at all homogenous. In developing countries,
the Army can become a force promoting capitalist or non-capitalist
development and this depends, to a large extent, on the aims of the
given political leadership.
The Armed Forces took over power - in Egypt in 1952, Iraq in 1958 and
1963, Yemen 1962, Pakistan 1958, Burma 1962, Turkey 1960, Sudan 1958,
Nigeria 1966 and Syria 1961. All these countries, in the subsequent
years, alternated between civilian and military regimes.
The conditions which motivate the Army to take over power varies from
country to country, depending on the nature and ability of its ruling
elite. The take-over of power by the Army is limited to the restoration
of order and stability in a society, and as Edward Shils says 'military
men are neither businessmen nor civil servants striving for economic
In other words, their role is very limited and time bound. Without a
political organisation, no military regime can last long; it needs the
support of the masses.
If these factors are not available, they run the risk of taking the
inevitable path of self-destruction. Nowadays the military dictatorships
in the developing countries find it difficult to sustain themselves in
power as they have failed to address the urgent tasks facing these
countries. In certain cases, the military regimes have transformed
themselves into social regimes with mass political base. Still they find
it difficult to come to terms with internal contradictions within the
regimes. In most instances, they have failed to ensure speedy economic
In the early sixties a new wave of military coups took over power in
Latin America, and these regimes in this region resorted to Bonarpartism.
Such regimes were based on a kind of social demagogy. Yet another factor
was the professionalization of the Armed Forces and they, as a result,
began to have a say in various aspects of the State.
The use of Army men to perform civilian and administrative
responsibilities lead to professional corpraivism. In most cases, the
khaki - clad men try to settle the issues among contending politicians.
Mobutu in Congo came on the scene as a saviour in 1965. By 1984, 16
countries in Africa came under military rule; since 1963 coups in the
region averaged three per year.
Military was seen as an instrument of post-colonial governance in the
countries in Africa. Some regimes sought to acquire legitimacy by
presenting themselves as defenders of the nation against foreign
intrigue. There are ideological and stylistic differences between
military regimes, and this was the pattern in Africa. Most military
regimes tend to justify their military interventions on the ground that
their presence was necessary to clear up the mess left by the
This kind of agenda provided an excuse to military leaders to usurp
power. Many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America experienced
variants of military regimes, and there is little evidence to support
the contention that military regimes have been more successful and
effective than the civilian counterparts.
In addition, they were responsible for the 'failed States' where the
economic record has been extremely poor. Yet another characteristic
feature was the personalisation of power, and this was seen in the
autocracies of Idi Amin, Sani Abacha and Gamal Abdel Nasser whose power
was based on a personality cult.
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text:
Flint, Eric. 1635: The Eastern Front. Riverdale, NY: Baen, 2011. 400 Pages. Kindle e-book. http://www.baen.com/ (N)
(The books above are available in digital and paper formats.)
Grantville Gazette, Volumes 26-41. Moore, OK: 1632, Inc., 2010-12. Digital downloadable file (various formats). Subscription rates vary. http://www.grantvillegazette.com/ (N)
I began reading Eric Flint's 1632 series in the Spring of 2002. We had a District Pastoral Conference in Riverton, WY and I found an odd little paperback in a used bookstore.
The basic plot? Grantville, a city from West Virginia (present-day) got scooped up along with all of its people, technology, books, and ideas, and was dropped in the middle of Germany back during the 30 Years War. After that, there has been no other "outside intervention" or time travel.
The very presence of the Americans changed what we know as history. Oh, and did I mention that there are Lutherans all over the place. Imagine: Johann Gerhard as a sci-fi character; Gustavus Adolphus lives!
The most recent volumes in the series we've seen begin with 1635: The Eastern Front, by Eric Flint.
Religious and political themes dominate the series. One of the other strengths is something that makes good drama good and what made Star Trek in particular appealing to those who don't like all sci-fi: characterization.
Eric Flint oversees an entire "universe" of characters and events. He has to keep track of everything, working with other others and fan-authors. The "butterfly effect" is in full swing. History has unfolded differently. The Americans are at the core of a new United States of Europe. Its Emperor is none other than Gustavus Adolphus.
the story continues in 1636: The Saxon Uprising by Eric Flint.
Those who love political intrigue, the idea of adapted and re-invented technology (guns, etc.), and the impact of more modern religious groups and their ideas (Mormons, Methodists, ELCA Lutherans, et al) on 17th Century Germany, you'll enjoy reading this series.
Early in the series was a unique volume called Ring of Fire after the phenomenon that transported 2000 A.D. Grantville, WV to 1632 Germany. What makes it unique is that the main author, Flint, delegated writing duties to others to help round out the series, sometimes with unpredictable results. This helps make the 1632 series more readable, and realistic. The latest volume like this, edited by Flint, is Ring of Fire III.
Flint also contributes to these volumes to keep everything tied together as much as possible. His novella, "Four Days on the Danube" provides the necessary backstory to better comprehend the aforementioned 1636: The Saxon Uprising. Readers are also treated to short tales by Chuck Gannon, Mercedes Lackey, Walter Hunt, Panteleimon Roberts, Kim Mackey, Garrett Vance, Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett, David Carrico, and Tim Roesch.
Volume 42 is the latest volume available.
After going through a peer-reviewed "pitching" and refining process, the GG editors select various stories (and non-fiction articles to inform future stories) for official publication. And the writers get paid! You could be published in this series.
Grantville Gazette can be read by purchasing individual volumes or as a paid subscription. I've downloaded and printed (2 pages/side) all the issues to date. I'm a little behind on my reading because there are so many interesting stories and continuing serials.
The very, very best of the GG digital issues were also printed in paperback. Numbering for the paperback volumes uses Roman numerals.
We thank the publisher for their generosity in continuing to provide us review copies of these novels and Grantville Gazette. If you like a little theology with your science fiction, consider the 1632 series.
The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, Yellowstone Circuit Visitor (LCMS Wyoming District), a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.
Critical reviews (by Lutheran pastors and church musicians) of books and other resources for Christian worship, preaching, and church music from a perspective rooted in Holy Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions and good common sense. LHP Quarterly Book Review asks, "Is it worth the money to buy, the time to read, the shelf space to store, and the effort to teach?"


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View All Programs & Centers >
Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) continues to advance the rapidly growing field of adolescent medicine. Our fellowship program, led by Director Hina J. Talib, MD, was among the first adolescent medicine programs to be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in 1994 when adolescent medicine became a recognized, board-certified subspecialty.
The three-year fellowship program is designed to provide training through a variety of clinical experiences, formal educational activities and structured research opportunities. The nine faculty members of the Division are committed to personal, supportive mentoring of each fellow in both clinical and scholarly pursuits.
The fellowship program is suited to those pursuing a career in academic medicine or in clinical practice; the successful candidate will qualify for subspecialty board certification in adolescent medicine.
Our fellows consistently score highly on the board examination and secure positions in academic adolescent medicine, college health and adolescent private practices after graduation. Fellows are required to have at least three years of house officer training in pediatrics, internal medicine or family medicine.
At CHAM and in other community sites, adolescent medicine fellows have the opportunity to utilize multiple resources for clinical learning, including:
Subspecialty support for the Division is provided by the Department of Pediatrics in the areas of cardiology, dermatology, developmental and behavioral pediatrics, endocrinology, gastroenterology, genetics, gynecology, hematology, immunology, infectious disease, oncology, nephrology, neurology, pulmonary diseases and rheumatology. Consultation in all the surgical subspecialties is available. The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences provides thorough support, consultation and education through CHAM's Division of Psychiatry (Child & Adolescent).
The Michael I. Cohen, MD, Adolescent Inpatient Floor
This 28-bed unit provides care for adolescents and young adults with diverse acute and chronic medical, surgical, gynecological and psychosocial problems. There are approximately 1,600 admissions per year. Each fellow, with faculty mentoring and supervision, spends four to six weeks each year as the attending physician on the inpatient service, providing a rich teaching experience for our pediatric residents and medical student sub-interns. Fellows also provide consultation services throughout CHAM.
The Adolescent Medicine Subspecialty Practice
The Adolescent Medicine Subspecialty Practice at Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM), averaging 3,000 visits per year, provides primary care and consultation services for self- or physician-referred adolescents and young adults aged 13 through 21 years, in addition to patients discharged from the adolescent medicine inpatient service.
In-depth experience in adolescent gynecology is stressed, with emphasis on reproductive endocrinology, contraception, including IUDs and implants, menstrual disorders and congenital reproductive tract anomalies. We are a referral center for the evaluation and medical management of eating disorders in adolescents. In addition, we provide comprehensive health services and consultations for adolescents with chronic illnesses, enabling our fellows to participate in the care for teenagers with asthma, sickle cell anemia, cancer, renal disease, organ transplants, rheumatologic diseases, diabetes mellitus and more.
The Adolescent AIDS Program provides counseling and medical care for young people with HIV or AIDS, while providing testing and counseling services for those at risk; the program also participates in AIDS clinical trials.
In our Division's Transgender Care Program, we provide medical care for transgender and gender non-conforming youth, including consultation and supportive care for gender non-conforming young children, pubertal suppression for gender-dysphoric early teens and transitional hormonal care for older teens, in collaboration with mental health professionals.
The Eating Disorder Program at CHAM is a collaborative effort by Adolescent Medicine and Psychiatry (Child & Adolescent). The goal is to provide specialized eating disorder treatment to patients who would be otherwise unable to access it. Fellows learn the medical management of eating disorders by caring for patients in our outpatient clinic and on the inpatient service, as well as by participating in multidisciplinary rounds to discuss challenging patient cases.
School Settings & More
Fellows also gain experience managing adolescents in settings outside the traditional academic medical center.
A wide variety of other clinical electives are available, including an adolescent medicine private practice, adolescent psychiatry, care of transgender youth, rehabilitation medicine, endocrinology, dermatology, diabetes and rheumatology.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation's leaders in research support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Einstein and Montefiore Medical Center have been awarded a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) by the NIH that supports the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR), one of only 39 such centers in the nation.
Faculty members of the Division of Adolescent Medicine enjoy strong connections to the ICTR and utilize these to link our fellows to mentors who can help with study design and statistical analysis, if needed, for the fellow's scholarly project. The Department of Pediatrics provides a required course in research design and career development for all subspecialty fellows, and the Division of Adolescent Medicine provides a weekly informal seminar designed to support our fellows in their scholarly work.
Fellows may pursue investigative interests in clinical, translational, epidemiological and healthcare delivery areas. Our adolescent medicine fellows regularly present their research at annual meetings of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, Pediatric Academic Societies and the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology.
Applicants should complete the ERAS common application for adolescent medicine fellowships and submit three letters of reference, including one from the applicant's department chairman or director of training. A scheduled visit and interview are required for all applicants except where this presents a severe hardship.
Hina Talib, MD Director, Adolescent Medicine Fellowship Training 3415 Bainbridge Avenue Bronx, NY 10467 email@example.com
Oddett Foreman Fellowship Program Coordinator firstname.lastname@example.com Phone: 718-920-6781
Fellows' Research Projects: Selected Publications Calderoni ME, Alderman EM, Silver EJ, Bauman LJ. The Mental Health Impact of 9/11 on Inner-City High School Students 20 Miles North of Ground Zero. J Adoles Health 2006; 39:57-65
Iglesias EA, Markowitz ME, Coupey SM. Hormonal Contraception and Blood Lead Levels in Inner-City Adolescent Girls. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 2008; 21:269-273
Rieder J, Santoro N, Cohen HW, Marantz P, Coupey SM. Body Shape and Size and Insulin Resistance as Early Clinical Predictors of Hyperandrogenic Anovulation in Ethnic Minority Adolescent Girls. J Adolesc Health 2008; 43:115-124
Kaul P, Stevens-Simon C, Saproo A, Coupey SM. Trends in Illness Severity and Length of Stay in Inner-City Adolescents Hospitalized for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 2008; 21:289-293
Levine S, Coupey SM. Nonmedical Use of Prescription Medications: An Emerging Risk Behavior among Rural Adolescents. J Adolesc Health 2009;44:407-409
Khan UI, Rieder J, Cohen HW, Coupey SM, Wildman RP. Effect of Modest Changes in BMI on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Markers in Severely Obese, Minority Adolescents. Obes Res Clin Pract 2010; 4:e231-e237
Hollman D, Coupey SM, Fox AS, Herold BC. Screening for Trichomonas Vaginalis in High-Risk Adolescent Females with a New Transcription-Mediated Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT): Associations with Ethnicity, Symptoms, and Prior and Current STIs. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 2010; 23:312-316
Talib HJ, Silver EJ, Coupey SM, Bauman LJ. The Influence of Individual, Partner, and Relationship Factors on HIV Testing in Adolescents. AIDS Patient Care and STDS 2013; 27(11):637-645
Maslanskaya S, Coupey SM, Chabra, R, Khan U. Predictors of Early Discontinuation of Effective Contraception by Teens at High Risk of Pregnancy. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 2016; 29(3):269-275
Coble CA, Silver EJ, Chhabra R. Description of Sexual Orientation and Sexual Behaviors among High School Girls in New York City.J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 2017 Aug;30(4):460-465.
Fridy RLMaslyanskaya S Lim S, Coupey SM Pediatricians' Knowledge and Practices Related to Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives for Adolescent Girls. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2018 Feb 1 doi: 10.1016/j.jpag.2018.01.004. [Epub ahead of print]
Northridge JL, Silver EJ, Talib HJ, Coupey SM. Reproductive Coercion in High-School-Aged Girls: Associations with Reproductive Health Risk and Intimate Partner Violence, J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 2017; 30(6): 603-608 doi: 10.1016/j.jpag.2017.06.007 PMID: 28668360


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Hey Y'all,
Some big things on the horizon for Loki, and a new dev update so we keep the community in the loop!
Service Nodes
- Updated wallet to support staking transactions where the unlock time does not apply to the change address. https://github.com/loki-project/loki/commit/b81214ec6eca1ea32f46262faed2138048d4631dhttps://github.com/loki-project/loki/commit/6e215675a1ace22ac3f48ca2eb36ce7c242533cd
- Extensive testing of Service Nodes has begun.
- Use of boost::round and other math libraries used for consensus code.
- Pooled registration contributions.
- QCop has been merged into the development branch for sending out deregistrations https://github.com/loki-project/loki/commit/ace26fc0cd66c4d702e9e02e2db72c5400648baf
- Add RPC calls for generating the service node registration command for participants https://github.com/loki-project/loki/commit/5435e3327e5999bfa76a378eb9981d7b5e2258a6
LLARP / Lokinet
If you're lucky and join our Discord, you might catch Jeff or Ryan, the developers of LLARP, live streaming as they code.
We want to give a special shout out to Despair, an open source contributor who has started porting Lokinet over to Windows (and improve BSD support).
- Progress continues on Libllarp
- Protocol updates, hidden service progress and DHT improvements
- INI writer can now write to an existing INI file and preserve comments
- Reorganise threading, logic and netio now run in the same thread
- Fix epoll/kqueue tick logic, add timeouts for kqueue
- Buffer bit function refactor, also allow aligned buffers to be filled with random data
- Private IP range 172 accuracy improvements
- Multiplatform work:
- Per platform building instructions now in README
- Android: Fixed headers
- MacOS: Make pthread CMakeList more favorable to XCode
- Windows: initial port (requires Windows NT 5.0+)
- Shared Library and FFI fixes
- Don't put private addresses into RCs, allow nicknames and don't store non-public RCs in nodedb
- Nodedb now only loads .signed files
- Deterministic logging and builds
- DNS library
- A couple refactor clean up passes
- Newer hook interface to make .loki handling easier
- Better packet parser, support SOA response parsing
- Actually sends NXDOMAIN if not found
- Handle multiple responses to already answered packets more gracefully
- GitHub Pulse Stats for the last week: Excluding merges, 4 authors have pushed 50 commits to master and 47 commits to all branches. On master, 100 files have changed and there have been 5,120 additions and 1,116 deletions.
- Most changes can be found at https://github.com/loki-project/loki-network/commits/master
- Current version: v0.0.2
- Compile helper (include assets and dependencies)
Loki Locker
Loki Locker will be Loki's version of MyMonero. A web based wallet you can use to store your Loki. Work has kicked off as a fork of OpenMonero. This should be ready for release quite soon, giving the community another way to store their Loki.
- Work has continued on the visual redesign of Open Monero you can see a teaser of the visual design here. https://i.imgur.com/ScLpzbM.png
- Worked on Integrated QR code scanning, and a new interface for transactions.
We also just got our third pull request merged back into Monero, and we're aiming for our fourth to be IPV6 support to be PR'ed soon.


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The F Major 9 guitar chord (also known as F Major Ninth, FMaj9 or F Major 9th), is a beautiful dreamy sounding chord that is often used in jazz guitar.
The F Major 9th Chord is found by locating the 1, 2, 3 , 5 and 7 positions (F, G, A, C and E) of the F Major Scale: F G A Bb C D E F. The chord chart below demonstrates how to play the FMaj9 Chord.
Here is a key that will help you read the chart:
Chord Playing Tips: Be sure that you are pressing down on the strings hard enough. You should play each string one at a time to make sure you have a nice clean sound. If any of the strings buzz or sound muted, then something is not right.


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When your computer stops working it can feel like the end of the world. Your work, your pictures, your essays, your saved games are all on it. Often your only solution is to take your computer into the shop and hope it doesn't cost too much.
Here are a few solutions you can try at home before you bring your computer in.
First and foremost, it's important to degrade your computer and make it feel bad about itself. If you do not break its spirit, it will not conform to your wishes. I recommend playing Beethoven to it, as Beethoven is very emotional music, which will break the computers spirit as it knows it can never be one of us. Do not play the computer Death Metal. The term Death Metal makes the computer combative and uncooperative as a computer is made out of mostly metal.
Sometimes your computer will not turn on at all. You push the power button, all the lights and fans turn on, but you see nothing but a blank screen. In these cases a potential simple fix is to clear the capacitors. If you unplug the computer and push the power button around 10 times that clears any extra electricity from the computer that may have been causing issues. Plug the computer back in and try to power it on again. You would be amazed how often this fixes your issue. You'd also be amazed at how often computer technicians use this technique in the shop. If it doesn't you might have some bad hardware that will need to be replaced such as your power supply or ram.
In other situations where the fans and lights turn on, but the computer does not, the BIOS has become corrupted. The BIOS is responsible for many tasks, but in this case it helps turn on and initialize all the hardware on the computer and if corrupted can cause issues during power on. If you were wondering, yes the BIOS would be the most dangerous part of the computer if it were to become self-aware.
For this fix we need to open up the case. First unplug the computer. Every case is a little different, but often there are screws on the back of the computer on the left hand side that hold the left side panel in place. Remove those screws and see if you can slide the side panel away. Others have a lever or large button that needs to be slid or pushed to one side. Once you can see inside the computer look for a small watch battery that should be on the opposite wall, attached to the motherboard. If you are not sure what I am talking about it may be best to take the computer into a shop, but if you can see the battery use a small screwdriver to release the latch holding it so you can remove the battery. Leave the computer unplugged for ten minutes, press the power button 10 times, and then place the battery back onto the motherboard. Close your case, plug the system back in, press the power button and see if anything has changed.
If your computer crashes when trying to load windows you can use a few of the built-in auto repair options to try and get the computer limping. When the computer is starting up press the F8 Key repeatedly and by repeatedly, I mean really press it several times over and over. If that doesn't work the first time, restart the computer and try again. This will bring you to the windows startup recovery page. Once on this menu you can try the option "Boot my computer using last known good configuration". This will load the computer back to known good settings and try to start the system. This is the best option if you are aware of a change. If you attempted to update a driver or you installed a new program and the next time you turned the computer on you had startup errors this option should undo all those changes and allow the system to start. Do not worry about modifications you made to any files however. Any documents, saved games, e-mails, or other user generated content will be unaffected by this step. Only computer operating system files will be restored.
Now if that does not work on that same F8 menu you can also try an option called "Safe Mode With Networking". This is designed to start a limited version of windows without any additional devices configured allowing you to back up your files, run repair programs, re-install drivers, or even use windows system restore to return your computer to an earlier point where it worked. Repairs in safe mode can be complicated, so if you are not comfortable with the steps listed here you may need to take the computer into a shop. In some cases even starting the computer in safe mode can resolve issues, so after safe mode has started try re-starting the computer normally to see if anything has changed.
If you do end up needing to find a shop to fix your computer, a great way to find a good one is Google. On another computer either at work, a library, or at a friend's house go to Google and search for a repair shop in your city. For example, I live in Calgary Alberta Canada, so I would look for "Calgary Computer Repair". This type of search will bring up hundreds of results, but keep an eye at the top few and see how the website feels. Often you will find a smaller shop that is local to the community, rather than a large chain store. You will often receive better service from the small local well established shops as they will be focused on return customers, and will have higher skilled technicians.
These are only a few of the tools that Calgary Computer Repair shops use to fight the evils of viruses and computer corruption. Sometimes hardware or software failures make it impossible to repair the computer yourself without parts or help from outside sources, but by following the few tricks listed above you can potentially save yourself, and your friends valuable time and money.


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The threat of rain and severe weather cut short the festivities for the first annual Appreciate Pasco Festival at Land O' Lakes Heritage Park, but that didn't detract from the purpose of the event — which was to call attention to the good people do. The event was organized as a way to celebrate local Pasco County volunteers, as well as recognize International Good Deeds Day. Good Deeds … [Read more...]
Celebrating the value of good deeds
Showing some appreciation for those who do good
This is a festival that takes time out to celebrate the good that people do in their communities. The name of the event is Appreciate Pasco: A Community Volunteer Appreciation Festival, and it will feature entertainment, food, prizes, awards and recognitions. It also will highlight Good Deeds Day, an international event held in 93 countries, to recognize good works that often go unnoticed, … [Read more...]


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Cambridge Sensotec has unveiled the Rapidox SF6 6100 gas analyser to meet changes in regulations regarding the handling of SF6 gas.
Featuring a pump back gas return function, the analyser is able to extract the SF6 gas from equipment such as Gas Insulated Substations (GIS) and simultaneously analyse all measured gases.
It will then pump it back at the same pressure as used within the electrical equipment using a 10 bar compressor.
A vacuum purge cycle and gas storage system ensures that no air is allowed to contaminate the gas sample and that no SF6 gas is allowed to escape during the testing period.
Due for autumn release, the Rapidox uses high precision infrared (IR) sensor technology for the analysis of SF6 gas using the principle that some gases absorb IR radiation at specific wavelengths.
The IR sensor is designed to provide a rapid response, is immune to poisoning and contamination and has the ability to operate in the absence of oxygen.
Decomposition products sulphur dioxide (SO2) and moisture (H2O) may also be measured by the Rapidox SF6 6100 using electrochemical and advanced ceramic sensor technology respectively.
Additional sensors for gases such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and hydrogen fluoride (HF) are available.
Field tests carried out by Cambridge Sensotec highlighted the need for quick and easy to use instruments for onsite SF6 gas maintenance procedures.
To meet this, the Rapidox SF6 6100 has an inbuilt microprocessor operated by a 7-inch colour touchscreen and the ability to store 12 months of continuous data.
Pre-loaded IEC and CIGRE tests are available, alongside the ability to customise test parameters.
Housed within a robust IP66 Peli case, the Rapidox is lightweight and features an 8 hour lithium ion battery as well as an in-built printer.
Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) is a man-made gas comprising of one sulphur and six fluoride atoms.
It is extremely chemically stable, non-flammable and highly electronegative, with an excellent dielectric property of approximately 2.5 times more than air.
It is commonly used within electrical switchgear, transformers and substations as an electrical insulation, arc quenching and cooling medium.


text:
Get in a position for your AP Human Geography exam with this straightforward, easy-to-follow study guide―up to date for all of the contemporary exam changes
5 Steps to a 5: AP Human Geography features an effective, 5-step plan to guide your preparation program and can help you build the skills, knowledge, and test-taking confidence you want to succeed. This fully revised edition covers the contemporary course syllabus and matches the contemporary exam.
The book provides get right of entry to to McGraw-Hill Education's interactive AP Planner app, with a view to enable you to receive a customizable study schedule on your mobile device.
- Bonus app features day-to-day assignment notifications, plus extra practice questions to assess test readiness
- 3 complete practice AP Human Geography exams
- 3 separate study plans to suit your learning style


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So, on to the mobile post that was supposed to occur yesterday. It's not really a mobile post anymore, because I'm sitting in my cozy home. Well, it's a vacation post, at least. kinda like when Tom Green went on trips and brought the cameras with him.
We went to Lansing for a 5K yesterday and today. OK, when I say 5K, I mean going shopping all day and eating wonderful food, then spending the next morning in a great deal of pain and discomfort. I've been looking forward to this trip for a while, and I've also been looking forward to a blog post about it.
So, my main goal for Lansing was to visit all of the record stores I knew about there. I also wanted to visit the poster shop, which is amazing. OK, the first record store I went to was pretty lame. It was dirty, and dusty. I got 2 CDs, though. A Clash CD and a R.E.M. CD. They're both pretty good (that's why I bought them).
The second record store, however, was something else. The place's name was Flat, Black and Circular. I went there during my trip last year, but I didn't like as much music as I do now, so it was pretty much a waste of time then. Now, it was sweet. I got: Aladdin Sane by David Bowie, Tommy by The Who, and...(drumroll, please)...Pink Floyd's The Wall!!!!! It sounds great, too. I only turned the volume dial up to a third of it's maximum capacity, and the floor was seriously shaking. I and seriously happy, because it's just one more version of The Wall to add to my collection.
We were also visiting a friend of my mom's, whom I've only meant 2 other times. She's pretty fun, and her and her husband made a great tour guide. We went and ate at a place with Mediterranean food that was delicious. I got a Gyro, but it wasn't wrapped like usual. It was on a bun, that I was told was home-made. It was great!
The 5K was, well, horrible. You know how they talk about that "elusive runners' high"? Well, it is more of a "wall" than a maintained condition. After a few minutes of it, you get to the other side, where a world of hurt awaits. I ran the entire way, which was very cool, but I suffered. I thought I was going to puke the whole thing, and towards the end my hips started to hurt (they tend to when I'm running). I had my headphones in, but for some odd reason, it seemed to be skipping. I didn't even know MP3 players COULD skip. My finish time was 34:42. I was really proud of myself, even though I couldn't even walk in a straight line. Fortunately, they had water and orange slices.
The very worst part, though, was the fact I was writing this blog post in my head the entire run. Enjoy the products of a delusional, dehydrated mind.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
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About Me
- Boyd
- Well, for starters, I'm a teen who thinks it would be fun to write about every little thing that pops into my head to be read by everyone on the internet every single day. Doesn't that tell you enough about who I am?
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A signature design, and one of the first designs for the brand the Zardosi Tye Dye top is a canvas made up of exquisite craft. Featuring classic Zardosi work – a specialised embroidery technique tracing back to the 17th century, the beautiful design pattern is skilfully applied by specialised artisans. Also embellishing this piece are metallic studded pearls and delicate embroidery along the neckline for extra detail. Cut from a heavy weighted silk fabric in a monochrome tye dye palette, this piece effortlessly flows from day to night. Also available in mushroom blue print and plum print.
- 28" Top edge to hem
- 100% Silk
- Dry clean only