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Select a vehicle year and model below to get a valuation.
The modern cornerstone of Dodge performance, the Viper enters 2003 with its most significant redesign since it entered production. Introduced only as the roadster SRT-10 model, the lighter weight Dodge Viper features a larger V-10 engine producing 500 horsepower. While the Viper SRT-10 serves the high-end supercar market, Dodge has also prepared an all-new vehicle for the sport compact crowd. The 215-horsepower Dodge Neon SRT-4 represents itself as a high-styled sport sedan powered by a turbocharged 2.4-liter engine. Catering to commercial enterprises, Dodge has reintroduced a cargo van version of the Caravan and Grand Caravan. Starting in 2003, the Mercedes-Benz sourced Dodge Sprinter van is offered as a new large capacity cargo vehicle. Deleting the four-cylinder engine option for 2003, the Dodge Dakota is available only with Magnum V-6 and Magnum V-8 powerplant choices.

subset: commoncrawl


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This leading text is enhanced with computer-rendered graphics, real-world applications and multiple-concept exercises. It is linked to a web-site which offers a chemistry on-line learning and exploration centre.Fay, Robert C. is the author of 'Chemistry ', published 2007 under ISBN 9780131993235 and ISBN 0131993232.[read more]
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Instantly famous baby!
After days of deliberation, Kate Hudson and fiance Matt Bellamy have named their baby boy! The little guy's name is Bingham "Bing" Hawn Bellamy.
PHOTOS: Look back on Kate's pregnancy
"So happy! Just had a baby boy, Bingham 'Bing' Hawn Bellamy," the British Muse rocker, 33, tweeted on Wednesday. "Mum and baby are strong and healthy. Mum was a warrior, Bing popped out after 4.5 hours of intense pushing!" An insider tells Us Weekly that the couple chose the name on Wednesday. Bingham was born on Saturday night in L.A., and weighed in at 7 lbs. 12 oz. It's the first child for Bellamy, and the second for Hudson. The 32 year-old actress has as 7-year-old son, Ryder, with ex-husband Chris Robinson.
PHOTOS: Kate's bikini body over the years
Although "Hawn" is an homage to Hudson's mother Goldie Hawn, no word yet on the inspiration behind "Bingham" — not typically a first name — for the little one. Indie rocker Ryan Bingham heads up indie band The Dead Horses; archaeologist/explorer Hiram Bingham discovered ancient city Machu Picchu in Peru in 1908; there is also a Bingham County in the state of Idaho, and a town called Bingham in Michigan.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Thursday it was looking into a cyber breach after what appeared to be a scan of first lady Michelle Obama's passport was posted online.
The fresh disclosures, which included emails to and from White House staffers, raised further concerns about the security of sensitive systems following a string of breaches affecting government agencies, private companies and the Democratic National Committee. Though officials declined to say whether the disclosures were authentic, there were no immediate reasons to suspect they were not.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch said it was "something that we are looking into." The U.S. Secret Service, responsible for the first lady's safety, also expressed concern.
Mrs. Obama's information was part of a batch of emails spanning from February 2015 through July 2016 and purportedly hacked from the Gmail account of a White House "advance" staffer, responsible for logistics for official trips. The breach included the photo-and-information page of her passport, including passport number, birthdate and place of birth — most of which is public information.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said officials were taking a "close look" at what happened. While emphasizing the need for government workers to be cautious with cyber security, he sought to downplay concerns by pointing out that the advance staffer whose email was apparently hacked was a contract worker rather than a permanent member of the president's staff.
"At this point I cannot announce any sort of conclusion that's been reached about the individual or individuals that may have been responsible for the cyber breach that resulted in this information being leaked," Earnest said.
The Secret Service didn't say whether it had opened a formal investigation, but confirmed it was aware of the "alleged email hacking."
"The Secret Service is concerned any time unauthorized information that might pertain to one of the individuals we protect, or our operations, is allegedly disclosed," said Secret Service communications director Cathy Milhoan.
The first lady's office did not respond to a request for comment.
The information was posted on DCLeaks.com, the same website where former Secretary of State Colin Powell's private emails were recently disclosed. The site says its goal is to expose the misuse of political power, and has been alleged to be an outlet for hackers tied to Russian intelligence groups.
In another reminder of how pervasive the hacking problem has become, Yahoo said Thursday that hackers stole personal information from 500 million accounts, including birth dates, hashed passwords and security answers used to verify an account holder's identity. The internet company attributed the breach to a "state sponsored actor."
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New York Wines are Taking Over The World!
Overstated, sure. But the wines I am so passionate about are working their way around the Internet pretty nicely.
On today's episode of Wine Library TV everyone's favorite Chad Pennington wannabe tastes wines from the New York Cork Club's February shipment.
When I found that that Gary, who surely has a better arm that Pennington, was going to taste the wines, I was excited. I don't think he's featured any NY wines on his uber-popular vlog. But would he like them? Would he think these wines like Joe Namath…or would they be complete busts like Blair Thomas?
Watch it right now and find out.
Tomorrow I'll be announcing March's selections for the NYCC. What are you waiting for? Sign up today!
Oh and you can ignore Gary's derogatory remarks about your favorite New York wine blogger. Jealousy will do that to a man. After all, when did the New York Jets last win a championship?
Yeah, that's what I thought.


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Taylor Swift has no problem singing about love stories and now the country singer is heading to the big screen to tell one of the most beloved romances of all time. Our fave country singer landed the heart-wrenching role of Eponine in the musical movie adaption of Les Miserables. So far, the only screen-time Taylor's had was her small part in Valentine's Day, so this is her big chance to show off her acting skills and we can't wait! Tay will be sharing the screen with Amanda Seyfried, who will play Cosette, along with Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe. Talk about a star-studded cast!
In the movie, Taylor's character Eponine grows up in a wealthy family and has everything she could possibly want, except her parents' love and attention. On top of that, she falls in love with a guy who only sees her as a friend! If you don't know the story, we won't spoil it for you. You'll have to head to the theaters to see what happens!
Are you excited to see Taylor Swift play Eponine in Les Mis or do you think she should stick to singing? Speak up in the comment section!


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Weekly Standard: It's Romney's Race To Win
Jay Cost is a staff writer for The Weekly Standard.
The conventional wisdom in the presidential race is that President Obama is a clear favorite. We hear this from the pundits in the press, we see it in the InTrade odds, and various predictive models built around the polling averages tell us this.
But I disagree.
For starters, I believe it is based upon a historically naïve view of summer political polling. Yes, Obama enjoys a modest lead in the nationwide vote, as well in the swing states, but consider the bounciness of the polling in 1968, 1976, 1980, 1988, 1992, and 2000. It is not hard to see that political polling before and after the conventions looks different — in ways that endure beyond the traditional "convention bounces."
There is another problem with the received wisdom, which is that it is built on the assumption that all voters are equally persuadable. They are not, which is why President Obama's three-point margin over Mitt Romney needs to be understood in the context of where he actually is in those polls.
For the last two months, President Obama has bounced around between 46 and 48 percent of the vote in the national polls, as well as most averages of the state polls. Impressive? Hardly. Forty-six to 48 percent is really just the core Democratic coalition, which every Democrat has held for the past quarter century.
The old Democratic party broke down in 1968, the start of a long presidential exile. The party managed only one victory out of the next six; worse, it saw the collapse of its traditional New Deal coalition built on the Solid South, the white working class in and around the big Northern cities, and farmers/ranchers in the West. Slowly but surely, the party rebuilt itself into the coalition we know today — dominated by racial and ethnic minorities, upscale white liberals (especially activist groups like the environmentalists and feminists), government workers, and young voters. It was in the 1988 election that we saw the party coming back from the brink, and every cycle since then the Democrats have enjoyed a floor of about 46 percent of the vote, built around roughly 90 percent of Democratic support, 40 percent of independent support, and 10 percent of Republican support.
If you look carefully at the national horserace polls, you will notice that these are the only people supporting Obama over Romney, more or less. And if you look carefully at the presidential job approval polls, you will notice that these are also the only people approving of his job performance, more or less.
In other words, Obama's polling right now suggests that he has only locked down the core Democratic vote; what's more, those not currently in his voting coalition tend to disapprove of his job as president. Indeed, the Gallup job approval poll finds him with just 31 percent support from "pure" independents, i.e. those with no party affiliation whatsoever.
It is extraordinarily difficult for incumbent presidents to win the votes of people who disapprove of the job they are doing. Hence, this race is Romney's to win.
But it is not his to lose. And that's an important distinction.
It is difficult to overcome the hurdle that Obama faces — to win voters who think you've done a bad job as president — but not impossible. Richard Nixon in 1972 won a significant chunk of his disapprovers because the McGovern-Shriver ticket was not a serious option. Lyndon Johnson managed the same in 1964, as he made the Goldwater-Miller ticket out to be a threat to humanity itself.
The 1964 election is particularly important to understanding the 2012 campaign. I have argued in the past that, bereft of popular legislative achievements, a sound economy, or a manageable deficit, President Obama is left running a version of LBJ's 1964 campaign. Johnson was worried that passage of the Civil Rights Act would spark a backlash that would keep him from his goal of the largest victory in history. Hence, the "frontlash" strategy, designed to make typically Republican voters (mostly moderates in the Northeast) scared to death of Goldwater. "The stakes are too high," LBJ warned the country in ad after ad.
Obama is basically running this campaign. If LBJ made Goldwater a threat to western civilization, Obama is trying to make Romney into a corporate raider who will bring about a new feudalism.
This points to Romney's challenge, and it is a significant one. Obviously, he needs to remind swing voters of all the things about the Obama tenure that they do not like, but he also must counter Obama's negative campaign. He cannot allow himself to be tagged as a capitalist pig whose only goal is personal enrichment. Instead, he must aggressively and constantly push the idea that he is a decent, public-spirited man whose background is precisely what this country needs.
This is why a bold vice presidential selection is a good start. A vibrant, articulate conservative who can make the positive case for a change would be an important signal that Team Romney understands it is not enough to get the country to say "no" to Obama, but also say "yes" to Romney. Beyond that, while the Tampa convention should toss out plenty of red meat to conservatives, it must dedicate much more effort to promoting Romney as the best leader to fix our problems. Similarly, during the ad wars and the fall debates, Romney must not focus singularly on the case against Obama — the president has made that himself over three years of bad governance — but dedicate substantial effort to making the case for himself.
By Election Day, there will be two stories about Mitt Romney. The one, which we have already heard from Team Obama, portrays Romney as a heartless capitalist. The other is a case still to be made, from Team Romney, that he is a pragmatic problem solver who understands the private economy and can fix it.
If a majority of voters think that Romney's story is closer to the truth than Obama's, then Mitt Romney will be elected the 45th President of the United States.


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Emergency Procedures & Preparation
Preparation for a public health emergency is a responsibility for all Californians. While Fresno State is more prepared than ever before, we all have work to do to be sure that we are ready for a disaster when it strikes. And, in California as we know too well, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when the next disaster will occur.
Being prepared for a public health emergency is crucial for individuals, families, schools and businesses. Caring for ourselves and our family members; our neighbors, students, staff, faculty and co-workers; those with special health needs in our communities – all are essential for Fresno State to emerge from a crises in as good health as possible.
This section provides guidelines and tips to ensure that you and your family, students, staff, faculty, and co-workers are prepared for a disaster before it strikes. Learn more about how to plan and protect yourself and others.
In an Emergency
Call Fresno State Police Department
- 559.278.8400
- 911 from a campus phone


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One of the most pressing concerns for any working family with children in North Carolina is to figure out a child care arrangement for children that allows parents to work and provide for their family, and allows children to learn and grow in a safe and stimulating setting when not in parental care. This is especially challenging because of the high cost of child care, as noted in these recently released state fact sheets by Child Care Aware of America. There are a few options available for families who earn low to moderate wages including the child care subsidy program which provides financial assistance to working families who need help paying for child care. Unfortunately this critical building block that makes life work for working families has been crumbling due to recent policy decisions by North Carolina lawmakers.
In our newest edition of Prosperity Watch, we feature a report released this month by NC Child detailing the impact made by child care subsidy policy changes passed by North Carolina lawmakers last year. These changes amounted to the loss of financial assistance for thousands of North Carolina families, including reducing income eligibility levels to qualify for the program, elimination of prorated fees for part-time child care (meaning many families will no longer be able to afford care), as well as counting income of a non-parent relative caregiver like a grandparent against the child's eligibility for subsidies.
The map below provides a county by county breakdown of the more than 6,000 children who have lost or will lose access to child care subsidies from the change to the income eligibility provision alone.


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Philip Ramos
Combating Sex Crimes
Assembly's sexual predator package will make New York a safer place
Plan is toughest, most comprehensive approach to combat sex offenders
A tough, comprehensive and effective plan to protect New York's communities from sexual predators has been proposed by the Assembly majority.
The Child Safety and Sexual Predator Punishment and Confinement Strategy, the result of a series of public hearings, includes not just civil commitment, but tougher penalties, expanded monitoring of sex offenders and improved services for crime victims.
It's clear that dangerous sex offenders need to be kept off the streets. After public hearings and careful research, the Assembly majority introduced a comprehensive plan that addresses the threat of sexual predators in our communities.
Specifically, the legislation includes:
After carefully researching this issue, the Assembly majority has proposed a more thorough, more effective plan than any other currently under consideration in Albany. The Assembly majority urges the governor and Senate to join it in supporting this innovative plan for making our communities safer.
Stricter sentencing for serious sex crimes
The Assembly's plan provides for up to life sentences for the most heinous sex crimes—those where the perpetrator harmed the victim, threatened the use of a weapon, committed the crime against multiple victims, or was previously convicted of a felony sex crime.
Adults convicted of serious sex crimes in which the victim is under the age of 13 could spend the rest of their lives in prison, regardless of any other aggravating circumstance.
Civil commitment for the worst sexual predators
A key element of the plan provides for the potential lifetime civil commitment of sexual predators after they finish their prison sentences. Under the Assembly's plan, the process would begin with the state Attorney General petitioning the courts after a psychiatric examination of the offender and input from mental health professionals.
Sex offenders subject to civil commitment would have the same due process as in a criminal proceeding—including access to a public defender and a probable cause hearing. Civil commitment would be ordered if a jury unanimously decided that an offender is a violent sexual predator who is likely to repeat a horrific crime again.
And even if it is determined that civil commitment is not necessary, the Attorney General would still have the ability to ensure a convicted sex offender remains under intense supervision. While those civilly confined could be housed in state mental hygiene facilities, they would be barred from coming in contact with the general population of patients with mental disabilities.
Mandatory treatment for incarcerated sex offenders
The Assembly's package also requires mandatory treatment for incarcerated sex offenders. The state Department of Correctional Services currently operates a sex offender treatment program but it is not required by law and it lasts for only six months—one of the shortest prison-based programs in the nation. Under the plan, an expert panel would be formed to determine the best way to improve methods for the treatment of sex offenders.
Additional legislation
The Assembly's plan also includes other significant legislation, including a measure to immediately stop sex offenders from being removed from the state registry while the federal government considers Megan's Law changes that could be enacted at the state level as well (A.9082).
The plan also includes the Sexual Abuse Prevention Act (A.8294), which:
Other bills would require the development of a mandatory, age-appropriate public school curriculum on how children can better protect themselves from sexual assault and abuse (A.8415) and make training videos to help parents protect their children available at public libraries and police precincts (A.9148).
A plan to keep our neighborhoods safer
Again, the Assembly majority's plan to protect our communities and families from sexual predators is easily the most comprehensive, tough and effective plan introduced so far. It would impose tougher sentences on sex offenders, keep the most dangerous predators civilly confined, and intensely monitor them if they are released.
Passage of the Assembly's plan will help New York families sleep better at night. The Assembly majority fully expects the Senate and governor to join it in making this plan the law of the land and a significant accomplishment of the 2006 session.
Assemblyman Ramos • 1010 Suffolk Ave. • Brentwood, NY


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BullZip PDF Printer is a virtual printer driver that enables you to convert any printable document or image to PDF format. The Bullzip PDF Printer works by creating a virtual printer in the operating systems that prints to PDF files instead of paper. This practically allows any application to create PDF files from the print menu. Once installed, BullZip PDF Printer appears as a printer option in your printing properties. If you want to use BullZip PDF Printer as your default printer right-click on it and select it as your default printer. This program is FREEWARE with limitations, which means that it is FREE for personal and commercial use up to 10 users.
BullZip PDF Printer Features:
- Print to PDF from almost any Windows program.
- Runs on Microsoft Windows 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XPand Windows Server 2012, 2008, 2003
- Supports 64-bit operating systems.
- Direct output to the same file each time or prompt for destination.
- Control if the printer should ask if you want to see the resulting PDF document.
- Control output and prompts programmatically.
- Setup can run unattended.
- Graphical user interface.
- Password protect PDF documents.
- 128/40 bit encryption.
- Quality settings (screen, printer, ebook, prepress).
- Set document properties.
- Watermark text, size, rotation, and transparency.
- Superimpose/background documents.
- Appending/prepending documents.
- User interface control.
- Command line interface to all settings.
- COM/ActiveX interface for programmatic control.
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- Multiple output types supported: BMP, JPEG, PCX, PDF, PNG, and TIFF.
What's new in this version:
- Fix of possible deadlock when reading error output from programs.
- New /SPOOLERCONTEXT setup command line switch for easier installation with services such as IIS.
- Advanced features of Postscript driver were disabled to fix left to right (LTR) printing issues.
- Registration of msscript.ocx during installation was moved to 64-bit context when possible to avoid access error (0x5) problems.
Download: BullZip PDF Printer 10.8.0.2282 | 6.7 MB (Freeware)
View: BullZip PDF Printer Homepage


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Prices vary based on delivery destination (it's a tax thing), so please change it if you're not shipping within United States as it might affect the price!
On orders over £99
get a response within seconds
1000s of samples available
We have 1,000s of 30ml drams in stock! Taste and explore without buying a whole bottle.
Taste and explore a dram without buying a whole bottle!
Whisky (or whiskey) is produced in various guises all over the world. Japanese Whisky, Irish Whiskey and American Whiskeys (including Bourbon) are challenging Scotch Whisky, with of them many winning notable awards and accolades. Meanwhile, whiskies from countries as diverse as India, Canada, Sweden, Wales, Taiwan and England are also becoming increasingly noteworthy in both quality and abundance.
The distillation process spread to Scotland and Ireland by the 15th century via Alexandrian Greeks, Medieval Arabs and Latin Europeans. The Scots and the Irish, who already had a well-developed tradition of farming cereal crops, used the technique to distil from a variety of fermented grain mashes to produce a spirit, most closely resembling today's new make spirits.
This spirit was used 'for medicinal purposes' for some time, but started to become widely adopted as a beverage of choice and a good way to use up excess grains, keeping them safe from the rats' clutches. Once the spirit started to be stored in oak barrels, it was noticed that this had the delightful consequence of providing flavour and colour, giving it a deeper and more mellow taste than the raw spirit. Today, whisky must be aged for at least 3 years in an oak Barrel before it can legally be called "whisky".
The process of distilling fermented grain mash and aging it in oak barrels to make Whisky (or whiskey) has spread the world and has resulted in a remarkable range of styles, including Single Malt Whisky, Blended Malt Whisky, Grain Whisky, Rye Whiskey and Blended Whisky (containing both Single Malt Whisky and Grain Whisky).
The most famous and revered of all the Whisky producing countries. Despite the country's small size, the range of whiskies available from Scotland is incredible, from the briney and peaty flavours of Islay Whisky and Island Whiskies to the lighter, sweet whiskies often found in Speyside. Notable producers include Johnnie Walker, Ardbeg, Glenmorangie, The Macallan, Glenfiddich and The Glenlivet.
The whiskeys of America tend to have more spicy notes and a vanilla sweetness, due to the new, charged-oak barrels that are used for maturation of Bourbon, especially. This massive generalisation doesn't do the range of whiskey styles justice, however. American Whiskeys include Bourbons, Ryes, Tennessee Whiskeys and Straight Corn Whiskey, all of which offer a distinct flavour profile. More recently, the craft distilling movement has led to even greater variety, led by the likes of St. George Spirits and Balcones.
The whisky production methods of Japan most closely resemble those of Scotch Whisky, and the results speak for themselves. Multi-award winning producers Suntory and Nikka have proven credentials in consistently producing excellent whiskies including single malts from Yamazaki, Hakushu, Yoichi and Miyagikyo. Whisky from the closed distillery of Karuizawa, meanwhile, has become the stuff of legend including releases of the kind of vintages rarely seen outside of Scotland.
The triple distillation process widely used in Irish Whiskeys tends to lend them a smooth and fruity flavour. They are also unique in their production of single pot still whiskey. The Irish have been producing whisk(e)y for as long (or longer, according to some sources) as the Scots, and that heritage comes through in fantastic spirits from producers such as Midleton, Bushmills, Cooley and, of course, Jameson.
Welsh Whiskies, Indian Whiskies, English Whiskies, Swedish Whiskies and even Taiwanese Whiskies are among the world's fastest growing whisky categories with exceptional new products coming through from the likes of Penderyn, Amrut, St George's, Mackmyra and King Car. Canadian whiskies meanwhile have a proud history dating back to the 18th century.
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Every nation has its pride, but the feeling runs especially deep in Iran. There, the sense of nationhood extends back 2,500 years, to the time of Darius and Xerxes and other names that Americans might possibly have heard of somewhere — maybe in the action movie 300 — but which anchor modern Iranians to a stream of history that predates every Abrahamic religion, including Islam, and carries real implications for the nuclear issue. For outsiders, it makes the issue a lot tougher.
Ordinary, rank and file, workaday Iranians want a nuclear program. Even those who dislike their government – likely a majority – crave the prestige afforded by atomic power, at the least. A few years ago I spent an afternoon exploring the question with Iranians while taking in the ruins of Persepolis, the ancient capital city of the Persian empire that was razed by Alexander the Great. One man pointed to a stone frieze showing a long line of supplicants bearing tribute to the Persian emperor from lesser lands. "These are Armenians," he said, pointing to a group of three. "They were bringing gifts to the king of Iran 2,500 years ago. And now they have a nuclear power plant. Do you want to see the Indians?" he went on. "They didn't have shoes. Now they have nine nuclear plants."
Polls suggest a significant minority of Iranians – 38 percent in a 2010 University of Maryland survey – also think Iran should have The Bomb, even those aligned with the opposition Green Movement. It's not nearly as clear that Iran's religious rulers share that view: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who as Supreme Leader has far more power than President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, has repeatedly said religious teachings proscribe weapons of mass destruction, and some of the savviest analysts, including Juan Cole , advise taking the mullah at his word. (Which doesn't mean the government isn't working hard to master the technology that could produce a nuclear weapon, as the IAEA reported last week. It's entirely possible Iran merely wants the world to know it has the option of building one on short notice, as, say, Japan has.)
When Khamenei talks to his countrymen about nukes, the issue is framed in terms of progress, technology and, most importantly, development. The United States and its ilk, he says, "do not want an Islamic and independent country to achieve scientific progress and possess advanced technology." He refers to the effort to master the nuclear fuel cycle as the work of "our own young experts" and "the talented Iranian nation." Even if the findings of the IAEA show that, in fact, Iran's nuclear program has drawn from Pakistani plans, North Korean parts and specific technical advice from a Russian, the point in question is essentially emotional. Khamenei's rhetoric strikes a sensitive chord in a country that feels stuck in the mid-1970s — and knows the world has passed it by. Never mind the images that pour in from satellite television; Iranians travel. They don't even need a visa to visit neighboring Turkey, which with the same population and even fewer resources has more than twice the per capita income.
Being left behind sits poorly with the descendants of a Persian civilization responsible for much of the Golden Age of Islam, the strides in medicine, astronomy and mathematics that piled up while Europe was mired in the Dark Ages. And Iranians will be sure to let you know that Persians were inventing things long before the arrival of Islam, an import carried there in 637 AD by invading Arabs, a desert people the plateau-dwelling Persians always thought of themselves as above, and not only topographically. Today a particularly tart put-down of the mullahs is dismissing them as "those Arabs," lumping the clerics with the nomads that brought a faith started elsewhere, and imposed it on a civilization that had after all gotten to monotheism before anyone else: Zoroastrianism, which divides the world between light and dark, good and bad, was state religion of the Achaemenid emperors.
The list goes on. In a Tehran carpet shop, a salesman told me the tragedy of Persian history explained the shape of the paisley, or boteh, which originated in Iran; it looks a bit like a cypress tree. The tree was Iran, he said, and it had stood upright until Islam was laid on top, bending to one side the weak top branches. For a while, after taking power in the 1979 Revolution, the mullahs objected to naming babies for ancient pre-Islamic monarchs – Cyrus, Darius. (It didn't help that the reviled Shah had explicitly invoked their legacy with a famous, decadent 1971 ceremony by the ruins of Persepolis.) The mullahs also discouraged observance of Nowruz, the spring festival of the new year, because it also predates Islam. In both cases, the people simply ignored them.
None of which is to suggest that Iranians are not devout Muslims. A very great many are, and they — along with the world's 1.5 billion other believers — may well take an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities as an attack on Islam. But for most Iranians, their religious identity rests atop a national one, and that's the identity that guarantees ferocious popular ire against Israel, or America, or any other nation with the capacity to bomb the place, however they feel about the government ruling it at the moment. In fact, as analysts such as Karim Sadjadpour tirelessly point out, a military attack likely would give the theocratic government an unprecedented mandate for power, fusing the regime to the defense of the nation with a fire the clerics can no longer produce on their own.


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This week: The AMANDA BROWDER SHOW! Amanda and Tom start 2010 off with an interview with Miami artists Alain Guerra and Neraldo de la Paz about their collective Guerra de la Paz (awesome composite of their names) about their work, and how clothing can be more than just a shell over one person's nubile body..but a story and a basis for sculptural exploration.
Then, Mike Benedetto returns!!! He offers up a meditation on Steven Seagal, Lawman.
Guerra de la Paz is the composite name of Cuban born, American artist duo Alain Guerra (born 1968) and Neraldo de la Paz (born 1955), who have been collaborating since 1996. They are based in Miami.
Guerra was born in Havana and de le Paz in Matanzas. Guerra de la Paz work in sculpture, installation and photography. Their work references the politics of modern conflict and consumerism alongside symbols of faith; they often use old clothing to build their sculptures.
Alain Guerra
Neraldo de la Paz
Guerra de la Paz
Steven Seagal
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
"pepe" stores
Ralph Lauren
Saatchi Collection
Art Basel Miami
Chicago Cultural Center
- Episode: 836 Cara Ober and BmoreArt - March 31, 2023
- Episode 835: Carrie Gundersdorf and Chloë Bass - March 29, 2023
- Episode 834: Harold Mendez - March 22, 2023


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Zetterberg ends slump with 2 goals, Abdelkader adds 2 in Red Wings' 5-2 win over host Canucks
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader both scored two goals, and the Detroit Red Wings surged past the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 on Saturday night.
Zetterberg broke out with his first goals in 11 games, dating to the Red Wings' 8-3 rout of Vancouver in Detroit on Feb. 24.
Daniel Cleary also scored for the Red Wings (14-10-5), who earned their second road win in two nights.
Alex Burrows scored both of Vancouver's goals. His first, which came just 6 seconds in, was the fastest opening goal in Canucks history.
Vancouver, which outshot Detroit 35-26, allowed one power-play goal in three chances, but the Canucks were 0-for-6 on their advantages.
The Canucks lost for the first time in three games.


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Scotland is for Selfies... especially at Castles
I started with the selfies even before departure. Here we are, having both sailed through security at our local airport with TSA Pre-check. Rusty had his paint box packed in his carry-on, which included a few tools and things, and that was enough for a special look-through and no TSA Pre-check for him on the way home. I had it, though, and I'm not ashamed to say that I used it. I was hot, I was tired, I comfortably waited for him at the end of that long, long line. Heh.
I started taking them at every castle we visited and next thing you know, the SCOTTISH CASTLE SELFIE SERIES was born!
Old Man of Storr (not a castle, but towering)
Eilean Donan Castle again (WC/coffee break)
Once in selfie mode...
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
across the street from Mackie's of Scotland - Ice Cream (also maker of good potato crisps, including Haggis & Cracked Black Pepper flavor) (when in Scotland...)
at Inverness Castle - River Ness behind us
in the rental car at Inverness, READY TO GO!
I have no idea where this is! Judging from attire and windblown-edness, it's somewhere on the Isle of Skye, maybe near Storr.
I think the smiles say everything that needs to be said here. :)


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Yachting in ATHENS
| Over the past three decades, Vernicos Yachts has become synonymous with pleasure and reliability for thousands of sailing enthusiasts from all around the world.
We are the first yachting company worldwide to attain the internationally recognised quality assurance certificate ISO 9001 for yacht charter and sales and continue to offer high quality of service.
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So if you feel that cruising by yacht is the best way to fully appreciate some of the world�s most exotic and secluded places let us guide you through the sailing paradise of Greece.


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TRENTON, N.J. – New Jerseyans displaced from their homes due to damage from Hurricane Sandy are encouraged to use an online housing locator to help them quickly find affordable transitional or long-term housing. The New Jersey Housing Resource Center (HRC), located on the web at www.NJHRC.gov, is a free service to people in search of affordable housing and to landlords who are looking to provide housing. People without Internet access can call the bilingual toll-free number 1-877-428-8844 for help using this service.
"Helping residents recover from the destruction of Hurricane Sandy is this Administration's top priority," said Governor Christie. "That's why it's critical that as many housing options as possible be made available to citizens displaced from their homes by the storm. The long-term transitional housing alternatives through the HRC will provide New Jersey families the foundation needed as they begin to rebuild their lives."
The HRC website is being updated on a daily basis with transitional or long-term housing options. The site consolidates rental resources identified and provided by the New Jersey Apartment Association, New Jersey Association of Realtors, New Jersey Builders Association, landlords, private organizations, federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the public to help individuals and families find available rental units in their area. Currently, there are more than 2,200 housing opportunities available on the HRC website throughout the state of New Jersey.
"We are encouraging property providers to do two things," said New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Richard E. Constable, III, who is chair of the Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. "First, we are asking them to consider adjusting lease terms to help quickly accommodate housing needs. Second, we are urging them to log on to the HRC website to take advantage of this free and easy way to promote their open units."
People visiting the HRC website can click the Hurricane Sandy information bar at the top of the webpage to search specifically for temporary housing due to the storm. The page that opens will display a list of available temporary housing properties throughout New Jersey. Presently, more than 160 properties are listed. People can also call 1-877-428-8844 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. to find housing.
Updates and new listings will continue. If a visitor to the website cannot find a suitable property on the temporary housing list, they can instead choose "Rentals" from the HRC menu, select the city or county in which they would like to rent a property, and browse the available selections. To determine if a property is available for occupancy by Sandy survivors, the user should contact the landlord directly to discuss their specific housing needs.
In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Socialserve.com has updated and added more than 3,000 available housing units in New Jersey and New York. It has also emailed and called over 10,000 landlords in the impacted areas, offering assistance in adding and updating listings.
To ensure that displaced residents can find stable housing quickly, the Christie Administration is urging all property providers to list available rental housing by going to www.NJHRC.gov and clicking on "Add Housing." The process of listing an available unit takes about 10 minutes, is completely free and can be done online or by calling 1-877-428-8844.
Launched in 2005, the HRC website was created by the HFMA to provide a central location for people to search for affordable housing in New Jersey. The HMFA, an affiliated agency of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, continues to fund and support the website. The Agency has also partnered with the non-profit organization Socialserve.com to provide web-based and call center-based housing location services for Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts.


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On Wednesday, South Korea's National Intelligence Service reported to a parliamentary committee that it obtained intelligence reports showing Kim recently had surgery for an unspecified circulatory problem, and his condition had much improved, an agency official said.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing office policy, did not elaborate.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing lawmakers briefed by the spy agency, reported that the 66-year-old Kim suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, but he remains conscious and "is able to control the situation."
The NIS also reported to lawmakers that Kim is in a "recoverable and manageable condition," and that the North is not in a "power vacuum," Yonhap said.
NIS officials said they could not confirm the Yonhap report.
Earlier in the day, North Korean officials denied that Kim may be ill or that there was anything unusual about his absence from the parade.
"There are no problems," Kim Yong Nam, Pyongyang's No. 2 leader and ceremonial head of state, told Japan's Kyodo News agency, referring to Kim Jong Il's absence.
Song Il Ho, a senior diplomat, said reports of Kim's illness are "worthless" and a "conspiracy plot," adding Western media "have reported falsehoods before," according to Kyodo's dispatch from Pyongyang.
It was not the first time North Korea had sent a message to the outside world through Kyodo. Kim Yong Nam also gave the news organization an interview two days after North Korea carried out its first-ever nuclear test blast in 2006.
In another indication that the North's leader is alive, Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said Kim sent a birthday greeting Wednesday to Syria's leader.
Kim wished Syrian President Bashar Assad good health and success in efforts to make the country secure and prosperous, according to the Korean-language message carried by KCNA.
Early Wednesday, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak convened an emergency meeting in Seoul to discuss the situation with senior aides, an official at the presidential Blue House said.
Lee's office said in a statement after the meeting that the government will continue to follow the situation closely. It said Seoul had predicted the North's leader may not attend Tuesday's event, but did not elaborate.
Seoul's Defense Ministry said there has been no unusual movement in North Korea's military and the heavily armed border between the two sides remained calm.
North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency devoted its coverage Wednesday to stories celebrating the country's founding anniversary and gave no hint of Kim's condition. It is considered an absolute taboo for state media to discuss the North Korean leader's health in the totalitarian nation where he is revered almost as a demigod.
Speculation over Kim's condition spiked Tuesday after he did not appear at a parade commemorating North Korea's founding 60 years ago, one of the country's most celebrated holidays along with the birthdays of Kim and his late father, Kim Il Sung, the country's founding leader.
Kim, who has been rumored to be in varying degrees of ill health for years, took over the reclusive state upon the death of his father 14 years ago in a hereditary transfer of power. The younger Kim attended the parade on the 50th and 55th anniversaries and was widely expected to do so this year as well.
Since late 2002, North Korea has been locked in a standoff with the United States over its nuclear ambitions.
The country carried out its first nuclear test in 2006, but agreed last year to disable its nuclear facilities in exchange for economic aid and political concessions.
The negotiations, however, hit a snag again recently with the two sides at odds over how to verify North Korea's accounting of its nuclear programs. Washington has delayed its promised removal of Pyongyang from the U.S. terrorism blacklist.
Associated Press writers Eric Talmadge in Tokyo and Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul contributed to this report.


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Lack of faith forseen, but Jehovah would raise up a prophet to whom they should hearken
The priests and the whole
tribe of Levi have their portion assigned to them. The
people are forbidden to do after those abominations, on
account of which the nations which inhabited the land
were driven out before Israel, inquiring of those who
used divination. Jehovah would raise up a prophet like
unto Moses, unto whom the people should hearken. These
ordinances foresee in the people the lack of the faith
needful in order to walk simply with the Lord. Christ is
the true and only answer. They were not to fear a prophet
who gave a sign which did not come to pass, for Jehovah
had not spoken by him.
Theocracy, and the
portion of the priests and people
One word here as to the
portion of the priests. First, the normal condition of
the people was that of being guided by the priests, and,
in case of need, by judges raised up in an extraordinary
way; and to abide under the keeping of God in the land,
enjoying His blessing. It was, properly speaking,
theocracy. The laws of God directed the people; they
enjoyed the blessing of God; and the priests settled any
questions which arose, a judge being raised up in
exceptional cases.
The priests are introduced
here in connection with that which was necessary to the
enjoyment of the land, not as a means of drawing near to
God. Consequently, they were there to fulfil their
ministry before God, and a certain portion belonged to
The acknowledgment
and enjoyment of God's deliverance and goodness
The king was only thought
of in the case when the people would ask one, in order to
be like the nations; and in that case he was to remain,
as much as possible, simple in the midst of Israel, that
the law of God might have its full authority. The people
are always accounted to be themselves responsible before
God, and enjoying the land under this responsibility,
though for that reason subject to the decisions of the
priests. They had the land from God. The position spoken
of here is not that of drawing near to Him, but
acknowledging His deliverance and His goodness, as in the
feasts which we have considered.
Thus he who went up to the
place which Jehovah had chosen ate with his family, and
sometimes with the Levite, the stranger, etc., the tithes
[1] of each year (in the third year
there were some for the Levite and the poor), the
firstling of the herd and of the flock, the vows, the
free-will-offerings, and the heave-offerings, all before
Jehovah. But at the same time that they offered them to
Jehovah, the offerer partook of the enjoyment of them
(see chap. 14: 23, 28, 29; 12: 7, 11, 12, 17); whilst, in
chapter 18 the priest had a certain portion of the
sacrifice, the firstfruit of the corn, of the wine, and
the oil, and the first of the fleece of the sheep.
The true character
of Deuteronomic worship
The first part of these
ordinances is so much the more remarkable that in the
book of Numbers (chap. 18), the firstborn, [2] the heave-offerings, all sorts of
offerings for sin, and the meat-offerings, are given to
the priests, and the tithes to the Levites. But these are
assumed, not reordained here, that the true character of
Deuteronomic worship may be maintained, rejoicing before
Jehovah in the enjoyment of what He gives, not drawing
near to Him in the holiest.
The position of
the people and priests in Deuteronomy compared to
preceding books
We may remark here the
difference between that which was in this case for the
priests, and that which in Deuteronomy the people are to
eat of before the Lord, and in the other books what is
given to the priests. We have already pointed out the
difference of position.
In the three preceding
books, what is brought before the mind is drawing near to
God, and the priests alone are looked upon as able to do
this; and thus, in the relationship of priests, they ate
in the holy place all that was offered. They alone were
near God, and that which was offered to God (according to
the force of the word, [3] that which was brought near to God) was
theirs, as being near. They were all as one company in
the camp, and the whole was essentially typical.
Pilgrims in the
wilderness and dwelling in the land
Thus all the arrangements
of the tabernacle were made for a people who found
themselves in the wildernessstrangers there; and it
is to be observed that Paul, in the Epistle to the
Hebrews, never speaks of anything but the tabernacle,
never of the temple. The relationship he speaks of is
that of pilgrims with God.
It is no longer thus in
Deuteronomy. There the dwelling of the people in the land
of promise is considered; and, consequently, the people
are accounted, not as needing to learn how to draw near
to God, [4] but as enjoying, from God, the
effect of His promise in His presence and before Him, so
that the people are directly concerned in the sacrifices.
They are in the enjoyment of the promises, in the
presence of God, and they realise, in the communion of
Jehovah, all the means through which it is enjoyed, and
they partake, in communion, of all that is devoted to
Him, as a sign of the redemption through which this
enjoyment was procured for them.
The firstfruits of
the land
It is otherwise with
regard to the firstfruits of the landthat which it
yields. Enjoying those fruits of the goodness of God, the
people gave Him back the firstfruits, as a testimony that
all came from Him, and that all was His, and that His
grace had communicated it to them (see chap. 26).
Therefore the firstfruits were not for the people to eat:
they offered them to God, and ate of all the rest. It was
the recognition of God, while sharing His blessings. The
firstfruits then were offered to God, and thus fell into
the hands of the priests as their portion.
[1] See note in chapters referred to;
they were second tithes, not Levitical ones. The people
never paid tithes to the priests; but to the Levites at
home, they to the priests. The tithes of the third year
(not Levitical) were eaten at home. We have nothing of
Levitical tithes in Deuteronomy.
[2] Firstborn males.
See notes to chapters [12], [14].
[3] The word
translated "an offering" (that is, corban)
comes from a word which means "to draw near,"
and, in the form Hiphil (causative active form), "to
bring near."
[4] This very
important difference characterises the book. It is no
question how near we can get to the holiest, to God
Himself, but communion in the enjoyment of all the fruits
of His promise in His presence and in the spirit of
grace. It is not wilderness connection with God, a yet
deeper principle of connection with Him.


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This Unserious White House
The president makes the GOP a fiscal-cliff offer
he knows they will refuse.
by Kimberley Strassel at the Wall Street Journal:
White House this week finally explained just how serious it is about averting a fiscal cliff that could throw the country back into a recession. The answer: not serious at all.
The markets and the media in recent days have been operating on an optimistic belief that the administration simply will not let the country fall off the fiscal cliff. They'd best rethink. On Thursday, the president dispatched Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and White House Director of Legislative Affairs Rob Nabors to Congress to finally outline the White House's offer to avert the coming tax hikes and sequester.
It was something out of Wonderland and Oz combined.
According to sources on Capitol Hill, the White House wants Republicans to pony up $960 billion in immediate tax increases, which will come from hiking the top marginal rates and increasing capital gains and dividends taxes. That is just for starters. The administration also wants the GOP to surrender an additional $600 billion in revenue via later tax reforms.
The president's team specified no amounts or details on spending cuts. Rather, the White House wants more spending: at least $50 billion in new stimulus, an extension of unemployment insurance, a one-year deferral of the sequester, new money to refinance underwater mortgages, a Medicare-doctor fix . . . and a partridge in a pear tree.
Oh, the White House also wants Congress to give Mr. Obama the authority to increase the debt limit, whenever he wants, as much as he wants.
What do Republicans get in return? Next year, the White House will agree to talk to the GOP about cutting as much as $400 billion from entitlement programs. Maybe. If Democrats get around to it. Which they won't—because they'll have everything they've wanted.
How to put this tax-and-more-spending offer in perspective? It is far in excess of what the Democrats asked for in last year's debt-limit standoff—when the political configuration in Washington was exactly the same. It is far more than the president's own Democratic Senate has ever been able to pass, even with a filibuster-proof majority. It is far more than the president himself campaigned on this year.
But the president's offer is very much in keeping with his history of insisting that every negotiation consist of the other side giving him everything he wants. That approach has given him the reputation as the modern president least able to forge a consensus.
Don't forget: The man now engaged with Congress to work out a grand deal is the same one who could not pull over to his side a single Republican vote for his stimulus legislation, who had to ram through ObamaCare with procedural tricks, and whose inept handling of last year's debt-ceiling talks ultimately led his fellow Democrat, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, to isolate him from the final negotiations. This is not a history to inspire confidence.
Mr. Obama's tendency to campaign rather than lead, to speechify rather than negotiate, has already defined this lame-duck session. The president has wasted weeks during which a framework for a deal has been in place.
Within two days of the election, Mr. Boehner had offered an enormous compromise, committing the GOP to provide new tax revenue, through limits on deductions for the wealthy. Mr. Obama campaigned on making "the rich" pay more—and that is exactly what Mr. Boehner agreed to give him.
All that was left for the president to do was accept this peace offering, pair it with necessary spending cuts, and take credit for averting a crisis. Mr. Obama has instead spent the past weeks campaigning for tax-rate hikes. He wants the revenue, but collected only the way he chooses. And on the basis of that ideological insistence alone, the nation is much closer to a crisis.
Talks that had been at a standstill may now crumble, thanks to the Geithner-Nabors proposal. The president is boxing in the Republicans—offering them a deal they cannot accept, a deal they can't even be seen to be treating seriously. Mr. Boehner is legitimately interested in a bargain that will set the country on sounder footing. Yet the most immediate outcome of such an open slap from the White House will be to make even those Republicans who were willing to cut a deal harden their positions. Someone get the White House a copy of "Negotiating Tactics for Dummies."
Then again, the most frightening aspect of the White House proposal is that it wasn't an error. Perhaps the proposal was thoroughly calculated. This suggests a president who doesn't care about the outcome of the cliff negotiations—who thinks that he wins politically no matter what. He's betting that either the GOP will be far more responsible than he is and do anything to avert a crisis, or that the cliff gives him the tax hikes his partisans are demanding. Win-win, save for the enormous pain to average families across the country.
The Republicans will have to contemplate how to deal with such an unserious offer. But in presenting his demands, the president has now made very clear that there is only one side that is working in good faith.
Filed under: Barack Obama, Economics and Finance, Marxism, National Politics |


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If you still don't know what you're getting Dad for Father's Day, HybridSpace Furniture has come up with an all-in-one home entertainment "Man Wall," which includes gadgets that are stereotypically man.
A 52'' Vizio LCD HDTV is the wall's centerpiece, with two smaller flat panels, a Panasonic 5.1 home theater system, DVD player, CD changer, iPod docking station, and surround-sound speakers around it. That's not all though—there's also a wine rack, microwave, cigar humidors, and a refrigerated built-in beer keg with a tap for an ice cold brewski. All it's missing is a BBQ grill, porn collection and your girlfriend, telling you to do the dishes while she changes the channel to watch Oprah as your team scores the winning touchdown. [HybridSpace Furniture via ElectronicHouse]


text:
I think a lot about writing when I'm running. Often I return from a run, and after gulping a bit of water, rush to my notebook to capture some phrases, ideas, or words. Perhaps it's easier to hold fewer words in mind when I'm huffing and puffing, but lately I find myself gravitating toward composing haiku while I run. After a few side glances from drivers or passengers in passing cars, I have finally realized that not only am I thinking about haiku, I'm also muttering the words aloud. In addition to that, I'm tapping out syllables on my fingers. I must be quite a sight! (Hence the sidelong glances!) Here are a few of my recent efforts.
Counting syllables
fingers flashing, tap-tap-tapping
writing in the air
©2018 M. Hogan
Tumbled apples rest
beneath heavy laden trees
summer's parting gift
©2018 M. Hogan
This week's Poetry Friday Roundup is "down under" at The Water's Edge (a phrase which actually sounds like the beginning of a poem!). Be sure to stop by and enrich your weekend with some poetry.


text:
Christianity, Christmas shopping, faith, favorite songs, great riches, hope, joy, peace, spiritual wisdom
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21
I love to look for the perfect treasure to give at Christmas time to loved ones and friends. When the children were little it seemed quite easy but now it grows harder each year. We all want to find that special gift that we know they will love so that on Christmas morning we will see their eyes light up and hear those wonderful words, "it's just what I wanted."
A few days ago I went Christmas Shopping and was overwhelmed not only by the cost but just by all the stuff, none of which I wanted or thought would really make my family happy. I began to wonder if our hearts have become chained to all this stuff we think we need but has no lasting value. The happiness it provides usually is short lived and leads to the desire for more stuff. Am I searching for stuff that looks like treasure this Christmas or seeking His treasure that never tarnishes or disappoints? "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." Matthew 6:19 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:20
The Magi, also known as the wise-men, traveled a great distance to find the Christ, who was born a king because they had seen His star in the east and they wanted to worship Him. The Magi were overjoyed when they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.
The wise Magi knew that all our treasure is nothing compared with knowing God. They discovered great truth by studying the scriptures.
"…if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God." Proverbs 2:4,5
Jesus is everything we need:
"His divine power has given us EVERYTHING WE NEED for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness." II Peter 1:3
I'd Rather Have Jesus (Words by Rhea F. Miller, music by George Beverly Shea)
I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I'd rather be His than have riches untold;
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands;
I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand
- Refrain:
Than to be the king of a vast domain
And be held in sin's dread sway;
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.
I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause;
I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame;
I'd rather be true to His holy name
He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He's sweeter than honey from out the comb;
He's all that my hungering spirit needs;
I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead


text:
This site is currently hosting
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- and various other topics, usually related to mathematics.
While most of the posts are aimed at those with a graduate maths background, I will also occasionally have a number of non-technical posts aimed at a lay mathematical audience. My selection of topics is guided by my own personal taste; I do not take requests for specific topics to post about on this blog.
I welcome comments from people with all kinds of mathematical backgrounds and levels of expertise; my only requests are that the discussions are kept constructive, polite, and at least tangentially relevant to the topic at hand. Comments which are spam, self-promoting, off-topic, or otherwise not fulfilling the above requests will be summarily deleted; repeated offenders in this regard may be subject to blocking. In particular, comments devoted primarily to promoting one's own research are subject to deletion. Also, comments which essentially duplicate previous comments may also be deleted, or used to replace the previous comment, as appropriate. Finally, comments whose sole purpose is to solicit an answer to a homework problem are discouraged, and will be deleted if they are unlikely to lead to any discussion of wider interest. (However, questions inspired by a homework problem, for instance inquiring as to further connections between two mathematical topics connected by such a problem, or questions centred on a very specific technical point in the solution of that problem, are welcome.) Of course, I will not be able to personally respond to all the comments made on this blog.
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Any discussion, feedback, questions or suggestions not related to one of these topics can be placed as a comment to this "About" page, or at my open thread. Comments about formatting and presentation can be made at this page.
Terence Tao
[Update, Mar 31 2007: Opened this page to comments.]
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Table of Contents:
Green vehicles: a European strategy
Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Green vehicles: a European strategy
These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.
"Green" vehicles: a European strategy
Document or Iniciative
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee of 28 April 2010 – A European strategy on clean and energy efficient vehicles [COM(2010)186 final – Not published in the Official Journal].
This Communication details several lines of action aimed at encouraging the development of "green" vehicles and the market uptake of these vehicles.
Vehicles covered by the strategy
The strategy proposed by the European Commission covers:
- conventional vehicles using conventional internal combustion engines;
- vehicles using alternative fuels such as liquid biofuels or gaseous fuels (LPG, CNG and biogas);
- battery electric vehicles or the plug-in rechargeable type;
- hydrogen fuel cell vehicles which produce water vapour.
This strategy concerns light- and heavy-duty vehicles, two- and three-wheelers and quadricycles.
The Action Plan established by the strategy covers the following areas with flagship initiatives.
Regulatory framework
This strategy will implement the framework relating to new passenger vehicles which sets CO2 emissions performance standards.
The Commission has proposed a Regulation on type-approval requirements for two- and three-wheelers and quadricycles. The Commission announces its intention to formulate a proposal to reduce the fuel consumption impact of mobile air conditioning systems. There will also be a future proposal on fuel consumption of, and CO2 emissions from, heavy-duty vehicles.
Supporting research and innovation
It is vital that research work is carried out on electric cars and those equipped with hydrogen fuel cells. The manufacturing of these cars and their components is expensive, but research would enable the costs to be reduced. In particular, new materials must be investigated for use in batteries and for storage of hydrogen, as well as alternative charging and energy storage technologies.
In this context, the Commission will propose a long term research strategy in the Strategic Transport Technology Plan and in the Communication on Clean Transport Systems.
Market uptake
Consumers have an important role to play with regard to the demand for green vehicles. To stimulate the latter, consumers must be informed of the multiple options, advantages and practical aspects of this type of vehicle. Similarly, financial incentives to buy vehicles represent interesting alternatives for encouraging their market uptake.
To this end, the Commission plans to present guidelines on financial incentives to consumers to buy green vehicles, which will encourage coordination of demand-side measures adopted in Member States. It also wishes to work on a revision of the energy taxation Directive with the aim of incentivising consumers to use conventional fuels efficiently and to gradually adopt alternative low-carbon emitting fuels.
The Commission will also ensure that the Directive on clean and energy-efficient road transport vehicles is implemented.
Global issues Aspects
It is essential that there is a level playing field for everyone in the world markets. Similarly,
fair access to the raw materials
required for the production of hydrogen fuel cells should be ensured so that a potential shortage does not hamper the competitiveness of EU industry.
The Commission wishes to engage in standardisation activities in the world markets and to carry out regulatory cooperation initiatives.
With the prospect of a transition towards sustainable mobility, employees in the automobile sector must have suitable skills (which are quite rare at the moment) in the field of green vehicles. To make up for the lack of skills in the workforce, the Commission plans to use funding from the European Social Fund starting in 2011 to launch initiatives which encourage retraining and upskilling.
The Commission will also establish a "European Sectoral Skills Council".
Specific actions for electric vehicles
A European framework for electric mobility does not currently exist. As a result, this Communication highlights several actions required to establish a regulatory framework for this technology.
Through working together with international partners at the UNECE, the Commission will propose technical rules relating to electric safety for vehicle type-approval.
In 2010 the Commission will mandate the European Committee for Standardization, the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute to develop by 2011 a standardised charging interface to ensure interoperability and connectivity between the electricity supply point and the charger of the electric vehicle.
Furthermore, an adequate electric charging network needs to be developed in order to meet the needs of electric car users.
The Commission will also evaluate whether the promotion of electric vehicles will lead to the additional provision of low-carbon electricity generation.
The European strategy on green vehicles should contribute to the development of sustainable transport in Europe and reinforce Europe's capacity to produce smart and sustainable products in a key sector. Implementing the strategy requires a significant level of effort and coordination between the automobile industry and electricity providers, gas companies, grid managers, electric component manufacturers, scientific and standardisation bodies, as well as EU, national and regional authorities, municipalities and consumers.
The Commission will ensure coordination and co-operation with Member States on the actions of this strategy in particular to secure the internal market, to avoid fragmentation of efforts, to create sufficient critical mass for the industry and to monitor and discuss national developments.
In order to facilitate collaboration with stakeholders, the Commission proposes to re-launch the "CARS 21" High Level Group with a revised mandate and extended stakeholder involvement.


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January 23, 2010
How do you protect your intellectual property as a blogger? Should you register a trademark, a copyright? What are the rules around using third party materials? Miguel Danielson and Kimberly Isbell talk about responding to DMCA take down notices, first amendment issues, and all the other legal issues bloggers commonly face – including time for Q&A.
Special thanks to the Microsoft NERD Center for hosting WordCamp Boston.
Miguel Danielson 1
Kimberly Isbell 1


text: Money Plant is a biennial that is grown for the silvery white, flattened, disc-like seed pods. Plants bloom with clusters of lavender flowers in spring and make pods second summer after seeds are sown. It is these coin-shaped pods that make it attractive in dried arrangements. To dry seed pods; cut when fully developed, bunch and hang stems upside down in an airy place until completely dry, 2-3 weeks. Remove brown husks on sides of seed pod by gently rubbing between thumb and finger.


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It's been a busy year-and-a-half for bioengineer Laura Niklason and her partners at the biotech firm Humacyte. Since winning a 2011 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award, the team's lab-grown blood vessels were transplanted into primates for a six-month trial, where they were found to be safe. Now they're being tested in Poland in a small group of humans with kidney failure, and the FDA has just approved a similar trial in the U.S.
Patients with kidney failure need to have their blood cleaned every week by a dialysis machine. That requires two big needles: One to draw blood out of the artery and a second to put the filtered blood back into a vein. But for the blood to flow through the dialysis machine quickly, doctors have to slightly rearrange the body's plumbing by linking up a vein and artery in the patient's forearm. The increased blood flow to the vein makes it larger and easier to prick with a needle.
Often, doctors must make the link using an artificial blood vessel made out of Teflon. Unfortunately, Teflon grafts are prone to infection, blood clotting, and immune rejection. On average, 40 percent of Teflon grafts fail within a year, says Niklason, a Yale University bioengineer and founder of Humacyte.
More From Popular Mechanics
Humacyte's lab-grown blood vessels don't use synthetic materials. They rely on a biodegradable scaffolding of tiny fibers interwoven into the shape of the target blood vessel. The scientists seed the scaffold with blood vessel cells, then place it into a bioreactor for eight to ten weeks. Eventually the cells grow over the entire scaffold, building their own collagen matrix. The scaffolding later disintegrates, and the scientists wash away the cells (which would trigger an immune response if they entered the patient's body). What's left is a tubular collagen matrix—an all-natural, non-immunogenic blood vessel replacement.
"This collagen matrix graft was made by blood vessel cells, so it's sort of like the ideal home," Niklason says. "After it gets implanted, cells from the recipient actually repopulate it and turn it into a living vein."
So far the bioengineered blood vessels have succeeded in dogs and primates, where they were found to be durable and didn't cause the side effects of Teflon blood vessels. The U.S. trials—which commence next month—will test the safety of the artificial blood vessels in 20 human patients. If the trial goes well, Humacyte will move on to bigger, long-term studies to determine whether their blood vessels perform better than the alternatives.
Niklason couldn't say much about the preliminary results of the ongoing trial, but she says the team has gotten good feedback from patients.
"All of these patients have been on dialysis for a while, and they've all had multiple graft failures," Niklason says. When grafts fail, surgeons have to go in and replace the patient's graft or remove blood clots, neither of which is pleasant for the patients. "So we've had a few that are delighted that they have a shot with this new technology."
The bioengineered blood vessels have many potential applications beyond kidney dialysis, including bypass surgeries to get around clogged arteries. The collagen scaffolding system one day could help to build replacement intestines, airways, and other tubular structures in the body. If the trials continue to be successful, Niklason estimates the ready-made blood vessels could be FDA-approved by 2017.


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Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today warned New Yorkers to protect themselves from home repair scam artists, who will try to take advantage of unsuspecting homeowners who suffered property damage from Storm Sandy.
"Most people and businesses will be hard at work rebuilding, but sadly some dishonest people will try to take advantage of others misfortune to make a quick dishonest buck," said Governor Cuomo. "You don't want to add being cheated to the damage you have already suffered from the storm. You can protect yourself by being on guard and taking simple precautions."
Benjamin M. Lawsky, Superintendent of the Department of Financial Services, said, "Home repair fraud increases exponentially following a major storm. It is essential to protect yourself. If your property has been damaged, you are likely to be upset and want to get things back to normal as quickly as possible. Scam artists take advantage of that. That's why it's important to take the time to think through decisions, shop around, get a written contract and just say no to anything that sounds suspicious or too good to true."
These are some warning signs that tell you to avoid a contractor or salesman.
Beware of anyone who:
1. Comes to your home or calls you on the phone and offers to make repairs.
2. Tells you that you must make repairs immediately.
3. Talks too fast to confuse you and pressures you to sign a contract immediately.
4. Tells you that they are doing work in your neighborhood and that they have extra materials left from another job.
5. Offers a discounted price or discounts if you refer others, but only if you buy today.
6. Tells you something that sounds too good to be true. It probably is not true!
7. Is not an established local business, but has come to the area from somewhere else to "help."
"It is a good idea to review with your family how to handle someone coming to your door to sell a home repair. If you all know what to do, that will help prevent home repair scams," Lawsky said.
In addition, it is wise to:
- Avoid unlicensed contractors in areas of the State where a license is required (NYC, Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester).Unlicensed contractors are operating illegally in those areas
- Avoid contractors who don't supply references or whose references can't be reached.
- Avoid contractors who tell you there's no need for a written contract. By law, all contracts for $500 or more must be in writing, but it's a good idea to get a written contract even for smaller projects
- Avoid contractors who only have a P.O. Box address or a cell phone number
- Avoid contractors who do not supply proof of insurance
- Avoid contractors who ask you to get required building permits. It could mean that the contractor is unlicensed or has a bad track record, and is therefore reluctant to deal with the local building inspector. However, you should verify with your local building department that all necessary permits have been obtained by the contractor.
- Be wary of contractors who ask for money to buy materials before starting the job. Reliable, established contractors can buy materials on credit
- Avoid contractors who demand payment in cash or want full payment up front, before work has begun. Instead, find a contractor who will agree to a payment schedule providing for an initial down payment and subsequent incremental payments until the work is completed.
"Always withhold final payment until you have completed a final walk through, approved of all the completed work, and all required inspections and certificates of occupancy have been delivered to you," Superintendent Lawsky said.
If you think you have been the victim of a scam, you should consult a lawyer immediately. There are time deadlines to cancel sales and pursue legal claims. You can also contact the Department of Financial Services for insurance related scams, or your district attorney or the Attorney General's Office.
If you have a problem with a home improvement contractor and can't resolve it yourself, you can file a complaint with the New York State Department of State at www.dos.ny.gov or by calling 1-800-697-1220. You can also complain to your local consumer protection office.
Consumers should contact their insurance company, agent or broker to get answers to specific questions about their policies or claims. Consumers who need further help should feel free to contact the New York State Department of Financial Services' Consumer Services Bureau at 800-342-3736 which operates from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Disaster related calls only should go to the disaster hotline at 800-339-1759, which is open 24 hours a day seven days a week.
Some suggestions for the safe way to find a contractor to repair your home:
- Check out contractors. Is the company reputable? How long has it been in business? Ask for references and then check them out. Make sure the company is licensed, bonded, and insured. Ask to see its insurance policy or certificate of insurance. There are on-line resources for finding out other people's experience with contractors.
- Get at least two estimates. Many companies give free inspections and written estimates -- get two or three before choosing a contractor. Remember that the lowest price is not always the best deal. Compare costs, materials, and methods suggested by different companies to decide what materials and methods are best for your home.
- Insist on a written contract that includes a detailed description of the work to be done and specifies exactly what materials will be used and their quality. The contract should include starting and estimated completion dates. The terms, including the price, finance charges and payments, should be what you agreed on. If not, do not sign it! Be sure to get a copy of everything you sign when you sign it.
- Ask if there is a guarantee or warranty. If so, make sure it is in writing. If the company won't put its promises in writing, look for another company which will.
- Do not sign the contract until you read it carefully. If the salesperson pressures you to sign before you read and understand the entire contract - don't sign it! Never rely on the salesperson to read or explain the contract to you.
- Do not pay for work in advance.
- Inspect all of the work very carefully to make sure it was done properly. If you have any doubts or questions, do NOT make your final payment or sign a "completion certificate" until the work is properly finished.


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Amber Riley Leather Clutch
"Glee" actress Amber Riley attended an event wearing a killer pair of purple boots. She balanced out her colorful boots with a basic t-shirt and cool silver clutch.
Amber Riley Knee High Boots
Amber Riley showed her colorful side by pairing her casual jeans and t-shirt outfit with purple suede boots.
Browse: Amber Riley | Leather Clutch | Knee High Boots
Popular Lookbooks see all looks »


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Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
young patterns...
I made these patterns a little while ago for the American Girl book (Praline's Book of Friendship Questions). They serve as backgrounds on it's girlie pages.
Posted by orange you lucky! 24 comments:
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
lately I'm having...
Posted by orange you lucky! 11 comments:
Labels: patterns, taking pictures
Sunday, January 23, 2011
work in progress...
My new office - it's full of light and it's easy to be in. I like designing in this space. The other wall still needs a little something... maybe a few posters or a display shelf (I'll show you when it's all done). Everything is a work in progress...
Posted by orange you lucky! 12 comments:
Labels: office, taking pictures
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
the big 9...
Well, it's that time again - time to invite little friends to Lola's little birthday party. It feels a bit different this time, because it's the big 9! I remember being nine very clearly... and that's why I wanted to make the card a bit more sophisticated. Not that 'the childhood is over'... but a more mature times are ahead:)
Butterflies are on my mind again. I think it's my call for the summer: 'Please come soon, summer... and bring back the colours."
Posted by orange you lucky! 13 comments:
Labels: cards, illustrations, patterns
Sunday, January 16, 2011
butterfly party...
Throwing some colour onto the winter whiteness... with this new 'butterfly party' pattern... Take that - snow!
Posted by orange you lucky! 22 comments:
Thursday, January 13, 2011
* • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * •* •
While I hide inside (like a potted plant) as much as I can during the winter, the cute little members of my family are enjoying the season for what it is.
top pic - Anais - winter ready
bottom pic features Totoro family, Margo and Lola
Posted by orange you lucky! 7 comments:
Labels: taking pictures
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
everything is coming up...
Posted by orange you lucky! 11 comments:
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
a to z...
Mudpuppy is one of my favourite clients. My girls love it when I get samples of the finished product I had part in creating... and these wooden patterned magnetic letters were no exception. Hours of fun... the fridge finally had it's day:)
Posted by orange you lucky! 13 comments:
Labels: illustrations
Saturday, January 1, 2011
first pattern of 2011...
Now that the celebrations are over... (and the last of champagne has evaporated) - I'm ready to start looking forward to something new! Something warm. Something bright... like late spring and all of summer:)
Here's my 'wishful thinking' pattern. First pattern for the 2011. It's going to be a colourful year!
Posted by orange you lucky! 15 comments:
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text:
To be able to take the lives of so many in your hands, and lead them to greatness, is a daunting task indeed. Many men have been killed for their position, or their abuse of it. Others have been rallied for their great deeds and the rich lives they bring to their kingdom. Some people will look back and say king Sesh was a good man and a great leader brought down by trying times. Others will say that, like his father, he was mad and let his power go to his head.
Sesh was sitting in a large chair, made of oak and fine burgundy velvet. Before him was a grand table suitable for many guests. A tapestry covered the table, weaved of hand spun cotton by the master weaver of Venti. Usually he'd have his family at the table, along with a few select guests. Today, however, a different meal is being served. Today was the monthly meal of news. Sesh invited Lieutenant General Aekus, along with two Brigadier Generals; the grand-master blacksmith for news of production and supply needs; the town criers who acted as a representative of the people, bringing the peoples concerns to the meeting, and the meeting's contents to the people; the islands chief engineer was also in attendance.
Once everyone was seated Sesh thanked everyone for coming. He started with the engineer, Tony: who was a larger man and a little short. For almost twenty years he'd kept the homes warm, the lights on, and the island in the sky.
"The boilers are in running order, though we are in need of copper pipe for maintenance; there have been some leaks in the tunnels, leaving some villagers without heat in their homes. We've also managed to maintain altitude so far, but I fear without that pipe we may have to cut the town's steam supply all together." Tony replied.
"We have a shipment of copper waiting to the east, our supplies have run thin since last months shipment. What pipe we can make will require us to cut back on wire, and other generator parts needed for repairs." said the blacksmith, down the table.
"What of our siege on the copper mines in Cerata? Shouldn't we have taken it back by now?" Sesh asked.
Aekus stepped forward, "Our last attack on the mining city was a success: my plan to have a small group of our best men drop in to the enemy barracks at night, took the city with few civilian casualties. It was a great success. However the enemy soldiers who survived retreated up the mountain, posting guards, and shutting their iron doors to the mine. Unfortunately they would spot any advance from air or land. To try and blow open the doors could mean collapse of the mines. Until we can get those doors open, our hands are tied on the mines."
"I see... I trust your judgement Aekus. We cannot afford to keep shipping our supplies from so far off, we must continue our attack." Sesh replied.
"Yes sir. I'm confident we can hold the town until then: we've bolstered our defenses since the takeover, and have taken care not to disrupt the town too much. The last thing we need is a civilian uprising on top of trying to attack a well defended mine." Aekus replied.
"Agreed. Aekus, send some of your men with the next ship to the east, I want them to be ready if there is an attack on our shipment. Is there any other news?" Sesh turned to the criers.
A crier replied, "There are rumors of a mysterious priest roaming through the town but as of now they are merely rumors. Patrols report no troubles from any priest, few have even seen him. A small group of villagers are looking into the matter, they are concerned that there has been no news of a new priest coming to the church, yet a stranger walks their alleys. Aside from the investigation there is nothing else to report."
"I see. If he is found have him brought to me. If he causes no troubles he'll be free to register for travel or stay, otherwise he'll have to be escorted back to the mainland. Now if there is nothing else let us eat." Sesh replied.
The servers brought in a bounty of roast duck and, hand picked fruits from the mainland. As they ate there was a low din of chatter, these meetings had been held for a few years now. Everyone seemed familiar with each other, and the meetings seemed to bring a greater understanding of the town's inner workings to everyone. After the meal was over and everyone had left Sesh stood slowly then turned to leave. The doors opened and shut behind him with an echoing low boom. One of the meal servers for the night came to him.
"Sir, for tonight's meal we have either fresh salmon or smoked ham for the main course, which would you prefer?" He asked.
"Let the chefs decide, either is fine with me. I am tired and need to rest." Sesh replied.
These little choices he had to make every day wore him down over the years, sometimes he felt that no one could make a decision without his say. Choosing a meal was, to him, trivial. He had hired many people to make some of the decisions for him, such as decorations, and flower arrangements, he had assumed the chef's could choose a meal on their own. Ten years since he was named king, and many still feared to make their own decisions, though his father was to blame for that. Sesh would try to leave a better kingdom for his son, than what was left for him.
He proceeded through hallways of the castle, each step echoing through the wood and stone. The electric hum of the dim orange bulbs that protruded from the walls. It felt like hours before he reached his chambers. He pushed the heavy door open revealing the large four-post bed. It called to him, all he wanted was to rest. He made his way to it, feeling every step rattle through his body. It almost felt like the bed was sliding away from him, but at last he made it. He turned and sat on the bed with a great sigh. Finally he turned and fell back, not quite asleep, only meditating, the meeting still fresh in his mind.
There it is! Episode one of Priest's Gambit!
EDIT: rewrite from rough draft
Priest's Gambit - Ep.1: Opening
asdf as art
Moderator: keja
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2 posts • Page 1 of 1
- lunar_furor
- ASDF Prophet
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Priest's Gambit - Ep.1: Opening
Last edited by lunar_furor on Tue Aug 11, 2015 2:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Re: Priest's Gambit - Ep.1: Opening
nice work, it's fun to read it
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2 posts • Page 1 of 1


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