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|Title Name||Shukufuku No Campanella / 祝福的钟声
|No of Disc
||2 Discs (12 Episodes + Soundtrack)
||Chinese / English / Malay
|Format||DVD / NTSC & All Region Code|
The story takes place in a trading city Ert’Aria. Leicester Maycraft is an item engineer belonging to an adventurer guild “Oasis”. One night, he is at a party with his friends to see a meteor stream on the rooftop of a chapel. One meteor grazes them and hits the steeple of the chapel. There he finds a secret room and a sleeping girl. The girl wakes up and says “You must be my father”. The encounter with the mysterious girl brings an unexpected adventure to Leicester.
FREE CD Soundtrack While Stocks Last Only!!


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Archives de Blog
dimanche, mai 1, 2016
Join the fight between the Civil Union and the Federation.
Go to battle with a complete array of weapons from melee to assault and sniper rifles. Make short work of the competition.
mercredi, avril 27, 2016
Form teams to fight for or against terrorism
Collect the strongest weapons and build your arsenal Show your skills in combat with the scoreboard
vendredi, avril 29, 2016
In celebration, Wild Terra has released a slew of info about the game in a nifty infograph. Do check it out!
lundi, décembre 14, 2015
MOBA games have always been known to be some of the most mechanically intense and overall complex games out there. In this article we’ll be covering why this is so and how playing these games can have a pretty significant impact on your overall gaming skills.
vendredi, février 26, 2016
Prepare for war in this intense strategy game that’ll put your skills and tactics through the ultimate test.
Create massive armies and divide it into multiple squads to overcome your opponents. Build a magnificent base that every single one of your enemies will fear.
mardi, avril 26, 2016
Play this fast-paced and highly addictive shooter game that’s sure to impress.
Obliterate your opponents with your superior skills and carry your team to victory. Enjoy many dynamic arenas that’ll force you to change your strategy as a match progresses.
lundi, avril 25, 2016
Journey through the action packed world of ninjas in this phenomenal browser based MMORPG.
Duel opponents and use your superior fighting skills to overcome them in battle. Explore the beautiful game world that’s filled to the brim with amazing sights to see.
lundi, avril 25, 2016
Take on the mantle of knighthood and avenge the deaths of your villagers and family.
Accomplish quests for various rewards. Battle monsters and gain loot that you can use to make your character more powerful.
lundi, octobre 12, 2015
To you, the most important person in an MMORPG game is of course your very own character. In this article we’ll be giving out a few tips that you can utilize to make sure that your character is one of the very best across the entire player-base.
samedi, avril 23, 2016
Play this highly addictive and immerse MMORTS that’s built to impress.
Build your very own prosperous empire that no one would dare to be enemies with. Create massive armies and raid your opponents to take hold of the resources they have at their disposal.

domain: hobby


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Free Erotic Stories
SwingLifeStyle Free Erotic Stories are written and submitted by our members Sit back and enjoy "The Pleasure Van, Tess Hunts Alone".
The Pleasure Van, Tess Hunts Alone
Steve and I (Tess) have been looking for something that would really be different. Up until last week he has always found other men for me to play with. I have never really been that convinced that I am as hot as he says that I am. Well, Ben, a friend of his has a really nice van that he has equiped with 4 cameras and sound in the back. By sound I mean microphones to record along with the video recorders he has under the bed/deck he has in the back. It is set up so that with the flip of a switch all the cameras begin recording and the mics go on. There is a nice soft light in the back so that everything is seen good. Friday night came around and we managed to get out and Steve had picked up the van. I wore a black string thong and cupless push up bra under a sheer black blouse and skirt (yes I love black). We had our Nextels set up so we could communicate in a hurry if we had to. I got in the van and Steve drove his car and followed me a little ways back. We headed into South Carolina on I-85 just after dark. While I was driving I slipped off my blouse so just the cupless pushup bra was all I had on top. Whenever I got next to an 18 wheeler I turned on the dome light and was beginning to think no one was interested. Three trucks just let off the gas and fell behind. No one it seemed was interested. We got well towards Greenville and I was beginning to give up but he told me to go just a little while longer. I had to pee so we stopped at a convenience store, I put on my blouse and went in. I only buttoned it with the two bottom buttons so that almost everything was showing if I turned or leaned the right way. Steve came in to but acted as if he did not know me so we both walked around the store. I went in to pee and came out. Steve had gone back to the car. I got a drink and while I was doing that a few guys came in from Clemson. They were in a car coming back from a party in Greenville or something. Anyway, I made sure they saw me and even bumped into one so that his arm hit my titties. He apologized but I told him it was okay. That gave me my chance. He was stadning there with two other guys, they were all fairly good looking. As I walked by them he apologized again for elbowing my titties. I stopped and looked at him and said, "It is really okay, they are perfectly okay, you did not hurt them at all, see?" With that I reached out and took both his hands and put them one on each tit. "See, they are fine. Don't you think?" I smiled. "Yeh, really nice he stamered. His hands dropped, I stepped to one of his friends, "Don't you think they feel fine?" I asked him pulling his nads to them. "Yeh, great to me lady" he told me as he massaged them. Ah this one is catching on I thought. Then the 3rd guy stepped, "Can I feel them?" he asked. I just stuck my chest out to him and he grabbed them hard. "Hey, easy I told him, don't bruise them." "Oh sorry<" he said. I took my drink and walked to the counter to pay for it. There were 9 guys in all in the little group and they were in two cars driving back from Greenville. THey were now paying lots of attention to me, gathering around close so that I was easily bumping into them. It was obvious some had a few drinks and there were signs that cocks were growing in tight pants. I turned to go and two were in front of me, they just stood there as if frozen. I reached out and grabbed and hard cock that was in front of me..."That could go off if you aren't careful," I said so the group could hear. I looked around and noticed they were all getting stirred up. "Anyone wanna follow me to the next rest area I think I can help you all out," said and walked out. THey hurried and got their things and I waited i the parking lot, sure enough the two cars pulled behind my on I-85 and followed. I drove to the rest area and pulled off, going over to the darkest part I could find. I pulled off my bra nad threw it in the seat so that I had on the blouse with the two bottom buttons and the skirt ( a wrap aorund that I had fixed to close at only the top with velcro) and I got out. They had parked a little ways off I guess to be sure it was not a set up or something. There was a nice breeze blowing so I let the blouse and skirt catch it and open somewhat. The skirt exposed almost all my legs and the blouse was openeing nicely. THey had walked towards me this horney group of college guys and I met they in a darkened place near the edge of a area that had trees. I looked and Steve was about 20 yards away in the car. I knew his cock was hard and that gave me a shiver...I was already wet between my legs. I walked up to the guy that had first bumped me since he seemd shy and told him and the others, "Well, you guys seem to be a little bored tonight." They all said they were. I opened my blouse all the way and threw my arms around the shy one and kissed him deep. He seemd startled but soon was running his hands all over my titties. They were all gathered around and some were touching me, grabbing a boob as they could and my ass had hands on it too. I stopped the kissing and stood back, "Well guys, if you really want to play, come on the the van with me." "all of us?"one of them said. "Yes, all of you, I am very hungry tonight." They all looked at me as if they could not believe it. I stepped back to one that was near to me and grabbed his bulge. I dropped to my knees and unzipped his pants letting loose a nice size toy. I took it in my mouth and began deep throating him, They all gathered around close and again I felt hands all over me. After a few seconds I was rewarded with a load of cum. I got up, licked my lips. "Now, do we go to the van and have some fun or what?" I turned and walked to the van, they followed. I got in the back and flipped the switch and made room for some to bet in the back, a couple others got in the front and eventually there were all of them in surrounding me. I tokk off the blouse and the skirt came off from someone pulling it off...the thong was actuclly grabbed and torn off. ONe of them had managed to get his cock out and pushed me down, ramming hard into my soaking pussy...after 3 or 4 strokes he came....I sat up while another was going to mouth me. "Look guys, this is not a quickie fest. I want some serious sex here, not a bunch of college guys that jump on and shoot a load and leave me. You guys are gonna fuck me and do it good or you can get the hell out now." THey looked at me then one got up on the edge and pulled off his shirt and then his pants, his boxers were tenting like a monster was trying to get out. I pulled them down and it popped out into my face. It was really hard and bulging. I took him in my mouth and slowly took it down my throat. He moaned and soon there were hands all over me again. fingers found my pussy and ladi me back down, legs spread my jock entered my..slowly teasing my pussy. He looked down at me, "How is this lady, good enough?" Then he rammed me really hard, all of him sinking deep into my pussy, I let out a cry of pleasure.."Oh yes, now fuck me good, fuck me all of you" I was moaning. I grabbed a cock for my mouth and began sucking what was put to my face. I was devouring one after another and each rewarded me with a hot load of cum. Somehow one had managed to get under me and I was sitting on his cock, hands pushed me forward and one entered my ass.. now I was really going nuts...I felt cum hitting my back..and turned to get the rest in my mouth.."No one wastes any cum tonight guys," I demanded. It is in the pussy, the ass or the mouth, Understood?" "Shut her up Bill" one said and my mouth was filled with a bulging hard cock...As one would unload it was replaced with another in the place it had filled. Steve told me this went on for almost two hours. Finally they were all having limp cocks and I was sucking half hard ones, still getting some to reward my efforts. They were saying thanks lady and getting dressed. MY pussy was dripping cum and if I squeezed some it ran out onto the bed. THere were several trucks that had been parked near to the van and (steve told me later the van was rocking like crazy, the truckers had been talking on the CB and he told them to go join in if they wanted to) so as the last college guy left a tall bearded trucker showed up as he was closing the door. He never even spoke he just stood at the door and pulled out a long hard rod which I took in my mouth...He moaned a lot and told me how good it was, he had been with this load for the whole night. He turned me around and got in on the bed and took my pussy from behind. loading it up again with a load of cum. He got out and there were two more standing against the van, they got in and stripped, one pushing his cock down my throat and the other into my ass...I began to say something and the one in my ass slapped my as hard, "Shut the fuck up" he said and kept fucking my ass. I felt a sting in my ass as he plunged deep. I began to speak again and agin his hand came down hard on my ass. "Look slut, shut the fuck up, just take the cock, there is more on the way." Again I began to talk, hoping for another stinging slap and sure enough it came. This time he pulled out of my ass and told his partner, hold her down, this slut needs to do as she is told. His belt was in his hands and then he began slapping me hard. My ass was stinging, his belt went across my ass and was even hitting my pussy lips making them engorged and hotter...finally he stopped. "Now look lady, lets make this easy, you keep your mouoth shut except to suck cock and just do as you are told. Whatever comes in the door you either suck it or fuck it, do you understand?" I moved my head to let him know I did. "Good he said, now finish sucking this as he pushed his cock into my muth. I did, it was rough, he pushed hard into my face with it. His friend was behind me fucking my ass. THen another cock was in me, short and thick, but it felt good...suddenly something was pinching my titties hard, the nipples were hurting, I managed to look and claps were put on them, big strong ones that really hurt. I began to protest but the belt came down again. Again I was entered and again cum filled me. After a long time there was no one there. Steve was next to me, kissing me, feeling me all over gentley. He had taken off the claps and was massaging my chest and hipss. I woke and kissed him slowly. "Well he asked me, are you finished or do you need more?" I was in a daze. He got me up and had called his friend to come get the van. As I got out of the van a SC State Trooper was standing near smiling. Thanks a lot Tess, that was really grate. I looked at him and at Steve, "You sucked him off twice." Steve told me. We both got in his car (Steve's) and drove to a hotel. I collapsed on the bed and Steve laid down next to me. Somehow I took his toy in my mouth and sucked him slowly, swallowing his cum...The next thing I remember is the sun in the window. We got breakfast and left for Georgia the next day.

domain: literature


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Woman Crushed by Her Own Pickup Truck
Florida Today-January 24, 2012-J.D. Gallop-According to the article authorities are awaiting autopsy results to find out how a 63-year-old Rockledge, Brevard County, Florida woman ended up crushed by her own Ford F-150 pickup truck Sunday. The woman was found Sunday by her son around 9:30 p.m. lying bloodied and unconscious in the driveway of her home in Rockledge, Brevard County, Florida. The pickup truck was found resting next to a nearby wall, still on and not too far from the womans body. Rockledge Police say "it appears to be a very strange, freak accident. The truck was still in hear and thats why we think theres a possibility of her bing struck by the truck." Its not clear if the woman was leaving or coming home when the accident occurred. Police think she may have tried to step out of the vehicle when it rolled into her. The article goes onto say that Traffic homicide plane to access the trucks computer to determine if there were any mechanical or electrical malfunctions. An autopsy will also help to determine what the womans medical conditions were at the time of the incident. The woman was taken to Wuesthoff Medical Center in Rockledge, Brevard County, Florida where she later was pronounced dead.
For more information Automobile Accidents Click Here: http://www.brevardlawyer.com/html/auto-accidents.html

domain: news


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The LG 40UF7707 has a maximum display resolution of 4K Ultra HD. That's over four times the display resolution of a Full HD television, which is the most frequently found display resolution. 4K Ultra HD TVs have a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels.
A 4K Ultra HD HD type is in fact the best display resolution across all televisions of a similar type and age to the 40UF7707.
The worst display resolution amongst similar types of TV is HD Ready.
4K Ultra HD TVs have a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels.
We compared this TV to all the other 4K Ultra HD TVs and we think cheaper TVs such as the LG 49UF640 (£489.99) is also worth considering.

domain: entertainment


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Ecuador's Silvia Gonzalez and Guyana's Dawn Iona Fox have been awarded the Elsevier Awards for early-career female scientists in the developing world for their contributions in the field of chemistry.
Mexican Scientist Develops Technique to Reprogram Neurons Affected by Alzheimer, Parkinson
Other awardees in the 2018 edition of the annual Elsevier Award were Hasibun Naher (Bangladesh), Germanie Djuidje (Cameroon), and Witri Wahyu (Indonesia).
Nominations are accepted from early career scientists (within ten years of graduating with a Ph.D. degree) from the 81 countries with low scientific output as defined by the World Academy of Science and reviewed by the president of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World.
The winners receive each a cash award of US$5,000 and all-expenses-paid attendance at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Silvia Gonzalez was recognized for her achievements in molecular modelling of new sustainable materials, Hasibun Naher for her work on computer simulation of tsunamis, Djuidje Kenmoe for the study of molecular friction-and-wear to improve energy efficiency, Wahyu for her research on the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks for various applications in medicine or environmental protection, and Fox for her work on converting waste into materials with added value.
This year’s awardees, who also mentor young scientists in their countries and improve the lives and livelihoods of their communities, were honored in a ceremony on Feb. 17.
The award seeks to encourage women scientists in, particularly challenging conditions.
According to 2015 report compiled by UNESCO and reported on by SciDev: "women in much of the world face social, political and economic barriers to dedicating their working life to science — but those who live in developing countries can face additional, different obstacles.#
They explained women “face social, political and economic barriers to dedicating their working life to science... but those who live in developing countries can face additional, different obstacles,” such as poverty and cultural barriers.
According to the UNESCO, poverty plays an important role in keeping girls out of school because families opt for sending their sons to school and keep their girls at home.
OWSD president, Jennifer Thomson, said the women, who received this year´s award, “show that, if they have the opportunities and support, women in the developing world can become leaders in their fields.”

domain: sociology


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McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC is an intellectual property boutique firm, specializing in protecting and defending our client’s patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights, licensing, and regulatory needs. We focus on providing each client a customized IP portfolio, fit to serve their business needs and achieve their strategic goals.
By Ashley Holland
Earlier this week the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a report to Congress regarding public comments and insight into the state of patent subject matter eligibility. See report here. Patent eligibility law has been complicated by recent Supreme Court decisions like Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank (2014) and Mayo v. Prometheus (2012). Even […]
By Nicholas J. Krob
As Sarah Luth discussed back in 2019, The Ohio State University (“Ohio State”) filed a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the word “THE.” Last week, the trademark was granted as U.S. Trademark No. 6,763,118. At first glance, this seems absurd. The word “the” is one of the most used […]
By Julie L. Spieker
Today, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed a decision holding that Cisco willfully infringed several patents owned by Centripetal Networks, Inc. The District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia had awarded enhanced damages and royalties exceeding $2.75 billion to Centripetal. The Federal Circuit held that the district court judge was disqualified […]
By Jill N. Link, Pharm.D.
A few weeks back my colleague posted here about how to receive faster examination before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Now there is another avenue available for inventions related to climate change. On June 3, 2022 the USPTO announced a Climate Change Mitigation Pilot Program to speed up examination for certain types […]
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New Art Exhibition and Film News!
Life has been very chaotic during the month of May, but Mr. Sunshine has been doing his best to keep up with the madness without becoming (too) mad himself.
I was invited by the exceptionally awesome and talented BRIANA.ONLINE to exhibit two pieces from my SHADOWS series in a group show at The Canvas. There was such a great turnout and I was able to meet lots of other amazing folks. Be sure to visit my instagram to see more pics of the show!
THE TASTE OF YOU
We are officially in pre-production for the feature film The Taste of You!
After working on the treatment and script for nearly a year together with producer/director Dan Ventresca, we are in the next phase of development where things really start to get fun. The casting call received over 600 applications in the first day! After camera and chemistry tests, we are finalizing casting for the two leads Sam and Eve. These are extremely challenging roles featuring very complex characters and subtle emotions, so we are doing our best to find folks that aren’t just great fits for what’s already on paper, but that can also elevate the material and take us to places we didn’t even think of.
I am currently working on an Instagram and information page for the film so you can all follow the progress our movie from the beginning to the end. More on that real sooooon.
In other news, I am nearly half done with the first draft of my sci-fi/horror/dark fantasy novella PRETTY HATE MACHINE and very eager to share excerpts with you folks as soon as those are ready. You can prepare for this novel by watching films like The Crow, Kill Bill, and Silence of the Lambs/Hannibal. Yeah, it’s that intense.
As if I haven’t lost enough sleep, I am also somehow finding time to restart an old project in which I wrote short Q & A features on various artists I admire. It shall be called 7Q! The first one is already underway and will include one of my favorite visual artists Melissa Chalhoub. I can’t wait to share her work with you folks and give you a deep understanding of her art and her personality.
Until next time, eat more honey and be kind to bees.
- B.B. Sunshine

domain: artistic


From Godwin Tsa Abuja
Reprieve came the way of the sacked interim management committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) led by Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei as the Incoporated Trustees of Forum for Accountability and Good Governance (FAGG) has withdrawn the suit filed against them.
The Abuja division of the Federal High Court had earlier restrained them from performing the functions of the Board of the NDDC on the strength of the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/617/2020.
The withdrawal of the suit before Justice Ahmed Mohammed followed a notice brought pursuant to orde 50 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) rules 2019 and dated December 4, 2020.
The said notice of withdrawal was filed by counsel to the applicant, Chibuzor Ezike.
The applicant said the decision to withdraw the suit was to prevent plots by certain interest to hijacked it to forestall the ongoing forensic audit of the Commission.
Before the withdrawal of the suit, the court had further granted leave to the applicant to apply for judicial review for an order of mandamus compelling the Independent Corrupt Practice and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to investigate the Minister of the Niger Delta, Chief Godswill Akpabio and members of the Board over allegations of N3 billion contract fraud.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed in his ruling also granted leave to the applicant to apply for judicial review of the power of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or the Minister of the Niger Delta to appoint Prof. Pondei, Dr. Ojougboh and others in an interim capacity as members of the NDDC Board.
The orders are contained in an enrolled order of the court dated November 5, 2020.
By this order of the Court, the members of the NDDC Board are restrained from performing the functions of the Board pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice which is fixed for December 8, 2020.
Parties joined in the Suit are the Attorney General of the Federation, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Honourable Minister of the Niger Delta, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, Dr. Joi Nunieh, Mrs. Caroline Nagbo, Cecilia Bukola Akintomide and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission.
However in a swift action withdrawing the suit, the organization stated that it was being approached by interests whose only target was to stop the ongoing forensic audit of the commission.
The Forum stated that these moves aimed at hijacking the suit for ulterior motives was going to end up negatively and agreed that for the people of Niger Delta and the nation at large, concluding the forensic audit was more beneficial than sacking the Management Committee. :we would rather have an illegal Board to conclude the forensic audit than a no Board and no audit”.
“With this withdrawal, the Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei led Interim Management Committee are now back in charge of the Commission as the order of court abates by reason of the Suit as you cannot keep something on nothing and expect it to stand” the Forum stated.
However, they urged the Prof. Pondei led Committee to continue in their commitment to achieving the forensic audit as that would be a befitting legacy it can leave for Nigerians.


In new albums the rocking quartet The Captain Legendary Band published in 2016. This ambitious and inventive four-some creates several elements of roots American music and classic country. Their style also merges traditional, progressive folk, bluegrass, and southern rock into a brew that pleases even skeptics of country music. Often musicians who emulate a sound from the past are destined to succumb to the public perception of revivalist or tribute artist, but The Captain Legendary Band consistently rises above such notions, while proudly and succinctly performing on the perch of their musical roots. The music tandem team of Charlie Hager (guitar, lead vocals), Aaron Bancroft (lead guitar, harmony vocals), Jeff Hager (bass), and Matt “The Kid” Groll (drums).
Tracklist: 1. Noodle (0:19) 2. Lifetime (4:46) 3. Honey (4:20) 4. Wishing Well (4:22) 5. Anymore (3:45) 6. Gypsy Eyes (4:55) 7. Everyman's Blues (4:10) 8. Porch Stompin' (0:44) 9. Fire in the Valley (6:32) 10. Writing on the Wall (4:37) 11. Drowned in New Orleans (4:33) 12. She Waits (4:25) 13. White Dog (8:34)


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- Format: Kindle Edition
- File Size: 2402 KB
- Print Length: 281 pages
- Publisher: T Gephart (10 Oct. 2014)
- Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B00MS5PM8A
- Text-to-Speech: Enabled
- Word Wise: Enabled
- Average Customer Review: 38 customer reviews
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #150,689 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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Ash is one bad ass woman, she doesn’t suffer fools and makes her displeasure abundantly clear – you go girl!!
Dan is the bass guitarist with Power Station and is the dictionary definition of man whore! He has no brain to mouth filter and cares even less about the fact that his tact and diplomacy are non existent – I just loved him – he was so rude, crude and unrepentant that it was impossible not too!
He catches a glimpse of Ash while she is waiting to be interviewed for a job with Lexi and I found myself chuckling when he tried his hand and she shot him down in flames – just not playing that game – good girl! But while she could brush him aside, he couldn’t forget the chopsy little madam that didn’t fall under his spell and does everything he can at every available opportunity to spend time with her.
I honestly cried so much with the antics, it was superb!!
Dan really came into his own later in the book and you will be completely besotted by him before the end, when you get to know the real him – the one he hides under all his bravado – he is adorable.
His journey of self-discovery is what made this book for me, I like Ash but I absolutely loved Dan.
I love a good rock star book; I like my rockers in all flavours. Dark and brooding, mansluts, cocky, damaged I don’t care I love them all!!!
Dan is my hero!!! He’s hilarious, cocky and seriously sexy!!! I loved absolutely everything about him!!
He’s so cock sure and full of bravado I was laughing out loud at his witty banter and antics.
Ashley is a real sweetie, her hang ups were annoying at times but I just loved her snarky attitude and the way she bantered with Dan.
This couple have sooooooo much chemistry, they played and bantered and I think the casual playfulness was like ongoing foreplay. Once the finally got into bed the sex was Hotttt!!
I did have to keep checking that I hadn’t missed a book that explained Lexi and Stone’s relationship. Obviously they had a whole other series, I think it would have enhanced the story to understand their relationship but it didn’t affect my reading experience.
This is the first book I have read by T Gephart but it definitely won’t be the last!!!
I loved this book, it was saucy and sweet I completely engaged with Dan and Ash as a couple and I loved watching them fall for each other.
I’m going straight into the next book but High Strung gets 4.5 stars from me
Ashlyn is a woman with a plan. I like plans. I live for lists and organisation so I related to her and felt her despair at her plans hitting one of those nasty little "life" speed bumps.
Dan is one hell of a cheeky chappy. One liners, sexual innuendos, hilarious ideals and all around good hearted guy underneath some egotistical bravado. Fluff me, I fell. And hard.
It was easy to see that Ash had no chance of him not derailing her from all she had known of adulthood up until this point.
But it was humbling to see Dan getting knocked on his arse by this remarkable woman that he just couldn't stay away from. His attempts at making her his girl and bringing new experiences into her life, ones she had forced herself to miss out on because she was strict on herself growing up, growing away from the world she had been born into.
This book had it all. The ego, the doubt, the push-and-pull between them, the sexual tension a blind man could see. Everything. Oh, and the angst. The angst was there is spades.
The emotions I felt throughout the story was of the highest highs but of the lowest lows. Dan and Ashlyn's tale will be a whirlwind, a rollercoaster and you want more. You crave more. I cannot wait for more from the Power Station gang and am eagerly awaiting more quips and one-liners from Dan along the way!
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A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the southwest of Mexico late Tuesday, causing widespread shaking and killing at least one person.
The United States Geological Survey says the powerful quake struck about eight miles from the Pacific Coast beach resort city of Acapulco. It was measured at an initial depth of 7.8 miles (12.6 kilometres) and at least 92 aftershocks were recorded, including one with a magnitude of 5.2 according to the Mexican State Civil Protection Secretariat.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration initially issued a tsunami warning, but it was later called off.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says no “significant damage” occurred, but authorities had received reports of falling rocks and around 1.6 million are without electricity.
Earthquakes are not uncommon in Mexico due of its location at the edge of the North American tectonic plate.
Two major quakes struck the country in September 2017, with magnitudes 8.1 and 7.1.
In September 1985, an 8.0 magnitude quake killed around 9500 in and around Mexico City, spurring changes in building codes and greater protections against earthquakes.

domain: geography


Fonterra adopts virtual reality technology for safety training
Fonterra is now using virtual reality technology to show employees how to navigate its manufacturing sites safely without having to actually be there.
Fonterra says the new technology, developed with Beca, will help to substantially reduce onboarding times.
Director of Health and Safety, Resilience and Risk at Fonterra, Greg Lazzaro, said virtual reality has the potential to be a game changer for Fonterra.
“The opportunities for VR are significant,” Lazzaro said.
“With this solution, we can replicate the physical environment of our sites, so staff can undertake virtual health and safety training in an extremely immersive and realistic way.
“That means our people can learn about and identify potential hazards more quickly than ever, encouraging more engaged employees and better workplace safety”
Following a successful pilot, the new VR technology will replace a significant portion of the hands-on health and safety training at Fonterra that is often costlier and less effective.
Training can be tailored to each of Fonterra’s sites and tested through the completion of modules.
Project Manager for Beca, Andrew Cowie, says the technology is the future of health and safety training.
“Walmart now trains using VR, American footballers are using it and so is the military,” Cowie said.
“Our clients are increasingly interested in the application of VR technologies and the value it can add to their businesses.”
- Fonterra commits to $165 million Australian expansion
- Millions of Bangladeshi will soon have access to Fonterra milk
- A2 Milk Company and Fonterr aenter into strategic alliance
Coca-Cola South Pacific has launched a new dessert inspired flavoured milk range under its Barista B...
The winners of the 2017 South Australian Food Industry Awards have been announced.
Woolworths has launched its 2018 hot cross buns range in January saying the Easter treat is growing ...
Supermarket wholesaler, Metcash, is attempting to revive its food and grocery profits by appealing t...
The Woolworths Group has decided to no longer place expiry dates on gift cards.
THE Cattle Council of Australia has returned from a tour of Indonesia declaring there’s a prosperous...
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) is calling on the Federal Government to apply he...
THE move away from plastic shopping bags has created demand for alternatives, including a return of ...


The Assault Industries dual push-to-talk communications plate (PPT plate) installs between the steering wheel and hub/quick release adapter. The PPT plate enables the use of a comm. radio push-to-talk button and another accessory such as horn, push to pass boost system or whatever you want to add with easy thumb access. The plate will mount to any 5/6 bolt wheel.
This lightweight plate is machined from 6061 T6 billet aluminum and is available in black powder coat finish.
(1) PTT Plate 16mm mounting screws
WARNING:This product can impact machine operation. Customer and/or user is responsible for ensuring that this product is compatible with their machine as currently configured, properly installed, and understands any impact this product has or might have on the machine's operation.
⚠California Proposition 65 Warning⚠ WARNING:This product may contain a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm.


text:
Farmers know the behavior of their animals better than anyone else. Whether it be livestock such as pigs, sheep, and cows or smaller animals such as chickens and rabbits, those in agriculture know the behavior of those animals best. But when it comes to the behavior of species such as giraffes, otters, lions, and monkeys…the average farmer might not be as familiar.
That’s why people such as Carmen Murach, Curator of Animals at the Northeastern Wisconsin Zoo, exist. Murrach says that when the zoo didn’t have visitors due to the pandemic, the animals noticed. “There were definitely some animals that seemed less active,” Murach explains. She says that animals such as the primates are fascinated by people watching and were not bale to do that without guests. She also says she saw that some of the larger animals, such as the bears and lions, spent more time indoors as there wasn’t any activity taking place outside. Even when napping, normally the larger animals prefer to be outside and see what is going on beyond their enclosure. Without people, they preferred to stay inside.
Much like the animals in the barn, exotic zoo animals are also not fans of the extreme heat. Murach says that animals used to more temperate climates such as the snow leopard or red panda, prefer to be inside in the air conditioning on a hot Wisconsin day. Surprisingly, the African Lion doesn’t care much for the heat. The zoo has to take extra steps, much like producers do, to ensure that the animals stay cool on even the most humid days.


You might remember that Tigers right-hander and 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer rejected a six-year, $144 million contract extension from the Tigers in the spring. It was a calculated risk for a pitcher who could hit it big on the free agent market this winter. However, he has a Plan B if something goes terribly awry in the coming months.
Tom Verducci of SI.com has the story:
Scherzer revealed to SI.com that he took out an insurance policy that covers lost potential earnings if he is injured prior to hitting the free agent market this winter.
“This takes the injury risk out of it,” said Scherzer, who did not specify if the policy covered all or most of the $144 million.
It’s not like Scherzer will be hard-up for cash if hurts his arm tomorrow and never plays again. Including this year’s $15.525 million salary, he has made almost $30 million during his career. Still, it’s a smart and logical move for him. This kind of thing is probably more common than we realize, though Scherzer’s situation obviously commands more attention since he could fetch a $200 million deal this winter if all goes according to plan for him and his agent Scott Boras.
SportsDash: Jeff Passan explains why Scherzer’s arm is so expensive
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reported on Monday that the Angels have received inquiries from multiple teams concerning starter Hector Santiago. He adds that the club is willing to listen to offers. Jon Morosi of FOX Sports and MLB Network reports that the Marlins are among the teams that have inquired.
Santiago, 28, has pitched to a 4.32 ERA with 96 strikeouts and 47 walks in 110 1/3 innings. Sabermetric statistics such as FIP, xFIP, and SIERA think the lefty has pitched even worse than his ERA indicates however, pitting 2016 as his worst performance to date.
Santiago is earning $5 million this season and will enter his third and final year of arbitration eligibility going into 2017.
We also learned earlier that, in an effort to bolster their starting rotation, the Marlins have also shown interest in Wade Miley of the Mariners and Jeremy Hellickson of the Phillies.
The Rangers placed DH Prince Fielder on the disabled list last week due to more neck discomfort. On Friday, Fielder met with Dr. Drew Dossett, who performed spinal fusion surgery on Fielder in 2014 for a herniated disk in his neck. Dossett has recommended another procedure, so Fielder will undergo season-ending surgery this week, Jeff Wilson of the Fort-Worth Star Telegram reports.
Fielder was having a rough season, batting .212/.292/.334 with eight home runs and 44 RBI in 370 plate appearances. He played in only 42 games in 2014, but returned in 2015 looking more like his old self. Unfortunately, neck and back issues are notoriously difficult to fix. Hopefully, this upcoming procedure does the trick for Fielder.
Fielder is owed $24 million per season through 2020, with the Tigers paying $6 million of it per season.


|About this Recording
8.555720 - Guitar Recital: Martha Masters
Guitar Recital: A. Tansman / J.S. Bach / F. Sor / B. Johanson / M. Ponce / J. Rodrigo
In 1920 Alexandre Tansman left his native country, Poland, to settle in Paris. He remained there, working as a concert pianist, conductor and composer until his death, leaving only for a sojourn in the USA from 1941 to 1946. It was in Paris that he met Andrès Segovia who asked him to write something for the guitar. One of the influences on Tansman's earlier music had been Stravinsky who, when he had asked Segovia why he had never requested a work from him had been told"Because I do not want to insult your music by not playing it". Segovia was thus apprehensive and he enjoined Tansman to "first wipe your pen clean" before writing for the guitar. Tansman's response (in 1951) with the Cavatina shows how well he had learnt that lesson. Its basic four movements are written in a tuneful, transparently textured, conservatively harmonic style, well suited to the guitar. The robust Danza pomposa was later added as an optional final movement.
There is no evidence that Bach played the lute or even understood how it worked, but he loved its sound and at the time of his death he owned two lute- harpsichords (Lautenwerk), on whose keyboards he could produce lute-like sounds. A small corpus of his works are described as "Lute works", but the ascription is based on shaky premises - if not the lute for what instrument were they intended? The probable answer is the Lautenwerk, and the probability is high in the case of BWV 996, the Suite in E minor, an ungrateful key to confront on the lute. The order of the movements is conventional, and the language in which he gave their titles indicates that the style of the music is French. This is confirmed by the opening of the Prelude, in the manner of that of a French overture, and maintained throughout. The ending of the second section of the Prelude, a quasi-fugal Presto, is mirrored by that of the final Gigue, neatly tying the package by bringing the two ends of the same piece of string together to form a knot, as it were.
The musical style of Fernando Sor, the most refined of early nineteenth-century guitarist-composers, was akin to that of Mozart for whom Sor had great respect and, it seems, particular affection for his opera The Magic Flute, a performance of which he may have seen in London. His arrangements of Six Airs from The Magic Flute Op 19 appeared in Paris two years later than the Variation, Op 9 had done in London. The Air, Oh cara armonia (the title given in the first edition; Mozart's was in German: Das klingt so herrlich - That sound, wonderful), on which Op 9 is based, appears near the end of Act I of the opera and lasts for less than one minute. The variations are preceded by a solemn Introduction containing a quotation from Act II of the opera, and the Theme itself is already a modest 'variation', in that Sor has decorated it with appoggiature. The variety and brilliance of the Variations have made this Sor's most famous work - his 'signature tune'
Portland - (Oregon) based guitarist/composer Bryan Johanson bas written prolifically for the guitar, both solo and in chamber ensembles. His works have come into prominence through exposure by David Starobin, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and other notable artists. Concerning his Variation, on a Finnish folksong he writes: "This work for my father [a Swedish-speaking Finn –JD] is a set of variations based on an ancient Finnish folk melody. The melody was used when singing the text from the Kalevala, a set of loosely related folk-tales that were often sung to the accompaniment of the kantele [a type of zither -JD] and the ancient Finnish harp. The Kalevala is filled with songs of transformation and magic, and in my own work I have tried to create a music that evokes my ancestors by transforming their ancient melody into my own musical language".
The Mexican composer Manuel Ponce was one of those with whom Segovia worked the longest and most closely in increasing the then-contemporary repertory of the guitar. They complemented one another's needs Segovia's for new and substantial music to play, and Ponce's for the support of a famous artist who would propagate his work worldwide, thus enhancing his reputation and income. Segovia's letters to Ponce, published by Editions Orphée, make fascinating and revelatory reading. The theme of the present work, written in 1926, is unusual in that it consists of two sections, the first of which is repeated, but the much shorter second acts as a sort of 'tailpiece', played only once. The Finale is a wholly Hispanic fiesta that ends, as do the preceding theme and variations, unusually on a tonic major seventh chord. Ponce wrote four works in variation form for the guitar; only in this one was there a theme of his own composition.
The fame of Joaquin Rodrigo with the general public rests mainly in the Concierto de Aranjuez, the tune of the second movement of which has become elevator and supermarket music. With guitarists and their particular public it rests no less on his many solo works, based on traditional Spanish dances, or vignettes of Spanish life and places. He was uniquely focused on compiling a musical 'archive' of his country's history, life and traditions. En los, trigales, (In the wheat fields) portrays one aspect of rural life.
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Suzuki MotoGP boss Davide Brivio admits the marque has "already agreed on everything" for Alex Rins and Joan Mir to remain for 2021, though nothing has been formalised yet.
Both Rins and Mir's contracts are up for renewal at the end of the year, though both have looked likely to stay put despite keen interest from Ducati in the latter.
In an exclusive interview with Autosport, Suzuki team boss Brivio says both riders "want to stay" and securing them is now just a matter of time.
"I think 50-60% of the important choices have already been made," Brivio said of the rider market.
"Yamaha has more or less closed its market and Honda has confirmed [Marc] Marquez.
"We have not yet formalised [the deals], because in this period everything is still a little stuck.
"But I think we have no problems with Rins and Mir: we want to keep them, they want to stay and we already agreed on everything.
"It's just a matter of signing the piece of paper as soon as possible.
"So I hope there will be no surprises."
Yamaha kicked the rider market into high gear at the start of the year when it announced it had re-signed Maverick Vinales for two more years, while securing Fabio Quartararo as his team-mate.
Honda stunned the paddock last month when it confirmed it had persuaded Marquez to commit to a new four-year deal.
This is a move Brivio is keen on, and hopes to be able to continue extending Suzuki's relationship with its current riders.
"We are doing everything to [make] the relationship with Alex continue for as long as possible, because he is repaying [our faith]," Brivio said of Rins, who gave Suzuki's its first brace of wins in a season last year for the first time since 2000.
"The first year [in '17] was very difficult for him, because he lost almost half a season due to an injury.
"Already in the second season there was a big step forward, [and] in his third season with us he won two races and finished fourth in the championship."
He added: "We started this path with Mir last year.
"We also aim to make at least four years with him, renewing his contract [through to '22].
"Then we hope that these can be our riders even longer, because they are two very talented guys who be in the top group, and having two in the team is very important."


A recent report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary has found that some police forces expect victims of crime to investigate their own crime.
The allegation that victims are being made to investigate their own crime is extremely worrying. It should be the police who have powers, the resources and the expertise to investigate crime. To not do so is a dereliction of the police’s duty. The police owe a duty to victims and society to adequately investigate and prevent crime. Whilst the investigation of certain crime does need to be prioritised, this is not an excuse for not sufficiently investigating less serious crime.
If ordinary people are required to find and collect evidence themselves, this may increase costs and delay later on in the criminal process. If evidence is not correctly and impartially gathered there is the risk that more time will have to be spent at trial debating the credibility and reliability of that evidence. This would lead to a completely unnecessary waste of the courts’ resources and public funds.
Roger Baker, the head of the report, further claimed that due to the lack of investigation by the police, offences such as criminal damage and crimes against cars “are on the verge of being decriminalised”.
However, in London at least, this claim seems to be an exaggeration of the factual reality. The Metropolitan Police Force states that it “has a policy that says that officers will attend all reports of crimes and incidents where a victim wishes attendance”. This presumably includes victims of criminal damage and vehicle crime and the report does not suggest that the Metropolitan Police do not fulfil their policy.
Adam Shaw, an experienced criminal defence solicitor at TV Edwards, confirmed this, “TV Edwards continues to represent a large number of clients accused of criminal damage and interference with motor cars.”
However, the key findings of the report, that the police are not investigating crimes as adequately, effectively or efficiently they should be doing are valid. Senior police officers have suggested that their forces’ performance has been hindered by the government’s cuts to their budgets.
The lack of proper investigation of some crimes leads to the very real risk that victims’ rights are not being protected. This once again highlights how the government’s austerity driven cuts risk causing great damage to the British justice system.
Earlier this year the Judicial Executive Board launched a stinging attack on the cuts to civil legal aid in relation to the family courts. They suggested that the cuts have “almost certainly” caused meritorious cases not to be brought before the courts.
The potential damage to the fairness of the criminal damage caused by cuts to criminal legal aid was exposed in R v Crawly.
Although the Court of Appeal held that the trial had been stayed too early, they acknowledged that they could not rule out case being stayed in the future due to the lack of high quality legal representation.
All of those that have to go through the justice system, whether they are defendants or victims deserve that their rights are taken seriously and are properly protected. The government’s continued programme of austerity has already seriously undermined access to justice. Unless there is a radical change of thinking to the government’s policy on justice there is the very real risk of further damage to the rule of law in the UK.


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Traders Doubt Lan's $4 Billion Takeover Bid of Tam with 16% Discount
Investors are doubting Lan Airlines SA’s ability to complete its planned takeover of Brazilian carrier Tam SA, stock trading shows.
Tam is trading 18 percent below Santiago-based Lan’s Aug. 13 offer price, as much as twice the discount for past global airline combinations a month after they were announced, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Concern the $4 billion deal will be quashed or delayed by regulators is keeping the gap from narrowing, said Octavio Vaz, who helps manage $3.3 billion at Global Equity Administradora de Recursos. Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega damped that speculation on Sept. 2, saying the purchase complies with a law limiting foreign control of carriers. The discount shrank for two days before widening.
“You only have this kind of discount if the market thinks it won’t go through or that it’ll take so long it’s not worth it,” Vaz said by phone from Rio de Janeiro. “Mantega isn’t the one who decides. The market didn’t take him seriously.”
Under the agreement, Tam investors will get 0.9 Lan share for each share of Tam. Lan rose 0.1 percent to 14,612 pesos yesterday, meaning 0.9 of each share is worth 45.35 reais. Tam fell 2 percent to 37.30 reais at the close of trading in Sao Paulo at 4 p.m. New York time. While Chilean markets are closed today for a national holiday, Lan’s American depositary receipts dropped 1.6 percent to $28.30.
The takeover must be approved by regulators in Brazil and Chile. It calls for Tam’s controlling shareholders to keep 80 percent of its voting stock to preserve Brazil’s 20 percent foreign ownership cap. Lan will hold about 70 percent of the combined carrier, Latam Airlines Group. Latam in turn will own “substantially” all of Tam’s preferred shares, which have a market value 77 percent greater than the voting shares, and Tam will be delisted, according to the pact.
The deal’s completion depends on Brazilian regulators determining that it meets the “spirit of the law” that limits foreign ownership, said Cleveland Prates Teixeira, a former director of Brazil’s antitrust agency who advises companies on regulatory issues.
Brazil’s Congress has been debating an increase in the limit on foreign control of airlines since 2004. A recent amendment to a bill introduced in July 2009 would permit foreigners to have sole ownership in Brazilian carriers depending on bilateral government accords. Lawmakers, campaigning for reelection in October, have yet to vote on it.
Tam’s discount to Lan’s offer price is bigger than in past deals. Northwest Airlines Corp. traded at a 7.3 percent discount to Delta Air Lines Inc.’s bid, down from a 30-day average of 11 percent, one month after Delta proposed a takeover in April 2008, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Iberia Lineas Aereas de Espana SA traded at an 11 percent discount to British Airways Plc’s November 2009 offer a month after it was made, from a 12 percent average. Tam has had an average 17 percent discount to Lan since the deal was announced last month.
While Delta’s $2.75 billion purchase of Northwest was completed, other mergers failed due to regulators’ antitrust concerns. Ryanair Holdings Plc made unsuccessful takeover bids for Aer Lingus Group Plc in 2006 and 2008, and UAL Corp. and US Airways Group Inc. scrapped a $12.3 billion deal in July 2001.
Other airlines are more attractive than Tam, said Greg Lesko, who helps manage $750 million at Deltec Asset Management in New York.
“Until it’s done, it’s not done,” Lesko said of the Tam takeover. “We like to buy what we think is undervalued.”
Deltec sold “most” of its Tam stake and added to holdings of Panama City-based Copa Holdings SA, Lesko said. Deltec, which doesn’t own Lan shares, maintained its holding of Brazilian carrier Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA. Gol trades at 13.9 times reported earnings, compared witha ratio of 11 for Copa and 33.8 for Tam, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Lan trades at 32 times profit.
Press officials for both carriers; Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency, known as Anac; and the country’s antitrust regulator, the Administrative Council of Economic Defense or Cade, declined to comment on the approval process for the deal, asking not to be named because they aren’t authorized to speak publicly. By law both Anac and Cade must approve the takeover.
Chile’s competition regulator, the Fiscalia Nacional Economica, said it would investigate possible market concentration in three air routes due to the merger. The agency doesn’t have a timeframe for its investigation, press officer Kareen Calcagno said by phone.
Tam, based in Sao Paulo, on Aug. 12 posted a second-quarter loss of 154.1 million reais ($87 million) with net sales of 2.61 billion reais. Lan said July 27 quarterly profit was $60.6 million on revenue of $1 billion. Together, Lan and Tam would be the third-largest airline by market value, after Air China Ltd. and Singapore Airlines Ltd.
“It meets the legal requirements,” Mantega said in a Sept. 2 interview. “If it didn’t, it wouldn’t have been done.”
Tam’s discount shows that investors are overestimating the risk that the deal will fall apart, according to Stacy Steimel, who helps manage $430 million in Latin American stocks at Pinebridge Investments.
“We actually sold our position in Lan and bought Tam right after the announcement,” Steimel said by phone from Santiago. “Tam was more attractive from a valuation point of view. The discount may also be because people are betting that it may take a little longer than planned to go through.”
The companies said Aug. 13 a binding arrangement may come in two to three months, and that the takeover, dependent on approval by regulators and shareholders, will be completed six to nine months after that.
The agreement is “convoluted” and its attempt to meet Brazilian ownership rules is “far from straightforward,” said Arthur Byrnes, chairman of Deltec.
“This is complicated,” he said. “The longer these things take, the more people get worried.”


text:
Can the Power of Love be carried through an old worn out hat on purpose and a package returned to sender?
Denying our shadow of fear gives it power. When we shine the light on fear, it is our doorway to freedom. Here’s why…
Use your One Year on Purpose Initiative to help determine your actions On Purpose day by day. With time, you will feel a steady current of clarity and direction.
There is added clarity, power, and speed when we also admit and accept our ingrained habits and patterns of fear and adrenaline.
To live practicing a chosen Purpose is retrograde to the fear driven motivations of the world and how most humans live within in it. To live On Purpose Now is retrograde.
Choosing purpose over fear and deciding how to live it, is becoming more and more essential.
Most of us have no reason to believe the more we are aware of, admit, and accept fear, the less we have of it. Yet the more you look at fear, the more you see the truth that lies beyond it.
The only thing that displaces your Purpose Here and Now, is fear of knowing, trusting and serving your Purpose, in these conditions and with these people… Here and Now.
Living On Purpose is an Art, Science and Sport, an infinite (never ending practice) applied in the arena of daily life.
If you want to live on purpose, then you must discover what it is, learn how to do it and it will reveal what it means to you all along the way.


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The Delaware State University Department of Athletics recently received a $450,000 NCAA grant to support its academic programs that are designed to help its students-athletes.
The grant was part of more than $4 million that the NCAA recently awarded to nine Division I schools to help them improve the academic success of their student-athletes. The goal is to support the school’s efforts to meet the requirements of the Division I Academic Performance Program, which was developed to ensure schools provide an environment that supports education while enhancing the ability of student-athletes to earn a degree.
The comprehensive grants will be distributed over a three-year period and used to fund increased academic support services staffing and space; technology upgrades (software and hardware); career planning; and increased availability of summer financial aid for student-athletes.
Delaware State President Harry L. Williams recently led a University delegation at a NCAA conference to discuss the grants and other issues.
Louis “Skip” Perkins, interim associate vice president and athletics director, said he is “elated” that the NCAA committee selected DSU as a recipient of the Accelerated Academic Success Program grant, and noted that it is consistent with DSU’s PRIDE 2020 Strategic Plan’s goals relating to student success, as well as increased retention and graduation rates.
“We will embrace the strengths of our campus – renowned faculty/staff, academic and career enhancement centers, and continue our campus wide collaboration to solidify the academic foundation that is the cornerstone of the DSU athletic program,” AD Perkins said.
Delaware State Athletics


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|Reviews for Eyes of Symmetry|
| john73 chapter 29 . 7/8
This is a great and i mean a great story i love all the chapters and the love and romance and I really cannot wait for you to have the next chapter out. Thank you for this wonderful story
| w chapter 29 . 7/4
glad your back - love the story - you write as if you would make a great psychologist - entertaining and humorous :-)
| JPElles chapter 29 . 6/29
Fun stuff. I think both Kitty and Red favor Jackie over Donna if they had to pick a daughter in law. Red even said it himself. She's the only one who's not useless. She's also, ironically, the best at being a mechanic. lol. I remember that episode.
| RevertedLogic chapter 29 . 6/20
Wow, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this was updated! Thank you :-)
I liked everything, I love Fez's reaction to EJ's sweetness, you keep my going with curiousness every chapter, I love the character development you give to Eric and Jackie, you do that like no other author so kudos to you, sir. (Or ma'am)
"Just remember, if you two do decide to spend the night together, the bed in here is a queen. Eric's is only a twin."
Jackie stood mouth agape as Mrs. Forman smiled and closed the door on her way out.
Hot damn, very nice way to end the chapter! I can't wait for the next one, please update soon!
| ArTeMuS09 chapter 27 . 6/9
| john73 chapter 28 . 5/29
Is that the ending or is there ever gonna be more cause i hope so
| Lizardphobia chapter 28 . 5/22
Nooooooooooooo. Update update please!
| w chapter 28 . 12/2/2014
my 4th time reading this story and I find it very well done and extremely interesting - waiting for more :-)
| The Hallow chapter 24 . 11/24/2014
Okay! This chapter was definitely more like That 70s show! Still a little weird with the way they talk, but the situations were so 70's that it was almost like I was watching an episode! XD Finally! Good job!
| The Hallow chapter 22 . 11/24/2014
No offense... but your entire story runs rampant on philosophy. I actually find it kind of annoying. But I skip it and read on to the juicy stuff.
| The Hallow chapter 16 . 11/24/2014
Okay... I love your plot bunny. I really really do. I love how you made Eric stronger and tan. But I have to be blunt with you about a major part of your story that really irritates me... Word Vomit.
It's everywhere. You're characters aren't talking like they do in that 70's show! They're all philosophical and shit. I mean when it was just Eric I was cool with it, cause he's a changed man and he witnessed a fucking genocide. But then you got everybody else involved and it makes me just wanna skip through the chapters until I get to the good parts. You also do this annoying thing where you make everything spelled out, there's no slang. These people are slang people. I'm sorry I'm really ratting down on your story, but these are things that are really annoying to me...
| A Critic chapter 1 . 7/30/2014
This story needs an editor. Several times you used incorrect words in your sentence and it was only by the context you by which you where trying to use them that I was able to understand your point. Also, Eric isn't mysterious. He went and told Sam everything she needed to know about him and more. He kinda sounded like a joke of himself.
"Who are you?"
"Me, I'm just a man returning home from two dark years in Affrica that changed me in many inexplicable ways."
See kinda what I mean? I wish you would have warned the readers that this was supposed to be satirical, because if this wasn't done on purpose then it's just poor writing.
| mountainman110 chapter 28 . 7/25/2014
one word describes this: Cliffhanger. I am curious to see an update to this story. To find out if Eric and Jackie tell everyone or does everyone find out 1 by 1 or do they find out as a whole. And what comes of Eric and Jackie, especially with the emphasis on kids these last few chapters
| Icarus K chapter 28 . 7/31/2013
Wow I have to say this is an absolutely awesome story. It's well written and when ever Eric and Jackie talk to each other I get that Before Sunrise-esqu feel to the story that just brings the characters together so well. Keep it up!
| Guest chapter 28 . 7/17/2013


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Tuesday, December 01, 2020
Beauty & Balance
Damien Venuto: Is this the stupidest marketing idea of 2020?
Snow returns to Colorado this weekend: How much can you expect?
What company leaders said this week about stimulus talks.
This Canadian Woman Just Set a New World Record by Planking for 4 Hours Like It's NBD?
No structures lost this weekend on CSU Mountain Campus to Cameron Peak fire.
‘This is for my children’: Hong Kongers prepare to seize UK offer of a new life
Lane closures this week in Eisenhower Tunnel for fire suppression system checks.
This Rock Solid Core Exercise Helps Older Guys Build Strength Safely
US officials warn ‘this is just the beginning’
I-70 to close this weekend from Steele/Vasquez to I-270 for Central 70 Project.


text:
As the country’s economic woes continue to bite, budding Afro-rap artist, Rayton Choto Paraffin known in the music circles as Tony Ray, has released a single titled Tirikuchema, a protest song that speaks about the prevailing situation that has left many Zimbabweans struggling to eke a living.
Listen to the track below:
The Tirikuchema track is a direct response to the socio-economic crisis that has hit the masses of the Zimbabwean populace.
Speaking about the single Tony Ray said “We have been captured as nation and now to liberate ourselves from this national melancholy as an artist I saw it necessary to just put our prevailing reality into lyricism and I came up with this single”
In a similar fashion to the yesteryear star Tupac Shakur‘s sensational music his track is highly charged with emotion, Tirikuchema means we are crying and the track is speaking about how the economy has affected peoples day to day livelihood.
To differentiate his sound so as to make a name in this competitive music industry, he has adopted humour in his lyricism of Afro-rap music.
Recently he roped in Tally Bee (real name Talent Singe) to give a cutting edge to his just released single titled Maitiro ako launched on National FM last week
The single was produced by Temptation Chirenje aka T Man of Mount Zion Music.


text:
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Carly Phillips - March 29, 2011
Carly Phillips is excited to announce that her books, MORE THAN WORDS Vol. 7, anthology, as well as HOT ITEM (a reissue with a brand new cover) can now be found in an online or brick-and-mortar bookstore near you! To see both covers, along with order links, excerpts and more, visit www.carlyphillips.com to find all things Carly!
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Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (CICTE): Sixteenth Regular Session
Coordinator for Cyber Issues
The Sixteenth Regular Session of the Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (CICTE) will focus on three themes that Chile, the incoming CICTE Chair, selected: 1) Use of the Internet for Terrorist and Criminal Purposes; 2) Cybersecurity: Critical Considerations for the Development of the Economy and a Digital Society; and 3) Confidence Building Measures in Cyberspace. In 2015, the CICTE Secretariat conducted 62 activities, training courses, and technical assistance missions that benefited more than 3687 participants in five thematic areas including cybersecurity. The United States is a major contributor to CICTE’s training programs and has provided funding and expert trainers for capacity building programs focused on aviation security, travel document security and fraud prevention, cybersecurity, legislative assistance and counterterrorism financing, supply chain security, and Customs and Immigration.
I would like to begin by thanking the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (CICTE) for organizing this meeting and for your continued recognition of the importance of cyber policy, particularly cybersecurity as a top priority for our region.
We are all increasingly dependent on networked information systems for the daily functioning of our societies. With that dependency has come increasing concern about new and existing vulnerabilities, the exploitation of which can make individuals targets of criminal actors operating on the Internet, and can now affect whole populations through threats to cyber- enabled infrastructures.
We all face increasing risks from state and non-state actors that conduct malicious cyber activity for unacceptable ends, including stealing trade secrets or personal information for commercial or financial gain, interfering with the exercise of freedom of expression, and intentionally damaging or even destroying critical infrastructure. These threats can range from everyday email spam, to serious transnational criminal behavior, to activity that could constitute a threat to national security.
As the U.S. Director of National Intelligence recently noted, the “likelihood of a catastrophic attack from any particular actor is remote at this time,” we are likely to see “an ongoing series of low-to-moderate level cyber attacks from a variety of sources” that will, over time, “impose costs on U.S. economic competitiveness and national security.” Given the global, interconnected nature of cyberspace and infrastructure, these threats and potential costs are not unique to the United States but are relevant and should be of concern to the international community as a whole.
These issues are being addressed in a wide variety of venues, including technical standards groups and other multistakeholder organizations looking at how to strengthen the security of the Internet’s architecture. We proceed from the perspective that the Internet and its associated networks are neither owned nor controlled by States. Rather than trying to regulate or control it, we view the role of states as one of many stewards — that is, caretakers, who work with all other stakeholders to ensure that this resource is available to all to reap positive benefits and rewards. This inclusive concept forms the basis for the multi stakeholder process and reflects the reality of how the Internet functions today.
As one of these stewards, States must recognize our role(s) and focus our work on potential “value-add” contributions. In that respect, we recognize that States do have a well-established and important role to play with regard to facilitating transnational cooperation – including law enforcement cooperation – and seeking to prevent conflict and promote international stability. This role extends to the security of networked information systems.
The challenge that we face as policy makers and practitioners is how to aggressively investigate, disrupt, and deter malicious activity online, including criminal and terrorist activity, while preserving the characteristics of the Internet that make it so vital to modern society.
Our region has been leading the charge in navigating challenges in cyberspace since 2002. That was when we first came together as OAS member states to acknowledge that the benefits of information technology won’t be fully realized if the security and reliability of these systems are threatened. We agreed that we must find ways to ensure security and stability in cyberspace while protecting fundamental freedoms, creating opportunities for innovation, and promoting economic growth around the world.
We concluded that no matter what steps individual states might take, national efforts, while necessary, are not themselves sufficient. Transnational cooperation is essential to our success on all fronts.
That is why the United States has continued to support the OAS through CICTE, REMJA, and CITEL in building national cybersecurity strategies, developing new and stronger Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTS), educating the public about cybersecurity and staying safe online, and training technicians, law enforcement, and policy makers about cybersecurity best practices specific to their fields of work. We were pleased to support OAS in hosting its first cyber security meeting in January 2004 in Buenos Aires, an initiative which led to development of a hemispheric strategy that has established OAS leadership in this emerging field.
And I am proud to note the progress we have made in implementing that strategy, adapting to and confronting challenges in cyberspace— both longstanding and new, by relying heavily on the strength of our federal, state, local, and international partnerships. We have shown that there is immense value in working cooperatively with one another and other key stakeholders to protect our networks, share best practices, and communicate regarding threats, investigations and prosecutions.
I would note that the themes of our discussion this year are indicative of that progress. In addition to expressing our continued support for the OAS’s ongoing work on cybercrime and cybersecurity, I would like to take a few minutes today to encourage us to build on our past success. In particular, our work to address the numerous everyday challenges cyberspace presents could be augmented by new efforts to address the specific cyber challenges that could rise to the level of a national security concern.
As cyber capabilities become more sophisticated, this concern is a growing possibility. Many states are developing military cyberspace capabilities — a prospect that is increasingly viewed as threatening both our national security and international security. In addition, key aspects of cyber tools — such as the difficulty of attributing an attack to its perpetrators or sponsors, and the dual-use nature of the technology — are seen by many as inherently destabilizing.
To address this concern, the United States has developed and is promoting a strategic framework of international cyber stability, designed to achieve and maintain a peaceful cyberspace environment where all states are able to fully realize its benefits, where there are advantages to cooperate against common threats and avoid conflict, and where there is little incentive for states to engage in disruptive behavior or to attack one another.
There are three key elements to this framework: global affirmation of the applicability of international law to state behavior in cyberspace; the development of international consensus on additional norms and principles of responsible state behavior in cyberspace that apply during peacetime; and the development and implementation of practical confidence building measures that can help ensure stability in cyberspace during times of crisis.
In recent years, we have had great success in building international consensus as states coalesce around this framework. As the 2016 CICTE Declaration notes, the 2013 and 2015 reports of the UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) indicated consensus that international law applies to state conduct in cyberspace, affirmed the applicability of international law and laid out norms of responsible state behavior in cyberspace.
The relatively swift affirmation of these concepts by states is notable and likely driven by an increased understanding among leaders and senior policymakers of the challenges and opportunities cyberspace presents to national security and foreign policy.
One component of this framework — the development of regional cyber confidence building measures — was also highlighted in this year’s CICTE Declaration as a new potential area for practical regional work. We are pleased to see member states considering how CICTE can play a role in the development of such measures. CBMs have been used by the international community for decades to build confidence, reduce risk and increase transparency in other areas of transnational concern. Given the nature of cyberspace, CBMs can play a valuable role in building some confidence that normal operating behavior by states is somewhat predictable. Otherwise, activity in cyberspace could cause unintended reactions, miscalculation or misattribution - thus increasing risk of unintended conflict.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) have both been working on regional cyber CBMs and we have found the discussion very productive in those venues. In both venues, we are now at the stage of implementing specific regional cyber CBMs.
It is our view that, taken together, peacetime norms of voluntary self-restraint and cooperation, coupled with existing international law and our work to pursue CBMs in cyberspace, will go a long way to achieving a more secure and stable cyberspace for everyone. If all states have an incentive to enjoy the benefits of cyberspace and little incentive to disrupt it, cyberspace can continue to be an engine for economic and social growth around the globe.
Of course, affirmation of the applicability of international law and the development of additional, non-binding norms of responsible state behavior alone are not a silver bullet for all of the issues we face in cyberspace. We must also continue to address non-state threats and actors by developing better network security, cyber incident response capabilities, and enhancing international cooperation against cybercrime.
We are doing that through, among other things, our capacity building efforts, including in building better cybersecurity and cybercrime capabilities and strengthening cooperation between and among technical computer response teams and law enforcement to deal with shared threats.
I look forward to working with all of you to ensure that our region, working together and through the OAS, be it CICTE, REMJA, or CITEL, can continue to be a cohesive and progressive group.


It's the little things that add up.
In case you haven't heard, BMW has lost its mind. Or rather, BMW's vocational trainees along with the company's Concept Vehicle Construction and Model Technology divisions have lost their minds, because each party recently teamed up with the others to build a concept called the X7 Pickup. As its name implies, the X7 Pickup is little more than a version of BMW's range-topping SUV with the top half of its rear end chopped off and given a pickup bed, albeit one that's layered with polished wood because, well, it's still a BMW.
But according to some of the more artistically-inclined minds out there, the X7 Pickup had one big problem: it's kind of ugly, or perhaps just not as good-looking as it could be.
That's why, upon seeing the concept, rendering artist Rain Prisk pulled out their own design pen and got to work reimagining the X7 Pickup. Given that BMW's version looks like it's primarily been designed to exist within the margins of a paved road, Prisk thought they could make the X7 Pickup more palatable to the truck community by giving it a more rugged design.
Prisk started by cutting the X7 Pickup concept's rear two doors away to make the truck a single cab, repurposing the machine for maximum utility by stripping away its ability to cart occupants around in luxury. The magic of the X7, as we can see from Prisk's design, is that it already features certain design elements that make it look like an off-roader.
That includes the metallic side accent that starts at the rear of the front wheel well and stops at the beginning of the rear well, since it's raised enough that it leaves a body-colored lip underneath it, making the X7 look like it has dark body cladding in the spirit of an Audi Allroad.
Moving rear, Prisk opens up the panel gap between the bed and the cab, making the X7 look more like a real truck, before keeping the rear end practically untouched (unlike BMW's own Pickup concept) aside from the missing rear body panels, the C-pillar-mounted lights, and the wing that stands on the edge of the cab's rear roof. Rounding off the look are chunky off-road tires and darkened rims to drive home the point that this X7 pickup truck is meant to get dirty, unlike most BMWs.
Join The Discussion


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The Celtics have been holding off on finalizing a couple of deals that have been agreed to in principle in order to maintain maximum flexibility. Jae Crowder will officially re-sign with the Celtics and the team will complete the David Lee trade soon, but waiting on those deals allowed the team to trade for Perry Jones III and could (in theory) still allow them to make yet another move where the team takes on more salary than it sends out.
However, the roster already stands at 16 guaranteed contracts (Babb is non-guaranteed and could be headed out in the Lee deal anyway) and barring any last minute changes, the roster moves could be over for the summer.
Also, I'm hearing that the Jae Crowder signing and David Lee trade will most likely be finalized next week.— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) July 21, 2015
So why is Ainge willing to finalize those deals and do away with the flexibility that he's been maintaining? I might have something to do with the fact that the Denver Nuggets agreed to a contract extension with Danilo Gallinari.
Lot of buzz that Gallo could have been traded earlier this summer. Teams called--including Boston--but the Nuggets weren't interested.— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) July 21, 2015
Perhaps with Gallo and other options off the table, Ainge is happy going forward with the roster as it is for the time being. Obviously he's always looking for deals to upgrade, but at some point he has to put pen to paper and finalize the deals he's agreed upon.
Speaking of deals, draft pick Marcus Thornton is headed to Australia to play.
Celtics rookie Marcus Thornton, the 45th selection of this year’s draft, has agreed to a one-year deal with the Sydney Kings of Australia’s National Basketball League, according to multiple sources. Celtics president Danny Ainge had long made it clear that the team selected Thornton with the intention of having him play overseas or in the D-League. For Thornton, one benefit of playing in the NBL rather than in Europe is that its regular season ends in February, which could allow him to return to the US and finish the season in the D-League. Boston will retain his NBA rights.
Also, R.J. Hunter could be locked up soon too.
The Celtics are expected to sign first-round pick R.J. Hunter to a contract early next week, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The Celtics have historically offered first-round picks the full 120 percent of the rookie salary scale, meaning the No. 28 overall pick is expected to receive a four-year, $5.86 million deal...
I haven't seen any reports on it yet, but I'm sure that Terry Rozier's contract will likely be hammered out right around the time that Hunter's is.
All these finalized deals should bring the Celtics roster to 16.
• Ball handlers: Marcus Smart, Isaiah Thomas, Terry Rozier, Evan Turner
• Wings: Avery Bradley, James Young, R.J. Hunter
• Swings: Jae Crowder, Jonas Jerebko, Perry Jones
• Bigs: David Lee, Amir Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, Jared Sullinger, Tyler Zeller, Jordan Mickey
That means one of those guys won't make the final cut at the end of training camp. Perry Jones III seems like the most likely candidate to get the axe but you never know. There's also a chance Ainge could pull off a 2 for 1 deal in or around camp.
Another impact of all these roster moves could be where Jonathan Holmes lands. With no room on the Celtics roster (at the moment) Holmes might find some other team to sign on with. He's got teams that are interested and he's a free agent (he just agreed to play for the Celtics summer league team after going undrafted).
A number of teams have expressed interest in Celtics summer league standout Jonathan Holmes, but no deals imminent just yet.— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) July 22, 2015
Got all that?
tl;dr - Basically, all the deals that were agreed to in principle are supposed to be made official next week and so far there's nothing else cooking on the rumor mill.


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What is a major idea that comes out of the themes of "A Temporary Matter?"
I think that one of the significant ideas that comes out of Lahiri's short story is that there is a level of emotional duplicity that is present in relationships. There is nothing to suggest that Shukumar and Shoba's relationship is ladened with secrets or is predisposed to secrets of deception. Their relationship is standard. Yet, the entire game that they play during the power outage is reflective of how much both have kept from one another. The transgressions are small, to an extent. Yet, as the game increases in duration, worse elements of deception are revealed and the entire relationship turns in a brutal game of disclosure. This becomes one of the major ideas that comes out of the story. The most basic of relationships can contain the most brutal of secrets. When Shukumar tells Shoba of his secret, it is a reminder of how two people who are not malevolent or evil by any means can display the worst of cruelty to one another. This deception becomes one of the major ideas of the story, one that reflects how relatively good people can do some terrible things in the name of love of another.


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - TransCanada Corp faces a rocky legal path as it seeks to overturn President Barack Obama's denial of its Keystone XL pipeline or at least recoup some of its lost investment in the multibillion dollar project.
The Canadian company filed a lawsuit in federal court in Texas on Wednesday, asking the court to declare the White House decision unlawful. Separately, TransCanada announced its intent to issue a claim under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) for $15 billion in damages.
Both cases face an uphill battle, but international trade lawyers say the high-profile U.S. political battle over the pipeline may help TransCanada's claims of unfair treatment under NAFTA.
The trade agreement between Canada, Mexico and the United States allows investors from those countries to seek damages when they feel they have been discriminated against or treated unfairly by one of the other NAFTA member nations.
TransCanada contends that the United States "unjustifiably" discriminated against the Keystoneproject and had previously approved pipelines from other investors in a shorter amount of time and under different criteria than applied to Keystone.
Under NAFTA, investor-state challenges are decided by a three-person panel composed of private arbitrators chosen by the parties involved in the dispute. The tribunal has no power to alter the White House's decision, but can award damages.
The Keystone XL was designed to link existing pipeline networks in Canada and the United States to bring crude from Alberta and North Dakota to refineries in Illinois and, eventually, the Gulf of Mexico coast. It sparked widespread opposition from environmental groups and a tug-of-war over its approval between Republicans and Democrats.
Obama rejected the project in November, seven years after it was first proposed, saying it would undercut the country's global leadership in fighting climate change by promoting the import of carbon-intensive oil sands crude.
The United States has faced more than a dozen challenges by investors claiming unfair treatment under the trade deal, but has to date never lost such a case.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest trumpeted that success record on Thursday when asked about the potential NAFTA case.
"We are confident that the decision that was made vis-à-vis the Keystone pipeline is entirely consistent with all of our international obligations, including our obligations under NAFTA," Earnest told reporters.
LITTLE CHANCE CHALLENGES WILL SUCCEED
Some factors involved in the review process for Keystone may play in TransCanada's favor in the trade case, analysts said.
Public statements from U.S. lawmakers and the White House stressing the importance of domestic oil production over Canadian crude may support claims of discrimination on basis of nationality, said Mark Warner, an international trade lawyer.
"I think it's the strongest case to go forward against the United States, but the chances of success are still very low," said Warner.
Simon Lester, a trade policy analyst with libertarian think tank Cato Institute, said TransCanada's claim that the project denial was arbitrary might be bolstered because the administration essentially blocked transport of Canadian oil sands crude via one pipeline, but not rail or other methods.
"There will be a bit of reluctance to find against the United States on such a high-profile case, but tribunal judges should not completely ignore the facts of the law," Lester said.
Separately, TransCanada's federal court case against the Obama administration argues that Obama's decision was unconstitutional and challenges the president's authority to unilaterally block construction of a cross-border pipeline for reasons not directly related to the physical project.
Other federal lawsuits have challenged the approval of presidential permits for cross-border oil pipelines and mostly focused on environmental issues and alleged violations of administrative law. Courts in those cases have generally said the permitting process falls under the president's Constitutional authority to conduct foreign policy.
Alan Dunn, an international trade lawyer at Stewart and Stewart and former U.S. assistant secretary of commerce, said it was "novel and intriguing" that TransCanada was challenging the president's decision on Constitutional rather than procedural grounds.
TransCanada's suit "may break some new paths in the jurisprudence of international agreements," said Dunn.
(Additional reporting by Valerie Volcovici, Amran Abocar and Nia Williams; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)


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Women with asthma could take longer to conceive, according to new research.
The study, published online today (14 November 2013), in the European Respiratory Journal, adds new evidence to suggest that asthma has a negative effect on fertility.
Researchers from Bispebjerg University Hospital in Denmark analysed data from questionnaires completed by a cohort of over 15,000 twins living in Denmark aged up to 41 years.
The questionnaires included questions on the presence of asthma and on fertility. Twins were used in this research, as they not only enable direct comparisons to be made between twin sisters, but also comprise a sample representative of the whole population, being born into all social groups and avoiding the need to measure genetic and lifestyle information for each individual.
The researchers divided the participants into women with asthma and those without, and then sub-divided the groups into those treated for asthma and those not treated for asthma. All participants were asked whether they had been trying to get pregnant for longer than a year without success and how many children they had given birth to.
955 of the participants reported a history of asthma. The results found a significantly higher proportion of women who experienced a prolonged time to pregnancy in the group with asthma, compared to those who did not have asthma (27% of asthmatics vs. 21.6% of non-asthmatics).
The risk of a delay in conceiving significantly increased in women with untreated asthma compared to those with asthma who were undergoing treatment (30.5% of untreated asthma group vs. 23.8% of those receiving treatment).
The researchers also noticed an interesting trend in the age of participants. Women above the age of 30 with asthma had an even stronger tendency towards a long waiting time to pregnancy (32.2% women above the age of 30 vs. 24.9% of women under the age of 30). However, the overall results of the study showed that women with asthma ultimately gave birth to the same average number of children as women without asthma, as those with asthma tended to have children earlier in life than those without asthma.
Lead author, Dr Elisabeth Juul Gade, said: “Our results shed light on the complex interactions between fertility and asthma. Although we observed women with asthma experiencing longer waiting times to pregnancy, our findings suggest that if women take their medication and control their asthma, they can reduce this delay.
“As the negative effect of asthma on fertility is reduced by treatment, we can assume that the systemic inflammation characterised by asthma may account for the effect on delaying fertility.
“Despite the delay, our overall results suggest that women with asthma had the same number of children, which is due to the fact that they tend to conceive at an earlier age compared to those without, getting a head start on their reproductive life.”
European Lung Foundation


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The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, with live score by Minima
- David Pollock
- 16 August 2011
This article is from 2011
Expressionist horror flick with live soundtrack performance
‘It’s a truly, truly amazing film,’ is the simple reason given by guitarist Alex Hogg as to why his band Minima chose to create a live score for Robert Wiene’s classic 1919 German expressionist silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr Caligari. ‘Even more so when you think about the context in which it was made, in Germany just after the First World War. It’s hard to imagine what was going through the minds of the audience unless you were actually there, it’s about mistrust, madness, paranoia, everyone watching over their shoulders. It’s also about the fear of the outsider, in this case a travelling showman who turns up in a little village just as people start to get murdered.’
It isn’t so much the case, Hogg believes, that the film’s theme also represents a prevailing mood of the moment, as that these feelings have always and will always exist. Minima, a quartet based between London and Bristol who will be playing Edinburgh on the back of the Green Man festival, take many of their cues from another troubled decade, the 1970s. Their guitarist describes them as a rock band, citing his own love for Pink Floyd as an inspiration, but also points to the group’s willingness to play whatever style they want. ‘We’ll be doing a tango one minute and a full-on drum ‘n’ bass thing the next. It’s great fun, we have carte blanche to indulge our musical fantasies.’
Assembly George Square, 623 3030, 22–28 Aug, midnight, £10–£12.