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© by André Pieyre de Mandiargues
You lie asleep like an ox. Last night you got drunk again and now the vapours of rum knock down the flies swarming around the light bulb. Dawn is breaking; outside the window the glare of the streetlamp fades. You forgot to draw the blinds. On the marble top of the chest of drawers, next to the narrow bed in which you lie, a glass bell covers a number of objects. I can make out three or four dried butterflies, a hawk moth, a piece of wood - once resinous but now eaten away by the larvae of God-knows-what insects - and finally, on a strip of moss, a tiny iron helmet inlaid with red gold, no larger than a thimble, which an armourer would perhaps recognize as of very old German craftsmanship.
Life for you is obviously a thing of the past; the days you now drag out are numbered. You drink, then you fall asleep rolled up in a horse blanket thrown over a sheetless mattress. As soon as the caretaker who cleans your room knocks on the door, you feverishly grab a book that lies next to your hand, or pretend to write (though the paper is still blank), because you fear the secret judgement of this old woman whom you have never heard utter a single word and who looks like a bundle of black thorny twigs. And since you will soon be dead I shall try to write on these loose sheet of paper (because you never will) the story you told me last night after having begged me to help you home, before you got hold of the now empty bottle which the sloping floor rolls back to me every time I try to kick it under the lowest drawer of the dressing table.
One very warm day early last autumn, when you were walking through a splendid forest with the vague intention of picking mushrooms (though they were not yet in season), you suddenly noticed on top of a small mound an object which reminded you of a fort, complete with ramparts, towers and battlements, like those one can see in Victor Hugo's drawings. It was nothing but a piece of wood, however, standing on a bed of fine moss, blanched by the rains of several winters and ridden with galleries drilled by the jaws of termite ants. A sudden curiosity made you lift it off the moss, turn it round and shake it. It let out a cloud of dust as fine as flour. Inside the wood you heard, much to your surprise, a sort of metal clang, and from one of the holes sprang forth a shining, living creature which at first you took to be an insect. 'A large cricket,' you thought, unable to believe your own eyes and to admit the existence of this miniature knight locked from head to foot inside armour with dark golden inlays, who, standing on what seemed to you a rampart, unsheathed a formidable sword, held it with both hands and began to wave it about dangerously close to your fingers.
You watched with amazement and fear. The knight seemed so sure of himself, so capable of slicing your thumb to the bone (or splitting your thumbnail in half - an idea as painful as the wound itself). A nervous jerk of your hand as you tried to avoid the blade upset the creature's balance - from the height of your chest the little warrior fell to the ground and hit his head on a stone. You saw him lying motionless, and quickly crouching down, almost flat on your stomach, you picked him up and held him in the palm of your hand. Afraid that he might have hurt himself, you tried to open his armour. Your fingers, at first clumsy, finally managed to find the catch of the helmet and lift the visor. And what an unexpected wonder! Behind the opening appeared the beautiful face of a young girl.
Taking great care not to injure the fainted beauty, you undid the breastplate, which was closed at the back with hinges, like a corset and then holding the tiny woman by the waist as carefully as your fingers could manage you took of the rest of her armour (a familiar gesture, you noticed, like taking shrimp meat out of its shell). The creature wore nothing but a shirt of what seemed to you an extremely delicate material, but which was really, in proportion to the body, a heavy, roughly knit cloth. The shirt hung down to the middle of her thighs, and its collar barely hid the shape of her golden neck.
She soon came back to life, and as you were sitting on the ground in order to examine her it was a simple trick for the little warrior to jump from your hand on to your knee, and from there down to a mossy patch, in an effort to escape. But a tangle of moss stood in her way and you had no trouble catching her again. She struggled angrily, shaking her thick black hair which came down to her shoulders, pounding with her fists on your fingernails, trying to bite you. To keep her quiet you tore two bits of wool off your coat: one of them (still rust coloured in your memory) you used to tie her hands behind her back, the other (of a beautiful deep blue) you tied to her ankle and to a rather heavy stone, thereby leaving her no hope of escape. Kneeling on the moss next to her stone, you knew, even though she could not stretch her arms toward you, that she was begging you to free her. This made you wish to see her naked. You took a penknife out of your pocket, held the little warrior in mid-air, and split the shirt from back to front and sideways ( not forgetting the shoulders). The wind carried away the pieces and you returned your prisoner to her bed of moss.
She lay on her back, closed her eyes and adopted the resigned attitude of women 'of the great class' (that is how, in your own language, you used to call your women) when they know it is too late to feel ashamed (or even make believe they feel ashamed), when they abandon all modesty. Your eyes ran over her, meeting no resistance, fixing themselves on the previously glimpsed oriental neck, measuring the slender waist which a wedding ring would have girdled, stroking the polished beauty of her knees and thighs, venturing into the curly triangle so lustrous and thick that it almost seemed to belong to a wild animal. As if your eyes were not enough, you put your nose next to her belly: her body exuded a perfume similar to that of reseda odorata. You would have given anything to become as small as the tiny creature, to fall, with her, on the moss, next to her, to hold her in your arms, because tied up as she was she had become easy prey for the first passing stranger - provided he were the same size.
At last you could no longer restrain your desire, so intense that it made you shake with impotent rage. Certain of finding your prisoner again whenever you wanted her, you ran into the forest like a madman, embracing the pine trees in your path, falling into ditches, tearing up carpets of moss, pressing your lips amid the grass and wild flowers. But when your frenzy died out, and dirty with mud and leaves, you returned to where you had left her whom you considered yours (like a hedgehog of lizard caught during an idle walk), you found that she had disappeared. There was no doubt about the place. The piece of blue wool and the stone had not been moved from the bed of moss. But the wool had been torn, and its loose end lay now in a glistening drop of fresh blood.
Never for a moment did you suspect the pine-tree ants, one of which you could see running among the pine needles not far away, because there were no bones left on the moss and it is a well-known fact that these ants do not carry away their larger prey but devour it on the spot. But with unspeakable horror you thought of the beak of a bird. Painfully and precisely, pecking as your conscience as you imagined it pecking at the body of your tiny woman, you thought immediately of the beak of a warbler.
'Why,' later you ask me, 'do the idiots who write stories of songs, why do asinine naturalists give the warbler the reputation of being a pretty bird with graceful manners, a reputation it uses to deceive all those who cannot see the truth? Even its song is not as beautiful as we are told. Its name alone should tell us how evil this creature is, outside the imaginary world built by poets. All you need to do' you told me, 'is say aloud these three words, wolf, weasel, warbler, to realize the immediate slyness, the cruelty and blood-thirstiness of that vile bird of prey.' While looking for a trace of her whom you had lost, you found at your feet the tiny helmet. You wrapped it up in your handkerchief - there where you would have wished to wrap up, warm and living, the warrior who had worn it - and brought it home.
As for the rest of the armour, where had it fallen? In spite of your efforts you never found it again.
And now what a pitiful thing your life has become. What every man vaguely dreams of and desires was granted to you on a fine autumn day, among the pine trees of a forest on the moor, but you lost it, maddened by your senses. Now you have nothing to look forward to except death. And while you wait for death to come and fetch you, you get drunk on rum like a wild beast, and fall asleep.
Translated from the French by Alberto Manguel
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Haeundae-gu, Busan, Republic of Korea,
Decision to Leave Won 6 Awards Including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, etc. at the 43rd Blue Dragon Film Awards
Actor Lee Jungjae Won Best New Director with Hunt, His Directorial Debut
The 43rd Blue Dragon Film Awards was held at KBS Hall in Yeouido Seoul on November 25. The Blue Dragon Film Awards is one of the top 3 Korean film awards, along with the Grand Bell Awards and Baeksang Arts Awards.
Decision to Leave, which was nominated in 13 categories, won 6 awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Park Chanwook), Best Actress (Tang Wei), Best Actor (Park Haeil), Best Screenplay (Chung Seokyung, Park Chanwook), and Best Music (Cho Youngwook).
Director Park Chanwook, who was absent from the award ceremony due to filming overseas, said, "I can't join the award ceremony because I'm filming in Los Angeles. I resent it. One good thing about being a director is that you have many opportunities to meet talented people in different fields. I met a lot of good actors and staff members while directing Decision to Leave. I want to share this honor with them.” As a result, Director Park Chanwook, who already won two Blue Dragon Awards for JSA and Oldboy, could add his 3rd trophy.
Tang Wei, who first visited the Blue Dragon Film Awards after being nominated for Best Actress in the film Late Autumn, set a record as the first foreign actor who won the best actress award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. She said, "I thank the director, the scriptwriter, and the audience. An actor lives her or his life waiting for one good script and one good character. We sometimes wait for months, years, or even decades. I'm so lucky to meet the character Song Seorae. I'm so grateful for that.”
Actor Lee Jungjae's directorial debut, Hunt, won 3 awards, including Best New Director, Best Editing, and Best Cinematography and Lighting. The Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards went to Byun Yohan for Hansan: Rising Dragon and Oh Nara for Perhaps Love, respectively. Also, Kim Donghwi of the film In Our Prime and Kim Hyeyoon of The Girl on a Bulldozer were named Best New Actor and Actress, respectively.

domain: artistic


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Honestly held opinions and provocative argument based on current events or our recent reports.
Former Saatchi & Saatchi marketing director, Stephen Colegrave, continues to dig into how political advertising has gone rogue.
Gareth Roberts examines what could lie ahead for the UK if Boris Johnson's deal is passed and the country leaves the EU early next year.
CJ Werleman argues that the President has given new life to the terrorist group by defying the Pentagon and his national security experts and withdrawing US troops from north-eastern Syria.
CJ Werleman unpicks the hypocrisy of evangelicals' support for Donald Trump, who has exhibited more than a few un-Christian traits.
Rudy Giulani is currently the target of multiple investigations, his business associates have been taken into federal custody, and Donald Trump has already shown he’s ready to get rid of him if – or more likely, when – it becomes necessary.

domain: news


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Ukraine continues to ridicule Putin's decrees that change political landscapes and borders.
Then in Zelensky’s office they laughed, they say, this does not concern them, and Putin does not decide anything.
Now jesters of lower rank are laughing, like this one, who recognized the territory of the Kremlin as the property of Ukrposhta.
But the fact is that Putin's decrees are a reality that exists regardless of who recognizes it and who laughs at it.
And the laughs from Ukraine are a pathetic attempt to devalue reality. It's like a moron's hand was torn off, and he laughs, saying that all other people's hands are his.
And if in Ukraine the jesters in power ridicule the new reality, then let them explain why the state budget of Ukraine for 2023 does not include spending on the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.
Is it because they understand that a severed hand will not grow back, and Putin’s decrees are the law for them and for the entire planet, and Ukraine has lost its territories forever?
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Solar energy initiatives have recently been in the news in many countries. This week Barry McCarron looks at ways we can generate solar powered electricity and how it could help reduce the cost of energy for homes and businesses as well as the reducing national greenhouse gas emissions.
A recent article in the Irish times featured the possibility of the first Irish solar farms which are due to appear as early as next year. This was according to solar energy firm Amarenco. This company plan to build up to 30 solar farms across the south of the country. The majority of these solar farms (18-20) are planned for the South East and South West.
There are two main solar technologies here in Ireland are.
- Solar Thermal Panels – this is for hot water. There are two types – evacuated tube and flat plate. This is the most common technology seen on roofs in County Monaghan. We will address solar thermal panels in more detail in a future column.
- Solar panel electricity systems, also known as solar photovoltaic panels (PV). Solar photovoltaic panels capture the sun’s energy using photovoltaic cells. These cells don’t need direct sunlight to work – they can still generate some electricity on a cloudy day. The cells convert sunlight into electricity, which can be used to run household appliances and lighting.
The website of the Centre for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technologies (CREST) in Enniskillen has a number of videos and case studies showing the range of solar (and other) renewable technologies available. (See http://www.crestproject.com). CREST will be hosting a 1 day seminar on 24 June with Dr John Harrison on options for battery storage linked to PV panels. This is aimed at technical and business professionals interested in energy storage installations. (See our Noticeboard below).
As we are located in the border region many of us have perhaps noticed the prevalence of solar photovoltaic panels in Northern Ireland. This is as a result of the financial incentives which are currently in place there. In Northern Ireland there are three benefits to a solar photovoltaic installation these are:
- Cutting electricity bills. Sunlight is free, so once you’ve paid for the initial installation; your electricity costs will be reduced.
- Getting paid for the electricity you generate. The UK government’s Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) scheme pays you for the electricity you generate, even if you use it.
- Selling electricity back to the grid. If your system is producing more electricity than you need, you can sell the surplus back to the grid through the Feed-in Tariff scheme.
This growth in Northern Ireland is also down to the price of solar photovoltaic panels falling dramatically in recent years. This could also play a significant role in the development of a similar industry here, however, adopting solar farms in the places like the “sunny south east” is a bit like putting the cart before the horse. We would advocate domestic/business scale solar panels similar to the market in Northern Ireland before we allow the development of large scale solar farms on premium agricultural land. These solar farms will have a role to play in the future but caution is needed.
Indeed, planning is vital for new energy projects. A part of this ensures that the project does not have a disproportionate impact on the local landscape and the community. In recent times, large energy projects have caused controversy, as local communities felt that they had not been consulted properly. Community energy projects are popping up around the country, whereby smaller energy projects are spearheaded by community groups, often with local shareholders. These small projects help make villages and towns energy secure and they often come with a long – term revenue stream for the community. Examples of community energy schemes include Templederry Windfarm, Co. Tipperary and Northern Ireland Community Energy (as featured in last week’s column.)
The alternative installation of solar panels on roofs is cheaper and less visually intrusive. Homes and companies that install such panels have the benefit of cutting their own electricity bills and learning about the benefits of renewable energy, but the current regulations here make it uneconomical as there is no instrument to allow us to sell excess power back to the grid at times when their own electricity demand is low.
Until recently Ireland had a support in the form of a feed-in tariff for micro-generation but this was while the price for solar photovoltaic was unaffordable. These measures were abandoned when the price of solar photovoltaic panels was falling and becoming more affordable. The ESB is reluctant about the development of rooftop solar because they fear it will reduce the overall levels of demand on the electricity grid, and make it difficult to cover the cost of their infrastructure. This point is very much debatable. It should be possible to set the market rules so that flexible local generation is made viable while still covering the cost of running the grid.
One way or another, we are going to have to make a big effort to reduce our emissions in order to deal with the climate crisis, and renewable energy is likely to play an important role. Therefore, it will be important that homeowners and businesses can be incentivised to reduce their electricity and heating use, perhaps, in part, by installing solar panels. For more information see http://www.seai.ie/Renewables/Solar_Energy


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domain: geography


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Jan. 21, 2018 “Woodchuck” 3.7 Miles 6 Hikers
Temperature 45 above, no wind, some fog, and no ice or snow on our walking path! We could not ask for a better day for a hike in January. Early predictions had said we could expect rain showers. We think that scared away some hikers, there were only 6 of us today. Ice still covered the Rock River and Hennepin Canal but the snow had disappeared. With no snow along the way made it easy to spot and pick up garbage. Each of us had bags to fill and we did. The first section we hiked was the south grassy side until we reached I-80. From there we took the paved path. Going through the tunnel at the interstate was fine but the next tunnel was water filled from the melting snow. Colona has made this area along the canal a great place for many activities. Picnic areas, benches, horseshoe pits, and a baseball field nearby. Mother nature has played tricks on us in the past with bad weather, but today was great.
Feb. 18, 2018 “Bald Eagle” 5 Miles
You don’t know what to expect when it comes to February weather. Temperature just above 40F but a brisk wind for our 12 hikers today. Warm weather last year brought a crowd out to enjoy the canal area, parking lots were full. New to our group today was a Milan resident, Duane Roesner. Our first leg of the hike was nasty. The path was clear of snow but was all mud! It was too much for 2 of our hikers that had dogs, the pups had to be carried. They stopped at the first shelter. Most of the ice on the Rock River had melted but we did spot eagles. Only a few other people out today. At the end of our hike, one brave fisherman trying his luck just below the steel dam.
March 18, 2018 “Mink” 5.7 Miles (we had 6.2 miles) 13 hikers
It warmed up for today’s hike, it reached 56F. Hiking with us for the first time were Kathie and Hannah McKoon from Port Byron. “Mink Hike” and most of us saw a mink. This is the only the second time that we have spotted a mink on our hikes. We did not expect to see deer as it is mostly open farm land, but Renee and I saw a herd loping along in the bare corn field. Another sign of spring, hundreds of red-winged blackbirds were giving us a chorus. A lot of fishermen were trying their luck but none had any fish, the waters are still cold. Our crew picked up a lot of garbage, the trash can at bridge 23 was full and we left a few bags outside of the can. We are planning to make another trip to that area to clean up all we did not pick up.
April 15, 2018 “White Tail Deer” 4 Miles
How to dress today? The temperature was just above freezing and we had drizzle on our way here. Of the nine hikers today, most put on rain gear. Our hike today was just after the Rock River group did their annual spring canal cleanup. As the garbage bags got filled, they were left along the path for later pickup. One section however was not cleaned up in the higher grassy areas. Our bags got filled too. SNOW! No rain but then the white stuff came in waves. The flakes were so large you could hardly see the hikers a block ahead of you. As in many of the hikes we came across a tree fallen over the trail. Wayne helped out with his handy saw and cleared a path.
May 20, 2018 “Snapping Turtle” 4.6 Miles
Bright sunny day for the start of our hike today. In addition to our 14 hikers, we had Rocky and Roxie, a cat and dog walking with us today. That is a first to have a kitty hiking along on a hike. The speedy group was led by the German Shepherd, and the trailing group had Rocky. I was in the trailing group when we heard a rumble. The weather app was checked and it said cloudy for our area. Wrong! A short time later we were caught in a downpour. A wet Rocky refused to walk and had to be carried. Later we caught up with Wayne clearing a path through another fallen tree. Some of the faster walkers did make it back to their cars ahead of the storm. Just my luck, 5 days later a group of us planned a fishing trip in that same area and got soaked again by an isolated storm.
June 10, 2018 “Cardinal” 4.4 Miles
Lots of people out today on the Hennepin Canal. Families out taking advantage of the free fishing weekend (no license required). At our meeting point our 7 hikers were met by a reporter from the Port Byron newspaper. His paper prints our hike notices every month. Although he did not hike with us he gathered info for an article. Our pictures were taken along with several people that were out with their kayaks. This did cause us to get a late start but on such a nice day we did not mind.
July 15, 2018 “Leopard Frog” 4.1 Miles
July is a month when too many activities occur. Only 5 made the hike on this hot summer day. One of our group took the wrong turn at Atkinson and never met up with the group. Signage here is bad as I took that wrong turn a few years ago. Just a little warning to hikers, stay on the main trail! You may be tempted to hike the shadier side of the canal only to come across an aqueduct or lock with no bridge to cross. It has happened to some of us before and you may end up backtracking to get to the main trail.
August 19, 2018 “Kingfisher” 3.2 Miles
Temperature in the mid 80’s for our 8 hikers today. On this sunny day we lucked out and had a lot of shade along the way. We noticed that the water level in one pool was over a foot low. Hope this is just a result of the dry spell we were experiencing the past few weeks. I worry about the silting problem east of Lock 20. It seems to have gotten worse in the past few years. Lotus lilies have taken over a large section where they did not exist years back. Also, large areas had a covering of green algae. This section is a multi-use area. We did have to move over for a horse and rider. Watch out for road apples!
Sept. 16, 2018 “Red Squirrel” 4.2 Miles
Summer is still here, temperature around 86, for our 8 hikers. Not much of a breeze but we did have shade. Just a hint of fall colors and some leaves had fallen on the path. A father and son were fishing and a few bicyclist were also out enjoying this rural area. Much to our liking was the lack of mosquitoes this year. We all got eaten up by them the last time this area was hiked. Take your cameras with you on your visits to the canal. Lots of opportunities for nature pictures. We got some great ones!
Oct. 21, 2018 “Wood Duck” 3.2 Miles 12 Hikers
Twelve hikers today, sorry only 11 got into the picture. Also 2 pets that directed the pace. The Doll’s from Ladd had their dog leading while Ruthie had her kitty at the rear. This is Rocky’s second hike. What a day to be out enjoying the great weather. We noted that we saw more people on the trail today that any other hike this year. Being the third Sunday in October, we expected to see more Fall colors. They are late this year. We did get some great pictures of a heron that kept an eye on us for a great part of the hike.
Nov. 18, 2018 “Muskrat” 5 Miles
The season is changing. What to wear, warm clothing, boots? Nearby 3 inches of snow reported overnight. No snow on the path here. Open water on the canal at bridge 23 brought out a lone fisherman. Ice covered the canal at bridge 28. After days of cold and clouds, the sunshine made for an enjoyable hike. Eleven hikers did a great job of picking up trash along the way. Our bags filled up the trash bins at lock 23 and bridge 23. Note – with these new electronics, measuring our steps, we walked 5.6 miles!


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One may argue that the age of listening to the radio is long past us, but radio is a significant source of entertainment for many. FM Radio lovers often have to go to lengths just to listen to what they want, but with the help of these Bluetooth speakers, you can rekindle your love for FM Radio. Most Bluetooth speakers don’t come with FM functionality owing to the very niche category of people who want such a speaker. However, there are a set of Bluetooth speakers which give you the best of both worlds – wireless connectivity to your devices and built-in FM Radio. Here are some Bluetooth speakers with built-in FM Radio that you can get on Amazon.
Portronics SoundDrum Wireless POR-547 Bluetooth 4.2 Stereo Speaker with FM
This is a highly portable Bluetooth speaker with built-in FM functionality. Despite its small size, it manages to pack in a sound output of 10W, which is quite impressive and good enough for everyday usage within the house. To access the FM functionality, all you need to do is press a button, tune in to your favourite channel – it's that simple. As for other connectivity options, you get Bluetooth 4.2, which lets you connect multiple devices at once and switch between them on the fly, a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB-A input. These input options allow you to store and play your music from whichever source you are comfortable with.
Zebronics Zeb-County Bluetooth Speaker with Built-in FM Radio
The Zebronics Zeb-country is a good value for money speaker which also packs a built-in FM Radio. It is quite compact and sports a unique design, which sets it apart from the other speakers in the price range. It has a set of buttons on the top along with a carry handle. The buttons allow for easy playback controls, while the handle helps with portability. It features a host of wireless and wired source options – Bluetooth connectivity, a built-in FM radio, an audio jack and USB functionality. Incidentally, there is also a microSD card slot for up to 32GB of more audio content. Not only that, it has a call function too, so that you can pick up and make calls without reaching out to your phone. To enhance the convenience factor, it comes with a battery backup of 10 hours.
Amkette Pocket Blast Bluetooth Speaker with FM
A pocketable speaker like this one makes for functionality in terms of portability and usability. You can expect good FM radio quality due to the in-built antenna, which allows it to receive FM frequencies. On account of the 6 watts sound output, you can expect clarity while listening to either the FM or your playlists via Bluetooth connectivity. At the top, aside from the protruding antenna, there are a set of buttons not only for audio playback but also for channel and song selection in the form of a number pad. This makes switching to your favourite FM stations or playlists a breeze. Apart from these two wireless modes, there is also an option to use a USB, AUX or microSD card for audio playback.
Zoook Rocker Boombox Atom Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Cum Radio FM
Here’s a Bluetooth speaker with built-in FM that is big, has a good set of features, loud and clear volume to ensure that you’re getting the best FM and music experience in the price range. It is highly portable – if you always want your music with you, this Bluetooth speaker will help you out. A long extendable antenna enhances the signal from the source, giving you clearer audio quality while listening to the FM. Apart from that, it also features Bluetooth 5.0 for easy wireless connection to your mobile devices. It also has bass radiators which help deliver more rich and dynamic bass. It also packs in the TWS feature, which lets you use the speakers in a stereo setup if you have two of them.

domain: entertainment


I just had a user with a strange problem. When the user tried to access a network
file share from inside of any office 2002 application it would crash (Ya know, File>Open>Crash!).
The eventvwr was giving the error below:
Source: Microsoft Office 10
Event ID: 1000
Description: Faulting application winword.exe, version 10.0.6843.0, faulting module shlwapi.dll, version 6.0.2900.3231, fault address 0x000084aa.


Listening to unusual sounds or paying attention to unusual smells from your car are two of the easy ways to detect car problems while at their early stages. So, don’t ignore them. Sometimes there’s no real problem but it must be the rule to always check because simple problems can become serious ones that need costly repairs and/or replacements.
The best person to know these changes in sounds or smell or the way the car moves is the driver. They are the signs that something in the car has changed. For instance, do you hear a hissing sound or a whirring noise? It is a must to check what cause these sounds. The worst thing a driver could do is to ignore the signs since the vehicle is still running, anyway.
The car or truck engine is a complex combination of systems which should function well together. Other parts may be checked and replaced by the drivers themselves but diagnosing the engine problems correctly would require adequate training and the right tools. Your car or truck needs Albuquerque Engine Repair Service to know if there’s a problem or if there’s nothing to worry about the unusual sounds or smell.
If you are in the Albuquerque area, Nob Hill Auto Repair provides full Engine Repair and Service by ASE Certified Albuquerque auto mechanics. Nob Hill auto repair also provides fast service because they know that you need your car or truck on the road at the soonest possible time.


text:
Pretty piped-all-over swirls of sea-blue buttercream makes for the basis of the cutest ocean themed cake!
Little fondant buddies of dolphin, fish, turtle and starfish are popping out of the buttercream storm! I love me some washi tape bunting, too! Hashtag: wild about washi!
Teensy matching mini cupcakes in blue cupcake liners are the perfect little addition. A dash of sprinkles and you are ready to PARTY, ocean themed cake style! And there are ombré sea-green and blue cake layers on the inside, too! Love. Happy birthday, Jacob! Thanks for the cute order, Alice! xo Lyndsay

domain: food


text:
- HOT MIX!!! Best Of Small Doctor – DJ Unlimited (2016 Edition)
- DOWNLOAD: DJ Flexy – Standard Vs Pana Mixtape
- DOWNLOAD: Reekado Banks Full Album | Reekado Banks Spotlight Album Free Download
- MUSIC PREMIERE: Reekado Banks Ft. D’Prince – All Your Love
- DOWNLOAD MP3: Reekado Banks Ft. Falz – Biggy Man (Prod. by BabyFresh)
- MUSIC PREMIERE: Reekado Banks Ft. Patoranking – Killah Whyna (Prod. by BabyFresh)
- FAST DOWNLOAD: Reekado Banks – Ola Oluwa (Prod. by Don Jazzy)
- DOWNLOAD MP3: Reekado Banks Ft. Sarkodie – Oluwa Ni (Remix)
- FULL ALBUM: Reekado Banks – Spotlight (All Tracks Download)
- See Full List of MTV VMAs 2016 Winners
All posts tagged "Ketchup"
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text:
A few months ago, Chris Wallace of "Fox News Sunday" featured Club for Growth President Chris Chocola as a "Power Player of the Week
." Last week, that status was confirmed. Thanks in large part to the Club for Growth -- a powerful, free market, pro-growth conservative organization -- on Saturday an incumbent Republican senator whose name had never been linked to scandal was simply denied his party's nomination.
The ouster of Sen. Bob Bennett of Utah "marks the first time
the Club's PAC has defeated an incumbent Republican senator," Chocola wrote in an e-mail to supporters. "It will set off a political earthquake in Congress." You could hardly blame him for crowing: The Club began attacking Bennett in TV ads
many months ago.
In Florida. the Club for Growth was an early backer of Marco Rubio's primary challenge
of Gov. Charlie Crist, a campaign that drove Crist out of the Republican primary and out of the Republican Party altogether. Former Club President Pat Toomey's primary challenge had the same effect against Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who left the GOP for the Democratic Party last year. It is possible that by the end of the year the Club for Growth will have been instrumental in electing three solidly conservative U.S. senators.
Unlike many socially conservative organizations, whose barks are louder than their bites, the Club for Growth spends real money on campaigns. As Chocola, a former congressman from Indiana, noted in his e-mail, the "Club for Growth spent more than $180,000 in Independent Expenditures in an effective campaign that drove voters to caucuses in record numbers and educated voters and convention delegates about Bennett's record." Because Bennett was ousted in a convention, the Club was able to have a major impact for relatively little cost. To put it in context, it reportedly spent more than $1 million in last year's NY-23 special congressional election
Doing big things is almost always controversial, and the anti-Bennett jihad did not sit well with many in the media. David Brooks
called it "a damn outrage," and E.J. Dionne Jr. characterized the involuntary retirement of this three-term senator as "almost a non-violent coup -- because they denied the sitting senator even a chance of getting on the primary ballot."
This is nothing new. In recent years, critics have accused the Club of many sins, including inadvertently helping elect Democrats. Liberals also charged that
in pursuing "ideological purity," conservative groups like the Club for Growth were not electing conservatives but were actually "reducing their dwindling numbers."
Taking it a step further, a favorite Republican of Washington's liberal elite asserted that the Club's efforts might be advancing liberal legislation. Writing in 2009, David Frum predicted
: "If the Democrats do succeed in pushing through national health insurance, they really should set aside a little extra money to erect a statue to Pat Toomey. They couldn't have done it without him!" No word yet as to whether the statue will be erected.
Criticism of the Club has not been limited to media elites, though. It has also made enemies among prominent Republicans. Mike Huckabee (whom the Club targeted for raising taxes) called it "the Club for Greed,"
while John McCain derided it
for opposing Lincoln Chafee in Rhode Island. Meanwhile, the Club has also come into conflict with former Speaker Newt Gingrich
(who endorsed top Club targets, including Dede Scozzafava and Bob Bennett).
These were easier charges to level during bad Republican years such as 2006 and 2008, but it seems now that the Club for Growth's vision may be coming to fruition and the critics may be silenced. Sometimes you have to cut out some of the underbrush before you can see growth, and with two fiscal conservatives who will now face off in Utah (the Club has vowed to stay out of the primary) as well as Toomey in Pennsylvania and Rubio in Florida, it is possible that the Club will be instrumental in electing three youngish, conservative and charismatic lawmakers to join the Jim DeMints and Tom Coburns of the Senate.
What is more, it is likely that Bennett's loss might make other Republican incumbents toe the line -- at least for the next several months. That's certainly the intention. Club Vice President Andy Roth recently Tweeted
, "I would recommend that all Republican Senators who are co-sponsors to Wyden-Bennett (S. 391) to remove their names immediately." (S. 391, the "Healthy Americans Act," was considered by many conservatives to be as bad as ObamaCare because of its inclusion of individual mandates, increased taxes and subsidies, and because it would have required Americans to pay their health care premiums through the IRS.) What this means for Orrin Hatch, Bennett's fellow Utah senator, is anybody's guess. The underlying lesson may be that movement conservatives have realized that -- in certain states and districts -- they don't have to settle for establishment "go-along-to-get-along" types. Conservatives may be happy to settle for Mike Castle in Delaware or Mark Kirk in Illinois, but be less tolerant of "Republicans in Name Only" in such bastions as Utah and South Carolina.
Bennett ran into trouble when he voted for TARP and then co-sponsored S. 391. As Chocola noted in his e-mail to supporters, Bennett also "voted for billions in wasteful spending, including the "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska, and played a key role in killing legislation that could have reformed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored enterprises that helped create the financial crisis."
Appearing on my podcast
, Roth said, "What's important to know about Bennett is . . . he's counsel to Mitch McConnell . . . and with that influence he has undermined the efforts of Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint, who have tried to move mountains to enforce pro-growth policies and reduce the size of government."
The ultimate lesson learned here is that the current political environment is toxic for many incumbents. Grassroots conservatives are fed up. "The Tea Party movement is the fuel that is driving this movement," Roth told me. Regardless of the reason, it seems the Club for Growth's longstanding vision is finally coming into its own as its strategies and the zeitgeist intersect in 2010.
The Club for Growth has now taken down one liberal Republican senator, and there may be more to come. This is a big deal. A Senate seat, as Rod Blagojevich rightly noted, is "a valuable thing." And Chris Wallace's decision to pick Chris Chocola as a Power Player seems to have been right on the money.


Each year over 1,300 new students enter the Stamford Public School (SPS) district. Kindergarten plays an important role in shaping these young learners. It is necessary that these students have a positive classroom experience to ignite their lifelong love of learning.
SPEF is committed to helping teachers, students, and families have a positive early education experience. It all begins with registering your child for kindergarten.
SPEF’S SUMMER START EARLY LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Summer Start is a FREE 5-week, half-day program for children entering the Stamford Public Schools (SPS) who have not had a complete preschool experience.
There are many factors that present challenges and gaps in a child’s learning experience. Before entering formal learning in the Stamford Public Schools, SPEF wants to ensure that each child has the opportunity to enjoy a safe, fun, and nurturing Pre-K learning experience.


text:
‘Fair Value?’ In Dell’s Case, a Judge
Buyouts like the one Michael Dell
pursued for his company are often rife with self-dealing. But
Mr. Dell and the directors were not found to have done anything
Winter/The New York Times
Last week, the
Delaware Court of Chancery handed down a startling decision with broad
implications for the future of corporate takeovers: It determined that the
board of Dell Inc. sold the company for $6 billion too little when the
formerly public company was taken private by a buyout group led by
Michael Dell in 2013.
What was so
surprising about the decision was that the judge in the case, Vice
Chancellor J. Travis Laster, highlighted that there had been no higher offer
for the company and said that the board “and its advisors did many
praiseworthy things.” Nevertheless, he ordered Dell to pay the shareholders
who brought the lawsuit their portion of the difference.
The decision is
sending shudders all over Wall Street and the boardrooms of corporate
America, because the court, in effect, overruled “the market.” The decision
means that companies don’t simply have a fiduciary duty to find a buyer
willing to pay the highest price, but that a judge may ultimately deem what
the price should be.
This outcome was
applauded by shareholder advocates. And it is likely to lead to a spate of
lawsuits and second-guessing over the price of the next big mergers and
buyouts like the one that Mr. Dell pursued are often filled with conflicts
and self-dealing, dynamics that have produced steady fodder for this column.
But in this instance, what is particularly startling and noteworthy is that
Mr. Dell and the directors were not found to have done anything underhanded.
The judge himself went out of his way to say: “It bears emphasizing that
unlike other situations that this court has confronted, there is no evidence
that Mr. Dell or his management team sought to create the valuation
disconnect so that they could take advantage of it.”
Chancellor Laster still decided that based on Dell’s “fair price,” the
company, which is incorporated in Delaware, was sold for too little. “The
concept of fair value under Delaware law is not equivalent to the economic
concept of fair market value,” he wrote. “Rather, the concept of fair value
for purposes of Delaware’s appraisal statute is a largely judge-made
creation, freighted with policy considerations.”
The case is part
of a growing trend in which hedge funds and other investors jump into a
company’s stock after a takeover bid has been announced with the explicit
plan of suing the companies to claim the price was too low. The practice —
one that is likely to be catapulted even further by this decision — is known
as appraisal arbitrage.
appraisal arbitrage will tout the Dell result to encourage the flow of even
greater funds into the practice,” Martin Lipton, the famed takeover lawyer,
wrote in a memo to clients after the decision.
are clear: “Private
equity firms should be expected to ask whether they face routine
appraisal exposure in Delaware, no matter how robust the auction, and
therefore seek out alternative transaction structures to cap and price their
risk (or exit the market entirely),” wrote Mr. Lipton, a founding partner of
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.
one of the firms suing Dell, T. Rowe Price, was deemed to be ineligible to
receive a payment because — through a series of technical mistakes — it
voted in favor of the transaction. (A shareholder has to vote against the
deal to be eligible for a payout.) On Monday, T. Rowe Price said it would
make its investors who held Dell shares whole, paying out a total of $194
The rules around
Delaware’s appraisal rights of “fair value” are aimed at helping long-term
shareholders protect themselves in instances of self-dealing or other
chicanery. In recent years, however, using the courts to negotiate “fair
value” has become a full-time industry for investment funds and lawyers
looking for a quick score.
Wei Jiang, a
professor at Columbia Business School, recently noted in a study that Vice
Chancellor Sam Glasscock III in Delaware had commented in one case that the
shareholders bringing the lawsuit were “arbitrageurs who bought, not into an
ongoing concern, but instead into this lawsuit.” Ms. Jiang wrote that “the
number of appraisal petitions has increased from a trickle of cases in the
early 2000s to over 20 a year in recent years, or close to one-quarter of
all transactions where appraisal is possible.”
peculiar about the Dell decision is that the judge found no chicanery and
still didn’t think the price was fair, explaining that it was possible a
board’s actions “might pass muster for purposes of a breach of fiduciary
claim and yet still generate a sub-optimal process for purposes of an
That’s not to
say that Dell’s buyout was a model of perfection; no buyout in which the
founder is trying to buy shares from the public will ever be conflict-free.
Management always has the distinct advantage, and its decision to pursue a
deal often makes it harder to attract competing offers. In its ruling, the
a column I wrote about this very issue
in the Dell case.
At the same
time, Mr. Dell appears to have genuinely tried to make the playing field
even for bidders: He spent more time with the Blackstone Group, which
ultimately dropped its bid, than with the winning group he led. And the
judge said as much in his decision.
All of this
raises serious questions for dealmakers and public shareholders: What’s the
appropriate way to determine a takeover price? And if the highest bid is not
deemed “fair” — assuming the auction is run competently — what is?
Mr. Lipton said
he imagined that a “private equity buyer might insist on a provision in the
merger agreement allowing it to walk away if a small fraction of the shares
— 1 or 2 percent — perfect appraisal rights.
This approach is
likely to be unpalatable to selling boards, however, and creates substantial
risk that the buyer will exit the transaction when the appraisal cap is
ruling is likely to make it harder for companies to complete buyouts. That
may be a good thing, given that so many shareholders of public companies
lose out when the companies they invested in go private and find ways to do
But if the
decision has the chilling effect that some critics fear — making a judge,
not the market, the decider of takeover premiums — it could ultimately make
the situation for shareholders even worse.
A version of
this article appears in print on June 7, 2016, on page B1 of the New
York edition with the headline: A Judge Decides Fair Value for Dell.
The New York Times Company

domain: law


text:
THE STARS GROUP´S POKERSTARS concludes largest-ever online poker series with 1.1 million entries and $100 million in prizes
(Toronto).- The Stars Group today announced that its PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) concluded earlier this week as the largest-ever online poker series with more than 1.1 million entries.
The tournament awarded nearly $100 million in prizes during the two-week long schedule of events, comfortably exceeding its advertised guarantee of $70 million and surpassing last year’s series and the previous prize pool record set in 2017 during PokerStars’ Spring Championship of Online Poker, which awarded $94 million.
The tournament also set a record for the number of entries to an online poker tournament with more than 1.1 million entries from 148,000 unique players representing 140 countries.
WCOOP 2018 offered a 185-event schedule consisting of low, medium and high buy-in levels ranging from $2.20 to $25,000. A total of seven Platinum Passes to the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC), worth around $30,000 each, were also awarded to the winners of headline events. Overall, the series paid out more than 150,000 individual cash prizes and more than $15 million in first-place prizes.


Report: DNC Beginning Opposition Research On Nine Potential 2012 Challengers
If you were looking for a sign of how quickly the race for 2012 will start heating up after polls close on Tuesday, look no further:
The Democratic National Committee formally has asked the Pentagon for reams of correspondence between military agencies and nine potential Republican presidential candidates, a clear indication that Democrats are building opposition-research files on specific 2012 contenders even before the midterm elections.
An internal Army e-mail obtained by ABC News indicates that the DNC has filed Freedom of Information Act requests for “any and all records of communication” between Army departments and agencies and each of the nine Republicans — all of whom are widely mentioned as possible challengers to President Obama.
The agencies are asked to respond to the request by this Friday, just four days before Election Day.
The nine Republicans that Democrats are seeking information on are former Gov. Sarah Palin, R-Alaska; former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass.; Gov. Haley Barbour, R-Miss.; Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn.; former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark.; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.; Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.; Gov. Mitch Daniels, R-Ind.; Gov. Bobby Jindal, R-La.
Such requests are typical in the world of opposition research, which involves casting a broad net for publicly available material that may at some point prove embarrassing or incriminating to political candidates.
The request isn’t for details of military service or lack thereof, but appears to be designed to find information on letters and memos sent to and from the potential candidates in official positions they’ve held.
The request for information on Gingrich stretches back to 1979, when he was a freshman member of the House. The DNC is asking for information related to Palin’s service on the Wasilla, Alaska, City Council in the early 1990s, while the Pawlenty request includes his service on the Planning Commission in Eagan, Minn., in 1988 and 1989.
The requests for Daniels and Thune specifically reference their time as staff members for U.S. senators. Democrats are trying to learn more about Jindal’s career going back to 1996, when he was secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Human Services.
The request itself is neither unusual nor nefarious. This is standard opposition research, and documents available under the Freedom of Information Act are available to anyone. What is unusual is the fact that the request is being made so early in the cycle, but that is most likely just a reflection of the fact that we now live in a 24/7/365 political world and that, for better or worse, the jockeying for position for 2012 will begin in earnest not very long after we close the books on the 2010 mid-terms.
Personally, I could use a rest.


text:
MasterChef in 2010 – A Culinary Revolution Unleashed
The year 2010 was a defining moment for the culinary world as MasterChef, the international cooking competition, gained unprecedented popularity. This culinary phenomenon, born out of the success of its British counterpart, evolved into a global franchise that showcased the talents of amateur chefs while captivating audiences worldwide.
Introduction to MasterChef – Cooking Under the Spotlight
MasterChef, originally a British television series, expanded its reach globally in 2010. The format brought amateur chefs from diverse backgrounds to compete in a high-stakes culinary showdown. With renowned chefs and food critics as judges, the show aimed to discover the next cooking sensation and provide a platform for home cooks to shine.
Global Expansion – MasterChef Takes the World by Storm
In 2010, MasterChef expanded its reach to multiple countries, adapting the format to local tastes and culinary traditions. The show’s success in the United Kingdom paved the way for versions in the United States, Australia, India, and beyond. Each version maintained the core elements of culinary challenges, eliminations, and the quest for the title of MasterChef.
Contestant Stories – From Home Kitchens to Culinary Fame
The heart of MasterChef lay in the stories of its contestants. In 2010, amateur chefs with a passion for cooking entered the competition, showcasing a diverse range of culinary skills and cultural influences. The show not only celebrated the art of cooking but also provided a platform for individuals to share their personal journeys and aspirations in the culinary world.
Culinary Innovation and Impact – MasterChef’s Legacy
MasterChef in 2010 left an indelible mark on the culinary landscape. The show not only entertained millions but also inspired a renewed interest in cooking at home. Viewers witnessed the transformation of amateurs into skilled chefs, emphasizing the accessibility of culinary expertise. The impact of the show extended beyond the screen, influencing home kitchens and contributing to the rise of food-centric culture globally.
In summary, MasterChef in 2010 was a transformative year, marking the show’s global expansion and impact on the culinary world. It brought together a diverse array of contestants, celebrated the art of cooking, and left a lasting legacy that extended far beyond the confines of the television screen.


text:
7th – Sept 14th
Seducing the Rational Skeptic…
Abby Reed believes in folk songs, faery tales, and ghosts, but she doesn’t
believe in love. Things change, however, when her pen-pal-slash-best-friend,
Mike Stone arrives in Banshee Creek after his last tour of duty in
Afghanistan. When their Halloween Party encounter turns out-of-this-world
steamy Abby starts having doubts about friendship, ghosts…and love.
“Well, I want you in my zombie apocalypse survival
Mike Stone turned towards the throaty female voice. A tall
girl with long magenta hair glanced at his military fatigues appreciatively.
Her eyes were yellow, with slit pupils, like a cat’s.
He was standing on a cobblestone street surrounded by
colonial buildings with brick façades and old-fashioned moldings. Baskets with
chrysanthemum blooms hung from wrought iron lampposts and vintage signs adorned
the quaint, if slightly run-down, shops. Banshee Creek, Virginia was the kind
of town where the shop signs announced “Ye Olde Bake-Shoppe,” and “Merrie
The magenta-haired girl in the black catsuit and sky-high
heels looked decidedly incongruous. She blinked as the afternoon sun hit her on
the face, and realization dawned. Contacts. She must be wearing contacts.
“That’s a very realistic costume,” she purred, her smile
displaying plastic fangs. “Warm, too. I didn’t realize it got so cold here in
October. Next year, I’ll put on a nice thick fur and come as a Siberian
“Um, thanks,” he replied. He didn’t know how to tell her that
it wasn’t a costume. That he wasn’t an aspiring zombie survivalist, just an
ordinary soldier on leave.
“Here.” She handed him an orange flyer. “You’re officially
invited to the Banshee Creek Costume Party.”
He grabbed the flyer. It screeched “Party Tonight!” in an
exaggerated Gothic font.
“The Guinness Book of World Records people will be there,”
the cat girl explained, her feline eyes sparkling with excitement. “We’re
trying to make it the biggest Halloween costume party in history so make sure
She winked at him, and turned to a spindly young man on
stilts. He was wearing large grey wings and red-tinged goggles.
“Hey, Mothman,” she shouted. “Great costume. We’re really
excited about the latest sighting.” She waved an orange flyer. “Do you know
where to register for the party?”
They walked off, leaving Mike behind. He looked at the
throngs of people lining Main Street. He counted three Elves, eleven
princesses, and a platoon of naughty nurses.
He’d forgotten it was Halloween.
More to the point, he’d forgotten it was Halloween in Banshee
Creek, Virginia. The Fall Equinox was no laughing matter in the Most Haunted
Town in the U.S.A.
Well, that accolade wasn’t official yet. But his Army buddy,
Cole Hunt, had been certain that his hometown would win the coveted title. Cole
and his friends had been diligently documenting the local hauntings so as to
convince the powers-that-be that their town could be the premier paranormal
destination in the United States.
And Mike had heard all about their plans. Cole had stayed in
touch with his Banshee Creek buddies all through their two-year deployment to
Afghanistan. He’d supervised the investigations from afar and edited the
documentaries in his free time. As a result, Mike had sat through endless hours
of night-vision footage and had spent many days listening to static trying to
discern what Cole described as “electronic voice phenomena.”
Oh, yes. His friend had a plan. Cole intended to come back to
Banshee Creek, marry his fiancée and turn the town into the ghost capital of
the United States.
But Cole didn’t get to come back.
He died in Afghanistan, and Mike, who had no plans, no
family, and no home, survived.
The irony was inescapable. The guy with no future made it out
alive, but the one with the plan, the one with the loving family, the one with
the devoted girlfriend.
That guy didn’t make it back home.
Mike hoisted his duffle bag, avoided a laughing foursome
dressed in Star Trek uniforms, and walked up the cobblestone street. He didn’t
have a life plan like Cole, but right now he was a man on a mission, a mission
to find 12 Hooded Owl Road, Banshee Creek, Virginia.
He looked down Main Street, assessing the town he’d heard so
much about. Banshee Creek was laid out like a typical small Virginia village,
with one main road lined with shops and Colonial row houses. An auto repair
shop with a neon 1950’s sign that read “Virginia Vintage Motors” sat on a
corner. The shop’s small parking lot was full of restored cars and a couple of
kids in ghost costumes were taking pictures around a black 1967 Impala. The car
was nice, but Mike’s eyes kept drifting towards a late-model Jeep Wrangler with
an elegant black paint job. Sure, it didn’t qualify as “antique” or even
“vintage,” but it looked cool and the price was very affordable.
Which was probably due to the stagnant local economy. Most of
the stores had “for sale” or “for rent” signs. Sheets of plywood covered the
windows of the local bookstore. A small movie theater held pride of place in
the center of town, but its marquee was broken and the last movie featured
seemed to be Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Yet there were a few signs of life. A real estate sign in
front of a dilapidated mansion with the sloping roof of a stereotypical haunted
house had a sold sticker. The row houses had small gardens in front, many of
them covered with weeds, but an enterprising soul had put out planters with
purple and orange flowers in an attempt to spruce up the sidewalk.
And the town still attracted visitors, in spite of its
ramshackle state. The streets were full of costumed partygoers and a couple of
businesses, including a pizzeria and a bakery, were busy with customers. The
crisp fall air carried the scent of apples and cinnamon and he experienced a
sudden craving for cider. The hardware store had a table in front filled with
Halloween paraphernalia and the glowing red goggles worn by the—what was the
name, again?—Mothman, that’s it. The Mothman goggles seemed to be quite
popular. A bunch of kids in black capes were trying them on and taking
Back in Afghanistan, Cole’s plan to paranormalize his
hometown sounded silly and far-fetched. But here in Banshee Creek it was
starting to make sense.
“Looking for a house?”
He turned and a teenage boy in jeans and a yellow t-shirt
with a large letter X handed him a piece of paper. Curiosity piqued,
Mike took it, carefully avoiding the kid’s metal claws.
It was a homemade map, made by someone with a talent for
drawing and an excessive fondness for horror movie fonts. The title was
“Banshee Creek’s Haunted Houses” and there was something very familiar about
the style of the illustrations.
He identified Main Street and the Second Empire house, but
what was that strange dark line that crisscrossed the town? A river? Railroad
tracks? He squinted at the complicated script, making out the words
“geomagnetic fault.” Upon closer inspection he realized that several of the
buildings were marked with cartoon ghost symbols. He turned the paper to read
the map legend, which described the various ghosts and other critters that
supposedly infested the town. One of them identified as a brownie, but wasn’t
that a dessert? Or a uniformed child that sold cookies? At the bottom of the
page there was a hand drawn copyright symbol and the author’s name.
He quickly looked away from the name, and focused on the map,
tracing the streets with a finger. There it was, right off Main Street, Hooded
Owl Road. According to the map, number 12 was two blocks down, turn left, and
He hiked up his duffle and walked down the street. The sooner
he got this done, the sooner he could get back to his life.
Except he didn’t have much of a life right now. He had no
family, his closest contacts were now scattered across the country, and his
best friend was dead. But he had a fancy new title and, thanks to his
commanding officers, a new assignment at the Pentagon. He was going to find an
apartment in Arlington, get settled, and…
Things got hazy after that. Maybe he’d get a motorcycle…and a
girlfriend, definitely a girlfriend, a smart girl, with a nice smile, maybe a
blonde or a redhead.
An image popped into his head and he shoved it away. Not a
brunette. And absolutely not a brunette with warm brown eyes, freckles on her
nose, and the voice of an angel.
So, the plan was simple——job, apartment, motorcycle,
girlfriend. It wasn’t as interesting as Cole’s plan, that’s for sure, but it
gave Mike direction, a sense of purpose. He liked that.
Job, apartment, motorcycle, girlfriend, but first, there was
12 Hooded Owl Road.
He crossed Main Street, walking towards a battered white
bungalow with a large Argentinean flag and a dilapidated neon sign that read,
strangely, “F anco Pizza.” He squinted at the sign. No, the letter r was
defective, and, when it flickered on, the sign actually said “Franco Pizza.”
The pizza smelled pretty good though. Maybe he’d have a slice after completing
The house at 12 Hooded Owl Road was an attractive Victorian
house, with a small porch, white gingerbread trim and green fish scale
shingles. It was old, but well kept, looking a bit like a dignified elderly
mermaid. A small pot of yellow flowers sat on the steps.
Mike smiled. The house was bright and colorful.
Just like its owner.
He shook the thought out of his head. He didn’t want to think
about the owner of the house. He was going to knock on the door, make his
delivery and leave Banshee Creek.
He walked toward the house, but, as he reached the porch, he
noticed a group of people walking down the street. The leader of the group was
a tall, redheaded man dressed in jeans and a biker’s vest. His companions were
all similarly attired in stereotypical biker gear.
Mike tensed. Two guys from his last unit belonged to
motorcycles clubs, and he was very familiar with the subculture. These guys
weren’t wearing costumes, although the biker wear featured a couple of unusual
decorative touches, like tentacles, UFOs, and several “trust no one” tattoos in
The bikers were teasing a young man with an arm in a cast who
was dressed in plain jeans and a t-shirt and did not seem to be part of the
gang. At least, Mike had yet to meet a biker who’d wear a Berklee School of
One of the bikers slapped the musician in the back, and the
young man stumbled.
Mike’s eyes narrowed, his body tensed and he felt a sudden
adrenaline rush. He automatically noted the number of bikers, assessed their
strategic positions and evaluated the situation’s potential for violence.
But the young man just laughed and made a rude hand gesture.
The bikers returned the gesture with a couple of catcalls, and then kept
walking towards Main Street chatting and laughing.
Mike relaxed, relieved to find he’d misjudged the situation,
and gave himself a good scolding. This was ridiculous. He had to leave his
war-zone reflexes behind, this was small town Virginia not Afghanistan. But he
turned back to the house and immediately tensed.
A willowy girl was locking the door. She was tall and slender
with medium-length brown hair, styled to curl at the ends in an old-fashioned
Mike wasn’t looking at her hair though. He was looking at her
costume, a skin-tight black leather cat suit that outlined every single curve.
His fists clenched and he swallowed hard. He tried to walk towards the house, but
his feet wouldn’t move.
He couldn’t bring himself to approach her.
He’d faced enemy fire, ambushes, and IEDs. He’d trained
himself to overcome his fears. He’d walked through nightmares and survived.
But he couldn’t bring himself to face this girl.
Time to retreat and regroup. He’d continue on his way to
Arlington and figure out a different way to make his delivery. Maybe he could
hire a courier, or a parcel delivery service.
A group of costumed partygoers blocked his way as he turned
to walk away. He tried to push his way through what appeared to be a werewolf
punk rock band, but had to swerve to avoid the fur-bedecked subwoofers.
“Mike?” The throaty, sexy voice was unmistakable. “Is that
There was no fighting the siren appeal of that voice. He
sighed in resignation and turned.
The girl ran down the steps of her house and her smile was as
enthralling as her voice. Mike forced himself to smile back as he greeted the
girl he’d loved for the past five years.
Abby Reed. Singer, songwriter, enchantress.
And his dead friend’s fiancée.
I write sexy paranormal small town romance (whew, that’s
a mouthful!) set in Banshee Creek, Virginia, The Most Haunted Town in the USA.
My books feature feisty, irrepressible heroines conquering strong, controlling
alpha males. My heroes fall and they fall hard. It’s a lot of fun.
I was born and raised in a small mountain town in Puerto Rico, home to the chupacabras and
a host of lesser-known legends and hoaxes. Hence my love for quirky towns with
spooky stories. I currently live in Minnesota with my husband and three
children, and I’m still trying to adjust to the cold.


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The world famous Bodleian Library is one of the 30+ Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford, the largest university library system in the UK.
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The Bodleian Library is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 12 million items, it is the second-largest library in Britain after the British Library. Under the Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 it is one of six legal deposit…
The UK's second largest library, established in 1602 and containing over 11 million works
The Bodleian Library is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 12 million items, it is the second-largest library in Britain after the British Library.
“The Ashmolean Museum was named after its founder Elias Ashmole (1617–1692) and opened in 1683. It is widely recognised as being the first modern museum. Elias Ashmole was a royalist, lawyer, antiquarian, scholar, and collector who gave his collections to the University of Oxford in 1677. The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first university museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–83 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University of Oxford in 1677. The present building was erected 1841–45. The museum reopened in 2009 after a major redevelopment. In November 2011, new galleries focusing on Egypt and Nubia were unveiled. In May 2016, the museum opened new galleries of 19th-century art.”
“Excellent natural history Museum with the added bonus of the Pitt Rivers which is an anthropological collection that is amazing and not to be missed.”
“The Sheldonian Theatre, an exquisite Grade I listed building situated in Oxford's city centre, is the official ceremonial hall of Oxford University. The Theatre is a popular tourist attraction particular because it offers one of the best indoor panoramic views of Oxford's famous skyline from its Cupola. It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1664 and 1669. The Theatre offers self-guided tours or guided tours. On a one hour guided tour, learn about how the University was formed, how long it's been in existence and the secrets of its past. For availability, booking and opening hours information, please visit our website. Opening hours vary depending on University events and concerts, so please do check our website before your visit to avoid disappointment.”
“Christ Church Meadow is a well-known flood-meadow, and popular walking and picnic spot in Oxford, England. Roughly triangular in shape it is bounded by the River Thames (the stretch through Oxford being known as "The Isis"), the River Cherwell, and Christ Church. The meadow provides access to many of the college boat houses which are on an island at the confluence of the two rivers. The lower sections of the meadow, close to the Thames, are grazed by cattle, while the upper sections have sports fields. Broad Walk is at the northern edge with Merton Field to the north and Merton College, dominated by the tower of Merton College Chapel, beyond that.”

domain: library


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(as of May 22,2022 04:43:27 UTC – Details)
These Foldable Landing Gear will add a little more clearance between the camera and the ground to keep your gimbal safe. They provide an additional 25mm of clearance and can be folded flat against the drone when not in use. They add minimal weight (9 grams) to the quad and won’t interfere with the drones aerodynamics when flying.
Enginnered to perfectly fit your Mavic Mini Drone
Foldable legs to quickly snap into place when flying
This kit adds 25mm of additional ground clearance to your quad to protect its sensitive camera and gimbal assembly
The color of the kit matches to color of your Mavic Mini

domain: design


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The Ashmore Law Firm is pleased to announce the expansion of its family law department with the addition of a new attorney.
Whitney N. Keltch joined the firm after practicing family law for three years. She is a graduate of the Baylor School of Law.
She has handled many complex divorces, enforcement of prior orders, premarital agreements, child modifications, post marital agreements, Child Protective Services proceedings, and paternity cases.
We are excited to have her as the newest member of our team!
Learn more about Ms. Keltch.


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ParisWHO will officially be held on November 16-18.
Registrations are now closed.
The Paris World Health Organization Simulation (ParisWHO) is a 3-day student-led conference hosted in beautiful Paris, France by members of the Secretariat & EHESP. As the hub of all public health networks, this annual event will be the third of its kind in Paris and will follow the configuration of a traditional World Health Organization simulation.
With the idea to gather students & young professionals from all over the world with various academic and professional disciplines, ParisWHO aims to introduce and educate students with the realistic roles of a WHO World Health Assembly meeting. This event will provide participants with an opportunity that goes beyond classroom teachings or literature based research projects in global health policy. ParisWHO simulation fills a gap in our public health education, while also serving as a call to health professionals and students from other fields to become proactive in global health policy
A simulation of a WHO World Health Assembly meeting aims to:
- Mimic the political, social, cultural and economic realities defining global health policy
- Target (but not limited to) future health professionals; open to students from a plethora of diverse programs
- Encourage interprofessional education
- Prepare delegates to take on the role of a country, important individual, reporter, company or NGO representative
In which they will..
- Debate, discuss, and write up a legislation (known as a “resolution”) while staying true to their role
- Forward voted resolutions, collected by IFMSA and sent to the WHO headquarters for consideration
How will you BENEFIT ?
- Gain a fresh perspective on global health issues through the lens of each country discussed at the conference
- Reveal economic, social, cultural, and political context surrounding global health issues
- Learn to read and write global health policies and develop leadership, public speaking and organizational skills
- Grasp crucial skills essential to global health diplomacy:
- i.e. country fact based knowledge, knowing one’s allies and ‘enemies’, body language, good interpersonal skills, etc..
- Opportunity to hear from individuals at the forefront of global health policy via speakers and workshops at the conference
- Produce a resolution by the end of the conference
- REAL ANSWERS TO REAL PROBLEMS
- Documents collected by IFMSA and sent to WHO for consideration

domain: sociology


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'Grow it' Kids Box
Get the kids into gardening with this great gardening box which will provide two vegetable or fruit seedlings and a garden accessory to help with their journey. We will add tips and tricks for kids to enjoy planting their crops.
Shipping added at checkout
Due to the delicate nature of our plant boxes these can’t just be delivered by any courier. We have to hand pick the careful ones, which costs a little more than the average.
- Auto renew subscription box $8 delivery
- One-time box $10.50 delivery
- West Auckland Rural (this only includes Waimauku drop off and Helensville) - $11.50
Every month will be different types of plants to try and interest kids along with a different tool or garden accessory. The picture shown may be of a previous months box which is sold out.As this is a 'subscription' ordering system please note orders close on the 18th of each month for delivery of the following months box, delivery will be the first Tuesday of the following month. Eg Order before 16 September for October's gardening box.
Please note: Depending on the month or availablity of produce the box may include herb or fruit varieties.If you are ordering a 'one off' box as a gift and would it delivered a different day then please let us know if we can fulfil the order on the particular date. We will do our best.
There is no January 'one off box'
For a 3 month subscription please find this box in our store.

domain: agronomy


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* Prices may differ from that shown
This is the third novel I have reviewed by Jo Bannister; it follows 'the hireling's tale' and 'requiem for the dealer'. These previous two I really enjoyed, so I was keen to try this one when I came across it at the local Car Boot sale the other day.
About the author:
Jo Bannister so far in her writing career has written a total of 32 novels. She was born in Rochdale in 1951 but has for many years lived in Northern Ireland. The most famous star from these books is Brodie Farrell with the star of the one I'm reviewing Clio Rees starring in four books. This novel was written in 2005.
Synopsis of the book:
Clio Marsh is a writer; she has decided to challenge herself by going on a week long survival course in the remote Norfolk Broads. She is probably the least fit and athletic of the group of seven recruits. But by the end of day two all the volunteers are questioning their own sanity as to why they put themselves through this punishment.
Indeed the training is so tough that the following day with continuous driving rain and tough activities makes the group as one give up and walk to recover to the only real employer in this dead region a Chemical Company Growth Industries.
However next day one of their team is showing signs of what the locals call 'marsh fever'. They blame the Chemical Plant but cannot prove anything against them. When John dies the group are isolated and physically restrained from leaving the area and alerting the Police to the suspicious death. Clio and the remaining members of the survival team must try and find the truth but they must escape first.
My thoughts on the book:
My initial concern when I picked up this book, other than the last page would be torn out, was it would not be as good as the previous two I have read. However I am very pleased to say I really enjoyed this book too, it was a well written and very exciting novel.
From the very first page I was hooked on the story. I liked the idea of this strong minded young lady pushing herself on an endurance week, with super fit athletes appealed to me. To see in her words her struggle against these stronger fitter men and women in a desire to prove to people that she was tough too.
Having straight away got into the book, I started to enjoy both the style of writing the author used and the storyline itself. I wasn't sure who or why anyone might be killed and why. As the author was excellent as setting the scene and putting thoughts and doubts into the readers mind as to what was going to happen.
I was very impressed throughout by the storyline but without excellent writing it would not have been half as good. The author had a very clear idea about the plot and how it was going to be achieved as she threaded this too us with great skill. In a way that was faced paced at all times and exciting, indeed I had read the book in no time at all.
It was for me one of those incredibly rare books that once I picked up I didn't want to put down again. And when I had to I looked forward to coming back to it. Actually now I've finished it I feel quite sad and empty. (Get a life I here you say Chris!!)
The characters were all diverse and extremely well researched and described. While I found the star Clio Marsh a likeable and in many ways unlikely heroin. It was a couple of the supporting actor's most appealing Costigian one of her party and the local Publican Saul Penny I felt the empathy and understanding with.
If I have criticism about the book and to be honest I am struggling to find too many with this one. It was that the bad guys were a little too obvious and stereotypical of what you might accept. That said they were again well researched characters that maybe could have appeared a little more human and compassionate.
I really enjoyed the author's descriptive language. She described the baron wastelands with all its bogs, marshes and horrific weather superbly. At times I felt I could feel the team's exhaustion and frustration with their situation. Made me decide to never go on an endurance course too!!
The chapters were just the way I like at about 12 pages each, short and punchy with something happening the whole time to grab and maintain the reader's interest. Maybe an epilogue would have been a good way to round the novel off but it wasn't really necessary in my view for this book, as I enjoyed deciding for myself what happened months down the line to the characters within it.
Again something that surprised me was when I was looking for a good web site about Jo Bannister. All I could find was sites trying to sell her books and some of those had not been updated since 2004!! All I was looking for was information about her. I do think a decent web site encourages people to purchase books so I think the author and the publisher are missing a trick here.
The overall length of the book was about right. It seemed to encompass everything required for a good suspense novel. Maybe a little bit more background on the characters prior to their week away would have been helpful. But it added a sense of mystery to some of them and made me wonder what secrets they might be hiding.
Another excellent and exciting thriller by in my opinion a very talented and hardly known author it would seems. I really enjoyed the book from cover to cover and I would certainly recommend this book as a great piece of fiction to anyone.
Publisher: Seven house Publishers
About the author: www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/jo.bannister
Thanks for reading my review.
This review was also published under mu user name on Ciao.
@CPTDANIELS June 2009.

domain: literature


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- Bows made of soft faux suede
- Securely attached to a one size nude colored nylon headband – very soft & stretchy
- 2″ bow length
- Packaged on card stock
A sweet & simple infant bow headband to pair with any outfit!
|Dimensions||3 x 5 in|
copper penny, gold metallic, heart throb red, light pink, mint, olive green, silver metallic, teal blue, grey


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LATEST IMAGES - EAST YORKSHIRE5
The weather was exceptionally kind during my November visit to Yorkshire with temperatures up to 18oC, however the wind was very strong most of the time. On Filey Brigg there was Kestrel that worked its way along the slope every half an hour or so and provided good photographic opportunities. As the wind was so strong the bird was always facing in the same direction when it hovered and luckily the sun was also favourable. This meant I could photograph the Kestrel either head on or sideways and not as usually happens a rear end shot. Initially I stayed on the top of the Brigg and tried to get close to the Kestrel as it hovered but soon found a path which went down the slope. From here I was more at the same level as the bird and could dash along the path to get closer to it. With the warm weather and a seat to wait on this was very enjoyable photography!


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While many gyms offer weights, treadmills, ellipticals, and rowing machines to help its members achieve leaner physiques, all JC Barre Fitness Studio needs is a ballet barre. That's because the apparatus helps students sculpt lean muscles, lose weight, and increase agility thanks to a flurry of exercises performed during various classes. The studio's signature class B3 blends Pilates, ballet, and Yoga into a one-hour, 600 calorie-burning workout, and co-ed boot camp by B3 ups the exercise ante with increased cardio and isometric moves that deliver a satisfying burn without actually setting fire to one's muscles. In addition to barre classes, the studio offers up Pilates and Zumba sessions and invites its clients to suggest additional classes via email.
Marie Medina began dancing as a 6-year-old, and she has never lost her enthusiasm for it. Inside her industrial chic studio, Marie and her team of instructors strive to empower and inspire women through fitness, movement, and dance. They lead students of all fitness levels through a variety of dance-inspired fitness classes such as Barre, Zumba, Pilates, Ballroom Fit, and more, all designed to stimulate the mind, body, and soul.
The staff at Bienvenue Dance Center is made up of diverse international talent including a USA tango champion and a professional dance coach from Barcelona. Under their tutelage, students of all levels can learn the basics of popular dance styles such as salsa, tango, and ballroom. Private one-on-one lessons help dancers to learn the ropes and fine tune technique, while group lessons for 8-10 people help them learn to lead and follow with different partners. Bienvenue also offers kids classes that incorporate hip hop and jazz sequences, as well as wedding dance lessons to teach brides how to do the worm without losing their veil.
In New York-style salsa dancing, the break steps occur on the second and sixth beats, not on the first and fifth like most dances. Because of that, dancers refer to the style as "On2". Few know the unorthodox style of stepping better than the instructors at Salsa Fever On2 Dance Academy. Led by founder Mario B, they schedule classes for students of all experience levels, even those with two left feet or more than two left feet. Their beginner classes introduce inexperienced dancers to the fundamentals of spinning, twirling, shining, timing, and musicality, while advanced classes do the same but at a more frenzied pace.