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There’s nothing like sipping a cold brew coffee on a hot day. And while you can always pick one up from the nearest Starbucks or another popular coffee chain, you can also buy canned cold brew from a market. These cans are convenient and still get you the flavors you’re looking for when you purchase a fresh cup of cold brew. The only thing that might halt you in your tracks is the question of just how long those cold brew coffees have been sitting around on supermarket shelves.
Cold brew coffee can actually last quite a long time, depending on how it’s made. Canned cold brew coffee can last for around four to six months after the date of brewing listed on the can. Remember, it should still be refrigerated if you’re keeping it around for that long. On the other hand, if a cold brew is shelf stable, it can last even longer — up to a year — and doesn’t necessarily need to be refrigerated. The good news is that you don’t need to guess about these numbers as manufacturers list an expiration date on cold brew cans, and the drink is generally good until that point.
Here’s what you need to know about how long your canned cold brew stays fresh and what factors can make its shelf life longer or shorter. Plus, what manufacturers do to make their canned cold brew last for long periods of time without going off.
Read more: What’s The Difference Between Coffee And Espresso?
What Affects Your Canned Cold Brew’s Shelf Life
According to Martin Bucknavage, a food safety expert at Penn State Extension, in an interview with Well and Good, canned cold brew “should be shelf stable to the point of expiration date on the can.” However, that expiration date can vary a bit depending on a few factors.
For one thing, black canned coffee tends to last longer than coffee with milk and sugar in it. On top of that, the exact expiration date of canned cold brew can vary depending on who the manufacturer is. This is because different companies use different processes to preserve their coffee and keep the flavor fresh. Finally, if you open your cold brew coffee, you’ll need to drink it within a few hours rather than a few months.
Another thing to note is that your cold brew can last for shorter amounts of time if it’s not shelf-stable. Shelf-stable cold brew has undergone special thermal processing, usually by heating the canned product to high temperatures for several minutes. This process helps preserve your coffee and keep its flavor fresh. It also means that you don’t need to store the canned cold brew in the refrigerator. If the coffee hasn’t been made shelf-stable, it won’t be able to sit around for as long — even unopened — before you drink it. Plus, if it’s not shelf-stable, it should be kept refrigerated.
Should You Drink Canned Cold Brew After The Expiration Date?
While the goal is to drink your canned cold brew within a reasonable timeframe, sometimes, you might purchase a can, store it in the basement, and completely forget about it until well after the expiration date has passed. The question is, if that happens, is it still safe to drink your canned cold brew?
In general, it’s probably best to avoid these products if they’re past their expiration date. The reason for this is that canned cold brew, despite having antimicrobial properties, could still potentially contain pathogens that can make you sick. Additionally, once it’s past the expiration date, your coffee can begin to lose its flavor quality, making it taste stale or bitter.
The good news is that while canned cold brew probably isn’t good to drink once it’s expired, you now know that it does last for quite a long time. So, even if you buy a drink and shove it to the back of your fridge for a month or two, you don’t have to throw it away and can still enjoy sipping on a tasty canned cold brew.
Read the original article on Daily Meal.


With a starting price of 43,990,000 Colombian pesos (about $15,000 USD), one could say that the Chevrolet Onix is a great fit for the money-conscious consumer. And now, the subcompact vehicle is available with a 5-speed manual transmission. By comparison, the Onix was only offered with an automatic gearbox during the first five months of the year.
“With this new member of the Chevrolet family, the brand offers customers comfort while driving and the ability to have more control on the fly, all without sacrificing design, performance, technology and connectivity,” said GM Colombia’s Jaime Gil. He believes that the Onix will be a top competitor in the country’s hatchback car segment, where it competes with the Hyundai HB20 and the Volkswagen Gol.
Chevrolet believes the manual transmission option gives the Onix the proper balance between performance, economy, and comfort, and that it will further entice Colombian Millennials, who are already pleasantly surprised by the Onix. Though with only 97 horsepower at 6,000 RPM and 126 Nm (about 93 pound-feet) of torque at 2,800 RPM, the Onix isn’t exactly a high-performance machine.
Even so, the Onix does offer the latest in technology, including its 7-inch MyLink touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, two frontal airbags, as well as Smart Performance Economy technology in its 1.4L engine, along with Electronic Brake Force Distribution — so it’s still a great bang for your buck (or peso).
Based on GM’s Gamma platform, the subcompact hatch is available exclusively in the LTZ trim level in Colombia and is priced as follows:
- Chevrolet Onix LTZ manual transmission: 43,990,000 pesos ($15,064 USD)
- Chevrolet Onix LTZ automatic transmission: 45,990,000 pesos ($15,759 USD)


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Save 5% when you buy online and pick up in store. Offer valid online only. Transaction total is prior to taxes & after discounts are applied. Offer valid on select merchandise when choosing In-Store Pickup. Savings will automatically reflect in the shopping cart with the purchase of qualifying merchandise. Maximum value $150. Offer not valid on gift cards, gift certificates, previous purchases, charitable donations, veterinary diet, RX medications or vaccines and may exclude all or select items from the following brands: Advantage®, API®, AquaClear®, Aqueon®, AvoDerm®, Blue Buffalo®, CatMouse, Cesar®, Comfort Zone®, Chuckit!®, Dog MD™, Eukanuba®, Fluval®, FRONTLINE®, FURminator®, Greenies®, Grreat Choice®, High Tech Pet®, Hill’s® Ideal Balance™, IRIS, Hill’s® Science Diet®, Hill’s® Prescription Diet®, iFamCare™, Jackson Galaxy, JW Pets, K9 advantix®, KAYTEE®, KONG®, Kurgo®, Majestic Pet, Marineland®, MidWest Homes for Pets, Muse®, Natural Balance®, NATURE'S RECIPE®, Nature’s Variety®, NaturVet®, Nulo, Nutro™, Nutro™ Max®, Nutro™ Ultra™, Old Mother Hubbard, Omega™ One, Oxbow, Pedigree®, Pendleton, Pet Gear, Petmate, PetSafe®, Pioneer Pet, Precision Pet, PureBites®, Purina® Pro Plan®, Redbarn, Royal Canin®, Sentry®, Simple Solution, Solvit, Snoozer, Sunbeam®, Super Pet®, Temptations™, Tetra®, Thundershirt, Trixie Pet, Vittle Vault, Wellness®, World's Best Cat Litter, XPOWER, Zuke's®. Offer may not be combined with other promotional offers or discounts. Terms and conditions of this offer are subject to change at the sole discretion of PetSmart. Offer valid on PetSmart.com through October 29, 2018 @ 6:30 am EST.
Included in the package is a card that lists what was enclosed and information about how to order more of each. I have found the prices to do that are a little high. While I love my pets dearly, I usually get all other treats from my local stores. I have notice that Marshall's and TJ Maxx often carry some of the same packaged treats as found in BarkBoxes.
Tico likes: I loved the stuffed "pup noodles"! Mom doesn't let me have any real noodles (something about allergies, I don't know what that word means), so this is the closest I could get to the real thing. I even wondered if there were real noodles inside, so just in case, I made sure to destroy the whole thing in under 10 minutes flat. There weren't any noodles.
After my comparison posts, I get a lot of people asking which subscription box is our favorite. After my last comparison post, I promised to reveal our top 3 subscription boxes. I’m going to cheat a little though. I am not ranking them in order because they are all great in their own ways. No matter which one of our tip 3 boxes you pick, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
That's not all! Pet Mountain also offers water dog toys, interactive dog toys, treat dispensing dog toys to make mealtime more enjoyable, squeaky dog toys for enhanced play, ropes Shop tugs for dogs, plush dog toys, laser dog toys, heavy duty dog chews for the dog who blows through every toy, and much, much more! With discounted prices of up to 70% off and our low-price guarantee, Pet Mountain is your top online supplier for all dog toy products!
Bark & Co is the New York-based startup that’s dedicated to making dogs and their humans happy. Since launching in 2012 with BarkBox, a monthly box of treats and toys, Bark & Co has shipped more than 30 million products and expanded into creating its own products, experiences and entertainment with BarkShop, BarkLive, and BarkPost. To learn more go to Bark.co.

domain: pet


Blue Boy – Mama MP3 Download
Blue Boy – Mama: Blue Boy, a veteran Nigerian music sensation and songwriter, comes through with an electrifying single called “Mama.” ENJOY and SHARE.
9jastarsmusic Media public classic track.
Additionally, this masterwork record was published after the publication of his previous delivery tagged “Your Love.”
In the end, this unique composition is a blockbuster that you should add to your playlist if you enjoy decent music.
Fresh Song By Blue Boy – Mama
Download & Listen Another Classic Mp3 Below:


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Maternity Photographers in South Jersey
One of my absolute favorite things to capture in all this world.. is a mother to be. The glow.. the bump… the joy.. EVERYTHING.
I like to gather up the dads to be too…. After all, it’s a family celebration.. and we like to include other children/siblings. It’s something for the whole family to be a part of!
There is something special about bringing life into this world. I know it’s sometimes not the best time we wish to think of ourselves physically… After all, our bodies do change on us.. Sometimes, it’s a frightening thing! I never got maternity photos done because of the way I felt about myself and now… TODAY… I truly regret it.. It’s something I wished I had done. but to me it’s about a celebration. A celebration of beautiful life and about bringing that beautiful life to this world. The love you have for this new life is unlike any kind of love you ever had.
In working with Shooting Star Photography, for your maternity session… every session is completely unique. It’s catered to you and all about you and your precious bump!
We have over 25 different gown options for your choosing, to make you truly shine at this time in your life! Everything from long sleeves, to long gowns… to boho styles. We also make getting your images a priority (then our standard few week turnaround time) as there is a small window of time from really showing until delivery. You are put to the front of the line and we try and deliver within 1-2 weeks from your final selection of images.
Below, is our most recent maternity capture and will be glad to provide you with more session galleries soon (we need to get a lot of recent work up on our site). As you can see… MISS A.. truly shined in her maternity session! It’s also one of my absolute favorite locations!

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The Paralyzed Veterans of America, Mid-Atlantic Chapter has been serving veterans and their families in Virginia and North Carolina for 70 plus years. Located at 11620 Busy Street in North Chesterfield, Virginia, they currently serve over 900 veterans. “We do everything from adapting homes and vehicles to sporting events. Anything we can do to get our veterans to live a healthy and active life” said President Robert Satterwhite. Coming up in September is the Travis Manion Foundation 9/11 Heroes Run in which the PVA Mid-Atlantic is the community benefactor of the race. A few years back they partnered with The Travis Manion Foundation to host the race in Richmond. Last year’s and this year’s committee, headed by Karen Liu, has grown the race from 100 runners to this year’s predicted closer to 700 participants. The new race course downtown Richmond brings more visibility, along with working with: Suntrust, UPS, Dominion Power, Mobility Supercenter, Wegmans, Penske Truck Leasing, Bank of America, and Legend Brewing. They also introduced the Ruck division this year, which opened up more ways to bring awareness to the meaning of service, community, and giving back to those in need. September 9th is the date this year and you can sign up through the Travis Manion Foundation at 911heroesrun.org! If you would like to volunteer or have a service you think would fit our program please visit our website at pvamidatlantic.org , our twitter at JenniferPurser@PvaMidatlantic or on FACEBOOK at the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
Paralyzed Veterans of America
11620 Busy Street, N. Chesterfield, VA. 23236
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Dematerialization of practices as a degree of freedom
Hrvoje, you created objects inspired by the works of Gaspar Noé, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Richard Serra. Your installation that will be showed in Electronic living room of Polytechnic museum is devoted to Malevich. What are your choice criteria of inspiring pieces?
I am not so much inspired as I am using these works as cultural artefacts, as building blocks, acknowledging the postmodern condition and the impossibility of existing outside the modernist paradigm, the impossibility of producing something “new”, at least in the formal sense of the word.
Everything that has ever been created has been based on previous knowledge, nothing appears out of nothing. It is clear that objects=construct, be it physical object or cultural object. Understanding this imposes the use of any construct (object) inside of a bigger construct (system). In that position the artist constructs a system for interaction of these cultural objects. This enables a greater number of interactions than the use of well-defined materials that have more or less stable symbolical connotations like metal, wood, stone. The immaterialness of the cultural objects makes them more interactive and in this interactivity the meaning is constantly in motion, possibly making the work more alive. To be in motion is being alive, to be alive is being new - as Boris Groys argues in his latest book “On the New”. Art tries to be new, and to be new means being a part of life.
The principle of building one thing atop of another is inherently human, it is the same model of development of us as species, spreading our genes, adapting to the environment and by doing that resisting entropy. You resist entropy by adding, constructing, grouping, that is the basis of life, organization. Entropy represents death, passing, decay, lack of structure and any kind of organization, complete equalness, empty goo, where all of the parts in that environment are completely the same, broken down into smallest fragments. In other words like Vilém Flusser well stated - “natural history runs toward decay, cultural history starts from decay”, meaning that role of culture is to develop bigger narratives from fragments.
That is why I often openly use the work of others, and by doing that acknowledge the impossibility of existing outside of the system.
There is a parallel between your work “Binary impressions” and Futurist machines for producing mechanical noise “Intonarumori”. In your opinion, is there a difference between understandings of mechanical, automation, cybernetics by futurists in early XX century and nowadays?
The Futurists of now are Transhumanists, with the difference that the Futurists were solely focused on the machines and power, while Transhumanists are talking about advancing the body and changing the human being leading to posthuman condition where in relatively near future humans are going to be so radically different that they are not going to have much in common with humans of now, so they shouldn’t be called the same. This speculative practice may have the same level of rebelliousness and danger that Futurists had with their questionable moral views.
What are the main activities of I’MM_ Media Lab that you organized?
I’MM started as a project emerged during a workshop with Joanna van der Zanden as part of an effort to revitalize MultiMedia center in Zagreb, a space that was active in the 80s in avant-garde, multimedia art and experimental film scene but in the 00s there was no defined program. During this workshop Silvija Stipanov and I designed a program that had a kind of decentralized and democratic idea, with the fixed framework, but with the collective decision making of the participants. This is clearly stated in the title of the organization, a prefix “I” was added to existing MM from the MM center name, thus putting the participants in the focus of the organization. Unfortunately this utopic vision was never fully materialized due to social dynamics in the group and organization, resulting in too centralized decision making and activities that were solely practical and formal without any questioning of the technology or thinking before acting which should have been the main focus of the program. As a positive consequence of its activities it stimulated a more active maker scene. At the moment the project is in state of hibernation but I am leaving open the possibility of reviving it in some other form.
Do you already know who or what will be the next source of inspiration for you?
Algoresearch.systems (AR.S) has been in development conceptually for the past year, between a fellow artist, Luis Rodil-Fernández and me. This collaboration is intellectually and productively stimulating and we have a lot of linked projects to this new platform. AR.S is still in the early stages and there are several phases in its development. The first one is a website platform that should be fully functional in the coming weeks, ready to be filled with content.
AR.S is a part of my new effort in experimenting with different alternative models of art practice outside the physical object constraints. Lately I have been more aware of the object as an artefact, seeing the art object as a document of the artistic practice and not as an artwork itself. In performance art, the documentation becomes the artwork because of the lack of the physical object. From this it is easy to deduce that the art object becomes the documentation of the interactions inside of a system, be it real world or an art world. If that is the case, than the works in the museums are documents than represents the “original” work. The original existed for a very short period of time inside the interaction of the original time frame in which it was created. The interactions that the object produced inside of the system are the artwork, not the object.
By dematerializing my art practice and collaborating with other artists I am increasing the possibility of aleatoric interaction inside of the broader field of the system. My second current collaboration is with the artist Jan Vormann. We have been discussing our collaboration since we met two years ago, it is still early to announce it but we will also focus on the system.
All of these projects are connected to the last three years of researching automatisation, cybernetics, complex systems, and network science. These disciplines profoundly influenced my work and me.
The Polytechnic Museum Moscow


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His performances have been deemed "brilliant", "riveting" and "electrifying" by The New York Times. He's a Tony Award winner, a Drama Desk Award winner, an Emmy Award winner, an Academy Award nominee and the recipient of a Theatre World ...
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This story is paired with “The Yellow Sign” from The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers. For best experience, download the LithoReader for your iPhone or iPad and get NonBinary Review for free.
1. Grimestone Cowgirl
How many days had she spent in the cell? The lack of daylight or any other indication of time had taken its toll, both mentally and physically. The human mind, always striving for some concrete indicator, required a link to the outside world.
Rebecca Thale was a serial killer of some accomplishment, and accustomed to having her way in every way, shape, and form. As such, her current imprisonment was driving her crazy.
Her confines consisted of a dark, concrete-floored room. An unclean mattress stood in one corner, a chair and a bucket in another. No windows, no light switch, (at least none she could find after searching the barren plaster walls), the only egress being a door formed from rusted iron bars.
It was these she had rushed to after first gaining consciousness, shaking the bars and screaming herself silly until her throat turned hoarse. This barred exit produced the only light source, a dim gray luminescence filtering in from someplace beyond her cell.
Her captors had at least kept her fed. Unimaginative but nutritious, plastic bottled water and a packet of biscuits were provided each day (night?) of her confinement. The fact the men depositing the food sensed whether she was asleep or just faking really annoyed her, more so even than meager light or the stench from her latrine.
When she had hollered and complained enough they had at least provided toilet paper.
But escape tricks just weren’t working with these bozos. Feigning sleep near the door proving useless, Rebecca wholeheartedly wished to get her hands on each fucker’s throat. After pulling his face through the bars, she would teach him a lesson he wouldn’t live to regret.
Almost a dozen others had died by either crossing Rebecca or fulfilling her needs. The last two, men blocking her access to something very precious, she had left dying days earlier. And then escape, before being trapped in this miserable place.
Purely by accident Rebecca had discovered a page from a strange and wonderful book. And reading it had haunted her terribly until she discovered her true calling in life. The page: a fragment of a play called ‘The King in Yellow.’ Soon after reading it, the aforementioned King had sent Rebecca bloodthirsty messages of freedom and love. The night she committed her first murder, a crime of passion against someone she dearly loved, He had appeared before her. A diaphanous yellow phantom, He said the deaths of others were a necessity for both their salvations. She had eagerly followed that calling, sacrificing many souls to her beautiful Yellow King.
That mission had run smoothly for a while. She had removed her victims’ faces and searched for secrets beneath their deathly masks. There she had discovered monstrous truths in the stinking gristle beneath each and every pallid mask. The more truths she exposed however, the more the King in Yellow hinted of the beauty of His world.
His world. She only knew it in fragments, a realm of blackly shining stars and terrible red suns, where a strange city crouched before a lake of cloudy depths.
Along the shore the cloud waves break,
The twin suns sink behind the lake,
The shadows lengthen
Strange is the night where black stars rise,
And strange moons circle through the skies,
But stranger still is
She had read these words from behind her victims’ faces, filling the air with beautiful, bloodstained butterfly words. Now the play, and the masks, were gone, probably forever.
When the police had discovered her murderous spree she ran, leaving the page behind. In her attempts to retrieve her precious fragment, Rebecca had left one man unconscious and a second dying. Then she had abandoned her car and attempted to conceal herself within the sprawling city of Newcastle, and thus followed her current predicament.
Like many, Rebecca suffered the odd phobia. Spiders and darkness were the choice of many she had encountered over the years, those and other silly little things imprinted on the mind from childhood.
Her phobia was an irrational fear of abandoned buildings.
Why this proved so was beyond her. There were no childhood traumas, no accidents or abuse (an least none she could recall) to explain her fears. But whenever she caught sight of a house or building with the doors and windows boarded shut, Rebecca was utterly creeped out. It seemed something sinister lurked within those abandoned, forgotten places and seeing one would always invoke a shudder of revulsion. But, being a wanted fugitive, hiding out in one of those shuttered monstrosities had proven a necessity.
Days earlier, feeling unsafe and conspicuous wandering the back streets of Newcastle, she had turned to one that consisted wholly of empty, shuttered dwellings.
Green metal sheets boarded most, the kind councils used to protect buildings from homeless people and drug addicts. Those were virtually impregnable. Two however were boarded in the usual way, slabs of plywood blocking the windows and doors. One, from the aged, scarred condition of the boards, had looked abandoned for years.
A walk down the alley’s filthy cobblestones followed as she headed towards the rear of the house, and reaching the right door, she had pushed against the rotted wood until the gap was wide enough to squeeze through, tearing and staining her top in the process.
The yard beyond had been in a sorry state. Leant against one wall, two sodden mattresses lay covered in stains. Ripped in places, gobbets of furry stuffing dangled forth from them like cancerous growths. Bulging black bags carpeted the floor, gutted by cats or vermin. The stench emanating from these had proven eye watering. Thankfully, her goal hadn’t been far for between two darkened, dirt-streaked windows she had found a weak-looking green plywood door, sagging within a decay-warped frame. A pair of paint cans flanked the door, each brimming with mucky water. Crammed with worms, the pathetic creatures floated lifelessly, suspended in filth. For the sake of small mercies, the door hadn’t been difficult to force.
Of course, if anything had hinted that entering the house would put her in exactly the predicament she was trying to avoid, Rebecca would’ve turned tail, leaving the garbage dump of a yard to find somewhere else to hide.
The inside hadn’t been an improvement. Stale, rank, the smells of dried grease and garbage circled her nose as she made her first hesitant steps across the spongy carpet. The place had been nauseating, a disgusting hovel probably not much cleaner in its prime.
In retrospect, laid on a crusty mattress with her ruined top propped up behind her head, she couldn’t image there were too many clean derelict houses out there.
A few steps further, straining to discern objects in the half-light, had sealed her doom. Fat clammy hands had found her neck, an instinctive elbow to her attacker’s chest produced nothing but a low grunt. The grip tightening, a sack or something had appeared over her head. BO and grease permeating her nostrils, the hands had proceeded to cruelly crushed her breath away. Darkness without dreams followed, then a rise to consciousness within her dimly lit cell, God knew where, hours or days later.
At least she hadn’t been raped or otherwise interfered with: her only good realization upon regaining consciousness.
If the men bringing food tried such, it would be useful in her desire for escape. One she thought might think this way. His wrinkled mouth always leering, from beneath a mop of dirty gray hair his jaundiced eyes would probe her topless chest. Yet he made no move other than to place her meals onto the cell floor. Dressed in a faded brown suit, feet filthy and bare beneath his tattered turn-ups, that one resembled a college professor down on his luck
Of course she could just remove her bra and jiggle, teasing him in. Rebecca had certainly considered it. The other man, this wouldn’t work on.
Her other jailer appeared quite blind, his watery eyes rolled up into their sockets. Another charmer, a matted black beard covered his face, dirty with dried up foodstuffs. Wearing dark gray trousers and a tatty brown turtleneck, stained pink socks covered his gnarled feet. The man’s small head, scabby for the most part, was spotted with tiny black hairs, curly like pubes. Lips constantly mumbling, she hadn’t even bothered talking to him.
But speaking to his companion proved useless anyway; the man’s leering expression always remained unfazed when she hurled threats and abuse towards him.
What made her plight more urgent were the other, less human things visiting her cell. Twice Rebecca had caught them, lurking around the bars as she awoke. Disappearing seconds later, their strange forms had resembled small, sandy blond horses, the brows of their flat, oddly human faces sloping back towards tapered necks
Her first reaction one of fear, the sight had sent Rebecca up against the wall, terror trickling through her spine. But the two beings stood silent, unthreatening even, bobbing their heads before disappearing from the doorway.
Upon rushing the bars to gain a second look she had found them gone, vanished into the grayness beyond.
Were they hallucinations? Her forced stimulus deprivation certainly invoked the right mental environment. And the little yellow creatures, they undoubtedly resembled something from a stress-induced fantasy.
Yellow, and the first supra-mundane apparitions witnessed since her last encounter with the King. Where they a sign, an obscure message from her beloved?
So after today, and her second sighting of the beasts, Rebecca decided it high time she vacate the premises. First though, a weapon was required, but what to use? Having taken her bearings days earlier, her options here were severely limited.
There was the chair. Rickety wood, it had little thickness and even less weight about it – hardly suitable as a club. One of the walls bore a thin copper pipe along its base, but this proved too well attached for use. The bucket of feces perhaps? Nasty, and undoubtedly apt, but considering her captors’ dire level of hygiene anyway…
She paced the room, ruminating her options, and Rebecca decided on the chair. She headed towards the bars, squinted through the gloom, and tried ascertaining whether one of the men lurked nearby. Difficult to distinguish anything in the half-light beyond, she took her chances and hurried to the room’s far corner, retrieving the chair as she did.
A few hefty kicks snapped a leg, the splintering retort resounding like a gunshot. She froze, holding her breath. Luckily, no answering sounds followed. Kneeling in the darkness she examined the broken leg for sharpness.
Not bad, not bad. The splintered end felt sharp to her prying fingers. Not the best of weapons, still it could pierce flesh. She tucked the stake into her pants, and realizing she probably had a long wait ahead, dragged the mattress towards the bars.
Curling up against the lumpy mattress she took the weapon and examined its point with the tip of her forefinger. When it came to killing her victim, she prayed the cell’s key lay somewhere on his body.
* * *
The wait was a long one. With no stimulus but her own fatigued thoughts, time plodded slowly, her eyelids growing leaden. Worried that she might drop off and thus miss her window of opportunity, she didn’t dare shut them, even for a second.
At more than one point Rebecca feared of his ever coming, then miraculously, she heard shuffling feet approach her cell.
She shifted to her knees and readied herself for the attack. Then, frightened she might slip and lose her footing, she thought to leave the mattress and wait beside the bars. But… too late to risk moving now: he was seconds from the door. She took a deep breath, gripped the stake in her right hand, and drew it back in preparation for the thrust. Her grip growing slick with anticipation, as the dark shape crossed the bars she released her pent up breath and anger.
Rebecca leapt forward and swung the weapon in a downward arc. The ensuing force pierced the stomach of her most maligned jailor, the leering professor. An expression of surprise filling his wrinkled face and he gasped, shaking his head in confusion.
Bottled water fell from one hand, Ritz cheesy crackers from the other.
Rebecca stepped to the bars and snarled, drawing the wood from his gut. It escaped his body wetly, his blood pumping towards her hand. A red trickle appeared between his lips, his Adam’s Apple bobbing wildly against a gulping throat. He stumbled, nearing collapse.
She grabbed a handful of filthy hair, and pulled him firmly towards the bars. The man’s ailing strength no match for her, she wedged his face between them. Hot blood spattered her shoes and she smiled. His mouth issuing a low whine, she silenced him with a hiss.
“Shhhh, dying bastard. It is a fearful thing, is it not, to fall into the hands of the living Goddess?”
She laughed at the terror her words invoked, returning the stake to his chest again and again. When she was finished, the wood was a blunt fragment hacking against wet, ruined flesh.
Panting heavily, she released his hair and stepped back from her handiwork. Satisfaction followed as his limp form slumped to the floor. Grinning in triumph, she gave the corpse a swift kick.
That felt good.
Her hands were sticky with blood so she wiped them dry against her pants. She leant forward through the bars to tug the dead weight forward. Going to her knees, she reached for his trousers. Shuddering at the sour, pissy smell, she poked hesitant fingers through his pockets, searching for a key. Damp with blood, the pockets revealed nothing but biscuit crumbs and a soiled hanky. His jacket proved just as empty.
“Damn it!” She turned from the bars to pace the room, knocking the bucket over in her rage. The piss and feces, splashing against the wall, angered her all the more. She returned to the corpse, kicking its chest, then sank to the mattress, frustrated tears forming in her eyes.
Thwarted, with nothing but a festering corpse for her trouble.
Then she noticed the strangely wrought symbol scrawled across the handkerchief. Wiping her eyes, she retrieved the cloth to examine the curious image. A three-pronged yellow squiggle twirling from a central spot, it was interesting, but couldn’t aid in her escape. Tucking it in her pocket anyway, it was now she noticed the object glinting upon the corpse.
Her last kick had disturbed his tattered shirt’s already distressed state. The top buttons dislodged, a sunken chest was revealed. And dangling from the string wrapped around his scrawny neck were two small, silver keys.
Keys! She reached over, grabbed the corpse’s shoulder, and tugged at the tiny pieces of metal. With a satisfying snap the string came loose, falling to the floor. Opening her hand, anxiously fingering the keys, she was eager to try them.
One, partially coated in rust, resembled a car key. The other, slightly larger, looked built for a lever arch lock. She whispered a small prayer and stood to examine the lock from her side. Well no time like the present. She reached round and hesitantly slipped the key into the hole.
The first turn proved fruitless, the key wedging halfway in the lock. After another try a cold trepidation filled her body. Trapped forever in the dingy cell, this fear saw her twisting harder. Rewarded by a click, the door slid outwards.
Freedom, finally! She retrieved her top from the mattress and squeezed through the gate, now wedged against the body blocking it. After stepping over the corpse she finally glimpsed the area surrounding her cell. Not surprisingly, there wasn’t much to see.
A wide corridor, its bland circular concrete formed one continuous wall trailing off from either side of the doorway. Underground? It certainly resembled a subway tunnel. And Newcastle did boast its own subway system. Perhaps this was some abandoned section? Regardless, to escape Rebecca needed to explore her new environment.
Taking the right-hand path seemed the most obvious choice. A dim light issued from that end of the tunnel. The route to her left drifted off towards ever-gathering darkness.
So assuming light equaled daylight, she stepped down the tunnel. The floor tiles, crusty with dirt, transformed her footsteps to bare whispers within the otherwise silent passageway. Away from her cell and the rank odors therein, the air grew dusty, old.
Rebecca hadn’t forgotten her other jailer. Poking the keys between her knuckles, she formed an impromptu weapon.
One blind man shouldn’t prove a problem, but still…
Four more gates appeared along her path, evenly spaced between the concrete. The first and those following stood slightly ajar. Feeling no urge to explore, the stench from each made her balk. Rotten, musky reptile smells, she passed each warily.
She was counting now on whatever lay at the end of the tunnel.
Fortunately, the next soul she encountered was the blind man.
The voice came first, however.
The tunnel ended at a t-junction, partially lit by an array of circular ceiling fluorescents. Only the right-hand side stood illuminated, revealing crumbling concrete walls and the grimy white tiles beneath her feet. From this direction low, mumbling words echoed through the air. And light, more light lay ahead.
She continued onward, the path taking an uphill slant as she walked.
The words grew louder, forming discernable yet gibberish sentences.
“Brand new sound, yes still survival.” The voice was rich, deeply resonant.
Bare yards from the tunnel’s termination, Rebecca slowed her steps.
“My swelled brain is candid,” it continued. “One time for your mind then live through this.”
The tiles continued after the tunnel ended, flooring a new, more spacious section. Square with a high ceiling, this new room bore walls of cream plaster, dirty with handprints and empty but for one lone soul.
“Around the noble god are borrowed things.”
If not for her recent mishaps, Rebecca would’ve laughed. The spectacle of the bearded blind man dressed in only his underpants and jumper made her smirk regardless.
“When the seed has sown flowers, whose is it?” he said, lifting something red from a bucket in his hand. Whatever it was, it appeared fleshy. Blood dripped from his hand as he tossed the grisly contents, the stuff falling sloppily towards a rectangular pit at his feet. Whatever lay within scratched and scuffled every time he threw the crimson offal.
“Die or fire the arrow of faith.”
Yeah whatever dude.
Beyond the blind man, beyond the pit, stood a green steel door. Above it hung an illuminated exit sign.
“There is no peace where you are going,” he droned. “Come on, don’t give up the pineapple.”
Her thoughts filled with escape, Rebecca scurried across the room. Nearing the blind man, she aimed a punched towards the small of his back.
“Leaking sound does not mean…” He lost his balance and stumbled towards the pit.
She continued without pause. Behind her his words became screeches as whatever he’d been feeding turned its attention to far livelier prey.
Rebecca pushed the door without looking back. She didn’t need to: the man’s wailing screams were satisfaction enough.
The door remained ajar behind her. It illuminated a shadowy stairwell, dark stone steps curling towards the surface world. She took them eagerly, two, three at a time as the screams beneath her terminating abruptly. A few turns later she reached the stairs termination. There, a concrete balcony led to a green fire escape door.
She stopped to catch her breath and stared in puzzlement, then horror at the squirming shapes blocking her path. Those little yellow horses… no, more like dogs, she realized, noting their paws.
“Ugh, no way.” What she’d thought were two animals, actually proved to be one. Bizarre even excluding their human faces, the creatures were joined at their waists. Demented Siamese twins shuffling in the dust, their legs waved limply, the hind ones scrabbling against each other. Their glazed eyes stared blindly, the double-headed thing hissing gobbets of foam towards the concrete.
Unable to turn away, the obscene spectacle hypnotized her. Only the sight and smell of it defecating released Rebecca from her funk.
What monster could perpetrate such horror?
She unfurled her ruined top and threw it across the ruined beast.
With careful movements she stepped around it, them. Avoiding the thing’s pawing legs she found herself precariously close to the balcony’s edge. A moment later and she was safe again.
She pocketed the keys and reached for the door. A sudden electric tingle passed through her and she shivered, brushing at her face.
Rebecca took the door’s center bar and pushed, revealing clear daylight beyond.
2. The Amber City (Slouching Towards Carcosa)
“What in the world?”
Instead of Newcastle, she was confronted by a beautiful vista of turrets and domes. A sepia tinted city, it reached far across the horizon, surrounding her in amber glory.
The door behind forgotten, she entered one of scores of twisting cobbled streets, lined with buildings hewn from plaster and wood. Doors and windows formed from delicate horseshoe arches, the place was beautiful, breathtaking even. The cloudless vanilla sky, the cobbles and flat slate roofs, everything glowed with an amorous amber tint. The air smelled of autumn mixed with cinnamon.
Tiny black stars speckled the sky. Golden blades of grass poked up between the cobbles. This city, this wonderful land, was a sharp contrast to the grimy world she had departed.
Rebecca suspected her new location. But dare she believe the unbelievable? The proof lay all about her.
Aiming to explore, she followed the winding street. Stepping across lanes populated by tiny copper scorpions, dancing and flirting in chitinous circles, she encountered huge strutting peacocks, nonchalant and dignified as they fanned their majestic sapphire plumes.
This is… I’m speechless.
Bridges spanned the roofs of many taller buildings, casting narrow shadows across her path. Upon one she spied her first inhabitants. Brown robed, hooded beings sporting white, many-eyed masks, they bowed elegantly above her, forming curious signs from their eight fingered, multi-jointed hands.
She smiled, walking as if in a dream.
Soon, the gently ascending street opened out upon a boulevard centered by a small circular fountain. Atop the fountain, three armless brass cherubs spewed water, the babbling liquid filling the stone basin below.
She thought to rest awhile and sat at the bowl’s edge, washing her blood-caked fingers within its soothing depths. Alongside square silver coins, tiny stone idols filled the basin’s bed, beautiful in their simplicity. She smiled. The figures rudimentary heads bore crowns, tiny yellow kings offered to the depths. A sudden movement, a shadow falling across her, surprised Rebecca from her reverie.
A robed denizen stood facing her, its hand holding a gold-jeweled lantern. Filled with water, miniscule glowing jellyfish swam inside.
Beneath white leather gloves she counted four fingers and a thumb.
“Ahem,” the figure said, his voice deep but gentle.
Placing the lamp against the fountain’s edge he unhooked the mask, lowering his hood.
“Young lady, I do believe you’re a little lost,” he said in a clipped, aristocratic accent. He paused before adding politely, “If you don’t mind my saying.”
The man looked in his early thirties. With the slim brown handlebar moustache and glossy center-parted hair, he appeared distinctly Victorian. He placed his mask beside the lamp and offered his hand. He took Rebecca’s still wet fingers as she continued staring, utterly dumbfounded.
After a gentle shake he continued in his charming English accent. “As soon as I heard there was a stranger wandering the city I knew I had to find you.”
Blood-spattered white trainers, equally grimy gray jogging bottoms, she sat topless but for a black bra. Rebecca looked down sheepishly before addressing the polite stranger.
“I suppose I do look a little conspicuous.”
He laughed. “Well no matter, we don’t judge entities on their appearances here.” She looked up to find him smiling. “By the way, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rupert, although when I arrived here I lived under the pseudonym ‘Agent Grandin’.”
“I’m Rebecca,” she replied. “Could you please tell me where the hell I am?”
He sat beside her and said, “Let’s make a deal. I’ll tell you everything you need to know, if you will answer me this one simple question.” He paused, his grin revealing white, perfectly formed teeth, “Have you found the Yellow Sign?”
“What?” she flustered. “I don’t know what you mean. What kind of sign?”
Unperturbed by her confusion he said, “Well I suppose it doesn’t really matter; you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have the sign.” He manipulated his fingers, creating the arcane symbol the others had used earlier. “And ‘here’ is, for your information, Carcosa.”
He took her hand. Raising Rebecca to her feet he indicated the world around them with an extravagant flourish of his arm.
“And the rest my dear, is the stuff dreams are made of!”
* * *
They walked together beneath the weirdly patterned sky, Rebecca’s new companion leading her through the fantastic city. To her astonished gaze, wonders were revealed she had only ever read hinted of in a long lost, fragmented story. Through twisting streets he guided her across open squares filled with flittering butterflies, their yellow-winged forms landing atop cages packed with animated corpses.
He said that he too once lived in the mundane world of man, until a wonderful book had transported him to this land of awesome wonders.
The King in Yellow.
His former masters, ‘The Yellow Cross,’ had used him to destroy copies of the play. One day however, his curiosity had gotten the better of him. Rupert then awoke to a world beyond all Earthly pains.
The Yellow Cross: Rebecca’s hunters, till her escape here.
Her story followed, of her reading a page and her visions of the King. The murders, her flight, ending with her imprisonment within Newcastle’s underground tunnels. To Rebecca’s surprise, her companion explained that her jailors were agents of the King, sent to guide her to this realm. Holding little concern over their deaths, he said a better life would blossom from their jaded human flesh. A description of the Carcosan dynasty followed, of Camilla and Cassilda and a hereditary disease made flesh. Their namesake lakes lay beyond the city, connecting Carcosa to Planet Earth and beyond.
* * *
Sitting before one such lake, Rebecca watched dreamy white clouds lapping against a shore of golden sand. Twin suns rose from behind the ethereal lake, their dull red corpulence transforming white to gentle rose. Seated beside Rupert on a bench of rusted iron, his jellyfish lamp glowed brightly between their legs.
Fires being forbidden in Carcosa, the luminous fish were used exclusively for illumination.
Black and white striped geckos circled the bench, some approaching Rebecca before timidly dashing away. Using the bones embedded in the beach, the little beasts had made bleached white castles, tiny monarchs of the dunes.
“I just wish,” she said, picking at a bloodstain on her shoe, “I’d had the opportunity to read the play fully before arriving here.”
Rupert turned, patting her arm. “Well they say the best way to understand a place is to immerse oneself in the culture.” Then, “You remember the palace I showed you, near the center of the city?”
Of course Rebecca remembered! She couldn’t easily forget such a magnificent piece of architecture. Hundreds of feet tall, huge octagonal turrets flanked each corner: legs for the lion’s head looming above the arched entranceway. Its mane formed from twisting stone serpents, their myriad eyes glowed with multicolored jellyfish lights. Cathedral-like in grandeur, it stood lined with ribbed, obsidian stone columns, pointed arches forming elegant windows across its four walls.
“The palace,” he continued. “There’s to be a masked ball there tonight, a ball with an impressive and quite familiar guest list.” He paused to contemplate her. “You dear, are not the least of them.” Retrieving the lamp, his quick movements sent curious lizards scattering in his wake. “We can do one better than have you read the play,” he added. “If you so desire, you can take part in the event itself.”
Rebecca looked up in surprise. She uncrossed her legs and turned to examine his face.
“Won’t it be dangerous? Wouldn’t it be better to watch from a distance?”
Rupert, sensing her trepidation, took her hand.
“Dangerous? Not with the parts we’re to play.” He squeezed her hand reassuringly. “For this is our reward for our service to the King!”
Rebecca had no ready reply, so just smiled.
“And my dear, in Carcosa, there is no time like the present.”
Rupert stood and replaced his mask. Again offering his hand, he led her back towards the city.
As they walked, Rebecca examined her partially clothed body with distaste. She wasn’t exactly dressed for the upcoming event.
Appearing to read her thoughts, Rupert regarded her attire before saying, “Trust me, after seeing the other costumes you’ll feel quite welcome. The bloodstains will fit in especially well.”
He fell silent, as did she upon reaching the city’s outskirts. Its roofs and domes stood crimson now, bloodstained red from the looming suns.
Hand in hand with her companion, Rebecca happily admired the busy streets. The inhabitants of Carcosa, lining their windows and doors with jellyfish lamps, waved at their passing, some tossing dandelions and gory eyeballs in their path. Compared to the world she had abandoned, this place was a beautiful dream come true.
“The dreamer awakes,” Rupert said, squeezing her hand.
Glynn Barrass lives in the North East of England and has written over a hundred short stories. Glynn has also edited anthologies for Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu fiction line and Dark Regions Press—Eldritch Chrome, Steampunk Cthulhu, Atomic Age Cthulhu, and World War Cthulhu—as well as writing material for Chaosium’s flagship roleplaying game.

domain: literature


OUARZAZATE, MOROCCO-Like the handful of other homes within the mud-walled village of Ait Benhaddou, Mohamed Kachir’s living room has two things: a vertical loom for weaving the colourful Berber carpets famous throughout Morocco and a portrait of Russell Crowe.
Kachir, 31, a part-time tour guide, was 15 when he first met the star, when Crowe and director Ridley Scott came to “the door of the desert” near Morocco’s High Atlas mountains in 1999 to films scenes for the Oscar-winning drama Gladiator.
“Russell Crowe was good,” recalls Kachir before pouring mint tea for visitors. Photo albums hold pictures from the Gladiator set, along with stills from other films shot at Ait Benhaddou, including Babel, Kingdom of Heaven and from Kachir’s last job as an extra, TV’s Game of Thrones.
Related story:5 things to do in Morocco
Morocco prides itself on its Mollywood nickname, earned over the past 50 years as its popularity as a filming location has grown.
No, the Humphrey Bogart-Ingrid Bergman classic Casablanca wasn’t filmed here. Warner Bros. California studios gets that credit, although there is a replica Rick’s Café about 430 kilometres away in Casablanca that is surprisingly good.
But plenty of other films have been made all over the North African country. The heart of Mollywood is the town of Ouarzazate, about 30 kilometres from Ait Benhaddou.
With its three film studios, more than 2,000 people living there are employed in the movie and TV industry, including 1,000 who work as extras, such as Kachir.
Ouarzazate is enthusiastic about its entertainment ties, with movie-themed public art in the middle of the town’s traffic roundabouts.
Guide Mohamed Saidi credits, “the natural traits and special light. They can’t find it elsewhere,” with bringing filmmakers to Morocco. Plus, it can look like anywhere from Afghanistan to ancient Egypt onscreen.
Romantic, historic Ait Benhaddou has unique charms. The UNESCO World Heritage Site sits on the former caravan route to Marrakech. It seems a product of fantasy, dotted with towers and ringed by brown-red mud walls rising in the middle of the rocky desert above date palms and a brilliant green oasis.
A ksar, it’s one of more than 1,000 fortified villages in Morocco and among the best preserved. Built in the 16th century, it’s joined to the “newer” town across the river by a pedestrian bridge. Stepping stones can also be used when the river is low and for a small tip, local kids will happily carry knapsacks and purses.
Ait Benhaddou has to be explored on foot — no cars are allowed —and while a guide is helpful and can ensure entrance to a local home to sip mint tea, eat homemade almond paste-filled cookies and hear from a family about how they live, there are posted maps to help independent travellers.
A short walk up the hill leads to the ksar, the narrow streets revealing a mosque, former synagogue and eight small kasbahs, or walled forts with towers. A few dollars buys a painting of the village done in saffron, tea, sugar and water that appears almost invisible at first, the image revealed as the artist passes it over a gas flame to a rising scent of crème brûlée.
It’s a place of narrow alleys with tiny shops, steep stairways, dark passages and a few homes, where doors are still secured by carved wooden lock boxes opened with cedar keys that look like an elephant’s toothbrush.
Kachir likes to quote Crowe’s Maximus from Gladiator: “What we do in life echoes in eternity.”
Not so for movie sets. Ait Benhaddou’s heritage status means the arena constructed for the key scene from Gladiator has come down. Yet Gladiator graffiti on a wall, movie stills on display, signs listing films made here and the locals’ memories of the times movie stars were in their village remain.
Hollywood came calling to this region with David Lean’s 1962 classic Lawrence of Arabia. A watch tower set still stands at the river at Ait Benhaddou, something any movie nerd will be thrilled to discover. It’s beside another fabricated set piece, a wide gate built for a dramatic air stunt scene in The Jewel of the Nile.
Much of the ksar had been restored for the 1977 TV mini-series Jesus of Nazareth. That preservation has continued, an investment that has paid off with increased tourist traffic, although the last thing shot here was an episode of Game of Thrones in 2012.
Abderrazzak Zitouny, director of the Ouarzazate Film Commission, says the variety of landscapes and well-trained crews (plus plenty of extras) draws filmmakers here.
Morocco is also a politically stable place to shoot authentic-looking scenes set in Middle East and central Asia for shows such as Homeland and films including Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation, while Ait Benhaddou has offered a splendid backdrop for movies such as Alexander and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
Ouarzazate has a movie museum and inexpensive tours of two of its three film studios, Atlas Studio Corp. and CLR, founded by Italy’s Cinecittà Studios and late director Dino De Laurentiis.
If you wanted to complete your Morocco experience by looking for some of the locals on the big screen, that has to wait until you get home. Ouarzazate’s only cinema has closed.
Linda Barnard is the Toronto Star’s former movie writer.
When you go
Get there: Air Canada (aircanada.com) and Royal Air Maroc (royalairmaroc.com) have direct flights from Montreal to Casablanca. In-country flights, buses, tours, a rental car or day-hire Grands Taxis can take you around Morocco from there.
Stay: Hotel Le Fint in Ouarzazate (finthotel.com) has an outdoor pool and generous breakfast buffet and is walking distance to Taourirt Kasbah.
Take a guided tour: I took a two-week organized tour around Morocco with Adventures Abroad (adventures-abroad.com), but there are plenty of day or overnight trips to Ait Benhaddou and Ouarzazate from Marrakech that include the spectacular Tizi N’Tichka pass in the High Atlas mountains.
Eat: Chez Dimitri (Avenue Mohamed V). Think of this lively bistro in a circa-1928 building as Ouarzazate’s version of New York staple Sardi’s. Movie posters from locally shot productions and autographed photos of stars who have dined here fill the walls. Good service and a menu that features tagines and moussaka. Alcohol is available.
Tips: English is spoken in large cities but most places you’ll need French or Arabic. Western toilets are common but you may only see squat versions on the road. Carry toilet paper or tissues and 1 dirham coin to pay the female washroom attendant.
Do your research: muchmorocco.com


text:
& Itching Formula
A supplemental source of nutrient specific ingredients to
provide support during times of seasonal allergies.
To provide support during times of allergies in dogs
Active Ingredients Per 5.0 grams - Quantity -
Nettle Leaf Powder -
Perilla Leaf Extract -
Vitamin E -
Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract,
Dried Aspergillus niger Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus subtilis
Fermentation Extract, Dried Whey and Silicon
Add to raw or home cooked diet as
directed. Provide access to fresh water at all times.
Puppies/Small Dogs (Under 20 lbs) -
1/2 scoop (2.5 g)
Medium Dogs (21-60 lbs) -
One scoop (5 g)
Large Dogs (61-100 lbs) -
1.5 Scoops (7.5 g)
Giant Dogs (over 100 lbs) -
2 scoops (10 g)
*5 g scoop enclosed
Store in a cool dry place
Keep out of reach of children.
For animal use only.
Close container well after each use
Net Contents: 160 grams (5.64 oz.) -
a One Month Supply for Medium Size Dog (21-60 Lb.)
This product has not been evaluated by the FDA or Health Canada.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.


Texas v. Azar Decision Hurts Millions of Americans, Attacks Affordable Health Care
Washington, DC – In response to the federal judge’s decision in the Texas v. Azar case today, Health Care for America Now Executive Director Margarida Jorge released the following statement:
“With midterm voters overwhelmingly citing health care as their number one issue, the GOP has yet another unequivocal sign that Americans have rejected its war on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). But instead of listening to American families across the country, Republican attorneys general have doubled down on their lawsuit and once again put health care for working families, veterans, people with disabilities, women, children and every single American living with a pre-existing condition at risk.
“President Trump has not only refused to defend the law of the land, he continues to do everything in his power to sabotage the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Now with Judge Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, we have a justice who supports the president’s efforts to undermine the law he’s supposed to implement and protect. This lawsuit could end protections for people living with pre-existing conditions and cause the 20 million Americans who gained health insurance through exchanges and Medicaid expansion when the ACA was implemented to see their benefits stolen and life-saving care denied or made unaffordable.
“Despite so many wins for health care this past election cycle, it’s clear that the fight for access to affordable care is long from over. With this lawsuit almost certain to reach the Supreme Court, we are once again reminded who will pay the price for the GOP’s partisan efforts to stack the court with conservatives who will put the insurance and prescription drug companies ahead of our healthcare: women, people with pre-existing conditions, older Americans and families.”
Health Care for America Now (HCAN) is the national grassroots coalition that ran a $60 million five-and-a-half year campaign from 2008-2013 to pass, protect, and promote the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and protect Medicare and Medicaid. HCAN has come back together to fight the Republicans’ all-out effort to take away America’s health care and put people at the mercy of the health insurance companies again.


text:
Faculty Biennial Forum Series: A. Rafael Johnson
A. Rafael Johnson (Liberal Arts)
Reading from his novel The Through (Jaded Ibis Press, 2017), finalist for the Minnesota Book Award, Auditorium 140
Johnson states: "What else is there to write about except love? Love glues almost all of my writing together. But I don't restrict myself to one particular flavor of love, the way we see in romance novels or fan fiction. I write about all sorts of love - parental, platonic, toxic, jealous, obsessive. I write about all the ways we avoid love, and the exquisite burden of loving another person. I also tend to write about how love can fracture the soul and heal fissures in the self. Each of the characters in The Through explores at least one form of love and like in real-life, they bear the consequences."
2501 Stevens Ave, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404
2501 stevens ave, minneapolis, 55404


text:
You’ll be turning heads in this gorgeous jumpsuit, the boobtube
feature is great excuse for you to wear one of our statement necklace
along with it! Style yourss with a pair of heels and a clutch bag to
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Approx length from centre back to hem: 119cm Inner Leg:
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domain: design


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1 A support material with low expansivity and high conductivity, called DG alloy, was prepared by powder metallurgy. The effects of sintering process on its properties and microstructure were studied.
2 Interface expansivity how much?
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5 In this paper, dealt with are the different effects of the superfine slag on the shrinkage and expansivity of the high strength concrete (HSC) and the shrinkage-compensating concrete.
6 On the assumption that the product of volume thermal expansivity and bulk modulus based on the thermodynamic approximation theory, a new equation is presented for volume thermal expansion coefficient.
7 For each test series the samples were maintained according to its own maintaining method and the loss rate of quantity or length expansivity was measured in defined period.
8 In this article, the method of producing the glass from the goldmine-tails has been studied, and the bending strength, chemical stability, density, thermal expansivity of the glass have been measured.
9 The practical value of knowledge resources possesses popularity , duality of exhaustiveness and non exhaustiveness, and expansivity.
10 For foundry sand from a famous domestic area, the curve of thermal expansivity with the temperature was described.
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Fecha: (8/16/2019 2:49:27 PM)
Lima, Perú. José Thompson, Executive Director of the IIHR and the Center for Electoral Promotion and Assistance, visited Peru on July 9-10, 2019 to participate in the International Seminar: Electoral Reform in Peru. He focused his remarks on electoral justice in the draft Electoral Code and the role of the National Jury of Elections (JNE) as guarantor of the political rights of the citizens of Peru.
The JNE organized the activity to analyze the proposals to reform the Electoral Code. Among the matters considered were those on internal democracy and party financing; political bullying with respect to women, under the direction of Line Barreiro, a member of the IIHR General Assembly; parity and political alternation between men and women candidates; the Mexican experience in electoral reform; the goals of these processes, and the importance of the Electoral Code and the proposed principles of renovation.


MobaZane Believes Wise's Playstyle Laid the Foundation for the Current Jungle Meta
BloodThirstyKings’ team captain Michael “MobaZane” Cosgun believes that Blacklist International’s star Jungler Danerie "Wise" James Del Rosario laid the foundation for the current meta. According to MobaZane, players have started playing a more objective-focused playstyle rather than the usual team fight-oriented gameplay. This playstyle was made popular by Wise when Blacklist International dominated the M3 World Championship. With the new Jungle Emblem meta, Wise’s playstyle serves as a big factor in how Junglers play their role. MobaZane also added that there is no other way to beat the meta at the moment and players will have to adjust if they want to win their matches.
Wise may have influenced the current meta
Wise’s playstyle was one of the most popular and most discussed playstyles in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) community. Before it became popular, Junglers were often more focused on securing skirmishes and ganks than objective security and gold farming.
With the massive shift in meta, Junglers are now required to focus more on objectives to maximize the Jungle Emblem’s capabilities. According to MobaZane “If you’re not adapting to the meta, you just lost already.”
The BTK captain compared the current Jungle meta to Wise’s playstyle. “I always knew he [Wise] had like a pretty good idea of how to play Jungle, I always knew it,” he stated.
MobaZane added that he saw Wise’s dominant playstyle firsthand during the M3 World Championship. Now, everyone is following the same playstyle as Wise. “I guess it was stronger than I thought.”, said MobaZane.
He added that right now, the meta is so effective that there is no way to counter it aside from just following the meta. “I’m sorry, but there’s no other way to go about it. That’s tank jungle, or Ling or Fanny.”
MobaZane admitted that he learned a valuable lesson while playing in the MLBB Philippines (PH) server. He stated “Sometimes, you just have to adapt to the meta… You just have to accept it, adapt.”
The meta has certainly shaped how both casual and pro players play MLBB. Even the super team ECHO fell hard when the meta suddenly shifted as they refused to adjust. Despite being dominant in the regular season of the MPL PH Season 9, ECHO had an early exit in the playoffs. According to its star jungler Karl "" Gabriel Nepomuceno the Jungle Emblem meta was not the team’s identity. It will be interesting to see how the meta evolves in future updates.


text:
Ripley County has successfully completed its renewal to be StormReady.
Ripley County has been StormReady since 2015 and the National Weather Service now requires renewal every four years. Only four counties in District 9 have this status.
Rich Corkhum, EMA Weather Liaison/Admin Assistant, was very instrumental in making this happen. Because of his work we have such a great working relationship with our partners at the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio.
Additional information on the StormReady program can be found at https://www.weather.gov/stormready/


Singer-songwriter Ryan Adams will release a new studio album Prisoner through Pax AM/Blue Note Records on February 17. Earlier this month, Adams shared the first single from his 16th studio LP, the track “Do You Still Love Me?” and today has issued “To Be Without You.”
Earlier, Adams unveiled a peek at the one of a kind 7-inch of “To Be Without You” recorded directly to vinyl in Electric Lady’s Voice-O-Graph booth via Instagram. Ryan recorded each of Prisoner’s 12 tracks direct-to-vinyl in the vintage booth, one of only four known models in existence. Look for the 12 singles well then be distributed at random into copies of the forthcoming Prisoner Mystery Box.
Listen to Ryan Adams’ second Prisoner single, “To Be Without You”:
Organizers of Suwanee Hulaween have revealed the initial massive list of artists set to join The String Cheese Incident at this year’s festival.
The Peach Music Festival expanded this year’s lineup with a tribute to Butch Trucks and Gregg Allman and much more.
Read a statement from the Tedeschi Trucks Band about the condition of multi-instrumentalist Kofi Burbridge.
Tuesday night’s Dead & Company show in Saratoga Springs, New York featured an inventive sequence for its second set.
Full details of Widespread Panic’s Panic En La Playa Siete have been revealed.
In September, Foo Fighters will issue their ninth studio album and will then embark on a lengthy U.S. tour.


The Santa Monica High boys basketball team is off to a fast start with eight wins in its first nine games, including a non-league 91-71 victory over Hart High Wednesday, December 17 in the Corsairs’ gym.
Coach James Hecht’s squad is ranked 13th in Southern California, a list that includes teams from both the L.A. City and CIF.
When Samohi begins Ocean League play in January it is expected to receive strong competition from Inglewood, which has an 8-3 record.
In other boys games involving Westside teams beginning December 15, Burbank defeated Palisades, 68-65 and New Roads absorbed losses to Santa Clara (66-13) and Lawndale (61-31).
In girls basketball, Samohi defeated Windward, 48-34 in the Beverly Hills Tournament.


Five days before the Beijing Marathon, the air pollution level in Beijing was rated "very unhealthy" by the US Embassy, and buildings in the distance appeared obscured by haze.
Nonetheless, about 30,000 runners are gathering in the city on Sunday to run the race starting in Tiananmen Square, snaking through the city and eventually reaching the Olympic village and crossing the finish line at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium.
Despite an awareness of pollution levels in Beijing, many runners are not worried enough to stop them from taking part, feeling the immediate and concrete benefits of running outweigh the abstract potential risk.
"If I referred to the [pollution] index every day, then there would be very few days that I would go outside to run," says Zhang Suhai, 44, who is running in Sunday's marathon for the first time. Nonetheless, Zhang says he does refer to the air pollution index using his mobile phone app, a habit shared by many local runners.
"I do care about the air quality and if the air pollution is serious, I will stay at home or jog with a mask or handkerchief."
Neil Fraser, a 25-year-old Englishman living in Beijing who takes part in weekly runs organized by the Beijing Hash House Harriers, says he personally has never had a problem with pollution here and doesn't wear a mask. But he adds, "The running community in general is very aware of pollution levels. They check their iPhone apps [for pollution] and some wear masks when it's particularly bad."
He says he has noticed that when pollution is bad, "Westerners tend to stay away from outdoor training and wear protection [face masks], but the Chinese don't seem to really mind and go on as usual."
Weighing the risks
Deciding whether running is too dangerous or not is tough, because there is very little concrete information or clear advice available. Running feels great, and the long term risk is tough to quantify.
During the course of Metro Beijing's research for this article, three doctors declined to voice their opinions "on the record" concerning the quality of air in Beijing and whether it was a potential risk for this year's marathoners.
When asked Monday whether it was safe to "exercise outside," the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center requested Metro Beijing fax our enquiries. It did not reply.
Even getting reliable data on air quality can be tough. Before this year, Beijing did not release air pollution data for the most dangerous particles, particulate matter in the atmosphere that measure less than 2.5 micron in diameter, abbreviated as PM2.5.
Because particles of dust and dirt this size are so tiny, they can penetrate the furthest corners of the lungs.
The main sources of PM 2.5 are automobile exhaust, chemical plants and roadway dust, according to Wang Qian, a monitor with the Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center. This, he said, is why when there is a lack of wind the particles fail to disperse and a buildup of thick smog is palpable.
When this article went to press, the official Beijing Municipal Environment Monitoring Center PM2.5 air quality index had a null reading.
A reading from the US Embassy's air quality index was 235, which indicates "very unhealthy." The website www.aqicn.info, which compiles official and US Embassy readings, had what it called a "moderately unhealthy" measurement of 214.
"The increasing density of PM 2.5 is closely linked with the increase of death rates caused by respiratory diseases," says Dr Sun Yongchang, a general practitioner at the Beijing Tongren Hospital. "It is also closely linked with the increasing number of patients who frequent our respiratory departments. This therefore proves that PM 2.5 can cause chronic respiratory diseases."
Seize the day
For 26-year-old Liu Yan, a copywriter from Shandong province who is running in this Sunday's marathon, the potential for respiratory problems later on in life is something she doesn't seem to be worried about. "I am concerned with the air quality in Beijing, and I have the app for PM 2.5 on my mobile phone. But the air won't get better [even] if I don't go running. Running makes me feel better and happier." Liu says she is looking forward to this year's marathon, having trained hard for the event.
Beijing resident Michael Royston, 27, said training for a marathon has been mostly "pleasant," but added that there were times when he would jog over a pedestrian bridge and think twice about the quality of air he was breathing in. He said that it was difficult to assess what the actual health risks were.
Jacqueline Wong, Singaporean living in Shanghai, decided running in this year's marathon was not worth it because of the health risks.
She says her aunt, who lives in Beijing, sharply told her, "Running in 5 degrees temperature with 214 [very unhealthy] air quality - I don't know what that is supposed to prove."
The organizers, she says, will "partially refund" the $40 entrance fee for the race.


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Forget the basics; this cute pup is way past sit and roll over - more like spin and dip! These two obviously worked very hard to put together this routine. Can you believe that dog memorized a dance routine that is almost two minutes long? Incredible!
If that inspires you to bond with your dog over some new tricks, you may want to start a bit smaller than a full-fledged dance routine. Dog Time has some simple recommendations, including Kiss, Play Dead, and Spin. They even have tips for standing on their hind legs, which you'll recognize from the video above!
The good news is that with enough patience and training, your dog can learn an essentially endless amount of tricks - only limited by your time and imagination!
If you also have a golden retriever, you probably already know the easiest thing to train them to do: retrieve! As suggested by Dog Reference, a good way to start with training them to fetch is to start with small distances. You can slowly increase over time until they're retrieving things from clear across the park that you never asked them to get in the first place. Don't say we didn't warn you.
We love this super creative doggy dance routine - have you taught your little furry friend any unique or interesting tricks? Tell us about it! And don't forget to show this amazing video with your friends.


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When I started thinking about sula ss20, it was actually early spring in 2019. the year when I got married. We started to plan our honeymoon and after a re-watch of Frida the movie, Mexico came top of our list.
After visiting the wonderful exhibition at the V&A making herself up about Frida Kahlo, I became interested in the square shapes and deceptively simple garments that were worn by Kahlo. It is interesting that the garments are made only of rectangles and squares of cloth, and I wanted to build the sula ss20 collection while experimenting with this concept. An example of how we used this idea is in our featured image is the Angel blouse in silk chiffon. It has hand worked smocking panels in bright colours. We made the same shape in khadi cotton without the embellishment.
Here is a link to an article about the Huipil blouse that is frequently still worn by women in Mexico and much of Central America. Frida Kahlo’s personal integrity and style has become an inspiration to women all over the world. Sadly we never made it to Mexico that year.
Below are some of the garments that were influenced by Kahlo.


Jim Fulton, the bombastic former NDP MP and long-time head of the David Suzuki Foundation, died Sunday after a battle with cancer.
Mr. Fulton, 57, was warmly remembered Sunday as a passionate advocate for the environment and first nations. His blunt and lively style was also celebrated.
"He was completely bombastic all the time, no matter what the issue was. He had one volume setting: loud," said Ian Gill, president of Ecotrust Canada. "Jim was un-Canadian. He wasn't quiet. He wasn't a big process guy. He wasn't 'let's make sure everyone's feeling good.' He did what he thought he was right."
Mr. Fulton was born in 1950 in Edmonton and was a parole officer. In 1979, he ran for the New Democratic Party and unseated a Liberal cabinet minister in Skeena in northwestern British Columbia. He was environment critic for about half of his 14 years in Parliament.
He once famously slapped a B.C. salmon on the House of Commons desk of then prime minister Brian Mulroney to attract attention to environmental issues.
Among Mr. Fulton's accomplishments as an MP was leading the push to preserve part of his beloved Queen Charlotte Islands as a national park.
He retired from politics in 1993 and became executive director of the Suzuki foundation, a Vancouver-based environmental advocacy group.
"He's a great man; he'll be deeply missed, around the world, not just in B.C. or Canada. He was a person of international reputation," Mr. Gill said.
Mr. Fulton was diagnosed as having colon cancer several years ago. In the face of disease, his spirit was undaunted.
"He told me, 'Gill, get your ass checked.' He became a one-man promoter of colonoscopy."


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Matthew Foxes It On Day 2
Matthew Fox of the UK: Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team won today’s FBD Insurance sponsored stage 2 after sprinting to victory from a much depleted peloton after 154.5km of racing.
Second over the line was Patrick O’Loughlin of Team Ireland followed by Matteo Cigala of Carlow: Dan-Morrissey. The general classification remains unchanged as Conor McGoldrick of UK: Trek Richardson continues to wear the Bective Stud yellow jersey leading by 4 seconds over Dan Gardener of UK: Embark Spirit followed by Joseph Laverick of the Derry: Foyle CC team in third. McGoldrick also continues to lead the Cycling Ireland KoH classification, while the City Break Apartments points classification is now led by Dan Gardener following his placing today. Matteo Cigala of Carlow: Dan Morrissey was first county rider home today and winner of the Festina County Rider award. Conn McDunphy of Cycling Leinster
continues to wear the Sport Ireland county rider jersey following his placing today. Aaron Wade of Team Ireland also continues to lead the Spin 11 U23 classification


Decorating101 - easy decorate cake, , How to choose & use decorating bags: how to choose & use decorating tips: plastic or parchment? reuse or decorate and dispose? each bag has its own unique appeal.. Old house web: deal exposed tree roots , To understand what to do about exposed tree roots in your yard, you first need to properly understand why it's happening. the problem isn't that the roots are. How boiler replace , If your boiler is more than 20 years old you could save money by replacing it with a condensing boiler, according to one expert.. Repairing radiators - install repair heating, In a steam system, steam quickly heats the radiator when the boiler fires. in a hot water system, heated water continually circulates through the radiators.. Copper fireplace | ebay - electronics, cars, fashion, This is a 1930's atlantic cooper boiler, wooden handles 2 feet long 13" deep and wide. james.. How build "pop-pop" "putt-putt" steam engine boat, See also. how to remove a nitro engine from a remote control vehicle how to make a steamboat with copper, a candle, & a bottle.


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Saturday, July 18, 2015
Day 19: Theme- Animals
Today's creative challenge theme is animals and it's in honor of one of my favorite contemporary cartoonists Matthew Diffee. Matt's a terrific artist with a great sense of humor so today create some incredible, fun art works based on animals!
I also really recommend checking out Matt's work and joining his mailing list because if you do he'll send you out a free doodle like the one above. I have two in my home because I forced family members to join, I'm that dedicated. Matt also has a great new book out titled which features the drawing above along with many of his classics from the New Yorker magazine. There's also a terrific Moth story that Matt shared which was recently aired on the Moth podcast (by the way also check out the Moth- they are terrific, I recently attended and told a story myself in New York City) check it out below!

domain: hobby


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(as of Oct 19,2020 02:50:36 UTC – Details)
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domain: health


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The sinister business of election funding
The State Bank of India has flung open a 20-day window from where an individual, acting singly or in concert with others, can buy electoral bonds and funnel cash to political parties. Purchasers of these bonds have been assured anonymity, thereby creating opacity in what ought to have been a transparent process. These bonds can only be purchased from designated SBI offices that opened the window from April 1 to 20. They will do so, once again, for a shorter 10-day period between May 6 and 15. Data gathered in response to an RTI query reveal that there has been a 62 per cent jump in donations routed through electoral bonds this year.
The protests over the poll funding reforms introduced through the Finance Act of 2017 continue to rage even as the Election Commission has filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court in which it has expressed serious reservations about the new system. The EC’s affidavit has acknowledged that the introduction of electoral bonds, which mask identities at both ends of the transaction, and the decision to remove the cap on corporate funding seriously undermine the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 that make it mandatory to report donations to political parties. Until the 2017 amendment, companies could not make political contributions amounting to more than 7.5 per cent of their average net profits in the preceding three years. That cap has now gone.
The EC has also drawn attention to an even more sinister element. The amendment in the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act made in Budget 2018 — it absolved political parties of violations relating to overseas donations they had received in the past dating all the way back to August 5, 1976 when the act came into force — creates a situation where multinational corporations can donate money to political parties just ahead of the elections and expect to influence policy decisions and cut sweetheart deals later. The EC has warned that this could precipitate a situation where unscrupulous people could create shell companies with the sole purpose of donating funds to political parties, a prospect that makes a mockery of the Narendra Modi government’s tall claims of wiping out black money and corruption. The case filed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Association of Democratic Reforms, a non-governmental organization, has reached the apex court too late for it to have any impact on the elections. The EC has also stopped short by refusing to take any side in the current case. It will be interesting to see whether the leading companies donate funds through the electoral trusts they formed in 2014 or use other Byzantine routes.

domain: economics


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After 19 games, the team is 15-4 overall and 9-1 in the region.
“We knew we would be better than last year with the adjustments we made over the summer and the personnel. They’ve worked so hard and have finally bought into the system. They’ve finally gotten a sense of how it feels to be winners,” said head coach Larell Lewis.
The team’s scoring leaders are currently 5-foot-10 junior power forward Keshia Shy and 6-foot-1 senior center Jenny Vernet. Shy and Vernet both average 20 points a night.
Defensively, the team is led by 5-foot-3 senior shooting guard Tiara Lovejoy and 5-foot-2 junior shooting guard Leslie Whiddon. Both Lovejoy and Whiddon average five steals a night.
With this new feeling of winning, Lewis said her girls are working harder and harder every game to keep it going.
As well as the team has performed, Lewis said the team could still be doing better in some areas if they wish to reach their full potential.
“Things like starting intense, finishing strong and hustling after every loose ball — I tell them you have to leave everything on the court. They turned it up to 110 percent but we need 150 now with these last couple games,” said Lewis.
Prior to playing East Paulding on Jan. 22, Lewis said the game against the Raiders would be big for her team because it would give them a sense of how they will play in the postseason.
Wanting to be contenders in the region and state tournaments, Lewis hopes her team will finish the regular season out with wins.
“These last few games can go either way. It just depends on how we play and what we do,” Lewis said.
Lewis said in order for her team to be successful through the end of the season and in the postseason they have to keep playing hard, keep progressing and stay healthy.


According to him, leaked sex videos involving ordinary people is more appealing than that of adult movie actors.
He made this fascinating revelation during an interview with Nkonkonsa.
When asked if he enjoys watching porn, he admitted to watching but not too frequently. He, however, indicated that he likes sex videos involving ordinary people because the voyeurism of leaked sex videos is exciting.
“I don’t like porno too much,” he told Nkonkonsa. “There’s something a little exciting about the voyeurism of sextape involving ordinary people – not porn actors. That was what I like to watch.”
He continued that there’s nothing interesting about leaked sex videos anymore because they are more like professional adult movies or amateur adult movies.
He jokingly said it will only exciting if it involves popular faces like John Dumelo, Jackie Appiah and other stars.
“Sextapes have now become the same way (compared to professional pornography) so there’s nothing interesting about it. Unless it involves celebrities like John Dumelo and Jackie Appiah.”
Ameyaw Debrah added that Rashida Black Beauty’s popular leaked tape is so far the most appalling of all.
“Rashida Black Beauty’s sextape is the most appalling so far,” he concluded.
Watch Ameyaw Debrah speak about sextapes and porn below.