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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47051 | Wait, what?
Pale Blue Dot
1. Happy Birthday, Carl Sagan! We Are Sorry You (Inexplicably) Didn’t Get A Google Doodle
Today is Carl Sagan's birthday, which, if there were any justice in the world, would be celebrated in the fashion we've become accustomed to for nerds of note -- with a Google Doodle commemorating the day that one of the world's best and brightest science celebrities was expelled from the womb. As there is clearly no justice in the world, though, Sagan's birthday was overlooked by Google's legions of doodlers, who were no doubt exhausted by celebrating Bram Stoker's big 165 yesterday. I don't think we need to tell you why this is clearly unacceptable.
Read More
2. Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot, Animated [Video]
As a final thesis for an illustration class at Sheridan College, Adam Winnik animated an excerpt from Carl Sagan's book Pale Blue Dot, bringing visuals to what he thinks of as "scientific poetry."
(via Ehdubya)
Read More
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Monday June 2, 2008
Spinning spells: Determining the symptoms of dizziness
A dizzy attack may be accompanied by other symptoms such as blurred vision, disorientation, nausea, fatigue and weakness.
ONE minute, Kim was laughing with some friends over lunch in a crowded restaurant. The next minute she fell quiet, her head bowed, eyes closed, hands holding her temple.
When asked what was wrong, she took a while to respond: her head was spinning. The episode lasted about one minute, after which Kim felt fine, albeit a little shaken.
Kim, 34, just had a bout of vertigo, a sensation that the room or surrounding is spinning or moving.
Dr Kuljit Singh: ‘(The biggest misconception about the condition is) most people are afraid they have a terrible (disease) like cancer.’
Vertigo is a form of dizziness, a problem common among women.
According to Ear, Nose and Throat Society of Malaysia president elect Dr Kuljit Singh, more women seem to suffer from dizziness than men, judging by the number of women patients at the clinics where he practises.
“There is no specific scientific evidence for this but perhaps women’s vestibular system (body balance system of the inner ear) may be more sensitive,” said Dr Kuljit Singh.
By definition, dizziness refers to physical unsteadiness, imbalance or light-headedness. It is more a symptom rather than a disease. Besides loss of balance, other symptoms that accompany dizziness are blurred vision (when one turns the head quickly), disorientation, nausea, fatigue and weakness.
Although not as painful as headaches or migraines, the condition can temporarily paralyse one’s movement, especially if the victim cannot walk or even stand up. If an episode strikes while one is walking down the stairs, it could be dangerous.
Fortunately, people who are driving rarely feel dizzy or have vertigo.
“Usually a driver’s vision is concentrated on the road and therefore, provides sufficient information to the brain. This almost never causes any kind of vertigo, unless there is a serious disease like brain tumour,” said Dr Kuljit Singh.
Generally, a dizzy spell disappears on its own but there are people who suffer from it on a persistent, long-term basis, which can curb their quality of life.
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (one of the United States’ National Institutes of Health), more than 40% of Americans will experience dizziness that needs medical attention.
However, dizziness is rarely a life-threatening condition, although it can be a symptom of other health problems.
Spinning until you are dizzy may be great fun if you are a kid.
“(The biggest misconception about the condition is) most people are afraid they have a terrible (disease or condition) like cancer. In most cases it is just a temporary condition, but it needs to be investigated,” he said.
Many women also attribute menstruation to their dizzy spells.
“In normal circumstances, menstruation should not lower haemoglobin levels until it leads to dizziness. If it does, then treatment is needed to control the heavy flow or there is some other problem,” said Dr Kuljit Singh.
Unravelling the reasons
Balance in sitting, standing and walking depends on information the brain receives from our eyes, nervous system and inner ears. Good balance requires at least two of these sensory systems to work well.
Our cerebellum or the back portion of the brain also modifies these inputs, and disturbances to this part of the body can lead to dizziness.
Dehydration, certain medication, disorders of blood circulation affecting the inner ear or brain, and ageing can cause dizziness.
Other possible causes are eye and heart problems, high blood cholesterol levels, diabetes, anaemia, neurological problems such as multiple sclerosis, migraine and tumours, inner ear diseases and inner ear infections.
If a dizzy spell strikes while one is walking down the stairs, it could be dangerous.
Dizziness caused by inner ear diseases usually comes with hearing symptoms such as hearing loss or tinnitus (noise in the ear). Patients who suffer from this kind of dizziness often experience vertigo.
Inner ear infections are also called labyrinthitis, usually caused by viral infections. Bacterial labyrinthitis is rare but can give rise to severe complications such as meningitis.
Sometimes, infection of the middle ear produces toxins that attack the inner ear, causing dizzy spells. Persistent discharge from the ear and dizziness may be signs of chronic middle ear infections that require medical attention.
Meniere’s disease, characterised by vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss and pressure sensation inside the ear, is another cause of dizziness.
This form of giddiness attack can last from 20 minutes to four hours, at times accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
The US National Institutes of Health estimates that more than half a million people in the country have Meniere’s disease, with over 38,000 people diagnosed each year.
Vertigo is the most common type of dizziness. There are various forms of vertigo, the most widespread being benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).
BPPV is a condition characterised by short but severe attacks of dizziness when one turns her head in a particular position, especially when lying down in bed.
It usually lasts only a few seconds but may be intense enough to cause nausea and vomiting. This condition occurs when normal calcium carbonate crystals break loose and fall into the wrong part of the inner ear canals.
The moving of these particles stimulates sensors in our ear, resulting in the feeling of imbalance. However, BPPV can be cured by a series of head-turning manoeuvres, called Epley’s manoeuvre, that help to move the particles back to its original position.
Anxiety, which leads to hyperventilation, may also cause someone to feel dizzy.
Seek medical advice immediately if your dizziness or vertigo is accompanied by any one of these other symptoms - blurred vision, a different kind of, or severe, headache, speech impairment, loss of hearing, weakness in the leg or arm, falling or difficulty walking, numbness or tingling, loss of consciousness, chest pain, or quick or slow heart beats.
For more information, go to:
• emedicinehealth.com/vertigo/articleem.htm
• nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dizzinessandvertigo.html
• neurologychannel.com/vertigo
• mayoclinic.com
• vestibular.org
Dispelling dizziness
BELOW are general tips for people with balance disorders:
• Change your position slowly, especially when going from a lying down or sitting position to a standing position. When you get out of bed, sit on the side of the bed for several minutes to gain your orientation and allow your circulatory system to adjust.
• When walking, focus on distant objects. Do not look down at your feet. Avoid walking in dark areas or on unstable ground.
• When riding in a car, try to sit in the front seat. Look out the window at a fixed point. When going around curves, look at a distant object beyond the curve.
• Maximise the function of other sensory systems, such as hearing and sight. Investigate the need for new glasses or hearing aids.
• Use a cane, walking stick, or walker for support and to give additional pressure and touch orientation.
• If you are having dizzy attacks, do not drive or operate machinery until your doctor says it is safe to do so. Avoid climbing ladders or other situations that may be dangerous should you suddenly feel dizzy.
• Be especially cautious when using medications that may cause balance problems as a side effect.
• Source: MedicineNet.com
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47091 | Conversation Between kr1963 and Schlottke
2 Visitor Messages
1. Hey jake where is the Google adsense link? I cant find it anymore. Are you still doing that? I ready to do it!
2. I have made you a moderator for the college forum. If you have any questions, let me know. No need to feel like you NEED to do anything, but with your effort all season to help out I figured I'd extend the invite.
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47172 | View Single Post
Old November 12 2012, 04:43 PM #19
Rear Admiral
Location: Burlington, VT, USA
Re: The Genesis Sunrise
With respect to #1, how do we know how flexible the Genesis technology was? We know what it was "designed" to do, but any computer programmer will tell you that just because something's designed to behave a certain way doesn't mean that you'll get the expected results. I'll grant your point that they'd apparently hit some sort of limitation, but perhaps they hit that limitation precisely because they were trying to keep Genesis adaptable.
With regards to point #3, as there've been at least two theories for why the Genesis planet failed (protomatter, the target being a nebula rather than an existing planet), and, as you pointed out, Spock continued to survive, perhaps the failure point would impact a planet but not a star.
DonIago is offline Reply With Quote |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47182 | View Single Post
Old April 27 2013, 03:44 AM #36
Fleet Captain
Re: Lost as an one-season miniseries
Samuel Walters wrote: View Post
Then I'd say you were watching it for the wrong reason weren't alone, mind you. And you, like many others, were encouraged to do so. So I don't blame you for feeling let down. But right from the start, what sold me on LOST were its character explorations. They heavy investment in character from the early episodes kept me interested even when the series was inexplicably lurching from one plot twist to the next. As such, I enjoyed the tail-section seasons, most of the side quests and, especially, the finale. That isn't to say I wasn't interested in the mysteries, or that I was completely satisfied with the answers provided. But all that was secondary to my enjoyment of the series. So when it comes to other LOST-esque shows, I'd say: watch the first few episodes and see if the characters grab you. If they do, then there's still value to the show - even if the plot isn't fully satisfying.
the characters were alright but they became increasingly just plot devices, exposition providers and action figures. Plot became primary. But even if I focus on the character portion of the show I really wasn't that impressed,,,Kate had to have been one of the most annoying characters, the stupid love triangle that just dragged on, I wasn't a big fan of desmond and pennys romance.
a lot of characters were introduced but they were plot devices,,,Ana Lucia, Cindy, widmore, the red headed scientist, Jeff faheys pilot character, Jacob, mib, Hurley was annoying. Even in season one the way the show explored the characters felt more academic than a natural exploration.
really the mysteries for me were the most intriguing aspect of the show. And if the writers didn't want to burden the show then they didn't need to introduce a huge mythology. Shows got by without them for decades relying instead on leaner parallel standalone season long arcs that could easily be followed and understood without one hour recap specials two or three times a year or a Wikipedia.
lost was an interesting experiment but one in hindsight was a misfire. I have pretty much come to the realization that modern storytelling isn't my thing. I just don't like the format. Shows these days just can't balance things like other writers could in the past. Nowadays things are too fast paced and plotladen or they are too slow and their approach comes across as too pretentious going out of their way to create unlikeable characters. And shows are poorly edited requiring podcasts to explain things, scenes are too brief to allow for onscreen dramatization that used to be onscreen not leaving fans to fill in the blanks, casts are too large, seasons are too uneven,,an all around lack of not only consistency in quality within a seadon but even within a given episode causing them to be a mixed bag. And the shows have to cover so much ground servicing so many plotlines and characters they don't even give you a chance to anticipate the next move or appreciate or digest a scene or an action sequence. Angst and love triangles/quadrangles seem to be all the rage. Yawn. Producers ferl like they have to kill off characters each season as some sort of backlash against the dsys when character deaths were few. the problem is the character deaths usually happen to characters nobody cares about ir with so little fanfare that it doesn't generate any shock or emotional resonance. I didn't use to have to settle on strong characters but weak plotting or week casts and decent storytelling. I got both. That's why I pretty much only watch pre 2000 tv shoes and films and music.
Last edited by degra; April 27 2013 at 04:08 AM.
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47236 | Brittany Snow Brittany Snow
It might be East meets West, CW style.
As if exploring Lily van der Woodsen's roots via a Gossip Girl spin-off wasn't enough, Josh Schwartz may revisit an old TV family tree for his new pilot — namely, he might shake the branches of his previous teen drama, The O.C.
Schwartz and co-creator Stephanie Savage are "toying with the idea" of having young Lily (to be played by American Dreams girl Brittany Snow) interact with teen versions of The O.C.'s Kirsten Nichol and Jimmy Cooper, reports. That's right. Serena and Marisa may on one time have had (bitchy little) play dates with each other.
Nothing is official yet and Lily is still at the pilot stage, but what do you think of this idea? Is it too far-fetched, or bicoastal genius? And more importantly, who would you cast as young versions of The O.C.'s elders? |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47255 |
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The Apache HTTP Server Project is an effort to develop and maintain an open-source HTTP server for modern operating systems including UNIX and Windows NT. The goal of this project is to provide a secure, efficient and extensible server that provides HTTP services in sync with the current HTTP standards.Apache v2 is the next generation of the omnipresent Apache web server. This version -- a total rewrite -- introduces many new improvements, such as threading, a new API, IPv6 support, request/response filtering, and more.
Install Apache2 in Ubuntu
sudo aptitude install apache2
This will complete the installation.
After installation Type the server’s IP address (or alias if you added the server to your /etc/hosts file) in your browser’s address bar or, if you are browsing on the server itself, type or localhost. If an error occurs, then you will have to edit the apache2.conf file to ensure that Apache can fully resolve the server’s name.If you have any problem then you have to edit the apache2 configuration file using the following command
sudo nano /etc/apache2/apache2.conf
Add the following line somewhere
ServerName localhost
ServerName yourserverip
Save and exit the file
Now you need to restart Apache server using the following command.
sudo apache2ctl restart
Change default document root in Apache2
The main configuration file located at /etc/apache2/apche2.conf.If you want to change the default document root you need to edit the /etc/apache2/sites-available/default file and look for this line “DocumentRoot /var/www/” here you can change where ever you want to change.For example if you want to change /home/www the above line looks like this “DocumentRoot /home/www/”.
Save and exit the file
Now you need to restart Apache server using the following command.
sudo apache2ctl restart
Enable PHP support for apache2 webserver
If you want to enable php5 or php4 support to your apache webserver use the following commands to install require packages
For PHP5
sudo aptitiude install php5 libapache2-mod-php5
For PHP4
sudo aptitiude install php4 libapache2-mod-php4
You also make sure the php5 and php4 modules are enabled using the following commands
sudo a2enmod php5
sudo a2enmod php4
After installing php support you need to restart apache webserver using the following command
sudo apache2ctl restart
Test your PHP Support foe apache webserver
To check the status of your PHP installation
sudo nano /var/www/testphp.php
and insert the following line
<?php phpinfo(); ?>
Save and exit the file
Now open web browser at http://yourserveripaddress/testphp.php and check.
Enable CGI and perl support for apache2 server
You need to install the following package
sudo aptitude install libapache2-mod-perl2
Configure a cgi-bin directory
You need to create a cgi-bin directory using the following command
sudo mkdir /home/www/cgi-bin
Configuring Apache to allow CGI program execution is pretty easy. Create a directory to be used for CGI programs and add the following to the site configuration file (again between the <VirtualHost> tags).
ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ /home/www/cgi-bin/
<Directory /home/www/cgi-bin/>
Options ExecCGI
AddHandler cgi-script cgi pl
The first line creates an alias that points to the directory in which CGI scripts are stored. The final line tells Apache that only files that end with the *.cgi and *.pl extensions should be considered CGI programs and executed.
Test your Perl Program
cd /home/www/cgi-bin
sudo nano
Copy and paste the following section save and exit the file.
#!/usr/bin/perl -w
print "Hello there!<br />\nJust testing .<br />\n";
print $i."<br />";
make sure you change permissions on it
sudo chmod a+x
Now open your web browser open http://yourserverip/cgi-bin/ should be working.
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44 thoughts on “How to Install Apache2 webserver with PHP,CGI and Perl Support in Ubuntu Server
1. Hi.
I see that makin programs for cgi-bin eather is a php script with .php extention og perl with .pl
Is it possible to make programs without any exstention?
…. if …. howto?
2. Where is site configuration file….???
bsv Reply:
gksudo gedit /etc/apache2/sites-available/default
to edit the file.
3. On Ubuntu 12.04, it wasn’t working for no apparent reason. Everything seemed set up correctly. So I ran:
aptitude reinstall libapache2-mod-php5 php5-common
/etc/init.d/apache2 restart
And now it works.
4. Hey i was trying the same on myserver IP ,
when i tried to install
sudo pt-get install libapache2-mod-perl2
it show error message :Unable to locate package libapache2-mod-perl2
please suggest
lokendra Reply:
it is :
sudo apt-get install libapache2-mod-perl2
5. This is for the Perl CGI PL
I did everything exactly what the article said, but when i execute it at localhost/cgi-bin/ firefox starts to prompt with a download box. It is not executing it but it is downloading. Why is it downloading, i already restarted my PC, configured my apache2.conf @ /etc/apache2/, Why firefox is downloading it? Please respond Thanks.
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47281 | 1 definition by Shaft Inspector !!!
Top Definition
It is a Parasitic Worm that, while you sleep, crawls up your shaft and slowly nibbles away at your prostate. Causing anal discomfort and extremely violent discharges, fluorescent in colour, and after a long time harbouring this parasite your testicles will distort and retract into your body. Then You Die
John : I woke up last night and my arse felt sore
Jack : Stay away from me, your home to The Deadly Shaft Worm now
by Shaft Inspector !!! February 06, 2011
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47284 | 2 definitions by beachyblondy
Top Definition
2. Totally cool, Flinchen
1. Ha! Ha! That guy taotally made you flinch
2. Dude, your shirt is totally flinchen
by beachyblondy January 09, 2007
1. A vehicle used by fire people
2.Term used when telling a blonde joke.
There was a fire and a blonde called the fire dept. The Fire Department asked how to get to her house. She replied, "DUH! Big Red Truck!"
by beachyblondy January 09, 2007
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47289 | 19 definitions by shooter
Top Definition
A derogatory name for blacks, which only members of that race may use without getting the shit beaten out of them. The only curse would that is allowed to be heard on channels such as Comedy Central, as long as it's used by a brother
Look at the nigger o'er there, building ma house. *puts on white hood*. Lets get 'im Jeb.
by shooter August 03, 2005
synonymous to a really really hot asian chick.
DUDE! Check out that mai.
by shooter January 21, 2005
one who practices the world's oldest monotheistic religion
Jesus was a Jew, douche
by shooter August 03, 2005
"Time For Prints". Photography expression meaning the model will get prints of the shots for their time spent modelling.
This is not a paid shoot. It's TFP.
by Shooter August 26, 2004
(v.) the sensless murder of a humorous statement
to take a joke too far
4th grade
Teacher: And the cow jumped over the moon.
1st person: (To Friends)The cow jumped over her fat ass (laughs)
2nd person: Yeah, and the cow jumped over her fat legs too!
Bystander: man you really greifed that one
by shooter June 03, 2004
the vehicle of choice for cubans attempting to enter the united states illegally through Florida.
cuban chicks must be fugly! Thats the 160309540808e-2 raft i have seen this week!
by shooter August 03, 2005
present tense of greif
Stay away from that dude. He greifs jokes all the time
by shooter June 03, 2004
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47290 | Shebang - A comment in shell scripting
#! bin/kse
by Freezy February 01, 2003
1 more definition
Top Definition
The "shebang" syntax is the number sign followed by an exclaimation point and is embedded in most UNIX scripting languages to tell the computer what interpreter to use to run the script when the script is executed. This goes on the first line of your script, followed by the path to the program that will run, or interpret, you script, followed by a space and any other options you want to pass to the interpreter, finished by a carriage return. Nothing else can go on this line as seen in the Perl script below:
#!/bin/perl -w
# My first "Hello World!" script in Perl
print "Hello World!\n";
#!/bin/perl <-- Tells a computer to use the perl executable to run the script to follow.
#!/bin/ksh <-- Tells a computer to use the UNIX ksh (k shell) to run the script to follow.
... and so on...
by MikeStan April 27, 2007
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47293 | Top Definition
To excrete wind, or fart.
In extreme cases, to go for a dump / soil one's self.
Taken from Lethal Weapon:
Murtaugh: "Come on, man, come on!"
Riggs: "I dunno, what one should I cut"
Murtaugh: "I don't know! Cut the brown wire!"
Riggs: "OK, here goes......"
Riggs: *parp*
by Cold Boy November 15, 2007
5 Words related to Cut the brown wire
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47294 | Top Definition
The act of inceptioning one's sober self with bad/awesome ideas, only to have them come to fruition once drunk.
Bobby thought about jumping off a roof into a pool while he was sober. He knew it was a bad idea, until he got drunk. Bobby drunkceptioned himself.
by Yololigan February 17, 2013
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47297 | Top Definition
plural: foufayez. this word is originally a word used by Lebanese Arabs, it is pronounced FOO like FOOL FAY like gay EH like the E in Education, it means:
1)chicken, pussy, someone with no balls.
2)gay, fag, a man that walks like a woman, dresses like a woman or just gay (stretch pants and shirts) acts like a woman, basically a gay person.
man seriously your such a foufayeh, nothing is gonna happen.
Any foufayehz here? ok good let's roll then
haha look at what this foufayeh is wearin, hes so GAY.
fuk man he is such a foufayeh i swear just look at him
by BEIRUTdhahran92 January 06, 2008
6 Words related to Foufayeh
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47298 | Top Definition
An anonymous team at a regatta; any team whose name is unknown can be referred to as "Goosetown".
"I hope that yellow boat wins. What school are they?" "I don't know... Go Goosetown!"
by Python November 02, 2005
5 Words related to Goosetown
Free Daily Email
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47300 | Top Definition
The best game for the iPod Touch/iPhone. It has a really awesome theme song.
"Hey, I'm looking for some cool apps for my new iTouch. Any suggestions?"
"Yeah. Grapes on a plate!"
by me597 April 17, 2010
Free Daily Email
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47302 | Top Definition
(Chat Expression) An acronym for 'Life's A Bitch and Then You Die'
Jen: Can you believe it? He only gave me a 3% raise!
Adam: Yeah, yeah, LABATYD.
by Valda Tichenor July 10, 2006
7 Words related to LABATYD
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47303 | Top Definition
Largonistic comes from the word "Largo", which is a musical term to describe the tempo and mood of the music. Largo is slow and romantic and dreamy. So when somebody is Largonistic, it means their head is in the clouds.
P1: I'm in love...and we're going to get married on the beach...
P2: You just met this guy. You're so largonistic!
by Cellalola July 30, 2011
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47306 | Top Definition
In finance, a Polish Straddle is an investment strategy involving the purchase/sale of particular option derivatives and/or shares that completely cancel each other out.
W: I'm long 500 shares of BAC at $7 and short 5 call options with a strike price of $7.
A: So you're net long 0 shares.
W: ... ... ... Doh!
A: Ahh the Polish Straddle strikes again!
by The Polish Straddler August 25, 2011
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47310 | A horny bastard who lives only for sex. He does not care for anyone but himself and does not like other people butting into his business no matter how much he butts into theirs. a great romantic at times but as soon as he gets what he wants the romance is gone
Girl 1: hey did you see that guy? he's hot!
Girl 2: I wouldn't go near him. that's scott.
Girl 1: Oh, thanks for the warning!
by fuckedover August 28, 2008
Dear Scott,
To start things off, I have NO clue what I did to make you pissed off at me. Do I really cause drama??? I don't think so!!! |-(. Wanna know what I DO think? I think you're a duche bag with a CAPITAL D. You're a 2 face jerk that doesn't know how to act with ANYBODY. Mostly girls. What's with you leading me on then telling me I can't talk to you anymore?! HMMM??!!(think)!?! WTF?!(what the fairy)
Yea, I'm kind of glad you told me not to talk to you because THEN I'd just be getting more SUCKED into your little games.
Wanna know what else? I always thought you were NEVER as attractive as that other boy (I ALWAYS liked him better than you. Low life). Yeah, sure I liked the sweet nothings you texted me late at night, but your butt face will NEVER be as hot as the other boys. OR AS NICE AS HIM.
Be jealous
PS. I would cuss you out if I wanted. But then you'd proabbly send out some CRAZED rumor and make eveybody turn on me. I do not hate you, I am just very hurt by your actions. As friends, I don't understand WHY you told me, "I think we should take a break from talking to eachother...forever." That hurt. I thought we were friends. I guess not. See you around.
~Gloria Banker
butt face, meanie butt, ugly, douche bag, scott, fake.
by Gloria Banker November 05, 2010
An asshole you thinks he knows everything but in reality is a COW = Cock on Wheels...
Dude, did you see how that jerk-off made a fool of himself the other night?
Yeah man, he's such a Scott
by King of You Insects February 08, 2010
Scott is most often defined as a limp wristed, pillow biting, ass pirate. Usually found cruising the bathrooms of the campus, hoping to find a strange and hopefully uncircumcised dick to smoke due to the fact that his sphincter no longer works which causes him to wear diapers that make having anonymous anal sex rather dificult. He is rumored to have swallowed more loads of salty semen than his mother has. Hard to believe but true.
Dude, did you see that jizz juggler Scott the closeted HOMO faggot in the last stall tapping his foot, trying to entice the fat jock drop out frat boys into letting them tickle his tonsils ??
by the jester of all jesters February 07, 2010
One of scottish pedigree who enjoys old episodes of star trek : the original series.
Winston is being a real scott and staying in with his television.
by jackbeenimble February 03, 2010
The best character in Anthony Horowitz's novel entitled Nightrise, the third book in the Gatekeepers series, as well as Necropolis, the fourth book in said series, who deserves more recognition than he got after being tortured mentally and physically.
On another note, he is Washoe Indian, hails from Reno, Nevada, accidentally murdered one of his past guardians with his ability to control people's minds, has a twin brother named Jamie, argues with the leader (aka Matt) quite often, and once again, is the best character in the series!
Scott Tyler totally owns the rest of the five.
Scott Tyler deserved more parts in the last two novels, but he was hardly in there.
Scott Tyler is amazing. :D
by RavenAngelxX October 23, 2009
The measurement of suction power of an asshole. One Scott is equal to the force required to suck up water through a straw. Also known as buttforce.
I can't believe Steve-O just chugged all that beer through his ass. That had to require at least 20 Scotts!
Was her asshole using 50 Scotts, or was his dick using 50 trevors!?
by Shriveled McSmallballs November 17, 2009
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47311 | Top Definition
(n.) The secret boss character appearing at the end of the PPGD (Powerpuff Girls Doujinshi) flash game when played on a level between 6 and 10. Extremely skilled at raping grown men and making them cry.
(v.) To be owned by the above
-Shira Bell
Tim: You look awful! What happened?
Mike: I got Shira Bell'd.
Tim: Snap.
by Some call me...Tim. April 04, 2006
5 Words related to Shira Bell
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47312 | Top Definition
The fundamental particle responsible for manliness, the testeclon caries with it all properties typically associated with being manly. The only known source of testeclons is testicles.
The testeclon is a massless particle, and thus can travel an infinite distance, which it does at the speed of testacularity. The speed of testacularity is constant in a vacuum, equal to T=Ac^2, where c is the speed of light, and A is Bamfington's first coefficient, 100 seconds/meter. However, unlike the speed of light, which only decreases when it light propagates through a medium other than vacuum, the speed of testacularity can actually increase when propagating through some mediums, for example, women, or giant killer robots.
The fundamental equation governing the propagation of testeclons is: (lambda)(nu)=Ac^2, where lambda is the wavelength and nu is the frequency of the testeclon in question. The energy and momentum of a testeclon are equal to the same value, unlike other particles, and can be determined by the equation p=E= B (nu), where B is Bamfington's second coefficient, equal to the biggest number you can think of plus one. Testeclons are non-Heisenbergian particles, meaning that they are not subject to the uncertainty principle. This is because testeclons are always certain of what they are doing, and thus don't have to screw around with maybes or probability functions.
It is possible to determine how manly someone is by analyzing the intensity of testeclon radiation emitted.
Example 1: I emit enough testeclon radiation to see in the dark.
Example 2: Some particle physicists still can't understand how testeclons can have the same energy and momentum. Probably female physicists.
by professor_bamfington February 18, 2011
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47313 | Top Definition
A regionally-known nickname for Wenatchee, Washington. Used most often by those who live in or near the Wenatchee area. Despite the crude alternate meaning of this nickname, it can be used affectionately or disparagingly in reference to the Wenatchee area.
Wenatchee, also known as the "apple capital of the world", is one of the major cities and the cultural center for Central Washington State.
Let's head to the Snatch and get drunk at the Apple-Blossom festival!
by Trumer August 19, 2009
1 more definition
A man who lives in Lincoln Nebraska, is a pimp, and slaps them hos!
Damn Snatch! You a funny man!
Look everyone! Its The Snatch! The Man of the hour! - Jason Coyne
by TheSnatch July 03, 2004
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47317 | Top Definition
Any penis that, when flaccid, hangs down far enough to bisect the imaginary line between one's kneecaps.
She let out a holler when he tried to shove that circus penis of his up her asshole.
by Rick August 08, 2003
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47320 | Top Definition
possessing a triple black belt, often scoobin around, scrubish qualities, abbr. gopi,
A: your being a real gopinathan today
B: fuck you
by Jdogg1212 October 10, 2011
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47321 | Halo 2 is a first person shooter video game, developed by Bungie Studios; it’s the sequel to the 2001 game of the year, Halo: Combat Evolved. It also has a new game engine and physics engine, which isn’t really that great. I mean, you can’t even upend a Warthog with grenades anymore, nor can you send them or other various objects soaring like you could in Halo: Combat Evolved.
Halo 2 has had over half a billion games played over the Xbox Live service. However, this does not make it a good game in fact, it’s probably the worst sequel and multiplayer game ever created, and it’s full of in-game flaws like inconsistent weapons, unbalanced maps, flawed weapons, and a melee system that doesn’t work and a terrible net code that can’t prevent cheating, even with the previous 2 auto-updates.
There is a big debate as to whether Halo 2 is a superior title to Halo: Combat Evolved. Majority of the Halo 2 fans prefer it over Halo 1, as most of the Halo 2 community have never even played Halo 1.
Halo 1 was a game based on skill and professionalism; however this is nonexistent in Halo 2. The new features like dual-wielding, energy swords, high auto-aim and the high magnetism eliminate the skill factor in Halo 2.
Many people think Halo 2 is a better game than Halo 1, these people are called ‘idiots’. Halo 2 is full of these 'idiots', 99% of whom create the Bungie.net community.
If you think you’re good at Halo 2, think again, it’s the game that plays for you. You go to melee someone and it does it for you, it aims for you, the bullets follow the target, the rockets follow the target (apart from hitting the ground half of the time), the grenades even lock on.
Halo 2 had the potential to be the greatest online console FPS gamer ever created, but it was ruined and noobified by dual-wielding, energy swords, high auto-aim, high magnetism, lunging melees and other in-game flaws that ruin the Halo experience.
Based off of the Bungie.net community, I have absolutely no hope for Halo 3.
xBRx: yu0 all suk in halo 2 without h0st LOL
Skilled person: Buddy, fuck you.
by Sheep Licker June 29, 2006
Sucks just like it's predecessor. In other words, it's going to be another overrated piece of crap.
Halo 2 sucks. Isn't that a revelation.
by Halo sucks November 09, 2004
The one game that can leave a person screaming at the television for several hours.
ov goat vo playing halo 2 online 11:45pm
ov goat vo playing later that night 12:20am
by Ryan Joseph Steele June 08, 2007
The fucking best game ever. Period. I am going to stop writing now. Halo 1 is pretty good too.
My girlfriend wanted me to come over, but I told her to go fuck herself because I was playin halo 2.
by gamertag *Halo4Dummies* April 09, 2006
1.the only game better than halo
2.the only game that is seconed to halo 3
I need halo 2
I need halo 3 because I played halo 2 for 3 years
by I need halo August 07, 2004
Halo 2 is the sequel to Halo Combat Evolved, for the X-box,made by Bungie, known to be one of the best first shooter games out there. Halo 2 was released on November 9th, 2004. It continues the story of what happened on Halo and how it was destroyed. Halo 2 focuses more on the Covenant then in Halo, which focused mostly on Spartan-117. Many Halo players complain that Halo 2 should have focused more on Earth and Spartan-117. Halo 2 ends with a cliff-hanging end where it does not give you enough detail of what happened to Halo and Earth. It leaves you wanting more, which Halo 3, for the X-box 360, will finish Halo 2's ending. Halo 2 is rated M for blood, violence, and language. Overall, the game is made very well, other then the short compaign.
"dude, i like got a plasma rifl from like a elit!! i'm totaly sweeeeet. i can lik own u dude"
"No, your an idiot because i'll snipe you dead before you get close to me! Hahahaha"
"im reporting u fore sanging dead OMG@!!!! bugnie goin ban ya from halo 2"
by Someonenob95 March 07, 2006
A game where whiney little 6 year olds think it's fun to make there parents go buy them a X-Box and Halo 2 and get X-Box live and ruin the online gaming community for everyone else.
.Soon After A 1V1 Match In Halo 2 Game The Young Dude Speaks Up. lEgAy: OMG WTF YOU CHEATED OMG HOW DID YOU GET THAT HEADSHOT OMG CHEAT IMA REPORT YOU FAG!!!! YOUR GONNA GET BANNED1!!!! YOU CHEAT!!!!! .More Mature Guy. Onyx9k: Come talk to me after you've hit puberty you whiny little bitch. lEgAy:.crying sounds. .leaves lobby.
by Shiz66 September 28, 2006
The greatest sequel to the greatest game ever.
If all of you Half-Life fans who have never even played Halo 2 continue to dis it, I will personally HUNT YOU DOWN.
Open your eyes, my brothers!
by Cortana Dragoon June 24, 2005
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47322 | Top Definition
When the position you're in is so disastrous that something has to be done to improve it. Otherwise it may come to an end.
Freddie and Fannie... yet have survived under the implicit understanding that the US Government will always bail them out if push came to shove...
BBC news
by le1 September 07, 2008
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47325 | Top Definition
When you, the 'joker', privately make a hilarious joke at school, work, or in a group of friends and the 'jokee' then passes it on to others, or merely says it louder than you, thus giving the impression that they were the original creator of the joke.
*(Dude 1 whispers hilarious joke..)
Dude 2: HAHAHAHA Hey everyone!
I've got a hilarious joke!!
Dude 1: Hey wat gives?? Why u joke-jacking??
by The4RealDeal November 02, 2008
8 Words related to joke-jacking
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47326 | Top Definition
see: Hillbilly
This is a customized version of the word Hillbilly, but used in reference to the people living/born in Kingston, Jamaica.
A Kingbilly is one who is so closed-minded, backward and antiquated in thought/ideas in general that they border on 'being dim'.
The word is generally used in insulting terms, as to refer to a person as unsophisticated and backwards, or to say you come from the 'ghetto/poor/country' areas.
"Jack is living in the 60s or something, he's such a damn kingbilly"
"How can a black person not like black people? What a fu%^ing kingbilly"
"Wow, Jen is definately nowhere near bright, she's a border kingbilly"
"You ARE NOT coming with me to ClubZ looking like a kingbilly"
"You live in Tivoli? You're practically a kingbilly"
by Neoprimal November 02, 2005
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47327 | Top Definition
ADJ. having a vertical black stripe on the left and right side, such as a 4:3 television show when presented on a widescreen TV. Compare to letterbox.
Jill: Hey, if your fancy plasma TV is so awesome, then why does everyone look so fat when we watch your DVDs of Seinfeld? Like, even that clock on the wall is stretched out into an oval! What gives?
Jack: It's an old show. We could watch it in 4:3, but then it would be postcardbox, and those black bars drive me crazy.
by Artie! June 20, 2010
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47328 | Top Definition
short 4 ragnarok, ragnarok online...
usually used in the Phillipines
hey!r u gonna play ragna after school?
by lucky-seraphim February 11, 2005
5 more definitions
Supreme Paladin God of the ETF :P
Ragna pwns me!
by Anonymous March 21, 2003
Ragna is an extremely christian person, who really belives in jesus and god, and think that he og she has got a gift from god, wich may be a weired language or whatever
Omfg! Nataschas mother is soooo "Ragna"
by h November 13, 2003
Ragna is short for ragnarod, wich is slang for Gagonarod(Gag on a rod).
It's not very nice, and you see it sometimes in pr0n.
eh.. no example, please.
by Anonymous March 21, 2003
One that often goes insane behind a driving wheel - I.E. running people over often.
"Wow, did you see that guy? He went all Ragna and just mowed down those people!"
by Lord-Az March 21, 2003
When you are stuck in an elevator with 2 male transexuals who stare at you while smiling.
"Chris got double penetration while in the elevator"
by Diana is cool February 22, 2005
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47330 | Top Definition
A crowdsourced dictionary of metadata terms from all subject domains and all parts of metadata speech. Stands for Yet Another Metadata Zoo.
Look it up in yamz, and if you don't find the term you want, add it.
by thesalamander November 27, 2013
3 more definitions
a large headed boy commonly with unproportionally large lips, a cone shaped head, an abnormally small penis and no pubes
woah look at that blimp lipped freak that has a cock shaped head haha yamz
by timadamryan June 13, 2008
a male code word for good pussy when unable to discuss such things when a female is present
damn bro i got the yamz, last nite and they were amazing
by J-Boxx November 18, 2011
when you see or do something thats all around hip-hop,hyphy,crunk,and/or thizz its yamz :]
that store has hekka fly clothes! its so yamz!
by LadiiFresh&&Bang March 15, 2009
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47337 | Sleep is where our brains lay down long-term memories. Sounds tuned to our brain's own rhythms might improve the process, suggests one small but promising sleep study.
Looking for better sleep? Lose the white-noise machine and listen to your brain's own rhythms, suggests a study published Thursday.
During deep sleep, the brain's electrical patterns follow a slow oscillating rhythm, notes a research team headed by Jan Born of the University of Tubingen in Germany. Some sleep researchers have induced these rhythms in rats with "pathological" sleep patterns, using electrical stimulation in a bid to make them sleep better.
But what about just playing back sleepers' own brain rhythms to them instead? In the journal Neuron, Born and colleagues played rhythmic sounds generated to match electrical brain readings of 11 sleepers, playing the sounds of their own brain oscillations to them during deep sleep. "The beauty lies in the simplicity," Born said in a statement.
In the study, the researchers exposed the sleepers to light rhythmic noise both in sync and out of sync with their brain's oscillations during deep sleep. The in-sync sounds appear to have strengthened the brain rhythms, the researchers found, while also strengthening memories: volunteers were better able to retain word associations they had learned the night before. The out-of-sync sounds didn't have any effect.
Unlike electrical stimulation, playing soft sounds to sleepers poses no risks, the study notes, beyond the trouble of attaching electroencephalograph leads to their scalps to monitor results for the study.
Besides improving memories, the researchers suggest that brain rhythms might improve sleep for insomniacs. "Moreover, it might be even used to enhance other brain rhythms with obvious functional significance -- like rhythms that occur during wakefulness and are involved in the regulation of attention," Born says.
But don't rush out to buy yourself a slow sleep sounds recording right away. "The method cannot be applied by everyday people, at the moment, because the essential point is the 'closed-loop' fashion of our stimulation, using the brain's own rhythm as a pacemaker," Born says, where electroencephalograph readings predicted just when to deliver the next noise to sleepers to improve their sleep.
"Of course, basically it should be easy to develop a device that records the EEG (electroencephalograph) and searches the record online for the occurrence of a slow oscillation and then delivers acoustic click stimuli," to someone sleeping, Born adds by email. "Maybe there will be a company adopting the approach to make some money out of it."
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47342 | VP - Public Television
CG Ginsberg
Employer: Public television
Position description:
Manage the operational work for program content for public television.
Photo: CG Ginsberg
How They Got There
Undergrad degree: English and History
Favorite class in college: Shakespearean Literature
Graduate degree: Master's degree in Education
College to career: I took a job as a backup receptionist and moved to different positions from there.
Career influences: A mentor was a huge influence on my career, they helped me develop and frame my career objectives.
There's no shame in starting out low - I went from back up receptionist to VP. There were definitely some lean years, but ultimately I ended up in a great place.
Interested in This Career?
• I Went To College for This? -- Amy Joyce ( Book )
How to Turn Your Entry Level Job Into a Career You Love |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47386 | Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, and Christopher Walken in Talks for Cryogenics Movie
With a list of collaborators including Errol Morris, Ira Glass, and the aforementioned Rudd, who will play the real-life TV repairman who pioneered cryogenics back in the sixties, Freezing People Is Easy was already shaping up into a promising movie. Now add in Wilson, Walken, and Wiig (who is reportedly the only cast member still mulling an offer) and the project sounds almost foolproof. Oh, and did we mention it was based on a "This American Life" segment (hence the involvement of Glass)? Please, everyone, live up to your promise, and wrest the good name of movie cryogenics back from Vanilla Sky and Austin Powers. We believe. |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47416 | Results 1 to 3 of 3
Thread: [RESOLVED] output mysql_fetch_array into seperate strings
1. #1
Join Date
Oct 2006
resolved [RESOLVED] output mysql_fetch_array into seperate strings
Hi i was wandering if anyone could help me out with a little problem im having, I am currently trying to make a php image file that a user can call like so
And it will display there charaters information stored in the database.
Anyway i have the basic thing working but need some help i will explain or try to explain how it all works.
The database has 2 different tables 1 for user information and 1 for character info the user info contains the uniqe 20 char ID and i use this to query the actual userID for the user then use that userID to query the character table each character stored in the character is stored with the userID and then the info.
Anyway as you can see in this example i want to somehow enable the script to display seperate charaters on a new line after "Hour(s)" -
Exmaple Image
Currently i am using this function to output all the results to a single string
function outputsigstring()
global $GetChars;
while($GetCharsrow = mysql_fetch_array($GetChars))
$string.="Class: ".$GetCharsrow['class']." Level: ".$GetCharsrow['level']." Current XP: ".$GetCharsrow['currentxp']."% Time to Level: ".$GetCharsrow['timetolevel']." Hour(s)";
return $string;
$outputstring = outputsigstring();
ImageString($image, 3, 5, 3, $outputstring, $black);
Could anyone point me in the right direction i have a feeling i will need to split the outputstring into seperate strings and add them to the image in another loop function depending on how many charaters a user has.
If have not explained myself well enough please feel free to ask what i mean.
2. #2
Join Date
Oct 2006
Ok i found a function to split strings after \n its not hard actually i will mark this as resolved. Sorry for taking up space actually.
3. #3
Join Date
Jul 2009
Falls Church, Va.
Sorry for taking up space actually.
Make sure it NEVER happens again, darnit.
I'm kidding, of course, and glad you figured it out. Good that you posted it, ya never know someone else might run into the same trouble. Cheers!
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47430 | Health knowledge made personal
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Sunshine and Roses
Posted Nov 29 2008 12:22pm
I've been getting a lot of emails and calls lately to the effect of "I'm reading your blog, and you have got it so good!!! Everything is going so perfect for you! Your boys are so smiley all the time, I am so jealous! No tantrums, no problems, everything there is just sunshine and roses! So get off your butt and go do some work or something! Quit complaining like a brat when I call/email/see you!"
So, for those avid readers who have noticed that my blog emphasizes the good times and achievements of my wonderful, beautiful, smiling boys, I would just like to say: you are absolutely correct. We have come a long way, and we continue to make strides. I am very proud of the work both of my little guys do- they are two of hardest working little guys I have ever known. We have gone from a non-verbal child to a child who can have a basic conversation about his day and his life and his needs and wants. Just in this blog alone, we have gone from utter shock at a sentence to cheering on a whole presentation complete with question-and-answer session. We have gone from s creaming frustration all day long to the whine and occasional meltdown. Joey is growing up, learning to regulate himself, learning to communicate. The frustration is ebbing. On the other front, we have gone from "normal" to sensory dysfunctional, and are now well on our way back to fully functioning in regular environments. We are through a food strike, back into normal "picky eating." We have stood at the brink of a real problem with speech and behavior, and found a path away (called "therapy and school"). Andy is also growing up, and the energy is getting some real guidance.
So is my life all sunshine and roses? Well, in some ways, yes it is. Two beautiful boys, lots of hugs and kisses, sunshine in the back yard and food in the fridge actually being consumed.
And in some ways, it's not. We still have our finger-biting and smack-on-the-chin problem, for example... and Andy imitating it. And the latest crazes in my house? Loud choruses of "Weave me AWONE!" racing through the house, especially if I have just asked a child to perform a non-preferred task or stop a dangerous activity. The word "No" bounces around here a lot, too. Sound like normal pressing of limits? Come around sometime. You're not getting the full effect. Joey tends to flail more than he used to, incorporating the behavior of some of his classmates. Trying t share new experiences with Joey is always a challenge- to pull his interest to something new, to focus on something new, to explain it when he has neither the ability to focus, nor the language control to make what you are saying relevant to him, can be very frustrating. Getting that joint attention, crucial to being able to teach and learn, is a real challenge- and all the more so because you forget he has trouble with it. He's not off in his own little world, he has pretty good eye contact (not great... but passable and reasonable), he certainly expresses interest in videos and in things around him, just never in a way you expect. For example, he likes tractors and animals, so we took him to the Oxon Hill farm. In the museum part is a display about butter. Talking to Andy about how milk comes from a cow and is churned to make butter- in most elementary terms- no problem. Wow, milk comes from a cow, now let's go look at a cow. Connections made. But Joey? He can't focus on the churn, the words you are throwing at him seem to be a jumble. He caught the sign for "milk" and "cow" but then wandered off, too uncomfortable in the unfamiliar setting to pull himself away from tracking the floor tiles. The cow was mildly interesting, as it was alive and moved. But somehow I failed to teach him the lesson I intended, connecting cows and milk, to start building understanding of food, consequences, sequences, cycles, etc. This is very frustrating. Remember, I'm a teacher by trade.
Besides, I want so much to share the world with him. Living is so wonderful! It is so full of everything! I don't so much mind following his lead, as I get frustrated trying to constantly figure out what that is, and being unable to provide proper guidance for my child, when part of the job of a parent is to guide, to introduce, to share. I am sure this feeling turns to fear, anger, and despair in others I see trying to raise autistic children. What shall I do with it? It's not a sunshine and roses question, though the resulting answer could very well be, and usually is.
And on our other front? Well, he's almost four, and just now emerging from the Terrible Threes. We've had them pretty easy, because Andy's a sweet kid by nature, and had Joey to guide him. He still wakes up grumpy, he still prefers to stand to eat (or just jump around instead of eating at all), still gets into bickering and fighting with his brother, still is testing his limits and boundaries. That's no sunshine or roses either... in some ways.
Yes, there are still challenges, both theirs and mine. Life isn't always sunshine and roses, but it sure feels good and warm on my back and the garden is full of perfume. I like to sit out on my new chaise sometimes and breathe it in.
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47455 | TY - VIDEO DB - /z-wcorg/ DP - http://worldcat.org ID - 612377341 LA - In English, Punjabi, Arabic, and Urdu with English subtitles. T1 - Taqwacore : the birth of punk Islam AU - Majeed, Omar. AU - Aung-Thwin, Mila. AU - Moore, Bob. AU - Cross, Daniel AU - Chalifoux, Maxime. AU - Knight, Michael Muhammad. AU - Usmani, Basim. AU - Khan, Shahjehan. AU - Waqar, Omar. AU - Eyesteelfilm (Firm) AU - Kinosmith Inc. AU - Lorber Films (Firm) Y1 - 2010/// AB - "Taqwacore chronicles the nascent Muslim punk rock movement in America. It was inspired by the work of Michael Knight, a convert to Islam who wrote the novel The Taqwacores (a term combining the Muslim concept of God consciousness with hardcore punk). ... The film follows Knight and a variety of young subversives on tour as they shock and awe spectators in the U.S. before bringing their music to Lahore. They break every taboo along the way ... "--Container. ER - |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47478 | Sutton Community Building
Complete a listing form
to add your facility or event.
Recent Pages: Sutton Community Building
Sutton Community Building
Sutton Community Building
400 Fourth Street
Sutton, WEST VIRGINIA 26601
Latitude: 38.66427
Longitude: -80.707669
Completed in 1942 this WPA project is a two-story, flat roof municipal building. The façade is random coursed ashlar sandstone with a recessed entrance. It has large fixed pane windows that are 3 bays wide. The interior of the first floor houses the Mayor’s Office and the Police Department. The second floor contains a large auditorium with a small stage where local schools hold various functions. The building is located directly opposite the County Courthouse and Jail and thus helps to form the core of downtown Sutton. The building is open at normal business hours with public rest rooms. |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47525 | Elizabeth Brooks:
Almost all the students on campus knew that we were planning on striking. And so they just then said, "Don't back down." They just kind of encouraged us to do it.
Beverly Jones:
What did the students do when they rushed in?
Elizabeth Brooks:
When he opened the door at 4:00, it looked like there were about three or four hundred students outside. And they all came in, and they lined up around the counter and they took trays as they come in, and they just began to bang on the counter. Just stand there at a steady pace, just banging on the counter. And we had of course walked out and sat down. And Mr. White who was the supervisor at that time was the only manager, supervisor in the building and it almost frightened him to death. (laughs). So he turned around and he came back to where the group had sat down, the group had sat down together, we had a table, we all planned out where we were going to sit, and so we had all sat down around this table. So he came back down the hall there, and he looked at us and he said, "What on the world is going on," and so somebody said, "We are on strike."
- Elizabeth Brooks, community activist
Interview with Elizabeth Brooks by Beverly Jones, October 2, 1974, Interview G-0058, in the Southern Oral History Program Collection #4007, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Click here to access the full interview. |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47542 | id summary owner type priority component version 174 Ability to clear all cache moo enhancement major cacher 223 E_DEPRECATED error at parsing - Custom error handler cant access previously declared classes moo defect major cacher 125 Odd maximum execution time error moo defect major cacher 1.2.0 133 Wich version useful for me?! moo defect major admin 1.2.1 2 [TODO] AutoDisableOnCrash moo enhancement major cacher 1.2-dev 73 check PHP_FCGI_CHILDREN and warn if it's not set for fcgi mode moo enhancement major cacher 1.2-dev 116 memory leaks while comparing xcache_get results moo defect major cacher 1.2.1 265 php5-fpm segfault while xcache_get a key with object in data moo defect critical cacher 1.3.2 287 separated cache by vhost, with patch! moo enhancement major cacher 2.0.0 164 warning/error when XCache is loaded incorrectly moo enhancement major cacher 1.2.1 39 xcache.coveragedumper does not work in PHP_INI_PER_DIR or PHP_INI_ALL moo defect major coverager 1.2-dev 37 xcache_get SEGV using objects moo defect major cacher 1.0.1 |
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up... president obama and mitt romney go head-to-head... in thh first of 3 phey'veebeen preparing... for tonight'ssbig showdown.'re wwtching fox 45 morniaúkw@ ((bump in)) 3for months now... president obama and governor romney have been attacking each ooher from afar. but tonnght... everything changes when the two men meet eye-tooeye.that's because they're gearrng up ffr the first presiddntial debate... in the swing state pf colorado. colorado.that's where we find heidiihatch... who's live on the university of denver campus with a preview of tooightts showdoon.good morning, heidi. heidii 3&how have the candidates been preparing? straaght ahead... straight head... american aarlines flighhs.what the company is now doing... to fix the problem.and what may be to blame. you're the one that i want nats naas plus john travolta and olivia newton john are teaming up for a new project. we'll tell you what that is... next. you'rr watching fox 45 morning news.. all local.. all &pmorning. 3 all morning. news.. all local.. fox 455morniig you're watch
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47566 | App Engine
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47567 | Opened 9 years ago
Closed 9 years ago
#2402 closed enhancement (invalid)
[contrib/patch] Middleware to add a X-Djazzified-By and X-Now-Playing response headers
Reported by: dev@… Owned by: adrian
Component: Contrib apps Version:
Severity: trivial Keywords:
Cc: dev@… Triage Stage: Unreviewed
Has patch: no Needs documentation: no
Needs tests: no Patch needs improvement: no
Easy pickings: UI/UX:
While toying with the middleware, I came up with this to add a simple (and utterly useless) X-Djazzified-By and X-Now-Playing response header to all pages served by Django. Just a subtle way of showing your Django-fanship.
Attachments (1) (1.1 KB) - added by dev@… 9 years ago.
Download all attachments as: .zip
Change History (2)
Changed 9 years ago by dev@…
comment:1 Changed 9 years ago by jacob
• Resolution set to invalid
• Status changed from new to closed
This is funny, but it really doesn't belong in Django propper and hence doesn't belong in this ticket tracker. (Feel free to make a wiki page for it though).
Note: See TracTickets for help on using tickets.
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47583 | Foldable 3D Avatar
3D CSS transform demo of the foldable avatar builder used in
Built using JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3
More About This Demo From The Author
This tool enables you to customize a 3D foldable paper avatar, and is used in an actual production site!
You can rotate the model by pressing the arrow keys on your keyboard. When the user's browser doesn't support CSS 3D transforms (check performed by Modernizr), the model is still usable in 2D, and can be rotate by clicking the buttons below it.
More about the story behind this demo on:
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About this Demo
Download the Source 790.84 KB · ZIP File
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This demo is released under the GPL license. |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47589 | From Joomla! Documentation
Revision as of 21:01, 10 May 2013 by JoomlaWikiBot (Talk | contribs)
Replacement filing cabinet.png
Joomla 11.1 JStream
Description:JStream [Edit Descripton]
Visibility Method name Description
public __construct Constructor.
public __destruct Destructor.
public _buildContext Stream contexts Builds the context from the array.
public _getFilename Determine the appropriate 'filename' of a file.
public addContextEntry Adds a particular options to the context.
public appendFilter Stream filters Append a filter to the chain.
public applyContextToStream Applies the current context to the stream.
public chmod Chmod wrapper.
public close Attempt to close a file handle.
public copy Support operations (copy, move).
public delete Delete a file.
public deleteContextEntry Deletes a particular setting from a context.
public eof Work out if we're at the end of the file for a stream.
public filesize Retrieve the file size of the path.
public get_meta_data Get the stream metadata.
public getFileHandle Return the internal file handle.
public gets
public move Moves a file.
public open Generic File Operations.
public prependFilter Prepend a filter to the chain.
public read Read a file.
public removeFilter Remove a filter, either by resource (handed out from the append or prepend function) or via getting the filter list).
public seek Seek the file.
public setContextOptions Updates the context to the array.
public tell
public upload Upload a file.
public write File write.
public writeFile All in one Writes a chunk of data to a file.
• Defined in libraries/joomla/filesystem/stream.php
• Extends JObject
jimport( 'joomla.filesystem.stream' );
See also
SeeAlso:JStream [Edit See Also]
User contributed notes
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47592 | Untitled 1
1 Attachment
I'm working on some revisions for a music app, and here is first attempt to tab bar. It is kinda in early stage, and comments are much appreciated!
You can see the whole thing at attachment.
btw, you're welcome to follow me on Twitter for updates...
|
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47598 | Day Sailer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Day Sailer (dinghy))
Jump to: navigation, search
Day Sailer
An uppercase D with an uppercase S, positioned with the D in the top left corner and the S in the lower left.
Class symbol
Current specifications
Crew 2
Type Monohull
Construction Fiberglass
Keel Centerboard
LOA 5.105 metres (16.75 ft)
Beam 1.829 metres (6.00 ft)
Draft 1.143 metres (3.75 ft)
Hull weight 261 kilograms (575 lb)
Mast height 6.858 metres (22.50 ft)
Main & jib area 13.47 square metres (145.0 sq ft)
Spinnaker area 8.8 square metres (95 sq ft)
Year 1958
Designer Uffa Fox and George O'Day
The Day Sailer (also called the O'Day Day Sailer) is a day sailer for pleasure sailing as well as racing; it is sailed throughout North America and Brazil. Designed by Uffa Fox and George O'Day in 1958, the Day Sailer possesses a 6 foot beam, an overall length of 17 feet, a fiberglass hull and a cuddy cabin. It is able to sleep two, (with more if a tent is added to the boom), and the sloop rig includes mainsail, jib and a spinnaker on an aluminum mast and boom.[1]
Over 10,000 boats have been built, and races are held throughout the year in the USA and Brazil by the Day Sailer Association and its fleets. The Day Sailer was inducted in 2003 into the American Sailboat Hall of Fame.
From 1958 until 1972, the boat was built and sold by O'Day Corp.. Later various other builders produced the Day Sailer, including Spindrift, Precision Boat Works, McLaughlin Boat Works, and Sunfish/Laser Inc. Since 1995, the boat has been built by Cape Cod Shipbuilding Co. [2]
As of 2010, the Junior North American Championships are to be held every year in order to promote the class and reach out to local youth sailors.
1. ^ Mason, Charles. "Day Sailer". The American Sailboat Hall of Fame. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
2. ^ Misunas, Dave. "Day Sailer Hull Number Index and Builder Chart". Day Sailer Association. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
External links[edit] |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47599 | Grandmaster (chess)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Once achieved, the title is held for life. In chess literature it is usually abbreviated to GM. (Other titles are also often abbreviated: FM for FIDE Master, IM for International Master, and CM for Candidate Master.) The abbreviation IGM for International Grandmaster is also sometimes used, particularly in older literature.
Grandmaster, International Master, and FIDE Master are open to both men and women. In 1978, Women's World Champion Nona Gaprindashvili became the first woman to receive the GM title, by a special decision of FIDE. The first woman to qualify for the title through achievement in tournament play was Susan Polgar in 1991. Since about 2000, most of the top 10 women have held the GM title.
A separate gender-segregated title, Woman Grandmaster (WGM), is also available. It is awarded to women who attain a level of skill between that of a FIDE Master and an International Master.
FIDE awards separate Grandmaster titles to composers and solvers of chess problems (see List of grandmasters for chess composition). The International Correspondence Chess Federation (ICCF) awards the title of International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster (ICCGM).
The first known use of the term grandmaster in connection with chess was in an 1838 issue of Bell's Life, in which a correspondent referred to William Lewis as "our past grandmaster".[1] Lewis himself later referred to Philidor as a grandmaster, and the term was also applied to a few other players.[1]
Early tournament use[edit]
Siegbert Tarrasch (1862–1934)
In the Ostend tournament of 1907 the term grandmaster (Großmeister in German) was used. The tournament was divided into two sections: the Championship Tournament and the Masters' Tournament. The Championship section was for players who had previously won an international tournament.[2] Siegbert Tarrasch won the Championship section, over Carl Schlechter, Dawid Janowski, Frank Marshall, Amos Burn, and Mikhail Chigorin. These players were described as grandmasters for the purposes of the tournament.
The San Sebastián 1912 tournament won by Akiba Rubinstein was a designated grandmaster event.[1] Rubinstein won with 12½ points out of 19. Tied for second with 12 points were Aron Nimzowitsch and Rudolf Spielmann.[3]
By some accounts, in the St. Petersburg 1914 chess tournament, the title "Grandmaster" was formally conferred by Russian Tsar Nicholas II, who had partially funded the tournament.[2] The Tsar reportedly awarded the title to the five finalists: Emanuel Lasker, José Raúl Capablanca, Alexander Alekhine, Siegbert Tarrasch, and Frank Marshall. Chess historian Edward Winter has questioned this, stating that the earliest known sources that support this story are an article by Robert Lewis Taylor in the June 15, 1940, issue of The New Yorker and Marshall's autobiography My 50 Years of Chess (1942).[4][5][6]
Non-standard and Soviet usage before 1950[edit]
Before 1950, the term grandmaster was sometimes informally applied to other world class players. The Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE, or World Chess Federation) was formed in Paris in 1924, but at that time did not formulate criteria on who should earn the title.
In 1927, the Soviet Union's Chess Federation established the title of Grandmaster of the Soviet Union, for their own players, since at that time Soviets were not competing outside their own country. This title was abolished in 1931, after having been awarded to Boris Verlinsky, who won the 1929 Soviet Championship.[7] The title was brought back in 1935, and awarded to Mikhail Botvinnik, who thus became the first "official" Grandmaster of the USSR. Verlinsky did not get his title back.[7]
Official status (1950 onwards)[edit]
Akiba Rubinstein (1882–1961)
When FIDE reorganized after World War II it adopted regulations concerning the award of international titles. Titles were awarded by a resolution of the FIDE General Assembly and the Qualification Committee. FIDE first awarded the Grandmaster title in 1950 to 27 players. These players were:
Since FIDE did not award the Grandmaster title posthumously, world-class players who died prior to 1950, including World Champions Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, and Alekhine, never received the title.[8]
1953 regulations[edit]
Jacques Mieses (1865–1954), one of the first FIDE Grandmasters
Title awards under the original regulations were subject to political concerns. Efim Bogoljubov, who had emigrated from the Soviet Union to Germany, was not entered in the first class of Grandmasters, even though he had played two matches for the World Championship with Alekhine. He received the title in 1951, by a vote of thirteen to eight with five abstentions. Yugoslavia supported his application, but all other Communist countries opposed it. In 1953, FIDE abolished the old regulations, although a provision was maintained that allowed older masters who had been overlooked to be awarded titles. The new regulations awarded the title of International Grandmaster of the FIDE to players meeting any of the following criteria:[9]
1. The world champion.
2. Masters who have the absolute right to play in the World Championship Candidates Tournament, or any player who replaces an absent contestant and earns at least a 50 percent score.
3. The winner of an international tournament meeting specified standards, and any player placing second in two such tournaments within a span of four years. The tournament must be at least eleven rounds with seven or more players, 80 percent or more being International Grandmasters or International Masters. Additionally, 30 percent of the players must be Grandmasters who have the absolute right to play in the next World Championship Candidates Tournament, or who have played in such a tournament in the previous ten years.
4. A player who demonstrates ability manifestly equal to that of (3) above in an international tournament or match. Such titles must be approved by the Qualification Committee with the support of at least five members.
1957 regulations[edit]
After FIDE issued the 1953 title regulations, it was recognized that they were somewhat haphazard, and work began to revise the regulations. The FIDE Congress in Vienna in 1957 adopted new regulations, called the FAV system, in recognition of the work done by International Judge Giovanni Ferrantes (Italy), Alexander (probably Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander), and Giancarlo Dal Verme (Italy). Under the 1957 regulations, the title of International Grandmaster of the FIDE was automatically awarded to:
1. The world champion.
2. Any player qualifying from the Interzonal tournament to play in the Candidates Tournament, even if he did not play in the Candidates for any reason.
3. Any player who would qualify from the Interzonal to play in the Candidates but who was excluded because of a limitation on the number of participants from his Federation.
4. Any player who actually plays in a Candidates Tournament and scores at least 33⅓ percent.
The regulations also allowed titles to be awarded by a FIDE Congress on recommendation by the Qualification Committee. Recommendations were based on performance in qualifying tournaments, with the required score depending on the percentage of Grandmasters and International Masters in the tournament.[10]
1965 regulations[edit]
Concerns were raised that the 1957 regulations were too lax. At the FIDE Congress in 1961, GM Milan Vidmar said that the regulations "made it possible to award international titles to players without sufficient merit". At the 1964 Congress in Tel Aviv, a subcommittee was formed to propose changes to the regulations. The subcommittee recommended that the automatic award of titles be abolished, criticized the methods used for awarding titles based on qualifying performances, and called for a change in the makeup of the Qualification Committee. Several delegates supported the subcommittee recommendations, including GM Miguel Najdorf who felt that existing regulations were leading to an inflation of international titles.[10] At the 1965 Congress in Wiesbaden FIDE raised the standards required for international titles. The International Grandmaster title regulations were:
• 1. Any World Champion is automatically awarded the GM title
• 2a. Anyone who scores at least 40 percent in a quarter-final match in the Candidates Tournament
• 2b. Scores at least the number of points in a tournament corresponding to the total of a 55 percent score against Grandmasters plus 75 percent against International Masters (IM) plus 85 percent against other players (a GM "norm").
To fulfill requirement 2b, the candidate must score one GM norm in a category 1a tournament or two norms within a three-year period in two Category 1b tournaments, or one Category 2a tournament and one Category 1b tournament.
The categories of tournaments are:
• 1a—at least sixteen players, at least 50 percent are GMs, and 70 percent at least IMs
• 1b—at least twelve players, at least 33⅓ percent GMs and 70 percent IMs
• 2a—at least fifteen players, at least 50 percent IMs
• 2b—ten to fourteen players, at least 50 percent IMs.
Since FIDE titles are for life, a GM or IM does not count for the purposes of this requirement if he had not had a GM or IM result in the five years prior to the tournament.
In addition, no more than 50 percent plus one of the players can be from the same country for tournaments of 10 to 12 players, or no more than 50 percent plus two for larger tournaments.
Seventy-four GM titles were awarded in 1951 through 1968. During that period, ten GM titles were awarded in 1965, but only one in 1966 and in 1968.[11]
1970 regulations[edit]
The modern system for awarding FIDE titles evolved from the "Dorazil" proposals, presented to the 1970 Siegen Chess Olympiad FIDE Congress. The proposals were put together by Dr Wilfried Dorazil (then FIDE Vice-President) and fellow Committee members Grandmaster Svetozar Gligorić and Professor Arpad Elo. The recommendations of the Committee report were adopted in full.[12]
In essence, the proposals built on the work done by Professor Elo in devising his Elo rating system. The establishment of an updated list of players and their Elo rating enabled significantly strong international chess tournaments to be allocated a "Category", based on the average rating of the contestants. For instance, it was decided that 'Category 1' status would apply to tournaments with an average Elo rating of participants falling within the range 2251–2275; similarly Category 2 would apply to the range 2276–2300 etc. The higher the tournament Category, the stronger the tournament.
Another vital component involved the setting of meritorious "scores" for each Category of tournament. A player must meet or surpass the relevant score to demonstrate that they had performed at Grandmaster (GM) or International Master (IM) level. Scores were expressed as percentages of a perfect maximum score and decreased as the tournament Category increased, thereby reflecting the strength of a player's opposition and the relative difficulty of the task.
Tournament organisers could then apply the percentages to their own tournament format and declare in advance the actual score that participants must achieve to attain a GM or IM result (nowadays referred to as a norm).
Cat. Avg. Elo Score (GM) Score (IM)
1 2251–2275 85% 76%
2 2276–2300 83% 73%
3 2301–2325 81% 70%
4 2326–2350 78% 67%
5 2351–2375 76% 64%
6 2376–2400 73% 60%
7 2401–2425 70% 57%
8 2426–2450 67% 53%
9 2451–2475 64% 50%
10 2476–2500 60% 47%
11 2501–2525 57% 43%
12 2526–2550 53% 40%
13 2551–2575 50% 36%
14 2576–2600 47% 33%
15 2601–2625 43% 30%
To qualify for the Grandmaster title, a player needed to achieve three such GM results within three years. Exceptionally, if a player's contributory games totalled thirty or more, then the title could be awarded on the basis of two such results. There were also circumstances where the system could be adapted to fit team events and other competitions.
The full proposals included many other rules and regulations, covering such topics as;
• Eligible tournament formats.
• Eligible participants.
• Unrated participants.
• Registration of tournaments with FIDE.
• Calculations, including the handling of fractions.
Current regulations[edit]
The requirements for becoming a Grandmaster are somewhat complex. A player must have attained an Elo rating of at least 2500 (although they need not maintain this level to obtain or keep the title). In addition, at least two favorable results (called norms) from a total of at least 27 games in tournaments involving other Grandmasters, including some from countries other than the applicant's, are usually required before FIDE will confer the title on a player. There are other milestones a player can achieve to get the title, such as winning the Women's World Championship, the World Junior Championship, or the World Senior Championship. Current regulations can be found in the FIDE Handbook.[13]
Title inflation[edit]
In 1957, there were 50 GMs (USSR: 19, Yugoslavia: 7, USA: 5, Argentina: 4, West Germany: 2, France: 2, Sweden: 1, Czechoslovakia: 1, Hungary: 1, Austria: 1, Belgium: 1, Denmark: 1, Netherlands: 1, Poland: 1).[14] In 1972, there were 88 GMs with 33 representing the USSR. The current FIDE ratings list includes over 1000 Grandmasters.[15] Nigel Short was rated the third best player in the world in 1989 with a rating of 2650; in the 21st century such a rating would only be good enough for a player to reach the top 100 or so, with the third best player in the world usually rated around 2800. Other minor factors come into play: there are more tournaments worldwide and cheaper air travel makes them more accessible to globe-trotting chess professionals, who include many players from the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe whose movements are no longer restricted as they were before the 1990s. Additionally, players can make norms in tournaments that would have been previously considered too short for norms,[16] making norms easier to get and allowing for more norm tournaments to be held.
December 2008 saw a record number of GMs (1,192) and IMs (2,916), causing some FIDE officials to suggest that FIDE should consider an "elite grandmaster" title.[17] The unofficial title "Super Grandmaster" is sometimes used by players to refer to those with a 2700+ rating to distinguish the most serious world champion contenders. The proportion of titled players among rated players is actually becoming smaller due to the rise in the number of all chess players worldwide who have FIDE ratings.[17] In response, one member of the FIDE Titles & Ratings Committee observed that it is now more common for weaker players to get FIDE ratings, so the comparison of Grandmasters as a proportion of all rated players is not really helpful.[18]
See also[edit]
1. ^ a b c Hooper, David; Whyld, Kenneth (1992), The Oxford Companion to Chess (2 ed.), Oxford University Press, p. 156, ISBN 978-0-19-280049-7
2. ^ a b Sunnucks 1970, p. 223
3. ^ Crosstable San Sebastian 1912
4. ^ Winter, Edward (1999), Kings, Commoners and Knaves: Further Chess Explorations (1 ed.), Russell Enterprises, Inc., pp. 315–316, ISBN 978-1-888690-04-0
5. ^ Winter, Edward (2003), A Chess Omnibus (1 ed.), Russell Enterprises, Inc., pp. 177–178, ISBN 978-1-888690-17-0
6. ^ Chess Note 5144, by Edward Winter
7. ^ a b Cafferty, Bernard; Taimanov, Mark (1998), The Soviet Championships (1 ed.), Cadogan Books, pp. 28–29, ISBN 978-1-85744-201-4
8. ^ Elo, Arpad (1978), The Rating of Chessplayers, Past and Present, Arco, p. 66, ISBN 978-0-668-04721-0
9. ^ Harkness, Kenneth (1956), The Official Blue Book and Encyclopedia of Chess, David McKay Company, pp. 332–336, LCCN 56014153, OCLC 1578704
10. ^ a b Harkness, Kenneth (1967), Official Chess Handbook, David McKay Company, pp. 211–214, LCCN 66013085, OCLC 728637
11. ^ Sunnucks 1970, pp. 224–226
12. ^ Keene, Raymond; Levy, David (1970), Siegen Chess Olympiad (1 ed.), Chess Ltd, Sutton Coldfield, pp. 238–240
13. ^ Actual Handbook,
14. ^ Ajedrez Revista Mensual 1957, p. 403.
15. ^ Download Fide Rating Lists
16. ^ Praful Zaveri (December 10, 2006), Nigel Short wins Commonwealth Championship,
17. ^ a b Macieja, Bartlomiej (December 17, 2008), ACP Report by GM Bartlmiej Macieja,, retrieved 2010-01-03
18. ^ Remarks on the ACP's FIDE Congress report, Nick Faulks, Chessbase, December 24, 2008
External links[edit] |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47600 | John Perry Barlow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
John Perry Barlow
John Perry Barlow -Mill Valley, California, USA -at home-17Dec2010.jpg
At his home in California, USA, December 2010
Born (1947-10-03) October 3, 1947 (age 67)
Sublette County, Wyoming, United States
Occupation lyricist, essayist
Nationality American
Period 1971–95 (lyrics)
1990–present (essays)
Subject Internet (essays)
Life and career[edit]
John Perry Barlow was born in Sublette County, Wyoming to parents Norman Barlow, a Republican state legislator, and his wife, Miriam. He grew up on the 22,000-acre Bar Cross Ranch near Pinedale, Wyoming that was founded by his great uncle in 1907 and attended elementary school in a one-room schoolhouse. At age 15, he became a student at the Fountain Valley School in Colorado. Barlow met Bob Weir there, who would later join the music group the Grateful Dead. Weir and Barlow maintained contact throughout the years; a frequent visitor to Timothy Leary's facility in Millbrook, New York, Barlow introduced the musical group to Leary in 1967. In 1969, Barlow graduated with high honors in comparative religion from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and spent two years traveling around India.[3] In 1971, while on his way to California to go join back up with the Grateful Dead, he stopped at his family's ranch not intending to stay, but ended up changing his plans and began practicing animal husbandry in Cora, Wyoming at the Bar Cross Land and Livestock Company for almost two decades, until he sold that business in 1988. In the meantime, Barlow was still able to play an active role in the Grateful Dead, and also recruit many unconventional part-time ranch hands from the mainstream as well as counterculture.[4] John Byrne Cooke is currently producing "The Bar Cross Ranch" (working title), a film featuring this era.[5]
The seeds of the Barlow–Weir collaboration were sown at a Grateful Dead show at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York, in February 1971. Until then, Weir had mostly worked with resident Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. Hunter preferred that those who sang his songs stick to his "canonical" lyrics rather than improvising additions or rearranging words. A feud erupted backstage over a couplet in "Sugar Magnolia" from the band's most recent release (most likely "She can dance a Cajun rhythm/Jump like a Willys in four-wheel drive"), culminating in a disgruntled Hunter summoning Barlow and telling him "take him (Weir)—he's yours".[6] In the fall of 1971, with a deal for a solo album in hand and only two songs completed, Weir and Barlow began to write together for the first time. Note: Capitol Theater New York Shows from February 1971 have no changes to lyrics noted above, all shows are on
The twosome hammered out such enduring songs as "Cassidy", "Mexicali Blues", and "Black Throated Wind", all three of which would remain in the repertoires of the Grateful Dead and Weir's varied solo projects for years to come. Other songs to emerge from the Weir-Barlow collaboration include "Let It Grow", "The Music Never Stopped", "Estimated Prophet", "I Need A Miracle", "Lost Sailor", "Saint of Circumstance", "Hell In A Bucket", and "Throwing Stones". Barlow also collaborated with Grateful Dead keyboardists Brent Mydland then later Vince Welnick.
In 1986 Barlow joined The WELL online community, then known for a strong Deadhead presence. He served on the company's board of directors for several years. In 1990, Barlow founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) along with fellow digital-rights activists John Gilmore and Mitch Kapor. As a founder of EFF, Barlow helped publicize the Secret Service raid on Steve Jackson Games. Barlow's involvement is later documented in the The Hacker Crackdown: Law and Disorder on the Electronic Frontier (1992) by Bruce Sterling.[7] EFF later sponsored the ground-breaking case Steve Jackson Games, Inc. v. United States Secret Service. Steve Jackson Games won the case in 1993.
He married Elaine Parker Barlow in 1977, with whom he had three daughters: Amelia Rose, Anna Winter, and Leah Justine. Elaine and John separated in 1992. Elaine and John Perry officially divorced in 1995. In 2002, he helped his friend realtor/ entrepreneur/[8] model[9]/ actress[10] Simone Banos deliver her daughter Emma Victoria, who became his surrogate daughter henceforth.[11][12]
He was engaged to Dr. Cynthia Horner, whom he met in 1993 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco while she was attending a psychiatry conference and Barlow was participating in a Steve Jobs comedy roast at a convention for the NeXT Computer. She died unexpectedly in 1994 while asleep on a flight from Los Angeles to New York, days before her 30th birthday, from a heart arrhythmia apparently caused by undetected viral cardiomyopathy. Barlow describes this experience on This American Life Episode 74, "Conventions," which originally aired on August 29, 1997.[13][14] Barlow had been a good friend of John F. Kennedy, Jr. ever since his mother Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis had made arrangements for her son to be a wrangler at the Bar Cross ranch for 6 months in 1978, and later the two men went on many double dates in New York City with Kennedy's then-girlfriend Daryl Hannah[15] and Cynthia.[16]
In the September 1, 1995 article for the Shambhala Sun, "bell hooks talks to John Perry Barlow," Barlow reflects upon Cynthia Horner passing away: "It seems to me that what we’re here to do is to learn about love in the presence of fear... You pass away from the moment into the infinite, where there are no moments and where there’s no time. Here in an embodied state, the body, like all physical things, participates in entropy and all the other artifacts of time. There’s a thin but nevertheless impermeable membrane between the chronological and the timeless that has become much more real to me since my lover died a year ago. Even though I feel her soul, the absence of her body feels like an enormous barrier. The absence of the spoken word, the absence of the sound of her voice, or the touch of her skin. All the things that only can be done by souls with bodies on them... But you know the only time that I feel in contact with her, really, is when her spirit temporarily borrows someone else’s body to dance. Like the moment that you and I were dancing up in your apartment a few months ago. And suddenly she was in you and I could feel her there. You quit dancing the way you danced and started dancing the way she danced. And it was almost like a practical joke that she was playing in a way."[17]
In his piece "A Ladies' Man and Shameless" Barlow professes his love of many women at the same time, and summarizes the relationships in his personal life, "I doubt I’ll ever be monogamous again... I want to know as many more women as time and their indulgence will permit me... There are probably twenty-five or thirty women—I certainly don’t count them—for whom I feel an abiding and deep emotional attachment. They’re scattered all over the planet. They range in age from less than half to almost twice my own. Most of these relationships are not actively sexual. Some were at one time. More never will be. But most of them feel as if they could become so. I love the feel of that tension, the delicious gravity of possibilities."[18]
In 1996, Barlow was invited to speak about his work in Cyberspace to a middle school classroom at North Shore Country Day School, which was a highly influential event in the early life of student Aaron Swartz, as Swartz's father Robert recalls Aaron coming home that day a changed person.[19][20] Although they were not close as adults, they shared many common causes and Barlow's face shows up clearly in the background of several shots in The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz.
In 2003, Barlow met the recently appointed Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil at the event Tactic Media Brazil to discuss the perspectives of digital inclusion and political participation, which in the following years would help shape Brazilian governmental policy on intellectual property and digital media.[21][22] In 2004, the two began working together to expand the availability and variety of Brazilian music to remix and share online. At the same time, being one of the Digerati, Barlow was among the very first users of the invitation-only social network Orkut at its inception, and decided to send all of his 100 invitations to friends in Brazil. Two years later, out of 14 million total internet users in Brazil, 11 million were on Orkut.[23]
Barlow is a friend and former roommate[24] of entrepreneur Sean Parker, and attended Parker's controversial 2013 wedding.[25]
John Perry Barlow's late beloved Maine Coon cat, Buck
In 2014, Barlow suffered the loss of Buck, his beloved Maine Coon cat that he believed to be a bodhisattva[26] and who had many fans via social media.[27]
Barlow is a former chairman of the Sublette County Republican Party and served as western Wyoming campaign coordinator for Dick Cheney during his 1978 Congressional campaign. Barlow was President of the Wyoming Outdoor Council from 1978 to 1984. He was Chairman of the Sublette County Master Plan Design Commission and on the Sublette County Planning and Zoning for many years and was one of 5 ranchers who administered water distribution in the New Fork Irrigation District, an area of nearly 100,000 acres serving about 35 ranchers.[28]
By the early 2000s, Barlow was unable to reconcile his ardent libertarianism with the prevailing neoconservative movement and "didn't feel tempted to vote for Bush"; after an arrest for possession of a small quantity of marijuana while traveling, he joined the Democratic Party and publicly committed himself to outright political activism for the first time since his spell with the Republican Party.[citation needed] Barlow has subsequently declared that he is a Republican, including during an appearance on The Colbert Report on March 26, 2007,[29][30] and also claimed on many occasions to be an anarchist.[31] Barlow has said he voted for Natural Law Party Presidential candidate John Hagelin in 2000 after discovering in the voting booth that his friend Nat Goldhaber was Hagelin's running mate.[32] He said in 2004: "I'm embarrassed for my country that in my entire voting life, there has never been a major-party candidate whom I felt I could vote for. All of my presidential votes, whether for George Wallace, Dick Gregory, or John Hagelin, have been protest votes."[32] Barlow said that year he was "voting for John Kerry, though with little enthusiasm."[32]
Current work[edit]
Barlow currently serves as vice-chairman of the EFF's board of directors. The EFF was designed to mediate the "inevitable conflicts that have begun to occur on the border between Cyberspace and the physical world."[33] They were trying to build a legal wall that would separate and protect the Internet from territorial government, and especially from the US government.[34]
In 2012, Barlow was one of the founders of the EFF-related organization the Freedom of the Press Foundation and also currently serves on its Board of Directors.[35] Barlow has had several public conversations via video conference with fellow Freedom of the Press Foundation Board of Directors member Edward Snowden,[36][37] and has appeared in interviews with Julian Assange of WikiLeaks touting Snowden as "a Hero."[38]
He is a Fellow with the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School and Diamond Management & Technology Consultants, and a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. He is listed as a member of the faculty of the European Graduate School (EGS), in Saas-Fee, Wallis, Switzerland. He spends much of his time on the road, lecturing and consulting about civil rights, freedom of speech, the state of the internet and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. He delivered lectures and panel discussions at TWiT Live,[39] TedxHamburg, Hamburg (Germany),[40] Greenfest SF,[41] Civitas (Norwegian think tank),[42] Internet Society (NY Chapter, New York),[43] the USC Center on Public Diplomacy,[44] and the European Graduate School (EGS), Saas-Fee, Switzerland.[45] On September 16, 2012, he presented at TEDxSantaCruz, in Santa Cruz, California.[46] On September 8, 2014, Barlow was the first speaker in the Art, Activism, and Technology: The 50th Anniversary of the Free Speech Movement colloquium series at University of California, Berkeley.[47]
Barlow also serves on the advisory boards of the Marijuana Policy Project,[48] Clear Path International, TTI/Vanguard, the project,[49] the stakeholder engagement non-profit Future 500 and the global company Touch Light Media[50] founded by Anita Ondine. He is a collaborator on the WetheData project founded by Juliette Powell.[51]
He is listed as Vice President at Algae Systems, a Nevada-based company with a working demo-scale pilot plant in Daphne, Alabama, dedicated to commercializing novel methods at the water-energy nexus for growing microalgae offshore as a second-generation biofuels feedstock and converting it to useful crude via hydrothermal liquefaction, while simultaneously treating wastewater, reducing carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere, and producing biochar.[52] At Startup Grind Jackson Hole on March 13, 2015, Barlow said that he was motivated to team up with Algae Systems after undergoing back surgery to address pain from an old ranching injury, while he had been an advisor to Herb Allison (president of Merrill Lynch at the time) and working to completely "electronify" financial transactions and speculative asset assembly (Barlow was named "One of the 25 Most Influential People in Financial Services" in the June 1999 issue of FutureBanker Magazine[53]). The surgery successfully alleviated the pain and catalyzed Barlow to change his focus from building wealth to building infrastructure in order to do something about the “amount of alterations we are already enacting on Planet Earth... We are not necessarily making it warmer, but weirder.” At Startup Grind Jackson Hole, Barlow also explained how once over tea with “Grandmother of the Conservation Movement” Mardy Murie, he was inspired by her words, “Environmentalists can be a pain in the ass... But they make great ancestors.” Adopting this philosophy, Barlow says, “I want to be a good ancestor.".[54]
For several years, Barlow has attended Burning Man and led a town hall meeting with Burning Man co-founder Larry Harvey about "the current state Practical Anarchy at Burning Man".[55][56] General Wesley Clark caused a stir in the media when he attended Burning Man in 2013 and spent time with Barlow and Harvey.[57]
Barlow has played a role in many films and television shows, both as an actor and as himself.[58] Interviews with Barlow have been featured in documentaries such as the Tao Ruspoli-directed film Monagamish (under production),[59] Bits & Bytes (under production),[60][61] and Dying to Know: Ram Dass & Timothy Leary.[62][63]
The iPhone app Detour released in February 2015 by Groupon founder and ex-CEO Andrew Mason features a 75-minute audio tour narrated by Barlow as he walks through the Tenderloin neighborhood in downtown San Francisco.[64][65][66]
John Perry Barlow serving as wedding minister at Mount Tamalpais on July 11, 2014
Barlow is a self-ordained minister who performs baptisms and weddings.[67][68]
Barlow suffered a heart attack on May 27th, 2015[69] He later issued tweets, regarding that he had survived and is recovering. [70]
His writings include "A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace," which was written in response to the enactment of the Communications Decency Act in 1996 as the EFF saw the law as a threat to the independence and sovereignty of cyberspace. He argued that the cyberspace legal order would reflect the ethical deliberation of the community instead of the coercive power that characterized real-space governance.[73] Since online "identities have no bodies," they found it inappropriate to obtain order in the cyberspace by physical coercion.[74] Instead ethics, enlightened self-interest and the commonwealth were the elements they believed to create a civilization of the Mind in Cyberspace.[73]. An article published in April 2015 by Paper magazine recounts the events surrounding this piece:
In his 1990 piece "Crime and Puzzlement: in advance of the law on the electronic frontier," Barlow wrote about his first-hand experience with Phiber Optik (Mark Abene) and Acid Phreak (Eli Ladopoulos) from the hackers group Masters of Deception, and mentions Kevin Mitnick, all of whom were engaged in phone phreaking.[76] The title alludes to Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.[77]
Barlow is credited for modern popularization of the concept of pronoia and was considered a celebrity ally of the Zippy Pronoia Tour in 1994.[78][79]
In 1998, Barlow wrote the article "Africa Rising: Everything You Know About Africa Is Wrong" for Wired, which documented the start of his extensive travels as he worked to expand Internet access across the continent: "I went from Mombasa to Tombouctou, experiencing various parts of Kenya, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Mali, Uganda, and the Virunga volcano area where Uganda, Rwanda, and the Congo meet. Part of the idea was that I would attempt to email Wired a series of dispatches on my travels. The act of finding a port into cyberspace would be part of the adventure... Before I left, I believed Africans could proceed directly from the agricultural epoch into an information economy without having to submit to the dreary indignities and social pathologies of industrialization."[80]
Barlow has also returned to writing lyrics, most recently with The String Cheese Incident's mandolinist and vocalist Michael Kang, including their song "Desert Dawn." Barlow has been seen many times with Carolyn Garcia (whose monologue is dubbed on the eponymous track "Mountain Girl"[81]) at their concerts mixing with the fans and members in the band, and is a close friend of String Cheese Incident producer Jerry Harrison. He also participated with the Chicago-based jam band Mr. Blotto on their release Barlow Shanghai. Barlow is a Spiritual Mentor/Student of Kemp Muhl and Sean Lennon,[82] collaborating with their band The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger and making a cameo in their 2014 music video "Animals."[83]
On August 15, 2013, Barlow participated in a Reddit AMA,[84][85] where he shared his "Principles of Adult Behavior", which were originally written in 1977 on the eve of his 30th birthday and have been in circulation ever since:
1. Be patient. No matter what.
4. Expand your sense of the possible.
5. Don’t trouble yourself with matters you truly cannot change.
7. Tolerate ambiguity.
8. Laugh at yourself frequently.
11. Give up blood sports.
13. Never lie to anyone for any reason.
16. Reduce your use of the first personal pronoun.
17. Praise at least as often as you disparage.
18. Admit your errors freely and soon.
19. Become less suspicious of joy.
20. Understand humility.
21. Remember that love forgives everything.
22. Foster dignity.
23. Live memorably.
24. Love yourself.
25. Endure.
1. ^ a b Goldsmith & Wu 2006, p. 17.
2. ^ Kim, Wook (6 September 2012), "School of Rock: 10 Supersmart Musicians", Time (magazine), retrieved 23 September 2012 .
3. ^,,20102268,00.html
4. ^
5. ^
6. ^ McNally, Dennis (2002), A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead, Broadway, p. 394 .
7. ^ Sterling, Bruce (1992). The Hacker Crackdown, law and disorder on the electronic frontier at Project Gutenberg.
8. ^
9. ^
10. ^
11. ^
12. ^
13. ^ How Barlow met his fiancée at a convention center, and what happened afterwards, in Barlow, John Perry (October 17, 2003). Convention, episode 74. This American Life, aired August 30, 1997, Chicago Public Radio and Ira Glass. Min. 37.
14. ^
15. ^
16. ^ Barlow, John Perry (July 2, 2003), American Morning (TRANSCRIPT) (interview), CNN
17. ^
18. ^
19. ^
20. ^
21. ^
22. ^
23. ^
24. ^
25. ^
26. ^
27. ^
28. ^ "New York city speakers: Barlow", Conference (PDF), Personal democracy, Jun 3–5, 2010 .
29. ^ The Colbert Report, March 26, 2007
30. ^
31. ^ Barlow, John Perry (interviewee); Jayakar, Roshni (interviewer) (December 6, 2000). "What stops free flow of information is dangerous". Business Today (Living Media India). Archived from the original on 2007-10-09. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
32. ^ a b c "Who's Getting Your Vote?". Reason. November 2004. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
33. ^ Goldsmith & Wu 2006, p. 18.
34. ^ Goldsmith & Wu 2006, p. 19.
35. ^
36. ^
37. ^
38. ^
39. ^ Barlow, John Perry; Laporte, Leo; Merritt, Tom (2010-10-20). "The Electronic Frontier Foundation and the state of freedom on the Internet". TWiT Live. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
40. ^ Barlow, John Perry (2010-05-27). "The Power of the Internet". Hamburg, DE: Tedx. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
41. ^ Amorim, João; Pinchbeck, Daniel; Hubbard, Barbara Marx; Ghosthorse, Tiokasin; Barlow, John Perry (2010-04-10). "Conscious Evolution to Practical Solutions". Greenfest SF. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
42. ^ Barlow, John Perry (2009-04-24). "Internet, Property and the Freedom of Speech". Civitas (Norwegian think tank). Retrieved 2010-11-27.
43. ^ Barlow, John Perry (2008-10-27). "The First Internet Election". Internet Society (New York Chapter). Retrieved 2010-11-27.
44. ^ Barlow, John Perry; Gilmore, John (2006-11-14). "Fulbright Chair Speaker Series" (MP3) (audio). USC Center on Public Diplomacy. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
45. ^ Barlow, John Perry (2006-06-12). "Independence Declaration of Cyberspace". Saas-Fee, CH: European Graduate School. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
46. ^ "Open". Santa Cruz, CA, US: TEDx. 2012-09-15. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
47. ^
48. ^ VIP, MPP .
49. ^ (official website)
50. ^ Touch light media .
51. ^
52. ^
53. ^
54. ^
55. ^!topic/skoolfak/WfJrdUNcm9s
56. ^
57. ^
58. ^
59. ^
60. ^
61. ^
62. ^
63. ^
64. ^
65. ^
66. ^ <
67. ^ Gray 2000, p. 40.
68. ^
69. ^
70. ^
71. ^ Barlow, John Perry. "Cassidy's Tale". Literary Kicks: Beat Connections in Music. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
72. ^ Goldsmith & Wu 2006, pp. 17–8.
73. ^ a b Goldsmith & Wu 2006, p. 20.
75. ^
76. ^ Barlow, John Perry (1990-06-08). Barlow, ""Crime and Puzzlement: in advance of the law on the electronic frontier." Whole Earth Review (Fall 1990): 44-57.". Retrieved 2015-03-10.
77. ^
78. ^
79. ^
80. ^
81. ^
82. ^
83. ^
84. ^
85. ^
External links[edit] |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47601 | From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Labadee, Haiti Aug 2002.JPG
Labadie is located in Haiti
The nation of Haiti, showing Labadie
Coordinates: 19°47′11″N 72°14′44″W / 19.78639°N 72.24556°W / 19.78639; -72.24556
Country Haiti
Department Nord
Arrondissement Cap-Haïtien
Labadee (also Labadie) is a port located on the northern coast of Haiti. It is a private resort leased to the private company Royal Caribbean International until 2050.[1] Royal Caribbean International has contributed the largest proportion of tourist revenue to Haiti since 1986, employing 300 locals, allowing another 200 to sell their wares on the premises for a fee[2] and paying the Haitian government US$10 per tourist, increasing to US$12 in March 2015.[3]
In Labadee, Haïti, Freedom of the Seas is docked.
In 1991, a journalist revealed that passengers who disembarked at the location were not informed they were in Haiti.[6][7]
In November 2001, a crew member from the luxury cruise line Royal Caribbean was attacked on Labadee in an apparent robbery. The assailants were arrested by Haitian police.[8]
Labadee beach, Haïti, close to Cap-Haïtien.
In February 2004, Royal Caribbean temporarily suspended use of the stop due to political unrest in the country.[9] However, Royal Caribbean has since returned to using this private port.
In 2009, Royal Caribbean made US$55 million improvements to the facilities, including upgrading port facilities to allow docking of their largest cruise ships.[10]
In January 2010, just after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Royal Caribbean decided to continue its luxury cruises to the private port. The corporation announced it would be donating US$1 million to fund relief efforts in Haiti, and to use cruise ships to ferry relief supplies and personnel.[11]
The location is named after the marquis de La Badie, a Frenchman who first settled the area in the 17th century. The peninsula and a village were named Labadie.[12] The cruise company spells the name "Labadee" to make it easier for English-speakers to pronounce.[12]
1. ^ "Haiti:The island and the outside world". The Economist. 12 February 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
2. ^ "Could this paradise really be poor, desperate Haiti?". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
3. ^ "Haiti's local community to benefit from additional fee from cruise passengers". Haitian Caribbean News Network. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
4. ^ "Labadee". Retrieved 2007-08-02.
5. ^ "Labadee". The Washington Post. 2007-01-21. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
6. ^ AIDS and Accusation: Haiti and the Geography of Blame, Updated with a New ... - Paul Farmer - Google Boeken
7. ^ Last Resorts: The Cost of Tourism in the Caribbean - Polly Pattullo - Google Boeken
8. ^ RCI Crew Member Attacked in Labadee
9. ^ "CRUISES / Sittin' on the dock of the Gulf". The San Francisco Chronicle. 2004-02-27.
10. ^ Robert Booth (2010-01-17). "Cruise ships still find a Haitian berth". The Guardian (London).
11. ^ Robert Booth, “Cruise ships still find a Haitian berth” (20.1.2010) The Guardian
12. ^ a b Cruise Travel - Google Books
External links[edit]
|
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47602 | Mark McChrystal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Mark McChrystal
Mark McChrystal 1.jpg
McChrystal playing for Bristol Rovers in 2013
Personal information
Full name Mark Thomas McChrystal[1]
Date of birth (1984-06-26) 26 June 1984 (age 30)
Place of birth Derry, Northern Ireland
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing position Defender
Club information
Current team
Bristol Rovers
Number 5
Youth career
–2003 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 (0)
2003 Bradford City (loan)
2003–2006 Derry City 44 (1)
2003 Institute (loan) 7 (0)
2007 Partick Thistle 15 (1)
2007–2009 Derry City 28 (0)
2009 Lisburn Distillery 3 (0)
2010 Derry City 30 (3)
2011–2013 Tranmere Rovers 41 (1)
2012 Scunthorpe United (loan) 3 (0)
2013– Bristol Rovers 82 (1)
National team
Northern Ireland Schoolboys
Northern Ireland U18
2004–2006 Northern Ireland U21 9 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:12, 3 January 2013 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
Mark Thomas McChrystal (born 26 June 1984) is a Northern Irish footballer who currently plays for Bristol Rovers. Born in Derry, Northern Ireland, he is a left-footed defender, he has in the past also captained the Northern Ireland under-21 side.
Club career[edit]
McChrystal began his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers[2] where he was one of a plethora of young players from Northern Ireland playing there. After spending three years at Molineux, including a spell on loan at Bradford City in 2003,[3] he was released by the Midlands club and he eventually returned home to sign for his local team Derry City of the League of Ireland in April 2003,[3] despite interest from other English clubs. He was then loaned out to near neighbours Institute[2] by Dermot Keely on a three-month deal.
His stay in the Irish League was short-lived however, and after just six games for the club, he picked up an injury in the quarter-final of the North-West Cup against Moyola Park which hastened his return to Derry City.[2] He fought his way back into the team under Gavin Dykes and Peter Hutton but did not appear regularly during the reign of Stephen Kenny due to stiff competition in defence. Seen to be surplus to demands, he was released on 14 December 2006 after the appointment of Pat Fenlon as manager.[4]
Within a month he had moved to Glasgow-based club, Partick Thistle.[5] He made his Jags debut in a 2–0 defeat by Clyde on 2 January 2007[6] and was a regular through to the end of the season. He scored his only goal in a 4–3 defeat by Queen of the South as Partick almost came back from 4–0 down.[7]
He re-signed for Derry City in August 2007 after turning down a move to Glentoran[8] and being released by new Thistle manager Ian McCall. The following year he collected his first major honours, a winner's medal in the League Cup as Wexford Youths were routed 6–1[9] and a runners-up medal following an FAI Cup Final penalty shoot-out defeat by Bohemians.[10]
Unhappy with his limited first team chances after returning from a broken cheekbone and non-payment of wages, he negotiated an early release from his Derry contract in August 2009.[11] He went on trial at Huddersfield[12] but failed to win a deal[13] and Crewe Alexandra[14] before joining Lisburn Distillery on a short-term deal in late 2009.[15]
Unhappy over non-payment of his wages by Lisburn[11] he rejoined Derry City for a third spell in January 2010, signing a one-year contract.[16] He then went on to help Derry back into the Premier Division as First Division Champions.[17]
On 6 January 2011 he joined English club Tranmere Rovers on a six-month contract[18] and made his Football League debut as a 77th minute substitute on 8 January against Walsall.[19] At the end of the 2010–11 season he offered a new contract by the club[20] and at the end of June he signed a two-year contract.[21]
His first goal for the club came against Scunthorpe on 5 May 2012 in Tranmere's final match of the season.[22]
On 3 January 2013, he signed a short term contract with League Two side Bristol Rovers. He made his home debut on 5 January in a 2–0 defeat to Gillingham.
International career[edit]
He gained Schoolboy caps while at St. Columb's College in his native Derry,[2] and added Under-18 caps whilst at Wolves.[2] He appeared nine times for Northern Ireland's Under 21 team, making his debut on 18 August 2004 against Switzerland, with his last appearance coming almost two years later on 16 August 2006 against Romania.[2]
Derry City
Bristol Rovers
He holds a degree in Business Studies with Accounts.[11]
2. ^ a b c d e f "Player profile: Mark McChrystal". Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
3. ^ a b "Candystripes sign McCrystal". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 23 April 2003. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
4. ^ "Delaney is released by Derry City". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 21 December 2006. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
5. ^ "McChrystal completes Thistle move". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 1 January 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
6. ^ "Clyde 2–0 Partick Thistle". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2 January 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
7. ^ "Queen of the South 4–3 Partick Thistle". Herald Scotland. 29 January 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
8. ^ "McChrystal returns to Derry City". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 1 August 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
9. ^ "Wexford Youths 1–6 Derry City". RTÉ Sport. 27 September 2008. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
10. ^ "Bohs win FAI Ford Cup Final on penalty shoot-out". Football Association of Ireland. 23 November 2008. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
11. ^ a b c "McChrystal returns to Brandywell to kick-start his career". Derry Journal. 12 January 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
12. ^ "McChrystal lands Terriers trial". Sky News. Sky. 22 September 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
13. ^ "McChrystal misses out on deal". Sky News. Sky. 16 October 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
14. ^ Alex Gwyn Griffiths (6 November 2009). "Crewe Alex: Gradi ponders McChrystal move". The Sentinel. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
15. ^ "Mark in line for Distillery debut". Ulster Star. 19 November 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
16. ^ "Mark Scoltock moves from Institute to Derry City". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 12 January 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
17. ^ "Monaghan United 0–1 Derry City". League of Ireland. 30 October 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
18. ^ "Defender joins Tranmere Rovers". Tranmere Rovers. 6 January 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
19. ^ "Tranmere 3–3 Walsall". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 8 January 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
20. ^ "Rovers Offer Six New Contracts". Tranmere Rovers FC. 9 May 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
21. ^ "Defender Mark McChrystal extends Tranmere contract". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 30 June 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
22. ^ "Tranmere 1 – 1 Rochdale". BBC Sport. 5 May 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
External links[edit] |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47603 | Michael A. Arbib
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Jump to: navigation, search
Michael A. Arbib (born 1940 in England) is the Fletcher Jones Professor of Computer Science, as well as a Professor of Biological Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of Southern California (USC). As both a theoretical neuroscientist and a computer scientist, Arbib argues that by deducing the brain's operating principles from a computational standpoint we can both learn more about how brains function and also gain tools for building learning machines. Arbib is a prolific author and has written or edited over 30 books and many scientific research articles. His work has been extremely influential in shaping the field of computational neuroscience.
Arbib received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1963. He was advised by Norbert Wiener, the founder of cybernetics, and Henry P. McKean, Jr. As a student, he also worked with Warren McCulloch, the co-inventor of the artificial neural network and finite-state machine. After a brief postdoc with Rudolf Kalman, Arbib spent five years as an assistant professor at Stanford, before becoming the founding chairman of the Department of Computer and Information Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1970. He remained in the Department until 1986, when he joined the University of Southern California.
With Richard Didday, he developed one of the first winner-take-all neural networks in 1970. More recently, with Giacomo Rizzolatti, the leader of research team that discovered mirror neurons, he proposed an evolutionary link between mirror neurons, imitation, and the evolution of language.
Selected bibliography[edit]
• Brains, Machines and Mathematics (1964, 1987) ISBN 0-387-96539-4
• Algebraic Theory of Machines, Languages and Semigroups (January, 1968) ISBN 0-12-059050-6
• The metaphorical brain (Wiley, 1972) ISBN 0-471-03249-2
• System theory. A unified state-space approach (Saunders, 1974) by Louis Padulo, Michael A. Arbib
• Computers and the Cybernetic Society (1984)
• In Search of the Person: Philosophical Explorations in Cognitive Science (November 1, 1985)
• Algebraic Approaches to Program Semantics (Texts and Monographs in Computer Science) by Ernest G. Manes, Michael A. Arbib (August 1, 1986)
• The Construction of Reality (Cambridge Studies in Philosophy) by Michael A. Arbib, Mary B. Hesse (November 28, 1986)
• Brains, Machines and Mathematics 2nd ed. by Michael A. Arbib (November 1, 1987)
• Dynamic Interactions in Neural Networks: Models and Data (Research Notes in Neural Computing) by Michael A. Arbib, Shun-Ichi Amari (January 1, 1989)
• Vision, Brain, and Cooperative Computation by Michael A. Arbib (Editor), Allen R. Hanson (Editor) (January 24, 1990)
• Natural and Artificial Parallel Computation by Michael A. Arbib (Editor), J. Alan Robinson (Editor) (Hardcover - December 21, 1990)
• Neuroscience: From Neural Networks to Artificial Intelligence : Proceedings of a U.S.-Mexico Seminar Held in the City of Xalapa in the State of Verac (Lecture Notes in Mathematics) by Pablo Rudomin, et al. (June 1, 1993)
• Neural Organization: Structure, Function, and Dynamics by Michael A. Arbib, Péter Érdi and János Szentágothai et al. (October 31, 1997)
• Neuroscience and the Person: Scientific Perspectives on Divine Action (Scientific Perspectives on Divine Action Series) by Robert J. Russell, et al. (January 1, 2000)
• Computing the Brain: A Guide to Neuroinformatics by Michael Arbib, Jeffrey S. Grethe (March 15, 2001)
• The Neural Simulation Language: A System for Brain Modeling by Alfredo Weitzenfeld, et al. (July 1, 2002)
• The Handbook of Brain Theory and Neural Networks: 2nd Edition by Michael A. Arbib (Editor) (November 15, 2002)
• Who Needs Emotions: The Brain Meets the Robot (Series in Affective Science) by Jean-Marc Fellous, et al. (October 28, 2004)
• Beyond the Mirror: Biology and Culture in the Evolution of Brain and Language (June 2005) ISBN 0-19-514993-9
• Visual Structures and Integrated Functions (Research Notes in Neural Computing, No 3) by Michael A. Arbib, Jorg-Peter Ewert
• Visuomotor Coordination: Amphibians, Comparisons, Models, and Robots by Jorg Peter Ewert, Michael A. Arbib
• The Metaphorical Brain 2: Neural Networks and Beyond by Michael B. Arbib
• Introduction to Formal Language Theory (Texts and Monographs in Computer Science) by Robert N. Moll, et al.
• From Schema Theory to Language by Michael A. Arbib, et al.
• Adaptive Control of Ill-Defined Systems (Nato Conference Series. II, Systems Science, V. 16) by NATO Advanced Research Institute on Adaptive Control of Ill-Defined systems
• Programming Approach to Computability (The Akm Series in Theoretical Computer Science) by A. J. Kfoury, et al.
• Neural Models of Language Processes (Perspectives in neurolinguistics, neuropsychology, and psycholinguistics)
• A Basis for Theoretical Computer Science (Springer Series in Statistics) by Michael A. Arbib
• Arrows, Structures, and Functors: The Categorical Imperative
• Theories of abstract automata (Prentice-Hall series in automatic computation)
External links[edit] |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47606 | Steve Pylant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Steven Everett Pylant, Sr.
Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from the 20 district
Assumed office
January 2012
Preceded by Noble Ellington
Sheriff of Franklin Parish, Louisiana
In office
Preceded by Eugene Parker
Succeeded by Kevin Wayne Cobb
Personal details
Born (1954-11-25) November 25, 1954 (age 60)
Franklin Parish, Louisiana
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Rhonda Pylant
Children Steven E. Pylant, Jr.
Residence Franklin Parish
near Delhi
Louisiana, USA
Alma mater Winnsboro High School
University of Louisiana at Monroe
Occupation Law enforcement officer
Steven Everett Pylant, Sr. (born November 25, 1954), is a former sheriff of Franklin Parish, Louisiana, who currently serves as a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 20, which includes all or portions of Franklin, Caldwell, Catahoula, La Salle, and Tensas parishes in the northeastern section of his state.
A native of Franklin Parish, Pylant graduated from Winnsboro High School in the parish seat of Winnsboro and attended the University of Louisiana at Monroe.[1] Pylant and his wife, Rhonda, reside in Franklin Parish near Delhi, a town in Richland Parish, and have a Delhi mailing address. Their son is Steven Pylant, Jr.
Political career[edit]
With a dozen years of law-enforcement experience, Pylant was elected as Franklin Parish sheriff in the nonpartisan blanket primary held in 1995 to succeed the Democrat Eugene Parker. Pylant polled 5,784 votes (66.6 percent) to defeat three opponents, including the perennial candidate, L. D. "None of the Above" Knox of Winnsboro.[2] When Pylant became sheriff, Franklin Parish still owed $8 million for its detention center, which had been completed in 1992. When Pylant vacated the sheriff's office, the department expected to have $7 million in assets. In his announcement statement for state representative, Pylant said:
Pylant was succeeded as sheriff by his chief deputy, fellow Republican Kevin Wayne Cobb (born 1970) of Winnsboro, who defeated the Democrat Emmitt Coleman, 5,860 votes (80.8 percent) to 1,391 (19.2 percent).[4]
In the primary for state representative held on October 22, 2011, Pylant, with 9,119 votes (56.3 percent), defeated the Democrat Cleveland Webb "Cleve" Womack (born 1953) of Jonesville in Catahoula Parish, who trailed with 7,066 ballots (43.7 percent). To cement his victory margin, Pylant received 71 percent of the vote in his own Franklin Parish.[5] Pylant succeeded the Democrat-turned-Republican Noble Ellington of Winnsboro, who did not seek re-election. Pylant carried the backing of Governor Bobby Jindal, who was handily elected to a second term.[6] Running as a Democrat in 2007, Ellington himself had also defeated Womack. At that time the district did not include any part of LaSalle Parish.[7]
Pylant is assigned to three House committees, (1) Administration of Criminal Justice, (2) Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development, and (3) Transportation, Highways, and Public Works.[1] The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry rates Pylant 78 percent in the 2013 legislative session but 90 percent for 2012-2013 combined.[8]
In 2013, Pylant was one of only two members to vote against a bill to give special consideration to veterans of the armed forces who are arrested or convicted of a crime: "I support veterans 110 percent, but when someone violates the law we should be fair and impartial, no matter who they are. Everyone has problems ... I don't think it's fair to be more lenient on some than others because of their military background."[9]
Pylant's legislative ratings have ranged from 78 to 90 percent from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. In 2012, he was rated 100 percent by the National Federation of Independent Business. In 2013 and 2014, the conservative Louisiana Family Forum scored from 100 and 90 percent, respectively. In 2013 and 2014, he was rated 75 and 100 percent by Louisiana Right to Life. In 2013 and 2014, the Louisiana Association of Educators rated him 0 and 8 percent, respectively.[10]
In 2014, Pylant co-sponsored the requirement that abortion providers have hospital admitting privileges near their clinics; the bill was approved by the full House, 88-5. He did not vote on the extension of time for implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative nor on the prohibition of the transportation of dogs in the beds of pick-up trucks while traveling on interstate highways. He opposed the requirement that companies give notice when they engage in hydraulic fracking. He voted against the repeal of the anti-sodomy laws. He was one of only twelve House members to vote against the establishment of surrogacy contracts though he had initially co-sponsored the measure. He voted against reducing the penalties for the possession of marijuana. He did not vote on the issue of lifetime concealed carry gun permits but co-sponsored the right of concealed carry in restaurants that sell alcoholic beverages. He co-sponsored making information about permit holders a matter of public record. He voted in 2013 for an increase in judicial pay but opposed the removal of the mandatory retirement age for judges.[11]
In 2012, Pylant voted to prohibit the use of telephones while driving. He opposed tax incentives for attracting a National Basketball Association team to Louisiana but supported state income tax deductions for individuals who contribute to scholarship funds. He voted against reducing the number of hours that polling locations remain open; Louisiana has traditionally had 14-hour polling days. He supported the requirement for drug testing of welfare recipients, which passed the House, 65 to 26.He voted to amend the state teacher tenure law.[11]
Notice: Another Steve Pylant, Steve F. Pylant, is a Democratic member of the Union Parish Police Jury from Downsville.[12]
1. ^ a b "Steven E. Pylant". Retrieved August 25, 2013.
2. ^ "Louisiana primary election returns, October 21, 1995". Retrieved October 24, 2011.
3. ^ "Political announcement: Steve Pylant, State Representative, District 20". Richland Today. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
4. ^ "Franklin Parish election returns, October 22, 2011". Retrieved October 24, 2011.
5. ^ "Louisiana primary election returns, October 22, 2011". Retrieved October 24, 2011.
6. ^ "Jindal weighs in on Oct. 22 election". Retrieved October 22, 2011.
7. ^ "Louisiana general election returns, November 17, 2007". Retrieved October 24, 2011.
8. ^ "Steve E. Pylant". Retrieved August 25, 2013.
9. ^ "Vicki Adams, "Pylant votes against special treatment", June 5, 2013". Franklin Sun, Winnsboro, Louisiana. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
10. ^ "Steven E. Pylant's Ratings and Endorsements". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
11. ^ a b "Steven E. Pylant's Voting Records". Project Vote Smart. May 12, 2015.
12. ^ "Union Parish officials". Retrieved March 16, 2015.
Louisiana House of Representatives
Preceded by
Noble Ellington
Louisiana State Representative from District 20 (Caldwell, Catahoula, LaSalle, Franklin, and Tensas parishes)
Steven Everett Pylant, Sr.
2012 –
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Eugene Parker
Sheriff of Franklin Parish, Louisiana
Steven Everett Pylant, Sr.
Succeeded by
Kevin Wayne Cobb |
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The Association of Teaching Artists (ATA) is a non-profit professional organization whose mission is to strengthen and serve Teaching Artists from all disciplines in New York State and beyond. The Association of Teaching Artists strives to create a community of professional Teaching Artists by: Empowering the practice of Teaching Artists' as a profession; Providing a network for communication and the exchange of resources; Shaping the field of Arts in Education; Providing advocacy, training, and professional development; Publicly recognizing distinguished achievement.
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Message History |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47656 |
New source package formats now available
formats "3.0 (quilt)" and "3.0 (native)". The last step for us (dpkg
formats by default. However, before we do this we want to ensure that
quite a few packages left to fix:
You're more than welcome to help us achieve this release goal [2].
The initial uptake is quite good, more than 120 source packages
have been converted already:
Graph: http://upsilon.cc/~zack/stuff/dpkg-v3/
Raw numbers: http://udd.debian.org/cgi-bin/dpkgformat.cgi
We have collected some question/answers from early adopters in
the dedicated wiki page, the most important information is pasted
below. We hope you will find it helpful to convert your own packages.
=== Why should I convert my package to 3.0 (quilt) format? ===
Pick the reasons that matter to you:
* by keeping patches separate and properly documented (with DEP-3[1]):
* the Debian changes are more likely to be reviewed (for example thanks to
* any upstream contributor is more likely to find and merge the patches (if
you haven't forwarded it properly)
* other distributions can reuse our patches
* even if you don't have any upstream patch right now, next time that
someone must NMU your package, they can cleanly add a patch (with a
proper DEP-3 header) without having to modify the build system
* same applies for derivative distributions that have to modify your
packages... you're more likely to be able to find something valuable to
merge if their changes are kept as separate patches instead of merged
within the .diff.gz
* debian/rules can be simplified by getting rid of the
patching/unpatching code (or the uuencoding/uudecoding code if you ship
a supplementary binary file like an icon)
* the upstream tarball is bzip2-compressed and you don't want to have to
convert it
* the upstream tarball contains a debian directory and you don't want to
repackage it just to remove that directory
* the upstream author releases the software in multiple tarballs
* you don't have to add -i -I every time that you manually build the
package from the VCS repository (the VCS-specific files are ignored by
* in the long run it's best to standardize on a single patch system (new
contributors need to learn a single system, more people can help you,
etc.) and quilt appears to be that patch system.
=== How to convert a source package? ===
You need to put "3.0 (quilt)" or "3.0 (native)" in debian/source/format to
indicate the desired format to dpkg-source (see the dpkg-source(1) manual
page for more information).
Native packages should not need any other change.
When you switch to "3.0 (quilt)", there are other changes that you might
want to do:
* If your .diff.gz modifies upstream files, you should really put those
changes in separate quilt patches first, otherwise all those changes
will be merged in a single quilt patch named
debian/patches/debian-changes-<version>. Consider documenting those
patches by following DEP-3[1].
* If you use another patch system (like dpatch or dbs), consider
switching to quilt (you can then simplify your debian/rules, see next
* You can remove everything related to quilt in debian/rules
(patch/unpatch logic, cleanup of quilt stamp file and its .pc
=== Does a 3.0 (quilt) source package need to build-depend on quilt? ===
If you drop the quilt usage in debian/rules (patch/unpatch logic), then no.
=== Is the README.source file needed with 3.0 (quilt) source packages? ===
No. Since dpkg-source -x applies the patch, you don't have to explain how
the patch system works. If lintian gives you the
patch-system-but-no-source-readme warning, upgrade to the latest version
in sid.
=== Other questions ? ===
Read the full FAQ in the wiki and the dpkg-source(1) manual page. If you
still have questions, please ask on [email protected].
Thank you for your attention.
[1] http://dep.debian.net/deps/dep3/
[2] http://wiki.debian.org/ReleaseGoals/NewDebFormats
Raphaël Hertzog
Attachment: signature.asc
Description: Digital signature
Reply to: |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47658 |
Re: Architecture distribution in Debian according to popcon
[Sven Luther]
> Notice that for whatever reason, the mail address which does receive
> the popcon information does believe that my machines are not using
> fully qualified domains, or something such, and thus they get
> rejected by popcon,
Sounds like the requirement of popularity-contest isn't fulfilled. It
need a working MTA on the host, capable of sending emails out from the host.
> so i somehow seriously doubt the reliability of this info.
Do you have reason to believe that this problem affect some archs more
then others? If not, the problem should be equally distributed on all
archs, and the stats would be correct relative to each arch.
But thank you for trying. We will try to make popcon easier to use
and teach the mail server to accept all delivered emails, and not
reject emails from badly configured hosts.
This is the current status:
1 0.08% ia64
1 0.08% mips
1 0.08% arm
1 0.08% hppa
1 0.08% x86_64
1 0.08% s390
2 0.16% m68k
5 0.41% alpha
14 1.14% sparc
24 1.96% powerpc
1174 95.84% i386
1225 100.00% total (ignored 541 without arch info)
Reply to: |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47662 |
Status of debian-powerpc?
I subscribed to this list to find out about the progress of debian-ppc.
What's the status? Is it long before it's usable? Is the glibc 2.1 stable?
Finally, where can I find the base files and packages to download?
Konstantinos Margaritis
Reply to: |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47664 |
Bug#335899: marked as done (RFA: lmodern -- scalable PostScript fonts for european character sets)
Your message dated Sat, 11 Feb 2006 08:02:17 -0800
with message-id <[email protected]>
and subject line Bug#335899: fixed in lmodern 0.99.3-1
has caused the attached Bug report to be marked as done.
talking about this indicates a serious mail system misconfiguration
somewhere. Please contact me immediately.)
Debian bug tracking system administrator
(administrator, Debian Bugs database)
--- Begin Message ---
Package: wnpp
Severity: normal
I cannot work on lmodern anymore and am hereby orphaning it.
Description: scalable PostScript fonts for european character sets
scalable fonts in PostScript Type 1 format. They are based on the
PostScript Type 1 version of the Computer Modern fonts and contain
many additional characters (mostly accented ones).
The Latin Modern fonts were generated using MetaType1, a program
based on MetaPost for generating PostScript Type 1 fonts
(ftp://bop.eps.gda.pl/pub/metatype1/). Their size is reasonable and
they are usually considered to be of good quality (compared to
that have no equivalent in this package; additionally, there are
Modern fonts).
are also registered with defoma, which makes them available to other
applications such as Ghostscript and Fontconfig. Finally, they are
made available to the X Window System directly, which makes it
possible to use them in any X application (however, XFree86's native
rendering of PostScript Type 1 fonts is not fantastic at the moment,
so the result in this last case is not so pleasant as with font
rendering engines that perform anti-aliasing, such as FreeType).
Note: the latest upstream versions are not limited to european character
sets anymore, since they include vietnamese characters.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Source: lmodern
Source-Version: 0.99.3-1
lmodern, which is due to be installed in the Debian FTP archive:
to pool/main/l/lmodern/lmodern_0.99.3-1.diff.gz
to pool/main/l/lmodern/lmodern_0.99.3-1.dsc
to pool/main/l/lmodern/lmodern_0.99.3-1_all.deb
to pool/main/l/lmodern/lmodern_0.99.3.orig.tar.gz
have further comments please address them to [email protected],
and the maintainer will reopen the bug report if appropriate.
Debian distribution maintenance software
Florent Rougon <[email protected]> (supplier of updated lmodern package)
(This message was generated automatically at their request; if you
believe that there is a problem with it please contact the archive
administrators by mailing [email protected])
Hash: SHA1
Format: 1.7
Date: Sat, 11 Feb 2006 16:38:56 +0100
Source: lmodern
Binary: lmodern
Architecture: source all
Version: 0.99.3-1
Distribution: unstable
Urgency: low
Maintainer: Debian teTeX maintainers <[email protected]>
Changed-By: Florent Rougon <[email protected]>
lmodern - scalable PostScript fonts based on Computer Modern
Closes: 298194 335899 348906
lmodern (0.99.3-1) unstable; urgency=low
* New Maintainer (Closes: #335899).
* New upstream release (Closes: #298194).
* Move map files to TEXMFMAIN [preining]
* Add compatibility for lmodern < 0.93 [ralf]
- cork-lm.map adapted lm.map
- cork-lm.enc -> lm-ec.enc
5fdd3636934a68e5e3d162df8dac2511 829 tex optional lmodern_0.99.3-1.dsc
d6797949a3fe9cbc7ec1b9f72cbfd50a 13792249 tex optional lmodern_0.99.3.orig.tar.gz
2895dca1349c9bb2094e39993770f0ca 19220 tex optional lmodern_0.99.3-1.diff.gz
891a3a3f9154df1e518490e214d0265b 10397700 tex optional lmodern_0.99.3-1_all.deb
Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (GNU/Linux)
--- End Message ---
Reply to: |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47666 |
Harddrive Weirdness
This is somewhat more of a hardware question but it might interest someone here.
I was installing (with the pci/ide disks) on a system that has very been running 2.1 for 9 or 10 months (I built it when I loaded 2.1 on it, so its recent hardware western digital ide hd, asus p5a, k6-2 450), went through it, rebooted, and was in dselect picking which packages to install. I was interupted and had to go away for a few hours, when I came back, I didn't quite realize at what step I was at in the install, and so I noticed the 2.2.17pre6 kernel image, and thought, oh I'd like that too, and selected it.
So halfway through installing the packages, it replaced the kernel, and still not thinking about what I was doing, moved the modules directory and hit Y to install the new kernel. Then it continues installing the other half of the packages.
Almost did that is. It began to get drive write errors, and quite shortly the system locked up.
I had to cut the power, and start again. But when I began the install over again, even rewrote the partition table, etc, I kept getting the same write errors from the harddrive. I then formated the disk with and old dos bootdisk, and still got the errors when reinstalling. I then rebooted from the rescue disk, and did a dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda and wiped the disk totally. made one big partition, fscked it, and did a read check, but stil got the same write errors during an install attempt.
Pissed, I went to bed, and got up in the morning and the install everything went fine.
I can only assume being powered off for 7 or 8 hours caused whatever was wrong to go away. Is this reasonable? Is there something on the drive, a buffer of somekind, that could have been hosed by the kernel-crash that was able to survive a 30second power off, but went away during the long powerdown?
The last thing to ask me about is hardware, so I'm rather puzzeled.
Reply to: |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47667 |
Re: suddenly only root can login
I checked the files in /etc/pam.d and nothing looks
out of the ordinary. Is there anything in particular
to look for?
I thought it was a pam problem too, and I saw there
was bug filed against the pam in testing, so I
installed as part of this problem solving process the
following three files from unstable:
For all of the packages I alse did dpkg-reconfigure,
but there were no questions asked.
--- Thomas Adam <[email protected]> wrote:
> --- Richard Weil <[email protected]> wrote:
> > I'm running sarge on a fairly reliable machine.
> Today,
> > for some reason, no one but root can log on to the
> > machine. All of the users are still on the system.
> > Once logged into the system as root, it is
> impossible
> > to su to one of the users. Also, none of the users
> who
> > access the system via samba can logon either.
> Sounds like a PAM issue to me. Check /etc/pam.d/*
> -- Thomas Adam
> =====
> "The Linux Weekend Mechanic" --
> http://linuxgazette.net
> "TAG Editor" --
> http://linuxgazette.net
> punish
> experience will probably kill you. :)"
> -- Benjamin A. Okopnik (Linux Gazette Technical
> Editor)
> Chat instantly with your online friends? Get the
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"one that provides a complete Starbucks experience for your home." So - it makes you wait in an excessively long line, then a liberal-arts major acts superior while overcharging you?
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47680 | Pakistan gets new President
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India-born Pakistani businessman Mamnoon Hussain, a close aide of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was on Tuesday (July 30) elected as the 12th President of Pakistan after he trounced his lone opponent in a one-sided contest. Hussain, 73, will be sworn in on September 9 at the presidential palace due to be vacated by incumbent Asif Ali Zardari, who is stepping down at the end of his five-year term. Hussain emerged as a clear winner in the contest with ex-judge Wajihuddin Ahmed of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party, state media reported.
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47701 | Export (0) Print
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FIND Function
FIND(<find_text>, <within_text>[, [<start_num>][, <NotFoundValue>]])
The text you want to find. Use double quotes (empty text) to match the first character in within_text.
You can use wildcard characters — the question mark (?) and asterisk (*) — in find_text. A question mark matches any single character; an asterisk matches any sequence of characters. If you want to find an actual question mark or asterisk, type a tilde (~) before the character.
The text containing the text you want to find.
(optional) The character at which to start the search; if omitted, start_num = 1. The first character in within_text is character number 1.
(optional) The value that should be returned when the operation does not find a matching substring, typically 0, -1, or BLANK().
Number that shows the starting point of the text string you want to find.
Whereas Microsoft Excel has multiple versions of the FIND function to accommodate single-byte character set (SBCS) and double-byte character set (DBCS) languages, DAX uses Unicode and counts each character the same way; therefore, you do not need to use a different version depending on the character type.
This DAX function may return different results when used in a model that is deployed and then queried in DirectQuery mode. For more information about semantic differences in DirectQuery mode, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=219171.
The following formula finds the position of the first letter of the product designation, BMX, in the string that contains the product description.
=FIND("BMX","line of BMX racing goods")
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Connecting Clients to a Mirrored Database
To connect to a database mirroring session, a client can use either SQL Native Client or .NET Framework Data Provider for SQL Server. When configured for a SQL Server 2005 database, these data access providers both fully support database mirroring. For information about programming considerations for using a mirrored database, see Using Database Mirroring. In addition, the current principal server instance must be available and the login of the client must have been created on the server instance. For more information, see Troubleshooting Orphaned Users. Client connections to a database mirroring session do not involve the witness server instance, if one exists.
Topic Description
Making the Initial Connection to a Database Mirroring Session
Introduces initial partner name and failover partner name, explains how data access providers make the initial connection to a mirrored database, and describes the connection-string attributes for connecting to a mirrored database.
Connection Retry Algorithm (for TCP/IP Connections)
Describes the connection retry algorithm for TCP/IP connections from clients running Windows XP or later.
Reconnecting to a Database Mirroring Session
Describes reconnecting to a mirrored database if an established connection to a database mirroring session fails for any reason and the impact of redirection on a client application.
The Impact of a Stale Failover Partner Name
Discussed the impact of a database administrator changing one of the mirroring partners for a mirrored database.
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47754 | Bill summaries are authored by CRS.
Shown Here:
Reported to Senate amended (06/26/2007)
Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail Act - Amends the National Trails System Act to include the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail (the Trail), a trail consisting of water and overland routes totaling approximately 290 miles extending from Tangier Island, Virginia, through southern Maryland, the District of Columbia, and northern Virginia in the Chesapeake Bay, Patuxent River, Potomac River and north to the Patapsco River and Baltimore, Maryland, commemorating the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812.
Requires the Trail to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior.
Prohibits any land or interest in land outside the exterior boundaries of any federally administered area from being acquired by the United States for the Trail except with the consent of the owner of such land or interest.
Instructs the Secretary to: (1) encourage communities, landowners along the Trail, and volunteer trail groups to participate in the planning, development, and maintenance of the Trail; and (2) consult with other affected landowners and federal, state, and local agencies in the administration of the Trail.
Allows the Secretary to provide to state and local governments and nonprofit organizations interpretive programs and services and technical assistance for use in: (1) carrying out preservation and development of the Trail: and (2) providing education relating to the War of 1812 along, the Trail. |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47755 | There is one summary. Bill summaries are authored by CRS.
Shown Here:
Introduced in House (03/24/2010)
Budget Enforcement Legislative Tool Act of 2010 - Amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to authorize the President to propose, at any time and in any manner provided in this Act, the rescission of any discretionary budget authority in an appropriation Act.
Prohibits funds made available for obligation under this procedure from being proposed for rescission again.
Sets forth requirements for: (1) the President's transmittal to Congress of a special message regarding a proposed rescission; and (2) expedited consideration of such proposal. |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47763 | EconStor >
Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson (NY) >
Levy Economics Institute of Bard College >
Working Papers, Levy Economics Institute of Bard College >
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
Title:From unpaid to paid care work: the macroeconomic implications of HIV and AIDS on women's time-tax burdens PDF Logo
Authors:Antonopoulos, Rania
Toay, Taun N.
Issue Date:2009
Series/Report no.:Working papers // The Levy Economics Institute 570
Abstract:This paper considers public employment guarantee programs in the context of South Africa as a means to address the nexus of poverty, unemployment, and unpaid work burdensall factors exacerbated by HIV/AIDS. It further discusses the need for genderinformed public job creation in areas that mitigate the time-tax burdens of women, and examines a South African initiative to address social sector service delivery deficits within the government's Expanded Public Works Programme. The authors highlight the need for well-designed employment guarantee programsspecifically, programs centered on community and home-based careas a potential way to help offset the destabilizing effects of HIV/AIDS and endemic poverty. The paper concludes with results from macroeconomic simulations of such a program, using a social accounting matrix framework, and sets out implications for both participants and policymakers.
care work
unpaid work
Community and Homebased Care (CHBC)
South Africa
Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP)
Social Accounting Matrix (SAM)
employment guarantee
Document Type:Working Paper
Appears in Collections:Working Papers, Levy Economics Institute of Bard College
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47765 | April 21, 2011 | By Marcia Hofmann
Court Rejects Argument That All First-Time Email Hacking Offenses Are Felonies
Over the past few years, prosecutors have tried to stretch the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) in troubling ways through cases like United States v. Drew. This week, a federal appeals court rebuffed another attempt to expand the CFAA, finding that prosecutors can't double-count computer crime charges to turn misdemeanors into felonies.
Under the CFAA, it's generally a misdemeanor to access a computer in a way that is unauthorized or exceeds authorization. If someone violates the CFAA "in furtherance" of breaking another law, the crime turns from a misdemeanor into a felony. A different law, the Stored Communications Act (SCA), prohibits getting unauthorized access to someone else's email stored with an ISP. Since breaking into an email account stored with an ISP necessarily involves unauthorized access to the ISP's computer, the government can normally prosecute a first-time offense as a misdemeanor under the CFAA or the SCA.
Yet in United States v. Cioni, the government argued that a woman who broke into other people's email accounts violated the CFAA "in furtherance" of violating the SCA, double-counting the computer crime violations to convict her on felony charges.
This kind of double-counting punishes the defendant twice for the same thing, which is unconstitutional under the Fifth Amendment. If the appeals court affirmed Cioni’s conviction, that would mean that every unauthorized access to email stored with an ISP would be a felony. It's clear that Congress didn't want that, since it put misdemeanor punishments in the SCA. And while EFF takes email privacy very seriously, we think it's important for courts to apply computer crime laws cautiously.
So last fall, we partnered with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers to file an amicus brief in the Cioni case. We argued that government's double-counting amounted to double jeopardy. We also said that the government's approach wasn't consistent with congressional intent or cases interpreting similar language in another computer crime law, the Wiretap Act. The Fourth Circuit agreed, finding that Cioni's two felony CFAA convictions should be reduced to misdemeanors.
The court got it right. It's clear that Congress meant for most first-time computer crimes to have less severe punishments, and not significant prison time.
For more analysis of this case, read Professor Orin Kerr's blog post here.
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47788 | by Vashkoda
(Disclaimer: This work of fiction uses characters belonging to Toei and Saban without their permission. I am getting no profit from it. I only do it because I think Digimon is a great show, and I want to keep the story alive!)
"I'm home!" called out Jenrya, sliding off his shoes as he walked through the door of his family's apartment. Terriermon, who was in an especially good mood, jumped off his shoulder and began launching pretend kicks and punches at the sofa.
Jen could smell something good cooking, so he headed for the kitchen. His mother was there, dashing back and forth between the stove and something she was preparing at the table. She looked up briefly as he walked in, mumbled a quick hello, and went back to work.
"Um...anything I can help you with?" he asked, looking around and wondering where his siblings were.
"Mmhmm," said his mom as she spooned rice into a tupperware bowl. "You can bring this food to your father and sister. They'll both be at his office working late tonight."
Jenrya sighed. He had just biked all the way from school and had been hoping to relax in front of the television for a while.
Terriermon was still making battle cries in the living room. Jenrya's mother paused, a frown on her face.
"Jen, has your creature been fighting?"
The fifteen-year old grimaced. He didn't feel like starting another fight with his mother over digimon, so he let the insult drop. "Terriermon caught a guy looking at my bike, like he might be thinking of stealing it. He just scared him off."
His mother looked at him worriedly. "Jen, you have to be more careful. If the police knew that you still had those monsters around.... If the government found out about it-"
"Mom, he just barked at the guy. Probably thought he was a dog and got spooked. Besides, that mess with the D-Reaper was five years ago. They've covered it up with so many stories that nobody knows what to believe any more, and they certainly don't remember that digimon had anything to do with it."
Mrs. Lee looked unconvinced. When she had arranged the food in a paper bag, he grabbed it without another word and headed for the door.
Terriermon grinned when he saw him. "Mmm, your mother's cooking sure smells good, Jen!" he said, loud enough for her to hear him.
"It's not for us," grumbled the teen. With those ears, Terriermon was sure to have heard everything they said in the kitchen. How could the little guy still be so nice to her?
I guess I should be grateful she'll even let me keep him in the house, he thought, thinking about Juri's parents and how they wouldn't let Culumon visit her any more. If Leomon were still alive, he most certainly wouldn't be welcome there. Especially not after having promised Juri's parents that he'd keep her safe in the Digital World, only to have her become the D-Reaper's slave.
They wouldn't let her see any of her friends who were Tamers, either. She moved to a different district so that they didn't go to the same school.
In the months after the D-Reaper and all digimon were sent back to the Digital World, Juri had seemed to recover from her ordeal, and was back to being her cheerful self. But when Takato had found the portal re-opened, and all her friends had their digimon again, Juri lapsed back into depression.
Her parents seemed to think that the answer was to seclude her from any reminders of those dark times. On the contrary, Takato and the others believed that Juri needed her friends now more than ever. Jenrya didn't know what to think.
She called them sometimes, usually on birthdays, though those moments were awkward. It was hard keeping digimon out of the conversation.
Jenrya had climbed back onto his bike, with Terriermon making himself comfortable in the basket at the back. It was dangerous to leave the greedy little digimon with the food, but Jen was still angry with his mother, and couldn't bring himself to care.
The trip to his father's workplace was thankfully short. After the defeat of the D-Reaper, Yamaki and the Wild Bunch had been offered a job by the government, continuing the work Hypnos had started with AI development and control. Mr. Lee would have refused, except that his friends had convinced him it was better that they be the ones monitoring virtual activity than have it be discovered by others that digimon were indeed still living among them.
The apartment building that had housed their makeshift headquarters during the D-Reaper's invasion was renovated to become their permanent new office. Activity was at an all-time high there lately, although Jenrya didn't know why. His sister Shiuchon, who was turning into a computer geek like her father, had been going there a lot after school. Jen figured he would find out what all the fuss was about when he arrived to drop off their dinner.
To his surprise, Impmon was the one who opened the door for them.
"Bah, I was in the neighborhood," he answered when Jen asked what he was doing there. "Hey bunny-ears, mind sharing da food?" he asked when he caught a whiff of what the other digimon was carrying.
"Not a chance!" laughed Terriermon as he raced up the steps. Jenrya cursed and ran after him.
"That's for Dad and Shiuchon!" he called out. But when he'd finally caught up to him, Terriermon was busy chatting with Lopmon at the office landing.
"Hello Jenrya," greeted Suichon's digimon. He had always been a surprisingly polite little guy. It was a wonder that he got along with Terriermon.
"Hi Lopmon. I guess my sister really is here. I don't suppose you know what this big project of theirs is about?"
The little digimon smiled apologetically. "I do, but I think it would be best for them to tell you. You can bring them this," he said, snatching the paper bag away from Terriermon--who looked at it longingly--and handing it to Jen.
"Thanks." The confused teen pushed open the office door and walked inside.
Jenrya recognized several members of the Wild Bunch running back and forth between computer terminals. Shibumi passed by him, then stopped and came back towards Jen with a big smile on his face.
"Ahhh, this will hit the spot!" he said, grabbing the dinner bag before the surprised Tamer could stop him. Jen shook his head and gave up.
"Hey big brother!" called out a familiar voice. He saw Shiuchon waving at him from the far end of the room. Jen walked over to her.
"I'm glad you're here," she said excitedly, leading him to a terminal.
"So do I finally get to see what this big project of yours and Dad's is about?"
She nodded, her expression turning grim. "Do you remember what the Digital World looked like after the D-Reaper took over? How the land became barren, and so many digimons' lives had been lost?"
"I'd rather not think about it, but yes."
His sister brought up a three-dimensional map on the screen. Many areas were outlined in red.
"After five years, more than half of the places the D-Reaper destroyed are still uninhabitable. This isn't too big a problem yet, of course, since only about one-tenth of the digimon population survived."
"Gee, you sure know how to cheer up a guy," grumbled Jenrya. "Wait...don't tell me this is what you've been working on?! Restoring the Digital World?"
Shiuchon smiled. "Why not? It's just data--as easy to restore as it was to delete. We collected all the information we needed from scans made by Ryo's D-Arc. He'd traveled all over the Digital World before the D-Reaper showed up. Now all we have to do is plug that data back in."
"Data.... You aren't just talking about the world itself, are you? The digimon themselves-?"
Shiuchon rolled her eyes. "Of course we'd bring them back, too. All the ones that were killed."
Jen pressed a hand to his head, unable to hide the urgency in his voice. "Sis, you can't do that!"
"Sure we can," she said, misunderstanding him. "There's a place called Primary Village that keeps records on all the digimon that were ever created. They gave us the information necessary to bring them back when we reformat the Digital World-"
"I can't believe I'm hearing this," said Jen, shaking his head.
"Why? I thought you'd be happy. This is good news!" she said, confused about her brother's reaction.
"Shiuchon, some digimon are killed for a reason. Sometimes they're evil and have to be stopped. And some digimon willingly sacrifice themselves for a cause they believe in. Their deaths have meaning. You can't just erase history this way!"
"But not all deaths have meaning," she insisted. "Sometimes they're mistakes."
"Whose to say what's a mistake and what's not?" he argued. "Shiuchon, these changes in digimon and their world is how they've evolved over time--how they've gotten better and stronger. It's survival of the fittest. If you erase all that, make them start over again, you'll undo all the good that's been done!"
His sister folded her arms across her chest. "Well, Impmon just brought back a message from Zhuqiaomon. He and the other Sovereigns approve of the plan."
"Oh right, I'm sure Impmon would love for your project to work. That way he gets to stop feeling guilty about all the digimon he killed as Beezlebumon." Jen looked at his sister more closely. "Hm, and I guess that would suit you too, huh? You make Impmon happy, you make his Tamers happy too?"
Shiuchon blushed, her cheeks as rosy as they were when she was five. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh come on, I know you like Makato. Don't try to deny it!"
"I'm not doing this for Impmon or Mako!" she protested, her whole face now red. "Maybe I'm doing it for Lopmon! He misses the other Devas, you know. They were his friends, until you guys killed them!"
"I'll bet Zhuqiaomon misses them too. That's probably the only reason he went along with this crazy plan."
His sister turned away from him, hiding her face. "How can you be this way? This was supposed to be a good thing!" she sniffled. "We just wanted to make everyone happy."
"How could they do this? They have no right!"
"I'm sorry. I tried to talk them out of it, but it seems the Sovereign have already started making preparations. They can't call it off now without risking some serious consequences."
There was a long pause before the voice on the other end spoke again.
"So it's going to happen, whether we want it to or not?"
"I'm afraid so. Look Juri, I'm just calling because I thought you deserved some advanced warning. Tomorrow all the Tamers are going to be called to my dad's office to be told what's going to happen."
"I'm not a Tamer anymore."
"But you still have a digivice, and you're going to get called. Be ready."
Jenrya heard a click as she hung up. He wondered whether he maybe should have let Takato give her the bad news.
He sighed, then began dialing the next name on the list.
Jen's father stood before the Tamers, with Shibumi on one side and Yamaki on the other. Mr. Lee greeted them all and began to explain.
"For some of you, this will be the first time you hear about our project. I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner, but we didn't want to risk disappointing you in case we weren't successful-"
"I wish you hadn't been."
Everyone turned around in surprise as Juri walked into the room. It had been years since many of the Tamers had seen her.
"Juri!" cried Takato in happy surprise. "We didn't think you'd come!"
The girl threw Takato an awkward smile, then focused her angry gaze on Mr. Lee.
"I don't approve of what you're doing. I'm only here to listen, since it seems there's no way for me to stop you."
A young boy in the room who Juri didn't recognize stood up and addressed her. "I would think that you of all people would be for this plan. Don't you want your digimon back?"
Juri looked at him furiously. "Who are you? How can you assume to know what I want?"
The boy blushed, but held his ground. "I'm Makato, one of Impmon's Tamers. I've been helping Shiuchon with the project."
"Then I have you to blame for this as well...."
"Wait, hold on a minute Juri," said Takato, a pleading look in his eyes. "They only want what's best for the Digital World. They don't mean to hurt anybody."
"I can't believe you're taking their side Takato," said Juri, sounding hurt. "Don't you remember what Leomon was like? He was always protecting people, not caring if he got hurt. Before I even met him, he'd already done a lot of good for the Digital World. But now you want to erase all that--make it so that his life and death mean nothing!" She screamed out those last words, pointing a shaking finger at Mako who could do nothing but stare at her in wide-eyed surprise.
"All right, you're only here to listen, so I'll make this quick," said Yamaki, stopping any further argument. "Tomorrow at oh-eight-hundred, you're to send your digimon back through the portal. We'll be transmitting a powerful disruptive signal to the Digital World that should cause it to--in simple terms--'crash and reset'. We'll then send a feedback pulse that will wipe any remaining data from the plane. After that it's a simple matter of transmitting the data that we have, bringing back all the digimon and their world."
"Will they be okay?" asked Kenta worriedly, clutching MarineAngemon.
"I don't know about you, but all that stuff sounds pretty painful," winced Hirokazu.
"Pretty painful," repeated Guardromon with a nod of his head.
"They shouldn't feel a thing," Shibumi reassured them. "It'll be like falling asleep, and then waking up to find yourself all refreshed."
"I dunno..." said Ruki worriedly. "Will our digimon come back exactly the way they are now?"
The adults exchanged glances. "Well, sort of," answered Mr. Lee slowly. "Everything that was programmed into them at birth will still be there. But they won't have been through the same experiences they've had now. They probably won't even remember that you're their Tamers."
"But there's a way around that!" added Yamaki before any of the kids could protest. "Your digivices are with you here and won't be erased. They'll keep a record of who your digimon are, so that you can identify them and bring them back with you."
"But I won't remember my Tamer?" asked Guilmon, anxiously rubbing against Takato.
"Your human partners carry a piece of you inside them," said Shibumi, petting the red dinosaur's head reassuringly. "We believe that when this piece is returned to you, your memories should also come back."
"This sounds unnecessarily complicated," said Ryo with a frown. "Why can't our digimon stay here? They don't need to be reformatted with the rest of the Digital World."
Cyberdramon growled in agreement.
Mr. Lee shook his head. "We're essentially recreating their world. Your digimon as they are now would be incompatible with this new version. They'd never be able to return home."
"That's fine by me," piped up Terriermon. "I never liked the place anyway."
"But if there was ever any problem there, you wouldn't be able to go back and help," Shiuchon reminded him. Terriermon, who never missed an opportunity to prove himself in a fight, looked crestfallen.
"That's it. Oh-eight-hundred tomorrow. Don't be late," Yamaki told them.
The Tamers got up and led their digimon out of the office. It was only then that they noticed Juri was already gone.
The cold and drizzly weather mirrored the Tamers' foul mood as they stood outside Guilmon's hideout in the park, waiting for Yamaki to give them permission to go in. Earlier that morning, their partners had passed through the portal after tearful goodbyes and promises that they'd be together soon. But that had been hours ago.
"Mr. Yamaki...."
"I already told you, Takato, Guilmon will be all right. I added his specs to the data we got from Primary Village. He'll be reborn along with the rest of them."
"Um, I was actually going to ask you when you thought we might be able to go in? You see, we've been waiting here a long time and-"
"And as I said before, no one is going in until I can see that it's safe." Yamaki was busy studying transmissions emanating from the portal. His small handheld computer was somehow able to translate the strange signals into something he could read. "I at least promised your parents that much. And right now I'm detecting far too much instability. You should first wait until the Digital World settles down a little."
Ai looked up from under her yellow umbrella and pouted. She and her brother Makato might be twins, but they were nothing alike. Whereas Mako was adventurous and clever, Ai was...
"I don't want to be here. This rain is making my hair all frizzy."
Shiuchon glowered at her. "Why don't you go home, then? No one's making you stay."
"Shiuchon..." said Jen, throwing his sister a warning look.
"I can't go home without Impmon," said Ai sullenly. "Mako would have come instead, but he's stuck at home with a cold."
Which explained why Shiuchon was so grumpy. She had probably pictured this as some grand adventure in the Digital World that she and Mako could share. Only now it would be with his sister instead, who Shiuchon couldn't stand.
"You might as well all go home," Yamaki said to them. "I'll let you know when it's time."
He contacted them again late in the afternoon. Some of the Tamers had been forced to miss dinner, but none wanted to wait a moment longer before seeing their partners again. Mako was still absent, as was Juri--but that really wasn't a surprise to anyone.
"I want you to be careful!" cautioned Yamaki for the third time that day. "These readings are still erratic. It could just be an echo from the feedback pulse, but there's no way to be sure."
"We'll find out soon enough," said Takato, lowering his goggles. The others followed suit and slipped on their shades.
"Don't worry, Mr. Yamaki. We still have your communicator," Jen reminded him, lifting it out of his pocket. Yamaki nodded.
"I can't believe I'm finally going to see the Digital World!" cried Ai in excitement as she crawled into the hole Guilmon had dug years before.
"Try not to get eaten," called out Shiuchon in a sweet voice.
Jen shot his sister another dark look.
"All right everybody, remember how it was last time. Just stay together and don't panic." Takato grabbed Ruki and Jen's hands, as they each in turn held someone else's until they were all linked in a circle. Together they took a step towards the glowing portal.
"Let's go!"
The time they spent floating in the digital field seemed endless. Almost immediately they saw digi-gnomes, hundreds of them--more than they had ever seen in one place before. Ai wanted to reach out and touch one, but Jen and Ryo wouldn't let her break out of the circle.
Then suddenly they were out, plummeting towards the ground. And then it dawned on them that this time they didn't have their digimon there to catch them.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" screamed Ai.
"Well guys, it was great knowing you!" shouted Ryo over the wind as they were about to crash.
And then they were struck by a data stream. Ai continued to scream, long after they had been deposited safely on the ground at a new location.
"Will you quit it?!" snapped Shiuchon, finally losing patience.
"But...we could have been killed!" Ai cried. She looked around and noticed that she was the only one still visibly upset. "Weren't the rest of you scared?"
"Bah, we eat danger for breakfast," smiled Hirokazu.
"Yeah? Well your palms sure got awfully sweaty back there," grimaced Kenta as he wiped his hands on his pants.
"Hmph, I don't know what Yamaki was so worried about. This place doesn't look so bad," said Ruki as she took a look around. They were in a valley of some kind, with tall cliffs on either side of them.
She stopped dead in her tracks and gasped.
"What is it?" asked Ryo, walking up to her. "Oh wow, guys, look at this!"
The others approached cautiously. And then they saw it. Dozens of digi-eggs smashed into pieces.
"Aww, how cute! The little things must have just hatched," smiled Ai.
"I don't think so." Ryo knelt down next to one and examined it closely. "Something killed these guys before they could be born." He got up and dusted his knees. "There's no trace of any data. It must have all been downloaded."
"Who would do such a thing?" asked Ruki angrily.
"Shhh!" said Takato, inching towards the edge of the cliff face. The others followed him, and soon they too could hear voices. Shrill, tiny little cries that made their hair stand on end.
"What are they doing?" asked Ai.
Around the next bend in the valley was a depression where more digi-eggs had been laid out. At first it seemed like small black furballs were crawling out of the eggs. Then it became clear that these creatures were attacking them, trying to break the shells open.
Jenrya took out his D-Arc and pointed it at them. A projection rose out of the screen.
"Botamon, fresh level," he read. Jen shook his head and put the digivice away. "They aren't very strong, but we don't have our digimon with us. So what do we do now, guys?"
"Hey you! Stop it!"
They all turned to see Ai marching angrily towards the Botamon. "You should be ashamed of yourselves, attacking poor innocent babies."
"Oh no," said Ryo, covering his face.
To make matters worse, a strong wind was rising in the valley and dark clouds loomed overhead. There came the sound of something big rushing towards them, and then suddenly it was night.
"Ai, get out of there!" cried Takato. But he only succeeded in drawing attention to himself and the others huddled next to him. The Botamon saw them and their beady little eyes shined brightly in the darkness.
"Ahhhhh!" screamed Ai, running back towards the group.
Then a few of the Botamon began to glow. In their place, frog-like monsters appeared and began slinking towards them.
"Are those-?" began Kenta.
"Betamon, yeah I think so!" cried Jenrya. He ran out to help Ai, who was stumbling in the dark. "C'mon, we have to get out of here!" They rejoined the group and together began running down the valley. A bright flash illuminated the way momentarily.
"They're using their electric shock on us!" cried Hirokazu in horror.
"No you dolt, it's the lightning," said Rika, pointing at the sky. As proof, a loud boom of thunder sounded in reply, sending loose stones tumbling down the cliffs.
They kept running until they had left the valley and were a good distance out on a deserted plain.
"This is so stupid," grumbled Shiuchon. "The last place you want to be in the middle of a thunderstorm is out in the open."
"Would you rather be back there with the Betamon?" huffed Jen as he stopped to catch his breath.
"We wouldn't even be in this mess if Miss Airhead over here had used her brains for once!"
"Hey!" Ai protested. "Didn't you see what those things were doing? I couldn't let them get away with that!"
"Oh yeah, you really showed them," Shiuchon smirked.
"Hey, be easy on her," said Ryo sternly. "This is her first time here."
"Look over there!" cried Takato, pointing to a series of small domes with junk metal glued haphazardly across their surface.
"The Tsuchidarumon's village!" said Jen in recognition. "Hey, I bet they'll offer us shelter!"
They approached the houses warily, looking out for other aggressive digimon. But when they reached the village, there was no one around. The homes were abandoned.
"No sense staying outside," said Kenta, opening a door as rain began to fall. The others followed him in.
Takato looked around the room with a smile on his face. "Hey Jen, remember the last time we were here? Guilmon was playing with all the little digimon, and they offered us those weird mud balls-"
"And Juri actually ate one," laughed Jen, remembering. But at the mention of Juri's name, everyone sobered up and was quiet.
"I wonder why they left?" asked Takato softly.
Shiuchon had a mixed expression on her face. "I...I think I know what's going on."
"Well don't leave us in the dark, kid," said Kazu as seconds passed without further explanation.
Shiuchon looked down, avoiding their gaze. "You told me once, Jen, that the digimon had to evolve over time to become the way they are now. That only the fittest survived."
Her brother nodded, a frown on his face.
"I think what we're seeing here is their evolution happening all over again. Only this time, it was the Betamon who made it out on top."
"Wait, you mean those eggs we found...? Those would have been the Tsuchidarumon?!"
Takato hovered over Shiuchon angrily, his fists clenched at his sides. "Juri was right about you...about your plan! We never should have gone along with it!"
"Hold on, Takato," said Ryo and Kazu, holding him back. Takato brushed their hands away in disgust.
"Don't you see?" he cried. "Those eggs could have been our partners! The whole point was to bring back the digimon that were killed. But a lot of them are going to die anyway!"
"I'm sorry," said Shiuchon.
Takato was so angry that he looked about ready to burst.
Then they heard a beeping sound. Shiuchon looked down and realized that it was coming from her D-Arc.
"What's going on?" asked Jen, curious because no one else's digivice had been activated.
"I...I think it's Lopmon!" she cried excitedly. A projection appeared with a compass pointing north.
"Great, well I guess we at least know Lopmon's ok," said Ryo.
Shiuchon bit her lip, looking twice as sorry as she had been.
"Fine, let's get him," said Takato, seeming to have finally calmed down. He opened the door to the hut and walked outside.
The others followed him out, and were surprised to see that it was already daytime again. The storm also seemed to have passed.
"Weird," said Kazu. "The Digital World really has gone crazy."
They continued walking north until they reached a series of wooded hills. The compass showed that Lopmon was nearby.
"Lopmon!" Shiuchon shouted. "Where are you?"
There was a rustle in the branches of the tree directly above Ai. The girl panicked and ran to hide behind Ryo.
"Lopmon?" called out Shiuchon hesitantly. She approached the tree.
"Blazing Ice!"
A shower of ice crystals flew at Shiuchon. Jen pushed her out of the way and ducked just in time, avoiding the deadly missile fire.
"What are you doing?" she cried. "I'm your Tamer!"
Just then, lightning streaked across the sky, and night once again fell upon the Digital World.
"Not again," moaned Kenta.
"Blazing Ice!"
"Get your digimon under control!" shouted Ruki as she dodged another attack.
"Lopmon, please stop!" pleaded Shiuchon tearfully. She looked up into the tree, but it was too dark to see anything.
"Don't you remember me?"
A shadow dropped out of the branches and landed in front of her.
"Do you remember this?" she asked, holding out her digivice. The Lopmon walked over to it and sniffed it. He looked at her curiously.
"How am I supposed to make him remember?" Shiuchon asked the others.
"Shibumi said that their memories would come back when we returned the piece of them inside us," recalled Ryo.
"Biomerge," said Takato. "That must be what he meant."
Shiuchon looked at her digimon fearfully. Would he want to? Would he trust her enough to let her try?
She reached out her hand, offering it to the little digimon. Lopmon walked up to it, sniffed it, and looked into her eyes. Her D-Arc began to glow. Lopmon put his hand in hers.
"Matrix...Evolution!" she cried.
A ball of swirling light surrounded her and Lopmon. The other Tamers backed away, looking at each other in surprise.
"What do you think they'll become?" asked Kenta.
"From the cards, I'd say Cherubimon," replied Kazu.
"We'll soon find out," said Ruki.
The light began to dissipate. The shadowed form of Atiramon could be seen as they began the final evolution to Mega.
But something happened. A vortex appeared in the sky above them, shooting down some form of energy at the digimon. Antiramon screamed, and suddenly the form of the great angel Cherubimon that had begun to appear was replaced by that of a long sinuous dragon. The digimon roared, and lightning flashed all around them.
"Take cover!" shouted Takato.
They fled down the hill and hid behind a pair of giant boulders. Qinglongmon--the digimon that Suichon and Lopmon had become--continued to thrash about angrily. Then suddenly, everything was once again calm. The storm was over, the daylight had returned, and the vortex was gone.
And gone with it was Qinglongmon.
"Shiuchon!" shouted Jenrya. They searched for her everywhere, but there was no sign of his sister or her partner.
"She's gone, Jen," said Ryo finally, putting a hand on his shoulder in sympathy.
"But where?" cried out Jenrya, his eyes wet with tears. "What on earth just happened?!"
Back on Earth, in the shadows of Guilmon's hideout, a small figure crept. It paused for a moment before the blinding light of the portal, almost in hesitation. Then without another thought, the figure plunged through the gateway and disappeared.
Although it was still light out, the sun had set many hours ago on Earth, and the Tamers were exhausted. They decided to return to the Tsuchidarumon's village to get some rest.
Despite--or perhaps due to Jenrya's anxiety over his sister--he was the first to fall asleep. Takato, on the other hand, felt wide awake. Realizing he was thirsty, he decided to slip out and get a drink of water.
He opened the door to find that night had also now fallen on the Digital World. The light from the Earth sphere overhead was enough for him to find his way to a stream he remembered from his last visit. The water was refreshing, and just what he needed to wash away the bad memories of the past day.
But when he turned around and began walking back to the village, something caught his eye. Between the domes, he could see figures moving back and forth. Were his friends awake and looking for him? He doubled his pace-
And stopped dead in his tracks as he finally came close enough to see what they were. Tsuchidarumon, dozens of them, were walking between the houses, looking and acting as if everything were normal. But Takato didn't let himself be fooled. This couldn't be right. The Tsuchidarumon were...
"Dead," said a voice behind him. "And you are the one responsible."
Takato spun on his heels and came face to face with the village elder, pointing his cane accusingly at the Tamer.
"Wh-what?" stuttered Takato in surprise, backing away. "If you're dead, how can you be talking to me?"
"You are the one responsible," repeated the old Tsuchidarumon. And now the other digimon came forward and began to surround him, repeating the elder's words like a chant.
"No, you don't understand!" Takato cried, swatting away their arms as the digimon reached out to grab him. "We only wanted to help the Digital World! We didn't mean for this to happen!"
Then out of the corner of his eye, Takato saw a different digimon standing apart from the rest--one he hadn't noticed before. It wore a feathered tiki-like mask that covered its face and most of its body. It clutched a long boomerang in one hand and waved it around like a staff, leaving glowing green trails in the air as it passed. The light began to swirl around Takato, filling his vision until the world around him disappeared, and he was swallowed up by a sea of green.
Takato stood up and choked back a scream. What in the-
He was back in his bed. Everyone around him was still sound asleep.
Had it been a nightmare then? It was almost too strange to be real. Yes, it had to be a nightmare.
But he wasn't quite able to convince himself, and for the rest of the night, he stayed awake in bed...wondering.
"But Jen, we've searched all over and haven't found her. She isn't here!" insisted Takato.
"We don't know that! Maybe there's a clue we missed."
Ruki shook her head in frustration at the stubborn Tamer. "All we're doing standing around like this is wasting time. What if she's in trouble?"
Ai tried to block out the noise of their arguing. Instead, she took in the sights and sounds of the Digital World, and sighed in wonder. At first glance it looked and felt just like the real world. When she knelt down to look at a blade of grass or brush her hand against a rock, however, she discovered that they were made up of thousands of smooth pixilated bits. It was as if someone had tried to reconstruct the real world from just pictures, without having ever actually been there. The similarities were striking, but at the same time it reminded her of just how alien this place was, and how much she missed home.
Hearing a strange chirping sound overhead, Ai looked up and caught a glimpse of a glowing white creature--one of those things the others called a digi-gnome--just before it disappeared over a neighboring hill. She looked back and saw the other Tamers still arguing, and decided she had enough time to go check it out.
Ai ran over the hill and cried in delight when she saw the digi-gnome perched on a flowering bush not too far away. But when it saw her, it warbled something and took off. Ai thought that maybe it was calling to her. She dashed after it, and soon it was obvious that the creature was playing a game with her. Maybe it was childish, but Ai didn't care--she felt happier now than she'd been since arriving in the Digital World.
The digi-gnome suddenly flew straight up into the air and disappeared. Ai stared after it in dismay.
Which was why she didn't see the digimon charging forward until it was nearly on top of her.
It was dark green with big eyes and teeth, and it swung a long wooden club above its head.
"Fight!" it challenged.
Ai was initially too surprised to be scared. "Why? I didn't do anything to you."
"Fight! Load data! Digi-volve!"
Now Ai was getting scared. "B-but, I don't have data! I'm just a human!"
The digimon bellowed in anger. Ai wanted to flee, but she was frozen in terror.
The club whirled around its head, leaving green trails of light in its path. Ai could see that it was getting ready to pound her with it. She covered her face with her hands.
Ai looked up when she heard the digimon cry out in pain. Its clothes were on fire, and it was desperately trying to beat out the flames.
"Ha! That's what you get for messin' with my Tamer! Here, have another one! Bada boom!"
Ai couldn't believe her eyes. Impmon was standing next to her, throwing fireballs left and right at the other digimon.
"Impmon!" she cried, reaching out to give him a hug. But the other digimon reached her partner first and started to strangle him. Ai's cry of joy turned into one of horror.
"Ai, get outta here! I'll keep him busy!" Impmon grunted as the green digimon flung him against the ground.
"For cryin' out loud, do as I say! Go!"
With tears in her eyes, Ai raced back to the Tsuchidarumon village. Before she got very far, she ran into the other Tamers, who had gotten worried and started a search for her.
"Don't run off like that again, Ai! Sheesh, I thought you were old enough by now to know better!" said Takato angrily. But his expression softened when he saw that she'd been crying.
"You have to help Impmon! He's being attacked!" she sobbed.
"Impmon?" repeated the others, exchanging surprised looks.
"C'mon," said Ryo, taking the lead as Ai pointed them in the direction she had come from. The other Tamers were quick to follow.
But when they had reached the spot where she'd been, they found no traces of Impmon or the other digimon.
"Check your D-Arc," advised Jenrya. Ai did so, but nothing came up on the screen.
"What if he's dead?" she sniffled, looking ready to cry again.
"I dunno, Ai. Are you sure you saw Impmon? I don't see any tracks around here except yours," said Ryo, examining the ground.
"Did your digivice activate when you saw him?" asked Ruki.
Ai thought back, and shook her head. "No...but I did see him! He was right here, with that other digimon!"
Just then her D-Arc did activate, displaying a compass needle pointing west.
"Well that solves that," said Hirokazu, folding his arms behind his head. "And I guess it means we go west, right Jenrya?"
The Tamer frowned, but nodded. "All right. But once we get our digimon back, we go find my sister."
"We all want her back, Jen," said Takato, looking determined. "We'll help you find her. I promise."
"There, just over that ridge." Ai looked back down at her digivice for confirmation.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" asked Ryo, giving her a gentle shove when she didn't move.
"Ehhhh," she hesitated, burying her heels in the dirt. "What if he's mad that I left him? What if he got hurt because of me?"
"All the more reason to check up on him, wouldn't you say?" prodded Kenta.
"Uh...ok." Ai steeled herself and climbed up the rocky slope. When she reached the top, she took a cautious look at what lay beyond.
There, only a few feet away, was Impmon, fast asleep under the shade of a tree.
"I-Impmon?" called Ai, taking a few steps towards him.
The digimon woke suddenly, then struggled to get up as it saw Ai approach. But instead of running towards her, Impmon snarled and darted the other way, escaping through the dense mountain brush.
"Wait! Come back! I'm sorry I left you before!" she shouted. She started to go after him, then stopped.
"What are you waiting for, kid?" cried Kazu as the other Tamers joined her over the ridge.
"He doesn't want me," muttered Ai dejectedly. "I'm a horrible Tamer."
"Oh no, not this again!" growled Ruki in exasperation. "No, I won't have it! Juri did the same thing, and all her self-pity did was get her into trouble. I won't have it, you hear me?!" she shouted, grabbing Ai by the shoulders and shaking her. The girl was so surprised that she stopped sniffling and just stood there, staring at Ruki.
"Good thing the D-Reaper isn't around this time," muttered Kenta.
"Knock on wood!" smiled Hirokazu, lifting up Kenta's cap and thumping him on the head.
"Impmon isn't mad at you, Ai," said Takato, ignoring his friends' comments. "Remember how Lopmon was? Our partners just don't remember who we are yet."
"But he did know me! He said I was his Tamer!"
"Uh...are you sure you didn't just imagine it?" asked Takato doubtfully. "I mean, I've been having some really weird dreams myself, of the Tsuchidarumon and some creepy digimon in a mask-"
"Like that one?" asked Ruki, wide-eyed and pointing at something directly behind them.
"Spirit Boomerang!"
"Duck!" shouted Jenrya, pushing into them so that they all fell to the ground. But Takato looked up and saw the boomerang pass far over where their heads had been and shoot into the clouds.
"Hey guys, I don't think he was aiming at us!"
They heard a loud roar from the cloudbank, and suddenly a flying dragon-type digimon dove out of the sky.
"Airdramon, Champion level," said Jen, reading his D-Arc. Turning it towards the masked digimon, he read, "Sepikmon, another Champion. Great, as if one weren't bad enough!"
"No, I think that other one's on our side," said Ruki. "Airdramon was sneaking up on us until Sepikmon made him reveal himself."
"Well, he definitely got him mad!" cried Kenta as he bolted for the trees. Airdramon was circling around, ready to swoop down at them.
Sepikmon's boomerang returned to his outstretched hand. He then waved it over his head and began to sway back and forth, chanting softly.
"Spinning Needle!" shouted Airdramon. But just as he was about to unleash his attack, his eyes glowed green and he froze in place. Since this meant he had stopped flapping his wings, his body dropped like a stone and crashed into the forest below.
"All right, the little guy charmed him!" shouted Kazu in triumph.
"Hey, wait a minute--that green glow...."
"Run now, talk later," said Ryo as he grabbed Takato and rushed for the cover of the forest. Airdramon was already beginning to recover. Sepikmon joined them under the camouflage and they waited in terrified silence for the creature to pass. It finally did, emitting a loud bellow of disgust before flapping away.
"Thanks for your help, Sepikmon," sighed Kenta in relief.
"Why did you help us?" asked Ruki suspiciously.
Sepikmon stared at them as if the answer were obvious. At least they assumed he was staring--it was hard to tell what his face looked like beneath the mask. "No fight. Not digimon. No data." He shrugged.
"Well actually, when we go to the Digital World, aren't we all transformed into d- ouch!"
"You're right of course," said Ryo quickly, covering up Kazu's blunder.
"Hey Kenta, that hurt!"
"Are you going to stay and protect us?" asked Ai hopefully.
Sepikmon cocked his head to the side.
"Shhh, Ai, I don't think that's a good idea," whispered Takato. "I think this is the guy who charmed both of us back near the village and fooled us into thinking his illusions were real."
"But he didn't hurt us!" Ai protested. "Please, Takato. What if a digimon attacks us again?"
"She's right," said Jenrya. "If he's willing to help us, we can't afford to refuse his offer, at least not until we get our partners back."
"Partners?" repeated Sepikmon.
"You'll help us? Oh, thank you, Sepikmon!" said Ai, giving him a hug. The digimon looked surprised, but pleased.
"So what now, guys?" asked Ryo. "Do we keep following Impmon?"
"Oh, Impmon!" cried Ai suddenly, releasing Sepikmon as she reached for her D-Arc. "He's still going west," she announced, following the compass. "But...but what if-"
"No 'what if's!" snapped Ruki, grabbing Ai's arm as she began walking through the forest. The others had no choice but to follow.
They hadn't gone far before the curtain of night swept passed them once again. Sepikmon found the Tamers a cave where they could sleep, with a lake full of fish conveniently located nearby. The digimon used his strange powers to summon the fish out of the water so that the kids could catch them. Before long, the meat was roasting on several spits arranged atop a roaring bonfire.
It may have been the smell of the food that first attracted Impmon to their campsite. Ryo was the one who noticed him watching from the bushes, and pointed it out to Ai.
"Careful, now--don't scare him. Remember that without his memories, he's still wild."
Ai took one of the sticks of meat and walked slowly out of the cave. She found a rock that was suitably clean and rested the meat on top of it, then backed away and returned to the fire. After a few moments, Impmon appeared at the cave entrance and watched the Tamers warily, then grabbed the stick and began eating.
"Hi. My name is Ai," the girl called out slowly, trying her best to sound friendly. The digimon didn't seem to be paying any attention to her.
Ai sighed. "How are we supposed to biomerge when he won't even come near me?" she asked the others in frustration. Sepikmon approached her.
"Biomerge...me?'" he offered.
Ai smiled. "Thank you, Sepikmon, but I already have a partner." She pointed at Impmon.
"We all do," said Ruki, tossing her stick into the fire. "That's why we came here--to find them and bring them back with us."
Sepikmon turned his masked face towards Impmon. The little digimon suddenly looked up and snarled, then fled back into the bushes.
"Better luck tomorrow, kid," said Kazu, patting Ai on the back. "I say we all get some shut eye. Hey Sepikmon, would you mind keeping watch?"
The digimon nodded his head, and watched as the Tamers lay with their backs to fire and fell asleep.
No one would have guessed that behind that primitive mask, Sepikmon's mind raced with all sorts of thoughts and possibilities.
"Hey Takato, wake up!"
"You'll never guess where we are!" cried Hirokazu excitedly. "We probably didn't recognize it last night 'cause it was dark."
Takato wiped the sleep from his eyes and yawned. "Kazu, can't this wait until morning?"
"Ha! From the grumbling of Kenta's stomach, we're guessing it's almost noon. C'mon!" he pleaded, and Takato was forced to get up and follow him to the lake.
There were now Otamamon swimming in the water. Kazu pointed at them and began jumping up and down.
"See? This is the Gekomon's lake! This is where we first found Andromon! You think...you think Guardromon might be somewhere nearby?"
Ruki snickered. "He's probably still a Hagurumon."
"No way! We saw two Champions yesterday. If they could evolve, so can he!"
"Don't you find that a bit unusual, though?" asked Jenrya, joining them on the beach. "I thought all the digimon started out at fresh level when they were brought back."
Ruki nodded. "Remember that before they met us, our partners had been in lots of fights and loaded tons of data, but it was only with our help that they finally digivolved past Rookie level."
"So where did these guys get the sudden power boost?" wondered Kazu aloud.
"Maybe we should go ask Sepikmon," Takato suggested.
"I dunno, man. That guy was acting funny all morning--talking to himself and waving his boomerang around. I had an uncle like that once...well, he didn't have a boomerang, but he would start talking to furniture and trees and stuff, warning them the aliens were coming. He finally got sent to the loony bin, but my aunt still believes it was the aliens who really took him."
Ruki rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised you're related?"
"Anyways, Sepikmon wandered off somewhere," finished Kazu, ignoring Ruki's comment. "We were thinking of maybe leaving without him."
Takato looked surprised. "But yesterday you guys were all eager to have him come with us. You said we needed his protection."
"Just a quick tour of the lake," Kazu promised. "We won't go far." He already had his D-Arc out, and was pointing it in every direction, hoping to get a signal.
But as the hours passed, the only signal they picked up was Impmon's. Everyone had grown tired and hungry and most began insisting that they head back to camp in case Sepikmon had returned.
"C'mon guys, just a little further?" begged Hirokazu. "I mean, while we're here we might as well give Ai one more shot with Impmon. Her scan shows that he's not too far away."
"But...but I don't want to just yet," she argued, looking worried. "He needs more time to get used to me, first."
"What? Nah, you're a nice kid, I'm sure he can see that. Impmon's just shy," said Kazu, dragging Ai along as he led the group deeper into the forest.
"Impmon? Shy?" repeated Ai incredulously. But Kazu was too focused looking into his own digivice to hear what she'd said.
"Whoa, Kazu hold on there a sec!" warned Ryo, reaching out to stop him. Hirokazu looked up from his D-Arc in surprise.
The forest ended right where they stood, the trees and grass marking a straight boundary with the rocky soil that lay beyond. Even the sky looked different across the border--gray and turbulent, in sharp contrast to the bright blue horizon stretching over their side of the trees.
"No go there. Bad spirits," warned a voice behind them. The Tamers turned around and saw Sepikmon emerge from the bushes.
"Sepikmon! You found us!" exclaimed Kenta in relief.
"Does this mean we can go home now?" asked Ruki, rubbing her feet.
"Wait...what do you mean about bad spirits?" asked Ai anxiously.
"Danger," explained the digimon, waving his boomerang at the angry sky. "No go."
Ai turned to the others worriedly. "But Impmon's over there! What if he doesn't know? What if he gets in trouble?"
"Impmon can take better care of himself out there than we can," reasoned Jenrya. "And maybe he'll follow us back to camp like last time."
But Ai wouldn't hear of it. Without warning, she took off across the border, following the signal of her D-Arc.
"Ai!" Takato shouted. "Dammit, she did it again! What is she thinking?"
"She wants to save her partner," said Ryo. "Wouldn't you?" They all started to run after her.
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
"I'm getting a bad feeling about this," groaned Ruki.
And then darkness fell.
"Bad spirits!" repeated Sepikmon, running past them. A building loomed just ahead. Both Ai and Sepkimon seemed to be heading towards it.
"That's the Gekomon's sake factory!" cried Kazu in recognition.
Drops began to fall from the sky, hissing as they struck the ground. One barely missed Kenta's foot.
Jen wasn't so lucky, and screamed as a drop hit his arm.
"Hurry!" cried Ryo, as if they weren't already aware of their peril.
They finally made it inside the factory. Jen immediately began nursing his arm, which was red and blistering where the liquid had touched it.
"Hey, remember how the sake healed Andromon? Maybe there's still some left around here," suggested Kazu, looking at the giant vats along the wall.
"What kind of messed up rain was that?" cried Kenta, still shaking.
"Acid rain. It falls in areas like this that are still unstable."
Sepikmon jumped in surprise at the new voice, and held his boomerang at the ready. Something growled in the shadows at the far end of the room.
"It's all right, Leomon. They're friends," said Juri, walking into the light.
"Juri! I can't believe it!" cried Ruki. The others called out in greeting, sounding equally surprised.
"Uh...it's good to see you, Juri," said Takato awkwardly. "We didn't think you'd come. When did you get here?"
"Let me see your arm," she told Jenrya, kneeling beside him. She had brought a backpack along and was rummaging through it, at last lifting out a roll of bandages and a canteen of water. She pour the water over the wound and washed it gently, then wrapped a strip of bandage over it.
"At least someone came here prepared," remarked Ryo, sounding impressed.
Juri grimaced, then looked up at Takato. "I've been in the Digital World for almost a month," she finally answered him. "I didn't want to come, but I realized that after what had been done here, the digimon would be more helpless than ever and need Leomon's protection."
"A month?" repeated Ruki in surprise. "But we've only been here a few days. How did you...?"
"I came in the morning after Mr. Yamaki sent you away. No one was watching the portal."
"I think I know what happened," said Jen, testing his arm before nodding to Juri in thanks. "When the Digital World was reset, their timeframe must have fallen out of sync with ours. I guess they haven't realigned yet."
"So we could spend years in here and no one back home would notice?" asked Takato eagerly.
"That explains why my mom hasn't freaked out already and sent a message asking where I am," muttered Kenta.
Jen's eyes widened and he hurriedly dug into his pocket. "Shoot, I almost forgot I had this," he said, taking out Yamaki's communicator.
"Any messages?" asked Ryo, looking over his shoulder. Jen nodded, scowling as he read.
"Only one, and it just arrived. But according to the message header, it was sent only a few hours after we left Earth."
"So one hour over there equals one day here?" asked Ruki. "But then how could Juri be here a whole month ahead of us?"
"It seems the Digital World is catching up with the real world," explained Jen. "So we really ought to hurry and find our partners soon." He read the message over again, then looked up at Juri. "You said you went through the portal before us, right? In the morning some time?" Juri nodded.
"Then I think we have a problem. According to Yamaki, their sensors picked up someone going through the portal after we went in."
"Another human?" asked Takato in surprise. "But who else knows about the portal?"
"I don't know, but we've got to find whoever it is before they get themselves hurt. They may not know anything about digimon or the dangers of this place."
"I'll find them," said Juri, motioning for her partner to approach. "Leomon and I know this region better than any of you."
"I don't think splitting up is such a good idea," said Ryo. "We can help, too. There might be new dangers I don't know about yet, but I'm still familiar with the terrain. And Sepikmon is from this area, I'm sure he could guide us."
"Uh...where is Sepikmon?" asked Takato.
"Guys!" called Ai from across the room, sounding frightened. They all ran towards her.
Ai pointed at Impmon, who was was rolling on the floor only a few feet away, groaning in pain.
"Did the rain touch him?" asked Juri in concern.
"No, I don't think so. He just started doing this a second ago. Oh--careful!" she cried as Juri reached out to examine Impmon. "He's still wild," she explained, blushing in embarrassment.
Juri frowned. "Just because a digimon is wild doesn't mean it can't understand. Usually they're just frightened." She reached out to Impmon again, smiling and whispering words of encouragement. The little digimon froze for a moment and let Juri touch him. "No, it wasn't the rain," she said. "He doesn't have any marks on him."
Ai's digivice started beeping. She looked at it in surprise.
"There's another dot flashing on the screen, but it isn't Impmon!"
Impmon struggled to get up. Despite his pain, he stumbled towards the door.
"Wait, Impmon! I'm coming with you!" shouted Ai.
"This is crazy--you can't go out there!" cried Jen. "That acid rain could kill you!"
Juri looked out the window. "There isn't any falling now. C'mon Ai, Leomon can carry both of us and Impmon." She turned to the others. "You guys should stay here."
"But-" protested Takato.
Leomon gently scooped up Ai and Impmon while Juri climbed up his back and settled on his shoulders.
"That way," said Ai, pointing a direction to Leomon after glancing down at her D-Arc. "It isn't far."
Juri clutched Leomon's mane tightly as the large digimon sped off down the hill. He followed a winding path until it ended in an open field.
Ai gasped. Her brother lay unconscious in the center of the clearing. Hovering over him was the green goblin-like digimon she recognized from before, wielding a wooden club.
"Mako!" she screamed.
The other digimon looked up in surprise at her cry. He hurriedly grabbed hold of Mako's shoulders, lifting him off the ground.
"Leomon!" shouted Juri. She slid off his back and took hold of Impmon as Ai jumped down. Leomon unsheathed his sword and roared.
Something was happening to Mako. He was growing fainter, almost transparent. Fragments of data were spilling out him, being absorbed by the green digimon.
"It's loading his data!" cried Juri in disbelief.
"Arghhhhhh!" screamed Impmon, thrashing in pain as his connection to Mako made him experience everything his partner was feeling.
Leomon charged forward, but he was still a good distance away. A swirling field of energy now enveloped Mako and the other digimon and hid them both from view.
"Impmon! We have to save Mako!" said Ai, reaching out to him. "Will you help me?"
The little digimon shuddered, but nodded his head and grabbed her hand.
"Matrix Evolution!"
Juri glanced behind her at the ball of light that now formed around Ai and Impmon. But looking at the other biomerge taking place, she knew that they wouldn't finish evolving in time to stop it.
The green goblin-like digimon grinned through the swirling light, and suddenly it became the masked digimon she had seen at the factory.
"Sepikmon...." whispered Juri in disbelief. "How could you?"
As Makuramon's silhouette appeared through the light, a dark mass of clouds gathered in the sky directly above him.
"Leomon! Get away from there!" Juri shouted. Her digimon had also noticed the clouds and was racing back to her as fast as he could.
A blinding light shot out of the vortex and struck Makuramon. The digimon's scream became a roar as Makuramon dropped to all fours and grew twenty times his size. The light vanished and in its place, a giant white tiger stood.
"BAIHUMON!" it called out in triumph.
"Beelzebumon!" shouted the double voice of Ai and Impmon as they too finished evolving. The digimon spread his wings and soared towards where the giant tiger stood.
"What did you do to Makato?!" Beelzebumon screamed. "Bring him back! Bring him back or I'll make you pay!" The fingers of his right hand merged to form the barrel of a giant rifle. With the tip he traced an inverted pentagram into the air and aimed the gun at its center.
Baihumon just grinned.
"Okay, you asked for it! CHAOS FLARE!!!" shouted Beelzebumon, shooting round after round of laserfire through the pentagram.
But just before the beams could make contact, the vortex descended over Baihumon. Beelzebumon continued firing at roiling mass, but the attacks bounced harmlessly off the clouds. In moments, the vortex dissipated and Baihumon was gone.
"Come back you coward! Come back!" cried Beelzebumon, landing at the spot where Baihumon had been and raking the ground with his claws. He glowed for a moment, then split back into Ai and Impmon. Both collapsed in exhaustion and despair.
Juri ran up to them to make sure they were all right. Leomon came up beside her.
"Spirits quiet," her partner noted softly, pointing at the sky. The storm clouds had vanished and daylight shined down on them once more. The scene was eerily familiar. The pair had witnessed something like this twice before.
"The West has its Sovereign back," Juri agreed. She looked down sorrowfully at Impmon and Ai.
"But peace always comes at a price...."
"So what did he say?" Takato asked impatiently.
Jen shook his head and looked up from the communication device. "Hold on, I'll read it out to you: 'Hello son. We send our love and well wishes to you all. We hope you find your digimon and come home soon." Jen cleared his throat and skimmed through part of the message. "-As for your question about digimon evolving strangely, we theorize that it is a consequence of the reformatting. The Sovereign must have played a greater role in maintaining the stability of the Digital World than we realized. When they reverted to their de-evolved forms, they left behind a vacuum that needed to be filled by four other powerful digimon--probably the first to reach Mega level. Those four would then have become the new Sovereign in order to restore balance to the digital plane.'"
"Gee, he's taking this awfully well," muttered Ruki.
"Jen didn't tell him Shiuchon and Mako were involved," Ryo told her. Ruki looked at Jen and raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"They don't need to worry about this," said Takato firmly. "We'll get them back."
"But...." began Ai, looking around at those assembled. "Me and Impmon digivolved and we didn't turn into a Sovereign."
"Then they must already have all four," said Kazu. "That would explain why all the storms have stopped. Now the Digital World is stable again."
Juri nodded. "Leomon and I saw Zhuqiamon and Ebuwonmon appear a few days ago. And then today..." she trailed off, avoiding Ai's gaze.
"And we saw Shiuchon and Lopmon become Qinglongmon," finished Kenta. "So I guess it's safe for the rest of us to go to Mega now."
"But how did those first two digimon reach Mega so fast without partners?" asked Ryo in frustration, slamming a fist into his palm. "And how come we've been seeing Champion level digimon around this soon after everyone's been de-evolved?"
"Culumon," rumbled Leomon. The others looked up at him in surprise. Juri nodded with a sigh.
"Yes, that's our guess. If he's back to being the way he was, he still has all the Catalyst's powers, and he can't control them. We've been following him, but we never get close enough to talk to him. Culumon's very good at hiding. I don't think he even realizes what he's doing, or remembers who he is," she added sadly.
"Gee, I feel sorry for the little powderpuff, I really do," sneered Impmon, jumping down from the crate he'd been sitting on. "But do you think we could get back to what's important, here? Two of you humans have been taken prisoner and turned into Sovereign. Are we going to let whoever's responsible get away with it? Of course not! So what's the plan!?"
"Wait, we can't just undo what's been done!" argued Juri. "Weren't you listening? They're Sovereign, now. They're the ones protecting the Digital World from chaos!"
Takato frowned worriedly. "Um, normally I'd agree with you, Juri. But these are our friends. We can't just leave them trapped here."
"And why not?" she countered, anger rising in her voice. "I think it's pretty fitting, don't you? After all, they're the ones responsible for what happened to this place. They should be the ones to fix it!"
"Oh, I see how it is!" cried Impmon, his hands balling into fists. "Is this what you call justice? I took away your partner, so now you're taking away mine?!"
Ai held her digimon back. "Impmon, Juri didn't do anything."
"Exactly!" he shouted, wriggling out of Ai's grasp. "She did nothing! Just stood there while we biomerged and tried to save Mako. If she'd biomerged too, we might have stood a chance! They might have gotten to him in time!"
Juri trembled in what might have been anger or fear. She fled out of the factory without saying a word.
"Juri!" called Takato, running after her. She hadn't gone far. He found her sobbing under a tree.
"Juri," he said, feeling awkward for having followed her outside. He took a seat on the grass next to her. Leomon stood at the door and looked out to make sure Juri was okay, but the digimon did not approach. Then suddenly something in his mind clicked.
"Leomon's still wild, isn't he?" asked Takato in surprise. "You've never biomerged with him." He frowned thoughtfully. "How did you get him to obey you if he doesn't remember anything?"
"Leomon trusts me," Juri sniffled, her head still buried in her hands. "I've been guiding him, teaching him right from wrong and that he should help those in trouble. I want him to become like the Leomon I knew, to keep his memory alive." She wiped away the tears and looked up at Takato. "Do you think...do you think that was selfish of me?"
He sighed deeply. "Juri, I don't know why you don't just biomerge and restore his memories; bring the old Leomon back."
"No! Th-that wouldn't be right. He isn't supposed to be back. He isn't supposed to remember."
Takato looked at her curiously. "But you're his partner. Don't you-"
"No! I don't deserve to be his Tamer!" she cried. "He never would have gotten hurt if I hadn't forced him to be my partner and made him come back with us. He didn't even know what a Tamer was! I know he didn't come to the Real World looking for me. But I wished it, and the digi-gnomes made it happen." She gasped for breath as the sobs racked her body. "Leomon wasn't meant to be anyone's partner. He was a free spirit. He never would have gotten involved in our fight if it wasn't for me."
"He was free, Juri. You never forced him to do anything. He wanted to help, and he died standing up for what he believed in."
"But I made him weak," she insisted. "If I had been a better Tamer...if I had known what to do, I might have saved him. He depended on me and I let him die-"
"Don't say that!" said Takato, grabbing her shoulders and shaking them. "There wasn't anything you could have done!"
"He told me afterwards to be strong," she continued, seeming not to hear Takato's words. "But I failed then, too. I let the D-Reaper take over my mind and do all those horrible things. If not for me, the Digital World wouldn't have needed to be reformatted. None of this-" she said, motioning towards the spot Baihumon had appeared, "-would have happened." She paused and looked directly into his eyes.
"I don't want Leomon to remember dying. I don't want him to remember he's a prisoner of this thing," she said, bringing out her orange D-Arc. "And...I don't want him to be ashamed of me," she admitted softly, looking down at her feet.
"It's time for me to leave him. I didn't mean to stay this long, but I wanted to be sure he'd be be all right. And now that you're here, I know you and the others can watch over him for me."
Takato stared at her in surprise. "But...but you're his Tamer! You can't leave him behind!"
"He doesn't know that! I told you, he'll be better off without me. And he should stay here in the Digital World where he can help other digimon. He doesn't belong in our world, Takato."
Juri sighed. "This is why I wanted to come here alone. I knew that you and the others wouldn't understand." She rose to her feet and started walking back to the factory. Takato hurried after her.
"But without your help, Leomon won't be able to digivolve!" he argued, still hoping to change her mind.
"He already did without my help. Elecmon and I were following Culumon when we got too close and he digivolved to Leomon. It had nothing to do with me."
"Okay, then how about this," said Takato, stepping in front of her so that she was forced to stop and listen. "We obviously can't leave Culumon here--he'll keep evolving wild digimon who aren't ready for the power and end up causing havoc in the Digital World. Instead, why don't you bring him back with you to our world where he can't do any harm? Just come along with us until we find him."
"I thought you were going after Shiuchon and Makato," she pointed out suspiciously. "I already told you that I want no part in their rescue. The Digital World can't afford to lose two of its Sovereign."
"We haven't all found our partners yet," Takato reminded her. "We'll have no chance at a rescue until we do. In the meantime, we can go look for Culumon."
When Takato explained his plan to the others, however, not everyone seemed to agree.
"No way! Ai already has her partner--me! We can't waste time waiting for you guys to catch up! If we have to, we'll rescue Mako from that masked weasel Sepikmon all by ourselves! Right Ai?"
"Uh...right," said Ai, not sounding quite as sure of herself as Impmon was.
"You can't go alone, it's much too dangerous!" argued Jenrya.
Hirokazu spoke up. "Well, if they're headed deeper into Baihumon's territory, there's a good chance that that's where I'll find Guardromon. He's a metal-type, after all."
"I'll go too," said Ryo. "Cyberdramon could also be around here. And if we find them, Hirokazu and I can help out Ai and Impmon."
"Are you sure about this?" asked Ruki. "We don't even know if Mako's still alive. You said Sepikmon loaded his data."
"It looked that way," agreed Ai. "But he used Mako to reach Mega, almost like they were biomerging. Maybe there's still a part of him inside Baihumon we can save."
"Either way, Sepikmon's gonna wish he was never reformatted!" swore Impmon, shaking his fist. "I'll load his data! See how he likes that!"
Takato looked at the assembled group and nodded in affirmation. "All right then, it's settled. Ai, Ryo and Hirokazu will continue west to Baihumon's lair. The rest of us will follow Juri and Leomon until they find Culumon, and hope we find our partners along the way. If the others need our help, we'll join them at Baihumon's lair, otherwise we go east to Qinglongmon and rescue Shiuchon."
"We'll head out tomorrow at first light," said Ryo. "Meanwhile, let's set up camp here in the factory and see what we can gather in the forest. We have a long journey ahead of us, so we should get as much food and sleep as we can."
"Sounds good to me!" cheered Kenta and Kazu in unison, before exchanging an embarrassed smile.
Ruki found Jenrya standing alone outside, staring up at the Earth cybersphere. She dragged her feet noisily in the dirt so that he wouldn't be startled when she came up beside him.
"Thinking about Shiuchon?" she asked softly.
Jen sighed and turned his head to look at her. "Terriermon, actually. I'm wondering whether I'll ever see him again. The Digital World is so big...and it's become such a dangerous place."
"Terriermon may be small, but he's tough. He'll be okay," Ruki said, trying to sound reassuring.
Jenrya smiled weakly. "Not as tough as Renamon. I guess you aren't worried about your partner."
Ruki shook her head. "I know she's okay. I can feel her...inside. I think this is what Shibumi meant when he said that we carry a piece of our partners with us. And I wonder if Renamon can sense it too, and if she might be following it back to me? And if that's true, then it doesn't matter how far apart we are now, because I know we can always find each other."
Jen grimaced. "I've got so many emotions bottled up inside of me right now that I doubt I could feel Terriermon if he was standing right in front of me." His voice choked up as he added, "Man I wish he was standing here in front of me."
"He'll be okay," repeated Ruki, not allowing any of her own doubts to creep into her voice. "They all will. We'll find our friends and bring them home."
on to BOOK 2 |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47790 | A.N: This title has undoubtedly been used on numerous occasions, but 'Too Tough To Die' has to be one of my favourite Sara episodes and I wanted to start my fist CSI fic with something I really enjoyed.
This is a WIP and will probably be a few chapters, but as a warning I feel obligated to tell you that it will be a Grissom/Sara story. *sticks tongue out at Clara*
Obviously, I adhere to the usual disclaimers and I hope you all enjoy.
Chasing Rabbits
Chapter one
Four...three...two...Sara Sidle counted down the last remaining seconds, watching the digits on the clock morph from one number to another until the power cut out with a satisfactory ping. Stretching her long sleeve over her right hand in a makeshift oven glove, she pulled open the door and made a grab for the contents, hissing between clenched teeth as the heat emanated through her cotton top and steam burned her fingers.
Moving quickly, Sara hurried over to the table and dumped the offending object before her, scowling at it's audacity to burn her before propping her bare feet on the chair opposite and picking up her coffee cup. Just as she went to take a sip, the disembodied voice behind her caused her to jump slightly and slop the contents of her mug over the side and onto her jeans.
"Damn!" Sara was on her feet in a second flat, futilely wiping at her pants with bare hands whilst staring accusingly at her supervisor, Gil Grissom, who was looking sheepish in the doorway. "I swear there's a conspiracy to scald me today," she muttered as she gracelessly accepted the proffered hand towel and scrubbed furiously at her clothing.
Grissom just smiled slightly and moved towards the table. "I only asked how you were getting on at the Grand," he said as he sat down and picked up the newspaper.
Sara glanced over at her supervisor, immediately forgetting the setting coffee stains on her jeans, and instead eager to share her initial findings. Catherine, Warrick and Nick were working on a DB found hanging by the feet in a disused warehouse off the strip, leaving Sara with an elderly lady found dead on the floor by a sun lounger in one of Las Vegas' most prestigious hotels. Grissom had a meeting with the mayor to contend with but had promised to join Sara as soon as he was done.
Her interest in the conversation suddenly piqued, she sat down opposite Gil and began to relay the situation to him, describing the layout of the pool-area and the position of the body, along with it's proximity to the water. "Her name's Annie Winchester, sixty-nine years old. Prelim shows she didn't drown and Doc Robbins estimates time of death to be around four this morning," Sara said without needing to glance at her notes. "Manager says she booked into the penthouse yesterday at three with a guy half her age that goes by the name Jerome Cardinal. He seems to have disappeared into thin air but AFIS are running a search from the fingerprints I found in the room. No immediate signs of external wounding or blunt force trauma." She took a breath and continued. "Initially looked like a suspect DFO, but I found yellow fibers on her body, and she was naked when the pool man discovered her. Greg has them now, along with the champagne glass I found on the ground next to her, but he's a little backlogged so it may be a few hours until we get the results."
Grissom nodded absently, as if he hadn't really heard a word she had said. Instead he was staring intently at the object Sara had retrieved from the microwave a few moments earlier.
"Socks?" Gil asked, mildly surprised.
Sara's cheeks flamed and she glanced at her bare feet. "I fell in the pool," she murmured quietly. "It was dark and the ground was wet. I lost my footing..."
Gil nodded understandingly, but Sara could plainly see he was trying hard not to laugh. She decided to make it easy on him. "You're lucky you came in when you did," she continued with a slight grin. "Five minutes earlier and you would have caught me nuking my pants..." Sara immediately wished she had just kept her mouth shut. Still, the fact was out there now and unbidden fantasies of Grissom catching her in her underwear flashed through her mind like photographs, causing her breath to catch in her throat and her pulse to flutter a little wildly.
Grissom seemed to be having problems forming coherent sentences and instead he glanced at the door, then at Sara's pants, then back to the door. "So...you...I mean, you...in the..." flustered and for the once utterly speechless, Gil pointed frantically at the microwave and blinked rapidly. Sara just nodded. "I have a spare pair of boots in my locker, but I had to change into my spare clothes last night after that drunk driver vomited beer on me at the scene. I wore them home and forgot to bring in another set of clothes."
Gil nodded, glad for the distraction, but more glad that he had regained his equilibrium. But your socks? He'd have had to have been one hell of a shot to have vomited on your socks too."
Sara shook her head. "I lent them to Catherine. She said she wanted to conduct an experiment and needed purple cotton." She grinned good-naturedly. "I don't expect to see them again."
"Sensible woman," Gil smiled and stood up. "So where are we at now?"
Sara blinked. "Huh?"
"The case?" Grissom reminded her patiently. "What's next?"
"Oh." Giving herself a mental kick up the backside, Sara grabbed her socks and pulled them on, wincing as she realized they were still slightly damp. "Next we go back to the scene," she grunted as she yanked on her dry boots and zipped them up. "I want to check out the suite again. This case seems a little too...funky to be as cut-and-dried as we're supposed to think."
Grissom nodded as she downed the rest of her now cold coffee. "Funky?" he asked as she placed the cup in the sink.
"Yeah, funky." Sara grabbed the car keys from her pocket and waved them in her supervisors face. "It's a word. I'll drive while you look it up."
Chapter two to follow soon. Feedback is appreciated. |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47792 | Disclaimer: I don't own CCS
Chapter 7
Again: Another time; once more; anew.
"Eriol, I-" Kaho began.
"Now I told Sakura that I'd get my revenge on all four of you, and that's what I'm going to do," Tomoyo laughed.
Kaho looked back at Tomoyo. "Yes, back to business. I believe I said that I'd kill one of you guys, and so… it will be you seeing that you were the one who caused this whole mess," Tomoyo continued.
"Fine," Kaho nodded and shot another arrow at Tomoyo.
That arrow barely grazed Tomoyo's cheek. Tomoyo rammed Kaho against the wall and tried to stab her with her dagger, but Kaho grabbed Tomoyo's arm and pushed it to the side, forcing the blade to get stuck in the wall. Now Tomoyo was unarmed, and Kaho began shooting the arrows rapidly. Tomoyo ran across the room and shielded herself behind one of the couches. Tomoyo peered around the edge of the couch. Eriol was watching the fight, 'Why isn't he doing anything about this,' both of the women thought. Tomoyo saw a glass vase on a side table near the sofa. All she had to do was throw the vase at Kaho, and hopefully not miss, in order to stall Kaho for the moment. Tomoyo dashed out from behind the couch and seized the vase. She threw the vase and amazingly, it hit Kaho on the head. She fell to the ground, unconscious. Tomoyo panted for a second, then looked up at Eriol, "What are you doing here?"
"T-Tomoyo…" he started.
Tomoyo came closer to him, and stepped over Kaho. "I got you pregnant, didn't I?" Eriol looked down unhappily, "That's what I killed."
Tomoyo kissed his forehead, "That day you guys threw me into the water… I was going to tell you then."
"Tomoyo, you shouldn't kill Kaho. You should kill me. I deserve it more than her," Eriol pleaded.
"No, I couldn't. Ka-" the sound of three arrows being fired interrupted her.
Tomoyo fell against Eriol. He looked down, and along her back were three of Kaho's arrows. Blood slowly oozed from the wounds. He looked up and saw Kaho weakly leaning against a wall. Tomoyo pushed herself off of him and dragged her feet towards the red-haired woman. Along the way she pulled her dagger from the wall. Tomoyo's face looked soulless, and her eyes were dead. She pinned Kaho against the wall with one and plunged the dagger into Kaho forehead. Eriol flinched at the sound of Kaho's skull cracking, and was even more disturbed by the sight of Kaho's murdered corpse. The red liquid seeped through the stab and dripped to the floor. The dagger kept her standing up and pinned to the wall. He then looked at Tomoyo. Her back was covered in blood as well. He rushed over to her side to see if she was all right. She tried to remove the arrows from her back but they were too deep inside of her body. "Eriol?" Tomoyo asked.
"What?" Eriol brushed the hair out of her face.
She closed her eyes and smiled, "I forgive you."
He stayed with her until she died, then he left the two bodies in Kaho's house.
Eriol walked up to Tomoyo's grave, and looked for the names that Syaoran was talking about. Tomoyo got her revenge on all of them. Syaoran got his heart broken, and would probably never find another like her. Sakura lost the most important person in her life, and now became known as a whore. Kaho was murdered. Eriol… Eriol lost Tomoyo again, but this time, it was for good. He found the names but the strange thing was that all the names were already crossed out.
…1 year later…
Sakura and Eriol were volunteering at a carnival. They were serving ice cream to everybody. "So any word from Syaoran?" Eriol enquired.
"I've told you a million times, I haven't spoken to him for ages!" Sakura sighed handing a little kid a cone.
"Oh well," Eriol shrugged.
Sakura had given up on love after a few more attempts with other guys. Eriol had also given up. A hand slid some money across the counter, "One vanilla ice cream cone please," the familiar voice ordered.
Eriol scooped some vanilla ice cream out of the bucket and put some onto the cone. He turned and gave the cone to a young woman with dark hair, amethyst eyes, and pale skin. She looked exactly like… "Tomoyo?" Eriol asked.
The woman laughed, "Yeah, I get that a lot here!"
A small three-year-old girl ran up to her, and tugged at her dress, "Mommy! Is that mine?"
"Oh! What a cute little girl!" Sakura squealed, "She kinda looks like…" Sakura looked up at the mother then gulped nervously, "She looks a lot like her mother."
The girl tugged on her mother's dress again, "Mommy, is the ice cream for me?"
"Yes sweetie," the woman handed her daughter the ice cream. She turned to Eriol and smiled, "Thank you."
He watched the woman walk away, observing every detail about her. She was so much like Tomoyo Daidouji. She knelt down and dug into her purse. She handed something to her daughter and pointed at Eriol. The little girl nodded and skipped over to the counter. The little girl smiled at Eriol, "Here ya go," the girl placed a white rose on the counter, and added, "daddy."
ChiChi's Note: Okie Dokie! White Rose is edited. Now I'm going on to edit the sequel and to change the ending. So if you haven't read the sequel, don't read the ending unless the summary says edited. Okay, thank you to all who reviewed this fanfic! |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47793 | Disclaimer: Not mine.
Beta'd by DWS. This is…different from what I normally write. Er.
Harry Potter's Guide to the Dark Arts
By Harry J. Potter, Supreme Arse-Kicker of Evil
Order of Merlin First Class, But Who's Counting?
Officially Sanctioned by the Dark Force Defense League
Not Quite Unanimous Praise for Harry Potter's Guide to the Dark Arts!
A major success! And not part of a Ministry plot at all! Also, the pages of this work, when burnt and stirred into a stew, serve as a very effective nutritious meal for the rare Barrel-Chested Mishilmash. – The Quibbler
Harry Potter has once again showcased his pathological need for attention by writing and publishing a completely uninformative pamphlet on the Dark Arts. Utterly useless rubbish. – The Daily Prophet
Potter did what? – Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts
Well, the little bastard did defeat the Dark Lord. – Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody
I feel pretty, oh so pretty. I feel pretty and witty and…do you want my autograph? –Gilderoy Lockhart
Harry James Potter, better known these days as the Man Who Kicked Some Serious Dark Hindquarters, is eminently qualified to inform readers of the Dark Arts. Everyone knows he defeated Lord Voldemort, of course, but he is also a Triwizard Champion, the slayer of a basilisk, the founder of the Hogwarts Defense Association, and the most successful freelance adventurer in decades.
Other Quality Products of Fawkes Press:
And You Thought You Had It Tough by Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood
Hermione Granger's Handbook of Heroics and Similar Inanities
How to Survive Almost Anything: From Murderous Monsters to Weepy Women by Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley
Memoirs of a Marauder by Remus John Lupin
So You've Got a Death Wish: Ron Weasley's Guide to Side-Kicking
The Man's Guide to Women: Get It Through Your Thick Skulls Already by Hermione Granger
The No-Nonsense Approach to Training Brothers and Boyfriends by Ginny Weasley
Weapons of Power: Pillows of Doom and Much, Much More by Ginny Weasley
A Definition
When I say Dark Arts, I'm not talking about arts and crafts. Dark Lords don't take over the world by coloring with black crayons and markers. Granted, a proclivity for black may be the sign of a crazy evil bastard in the making, but then again, black goes with everything and, frankly, it's better to go monochrome than dress like some well-known figures of the Light, such as Albus Dumbledore (currently inhabiting the Great Candy Shop In The Sky).
Anyway, as I was saying: the Dark Arts are bad. Seriously bad. As in, "get in the way of a Dark spell and say bye-bye to the family jewels" bad – at best. At worst? You're deader than Cornelius Fudge's political career, Rufus Scrimgeour's sense of humor, Percy Weasley's social life…you get the idea.
Basically, the Dark Arts are spells – hexes, jinxes, curses, and the like – used solely to harm others. Not all of them are illegal; tripping jinxes are used all the time, and everyone hexes an enemy on occasion. You want to watch out for the serious stuff, though, the spells that causes permanent mental and/or physical damage.
The Unforgivables
The Unforgivables are the best-known and most prominent examples of Dark spells, so they get their own section. I'm sure they feel special.
Okay, so everyone knows about the Killing Curse. Flash of green light and suddenly you've got a nice new corpse carpeting your floor. But trust me, treading on dead bodies? Not as fun as you'd think.
Only one person has ever survived the Killing Curse, so my advice, if you're up against someone who might use try cursing you with it, is to run like hell. Scream, if you feel the urge. Hide, if the Dark Wizard or Witch following was useless at Hide and Seek as a child. If he or she even bothered playing, that is – the bastard (or bitch) was probably off in a corner eating black crayons and plotting world domination, or at least thinking about ways to get paste into the teacher's hair without getting caught. (The only authority figures Dark Lords like are themselves.)
The other two Unforgivables aren't quite so well known as the Killing Curse. There's the Torture Curse, Cruciatus, which is more painful than a lecture from Binns when you're too hopped up on Pepperup Potion to sleep through it. Hell, the Cruciatus hurts worse than the mental image of Filch and Umbridge snogging. Naked.
That should tell you something.
There's no way to fight the Cruciatus. If you get hit by it, you're practically a goner already – because any wizard or witch who'll use it on you won't hesitate to kill you once they've had their fun. So feel free to spend the last moments of your life screaming and writhing about on the ground, and hope you don't wet your trousers. If you must at any time vomit, aim for your torturer. Sure, it'll piss him or her off, but as we've established, you're dead anyway.
Now we come to the Imperius, which can be fought. But only if you're strong-willed enough to throw it off. Cultivate contrariness and a stubborn streak – it might make you unpopular, but at least you'll still be breathing.
The Imperius puts you entirely under the caster's control – unless, as I've written, you manage somehow to fight it off. People have been known to murder, steal, cheat, and even participate in karaoke and folk dancing under this curse.
Yes, it is that terrible.
In other words: don't get hit by an Unforgivable. If you are, well, at least take comfort in the knowledge that…you know what? There really isn't anything in which you can take comfort. You're dead, mate. Or possibly folk-dancing against your will.
Dumbledore always did say there were fates worse than death.
Dark Lords
I'm not an expert in psychology, so let's just say Dark Lords (and Ladies, I suppose) are homicidal maniacs with delusions of grandeur and the will to make those delusions a reality. They can be identified by their habit of cackling madly and making melodramatic proclamations of their own brilliance.
Dark Lords, you may find, spend most of their time raging against their enemies or gloating like a Malfoy on a good hair day. I advise you to steer clear of both Dark Lords and Malfoys. The former will kill you, and the latter will instill in you homicidal urges that will land you in Azkaban for life.
If, by chance, you should be prophesied to fight a Dark Lord...well, then you're most likely – and however reluctantly – a hero. See Hermione Granger's Handbook of Heroics and Similar Inanities. If you happen to be friends with such a hero, see So You've Got a Death Wish: Ron Weasley's Guide to Side-Kicking.
Dark Wizards and Witches
Dark Wizards and Witches come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors. Avoid indiscriminately.
If you must come into contact with one, make sure you've got a suitable shield at hand. Protego works well for lower- and mid-level spells, but nothing shields against the Unforgivables.
Solid training in Defense comes in handy if you get into a duel. But knowledge alone won't cut it. You have to be inventive – a transfiguration or even a simple Cheering Charm can save your life.
The best thing you can do is keep in mind the oft-bellowed motto of an insane ex-Auror: CONSTANT VIGILANCE.
Caffeine helps with this.
Dark Creatures
Dementors – the infamous guards of Azkaban – are scary as hell, take it from me. They force you to relive your worst memories, and steal from you everything that's good and right. They're kind of like politicians, really.
They are best known for their ability to suck a person's soul out by kissing him or her. This process is, imaginatively, called the Dementor's Kiss. Imagine snogging Snape. Now imagine kissing Umbridge. Well, it's worse than both.
Dementors can be driven off by a Patronus. Sadly, the same cannot be said for Snape or Umbridge. However, just as with Dementors, if you eat chocolate after being near either of them, it'll do you a lot of good.
Werewolves, now, are regular people most of the time, but a handful of nights a year they become slavering beasts hungry for the apparently delicious taste of sweet, sweet raw human flesh. Some werewolves have enough money to buy Wolfsbane potion, which allows them to retain their human minds as wolves, and most of those who can't afford it lock themselves up. There are a few sick freaks, however, who actually wander around happily devouring people on full moons.
Now let's get this straight. There are good werewolves, and there are bad werewolves – just as there are good Muggles and bad Muggles, and good wizards and bad wizards. Good werewolf: Remus Lupin. Bad werewolf: Fenrir Greyback. Learn the distinction, and learn it well.
If you come across a werewolf on a full moon, the best thing you can do is turn into an animal. As you probably aren't an animagi, though, chances are you're out of luck. And time. And, you know, life.
Vampires vant to suck your blood. Cut off their heads before they can do so. That is all.
Lethifolds can be driven off with a Patronus, but chances are they'll attack in your sleep. And then you're dead.
If You Happen to Be a Dark Wizard or Witch or Intend to Harm Me
Start running. |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47794 | Sometimes you just know, you feel it deep down inside and you know. There are no questions, no second guessing, only the truth hitting you right in the face. That was something that he never expected, never thought would happen but in the end it did. It started that day when he seen her dance in detention. Something about the way she moved. It nearly sent him over the edge and at that point he couldn't figure out why. He had seen her a lot of time during class but never even gave it a second thought. It was that day, that day that changed everything.
He found himself doing things that he never thought he would. When Amber lied about something that Tracy never did, he stood up for her and reiterated a "Kiss My Ass." in order to get into detention with her. He followed her and her new found friends, the kids that had been apart of Negro day on the Corny Collins Show. He ignored Amber calling out his name and followed them right onto the bus and to May belle's platter party. He watched the hurt in her eyes as he told her in couldn't be a part of the march. The pain in her eyes nearly killed him and he couldn't do anything to get that out of his head and out of his heart.
He remembered seeing her name plastered all over the news, and wishing that he was there with her. He couldn't believe that she would savagely bludgeon an eagle scout. That was not the Tracy he knew, the Tracy that he was in love with. He found himself for the first time realizing this. Why it hurt so bad when she was upset, why he missed her when she wasn't around, why his life seemed so much better for having known her. In realizing that he realized that he needed to tell her, which brought him to her parents house. It would bring him to her room; lying on her bed; holding a picture and declaring his love for a woman who was running from the law.
|
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47795 | That first time had taken hours. But, as always, I was practical, and unavoidably I was soon to become more efficient at human butchery than I'd ever been at anything in my life. Even if it hadn't seemed so then.
I dragged myself into my room afterwards, clawed frantically at the dress sodden and diseased with congealing blood that still hung from my frame. God, I needed to get it off. I wanted to tear it, burn it, erase every indication that the thing had witnessed the deeds it had, and I'd barely managed to fling the hideous fabric away from me before I felt eyes on my back. I froze.
"Is it done?" rasped the husky voice behind me, smouldering with power and intent and a violent eagerness that set me hot and cold at once. Horror and a perverse anticipation raised gooseflesh on my back.
No, no no no no no—!
I was afraid. I'd felt his razor at my throat, torn the flesh from human bones, proposed to make a business out of murder, and not once had I felt the fear that then raked like nails down my spine. The man behind me was the furthest creature I could ever have imagined from the Ben he'd used to be, dark and brooding like a nightmare I couldn't seem to wake from and somehow, perversely, didn't want to.
His voice grew sharper, deeper, hot against my neck. "Dammit, woman! Is it done?"
You want this.
A steady sound, a voice that sounded like but couldn't have been mine, gave him his yes.
Over the course of the night numbness had seeped into every inch of me not spattered by darkening red splotches, and the places that were burned as if dipped into the fire behind his eyes. But this—every nerve sang and flinched as ungentle hands found my skin. White teeth bared in a predatory grin and before I could even think to pull away his mouth was crushed to mine. The kiss was vicious, hungry, and everything I should have run from poured out and splashed like acid over me.
Delicious, exquisite, excruciating pain.
He's using you.
I knew it was true. He didn't love me and probably never would, said the pieces of my brain that still held some semblance of sanity. I existed to put a roof over his head and cover his tracks. And I would do. I knew that.
But I would take what little he gave, even if he took more of me than I'd ever get in return. I was no more above him than the rats in the street, after what I'd done. And so long as I was going to hell, I was going to go on my own terms. The drying blood on my hands left dusty red streaks across his white shirt, and as he clawed at the ties of my shift I grabbed at his collar, pulling him closer. His kisses were powerful, as engulfing as the fire still burning behind his black eyes, a fire that cleansed even as it branded the blood into my skin.
This was why I did what I would, not for love, not for approval, but him. Raw and acrid, metallic against my tongue. I would please him howsoever I could, make his violent life just a little easier to lead. I needed nothing in return. Silver roses bloomed behind my eyelids as his nails left thin red vines down my arms, across my collarbone, along my shoulder blades and spine. And I gave back everything he left me, kiss for kiss, bruise for bruise. A few of his scratches drew blood, but I was not so bold as to do the same myself. If this was what he wanted, then I would give him what I could, but so long as he was giving, I'd take whatever he saw fit to give and then some.
He near shoved me back against my bed, hands brushing lower, testing my throat with his teeth, murmuring against me, My pet, my love, my life—
My Lucy…
I froze, and every inch of me he'd just made flame ran cold. God, I don't think anything had ever hurt so much. Like my heart suddenly insisted on forcing shards of ice through my veins. But I didn't pull away. I could fight his fire with fire, the blaze that flared all over again when her name turned over and over in my brain. I waited for him to bring his mouth back up to mine, kissed him slowly with the same consuming need he'd left against my lips, and bit down.
I smiled when I tasted his blood in my mouth, licked it from my lips. Cruelly smiled at the rage in his face as he lurched back from me. He knew as well as I that he couldn't yell, lest he wake Toby sleeping in the parlor. I'd never seen an intensity of hate like that which burned through every inch of him then, nor would I again, as he wiped the blood from his lips. I stared back into eyes that looked as if to kill me right then and there, but couldn't flinch. If he was to live here, if I was to watch his sorry back like he expected, he would do well to know I wouldn't follow like a child in his shadow. I would do just about anything he wanted of me, but I refused to stand as a substitute for Lucy. I would not be used for such a fantasy.
"Devil's bitch," he hissed, raising a hand as if to strike my face, but when I wouldn't cringe from him he turned and swept from the room, hands clenched into fists. The ice drained from my veins and left a numb hollowness in its wake, and all I could do was lie there and breathe for the longest minutes of my life. A part of me died that night.
But if he wasn't, then at least the moment, that one small triumph, was mine. |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47796 | Chapter 29
Scream Aim Fire
The streets of the capital of Blood Country bristled with activity. Merchants and miners of all races and countries teemed around. Blood Country was famous for its precious metals, and the capital was the best place for both sellers and buyers from around the world to come.
Naruto recognized garb from Sunagakure, as well as a few merchants who might have been from Konohagakure. He ducked his head lower, pulling the hood over his bright yellow hair just as an armed patrol walked by menacingly. His friends had agreed that using a Genjutsu disguise was too risky, as there might be guards who could sense the chakra use. Naruto wasn't the most skilled at such low level chakra use anyway. A large cloak and hood kept him from prying eyes while he slipped into the cafe they'd agreed to meet in.
As he stepped through the doors his eyes adjusted quickly to the darker room. The room had a light fog to it, probably due to the scattered cigarette smokers littered around the room. In the corner he spied Sakura and walked over.
"Are we the only ones here so far?" he asked quietly. The decision to split up was also agreed upon. The guards would be looking for a group traveling together, not individuals.
"So far," Sakura nodded, her pink hair hidden beneath an oddly shaped hat that pulled down around her ears. She looked up at Naruto, surprised to only now notice that he was slightly taller than her.
"When did you outgrow me?" she asked quietly.
Naruto smiled. "I..I don't quite know! Ha ha," he laughed quietly and stood up a little straighter, the deeper meaning of her question lost on him.
She locked her eyes on him, forcing him to face the truth until he finally looked away.
"Those soldiers," she said softly. "We didn't need to kill them. We could have gone around."
"And then what?" Naruto answered, his gaze becoming icy as he turned back to face her. "They'd have gone on and found someone else to murder. Why should we allow these…monsters… to roam free? A sense of morality? No, someone has to stand up to them. Stop them. Punish them."
"But why you?" she asked, genuine sadness in her voice.
Naruto looked out the doorway as someone talking loudly walked by the entrance. "Because someone has to do it. Because I can."
"Naruto," she said, still quiet. "Is this who you are now?"
He looked into her eyes, his steely glint softening. "It is who I need to be Sakura."
"Are you sure?" Her hand touched his.
The door swung open and Senjii walked in with Hiroka on his arm. Their disguise as a bickering couple made all the more realistic with the added bickering that they were doing. Naruto spied them and waved them over. Sakura withdrew her hand quietly and smiled at her fighting friends, wondering when they would get their act together.
Nagi walked down the street looking as inconspicuous as possible. He blended in very well with the populace, his skin matching theirs, his hair as well. He'd liberated some robes that covered his Tengoku gear from a clothes line some streets back. This gave him a good chance to see what the Capital of his family's former Kingdom had become.
Much like the village they'd passed through, most of the faces here were vacant, and listless. The people walked about their tasks, but without any zeal or zest. It was as if they were all already dead, just waiting for their bodies to catch up to that reality.
He came across a child that was sitting by a fountain. There was not even any water flowing in the fountain. The child was watching passersby with an emotionless stare. It made Nagi's heart ache for that child, and these people. Someone should help them. Would that person be him? Did he want this Kingdom back? It was a thought that had crossed his mind, but he'd not allowed himself to focus on it. He had one goal here, the death of the man who killed his mother and father and sister.
A ruckus approached and he ducked into the shadows of a building. A contingent of capital guards were marching by, making a big show of it. An old man who could not get out of the way fast enough was pushed into the dirt of the street while the guards laughed and kept on marching.
Nagi restrained his anger, and watched as the people went about the business, no one even looking at the old man in the street struggling to get to his feet. He fought with his inner thoughts, knowing he should ignore it and go meet Naruto and the others, but his good nature won out and he stepped out of the shadows and gripped the man's arm. He pulled the man to his feet, and helped him settle.
"Thank you young man," the old man looked at Nagi and appeared startled. "Why, you're the spitting image of the Old King."
Nagi backed away, "Yeah... really... well I get that sometimes. Funny huh?"
The old man looked at him again and shrugged. "Funny. Yes. Thank you for your help. Here..." He dug into his pocket and pulled out a silver coin. "For your trouble. If my grandson were here he would have helped me up the way you did. This is his customary reward."
Nagi raised his hands "No, no. I couldn't possibly," he turned to keep going.
The old man took a step towards him holding out the coin. "But I insist young man. You must."
Nagi sighed, and reached out for the coin. He didn't want to cause a scene. As his fingers touched the coin he felt a shock arc through his body. Every nerve screamed in agony as electricity coursed through every fiber of his being. He collapsed in a fidgeting heap.
The old man also fell to the ground, but more like a limp rag doll. Nagi managed to see that the old man's eyes were open but unseeing. He was dead.
"Over here! Over here!" The child who was people watching earlier was shouting. A small crowd had gathered around Nagi, who was unable to control his body still. The guards from earlier came running. They saw Nagi convulsing on the ground and the leader grinned madly. He motioned to his squad and one at the back who held a backpack stepped forward. He pulled out a white device and laid it against Nagi's chest. Straps snapped out of it automatically and wrapped around his body. He immediately felt a drain. An all too familiar drain.
"A...a...chak..chakra ...inhi...inhibitor..." he stuttered out, the convulsions easing.
The head guardsman laughed. "Yes. Don't want you using any tricks, your former highness."
Nagi looked at the dead old man again. "What...what did you do? How?"
The guardsman motioned for the others to pick Nagi up. "Every citizen was made aware that you were coming. These coins," he reached in his pocket and pulled out an exact replica, "were handed out. It incapacitates the intended victim. At the cost of the other person holding the coin of course, it has to get energy from somewhere." He kicked the old man's body. "But no big loss am I right?" he laughed as they dragged a helpless Nagi to the castle.
After they'd left, the street returned to 'normal', the citizens and witnesses going back to their meager existence, not even bothering to gossip about the capture of their rightful ruler nor the inconsequential death of one of their own. The child had even gone back to the empty fountain like nothing had happened at all. Such was their lives that apathy won out over everything else.
An hour later everyone was gathered in the back room of the cafe. Almost everyone, there was one conspicuous absence.
"Where is Nagi?" Naruto asked, concern echoing in his tone.
Senjii peeked his head back into the main room from the doorway, shaking it. Naruto clenched his fists, resisting the urge to race out into the streets and start searching for his friend himself. The cafe was empty now except for his team and the owner who recognized the danger that they represented and chose to stay on the far side of the room reading a newspaper.
"Five more minutes," he said, glancing at the clock on the wall.
N'uihc sat quietly, not needing to look at the clock, his body knowing the correct time instinctively.
"There is no need my Lord Tenshikage. He is not coming," N'uihc said evenly. "My student would not embarrass me by being late willingly. He has either been killed or captured. This is my own fault, if I had trained him better this would not have happened."
Naruto looked at N'uihc hard. "Nagi is not dead." He turned to the door.
"Senjii!"he barked. "Find me someone to interrogate."
Five minutes later Senjii stepped back into the room with a struggling guard that he slapped across the face a few times. He threw him down onto the ground where Calamity kicked the guard in the ribs before grabbing him by the collar and lifting him.
"Have you heard anything about a new prisoner?" Naruto growled at the man, his eyes taking on a reddish glow.
To his credit, the guard held out for thirty seconds before wetting himself.
Nagi was alive. He was captured an hour ago and sent to the castle. They had been on the lookout for him specifically. He looks so much like the old King that he was the easiest to find. The new King was going to kill him.
Calamity bashed the guard on his temple, sending him into dreamland and turned to find all of her friends strapping on their gear and shedding their disguises. N'uihc was instructing Kenichi to stay close to him at all times and to observe. To his credit the boy showed no fear.
"The time for deception and sneaking is past." Naruto declared. He flexed his fists and reached behind his jacket, pulling out a round tube that was pure white. With a flick it expanded to full staff size. Calamity gasped, it was a heavenstone staff. Its unbreakable surface as smooth as glass. Perfect for someone who kept breaking his wooden staffs like Naruto did.
"Where did you get that?" Calamity asked.
"Yoshi," was all Naruto said, twirling it absently in his hands then collapsing it and putting it back under his jacket. "We must get to Nagi fast. Any ideas?"
"The castle is right up the road. Why don't we just knock?" Sakura suggested.
Senjii looked out the window to the castle walls within the city. He flexed his fingers, feeling the song of the twin kodaichi at his sides, knowing they longed for battle, any battle, this battle.
"OK. So..." he turned to Naruto. "Front door?"
Naruto grinned.
"Front door."
The sound echoed throughout the entire city, vibrations knocking down anything that wasn't too heavy, and if there was any glass windows anywhere they all probably would have cracked at the very least. The heavy oak doors to the castle were fifty feet high with reinforced beams across them. To their credit, they had stood the test of time, protecting the castle from marauders, invading armies and the like for over a century. The wood was petrified and oiled, harder than all but the best steel. It had served its purpose. Until today.
Deadly splinters flew down the main path inside the castle walls, massacring the small platoon stationed in front of it, clouds of sawdust filling the air. In the midst of the clearing dust stood Sakura, fist still outstretched.
"Nice knock." Hiroka grinned at her friend and teammate.
The path ahead remained empty. Clearly inviting them to go straight to the King's Castle. Naruto was only too happy to oblige the open invitation.
From the open gate poured hundreds and hundreds of clones. They filled the path and ran straight down the road. Within seconds a crossfire of arrows and cannon fire drilled into the horde of clones. The horde stopped and then began to spread into the side streets. Incredibly the pops of smoke that indicated a clone dispersing appeared less and less as more clones poured in, taking on and subduing the palace militia.
"How are they avoiding those arrows?" Calamity asked Naruto.
He shrugged. "My clones know the same tricks I do. Like my Hiraishin. So they're popping up behind the line of fire."
After a few terrible minutes of fighting, the sounds of battle receded further and further away from the main pathway.
"That should keep them busy. My clones will mop up the army outside here, while we go in," Naruto said, his smile slipping from his face as he looked down the path into the castle. His eyes taking on that serious glint again. Nagi's life hung in the balance.
"Let's go."
Nagi spat the blood out of his mouth and onto the boot of the man who called himself his 'cousin'. The Blood King laughed.
"It really is remarkable how much you look like your father." The King bent down and hit Nagi across the face again. "Why did you come back here?" kicking him in the side of his face as he asked.
Nagi felt the pain lance through his head as the boot connected, stars appearing in his eyes as he skidded across the concrete floor. The chakra inhibiting device on his chest glowed bright white, a gift for the Blood King from his friends in Snow Country. As an added precaution, he also had steel handcuffs that held his wrists together behind his back cutting deeply into his skin, the blood making them slick but not any less tight.
"For revenge?" the King stalked over. "To take back your Kingdom?" he laughed. "What could you possibly hope to accomplish here?" He spread his arms and pointed out the window.
"Do you see outside? You must have seen what this country has become. It burns. The entire country is at a slow burn. I have made it so. The people fear me, and that is the only thing keeping them in line. Knowing who their one true master is."
"What could you possibly do in the face of my might, boy?" he knelt down and held Nagi's head in his hands. "What? Cousin?" he punched Nagi in the face again, collapsing him into a heap. The King stood and walked calmly back to his throne, pulling out a long sword.
"How fitting that your father's sword be the one to reunite you with your parents. It's positively karmic."
"Your Majesty! There has been a breach at the gate! Intruders are overrunning the guards!" a guard burst into the room and declared.
The King lowered his sword and grinned. "They're here," he nodded to the five shadowy figures to the left of the room. They disappeared in a flash. He looked back at Nagi. "I think we'll prolong this just a little bit longer, and let you see the heads of your friends lined up before you before I cut yours off as well."
"If it's all the same to you," Lash said lazily. He stood off to the right next to his brother Scorpion. "We'll just wait here for his friends to show up."
"At that point, you can ask for our help and owe Emperor Danzo...everything." Scorpion smirked.
The Blood King laughed again. "We shall see."
"Yes. Yes we shall," Lash replied, looking out of the window.
The corridor was eerily quiet compared to the noise of the fighting outside. The group from Tengoku raced quietly along it, the shadows from torches dancing along the red walls. It didn't take long for the corridor to end and gave way to a large hall. In the middle of the hall stood a single man. He was short at maybe five foot three, his sword in his scabbard.
He pointed to Senjii.
Naruto turned to his friend. "We can't wait, Nagi needs us."
"Go ahead, I won't be long." Senjii said in anticipation.
The group from Tengoku ran around the swordsman and up the large regal stairs to the next floor, leaving Senjii alone. Senjii flexed his fingers and smiled wryly at the man across the room.
"Senjii Makato, the Dark Blade," he said quietly.
"Daibetsu Sichhu, the Blood Letter," was the man's reply. He drew his sword and took a ready stance. Senjii touched his fingers to his twin kodachi and bent at the knees.
The men disappeared in a blur and flash of steel.
Naruto and his team raced up the stairs at the top there was another short corridor and a door. They stepped through and entered what had to be a waiting area. Standing in the middle was a huge hulk of a man. He sneered at them.
"Who amongst you is the strongest?" he bellowed. He stamped his foot hard on the stone floor and the room shook. "Come let me tear you apart! Ha Ha Ha!"
Naruto growled and was about to step forward when Sakura stopped him.
"No Naruto, you have to save Nagi." She stepped forward. The man held up his hand.
"No no. Not you little girl. Let a man face me."
Sakura's face grew stormy she punched her fist into the other. A small boom filled the room and air rushed outwards. The man stopped smiling and looked at her anew. He flexed his fists.
"OK," he pointed at a door at the other end of the room.
"Where are they keeping Nagi!?" Naruto demanded.
"Throne room. Top floor. Just keep following the doors. Now leave." He licked his lips looking Sakura up and down, judging. "I think I'm going to have some fun."
Naruto turned red and toyed with the idea of just ripping the man's head off, but Sakura caught his eye and shook her head. She wanted to fight him. Naruto trusted her to do what needed to be done, and took off with Calamity, Hiroka, N'uihc and Kenichi trailing behind him. N'uihc glanced at the two fighters, Sakura and the large man and then didn't spare another glance. The Tenshikage was allowing his fighters to do their jobs and trusting them to do it, as he should. He approved and hoped his new apprentice was watching. There was much honor to be learned here.
As they raced down the long corridor, Naruto had a few seconds to think. Despite what N'uihc assumed Naruto hadn't had time to process everything as yet, instead acting on instinct and gut. The enemy was throwing up individual obstacles to try to divide them and eliminate them one by one. He was purposely ignoring the comparison to the last mission he'd taken as a ninja of Konoha, the one that ended with his banishment. In spite of the outcome, all those individual fights back then were won by the good guys in the end, despite the overwhelming odds they'd been up against and were up against now. There was a chance each was a trap, and he was leaving his friends to die. But, if he stopped to fight anyone and for whatever reason it took time, Nagi could be dead by the time they got to him.
He had to trust his friends.
Glancing ahead, he saw two women in the corridor waiting. He didn't even slow down, looking left and right, receiving nods from Calamity and Hiroka. He and N'uihc and Kenichi raced past the female adversaries, leaving them to the girls' team.
Senjii clutched his swords tightly. Thus far he'd avoided any cuts from his enemy, but he'd also been unable to land any attacks either. His twin kodaichi could attack from more angles at once, but the other swordsman seemed to have superior speed nonetheless. He charged in low, double swinging with his swords, aiming for the main artery in the thighs. The swordsman stepped backwards just enough to avoid the attack, and brought his katana down towards the back of Senjii's neck.
Senjii rolled forward, avoiding the swing. He rolled almost into the body of the man, and stood suddenly, dragging his swords straight up. A lesser man would have been cut in three. The swordsman spun in a circle away, deflecting the attack with his sword.
Senjii felt a scratch along the back of his left fist. The other man had drawn first blood. The cut stung, he glanced at it, the skin was torn rather than sliced.
"Ahhh." Daibetsu grinned. "You begin to see why they call me the blood letter." He held up his katana and turned it so the blade caught the light.
"My sword. It's name is Bonesaw. Its bite has teeth."
In the light, Senjii saw what he meant. "A serrated edge katana."
"Yes. Come let Bonesaw bite you again." Daibetsu lunged, his sword arcing towards Senjii's left.
Senjii blocked with his right kodaichi, bringing the left sword's point in a thrust to Daibetsu's side. However he was thrown off balance when the swordsman grated his swords against Senjii's, the serrated edge rattling the steel. His thrust wasn't as fast or as effective as he planned.
Daibetsu rolling into and down, dragging his serrated edge sword straight down, pushing into Senjii's body, then ripping it suddenly across his chest. It raked skin, cloth and blood in its path.
He took one step backwards and then flash stepped forward, swinging both blades in a move designed to cleave a person in two. Daibetsu blocked both blades at the point they would have connected, stepping back slightly. He slammed his fist into the flat end of his sword, the force sending Senjii backwards. Senjii rolled and came up onto one knee.
"Is this the best you have Dark Blade?" Daibetsu shifted his leg backwards and swung his sword towards Senjii, the cutting force slicing through the stone floor on its way to Senjii. He dodged it easily, jumping high into the air. He took his kodaichi and sliced the air, the cutting force almost visible as it decimated the ground Daibetsu was standing on just a second earlier.
Senjii landed and felt a piercing pain in his left shoulder. He'd miscalculated, Daibetsu hadn't dodged backwards, he'd moved forward to attack Senjii as he landed! Bonesaw had cut clean through his shoulder and out his back, piercing his shoulder blade and sticking out through his back. A few inches to the right and he'd had cleaved his heart. Blood spurted from the wound and Senjii momentarily buckled, but swung his swords regardless to disembowel his enemy. Daibetsu grinned and ripped his sword free, its serrated edge doing more damage on the way out. He jumped backwards to avoid Senjii's swing.
Blood splattered against the stone tiles, Senjii's eyes grew steely as he willed himself to keep standing and fighting. He had to catch up to Naruto and help save Nagi!
The hulk of a man punched towards Sakura. The air whistled past her ear as she dodged the attack easily, slipping inside his punch. With a quick intake of breath she cocked her fist and unleashed a powerful blow into his solar plexus. The result was...surprising.
The man didn't fly across the room as she'd expected. Though the impact made a loud boom, and dust and wind flew from the site of impact, that was the only physical result to her attack. His hands came down in a surprisingly fast swing. She held her forearm over her head to block, the impact sent her a full four inches into the stone floor, the rock buckling and dust flying. Sakura rolled backwards and out of the way. Standing, she looked at the man again. He hadn't moved from his spot.
"That the best you got girlie?" The man laughed. He lifted his legs one at a time and stretched, cracking his chest muscles and shoulders. "That was a tickle. Come let me tickle you back."
Sakura frowned and thought quickly. The man was strong, that was clear, but that punch would have decimated a boulder of comparable size. Tsunade had taught her how to destroy almost anything, but it was a smaller lesson that came to mind right now. She had told her that one day Sakura would face someone who could take her punch easily. 'Always remember there is someone stronger than you. The key is not to be stronger, but smarter. Everyone has a weak spot. Find it, and then strength wouldn't matter.'
Sakura needed to find his weak spot. For that she needed more information. She steeled herself and leaped in, fists flying.
"We will be your opp—" the twin female guards began to say. Calamity left them no time to finish the sentence. Her arrows were in the air before they even stopped moving. Two embedded themselves in the eye sockets of the girl on the left. The girl on the right managed to block with her metal fans, but Hiroka's scarf snaked out and thirty different razor sharp threads exploded towards the female. Half connected, impaling the woman through her neck and torso.
Calamity and Hiroka stopped, looking as the bodies dropped to the floor. N'uihc had taught her something that she had already learned once a long time ago in the badlands.
"If you're going to kill someone, do it. Don't talk," she said to the corpses.
Naruto and N'uihc were already out of sight around the corner. Hiroka was about to suggest they keep going and catch up to Naruto when the bodies on the ground began to stir.
Calamity and her friend watched as the arrows were pushed out of the eye sockets, and holes were filled with hundreds of small writhing red worm like creatures. The damage was repaired and the two female guards sprang up, attacking.
"Fair enough," they both spoke in unison, already in motion.
Hiroka cursed and sidestepped a sweeping fan attack. She lifted her front leg to avoid a sweep and raised her back arm parallel. With a sudden step forward she shifted from defensive to offense. Her hands struck forward, fingers rigid in a knife strike. The female guard blocked the attack with a closed fan. She then tried to slice Hiroka's hand with an open fan. Hiroka folded her arm at the elbow and stepped sideways, flowing into an elbow strike.
Calamity jumped backwards, loosing arrow after arrow into the body of the other female. This one was deflecting most of the arrows with twin daggers, but Calamity's training with N'uihc had paid off immensely. She didn't need to aim, she just knew where she wanted to hit, so she did. The arrows took out the female's hands, impaling them, making it harder to use the daggers. Then another arrow in the temple knocked the woman down again. Those worm things though were faster this time, healing the body almost instantly, and pushing the arrows out.
"These bitches won't stay down!" Hiroka grunted.
"I know!" Calamity exclaimed.
Blood dripped freely from his forehead and stung his eyes. His opponent had a few small slashes as well, but it was clear the majority of the damage had so far been done to Senjii. He tightened his grip on his swords. This opponent was better than him, that made this fight even more important. His best friend and leader was getting stronger every day. Senjii had once told him he was the best swordsman in the world. Well that wasn't true, but someday it would be. And this man, this man stood in his way. He took a breath and blinked, his eyes clear again, a serious shine glinting in them.
"Why are you smiling!?" Daibetsu demanded. "You are unable to defeat me using these traditional techniques. You are using twin kodaichi which requires more energy to use than my single katana. You bleed freely onto the floor, I'm surprised you're actually still standing."
Senjii stood up straight. "Now that's an idea..." He grinned wildly.
"Hop Step!" he shouted as he disappeared in a series of erratic blurs bouncing towards Daibetsu. The katana wielding swordsman stepped back and barely managed to block Senjii's attack to his throat. He thrust forward in a move to disembowel Senjii, but he was no longer there, his 'hop step' attack taking him beyond and behind the swordsman.
"Monkey Throws Banana!" Senjii bellowed throwing one of his kodaichi. The move was so unexpected that Daibetsu barely avoided the spinning blade. He spun out of its way, but couldn't dodge it completely on its return arc. Its blade dug into his side and sliced it neatly before flying back into Senjii's hand.
"What are you doing!?" Daibetsu bellowed frustrated.
"Well as you said, traditional moves would just tire me out, and I still need to catch up to Naruto and help save Nagi. So I'm trying some nontraditional moves!" he grinned slashing the air with his swords.
"Bastard!" Daibetsu spat on the ground. "It will give me great pleasure to line your head up next to your friends!"
Senjii's eyes grew serious. "A real swordsman wouldn't lower himself to threats such as that." Senjii swept one leg backwards slowly, raising one kodaichi above his head pointing towards Daibetsu, the other raised in front of him, pointing to the ceiling. "If someone such as you could give me this much trouble, then I have much further to go than I thought."
He closed his eyes. His muscles tensed, every coil tightening. He jabbed forward with one blade, then the other, then back again, faster and faster, the cutting force pushing forward in precise thrusts. Faster and faster, Senjii jabbed and jabbed, his swords blurring with his arms, almost disappearing with the speed. He shouted with the exhilaration and exertion of it. "Thousand Darkness Strike!" The effect on the far side of the room was devastating.
Every jab sent a force strong enough to crush stone and render dust. Daibetsu dodged at first but at his highest speed there was no way he could dodge them all! He took several massive hits to his shoulders and legs, collapsing him to the ground. Unable to wield his sword properly, he couldn't defend against the attack any longer. Bursts of blood rattled through the back of his body, exploding backwards to the stone wall. He convulsed with each hit, his body little more than a rag doll at this point. Senjii had to slow down the attack gradually or risk rupturing his own muscles. When he did, what was left of Daibetsu slumped into a wet heap on the floor.
He breathed heavily, the exertion leaving his arms numb. Only now, with the battle over did he feel warmth emanating from his swords. That's something to remember¸ he thought, the swords won't heal me during a battle, only when I've won. It's like I must prove myself in battle in order to earn it.
Senjii collapsed to his knees for a second, to catch his breath. His chest heaved massively, sucking in as much air as he could manage.
"You have ten seconds," he told himself aloud. "Ten seconds then we get up, and go."
Sakura spun backwards in a tight three sixty and fell to the ground. The man laughed and lifted his legs, cracking his joints. Sakura coughed loudly, blood falling to the stone floor. She pushed herself up and stood. This fight was pretty one sided so far. At this rate, she'd be dead and no help to anyone else. Every attack she launched was taken by the giant without so much as a flinch. She had hit him harder than she'd ever hit a person, or object for that matter. And he'd taken it. He'd not even moved from the spot he was on.
Her eyes narrowed.
She lunged forward, using her chakra control to make two sudden shifts in momentum and direction, then came in low under his guard and swung hard. For his knees. The hit connected with a massively loud boom, echoing in the room. Still, there was no effect. She felt a blow to the back of her head and her face was smashed into the stone floor. She struggled to rise again and another hammer fist to the back of her head sent her further into the stone. it was a miracle she maintained her consciousness.
"That was pathetic!" the brute bellowed. He reached out for her, thinking her defeated.
Sakura knocked his hand aside and rolled backwards. She knelt on one knee, teeth gritted in pain, but eyes sharp and alert, analyzing her opponent. He only ever attacked with his hands. His legs never left the ground.
"So your strength is tied to the floor you stand on. It must be earth based. When you take my punches your feet are always connected or planted square to the rock floor," Sakura said calmly as she wiped away the blood trickling down her mouth.
"Clever girl," the man snarled. "Still, you can't defeat me."
Sakura smiled and lightly jumped straight up. She balled her fists together and brought them down hard onto the stone floor as she landed. The stone floor they were on was the second floor of the castle. It crumbled in a mighty avalanche of stone and rubble and began to fall to the first floor below.
The giant brute lost his footing and began a free fall to the ground below. Sakura would not let him land though. She launched forward perpendicular to the floor at incredible speed, jumping straight over the crumbling ground.
His shocked expression looked up to see Sakura suddenly appear in the air next to him. Her grin was feral as she cocked her fist.
His head exploded into bone and mist a second later.
She flipped in the air and landed on the far side of the room, close to the door as the floor behind her crumbled.
Sakura turned back and saw Senjii appear at the entrance to the room, watching the gaping hole where the floor used to be and a body falling amongst the stones.
"You could have left a path for me to walk on you know!" he grumbled. With a jump he leapt to the wall and ran quickly along it for a few steps before jumping down to where Sakura was standing.
"I'm guessing everyone else ran ahead?" Senjii asked nonchalantly despite looking like the walking dead. There was blood on his face, shoulder, torso. Sakura was appalled at his state, but imagined she didn't look much better.
She nodded and wobbled for a second. Senjii reached out to grab her, noticing the large bruises on her face and the stiff manner she was standing in. He bit his tongue, not wanting to draw too much attention to it. Despite her appearance with her pink hair, Senjii knew she prided herself as a fighter as well. To treat her any differently than any other teammate would only make her mad.
And after seeing what she had just done to this room, he definitely didn't want to make her mad. He drew back his hand without holding her, letting her balance herself.
"Soon as you're ready, let's go," he said, looking out the door and down the long corridor. The sounds of a battle were reaching them. With a deep breath and a nod, Sakura ran out the door with Senjii following.
"Ahhh!" Hiroka screamed as a fan sliced through her scarf and deep into her thigh. A fount of blood sprayed across the tiled floor. The crimson guardswoman brought her fan back to her side, snapping it shut and stabbing forward with the second one, leaning forward with her body. Hiroka managed to drop under it and leaned back. She plied her scarf and channeled it towards the woman, impaling her wrist with three chi-hardened cloth spikes.
Like before, the woman slipped her arm off the spikes and it healed almost instantly. Hiroka flipped and skidded backwards away to recover for a few precious seconds.
Calamity kept putting arrows into the head of the other woman, who kept getting back up.
"You OK, Hiroka?!" she shouted without looking, keeping her eyes on the body that was getting up again. She spared an arrow and shot the other guardswoman in her head as well without looking.
"I'm fine." Hiroka took some threads and directed them towards her thigh. With a gnashing of her teeth she directed the threads with her chi to stitch her cut back together. The blood stopped dripping in time as the two guardswomen got up again.
"This is ridiculous!" Calamity exclaimed. "How do we get them to stay dead?"
Hiroka flexed her shoulders. "Well, remember those zombies we fought on the way to the Crescent Moon Kingdom?"
Calamity nodded.
"Good, but we need to hold them still long enough to NOT cut my scarf to shreds." Hiroka mused as the guardswomen took ready positions.
Calamity didn't respond, she just put away her long bow and drew her smaller twin crossbows. "Get ready."
She closed her eyes and felt outwards. She could see them moving with her inner eye. Feel their presence. Knew where her targets would be. She took a deep breath and let loose.
Her hands were a blur, small arrows flying like a hailstorm towards the two guardswomen. Despite their best attempts to block, they were pin-cushioned by tens, twenties, a hundred crossbow bolts. Her hands were firing and reloading faster than the human eye could track.
Hiroka jumped high in the air over the arrow storm. The pin-cushioned bodies were upright still. She lashed out with her scarf, splitting the fabric in two. Calamity simultaneously stopped firing long enough for the cloth to wrap around the women's necks.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaa!" Hiroka exclaimed as she pumped energy into the cloth, and tightened, cutting deep and in seconds popping the heads of the women off their bodies.
The pin-cushioned bodies fell to the ground writhing, red worm like creatures spilling out of their bleeding necks.
The heads rolled toward Calamity, Hiroka landing neatly besides her. The eyes blinked and mouths moved silently, blood trickling out of their mouths.
"You girls OK?" Sakura and Senjii came running up behind them.
Calamity and Hiroka turned and smiled at their friends.
"Yes. Just taking care of some undead bitches." Calamity said with a smile. She put her mini crossbows away and shook her hands loose.
Sakura looked at the heads still rocking on the ground and frowned. "Well... let's just be sure." She turned and pulled a heavy wooden door off of its hinges. Everyone stepped back, and she slammed the door down on the heads, a splatter of blood escaping from the sides of the door on the ground.
"Where's Naruto?"
Naruto threw open the doors to the throne room. He spied four figures in the middle of the room, only one of whom he was happy to see.
Nagi was in a kneeling position, his arms cuffed behind his back. A white boxlike device was strapped to his chest and pulsated with energy. Blood dripped freely from his mouth and nose, one eye swelled shut. Naruto also noticed a slight lean to the right, telling him that his ribs were probably cracked on that side. All in all, he was beat to hell, but at least he was alive.
Naruto recognized Lash, the tall man they'd met before, but he didn't know the other two. Judging from the red and black gear and headdress the man on the left wore, he was probably the Blood King. The other man stood beside Lash and bore more than a passing resemblance to him.
N'uihc and Kenichi entered the room and stepped off to the side. The assassin gave Nagi a look and allowed himself to frown. This lack of respect for an apprentice of Sinanju would need to be rectified. Blood would be spilled today. He glanced at Naruto and decided to let the Tenshikage have first right of retribution as the boy was his friend. If the Tenshikage fell in battle, N'uihc would avenge him as well. He turned to Kenichi who was watching everything wide eyed.
"Apprentice. Do not move from this spot. No matter what happens here today, do not leave the stone tile your feet are on," he said quietly but firmly. Kenichi looked him in the eyes levelly, without blinking and nodded. Satisfied N'uihc turned back to observe the coming battle.
"Ah!" the Blood King cried out. "So this is the great and powerful Tenshikage! Destroyer of cities! Angel of Death! Hahaha!" he laughed. "You are a child."
Naruto smiled and Hiraishin'd forward. He appeared a foot in front of the Blood King his fist drawn back. His punch didn't connect, the King stepped back just enough to avoid it. Enough to avoid the fist itself. Naruto grinned feral as the chakra burst he put into his punch slammed into the King, sending him crashing to the ground. Naruto glanced to the right and saw that neither Lash nor the other man made a move to help.
He bent quickly and cut the ropes off of Nagi. He got a good look at the device on Nagi's chest and not being able to immediately decide on what it was, figured it couldn't be good so grabbed it and ripped it right off. Nagi took a huge breath of air and looked Naruto in the eyes. That one look conveying gratitude, anger, hate.
The Blood King was already on his feet as the door opened again and in ran Senjii, Sakura, Calamity and Hiroka, all looking slightly worse for wear.
"What are you two doing standing there!" he shouted at Lash and Scorpion.
"Are you asking for Emperor Danzo's help?" Scorpion asked lightly, a well-practiced smirk spreading across his face. Being one of Danzo's personal agents, his actual emotions were long since gone, but it was a valid tactic that certain expressions or other emotional outbursts could allow one to control their opponent as easily as the ROOT controlled themselves.
"Yes Scorpion goddamnit. Just kill them!" spittle foaming at his mouth as he snarled and pointed to the newcomers.
Scorpion nodded and he and Lash stepped forward. Lash walked towards Naruto, Scorpion towards the others. Nagi struggled to his feet, wobbled for a second then glared at the Blood King.
"Go ahead Naruto, I have some unfinished business with my cousin," he said through gritted teeth.
Naruto turned to meet Lash, who was smiling congenially.
"Sorry about this," he said apologetically, his red coat fluttering behind him as he sped forward in a sudden burst of speed. Naruto was standing perfectly still his eyes closed. At the last second, when the fist would have connected, Naruto's orange-marked eyes popped open, his irises having become rectangular slits. He raised his arm, blocking Lash's attack. However, Lash was very close now. Naruto felt the Senjutsu chakra he'd just absorbed draining out of him quickly. He punched forward quickly before it was gone completely. Lash caught his fist in his own, the force of the punch sending wind flying outward from their position. They stood there for a second, Naruto looking almost straight up at the seven foot tall man. They broke apart and Naruto jumped backwards quickly.
"I was right, you do absorb chakra!" he exclaimed.
"No, you're wrong. I don't." Lash jumped forward and snapped his leg into a side kick. Naruto raised his arm and blocked it, but the strength of the kick sent him skidding to the left. He managed to keep his footing though, simply skidding on his feet.
"I nullify it. I can't use it myself either of course." He cracked his knuckles. "Truthfully you're the worst possibly match-up for me. None of your chakra attacks would have any effect on me. A pure taijutsu user is probably the only one that could beat me."
He stepped forward in a blur of fists and feet. Naruto did his best blocking, but was quickly hit and fell to one knee. Lash jumped in to land a kick to Naruto's temple, a killing blow. Naruto however, Hiraishin'd to the other side of the room, giving himself a second to recover and think.
Lash looked across at Naruto puzzled. He should not have been able to do that so close to him...
Scorpion stood in front of the four teens from Tengoku. He 'smiled' and motioned for someone, anyone to come attack. Hiroka and Calamity didn't even need to look at each other, leaping in at the same time.
Calamity peppered arrow after arrow at Scorpion, while getting closer and closer. His hands though were a blur, knocking them aside as if they were moving at snail's pace. Hiroka was airborne, her scarf leaping, snapping, its threads splitting and attacking as a dozen deadly spikes seeking to impale him.
Scorpion stepped to the side and seemed to just grab the threads in midair. The cloth went limp in Hiroka's hands. She was so stunned that she didn't even see the fist that drove the air out of her lungs. She crumpled to the floor.
Calamity grunted and let the arrows flow, using every technique that N'uihc had taught her, every arrow seeking out a lethal spot, an opening. Scorpion anticipated every attack though and dodged or knocked the arrows aside. He dove forward, dropping to all fours suddenly and jumped at them while very low to the ground. He stopped right in front of Calamity his back leg came up and over, his heel connecting with her forehead, knocking her unconscious and backwards.
With a short 'derisive' laugh he stayed on all fours, his arms spread wide, his chest barely touching the ground, his right back foot raised and shook it at the others, daring them to attack.
Nagi growled as he and the Blood King circled each other. The King was looking more and more insane with each step.
"What now boy?" the King sneered. "Going to kill me?"
Nagi snarled. "Yes!" He charged forward, his Capoeira skills honed to an edge by the instruction of N'uihc, his feet and fists a blur, attacking with all his might. The King didn't even move from his spot. He blocked every kick, every fist.
"Is this it? Is this the revenge you want so badly?" the king demanded angrily.
Nagi let out a guttural noise and melted into the shadows. The King's eyes opened a little wider at that, but he still didn't move. Nagi burst from a shadow beside him, his kick arcing towards the back of the King's head. Just as it would have connected the King caught it. With a contemptuous flick of his wrist he pulled Nagi out of the shadow and tossed him across the floor.
"Fool! Your father was a master of the shadow. Do you not think I spent countless years sparring with him, studying these techniques?" he drew his sword, flames igniting then dancing along it's blade.
"Your childish quest for revenge ends here."
Sakura was airborne before Calamity hit the floor. She came down fist first, her strength behind it, ready to break the back of Scorpion. He skittered away to the right, dodging the attack without even looking at her. She landed hard, destroying a radius of thirty feet of stone around her impact point. Scorpion darted in with his two fists, his legs still extended behind him. Sakura blocked left, and right. His leg swept up and over. She blocked overhead with an x-block, then swept her right leg forward close to the ground seeking to take out his supporting arms. He pushed up and over her leg sweep, landed and corkscrewed, his fists punching out twice, hitting her in the chest both times.
She stepped back and resumed her stance, ready to rush in again. Scorpion jumped backwards and stuck to the wall behind him. His hands were a blur and he came at her. Sakura was intent on his movement, and drove forward with a punch of her own. His hands swiftly gripped her wrist and twisted her, throwing her off balance. His back leg came under his body this time and slammed into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her.
Sakura's lower body was sent flying backwards, but her wrist was still in his grasp. He twisted again and she felt her bones snap. He still didn't let go, his right leg landing and steadying his stance, his left leg snapping and connecting with her face, sending her flying backwards towards Senjii and the unconscious bodies of her friends.
Senjii's face was a thundercloud. He drew his swords and tensed his muscles.
"Boy." N'uihc's voice came quietly to him from behind. "By any chance do you know Eel Style Taijutsu?"
Senjii shook his head. "Then watch out for his legs, and be on the lookout for when he reveals his sting."
Scorpion stood, and pointed at Senjii, beckoning him over.
Naruto created three clones in a puff of smoke. One held out his arms and the other two made Rasengans in his outstretched hands. Naruto, the real one, lunged forward and attacked using his Frog-Fu Taijutsu. His fists were fast, but Lash was stronger. The extra distance that chakra would have normally added to his Frog-Fu was nullified, so it was a pure hand to hand fight. Lash was taller, with longer arms, and stronger. He open palmed Naruto's face in a move that would have crushed a skull. 'Naruto' disappeared in a puff of smoke. Lash was again confused, a clone was chakra, how was it able to fight him?
The three Narutos in the back lunged forward, the one in the middle was holding two Rasengans. He attacked swiftly, faster than the previous attacks. This time the Rasengans disintegrated before coming into contact with Lash. He brought his knee up suddenly catching Naruto in the gut. This Naruto popped into smoke as well. Lash looked at the two Naruto's he thought were clones flying towards him, their white suits fluttering slightly. He kicked out at the one on the left. Naruto ducked under the leg and punched up, slamming his fist right behind Lash's knee. Lash was temporarily spun off balance, long enough for the other Naruto to slam his fist into Lash's face.
Lash didn't even budge. The strength of the man extended further than just his fists. He grabbed the Naruto that punched him by the front of his suit and slammed him into the ground. He turned to the last Naruto who was rolling away. This had to be the real one.
He stepped after him and felt a rustle on his leg. He looked down to find an exploding tag stuck to his pant. He bent and removed it. "I told you, chakra doesn't work on me."
Naruto stood and nodded. He Hiraishin'd, appearing inches away from Lash, and body slammed into his stomach. Lash stepped backwards one step. Naruto rose in an uppercut that Lash dodged by moving his head slightly to the right. Lash caught him around the body then bent backwards, slamming Naruto head first into the ground, cracking the concrete. Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Lash confused. He looked around and saw no more Narutos.
"Up here!" Naruto called out. Lash looked up and saw Naruto was standing on the very high ceiling of the throne room. He'd been observing the fight the entire time without risking himself. Lash grinned and inwardly applauded the tactic. He bent his knees and jumped straight up, flying to Naruto's position.
The real Naruto had been thinking and observing. Lash really was impervious to pure chakra attacks. And he was stronger than Naruto was physically. So why was he able to touch him with his clones? He dodged Lash's fists and allowed himself to drop to the ground, thinking furiously of a way to win this fight.
Nagi spun, swinging his legs around and around at head level, moving in closer to the Blood King. The King swung with his flaming sword, Nagi dodged it. Nagi in a front facing position swung his left leg forward in a sweep. The King lifted his front leg to avoid the sweep. Nagi kept the momentum going, turning around and back-flipping so his same sweep leg became an overhead attack to the King's face. The King slapped the leg away with his free hand and brought his sword in for an attack on Nagi's torso. Nagi collapsed away from the strike and disappeared into the shadows.
He burst out of the shadow behind the King. He legs swept in again trying to make contact with the King's side, under his raised arms. The King did a quickstep and moved forward, out of range of Nagi's attack.
"Better, but not good enough." The Blood King chuckled.
Senjii moved faster than the eye could follow, his flashstep taking him directly into Scorpion's path. The ninja however was expecting him and flipped, his leg driving into Senjii's midsection before he reached optimal attack distance. The wind was knocked out of Senjii, making him double over. In quick succession Scorpion's legs hit him on the right side, thigh, torso and head, followed by a spinning leg sweep. Senjii fell to the side and rolled quickly to his feet, his swords crisscrossing in a defensive sweeping manner, preventing any further attacks for a few seconds while he regained his footing.
Scorpion danced backwards and smiled. He lunged forward again smoothly and ducked and weaved, avoiding every swing of Senjii's kodaichi. His hands snaked in attempting to land a strike on Senjii. The swordsman from Tengoku swiped high with his right kodaichi. Scorpion bent at the waist and slipped underneath it. Senjii swiped at mid-level, a move that would disembowel a lesser opponent. Even as he swung he knew he'd miss. Scorpion snapped forward and lifted his lower half above the swing, his hands slamming into Senjii's chest, sending the swordsman flying backwards, tumbling across the room.
Scorpion stood up slowly. He smiled 'wryly' as Senjii struggled to get to his feet, noticing that a wound had opened up on his chest it looked like, for blood was dripping to the ground. Senjii held his swords firm, and tensed, snapping into an attack ready position. Scorpion nodded in respect, and stood straighter. He reached behind his back with both hands and pulled out two round things. With a snap, he unraveled them to reveal two black whips. He snapped them left and right, sparks flying where the tips hit the ground. Senjii looked closer and saw that the tips were coated in some form of metal. Grimly he prepared to attack.
He held on to his swords tightly, pushing his energy into the blades, activating them. They began to glow a bright blue, the energy emitting a low hum. A whistle and a sharp crack from Scorpions whip forced Senjii to dodge sideways. He landed lightly and burst forward. He thrust the blue lit blades in a curving motion that would remove arms from shoulders cleanly. Scorpion slammed his foot into Senjii's face, the reach of his legs longer than the reach of Senjii's arms plus the short swords. Senjii's momentum stopped as if hitting a wall. He changed direction of his swords in an attempt to cleave Scorpion's leg into three pieces. Scorpion retracted his leg faster than Senjii thought possible, but timed Senjii's attack so well that as his swords passed the peak of their attack his other leg came in and snapped Senjii's head backwards. He felt his body flying through the air through a growing haze in his head.
A whistle and sharp sting told him that one of Scorpion's whips had grabbed him around the ankle. Instead of a controlled fall, he was yanked and slammed hard into the stone floor. Another whistle and he felt a searing pain across his face. He rolled quickly away and onto his feet, swords raised. A slow trickle of blood made its way down his cheek. Senjii realized how close he just came to losing an eye.
Scorpion 'smirked' at him, pointing to his own eye mockingly. He snapped the two whips crisscrossing them in front of and behind him, the whip cracking becoming more and more rhythmic.
Boom. Boom.
The whips thunder cracked continuously rolling into almost one continuous long rumbling. Senjii watched the movements. He'd not fought against whips before, so he had to learn fast. Their movements were not wholly unpredictable. Scorpion's hand movements sent a rippling effect down each whip. The problem was that Scorpion's hands were blazing fast. Senjii could not process the movement and counter it before the whip would get him. He noticed that where Scorpion was, there was no one behind him, so maybe if it worked once...
Senjii closed his eyes briefly then stabbed forward. The searing pain in his shoulder told him that his shoulder wound was opening up again. His swords hadn't had enough time to completely heal him as yet. No matter, he pushed everything he had into this attack. Faster and faster, he sent force outwards with each stab. "Thousand Darkness Strike!" he uttered, pushing past his limits.
Scorpion didn't move, his whips cracks and twirled in front of him. The chakra attacks melted as they touched each whip slash. Scorpion kept his whips moving, forming a complete shield against the onslaught.
Senjii slowed his attack down and almost collapsed to his knees again from the effort. His willpower all that kept him on his feet.
"I may not be as strong as my brother Lash, but I can nullify your chakra attacks as well."
Scorpion 'sneered'. He cracked his whip and Senjii felt a bite in his right forearm. He tightened his grip on his swords. Scorpion stepped forward, his left whip sweeping low for Senjii's feet. Senjii skipped over it, and blocked with a raised left arm as the right whip came in high, wrapping around his arm and pulling him off balance.
He fell and rolled free. He needed to think; otherwise he was going to lose.
Nagi was a shadowy blur, his legs and arms moving in circular but unpredictable patterns. He landed several hits on the Blood King, who swung his Flaming Sword at the shadows, and burnt Nagi a few times, but so far nothing had ended the fight conclusively.
"I admit, your Capoeira is, different than your Father's. Cleaner somehow. But it matters not."
The King looked at Nagi's coming attack and with a squinted eye watching the arc of attack, he grabbed Nagi's fist. With a squeeze, he tightened his grip and without expression on his face looked Nagi in his eyes.
"It's over boy." His arm lit on fire, the flames searing into and cooking the flesh on Nagi's arm.
Nagi screamed.
"Nagi!" Naruto shouted. He looked in horror as the Blood King held his friend and fire burned his arm. Naruto rushed to his friend's aid, but was blocked by Lash.
"Our fight isn't over I'm afraid," the tall man said laconically.
"No, you're not afraid." Naruto growled, his eyes turning to crimson slits. "But you will be."
Senjii saw Nagi being lit on fire, and rage overtook his reasoning. He was not going to win this fight at this level. He must be stronger. He had promised Naruto years ago that he would be the best swordsman in the world. Now his friends needed him, and his lack of skill kept him from them. To Senjii this was unacceptable.
He closed his eyes, and listened to the sounds of the whips, blocking out Nagi's screams. He took all his emotion, and imagined a small flame. He forced his emotions, memories, thoughts, fears, everything he was into that flame, embracing a void. It was a technique that his master had taught him long ago. He'd never been able to concentrate enough to do it right. Until today.
Senjii could hear the whips whistling and cracking through the air. He began to swing his swords in similar movements. His short swords crisscrossing in front of him, not snapping, but slicing. Faster and faster, until his movements perfectly matched those of Scorpion.
Scorpion's eyes narrowed, seeing the swordsman mimic his motions. He snapped the whips, first right then left towards Senjii.
Senjii sliced forward, first left then right, his swords slashing to meet the whips perfectly, slicing a small groove into the leather. In the same motion Senjii flash-stepped into Scorpions body, both blades leaving dark streaks as they stabbed into Scorpion's upper chest, protruding from his back. "Threading the needle..." Senjii muttered, while Scorpion rocked his head back in shock, his eyes glazing over.
"You're in my way," Senjii whispered into Scorpion's ear.
Naruto exploded forward so fast his feet were not even touching the ground, his charge kicking up a lot of dust in his wake. Lash moved to punch the charging boy in white, but was taken aback when he saw a red glow start to seep into the white blur. He changed his mind and instead tried to catch Naruto's punch. He succeeded, sort of.
Naruto's fist slammed with concussive force into Lash's palm. The thunder crack that followed was deafening. Lash felt...pain. Naruto followed up with another punch. This one didn't have the momentum of his charge, but that didn't diminish its strength. Lash caught it as well and felt the shock through his very core. Naruto was now covered in the red glow, his eyes crimson slits, his face a mask of rage. Lash frowned. Naruto was a Jinchurriki, something that Scorpion had neglected to mention. He willed himself to start dissipating Naruto's chakra, but to his surprise there was very little effect. Naruto's hands twisted and gripped his. He began to lift Lash off the floor, his strength, instead of decreasing, actually increasing by the second.
Naruto lifted Lash straight up and overhead, their arms outstretched. It looked like Lash was doing a handstand on top of Naruto. Lash bent and kicked at Naruto's face. The kick was a strong one, but Naruto did not budge. his white coat fluttered inside of the boiling glow and a single bubbling chakra tail showed itself. Lash had fought a Jinchurriki once before, and had been able to nullify the chakra. But this was different. There was just so much of it that he knew his ability was being overwhelmed. Like a hot stone that could evaporate a few drops of water, he was useless in a torrent such as this.
Lash looked over and saw the movement when Senjii impaled Scorpion. With a curse he pulled himself free of Naruto's grasp and dashed over to his brother. Senjii was pulling his swords free and backed away from the new threat. Lash caught Scorpion before he hit the floor. His brother was still alive, but barely. He looked around the room. Naruto was growling in his direction, and the swordsman was tightening his grip.
He looked Naruto in the eyes. "See to your friend." He grabbed Scorpion and put him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry, and ran out of the room heading for the nearest medical treatment.
Naruto's eyes snapped back to where the Blood King was destroying Nagi's arm. He flew in that direction, slamming his fists into the King, sending him flying backwards. The King retained his footing, catching himself a few yards back and snarling at Naruto. Nagi fell to his knees, the pain overwhelming his senses. His left hand grasped the charred remains of his right. The skin and muscle had been burnt, and some of it melted off in his hands, showing blood and bone beneath. He threw his head back and shouted in pain, before collapsing into blessed unconsciousness.
The Blood King charged at Naruto, his sword alight with flame. Naruto blocked with a red chakra arm. The King however sliced right through the arm. Naruto saw it in time and holding onto Nagi, Hiraishin'd back to where the others lay. N'uihc took Nagi's limp body and laid him gently on the ground. He moved fast, wrapping what was left of Nagi's arm in ripped cloth, binding it tight. N'uihc's eyes gave away his anger at the damage to his apprentice. He turned to the Tenshikage and shook his head. Naruto understood, Nagi would probably lose that arm. He struggled to suppress his anger, fighting down the demon fox's chakra and thoughts.
He managed to get it under control, his tail disappearing. With a few deep breaths Naruto opened his normal blue eyes and shot forward, towards the Blood King. As he was in midair, he reached behind and under his jacket, pulling out a short smooth white stick. At about two feet long and cylindrical, it looked harmless enough. He channeled some chakra into it and it expanded into normal Bo length. He swung it at the Blood King who blocked it with his flaming sword. The flames did not tarnish or affect the heavenstone staff in the least bit.
"You will all perish!" the Blood King shouted, his body becoming engulfed in flames. His entire body alight, eyes glowing white. Heat came off of the King in waves. Naruto lurched backwards, and swung the Bo again, sending a shockwave across the room. It hit the King but the flames were only fed, making him stronger. The wall behind the King crumbled. The King directed a spear of fire towards Naruto. He shot upwards, dodging it. While in the air he formed ten clones.
Each clone formed a Rasengan, and fell back to the ground towards the King. The King swung his flame sword in a huge slash, leaving fire in its wake. The Rasengans collided in a mind numbingly loud series of explosions with the flame barrier. The King was thrown off his feet, and Naruto landed hard some distance away, cracking the stone in a crouch.
His muscles tensed and he disappeared, a fast Hiraishin next to the King. The King swung low in a move to disembowel Naruto. His Bo blocked the attack though, the heavenstone ringing loudly in the room. Naruto punched with his free fist, the fire engulfing his hand but it connected anyway, knocking the King down.
Naruto felt the skin on his hands burning, but his healing factor was already kicking in.
The King stood up in a rage, and screamed. The flames came alive, exploding out of him. The very stone under their feet started to glow orange. The roof of the room blew out, the wooden beams reduced to splinter and ash. The sudden influx of daylight flooded the room. The King seemed to become fire itself, the sword he was holding disappeared. He grew in size, the flames growing higher and higher until the flame beast towered over Naruto and the already halfway destroyed throne room.
Naruto narrowed his eyes. He channeled his chakra, white energy bursting out and circling his body like amorphous beams of light. He crouched low then jumped high, the ground splintering from the force of his jump. He went straight for the Blood King's head, seeming almost to fly as his hands were a blur. A shout of effort escaped his lungs as he swung the Bo with all his might in a great cutting motion.
The slice of air chakra was razor thin and was one of the strongest forces Naruto had ever unleashed. It cut clean through the fire beast, through the stone walls behind it, and dug deep into the earth far below. The walls above where his slice had passed began to slide then crumble, opening the room further. The Blood King/Fire Beast swiped at Naruto with a large flame covered hand. Naruto didn't have time for a Hiraishin before being swatted into the ground, the impact shaking the castle.
He got up slowly as the Fire Beast stalked, seeming to flow, closer to him. His element of air was making things worse. The fire was feeding off the air and growing larger and larger. He needed a way to extinguish the flames, not feed them. He watched the flames flick at him, the shape of the Blood King almost lost in the blaze. When he had tried to cut the beast, there was a temporary gap in the flames...that might be all he needed. Naruto vanished from the spot he was in. A hundred versions of him appeared in a circle around the King. In unison the clones used all their residual chakra to do a wind cut towards the fire beast. The flames wavered and danced, the wind throwing it this way and that in an uneven pattern.
The real Naruto had a fully ready Rasenshuriken in his hand and was flying towards the center of the Fire Beast. The dancing of the flames prevented the Blood King from properly shielding against the attack and Naruto managed to slip through. The Rasenshuriken hit with ridiculous force. Naruto Hiraishin'd away from the point of impact just as the explosion began to swell exponentially. The shriek of the Fire Beast reverberated through the whole city, its cries of anguish suddenly drowned out by the high pitched whirring of the Rasenshuriken decimating his chakra induced fire form. After thirty seconds of agony, the Blood King was forcibly reverted to normal size and fell to his knees.
Naruto appeared ten feet in front of him and stood still, watching the King gasp for breath as he bled out from multiple wounds across his entire body. His white jacket fluttered behind him, the breeze making its way through the crumbled walls and missing roof. He should be rushing in to finish him off, but he wanted the King on his feet, to see his death coming.
"Fool!" the King spat blood at Naruto. "You pause now. Your hesitation has cost you your friend's life." The King moved faster than Naruto thought was possible for someone who had just been hit by his Rasenshuriken. The King's sword was drawn and while not on fire, was still deadly. He lunged straight for where Nagi lay unconscious, wrapped in bandages. Senjii moved to get between them, and N'uihc grimly looked towards the charging King. The old assassin had seen this scenario played out before. He knew he would not have to step in.
Naruto appeared between Nagi and the King, his heavenstone staff out again, and already extended. Naruto's face was a mask of rage, angry at the King for attacking his helpless friend. He slammed it hard at the King, stopping his attack dead in its tracks. His sword raised over his head, the King blinked and looked down. He let the sword fall.
The Heavenstone staff passed clean through his chest, and out his back, it's smooth surface unstained by his blood. The staff was not pointed, but the force that Naruto had used allowed it to impale the King's only too human body easily. Naruto's face moved from rage to shock. He pulled back and the staff slid out of the King like a hot knife through butter. The King fell to his knees, all strength having left his arms, they hung limp by his side.
"Daddy!" A little girl burst into the room, followed by an older man who looked pale and distraught at being there. The girl ran up to the King, who was leaking blood profusely onto the stone ground, and put her arms around his neck. The King did not move though, dead on his knees in front of Naruto.
"Daddy!" she cried again, her wails echoing into the now evening sky. Her eyes glanced at Naruto, forcing him to see her, to see what he'd done. She screamed at him "Leave my daddy alone! Daddy wake up!"
The effect on Naruto was devastating. He dropped the staff and stepped back, not wanting to see the scene before him unfold, but unable to look away. The girl cried, and cried, squeezing her father, hoping for a response. The older man ran up and tried to drag her off of him but was not able to.
Naruto turned away, looked at his friends, his face a thunderstorm of emotions. N'uihc's words echoed in his head now.
...make your choices, and have the conviction to live with them.
"We're done here," he said a bit too gruffly. Senjii nodded and moved over to the others. Sakura, Hiroka and Calamity were all still unconscious. N'uihc and his new apprentice Kenichi were pulling everyone together in a pile. They would use the Tengoku armbands to get home.
"We're one short," Naruto said to no one in particular. Kenichi did not have an armband, he would not be able to travel this way. Naruto reached up and remove his band.
"Naruto what are you doing?" Senjii asked, alarmed.
Naruto shrugged. "Kenichi needs to go with you. I'll activate the seal; it will take him to Tengoku. I can get home the fastest on my own. I'll Hiraishin all the way there and use clones if I need to."
Senjii shook his head. "I'll come with you."
Naruto looked at Senjii with emotion filled eyes. "Our friends are hurt, so are you. Go home, make sure everyone is alright for me. I promise I'll meet you there."
Senjii stared at his friend for almost a full minute then nodded and turned back to the others. He knelt down by Hiroka, touching her gently and making sure she was OK. Then he grimly held onto all of the girls team as he activated his seal, and theirs. A second later they disappeared.
N'uihc stood, satisfied that Nagi would be OK for now. He walked over and bowed to Naruto.
"You have protected your friends," he said quietly. "You had my services before. Now you have my respect."
Naruto smiled weakly and nodded at him, motioning for them to get going. N'uihc turned and to his credit did not look back. He, Kenichi and Nagi disappeared.
Naruto, Tenshikage of Tengoku, almost collapsed to his knees. He willed himself to keep standing and turned to face the girl. The old caretaker had managed to rip her off of her father.
"One day..." Naruto said quietly. "One day you might want revenge... for what happened here today." The girl's cries did not stop, but Naruto kept talking anyway.
"On that day, if you come, I will not stop you."
He turned and walked out the door. |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47797 | Prologue :
The life of a teen can be hard at times and then again it can be full of wondrous surprises that unfold pieces at a time slowly unraveling your destined future. In a small town a young teen girl is walking nervously through the streets aware of the people around her, griping her bag as if were her lifeline. She noticed a group of men hanging outside a bar, smoking, laughing, having a good time unaware of her approach untill she quickly tries to turns the corner one of the men grabs her by her wrist and smiles down at her, scanning her body with a satisfied look. She quickly turns her head away from his fowl stained breath and tore free from his grip. The man tried to take her by the waist but she had already took off into the forest. The man ran after as his friends laughed, cheering him on as if watching a football game. The girl veered through lowed branched trees hoping to lose him but he broke right through them like a giant troll. The girl grew scared and ran faster, pumping her legs harder. once she was out of his reach she trips on a rock and falls face first in to the dirt. The man panted as he stopped to catch his breath then stared down at the girl with a wide grin. He let himself drop onto her body then turned her face and moved in for a kiss. the girl tried to resist but he was too strong. She kicked and screamed as she felt a hand reach up her skirt, her body began to shiver. Just when she thought he would kiss her the man was sent flying, whammed into a tree. She quickly looked to her right and stared up at her saver.A tall man in a brown cape stared down at her.
"Are you alright?"He asked the girl. she nods slowly.
The man that was shot slowly stood then ran. The man in the cape chuckled as he watched the human flee in terror then turned his attention to the black haired girl.
"I thought I told you to be careful."He removed his hood and there stood a cat like pokemon with pale skin and deep purple eyes staring at the girl with furrowed brows.
"I'm sorry Mewtwo, I didn't mean to cause you any trouble."
Mewtwo sighed then smiles."leresa I-" He paused then lowered his voice and said "As long as you are unharmed I'm happy."He helps her to her feet then examined her for any bruises or cuts that may have been inflicted on her by that mans rough dealing. Leresa looked up at him knowing he was going to ask her the same question he always ask when she gets in trouble.
"Where have you been?"
Leresa twirled her thumbs staring at them contently, afraid to answer his question and find out what his reaction might be this time. She whispered her reply in a low tone and Mewtwo leans forward.
"What was that?"
" I was at the book store in town.I was on my way back when that man -"
"Don't give me any excuses."He interrupted, keeping his tone comforting at the same time rough. He narrowed his eyes and stared into hers. He saw the fear in her purple eyes and soften his mood. He brushed aside her hair that covered her face revealing tears trickling down her cheek's. He wipes her eyes then pulls back her hair into a ponytail, held it in his paw for a minute then let it slide through his hand. Leresa stepped forward and rested her head onto his strong chest that she found comforting. Being in his arms always made her feel safe. Mewtwo wrapped his arms around her and gave her firm hug.
Out of all the humans in the world, even Ash, Leresa was the one he cared for the most. He would let no harm come to her and would do almost anything for her safety. Maybe it was because he had raised her since she was a little girl and she had always seen him as a father figure but Mewtwo never, once thought of having offspring of his own and having leresa around made him feel like she was his offspring. Weird thing about it is shes a human, but that didn't matter to him. She was an infant in need of nurturing and care. fifteen years later. she is now eligible to take care of herself but Mewtwo has grown so attached to her he continues to treat her as a little girl. unfortunately her teen instincts are kicking in and Mewtwo not sure he can deal with it.
"you act as though I'm still a kid. Im 16 now can't you treat me like a young adult for once?"
"As long as you are under my watchful eyes you will do as I say."Leresa turned her head the other way still in his arms. Mewtwo looked down at her and grins then lifts her head from beneath her chin. She kept her eyes focused on the trees, trying to avoid Mewtwo.
"Leresa,"He looks at him and stares into his eyes. After awhile she suddenly bursts out laughing. Mewtwo's grin turns into a smile, happy to see her laugh assured him things were fine now.
The next morinig....
Leresa, sleeping lightly, comfortable beneath her over stuffed blanket Mewtwo had made her awhile back in leresa's early years as a child. She was out cold under a tree. Unlike most humans Leresa was raised by a pokemon and adapted to living outside. Mewtwo slept on the other side of the tree using his cape as a blanket. The smell of the dawn filled Mewtwo's nostrils and he wakes to the sun rise over the lake before him. Last night Mewtwo was thinking of how Leresa was going to live on her own when the time comes for him to let her go. he worried she wouldn't make out in the real world on the other hand he knows he can't keep her forever.
Then an idea came to him. "school.... Leresa would go to school. Its where all human children go to learn befor they are released into the world to fend for themselfs."
With his mind made up he walks over to Leresa and lighlty shakes her. Leresa flutters her eyes open and stares groggily at Mewtwo.
"what is it?" she groaned.
"Leresa I can't keep you forever your becoming a young lady now."
"you finaly noticed."
Mewtwo ignored her reply. "your going to school."
Leresa quikly sat up."I'm going where?"
"To school." He repeated.
"But...why?" She furrows her brows.
Mewtwo knew she was going to react like this. "No questions you are going."
"But..."Mewtwo stood and walks away, not wanting to hear what she had to say. Leresa was always afraid to be around humans after her last close encounter, being drugged then rapped, she has never trusted humans. If Mewtwo were to find out that happened he would never let her go. But being in a large building full of humans she could never trust.... |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47799 | Malik sees Ezio.
Ezio sees Malik.
Malik walks away.
Ezio follows.
Malik gets annoyed as he marches up the stairs.
Ezio begins to love the chase.
Malik increases his pace, zooming past a very confused Altair.
Ezio claps his teacher on the butt and zooms in on his target.
Malik plasters on a scowl.
Ezio grins, like he already snared the hare.
Malik rushes into his chamber and secures the bolt.
Ezio simply continues.
Malik sighs in exasperation.
Ezio breaks in.
Malik roars in indignation.
Ezio blinks.
Walks right up.
And kiss him.
Malik frowns.
Ezio tells him he matters, too.
"You are ticklish."
A tick. "Don't you dare."
"You are ticklish."
"You are ticklish," the other factually stated, looming over Malik in childish curiosity. "The geezer is ticklish." He grinned. "My dear rafiq is ticklish."
"I said—"
"Where?" Playfully, Ezio planted a quick kiss to the older man's lips and slid his hands downwards, his gaze appreciative as his fingers danced over quivering ribs in impish wonder—the final settling of calloused pads on Malik's skin sent shivers down the latter's spine, only to increase in frequency at the assassin's continuous probing. "Here?" Pause. "Oh, wait: there?"
And so, the night went on in Jerusalem.
"This is so hard."
"And the balls are huge."
"How did you get it to be so firm?"
"Does it really taste good?"
"Have you tried it?"
"That is truly long—"
"Stop complaining and eat your spaghetti!"
" … well, someone never played with his food before." |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47831 | Postfix won't receive external email
Discussion in 'Server Operation' started by fred!head, Jun 29, 2008.
1. fred!head
fred!head New Member
I'm running Hardy Heron using the Perfect Server instructions, specifically the Postfix install here:
I've got my Postfix/Dovecot server relaying messages from my Outlook to an account on my mail server out to another email address managed by a different email server. Also I can use telnet to send email to an account on the mail server and Postfix will receive and store the email for that account.
The problem is that when people send email from say GMail to an email address handled by my Postfix server, the server will not capture the email. The emails bounce. I'm trying hard, in vain so far, to figure out what might be wrong.
I did have all this working, including receipt/storage of inbound email for virtual domains I set up with Virtualmin. Something changed Wednesday evening and suddenly I can't receive email into my domains through Postfix.
If it helps, here is my postconf -n output:
alias_database = hash:/etc/aliases
alias_maps = hash:/etc/aliases
biff = no
broken_sasl_auth_clients = yes
config_directory = /etc/postfix
home_mailbox = Maildir/
inet_interfaces = all
mail_spool_directory = /home/mail
mailbox_command = procmail -a $EXTENSION
mailbox_size_limit = 0
mydestination =,, localhost
myhostname =
myorigin = /etc/mailname
recipient_delimiter = +
relayhost =
smtp_sasl_security_options = noanonymous
smtp_tls_note_starttls_offer = yes
smtp_use_tls = yes
smtpd_banner = $myhostname ESMTP $mail_name (Ubuntu)
smtpd_recipient_restrictions = permit_sasl_authenticated,permit_mynetworks,reject_unauth_destination,check_relay_domains
smtpd_sasl_auth_enable = yes
smtpd_sasl_authenticated_header = yes
smtpd_sasl_local_domain =
smtpd_sasl_path = private/auth-client
smtpd_sasl_security_options = noanonymous
smtpd_sasl_type = dovecot
smtpd_tls_CAfile = /etc/ssl/certs/cacert.pem
smtpd_tls_auth_only = no
smtpd_tls_cert_file = /etc/ssl/certs/smtpd.crt
smtpd_tls_key_file = /etc/ssl/private/smtpd.key
smtpd_tls_loglevel = 1
smtpd_tls_received_header = yes
smtpd_tls_session_cache_timeout = 3600s
smtpd_use_tls = yes
tls_random_source = dev:/dev/urandom
virtual_alias_domains = $virtual_alias_maps
virtual_alias_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/virtual
And here's my file:
10025 inet n - - - - smtpd
pickup fifo n - - 60 1 pickup
cleanup unix n - - - 0 cleanup
qmgr fifo n - n 300 1 qmgr
#qmgr fifo n - - 300 1 oqmgr
tlsmgr unix - - - 1000? 1 tlsmgr
rewrite unix - - - - - trivial-rewrite
bounce unix - - - - 0 bounce
defer unix - - - - 0 bounce
trace unix - - - - 0 bounce
verify unix - - - - 1 verify
flush unix n - - 1000? 0 flush
proxymap unix - - n - - proxymap
proxywrite unix - - n - 1 proxymap
smtp unix - - - - - smtp
relay unix - - - - - smtp
-o smtp_fallback_relay=
showq unix n - - - - showq
error unix - - - - - error
retry unix - - - - - error
discard unix - - - - - discard
local unix - n n - - local
virtual unix - n n - - virtual
lmtp unix - - - - - lmtp
anvil unix - - - - 1 anvil
scache unix - - - - 1 scache
maildrop unix - n n - - pipe
uucp unix - n n - - pipe
ifmail unix - n n - - pipe
bsmtp unix - n n - - pipe
scalemail-backend unix - n n - 2 pipe
mailman unix - n n - - pipe
${nexthop} ${user}
When I telnet to (one of the virtual domains hosted on the server with Virtualmin) to the custom port and from the command line I get this output:
Connected to localhost.
Escape character is '^]'.
220 ESMTP Postfix (Ubuntu)
ehlo localhost
250-SIZE 10240000
250 DSN
221 2.0.0 Bye
Connection closed by foreign host.
In Virtualmin, all my users appear to be configured properly as Unix users and so on. My /etc/postfix/virtual file looks fine.
Finally, if it matters, I'm in the process of moving domains hosted on several hosting services into one or two VPS servers. So the domain is hosted elsewhere for the moment. I do not believe DNS is an issue because I had Postfix working fine with a DNS record and Virtualmin account for on the new server even though DNS currently points traffic for that domain to the old/current server.
Any ideas what might be wrong? How I can figure out what prevents Postfix from receiving and storing emails for virtual domains?
Thank you!
2. fred!head
fred!head New Member
More data...if it helps
Of course after I posted I saw at the very bottom of this topic page a link to this forum topic which, while it doesn't solve my problem, does show a lot of useful ways to generate output, to isolate potential issues. Here are the topics:
If it's useful, here's some more output:
nc -v 10025
localhost [] 10025 (?) open
220 ESMTP Postfix (Ubuntu)
Running Netcat did appear to hang. However, I'm not familiar with this tool so it may have been waiting for me to generate input.
And more output, if it helps:
postconf -n | grep mynetworks
smtpd_recipient_restrictions = permit_sasl_authenticated,permit_mynetworks,reject_unauth_destination,check_relay_domains
postconf -d | grep mynetworks
mynetworks =
mynetworks_style = subnet
smtpd_client_event_limit_exceptions = ${smtpd_client_connection_limit_exceptions:$mynetworks}
smtpd_recipient_restrictions = permit_mynetworks, reject_unauth_destination
Let me know if anything else would help. Thanks!
3. fred!head
fred!head New Member
Port 25 was missing...
In case anyone finds this topic through search, the problem was that I left off the first smtp line in the file:
smtp inet n - - - - smtpd
This prevented the Postfix MTA and anything else from binding to port 25. I had disabled port 25 thinking I did not need it because my internet service provider, and a few others in the US, block access to this port. When I put this line back in to the file, Postfix was/is able to receive email to all the virtual domains I set up with Virtualmin.
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47843 | 29 U.S. Code § 50b - Appointment of employees
prev | next
The Secretary of Labor is authorized to appoint such employees as he may from time to time find necessary for the administration of this chapter, with regard to existing laws applicable to the appointment and compensation of employees of the United States.
(Aug. 16, 1937, ch. 663, § 3,50 Stat. 665; July 12, 1943, ch. 221, title VII, 57 Stat. 518.)
Proviso authorizing employment of certain persons in the division of apprentice training of National Youth Administration, was omitted in view of abolition of that agency by act July 12, 1943.
Provision formerly in this section relieved National Youth Administration, after August 16, 1937, of responsibility for promotion of labor standards of apprenticeship, and directed transfer of records and papers to Department of Labor.
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47845 | Elder Angel Abrea
A few days ago, when I received a phone call at the mission home in Rosario, Argentina, and President Kimball extended to me this calling, Sister Abrea and I were not only touched emotionally, but also overwhelmed by the tremendous responsibility. A feeling and a word immediately filled me. The feeling, gratitude; the word, gracias—thank you.
Thank you to those two lady missionaries who, almost thirty-eight years ago, arrived at my door and brought the good news of the gospel. Thank you to my dear mother, who took me to Primary, to each meeting of the Church, with whom I read for the first time the Book of Mormon, and who even now, by means of her activity and faithful life in the Church, continues to set for me an example worth emulating.
Thank you to my father, who I know has accepted the word of the gospel and baptism beyond the veil, who, when I was a youth of eleven years, sat with me at my bed one Sunday morning and said to me, “Angel, if you are going to be a member of the Church, you will always have to comply with everything that it asks of you. You have accepted a commitment, and you should honor it.”
Thank you to my beloved wife, who has helped and sustained me, always full of faith and love for the gospel, a constant inspiration in my life.
Thank you for my three daughters, who, because of their love and dedication to the Church, are a pride, joy, and happiness in my life.
Thank you to my leaders and teachers, who, many times under unfavorable circumstances, have done their part. Thank you to the hundreds of missionaries who have made possible the development of the Church in the countries of South America. And especially thank you to the parents of those missionaries who have sent their sons and daughters to unknown countries, perhaps with fear and anxiety, but with the surety that they would be doing what the Lord required at the time.
And finally, thank you, Father, for my testimony, for knowing without the slightest doubt that my Father in Heaven sent his Only Begotten Son in order to bring about the great work of redemption. Thank you, too, for the knowledge that Christ was resurrected and that he lives. Thank you for knowing that Joseph Smith received a divine mission to fulfill, that he carried it out, and that by his mission we arrived at the true knowledge of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you because I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true and is the kingdom of God upon the earth and that it is presided over and directed by a modern prophet, President Kimball, who has been a continuous influence in my life, ever since the years of my early youth.
For this testimony, which is my surety, my rock, my sustenance, which I have received by the mediation of the Holy Ghost, I give infinite thanks, and I place all my talents, time, efforts, and all that I possess to the work to which I have been called. That would be my way to express in part my thanks. Gracias. I say these things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen. |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47849 | tagNonHumanMistress Ninou's Submissive Gift
Mistress Ninou's Submissive Gift
This story is regarding one of my characters from a online game. Mistress Ninou is a Erudite Shadow Knight, who use to be a Paladin but then turned evil after years of abuse. I have a long history of tails regarding Ninou and I hope to bring more of them to paper so that you may see her as I do. A Dom, Ninou submits to her friend as a birthday gift. The story was written as a birthday gift for the player of the other character in this story. His name has been changed to keep his privacy. I hope you enjoy...
* * * * *
Ninou eyed the room; everything was in order just the way she wanted it. The bed was covered in white rose petals, to signify innocence, the floor in red to signify blood. The bed's sheets were a royal purple colored silk, smooth to the touch. Laid out upon the bed was a shear white gown, glistening in what seemed to be light blue pixie dust. At the foot of the bed was a wooden trunk opened, inner lining done in red velvet. Inside the trunk was a selection of leather bound toys, handcuffs, silk scarves, and whips.
A slow smile spreads across her lips as she nods to herself. She hangs up her weapons, holding only the Cat-Of-Nail-Tails whip then removes her boots so not to disturb the rose petals. Carefully her bare feet move across the room to stand in front of the door, waiting....
A knock echoed through the bare halls of the Hotel Eramus, a familiar voice speaking up, "Ninou? I received your note, may I enter?"
"Enter." Her voice said almost commanding.
The Dark Elf stepped into the room, glancing around. Raising an eyebrow he peered at her curiously, his eyes moving from the rose petals on the floor to the whip she held in her hands. "What did you wish to speak to me about?" His tone was one of curiosity.
"Remove your shoes Eramus." Ninou slightly grinned as the realization of what may come washed over his handsome Elvin features. "Leave them by the door."
Humoring her, he removed his slippers and crossed his arms over his chest, "What are your plans Mistress, to whip me?" He grinned and looked her over.
Ninou smiled and slowly approached him till she stood in front of him. Towering over him slightly she looked into his eyes, then without words the Erudite dropped to her knees. Bending till her nose touched the floor she raises her arms above her head, whip laid out along the palms presenting it for him. Lifting her face she softly kisses the top of each foot and waits for him to speak.
Eramus blinks his eyes and stares down at the woman submitting to him. After a moment of silence he softly touches the top of her head, "You may rise."
"Does Master wish to take the Whip from my open palms?" She breathes her cat-like green eyes lifting to his.
"Nay, I have no use for it as of yet, now rise." His voice taking on a new tone as he watches her rise to her feet. His eyes scan the room as if he was seeing it anew; they fell upon the bed and the white gown. Gesturing to the gown, "The gown, what is it for?"
"One thought ye may wish to see one wear it tonight." She spoke softly, her voice no longer holding hint of sarcasm or the demand he was use to. Her head was bowed, her eyes not looking into his. "Does Master wish to see one wear it?"
Eramus raises his eyebrows and smiles slowly, "Take off your clothes." His voice held a hint of amusement as he commanded her. Ninou made eye contact with him once more as she slowly stripped out of her flayed skin armor. Her muscles rippled as she pulled her tunic over her, removing each piece of clothing with care till she stood nude before him. Nodding his eyes took all of her in, from her bare feet to the curve of her hip, all the way up to the firmness of her breasts and waves of her short brown hair.
"Very good," He breathed, "Now put on the gown."
Ninou nodded and pulled the smooth gown over her head, the shear material clung to her well-muscled body and left nothing to the imagination. As she moved the light blue pixie dust filled the air, clinging to everything in sight including Eramus. The fabric of the gown glowed in the lamp light of the room, the sheerness showing even the well trimmed patch of dark pubic hair between her legs. "What does Master wish of me now?" Eramus breathed in slowly taking in the scene before him, the thought of Ninou submitting to him stirring the fire in his loins. Yet he had control of his senses, and would not let them get out of control until he had his fill of the situation. He reached out a hand and softly caressed her cheek. Ninou lift her red lips to his hand and kissed the inside palm. Eramus smiled and gestured to the bed, "Lay down, and make yourself comfortable."
Ninou climbed onto the bed, laying her back upon the white petals as she stared up at him. She lowered her eyes from his, and raised her arms above her head, wrapping her hands around the bars of the headboard. She lay there silently, waiting for him to speak, for him to command her. Her heart pounding in her chest, so loudly in her own ears she wondered if he could it. It had been so long since she had submitted to a man, this one be a difficult task for her to perform. Memories and thoughts flooded her head but she shook them free, clearing her mind as best as she could in order to give him complete control. Again she spoke softly, "Does Master wish to take me now?"
"No." He said standing over her at the side of the bed, his eyes scanning her body. He reaches over and touches one of the white rose petals, lifting it and examining the light blue dust sticking to it. "Pixie dust?"
"Yes, Master."
"What is it for Ninou?"
Slightly flushing Ninou lifts her eyes to his, "For endurance, Master. One felt it might come in handy tonight. Does it please you Master?"
A small chuckle comes from Eramus as he looks at the color that came to her cheeks. "Yes, it pleases me." He takes his finger and slowly caresses her jaw line. Ninou closes her eyes and tries to let her body relax for him, calming her breathing.
"What does my Master wish of me?"
Eramus slowly smiled, his thoughts must have been turning wildly, wanting proof of how submissive the Erudite was to him this night. Finally he crossed his arms, "I wish for a drink, go down stairs and get me one. Ask permission of the bar keep first, then return to me."
Ninou rose from the bed and bowed her head, "What is it my Master wishes to drink?"
"That my dear pet, you must figure out on your own. If you know your Master, you will not have trouble in the decision." He raises his eyebrows and gestures to the door. "Now go."
Ninou nods and makes her way out into the slightly chilly hallway. The cool air causing her nipples to harden under the sheer gown, Ninou's bare feet padded across the wooden floors. Never being ashamed of her body before she had no reason to be ashamed of it now as she made her way past customers of the Hotel and down the stairs into the lobby. Her eyes never meeting anyone who stopped to stare at the beautiful Erudite in the revealing gown as she hurried towards the Bar room.
As she entered the room, her eyes met that of the Bar Keeps, and she fell to her knees, "One wishes to enter this establishment at the approval of you kind Sir."
The Barkeeper look a bit confused, "You... may enter, Ninou." He sounded confused as well.
Ninou rose to her feet and approached the bar, "One wishes to get a drink for Master Eramus." She says softly, ignoring the looks on the faces of her friends.
Color rushed into the Barkeeper's cheeks as he realized what was going on, clearing his throat he nodded to her, "What drink do you need?"
Ninou froze for a moment, she had no idea what Eramus liked to drink. Her bright green eyes scanned the bottles upon bottles of wine, beer, and meads. Again her heart began to race, she had to choose a drink to take back to him, but what could she choose. She had seen him drink many things on occasion from Beer, to Red wine, and even Brandy. She concentrated on conversations they have had in the past trying to figure out what he would want more at the moment. Finally a thought came to mind and she smiled, "One wishes to take a bottle of red wine to my Master."
The Barkeeper nodded and handed it to her, "There you go Ninou, and you can pay later."
"One thanks you," She said and then turned to head back up the stairs. She gritted her teeth when she heard laughter coming from the bar after she was half way across the lobby. Shaking her head clear of thoughts again she made her way back up the stairs and down the hall to her room. Knocking on her bedroom door, "One wishes to re-enter the room."
"Did you bring my drink Ninou?"
"Yes, Master."
Eramus opened the door and smiled, "Very good, come join me at the table." He gestured to the small wooden table and two chairs in the corner of the room. "You may sit in this one." He pointed to the one in the corner.
Ninou nodded and sat down then placed the bottle of wine on the table. "One brings you red wine."
He looked at the bottle and then at her, "Why did you bring me red wine?"
She looks into his eyes and smiles, "For endurance, as well as it is a desert wine, Master." She stifled the chuckle that wanted to escape her lips, "Does it please you, Master?"
Grinning, he opened the bottle of wine, "Yes it pleases me." Taking a small sip he eyed her over the rim of the bottle. "Did you ask permission to enter the Bar like I told you too?"
"Yes, Master."
"Good, very good, Ninou." He reached across the table and runs his finger over her lips. "I am rather surprised at your actions tonight, I must say. Never would I have thought of you submitting to any man, more or less me."
"One wishes to make her Master happy on this special occasion." Her eyes look into his for a moment then she removes them and stares at the table.
"I am sure there will be much pleasure involved for the both of us in the taming." He grinned and stood from the table. "Do you wish to drink?"
"One does not need to drink in order to submit myself to my Master. To my Master one gives her mind, body and soul freely." Her eyes met his again as she watched a fire light up within at her words.
Eramus licked his lips and held out his hand, "Come, lay down on the bed, and remove your gown first."
Ninou took his hand as he led her back over to the side of the bed, then her eyes glued to his she lifted the gown over head and let it fall to the floor. Standing there, the glow of the lamp illuminating the dark curves of her skin accentuating her exotic, dark features. She climbs onto the bed on her knees then lies down on her back, slightly parting her legs, but not enough for him to get a full view of her. He stood above her then slowly he disrobed, his bright colored robe dropping to the ground near her gown. Her eyes played over his indigo colored skin, his naturally lithe body slightly muscular. The gleam of the light on his skin arousing her, as her eyes took him in.
He sat upon the edge of the bed and eyed her, a slow smile crossing his face as he ran a finger around her navel. "You wish to give yourself to me, Ninou?"
"Yes Master." She almost stuttered from his touch. It had been months since a man had touched her sexually. The last man being her husband before their marriage had ended, now she laid here, her body tingling from the Dark Elf's touch, wanting him.
Eramus teasingly caressed her thigh, his fingers playing over the smooth brown skin. "Do you want me Ninou?"
"Tell me." He commanded.
"I want you." Ninou said softly.
"Open your legs, Ninou." He watched as she parted her thighs, allowing him the view of her womanly folds. He ran his hand up the inside of her thigh and barely touched her sex as he moved it up to her stomach. His hand moves to her breasts and gently he squeezes the nipples. "You are a beautiful woman, Ninou." Eramus bends and whispers in her ear.
Ninou closes her eyes, feeling the heat of lust taking over her body. It had been too long since she had felt such want. She arches her back, pushing her chest up to him as he massages her breast. She could feel a tingling starting between her legs and she shivers. As he massaged, her nipples hardening, sticking out, begging for attention, she needed him to touch them, taste them. A soft moan escapes her lips, causing him to stop what he was doing and stare down at her.
"Feel good my pet?"
"Yes, Master." She breathed, "I crave more."
He grins and bends looking into her eyes as he flicks his tongue over the harden tip of a nipple. Then he lifts up, "Did you like that Ninou?"
"Please, more...."
Eramus raises an eyebrow and smiles, "What do you want?"
"I want you."
His mouth returns to her breast as he sucks the nipple between his teeth, nibbling gently. He tightens the pull when he hears her gasp, biting almost painfully. Eramus's hand caresses her bare thigh, as he tastes of her breasts. A low, almost animal cry came from Ninou as she fought to keep her hands on the bars, wanting to wrap her fingers in his hair and pull him to her desperately. The agony of her nipples seemed to go on forever, her moans edging him on.
Sitting back up he smiles as he sees her white knuckles gripping the bars, "Something wrong, my pet?"
"It is hard to control my want, my body is aching for you." Ninou whispered, not looking him in the eyes. She felt him leave the bed and looked to see where he was going. Watching as he rummaged through the chest, she was curious to what he was looking for.
Finally he emerged and held up three silk scarves, a slow grin spread across his face. "I think I can manage to take care of the problem you're having pet."
He took one hand and wrapped the scarf around it and one of the bars, tying it close, yet not too tight. Then he did the same with the other hand. Ninou eyed him curiously, "What is the third for?"
"You'll see my dear pet, all in due time." Eramus bent and flicked his tongue over her nipples and chuckled as she shivered in pleasure. He ran his hand over her smooth dark skin, caressing her stomach and playfully circling her navel with a finger. His hand traced the contour of her thigh and calf, then lifted her leg into the air and ran his tongue from the knee up to her ankle.
Ninou groaned, she was not used to all the teasing she receiving, she felt as if her heart would burst from want. Mistress Ninou, tied to a bed for the first time in years, and completely helpless. She tried to resist squirming with each touch, yet she couldn't hold her body still. "Please..." She blurted out, and then froze, realizing she had spoken out loud.
Eramus moved her leg back down and eyed her silently, his face sullen and unmoving. After minutes of silence he spoke, his voice almost cold, "Please what?"
"Master I have spoken out of turn, please forgive me." She stutters looking up into his eyes.
He stood above her reached down spreading apart her thighs, slowly. His hands taking her left foot and pulling her down the bed till it was close to the board of the bed. Then he carefully tied the last silk scarf around her ankle and then around the bar. She struggled against the scarves realizing that even with only one leg free she still could not move. It was almost a tease to have the leg free, she glanced down at him a small whimper leaving her lips. "Master, please forgive me?"
Still he did not speak, only made sure her bonds were tight, and would not give under strain. Eramus almost seemed to smile as she tried to squirm, sweat beading on her naked flesh. He ran his hand over her leg again, back to her stomach and sat down next to her. His eyes burnt her skin as they trailed over her, and then lifted to hers. "You are my pet, you must be honest with me. Please what, Ninou?"
"Please Master, take me." She breathes softly, her eyes staring deep into his.
Eramus dips his head to her breasts again, his warm mouth enclosing over her nipple. His lips clamp over it, and pulling with his teeth, causes small sensations to float through her. A finger circles her navel, then dips down, caressing her pubic bone, teasing her as it comes mercilessly close to her sex. She shivers, squirming under him, needing him, wanting him; a low moan escapes her, Ninou whimpers. He moves his hand down along her thigh, up the inside of her thigh then he pinches her, causing her to jump and yelp.
A chuckle came from him as he saw the scorn in her eyes, which faded as soon as he bent to kiss the red stinging skin. He felt the tension in the air getting thicker as he moved his lips along her thigh, his tongue flicking out tasting the sweet salt of her sweat. Her free leg opened, giving him access to move farther up, her womanly folds glistening with arousal. His hand runs along her leg and pushes it up and out of the way as he moves his lips closer and closer. Shifting his body to reach her better he moved his lips to her other thigh just before reaching her folds, and kissed along it, nipping at the sensitive flesh making her yelp again.
Ninou felt like crying, her body on fire as Eramus teased her, as he controlled her, she needed release. Groaning, she arched her back, lifting her pelvis to him, hoping he would devour her with his hungry mouth. Her eyes begging him to taste her, but her lips not daring to say it out loud. He clutched a hand around her free leg holding it in place as his kisses moved up the inside of her thigh. He looked up at her from his position between her legs and grins evilly, his tongue moves out from between his lips and readies it.
Ninou groans and thrusts her hips' up, trying to rush him along, her breasts heaving as her breathing turns ragged with want. He moves away and sits up, his voice a low whisper, "Calm yourself, my pet, and just let it flow."
She closes her eyes and sighs, trying to relax her body, "Eramus, Master, please take me!"
"Do you want me, Ninou?" He smiles down at her as he moves back into position.
"I need you!" She groans lifting her hips to him again.
His tongue finds it way to her glistening folds and licks all the way up her slit. She cries out as she feels his warm wet touch, her back arching up off the bed. He licks her a few more times before flicking his tongue over her swelling clit. Taking it into his mouth he runs his tongue over it, causing her body to shake. She moans loudly, fighting against the restraints holding her to the bed. Eramus looks up at her, his tongue hungrily licking up her juices, his hand holding her free leg open, pressing her knee to her chest, as he tastes her. She cries out as he ravishes her, his tongue probing the depths of her womanhood. She shudders as she hears him moan softly into her, enjoying her taste as he licks the heat.
The feeling of the Dark Elf's tongue sent her senses reeling; she knew it would not be long before the waves of pleasure would rack her body. She tried to free her hands but could not; she craved to feel him, to run her hands over his indigo colored body. She had never been with a male Dark Elf before, only female, and she longed to taste him. She wanted to hold him in her hands, and pleasure him with her own mouth. She lusted to hear him moan, the sound of his grunt as he explodes, all those wonderful sounds that she loved to hear. She groans and whimpers, lifting her pelvis up, her legs shaking badly.
Sensing the level of her arousal, Eramus stops, and moves away. He then moves to kiss her, her juices covering his mouth and chin. Ninou lifts her head and licks him clean, her tongue moving across his wet lips. "Master, one wishes to be kissed!"
"I wish to kiss you." He passionately kisses her, pressing his naked flesh against her and setting loose a whole new sensation through her body as she feels his hardness on her thigh. They both groan, losing themselves in the moment, their tongues dancing. Ninou sucks his tongue into her mouth and moans, sucking it hard hoping he understands what she wants to do. Finally he pulls away, and reaches up over her head, untying her right hand. He smiles and scoots back down between her legs, holding her knee against her chest again. "Pleasure yourself."
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47853 | Server Memory Management
• Avoid using bare pointers for dynamically allocated objects. Prefer Boost scoped_ptr, shared_ptr, or another RAII class such as BSONObj.
• If you assign the output of new/malloc() directly to a bare pointer you should document where it gets deleted/freed, who owns it along the way, and how exception safety is ensured. |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47855 | Mount Sinai Paper Corrects Flaw in Most Common Way Health Care Researchers Statistically Adjust Their Findings
Mount Sinai paper describes an improved approach to data analysis that will reduce the potential for miscommunication about the size of an effect.
New York, NY
– February 12, 2009 /Press Release/ ––
Lawrence C. Kleinman, MD, MPH, Vice Chair for Research and Education and Associate Professor of Health Policy and Pediatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, has authored a paper that corrects the major flaw in the most common way that health care researchers statistically adjust their findings. The paper, which includes Edward C. Norton, PhD, a health economist at the University of Michigan, as co-author, is being published in the current (February) edition of Health Services Research.
The paper titled, What’s the Risk? A Simple Approach for Estimating Risk Measures from Nonlinear Models Including Logistic Regression, describes an improved approach to data analysis that will reduce the potential for miscommunication about how large an effect is, when researchers present their data to one another and to the lay public. The paper validates this approach and demonstrates shortcomings of current methods.
Frequently, researchers want to describe the impact of one thing on another, independent of other factors. For example, they may want to measure the impact of second hand smoke on admissions to the hospital, independent of other factors, such as age, race, and insurance type and whether or not the individuals live in a city. The most common way that researchers adjust for these factors is called logistic regression. Almost always, the results of these logistic regressions are presented as adjusted odds ratio.
The word adjusted means that the other factors were taken into account, said Dr. Kleinman. "An odds ratio is the odds of being hospitalized if you were exposed, in this example, to second hand smoke, divided by the odds of being hospitalized if you were not exposed."
The problem is that people often misunderstand odds and think in terms of risk (or percent chance). They often end up interpreting odds ratios as if they were risk ratios. Unfortunately odds ratios are often much larger than the adjusted risk ratios.
When a paper reports a forty percent reduction in hospitalizations by avoiding second hand smoke, they are almost always reporting a reduction in odds, not risk. When reported with odds, the size of the effect will always be larger than if you report a risk ratio. If only one percent of people exposed to second hand smoke are hospitalized, the odds ratio and risk ratio will be pretty similar. But if 10 or 20 percent are hospitalized, the odds and risk ratio will be very different.
It’s as if you knew that someone had put their thumb on the scale, but you had no idea how hard they were pressing, Dr. Kleinman noted. "This method will enhance the capacity for researchers to communicate their findings with one another and with the lay public. It can help the press to avoid errors or misinterpretations that heretofore have been common, and at times serious. It can also help patients and their doctors to make more informed decisions." Dr. Kleinman notes that his article also demonstrates the bias intrinsic in other methods used to try to calculate a risk ratio from an odds ratio. "We are getting requests for our computer code from researchers all over North America," he added.
About The Mount Sinai Medical Center
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47876 | America's Interest in World Peace
This book treats of the most important subject before the world to-day, and incomparably the most important for America--all the more because America has not yet fully realized the fact.
How does it happen that American indifferU+00D ence is now diminishing? For everywhere eviU+00D dence is accumulating that the American people are growing more and more restive over the inaction of their government.
The Pro-League Trend
I was recently informed by a gentleman from Glen Ridge, New Jersey, that his town had, as he expressed it, "changed its mind." Two years ago it had been almost unanimously against the . . .
Additional information
Publisher: Place of publication:
• New York
Publication year:
• 1924
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47880 | A Campaign to Discredit Islam? Time for American Muslims to Wake Up
Article excerpt
Muslims constitute the second largest religious group in the United States, but they get little notice in American periodicals.
In fact, at times there is no notice at all. At other times, the mention is blurred, confusing, and unfair. For example, note the listings of the religious population of the United States as set forth in the 1985 and 1991 editions of Worm Almanac, a reference book first published in 1868 that is the nation's best-seller in the field.
The 1991 edition reports 145,384 million Americans affiliated with religious organizations as follows: Christians 139,152,000; Jews 5,935,000; Buddhists 100,000; miscellaneous 197,000. Muslims are not listed, although elsewhere in the almanac under "religious information," "Moslems" are cited as numbering six million-plus in the United States. A footnote shows that this estimate dates "from 1980 or before." The source given for the listing which omits Muslims entirely is the 1990 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches.
It is interesting to note that the 1986 edition of the almanac used the correct word "Muslims" and placed the total at two million plus, an estimate dating from 1976, ten years before.
Why are Muslims omitted from the 1991 list of Americans affilitated with religious organizations? Why are they identified as "Moslems" one year and "Muslims" the next?
Can the omission be explained because the source is concerned with churches, not mosques, the Muslim places of worship? This explanation would suffice were it not for the fact that the listing includes Jews. The synagogue, not the church is, of course, the place of worship for Jews.
The omission may be either intentional or an oversight. Either way it suggests a problem in communication and human relations.
If intentional, it would fit the needs of the campaign to discredit Islam that now seems to be underway vigorously in the United States. The campaign seeks to present Islam as an evil, foreign influence that is hostile to Western civilization and to the United States and its ally, Israel, in particular. A decision to suppress information about the extent of the U.S. Muslim population would serve that interest. So would the confusing interchange of the terms "Moslems" and "Muslims."
If an oversight, it suggests that Muslims are not doing nearly enough to make neighbors aware of their presence.
Either way, a problem exists that deserves attention. For whatever reasons, the relative prominence and influence of Muslims and Jews are badly out of balance in the United States. Active supporters of Israel, mostly Jews, dominate the making of Mideast policy in the United States. Although such policy is often to their great disadvantage, Muslims generally remain silent and, publicly at least, uncomplaining. By contrast, if anything appears in the public domain, whether it becomes policy or not, that is even mildly critical of Israel or Judaism, the outcry is immediate and determined.
A Few Instructive Statistics
Here are a few highly instructive statistics. Worldwide, Jews number about 17 million, a minuscule portion -- one-third of one percent -- of the world's population. Muslims total nearly one billion -- 18 percent of the world total.
Thirty-five percent of the world's Jews live in the United States, which, now that the Soviet Union is dismembered, emerges as the world's only superpower. Over 20 percent live in Israel. Because of the Jewish state's intimate relationship with the U.S., this means that nearly one-half of the world's Jews are under the protective umbrella of the lone surviving superpower.
Expressed another way, the six million Jews who live in the United States comprise only 2.4 percent of its population, but they exert influence on its public policy far beyond the level their numbers alone would justify.
Through their leaders, lobbies and political action committees, they exert a powerful influence, especially on policy toward the Mideast. …
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47888 | No announcement yet.
Air Compressor Motor Problem
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• Air Compressor Motor Problem
I have a Craftsman 1.5 HP Air Compressor that has just recently started to kick out my 20 Amp circuit breaker. Things I have tried so far: removed the belt, disassembled and cleaned the motor, checked all the electrical connections. The motor with no load (drive belt disconnected) will start, run for about 1 to 2 minutes, get somewhat hot and then kick out the circuit breaker. Is it time for a new motor?
• #2
Re: Air Compressor Motor Problem
You're tripping a 20A breaker with no load on the motor? If you have an amp meter and are comfortable using it in a live panel, test the amp draw on the motor to be sure it's not the breaker that is the problem. If it's drawing more than the rated amperage on the motor it's time to replace it. You're not using an extension cord are you?
Last edited by killavolt; 06-21-2009, 06:19 PM. Reason: Additional question
• #3
Re: Air Compressor Motor Problem
Thanks for your reply Killavolt. Yes, I am tripping a 20A breaker with no load on the motor. I don't have an amp meter but am considering purchasing one. I am not using an extension cord and using the same circuit I have been using for years. Today I moved the compressor to a different location in my workshop that uses a different circuit breaker. Again after about 2 minutes running under no load it kicked that one out to. It starts up normally, without any noise other than a slight humming noise, gets a little hot then kicks the circuit breaker and stops. If I reset the circuit breaker and try to start it again right away, it just kicks it out again. If I wait for it to cool down (about 1 hour), it will run again but kicks out after about 2 minutes. I am pretty sure it is the motor but don't want to purchase a new one because of the cost is about the same if not more than buying a new compressor. It's a shame that because of a bad motor I have to scrap a perfectly good compressor.
• #4
Re: Air Compressor Motor Problem
You might take just the motor to a motor rebuilding-rewinding shop if you have one in your area and have them check it over. It may be a bad running capacitor (if your motor has one) which is an easy and low cost fix. It may be a ball bearing has lost grease and is binding up. If a bearing is bad the motor shaft will be rather hard to rotate once the bearing has heated up. Also once run and hot it will normally make a Z Z Z Z Z sound. Just before the circuit breaker trips and with belt(s) removed does the motor growl louder than normal? Does it make any sounds which are different than when cold started and running?
This motor has both a starting and a running capacitor. You can see both of them.
This motor only has a starting capacitor and if bad it wouldn't start up or would be hard starting.
Please don't use these as examples for your air compressor. You would need to properly match up a replacement motor.
Last edited by Woussko; 06-22-2009, 03:50 PM.
• #5
Re: Air Compressor Motor Problem
Thanks Woussko for your reply. Motor does not bind up when hot; in fact after it kicks out the circuit breaker it continues to spin for at least 15 seconds. Not familiar with a running capacitor but I think my motor has one. I went to the websites you referenced and mine looks like the one shown with the two capacitors. I understand what a starting capacitor does, but what does the running capacitor do? If bad, could this be why my motor is heating up and kicking the circuit breaker out? Is this an easy fix that I could do myself? Where can I get the running capacitor? I don't think the motor is growling louder than normal. Thanks for those websites and your help.
• #6
Re: Air Compressor Motor Problem
A running capacitor alters the waveform and results in higher efficiency for the motor. If it has gone bad the motor can draw too much current and also bog down when under load. It's a pretty easy fix if you're handy with doing simple electrical work. Normally they have two wires that connect via slide-on/off quick connectors.
A) Be sure the power cord is unplugged.
B) Remove both covers and look at the capacitors. Please post any info marked on them and then I can tell you which is which. You need to somehow mark the motor so you know which one is which. Please do this before disconnecting anything.
A good major (not small) appliance repair parts dealer may have them. Your best bet normally is an electric motor rebuilding shop. If you have or know someone with an account at WW Grainger (Wholesale sales only) they have loads of them with different specifications. You don't need an exact match but you must be close.
If you are in Newton, NC as per your profile you may want to call up these two places that I found in an online yellow pages directory.
B & M Electric Motor Service Inc - 20 17th Street Pl NW - Hickory, NC 28601 Phone: (828) 267-0829
and also
Industrial Motor Rewinding Co. (no address but claims to be in the area) Phone: (828) 324-9932
Last edited by Woussko; 06-24-2009, 12:36 PM.
• #7
Re: Air Compressor Motor Problem
if it were me i would take woussko advice. take it to the motor shop. if nothing else call & get a price to check out the motor. + change the capacitor. breid
• #8
Re: Air Compressor Motor Problem
Thanks for your reply!
I have removed the capacitors and after 23 years of service they look like new.
The one I assume is the run capacitor has the following information on it:
B6-16 828 DIELEKTROL GE NO PCB'S CAPACITOR ASSM IN MEXICO Z97F5050 15UF 370VAC 60HZ PROTECTED P965 P10000 AFC D68798-4 A2747-14
The other one that I assume is the start capacitor says the following:
MEPCO/ELECTRA 3535B6A0460A110B1 K-8792824AF23 460-552MFD 110VAC 60HZ 3628616 FOR MOTOR STARTING MADE IN USA
Is there any way I can test the running capacitor? I wonder if one of the places you referenced could check out the capacitor if I took it in to them. The symptoms (drawing too much current and bogging down when under load) that you reference in your reply sure sound like it is the problem but I hate to spend the money on a new one only to find out that it wasn’t the running capacitor.
I found this on on Ebay (Search Item number: 260274775488), is this what I need?
Thanks again for your help!
• #9
Re: Air Compressor Motor Problem
The first one is the running capacitor. As for testing it, a really good motor repair shop might be able to do it. The good part is they aren't a costly part so if you did just replace it you won't be out that much $$$. I would call up both places and ask if they (A) stock a motor running capacitor of 15 Mfd and 370 Volts. If they do, I would take the old one along and try to get a replacement. You might as well take the whole motor with you. I think they would be able to try it out and swap the capacitor if they think it is bad.
Does your's look like the one in the picture below?
Please see these web sites:
Attached Files
• #10
Re: Air Compressor Motor Problem
The one on eBay sure seems to be electrically the same. I've seen this before where some are in cylinder cans and other are in oval cans. This is where you need to try to match up what you have.
If you need an oval one the same seller on eBay has this one listed.
One quick check you can do at home is to give the motor the SNIFF test. Does it have a nasty burnt smell?
Do you have a VOM multimeter such as a Simpson 260, Triplett 630 or such? If yes you can give your capacitor a crude test, but to properly check one takes special test instruments and they don't come cheap.
Last edited by Woussko; 06-24-2009, 12:34 PM.
• #11
Re: Air Compressor Motor Problem
you could take the caps to the motor shop and have them test them. lol. breid |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47904 | Environmental impact
Contamination of the environment with DDT is connected with its use as a pesticide and/or used to control vectorborne diseases, DDE and DDD enters the environment as contaminant and/or breakdown product of DDT.
DDT is very adhesive to soil, where most of it is broken down slowly to DDE and DDD by microorganisms. DDT is a persistent organic pollutant and depending on the type of soil, its half life is between 215 years. The length of time that DDT will last in soil also depends on temperature and the soil moisture. DDT lasts for a much shorter time in the tropics where the chemical evaporates faster and where microorganisms degrade it faster. DDT disappears faster when the soil is flooded or wet than when it is dry. It disappears faster when initially enters the soil. Later on, evaporation slows down and some of DDT moves into soil microspaces where microorganisms cannot reach the DDT to break it down efficiently.
Taking into account theoretical value of half life as a 15 years time, and 100 kg of DDT used in an area, after 100 years, there will still be almost 1 kg of DDT left in the environment and it will break down as follows:
Amount Remaining [kg]100502512.
With regard to the adhesive properties of DDT, only a small amount of it will go through the soil into groundwater. Some soil particles with attached DDT and DDT derivatives may get into rivers and lakes in runoff. In lake water DDTs half life is 56 days and approximately 28 days in river water. The half life of DDT and its metabolites in the atmosphere as vapors has been calculated to be approximately 1,53 days.
The most possible way of being exposed to DDT and its metabolites is by eating contaminated foods often imported from countries that still allow the use of DDT to control pests, breathing contaminated air or drinking contaminated water near waste sites and landfills that may contain higher levels of these chemicals, breathing or swallowing soil particles near waste sites or landfills that contain these chemicals. Infants fed on breast milk from mothers who have been exposed.
Structure formula of DDT
3D structure of DDT |
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47939 | A Guide to Mortgage Shopping
With all the news about mortgage lenders struggling and borrowers defaulting, it seems like a good time to review some principles about shopping for a mortgage. If you're looking at an adjustable rate loan that is about to go up or if you've got a "creative mortgage," it may be time to switch to a more basic loan. The world of mortgages is baffling, but here's what matters: who provides your loan, what loan you get and how you manage that loan later.
First of all, know the difference between a mortgage broker and a mortgage lender. Mortgage brokers almost never use the word "broker" in their business names. In fact, they often use names like "XYZ Home Loans," which imply that they make home loans. They don't. Mortgage brokers don't have any money to give you. Zero. Zilch. Nada. They are simply professional shoppers who approach lenders for you. There are millions of mortgage brokers nationwide. They tend to be small, locally based businesses. One caution: if you use a mortgage broker and things go wrong, the broker can blame the lender and the lender will blame the broker. It can be hard to get satisfaction when that happens.
Mortgage lenders are usually giant companies that do business nationwide. Some are full-service banks. Others specialize in mortgages. Some mortgage lenders don't really do business with consumers. They are in the field simply to make home loans, then sell those loans to investors as soon as possible. I prefer mortgage lenders who keep their loans. They have more incentive to be consumer-friendly, since they have long-term relationships with their customers.
Look in the paper. Call the bank where you have your checking account. Go online. I shopped for my mortgage on the Internet, although my trust broke down when it came time to actually apply. For that, I wanted to speak to a live human. On the down side, since mortgage lenders may not deal directly with customers very often, they can be downright klutzy about processing your paperwork. My mortgage lender was clueless. Check out your mortgage lender's reputation before you do a deal.
If your loan-shopping is complicated by a lot of factors, that's when a mortgage broker can really be worth the commission. For example, if you have poor credit, a mortgage broker can scour the financial world to find you a loan you might not be able to find on your own. If you have little cash for your down payment, a mortgage broker can advise you on creative ways to keep your costs down. If interest rates are high across the board, a mortgage broker may have some sound coping strategies. Since brokers do nothing but serve customers, they may be better than lenders at streamlining their requests for paperwork. Be sure to check the broker's reputation. It's not very hard to become a mortgage broker, so you want to be sure you're dealing with a pro.
Different Types of Loans
After you choose your lender or broker, you have to choose what type of loan you want.
Fixed-rate mortgages are best when interest rates are low and you plan to stay in the home for a long time. That way you lock in a good deal and your monthly payments stay steady for the life of the loan. When rates are rock bottom, I see no reason to pay points. A point is a fee equal to 1 percent of the purchase price of the home. It's used to "buy down" the interest rate. If the rate is already low and fixed, you don't need to make it any lower. Some brokers and lenders will try to get you to pay points anyway, because typically points generate more up-front profit for them.
Adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, work well when interest rates are high and/or you don't plan to live in the house very long. ARMs typically start with a lower, "teaser" rate, which can help you make your monthly payments. It can also help you qualify for a more expensive home than you would with a fixed-rate loan. It's a bit of a gamble. You're hoping that interest rates will go down before it's time for your adjustable-rate mortgage to adjust. That way you can refinance and get a decent fixed rate. Alternatively, you can sell the home before your rate goes up. Most ARMs have a maximum cap for your protection. To be fair, an ARM should adjust upward and downward, depending on market conditions. But some predatory lenders sell adjustable rate mortgages that start high, only adjust upward, and have no cap.
The Federal Trade Commission cautions borrowers against what it calls "creative financing" packages.
Example 1: A loan that starts out below-market, but in which both the interest rate and the monthly payment grow every year for the remainder of the loan, regardless of market conditions.
Example 2: Some mortgages have high interest rates but still offer low monthly payments. If the payments are not enough to cover the principal and interest, the difference is added to the principal. You could actually end up owing more at the end of the loan term than you did in the beginning.
Example 3: To keep early payments low, some lenders ask borrowers to make a "balloon" payment at the end of the loan. The amount is usually so massive that the borrowers have to refinance. That generates more closing fees for the lender and exposes you to whatever the going interest rate is, which may not be at all favorable.
Once you've chosen a lender or broker, you need to decide whether to "lock in" today's going interest rate, or gamble that rates will go down between now and your closing. Have the lender or broker sign a lock-in document that states the interest rate and number of points you will be paying. That way, even if rates go up, you are set. Most banks will only guarantee an interest rate for 60 days. If you feel strongly that interest rates will go down before you close, you can choose to "float" your interest rate. You can also request a deal in which the interest rate can decrease, but not increase while you wait to close. Not all banks offer this service, so you might want to find one that does.
How Much Money to Put Down?
These days some lenders will give you a mortgage without any down payment at all. But if you can put 20 percent down, that's still ideal. That's the threshold for avoiding private mortgage insurance, or PMI. PMI isn't anything that benefits you. It's something lenders demand in order to protect themselves in case you stop paying back your loan. In addition to putting down 20 percent, there are other innovative ways to structure a first and second mortgage and avoid PMI. Ask a professional.
If you do end up paying PMI, you get to stop as soon as you have 20 to 22 percent equity in your home. The Homeowners' Protection Act of 1998 says that lenders must terminate your PMI when you reach 22 percent, based on the original property value. Keep track of that. Some lenders and insurance companies fail to tell you when your PMI obligation is over, because they want to continue collecting the pricey premiums. If yours is a "high risk" loan because you have poor credit or if you have made late payments on your mortgage, your lender has a right to keep charging for PMI.
If you can pay off your mortgage in less than the 15, 20 or 30 years planned, you will save thousands of dollars in interest. Just make sure there is no penalty for early repayment. In some states, prepayment penalties are illegal, in others they're quite common. There are a couple different ways to set up your own early repayment system.
If you need a more structured approach, consider this: Most of us pay our mortgage bills once a month. But most of us get paid every two weeks. If you set aside half your mortgage money every pay period, you will end up with an extra month's payment by the end of the year. Send that money in, say it's for principal, and you'll be way ahead on your mortgage.
Because prepaying is such a great benefit, some companies are trying to cash in. These companies offer "mortgage savings plans" for a price. The company collects your extra money every two weeks and sets it aside for you. This method certainly provides a dose of discipline, but it comes at a price. Mortgage savings plans typically cost about $500 to set up and $2.50 for each withdrawal. If you experience hard times, you still have to pay, and if you don't, you could face late fees. To make matters worse, the company holding your mortgage money makes interest on it. Wouldn't you rather earn that interest yourself?
To be a Savvy Consumer …
Do your homework:
If you're a first-time homebuyer, get a hold of every book and pamphlet you can about mortgages. Also consider taking a home buying class. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac offer first-time homebuyer classes. If you complete the class, you prequalify for a loan.
Shop for mortgages yourself, if you feel confident and comfortable doing so.
Figure out who's who in your area. Let's see, is this company a mortgage lender or a mortgage broker?
How to Complain:
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. >>> a california woman lucky in more ways than just one big way. she purchased a winning lottery ticket, but came very close to missing out on the $23 million prize. she didn't check her numbers until her daughter happened to see a newspaper photo of the supposed winner captured on a liquor store surveillance camera. the woman found the winning ticket sitting in her car. she had until november 26th to claim the prize. >> wow. good for her. >> good for her. >> daughter also said, what are you doing in a liquor store? stay with us. 7:47. we'll be right back. ..ropose savin for everne! i'm talking hundreds here... and furthermore.. newcaster: breaking news. the gecko is demanding free pudding. and political parties that are actual parties! with cake! and presents! ah, that was good. too bad nobody could hear me. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. maryland, it's time. time for marriage equality. question 6 strengthens protections for our churches and guarantees the civil right to commit to the one you love. while there are those trying to divide us, presid
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are strong. you can identify that pattern and when and former partners. dhs, fbi, cia, the white house, we sit on these policy boards so that we can all collectively address the problem that will take us into the next century. our best defense is going to be understanding the offense. as an intelligence organization, we spend a lot of time in the offensive mud. we collect human intelligence. as they consider ways to address the threats in the 21st century, left to also understand they're not all technology base. you all of legislation that drives what you do every day. i would anticipate this year, senator collins introduced a cyber security bill. it was geared towards a single owner of all things cyber. it is kind of hard when you have millions of people working for the government. in the end, you'll see cyber legislation that addresses standards of operating -- operating standards of performance, standards of protection, and how each agency does it will be very different. so much like a common definition lexicon, there will be standards. laws that can define acceptable behavior in cybers
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are a result of gun violence. so let's talk. joining me tonight for this conversation, tio hardiman. and harold pollack joins us as well. welcome, gentlemen. first to you mr. pollack. what is the problem? is it guns, gang, both? what is it? >> i think that everything you mentioned is a problem. but i think that the immediate problem is getting a better handle on illegal guns. many of the murders that take place involve 18-year-old kids dealing with each other, having normal 18-year-old conflicts. and then you introduce a gun to that. and someone ends up dead. i think that helping kids deal with those conflicts more productively but also doing everything we can to deal with those illegal guns is critical to bringing the homicide rate down. >> this is exactly what cease-fire deals with, especially the gang issue. and you know from experience, you know this well. before i talk to you, do you remember back in 2009 in the summer, this was right after 2008 when it was high. you and i went and walked around all these really terrible neighborhoods. at one point, someone pulled a gun on us. you remember
're talking about kids killing kids in the projects. with me, tio hardiman and harold pollack. you heard the man. what do you think? >> i certainly think that we need to have a sense of urgency. i think the part of mr. kass' comment that i agreed with was this is a really serious problem. i listened to your earlier problem on a fiscal cliff which is really an artificial crisis created by dysfunction in washington. and i'm thinking, i wish we had the same urgency in washington about bringing resources to places like chicago to help deal with these problems we see in some other areas that are no more important. i do think listening to your report, it's important to know that there's lots of things we can do. with two local nonprofit partners, we did a randomized trial in 16 schools in chicago of an intervention that helped kids basically with their social and emotional skills. and we found a really strong reduction in violent arrests among the kids that participated in that intervention. there's a lot of good ideas for dealing with guns. i think you can listen to these reports and get a se |
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to officially arrest that person for miranda reasons, and may have been where this misinterpretation came from. do you think that they may be talking to somebody at this point? >> i'm sure they're talking to a lot of folks. you've got a lot of investigators working on this, and they're going in multiple paths as bob just said, you're looking at trying to collect as much information as quickly as you can. you're looking at two different scenarios here. one, we're looking at one in which they're trying to identify the suspect for an arrest. the other, we're trying to protect against subsequent potential attacks. so investigators have to move fast. they're going to be have been careful with the evidence they collect, but there'll be a lot of misinterpretation of the data they're gathering by folks on the outside. so it's understandable that things like this will happen. >> and i gather, bob, you have been talking a lot since you and i last spoke on wednesday. >> i sure have. >> thank you both for your insights. >>> so coming up, what kind of person bombs innocent people at the boston marathon. le
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global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47990 | RT Journal A1 El Youssef R, Fleseriu M, Sheppard BC T1 ADrenal and pancreatic presentation of subdiaphragmatic retroperitoneal bronchogenic cysts JF Archives of Surgery JO Archives of Surgery YR 2010 FD March 1 VO 145 IS 3 SP 302 OP 304 DO 10.1001/archsurg.2010.12 UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.2010.12 AB Bronchogenic cysts are aberrations of normal development throughout the embryonic foregut; abdominal or retroperitoneal presentations are rare. They will often present a diagnostic dilemma because their appearance can mimic other, more common diagnoses. The initial work-up, differential diagnosis, management, and follow-up may present clinical challenges. We present 1 case of an adrenal lesion and 1 case of a pancreatic lesion that were revealed to be retroperitoneal bronchogenic cysts after surgical extirpation. |
global_05_local_5_shard_00000035_processed.jsonl/47995 |
As users and security companies adapt to common malware attack vectors, …
Web 2.0 under attack: trolling the online community for personal data
As the general public becomes more aware about security measures and practicing skeptical computing, the bad guys are becoming increasingly creative about whom they attack. A new approach has been to infiltrate the growing number of "community" web sites, such as MySpace. People put all kinds of personal information on these social sites, and hackers are already busy mining that data. People are much more amenable to the idea of interacting with a "web friend" than with a complete stranger, so new scripts have been created that attempt to mimic a real person. Often the bot will create a profile of an attractive woman who wants to send the hapless user an "animated greeting card," which ends up being a trojan. Other bots ask users for all kinds of personal information.
Not only the users, but the sites themselves have come under attack. With the rush to add more whizzy features to Web 2.0 sites, security is often given only a brief consideration. MySpace suffered an embarrassing attack last July when hackers inserted images exploiting a .WMF hole into banner ads. Studies by security analysts have shown that most Web 2.0 code and AJAX toolkits don't protect servers and their users from JavaScript vulnerabilities.
These community web sites are not the only places where people congregate, however. People are spending an increasing amount of time on multiplayer online games, such as Blizzard's wildly popular World of Warcraft, which was recently estimated to have over seven million subscribers worldwide. Despite Blizzard's attempts to ban people who sell online gold, players still find their chat boxes and in-game e-mail accounts flush with gold farming spam. A game that was intended to be an escape from the real world has wound up mimicking it.
These aren't the worst types of attacks, however. Hackers have created keyloggers and sniffers that attempt to grab people's World of Warcraft account passwords, often hiding them in seemingly legitimate game extensions. What do the bad guys want with online game accounts? It's not because they want to play. Instead, they will log on to the person's account and mail all their gold and non-bound items to one of the hacker's accounts, disenchanting the character's equipment into valuable shards if possible. The hacker then sells the resulting gold to a gold farmer. Not only is this easy cash, but it is also a nearly untraceable method of money laundering.
Viruses and other malware have been around for a long time, and despite massive efforts by individuals and organizations to fight it, it does not seem to be going away. However, the nature of malware has changed over the years. In the beginning, much of it was created by malcontent individuals who merely wished to break a few rules and cause some havoc. These days, however, the motivation is primarily financial. With the rise of Internet banking and money transaction sites such as PayPal, there is real money to be made with phishing scams.
The good news is that people are becoming more and more aware of these scams, and technological solutions such as phishing filters are becoming more and more standard with new web browsers and operating systems. Of course, history teaches us that technological solutions are not enough: as they did with anti-virus software before, hackers will find ways around phishing filters. The only real solution is a combination of technology and user education.
One bright spot is that the percentage of the general public that is directly harmed by phishing and malware remains relatively low. It has been estimated that over a million computers have been turned into zombies as part of botnets, but this represents only about a tenth of one percent of all computers in the world. As more people upgrade their computers to models with newer, more secure operating systems, the hackers are being forced to get more out of each machine in a botnet.
The bad guys, however, are not standing still. With every move made to combat malware, the hackers are finding new avenues to attack. Like cockroaches, malware authors will never go away. However, this doesn't mean we have to live in the digital equivalent of cockroach-infested homes. Filtering solutions for ISPs are part of the answer. The other part is on the user's end: better software and a more skeptical approach to e-mail and web-based scams.
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