Dianic Wiccans of the Budapest lineage worship the Goddess, who they see as containing all goddesses, from all cultures; she is seen as the source of all living things and containing all that is within her. Dianic covens practice magic in the form of mediation and visualization in addition to spell work. They focus especially on healing themselves from the so-called wounds of the patriarchy while affirming their own womanhood.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k Budapest, Zsuzsanna. Holy Book of Women's Mysteries, The. 1980 (2003 electronic). ISBN 0-914728-67-9.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k Adler, Margot. Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today. Boston: Beacon press, 1979; 1986. ISBN 0-8070-3237-9. Chapter 8: Women, Feminism, and the Craft".
^ "Temple of Diana - The Tradition of Dianic Wicca". templeofdiana.org.
^ Foltz, Tanic G. "Women's Spirituality Research: Doing Feminism," Sociology of Religion 64.4 (2000): 409-418.
^ a b Smith, Brandy and Sharon Horne. "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT) Experiences with Earth-Spirited Faith." The Journal of Homosexuality, 52.3/4 (2007): 235-248.
^ Warwick, Lynda L. "Feminist Wicca: Paths to Empowerment." Women & Therapy 16.2-3 (1995): 121.
^ Foltz, Tanic G. and Wendy Griffin. "Ethnographic Journeys of Self Discovery," Composing Ethnography: Alternative Forms of Qualitative Writing. (1996): 301-330.
^ a b Lozano, Wendy G. and Tanic G. Foltz. "An Ethnographic Study of Witchcraft and Death," Qualitative Sociology, Vol.13, No. 13. (1990): 211-234.
^ Jacobs, Janet L. "The Effects of Ritual Healing on Female Victims of Abuse: A Study of Empowerment and Transformation." Sociological Analysis, 50.3 (1989): 265-279.
^ Jacobs, Janet L. "Women, Ritual, and Power." Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 11.2-3 (1990): 39-44.
^ a b Barrett, Ruth Rhiannon. "Lesbian Rituals and Dianic Tradition." Journal of Lesbian Studies, 7.2 (2003): 15-28. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
^ Oswald, Ramona Faith (2003). Lesbian rites: symbolic acts and the power of community. Bringhampton, New York: Harrington Park Press. pp. 15, 16, 17. ISBN 1-56023-315-X.


Before teaching Special Education at Central Elementary, Robert Jasson spent his time on the stage.
"It was a good ol' country and southern rock 'n' roll band," said Jasso.
It was an experience he couldn't stop talking about to his wife.
"I tell her every single day, I need to put a band together. I need to put a band together," he added. "The thought popped in my mind in seconds what better thing to do than start a guitar club."
NBC 5's Wayne Carter visits Central Elementary School in Duncanville, where they're working to turn the tide starting with math.
Central Elementary serves a community where some parents are unable to afford things like music lessons.
"I wanted them to experience everything I experienced, holding a guitar, singing, being in front of a microphone," Jasso said.
Soon, 135 students asked to be a part of the club.
He needed guitars the right size for his young band and pounded the pavement asking different stores to help pay for the equipment.
"I got a lot of 'Nos,'" said Jasso.
NBC 5's Wayne Carter visits Central Elementary in Duncanville where students are encouraged to find their passion in one or more various clubs.
Student Teegan Livingston and his mother donated nine guitars to the club. They held fundraisers to come up with the money and surprise their teacher who was working hard to come up with the guitars.
"It motivated me. It motivated me to be a better teacher," he said.
Central Elementary students are caring, the school talks about kindness quite a bit.
Another aspect of Central Elementary is there academic success -- the students proudly state that math is fun. It's so fun they have a math club where they compete on their calculations.
"The other kids may think they have it in the bag, but they're not working like we are," said third grader Erik Garcia.
Heard of a triathalon? Where you do three different competitions to win? Garcia tells me this is a pentathlon, five different competitions all centered around math.
NBC 5's Wayne Carter visits Central Elementary in Duncanville where kindness is part of the curriculum.
"I used to get 80s but after I started doing this I get 90s and I'm really loving math," said Garcia.
They've been at this math club for about a year now and teachers say the gains are truly there.
This school was of the poorest performers in the state and has turned a corner, to a real success story.
The educators said this math competition is one of the reasons why.


Canada and the European Union ("EU") commenced their provisional application of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement ("CETA") on September 21, 2017. The CETA is a comprehensive trade agreement, which covers virtually all sectors and aspects of Canada-EU trade, including labour mobility.
The CETA's temporary entry provisions make it easier for highly skilled EU professionals and business people to temporarily enter Canada. Although as members of the World Trade Organization, all twenty-eight EU member states already had limited temporary entry access to Canada under the General Agreement on Trade in Services ("GATS"), the GATS provisions were quite restrictive.
The CETA's temporary entry provisions are similar, but not identical, to those contained in the North American Free Trade Agreement (the "NAFTA") and in Canada's free trade agreements with Chile, Peru, Colombia, and South Korea. A brief discussion of these provisions appears below.
Under the CETA, there are two categories of business visitors: (a) short-term business visitors, and (b) business visitors for investment purposes. These categories are intended to expand on the general business visitor category, which applies to all foreign nationals.
Immigration officers will first assess an applicant against the general business visitor provisions contained in Subsection 186(a) and Section 187 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. If the proposed activity does not fall under the general business visitor category, officers will then refer to the business visitor provisions contained in Annex 10-D of the CETA.
Meetings and Consultations: Natural persons attending meetings or conferences, or engaged in consultations with business associates.
Research and Design: Technical, scientific and statistical researchers conducting independent research or research for an enterprise located in the territory of the other Party.
Marketing Research: Market researchers and analysts conducting research or analysis for an enterprise located in the territory of the other Party.
Training Seminars: Personnel of an enterprise who enter the territory of the other Party to receive training in techniques and work practices who are employed by companies or organisations in that Party, provided that the training received is confined to observation, familiarization and classroom instruction only.
Trade Fairs and Exhibitions: Personnel attending a trade fair for the purpose of promoting their company or its products or services.
Sales: Representatives of a supplier of services or goods taking orders or negotiating the sale of services or goods or entering into agreements to sell services or goods for that supplier, but not delivering goods or supplying services themselves. Short-term business visitors do not engage in making direct sales to the general public.
Purchasing: Buyers purchasing goods or services for an enterprise, or management and supervisory personnel, engaging in a commercial transaction carried out in the territory of the other Party.
After-Sales or After-Lease Service: Installers, repair and maintenance personnel, and supervisors, possessing specialized knowledge essential to a seller's contractual obligation, performing services or training workers to perform services, pursuant to a warranty or other service contract incidental to the sale or lease of commercial or industrial equipment or machinery, including computer software, purchased or leased from an enterprise located outside the territory of the Party into which temporary entry is sought, throughout the duration of the warranty or service contract.
Tourism Personnel: Tour and travel agents, tour guides or tour operators attending or participating in conventions or accompanying a tour that has begun in the territory of the other Party.
Translation and Interpretation: Translators or interpreters performing services as employees of an enterprise located in the territory of the other Party.
The CETA also includes a provision for the temporary entry of business visitors for investment purposes. A business visitor for investment purposes is an employee in a managerial or specialist position who is responsible for setting up an enterprise but who does not engage in direct transactions with the general public and will not receive direct or indirect remuneration from a Canadian source. For example, this could include executives, managers, and specialized knowledge workers who are entering Canada to set up a subsidiary or branch office of their foreign employer, before they apply for a Canadian work permit (perhaps as an intracompany transferee).
The maximum period of stay permitted for all CETA business visitors is an aggregate of ninety days in any six-month period, if the applicant does not already qualify under the general business visitor category. Clearly, the default duration for a general business visitor (typically an initial period of six months) is far more generous than the maximum duration permitted for CETA business visitors.
As most of the above activities would also qualify under the general business visitor provisions, it appears likely that most EU citizens will choose to enter under those provisions (which offer periods of stay longer than ninety days), rather than seek admission under the CETA business visitor category.
The CETA covers two types of professionals: (a) contractual service suppliers, and (b) independent professionals. The first type includes an EU-based entity that has entered into a service contract with a Canadian entity and that wishes to send an EU citizen to Canada as its representative. The second type includes an EU citizen who wishes to enter Canada in order to provide professional services directly to a Canadian client.
Annex 10-E of the CETA provides a list of service sectors that will apply to contractual service suppliers and independent professionals. However, Canada's commitments in Annex 10-E are limited to the NOC O [senior managers] and A [occupations usually requiring university education] levels except for engineering and scientific technologists, which are NOC B [occupations usually requiring college education or apprenticeship training]. In addition, Canada's commitments for contractual service suppliers and independent professionals will vary by sector.
They must be a citizen of an EU member state.
They must be engaged in the temporary supply of a service for a period not exceeding twelve months. If longer than twelve months, Canada's CETA commitments only apply for the initial twelve months of the contract.
They must be contracted to provide a service in accordance with the Annex 10-E Concordance Table.
Professional qualifications if required to practice an activity pursuant to the laws or requirements in the province or territory where the service is supplied.
They must be engaged in the supply of a service on a temporary basis as an employee of an enterprise which has obtained a service contract.
They must have been an employee of the EU-headquartered enterprise for at least one year prior to application.
They must possess three years of professional experience in the sector of activity that is the subject of the contract, at the time of the application.
They must not receive remuneration for the provision of services other than the remuneration paid by the enterprise employing the contractual service suppliers during their stay in Canada.
They must be engaged in the supply of a service on a temporary basis as a self-employed person.
They must possess at least six years of professional experience in the sector of activity that is the subject of the contract, at the time of the application.
CETA Professionals may be admitted for a maximum cumulative period of twelve months during any twenty-four month period or for the duration of the contract, whichever is less. However, their work permits may be extended, at the discretion of the officer assessing the application, provided that the necessary documentary evidence has been submitted by the applicant to support the request. In other words, there is no maximum duration imposed on CETA Professional work permits.
The CETA Professional category offers new options for eligible professionals and contractual service suppliers. Although the applicable criteria are stricter than those applied to NAFTA Professionals, the CETA professional category still represents a significant improvement over the GATS provisions.
The intra-corporate (company) transferee ("ICT") provisions of the CETA are very similar to the general C12 intra-company transferee exemption, which applies to all foreign nationals. However, one significant difference is the inclusion of graduate trainees in the CETA provisions. Another is that employees having managerial capacity (which are recognized in the NAFTA) do not appear to be eligible under the CETA provisions.
The applicant must belong to one of the following categories: (a) senior personnel, (b) specialists, or ( graduate trainees.
They must be temporarily transferred to an enterprise in Canada for career development purposes or to obtain training in business techniques or methods.
Clearly, the eligibility threshold for graduate trainees is relatively low, making it a very useful option for multinational organizations.
For senior personnel and specialists, applicants may seek admission for an initial period of three years or the length of the contract, whichever is less. They may also seek an extension of up to eighteen months, at the immigration officer's discretion, if the applicant is able to provide documentation that satisfies the processing officer of their need to have their stay extended.
Graduate trainees may be admitted for an initial period of one year or the length of the contract, whichever is less. They are not permitted to seek extensions of their work permits.
The above limits are significantly shorter than the seven-year limit applied to NAFTA executives/managers or the five year limit applied to NAFTA specialized knowledge workers.
In accordance with Annex 10-F of the CETA, spouses of EU citizens who enter Canada as CETA ICTs are eligible for an open work permit for the same duration as their spouses' work permit. However, spouses of CETA ICTs who are citizens of the United Kingdom or Denmark are not eligible for the CETA spousal provision, as per the agreement.
Of course, spouses of skilled workers are already entitled to seek C41 open spousal work permits under the general law. As a result, spouses of United Kingdom or Danish CETA ICTs could still seek C41 open work permits for the same duration as the principal applicant.
In general, the CETA ICT provisions are more restrictive than the C12 ICT category, which is available to all foreign nationals. However, multinational organizations are likely to take advantage of the graduate trainee category, which has a relatively low eligibility threshold.
The CETA Investor provisions are virtually identical to those contained in the NAFTA. They apply to persons who establish, develop, or administer the operation of an investment in a capacity that is supervisory or executive, and to which those persons or the enterprise employing those persons has committed, or is in the process of committing, a substantial amount of capital.
The applicant must comply with existing immigration measures applicable to temporary entry.
The maximum initial period of stay for a CETA investor is one year, which is the same as the initial period of stay for NAFTA investors. Work permit extensions are possible, at the immigration officer's discretion, if the applicant is able to provide documentation that satisfies the processing officer of their need to have their stay extended. In other words, there is no maximum duration imposed on CETA investor work permits.
The CETA Investor provisions may be useful to some investors who are unable to otherwise qualify under another work permit category. However, the NAFTA Investor category has not been a popular option, likely due to the complexity of investor applications and the one-year limit imposed on the investor's initial period of stay. For the same reason, it is likely that the CETA investor provisions will be used only in limited cases.
Clearly, some of the temporary entry options described in the CETA will do little to improve the labour mobility of EU citizens. However, a few options (in particular, the CETA ICT work permit for graduate trainees and the CETA Professional work permit for contractual service suppliers and self-employed professionals) should significantly expand the labour mobility opportunities of EU citizens seeking temporary entry into Canada.


text:
Brittle-Bone Babies Helped by Fetal Stem Cell Grafts
"We believe that the stem cells have helped to relieve the disease since none of the children broke bones for a period following the grafts, and both increased their growth rate," says Dr. Cecilia Götherström.
Osteogeneis imperfecta (OI) is a congenital bone disease that causes stunted growth and repeated, painful fracturing. Ultrasound scans can reveal fractures already in the fetus, and now an international team of researchers from Sweden, Singapore, and Taiwan have treated two babies in utero by injecting bone-forming stem cells.
The babies were treated with mesenchymal stem cells, connective tissue cells that can form and improve bone tissue. The stem cells were extracted from the livers of donors and although they were completely unmatched genetically, there was no rejection and the transplanted cells were accepted as self.
Back in 2005, a paper was published from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden describing how stem cells were given to a female fetus. The present study describes how the girl suffered a large number of fractures and developed scoliosis up to the age of 8, whereupon the researchers decided to give her a fresh stem cell graft from the same donor. For the next 2 years the girl suffered no new fractures and improved her growth rate. Today she takes dance lessons and participates more in PE at school.
Another unborn baby with OI, a girl from Taiwan, was also given stem cell transplantation by the Karolinska Institutet team and their colleagues from Singapore. The girl subsequently followed a normal and fracture-free growth trajectory until the age of 1, when it levelled off. She was given a fresh stem cell treatment and her growth resumed. The girl started to walk and has since not suffered any new fractures. Today she is 4 years old.
"We believe that the stem cells have helped to relieve the disease since none of the children broke bones for a period following the grafts, and both increased their growth rate," says study leader Dr. Cecilia Götherström (pictured), researcher at Karolinska Institutet's Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology. "Today, the children are doing much better than if the transplantations had not been given. OI is a very rare disease and lacks effective treatment, and a combined international effort is needed to examine whether stem cell grafts can alleviate the disease."
The researchers have also identified a patient, a boy from Canada, who was born with OI caused by exactly the same mutation as the Swedish girl had. The boy was not given stem cell therapy and was born with severe and widespread bone damage, including numerous fractures and kyphosis of the thoracic vertebrae, which causes such over-curvature of the spine that it impairs breathing. The boy died of pneumonia within his first 5 months.
Illustration: Karolinska Institutet.
Karolinska Institutet News Release (12/16/13)
Science Daily (12/16/13)
Medical News Today (12/19/13)
Abstract (Stem Cell Translational Medicine; (12/16/13))

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


These girls want to change the face of coding.
This summer, over 1,000 girls around the country are participating in a free summer program that gives them intensive instruction in computer science and mentorship from top female technology executives.
The summer program is put on by Girls Who Code, a nonprofit that empowers women to pursue technology-related careers and sends them to the campuses of tech companies like Microsoft.
The gender gap in technology is vast. In 2013, just over a quarter of computing jobs were held by women -- a percentage that has actually decreased since 1990.


text:
a part of Guiding Heroes, by MiraMija.
MiraMija holds sovereignty over New York City, giving them the ability to make limited changes.
1,207 readers have been here.
#betrayal #city #fear #gadgets #hardships #hero #heroine #mature #modern #original #powers #romance #secret base #sorrow #violence Add Tags »
Default Location for Guiding Heroes
New York City is a part of Guiding Heroes.
10 Characters Here
Ron "Metal Jacket" Faulk [82] "I do what I do for my friends and my people, I don't care about anything else."
Jasper Maze [75] The world does not revolve around you; it revolves around the sun, and the last time I checked, you aren't a giant ball of gas and fire.
Rain S. Daniels [60] "Give me time, it will be done."
Arthur Romero [42] "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves.."
Derek Bale [35] "Is that true?"
Lauri Glynnis [22] "Don't hate me for being cooler than you."
Jason Miller [22] "You all don't understand."
Ria Riley [20] "You can look...doesn't mean your getting anything though"
Van Hakkyou [15] "Yes, the world will be "better" after I've done that."
Erin Young [7] "You mess with them, you mess with me."
126 posts here • Page 4 of 6 • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
# 2012-11-05 09:24:29 , as written by SukaiKori
Lauri jumped down off the last step as she heard Arthur ask if she was ready to go. "Yup! How do I look? Stylish as usual, or course. Why do I even have to ask?" She beamed, walking up to him and lightly slapping him one on the back. "Let's head!" She said, ready to make her way downstairs. As usual, she drove and Arthur sat quietly in the back. Going on drives with him was always quiet since he got sick so easily. She felt kind of bad for him, but she was so used to seeing him like this while in any type of transportation that it was perfectly natural having such a quiet drive. When they were going to high school, he always had to walk to school and he couldn't even go on field trips because of his ability so he wasn't very involved in school even though he had practically perfect grades. Even so, she managed to get the shy little Italian boy that he used to be to open up and turn him into her now best friend. She was older than him by three years, but she still loved the guy like a brother.
All the small parking areas near the shopping district were packed, so she had to find a parking spot a couple miles away, but Arthur probably preferred it that way. At least he wouldn't have to be in the car any longer. She walked next to him, her hands in her pockets and a little smile on her face. Christmas wasn't very far away at all, perhaps a few weeks. Soon enough there would be decorative lights hung up everywhere. Every year, she usually would bring her little brother out and go for a walk under the lights just for walking's sake, but it had been a while since she'd had any time off. This year she'd definitely visit him, and maybe even bring him to the headquarters to hang out for a little while. He'd probably love how big the place is. While she was thinking about him, she didn't realize her sight smile had turned into a small frown and she'd started looking at the ground. Arthur's family didn't even live here anymore, and even back in high school he'd rarely ever talk about them. Would he miss spending Christmas with them now that they actually had the holiday off? She knew that he never got along with his family, but wasn't he even a little curious as to how they've been doing lately?
She glanced over at her friend, or more like up at him. In high school he was always so short, but now he was four inches taller than her. Time really does fly so fast. She hesitated a moment before clearing her throat and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "Hey Arthur.." She said, looking at him with slightly furrowed eyebrows, "It's been a while..since you've talked to your family. Christmas will be here soon, maybe you should wish them a happy holiday, don't you think? I haven't even seen you call them once since you joined the Alphas three years ago, don't you think it's about time?"
# 2012-11-05 09:55:06 , as written by HereMeNow
It was dark with the palms of his hands pressed to his face and covering his closed eyes. He felt bad about not being able to make any conversation with Lauri during the drive, but he also knew that she was perfectly okay with it. He was relieved once she finally found a parking spot and had absolutely no problem with the fact that it was two miles from the shopping district. Arthur would walk everywhere if he could, but even that would cause him to get a head ache sooner or later. It was nice just going for a walk with Lauri, though he was starting to wish that he'd also put a jacket on. He had his fingers tucked tightly into his pants pockets and after getting out of the car he tightened the scarf around his neck.
Suddenly Lauri vanished from beside him and he stopped a couple of feet in front of her and turned himself sideways to look back at her. "Why'd you stop?", he asked, taking his right hand out of his pocket and letting it fall to his side.
"Hey Arthur.."
What's with that tone?
"..Sì?"
"It's been a while..since you've talked to your family.
Arthurs eyes widened for a split second before they narrowed a little and he looked down at the sidewalk in front of him as she continued talking. Of all times, why did she have to bring that subject up now?
"Christmas will be here soon, maybe you should wish them a happy holiday, don't you think? I haven't even seen you call them once since you joined the Alphas three years ago, don't you think it's about time?"
His clutched his right hand into a fist, wishing he didn't have to answer. He hadn't thought about his family even once since he left that day. He'd practically forgot about them, and then Lauri had to go and bring them up. He knew she was just worried about him, but she shouldn't be. She got along with her family so well, which is why she wouldn't understand. He took in a small breath before looking back over to her with a forced smile, one she'd most likely detect. "I guess maybe it is.." He answered dryly, then turned to face her fully. "What about your brother? Are you planning on buying your family some gifts this year too? I wonder if the high-ups would let your family come visit the headquarters. Japser has a mom too, right? Maybe the others relatives could visit too." He turned back to the side, preparing to continue walking. "What kind of stuff does your brother like? We could buy some games to play when he comes to visit..We need to figure out what we're going to cook for dinner too.."
It was way too obvious that he was lying when Arthur replied that maybe it was time to call his family. Not only did he force his smile, but his tone of voice was dull and he instantly steered away from the topic right afterwards when he started talking about Lauri's own family and what they could do for Christmas. Was it really so difficult for him to pick up the phone just to say Merry Christmas? He didn't even have to stay on very long!
"We could buy some games to play when he comes to visit..We need to figure out what we're going to cook for dinner too.."
She shook her head and stomped up to him. "Don't change the subject! I'm being serious! You really need to call them. Whether you don't get along with them or not, they're still your family and Christmas is a holiday where friends and family should get along. Listen pasta eater, you're calling them tomorrow got it? I'll stand right there too to make sure you do." She said, glaring up at him for a few seconds before smiling and walking passed him. "It's either that or I'll devise an evil plan to make you and Ron somehow end up standing under the mistletoe together and you'll be forced to kiss! I'll take a picture of it too! I'll also take back your gift and buy you a moped that you'll never be able to drive and I'll sneak into you room and make Cuddles pee on you for the next three weeks and I'll blast the alarm in your ears every morning for a month."
She stopped after walking about five feet in front of him and slightly turned, giving him a challenging smirk.
"Capisce?"
She then spun back around and slid her hands back into her jacket pockets as she continued on. "Now let's get going carrot-top."
# 2012-11-05 15:12:45 , as written by S1mon
Ria Riley
Despite how cunning and crafty Van was, he looked totally the opposite as he laid on the couch. She could of stood in the doorway and just watched him at peace, but it was important to get the nitty gritty stuff out the way. It wouldn't be long till she was out there and having fun, but the times of peace inbetween all the thrills was also nice, and though there were those who saw Van in a bad way, they never really got to know him. He was kinda cute as he laid like that, she mused to herself, as he turned to her, "you can sit down if you want" as he made room for her which Ria took as he agreed with her, "we'll distract 'em. Let's make them go out of their fortresses for once, it will be good for both of us and them. I'm pretty sure they'll thank us later".
Even if she did enjoy the peace, she could never turn down a thrill. It often made her wonder what he was upto when he was on his own. "It is pretty risque", he told her, which was something she was used to, she was used to risk. Risk was essentially her second name, and she felt pretty confident about her skills, "I'm pretty sure you'll know what to do on your side" and he knew it. However, on both of their minds was Jason and how he would cope. Course she had quite a hold on him but Van spoke the truth that at some point, "he will have to fight his sister".
"We will split. I'll play solo while you and Jason will play in a duet", he explained. She knew he'd say that, since Van liked to play solo and how she worked with Jason. She took the earpiece from Van as he passed it to her as she set hers as he did his. "If there is interference, make sure that we meet up at north of the Central Park, at around 5 or 6pm. If I never show up, don't worry, I'll make it. However, if you are in problems, don't hesitate to contact me...Any questions?". Awww, he was so cute sometimes.
"You can count on me to cause a ruckus", she responded with a wink, "You be sure to contact me if you need help too, ok?", looking into his eyes. Afterall, the only people she had in her life now was Van and Jason and she'd do her best to look after them. Pride shouldn't get in the way, and besides, she did owe him one for saving her life. It was the least she could do. "So the goal is to lure them out and see what they do, any...limitations if we run into a lil bit of trouble", putting her finger to her lips.
"Don't change the subject! I'm being serious!"
He turned his head to her and let out a sigh as she walked up to him, though he kept his eyes over to the side. He was aware that she was glaring at him, but didn't actually want to see it.
"You really need to call them. Whether you don't get along with them or not, they're still your family and Christmas is a holiday where friends and family should get along. Listen pasta eater, you're calling them tomorrow got it? I'll stand right there too to make sure you do."
"Wha- Pasta Eater?!"
"It's either that or I'll devise an evil plan to make you and Ron somehow end up standing under the mistletoe together and you'll be forced to kiss! I'll take a picture of it too! I'll also take back your gift and buy you a moped that you'll never be able to drive and I'll sneak into you room and make Cuddles pee on you for the next three weeks and I'll blast the alarm in your ears every morning for a month."
Lauri was evil! Pure evil! Would she really be capable of doing all that? Arthur wouldn't put it past her. That girl could be extremely persuasive when she wanted to be. Even so, he still didn't think calling his family would be a wise choice. Nothing could possibly bring him and his family back together. Lauri wasn't present the day he left, so she wouldn't know the words that were exchanged between him and his family that day, and he preferred it to stay that way.
"Capisce? Now let's get going carrot-top."
"You sound funny using Italian words, and my hair is red not orange! Also, just because I'm Italian doesn't mean I eat pasta all the time!" He said, crossing his arms over his chest and speed walking a little until he caught up to her. "Plus, I don't even understand the whole 'carrot top' thing. The top of the carrot is green, and the bottom of the carrot is orange. I suppose calling someone 'carrot-bottom' might be a little awkward though." He probably could've gone on a lot longer with that topic, but decided not to ramble. He hesitated a moment, glancing over at her a couple of times before letting a small sigh. "I...I guess I could try calling them tomorrow...But I'm only going to try once! If they don't answer then I'm not going to call again, alright?"
(I'll pm Sukai about her next post getting their shopping thing over. I didn't want to make this one too long.)
"I...I guess I could try calling them tomorrow...But I'm only going to try once! If they don't answer then I'm not going to call again, alright?"
Lauri glanced over at her friend with a pleased smile. "Alright, but I'm going to be there when you call so I know whether or not they actually picked up. No calling and hanging up mid call and then saying they didn't answer." She could tell he wasn't happy with the decision Lauri was making him take, but it was for his own good. He couldn't keep hiding from it.
For the rest of the morning Lauri didn't bring up Arthur calling his family again. That discussion was long and over with and she was happy with his answer, so there was no need to drag it out. They spent most of their time just talking about high school days and all the trouble she used to get Arthur into as they hopped from shop to shop and she forced him to try on different clothes as well as picking out a few things herself to try on. It was fun again, almost like the events of the day before never happened. All of it was kind of nostalgic in a way, and Lauri sort of missed the days that were spent between the two before they joined the Alphas. Arthur was more dear to her than a friend, yet not exactly in an intimate way. She had to admit, maybe she had those kinds of feelings for him back in high school, but now she had her sights set on someone else' there shy yet sweet Derek.
In all honesty, she couldn't remember exactly what it was that made her start to have feelings for him. Usually she preferred the 'bad biker-boy' kinds of guys. Those kinds of trouble-making relationships just excited her, but Derek definitely wasn't that kind of personality. No, he was completely different from what would usually catch her eye. Maybe his quietness just made her feel more peaceful and relaxed as usual. Though, she wasn't entirely sure how she could approach a boy like that, and it frustrated her in a way. Being the outgoing person she was, she couldn't understand why she would be shy to reveal her feelings towards him.
After shopping, Lauri finally managed to get both Derek and Rain something that she hoped they would like before they stopped for lunch at a small fast-food restaurant. Of course, Layla had Arthur pay for her food, even though with the company card they could've gone to a much more expensive place and she could've payed for herself and five other people, but that wouldn't be any fun. She was happy to sit outside at the tables beside the sidewalk with a plate of two, BLT's and scoop of fries with a large coke rather than go sit inside some fancy, boring restaurant and listen to piano music.
Their shopping bags sat under the table at their feet as Lauri munched on a hot fry and watched the traffic role by.
"So, what did you get your girlfriend for Christmas? I was in the dressing room when-" She pointed down at the bag at Arthurs feet, "you got that." She stuck another fry into her mouth and looked at her friend curiously.
# 2012-11-16 02:17:33 , as written by MiraMija
Jason nodded in reply to Ria and Van's orders. He was a little nervous to just go into his sister's base.. but he was doing it all for her. He sat back and waited for Ria to leave before Jason would make his move on the place. He's seen a couple of videos of spies and such, so he'd use those skills to get in without arousing suspicion. He scanned the area closely, and looked for any weak spots or small area he could squeeze in. Every building had one, and Jason just had to find it.
Derek walked into the kitchen, only to see Jasper there. He looked up at her, and walked to see what she was doing. "I thought you'd be going christmas shopping with the others..." Derek said, watching Jasper as she worked. Derek stepped back and headed to the fridge to grab a nice cold soda. Christmas was no one of Derek's favorite holidays. Lost of lies to kids and such did not make Derek happy. That and he just never got presents for Chritsmas before. It never crossed his mind. He never had anyone that would give him any presents.
# 2012-11-16 12:47:16 , as written by TaniaSoulEater
Rain S. Daniels
Rain couldn't have spent a better day. She had secretly made a list of the presents she wanted to give everyone. It was only a matter of finding the proper ones. Of course, she didn't let Ron see the list or what she'd bought. She wanted every present she gave to be a surprise.
For Derek, she bought a few boxes of Christmas cookies, knowing he would enjoy that. For Arthur, she'd asked an assistant at the music store to help her compile a CD of soothing classical music, knowing that it would help soothe his frequent headaches. Jasper had a similar gift, an MP3 with a playlist Rain had compiled with Jasper's favourite songs. She didn't know anything about liquor, but with a little help from the shop assistant, she'd selected a bottle of whiskey for Lauri.
Ron's present was the hardest to get by far. It hadn't been easy shaking Ron off, but she'd finally escaped his watchful eyes. While he was in the toilet, she'd quickly purchased a watch and managed to slip it into her bag before he returned. Rain tried to be discreet about it, not wanting to show Ron his present before it was time to open it. Luckily, she'd already gotten everything wrapped, including the watch, so Ron hadn't a chance of seeing the presents in her bag.
Later, at lunch, Rain sat at the patio of the quaint cafe they'd gone to, staring blissfully at the scene of others bustling around shopping. She caught Ron staring at her and felt her cheeks and the area above her ears heat up. "I honestly can't tell you how great today was, you made it pretty nice too," he commented. Rain nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for a nice afternoon. And lunch." She smiled.
# 2012-11-17 18:43:29 , as written by phooka
The house was quiet as Jasper finished up with her fruit roll. She knew that Lauri, Arthur, Rain and Ron had all gone out Christmas shopping, but she was pretty sure Jason had stayed home. He was the quiet type, but he usually appeared in the kitchen at some point. She shot a glance at the clock on the stove and sighed, he probably just overslept, it was a long night for all of them. Instead of worrying, Jasper busied herself with spreading the cream cheese and fruit filling across the thin cake. She was just about to begin rolling it when she heard footsteps entering the kitchen.
"I thought you'd be going Christmas shopping with the others..." She felt him look over her shoulder at the roll-in-progress, then head off to raid the fridge.
"Nah, didn't you hear? Ron and Rain are together now, I wanted to let the two have a nice first date." She attempted to keep the bitterness out of her voice. "Plus, with Lauri out of the house, I'll finally get some peace and quiet, it's nice. I haven't been able to bake without interruption since I worked at mum's bakery." Jasper sighed and smiled before peeling the ends of the cake out of the pan and rolling it. "Anyway, I already bought presents last night, I don't need to go out again." She wiped her hands off on her apron and began searching through the cabinets for a nice, festive plate. She found one and quickly transferred the roll onto the plate and smiled at her handiwork before turning to look at Derek.
She had to admit, he was very handsome, and she may have had feelings for him, but she knew that Lauri had her eyes on him as well, and she wasn't going to get in the way of that. Derek was a good friend to Jasper, he didn't know her as well as Ron did, but Jasper and Derek had a lot in common, and he was nice to talk to. "If you want some of the roll, you might want to get a slice now before everyone gets home, I'm afraid it won't last the night." She cracked a bit of a smile.
Arthur didn't have much of a choice but to agree with Lauri's condition of her being there when he called his family. It drew a depressed sigh out of him, but it's not like he could refuse. Even if he did, she'd just listen in on the conversation anyway using her power. Her ability to eavesdrop really was superb. At least for the rest of the day she didn't bring it up again, which was relieving enough. Being able to just go out and enjoy the morning with her was a nice change for once. He couldn't remember the last time it had been just her and himself out goofing around, trying on clothes and laughing at how foolish they looked in some of the stuff they picked out for each other. The entire time he acted like it was annoying, but he knew Lauri could see passed that facade and was really having fun with it. It was too bad that he could've invited Jasper to come with them, but he had to buy her a gift so he couldn't have her there.
At the fast food restaurant, Arthur simply ordered a grilled-cheese sandwich with large fries and a sprite. Once again, something he missed doing with Lauri when they were still in high school, except for the buying part. Well, he kind of understood it back then because he was payed a weekly allowance of sixty dollars while Lauri didn't have as much, but now they both could afford practically anything, so he wasn't entirely sure why he had to pay for her lunch. Then again, maybe she was remembering the past too.
"So, what did you get your girlfriend for Christmas? I was in the dressing room when you got that."
He stopped mid-way of taking a bite of his sandwich, closing his mouth and looking at her with a slightly annoyed expression, though the annoyance was mostly used to cover up his nervousness. "I told you, Jasper is not my girlfriend!" He said quickly, then letting out a small sigh and setting his food back on the tray in front of him. "I got it when we were in that antique shop and you were trying on that weird dress."
Leaning down, he picked up a medium-sized, light blue bag and then straightened up and set it on his lap for a moment while he spent a few seconds digging through the white paper tissue before pulling out a small object wrapped in brown paper. "I saw it hanging up near the cash register, but I wasn't really sure if it was something Jasper would like or not.", he said, unwrapping the brown paper and revealing a small necklace with a copper chain. He reached out his hand a little, holding the pendant over the table so that Lauri could see it. "It's not a big diamond or anything, but what do you think?"
Derek looked up at Jasper, hearing the negative tone come out of her mouth. He wanted to ask, but didn't. It wasn't any of his business. He stretched a bit before she told him, "If you want some of the roll, you might want to get a slice now before everyone gets home, I'm afraid it won't last the night." He couldn't help but smirk at her comment.
"Then I take it it's really good." Derek walked to the roll and looked at it before saying, "Yeah. Might as well take a piece." Derek grabbed a plate and took a piece with his hands. He wasn't a very elegant eater. He lived on the streets for a long time, and had never been into a restaurant before. A nice restaurant. As the food went into his mouth, he looked up at Jasper and told her, whilst eating, "Itz rweally gwed."
"Then I take it it's really good."
"Well I'd like to think so." Jasper mused, walking to the sink to wash the flour off of her hands before drying them off on. She untied her apron and removed it and then placed it back on it's hook. "I'd have some, too, but I don't really care for fruit rolls. My mom and the people at the bakery loved them, though, so I got into the habit of making them for others. I don't mind, I enjoy making things and watching people eat it."
"Itz rweally gwed."
She turned around just in time to see Derek stuff his slice of the roll down his throat. She smiled as his face lit up when he tasted it. Rolling her eyes, Jasper grabbed a paper towel and walked over to him.
"Don't talk with your mouth open." She laughed, wiping the filling off of his face like a mother would. "It's unsightly."
Sometimes she amused herself even when she was being serious. Asking Van what she'd be able to do if they did hit a bit of bother, as if she was expecting it. Van was cool though and both knew they could rely on each other. Afterall the two worked well together, not only by their abilities but their cunning as well. She envied Van's abilities to play with fire which would be so super cool, but then again, she could probably play around with him and attempt to control him. Her abilities helped when they were knocked out as she could easily take control, as bad as it sounds, but like Ria all over, always aiming to make something bad sound really good, something hard to be really easy without really showing it.
After leaving Van, she caught up with Jason and put her arm into his and beamed a smile ever so bright and leaning towards him spoke excitedly, "Come on Jason! It's time to take me shopping!!". As she spoke and as they walked, she planned out a distraction that she could pull, before being distracted by Jason again, "Jason I been thinking....", not very long since she loved to amuse herself and see Jason's reaction but at the same time, there was truth behind her wild ways and womanly wiles, "...how do you feel about us playing a couple", containing her laughter for Jason's reaction, but then again, he might surprise her as she said it with such a straight face which was really hard to keep up. "I mean, we don't want to be looking suspicious, cos if we do, then we're in trouble, and we'll easily blend in the crowd with other couples in New York City if you don't mind doing it".
Well, Van did say to play a duet and that meant two, together, and the best way to be together was to be a couple which would be the perfect disguise. She could use her powers to cause some trouble to lure out any Alphas. Afterall the power of the mind surely was overwhelming, but with such mind power, she also needed a good plan to ensure it all worked out. It was a shame they could have no fun and be part of it yet, but there would come a time.....
Lauri giggled at Arthur's reply to her calling Jasper his 'girlfriend'. She actually refereed to her by that name often when mentioning her to Arthur. It was just amusing to watch him try to cover up his nervousness. Too bad he was such a professional at keeping his blush from showing. Personally she always thought he was adorable when he blushed, and it made it easier to tease him about it too.
"I got it when we were in that antique shop and you were trying on that weird dress."
"Oh yeah?", she said before picking up her drink and sipping on the straw. She continued to drink for a while as she watched him spend some time unwrapping whatever he'd bought. She set the drink back on the table and began munching on her fries when he finished removing the brown paper and he held the gift he'd unwrapped over the table.
"It's not a big diamond or anything, but what do you think?"
She leaned forward a little until her face was only a few inches away from the little trinket that hung from the chain. Maybe it wasn't a sparkly diamond, but it was still pretty, though a more proper word would be 'cute'. Instead of it being a jewel of some kind, the background was a sewn purple cloth and there were clear beads sewn in with white thread around the top which made up the leaves of the threaded tree. "Yeah, I like it. Not something I'd wear, but it's for Jasper not me." She then leaned back a few inches and gave Arthur a smirk. "But, I bet it was cheap, wasn't it?" She leaned back in her chair and waved her finger. "Got all that money and you but her a two dollar gift? Shame on you!" She joked with a light, teasing tone.
Derek turned a little red, seeing Jasper come at him with a napkin. He pulled back, struggle to swallow the food in his mouth as quickly as he could so he could speak. He coughed, having swallowed maybe a little to quickly. "ha! cheh! Don't- cheh~" He patted his chest to help the food go down. It was nerve wracking to him to have a girl come and clean his face. It had never been done to him. Not by his mother or any one else. When he finally cleared his throat, he sat back up and looked at Jasper and said, "Don't do that. I can clean myself up..." He said a little awkwardly. he scratched his head and looked away, not really sure what else to say. How do you tell someone that their kindness was not appreciated... "Thanks though.........." He whispered under his breath.
Jason sighed, not really wanting to go shopping, but if Ria wanted to go, Jason did kind of have to go. His whole out look on the event changed hearing Ria talk about becoming a couple. His face burned with embarrassment. Was she serious? Jason thought to himself. She couldn't be serious... He opened his mouth to respond, but just couldn't find the courage to speak.
"I... uh... I du- well.... uhm....." Jason looked away from Ria in totally shyness.
"I mean, we don't want to be looking suspicious, cos if we do, then we're in trouble, and we'll easily blend in the crowd with other couples in New York City if you don't mind doing it". Ria said, giving Jason some sort of relief. She did that on purpose. She wanted to see his expression and how he would react, but Jason kind of liked it. Well... he really liked any girl that gave him attention.
"Yeah, I like it. Not something I'd wear, but it's for Jasper not me."
Arthur let out a sigh of relief and brought back his hand, ready to put the pendant back away.
"But, I bet it was cheap, wasn't it?"
She leaned back and waved her finger at him as his feeling of relief became jumbled.
"Got all that money and you but her a two dollar gift? Shame on you!"
"Eh, well, I'm going to get her a more expensive gift, of course!" He snapped quickly in reply. Lauri was joking, but he took her opinion seriously. True, the pendant that he bought was only about three dollars, but the price wasn't always what was important, right? While growing up, all he had to do was ask for money and his parents would hand it to him without a care. Even so, he never really put a lot of thought into why money was so important. While that changed quite a bit as he got older, he still didn't care much for money. Or maybe it was more like he'd never been in a situation where money was an issue. The moment he left home he was instantly put in as one of the Alphas and given a home, food, and plenty of money. But just because he had all that money didn't mean spending it to his hearts content was the first thing on his mind.
"The price doesn't even matter." He said firmly, replacing the necklace back in its rightful place and setting the bag at his feet. He quickly picked up his sandwich and began eating it, but thanks to the winter weather it had already began to go cold and eating cold food that is meant to be warm kind of caused him to loose his appetite a little. "What are we going to do for the rest of the day? Should we just head back?", He asked, wanting to change the subject.
Jasper stopped and pursed her lips as she watched Derek choke on the roll, her hand hesitating before going back after his face.
When he recovered, he stood up straight and looked at her with a flustered look on his face, she didn't get it.
"Don't do that. I can clean myself up...Thanks though.........."
She frowned, somewhat angrily. She was just trying to be nice. "Hey, I don't understand you, my mom did that to me all th- oh." She trailed off, suddenly realizing. She didn't know much about Derek's past, but what she did know was enough for her to figure out what she did wrong. She tossed the napkin to him and walked out of the kitchen. "Sorry, I forgot." She muttered, heading to the living room.
"No wait... Its alright!" Derek was horrified by Jasper's expression. He never meant to hurt her in any way shape or form. He stood up and just waited for s moment to collect his thoughts. This wasn't the first time he made someone upset because of the way his unknown past. He took a deep breath and turned to face the door. He left to go talk to Jasper. "I never had a mother. Not in the way you did anyways. She only fed me because she had to. She never actually took care of me, so when you were cleaning my face, I just found it really uncomfortable to have someone in my personal space..." He explained, a little awkwardly.
# 2012-11-23 07:02:32 , as written by warthog
"Of course." He said with his dumb smile still on his face. He dug through his pocket and pulled out his phone as he checked the time, it was getting a little late. If they wanted to do anything else they should probably leave right then. Ron called for the check as he pulled out some money and put it in the booklet. As he looked around he noticed a toy shop next door, in the window was the same bear that Scott had got for Caroline. Ron stood up and gentle took Rain by the hand, "Come on, I got someone I want you to meet." He said as he grabbed some of her bags and pulled her along to the cab as they drove off.
20 minutes later, they arived at some building, it looked like a daycare. Ron smiled and got out, keeping the door open for Rain to get out. "We'll be right back." He told the cabie as they walked inside. In the doors there were little kids running around everywhere, playing and laughing, it actually seemed a rather happy place. Ron walked up to the counter and the woman smiled. "Hello sir! Little Caroline has been so excited, she can't wait to get out of here to go to her new house. She was rather sad after you explained how Scott had passed but thankfully that child doesn't have a big attention span, she just sits in that corner with that bear." "Thank you." Ron said with a slight nod as he walked with Rain to the little girl as she looked up and smiled when seeing Ron. "Ron!" She said as she got up and hugged him. He smiled and got down on a knee so he could hug her back, very lightly. "Hi sweetie, are you doing alright today?" She let go and picked up her bear. "I'm sad, but you told me I have to be strong for Daddy, so I haven't cried that much." Ron gave a worried smile. "That's right sweetie, you're doing great. Hey are you excited about christmas?" Her attitude switched, that ADD kicking in fast. "Uh-huh, Ms. Suzy told me that I'll have a new home by christmas!" "Yup, and I've made sure Santa will get all your presents to your new home. I spoke to him just for you." The little girl got big eyed and smiled as she held the bear close. "I want you to meet someone, this is Rain, Rain this is Caroline, she was the girl from yesterday..." After they talked for a little and Caroline showed Ron 4 dozen things, they finally left. As they got back in the cab and were driving off he wrapped his arm around Rain's back and kissed her on the cheek. "I hoped you like her, she's a sweet little thing. She's taking her dad's death rather well to..." He looked Rain in the eye as they drove on. "Rain...I adopted her, Caroline's my daughter now.."
"No wait... Its alright!"
Jasper hopped onto the couch, face flushing out of frustration. Couldn't he make up his mind? She wondered, picking up the remote and flipping through the channels at a heated pace, not really paying attention to what was on. She didn't hear him saying anything else, so she finally decided to settle on a channel and tried to watch it. It was some sort of documentary on global warming.
"Global warming my ass," she muttered, "if the worlds heating so much, then why is it so bloody cold outside?" She began going through channels, again. So caught up in trying to find something to watch, she didn't hear Derek enter the room until he spoke up.
"I never had a mother. Not in the way you did anyways. She only fed me because she had to. She never actually took care of me, so when you were cleaning my face, I just found it really uncomfortable to have someone in my personal space..."
She inhaled slowly, shutting off the TV. "Look, you didn't have to tell me that. It-it's personal but.." She trailed off and stood up before walking over to him, sympathy flooding her earlier angry expression. She somewhat knew what he was talking about. After all, her father wasn't exactly 'father of the year'. Slowly and awkwardly, Jasper set her hand on Derek's shoulder, then, the other one as well, in an attempt to comfort him. "I know what it's like to have a parent who doesn't care. My dad would have traded me for a six pack of beer if my mom would've let him. But.. other people don't understand. They don't know what it's like... er... I guess what I'm getting at is, even if you're uncomfortable, people don't understand that, they just want to help because that's how they show they care. It might feel weird at first but... you have to let them in, even if you're not ready, not just to spare their feelings, but also, it'll help you get better. I guess." She looked around, her cheeks pink and her mouth shut tight. Jasper wasn't one for long, sappy speeches, but she did feel the need to share what Ron had taught her. She had tried to shut everyone out when her father began abusing her, but she later found out that she wasn't the only one hurting, she was hurting Ron and she was hurting her mother.
Jasper attempted to smile, but it looked strange and unauthentic. Slowly, she pulled Derek in by his shoulders and gave him a somewhat awkward hug.
Rain allowed herself to be pulled along by Ron, outside and into a cab. "Come on, I got someone I want you to meet." Rain wondered who it might be, but kept quiet. She would see in time.
Some time later, they pulled up outside a pristine white building. Rain thought it looked rather boring from the outside, but on the inside it felt warm and welcoming. Rain could hear the sounds of kids' laughter resonating throughout the place. She smiled. It reminded her of the times when she and Jason were younger. They would play all day, Rain tagging along behind Jason like a shadow.
Rain followed Ron to a corner where a little girl sat hugging a bear. Ron greeted her cheerfully and knelt down to hug her. Rain smiled again, loving how Ron was so careful with the child. After a few sad sentences were exchanged, the girl perked up at Ron's mention of Christmas. Rain couldn't hear all of their conversation, but apparently the girl was excited to have a home, which she would have by Christmas.
"I want you to meet someone, this is Rain. Rain, this is Caroline, she was the girl from yesterday..." "Oh!" Rain spoke involuntarily as she was introduced to the little girl who had suffered the loss caused by Ron's strength. Rain beamed at Caroline, waving and trying to look friendly. After being dragged around some more by Caroline, they finally left. By then, Rain was exhausted, trailing after a kid all day was definitely more exhausting than it sounded, especially when she had to keep bending down to the little girl's eye level.
Later, back inside the cab, Rain tried to stretch out the kinks in her muscles caused from crouching down for too long. Ron seemed nervous, though. Rain turned to him. "Ron, is there something you want to tell me?" The answer was unexpected. "Rain... I adopted her, Caroline's my daughter now..." Rain smiled. "That's great! So the home she was talking about was with us? She's so adorable, I'd love to look after her. She's got a lot of energy, I imagine taking care of her will be rather interesting."
As they headed home, Rain chattered away about Caroline. She genuinely loved the little girl, and was looking forward to giving her a proper home with the Alphas.
Ron smiled back at Rain as she seemed so excited. "Really? You're ok with this? I thought you would freak out, I mean, I'm really happy that you are ok with this, just caught me off guard." His smile grew even bigger as they got inside the cab and Ron wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a slight kiss. "You don't know how much it means to me that you're ok with this, it really means a lot to me that Caroline will have someone that is happy to see her." He sat up looking around outside being cautious as he usually was. "I don't want to tell the others yet, I don't think they'll have anything bad to say, well Jas. I don't know, I don't think she'll say anything when Caroline's around, it's just a lot is changing fast and I don't want her to feel that I don't care about her anymore." Ron looked down to Rain with a smile. "Don't get me wrong, I like these changes. I just don't want to hurt her, we've been through a lot."
When they finally got back to the house, they grabbed their bags and went inside. "I'm gonna go check on the guys, you're ok with the bags?" He asked as he walked toward the kitchen, the smell off pastries in the air. "Ohhhh! I know that smell! You know you better have made two or else I'm going to eat all yo-Oh, um sorry." Ron said as he walked into the living room to see the two in the awkward hug. "Am I inturupting something?"
Aww Jason was so cute as his face blossomed. She wasn't quite sure which was more rosier, her hair or those rosey cheeks of his as soon as she mentioned them being a couple. His reaction was priceless as he turned away, "I...uh...I du- well......uhm....." before he cooled down when she mentioned her reasoning. Her smile widened, "I take that as a yes then!". With her right arm under in his left, her left arm meandered across his chest and rested on his hip while she leaned closer to him so their cheeks touched only slightly, "Thanks Jason, you'll be Prom King and I'll be Prom Queen in no time" as she turned her face around to kiss him on the cheek, before pulling away so that they were united in their arms.
Before Jason could change his mind, she then strolled forward, making sure he was coming along as they left the safety of Headquarters, not that they needed safety for how strong they were, and into the wild city of New York. It was quite hectic all around with the amount of cars passing and couples in arms, showing she was right about blending in. With the crossing lights on, she crossed with the road with her dear Jason beside her until she sure exactly where she wished to go, seeing a clothes job and bar side by side. Entering the clothes shop, she rushed in to see the sale that was on. Wonderful!
Another tease moment, as she leaned her chin on his shoulder again, "Hey Jason. I just need to nip to the little girls room, so unless your coming with me, how about you look around and see if you can find something nice for me to wear. If I need you, I'll reach you, okay honey", before tapping his back and leaving his side. In doing so, she walked towards the toilet before crepping out the store and into the pub where lots of whistles were heard. In a dark corner were a group of big lads who she then approached, putting her leg on display across the table, "Hey lads....How about you do something for lil ol' me.."
Accessing those round her with their eyes wide, she chosen one who appeared to be the leader as she moved her leg onto his lap and closed in towards him, all seductive-like as she then transmitted a message as she felt all eyes on her, "She's mine, now leave us" in which he then grunted with a wide smile to the others, "She's mine, now leave us!" as they all left him alone with Ria, whose smirk widened as she slipped across his legs so she sat beside him. Boy she knew how to get to someone as his eyes never left looking at her, especially when she grapped his collar and pulled towards her, in which she moved her head to the side so she could whisper in his ear, [color=deeppink]"Would you do me a lil something for lil ol' me. I assure you, it'll be worth your while".
She caught a nod and as soon as he done so, she planted her seed into his head which would then hatch. Such mindless big heads were such easy prey at the end of the day, but reading his mind, she could see that he had been in a fair few fights and got quite a few links so they'd be no trouble for him to stir up a ruckus for her. "What do I get for my trouble? You?". Ria couldn't help but giggle, "You need to do alot more to get me mister, I'm made of expensive stuff! but don't worry, it'll be worth your while", winking at him before making her exit.
As soon as she left the bar, her smile immediately dropped, "How dare he ask for me, the dirty old man. I'm not one of those street-walkers for sure. He'll pay for that remark", she told herself as she walked back into the store to look for Jason to cheer her up. Once she had, she wrapped her arms round his waist, "Found anything for me sweetie?", she asked, biding her time as her stew was brewing and would very soon come to boil. No harm in enjoying herself while she done so though. Once it had begun, the Alphas would be drawn out in order to tend to the mess while they set about two goals; the first of which was to observe the Alphas; the second of which was their base.....
Rain smiled into the kiss. "Of course! I'm happy that we can give Caroline a home. She's so sweet, I think it'd really brighten up the place, you know?" she said. She understood his meaning about Jasper. "I know, maybe you should spend more time with her. I hope she doesn't feel left out, perhaps I should just blend into the background until she gets used to it."
Finally, they got home. "I'm gonna go check on the guys, you're okay with the bags?" Ron asked. Rain nodded and took the bags from him. "Yeah, don't worry about me. I'll put your stuff inside your room."
As she headed upstairs, she heard Ron call, [b]"I know that smell! You know, you better have made two or else I'm going to eat all y- " Ron stopped suddenly. "You all right in there?" Rain asked, poking her head in to have a look. The first thing she saw was Ron grinning rather awkwardly. She followed his gaze to see Jasper and Derek hugging each other. To tell the truth, they kind of looked like Rain and Ron that morning.
Dropping the bags outside the kitchen, Rain dashed inside and seized Ron by the elbow. "They're fine, come on!" She dragged him out of the kitchen and marched him upstairs, along with the bags.
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text:
Centrifuge research of countermeasures to protect pile foundations against liquefaction-induced lateral spreading
Tarek Abdoun, Ricardo Dobry, Thomas F. Zimmie, Mourad Zeghal
Repeated experience of foundation and superstructural damage during earthquakes associated with ground failure and liquefaction, have shown the importance of lateral spreading and especially of the presence of a shallow nonliquefiable soil layer as a cause of damage. Typically such strong nonliquefiable layer or crust, riding on the liquefiable soil where the lateral spread actually occurs, pushes laterally against the piles and pile cap, inducing large lateral forces, deformations and bending in the foundation. The effects depend on the free field deformation, characteristics of the nonliquefiable layer and foundation, and characteristics of the superstructure. For an existing pile foundation, the first step is to verify if the pile foundation has enough stiffness and strength to resist the soil lateral forces, and especially the passive thrust applied by the nonliquefiable layer, with acceptable foundation displacement and rotation and no damage to the foundation elements, in which case no countermeasures are needed. If this evaluation concludes that the foundation does not possess the required stiffness and strength to prevent distress, three mitigation strategies are often used: (i) Remediation countermear sure of the liquefiable soil at the site to prevent the free field liquefaction and lateral spreading from occurring in the first place; (ii) retrofitting of the foundation by reinforcing it, for example by adding piles or strengthening the existing piles; and (iii) isolation of the foundation, and especially of the pile cap, from the nonliquefiable layer in the free field by a retrofitting countermeasure where a "soft fuse" such as a soft soil or other material or device are installed at shallow depths near the foundation, hence limiting the lateral force applied to the piles and pile cap to a low value which minimises the deformation and bending of the foundation. The paper discusses these countermeasure strategies through several series of centrifuge model tests of single piles and pile groups conducted with the participation of the authors at the RPI geotechnical centrifuge.
Journal of Earthquake Engineering
Lateral spreading
Liquefaction-induced
Pile foundations
Dive into the research topics of 'Centrifuge research of countermeasures to protect pile foundations against liquefaction-induced lateral spreading'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Pile foundations Engineering & Materials Science 100%
Centrifuges Engineering & Materials Science 95%
Liquefaction Engineering & Materials Science 93%
centrifuge Earth & Environmental Sciences 87%
liquefaction Earth & Environmental Sciences 78%
pile Earth & Environmental Sciences 69%
Piles Engineering & Materials Science 68%
Abdoun, T., Dobry, R., Zimmie, T. F., & Zeghal, M. (2005). Centrifuge research of countermeasures to protect pile foundations against liquefaction-induced lateral spreading. Journal of Earthquake Engineering, 9, 105-125. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632460509350581
Centrifuge research of countermeasures to protect pile foundations against liquefaction-induced lateral spreading. / Abdoun, Tarek; Dobry, Ricardo; Zimmie, Thomas F. et al.
In: Journal of Earthquake Engineering, Vol. 9, 01.2005, p. 105-125.
Abdoun, T, Dobry, R, Zimmie, TF & Zeghal, M 2005, 'Centrifuge research of countermeasures to protect pile foundations against liquefaction-induced lateral spreading', Journal of Earthquake Engineering, vol. 9, pp. 105-125. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632460509350581
Abdoun T, Dobry R, Zimmie TF, Zeghal M. Centrifuge research of countermeasures to protect pile foundations against liquefaction-induced lateral spreading. Journal of Earthquake Engineering. 2005 Jan;9:105-125. doi: 10.1080/13632460509350581
Abdoun, Tarek ; Dobry, Ricardo ; Zimmie, Thomas F. et al. / Centrifuge research of countermeasures to protect pile foundations against liquefaction-induced lateral spreading. In: Journal of Earthquake Engineering. 2005 ; Vol. 9. pp. 105-125.
@article{b58d68f3173c46c2b4e6e46bb3a3ed24,
title = "Centrifuge research of countermeasures to protect pile foundations against liquefaction-induced lateral spreading",
abstract = "Repeated experience of foundation and superstructural damage during earthquakes associated with ground failure and liquefaction, have shown the importance of lateral spreading and especially of the presence of a shallow nonliquefiable soil layer as a cause of damage. Typically such strong nonliquefiable layer or crust, riding on the liquefiable soil where the lateral spread actually occurs, pushes laterally against the piles and pile cap, inducing large lateral forces, deformations and bending in the foundation. The effects depend on the free field deformation, characteristics of the nonliquefiable layer and foundation, and characteristics of the superstructure. For an existing pile foundation, the first step is to verify if the pile foundation has enough stiffness and strength to resist the soil lateral forces, and especially the passive thrust applied by the nonliquefiable layer, with acceptable foundation displacement and rotation and no damage to the foundation elements, in which case no countermeasures are needed. If this evaluation concludes that the foundation does not possess the required stiffness and strength to prevent distress, three mitigation strategies are often used: (i) Remediation countermear sure of the liquefiable soil at the site to prevent the free field liquefaction and lateral spreading from occurring in the first place; (ii) retrofitting of the foundation by reinforcing it, for example by adding piles or strengthening the existing piles; and (iii) isolation of the foundation, and especially of the pile cap, from the nonliquefiable layer in the free field by a retrofitting countermeasure where a "soft fuse" such as a soft soil or other material or device are installed at shallow depths near the foundation, hence limiting the lateral force applied to the piles and pile cap to a low value which minimises the deformation and bending of the foundation. The paper discusses these countermeasure strategies through several series of centrifuge model tests of single piles and pile groups conducted with the participation of the authors at the RPI geotechnical centrifuge.",
keywords = "Centrifuge, Lateral spreading, Liquefaction-induced, Pile foundations",
author = "Tarek Abdoun and Ricardo Dobry and Zimmie, {Thomas F.} and Mourad Zeghal",
note = "Funding Information: Several of the developments and results presented were obtained over a period of several years at the RPI centrifuge by Drs. P.-V. Kallou, C. Oskay, A. Pamuk, R. Ramos and Y. Wang; this contribution is gratefully ackrlowledged. Discussions with Prof. Thomas D. OYRourkeo n soil pressures on piles due to lateral spreading were also very helpful. Much of the planning and interpretation of the passive site remediation experiments was done in cooperation with P. Gallagher of Drexel University. All of this help is cheerfully acknowledged. The research on centrifuge pile modelling and interpretations at RPI has been supported over several years by grants from: The Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, MCEER (previously NCEER), the National Science Foundation, NSF, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This support is also most gratefully acknowledged.",
journal = "Journal of Earthquake Engineering",
T1 - Centrifuge research of countermeasures to protect pile foundations against liquefaction-induced lateral spreading
AU - Abdoun, Tarek
AU - Dobry, Ricardo
AU - Zimmie, Thomas F.
AU - Zeghal, Mourad
N1 - Funding Information: Several of the developments and results presented were obtained over a period of several years at the RPI centrifuge by Drs. P.-V. Kallou, C. Oskay, A. Pamuk, R. Ramos and Y. Wang; this contribution is gratefully ackrlowledged. Discussions with Prof. Thomas D. OYRourkeo n soil pressures on piles due to lateral spreading were also very helpful. Much of the planning and interpretation of the passive site remediation experiments was done in cooperation with P. Gallagher of Drexel University. All of this help is cheerfully acknowledged. The research on centrifuge pile modelling and interpretations at RPI has been supported over several years by grants from: The Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, MCEER (previously NCEER), the National Science Foundation, NSF, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This support is also most gratefully acknowledged.
N2 - Repeated experience of foundation and superstructural damage during earthquakes associated with ground failure and liquefaction, have shown the importance of lateral spreading and especially of the presence of a shallow nonliquefiable soil layer as a cause of damage. Typically such strong nonliquefiable layer or crust, riding on the liquefiable soil where the lateral spread actually occurs, pushes laterally against the piles and pile cap, inducing large lateral forces, deformations and bending in the foundation. The effects depend on the free field deformation, characteristics of the nonliquefiable layer and foundation, and characteristics of the superstructure. For an existing pile foundation, the first step is to verify if the pile foundation has enough stiffness and strength to resist the soil lateral forces, and especially the passive thrust applied by the nonliquefiable layer, with acceptable foundation displacement and rotation and no damage to the foundation elements, in which case no countermeasures are needed. If this evaluation concludes that the foundation does not possess the required stiffness and strength to prevent distress, three mitigation strategies are often used: (i) Remediation countermear sure of the liquefiable soil at the site to prevent the free field liquefaction and lateral spreading from occurring in the first place; (ii) retrofitting of the foundation by reinforcing it, for example by adding piles or strengthening the existing piles; and (iii) isolation of the foundation, and especially of the pile cap, from the nonliquefiable layer in the free field by a retrofitting countermeasure where a "soft fuse" such as a soft soil or other material or device are installed at shallow depths near the foundation, hence limiting the lateral force applied to the piles and pile cap to a low value which minimises the deformation and bending of the foundation. The paper discusses these countermeasure strategies through several series of centrifuge model tests of single piles and pile groups conducted with the participation of the authors at the RPI geotechnical centrifuge.
AB - Repeated experience of foundation and superstructural damage during earthquakes associated with ground failure and liquefaction, have shown the importance of lateral spreading and especially of the presence of a shallow nonliquefiable soil layer as a cause of damage. Typically such strong nonliquefiable layer or crust, riding on the liquefiable soil where the lateral spread actually occurs, pushes laterally against the piles and pile cap, inducing large lateral forces, deformations and bending in the foundation. The effects depend on the free field deformation, characteristics of the nonliquefiable layer and foundation, and characteristics of the superstructure. For an existing pile foundation, the first step is to verify if the pile foundation has enough stiffness and strength to resist the soil lateral forces, and especially the passive thrust applied by the nonliquefiable layer, with acceptable foundation displacement and rotation and no damage to the foundation elements, in which case no countermeasures are needed. If this evaluation concludes that the foundation does not possess the required stiffness and strength to prevent distress, three mitigation strategies are often used: (i) Remediation countermear sure of the liquefiable soil at the site to prevent the free field liquefaction and lateral spreading from occurring in the first place; (ii) retrofitting of the foundation by reinforcing it, for example by adding piles or strengthening the existing piles; and (iii) isolation of the foundation, and especially of the pile cap, from the nonliquefiable layer in the free field by a retrofitting countermeasure where a "soft fuse" such as a soft soil or other material or device are installed at shallow depths near the foundation, hence limiting the lateral force applied to the piles and pile cap to a low value which minimises the deformation and bending of the foundation. The paper discusses these countermeasure strategies through several series of centrifuge model tests of single piles and pile groups conducted with the participation of the authors at the RPI geotechnical centrifuge.
KW - Centrifuge
KW - Lateral spreading
KW - Liquefaction-induced
KW - Pile foundations
JO - Journal of Earthquake Engineering
JF - Journal of Earthquake Engineering


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The Center for Partnership Studies awards prizes periodically to outstanding scholars contributing to the dissemination of the partnership model in academia.
The Partnership Studies Group - Udine, Italy
Antonella Riem. Photograph by Conrad Del Villar
On February 15, 2018, the Center for Partnership Studies (CPS, California) awarded its first prize honoring scholars who distinguish themselves in the dissemination of partnership studies in different fields of academic study and research. The inaugural prize was awarded to Antonella Riem, Professor of English literature and founder of the Partnership Studies Group at the University of Udine, Italy, in acknowledgement of her international scholarly work on partnership studies.
The Center launched this international prize in 2018 to recognize the work of scholars worldwide who dedicate their critical research and teaching to disseminate and nurture partnership studies worldwide, thus contributing to the shaping of a better and more caring and humane future.
Watch the video "A Talk with Antonella Riem", in Italian.


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text:
def test_script_init() :
	serverko.trace("INFO: test_script_init")
	serverko.sendEvent( 1 , 4000 , "" )

def test_script_info() :
	info =  "gname:test_area_text\t"
	info = info + "script:test_area_text.py\t"
	info = info + "players:0\t"
	info = info + "status:0\t"
	#serverko.trace("JS: test_script_info " + info)
	return info

def test_script_userJoined(userID) :
	serverko.trace("JS: test_script_userJoined " + userID)
	serverko.clientSpectate(userID , 1)
	layout.println("test_area_text " )
	layout.println("Testing different text area capabilities" )

serverko.trace("INFO: test_area 2 ")
#load system room module
# todo load with system?
serverko.loadModule( "framework/room.py" )
serverko.loadModule( "framework/layout.py" )
serverko.loadModule( "framework/colors.py" )

testnum = "test_area_text"
def configureLayout() :
	serverko.trace("JS:configureLayout")
	layout.gtype = "board"
	layout.players = 1
	layout.background = colors.get("darkred")
	layout.canvasw = 6
	layout.canvash = 6

	areas = []

	areaDef1 = LayoutArea()
	areaDef1.type = "text.area"
	areaDef1.id = "text1"
	areaDef1.location="2,2,3,3"
	areaDef1.text = "This is text area with long text that should be wrapped"
	areaDef1.foreground=colors.get("black")
	areaDef1.font = "medium, normal"
	areaDef1.background = colors.get("white")
	areaDef1.border = "none"
	areas.append(areaDef1)

	layout.define("*",areas)

def test_script_onEvent( id, data) :
	serverko.trace("JS: test_script_onEvent" + str(id) + " " + data + " " + testnum)
	if id == 1 :
		layout.println("1. Setting new area text which is long text thath should be wrapped" )
		layout.startUpdate()
		layout.areaSetText( "text1", "New text for area")
		layout.sendUpdate()
		serverko.sendEvent( 2 , 4000 , "")
	elif id == 2 :
		layout.println("2. Setting area font to bold large" )
		layout.startUpdate()
		layout.areaSetFont( "text1", "large,bold")
		layout.sendUpdate()
		serverko.sendEvent( 3 , 4000 , "")
	elif id == 3 :
		layout.println("3. Setting area font to small italic" )
		layout.startUpdate()
		layout.areaSetFont( "text1", "small,italic")
		layout.sendUpdate()
		serverko.sendEvent( 4 , 4000 , "");
	elif id == 4 :
		layout.println("4. Setting area font to normal medium" )
		layout.startUpdate()
		layout.areaSetFont( "text1", "medium,normal")
		layout.sendUpdate()
		serverko.sendEvent( 5 , 4000 , "")
	elif id == 5 :
		layout.println("5. Changing foreground white and background back color " )
		layout.startUpdate()
		layout.areaSetForeground( "text1", colors.get("white"))
		layout.areaSetBackground( "text1", colors.get("black"))
		layout.sendUpdate()
		serverko.sendEvent( 6 , 4000 , "")
	elif id == 6 :
		layout.println("6. Removing background " )
		layout.startUpdate()
		layout.areaSetBackground( "text1", "none")
		layout.sendUpdate()
		serverko.sendEvent( 7 , 4000 , "")
	elif id == 7 :
		layout.println("7. Returning original colors " )
		layout.startUpdate()
		layout.areaSetForeground( "text1", colors.get("black"))
		layout.areaSetBackground( "text1", colors.get("white"))
		layout.sendUpdate()
		serverko.sendEvent( 8 , 4000 , "")
	elif id == 8 :
		layout.println("8. Setting round border" )
		layout.startUpdate()
		layout.areaSetBorder( "text1", "round")
		layout.sendUpdate()
		serverko.sendEvent( 9 , 4000 , "")
	elif id == 9 :
		layout.println("9. Setting rect border" )
		layout.startUpdate()
		layout.areaSetBorder( "text1", "rect")
		layout.sendUpdate()
		serverko.sendEvent( 10 , 4000 , "")
	elif id == 10 :
		layout.println("10. Setting no border" )
		layout.startUpdate()
		layout.areaSetBorder( "text1", "none")
		layout.sendUpdate()
		serverko.sendEvent( 11 , 4000 , "")
	else :
		layout.startUpdate()
		layout.areaSetText( "text1", "This is text area")
		layout.sendUpdate()
		serverko.sendEvent( 1 , 4000 , "")

#register out functions
room.script_init.append( test_script_init )
room.script_info.append( test_script_info )
room.script_onUserJoined.append( test_script_userJoined )
room.script_onEvent.append( test_script_onEvent )

configureLayout()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub