text:
Syncope 1.9
Disclaimer: Mai-HiME owned by Sunrise, except the characters that aren't.
CHAPTER 1.9
(Please do not repost to other sites without my permission blah blah thank you. ^^ Linking to this site is easier.)
The clean, powder blue button shirt and black business trousers were not the usual attire in which Shizuru was accustomed to seeing Reito, but she liked the more relaxed and perhaps sincere feel he emanated now. She was not sorry to see the stiff, black school uniform gone; it was as though he sloughed off a manifest part that was infected with the HiME fiasco. A small part of her heart yearned to do the same.
"I hate everything that he touched," he had once commented to Shizuru. "It's unusual and disgusting to think a stranger–a being of that nature–had been wearing all my clothes, touching my things, the people I care about. I'm not sure how to explain it."
"I understand a little better than you might think," Shizuru had replied sadly in return. "That purple kimono…"
And they left it at that.
Without a word, Reito eyed the toy puppy in Shizuru's arms and immediately deduced who gave it to her. She's not the type to buy these things for herself. He reached out to pet it, but Shizuru frowned and pulled it away.
"Du-chan is suspicious of you," she teased quietly, "but I asked him not to growl."
He chuckled, suddenly imagining the toy as an extension of a certain other person. How fitting. "Well, then, how are you feeling?" Reito stood to open the curtains, flooding the room in a cool afternoon glow.
"As well as can be expected. You have news?"
"Straight to business, hm?" The young man settled back into the chair and seemed to contemplate his next move. Shizuru regarded him carefully, as though also thinking of possible responses. They sometimes had their verbal Go matches, and Reito decided to gauge her state with a light spar. "Really, how are you doing?"
"Natsuki did not tell you?"
"Do you think she would to any great detail?"
Shizuru considered this and closed her eyes. "No, she would not," she sighed. "I am merely tired. I would prefer to recover at home, but Kimura-sensei insists that I stay here."
"You're unsatisfied with this… because of Kuga-san?"
She opened her eyes to peer at him suspiciously. "That is a factor, admittedly… but I simply prefer to be in a familiar space."
"Of course." Reito then softened his gaze and shuffled papers that Shizuru did not remember him holding. "I have the notes that I thought you would be interested in."
He noted the way eager diligence shone behind her eyes when now offered the chance to get down to business. It wasn't so long ago that she didn't have such interest in her seat despite her competence, but things certainly changed quickly shortly after the HiME festival–and even now that she was no longer the president. He knew he wasn't the only one to notice.
"I thought Yukino-san did well with the last major partner meetings," Reito commented as he helped Shizuru into a sitting position. "Certainly… not as you might have done it, but she did quite well."
"My instincts were correct," she murmured and sifted slowly through the papers. "Ah, this agreement here is better than I thought it would be."
"Haruka-san seemed quite pleased with the outcome as well… though she would not admit it to you, perhaps. I believe she was still a bit offended by your original offer but is now more comfortable believing Yukino-san will supplant you."
"You are speaking of promoting Kikukawa-san to presidency instead of executive directorship as Suzushiro-san intended?"
"Of course. At first, I wondered if you did that to rile Haruka-san–" Reito cut himself off upon seeing the displeasure that appeared. "I mean, you two did have a certain rapport, and I thought you might be renewing it…"
Shizuru dropped the papers into her lap and leaned back. "That is ridiculous. You know that I cannot have the same relationship with those two ever again."
Reito picked the papers from Shizuru's lap and neatly tapped them together before placing them back into her hands. "Then was the offer… to make up for that?"
She stiffened and looked away.
"…I'm sorry. That was rude."
They both remained still until Shizuru finally sighed, "No, I believe you are at least partially correct. However, I have not been on speaking terms with my subconscious lately. And I truly did make such a decision for the benefit of the council and school. Surely that is why you supported my decision in the first place."
"I know. Regardless, I have no right to accuse anyone of anything. Guilt? The irony–I feel I've had the most to do with it, and yet I was the most helpless…" He stood and wandered to the window, resting his hands in his pockets. "…and useless."
Shizuru immediately felt the urge to toss something at Reito's head, but slipped into a weary smile. Even when the rest of us girls try to move forward, we do so with these inextricable bonds. But he alone remains… Not including Mikoto-chan, besides Mai-san and myself, no one else who was directly involved has made an effort for you, who was literally the most used. And were it not for Mashiro-sama's mercy…
She broke into a small laugh, and his dark brown head turned slightly at the beautiful sound. "Idiot."
"Hm, yes?" Reito turned fully with a slight grin.
"Do not try to sell me your guilt. You alone had the best excuse: possession by an unearthly spirit. That being fully left you and was banished by the rest of us. However…"
The warm look dissolved off his face as he watched Shizuru begin to brood. It was quite familiar to him now. "Shizuru-san."
"You mustn't think like that."
"Why not?" Shizuru spat quietly. One of her hands gripped the blanket. "A seed… A seed is there, Reito-san, but I am at a loss. Was it always there? Was it merely planted at the festival?" She look up at him with fear and anger behind those deep red eyes. "And is it still there? Sometimes I think I can feel it, like a marble under a futon mattress. I fear the slightest crack in my rebuilt self… The risk is far too great. I cannot fail again, Reito-san–" Her thoughts tumbled forward, gaining momentum like a stone dropped from a cliff.
Reito quickly sat back down and pried the clammy, pale hand from the blanket, covering the smooth knuckles with his other palm. Like this, he cradled her hand until she calmed down.
She finally whispered, "It is like an infected wound that barely closes. The slightest jar may cause the wound to blossom–easier, perhaps faster. Will it never heal?"
"Perhaps it will not only because you pick at the scab… with doubt."
She chuckled at his choice of words.
"Is this why you have not spoken with your subconscious lately? You fear what may stare back at you from the black mirror…" He felt the hand twitch within his grasp. "But you must remember that Kuga-san brought you back. Didn't you say that she forgave you? Out of that HiME abyss, everyone was returned healed. You're not the same as then at all. That was a dark gift…"
Despite his efforts, the former vice president of the student council watched his colleague fight the weary despair that was overtaking her. In this weakened state, she was surely losing. Reito cleared his throat upon seeing that she was close to tears.
Moreover, he knew his own words were too brittle. The star? Even Mashiro-sama had no answer. Healed and whole? That might be true for the others, but… He looked at the sandy head that was turned away and bowed. Shizuru-san's actions compounded above the festival alone and out of a 'twisted' form of love, a love you had guarded for so long. That is what you're thinking, aren't you?
"I tried." The simple, accented statement fell onto the bed, then seemed to disappear like smoke. Reito blinked. "I have tried to have faith as well."
"Yes?" he leaned forward, worried.
"I mean to say that I have tried to follow that path you are implying."
Ah, she's certainly ahead of me in that thought.
"Everyone returned healed. That is what I like to believe–that we are better off now than before. But Reito-san, no matter how I look at it–"
"Stop. That is enough. Thinking like that only disrespects the effort Kuga-san has been making with you, and if you continue down this particular path, I will be forced to have a chat with her."
Shizuru blinked in surprise. Reito merely smiled inwardly, noting a point in their mental Go match. He decided to press forward.
"Are you happy where you are?"
"Where I am?" She looked around the square, drab hospital room.
Reito sighed and finally replaced her hand on Du-chan's back. "Really, now."
She chuckled hoarsely, but quickly surrendered. "You mean with Natsuki, sharing an apartment as I prepare to go to college."
"Yes, that makes me happy. But it is also tiring."
"Bad housekeeping?"
"Not like that. I am working to maintain the kind of balance I had before. If I can stay in a comfortable control, then everything should be fine." Keeping Natsuki just at arm's length… That is also better for her.
Reito mulled this over. More familiar with her ways than most anyone else, he knew there was always a reason underpinning an action.
"You still tease her," he pointed out. "That would seem to imply that you don't always… control yourself?"
"Of course. I need my small indulgences," her face lightened again.
"Only to keep her on her toes."
At this mild revelation on his part, Shizuru stared in open surprise and found no retort.
Reito noted another point. He smoothed his dark brown hair out of his eyes, but it promptly flopped back down. And only because we are both such good actors…
"For some time, I was confused why you would tease with those odd 'advances' while you were living with her and yet profess to me that you wish to maintain control… balance, whatever you call it. This certainly isn't the first time you have mentioned it. To me, such words mean–staying farther away from Kuga-san."
Shizuru listened with a dread she could not identify. "But I tease very little compared to the month following the festival."
"That isn't the point. It occurred to me one day while watching you two. She tends to be a little tense when you tease her–or sometimes even when you're not speaking with her, because she is expecting it. Tell me, Shizuru-san, are you using that part of Kuga-san against her?"
The brunette hesitated before murmuring, "I do not understand what you mean."
"Everyone knows how Kuga-san reacts when you are like that. It seemed to me that, for you to keep this 'control' you want, you must have Kuga-san herself keep you in check. Is that correct?"
"I…" the wine-red discs widened slightly.
"Perhaps you weren't even aware of this yourself." Reito watched her reaction closely, but saw none besides a blank stare. "Or perhaps she will get used to it in small doses."
"Ah, I would not worry about that," she seemed to relax slowly. "Natsuki has not shown that kind of interest even if she tolerates me better now. Perhaps the apartment was a gift in the same way so many of us have acted lately." She turned a tired smile back to him. "Guilt? Perhaps so, perhaps not. That does not concern me."
Reito remained silent, then smiled and decided to try another maneuver. "Mai-san has told me that she has begun making friends with you."
"Ah, perhaps. She is a nice girl–sincere and quite the big heart. But she is Natsuki's friend above all, and that pleases me much more."
They both savored the happy thought for a little while before Shizuru made a maneuver of her own. "Speaking of Mai-san, has your act of pursuit finally finished?"
"My–" Reito gave a start, but caught the mischievous glint in her eye and realized that he was caught by the Go master. "Well, perhaps I enjoy keeping Tate-kun on his toes."
"They seem to make a good couple," Shizuru commented.
"Yes, I know. Besides, he was the one who was seducing her later on, not me."
"And you believe Mai-san cannot trust your intentions, previous or otherwise?"
Reito merely shrugged. "I don't blame her. It's over, anyway. I am not idle despite this part of my life, of course. Mashiro-sama has left a network of responsibility for both myself and Fumi-san. Not only will it keep me quite busy on top of college, but I doubt I can keep an honest relationship with this aspect intact. It would be unfair to burden Mai-san or anyone else with this debt; she's better off with Tate-kun in this regard."
"I see…" Shizuru was too tired to think much on his statement now, and instead gazed into his warm, gray eyes, each communicating some unspoken understanding. "It is a shame, yes?"
"Nonsense. Forcing something unnatural to you is the biggest insult of all, isn't it? We've discussed this before."
"However, the rest of the school may still think we are the perfect couple."
"Then let them think that, but a thought hardly makes fact."
Shizuru smiled and offered the slightly crumpled papers to him. "You spoke of college," she changed tack again. "You must be very excited to go to the University of Tokyo for law, of all things."
"Ah, yes, I'm so excited that it makes my head buzz, though perhaps few people can see that."
"I believe you would do well in conflict resolution. Of course, that is just my opinion."
He laughed at this and nodded. "Unfortunately, Mikoto has been sulking a lot lately since she found out that I would be moving away. But I told her that it wouldn't be far."
"I remember you were a bit awkward around the girl. You seem to have adopted her more as a sister now?"
"She is far too endearing for anyone to stay strangers with her, I think. Or rather, she is so energetic that it wears down any resistance." Both laughed. "It's still strange to suddenly have a new little sister, but I like it. It hadn't occurred to me, but perhaps I will be forced to keep a tie with Mai-san as long as Mikoto has adopted her."
"That is like a new family. I am very happy for you, Reito-san." A new sister, a new family… Mikoto-chan would never allow you to be lonely, I think. A painful thought nearly ruined her ephemeral peace of mind, but she quickly beat it back. A bright smile and reaching hand signaled to Reito that she was ready to say good-bye.
"Call me anytime for anything, Shizuru-san." He packed his things away and leaned forward to squeeze her hand. "Let me know if there is anything I can do for you."
"Thank you, but you have done so much already."
As he left, Shizuru stared out the window and turned her thoughts back to that fragment of idea. She imagined a younger Natsuki in her elementary school uniform. How things might have been…
Funny that it takes something like this for him to act like the child he is. Azami loosed her light blonde hair but quickly tamed it into another bun as she observed a sulking young man facing the back of a sulking boy.
"Yukio, I really believe she's not ready." Kosei sat on the bed with his legs crossed, staring at a photo of Shizuru in his hands.
"You promised! After three times, you promised." Yukio sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from him. "If you mentioned something in the letter already, maybe I could see her this time!"
"It's too soon," the young man replied quietly. A thick silence then hung between them.
Azami sat on her own hotel bed and watched this with great interest, especially how her young charge would react to Kosei. Like a brother… Yukio is able to express his feelings only when Kosei-san is around. Even around me, because I'm his tutor and haven't known him as long…
Kosei reached up and automatically scratched his small patch of white hair that was surrounded by thick black. He looked over to Azami pleadingly, who only shrugged.
This isn't my argument. I don't even know the girl.
"I said I didn't mention your name," Kosei tried to placate the boy. "But I did mention a 'big fan'…"
Yukio's shoulders seemed to relax slightly as he took this in, and Kosei pressed on.
"I suggested that she could meet her biggest fan. I don't know if she would, but she has some level of awareness now, see? You must be patient. After your last encounter…"
At these words, the boy visibly cringed. Azami shot a disapproving glare at Kosei, who quickly raised both hands and nodded. "Everything will be fixed. It will take some time, Yukio, but I promise you that."
Yukio's leg had developed a nervous tic while he was thinking, and he finally took both hands to rub his light, grayish-brown hair. "Okay! But don't hide things from me anymore." He turned his black eyes up to Kosei. "You're not my father. Don't be like him."
"Yes, sir," Kosei sat up straight and answered half-mockingly, then reached over to tousle the boy's hair. A rare grin adorned his face.
"But what if she doesn't answer?" Azami felt responsible enough to ask the question. "Kosei-san, if I'm not mistaken, you've rephrased the question of her return in this letter."
"Ah… yes," he grunted. "Don't worry. She will be returning."
"How can you be so certain?" the blonde sighed, ignoring the pleading look on Yukio's face. "I'm positive that you haven't told her all the circumstances this time either. Frankly, I feel sorry for her. For you to be so forceful at the last minute as she prepares for a new life–"
"That isn't really your concern, is it?" the handsome young man stood and returned to his usual somber manner.
"I'm wondering if your methods might backfire. That is all. I don't want Yukio to get hurt either, you know," the older woman replied softly. She slid an arm around the boy, who was now deep in worried contemplation. "You're not telling either of us a great deal about your 'plan' even when one of us–this kid–has such a vested interest. Of course I'm going to get nosy." She felt the boy wrap his arms around her like a child does his mother.
"There is one thing she cannot decline." Kosei crossed his arms and looked out the window, annoyed that he might be forced to show his hand even to his allies.
Azami's brow crinkled in concern. "You're not speaking of a blackmail, are you?"
"No. Just a favor she owes me."
"You can't possibly be–that seems cruel even to me."
Yukio looked to each of them with confusion, but was duly ignored by the adults. He returned to sulking and began to flip through a photo album on the bed.
"Cruel in method, perhaps, but you know what I–we want. We must get the best possible outcome for everyone involved. Except…" Kosei turned his attention to Yukio and placed a heavy hand on the messy head.
Yukio looked up slowly, his black eyes narrowing slightly. A curl began to form on each side of his mouth. Kosei leaned down and appraised his reaction.
"You're still certain you want to do this, Yukio? If we succeed, you may lose your fortune, you know."
"I lost it years ago already. I'm working to get it back."
Both adults turned to his commanding tone. Despite his age and small stature, the spate of private schooling, tutors, and strict upbringing lent the boy a surprising intimidation when he chose to exercise it.
"Yes, sir," they both replied with a smile.
Azami straightened her glasses on her nose and noticed the photo album in Yukio's hands. She studied the lean figure of a girl on a motorcycle, her body completely covered in a black, gray, and red outfit from head to toe.
"Well, changing the subject, but you two wanted to know what I thought of this girl after a few days' interaction, right?" A sly smile grew on her face as the other two stared at her with intense curiosity.
"I'm baaaack," Natsuki called into the room.
Shizuru looked up from the pile of mail that covered her bed and smiled brightly. "Welcome back. Were you productive?"
"Eh…" Natsuki scratched her head as though trying to remember what she just did. "I picked up some things. Since you're awake now, I thought you might be bored, so I picked out some of your books." She took a few out and stacked them on the table. "Um, I wasn't sure what to pick, so I picked out ones that you seemed to like a lot."
"Ah, Natsuki takes such good care of me. Is that not true, Du-chan? Hmm?" The sandy brunette had picked up the toy and was nuzzling and making strange, embarrassing noises.
"Stop that."
"Natsuki is no fun."
"Council stuff go well?"
"Quite. Thank you. Will you study now?"
"I don't want to!" She stopped her rant to study Shizuru, who looked up at her curiously. "You look tired."
"Yeess?" Natsuki glared very pointedly. I've caught onto your lying, so give it up!
"I–I am. A little," Shizuru finally answered meekly.
"I'm going to read this magazine, so you go and read a bit or nap. I'll study later, and then we can eat. Okay?"
"Good girl."
"Ah…" 'Good girl'?
But lacking the energy to tease, Shizuru instead turned her attention back to the pile of mail around her legs. Nervously, she fingered a light blue envelope in her hands, having just opened a corner of it before Natsuki had entered. She turned to the rest of her mail, keeping the blue envelope tucked under Du-chan's body. After a moment, Natsuki yawned and wandered into the bathroom. The older girl seized her opportunity.
Carefully prying up the flap, she lifted out a familiar white card with a small, blue flower imprinted on it. Upon opening the card, a sheet of silver-flecked, deep blue origami paper fell out. Placing the paper aside, Shizuru opened the card with trembling hands.
The silence in the room buzzed louder and pressed into her ears as her eyes scanned the square, neat writing.
"…For these reasons, we will facilitate your return…"
She blinked rapidly as her heart raced painfully against her chest. A lump began to form in her throat as she stared again at the short but directed note. But my plans… So soon–this is…
The violent sound of a toilet flush broke her concentration, and Shizuru quickly composed herself as Natsuki washed up, hiding the offending card in the stack of books Natsuki had left for her on the table. She sighed as Natsuki reappeared.
"Oh, what's that?" her raven-haired friend pointed at the square of brilliant deep blue by her leg.
"Ah," Shizuru picked it up, grateful to be distracted. "This is just a sheet of origami paper."
"I didn't know you liked origami."
"It was an old hobby that I grew out of," Shizuru said quietly. "But sometimes I will still do it."
"It's very pretty." Natsuki turned it around in her hands, noting the bright, silver flecks embedded in the midnight-blue paper.
Of course she would like it, Shizuru nearly laughed. "Here, I will make you something."
"Ohh…" Natsuki sat expectantly as she watched Shizuru's fine hands carefully fold the paper. Soon, a pair of crane's wings began to take form.
1.9 Notes (commentable)
0.2 Omake: "Fifteen"
Next chapter: 1.10
Posted on August 1, 2006 March 28, 2011 Author KyCategories fic chapters, syncope
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The law is financed through an employee payroll tax, meaning companies in the world's eighth-largest economy bear no direct costs.
CALIFORNIA: As presidential candidates debate government-mandated paid family leave, the US has a 39 million-person test lab. California in 2004 enacted the nation's first such programme, ensuring workers are paid for as long as six weeks when caring for a newborn or ailing loved one. The law is financed through an employee payroll tax, meaning companies in the world's eighth-largest economy bear no direct costs.
It hasn't been the death blow to businesses that opponents warned of, according to studies over the past decade. California's employment growth outpaced the US average by 2 percentage points during that time, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Paid leave is woven into the economic platforms that Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are pitching to voters. Clinton told a New York crowd in April that it was "hard to believe" that "so many women still pay a price for being mothers". In the party's debate last week, she and Sanders decried US lawmakers' failure to join 183 countries in passing a nationwide policy.
Republicans such as Carly Fiorina, former chief executive officer of Palo Alto, California-based Hewlett-Packard Co, and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, meanwhile, say businesses should be free to offer whichever benefits they choose.
National polls this year showed support as high as 71% of Republicans and 88% of Democrats for policies that benefit workers including paid family leave, equal pay and affordable child care. Some small business owners say California's law has helped them compete.
Private-sector workers can collect 55% of their wages, capped at $1,104 per week. Payouts to 1.8 million people in the first decade totaled $4.6 billion, according to the state. Nine in 10 people claimed them to bond with a new child, and, while most recipients were women, claims by men have jumped 411% from the first year. New Jersey and Rhode Island have since enacted similar policies. A proposal in the California legislature aims at making the programme more accessible to the poor by boosting the proportion of earnings that lowerincome workers receive.
An analysis for the US Labor Department led by Columbia Business School professor Ann Bartel last year examined dozens of studies on family leave. It concluded that while California's policy prompted mothers and fathers to take more time, it didn't harm workplace productivity, profitability, retention or morale.
Papua New Guinea and the US are the only countries to not offer cash benefits to women taking maternity leave, according to the International Labour Organisation, a United Nations agency in Geneva.
Financing leave through social insurance or public funds is preferable, because when employers bear the full direct costs, it says, "this can create disincentives to hiring, retaining and promoting women workers".
Among Americans in the private sector, just 12% work for companies that offer the benefit, government data show. Access among income groups is uneven: The highest earners are more than four times as likely to have it as their lowest-wage counterparts.
Proponents say a federal paidleave programme, which would require approval from a divided Congress, would boost economic stability and help close the gender pay gap. The Obama administration has been among the champions, and in January granted federal workers six weeks of paid leave.
Opponents of such laws include California's Chamber of Commerce, which says negotiations should take place between employers and employees without government interference.
In an article for the Huffington Post, Fiorina wrote that Hewlett Packard, from which she was ousted in 2005, offered paid parental leave "because we wanted to compete for the best workers." Mandates in other countries have discouraged employers from hiring and promoting women, she wrote.


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text:
Sustainable management of cultivated peatlands in Switzerland: Insights, challenges, and opportunities
Ferré, Marie; Müller, Adrian; Leifeld, Jens; Bader, Cédric; Müller, Moritz; Engel, Stefanie and Wichmann, Sabine (2019) Sustainable management of cultivated peatlands in Switzerland: Insights, challenges, and opportunities. Land Use Policy, 87, p. 104019.
Limited to [Depositor and staff only]
Document available online at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264837718320015
Major common production activities on organic soils require drainage, which results in the loss of important ecosystem services such as carbon storage. This paper provides an overview of the farming situation on organic soils in a western region of Switzerland characterized by intensive vegetable farming and therefore by high opportunity costs of adopting sustainable practices on these soils. Based on a review of the academic and grey literature and interviews with regional experts, we find that the main challenges to a change in management practices include the profitability of the current land use, the difficult economic environment of farmers, the cultural background associated with the region, and the absence of systematic data on soil properties. We provide a comparative overview of policy options that could promote sustainable use of organic soils, and present the diverse economic, environmental, and social implications of potential future scenarios of the development on these soils, namely pursuing the current land use versus adopting peat-preserving land use. Based on a basic economic analysis, we find that considering the carbon benefits of preserving the soils, current offsetting-carbon policies cannot compensate the opportunity cost of switching land use on organic soils used for intensive vegetable farming. With the price of carbon offsetting options, only up to the half of the opportunity cost would be covered. We therefore stress the need for a long-term vision of the management decision on these soils and for eliciting society's willingness to invest in preserving organic soils.
peatlands, switzerland
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_13929
Switzerland > Agroscope
Switzerland > ETHZ - Agrarwissenschaften
Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Society > Rural sociology
UK > Other organizations
Switzerland > Other organizations
Germany > Other organizations
10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.05.038
Muller, Adrian

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Thats it for now. Future posts and updates will definately not be as formal, but I guess for numero uno it has to be done.
Love to all my Bamboo Babies.


This is a video critique and analysis of Wolfenstein 2, an ambitious, messy, and in the end quite unique shooter from MachineGames. The video looks how BJ Blaskowicz anchors together a wide array of divergent tonal moods and design ideas. It also covers the three 'Freedom Chronicles' DLCs. Spoilers throughout.


From talking with artists and performers to learning about family traditions and exploring the city of Havana, as you explore, perspectives change. Come to know the dynamic Cuban people as few Americans have. This is an incredible opportunity to share your own way of life with the people you meet. That is what travel is all about. Experience this unique destination just 90 miles off the U.S. coast - but a world away.
This historic centre of Havana is surrounded by the remains of its former city walls. Reminiscent of an old city of Europe, it has narrow cobbled streets that feed into five large plazas. It is filled with beautiful and diverse architecture drawing from Moorish, Spanish, Italian, Greek and Roman styles. Perhaps one of the most stunning of all structures is the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception, constructed mainly from blocks of coral cut from the floor of the Gulf of Mexico.
Señor Fuster, inspired by the art of Gaudi, set out to create something spectacular. It all began with his home. He covered his home in colourful eclectic designs made of tiles that visitors describe as Picasso meets Gaudi. His designs have spilled over throughout his neighbourhood and it is an impressive sight. You won't see anything like this anywhere else and you could spend hours and truly not see it all!
What's so special about a Cuban cigar? Everything. Cubans were the first ones to start making cigars and they haven't changed their process for hundreds of years. To this day, they're still made entirely by hand with a few innovations added in over the years. When visiting Cuba, you'll find that there are many cigar factories, but only a few are open to the public.
This city is on the southern coast of Cuba, and is known as "La Perla del Sur" (Pearl of the South). It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005 because its well-preserved colonial buildings are the best surviving examples of the Spanish Enlightenment period. You'll find a 16th century fortress at its harbour, built the to protect against Caribbean pirates. Today it is an economic centre of coffee, sugarcane and tobacco trading.
Known for having an abundance of classic cars, Cuba is an old school car museum. Due to Castro's four decades long grudge, a ban was placed on foreign vehicle imports. It had been nearly impossible to buy new, foreign-made vehicles, which led to the need to keep the cars they had on the road using hand-built, improvised parts. This resourcefulness has become a source of national pride and a way to make a living for some Cubans, making it almost impossible to purchase a classic car in Cuba.
Cuba has various musical styles, but the core of the country's musical identity comes from the "cabildos," which is a type of social unification amongst African slaves on the island. Their music greatly reflects the daily life and history of Cuba, creating something so unique and special that it influences the music of cultures all over the world.
The Museum of Fine Arts is separated into 2 buildings: one for international art and another that shows the evolution of Cuban art. The beautiful art also serves as a repository of knowledge about the history of Cuba and mood of the times when the art was created, something that often goes misunderstood or unexplored.
Fidel Castro told the U.N. in 1960 that he would eradicate illiteracy in Cuba in one year, and that began a huge campaign led by volunteer teachers, many just teenagers at the time, to spread out over the country and teach reading and writing to all residents. The project was a success, and today there is a museum filled with letters from volunteers and students, as well as student uniforms and many artifacts and photos from the time of the initiative.
Eat! Cuban food is extremely flavourful, using lots of herbs and spices, though not spicy hot. Local specialties include various seafood dishes featuring anything from lobster to local Caribbean fish, often in sauces or served with rice.
Unplug. Well you don't have much choice, as U.S. cell phones will not work while in Cuba.
Come prepared. Unlike many destinations, Cuba is not an easy place to find extra camera batteries.


Portman would play dual roles as identical twin sisters behind the Ann Landers and Dear Abby advice columns.
Natalie Portman will direct and star as twin sisters in a drama about dueling advice columnists Esther and Pauline Friedman.
Portman will play dual roles as the writers behind the Ann Landers and Dear Abby columns. The sisters had a bitter professional rivalry but led personal lives that were equal parts competitive, jealous, successful and loving.
Katie Robbins, who currently serves as a producer on Showtime's The Affair, will pen the feature that will be produced by Peter Saraf and Dani Melia of Big Beach.
Portman, who made her directorial debut with 2015 Israeli drama A Tale of Love and Darkness, is set to premiere two feature at TIFF: Xavier Dolan's The Death and Life of John F. Donovan and pop star drama Vox Lux. She is repped by CAA and Law Offices of George Sheanshang.
Robbins is repped by by UTA, Aaron Kogan and attorney Jonathan E. Shikora.


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Kevin Joseph Farrell (nascut el 2 de setembre de 1947) és un prelat estatunidenc de l'Església Catòlica. Antic membre de la Legió de Crist, va ser nomenat prefecte del Dicasteri pels Laics, nomenament efectiu amb data 1 de setembre de 2016. Anteriorment va ser bisbe de Dallas i canceller de la Universitat de Dallas. Va ser creat cardenal pel Papa Francesc al consistori del 19 de novembre de 2016; rebent el títol de Cardenal diaca de San Giuliano Martire.

Biografia
Kevin Farrell va néixer a Dublín (Irlanda), i va criar-se parlant irlandès. Segon de quatre fills, el seu germà gran, Brian, serveix com a secretari al Consell Pontifici per a la Promoció de la Unitat dels Cristians a la Cúria Pontifíca. Farrell estudia als Germans Cristians a Drimnagh, ingressant al noviciat de la Legió de Crist el 1966. El 1967 visità els Estats Units mentre que recollia fons per a les missions a Llatinoamèrica amb la Congregació per a la Propagació de la Fe.

Va obtenir el títol de batxiller per la Universitat de Salamanca, seguint els estudis a la Pontifícia Universitat Gregoriana, llicenciant-se en Teologia. També estudià a la Pontifícia Universitat de Sant Tomàs d'Aquino (Angelicum), on feu un màster en teologia dogmàtica (1976) i es llicencià en teologia pastoral (1977). A més realitzà un màster en administració d'empreses per la Universitat de Notre Dame.

Presbiterat
Farrell va ser ordenat prevere a Roma el 24 de desembre de 1978. Llavors serví com a capellà a la Universitat de Monterrey (Mèxic), on dirigí seminaris sobre bioètica i ètica social. També va fer d'Administrador General de la Legió de Crist, amb responsabilitats sobre els seminaris i escoles a Itàlia, Irlanda i Espanya.

El 1984 Farrell va ser destinat als Estats Units, incardinant-se a l'arquebisbat de Washington. Serví com a vicari a la parròquia de Sant Pere a Olney (Maryland), a sant Bartomeu a Bethseda i a sant Tomàs Apòstol a Washington DC. Succeí a Fr. Seán O'Malley, OFM Cap, com a director del Centre Catòlic Espanyol el 1986.

Farrell es va convertir en director de Caritats Catòliques el 1988, i va ser el Secretari Arxidiocesà de Finances de 1989 a 2001. Va ser elevat al rang de Prelat d'honor de Sa Santedat el 1995. En 2001, va ser nomenat vicari general de l'arxidiòcesi i rector de l'església de l'Anunciació a Washington.

Episcopat
El 28 desembre 2001 el Papa Joan Pau II va nomenar Farrell com a bisbe auxiliar de l'arquebisbat de Washington amb la seu titular de Rusuccuru. Va ser consagrat l'11 de febrer de 2002 pel cardenal Theodore Edgar McCarrick, i va servir fins a 2007 com a moderador de la cúria i vicari general.

Va ser nomenat pel papa Benet XVI el 6 de març de 2007, per reemplaçar el bisbe Charles Victor Grahmann, que es jubilava. Es va instal·lar al capdavant del bisbat de Dallas l'1 de maig de 2007.

Dins de la Conferència de Bisbes Catòlics Estatunidencs, Farrell és un consultor de la Comissió de Migració, que supervisa el departament de Serveis de Migració i Refugiats. Aquest departament atén i defensors dels refugiats, asilats, altres migrants forçats, els immigrants i les persones en moviment. Farrell és també el 2009è seient electe del Comitè de Bisbes per a la National Collections, que dona suport l'administració i coordina les col·leccions per a la justícia social, l'evangelització, l'educació i el desenvolupament institucional. Assumí la cadira al novembre de 2009.

El germà de Farrell, el bisbe Brian Farrell, és el secretari del Consell Pontifici per a la Unitat dels Cristians. Kevin Farrell va dir del seu germà, «El meu germà és un bisbe. El meu germà gran - però jo em vaig convertir en bisbe abans que ell.... És una mica de la rivalitat entre germans.»

El 17 d'agost de 2016, el Papa Francesc nomenà Farrell prefecte del nou dicasteri per als Laics, Família i Vida. El 9 d'octubre de 2016, el Papa Francesc va anunciar que promouria Farrell al Col·legi Cardenalici en el consistori a celebrar el 19 de novembre de 2016. Va ser creat cardenal diaca i se li assignà a l'església de San Giuliano Martire. Es va convertir en el clergue estatunidenc de més alt rang que serveix al Vaticà després del cardenal William Levada.

Al novembre de l'any 2016 Farrell va dir que ell creu que els bisbes dels Estats Units en el seu conjunt hauria d'haver discutit orientacions pastorals per a la implementació de l'exhortació de Francesc a la família abans que els bisbes individuals comencessin a emetre directrius per a les seves pròpies diòcesis. La implementació post sinodal del Papa, Amoris Laetitia, va dir, «ha de ser fet en comunió amb els nostres bisbes. Crec que hauria estat més prudent esperar a la reunió de la conferència de bisbes en el qual tots els bisbes dels Estats Units o tots els bisbes d'un país serien seure i discutir aquestes coses.» El cardenal designat se li va preguntar específicament sobre orientacions pastorals emeses per l'arquebisbat de Filadèlfia per l'arquebisbe Charles Chaput, qui també és cap d'un comitè de bisbes dels Estats Units ad hoc per a l'aplicació dAmoris Laetitia Entre altres coses, les directrius de Filadèlfia afirmen que mentre que les parelles divorciades i tornades a casar civilment han de ser benvingudes a les parròquies i acompanyades per sacerdots, que no poden rebre la comunió a menys que visquin com a germà i germana.

Referències

Bisbes estatunidencs
Bisbes irlandesos
Filòsofs irlandesos
Filòsofs del segle XX
Filòsofs del segle XXI
Teòlegs irlandesos
Teòlegs catòlics
Teòlegs del segle XX
Cardenals estatunidencs
Cardenals creats pel Papa Francesc
Arquebisbes estatunidencs
Dublinesos
Alumnes de la Pontifícia Universitat Gregoriana
Alumnes de la Universitat Pontifícia de Salamanca
Alumnes de la Universitat Pontifícia de Sant Tomàs d'Aquino
Bisbes nomenats per Benet XVI
Alumnes de la Universitat de Salamanca
Alumnes de la Universitat de Notre Dame
Arquebisbes irlandesos
Filòsofs catòlics
Teòlegs estatunidencs
Camarlencs de l'Església Romana
Filòsofs estatunidencs
Emigrants irlandesos cap als Estats Units

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This plan is specially designed for those traders who want to trade or invest in Shariah-compliant stocks in Indian equity market. In this plan we will provide Investment Advice for the CASH Market segment in Stock / Equity Market. Investment Advice will be provided via SMS on mobile or our android messenger. These services are suitable for small term investors / traders, who want to trade on swing based momentum of stock and to trade in intraday too.
Investment Advice only in NIFTY500 Shariah Index shares only.
Shariah Stock (Cash) - Buy Maruti @ 8800 with T1 – 8880, T2 – 8960 and SL below 8720.
Shariah Stock (Cash) Update - Our Maruti call achieved both the targets, book full profits.


So after owning the car for a little over 1.5 years this is the first time I have ever had the doors on it! going through the 2.5 sets of doors I have to find the straightest and least rusty ones, i'll then get them all blasted.
In this pic you can also see I have new front runners, and the passenger side guard is an example of what the car will look like!
f*#k the thing looks good with the hanging panels. I was wondering how this was getting on.
Shame it's not rego'd. You'd run riot down here chopping people. They'd never suspect the humpy.
lol you think the lumpy cam and side pipe is stubble enough to go sleeper Jonno ?
do this at the lights ?
so I put all the doors on and did some grinding on the bottom of them to see if there was any rust, found a few issues in some of them so still trying to get the best doors picked out.
and started work on the firewall section.
got some go fast bits for the new diff!
sorted out the adjustable steering arms by getting a bit of hex rod machined up to suit the two different threads and also the adjustable steering arm adaptors that fit the rose joints onto!
remade the boot floor, and then re-made the tank mounts and straps, all finished now aside from trimming the rear of the floor and bending the sides down.
its not quite finished but its pretty close, and the parts needed to install the tub were the main ones I focused on.
so you like the side pipe ? 2 step side pipe ?
Thing looks staunch as f*#k with the wheels on it! Tell me you are painting it that factory greeny-aqua?
nope its the royal blue that at the top of the forum page on the front guard.
yeah im slack, plus we had a baby in September!
so all the boot/diff/floor sheeting is pretty much done.


BU said in yesterday's media session that Damonte actually prefers to come off the bench, and Underwood himself has no problem with it.
Thank god all the BTN games can be streamed on Foxsportsgo because btn2go.com is having a security issue and the btn2go app is just generally trash.
Turns out completely blowing up the roster might not have been the best idea.
So we have two plays on offense?? Wtf? Pinch post hand off and the lob.
Dude, there's no motion or ball movement on offense right now. Just one on one nonsense.


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"Remember the dead, fight like hell for the living",
On 28 April each year, unionists recognise International Workers Memorial Day to "Remember the dead, fight like hell for the living",placing out a pair of work shoes to represent each person killed in a workplace. Each year in Victoria, nearly 30 people are killed by industrial negligence – and that's just according to the official statistics. Many, many more workers die on our roads, or from illnesses they developed in the line of their work. But incredibly it has taken over 20 years of campaigning to hold businesses criminally accountable for these deaths.
The recent Trades Hall campaign, supported by the families of Jack Brownlee and Charlie Howkins, met with Daniel Andrews and secured a commitment to make industrial manslaughter a crime. Workplace Manslaughter laws were passed in Victorian Parliament in November 2019.
Each shoe here represents a worker killed in the previous year to April 28 – Workers' Memorial Day. Each shoe represents a family and community devastated by grief. We also recognise the nearly 30,000 workers who suffer serious physical and psychological injury at work. The union movement stands with the families and communities of workers killed and injured at work, and we will continue to campaign until every worker returns home safe.


low cost jsp application low cost jsp application Handler_discover The MySQL server can ask the NDB Cluster storage engine if it knows about a table with a given name. This is called discovery. Handler_discover indicates the number of times that tables have been discovered via this mechanism. Handler_prepare A counter for the prepare phase of two-phase commit operations. Added in MySQL 5.
low cost jsp application 0.3. Handler_read_first The number of times the first entry was read from an index. If this value is high, it suggests that the server is doing a lot of full index scans; for example, SELECT col1 FROM foo, assuming that col1 is indexed. Handler_read_key The number of requests to read a row based on a key.
low cost jsp application If this value is high, it is a good indication that your tables are properly indexed for your queries. Handler_read_next The number of requests to read the next row in key order. This value is incremented if you are querying an index column with a range constraint or if you are doing an index scan. Handler_read_prev The number of requests to read the previous row in key order. This read method is mainly used to optimize ORDER BY .


Avrom \a-vrom, av-rom\ as a boy's name is a variant of Abraham (Hebrew), Abram (Hebrew) and Avram (Hebrew), and the meaning of Avrom is "father of a multitude (of nations); high father".
The baby name Avrom sounds like Avrum and Aviram. Other similar baby names are Amram, Aram, Arram, Avrel and Avry.


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Home Business & Work Introducing the 2016 ONA-Poynter Leadership Academy for Women in Digital Media
Introducing the 2016 ONA-Poynter Leadership Academy for Women in Digital Media
March 10, 2016 Katie Hawkins-Gaar
The Leadership Academy for Women in Digital Media
Category: Business & Work
Get ready to meet the next wave of journalism leaders.
The Poynter Institute and the Online News Association have announced the second class of the ONA-Poynter Leadership Academy for Women in Digital Media, a program designed to offer leadership training to rising stars working at U.S.-based news organizations.
The 28 women, chosen from more than 420 applicants, will spend a week at Poynter for tuition-free training focused on topics such as developing effective management styles, navigating newsroom and digital culture, building entrepreneurial collaborative teams, managing across differences and coaching critical thinking. Building off of the success of last year's program, the closed-door sessions will allow for honest discussion aimed at giving participants a built-in support system that lasts far beyond the week.
The class includes women at a variety of stages in their careers, who all demonstrate potential for rising to the highest ranks of media leadership. The class also represents a variety of news organizations, in size, scope and location.
The group is comprised of women from digital organizations such as BuzzFeed's Tamerra Griffin, NowThis' Dhiya Kuriakose and Medium's Katie Zhu. Women working at legacy organizations include Kelly Alfieri of The New York Times, who served as product and operational lead on NYT VR, the Times' recently launched virtual reality platform, and Swati Sharma, who led the team behind one of The Washington Post's standout projects of 2015, the story of a Syrian family who migrated to Hungary. Startups are represented in the academy as well: Veralyn Williams is managing editor of digital journalism platform Brooklyn Deep, and Carolina Guerrero created Radio Ambulante, a Spanish language podcast devoted to Latin American stories.
"It's a privilege to advance the cause of women leaders in media, because journalism will be better for it," said Kelly McBride, Poynter's vice president for academic programs. "Poynter has always promoted best practices of leadership as a critical component of media organizations. In doing this work, we've encountered many examples of women providing the type of transformational leadership that helped a company thrive. I have no doubt that we are making newsrooms better by helping women break into the ranks of executive leadership."
"Once again, it was overwhelming to see the quantity and quality of talent emerging from newsrooms across the U.S.," said Jane McDonnell, ONA's executive director. "Our hope is that by combining experienced women executives, candid conversations and a growing cohort, there will be a built-in support system for a diverse field of leaders in digital journalism."
This year's participants are:
Kelly Alfieri, Executive Director, Special Editorial Projects; The New York Times
Johanna Barr, Senior Editor, The Huffington Post
Amy Elliott Bragg, Content Director, Issue Media Group
Delaney Chambers, Product Manager, The Atlantic
Emily Chow, Story Team Assignment Editor, The Washington Post
Kimberly Chua, Web Producer, San Francisco Chronicle
Jessica Gilbert, Digital Creative Director, The McClatchy Company
Tamerra Griffin, Breaking News Reporter, BuzzFeed News
Carolina Guerrero, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Radio Ambulante
Ngan Hoang, Front-End Designer, Vox Media, Inc.
Dhiya Kuriakose, Sr. Strategist for Emerging Media, NowThis
Nishat Kurwa, Senior Producer, Digital; Marketplace
Jenny Lawton, Executive Producer, "Studio 360," WNYC
Yvonne Leow, Senior Snapchat Editor, Vox.com
Stephanie Pedersen, Senior Editor, Digital; Ledger-Enquirer
Samantha Ragland, Digital Content Strategist, The Palm Beach Post
Rachel Rodriguez, Social Media Producer, CNN International
Rachel Rohr, Digital and Social Media Producer, NPR
Rachel Schallom, Interactive Designer, Fusion
Swati Sharma, Foreign Digital Editor, The Washington Post
Gabby Sims, Digital Content Director, KLTV
Meghan Sims, Director of Video Product and Operations; McClatchy
Erin Skarda, Digital Editor, 5280 Magazine
Tasha Stewart, Entertainment Editor, WCPO
Leezel Tanglao, Senior Multiplatform Editor, CNNMoney
Julie Westfall, Real-Time News Editor, Los Angeles Times
Veralyn Williams, Managing Editor, Brooklyn Deep
Katie Zhu, Product Manager and Engineer, Medium
Participants will spend May 1-6 together at The Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida. The week will include sessions from women leaders in journalism, including Amy O'Leary, editorial director of Upworthy, Jennifer Brandel, founder and CEO of Hearken, and Charo Henriquez, executive digital editor of People En Español. Kari Cobham, Meghann Farnsworth, Masuma Ahuja and Elite Truong, all members of last year's academy, will return as guest faculty.
The week of training is tuition free, thanks to support from the McClatchy Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Google and Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and craigconnects. Poynter will host future Leadership Academies for Women in Digital Media and is currently exploring opportunities to expand the program.


Green Man Gamings' Publishing side, Green Man Loaded, announced the release date for their newest title Glitchrunners today. The game, developed by indie UK developer Torque Studios, will release on April 8 on Steam for PC and Mac.
Glitchrunners is a five player asymmetric multiplayer title where four players run around trying to dodge the constantly changing environment controlled by the fifth player.
Kotaku listed the title as on of their 51 UK games to look out for in 2016.
You can check out the launch trailer below and head over to the Glitchrunners website to download the demo and read more about the game.


Estate and Wealth Transfer | Ronald A. Harczak, Inc.
Deciding how you want to be remembered after you're gone can be one of the most important decisions you make. Do you want your legacy to be judged by your entire life or by a bitter legal battle over your assets?
People often avoid the issue of death, but in the case of estate planning, it's really about focusing on life. You're no doubt proud of your accomplishments in life. Your children, your career or your impact on others' lives – these are the types of things that should be remembered.
With the proper techniques and planning, you can help ensure that you're remembered for the impact you had on your community and your world. Wills and a financial power of attorney, along with a living will and a medical power of attorney, make up the four basic documents and preparations of estate planning. They are, however, only a few of the many options you have when it comes to deciding what your legacy will be.
Let us help you take that first step toward developing an estate plan.


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Gary Neville: 'Manchester United Will Probably Win League Before Liverpool'
Gianni Verschueren@ReverschPassTwitter LogoFeatured ColumnistAugust 14, 2019
Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images
Former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville believes his old club will "probably" win the Premier League before rivals Liverpool.
The Reds may have finished a gargantuan 31 points ahead of the Red Devils last season, falling just a single point short of the title, but Neville believes the cycle of English football will lead United back to the top.
He said as much during an appearance on Sky Bet's The Big Season Debate (h/t Mirror's Darren Wells):
"I can guarantee you as clear as day, Manchester United will win again. They'll probably win the league before Liverpool, in my opinion.
"And that's not being disrespectful, they'll probably win the league before Liverpool.
"It genuinely does not concern me because it can be corrected by a little bit of money on the stadium and good decisions in the boardroom and good decisions in the recruitment department.
"What I'm saying is, Liverpool, [Manchester] City, Tottenham [Hotspur], all these clubs have had poor recruitment policies over the last 25 or 30 years at times. So United are going through one at the moment.
"Eventually they will stumble upon the right recruitment system, the right recruitment people, they'll get a great manager—hopefully that's Ole—and they'll start to win again. That's going to happen."
He also said the Red Devils are closer to contention than people think, and things aren't as bad as they are being made out.
Neville also predicted Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool soon:
Sky Bet @SkyBet
"Manchester United will win the league before Liverpool... Salah will leave... I absolutely guarantee,". 😲 Some BIG words from @GNev2. 😳🤔 👇 You can watch the full video exclusively below.
Liverpool won last year's UEFA Champions League, their sixth in total, but have been waiting for domestic silverware since 1990.
They came agonisingly close last season, finishing narrowly behind a Manchester City team that won 32 of its 38 matches. The two sides were a clear cut above the rest—third-placed finishers Chelsea trailed Liverpool by 27 points.
Liverpool didn't make any big signings in the summer but also didn't lose any key players. They're expected to once again challenge City for the title, while United will likely battle Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur for a spot in the top four and a Champions League ticket.
OLI SCARFF/Getty Images
United have won 20 First Division and Premier League titles, with their most recent coming in 2013. They have only finished in the top four twice since then, however, and won just half of their Premier League matches last season.
The Red Devils did strengthen their squad in the summer, signing Harry Maguire from Leicester City and investing in young talents Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
There are still questions surrounding manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but after the 4-0 win over Chelsea, his status is trending upwards:
Gary Lineker @GaryLineker
Stunning pass from @paulpogba, beautiful finish by @MarcusRashford and I suspect Solskjaer is no longer favourite to be the first Premier League manager to get the sack.
United are consistently listed among the most valuable clubs in the world and have the transfer budget to improve their squad in a hurry as a result. While the Reds appear much closer to a Premier League title for now, the Red Devils have the means to close the gap in the near future.


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Thirsty For Romance Thursday Bargains, Freebies & Reviews →
Captivating The Scoundrel New Release & Review Blitz
Captivating the Scoundrel, an all-new
historical standalone in the Legendary Rogues series from
USA Today bestselling author Darcy Burke, is available now!
Daphne Foliot has always known she'll be married off to a man who, like her, descended from one of King Arthur's fabled knights. That doesn't mean she wants to be, even if it is her beloved father's wish. Raised without a mother, she owes everything to the man who encouraged and funded her education and supports her dream of becoming the first female member of the Order of the Round Table. But when she suspects her chosen husband is a traitor to the Order, she plans to expose his treachery, regardless of their extraordinary mutual attraction.
Heir to the thirteen treasures of Britain, Gideon Kersey vows to do anything to protect his family's legacy from a secret society bent on exploiting the items for personal gain, including marry a woman he doesn't love. Except she ignites a passion he was certain died with his first wife, and when the truth behind the Order's objectives threatens everything Daphne knows, Gideon must fight to save her—and any future they hope to share.
I read book #3 of this series and loved it, and was looking forward to more of the same.
I just couldn't get into this book. It does have a similar nature to "Lord of Fortune" but unlike that book I just couldn't get drawn in.
I gave this story 3.75 of 5 stars for storyline and characterization. The heat is there but the chemistry seems lacking. I may try re-reading this one later. Maybe I will see it differently the second time around.
I received a complimentary copy of this book to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2AwKnck
AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2M0mLjw
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/CaptivatingtScoundrel
Nook: http://bit.ly/2C4kP6q
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2scvGqv
Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2scmJO3
Daphne took the opportunity to peruse the bookshelves in case something spectacular leapt out at her—such as the name Anarawd. As if Bowen would keep such a valuable item out in the open or that it would be so clearly labeled.
Instead, what leapt at her was the stoic Earl of Stratton. Well, not leapt, precisely, but he did approach her. "You look as though you'd like to spend the next week in here with Rhys's books."
She pivoted toward him. "I would, in fact. I see your interest is similar." She inclined her head toward the book in his hand. His forefinger was inserted between the pages to keep his place. "What are you reading?"
"Just an old poem."
"Is that like Cate's 'old sword'?" The words fell out of her mouth before she could censor herself. "Pardon me," she murmured, turning from him and edging away along the bookshelf.
"Are you suggesting this book and Cate's artifact are more than what we say?"
She shrugged. "I find with antiquarians, you can never be quite certain they speak the truth." She cast him a cautious look, thinking she should probably stop talking entirely. Better still, she should take her leave before she said something truly regretful.
He surprised her by chuckling. "You are, of course, correct. But this really is just an old poem." He opened the tome and showed it to her. It was written in Middle English.
"'Pierce the Ploughman's Crede,'" she said, recognizing the lines.
"Very good. Tell me, if I pull a random text from the shelf and read a few lines, will you be able to guess what it is?"
That sounded like a terribly fun game. And she wanted to play it—with him. Her heart picked up speed. "Probably."
"Astonishing," he whispered.
About Darcy:
Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, emotional historical and contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations. Join her reader club at http://www.darcyburke.com/readerclub. A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious kids who seem to have inherited the writing gene, two Bengal cats and a third cat named after a fruit.
Connect with Darcy:
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Please check back in September 2019 for our 2020 King William Fair Art & Craft Vendor application.
Work must be handmade. No buy – sell products allowed. Artist must be present at the show. The King William Fair is a non-smoking event.
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"This is the best one day show I do the whole year, in attendance and in sales. It is absolutely the most enjoyable show I do. You are by far the best organized, well publicized and patron friendly show I have had the pleasure of participating in."
"We had been on the wait list and were so excited to be included at the last minute. People were wonderful and helpful, sales were far beyond expected, our location could not have been better, organization was excellent, and the parade and local residents were so enjoyable. We hope to be invited back next year. Thanks again!"


Retargetable compilers generate code using machine-independent algorithms guided by the results of an analysis of the target machine. The analysis may be performed either by the compiler writer or by a compiler phase construction program. An implementation must be found for each operation of the source language.
Additional analysis may reveal special features of the target architecture that may be exploited to generate efficient code. Such analysis is optional; it affects only the quality of the code produced. This dissertation examines one method of automating the examination of a machine description to discover machine-specific idioms for inefficient instruction sequences.
Previous techniques discovered idioms by composing instructions into sequences and searching for more efficient implementations of those sequences. Analysis by composition takes time exponential in the length of the sequences examined. Practical considerations limit such analysis to sequences composed of pairs of instructions. The thesis of this dissertation is that an interesting class of idioms can be discovered by decomposing instructions into inefficient sequences to be avoided during compilation. Decomposition is shown to take no more time than composition in the worst case, and is shown to take less time on the average. Analysis by decomposition naturally discovers idioms for sequences longer than pairs of instructions.
Idioms on a target machine and predicates for their applicability are discovered during compiler construction. Consequently, alternative instruction sequences must be identified without knowledge of the particulars of individual programs, such as instances of instruction sequences, operands, or data flow contexts. These program-dependent properties can be exploited by recording the conditions under which one instruction sequence is equivalent to another. Program-independent predicates on instruction equivalence are evaluated during compiler construction, leaving only program-dependent predicates to be evaluated during compilation.
The design of an idiom discoverer is discussed and a prototype implementation is examined. One application of idioms is demonstrated with a prototype retargetable transformer of assembler source code. This transformer can be used to replace hand-written case analysis routines in a retargetable code generator. Other applications of idioms are suggested.


text:
Congress needs to prioritize government digital service delivery
By Matthew Schrader, opinion contributor — 09/14/20 01:00 PM EDT
The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill
View Latest Opinions >>
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, federal government employees across the country had to make dramatic changes to the way they operate. The country's largest workforce shifted toward telework, and citizen services moved to being digital-first or in many cases, digital-only experiences.
Government digital service delivery, while ramping up before the pandemic, has become a front-burner issue in these unprecedented times. Federal agencies have increasingly adopted digital transformation tools at scale — cloud services, electronic signatures, virtual private networks (VPNs), web conferencing platforms, among others — to ensure mission continuity and drive more impactful citizen experiences.
Some agencies, such as the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Agriculture have improved their user experience and employee productivity by updating their websites, digitizing paper-based forms or using cloud based electronic signature technology. The Department of Energy, as a leader in federal IT policy implementation, has accelerated compliance with the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA) by leveraging its Innovation Community Center (ICC) and artificial intelligence/machine learning technology to digitize more than 150 forms and use of electronic signatures to help streamline service delivery and reduce paper and overall costs.
There is still work to be done to improve digital service delivery in the Federal government, and the time to act is now. With the end of the government's current fiscal year fast approaching, Congress and Executive Branch leaders must be prepared to push the boundaries on what's possible in digital government. The opportunities are attainable but will require focus and prioritization from federal IT leaders and legislators alike.
One of the greatest barriers to the federal government's digital service delivery transformation is a lack of Development, Modernization and Enhancement (DME) funding. According to data from ITDashboard.gov, which provides budget and performance data on the federal government's IT investments, only 21 percent of the total FY2020 federal IT budget ($14.5 billion) is allocated for DME funding, compared to 79 percent budgeted for Operation and Maintenance (O&M). As a result, federal agencies struggle to meet ongoing digital government congressional mandates or OMB directives such as the 21st Century IDEA, Creating Advanced Streamlined Electronic Services for Constituents Act (CASES Act) or OMB M-20-19: Harnessing Technology to Support Mission Continuity.
According to data sourced from Adobe Analytics, government websites in March-April 2020 experienced a visit growth twice as large as average compared to all other industries in the United States, especially on mobile devices.
Citizens have high expectations set by their online experiences with private sector banking, shopping, entertainment, especially now where the trend to move to digital is only increasing. In addition to reallocating funding, Congress should consider the recommendation of several congressional leaders to add 21st Century IDEA or a citizen service metrics to the future FITARA scorecard. These metrics would ensure that modernization of federal agency digital services remains a top priority with government technology leaders and delivers meaningful value to taxpayers.
Congress should also vote to fully fund the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) above the original authorized level of $500 million to address current telework and IT modernization needs. This program has been chronically underfunded, not receiving an appropriation to match its annual authorized level of $250 million. The TMF is a critical program to help alleviate some of the DME versus O&M imbalance, will accelerate adoption of federal telework services and should also continue to follow the House Appropriations Committee guidance "to prioritize and fund those projects that have the most significant impact on mission enhancement and that most effectively modernize citizen-facing services."
There is also tremendous promise in building better, more lasting public-private partnerships via the GSA Centers of Excellence (COEs). Legislation such as the Modernization Centers of Excellence Program Act, a bipartisan, bicameral bill introduced by Sens. Rob Portman Robert (Rob) Jones PortmanGraham pushes Schumer for vote to dismiss impeachment article Impeachment trial tests Trump's grip on Senate GOP GOP in bind over Trump as corporate donations freeze MORE (R-Ohio) and Maggie Hassan Margaret (Maggie) HassanBipartisan group of senators: The election is over Seven Senate races to watch in 2022 Insurers lose multiyear lobbying fight over surprise medical bills MORE (D-N.H.) and Rep. Ro Khanna Rohit (Ro) KhannaHouse Democrats introduce measures to oppose Trump's bomb sale to Saudis House impeaches Trump for second time — with some GOP support Stacey Abrams gets kudos for work in Georgia runoff election MORE (D-Calif.), would codify the existing COE program, while further encouraging agencies to utilize private sector innovation and proven commercially available technology to deliver enterprise transformation across mission critical agencies.
The COVID-19 pandemic is transforming so much about how we live and work. Government is transforming too. Now is the time for Congress to enact policies and budgets that increase IT funding and make it easier for agencies to realize proven, scalable and secure digital service delivery.
Matthew Schrader is the director of government relations & public policy for Adobe.
Tags Maggie Hassan Rob Portman Ro Khanna E-Government Telecommuting digital Modernization