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Dirty Bombs
By Nyte Kat
Someone is stealing radioactive materials. Will the Swat Kats be able to figure out who before the city goes up in a giant mushroom cloud?
Title: Dirty Bombs
Author(s): Nyte Kat
E-mail address: blu_haiku@yahoo.com
Warnings: Some foul language, explosions/violence, mild innuendo
Disclaimer: "Swat Kats" is a registered trademark of Hanna Barbara, I don't own or profit from said cartoon… etc. etc. etc.
Summary: Someone is stealing radioactive materials. Will the Swat Kats be able to figure out who before the city goes up in a giant mushroom cloud?
Jake dragged his weary body into his dark bedroom. He didn't bother to turn on the light. If he did, it would mean facing the mess he hadn't had time for. Instead he carefully felt his way over to the fan in the window, turned it on medium and collapsed onto his bed. A sharp gasp of pain escaped his lips. His entire body hurt.
An Hour Earlier…
Razor was rappelling down the side of MegaKat Towers. Slowly. His timing had to be just right. He stopped short of the 15th story and opened a strategically placed black box. Inside was a tangled mess of wires and a timing device, counting down until the explosion that would send Megakat Towers toppling with hostages inside.
"No pressure." Razor re-assured himself as he carefully studied the mechanics of the bomb.
There was no question. This new villain had a brain coupled with a passion for blowing up things. This one was easy, though. For Razor, anyway. He knew what he was doing.
The timer stopped. He took a short breath and began to dismantle it just in case he missed anything. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his ride. The Turbokat was approaching. T-Bone was going to level himself with the building and raise up underneath Razor, so that he could easily slide into the jet. But that was as long as there were no mishaps. And a mishap was fast approaching in the form of a rather large blade.
Razor looked up sharply, hearing something hiss through the air. Something that looked like a boomerang made out of a lawnmower blade swooped through the air.
"Crud!" Razor gasped just as his line was cut. "T-Bone!" he shouted into his headset.
T-Bone's eyes widened as he closed the gap between himself and his partner. "Shit!" he cursed as Razor's body connected with the wing with a loud "SMACK". Slowly, he lowered the jet to where he could use the VTOL engines and pull his partner into the jet.
"Razor?" he called his partner's name, receiving a moan in response. "Well, at least you're alive. Feral can finish this."
In a moment, all that was left behind were fumes from the engines.
In the Hangar
Chance tossed off his helmet and mask, throwing them onto the floor. Then he pulled off Jake's.
"Buddy!" He shook Jake. "Wake up!"
Jake hissed loudly and tried to curl up into a ball, but the pain in his ribs prevented him from doing so. At least his eyes were open.
"Jake, I swear to God, jump like that again and I'll kill you myself!" Chance exclaimed, helping Jake out of his flight suit.
"I didn't jump. That jackass cut my line." Jake said just above a whisper.
"Well, we can't do anything now." Chance said. "You think anything's broken?"
"My ribs…" Jake said, wincing as he tried to sit up. "Definitely my ribs."
"Well that we don't have to make up an excuse for the emergency room. I can wrap that up for you." Chance began fishing around for the emergency med kit. "What about your head? You got knocked out pretty hard."
"Maybe a mild concussion. I'll just take some aspirin." Jake let his eyes droop shut for a moment.
Chance turned around sharply, hearing a loud bang. "Mild concussion my tail!" He picked Jake up. "Wake up!" Chance gave him a quick slap across the face.
"Wha…" Jake winced. "What the hell?"
"You passed out on me." Chance gave him a hard look.
Jake brought his paw to his head and winced. "I think I need to lay down for a minute." He felt dizzy.
Back upstairs
Chance flipped on the light to Jake's room. It had been a couple of hours since Jake went to bed. He needed to wake him up for a few minutes. Just in case. Chance didn't think concussions were a big deal. But hospitals were too much of a risk to take chances. Jake was sprawled out on his stomach. He'd barely made it on the bed, not bothering to crawl under the covers.
"Jake." Chance sat on the edge of the bed and gave his best friend a gentle shake.
Jake groaned lightly and blinked. "What?"
"Can you sit up?" Chance asked.
"No." Jake whispered.
"Well just try, ok?"
Jake sighed. Chance worried too much about him. Sure, without his weapons spec, he was pretty much screwed. And, without his best friend, the garage would be pretty boring. But, right now, Jake just wanted to sleep. So, he forced himself up, pain etching itself across his features.
"Happy?" Jake whimpered.
"Not really." Chance almost chuckled.
"It's not funny." Jake frowned.
"No, it isn't." Chance agreed, forcing a serious look onto his face.
Jake looked around his room slowly and frowned deeper. "You couldn't have left the light off."
"Does it hurt your head?" Chance asked.
"No, but seeing this mess does." Jake sighed.
Chance quirked an ear and looked around. There were a couple articles of clothing thrown on the floor and a sketchbook with its pages flopping in front of the fan. Other than that, the room was spotless and meticulously organized. "Right, would you feel better in my room? Because compared to it, yours is more sterile than a hospital."
"You're a slob," Jake stated dully.
"I know." Chance smiled. "So, you think this kat'll pop up again?"
"I know he will," Jake said, staring vacantly at the closet door. "He enjoys what he does too much to stay hidden for too long. We aren't dealing with an overzealous megalomaniac this time. We've got a real psycho on our paws."
"How do you figure?" Chance leaned against the wall, throwing his feet up on Jake's bed.
Jake gave a disgusted look at Chance's dirty feet and sighed. "His bomb. I've disarmed too many to count and his was just so… perfect. You could almost taste how much satisfaction came out of making it." He slouched. "He definitely enjoys blowing things up. But more than that, he loves set ups. We need to tread carefully. I think he knew I was going to dismantle that one. He was waiting for me to finish to cut my line. And he knew you'd catch me." Jake rubbed his temples. "He's probably not even losing sleep over this."
Jake started to get up, then clutched his head. "Crud!" He hissed. "Hand me that sketchbook."
Chance frowned, "I don't think you need to be worrying about what he'll do next right now."
Jake heaved a deep sigh. "Chance we're dealing with a bloodthirsty criminal. We need to be ready."
"How do you know so much about this kat?" Chance crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for a good reason to let Jake stay up and work on this.
"When we were in the academy, I was working on a couple of projects in the weapons department. You know that huge plasma extractor ray they premiered at Pumadyne a few weeks ago?"
"Yeah?" Chance replied.
"I laid the groundwork for that project. Plasma weapons require a specific molecular compound. They pulled it right out from underneath me as soon as I got the equations right."
"What's that got to do with this?" Chance grew impatient. Jake had a bad habit of losing him when he started talking about some of his projects.
"Well, I wasn't the only one working on this. There was this other kat. I can't remember what his name is, but he was an explosives technician. Loved his job. Was always coming up with these advanced detonation devices. He taught me everything I know about blowing things up." Jake gave half a smile, but it faded quickly. "Some of his ideas were more than gruesome and the Enforcers were afraid of the repercussions of using his devices. So they pulled the plug on him." Jake chewed his bottom lip. "This looks like his work. And no one loved his job more than him… " Jake stopped, his eyes widening. "Rahl. His name was Rahl Bengal. They'd brought him from Serbia to get an inside visual of the mechanics of guerilla terrorism. And ended up giving him a position training Enforcer weapons specialists."
"Then he's gotta be our kat." Chance said, still not handing over the sketchbook.
"Well, not necessarily." Jake said softly, a deep look of thought on his face.
"What do you mean?" Chance sat back down on the bed.
Jake gave him an annoyed look. "This attack was specifically targeted at us. It doesn't make sense. If it was Rahl, then I'm sure the attack would have targeted Feral, for firing him. And it would have been sooner. The handiwork is his. But the motive isn't. If he's involved, someone is using his services."
"Then what can we do?" Chance asked.
"Nothing. We'll have to bide our time until he resurfaces." Jake sighed, realizing there was nothing he could do except get a good night's sleep and worry about it later.
"In other news, Enforcers are investigating the theft of several density gauges from the department of transportation. A density gauge is used to test the compaction of recently compacted roads. It contains nuclear material and with the rise of crime in the city, officials are worried about the appearance of dirty bombs." Jake turned up the television, just barely catching the newscast.
"Great." Jake said softly. "Chance!" He yelled down into the garage.
"What?" Chance put down the blowtorch he was using, mild agitation on his face from being interrupted.
"You think you could give me a ride to the library?" Jake asked with a pleading smile.
"Why can't you go?" Chance asked, irritated.
"Because you're fixing my car and you need the tow truck in case someone calls." Jake reasoned.
"Can you wait like… an hour?" Chance wiped sweat off his forehead, smearing grease across his blonde fur.
"Yeah, that's fine." Jake walked away while he was talking.
Chance barely heard the "yeah" and sighed, returning to his work.
Jake began compiling a research list. The amount of nuclear materials in a density gauge was enough to cause a scare, possibly close off sections of the city and warrant evacuations. It wouldn't cause any severe radioactive poisoning. This was a scare tactic. There had to be something else. Why go through all the trouble to scare katizens? After a few moments of thought, he swiftly created a list of books.
Chance waited impatiently in the truck. Jake said he'd be only a few minutes. But that of course had turned into 30 minutes. He sighed.
"Come on already!" Chance groaned. Jake was like a kitten in a candy store when it came to books.
A few minutes later, Jake came out of the library with a heavy stack of books and a serious look on his face.
Chance leaned over and opened the door, a half smile on his face. "Need any help?" He chuckled.
"Actually, yeah." Jake handed the books over to Chance and slowly pulled himself into the cab of the truck. He quickly fastened his seatbelt and set the books on the floor between his feet.
"What took so long?" Chance asked.
"Well, surprisingly, there's quite a selection of literature on nuclear devices and 'cookbooks' so-to-speak. How-to's on making bombs. And even more surprisingly, you have to register to check out these books."
"So they are keeping tabs on you now?" Chance gave a nervous look.
"Yes and no." Jake gave a half smile. "I listed my apartment as my address."
"Your apartment?" Chance quirked an ear.
"When I was in the academy, I had an apartment. Some shitty little rat-hole in the west-end. The place is condemned now. And I didn't give my real name either." Jake slouched a little. "Do me a favor and skip the shortcuts. My ribs are killing me."
"I should take one anyway, after how you made me wait" Chance muttered but took the 'long way' despite how he felt.
Jake spent the next four hours in the hangar brainstorming and researching. After reviewing some basic chemistry and articles on terrorism, pieces began to come together. He swiveled his chair around and turned on the computer he'd built from scraps. After it slowly booted up, he connected to the internet and began to research local mining facilities.
"Dr. Greenbox…" he muttered recalling the events with Rex Shard some time ago. "Gamma Rays use concentrated isotopes of Cobalt 60." Cobalt 60 left a powder residue when used to cut through rare stones such as diamonds. In fact, some of Jake's weapons, like his diamond blades, were manufactured using gamma ray devices. He narrowed his green eyes and sighed. "Shit." He grabbed some of his paperwork and went upstairs.
"Come up with anything?" Chance said around a mouthful of cheese puffs, eyes glued to the television.
"Maybe." Jake grabbed the phone and disappeared into the bedroom. Deciding against risking his identity, he brought the phone back into the living room. "I think I'm going to pay Professor Hackle a visit."
"Why?" Chance diverted his attention for just a moment.
"Well, I think he might be able to help me with this. He's the one with the technology I used to create my diamond saw blade missiles." Jake said, his tone rapid. "I'm taking the cyclotron; if anything happens, just page me I guess."
"Be careful." Chance said dully, turning his attention back to Scaredy Kat. Whenever Jake got involved in a project, it was best to just let him do what he wanted and not bother asking too many questions, unless you wanted to get lost. "He needs to get laid." Chance said to himself, shaking his head.
Razor zipped the red and black motorcycle through a downtown tunnel. In no time, he'd passed the city limits and was flying down a dirt road, millions of thoughts and hypotheses running through his mind. It was a 20 minute trip to Professor Hackle's country home, if you did the speed limit. Razor did 120 the whole way. One of the many reasons Chance never let him drive.
He parked the bike and was about to knock on the door when it opened.
"Razor. I've been expecting you." The elderly professor said, his polish accent thick.
"Oh?" Razor narrowed his eyes.
Hackle invited him in.
"I was positive you were keeping track of the possibility of a nuclear threat in the city." Hackle talked as he led Razor into his basement laboratory. "There are three gamma rays in Megakat city."
"You, Pumadyne, and Megakat Mining Facility." Razor said. "One's missing."
"Megakat Mining Facility had their Gamma Ray revoked after the incident with Rex Shard." Hackle said. "It was given to Pumadyne for their weapons department. A few weeks ago, it disappeared. I know this because I'm involved in creating a way to counteract a nuclear attack. The Enforcer involvement is strictly upper rank and specialists. I'm sure if Feral wasn't so against what the SWAT Kats do, he'd find some way of involving you. But you're already involved."
"I'll wager he knows, but doesn't want to embarrass himself by admitting it." Razor said. "I have an idea of who we're dealing with. At least, the kat behind the devices. He's an accomplice, none the less."
"You need information." Hackle said, knowingly.
"Yes. Rahl Bengal." Razor said. "I'm sure you've heard of him."
"He's been working under the table for certain… individuals at Pumadyne." Hackle replied. "Commander Feral is working on a list of people related to Bengal. He's going to pull them in for questioning."
Razor quirked an ear. "How far back are they going?"
"Probably interviewing any one with anything against the city all the way back to other Serbs, and enforcers he worked with until he was dismissed." Hackle listed several organizations Bengal worked with. Razor took mental notes. After a few hours he decided he had enough information to eliminate Professor Hackle's involvement.
"Thanks for your help." Razor said quietly before revving up the cyclotron.
Jake sighed as he paced around the kitchen. He'd taken all the books he checked out back to the library after Hackle informed him that the Enforcers were pulling kats in for questioning. There was no doubt in his mind that he'd be pulled in. In fact, Feral probably saw him as a prime candidate. Any of his projects were safely stored away in the hangar. Jake, in his state of mind, had scrubbed their home from top to bottom, with the exception of Chance's bedroom. And was now biding his time. He pulled an apple out of the refrigerator and walked down into the garage. He hated to admit it, but when it came to fixing cars, Jake was kind of a slacker. He hated it. It was tedious and boring. For the most part, Chance found solace in fixing alternators.
"Hey, there's the lady of the house." Chance teased.
"Har har." Jake rolled his eyes and sat down at the desk to organize their paperwork and part orders.
"You know, maybe we'll get busy again someday and you'll actually have to pick up a wrench."
Jake tossed the apple core into the trash, and was just about to make a rude comeback when a shiny black sedan with dark tinted windows pulled into the yard, dust forming a heavy cloud behind it.
"Hey Chance, how old you say that she-kat was last week?" Jake asked nervously, bracing himself.
"Twenty-one. Why?" Chance looked up. "Crud." He muttered as three expensively suited kats exited the vehicle. "Can I help you?" Chance asked suspiciously.
"Is there a Jacob Clawson here?" The black furred kat wearing a Gucci wool suit asked.
Jake stood up. "That would be me."
"We need you to come with us." A caramel furred kat wearing a similar suit only a different color said.
"What for?" Jake attempted to study their features, but the dark glasses they all wore prevented him from getting anything.
"I'm afraid we cannot discuss that here." The third kat, also caramel furred, stated. "All I can tell you is that we need to ask you a few questions regarding your time spent as an Enforcer."
"You can't do that here?" Jake asked nervously. The thought of being escorted downtown made him nervous. "I mean, Chance was an enforcer too, I'm sure there isn't anything you need to know from me that he doesn't already know."
"I'm afraid that isn't possible." The black furred kat said. "You'll have to come with us. If not willingly, then by force."
Jake gave Chance an uneasy look.
"Hey, you didn't do anything, right?" Chance asked.
"No." Jake replied.
"Then don't worry about it. Just give me a call when they're done with you and I'll come pick you up." Chance frowned reading Jake's nervous expression, making a mental note to look at what Jake had been working on in the hangar.
Jake sighed and allowed the three kats to escort him to their car.
Chance watched the sedan leave the yard and then closed up shop, immediately heading downstairs. At the table with the computer were several notebooks and stacks of paper. He thumbed through it all finding schematics for nuclear devices, several pages of chemical compounds and isotopes that he didn't understand, and a list of several names. At the top of the list was a url. Jake had printed this off the enforcer database. He'd hacked the system.
"Crud, Jake, don't tell me you're getting arrested for hacking a federal website." Chance read over the names, beside them were dates. Beside Jake's name was today's date. "He knew they were coming." He said aloud.
Jake sat with both paws on the black table top. His legs spasmed underneath and his eyes darted anxiously around the room. There was a huge mirror covering the entire wall across from him. There was no doubt it was a two way mirror. The door opened and in walked Commander Feral holding a file. Jake rehearsed in his head what he was going to say, the answers to the questions Feral was going to ask. He licked his lips.
"Clawson." The commander sat stoically across from him. Without his mask and glovatrix, Jake felt so small and helpless.
"Commander." Jake replied quietly.
"Quite the reading list you've checked out of the library recently." Feral said.
Jake's eyes widened. How did he find out? Jake was positive he'd covered his tracks fairly well.
"You know what your greatest flaw as an Enforcer was?" Feral asked. "Common sense."
Jake thought hard and couldn't hold back the look of failure on his face when he realised he'd used his own library card to check out those books. "Right."
"What interest do you have in terrorism?" Feral stared hard into Jake's eyes.
"Nothing more than curiosity." Jake replied.
"Then why go to all the trouble to list a fake name and address?" Feral asked.
"Listen, I know this thing with the bomb is a big deal. I really didn't want to look suspicious. But I saw a challenge. I wanted to figure it out." Jake said honestly. It was true. He did want to figure it out, but not out of boredom.
"You don't have a criminal record. It doesn't make any sense for you to list an invalid address." Feral's voice was steady. Jake had only ever really been on the receiving end of anger and yelling.
"I got nervous I guess. I mean, it isn't really my place to be sticking my nose in this." Jake sighed.
Outside Enforcer Headquarters
"It's time." A figure watching the building from across the street laid down the binoculars they were holding and picked up a remote control. "Phase Two."
"Commander, do you really think I'd decide to blow up the city because I made a mistake in combat?" Jake was getting impatient. "I'm not a vindictive person. And furthermore, I accept the fact that I screwed up. I think being stuck away in some salvage yard is a lot better than getting court-martialed." Jake slouched.
Feral opened up his mouth to reply when the building shook violently. Jake grabbed ahold of the table. The door burst open.
"Commander, there's been explosion in the north wing." Felina shouted urgently.
"Well, begin evacuating the north wing." Feral hissed.
Just as the words left his mouth another explosion rocked the building this time shattering the two way mirror and collapsing the ceiling in the observation room.
"Commander, I think we need to leave." She insisted
Feral gave a hearty snarl and started barking orders. "Lt, take Clawson and begin evacuating the building."
Jake stood up quickly.
Felina gave him a disgusted look. "Follow me, and move it!" She ordered.
Jake followed. "Does this mean I'm off the hook?"
"Just keep your mouth shut." Felina snapped, her brain in work mode.
Jake followed her to the stairwell. He knew where they were going. To search for any victims and to evacuate any kats on the upper levels. The building shook and groaned as debris collapsed and settled. Felina opened the door to be greeted with smoke and dust.
"Do you have something to cover your face with incase the smoke gets too think?" She asked.
"I'll just use my shirt." Jake replied.
Chance jerked his head around, hearing the news bulletin. "Shit. Jake's down there!" He turned off the TV and headed for his locker. "Guess I'm goin' solo." Chance pulled on his mask.
Jake coughed, having inhaled some of the thick black smoke. "Lieutenant!" Jake called. "Over here!" He moved a piece of drywall off a she-kat. Kneeling down, he felt for a pulse. "She's still alive!"
Felina knelt down. "Can you carry her?" Jake nodded. "Be careful, she might have internal injuries."
Jake carefully put her in a fireman's carry, and they continued searching.
T-Bone flew the Turbokat around the area. There wasn't anything he could do. So, he landed on a nearby roof and listened to the enforcer band.
The floor groaned under Felina's weight. She stopped and looked around. "Go back!" She shouted.
Jake turned to go when the floor gave a loud creak and then gave out underneath him. It was only an 8 foot drop to the floor below him, but his feet landed on a chair, which rolled into a piece of debris and sent him face first to the floor.
Felina carefully dropped to the floor below.
Jake coughed from the dust and fiberglass. "Shit." He hissed.
The she-kat he'd dropped when he fell moaned.
"Miss, are you okay?" Jake slid beside her.
She tried to talk, but could only cough.
Jake bit his lip and helped her sit up. Something sticky dripped through his claws. He frowned and looked at her back. A large piece of glass was stuck right through her. She coughed again, and Jake pulled her into his lap so that she wasn't leaning back on the glass.
"Are you alright?" Felina knelt beside him.
"I'm fine. But I don't think she is."
As if on cue, the she-kat coughed again, splattering blood on Jake's face. Her body jerked and spasmed.
Jake tried to talk to her in a soothing voice, trying to relax her but nothing he said seemed to do it. Her eyes opened wide and she took a sharp breath. "Miss?" She stopped moving. Shaking, Jake felt for a pulse again and shook his head. He closed her eyes. "Is there anyone else on this floor?"
Felina shook her head. "I don't know." She stood up. "We should keep moving."
Jake nodded and pulled the limp body into his arms.
T-Bone scanned the evacuated kats, looking for Jake. Not seeing him, he sighed and drummed his claws anxiously. "There's gotta be something I can do!"
It seemed like hours later when Felina and Jake found the stairwell. They had found a couple of enforcers trapped in an office. Other than shaken up, they were fine.
"You know the way out?" Felina asked Jake.
"Yeah." Jake replied.
"Get them out of here." She ordered.
"What about you?" Jake looked around. "Someone has to stay with you."
"I'll be fine. You're not an enforcer anymore. If something happens to you, I'm responsible. So get out!"
Jake sighed, nodding. "Fine. I'll send someone in for you."
He turned around and led the two enforcers down the stairs. Jake switched the body to his other shoulder. He'd pulled the glass out of her back. Blood had dripped on to him, but he ignored it. Just as he opened the door leading to the next flight of stairs, another explosion rocked the building. Jake tried to hold on to the railing but lost his grip and fell down the stairs, smacking his head on the way down.
The two enforcers held out until the shaking stopped. "Oh my god." Petty Officer Lyger gasped seeing the smear of blood on the steps were Jake had smashed his head. The red trail followed Jake down. Sgt. Tigera hurried down the steps and shook Jake.
He groaned and sat up, feeling around his head. "Crud," he said feeling the open wound. The two enforcers helped him up and he leaned against the wall. "Get the girl." He said weakly. "We need to get out of here."
Lyger nodded and threw the she-kat's body over his shoulder. Tigera helped Jake up.
Felina kept going, checking every floor for survivors. She found several. Once she reached the 8th floor, a large piece of burning ceiling collapsed, blocking the way down.
"We'll have to make it to the roof!" She ordered, praying that a helicopter would be able to get to them.
Jake leaned against the wall, two more floors to go. He felt light headed. The blood trickled down his neck, sending a cold chill through his body.
"Come on." He pushed himself forward.
It felt like hours before they came into the lobby. Pushing the enforcers in front of them, he followed them to the door. Stopping suddenly and sniffing, Jake looked around sharply. He smelt gas fumes. Then he heard a clicking and popping. Like electricity. "GO!" He shouted pushing them forward. The blast came just as they opened the glass doors, sending all four bodies flying to the pavement outside.
T-Bone jerked up, feeling the shock of the explosion where he was. The smoke cleared and he saw four bodies being pulled away from the entrance. "Jake." He snarled. "You better be okay or I'm so kicking your ass!"
A few minutes after the explosion, his eyes caught movement on the roof. Several kats had made it on top of the building. T-Bone took that as his cue.
A few hours later, Chance went running through the crowded hospital. He was told Jake was on this floor. Hearing a familiar cry, he skidded to a halt. "Jake!"
Jake was being held still by two orderlies while they plucked the shards of glass out of his flesh. He was sitting up.
Chance took a sharp breath as he walked towards Jake. "Shit…"
Jake's back was burned and bleeding. His body was covered in drywall dust and soot.
"Is he gonna be alright?" Chance asked one of the nurses.
"Well, his back will have scars, and he'll be in some pain. But he'll be alright." She said. "Right now, my concern is this head injury."
Jake gave another whimper as they pulled out the final shard of glass before passing out.
"Get him on his side so I can stitch this up." She directed.
Chance stood back and watched, wincing at the size of the wound on the back of his head.
First he felt a sharp pain, and then overwhelming dizziness. Feeling daring, Jake cracked open his eyes. Wincing as the light felt like daggers being driven into his skull. More painful than the light, was his back. He'd been sunburned once, so bad he couldn't sleep. This felt worse. Far worse. Jake could feel the pain all the way through to his chest. His eyes jerked open after taking a deep breath sent a shockwave of pain through his body.
Chance had just walked in to see Jake's eyes open sharply. "Hey buddy."
Jake swallowed, his eyes darting around trying to find something to focus on.
Jake shook his head. "… hurts…" It was all he could say.
"I know. You want to try and sit up? Maybe it will help some." Chance offered cautiously. Jake had been in and out of consciousness for the past few days though incoherent.
Jake nodded. Chance gently helped Jake sit up.
Jake gasped, feeling his head reel. He felt nauseas. He threw out his hand pushing Chance backwards.
"Jake…" Chance stood back, watching the color drain from his friend's face. "Should I get the nurse?"
Jake nodded weakly, licking his lips as Chance left the room.
Chance ran down to the nurse's station. "Um, is there someone that can help me? Jake's awake."
One of the nurses on staff set down her paperwork and followed Chance back to the room.
Jake had vomited almost as soon as Chance had walked out the door. He was dry heaving when the nurse got there. "I'm sorry… I couldn't…"
"Shh, it's okay." She said sweetly. "Let's get you cleaned up and have a look at your back."
Chance waited outside, nervously chewing on his claw.
After a moment, the nurse stepped outside, telling him he could come back in the room.
"I'm going to get something for the pain. I'll be back in a few minutes." She said.
Jake was leaning weakly against the pillows. Opening and closing his eyes tiredly. "They get the kat?"
Chance shook his head.
"Feral thought…"
"Yeah I know; I went through your work."
"Chance.."
"Don't worry, I put everything back where I found it. But I needed to find out what was going on."
Jake swallowed. His throat was dry. "Felina.. did she get out?"
Chance nodded. "Yeah… um… one of the Swat Kats got her off the roof." He smiled.
Jake gave a soft chuckle, followed by a wince.
As if on cue, the nurse returned with a needle. "Alright, Jake. You'll be feeling great in about 5 minutes."
"Thank God…" Jake said.
Jake rubbed his eyes after he studied the information from the attack. Three bombs, strategically placed at major support points in the building. Remote detonated. There were several buildings with a perfect view of Enforcer headquarters. But, how did they get the bombs installed without being suspected? They weren't nuclear. Just regular homemade bombs.
"Jake, why don't you just let it go for now?" Chance suggested.
"Because the sooner someone figures out who's doing this, the sooner it will stop." Jake looked up tiredly.
"You're exhausted." Chance said. "You're in pain too. You need to just relax. Watch some TV or something. Just let this go until you feel better."
Jake just sighed and shook his head.
Chance half laughed and pulled the bottle of painkillers out of his pocket. "I believe these are yours."
"Thanks." Jake gave a weak smile.
"Just pop a couple of these and get some sleep and worry about this later." Chance said.
"You got a girl coming over or something?" Jake asked.
"You're trying to sedate me."
"Like I'd invite a girl over here. And make you jealous?" Chance laughed. "No. You just look beat."
"I feel beat." Jake sighed. "And, I hate fire. I'd take anything over being burned."
Jake stayed up until the pain pills made it too hard for him to keep his eyes open. "I guess I could call it a night." He put away all the papers and notes and curled up on his side.
A Few Days Later
Jake walked out of the hospital after having his burns looked at again. They still hurt badly, but there was nothing he could do unless he wanted to be so screwed up with pain pills he couldn't do anything. He and Chance were walking back to the truck when a she kat in a long black coat bumped into Jake.
"Hey!" He winced. "Jeez, when did people get so nice?"
Jake rubbed his shoulder and then cocked his head. "It's like 90 degrees out here. Awful hot to be wearing a coat like that."
Chance turned around. "Looks like one of those goth freaks."
Jake shrugged. "Let's get out of here. Something feels off."
"I think you're the one that's off." Chance teased.
That Afternoon
"For the past 3 months, crime has been on the rise in Megakat City. Dozen's of businesses have been robbed. But this morning, a hospital was robbed." Ann Gora said.
"What?" Jake turned up the TV. Chance had turned him into a couch potato since there wasn't a lot he could do right now.
"Officials aren't sure exactly how it happened. But one of the chemo-therapy machines was stolen right out of the cancer treatment ward."
"I don't know what this kat is building, but it's going to get messy." Jake sighed.
"Hospital officials have declined to comment on the lack of security."
"I would think so," Jake muttered.
He lay on his stomach, turning the TV off. Then he began to think. There were thousands of tools that used nuclear energy. Mostly for scientific reasons. Which one was the most powerful, next to strait up hitting a nuclear power plant? He thought back to when he was in high school and his advanced sciences class did a study on how nuclear power was important to the safety of society. There are machines with radioactive cores that are used to kill bacteria and disease in raw meat before it's packaged and sent to stores.
"That's gotta be it." Jake said to himself. "If someone touches just one of those cores, they're going to die in, like, a week." He mused for a second. "They wouldn't even have to take the whole machine, just swipe a couple of the cores. If they have a way to carry them without subjecting themselves to the radioactivity. A lead tube or something." But there weren't any meat packaging facilities in Megakat City. "If a rod goes missing, then it needs to be reported to the Department Of Nuclear Safety. Meaning Feral would know about it."
Jake jumped up off the couch, a move that brought tears to his eyes. "Crud." He winced. "Shake it off." Jake ordered himself and dusted off the radio he'd been working on a month or so ago. Then he went to his bedroom and pulled a couple of screwdrivers out of the nightstand.
Twenty minutes later, he turned it on. Then he adjusted the channels, finding the Enforcer band. If one was stolen, or about to be stolen he would hear about it. Then he pulled a notebook out from under the couch and began to put together a nuclear bomb that would use all the stolen nuclear components.
An hour later, Chance came up for a bite to eat. "You don't give up, do you?" He said shaking his head.
"No. I don't." Jake replied softly, his mind focused on what he was doing. Chance sat down in the living room, quirking an ear at the radio. "Spying on Feral, are we?"
"Actually, yes." Jake said. "You remember I said something about that girl at the hospital this morning?"
"Well, this morning, someone stole a chemo machine out of radiology." Jake said, shaking his head and erasing something on his notebook. "Well, it seems like this person is just working his or her way up to the most powerful nuclear device. Outside of a nuclear power plant… around here it's a device used to kill bacteria and disease in meat before it's packaged. Just one rod's enough to give you a lethal dose of radiation poisoning."
"So you're listening to see if one gets reported stolen?" Chance frowned.
"Uh huh." Jake said.
"Then what's with the notebook?" Chance asked.
"I'm building a bomb." Jake said, erasing something again. "In theory of course, but that's how it all starts. With a theory. I imagine I could build one as good as any professional. And, it gives us an idea of what we're looking for and how to disarm it."
"We? Jake if something comes up, we can't afford you getting a worse injury." Chance narrowed his eyes.
"Can you disarm a nuclear bomb?" Jake looked up, meeting Chance's eyes. There was a silent pause between them, enough to hear an order on the radio.
"I need two units to follow me to Banders Farms on route 409 just outside of the city. We've got a report of missing nuclear components." Feral's voice barked over the radio.
"Their kat's already gone. It will be put together in no time, then most likely placed somewhere in the center of the city. An ultimatum will be issued with a time limit… " Jake stopped. "This guy knows we'll show up once it hits the news. We need to be there before then. We need to be waiting." He looked back down at his work, realising he'd built the bomb. "We'll have to split up on this one. You take above ground, I go below."
"Can you handle it?" Chance asked softly, worry evident in his voice.
"Yes." Jake nodded firmly.
"Then let me go make sure everything's closed up."
T-Bone was doing a couple of flybys above the city, scoping it out. Razor had said to look for a place where a bomb would cause the most destruction. "Okay, they've hit Megakat Towers and Enforcer Headquarters." T-Bone thought for a minute. "City Hall." He drew a line in the air with his claw from Megakat Towers to Enforcer Headquarters, then to City Hall. It was a straight shot. "Razor" T-Bone pressed the button on his headset.
"Copy," Razor responded.
"I think City Hall is our target."
"The whole city." Razor replied. "Keep an eye on City Hall. If you see something suspicious, activate trace lock and send an anonymous bomb threat. They will have to listen and evacuate."
"Copy that." T-Bone nodded and watched.
Beneath the City
Razor zipped around until he was underneath City Hall. He looked around and up, seeing an entrance into the building from the tunnel. A rope ladder hung from the trap door. "T-Bone I found an entrance. I'm going in."
"Radio contact at all times." T-Bone ordered.
"Copy." Razor replied, gripping the thick rope, wincing as he pulled himself up, feeling something wet trickle down his back. He pushed open the door a little, enough to see he was at the basement. Hearing a noise below him, he jumped down, pushed the cyclotron into a nearby tunnel and climbed back up into the basement.
Inside the building, he used his flashlight to find a good place to hide. "I think he's here." Razor said softly. He watched, body completely still, breathing slow and steady.
The door opened and a light stick was thrown into the basement. The red glow filled a great deal of area with light. Razor made sure none of it revealed his location. Next came a very large contraption, much like something Jake had drawn earlier. Then, in climbed the she-kat he'd bumped into at the hospital. He watched her carefully set up the bomb and set the timer for an hour. After making sure everything was set up correctly, she set the light stick beside the bomb and dropped back down the ladder. Razor waited, making sure she didn't come back. When he was satisfied she'd left he pressed the button on his helmet.
"Give the bomb threat, T-Bone." Razor said flipping on his flashlight. "It's here."
"Crud." T-Bone hissed.
"Do you remember what that girl looked like from the hospital?" Razor asked.
"Good, then you have a description of our bomber." Razor studied the mechanics of the bomb. "We've got just under an hour."
T-Bone pressed a couple of buttons, one that covered his tracks so they couldn't trace where the transmission was coming from, and one that disguised his voice. "911."
"There's a bomb in City Hall." He said forcefully.
"Are you certain?" The dispatcher asked.
"Yes I'm certain. You need to have the building evacuated."
"Please hold on the line."
"Sorry, lady I can't do that." T-Bone disconnected himself and landed the jet on a nearby roof.
"Razor, is there anything I can do?"
"No." Razor said quietly.
City Hall Basement
Razor worked diligently, studying the structure of the bomb. The timing mechanism, the detonation device. He shook his head. "Okay… here's were all my hard work pays off."
Razor whipped around. "Crud."
"I'm not about to let you ruin all my hard work." The she-kat pointed a very large gun at Razor. "Now step away from the bomb."
"You can't shoot me, you'd set off the bomb and then it would kill both of us." Razor tried to reason with her.
"A good captain is willing to go down with the ship, Razor," she said calmly.
She wasn't afraid to die. Razor saw it in her eyes. He stared defiantly at her, until she cocked her weapon. He sighed and moved out of the way. Attempting to catch her off guard, Razor gave a swift kick to her paw, knocking the weapon across the basement, somewhere in the dark away from the bomb.
She snarled. "You think you're so smart. Figuring this out, getting one step ahead of me. But how long did it take? How many lives were lost? How many will be?" She faked a swing at his jaw and then kicked him right where it would hurt the most.
Razor grunted and dropped to his knees. "Son of a bitch…" He hissed, before forcing himself up. Then he gave a hard round house kick to her temple. Sending her flying to the ground. Razor allowed himself only a moment of satisfaction before she was back up. A connection with the backs of his knees sent him down and she dropped an elbow to his back. Razor's eyes burst open, pain rippling through his body. For a moment he thought he couldn't move, and then he found himself driving his fist into her jaw. He followed it with a powerful left hook, sending blood and saliva flying from her mouth.
"How's it coming, buddy." Razor heard T-Bone's voice in his ear.
"Uh… not so good." Razor dodged a kick. "I'll have to get back to you." The she-kat's foot connected with his chin. "Damn it!" Razor cursed, falling on his back. Then, as she was over top of him, Razor fired a bolo missile.
She gasped as the thick ropes wrapped around her tightly.
Razor wiped the sweat from his brow and began to disarm the bomb. With 10 minutes to spare, he radioed T-Bone. "It's disarmed. And the suspect is apprehended."
"Hey T-Bone?"
"Why the hell aren't the Enforcers here yet?" Razor asked.
"They're still looking for the bomb." T-Bone chuckled.
Razor shook his head. "I'm on my way up. Meet me at the south end of the tunnel."
Razor dropped down to the cyclotron and hopped on. Then he broke through to the enforcer band. "It's in the basement, and it's disarmed. Your suspect is there too. Anything else you want me to do for you?"
He could hear Feral grumbling and snarling just before breaking contact and getting as far away from the crime scene as possible.
Read and Review please.
Nyte Kat
Navigate Stories
Vive Le Starlis By Nikkitrina Feral
The Hunter By Mark Johnson
Barry Gordon gets Laryngitis
by Professor Isaac Hackle
"TMNT/Smurfs/Snorks/etc" Crossover. The Pastmaster casts a wierd spell, and a bunch of cartoon characters with strangely similar voices get to meet up.


FARMINGTON – A DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police investigation into turkey poaching led to the April 12 arrest of two Delaware men for multiple violations that occurred near Farmington in Kent County.
Josiah Richardson, 25, of Georgetown, was charged with one count each of conspiracy 3rd degree; illegal method of take; hunting wild turkeys out of season; hunting wild turkeys during prohibited hours; hunting wild turkeys without an approved course of instruction; failure to wear camouflage clothing while hunting wild turkey; possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle; hunting from a vehicle; shooting within 15 yards of a public roadway; and unlicensed hunting.
Todd Ellers, 19, of Harrington, was charged with one count each of conspiracy 3rd degree; hunting wild turkeys out of season; hunting wild turkeys during prohibited hours; hunting wild turkeys without an approved course of instruction; failure to wear camouflage clothing while hunting wild turkey; possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle; hunting from a vehicle; and possession of drug paraphernalia – marijuana-related.
Both Richardson and Ellers were arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 7 in Dover and released on their own recognizance, pending future court appearances in the Kent County Court of Common Pleas.
As a result of the arrests, a .22 caliber rifle was seized from Richardson as evidence.
Citizens are encouraged to report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580 or through the DENRP Tip app on a smartphone, which can be downloaded free of charge by searching "DENRP Tip" via the Google Play Store or the iTunes App Store. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030, going online to http://de.gov/ogt, or using the DENRP Tip app. Verizon customers can connect to Operation Game Theft directly by dialing #OGT.


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Last weekend was about getting dressed up in costumes, going trick or treating for Halloween, and then celebrating All Saints Day Parties. Some parents were industrious enough to have two costumes for their children: one for trick or treating, and one for All Saints Day. I used to make my kids wear their saints costumes for trick or treating and that in itself was very time-consuming. I do remember little Gabe dressed as St. Patrick, complete with the crosier, and some lady opened the door and said, "It's the Pope!!"
When they got older, I let them decide whether or not to go trick or treating but I don't allow anything demonic or scary - just fun and maybe something from a favorite show or game, or perhaps a historical figure or someone from literature. Last year, Rosie went as Rosie the Riveter because she heard her sister and I discuss the role of civilians on the home front during World War II.
This year she went as Audrey Hepburn because I've told her several times in the past six months how much she reminds me of that actress in the way she dresses and moves.
Today, we celebrate all of the canonized saints of the church for All Saints Day.
But on November 2, the church focuses on the rest of communion of saints - the unknown saints, but more particularly, the saint wannabees, the poor souls, the souls in purgatory.
I am a point in life where I know quite a significant number of people who had died. Many of my friends have lost parents, siblings, perhaps children and even spouses. In her mercy, the church encourages us to pray for the souls of our beloved dead and to remember that living or dead, we are all part of the family of God, a part of the communion of saints.
I wasn't always that good about praying for the dead. I would remember them during that part of the mass, and probably on their birthdays or date of death if I remembered. But I didn't have a systematic set time for praying for the dead in my life.
My mother was always good at that though, as is my sister. When I was in high school, two boys who tormented my sister and me mercilessly died in a terrible car accident. My sister would always remember them during the part of the mass where we remember the dead. It was part of her mental routine during mass. Sis told me that one day at mass, over 30 years later, she got a strong sense that she no longer had to pray for them - that they had finally been perfected for heaven.
From time to time, I'll get a thought in my mind of someone I used to know, who is now departed. Maybe the kid's old piano teacher, or Mr. Wolverton who use to drive us kids to band, or Uncle Harry, who really wasn't my uncle at all, but a nice friend of my grandfather's who put up with the shows my sister and I use to put on way too often. I think maybe that's a sign that I need to pray for them, or they can use those prayers for someone else. I try to say a quick prayer then.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to find the grave of my grandparents and my uncle. Their graves were overgrown and looked untended, uncared for and unloved and I felt ashamed. Because I did love them all very deeply. I know my sister and I will always have a special place in our hearts for them. Yet the state of their graves reflected the state of my practice of praying for their souls. I knew that I had to to be more deliberate in praying for their souls.
That November I made a promise to turn that around and this November I encourage all of you to do the same. In the liturgical year, November month to start since the Catholic Church remembers all of the dearly departed in a special way during this month.
In past years, I have taken the pictures of all of my beloved dead relatives and friends and put them in a prominent place so that we remember to pray for them every day during the month. I talk to the children about each one and remind them of the importance of prayer for the deceased.
Now, I have a lot of deceased relatives and friends, so I keep their holy cards from their funerals in a basket and I have that on the table so that we can remember all of them at each meal.
4 have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin; — have sacramentally confessed their sins; — receive the Holy Eucharist (it is certainly better to receive it while participating in Holy Mass, but for the indulgence only Holy Communion is required); – pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.
This month, try to visit the grave of a deceased loved one, or if you're not near the graves of any family members, just go to a local cemetery and pray for the dead there.
We also found the graves of Mr. Pete's grandparents who both died in their 20s yet now have many descendents.
Finding Mr. Pete's Grandparents - something he never had the chance to do before. They died when they were very young. It was a touching experience to find their graves and clean them up a bit.
If you have the means, you could also consider having Gregorian Masses said for a special loved one.


1: "Hello again, everybody. It's a bee-yooo-tiful day for baseball." "Holy Cow!"
16: "You can put it on the board.. Yessssssss!" | "Back, back, back, back... Gone!" | "Hey hey!" | "Long gone!"
17: "It could be, it might be, It is! A home run!" | "Forget it."
21: "I would think I drive most hitting coaches crazy. During one single at-bat I used six different stances on six pitches. Oh yeah, I also struck out. So what do I know?" -John Kruck | Baseball gives every American boy a chance to excel, not just to be as good as someone else but to be better than someone else. This is the nature of man and the name of the game. Ted Williams American Baseball Player, 1918-2002.


Rough Draft Bar & Books in Kingston has a Hudson Valley Brewery Night with Charcuterie Boards by KBL 7pm – 10pm!
Frog Alley Brewing Co. in Schenectady has a Frog Alley Supports Common Roots event 4pm – 8pm!
DeCicco & Sons in Millwood has a Funkwerks NY Launch & Meet the Owner 5pm – 9pm!
Quinnz Pinz in Middletown has an Ommegang Game of Thrones Tap Takeover 6pm – 10pm!
O'D's Tavern in Nyack has a Stone Brewing Tap Takeover 7pm – 12am!
Backstage Pub & Grill in Schenectady has a Wolf Hollow Beer Dinner at 4pm!
DeCicco & Sons in Brewster has a Sixpoint Tap Takeover & Meet the Brewer 5pm – 9pm!
New Paltz Brewing Co. in Wawarsing has a Maibock Release -Spring Beer Fest 1pm – 10pm!
Captain Lawrence Brewery in Elmsford has their Anniversary Party 2019 12pm – 10pm!
Mad Jack Brewing Co. in Schenectady has a Becky's Brew Raspberry Wheat Release Party 6pm – 8pm!
Nighthawks in Troy has a The Beer Diviner Returns event 5pm – 10pm!


Operations at Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL)-managed Escravos Tank Farm have been paralysed since Tuesday as hundreds of indigenes of Ugborodo, an Itsekiri community in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, protest alleged marginalisation by the oil company.
The angry protesters, mostly youths and a few elderly ones, barricaded the entrances into and out of the tank farm, preventing workers from going in and out of the premises of the multinational oil company.
THISDAY gathered that the protesters were alleging neglect and discrimination in employment of their indigenes by Chevron Nigeria Limited.
It was gathered that the protesters, who set bonfires, occupied the company's premises since Tuesday and remained there up till the time of filing this report on Wednesday.
Sources disclosed that tension pervaded the atmosphere at the site, forcing the company to airlift some workers out with helicopters.
Security agencies, it was learnt, were making frantic efforts to calm the protesters, who refused to leave the company until their demands were looked into, accusing the firm of playing hide and seek with them.
Youth President of the community, Mr. Ofe Nene, said the indigenes decided to protest against the company for breaching the Local Content Policy put in place by government to regulate its operations with host communities.
"The first thing is that there is supposed to be a New Town project in Ugborodo because of the enormous Chevron project in the area and impact on the people, but the company has decided to abandon the project because it believes the people do not know their rights and cannot speak.
"Also, it is about doing turnaround maintenance, TAM, but for about two months that we complained in a letter to them that they are not carrying us along, they have been deceiving us. We are in Ugborodo, but they will invite us to a meeting in Warri, when we get to Warri, they will either tell us that the date is not feasible or that so and so management official was not available," he said.


text:
The Case for the 20-Year-Old Age Limit in the NBA
Oden on Oden
David Shoemaker
Gay (Non) Panic
Ron Brown and the beginning of the end of homophobia in sports
by Charles P. Pierce on May 9, 2012
It has been a year without a spring in Lincoln, Nebraska. Summer came in fast and hard, and the annual Red-White scrimmage had to be postponed because of a tornado warning — thereby confounding those people who believed all their lives that the game would not have been postponed even for an actual tornado. The whole natural world seemed to accelerate to all points of the compass. Summer had itself a running start.
There is a joke — actually, there are several dozen, and many of them completely foul — to be made about the "heat" coming down on the Nebraska football team as April turned the corner into May. One of the team's assistant coaches, Ron Brown, went up to Omaha and testified in opposition to a proposed anti-discrimination ordinance aimed at protecting gay citizens in that city. The ordinance passed, and then things got a little closer to home when the City Council in Lincoln took up a similar law.
Brown's opposition was clear and unequivocal; he maintains that the anti-discrimination statute is contrary to what he believes are scriptural injunctions against gay sexual activity. (Brown has made a second career out of being an "inspirational" Christian speaker, and it was he who organized the prayer circle after the Penn State–Nebraska game last season just after the molestation scandal at Penn State had broken.) "The question I have for you all is, like Pontius Pilate, what are you going to do with Jesus?" Brown said in Omaha. "Ultimately, if you don't have a relationship with Him, and you don't have a Bible-believing mentality, really, anything goes …. At the end of the day, it matters what God thinks most." Brown also said he'd be "proud" if his views got him fired. After Brown's testimony, there were calls for his resignation that continue to this moment.
The Nebraska football community was seriously wrong-footed; the local talk-radio stations talked more about gay issues over the past few weeks than they had in the past five years. There are ongoing arguments about Brown's right to say what he feels, and what is perceived to be the city's — and the university's — commitment to the equal enforcement of the laws for their gay citizens and their gay students.
That Brown is speaking bigotry through the Scriptures seems undeniable. The laws he is opposing are purely secular ones, and if Brown thinks he can justify his stated beliefs through the Gospels, he hasn't read them closely enough. And it doesn't behoove any of us to take seriously a man who grounds that bigotry in the Old Testament if he doesn't also keep a kosher home, there being more dietary regulations therein than there are anything else. Since the issue exploded, Brown has gone to ground somewhat, declining to testify in opposition to the Lincoln anti-discrimination law at a hearing last night, and writing to a local newspaper that he would "tolerate" an openly gay player on the Nebraska roster. Say, fella, that's mighty straight of you.
However, that's the nut of the issue right there. Brown's views are narrow, intolerant, and not half as Christian as he thinks they are. But the laws in question ban actual discrimination. They do not ban approval of discrimination. They do not ban prayerful support of discrimination. Whatever Brown thinks, and whatever he says, ought not to be touched by any law. Whatever he does is the important thing, and the only thing that ought to cost him his job. But his case has emerged at an interesting time in the history of our games — when the stranglehold of a certain splinter of American Protestantism over our public religious piety is weakening, and when the tough-guy macho culture of football is imploding under the grotesque weight of mounting medical evidence of the harmful effects of concussions, and when, slowly but certainly, sports are also emerging as places where all Americans, gay and straight, can gather together and cheer.
The real momentum has come from the National Hockey League, and, specifically, from Brian Burke, the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. No straight man has ever done more for the cause of toleration in sports than Burke has. His son, Brendan, an openly gay man and a hockey player himself, was killed in an automobile accident. Burke has taken on homophobia in sports as a tribute to Brendan, and he has done it with a vengeance. Last September, he demanded that the NHL punish players for using anti-gay slurs on the ice during the game. In addition to Burke's work on the issue, several teams — including the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs — have taken part in the It Gets Better Project, a series of advertisements aimed at empowering gay teenagers. And, when his team was rolling toward the Super Bowl, New Orleans Saints linebacker Scott Fujita stood up in support of gay marriage when asked about it; he later cut a television commercial supporting marriage equality. All of this was unthinkable a decade ago.
At the same time, of course, a reflexive fundamentalist religiosity still suffuses sports all the way down to the most basic level. Ron Brown is a product of that culture who has taken to proselytizing for it among impressionable young people. I have no doubt that he believes what he says. I have no doubt that he believes firmly in the rightness of what he sees to be his cause. He goes out and preaches it, using his considerable stature with the Nebraska football program to do so. In fact, the constitutional case for dismissing Brown is on the grounds of promoting religion on the public dime in his capacity as a high-profile employee of a public institution.
There was a time, and not so very long ago, when Brown could have said what he said with complete equanimity and secure in the knowledge that nobody of any influence would gainsay him on his beliefs. Being an anti-gay bigot was still deeply tolerated both within Brown's profession and within the culture at large. The only real opposition would come from the organized gay-rights community, which the panjandrums who run our major sports institutions felt safe in ignoring. It took until 1987 for President Reagan to mention the word "AIDS" in public, and even longer than that for his dilatory response to the epidemic to be considered a serious blot on his record by the public at large.
However, after some 40 years of vigorous advocacy, there is something like an equal power to push back against faith-based bigotry. As a resident of Massachusetts, where we've had legalized gay marriage since 2004, I can say with certainty that the resistance to that idea is pretty much doomed demographically. In 50 years, our grandchildren are going to wonder what all the fuss was about. Equality for our fellow citizens who happen to be gay has a cultural and social momentum behind it that can now, in certain specific instances like this one, be more than a match for people who believe the way Brown does, as he has learned to his own disadvantage over the past month.
No action should be taken against Ron Brown … That's not what we should be doing to people in this country. But somebody should take him aside and explain to him that the world is changing around him and that, for everyone's sake, it's time for him to adjust or get out of the way.
In the past 10 years, we have seen the barriers to marriage equality fall. In the past year, we have seen the bar to gay people serving openly in the United States Armed Forces fall. (Pretty soon, at one of our bizarrely militarized major sporting events, we may have four gay pilots doing the flyby.) Sports were supposed to be the last real redoubt, and you can feel the ground shaking there, too. I do not believe that any action should be taken against Ron Brown based on what he says and what he believes. That's not what we should be doing to people in this country. But somebody should take him aside and explain to him that the world is changing around him and that, for everyone's sake, it's time for him to adjust or get out of the way. Nobody is asking him to abandon his faith. They're just asking him to grow within it, to take the essential message of love that is the heart of the Gospels and to apply it generally, as all Christians are called to do, and without any legalistic nonsense about "loving the sinner but hating the sin." If he's going to loosely toss around the name of Pontius Pilate, he should go back to his Bible and remember that Pilate was forced to provide a secular execution to appease the local religious authorities. "I find no basis for a charge against him," Pilate said, and then sent Jesus to Calvary anyway. There are lessons that Ron Brown needs to learn. He wouldn't have five minutes for a player who couldn't adjust on the fly. It's time for him to realize that it's his turn now.
Filed Under: Sports
Charles P. Pierce is a staff writer for Grantland and the author of Idiot America. He writes regularly for Esquire, is the lead writer for Esquire.com's Politics blog, and is a frequent guest on NPR.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa will lend her weight to Econet Wireless Group's month-long clean-up effort launched in Harare's high-density suburbs of Glen View and Budiriro last week.
Health authorities have identified the suburbs as epicentres of a cholera outbreak that has claimed 54 lives since in two months.
The First Lady's Office reportedly confirmed she planned to join hundreds of volunteers some time this week to work in areas worst affected by cholera.
"Indeed, the First Lady plans to spend some time on the ground this coming week, working with partners and communities living in the areas that have been worst affected by the cholera outbreak," an official in her office said.
The effort is fronted by Higherlife Foundation, a non-profit organisation funded by Econet Wireless, which has given over $15 million to fight cholera.
The foundation, led by Mrs Tsitsi Masiyiwa, has been working with the Health and Local Government ministries, the City of Harare and other public and private institutions to offer support.
Part of the support includes medication, protective clothing and fresh water supplies.
A representative of Econet in Zimbabwe — whose CEO Mr Douglas Mboweni and Higherlife Foundation CEO Dr Kennedy Mubaiwa, launched the month-long "Arise and Shine" clean-up campaign – said their aim was to make "a sustainable impact in fighting this epidemic".


The Department of Defense makes confidential non-medical counseling available free to service members and their families to help them work on issues such as adjustments, marital problems, parenting, stress management, or grief and loss. Non-medical counseling programs provide confidential, short-term counseling to active-duty members, National Guard and reserve service members, their families and survivors. Telephonic non-medical counseling provides an option for those who are unable to attend in-person counseling sessions because they are overseas or due to other circumstances.
What is confidential non-medical counseling? It's a short-term, solution-focused provision of up to 12 counseling sessions designed to help prevent or exacerbate any issues that may compromise military and family readiness.
Who provides confidential non-medical counseling? Both Military OneSource and the Military and Family Life Counseling program provide non-medical counseling. All counselors have either a master's or a doctorate degree in a mental health field, and all are licensed or certified to practice independently.
Are there any issues that confidential non-medical counseling does not address? Counseling services do not address issues involving active suicidal or homicidal thoughts, sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence, alcohol and substance abuse, or mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety.
Who is eligible for telephonic non-medical counseling? Active-duty, National Guard and reserve members of any activation status, their family members and survivors are all eligible for counseling services.
Can counselors be trusted not to report to commanders? Counselors respect the privacy of those who use their services. They will not release information to commanders or anyone else without consent. The only exceptions to confidentiality protection are legal and military requirements to report child abuse, spouse abuse, elder abuse, sexual assault, threats of harm to self or others, and any present or future illegal activity.
Can a family member use confidential telephonic non-medical counseling sessions without the service member's knowledge? Family members (18 or older) can use non-medical counseling services without their service member's knowledge. They are granted the same confidentiality protection and are subject to the same legal and military exceptions as their service member.
What happens after the 12 sessions are completed? If you need further counseling or counseling for a different issue, a Military OneSource consultant will help you find a counselor. The consultant can also help you find and access other resources, including community services, installation services or TRICARE, if appropriate.
Is telephonic non-medical counseling meant to replace in-person non-medical counseling? Telephonic counseling increases access to support options for those who are unable to attend in-person counseling sessions because they are overseas or due to other circumstances. But, it does not replace in-person non-medical counseling.
How do I initiate confidential telephonic non-medical counseling? Contact Military OneSource at 800-342-9647 to determine if this type of counseling is appropriate for you and your current living situation.
Can military children receive confidential telephonic non-medical counseling? Children cannot receive over-the-phone non-medical counseling services. However, Military OneSource does provide other forms of confidential help for them. Children over the age of 5 can receive in-person non-medical counseling for issues concerning family relationships, school challenges, separation adjustment, and grief and loss. Children from ages 6 to 12 can participate in family counseling where at least one parent attends each session. Teens from ages 13 to 17 are eligible for individual, face-to-face counseling through Military OneSource, but a parent must attend the first session.
Remember: Seeking confidential non-medical counseling will not affect your career or your status in the military. You deserve to get the support that you need.


Maybe it's just me but I derive a sort of amusement by making neckties with leather. It's an opportunity to make something my brain associates so strongly with stuffy, unpleasant formality in about the least formal sort of way I can think of.
Bolo cords have been used to make "western neck ties" for... actually I don't know how long but maybe someday I should find out. It's just a braided cord that runs through a clip, sometimes no more complicated than a paper clip. My "innovation" was only in sticking a necktie-shaped piece of leather to that clip. I have to put "innovation" in quotations of course because I got the idea from a book published in the 50s by F.O. Biard. So clearly it's not a new notion, but it's been long enough that it's probably new again.


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Fantastic Opportunity to acquire an amazing 4 bedroom Edwardian detached property in Blackwell standing in its own grounds and having a detached 2 bedroom self contained Coach House along side. MAIN HOUSE briefly comprises of 3 reception rooms, Kitchen/Diner, Utility Room, and Guest Cloakroom to the Ground Floor, to the 1st Floor there are 4 double bedrooms one with ensuite and further family bathroom. The self contained COACH HOUSE has a Living Room, Kitchen to the Ground Floor and 2 bedrooms and bathroom to the first floor. This would make an amazing family home and viewing is highly recommended. Please call now to arrange viewings 01527 579040.


Updated Thursday December 27, 2018 by Bret Lavey.
The South Lexington Youth Baseball organization dates to 1956 when it was founded under the name of the Southern League. In the early 1970s, the Southern League, by that date called Southern Little League, merged with the Stonewall Independent League under the banner of South Lexington Little League with a 10-team Major League division and several Minor League teams. For 62 years, SLYB built a tradition of excellence playing on 60' basepaths (46/60). In 2019, SLYB made the switch to 70' basepaths (50/70) with 9, non-divisional teams. Over the years the Minor League has expanded to about 8-10 teams annually and in the 1990s the Rookie League (now 7 and 8-year olds with about 11-14 teams annually) and Tee Ball (now 3 to 6-year-olds with 16-22 teams annually) comprise the league's make-up.
During 1970's , South Lexington won several Little League State championships and in 1978 South Lexington's 12-year-old All-Star team won the South Regional to become one of only four United States teams to qualify for the eight-team Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. South Lexington won two of three games in the World Series to finish third.
In the mid-1980s, the league became affiliated with Babe Ruth Baseball, playing in the Bambino Division, now called Cal Ripken. Success on the national and international stage in several age divisions has continued for South Lexington teams in the Ripken Division. Sixteen different South Lexington's 12-year-old All-Star teams have gone to Ripken (or its Bambino predecessor) 60' Diamond World Series. The teams in 1992, 2001 and most recently 2007 won World Series championships and the 1994 and 2011 teams finished as the runner-up in the Series. The 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2014 teams finished in the Ripken World Series' Final Four. Also, South Lexington's 12-year-old teams in 1987, 1988, 1990, 1997, 1999, and 2000 also participated in Ripken (or Bambino) World Series. In 2018, SLYB sent an all-star team through the 70' Diamond Cal Ripken Tournament trail and earned a trip to the World Series in their first 50/70 play.
In the 10-year-old Cal Ripken World Series, three South Lexington All-Star teams have participated. Most recently, the 2013 South Lexington 10-year-olds finished as runner-up in the World Series just as the 10-year-old age group did in 2004. South Lexington's 10-year-old All-Star team also appeared in the 2009 World Series.
After the Southern and Stonewall leagues merger in the early 1970s, SLYB began with the current format, playing with 10 teams in the Major League. This league was divided into two five-team divisions, the American and National divisions. For nearly 30 years, the league champion was decided in a best of three playoff between the two division winners.
An alteration to this was made beginning with the 2002 season when a tournament was initiated. For the regular season, the same two-division format was maintained and the team with best record in each earns its division championship.
The post season tournament is a separate entity and consists of six teams who earn tourney berths off regular season performance. The division winners receive the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the tournament and a first-round bye. The next four teams with the best records qualify for the other tourney spots.
Beginning in 2019, SLYB moved to a non-divisional format with a sole regular-season champion and the next five teams with the best record qualifying for the tourney.
Following is some historical information on the regular season and league post-season play. Over the years, team names have changed and the division make-up has been altered.
1974-Yankees defeated Rebels 2 games to 1.
1975-Rebels defeated Braves 2 games to 0.
1976-White Sox defeated Cardinals 2 games to 0.
1977-Cardinals defeated White Sox 2 games to 1.
1978-White Sox defeated Wildcats 2 games to 0.
1979-Rebels defeated Braves 2 games to 0.
1980-Wildcats defeated White Sox 2 games to 0.
1981-Braves defeated Cardinals 2 games to 1.
1982-Wildcats defeated Braves 2 games to 0.
1983-Wildcats defeated White Sox 2 games to 1.
2001-Cardinals defeated Cubs 2 games to 0.
Cal Ripken, Jr., former major league star with the Baltimore Orioles, became affiliated with Babe Ruth Baseball, Inc. in 1999 and Babe Ruth's 4 to 12 -year-old age division changed its name from Bambino to Ripken that year. In 2007, Ripken baseball began offering two different distances for which its league members could complete, those being at 46/60 foot division and 50/70 foot division. A 12-year-old World Series is held annually for each division.


As we were having several days left, we keep arguing about this and that, we keep recall those happy moments together. Yet, deep inside we were at the edge, the state of being afraid-unsecurerities-happy-sad all, at the same time. I do, and I bet we all gonna feel the same, isn't it? I am hoping for a happy ending, a memorable ones, the one that we can keep for as a long terms memories. The one that we will cherish every moments together, this is what I want. I love my friends, the one that keep by my side through thick and thin, the one who always cheer me up when I had a bad day, the one who I always want to be by her side when she is not in the mood, the one who can I brag bout and annoying for all day long, the one who can always stand up and down with me, the one and only, is always u. You guys.
I am sorry for always kept saying about the 'days left', well although it is what currently happening. I am sorry, I am not meant to ruin the days we had left. I am afraid for what happened next, on the inside. And I just want u to feel the same, well its just not you. U're not affected by anything I have said before and after. U always keep on being urself, although I am mad bout u being urself.
I am writing this post in my room, and currently still at Kpmb. The feels and gut is not the same. If only I write this letter back at home, after all the farewell, then the feels and emotions is not gonna be the same. Where the previous is much more unbearable-sad feelings, while back at home, iam gonna miss uguys. Yes, that is why iam writing in the middle of bunch of assignments. I want to keep remember this feelings. So that, I could tolerate and handle my own thoughts, emotions all together, wisely.
There are so many preparation made up just the trip to be going as planned. And there are so many unreasonable things happened and yet makes us against each other, yeah shits happened too. I am personally wanted this trip to be happened. The special day that I would dedicated as my precious moments with my bestfriends. I would love to spend the last time with them. And if Allah wills, it would happened somehow, and insyaAllah.
And the trip goes as planned, alhamdulillah. All the arguments, we take it seriously and solved it all wisely. The feelings is really not the same. The guts, the fear, the happiness all at once.
The nights we spend together, could be even more worth than every single night we have for ourselves. We did argue, yet we ask for forgiveness that night. Its really heartbreaking, as every one of us started crying, badly. Do u guys feel the way I feel that night?
We had fun in the mornings, until we had lunch and everything just goes perfectly fine. The weather is also nice, and we had a chance to briefly open up to each other. We swam together, we laughed, we had too much joy we could get, Alhamdulillah. I would never trade it with anything else, its really worth it.
Back at home, i really missed u guys. Please be well!


This GNSS antenna from Navilock can be used on an existing GNSS receiver, car radio or vehicle multimedia receiver with FAKRA C connection. The antenna is waterproof and can therefore be used temporarily outside the vehicle.
11 mA @ 3.0 V typ.
15 mA @ 3.0 V max.


A super Daikin Inverter controlled flexi Ceiling Suspended HEAT PUMP Air Conditioning system that gives a tremendous total cooling output of 3.34kW and 4.0kW of heating. Inverter control allows a very soft start and extremely energy efficient operation. Inverters control the output of the equipment to exactly match the demand - no wasted energy on surplus unwanted performance.
Dimensions of the outdoor unit are: Height 550mm X Width 765mm X Depth 285mm. The weight of the outdoor unit is 37Kg, and the noise level is only 48db(A).


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Research Articles (81 to 100 of 3224)
Morris J et al 2020 - Ingested but not perceived: Response to satiety cues disrupted by perceptual load
Drall K et al 2020 - Vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy and early infancy in relation to gut microbiota composition and C. difficile colonization
Norr M et al 2020 - An examination of maternal prenatal BMI and human fetal brain development
Iyer K et al 2020 - Neural signatures of sleep recovery following melatonin treatment for paediatric concussion
Restrepo B et al 2020 - Developmental–behavioral profiles in children with autism spectrum disorder and co‐occurring gastrointestinal symptoms
Amen D et al 2020 - Patterns of Regional Cerebral Blood Flow as a Function of Obesity in Adults
Wasser C et al 2020 - Gut dysbiosis in Huntington's disease: associations between gut microbiota, cognitive performance and clinical outcomes
Roberts S et al 2020 - Effects of food supplementation on cognitive function, cerebral blood flow, and nutritional status in young children at risk of undernutrition: randomized controlled trial
Romeo G et al 2020 - Influence of cinnamon on glycemic control in subjects with prediabetes: a randomized controlled trial
Bobe G et al 2020 - A Randomized Controlled Trial of Long-Term (R)-α-Lipoic Acid Supplementation Promotes Weight Loss in Overweight or Obese Adults
Arellanesa I et al 2020 - Brain delivery of supplemental docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
Uhde M et al 2020 - IgG Antibody Response to Gluten Differentiates Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity from Celiac Disease
Mrug S et al 2020 - Soft Drink Consumption and Mental Health in Adolescents: A Longitudinal Examination
Sundermann A et al 2020 - Week-by-week alcohol consumption in early pregnancy and spontaneous abortion risk
Gaag E et al 2020 - Food or medication? The therapeutic effects of food on the duration and incidence of upper respiratory tract infections
Schade et al 2020 - Distinct microalgae species for food—part 2: comparative life cycle assessment of microalgae and fish for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and protein
Herath et al 2020 - The Role of the Gastrointestinal Mucus System in Intestinal Homeostasis
Xiao Y et al 2020 - An ecological framework to understand the efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation
Sun y et al 2020 - Intra-gastrointestinal amyloid-β1-42 oligomers perturb enteric function and induce Alzheimer's disease pathology
Steinsbekk et al 2020 - Temperament as a Predictor of Eating Behavior in Middle Childhood


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IBF Net Blogs
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Saving Lives in Timbuktu, Mali through Cash Transfers
Transforming Lives in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan
Bringing Back Smiles in Cyclone-Hit Odisha
The Shaking Himalayas, but Life Continues amidst "Uncertainty"……
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Zakat, Awqaf and Hajj Management in the Necklace-Islands
Written by Mohammed ObaidullahPosted on January 21, 2016 Leave a comment
Islam came to the Necklace-Islands ((Mala and Dweep respectively in Sanskrit) or Maldives in the 12th Century. The famous Moroccan traveller Ibn Batutta, who visited the Maldives in the 14th century, wrote how Abu Barakat also a Moroccan, was believed to have been responsible for spreading Islam in the islands. The influence of Arabic language and culture is too conspicuous to be missed even today. When I visited this island country a few days back, I was determined to know how the institutions of zakah, awqaf and hajj are managed in this nation of about 395,000 people living in about 198 of the 1192 coral islands.
The quantum of zakat collected and distributed has been steadily growing over the years. The MIA collected about Rf 48 million rufiya (USD3.1 million approx.) as zakat during the year 2013, increasing from Rf14.9 million (US$1 million) in 2008 and around Rf7 million per year over 2002-2005.
The distribution of benefits over the past eight years among the eight eligible categories (asnaf) is as follows. Poor and needy (fuqara and masakeen) account for 62 percent of the total zakat mobilized. Administration of zakat (amileen alaihi) account for 1 percent, the sympathizers (muallafatul quloobuhum) for 0.1 percent, the indebted (gharimin) for 1.4 percent, stranded travelers (ibnu sabeel) for 0.5 percent of zakat collected. Finally, 35 percent was spent in the path of Allah in daa'wah activities (fi sabilillah).
With a cent percent Muslim population, the importance of zakat, awqaf and hajj for the state and its people can be hardly overemphasized. Management of these matters in Maldives is entrusted to the state. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs (created in 2008) has the mandate to deal with these matters. A dedicated Zakat Unit established under the Ministry of Islamic Affairs carries out the collection and distribution of zakat. Zakat collection is currently undertaken manually. Within the ambit of Public Finance Act 2006, zakat funds are paid into a Public Trust Account, under the Ministry of Finance. Moves are however, afoot to create an independent zakat fund under the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. The Zakat Unit also deals the distribution of zakat with the advice and recommendations from a special Zakat Committee set up for this purpose. The Zakat Committee has the mandate to advise in matters related spending of zakat funds on the eight categories, and especially on fi-sabilillah. The Committee has 14 members including the Minister, the State Minister and the Deputy Minister, representatives from various other Ministries (Health, Education, Home and Finance), the business community and the city council and the judicial commission. A Shariah Committee comprising five members provides Shariah rulings and advice on zakat matters to the MIA, the Zakat Unit and the Zakat Committee.
There are island-zakat-councils in each of the 198 inhabited islands that act as agents of the Ministry for collection of zakat and provide help in distribution of zakat.
Private institutional collecting and distributing entities for zakat-al-mal do not exist, but may be permitted to operate by the MIA. In case of zakat-al-fitrah, two telecom companies (through SMS) and the National Bank of Maldives have been allowed to collect the same.
Traditionally, zakat amount is distributed among the poor who self-declare and register themselves with the MIA. On average, approximately 60,000 individuals have been receiving benefits that are very modest (RF120 per year and per beneficiary). Recently, the MIA entered into an agreement with the National Social Protection Agency (NSPN) under which it placed about Rf6 million to provide medical assistance to needy. This would essentially be to supplement the medical assistance traditionally provided by NSPN to all needy and ensure that such assistance is provided under one-roof.
Currently, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs is working on a comprehensive legal system that is expected to provide for mandatory collection of zakat and bring in detailed guidelines for distribution of zakat.
Awqaf
Awqaf in Maldives currently are in the nature of religious awqaf – the masjids. The capital, Male, currently has over 30 masjids. The most recognizable is the Islamic Center in Male, whose golden dome dominates the low-slung skyline. Recently however, there have are some interesting developments on the awqaf front in the form of creation of investment awqaf. While new waqf of land in Male is restricted by law, the MIA has acquired two pieces of prime land and aims to build large waqf buildings on the land pieces. In case of the first project alone called Darul Iman, the Ministry expected to construct a 10-story building shortly that would result in a recurring annual inflow of more than 2 million ruffiya that is a very large amount to manage mosques. The MIA has also entered into MOUs with local island councils in five islands for allotment of land that would be developed to create local waqf funds for the respective islands.
Maldives has also taken rapid strides for financing and management of hajj for its 800-odd pilgrims every year. It has established the Maldives Hajj Corporation under the Ministry of Islamic Affairs along the lines of the Malaysian Tabung Haji Corporation. It has recently introduced a salary deduction scheme for its prospective pilgrims and aims to mobilize around 100 million Ruf during the current year. The Corporation was established in the face of reported cases of gross mismanagement of hajj by private operators. Initially it aims to take care of fifty percent, or 400 out of its quota of 800 pilgrims.
Posted in Zakat
About the AuthorMohammed Obaidullah
Dr. Mohammed Obaidullah is an economist based in Jakarta, Indonesia
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Home Comprehension English English Reading Comprehension Set 9
English Reading Comprehension Set 9
Exammission 23:36 Comprehension, English,
Directions (1-15): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are given in bold in the passage to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
Check More English Reading Comprehension List
The G-20, a group of 20 major economies of the word has come of age within a short period of two years as it adopted summit level format only in the year 2008. Perhaps, it is the only multilateral group which holds two summit meeting in a year. As it has emerged as a major global forum of most advanced countries to manage crisis ridden global financial and economic system, it is poised to replace the G-8 club of eight rich countries. Also, it has the potential to emerge as a major, global forum for North-South Dialogue, as both developed and developing countries are its members. The term 'North' denotes the developed countries, which are mostly located in the Northern hemisphere, whereas the term 'South' refers to the developing countries as they are largely located in the Southern hemisphere.
The economic and political might of the G-20 is also noteworthy. Collectively, the total population of G-20 countries is two-thirds of the global population. The G-20 economies comprise 85% of the global gross national product and 80% of the word trade. Geographically, the countries of G-20 cover all continents of the globe. Thus in real sense, its nature and reach are global.
The fundamental purpose of G-20 is to bring together systemically important industrialized and developing economies to discuss key issues in the global economy. Thus, it is a forum for cooperation and consultation on matters pertaining to the International Financial System. It conducts studies, reviews and promotes discussion among key developed and developing economies of key policy issues pertaining to the promotion of International Financial Stability and seeks to address such issues that are beyond the responsibility of one country or organization.
1. Which among the following is NOT true in the context of the passage?
(1) Total population of G-20 countries is 2/3rd of the global population.
(2) G-20 economics comprises 85% of the total global GNP.
(3) G-8 club is a group of 8 most powerful economies.
(4) G-20 came into existence in the year 2008.
(5) None of these
2. G-20 group meeting held two times in a year because
(1) It is a group of developed and developing nations
(2) It has a potential to conduct two meetings
(3) It comprises 85% of the world's total GNP
(4) It represents 80% of the World trade
3. According to the passage G-20 will replace which group
(1) G-15
(2) G-4
4. The fundamental purpose of G-20 is to
(1) group together the problems of developing and developed countries.
(2) to bring together systemically important industrialized and developing economies to discuss key issues in the economy.
(3) to conduct studies and reviews
(4) to tackle the problems of the world.
5. Which of the following correctly describe the meaning of "North-South Dialogue"
(1) Negotiation between North for developing countries of G-20 and South for developed countries of G-8
(2) Dialogue between developed and developing countries situated in Northern & Southern Hemisphere respectively.
(3) Dialogue used for creating awareness
(4) It is a dialogue used as a theme of the G-20
6. Why the author wants to highlight the importance of G-20.
(1) To make people aware about the G-20
(2) To bring out the important of the G-20
(3) Not mentioned in the passage
(4) To help the G-20 being popularize
7. What is the view of the author about the G-20.
(1) Narrative
(2) Explanatory
(3) Criticizing
(4) Supportive & factual
8. What does G-20 forum do to promote international financial stability?
(1) It helps the nations to fight poverty.
(2) It gives loan to the members
(3) It conducts studies, reviews and promotes discussion among key economies
(4) It invites discussion on various issues
9. Why the reach & nature of G-20 is global according to the author?
(1) It is very global
(2) It is reachable to the poorest countries
(3) Its nature is supportive
(4) Its expansion is natural
Directions (10-12): Choose the word which is most SIMILAR in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
10. Poised
(1) hovering
(2) ready
(3) equanimous
(4)important
(5) necessity
11. Pertaining
(1) related
(2) holding
(3) fitting
(4) suitable
(5) accessing
12. Dialogue
(1) session
(2) negotiation
(3) debate
(4) discussion
(5) drama
Directions (13-15): Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
13. Format
(1) ruins
(2) particular
(3) system
(4) pattern
(5) disorganization
14. Multilateral
(1) unilateral
(2) managed
(3) common
(4) focused
(5) unknown
15. Fundamental
(1) trivial
(2) essential
(3) required
(4) elementary
(5) materially
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