The next morning I woke up in a groggy manner of daze, and the concept of lying there all day sounded just fine to me. The sun was still low and glittered above the horizon, already gracing us with a sweltering morning. If we had slept out there too much longer and let the sun gain on us, we would have positively roasted. Radom and I rose around the same time, both apparently used to not being able to sleep too late, me with my former duties in the castle and Radom simply living on that dreadful Terror Mountain.
I lay there in the warm grass for who-knows-how-long, hands behind my head, staring up at the frail ribbons of white clouds laced vaguely in the endless blue sky. Radom sat beside me, saying nothing, just staring up at the sky. In the few quick glances that I gave him once in a while, I could swear he was smiling. Eventually the sun started making itself present, the air still and hot and stifling, so we picked ourselves up and moved yawning and stretching to lounge in the shade of a fruit tree.
Shortly, the rest of the oasis stirred to life. The clanking of clay pots signaled Penny up and about inside, and Mia soon wandered out of their little hut, pausing at the pond to fill a blown-glass cup full of water. Tiny ripples webbed their way across the clear surface as she turned away and walked over to where Radom and I sat. "Good morning," she greeted us softly, smiling in that touchingly kind way of hers as she sat beside us. "Did you sleep well?"
"Morning," Radom said, at the exact same time that I replied, "Very well, thank you."
Mia giggled and lifted the cup to her lips, taking a long sip before turning her attention back to us. "We'll need to head to town soon. After we eat, we should set out."
"Of course," I agreed, smiling appreciatively at the Aisha. I sat in the shade of the tree with my legs crossed and hands resting in my lap, still wearing what Penny had so kindly given to me the day before.
Radom grinned and tilted his head at me. "You know something?"
"No. And I don't think I want to." I smirked teasingly at him and raised my eyebrows in a silent inquiry.
"I don't think I've slept so well in years. You must take a lot out of me or something. Either that or the fact that I'm not on a mountain buried in snow. That could have something to do with it too." He laughed, and I just smirked and shook my head at him.
Mia smiled softly, but the three of us looked up as Penny came out of the house with a large ceramic bowl filled with food. "I hope you're hungry," she announced, taking a set in front of me and setting the bowl in between us, so that Radom and Mia were on either side of it.
"Don't think I've eaten so well either," Radom added to me in an undertone. He flashed a quick grin at Penny and then dug in.
I chuckled and thanked her once more. We ate cooked fish, rolls, and fresh fruit for breakfast. I'd forgotten how much I missed the taste of fish. When we finished, Penny took the bowl inside and returned with a shawl draped over her head and shoulders to protect her face from the sun.
"You two ready?" she asked, watching as I stood and brushed clinging grass of my smoky grey dress.
I picked up the shawl she had given me the day before and draped it over my head and shoulders as well, grateful that it was so long and fell down my back as well, where it helped cover my tightly folded wings. "Ready as we'll ever be," I answered, glancing out past where the grass ended and the desert began once more.
She glanced at Radom, who nodded in agreement, and I took up my knapsack. Together, we filled it with some food for later in the day, and filled several pouches of water for the day in the desert. And then we were off.
I paused only a moment at the edge of the flourishing little piece of paradise, and then willed myself to start out across the blazing sands. I was glad now for my boots, especially with the way poor Radom hopped and lopped along at a much quicker pace than the rest of us over the searing sand. There was no wind, no shade. Just a dry, still, persistent heat and a mocking sun high above us. The hot air folded in waves over the desert, and the sand dunes all around us shivered in the heat. On the horizon I could see the shuddering forms and colors of our destination.
"At least we have water this time," Radom commented, smiling weakly back at me, forced to squint against the sun.
I just shook my head and kept my sights ahead. "I'm going to the city if I have to crawl."
He chuckled and turned his head forward once more, but I could see his ears perk. "That can be arranged..."
Penny and Mia smiled faintly at one another. But after a few minutes of walking, Penny glanced ahead at Radom and bit her bottom lip. "Radomik?"
"Um... why do you want to do this?"
A pause, but his pace remained steady. "Can't really say. It's just something I have to do. Not that I want to, mind you - but we don't have much of a choice."
"I can't do it," I added softly, almost reluctantly. "And it's safe in his hands." I slowly shook my head before she could press again. "It's just something we have to do. We need that Crystal. It's very important to us."
She stared at me for a moment. "Alright... if it's important to you, I guess that's that..." She nodded slowly. "But... well..." She glanced at Radom once more.
"But what?" I was watching her curiously now, shifting the now fill knapsack on my shoulder.
Penny's eyes lingered uncertainly on the brown Lupe. "Well... if it hits you wrong, you won't take any offense, will you?"
Radom still hadn't looked back, but I could practically hear the grin in his voice. "I don't take any offense short of a punch in the nose."
Mia giggled to herself, and Penny smiled a little, but not in a reassured sort of way. "It's just that..." she began. "Well, this tournament could be really dangerous... and I know you know that... but, well... are you sure you'll be able to do it, in this heat? Is it really worth the risk?"
I remained silent at this. He was doing this all for me. He didn't have to, by any stretch of the imagination. Just... for me.
"Yeah," Radom spoke after a moment. "I'd say so." He finally glanced back, and that tiny smile on his face seemed enough to reassure all three of us. "Hey, don't worry about me. Worse could happen."
"I suppose..." Another weak smile on Penny's part, though this time a little more convincing.
Mine made up for hers, I'm sure. "You're something else," I mused, shaking my head at Radom, but my eyes thanking him plenty for me.
He just smirked, winked, and then continued on ahead.
Mia, who had been keeping quietly to herself through all of this, quickened her pace and moved a little closer to Radom. She hesitated until he turned his head to look at her, and then told him softly, "There are going to be bad people in this race. Selfish people who will do a lot for that money."
He just looked at her for a moment, in an almost thoughtful sort of way. "You know what I think?" He looked ahead once more when she shook her head slowly. "We can't really say what's good and what's bad. There's just... things people do. Some of the things people do are nice, and some aren't, but I guess that's all anybody has the right to say." He was silent for a moment, and we all looked at him in mild surprise. "I'm sure they're all doing right in their eyes. I'm just along for the ride. We'll see soon enough, anyway." He really did count on that good in people. That good in everybody that he always seemed able to see.
"Cheers to that," I agreed softly, staring at my boots as they took me across the desert. When I glanced up, I thought I saw Mia smiling just a little bit.
We were quiet the rest of the way. Perhaps the city was closer than it looked, because in what seemed like a lot less time than I had expected, we had walked right into the swelling city of Sakhmet.
Simple houses made themselves present on all sides, tucked into every spot on the sand they could occupy, many so close together that neighbors hung out their laundry to dry on ropes tied from one roof to the next. It was rather cramped, the plain houses and sand underfoot leading us into the center of all the life in the Lost Desert. Occasionally the more tightly-packed, tight earth cracked and gave way to a few tufts of yellow weeds, the dried out stubble all the plant life I could really see. The packed area where most of the houses were opened up into a vast clearing where the houses made a semi-circle around half of it and then stopped. This clearing was filled with stalls and tents pitched all over, with people trying to sell their goods to the rest of the bustling city. There were people everywhere, all dressed in cool clothes that blocked out the harsh glare of the sun. They milled about on business, haggling and talking and tending to their lives, and across from the clearing sat the castle.
It was enormous. Stone steps led up into the white and gold monster of a building that towered above all else. It was a sight to behold, breathtaking in its shimmering beauty. I could only stare wide-eyed up at it, as Mia and Penny branched off toward a stall to our left. Radom and I cut after them, walking past many other stands and politely declining any offers shouted out to us. "Look at this place," I said breathlessly, staring around in awe.
"It's something else," the Lupe muttered back, smiling in a hushed sort of fascination as his bright yellow eyes flicked from one thing to the next.
We followed Penny and Mia over to a wooden stand where an unpleasant looking red Grarrl sat, looking large and imperious in his shining golden robes and the way he scribbled things down in pen on a scroll in front of him when people walked up and gave him their name. "This is where you sign in," Penny explained, ushering Radom and me to stand behind someone who was speaking to the official.
The Grarrl brushed the Ixi in front of us away and then rounded his gaze down to Radom and I, frowning in a way that practically said, 'Hello, I'm very busy and important. What do you want?' "Name," he growled, holding his pen over his scroll and staring at us.
"You taking last minute entries?" Radom inquired, grinning up at him in a way that completely contrasted the scowl he got in return.
The Grarrl glanced over his scroll, grunted, and then looked back at us. "We've got room. Name?"
He jotted the name down, eyed Radom a moment longer, and then scratched something else down and brushed us off. "Just in time. We're starting in a few minutes. Go and meet everybody else out at the edge of the city." He gestured limply across the stalls, and then closed us off to check in the last few late contestants.
"Thanks," I mumbled. We started off in the direction that he generally gestured toward, followed by Mia and Penny. Across the marketplace once more and out the side to where the desert began again, we joined the group gathered there.
There were contestants of every nature, from the scrawniest of them that would be picked off in no time at all, to the hugest and most intimidating masses imaginable, of every species and color. Some were no more than disheveled poor folks fighting for the money, while others were pompous and wealthy, smug and here just to show off, no doubt. And then there was Radom, so plain compared to most of them, looking quite out of place with his messy brown fur and lean physique. Several yards from where the group was gathered, two poles tipped with orange flags marked the beginning of the race, and I had no idea where the end was.
We were only there for a moment, listening to the rowdy crowd brag and threaten one another, when a red Scorchio pounced onto a wooden crate sitting among us. He fit in just fine, dressed for the desert, but he held a microphone in his hand that projected his voice around us via speakers hanging on nearby buildings. "Ladies and gentlemen! Your attention please! I am your host!" he cried, in a voice made painfully loud by his enthusiasm, and he spoke so quickly that all of his words ran into one another to make one long, breathless run-on. He grinned and gestured wildly in a way that looked almost humorously rehearsed. "Welcome! This is going to be quite a day, folks!"
Radom and I couldn't help but smirk at one another. The crowd quieted down and turned their attention to the exuberant Scorchio. "The race will begin in just a moment! First we have the rules!" He cleared his throat importantly and gave a wild sweep of his arm toward the two flags. "This is the starting point! This race will be long and hard and will take you far into the desert! Our racers will have dangerous dunes, possible sandstorms, a river, and sweltering heat to overcome! No items are allowed! Anyone caught cheating will be disqualified! We have marked your course with orange flags, like the ones you see here! You must follow the path at all times, or be disqualified! It will lead you back around to the ending point, which will be on the other side of the city, after it takes you across some of the desert! But don't worry, folks! Pirry here will help us out!" He gestured wildly to a yellow Pteri that had just joined him on the crate.
A large metal box was strapped on to her front, and a headset attached to said box allowed her to speak into what appeared the be the broadcasting system. "This is linked directly back here," she cried, in a voice so high and squawking that I had to snort back a laugh. "I'll be flying above the contestants and keeping you all updated on what's going on once they get out of sight! I'll fly along the entire race course, disqualifying anyone I see cheating and reporting all the action back to these speakers! This race will be long, so stay tuned with me until they get close to the finish line, at which point your host here will direct you to the other side of town to await the winner!"
"Thank you, Pirry!" Our host looked positively psychotic with his monstrous grin. "And the prizes are fabulous! Neopoints for second and third place! Neopoints and our one of a kind Fire stone for first place!"
"The Crystal," I whispered to Radom, who nodded in reply.
Hello-I-am-your-host swung around wildly and threw his arms opened. "Contestants! Please prepare to begin! I hope you're all ready! No time to stop and many others to fight against!"
I bit my bottom lip anxiously and touched Radom's back just as he was about to move away. "Are you sure you can do this?" I whispered, watching him nervously.
He paused and looked up at me. "Nope. But there's only one way to find out."
"Just be careful," I managed, forcing my hand back to my side.
Radom grinned carelessly. "Can't make any promises. Don't do anything you wouldn't want me to hear about." He winked, and then turned and followed the crowd to the starting line.
Penny, Mia, and I stood back and watched in an uncertain silence. I hated that he had to do this, but there was no other choice that I could see. Once the group had gathered and taken their stances, the host leapt up with a great cry of, "READY, GO!"
And they were off. Pirry the Pteri took off and glided above, looking down on the running mass below her. The contestants raced out in a billow of sand and dust, streaking out into the desert. "Look at them go!" Pirry's obnoxious voice grated from the nearby speakers. "This is going to be a great race, folks!"
Host was absolutely insane with excitement. He leapt up and down in a way that defied the forces of gravity and he was screaming so incoherently that I was certain he wouldn't have a voice for long. If one of the spectators didn't knock him out before then, that was. I winced and looked over at Penny and Mia, who were staring out at the steadily shrinking group already far ahead of us. "This is going to be close," Penny whispered, more to herself than anyone else.
"I guess... all we can do is just hang around... and wait..." Mia spoke hesitantly, lifting her gaze up to me. We were all beyond nervous for Radom, that much was perfectly clear.
I swallowed and managed to nod. "How long do you think this'll take?"
"Don't know. It could be hours," Penny replied, almost reluctantly.
I moaned and stared out at the figures now blurred and rippling in the heat on the horizon. "Be safe, Radom," I whispered, my heart and strength going out to him now. He could do it. He had to. I couldn't let myself think anything else. "Please..."
The rest of that day was a rather cruel, blunt test of my nerves. It literally did take hours. Penny, Mia, and I sat in the shade of the buildings, under a speaker, and listened with tension to every word that came out of the Pteri's beak. Contestants were dropping out left and right. What started out with perhaps thirty entries would end up with about half left to race to the finish. People were frequently disqualified for being caught trying to take a shortcut or cross out of the path the flags marked, some for bringing their own food or water for the course, but what always scared me to death was the ones that were taken out for being caught with a weapon or for attacking another entry.
Pirry spelled out the progress for us. The racers sped across the hot, empty, endless sand. They had to swim across the river and keep running, with no time to stop for a drink. They had to scramble over dunes where sand gave way under their paws, always desperately keeping ahead of whoever was nearest to them, not stopping to drink or rest or hardly even breathe. This tested every ounce of strength, discipline, endurance, determination, strategy, and will they had in them. They just ran endlessly for so long, the vicious sun beating down on them all the while.
I suppressed whimpers every time Pirry exclaimed that a fight had broken out or somebody had gotten hurt along the way. But she usually gave names or descriptions, and I was beyond relieved to hear that none sounded like Radom. People were dropping out all over, either because they had been disqualified, had gotten hurt, or simply couldn't go on any more. The crowd was really into it, at first cheering or moaning at someone they supported or didn't like, and later in the day many of them had broken up or left because the racer they supported had been taken out, or to come back and await the winner later. But Mia, Penny, and I didn't budge, on the edge the whole time.
When noon rolled around we ate nervously, not really tasting the food we had brought along but doing more so by impulse, making sure to save plenty for Radom. We gulped down water throughout the day, but each time I felt guilty that Radom wasn't getting any and must desperately need some at this time. This race was absurdly dangerous and I cursed the city's warped sense of amusement.
Mia continually gasped or covered her mouth at negative reports from Pirry, Penny winced and sat rigid, and I had to bite my lip to keep myself from making any noise half the time. Finally, after what seemed like ages, Pirry announced that the contestants were nearing the finish.
"It's been a long day, folks, but the remaining entries are nearing the end!" I sat up rigidly as I heard. "Head on over to the finish line, where we can all wait to see the three that come out on top!"
I wished I could have seen it all for myself, but there was no way a group of spectators could have seen what went on way out there in the desert. So all we had done was wait for what seemed like all day, anxiously depending on every word a reporter could offer us. Now I scrambled to my feet, hardly pausing a moment for Mia and Penny as I grabbed my knapsack and rushed back into the marketplace. They scurried after me, and we made our way hurriedly across and to the other side, where another group was beginning to form to see who was the best and the hero for today.
There were two more poles marked this time with blue flags to signal the finish. Spectators had gathered to stare anxiously out at the high peak of a sand dune ahead, where they expected to see their champions. Another wooden crate stood among it all, and in a moment the thrilled host came barreling through the crowd and flung himself to perch on the crate once more. He perked up and stared off in the same direction as everyone else, which my two friends and I joined, standing and waiting anxiously. Luckily I was taller than most everybody here and could see clearly where the winners would come.
Near the finish line sat a pile of crates, which served as a perch for the prizes and was watched by some of the castle's guards to prevent anyone other than the winners from taking them. Huge sacks of Neopoints sat all around it, earning hungry stares from all who stood as close as they could get, and in the middle sat the Crystal shard. It was in a jagged shape much like a flame, and was now glowing a deep, rich red.
I took one look at it and quickly checked the Crystal in my pocket, which was glowing deeply in response. Yes, that was certainly what we were looking for. The crowd roared and I looked up sharply to see a few figures cresting the sand dunes.
"And here we go, folks! The last stretch!" Pirry's voice came from another speaker, but now we could see her, a small yellow spot gliding above the Neopets running below her. "They've all raced nobly today, and we have many contestants still left in the race, but these few have a great lead! Only three of them are going to be our winners today, folks!"
I could see the figures that I made out to belong to a rich, noble Uni that was slowing down due to exhaustion, a few more well behind, and a scrawny, dirty Gelert that had taken the lead. But where was--?
"There!" Penny cried, pointing to another shape that had just come over the tip of the tall, sloping dune. And there he was, the brown shape running at an even pace, the dirty and exhausted shape of Radom. I stood on edge and contained myself from calling out to him, for fear I would just be a distraction.
Go, Radom, go! I just about shrieked and leapt up and down when I saw him suddenly pick up speed. He eased into a sprint, surpassing the Uni and other runners that couldn't seem to force themselves to go any faster. And before they knew it, he was neck-and-neck with the Gelert.
"Ooh! Folks, this is going to be close! We--- But wait!" A gasp rippled across the crowd when the Gelert noticed how close it was going to be. She had desperately struck out at Radom with her front paws in a last attempt to keep the lead, which had caused Radom to stumble and collapse right into her. And, to my utter horror, the two of them hitting the sand and sliding shifted it off balance. Suddenly a sheet of burning golden sand swept right out from under them.
"SANDSLIDE!" Pirry cried, faltering in the air. The contestants that had fallen behind scrambled up and out of harm's way back on the other side of the dune, but Radom and the Gelert couldn't get up and away in time. Suddenly the sand enveloped them, dragging them under as it cascaded down, and they slipped out of sight under the thick rush. "AND OUR TWO CONTESTANTS ARE UNDER, FOLKS!"
My hands smacked over my mouth as I suppressed a scream. Mia and Penny grabbed one another and stared in horror as the sand slide slowed and left the dune intact, though smaller than it had been before. The rest of the racers had halted safe on the other side, now occupied with scrambling out of where they waded in sand. But there was no sign of Radom or the Gelert where they had been engulfed.
"This isn't looking good, folks!" Now even Pirry sounded frightened. She was circling over the partially collapsed dune anxiously, and the palace guards now had to hold the crowd back to keep anyone from running out there and possibly disturbing the loose sand even more.
"RADOM!" This time I couldn't keep myself from screaming out. I saw the sand shift, and out pushed the answer to all of my hopes and wishing. Radom clawed weakly out of the sand, pulling himself out from where he had been buried, now coated head to toe in heavy sand. I could see him coughing and gasping, though he was too far out for me to hear anything, and he collapsed once his body was free. He tried and failed to stand several times, but gradually he took a few staggered steps and stood there coughing and shaking himself off until he could see and catch his breath briefly.
"HE'S ALRIGHT!" Pirry cried through the speakers.
I screamed and leapt up and down, grabbing a stunned Penny all the while, and was promptly joined by an ecstatic Mia. I was beyond relieved. There wasn't a word for what I was when I saw that Radom was alright. Some of the crowd cheered, but many still looked apprehensive. A few shouts of "RUN!" reached Radom.
He could win. He had a great lead on everybody, and the other contestants were just starting to climb the dune from the other side once again, once they thought it was safe to do so. Radom took a few staggering steps down the mound, but then stopped and stumbled around in a circle, his ears perking and wide eyes cast around wildly. He appeared to be frantically looking for something. Or someone.
I had to squint to make out just what he was doing, but it appeared that he saw something, as he suddenly pounced at the sand to his side. And suddenly I understood what he was doing. He dug wildly at the sand until his upper half was partially submerged in it, and then heaved back, straining against some weight. In a matter of seconds he had dragged the Gelert out from under the sand, both of them staggered and gasping for breath. The Gelert started to collapse, but Radom shoved himself against her to hold her up, and it looked like he said something to her.
Above, Pirry was fluttering in a thrilled manner. "THE LUPE JUST SAVED THE GELERT! FOLKS, THIS IS AMAZING! THEY'RE BOTH OKAY!"
The crowd erupted into shrieking and cheering as they watched Radom just save the life of the Gelert that had just nearly taken his and had started that slide in the first place. They both stood there orienting themselves for a moment, when we all saw the next few people peak the dune as well, the ones that had fallen behind but now caught up in all of this. The crowd started chanting, "RUN, RUN, RUN!"
Radom and the Gelert took one look behind them, stumbled a few paces, and then both managed to scramble down the dune without the aid of the other. A little bit of sand gave way, but soon they had sloped down to solid ground again and were picking up speed. Others were gaining now, but the two of them took the lead, scrambling with the last of their strength for the finish line.
"AND HERE'S THE MOMENT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR, FOLKS! AFTER AN INCREDIBLE SHOW OF STRENGTH, THEY'RE STILL RUNNING!" The Pteri darted after the two runners.
I was the first to notice that Radom was limping. "Radom," I gasped, shaking Penny suddenly. "He's hurt!" We all stared out fretfully as the two of them drew closer, Radom's paw giving way under him more than once. As he drew near, I could see his ears back flat against his head and the way he was wincing, and it was slowing him down just a tad too much.
It all happened so fast. The Gelert stumbled across the finish line and was quickly swept into the arms of her hysterical family. The crowd went wild. Radom staggered in to take second place, and the moment he had crossed the line, he collapsed. The noble Uni took third place shortly after and the rest of the runners started returning, but that went relatively unnoticed, as half of the city must have been crowded around Radom and the Gelert in an instant.
Pirry landed on the crate beside the Scorchio, who was throwing himself about in a wild jig on the spot, whooping and clapping hysterically. His excitement bordered on violence. As Pirry was taking off her equipment, he snatched up his microphone and bellowed into it, "NOW THAT WAS SOMETHING ELSE LADIES AND GENTS!"
I shoved my way through the crowd, on the verge of picking up and throwing anybody in my way, with Penny and Mia trailing in my wake. I wanted to cry out, but I couldn't seem to make any noise. I stumbled through the crowd, dropping my knapsack and collapsing on my knees the moment I reached where Radom was sprawled out on the ground and where people had been trying to revive him. He was coated with dust and sand, his fur filthy and searing to the touch, his body heaving with heavy, labored breaths.
Penny and Mia came up behind me. "Somebody get him some water!" Penny yelled, while Mia kindly straightened the shawl on my back to keep my wings hidden, and then picked up my knapsack and held it for me.
A few people wriggled out of the crowd to comply, and I leaned over my dear friend. He had gone limp, with no strength left in him. I could only imagine how far he must have pushed himself and what he had to force himself to do out there, with no rest or water, under that fatal heat. "Oh, Radom," I whispered, my eyes stinging with tears and I gently started to brush sand out of his face.
"Is he alright?" Mia squeaked, standing over me and staring down at Radom with concern.
"He will be," I whispered certainly, running my hand over the side of his face. "He passed out. Wake up... Radom..." I couldn't believe him. He had just saved another life... look at him... "Radom!" I jolted when I saw him stir, to my unbelievable relief.
His eyes fluttered opened and blinked unseeingly up at me for a moment. But when they focused, a weak smile graced his exhausted features. "Pandora," he whispered breathlessly, twitching for a moment as though he wanted to move, but then going slack once again.
I was so relieved I let out a sharp, soft, almost stunned laugh. "You're alright! You-you-you idiot!" The crowd looked at me in sudden surprise. "You could have been killed! And now you're hurt! All because of that--- Oooh, where is the little--?" I turned around sharply and cast an accusing look through the crowd, but rather than the Gelert who was to blame for this, I saw the Scorchio host barreling over to us.
"SECOND PLACE!" He stumbled to a halt over us and dropped a large sack of Neopoint into my arms, nearly knocking me over. "CONGRATULATIONS! That was AMAZING! You little hero, you!" He stumbled over his words as he beamed down at Radom. "Why, I haven't seen such courage since--"
"Where is she?" I snapped, abruptly standing up to shoot a horrible dagger of a glare across the heads of the crowd gathered around us. A flash of real anger crossed my face like summer lightning. Several people took a step back, and the Scorchio offered a shrill, nervous laugh before darting off to give the third place his prize next. I saw the Gelert standing with her small family away from the crowd, all of them Gelerts of blue fur with ragged shawls to keep off the sun. They were crowded around her in hysterics, while she stood staring off toward me, completely dazed and stunned. They had their Neopoints and the Crystal already.
I shoved the Neopoints into the arms of poor, stunned Mia. But before I could go toward her, I heard Radom's panting breath behind me. "Pandora, please... She didn't know... it wasn't as if she intentionally tried to kill us both..." I looked back to see him looking up at me, trying to push himself up to sit.
I couldn't leave him. I lowered back to his side once more and helped him sit up, keeping my arms around him as two people returned with a bowl full of clear water. They set it down in front of him and I thanked them as Radom practically seemed to fall face-first into it and lapped rapidly at the water. I let my arms fall away from him as he drank, absently brushing sand off his pelt once more. I just felt the need to be close, to put my hands on his fur and know he was there. I could have lost him. And I couldn't even let myself think of that.
Just then, the crowd started to back off, a bit parted to let someone through. I looked up to see the blue Gelert from the race, her family lingering back and watching Radom and I with what I was surprised to find were relieved smiles and grateful grins, and I could have sworn a few of them were crying. The Gelert was holding her sack of Neopoints and the Crystal in her mouth, and stopped in front of us, setting them on the ground and just staring at Radom for a moment.
Before I could say anything, Radom lifted his head, his muzzle dripping water, and smiled faintly at her. "You alright?"
She looked almost surprised at how soft and gentle and genuinely concerned his voice was, quite a contrast to the cold look I must have been giving her. "Ah... yes... yes, I'm just fine... thanks to you..." Her aqua eyes seemed to sparkle in the harsh sunlight. "Are you?"
"I'll be okay. Hurt my ankle, though." He lifted one front leg as if to demonstrate, and then set it gently back on the ground, putting no weight on the paw. "No worries."
"You both could have died," I snapped, at first leaning toward an angry tone, but found that my face cracked and hot tears stung my eyes. I had to look away, biting my bottom lip and taking a deep breath to fight it all back.
This seemed to strike her even more than her own family's waterworks in the background. "I-I know, I-I don't know what I was thinking," she stammered, her eyes widening as she looked down at her paws. "Please try to understand... my family... we've very poor..." She spoke hesitantly, almost reluctantly. "We need that money badly... I had to win... I did it for them... If I had any idea that I would hurt anyone-I-I didn't mean to-I--" She looked straight up at me now, and I finally met her gaze as she whispered, "I'm sorry..."
Our eyes locked for a moment. Hers were absolutely beautiful. And then I slowly nodded. "I understand," I sighed, casting my gaze back over to Radom. "You're both alright. And... that's really what matters."
"You saved my life." She looked at Radom suddenly, her eyes wide. "Even though I endangered yours. It was all my fault. I would have died if you hadn't..." She trailed off, slowly shaking her head, as if in disbelief.
Then, without warning, a human boy stepped forward and abruptly pulled Radom into a tight embrace. "You saved my best friend." He was staring with a sort of stunned relief in his eyes. "Thank you... Thank you so much." The utter gratitude in his voice was touching as he hugged the Lupe.
Radom tensed up for just a moment out of surprise, but then a gentle smile overtook him and he nudged the boy with his head. For once, even he didn't know what to say.
The crowd that had been watching all seemed to breathe out at once. I looked around in surprise, almost having forgotten that they were there, and couldn't help but smile when I saw so many gentle faces. As always, Radom was causing a scene, and I couldn't help but laugh a little to myself.
"I wish there was some way we could repay you," one of the Gelerts in the family spoke up.
"You've already won some money. Second place is still good," another offered weakly, hopeful that they could keep their money.
And they needed it most. "We don't need any money," I replied, ignoring the questioning looks I was getting. "We actually entered for..." I trailed off, my eyes straying toward the glowing Crystal that had been dropped on the ground. I felt terrible asking for anything from them. But this might be our one peaceful shot at it.
The Gelert that Radom had saved followed my gaze and offered the Crystal a puzzled sort of smile. "Oh, this thing? We don't need it. We've no need for weapons." She looked back at me, at that odd sort of hopefulness in my eyes. "Would you like it? It's a dreadful way to thank you, and I wish we could do more, but... if you want it..."
"You don't have to repay me for anything--" Radom began, blinking in surprise at the very idea.
"But we'd really appreciate it," I interrupted, shooting him a quick glance.
She smiled slightly and went to pick up the Crystal. "Then it's yours." I gratefully accepted it when she brought it over and offered it to me.
"Thank you," I managed, staring at it in half shock and half an overwhelming relief. Another piece. Only two more to go already. This was absolutely incredible.
The boy finally let go of Radom, grinning sheepishly. "We can't thank you enough."
Radom grinned brightly up at him, and then to the Gelert, who was completely radiant. "And you'll never need to."
The sun was beginning to set, glittering red through the cracks between the buildings. We had said our goodbyes to the Gelert and her family, and scrambled our way through an excited and moved crowd that congratulated or commended Radom every few people. We paused on the edge of the city while Radom sat to rest for a moment, but he decided that he could make it to the oasis, rather than spending the night in the city. With our Neopoints and Crystals (which had fused out of sight) in the knapsack over my shoulder, Penny and Mia trailing behind us and still marveling at Radom, we set off on our last walk of the day before we could collapse at their home.
"Well, you're a regular celebrity everywhere we go, I see," I commented jokingly, but in all honesty, I really was incredibly proud and impressed with him, as usual.
"I try." He smirked and winked up at me. I could see he was trying not to put much weight on his hurt paw.
I frowned at him rather suddenly. "You're limping."
"How fortunate I am, in having a traveling companion of such wisdom and intelligence," he replied dryly, his smirk growing.
I rolled my eyes in response. "Really, are you alright?"
"Of course." Well, he really was lucky that a sprained ankle was all that came out of that possible disaster. But still, it was hurting him, whether he would admit it or not, and it might disable him somehow. And I certainly wouldn't be able to carry him for very long.
But right now we just needed some food and some sleep, and we could figure out the rest in the morning. The four of us made our way to the oasis in the cooling evening, Mia and Penny drifting along in a daze. They had praised him just as much as the next person, and I had been stumbling over how I couldn't thank him enough and how proud of him I was, until he simply silenced all of us with one of his charming grins.
That night is rather fuzzy. I remember us eating and drinking at the oasis, and then curling up and going to sleep shortly after dark. Mia and Penny had bid us good-night, we had thanked them for all their help, and then sleep took us all. Radom was beyond exhausted, and all those emotions attacking me all day had left me pretty drained too.
The next morning, we all slept in late. We woke up around lunch time, had something to eat, and we both cleaned up using fresh pond water once more. By the afternoon, we were refreshed and ready to go. We decided that we shouldn't waste any more time.
Mia insisted that she wrap Radom's hurt paw up before we went, and that he should be careful on it. So while she was tenderly wrapping his right front paw and ankle in white strips of cloth, I said my good-byes to Penny.
I presented her with more than half of the Neopoints we had won in the race the day before. "It's the best thanks I can offer," I said simply, shoving the bag into her surprised grasp. "Thank you for everything. I don't know where we'd be now if you two didn't help us so much."
"I--" She stared at the money, blinking in surprise. "You really don't have to--"
I grinned and shook my head to silence her. "Don't you even start. You won't win," I teased, drawing her over to me in a hug.
She smiled and returned the embrace. "You'll come back and visit someday, won't you?"
"I hope so." Now wouldn't that be wonderful? Well, we'd just have to see. One step at a time.
I released her as Radom and Mia came from inside, both grinning at us. "We leave you two alone for three minutes and you're already all choked up," the Lupe teased, raising his eyebrows at me.
"You hush." I returned the grin. "Ready to go?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." He nodded to Penny, and then to Mia. "Ladies. I imagine this won't be the last time we see each other."
"Oh, do come back!" Mia exclaimed, smiling shyly at Radom.
We both said our last goodbyes, and before we knew it we had headed off once more, Crystal safely tucked away in my new clothes. We looked back and waved to our two new friends until they were out of sight, and then I looked ahead and wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. "I'll be glad to be out of this heat," I muttered, shaking my head.
"Cheers to that," Radom agreed, smirking out of the corner of his mouth. "Where to now?"
"Well... we've only got two more shards to go. The Water and the Air." There were several places the water could be. Out at sea, Maraqua, Mystery Island, even Krawk Island. And who knew where the Air could be? "I suppose our best bet is to just catch a boat and start looking."
He bobbed his head in agreement. "You got it."


text:
Q: How to prevent a deep link from navigating to the IOS store? I have a redirect to a native app in my web app and it works great if the app isn't installed but if it is then it navigates to the app and then immediately goes to the store. I only want it to go to the store if it's not installed.
It was my understanding of the code below that if the web app was able to run the line of code that sends you to the app then the timeout would never run because you'd navigated away from the web-app but it seems to be running regardless.
function attemptRedirect() {
    const OS = getMobileOperatingSystem();
    if (OS === 'IOS') {
        setTimeout(() => {
            window.location.href = content.ios_store_link
        }, 500);
        window.location.href = content.ios_app_link;
    }
    if (OS === 'Android'){
        setTimeout(() => {
            window.location.href = content.android_store_link;
        }, 500);
        window.location.href = content.android_app_link;
    }
}

How do I prevent the timeout function from executing if the code below it was able to run?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
package org.bitcoins.core.dlc.testgen

import org.bitcoins.crypto._
import play.api.libs.json._

case class SchnorrSigPointTestVector(
    inputs: SchnorrSigPointTestVectorInput,
    pubKey: SchnorrPublicKey,
    pubNonce: SchnorrNonce,
    signature: SchnorrDigitalSignature,
    sigPoint: ECPublicKey)
    extends TestVector {
  require(signature.sig.getPublicKey == sigPoint,
          s"Signature ($signature) does not match Signature Point ($sigPoint)")

  def privKey: ECPrivateKey = inputs.privKey
  def privNonce: ECPrivateKey = inputs.privNonce
  def msgHash: Sha256Digest = inputs.msgHash

  override def toJson: JsValue = {
    Json.toJson(this)(SchnorrSigPointTestVector.schnorrSigPointTestVectorFormat)
  }
}

case class SchnorrSigPointTestVectorInput(
    privKey: ECPrivateKey,
    privNonce: ECPrivateKey,
    msgHash: Sha256Digest)

object SchnorrSigPointTestVectorInput {

  def fromJson(json: JsValue): JsResult[SchnorrSigPointTestVectorInput] = {
    json.validate[SchnorrSigPointTestVectorInput](
      SchnorrSigPointTestVector.schnorrSigPointTestVectorInputFormat)
  }
}

object SchnorrSigPointTestVector
    extends TestVectorParser[SchnorrSigPointTestVector] {

  def apply(
      input: SchnorrSigPointTestVectorInput): SchnorrSigPointTestVector = {
    SchnorrSigPointTestVector(input.privKey, input.privNonce, input.msgHash)
  }

  def apply(
      privKey: ECPrivateKey,
      privNonce: ECPrivateKey,
      msgHash: Sha256Digest): SchnorrSigPointTestVector = {
    val signature = privKey.schnorrSignWithNonce(msgHash.bytes, privNonce)
    val signaturePoint = signature.sig.getPublicKey

    SchnorrSigPointTestVector(
      SchnorrSigPointTestVectorInput(privKey, privNonce, msgHash),
      privKey.schnorrPublicKey,
      privNonce.schnorrNonce,
      signature,
      signaturePoint)
  }

  def networkElementFormat[T <: NetworkElement](
      factory: Factory[T]): Format[T] = {
    Format[T]({ json =>
                json.validate[String].map(factory.fromHex)
              },
              { element =>
                JsString(element.hex)
              })
  }

  implicit val privKeyFormat: Format[ECPrivateKey] = networkElementFormat(
    ECPrivateKey)

  implicit val schnorrPubKeyFormat: Format[SchnorrPublicKey] =
    networkElementFormat(SchnorrPublicKey)

  implicit val schnorrNonceFormat: Format[SchnorrNonce] = networkElementFormat(
    SchnorrNonce)

  implicit val hashFormat: Format[Sha256Digest] = networkElementFormat(
    Sha256Digest)

  implicit val signatureFormat: Format[SchnorrDigitalSignature] =
    networkElementFormat(SchnorrDigitalSignature)

  implicit val pubKeyFromat: Format[ECPublicKey] = networkElementFormat(
    ECPublicKey)

  implicit val schnorrSigPointTestVectorInputFormat: Format[
    SchnorrSigPointTestVectorInput] =
    Json.format[SchnorrSigPointTestVectorInput]

  implicit val schnorrSigPointTestVectorFormat: Format[
    SchnorrSigPointTestVector] = Json.format[SchnorrSigPointTestVector]

  override def fromJson(json: JsValue): JsResult[SchnorrSigPointTestVector] = {
    json.validate[SchnorrSigPointTestVector]
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Work hard, be clever, have fun and use good judgment.
This is our straightforward and incredibly effective plan to make your next move a great experience.
To be completely upfront, our goal is to make your move so enjoyable that you can't help but share the news, provide us a 5-star review and refer us to your family and friends!
In fact, over 85% of our clients in the past year came from repeat clients or personal referrals.
The greatest strength of our team of real estate professionals is that we truly enjoy educating our clients on the current conditions affecting the Champaign County real estate market. Each member of the team; Mark Waldhoff, Sandy Gard, Joe Gerow, Angie Kerr, Ella Brown Dunn, Chris Kloeppel and Sheri Brown, enjoy helping our clients (and friends) understand the local market and the steps of the buying and selling process. We also like to have fun along the way!


text:
Chelsea scout Piet de Visser urges Bertrand Traore to consider return to Netherlands
By Tony Mogan
December 30, 2015 18:00 GMT
Chelsea scout Piet de Visser believes Bertrand Traore should consider a move to Ajax, revealing the Dutch club have already tried to sign him on loan. The 20-year-old was granted a work permit allowing him to play in England in May, joining up with the Chelsea first-team squad in the summer following an 18-month loan spell in Netherlands with Vitesse Arnhem.
Under former manager Jose Mourinho, the winger made three appearances off the bench this season with some beginning to feel the Burkina Faso international is being wasted at Stamford Bridge.
More about Chelsea
Guus Hiddink rules out January Loic Remy sale after Aston Villa make their interest known
Cesc Fabregas in line for Blues return but Gary Cahill a doubt for Palace
Patrick Bamford reveals he has played last game for Crystal Palace without telling Alan Pardew
Cesc Fabregas out of Manchester United clash, two others face fitness tests
Blues scout De Visser is one who believes the youngster stands a better chance away from his parent club, revealing Ajax's director of football, Marc Overmars, has already tried to lure him to the Amsterdam Arena.
"Marc Overmars has already asked about him, but Jose Mourinho did not want to let him go," De Visser told Voetbal International. "At this time, he is on the bench at Chelsea. That's a shame, because Bertrand is a super talent.
"He has tremendous technique and is cool in finishing. At Vitesse he stood out; at Ajax he would be working with better players."
Traore thrived during his 18-month spell in the Netherlands with Vitesse prior to his arrival at Stamford Bridge, scoring 16 goals in 42 appearances. So far, his playing time has been limited appearances off the bench against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Champions League, in the Capital One Cup against Stoke and in the Premier League against Bournemouth.
The Daily Mail claims Ajax are already in talks with Chelsea over a deal to bring the player back to the Eredivisie.
Related topics : Premier League

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We are a loyal tribe.
We Formed the Warriors Of Three Kingdoms so we could look out for one another.
please contact Seanryan147 and he will get back to you as soon as possible.
powerful than us it could mean the death of our tribe.
Do not set an account sitter outside of the Warriors Of Three Kingdoms family, you will be dismissed.
Our gamer forums have been updated and ready to use.
Play Smart! Don't rely on others to do what you should be doing in the first place.
should be obvious by now.
you will have your villages taken and will be dismissed.
Guys.. You have taken this part from the CE (AtenCa) overview.. I'd like to know where you got it and how..


text:
By Adam Dawson
Sun 01 Apr 2007 02:08 PM
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority
Dubai Municipality
AL Serkal Group
Concorde-Corodex Group
Water is fast becoming the world's most precious commodity, with the UAE alone is expected to consume 600 million gallons a day in 2015. Adam Dawson looks at what is being done to conserve this resource and how FMs can play their part.
The world is facing a water shortage and the Middle East in particular with its dry climate is set to suffer if nothing is done. Residential housing, commercial centers and industry all use huge amounts of water needlessly. FMs can have a positive impact on this while helping to save the environment and a company's wallet too.
The UN has stated that it won't be long before a third of the world's population is living in an area experiencing some form of water shortage.
Unsurprisingly the Middle East is included in that area and the construction boom that is taking place in the region is using even more of this precious resource.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) expect water demand in the Emirate to reach 1290 million litres a day by 2011 and the fact that global warming will result in an increase in temperatures is only going to compound the problem.
It has been estimated that Arab states will need to invest US $100 billion (AED367 billion) on desalination over the next decade if demand for water keeps growing at the current pace. The increasing annual average of 6%, double the global average, is due to the surging population and large-scale economic diversification.
Desalination has so far been the salvation of the Middle East. Of all the world's desalination plants, 60% of them are based in the region and in the UAE alone desalination comprises 80% of the country's water supply. The rest comes from ground water, which is rapidly running out.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia accounts for 30% of the world's total desalinated water production pumping out 2270 million litres a day. "So far desalination is working," says Husham Ahmed, chief engineer, Dubai Municipality (DM). "The problem with the process is that it is very expensive and uses huge amounts of energy and so it isn't environmentally friendly. The problem we have is we have to use it because the UAE is one of the top three largest consumers of water per capita in the world."
An increase in the amount of water being used in Dubai is coupled with an increase in the amount of sewage being produced, which has gone up from 25,000m³ a day in 1981 to 400,000m³ a day in 2007. "The problem is, what can we do with the sewage?" adds Ahmed.
"At present municipal waste is taken to the sewage treatment plant in Warsan where it is treated and 50% of it redistributed as irrigation. The other 50% is put back into the water table through water injection. But so much of the water being produced through desalination is being wasted and the DM has started to encourage large commercial or industrial projects to look at recycling their waste water on site and using it again for things like irrigation, landscaping and toilet flushing."
Doing this would mean recycling sewage or grey water (water left over from washbasins and showers) in small sewage treatment plants on site, cutting down on the amount of desalinated water being used for things other than drinking and bathing. FMs should be aware that this is not only a resource saving option but one that saves a lot of money as well.
Metito is a company that has taken advantage of the water shortage and this new talk of localised recycling units. Critical water shortages in Sharjah last year have led to new regulations concerning the type of water that is used."All buildings whether residential blocks, labour camps or commercial centres must have their own grey water recycling plants for toilet flushing and irrigation," says Metito customer service manager Ahmed Hayajneh. "It would be very sensible if Dubai was to follow suit, but I don't think it will in the short term because of all the construction that is taking place."
Global Engineering Solutions is a smaller company that is also supplying small sewage and wastewater treatment plants for use in beach resorts, labour camps commercial centers and residential areas. "We have both sewage treatment plants and grey water plants," says Sanjay Parekh, sales and marketing manager. "And we can build them to the customer's desired specifications in terms of the quality of the treated water, the size of the plant, whether it's above or below ground and other factors like these."
The company uses moving bed biofi reactors (MBBR), low sludge production (LSP), biofilm activated sludge and hybrid biofilm activated sludge technologies. The water treated in these plants is odour and pathogen-free and can be used in cooling towers, toilet flushing, irrigation, car washing, construction and other applications.
"The design of these sewage treatment plants means they are half the size of conventional sewage treatment plants," adds Parekh. "As a result the power usage is around half the amount. There is also the added plus that you can increase the capacity of the plant by 15-20% if you need to with very little added hassle."
The company also produces water restrictors that restrict the flow of water out of taps. "You get the same amount of pressure coming out your tap but the amount of water is much less than normal. They are a simple device to cut down on the amount of water you use," stresses Parekh.
This is a primary example of products that FMs should be looking at when thinking of reducing the amount of water that a building uses.
Serco is a FM company that has been using the water restrictors very successfully. "We always look for ways to save money when we take on contracts with different companies," says environmental health and safety manager Melissa Ashwell. "Saving on the DEWA bill is perhaps the easiest way to do this. We fit water restrictors on taps and put water bags into toilets so that they don't use so much water when you flush them. We have been following this in our own offices and have seen a reduction in the amount of water we use by up to 25%." FMs should also take notice not to water plants after 8am or before 6pm to make sure water isn't lost through evaporation and never use a hose for cleaning pavements outside.
But more needs to be done in the form of regulations from the government if water is to be saved. "There needs to be more pressure from the Government to force companies to use less water and to start to recycle their own wastewater," says Mohammad Hammoud, head of environmental engineering solutions, Al Serkal Group.
"In Singapore they have strict regulations on how much water they consume. They are even going as far as to drink wastewater which has been purified." In fact the water that is produced in Singapore exceeds the requirements set by the World Health Organisation and is cleaner than other sources of Singapore's water.
Al Serkal and Dubai Municipality are in the process of building a new waste treatment plant in Al Aweer that will be in the unique position of being able to separate oil and grease. "This type of waste posses a threat to the environment so it is good that we can treat it and recycle it," adds Hammoud. "The oil can be recycled into candles and other things, whereas the sludge goes to make fertiliser and the water is sold to industry and used for irrigation. Everything in this plant will be sold and reused."
Treated wastewater for use in industry is a topic that is causing a stir within the Middle East. The huge increase in business within the region is in part to blame for the consumption of water, so the use of recycled water for industrial procedures is being looked at with interest. There is particular interest within the district cooling sector which uses a huge amount of water.
Concorde-Corodex is a company that is using the new technology of membrane bio-reactors to allow domestic sewage to be treated and safely used for industrial application at their two plants in International City and on the Palm. "The water that comes out is of a pure enough form that it can be used for restricted irrigation for landscaping," says Mohanned Awad, marketing manager, Concorde-Corodex.
"You can use this water for other things such as crop growing, fountains, toilets and for washing your car, but it has to be used in conjunction with reverse osmosis technology." The resultant effluent is of such a high level that district cooling companies are looking into the technology. "Emicool have expressed some interest," adds Awad. "They want us to provide them with the water as well as recycling 80-85% of their blow down water. This would not only save them large amounts of money but would also cut down on the waste they produce." At the time of print Concorde-Corodex had supplied Emicool with a pilot plant and were awaiting the results of a six week trial.
The Middle East is slowly moving in the right direction with regards to wastewater treatment and recycling. It has come to the stage where desalinated water should not have to be relied upon for non-potable applications and FMs should play their part to make sure that this happens.
How FMs can save water
• Check water leakages in buildings regularly - this can be done automatically with the use of technology
• Place water bags in flush tanks of toilets
• Fix water restrictors onto all taps and shower heads
• Water plants before 8am or after 6pm to avoid water loss through evaporation
• Grow plants that do not need much water
• Avoid using potable water for cleaning or irrigation
• Use a wiper instead of a water hose for cleaning pavements
• Use modern irrigation techniques like drippers or sprinklers - technology can help automate this process
For all the latest construction news from the UAE and Gulf countries, follow us on Twitter and Linkedin, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.


text:
Man Fined $149 For Screaming In His Car While Singing 'Everybody Dance Now' Too Loudly
A Montreal man is contesting a ticket after he caught the attention of police while getting a little too into the groove of the 90s dance hit.
38-year-old Taoufik Moalla was on his way to the grocery store to buy a bottle of water when a familiar tune came on - the 90's dance hit 'Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)' by C+C Music Factory. Moalla, like the best of us, couldn't help himself and starting singing along.
Let the music take control. Let the rhythm move you!
As many of us are wont to do in our own cars, Moalla turned up the tune and started belting along with the chorus. That's when he heard the sirens pull up behind him.
He told a reporter from CTV News Montreal:
"I was thinking they wanted to pass, but they called on the speaker 'Please go to the right side.' I stopped and four police came, two on each side, and checked the inside of the car. Then they asked me if I screamed. I said no, I was just singing."
Come on let's sweat!
The officers searched his car and issued him a ticket for screaming in his car and a fine of C$149 (US-$118) for disturbing the peace. Despite the unexpected encounter with the police, Moalla maintained his cool, probably because 'Everybody Dance Now' is the kind of song that puts anyone in a good mood.
"I don't know if my voice was very bad and that's why I got the ticket," he said. "But I was very shocked. I understand if they are doing their job, they are allowed to check if everything's okay, if I kidnapped someone or if there's danger inside but I would never expect they would give me a ticket for that."
Moalla is planning to contest the fine, and expects the judge to be sympathetic to his situation. One person who isn't sympathetic, though? His wife.
"She told me, if it was for singing, I'd have given you a ticket for $300."
By Nina / Tuesday 24 October 2017 11:48 /
Serious times
Bushy
Today, I was making a snowman with my little cousin. I was collecting snow just outside the house, when out of nowhere a snowball struck me in the back of the head and caused me to headbutt the wall. I woke up a short while later to a medic telling me I had a nasty concussion. Thanks, cousin. FML
By CandyCrushAddict - United States - Wilson
Today, while having sex with my wife, my Candy Crush addiction hit me full force, and all I could do was think about possible moves I could make in the level I'm stuck on. FML
By anon - United States
Today, I tried to wake my boyfriend up to sex. When I went to touch his penis, he elbowed me in the face, mumbled an apology and began snoring again. FML
Today, while at the urinal doing my business, my trousers fell all the way to the ground. As I bent down to pull them back up, my boss walked in the bathroom and thought I was mooning him. FML
By BadKitty42 - United States
Work sucks, I know
Today, it was my last day at work. I was offered a better job and accepted. Not wanting to leave my present boss hanging, I asked for time to give notice. While I trained my replacement, the owner at the new job had time to think about how slow the season is, and he decided not to fill the position. FML
By Anonymous - United States - Traverse City
Today, my wife yelled at me for being a bastard and not caring about her needs. I felt like an asshole and apologized for everything. It took me a few hours to realize I'd basically just apologized for unknowingly hanging the toilet paper the "wrong way" for her OCD. FML
By Imagino1234 - Canada - Prince George
Today, my mother sent off a handmade Christmas wreath I made for my 70-year-old grandmother. It wasn't until after it was sent that we realized the box it was packed in was originally for adult diapers. FML
By ctmoto77 - United States - San Francisco
Today, I arrived at work to find out someone had signed me up to a dating site. Apparently, my inability to speak to women has reached "boss level". Quite literally, as my boss was the one who signed me up. FML
By egsrox95
Today, my best friend had the balls to call me an alcoholic. She snuck vodka on a cruise ship in a Listerine bottle. I've never had a drink. FML
By Anonymous - Maldives
Today, while using the bathroom I gave the toilet a courtesy flush, only for it to overflow and soak my pants. That would've been bad enough even if I hadn't been at work, with five hours left on my shift and no change of clothes. FML
By stoopidpoop - United States
Today, I told my girlfriend's father that I wanted to talk about his daughter. I then went on to tell him I was thinking about 'popping the cherry', instead of 'popping the question'. FML
By B.B - United States - New York
Today, my husband brought me breakfast in bed. Don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful and love him even more for the thought. But the only problem with breakfast in bed is that you have to eat what they bring you, even if it's bad. FML
By embarassedmuch - United States
Today, I bought a new car, and before I left, the dealer offered to help me set up the sync. I agreed, but I really wish I'd remembered that my Bluetooth name is TitsMcGee. FML
Today, my own boyfriend admitted that he can't name one single thing he likes about me without naming something "physical." FML
By bradyman - United States
Today, I went to the dentist after not being there for 3 years. I was told that I had loads of cavities and that I would need to pay $3,000 for a serious mouth surgery. The reason I hadn't been to the dentist in 3 years: I've been married to a dentist for 3 years that said my teeth were "perfect." FML
By How? - United States - Glasford
Today, a bird crashed into my face. I didn't think that actually happened to people outside of cartoons. FML
Today, my boyfriend wrote me poetry. Here's how it went: "Roses are red, violets are blue, I suck at poetry, show me your tits." That's the most romantic thing he's done for me. FML
By weak - United States - Columbus
Today, I was helping my wife bring in the groceries. She was able to carry 4 bags and a jug of milk. I was struggling with 2 bags. FML
By Anonymous - United States - Dunkirk
Today, thanks to puberty, I have an acne rash around my mouth. Rumors are already flying around school saying I have herpes. FML
By gypsy - Australia
Today, I hired a cleaner to clean my apartment so when my in-laws visited tonight, they wouldn't think I was lazy. I got home from work, the cleaner hadn't shown at all, and my in-laws had arrived early. My mother-in-law is now mopping the floors. FML
By Kelli - 8/4/2020 02:00
That slaps!
Today, the whole time my husband and I had sex, my stomach flab violently slapped my thighs. The harder he pumped, the louder the slapping got. Time to lose some weight. FML
By KelseNM
Today, I've been diagnosed with an incurable condition in both eyes that is making me go blind. I lost my job and had to drop out of my final year in college because of this. Then my ex found out and stole my car since I "won't need it". FML
By PuddlePirate - United States - Mountain Iron
Today, my co-worker and I were having a conversation in Russian. Our boss overheard us talking, shouted, "I know you're talking about me! I speak Spanish too!" and threatened to fire us. FML
By candie - United States
Today, thanks to my wife's confession, I found out that the 14 year old child I've raised since I was 16 isn't related to me at all. But at least this narrows the real father down to one of three other guys. FML
By BannedfromFriend - United States
Today, I was at my best friend's house, listening to him complain about his mother remembering all the bad stuff he did when he was in high school. I jokingly said, "An elephant never forgets." Guess who was behind me. FML
By stupidcunt - United Kingdom - Colchester
Today, I was looking at the map on my phone whilst walking down a street. I heard the sound of a bike behind me so I moved to let the cyclist past. He snatched the phone out of my hand and sped off. FML
By inder - United Kingdom
Today, while having sex, I found out that I'm so flexible that when I bend over backwards, the backs of my knees can touch my shoulders. My boyfriend is now extremely jealous and is debating about breaking up with me. Even I don't get it. FML
By Anonymous - United States - Vancouver
Today, while researching tea etiquette for Sunday's tea, I read, "to put milk in your tea before sugar is to cross the path of love, perhaps never to marry." I suddenly panicked that this very lack of knowledge is why I haven't met a man who wants to marry me, and that I never will. I'm only 23. FML
By Anonymous - United States - Worcester
Today, my husband had a temper tantrum because I wouldn't get him a chocolate bar at the store register. FML
By ambermcnulty - France
Today, it was the first time my boyfriend had seen me naked. He grabs my breasts and then begins to sing "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts." He is 22. FML
By bbbkingsey - United States
Today, while walking through the park, a little boy came running up to me and hit me in the nuts with a stick. I fell on the ground and looked up just in time to see his mom giving him the thumbs up with a smile on her face. FML
By Anonymous - Ireland
Today, I was getting funny looks all day. When I got home I realised that I was interrupted while doing my make-up this morning and completely forgot to fill in my second eye brow. FML
By 117halo12345 - United States - Sedgewickville
Today, I was showing my 4 year old some of my fire magic tricks. I ended up getting 2nd degree burns on my left hand and burnt off half of her hair. FML
By moorox45 - United States
Today, I put on a pair of sneakers that I'd left outside, and went jogging. After several minutes of pain, I pulled off one of the sneakers, only to find dozens of baby spiders had moved in. FML
By sassy_girl144 - United Kingdom - Newbury
Today, I learned one of life's great lessons: it is possible to squeeze a Ketchup bottle so hard that the plastic breaks and everything lands on your face. FML
By Anonymous - United States - Irving
Today, I went through an entire roll of toilet paper in just over an hour. You win this time, questionable pork souvlaki. FML
By Son - United States
Today, after an hour-long conversation with my mom that was supposed to help fix our relationship, she said she prefers Beatrice over me and that she's moving in with her. Beatrice is not my sister, she's my older cousin. FML
By visn - United States
Today, a real estate agent showed my house to some buyers. I found out when I exited the shower, fully nude, to them in the hallway. FML
By grandma - United States - Barnesville
Today, I check my phone regularly for calls or texts from her. I take her out to eat frequently, and we sleep in the same bed sometimes. Today I realized the closest thing I have to a boyfriend is my grandma. FML
By Glassless
Today, I lost my glasses. I don't have spares but my girlfriend said I could borrow hers. She doesn't understand why this won't work. FML
#7556378 - Wednesday 25 October 2017 1:05
He needs to bring a karaoke machine to court. If he rehearses a bit and throws in some sick dance moves, he'll rock the court! They'll either throw out the fine or throw him in prison.
By GIJoefan | 6
Only in Quebec......
By blue_ecureuil | 20
A fine for disturbing the peace???! Man, only in Canada.. Here on my country, people drive around blasting their music even after 22:00 (there´s a national law that prohibits any loud noises after this time) and nothing happens! Sometimes, cops aprehend the music equipment inside the cars, but the person does not get fined or whatsoever. And during campaigns for the elections things just become chaotic: we have trucks equipped to do the propaganda - and you can practically hear them at the other side of town.
By Preston Thomas | 5
#7556718 - Wednesday 25 October 2017 20:16
his wife is a bitch


text:
NTHU Uses Big Data to Counter Coronavirus
2020年05月20日 AM03:00
HSINCHU, Taiwan
National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) has recently begun to collaborate with Facebook and Harvard University in using big data to study the potential spread of coronavirus in Taiwan. This international collaboration is being led by Assistant Professor Hsiao-Han Chang of the Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology at NTHU. The preliminary results indicate that the risk of local transmission is higher than long-distance transmission between counties and cities. Chang's advice for the upcoming holiday is to stay at home and to avoid crowds.
A research team led by Assistant Professor Hsiao-Han Chang of the Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology has collaborated with Facebook and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to study the spread of the coronavirus. (Photo: National Tsing Hua University)
Based on the results of another study she has recently conducted using mathematical modeling to assess the impact of wearing face masks, Chang strongly supports the Central Epidemic Command Center's (CECC) decision to set up a system for distributing masks, since it prevents the hoarding of an item important for limiting the spread of the epidemic.
Using Facebook's big data on the movement of people
At the end of January Facebook, the world's largest social media platform—began providing movement data for a joint study by NTHU and Harvard University's School of Public Health on the spread of coronavirus. The data includes estimates of the number of people moving among cities.
High-risk crowding
Chang's research team also found that local movement plays a more important role in the potential spread of coronavirus than long-distance movement. This runs counter to the widespread perception that distance traveled is the most important risk factor; what matters most is actually the number of people contacted and the length of time one is in close contact with them. Thus visiting crowded places near one's home may not be safer than traveling to popular tourist attractions. For Chang, one rather concerning finding of the study was that, despite the repeated warnings issued by the CECC since the beginning of the outbreak, travel in Taiwan has continued nearly unabated.
The team has also used mathematical modeling to simulate the impact of wearing masks. According to Chang, there is a clear correlation between the widespread and correct use of masks and lower infection numbers. Millions of masks are being produced and distributed daily in Taiwan, and this is one of the reasons the nation has been able to ride out the pandemic relatively unscathed.
Priority distribution of masks
A study by Chang and Colin Worby, a computational biologist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, shows that the proper use of masks by the majority of people reduces both the numbers of infections and deaths significantly.
They also found that when masks are limited, giving priority to high-risk groups helps to reduce the overall infections and deaths. Chang said that at the beginning of the epidemic the CECC commandeered the mask factories in Taiwan and set up a mask distribution system to prevent panic buying and hoarding—two key measures which have helped the nation stay ahead of the curve.
Holly Hsueh
NTHU
(886)3-516-2006
hoyu@mx.nthu.edu.tw
TimeLine: NTHU Uses Big Data to Counter Coronavirus


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Words can't begin to describe the love I feel for Percy. For the past seven years he has been an important part of my life. I'm trying to write this and I can't. I don't know if I ever will be able to. I'd like to think that somewhere he is getting to meet Junkyard and that the two of them are hanging out with my Grandpa Wyatt.
I took a break and decided to post a message on an English Mastiff Owners group, I then decided it belonged here. Forgive my lack of correct grammar and any spelling issues. It's hard to type through tears.
This is my story of Percy and the time I spent with him.
I met P when he was a just a baby. His mama had just gotten him as a Christmas present and I fell in love at first sight. Over the years I would offer to take him for walks all because he was such a great way to meet women.
When Percy was four his mama and I started dating. He quickly let me know how things worked ("Hurt my mama and I will end you") and Jenni told me where my place in the hierarchy was ("If the choice is between you and Percy, pack your bags"), I was ok with both of these things. I caught the flu shortly after Jenni and I started our relationship and being a smart woman she knew that I wouldn't take care of myself so she made me stay at her house where she could take care of me. It was during this week that P and I really bonded. We had many discussions/arguments on the proper way for both of us to fit on the couch until we came up with a solution. This arrangement worked for us even after we got new couches.
When Jenni and I got married we included him in our engagement photos. During our wedding it was decided that he needed to be a part of it so he walked my mother down the aisle. I was doing really good holding it together that day but when everyone there started clapping and cheering for him I started crying. Countless people have told me that having him there was perfect.
An opportunity came up where Jenni and I were able to give a home a mastiff puppy and we jumped at it. We figured Percy would be all right with it. Plans changed when we decided to bring two of them home and we were a little worried about how P would feel about them. I have no idea why we were worried.
A year ago Percy was diagnosed with Melanoma and during treatment Carcinoma and Lymphoma were discovered. He wound up having to have multiple surgeries, radiation treatments in Auburn, and chemo. For the past 8 months the two of us have been making a weekly 4 hour trip for his treatments with never a complaint. The staff at UGA's Small Animal Teaching Hospital were fantastic and he trained them all quickly. The minute he walked through the door he went straight to the counter and demanded treats just for showing up. They treated him like the superstar he was and I will always love them for that. So may people asked about him during this time that we created a facebook page for him.
The doctors told us that he only had a few months but he held on and fought and was able to be here for the birth of his human brother. And like all good southern boys my son was christened by a damn good dog once he got home.
"He seems ok Mama, let's keep him"
Sunday the Lymphoma came back aggressively and there was nothing more we could do for him. Today with his head in my lap, his mama beside him, his two Mastiff sisters laying down with him and surrounded by family and friends Sir Percival of Bransford passed away. I have thousands of stories about him, which I will tell thousands of times and I will never forget him. He can never be replaced and it will take a long time for the pain I feel to go away.


text:
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Political parties in uk
Boris Johnson wins key Brexit backing in UK leadership race
June 19, 2019 by vir Leave a Comment
Brexit figurehead Boris Johnson has carefully stage-managed his media engagements in a leadership contest that remains his to lose AFP/JEFF OVERS Ahead of another round of voting in parliament, former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab said Johnson was the "only candidate" to take Britain out of the European Union as planned on Oct 31. On Tuesday Raab was eliminated from the contest to replace Theresa May as the leader of the ruling Conservative party and prime minister, leaving five candidates left. One of them will be eliminated in another ballot of Conservative MPs later Wednesday, before further votes on Thursday to whittle the field down to a final pair. Former foreign minister Johnson, a one-time mayor of London, is leading the pack after securing the support of 126 of 313 Tory MPs in Tuesday's ballot. A figurehead of the 2016 referendum campaign for Brexit, he insists there must be no more delays to Britain's EU exit, after May postponed it twice. During a television debate on … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson wins key Brexit backing in UK leadership race
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UK vote designed to bring Brexit clarity. But can politicians finally agree?
January 29, 2019 by vietnamnet Leave a Comment
UK vote designed to bring Brexit clarity. But can politicians finally agree? There is an over-used saying about negotiations with the European Union: "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed." But in the case of Brexit, that agreement may never come. Britain's political deadlock over its biggest challenge for decades may never be broken. In a series of votes in Britain's House of Commons Tuesday evening, lawmakers will try to take control of Brexit from UK Prime Minister Theresa May's government, which has failed to get parliamentary approval for her plan for leaving the EU. Several amendments expected to be put to a vote should, in theory, finally bring some clarity over what kind of Brexit will win the most support. But that is only in theory. Even as events unfolded Monday, with momentum building around two key amendments, opposing factions were trying to block them. It is possible that, when the time comes for voting, just after 7 p.m. UK time, nothing will pass. And with … [Read more...] about UK vote designed to bring Brexit clarity. But can politicians finally agree?
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HCM National Academy of Politics to grant scholarships to South Africa
January 17, 2019 by vietnamplus Leave a Comment
View of Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (Source: hcma.vn) Pretoria (VNA) – The Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) is willing to provide full scholarships to South African students, said deputy director of the academy Le Quoc Ly at a working session with First Deputy General Secretary of the South African Communist Party Solly Mapaila in Pretoria on January 17. Each year, the HCMA will grant 20 scholarships to the South Africa on courses taught in English, Ly said, adding that along with Vietnamese lecturers, the academy is inviting lecturers and experts from the UK and the US to teach. He also said the HCMA is training many foreign students from Laos, Cambodia and Mozambique and plans to train those from Cuba. Welcoming the Vietnamese delegation, Mapaila said the visit demonstrated the solidarity between the South African Communist Party and the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). Since its foundation, the South African Communist Party has considered the … [Read more...] about HCM National Academy of Politics to grant scholarships to South Africa
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UK PM to warn against 'damage' of second Brexit vote
December 17, 2018 by vietnamnews Leave a Comment
LONDON — Prime Minister Theresa May will on Monday warn MPs against supporting a second referendum, saying it would do "irreparable damage" to British politics. "Let us not break faith with the British people by trying to stage another referendum," she is expected to tell parliament, according to extracts from her speech released by Downing Street. "Anther vote... would do irreparable damage to the integrity of our politics," she will say, adding that a second vote "would likely leave us no further forward". She will warn that another referendum would also "further divide our country at the very moment we should be working to unite it". Britain voted to leave the European Union in a referendum in 2016 and is set to leave on March 29 next year, although May is struggling to get parliament to accept a divorce agreement she struck last month. May has faced calls for a second referendum to resolve the impasse but has … [Read more...] about UK PM to warn against 'damage' of second Brexit vote
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UK PM survives confidence vote over Brexit deal
Viet Nam News LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday survived a confidence vote by her own MPs but lost the support of one third of her colleagues, signalling the battle she still faces to get her Brexit deal through parliament. May won the backing of 200 Conservative lawmakers, but 117 voted to oust her -- and only after she conceded she would step down before the 2022 election. "I'm pleased to have received the backing of my colleagues in tonight's ballot," she said outside her Downing Street office after the result was announced. "A significant number of colleagues did cast votes against me and I've listened to what they've said." She said she wanted to "get on with the job of delivering Brexit", and to see "politicians on all sides coming together". The result, announced after a secret ballot, was met with huge cheers from May's supporters gathered in parliament, while the pound rose on the news. But leading Brexit rebel … [Read more...] about UK PM survives confidence vote over Brexit deal
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UK Labour seeks to solve Brexit split, anti Semitism row
September 23, 2018 by vir Leave a Comment
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has a golden opportunity to capitalise on Prime Minister Theresa May's weakness after European Union leaders rejected her Brexit plans on Thursday. (Photo: AFP/Paul Ellis) With Theresa May reeling after European Union leaders rejected her Brexit plans, it is the first conference that party leader Jeremy Corbyn can see a realistic route to becoming prime minister. But the 5,000 pro-EU protesters who marched to the conference centre in Liverpool, north-west England, highlighted the pressure he is now under to steer his party towards a second Brexit referendum. Party members expected to vote in favour of such a measure on Tuesday, throwing up ideological and practical concerns for veteran socialist Corbyn. He has long been a critic of the EU's free-trade policies and must also find a way to reconcile the traditional working-class wing of his party, who mostly voted for Brexit, and his own army of younger supporters that want to stay in the bloc. … [Read more...] about UK Labour seeks to solve Brexit split, anti Semitism row
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BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 8/8
August 7, 2018 by vietnamnet Leave a Comment
VIB buys back all bad debt from VAMC Vietnam International Bank (VIB) announced last week that it has repurchased more than VND1.46 trillion (US$64.2 million) worth of debt from the Viet Nam Asset Management Company (VAMC). With this move, VIB was recognised by the State Bank of Viet Nam and VAMC as one of four banks which required all bad debts that they sold to VAMC. Three others are Vietcombank, Techcombank and MBBank. Earlier in July, VIB released its financial report in the first half of 2018 with a profit of over VND1.15 trillion ($51 million), triple that of the same period last year, or equivalent to 57 per cent of the yearly target. During the period, the banks' net revenue reached VND2.7 trillion, up 56 per cent year-on-year, while its lending saw a yearly rise of 9 per cent to VND91.7 trillion. From January to July, VIB's Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) was maintained at 12.5 per cent while the cost-income ratio (CIR) stood at 49 per cent, … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 8/8
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Britain 'concerned' over move to ban Hong Kong party
July 18, 2018 by vir Leave a Comment
Britain expressed concern on Wednesday (Jul 18) after police in Hong Kong sought to ban a political party which promotes independence for the city as Beijing ups pressure on challenges to its territorial sovereignty. Hong Kong enjoys freedoms unseen on the mainland but concern is growing that rights are under threat from an assertive China under President Xi Jinping AFP/Anthony WALLACE The bid to bar the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP), a well-known but small group with a core membership of around a dozen, has been made because it is a potential threat to national security and public safety, according to authorities. It is the first time such a ban has been sought since Britain handed sovereignty of Hong Kong back to China in 1997 and is the latest move to stifle any calls for independence, which have infuriated Beijing. "We note with concern ... plans to prohibit the continued operation of the Hong Kong National Party," the British foreign office said in a statement. "The UK … [Read more...] about Britain 'concerned' over move to ban Hong Kong party
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UK PM calls for 'free elections' in Thailand
British Prime Minister Theresa May called for "free and open elections" in Thailand as she met with the country's leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha in London on Wednesday (Jun 20). Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May (left) meets Prime Minister of Thailand, Prayut Chan-o-cha (right) at 10 Downing Street in central London. (Niklas HALLE'N/AFP) Prayut, a former army chief who seized power from Thailand's civilian government in a 2014 coup, will next meet French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday as part of a highly-publicised European tour. "The Prime Minister urged continued progress towards free and open elections in Thailand in line with international standards, including restrictions on political parties being lifted at an early stage," her spokesperson said after the meeting. May's meeting with Prayut came just two days after Thailand carried out its first execution since 2009, prompting outrage from human rights groups. During their sit-down, Prayut assured May that Thailand … [Read more...] about UK PM calls for 'free elections' in Thailand
Filed Under: World News Thailand, Prayut Chan-O-Cha, Theresa May, World News
Former Thai PM Yingluck waits for political asylum approval in UK
Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. (Photo: @zenjournalist Twitter/VNA)Bangkok (VNA) – Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra isstill waiting for political asylum status to be granted by the UK, a sourcefrom Pheu Thai Party said on January 7.The source confirmed that Yingluck had filed the request for political asylumin the UK after the Supreme Court released its verdict in November 2017 affirmingher guilty in the rice-pledging scheme-related case.If her application is approved, she would be granted a passport or traveldocument valid from that date on.ThanakitWorathanachakul, a senior prosecutor at the Office of the Attorney-General,said Yingluck may have applied for political asylum in the UK. His statementwas made following a series of photos which appeared on the Thai media showingthat the former PM was in Westfield Shopping Centre in London.The Thai police contacted with UK authorities via Interpol to define whereYingluck is residing.Yingluck was … [Read more...] about Former Thai PM Yingluck waits for political asylum approval in UK
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