text:
\section{Background}

Sandia has a long history in large-scale network
emulation~\cite{urias2015emulytics} using virtual machines (VMs). Specifically,
Sandia has developed \emph{minimega}\footnote{\url{http://minimega.org}}, an
open-source VM orchestration tool. minimega supports Sandia's
Emulytics\footnote{\url{https://www.sandia.gov/emulytics/}} program that
combines large-scale network emulation with data analytics.

minimega is fast, easy to deploy, and can scale to run on massive clusters with
virtually no setup. minimega uses
QEMU/KVM~\cite{bellard2005qemu,habib2008virtualization} to launch VMs (which
can run unmodified Windows and Linux operating system). These VMs can be
configured to have different resource allocations (\textit{e.g.}\xspace,\xspace VCPUs and memory) and
properties (\textit{e.g.}\xspace,\xspace disk images, number of serial ports). For higher density,
minimega also includes support for lightweight virtualization using Linux
containers. Importantly, minimega uses Open vSwitch~\cite{pfaff2015design} to
connect these VMs and containers using virtual switches to create arbitrary
network topologies according to the user's specifications.

Once configured, minimega includes many capabilities to launch and manage the
VMs and containers (simply referred to as VMs here). minimega has a scheduler
that launches the VMs across a cluster of machines to evenly distribute
resource allocations. Once launched, minimega has APIs to start, pause, and
kill VMs as well as inspect their current state. minimega also has a
command-and-control system that talks to agents running within the VMs to send
and receive files and execute commands. For example, this can be used to start
traffic generation and then pull the log files for analysis. Additionally,
minimega has APIs to configure and deploy routers based on
BIRD~\cite{filip2010bird}. These routers provide routing, DNS, and DHCP for the
VMs. Finally, minimega has APIs to record traffic from the VM networks for
further analysis.

These capabilities allow experimenters to build complex networks of VMs and
conduct tests with minimega. However, the output quality of these emulations is
bounded by the quality of the input system specification.

\section{Conclusion}

In conclusion, we have presented our discovery toolset which aims to automate
the map to model process for Emulytics. The toolset contains a daemon that
stores the IR and provides a RESTful API for tools, parsers, and model
generators to communicate with. On the backend, we describe minemiter, a tool
that takes a template-based approach to generate commands to instantiate a
model of the network in an emulation platform. We have applied our tools and
techniques to model SCinet 2016 which we booted in minimega.

\section*{Acknowledgements}

Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated
by National Technology \& Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy's
National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

This paper describes objective technical results and analysis. Any subjective
views or opinions that might be expressed in the paper do not necessarily
represent the views of the U.S. Department of Energy or the United States
Government.

\section{Discussion}

We chose the simplest emulation for SCinet 2016: an all container environment
with static IP addresses. There are many ways in which we can improve the
fidelity of the environment using the IR and templates built into the toolset.
However, an open question is how much effort to put into improving the
emulation. For example, we could replace the containers with KVM-based VMs and
launch operating systems matching those of the real devices but that may not
provide any benefit over an all container environment if we are only interested
in studying properties of a firewall or IDS appliance between the registration
network and the WiFi devices.

Furthermore, there is the question of how well our model matches the real
network. So far, we have compared graphs from the Emulytics environment to the
IR-based graphs and the IR-based graphs to the SCinet network diagrams. A more
rigorous analysis of whether the Emulytics model matches the IR model which, in
turn, matches the real network, would be required before claims about the real
network could be made using the Emulytics model. Fortunately, many of the
applications of Emulytics do not require this level of rigor. For example, to
continue with the previous example, studying properties of a firewall or IDS
appliance.

\section{Future Work}

To date, most of our efforts have been towards understanding a static snapshot
of the network we that wish to emulate. In the real-world, networks evolve over
time as when endpoints are added, removed, or simply move to a different
location within the network. This evolution is particularly interesting with
laptops and mobile devices which have high mobility.

The templated model generation technique we employ could be used to perform
transforms on already running experiments. For example, say source network data
from a given network is captured a day apart, and two IRs are created from that
data. The model generator can be used to create a ``base'' model, representing
the first data snapshot. Once the base model is running, the model generator
can use a separate set of templates to determine the difference from the second
model (created from data taken a day later), and create Emulytics platform
commands to modify the booted model. This allows creating temporal snapshots of
experiments and modifying experiments to reflect those temporal changes.
Alternatively, because our IR includes an unstructured map, we could also
annotate devices based on time and change our tools to be aware of time. This
may require significant changes to our tools that currently expect uniqueness
in fields such as MAC address and IP address.

\section{Implementation}

\begin{figure*}
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=0.65\textwidth]{fig/overview.pdf}
    \caption{Overview of the discovery toolset. The discovery daemon accepts input from raw data parsers to build the IR. IR tools may then check and refine the IR before minemiter creates a minimega script.}
    \label{fig:overview}
\end{figure*}

We built the discovery toolset to integrate into the existing minimega
ecosystem. As such, all of the tools are implemented in Go. \emph{discovery} is
the main tool in the toolset. It acts as the central tool which all other
tools, parsers, model generators, \textit{etc.}\@\xspace communicate with, and stores the IR of
experiments, as well as other configuration data. In addition to storing the
IR, the discovery tool also hosts a simple web server that provides a real-time
visualization of the experiment (as seen in Figure~\ref{fig:sc16-partial} and
Figure~\ref{fig:sc16-routers}). Figure~\ref{fig:overview} shows an overview of
the toolset's interactions.

\begin{figure}
    \begin{verbatim}
{
    "NID": 1,
    "Edges": [
        {
            "N": 63,
            "D": {
                "ip": "10.0.0.1/24",
                "mac": "de:ad:be:ef:ca:fe"
            }
        }
    ],
    "D": {
        "hostname": "irc.example.com",
        "os": "linux",
        "ports": "22,6667"
    }
}
    \end{verbatim}
    \caption{Synthetic IR for a generic Linux server that runs SSH and IRC
    servers and is connected to a single network with a static IP.}
    \label{fig:host_ir}
\end{figure}

The discovery tool maintains a single IR at runtime, and supports a simple
JSON-encoded RESTful interface for queries and updates. The tool can read and
write experiments to disk as well. Figure~\ref{fig:host_ir} shows an example of
JSON encoded data for a single node in the IR. Node and edge data is stored in
unstructured maps that are later parsed by the model generator. Each node and
network can by referenced by its ID.

The tool also maintains a simple map of configuration data, intended to be used
to store information about model specific details, such as the location of disk
images that will be used by an experiment.

\subsection{Parsers}

We developed several parsers for the output from existing tools including
\emph{nmap} and \emph{traceroute}. We also develop a new PCAP parser based on
GoPacket\footnote{\url{https://github.com/google/gopacket}}.

For \emph{nmap}, we walk the XML output from the tool and create an endpoint
for each host that nmap identifies, storing the identified operating system and
open ports in the metadata. Our implementation of this parser assumes that the
structure of the network is already known -- all routers and their connected
subnets are already represented in the IR.

For \emph{traceroute}, we parse the hop-by-hop output and create an endpoint
for each hop. This demonstrates the basic concept but has a number of
shortcomings including alias resolution and determining the IPs for
``backward'' edges. These shortcomings could be addressed by incorporating
prior work~\cite{govindan2000heuristics,kim2007efficient,spring2002measuring}.

We implement our own PCAP parser to perform passive endpoint discovery and
record the results in the IR. Specifically, we parse packets using GoPacket,
and extract information from ARP, Multicast DNS, DHCP, ICMPv4, and TCP SYN
packets.

\textbf{ARP}~\cite{rfc826} is used by endpoints to identify the hardware
address associated with a network address. The ARP Replies are recorded in the
IR, creating new endpoints if the IR does not already contain a given hardware
or network address.

\textbf{Multicast DNS}~\cite{rfc6762} is a service discovery protocol used in
local networks. By snooping on multicast DNS packets, our PCAP parser can
identify which services are available on the network as well as the IP
addresses of the endpoints and store these in the IR.

\textbf{DHCP}~\cite{rfc2131} is a network bootstrapping protocol that allows
endpoints to exchange configuration, including which network address to use.
Our PCAP parser uses these to create or update endpoints in the IR, based on
hardware address, with their assigned network addresses.

\textbf{ICMP}~\cite{rfc792} is a protocol that is used for network status
messages and diagnostics. Our parser creates new endpoints based on echo and
echo reply messages.

\textbf{TCP SYN}~\cite{rfc793} is the first packet in a TCP connection that
includes many parameters for the connection. Previous work has shown that the
TCP parameters are operating system dependent which can be fingerprinted
(implemented in p0f~\cite{zalewski2014p0f}). We ported p0f to Go and to run on
top of GoPacket so that our PCAP parser could annotate endpoints with its
suspected operating system.

Our PCAP parser combines data from these various protocols to create endpoints
and populate their metadata. There are many inconsistencies that can occur
passively monitoring a live network. Our default behavior is to drop
inconsistent endpoints. In future work, developing a more rigorous approach to
resolving inconsistencies would substantially improve the quality of the
generate IR.

\subsection{minemiter}

\emph{minemiter} is the model generation tool for the discovery IR. It walks
the IR, invoking one or more templates for every node in the graph, and emits a
minimega script that can then be used to boot the model. The core feature of
minemiter is its use of user definable templates (based on Go's template
package\footnote{\url{https://golang.org/pkg/text/template}}) to provide
actions on qualities of endpoints. For example, a node in the IR may have a
network connection on network \emph{63}, and a MAC address of
\emph{de:ad:be:ef:ca:fe}, as is shown in Figure~\ref{fig:host_ir}. From this, a
templated action to generate the necessary minimega command could look like:

\begin{verbatim}
{{ if $e.D.mac }}
vm config net network-{{$e.N}},{{$e.D.mac}}
{{ end }}
\end{verbatim}

This production would generate the valid minimega command:

\begin{verbatim}
vm config net network-63,de:ad:be:ef:ca:fe
\end{verbatim}

Templates are executed in sorted-name order, and minemiter expects template
names to begin with a single letter (A-Z) and a two-digit number, such as
S70network.template. Using this scheme, minemiter will execute every ``A''
template in numeric order against every node in the IR, followed by every ``B''
template, and so on. This enables the template writer to have up to 26 passes
across every node in the IR.

By processing templates in this way, the designer can approach model building
iteratively. For example, a default set of templates will generate an abstract,
Linux container-based experiment with no behavioral model. From this point, the
model designer can write templates specific to their experiment, such as a
template that generates Windows KVM-based endpoints. In this case, the Windows
template would be ordered before the default Linux container templates, and any
endpoints that matched on the template criteria (such as having the metadata
os=windows), would emit a Windows VM configuration. The Windows template would
then indicate not to continue in this pass for this node. If the criteria do
not match, minemiter simply falls through to the next template, in this case
the default Linux container templates. By using this approach, the model
designer can both iterate on successively higher fidelity models without having
to modify the source IR, as well as easily modify the level of abstraction in
the experiment by simply adding or removing key templates.

The templates are so flexible that different sets of templates could even be
used to generate models for different emulation platforms. Alternatively, it
may be simpler to transliterate the discovery IR to whatever IR the other
desired emulation platforms supports.

\section{Introduction}

Our Nation's critical infrastructure depends on distributed information
systems, which must be resilient against malicious attempts to disrupt their
operation. Security mechanisms must be deployed and continuously assessed in
order to prevent adversaries from disrupting critical infrastructure. These
information systems employ a broad range of technologies including fixed
Ethernet, point-to-point wireless, and cellular communications. Additionally,
these systems employ enterprise architectures, cloud based data centers, and
emergency response wireless architectures. With the extensive reliance of
critical infrastructure on secure information systems, techniques and
mechanisms to assess security must be created.

Assessing the security posture of information systems used in critical
infrastructures necessitates, in cases, the capability to assess security on a
representation of the operational system. Performing security analysis on real
operational systems, in most cases, is prohibitive and assessing security on
simulated systems lacks fidelity. A cost-effective solution is to create an
emulation of the system and its components to enable system-level analysis. An
emulated system model can be used to conduct red teams and assess risks and
vulnerabilities of a system. A major challenge in creating an emulated system
model is obtaining an accurate specification of the system of interest.

Initially security practitioners may examine original system design and
specification documents, if available. This typically results in a poor
description and specification of the system since the system has been modified
for several possible reasons:

\begin{itemize}
    \item Original specification was modified during original deployment
    \item Device configurations not completely specified and/or modified over time
    \item Original device firmware and/or software upgraded
    \item Original system topology modified for system growth
    \item Device selection changes resulting from vendor performance
        improvements
\end{itemize}

In order to obtain an up-to-date and accurate view of the information system a
dynamic system discovery and mapping capability must be developed and employed.
The capability developed here enables system analysts to diagram, inventory,
audit, and analyze the system of interest. Our solution encompasses two areas:
System Discovery and System Emulation.

We have developed an information system discovery platform that can be used as
a centralized discovery station. The platform accounts both for application
(and service representation) as well as network configuration. System discovery
in critical infrastructure systems can pose a significant challenge because of
the diversity of devices not normally used in traditional corporate IT systems.
System devices may include embedded devices that do not respond to traditional
discovery techniques and discovery might be limited to network protocol
scanning mechanisms.

Our developed capability fuses data from both commercial and open-source
solutions. We can employ both active device discovery and mapping techniques
along with passive discovery techniques to discover and create maps of
information systems of interest.

The contributions of this work are as follows: we present the \emph{discovery}
toolset\footnote{Available at
\url{https://github.com/sandia-minimega/discovery}} and associated intermediate
representation (IR) as a means to automate the map-to-model process and apply
the toolset to the Supercomputing 2016 network (SCinet) to demonstrate its
utility (shown in Figure~\ref{fig:sc16-partial}).

\begin{figure*}[ht]
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=0.6\textwidth]{fig/sc16-partial.png}
    \caption{Model of SCinet 2016, omitting the two largest subnets: the
    wireless network and the classrooms. The aggregation routers in the bottom
    left connect all the vendor machines to the conference network.}
    \label{fig:sc16-partial}
\end{figure*}

\section{Methodology}

There are two key aspects involved in this work. First, to investigate methods
for rapid, automated, and flexible network structure and behavior specification
(raw data to map). This effort required studying issues both in data transforms
appropriate for an Emulytics environment, but also issues in composing data in
constructive ways. Second, given a suitable representation of a network, create
a mechanism to emit Emulytics models with variable levels of abstraction
suitable for operators to create, adjust, and analyze.

\subsection{Rapid, automated, flexible network specification (raw data to map)}

The overall goal of this work is to investigate mechanisms to create Emulytics
models from source data (\textit{e.g.}\xspace,\xspace network packet capture, active network scans,
router configurations). We decouple this operation into transforming sensor
data into an intermediate representation and then transliterating the
intermediate representation into an Emulytics model. This is not unlike the
process most code compilers use -- take human readable source, transform into
an intermediate representation (parse tree), make optimizations, transform into
machine code or other representations. By creating an intermediate
representation, we create opportunities to perform analyses on the
specification such as identifying partitions in the network, as well as create
a portable and reusable specification for the model generator to create
multiple models from.

The intermediate representation (IR) is a simple graph, with unstructured
key/value pairs on each node (\textit{i.e.}\xspace,\xspace an endpoint or switch in a network), as well
as unstructured key/value pairs on each edge (\textit{i.e.}\xspace,\xspace a network connection). Nodes
and edges are populated with descriptive data about their role and operation on
a network (\textit{e.g.}\xspace,\xspace IP and MAC address, running services, hostname).

We have created a number of parsers for a variety of source data types that can
interact with the data already in the graph. For example, when parsing network
packet capture data, the parser may find that a node with IP address 10.0.0.1
is communicating to a specific web server. To capture this behavioral artifact,
the parser searches the graph for a node with IP 10.0.0.1. If it finds one, it
adds this metadata to the node specification (perhaps incrementing a total byte
count of traffic as well). If the node does not exist, it simply creates one,
attaching it to the correct subnet (assuming that it can be inferred), and
moves to the next packet. Using this model, we support both creating any number
of discrete parsers and provide a path to transliterate data from existing
commercial or open source tools (by modifying those tools or creating ``shim''
parsers).

The host IR also enables us to automatically perform ``gap'' analysis before
emitting an Emulytics model. Continuing with the above example, a compiler is
able to perform certain checks on the IR of software such as ensuring that
certain semantics are met such as that variables are defined before they are
used. We envision performing similar semantic checks on the host IR. For
example, it would be syntactically valid to define a machine with thousands of
interfaces in our host IR but such a machine would be physically unrealizable
and, thus, a semantic checker of the host IR would reject it as invalid and
suggest potential alternatives.

Likewise, we could encode the best practices of networking engineers as
semantic checkers. These semantic checkers could also identify blind spots in
the network where it can identify the host IR is incomplete. Without an IR,
such checks would not be feasible.

\subsection{Tunable model specification (map to model)}

The second stage of creating an Emulytics model from source data is to generate
a model from a suitable IR that has been created, optimized, and validated. For
the purposes of this project, we assume that we have sufficient data in the
intermediate representation to create a bootable Emulytics experiment (\textit{i.e.}\xspace,\xspace all
endpoints have IP addresses or are configured for DHCP). The primary goal of
the map-to-model stage is to support translating the IR to an Emulytics model.
This stage also allows for tuning the translation to support emitting
variations of the model. For example, the IR may be comprised of 250,000
Windows-based endpoints. This is too many Windows virtual machines to boot on
most clusters. Instead, the operator should be able to identify that only some
subsection of endpoints are important to a given experiment and need to
actually run Windows virtual machines. The rest of the model may safely be made
up of generic Linux containers, which allow for greater density, without
impacting the validity of the experiment. This specification abstraction does
not modify the source IR, simply the generated model, meaning that the operator
can revisit the intermediate representation with new model criteria for other
experiments.

\section{Related Work}

Many tools have been built to date for network discovery. Tools can generally
be divided into two categories: topology and endpoint discovery. Topology
discovery tools try to determine the structure of the network while endpoint
discovery tools provide detailed information about individual endpoints. These
tools can be further categorized into active tools, when the tool is allowed to
probe the network, and passive tools, when they are not.

Traceroute~\cite{jacobson1988traceroute} is an example of an active tool that
has been used to infer network topologies. Traceroute enumerates the routing
path between a source and destination. Many techniques have been developed on
top of traceroute to construct a topology from the
paths~\cite{govindan2000heuristics,kim2007efficient,spring2002measuring}.
Nmap~\cite{lyon2009nmap} is an active scanning tool to enumerate properties of
endpoints. Nmap can discover operating systems, open ports, and sometimes
versions for applications listening on those open ports. In order to do so,
Nmap generates many probes that may be blocked by firewalls. There are other,
passive, tools that provide situational awareness built on top of
NetFlow~\cite{berthier2010nfsight,yin2004visflowconnect}. These tools can be
used for both topology and endpoint discovery.

These network discovery tools are all complementary to our system -- we
envision our system ingesting output from any and all these tools to build a
detailed and rich model of the network. In fact, we prefer to use these other
tools and write parsers for their outputs rather than implement the full tool
ourselves. This simplifies our development and allows us to leverage the
decades of development that have gone into these other tools.

Mirkovic \textit{et~al.}\@\xspace\cite{mirkovic2018dew} present Distributed Experiment Workflows
(DEW) which describes experiment topology as well as experiment behavior and
topological constraints. Our approach could be combined with DEW to allow
researchers to define experiments on automatically discovered topologies.

In addition to Sandia's minimega, there are other emulation platforms such as
DETER~\cite{benzel2006experience}, Emulab~\cite{hibler2008large}, and
CloudLab~\cite{ricci2014introducing}. Each of the emulation platforms have
their own set of design principles and goals and could have been used instead
of minimega. Fortunately, the majority of the discovery toolset is platform
agnostic. The final step which emits minimega commands could be replaced with a
separate tool that automates the APIs of these other platform.

Depending the application of the network model, full-system emulation may not
be necessary. In which case, tools like mininet~\cite{de2014using}, which is a
tool for software-defined network developers to prototype large networks on a
single computer using lightweight virtualization, may be appropriate.

\section{SCinet 2016}

During Supercomputing 2016, we worked to build a discovery-based model of
SCinet 2016 as NRE participants.

\subsection{Router Configurations}

Our first step to modeling SCinet was to parse the router configurations in
order to determine the structure of the network. SCinet 2016 included five
routers from four different vendors: Arista, Brocade, Juniper, and Cisco. The
parser for each configuration file created a new node in the IR and created an
edge for each IP assigned to the router. The parsers inspect the IP address and
subnet assigned to each edge and connect the edges that share the same subnet.
We were only interested in constructing a simple layer-3 model so we ignored
other configurations such as VLAN-tagging for certain interfaces.
Figure~\ref{fig:sc16-routers} shows a picture of the resulting IR.

\begin{figure*}
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=0.8\textwidth]{fig/sc16-routers.png}
    \caption{Model based on router configurations that shows the many
    interconnections between the two aggregation routers, their connections to
    the core routers, and finally the connections between the core routers and
    the conference router.}
    \label{fig:sc16-routers}
\end{figure*}

\subsection{dhcpd Logs}

Once we had the structure of the network, we built a new parser for
\emph{dhcpd} logs to populate the endpoints on the network. We chose to use
dhcpd logs for several reasons. First, they include devices across many of the
conference subnets. Second, these logs are simple to parse. Third, they are
small in comparison to the terabytes of PCAP that we would otherwise have to
process to obtain the same information.

The parser scans the logs looking for DHCP acknowledgements (ACK). ACKs are of
the format:

\begin{verbatim}
DHCPACK on 140.221.X.Y to <MAC> \
    (<HOSTNAME>) via 140.221.X.1
\end{verbatim}

For each ACK, the parser queries the IR to see if it already contains an
endpoint with the given MAC and if it does not, it creates one. It then updates
the endpoint with the leased IP address and hostname. This parser took only a
few hours to implement and run on the logs which demonstrates a strength of the
discovery toolset -- adding new parsers is trivial.

Figure~\ref{fig:sc16-partial} shows a picture of the resulting IR, omitting the
two largest subnets: the wireless network and the classrooms. These subnets
make the graph too large to easily display. To omit these subnets, we simply
wrote a small \emph{trim} tool that walks the IR and marks nodes for deletion
based on a query. We ran this for each subnet, unmarked the nodes representing
routers, and then ran it again to delete the marked nodes.

The dhcpd logs that we processed contained a total of 9,525 endpoints. From the
hostnames they request, we estimate that there were at least 2,100 Android and
1,900 iPhone devices. Another 500 were iPads and another 71 were Windows
devices. Based on this information, we changed the icon in the visualization to
show where the different OSes appear in the network. Upon doing so, we
discovered that one subnet is entirely Windows devices.

\subsection{Emulation}

We took the resulting IR and used minemiter to create a minimega script to boot
a Emulytics model of SCinet 2016. For simplicity, the environment is based on
the default templates -- all endpoints are represented with containers and all
IPs were statically assigned. The script contained over 128k minimega commands
and took just over 14 minutes to run, launching the 8,416 containers across 10
machines. When booting the containers, we discarded endpoints that had the same
IP address or the same hostname. These discarded endpoints suggest improvements
that we can make to our dhcpd parser -- there should be no duplicate IPs for
the time that the DHCP lease is valid and hostnames should be deduplicated by
appending an integer.

\begin{figure}
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=0.45\textwidth]{fig/sc16-minimega.png}
    \caption{Screenshot of minimega's network graph for SCinet 2016 model}
    \label{fig:sc16-minimega}
\end{figure}

Figure~\ref{fig:sc16-minimega} shows a screenshot of minimega's network graph
which shows how the container networks connect in a running minimega
environment. From this network graph, we can see a similar structure to the
IR-based graphs shown in Figure~\ref{fig:sc16-routers} and
Figure~\ref{fig:sc16-partial}.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


Had I known what this short novella was about before I agreed to read and review it in all honesty I probably would have said no thank you! This is a horrifying story about demons, vampires (I think, the corruption of humanity and a plot to end the world by the evil forces. I do realize that some of you out there really do like this genre and I have to admit it was very well written. It takes you from normal to frighteningly sickening subtlety without you really being aware of it. I believe this is part of a series and will become a short film sometime in 2015.
She's Not So Ordinary is the third book in The Chosen series by C.A.Milson.
In the latest tale, Jamiesonn has found a way back from the underworld to take apart the very life of the only one he loves... His daughter Laura.
Laura is the average girl. She has a fiancee who is currently deployed in Afghanistan, a great job at a collection agency, and two cats she calls Dill and Cream.
Her life cannot get any better. Or so it seems. In a turn of events, her fiancee is savagely killed while on tour, and everything in her life is out into jeopardy.
For 18 long months, Jamiesonn breaks her down little by little until she is no more than a vessel he can finally use.
That was, until "he" came along. Garry was charming, witty, and in a way, a light in the darkness.
C.A. Milson lives in Melbourne, Australia. He is a HS graduate, and has a doctorate in Biblical studies. His fascination of horror writing began when he was a child, when he used to read stories in a paranormal magazine his late Grandmother had.
His beginnings as a writer started in 1989, when he lived in a small town in South Victoria, called Winchelsea ("Winch"), where for a time, he lived on a piggery farm.
Over some months, he wrote 26 short stories, (none of which he pursued to get published), which at the time, was more or less a hobby, but an outlet for him to escape the very "quiet" life in the middle of nowhere.
The very first story he wrote was titled "Shack Of Evil", a horror short story of 9 pages, based on a "would be" paranormal investigator, who goes out to research a haunted shack. Those characters would later become the focus in the award winning novel, "Rise Of The Darkness".
In 1989, the stories where all in the first person POV, and very amateurish. Hence why he then put them on the back-burner until 1994.
In 1994, while he was living with his father in Brisbane, Australia, he started writing again. This time on a new typewriter. Long gone was that old "Beast" that he had formally used to write his 26 short stories. That "newer" model was a piece of art, in that half the keys were missing.
In December 1994, he took out "Shack Of Evil", and turned it into a 2 part, 300 page novel.
C.A. even tried his hand at attempting a screenplay at month; A sci-fi which he had titled, "The Alfrazedian Conflict".
Once again, C.A, put his writing on the back-burner to live in the real world.
For close to 20 years he has worked in marketing, in one aspect or another, from front end telemarketing, training call center agents, writing business plans (from the simple to the complex), script development, financials, Start-Up consultancy. In his "real career (Writer), he has also done a lecture or 3 on writing, character development, publishing.
In 2007, C.A. rewrote "Shack Of Evil", and titled it "The Chosen - Rise Of The Darkness". In 2008, that novel was published by Amira Press.
In 2010, Rise Of The Darkness was republished (with the original content written back in) by EDGE Publishing in the US, as well as under his developing publishing business, ASJ Publishing.
Later that year, C.A. also started a journey into the world of film, which was bittersweet. In 2010, a commercial was shot, which had the potential to be a great thing.
In 2011, the 2nd novel came out in "The Chosen" series, Bloodline Of Darkness, published by ASJ Publishing.
In 2012, ASJ Publishing officially launched, and open it's doors to new authors. Having been through the traps twice with other publishers, C.A. has experienced the blunt end of what not to do, and that is the focus of ASJ Publishing. To bring something different to the publishing game.
In September of 2012, the 3rd book of "The Chosen" series was released, "Not So Ordinary Girl", written by J.D.Rebel and C.A.Milson. The book adaptation the of film script.
His novels have won some awards, been shortlisted for other awards, and even his name (C.A.Milson) was one of the answers on a popular TV show in the Philippines.
I don't mind monsters, vampires, etc, but I don't like anything too graphic and gruesome, so I might sit this one out. I am not sure it's for me.
This totally sounds like my type of book. I love the paranormal and horror is one of my top genres.
Sounds like a good back. I will have to read that chapter.
Ooooh! Someone in my book club is really in to vampire books.I am going to tell her about this.
Gripping introduction! I'm intrigued now and must read this one!
I have to admit the cover is quite scary itself. Oh I hope Garry wins !!
Sounds a bit creepy for me, but I do enjoy a tidbit of horror/vampires themes on occasion!
Seems like it has some surprising twists and turns. It definitely sounds like a book that I would be interested in.
Ahh, I love these kind of books. I will have to look at the first book before I start on this one of course!
This sounds intriguing! I love reading before bed.
Interesting for sure may have to check this one out.
Oh goodness. This is not the type of thing I personally would read, but I admire the creativity of the authors who can think this stuff up!
It sounds like a great story but not the type of thing I would read. I like love and happiness!
Wow, I would probably would have passed too, but I think it's amazing how authors get so creative!
Wow ! I love your given short story here and I can not wait its movie version.


The amount of fat you can metabolize from intramuscular, visceral, and subcutaneous areas is based on the amount of toxins accumulated over the years. If you have a lot of toxins built up in fat cells it will be very difficult to lose this type of fat. The last thing the body wants to do is return those toxins into the bloodstream, so those toxins will rarely get released which means that those fat cells will close up and will never be released– no matter how much exercise or how great your nutrition is.
Toxins get accumulated over the years and can get stored in the fat cells. If a person was polluting their system when they were younger then chances are they have a high concentration of toxins in their fat cells. So even if they change their lifestyle and start eating healthier and exercising properly they might never release the toxic build up. They can however, reduce and stop the further production of toxin storage with the new lifestyle change.


REDWOOD SHORES, CA, November 3, 2014–Evan Kaplan, President and CEO of iPass Inc. (NASDAQ: IPAS), will give a keynote presentation at the 7th annual Open Mobile Summit in San Francisco on November 10th, 2014. The talk is entitled "Wi-Fi Order Through Chaos." Mr. Kaplan will discuss the rapid expansion of global Wi-Fi, who will lead the way in making Wi-Fi a truly global, roamable network and how these emerging players are poised to disrupt the mobile industry.
Mr. Kaplan will also share findings from the most in-depth research and forecast ever done into global public Wi-Fi hotspots. iPass has captured the findings of this research in the iPass Wi-Fi Growth Map, which is available at http:/wifi-growth-map/.


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CAE reveals signings of training contracts with five business jet operators
By victoria@aviationnews-online.com October 23, 2019 09:11
Frontier appoints Biffle as president and CEO
GA Telesis Appoints Frederic Denise
Boeing Debuts First 737 MAX 8
CAE has revealed that over the last few months it has signed five business aviation training contracts with five aircraft operators worldwide valued at approximately C$50 million (approximately £29.7 million).
The contracts include working with companies such as JetSuite and its sister company JSX, Silver Air, Solairus Aviation, TAG Aviation Holdings and Vulcan Flight Management.
Jetsuite a leading innovator in private jet aviation and its sister company JSX, have renewed its exclusive pilot training agreements with CAE for an additional six years for the Embraer Phenom 300 & 100 and Embraer Legacy Jet E145 platforms. Pilots will continue initial type-rating and recurrent training at CAE Dallas. CAE has been JetSuite's training partner for the provision of multiple training programs since 2009.
Another company which has signed an agreement is Silver Air, a leading private aircraft management company and direct charter operator. The company has renewed its exclusive pilot training agreement with CAE for an additional four years.
Solairus, a private aviation services company whose core business is to assist aircraft owners with the safe, reliable, and efficient management and operation of their aircraft, has renewed its pilot training agreement with CAE for an additional four years on multiple aircraft platforms, including Bombardier, Dassault and Gulfstream.
TAG Aviation Holdings has again selected CAE as its training partner for an additional three years. TAG Aviation Holdings' pilots training will span across CAE's global training network of small, mid-size, super mid-size, large cabin, and transport category. CAE has been TAG Aviation Holdings training partner for the provision of multiple training programs for more than five years.
Vulcan Flight Management, a part 91 corporate flight department, has extended its partnership with CAE by entering in a new four-year pilot-training contract for Gulfstream G650 and Bombardier Global Express training programs. Its pilots will continue initial type-rating and recurrent training at CAE Dallas and CAE Dubai.
Nick Leontidis, CAE's Group president civil aviation training solutions, said: "Over the next 10 years, our industry will need more than 50,000 new business jet pilots. This soaring demand requires fleet operators and training providers like CAE to work more closely together to accelerate the deployment of new training solutions.
"As the leader in pilot training, we are working on developing better pilots, faster. With better digital tools and recurrent training systems, we are elevating the training experience of pilots. These partnerships are testament to the value that we bring to business jets operators worldwide.''

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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(2018-03-22) Feathers and Swords
Feathers and Swords
Summary: A group of students come outside for a casual meeting to talk about spring, swords, and powers.
Scene Runner: None
.. .. .. ..
The clouds fill the sky and seem to speak of an approaching spring thaw. The temperatures are starting to rise giving some relief to the students of Coral Springs. A few students are milling around in near the chairs though no one is using the pool yet. Off in an area by himself on the greensward of grass is Bryce. He has gathered a few stones about the size of a man's hand and stacked them a few feet in front of him. He is holding his left hand out towards them while raises his right hand up towards his head though nothing is happening.
A black feather falls to the ground from the roof. And up there, Carmichael is sitting on the roof somewhere, bundled up in his coat and warm clothes. He looks like he's deep in thought, legs folded underneath him, a pensive look on his face. On the bright side, though, he's not disturbing anyone up there. And he's also light enough not to break the roof. Also if there's any snow up here, he's managed to push it off. So he's also been helpful!
"Hello, Bryce," The faintly accented voice comes from Loukanos who wears a pleasant smile and his school uniform. No shoes or socks, for that matter. After greeting and casting a curious glance at the rocks Bryce has set up, the blonde drapes himself over a bench in his typical, languid manner. Spotting the feather, he plucks it from the ground and looks for the source. Oh! A casual wave is offered to the angel boy.
Bryce glances over at Loukanos when he hears his voice. "Oh, hello, Loukanos." He lowers both of his arms and tries to stand in front of the little pile of rocks as though trying to hide it. "Um, it seems the weather is getting better. Did you get to talk to, uh, your mom?" Bryce still isn't one hundred percent certain that he knows what to think about Loukanos mother being a god. He doesn't know what that means. Shifting his head to look up where Loukanos is waving, he sees Carmichael up on the roof. He offers a wave and says, "Must be nice to have wings."
Carmichael had been looking down to the ground anyway, so when Loukanos waves up at him, Carmichael blinks, as if waking up. He gives a half-smile, and waves from the roof. He also waves at Bryce, seeming to notice him for the first time too. Seeing that there's a couple of people here now, he stands up slowly, and then just drops off the roof. His wings catch him, flapping hard once to slow him down — and it probably makes a bit of a gust, too — and he lands. "Hello," he offers, with that same half smile.
"No, but I spoke to my cousin," Loukanos says, keeping a frown from forming on his face. He's been trying not to think about that. Looking up to the sky, he offers, "I suppose the weather is getting better." A good sign. "They're quite beautiful," He glances over at Carmichael's wings. "Flying is a wonderful experience. If you'd like, I can take you sometime, Bryce."
Bryce watches as Carmichael flies down from the roof and shields his eyes briefly from the dust up. He then glances quickly to Loukanos and says, "I'm, I'm not sure about that. At least not yet." He then pauses for a moment and looks from the birdman to the godling. "Um, I was wondering if I could ask a question. If you don't mind….I was just wondering." He sighs realizing he is stalling and beating around the bush. Finally he comes out and says, "Has it always been easy for you to both use your powers?"
Ashton comes walking from towards the beach, wearing clothes that would have offered no protection from the cold, a pair of skin tight indigo skinny jeans and a thing white cotton hoodie. To say walking isn't quite so accurate. It is more like stalking back towards the school. Slung on his back is an accoustic guitar.
Carmichael blinks a bit at the mention of Loukanos's 'cousin'. "You mean the…" He waves to the back lawn, where the incident had taken place. "Any news yet?" Of Persephone, he means. Since he got the feeling that she's not where she's supposed to be yet. He blinks at Bryce, at the question. "Oh not at all," he replies. "I still have trouble with it. And when I first came here, it was because I accidentally broke the arm of a classmate in my old school that I'd gotten into a fight with. I didn't know my own strength." He pauses as he sees Ashton, and offers a smile and a wave.
"Ask me anything, Bryce. I will answer as best I can," Loukanos puts on a welcoming smile, propping his head up with his hand. The question gets a thoughtful look. "Oh…um, I was born with most of them. I suppose learning more about the occult was difficult as a child. I was too lazy to be fond of anything that did not come naturally back then." That isn't exactly power-related, though. He looks at Bryce. "Why do you ask? Are you having trouble using your powers?" Carmichael gets a slight nod. "Yes. Hekate. And no, she is still missing in action." He beams, "Ashton!"
Bryce looks over as Ashton as he comes up. "Good evening, Ashton. Aren't you, um, cold or something?" He glances from Carmichael to Loukanos. He seems a bit relieved to know that others have trouble with their powers too. "Yes, I should be able to manifest, well, whatever I see in my mind, but I'm struggling to make it happen. I can do a couple things pretty regularly, but…new things, or constant thing?" He sighs as though that indicated his current level of success. "Hekate?" Bryce asks sounding confused. He shuts his eyes and starts 'reading:' "Her name means "worker from afar" from the Greek word hekatos. Hekate assisted Demeter in her search for Persephone, guiding her through the night with flaming torches. After the mother-daughter reunion became she Persephone's minister and companion in Haides. She is the goddess of magic, witchcraft…" He blinks his eyes open looking a bit surprised. "Really?"
Hearing someone call his name, Ashton looks up. He sees Loukanos and offers him a slight smile, though it isn't his usual chipper smile. Well, Loukanos is reason enough to head over to the little gathering. He gives Carmichael a nod, "Hey, Dude. How's it going?" Finally his azure-green eyes settle on Bryce. "Good evening," Ashton replies, before shrugging, "I don't really get cold very easily."
Carmichael nods to Loukanos's reply. "I see… I'm sorry to hear that. I doubt I'll catch sight of her in the places I go, but if I do see anything strange, I'll let you know." Bryce's words of his powers get a nod. "I've heard it said that everything one's good at, one was once very bad at. The flying was just a matter of learning to use limbs, like anyone would learn how to walk, or tie his shoes. The other stuff? I'm… still working on that." He pauses at the 'reading'. "That… sounds about right…?" Yeah, Carmichael has no idea, he's just filling silence. Ashton's greeting gets a reply, too, "Oh, well enough. And you?"
"They say practice makes perfect. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? Perhaps I can help," Loukanos asks, looking behind Bryce to glance at the pile of rocks. Somehow he manages to look impressed and amused at all of Bryce's knowledge. "Yes, Bryce. That is how the tale goes, and as far as I know, it is accurate. Persephone is the one missing. Spring will continue, though. I imagine Zeus is forcing Mother's hand on that matter," He knows Zeus? "He is frightening." Sitting up, Loukanos pats the seat next to him for Ashton to sit. Whether he does or not, he asks quietly, "What's wrong?"
Bryce listens to Ashton as he says he doesn't get cold very easily. "Sounds like a handy skill to have." He then nods as Carmichael and Loukanos speak of practicing. "That is what I'm out here trying to do, I guess." When the issue of Persephone comes up, Bryce says, "She is missing? Is Hades hiding her or something? Or did she run off?" He shrugs and says, "I'd offer to help, but I'm not sure what I could do." He then gestures to the rocks and says, "I'm trying to move them without, well, touching them. I can make a sword, sort of. Working on making an armor or sorts. Too many sorts." He sighs. "But I should be able to make other things."
Ashton sits down on the bench where Loukanos indicated, without any remark or tease - a sure sign that something is bothering the young sorceror. He cocks his head, "Seriously what is it with people at this school pointing swords at me. I am beginning to take it personally. " He sighs softly, "Well, hmm… let's just say that Rain is a bitch… and I'm beginning to feel sorry for Schuyler." He frowns, "Still no news on your sister?" He looks over at Bryce, "Having problems?"
Finding out that there IS some supernatural something behind the changing of seasons is… some really disturbing stuff to find out! But Carmichael keeps it together. He nods to Loukanos's words. "I imagine after a point he's had it up to his godly eyebrows." No offense meant in the expression, no. But he DOES tend to deal with shocking things by using humor. Bryce's words of being out here probably to practice gets a nod. "Best way to do it, mate. You're probably not going to be great at anything right from the off. Skill will come with time and practice." He blinks though. "Making swords? Out of rocks?" Carmichael is slow sometimes, bear with him. he winces a bit at Ashton's words of someone pointing swords at him. "Why would Rain point a sword at you?" he inquires. That doesn't seem right…
"Currently, we are unsure. I hope the former is the case," Least that way Demeter isn't so heartbroken. Loukanos shrugs, "Thanks for the offer. Frankly, I am not sure I'll be able to help either." Glancing over at the rocks. "Hm," He holds out a fist. "Have you tried making a thin construct that can fit underneath the pile…" He slips his free hand underneath his fist and moves it up. "And lifting it like that?" There is also encasing the entire thing in one field and lifting it, but that sounds more complicated. Carmichael's joke gets a soft chuckle, "If only. She is supposed to be with Mother, so she'd be avoiding the most beautiful gardens ever. And cookies." Speaking of, Louk still smells like jasmine. He casts a concerned glance towards Ashton, draping an arm around the boy's shoulders and running his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry. Did she find out about you?"
Bryce glances over at Ashton as he mentions Rain. "Oh, at first I think she didn't like me but then she made us hot chocolate for some reason." He then asks, "Wait, a sword?" Looking over at Carmichael, Bryce shakes his head. "No, I don't make stuff out of rocks. I make stuff with my mind." He extends his hand and a cyan beam of light starts to emergy from his forehead. It slowly extends until he makes a sword that is almost in the form of a katana. It takes him about fifteen seconds before the sword fully forms. "It took me months to figure out how to do just this. I thought if I could make a hand or a claw or something, well, it would be more useful for things." He then looks at Loukanos as though he just had a great idea. "Oh, wait. I can help. Do you have books, scrolls, something like that which might have information or clues. I read fast and remember stuff."
Ashton sighs, "How can she find out about me, when I don't know anything for certain about me?" He cocks his head, "I keep getting told that Rain and Sky were like Besa's siblings.. Aren't families suppose to share things like 'Oh hey one of the new students somehow might be a demon or associated with a demon, but not just that but connected to the demon that I have been sacrificed to countless times over countless years.' Isn't that something you share with your family? So yeah, she," and he does air quotes "found out about me… and nearly went ballistic on me… luckily Schuyler was there and was trying to defuse the situation.
Carmichael frowns a bit when Loukanos mentions the issue with Demeter and Persephone. "I hope it gets sorted out, at least." He watches Bryce create the sword and blinks. "Oh, oh I see," he replies. "A bit slow on my end there, sorry." He chuckles. Though Ashton's words get a wince. "I… rather figured that would happen. Rain is incredibly, stupidly overprotective of Besa. Though given what they've all been through in the past, I can't really blame her. But still…" He trails off, though.
"Maybe a platform might be too difficult, then," Loukanos observes when Bryce says that a sword is all he can manage. "It may be less complicated than a katana, though?" He tilts his head slightly. "There are a few old tomes on scrying and locating divine entities, but I am afraid all of them are in ancient Greek, and I didn't think to translate any of them." He gives a rueful smile before looking over at Ashton. "I think Besa withholds a lot of information from them. I'm sorry she treated you that way." She should not have. Ashton doesn't deserve it. "If Besa can come around, I don't doubt she will as well."
The sword that Bryce created starts to fade and flicker as though the reception on the television was bad. Bryce glances over at Ashton and says, "Demon? Sacrifice? I thought we were on Greek mythology." When Carmichael draws attention to what Bryce did with his powers, the sword manifests clearer. "I fear I am a bit slow on many things here." Finally the sword disappates completely and the line of energy withdraws into Bryce's mind. When Loukanos mentions that all the information he has is in ancient Greek, Bryce loses some of the excitement that he had before. "I'm sorry. I don't know either koine or classical greek. I haven't learned that language." He sighs and then looks at the rocks. "What if I made a bunch of little swords?"
Carmichael mostly stays quiet here, since most of this isn't something he can help with. Though when Bryce mentions the switch of subject, he smirks. "Things happen quite fast here," he notes, leaning against some part of the building. It keeps him out of the way, but doesn't completely take him out of the conversation. Bryce's suggestion gets a tilt of his head. "A bunch of little swords for… lifting things?"
"That could work," Loukanos tilts his head. "You won't know until you try it." He looks over at the pile of rocks and explains, "Ashton here is a demon, and another student was sacrificed to one. They don't really have anything to do with Greek mythos." Noting Bryce's loss of enthusiasm, he offers, "It's okay. I've been doing my best to sift through them myself and am making good progress."
"Well, I was thining that if I made two smaller swords," Bryce begins explaining his idea. "Then maybe I can treat them like chopsticks. Then if I make three, they could be a small claw. The move up to four or five for a simple type hand. Then start - he's a demon. That's Christian mythos. He doesn't look like a demon though to be fair I haven't done any true research on the matter - then start trying to connect the swords end to end to make a simple hinge." He completely interrupts himself and switches topic seemlessly. His brain runs way faster than his mouth can keep up with. "At least I have something new to practice. If you need help with the research, let me know, especially if you have any translated documents."
Carmichael smirks a little. "Most useless language ever? Bird." He leans his head back and releases a few birdlike tweeting sounds. And in response, there's another one from a distance away. "I asked who owned the area." He points in the direction of the other tweet. "He said he does." A smirk. "That's how nature sends a 'tweet'." He blinks a little bit, though, at Bryce's sudden switching of mental tracks. But he does get it. "Well, uh… I think 'demon' started as a Latin word that just means 'powerful spirit' or something, and when the Christian faith came around, they decided that anything that wasn't God was evil, so… I guess some of them started acting the part."
"Daemon, or the Greek daimon. Some were benevolent and others were malevonet," So that, in part, explains why Loukanos does not see the quiet boy next to him as remotely evil. "Other faiths had the concept of purely malevolent creatures referred to as demons, but yes, it seems to be mostly a Judeo-Christian thing." He briefly kisses Ashton's cheek and looks to the sky. "Not at all useless. They are simple-minded creatures, yes. But they come in handy." The rocks. "Why don't you give it a go, Bryce?"
Bryce looks up as Carmichael talks to the birds. "I'm not sure if I could learn that language. Seems interesting though. I only know English, ASL, Japanese, and Spanish." He uses the word 'only' as though he should know more. As Carmichael starts to define the word demon, Bryce shuts his eyes: "Demon: An evil spirit or devil, especially one thought to possess a person or act as a tormentor in hell. Etymologically: from Latin daemon 'spirit,' from Greek daimon deity, divine power; lesser god; guiding spirit, tutelary deity.'" He then opens his eyes and sheepishly says, "I read the dictionary when I was little." He glances at Loukanos and says, "I will, but I want to plan it better in, well, in my mind before trying it in real life. I should head back to my room though. I need to finish memorizing my last text book. Thanks for the help."
Carmchael nods. "That's the word, yeah," he confirms, to Loukanos's explanation. As to Bryce's explanation, he nods. He's starting to get used to Bryce's strange 'moods', so it doesn't really seem weird anymore. Though as to knowing languages? "Most people know one. Maybe two." And then Bryce makes his goodbye. "Cheers," he offers to the retreating student.
Loukanos just looks amused again when Bryce explains further. "Impressive. Good luck with that, Bryce." He looks over at Carmichael, then. "Before I came to this school, I only knew Greek and its dialects. English is occasionally still a struggle." He smiles.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, you're no trouble for me understanding," Carmichael offers. Which is almost funny, due to his own accent. Not that he's hard to understand (most of the time anyway). Just, having a non-American accent — and how the hell hasn't it gone away by now? — telling someone they're not hard to understand, in America. There's a shred of irony there.
Ashton has been lost in his own thoughts. For the most part, he's been enjoying just sitting next to Louk and not really wanting to contribute to the conversation. Somewhere along the way, his anger and irritation faded away, but he also slipped into almost a trance-like state, that is easily to be seen as him just being a typical, sulking, hormonal, angst-ridden teenage boy. But as easily as he had slipped into it and out of the conversation, he leans a bit more heavily against Loukanos for a moment, then blinks and shakes his head. He then glances around, "Where did Bryce go?"
"I'd hope so, but that is not my doing. I have a blessing that allows me to be understood by all speakers of an Earth tongue," Loukanos explains with a bit of a smirk. His words are accented as well, but it is light enough that it's hard to trace. He looks over at Ashton when he starts leaning against him, "He went inside to study, love," He frowns slightly. "Did Rain try to hurt you?"
Carmichael starts a bit when Ashton speaks up. He smiles a bit. "Oh, welcome back. You were lost in thought; I didn't want to disturb you." As for the question? He nods to Loukanos's assessment of Bryce's departure. He also notes, "Sometimes I can do that, but only incredibly basic concepts. Nobody's going to be reading me 'War and Peace' in Swahili." Though he goes quiet when Loukanos asks that question of Ashton, a vaguely displeased look on his face. It all just seems so incredibly WRONG.
Ashton reaches up and rubs the back of his neck, "Yeah, I guess I zoned out." He sighs, "Well, she didn't exactly try to hurt me… she just pointed her sword at me, when I said something that I figured she already knew, but apparently she didn't… But then I kind of lost my temper a little and I called her a frigid bitch and walked off. It was probably not my best moment…"
"I couldn't either. I have found the gift does not apply to reading. That is why English can be a struggle," Loukanos listens carefully when Ashton explains what happened. Once he's finished, Loukanos tilts his head. No judgment, though. "We all lose our tempers at times," The godling is honestly just glad to hear fire wasn't involved! "If you wish, I can speak to her."
"Wait. Wait, wait, wait," Carmichael pipes up. "You mean she pointed her sword at you… BEFORE she knew about the demon thing?" At least, that's what it's sounding like to him. That just seems COMPLETELY wrong. Why would Rain do that? She's never struck him as the violent type. Maybe she's changing…? Carmichael just goes quiet, not really sure what else to say after that. Things are really going weird now…
Ashton frowns slightly and shakes his head, "There was a discussion about whether or not my talent with music is actually my talent with magic, and I said something about whether or not it would be cheating, and I said that if it was then something about if Besa was right about me then it would be fitting for me to be cheating… I really don't remember exactly what was said… but then Rain asked why would he e right about me, so I said how he _still_ thought I could be a demon or part demon or possessed, then she pointed her sword at me and got pissed that I found it funny… I said that I thought that anyone could think I was a demon was funny, then things became heated and I stormed off."
Again, Loukanos is simply listening. There is a nod when it's clear Ashton is finished speaking. He keeps his cool, though. "You play beautifully. I don't think it really matters how you got that ability," This school is filled with people who have abilities they did not have to work for. "I'm afraid her reaction is typical for those who hear the word 'demon'. She will learn to let go of her prejudice or she won't. You're not doing anything wrong."
Carmichael's listening too, though he still looks uncomfortable at the thought of the students being antagonistic to each other in such a way. And he nods to Loukanos's words. "Some people will be able to let go of it, some people won't be," Carmichael agrees. "I mean… I don't know you real well, but you've never tried to hurt me. And I don't think Loukanos would like you so much if you were a bad person. So…" He shrugs. "'Till you do something to change my mind, I'm cool with you." Which might be slightly ironic and humorous given both Loukanos and Hekate could sense Carmichael's angelic nature.
Ashton is still in a state of denial. "I'm hoping that now that I am no longer taking the meds that this whole demonic vibe some people sense will just fade away… That is the only thing that makes sense." Except for the fact that most of what was in those pills were things meant to hurt a demon not make one, but that is neither here nor there. He looks at the two, as he has gone from ticked off to feeling a little more on the fragile side, "That was actually what started the remark about Besa being right. I said that if it was innately tied to my magic, then it would be no different than an athlete that was born with traits beneficial to him in that sport… I don't think that there is anyway to see where one ends and the other begins, IF it is actually correct." He smiles at both of the boys' remarks. "Hurting someone is like the last thing I would ever want to do… and I'm glad, because I don't know what I would do, if I ever when back to having no real friends again."
There is a slightly amused smile directed towards Carmichael, like Loukanos does find the situation to be slightly ironic. He keeps his mouth shut, though. Maybe he should just stop telling people what he senses in them and blow their minds. "It has not gone away yet…" Another thing he maybe should have brought to Hekate's attention. Gah.
Carmichael's expression softens as he notes Ashton seems to be rather upset. "Hopefully," he notes, of the 'demonic vibe' going away. Perhaps also ironically, Carmichael's never really sensed anything of that nature from Ashton. Then again, Carmichael doesn't exactly have magical senses, so it's probably not too surprising. He looks to Loukanos when he mentions it's still there. "Maybe it'll just take some time to get out of his system," he suggests.
Ashton is still slightly slumped against Loukanos. He look up at the godling with sad, puppy dog like azure-green eyes, "Louk, just right now, can we not point out that I still feel like a demon… Let me have just the little bit of time." He adds an almost begging, "please." He sighs, "I need to track Besa down and tell him that I am not going to be able to perform the spell for him tonight. After my talk with Rain, I can't focus enough, and something tells me that slitting my wrists and not have my head in the game might be a bad idea."
"Sure. You feel positively celestial," Loukanos gives a nod and a wry smile. There's a wink towards Carm as well. "Would you like me to do that for you?" He starts to stand. Besa may be disappointed by the news, and Louk doesn't really want to subject Ashton to that. After all, a disappointed look may incite enough guilt to make Ashton go through with it, anyway, and that wouldn't be good for anyone.
Carmichael frowns a little, sympathetically, at Ashton's case. "I almost want to hug you from the other side, Ashton." A mischievous look to Loukanos. "But I don't think Louk would appreciate that." He sounds like he's teasing, but… yeah, he really does want to hug Ashton. "If you do, I can keep Ashton company 'till you get back," he offers.
Ashton laughs softly, "Thanks for that, Louk." He frowns slightly, "You sure you wouldn't mind? I kind of feel like I'm letting him down already… but tomorrow night, I will be ready." He looks over at Carmichael and smiles slightly, "I can't speak for Louk, but I don't think he would object too much if it was just for comfort, but I'm okay. I don't need to be coddled. I shouldn't have been so whiny anyway." That sounds just like something that his grandfather would have drilled into his head.
"As long as he's still in one piece when you're done, knock yourself out," Loukanos stands fully and grins over at Carmichael. The godling takes Ashton's face into his hands and plants an affectionate kiss on his forehead. "Anytime, my little cherub." Okay, he'll stop. "It's no problem. I will let him you're doing your best, but tomorrow will work better." He is confident Besa will understand and departs to relay that info.
"All right, let me stick around for my own benefit," Carmichael replies. "Because now I'm feelin' a bit down and I'd like to stick around to cheer up a bit." Yes, he's BSing a little. But hey, if it works! "Not to worry Louk, I'll try to keep him in as few pieces as possible," he promises. Yeah, he's going to keep Ashton company for a bit. Might bring him some ice cream or something…
ashtonbrycecarmichaellogloukanosre:besare:rainre:schuyler


Amagansett is the second to last stop on the Montauk Brach that got the minimum of high-level platform improvements when all stations were upgraded in 1999. The high-level platform on the south side of the single track, with green railings originally could only accommodate 1 and a half cars (the portion with green railings). But a very short platform extension in the late 2000s, clearly visible at the western end of the platform where the railing becomes silver accommodates a second door of the second car, so now the station can fully accommodate 2 cars. The platform extension has the original green fencing that was just moved to the new end of the platform. Normally the front 2 cars open eastbound and rear two cars westbound as is evident by the long lawn of train spotting markers to the west of the platform. The short platform also means Amagansett is skipped by the Cannonball Express in both directions to avoid increasing dwell times and avoiding the confusion of the fact 3 of its cars are reserved for the Hamptons Reserve Service that would make boarding take even longer since one car would probably half to open. All other of the 5 to 6 daily and increased Friday and Sunday Seasonal trains stop at the station. The platform and station is located just east of the grade-crossing with Abrahams Landing Road with a small about 25 car capacity parking lot between the platform and Montauk Highway. The platform is completely exposed to elements with a staircase and ramp leading down to a small entrance area with a tiny wooden shelter that is fully singled on both the walls and roof. Inside this shelter is a single TVM installed in August 2013 and a tiny built-in wooden bench. A unique American flag made out of what appears to be window blinds is on the parking lot side of the shelter.


text:
Q: How to auto scroll to target div with jquery? If I have a structure like:

   Item1
   AboutItem1

   Item2
   AboutItem2

   Item3
   AboutItem3

Say I continue this pattern until item5... and I wanted to make it so that when the page loads, it would search for the div with itemname "Item5", and scroll to it so that it is visible. Assume that the listofstuffdiv is sized small such that only 3 anitems are shown at any given time, but since overflow:auto exists, user can scroll.
I want to make it so that jquery can scroll to the item it found so it is visible without the user having to scroll down to item5;.

A: See this fiddle:  http://jsfiddle.net/pixelass/uaewc/2/
You don't need the scrollTo plugin for this..
jQuery
$(document).ready(function(){
    lastElementTop = $('#listofstuff .anitem:last-child').position().top ;
    scrollAmount = lastElementTop - 200 ;

$('#listofstuff').animate({scrollTop: scrollAmount},1000);
});

CSS
.anitem {
height:100px;
}

#listofstuff {

height:300px;
    overflow:auto;
}

with a little more action and variables http://jsfiddle.net/pixelass/uaewc/5/

$(document).ready(function() {
    var wrapper = $('#listofstuff'),
    element = wrapper.find('.anitem'),
    lastElement = wrapper.find('.anitem:last-child'),
    lastElementTop = lastElement.position().top,
    elementsHeight = element.outerHeight(),
    scrollAmount = lastElementTop - 2 * elementsHeight;

    $('#listofstuff').animate({
        scrollTop: scrollAmount
    }, 1000, function() {
        lastElement.addClass('current-last');
    });
});

A: You can use a plugin like ScrollTo
And call $.scrollTo with a selector when the page is loaded :
$(document).ready(function() {
    $.scrollTo( $('#listofstuff .aniItem:eq(4)'), 500); // index start with 0
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Wilmington actress Susan Auten directs the tale of a traveling circus down on its luck whose performers include a knife thrower who may be going blind and a pair of clowns with self-esteem issues.
Cioppa recently graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a graduate degree in theater, and Guerilla Theatre founder Richard Davis said Cioppa got into the school partly on the strength of plays that he'd produced for the company several years back.
"Without his plays, Guerilla Theatre wouldn't be here," Davis wrote in an email.
We'll have a review of the play next week.
My husband and I went to see this play last week. It was the first time we have been to a local play. We loved the play and thought the actors were really great!


So yeah, I did. I don't know why, but if you know what happens when you type this command, you'll understand how silly it was. No regrets though.
ECDSA key fingerprint is SHA256:17INYs158/wFWvsIroDAm5YM.
Warning: Permanently added 'github.com' (ECDSA) to the list of known hosts.
NOTE – rishi is not even my Github username!
Anyway, I forgot what I did and started exploring the SSH. I must say, it's fun, and sometime very complicated, especially when you want to dive in it.
After a few hours, when I was done playing with it, I had to push some code to one of my old repository. Nothing fancy!
$ ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "myemail@gmail.com"
Added the new keys here and I was all set to push the futher commits.
Github wasn't able to authenticate me.
My ssh keys were replaced with the useless ones.
I never learned SSH because I never felt its need. In the past, I've never even used. it, but I do know what it does. Anyway, due to remote works, I learned it. It was important and it's definitely useful now.
Do I regret not learning it in past?
← My small Journey with the Python Language.


text:
Posted on August 22, 2007 by Gareth
The best thing about GenCon is the opportunity to see friends that I only get to see once or twice per year.
The second best thing? Re-charging the enthusiasm batteries. The energy of the show — tens of thousands of fellow geeks pumped up to fever pitch about games, whether it be Old Favorites or New Hotness — never fails to remind me why I do what I do. I come out of the show with a renewed sense of purpose — even in a show like this year's, where the 4th Edition announcement has put a giant question mark over the future of my business.
But hey, as has been noted many times, the Chinese word for "crisis":
Is comprised of the characters for "danger" and "opportunity."
Business considerations aside, I also managed to pick up some things at the show that I'm just plain jazzed about as a gamer:
I picked up both the limited advance release of Pinnacle's Savage Worlds of Solomon Kane RPG (general release coming in October) as well as Paradigm's Witch Hunter: The Invisible World, which are just begging to be combined into a glorious mix of late 17th-century swashbucklery-horror goodness. I'm very tempted to start a game. Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter, here we come!
Also finally managed to get the Origins Award winning Artesia: Adventures in the Known World, which I've wanted for quite some time. Plus, Mark Smylie gave me a brilliant deal — bundling the RPG together with the first three Artesia graphic novels (in hardcover, no less), making me a very happy boy indeed.
Got a copy of PIG's Steampunk Musha, since I've had enough people bring it up in conversation when I tell them about Far West that I wanted to see if there were any problems with overlap. I'm pleased to report that the setting, which they describe as "Victoriental", is much more Victorian/Steampunk than Spaghetti Western, and the Asian content is pretty much 100% Japanese, mixed with D&D-esque fantasy. So no, not really the same sort of thing at all.
Speaking of Victorian — I was gifted a copy of the brand-spanking-new Victoriana: 2nd Edition from Cubicle 7. Using an entirely different rules system from the 1st Edition (no more Fuzion! Hurrah!), while also literally doubling the amount of content. It's so very, very pretty. Tied with the swashbucklery-horror (cited above) as far as temptation to start a game.
Other things were nabbed — ' EsoTerrorists (and the printed collection of his comic strip "The Birds"), Faery's Tale Deluxe Edition from Firefly Games/Green Ronin, The Pirates Guide to Freeport (also by Green Ronin — this was more for business purposes, as Adamant is a Freeport licensee….although all plans are on hold due to the 4e thing.)…..
So yeah — a bunch of stuff to read and digest, and hopefully to get a chance to play as well.
8 Replies to "Gaming Stuff"
amanofhats says:
It is my hope that Adamant has acquired enough of a reputation for solid, well-designed, useful products that consumers would be willing to gamble on non-d20 stuff you design (such as Far West) when 4e comes in like Godzilla all over everybody's little Tokyos. I realize that's not the only factor but I am optimistic regarding AE's post-d20 future.
I know that I would love to see AE put out some stuff I have interest in, such as Savage Worlds. ;)
I'm glad you had a good time and especially glad to hear that you got your metaphorical Green Lantern Gaming recharge. A Solomon Kane/Witch Hunter crossover a la Hammer films sounds ideal.
The guys at Cublicle 7 were a class act, and it was a pleasure to meet them. I'm going to have to check out Victoriana 2nd edition for myself sometime.
xomec says:
Huh… had I known Victoriana ditched Fuzion, I might have been tempted to check out the new edition rather than dismissing it out of hand as I did. How is the new system?
b3zsgirl says:
I am thinking we need to go next year. I will have to hit you up for the best places to stay.
I haven't had the chance to complete my read-through yet. I'll comment when I do.
We won't be going, as it will be too near the drop-off dates for college (my daughter starts next year). Most likely will be hitting Origins instead.
The system (designed by Ian Sturrock and Andy Peregrine) is a fairly light one — stat + skill to get dice pool (d6s), all 1's are successes, as are 6's — which can also be re-rolled for additional success. Result is compared against opposed roll (either from opponent, or from difficulty). It sits nicely in the background. I'm still reading about combat and magic, but it looks good.
whulfdan says:
"I picked up both the limited advance release of Pinnacle's Savage Worlds of Solomon Kane RPG (general release coming in October) as well as Paradigm's Witch Hunter: The Invisible World, which are just begging to be combined into a glorious mix of late 17th-century swashbucklery-horror goodness."
Crap, I may swoon.
Previous PostPrevious Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig.
Next PostNext Multi-Doctor Adventure!!!


text:
The Midnight Witness (Louise Rick series #1)
Sara Blaedel
Mass Market
Digital Audiobook (10/22/2018)
Paperback (10/23/2018)
Rookie homicide detective Louise Rick makes her debut in this thrilling #1 international bestseller that launched 3 million copy bestselling writer Sara Blaedel's incredible career.
A young woman is found strangled in a park, and a male journalist has been killed in the backyard of the Royal Hotel in Copenhagen.
Detective Louise Rick is put on the case of the young girl, but very soon becomes entangled in solving the other homicide too when it turns out her best friend, journalist Camilla Lind, knew the murdered man. Louise tries to keep her friend from getting too involved, but Camilla's never been one to miss out on an interesting story. And this time, Camilla may have gone too far...
Emotionally riveting and filled with unexpected twists, The Midnight Witness is a tour-de-force from international phenomenon Sara Blaedel.
Praise For The Midnight Witness (Louise Rick series #1)…
"Crime-writer superstar Sara Blaedel's great skill is in weaving a heartbreaking social history into an edge-of-your-chair thriller while at the same time creating a detective who's as emotionally rich and real as a close friend."
—Oprah.com
"Sara Blaedel is a force to be reckoned with. She's a remarkable crime writer who time and again delivers a solid, engaging story that any reader in the world can enjoy."
"Intrepid Danish police detective Louise Rick is back on the job."
—New York Times Book Review on The Midnight Witness
"Blaedel delivers another solid story with a surprise twist ending. Recommended for fans of the series and for those who enjoy contemporary Scandinavian mysteries from Kjell Eriksson, Camilla Lackberg, and Mari Jungstedt."
—Library Journal on The Midnight Witness
"The Louise Rick novels are must-reads for fans of Scandinavia's female police detectives."
—Booklist on The Midnight Witness
"Another suspenseful, skillfully wrought entry."
—Booklist on The Killing Forest
"Engrossing...Blaedel nicely balances the twisted relationships of the cult members with the true friendships of Louise, Camilla, and their circle."
—Publishers Weekly on The Killing Forest
"Sara Blaedel knows how to reel in her readers and keep them utterly transfixed."
—Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of I Know a Secret
"Blaedel delivers another thrilling novel...Twists and turns will have readers on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happens next."
—RT Book Reviews on The Killing Forest
"For readers who gorge on captivating characters and chilling suspense, THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS is a tantalizing treat. Enjoy yourself, America."
—Sandra Brown on The Forgotten Girls
"Sara Blædel is at the top of her game. Louise Rick is a character who will have readers coming back for more."
"Crackling with suspense, atmosphere, and drama, THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS is simply stellar crime fiction. I loved spending time with the tough, smart, and all-too-human heroine Louise Rick--and I can't wait to see her again."
—Lisa Unger
"This is a standout book that will only solidify the author's well-respected standing in crime fiction. Blaedel drops clues that will leave readers guessing right up to the reveal. Each new lead opens an array of possibilities, and putting the book down became a feat this reviewer was unable to achieve. Based on the history of treating the disabled, the story is both horrifying and all-to-real. Even the villains have nuanced and sympathetic motives."
—RT Times on The Forgotten Girls - Top Pick **Nominated for a Reviewer's Choice Award**
"Gripping."
—Washington Post on The Forgotten Girls
"Tautly suspenseful and sociologically fascinating."
—BookPage on The Forgotten Girls
"Tightly knit."
—Kirkus Reviews on The Forgotten Girls
"Chilling...[a] swiftly moving plot and engaging core characters."
—Publishers Weekly on The Forgotten Girls
"Sara Blaedel's THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS is an emotionally complex police-procedural thriller ...With a gripping premise, fast-paced narrative and well-developed characters, THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS is an incredible read."
—FreshFiction.com
"One of the best I've come across."
Sara Blaedel is the author of the #1 international bestselling series featuring Detective Louise Rick. Her books are published in thirty-eight countries. In 2014 Sara was voted Denmark's most popular novelist for the fourth time. She is also a recipient of the Golden Laurel, Denmark's most prestigious literary award. She lives in New York City.


text:
Home Tech News Google's Gmail, others iOS apps updated for the first time since Apple's privacy label enforcement
Google's Gmail, others iOS apps updated for the first time since Apple's privacy label enforcement
It's worth noting that it is also the first time that Google has started rolling out new versions of these apps ever since Apple started forcing third party developers to submit their privacy nutrition labels on the App Store.
By HT TECH
Google. (Unsplash)
Search giant Google recently started showing "Data Linked to You" card on its Gmail App Store but the app itself never got an update. However, after months it has finally received one. It has also updated other services like Google Meets, Sheets, Docs, Calendar and Tasks (via Engadget). Although the update brings widgets for Tasks on iOS 14, others have received minor updates that are mostly centered around bug fixes and performance improvements.
Some of the YouTube apps were however updated last month. But that said, Some of the iOS apps by Google are yet to get updates. For instance, the company has not rolled out any changes to its Chrome browser app ever since November.
Also read: Google Play Store can now share updates, apps with nearby devices: All you need to know
It also rolled out the update for Drive iOS app on December 7, which was a day before Apple made privacy labels mandatory. Although the Drive App Store page now shows a privacy label, Chrome's app store page still doesn't.
When Google updated the Gmail App Store page last month, it started showing a card about "Data Linked to You" that Google may collect information about your Purchases, Location, Contact Info, Contacts, User Content, Search History, Identifiers, Usage Data, Diagnostics, along with another entry that simply said Other Data.
Since Google's privacy labels for Gmail clearly indicate that the data that is collected may be linked to you, it certainly explains why the company has been reluctant to update its apps on the App Store.
https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/googles-gmail-and-others-ios-apps-updated-for-the-first-time-since-apple-s-privacy-nutrition-label-enforcement-71614665322651.html
https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/ibm-expands-hybrid-cloud-service-targeting-banks-health-care-71614650503291.html
https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/zoom-shares-rise-on-strong-current-quarter-forecast-upbeat-results-71614650221147.html
https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/twitter-tackles-covid-19-vaccine-misinformation-with-labels-strike-policy-71614649832465.html


text:
Upcoming Action On A New NASA Authorization Act
By Keith Cowing on November 30, 2016 12:31 PM.
Senate Floor Action on New NASA Authorization Act Could be Imminent, Space Policy Online
"Senate and House negotiators reportedly are close to agreement on a final version of a FY2017 NASA authorization act. Senate floor action on a draft compromise bill could come as early as tomorrow. A draft of a revised version of the bill reportedly reflecting compromise with the House is now circulating and rumors are that the Senate may take it up as early as tomorrow. SpacePolicyOnline.com obtained a copy of the new draft. A quick glance suggests that it is similar to what cleared the Senate committee, while incorporating elements of H.R, 810 and H.R. 2039 plus new provisions. These are a few highlights of the 114-page draft."
Senate Floor Action on New NASA Authorization Act Could be Imminent, Space Policy Online\n\n\"Senate and House negotiators reportedly are close to agreement on a final version of a FY2017 NASA authorization act. Senate floor action on a draft compromise bill could come as early as tomorrow. A draft of a revised version of the bill reportedly reflecting compromise with the House is now circulating and rumors are that the Senate may take it up as early as tomorrow. SpacePolicyOnline.com obtained a copy of the new draft. A quick glance suggests that it is similar to what cleared the Senate committee, while incorporating elements of H.R, 810 and H.R. 2039 plus new provisions. These are a few highlights of the 114-page draft.\"
TrumpSpace (1)
This page contains a single entry by Keith Cowing published on November 30, 2016 12:31 PM.
NASA's Boulder Retrieval Mission Faces Likely Cancellation was the previous entry in this blog.
Get Used To Having Less Money For NASA is the next entry in this blog.


text:
[ARCHIVED] Shots Fired and Confinement
On Sunday, July 17th, at approximately 2:25am, the Lafayette Police Department responded to Jerilee's Pub, 2100 Elmwood Ave, in reference to a report of shots being fired. While responding to the pub, a Lafayette officer located a vehicle traveling the wrong way (westbound) on Union St. The officer stopped the vehicle and made contact with the occupants. While speaking with the driver, the officer observed the driver was in possession of a handgun. A struggle ensued between the LPD officer and the driver for the handgun. After the officer gained possession of the firearm, the vehicle, a black Honda, fled the scene. A Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Deputy was in the area and located the suspect vehicle. The Sheriff's Department pursued the vehicle into West Lafayette.
The occupants of the suspect vehicle fled on foot after crossing the river into West Lafayette. Officers later observed the four suspects climbing a fence into an apartment complex in the 300-block of Grant St. With the assistance of the West Lafayette Police Department, Purdue Police Department, Indiana State Police, and Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department, officers searched the complex. After conducting an initial search for the suspects, a male approached officers and advised that four male subjects entered his apartment and locked himself and a roommate inside. The victim managed to escape the apartment to notify law enforcement.
Officers were then able to locate the apartment, quickly rescue the remaining victim inside, and take the four suspects into custody. The victims were uninjured during the incident. One suspect sustained a leg injury while scaling the apartment fence. He was transported to the hospital for treatment.
The following were arrested related to this incident:
Shaquille Julian Spencer (22-years-old and of Chicago, IL)
- Confinement (Level 6 Felony)
- Residential Entry (Level 6 Felony)
- False Informing (B Misdemeanor)
- Carrying a Handgun without a License (A Misdemeanor)
- Resisting Law Enforcement (Level 6 Felony)
- Trespassing (A Misdemeanor)
Pierre B. Morris (24-years-old and of Chicago, IL)
- Possession of Paraphernalia (B Misdemeanor)
Leonard London Dixon (23-yeard-old and of Oak Lawn, IL)
Vern S. Jones (24-years-old and of Chicago, IL)
Investigation at Jerilee's Pub indicated that there were rounds fired inside and outside of the business. The investigation is ongoing. Anybody with further information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Lafayette Police Department (807-1200), West Lafayette Police Department (775-5200), or the We-Tip Hotline (800-78-CRIME).
The Lafayette Police Department would also like to thank the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department, West Lafayette Police Department, Purdue University Police Department, Indiana State Police, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources for their assistance in this investigation.
Lt. Brian Gossard
Community Outreach and Crime Prevention
Lafayette Police Department
The fact a person has been arrested or charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.


The world is full of attention-seekers. Loud-mouthed, large-charactered, extroverts who seem never to have a thought without it spilling outwards. It's the way we're told we ought to be to get on in life, prosper.
But nature enjoys balance, which means there is very much a place for those who think more often than they speak, who sometimes like to observe without engages, who are enriched by time alone. Who occasionally actually need time alone.
I took this photo in Sabah, Borneo, but really it could be anywhere in rural Malaysia.
What are these kids up to? What does their day have in store? And how do they feel about the tourists who are taking photos of them and their home?
Award-winning comics artist and illustrator Corban Wilkin is seeking funds via Kickstarter to publish his first full-length graphic novel.
Breaker's End is the tale of Chloe and Isaac who live in the woods. It opens with an evocative scene of elderly Isaac playing a piano surrounded by trees.
Every line in the book has been hand drawn with brush and Indian ink.
The book is complete and ready to be printed, but to make this a reality and give you the chance to read it, Corban needs you to put your faith in his art and storytelling by pre-ordering your copy for £10.
For £20 you'll get a printed copy of Breaker's End with an original ink sketch on the inside cover.
For £25 you'll get the book, the sketch and this 15x21cm mini print.
For £30, you'll get the book and the sketch plus (a 15x21cm ink drawing of YOU in the Breaker's End style drawn from photos provided by you!
There are other options too, so why not take a look?
This project will only be funded if £5,000 is pledged by Wednesday Aug 21, 12:10pm EDT.
Please do your part in breathing it into life.
DNA – what does it mean to you? It's the reason why some of us have curly hair and other have none, and helps some of us run faster than others. It contributes to our personalities, our strengths and weaknesses and how our lives will pan out. That's a lot of power for a squirling double helix, and it's now 60 years since Francis Crick and James Watson made the discovery that changed our understanding of ourselves forever.
To mark this anniversary, Creative Industries Trafford and Manchester Literature Festival are collaborating to host a Flash Fiction Competition to coincide with the festival that runs from 7-20 October 2013.
Stories should be no longer than 500 words and you may enter more than once. Entry is free.
Email submissions to literature@creativeindustriestrafford.org by 5pm on Monday 16th September 2013.
Looking for inspiration? Read The DNA of Bats, a specially commissioned short story by author Jane Rogers.
Find out more about writing flash fiction.
The winning entries will be featured online during Manchester Literature Festival 2013 and short-listed authors will be invited to read their stories at a special event on Saturday 12th October at Waterside Arts Centre. The overall winner will receive £50-worth of book vouchers.
I encountered this boat while meandering along the shore of Latchi, on the Greek side of Cyprus. I love the text across its bow, and the way it looks so abandoned.
There are so many possibilities with an image like this. Why is the boat up on the shore? Who does it belong to? What will it be used for once it's fixed?
You could bring in the curiosities of this island that is divided by Greece and Turkey, or even explore the dramas of the Greek economy. It's your call.
I encountered this poet at the night of readings I took part in for Telltales at Penzance Literary Festival. In a sea of stories and performance poetry, Rose Cook's poetry rang out as something deeper and more substantial than most – nourishing in a way that few assortments of words achieve.
Because as writers, that's what we're trying to do, isn't it? To string words together in ways that are original and fresh, yet cut through to a truth all can recognise and potentially be enriched by?
This season is so gorgeous for butterflies and moths. In a twenty-minute wander through Arnos Vale cemetery, I saw dozens of dancing pairs and trios of cabbage whites and red admirals.
On the same theme, I also came across a lovely selection of paper-cut moths at a pop up shop in town. Though the physical shop has since closed, the online shop is thriving at www.objetsdedesir.com.
Created by artist and author Farah Morley, these dainty designs are an homage to " the Victorian naturalists that gathered specimens and framed them like pieces of art." Minus the macabre element, thankfully.
Perhaps her scientific mind explains the exquisitely botanic feel to her pieces.


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Hi, I am virtual Steve!
I'll keep it simple; we've changed the site to make it clean, interactive and useful for you.
We now have a blog to keep you up to date on important stuff that we will ONLY post as 'needed'… all you need to do is subscribe here and you will get automatic email alerts when we add something valuable.


A couple weekends ago we had a gorgeous day for yard sales so my mom, Ali and I set out to see what we could find.
I was thrilled to buy this desk from a friend for $5. Since I had a "cloffice" at our last house, I didn't have a desk. Now I'll have a surface to work on in our new house. Hooray! This vintage desk is metal and laminate and will make a great sewing/craft desk once we find the perfect wood desk for me. For now, this will be just fine. The open shelf will be great for my sewing machine or printer.
The straps on one of our old strollers disintegrated and tore off a few weeks ago. This excellent replacement was just $4 from a different friend.
I got this chair for Ali for $0.50. She likes it. It's a bit too big for her but I think it'll be just right next summer.
This ornament tree was $5 and I talked the lady down to $3. I spray painted it green (it was brass) and I'll use it for my Shiny Brites this year.
And this was from a consignment sale this past week. I have been looking for some kind of ride-on toy like a rocking horse or a Rody or one of these. She was too small for the first couple I tried but she really seemed to like this one.
My mom says it looks like it has a concussion because one of the pupils is broken. She helped me name it Dizzy. Ali's not really into riding on it yet but she likes to push it around.
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Beach season is here, and I was excited to style South Jersey Magazine's Best of the Shore cover shoot for the June issue. The shoot took place on a windy day on the beach and boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ.
For the swim look, we decided to show nautical-inspired stripes. The navy and blue striped bikini from Tommy Bahama was paired with a mesh off the shoulder cover up from Denim Habit. What you can't see is that this bikini is reversible, with adorable polka dots on the other side.
For the boardwalk look, we went with a pretty flowing top in orange (one of the hottest colors of the season) paired with crisp white shorts from Denim Habit.
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