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Dow jumps 260 points, posts best week since November after jobs report spurs rate-cut hopes
Published Fri, Jun 7 20192:06 AM EDT Updated Fri, Jun 7 20194:12 PM EDT
Fred Imbert@foimbert
VIDEO1:5801:58
Four experts break down what's next for markets and the Fed
Stocks jumped on Friday, building on strong weekly gains, as weak economic data increased the odds of easier monetary policy from the Federal Reserve.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 263.28 points higher at 25,983.94, led by gains in Microsoft and Apple. The climbed 1% to 2,873.34 as the tech sector outperformed. The Nasdaq Composite gained 1.7% to 7,742.10.
The U.S. economy added 75,000 jobs in May, marking the second time in four months that jobs growth totaled less than 100,000. Economists polled by Dow Jones expected an increase of 180,000 jobs. Wage growth also slowed.
"The market's got a conundrum here. That's a bad report. Just on the report itself, I think people would want to sell the market. However, the fact that it really makes the case for a rate cut, I think is why you're seeing the market hang in there," said JJ Kinahan, chief market strategist at TD Ameritrade.
Market expectations for a Fed rate cut in June rose to 27.5% from 16.7% after the data release, according to the CME Group's FedWatch tool. The market is also pricing in a 79% chance of lower Fed rates by July.
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
Jeenah Moon | Reuters
The weak jobs number gives the Fed "a clear easing path by July," billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller told CNBC's "Squawk Box" before the jobs report was released.
Treasury yields fell broadly, with the benchmark 10-year rate dropping to its lowest level since 2017. The dollar slid against a basket of currencies.
Apple shares rose more than 2.5% along with Microsoft. For the week, Apple soared more than 8% while Microsoft gained 6.3%.
Bank shares followed yields lower. Citigroup, J.P. Morgan Chase and Bank of America all fell more than 1%.
The major indexes posted sharp gains for the week. The Dow jumped 4.7%, its biggest weekly gain since November. It also snapped a six-week losing streak. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq were up 4.4% and 3.9% this week, respectively.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday the central bank is "closely monitoring the implications of these developments for the U.S. economic outlook and, as always, we will act as appropriate to sustain the expansion."
"You're seeing this view to price in cuts, that things are going to be worse later this year, that the Fed is going to have to quickly change its cycle again, and that puts Powell in a tough bind here," said Erik Bregar, head of FX strategy at the Exchange Bank of Canada. "In December, they were still talking rate hikes and now they've got to flip around to pandering to the market's want for cuts."
"There's this view that Powell is going to come in for the rescue and it's lifting everything," he said. "The punch bowl is back in play."
Investors also kept an eye on trade as talks between U.S. and Mexico officials continue.
Mexican ambassador to the U.S. Martha Barcena Coqui told CNBC that negotiations involved a "very good discussion." Mexico has also agreed to send its national guard to its border with Guatemala to stem the flow of undocumented migrants hoping to reach the U.S., Reuters reported Thursday.
President Donald Trump tweeted "there is a good chance" the two countries can make a deal. This would keep the administration from slapping a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports into the U.S.
—CNBC's Elliot Smith contributed to this report.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect May the second time in four months that jobs growth totaled less than 100,000.
Beyond Meat Inc


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US provided $240 million in assistance, loans to Sri Lanka to support its socio-economic progress- US Secretary Blinken to Foreign Minister Sabry
WASHINGTON DC: " The US has provided some $240 million in assistance and loans, and we're also working together both to support economic stability but also political stability and progress and US Secretary Anthony Blinken at a joint press conference held at the US State Department with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister ali Sabry on Friday, December 02.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good afternoon, everyone. I'm very pleased to have Foreign Minister Sabry here. We had a chance to meet on the margins of the ASEAN meetings, so second time we're able to get together in person. We've had almost 75 years of partnership with Sri Lanka. We'll celebrate that next year, and of course we are working very closely together on issues of global import, including the climate crisis, where Sri Lanka has been taking some important steps to help the world address it. And of course the United States has been working closely with Sri Lanka in the midst of the serious economic challenges that Sri Lanka is facing. We provided some $240 million in assistance and loans, and we're also working together both to support economic stability but also political stability and progress.So I'm looking forward to continuing our discussions here today. Welcome. It's really good to have you here.
FOREIGN MINISTER SABRY: Thank you very much, Secretary Blinken, for inviting me, and it's a pleasure being here. Sri Lanka and the U.S. have been long-term partners – 75 years of diplomatic relationship that – almost the period of independence.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Yeah.
FOREIGN MINISTER SABRY: So one of the first countries to recognize us. We were very happy. And then we have had a very good relationship. I must take this opportunity, Secretary, to pay my gratitude for American people and your administration, Biden administration, for a lot of support during a very testing time for Sri Lankans. So we are grateful particularly for your humanitarian support – loans, grants – and technical support. We are extremely grateful, and we are looking forward to work for even better relationship and particularly in the Indian Ocean and eastern Pacific. And I must make this opportunity to also thank you and the Treasury for playing a leading role in allowing us and facilitating us to approach the IMF, restructure our debt, and to go to the board sooner than later in order to get our EFF as soon as possible.
.Minister Sabry met with a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Senator Bill Hagerty (Republican – Tennessee).
He had talks with members of Congress Rep. Bill Johnson (Republican – Ohio), Co-Chair of the Caucus on Ethnic and Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (Democrat – Illinois) who has shown an interest in Sri Lanka.
The Minister also had a meeting with Administrator, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power and expressed his appreciation of USAID for their generous support to Sri Lanka.
He met with Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Ambassador Uzra Zeya, who was accompanied by Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the Department of State Afreen Akhter.
Ambassador of Sri Lanka in United States Mahinda Samarasinghe along with diplomatic officers of the Embassy of Sri Lanka and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also associated with the Foreign Minister at the meetings.
FIFA World Cup: USA vs Netherlands final score: 03 to 01
400 foreign employment agencies to be banned

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


What seems amiss is that we do not have a special day for those who are still alive, but forgotten. It is my proposal that we set aside a couple days for the people who are alone, one in winter, one in summer.
This does not mean we should replace the Memorial Day Holiday, it just means we should be conscience of those who are alone and suffering with life's hardships.
This will mean giving of one's time to someone who is still breathing the earth's oxygen, yet perhaps, does not have the same quality of life that we worship on a daily basis.
On Memorial Day, we shed tears for those of us who have made it to the other side. Maybe, starting this year, you will find it in your hearts to reach out to those less fortunate, give them some encouragement and some love.
Remember, they are here now, it is not too late to give the old, sick, or alone a day to reap the bounty that most of us take for granted, even if they are not Dallas Cowboy fans.


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Food Truck Brunch Series
There are a few things that Sundays are for: Football, if you're a fan, Church, if you're a Christian, and brunch if... well, if you're just a human being.
So check out Klode Park in Whitefish Bay, 5900 N. Lake Drive, on Sunday, Sept. 3, as MilwaukeeFood.com and OnMilwaukee host the second of three days of the Summer Food Truck Brunch Series.
The festivities include a beer garden hosted by Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House, which will serve all your favorite brunch cocktails. Guests can also get a free 5-ounce beer by donating two cans of peaches in 100-percent juice that will go to the Hunger Task Force. A small cash donation is also an option.
In addition to drinks and food, yoga will also be offered at the park at 9 a.m.; lawn games and a number of children's activities will also be available. Brunch itself and live music will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Trio of art exhibitions
Not one, not two, but three new exhibitions will open at the Cedarburg Art Museum, W63 N675 Washington Ave., on Wednesday Aug. 30. The exhibitions will include Michael Santini: Allegorical Journey, Kathie Wheeler: Down a Country Road and Joseph Friebert: Through the Years, 1945-2000. The exhibitions will run through Nov. 5. An opening party is planned at the museum from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday Aug. 31. For more information on the exhibits and for museum hours, visit www.cedarburgartmuseum.org.
Paramount Music Festival
Summerfest may be long gone, but there are still plenty of chances to enjoy some live music on the shore of Lake Michigan thanks to the Paramount Music Festival in Port Wasington. This three-day festival runs from Sept. 1-3 at Coal Dock Park, 146 S. Wisconsin St. More than 25 musical acts will take the stage throughout the weekend. Food and beverages will be available. For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to paramountmusic.org.
Port Washington Beer Garden
Enjoy a stein and the summer weather before it's gone! Check out the weekly Port Washington Beer Garden from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays. The garden is operated by Port Washington community civic groups at the Upper Lake Park East Mini Shelter, 498 N. Lake St.
In the mood to go scrounging for some cool stuff? Check out Maxwell Street Days at Firemen's Park in Cedarburg, W65 N796 Washington Ave. From 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3, about 650 vendors will bring out their goods, including antiques, collectibles, crafts, fine arts, fresh produce, sports memorabilia and more. A children's area is also available. Admission is free, but parking is $10.
As always, there will be a number of farmers markets offering goods in the North Shore area this week:
Brown Deer Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, at the Marketplace Shopping Center, 9078 N. Green Bay Road
Cedarburg Farmers Market: 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, at Firemen's Park, W65 N796 Washington Ave.
Whitefish Bay Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 2, at 325 E. Silver Spring Drive
Fox Point Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 2, at Stormonth Elementary School, 7301 N. Longacre Road
Port Washington Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, on Main Street between Franklin and Wisconsin streets
Shorewood Farmers Market: 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3, at Lake Bluff Elementary School, 1600 E. Lake Bluff Blvd.
Thiensville Village Market: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5, at Thiensville Village Park, 250 Elm St.
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Native Instruments has announced the latest generation of its two Komplete software bundles.
Komplete 9 includes 33 instruments and effects with six new additions, including the new Monark monosynth, plus the completely re-designed Battery 4 drum sampler. Komplete 9 Ultimate includes all 65 current Komplete Instruments and Effects at the time of release and over 370GB of content.
Komplete 9 is available now at a suggested retail price of US$559; Komplete 9 Ultimate is available for a suggested retail price of $1,099. Updates for owners of Komplete 2 through 8 are available from $149.


On behalf of Maho | Prentice, LLP Attorneys at Law posted in Car Accidents on Monday, November 5, 2018.
Teenage drivers have always been the riskiest age group on California roads. Not only are they more likely to make impulsive decisions than older drivers, but they also lack the car control experience of other age groups. Meanwhile, cellphones and other distracting gadgets constantly tempt young drivers to take their eyes and minds off the road, making a bad situation even worse.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that auto accidents are the top cause of death for Americans between the ages of 15 and 18. In 2015, nearly 2,000 teen drivers were involved in fatal car crashes and another 99,000 were injured in auto accidents. While the NHTSA doesn't list the cause of each car accident involving a teen driver, research shows that distracted driving, poor decision making, weather and general driving inexperience are frequent contributing factors.
To help address this issue, many defensive driving courses aimed at teens are popping up across the country. For example, the Tire Rack Street Survival program helps young drivers become safer and better prepared when behind the wheel. It does this by focusing on real-world scenarios that are merely skimmed over in traditional driver's training courses. These scenarios include maneuvering on ice and snow and executing emergency panic stops. Similar programs include B.R.A.K.E.S., Bondurant Racing School Advanced Teen Driving and Ford Driving Skills for Life.
When teen drivers cause car accidents, they can be held accountable in civil court. In some cases, their parents could be held financially responsible as well. Injured victims might want to have legal assistance when seeking compensation for their losses.


At first Raúl didn't answer, too focused on keeping his breathing even, his pulse calm. Then he unbuckled his seat belt with trembling hands and fumbled the door open. "She was hurt," he explained, voice flat with his effort to stay calm. When he looked back towards where he'd seen the woman, all he could make out were the dark, vague shapes of trees. His car's lights were the only source of illumination for miles, the surrounding woods still and silent.
"I don't—" He swallowed and jerkily pulled his phone from his pocket to activate its flashlight mode and shine it ineffectually towards the forest. Closer. He'd have to get closer.
As if in answer, he began to make out the faint sound of sobbing. That spurred him on, concern overriding any fear, and he rushed forward, out of the protective glow of his car's taillights. Soon his world was narrowed down to the small bubble of light from his phone. Trees burst into being for a few clear seconds, only to melt back onto obscurity.
The trilling started up again, and it reminded him of a screech owl's typical call, but was different somehow. Higher pitched, the notes all running together. Suddenly the crying seemed to be closer, as if just a few paces ahead. There were still no other sounds. "C'mon," he urged faintly, moving his light around and hoping to find only trees.
He shuffled a few more steps, and when a figure came into view huddled at the base of a tree, he closed his eyes in dread. "There she is!" Julia cried, suddenly rushing around him. "Hey! Hey there, are you okay?" When he heard Julia gasp, Raúl's eyes flew open and he was hurrying to be at his sister's side in case she needed him. But she was just sitting there staring at the crying girl in shock. "Meghan?" Julia reached out towards the stranger and repeated the name.
And that didn't make sense, unless she'd met some other Meghan since the one she constantly talked about back in high school. That Meghan was blonde with dark, glowing skin and vibrant brown eyes. This girl was pale as milk and had glossy black hair and eyes like spring leaves. She looked like a girl he'd known once, in his freshman year of college. Her name escaped him, but he could still remember how she would smile at him, and how brilliant all her observations in class discussions seemed to be.
Off in the darkness, the trilling began to sound like sharp, manic laughter.
Slowly the girl blinked and then gave that sweet smile of hers. She reached out and caressed Julia's cheek, and then said in a whisper curling with affection, "Fetch something for me? Just over there." With the hand not caressing his sister's cheek, she motioned off into the darkness.
Fetch what, though? "Fetch what?" he asked, frowning as Julia straightened up and began to walk off without a light or any other guidance.
Instead of answering, the girl turned her attention to him and reached out. "Help me up," she asked with a shy tilt of her head.
Branches rustled. The trilling came again, short and low, before cutting itself off as the night was filled with the sound of large wings beating at the air. "An owl," the girl said, drawing his attention back away from the sounds. Something fell, out in the darkness, a loud, dull thump.
"What?" he asked, stalled in his motion to help her up.
"My sister. You had her go off to fetch something." Strange noises came from the darkness now. Still no insects or other birds, but something wet and violent. His eyes stung, and his chest hurt, but he didn't know why.
"We're the only ones here," said the girl, moving closer, sliding her hands up and around his shoulders.
"Right," he agreed, because that sounded right.
He dropped his phone so he could wrap both arms around her, and the darkness swallowed them whole.
"Tell me again why I let you bring me here," Lucy shouted above the heavy pulse of the music as it thrummed through the old house.
Kyle tossed back his head and laughed but she could barely hear it. He smelled like cigarettes and beer and heavy cologne. His eyeliner was smudged and the gel in his hair was losing its grip, allowing the dark brown spikes to limp. Of course Lucy knew why she came, but even Kyle's toned chest peeking at her through his skin-tight fishnet shirt could not console her by that point.
Just a few friends, he had told her, nothing more. Some goths from the area, mostly college kids but with a few high schoolers—like us, Luce!—allowed to join. Always enjoying the opportunity to spend more time with her friend Kyle, Lucy had agreed to come along. Now she was enduring migraine-inducing death metal and choking on cigarette smoke while squeezing her way through sweaty, vinyl-clad bodies. This wasn't her idea of a fun Friday night.
"I'm going home!" she informed him, yelling the declaration into his ear and knowing he'd probably still have trouble hearing it.
Giving an apologetic smile, she pulled her arm free. "Early day tomorrow," was her response yell. It wasn't entirely a lie; she had plans to spend the day with her friend Alice, as well as try to make a dent in her English homework. Kyle still looked confused, his big brown eyes taking on a very puppy-dog look. There was a second's hesitation, but then Lucy was ruffling his wilting hair and turning to make her way through the crowd.
Parties weren't really her thing. If it truly had been a smaller gathering she probably would have stayed longer and mingled. The loud music and cramped quarters, however, were not conducive to conversation. Ah, the things she suffered for pretty friends! Friends that she would have enjoyed having as something more, but who most likely would never see her in such a way.
Letting out a sigh that no one would ever hear, Lucy wedged herself past a man in a kilt and a woman overflowing her corset. It was a nice corset, though. Eyeing the design as she continued walking, Lucy considered turning back and asking the woman where she got it. Without looking where she was walking, she was suddenly colliding with someone, and they both stumbled away from each other.
"Sorry!" she yelled with what she hoped was an apologetic tone. The man turned around to face her and the only thing she could think of was that he had surely wandered into the wrong party. He was wearing a beige dress shirt, which had just become as revealing as Kyle's fishnet now that it was soaked through with what must have been the contents of his cup before Lucy had blundered into him. Tendrils of his shaggy black hair were clinging to his face due to the humidity and his dark eyes were regarding her with an unreadable expression.
A man with spiky green hair—for whom, Lucy thought this was certainly the right party—slung an arm around his shoulders and grinned. This new man sized her up with lizard-slit eyes that were one of many varieties of contacts Lucy had seen that night. She didn't really understand the trend, but it must have been pretty huge because someone earlier had even asked where she'd gotten hers. Except Lucy didn't wear contacts, her eyes were just weirdly, freakishly pale. When she was little, kids would tauntingly ask if she were part husky. Feeling slightly self-conscious, she crossed her arms in front of her bodice with the pretense of pulling up her arm warmers.
"Ren, you dog! Found yourself quite the catch!" she heard the green-haired man exclaim as he jostled the wet man—Ren, evidently—and laughed.
"Seventeen!" Lucy heard herself correct before she could think better of it. She frowned and glared, though it was more at herself than at the men.
Biting the inside of her cheek to remind herself to keep a cool head, Lucy brushed past them and continued towards the door. Behind her she could hear the lizard man's pleas for her to come back, and Ren's hearty laughter. She really disliked parties. Truly. Her intrinsic shyness always, always resulted in awkwardness. To soothe herself she thought of what it would be like once she got home and could curl up on the sofa with her copy of Paradise Lost. Just because she had to read it in order to write a report about it for class didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the experience.
Finally she reached the door and escaped out onto the rickety porch. It was a strange old house that served as the venue, and she absently wondered if it belonged to the host of the party—if there even was a host. The partiers had of course overflowed onto the porch, gathering in clusters at corners and cluttering the steps. Her boots clomped awkward and loud as she tried to navigate through the obstacles of black lace and limbs.
The hollow clomping turned to soft crunching as she made her way down the fine gravel path towards the road lined with cars on both sides. Lucy supposed it was a good thing that the party was in the middle of nowhere, where the roads saw little traffic. She trudged her way up the hill to where she had parked, idly swishing her skirt as she walked and doing her best to think of things besides Kyle or mysterious strangers who wore pale colors to a goth party. It was quieter out there on the road, the music and laughter from the house just a faint distraction. Her head still hurt a bit from the noise and the smoke of the party, but the night air was helping to clear it. Even so, the heat and humidity was only slightly more bearable outdoors, which was to be expected of Georgia in the late summertime.
A giggle and the sound of a car door opening drew Lucy's eyes to a car that was parked about five spaces up. The moon was waning and thin and there were no streetlights, but she could see the two figures standing by the car clearly enough. A girl that Lucy thought looked like someone she'd seen at school was smiling up at a man who looked college-aged. They lingered there, the passenger side door opened and waiting while they murmured and kissed. Not wanting to disturb them, Lucy stopped walking and turned away from them in order to lean against the bumper of a sports car.
She leaned her head back and looked at the moon, watching as purple-grey clouds slowly rolled across it. The black trees to both sides of the road hissed and rustled, as the couple got into their car and pulled away. She allowed herself another moment to enjoy the night before pushing off from the bumper and continuing on to her car.
"Eh? But why?" Alice was the only one of Lucy's friends who knew about her little crush, which had been developing since she was fourteen.
A thoughtful hum came from Alice as they continued to walk, and Lucy tried to distract herself by looking at the clothing on display in the store windows. "You could have suggested that the two of you leave together," Alice offered up at last.
Releasing a startled squawk, Lucy looked back at her friend, not able to believe she just heard those words come out of Alice's mouth. Alice! The girl who had a rule about waiting until the third date before kissing, and who swore up and down that she would save herself until marriage.
"I think that would be a bit too much like a date for Kyle's liking, Al." A shop window sported a mannequin wearing a black flapper dress and a deep purple wig in the style of a '20s bob. Lucy stopped and looked at the dress, wondering if she should get something like it when prom rolled around. If she was even going to go. Not that she needed to concern herself with that now, since it was still early September. She watched Alice's reflection in the window as it moved to stand beside her own.
They were an odd pair, she mused, one girl in all black and the other in various shades of pink. Despite seeming like such a mismatched pair, Lucy Kincade and Alice Jeong had been friends since they were children. Back then, Lucy wore colorful clothing, and Alice had been a shy bookworm. Time and circumstance had a way of changing tastes and personalities, but not their friendship.
Right then, it looked as if her friend desperately wanted to help her out, even though Lucy would prefer she didn't. She continued to watch Alice's reflection while pretending to be studying the merchandise visible beyond the display. Dark, almond-shaped eyes were staring sadly at Lucy, while perfect white teeth were chewing away at sticky, pink gloss.
It wasn't a bad idea, really. The only problem would be getting the courage to ask him and in a casual way so that he wouldn't think it was a date. Unless he wanted it to be a date. Was dating always so complicated, or was it just her? Maybe it was just so complicated because he was a friend. Situations like that could be tricky, since one always had to consider any and all repercussions. If she asked him out on a date and he had no interest in her, there was the potential of ruining a very good friendship that had lasted years. On the other hand, perhaps it was exactly because the friendship lasted so long that it could survive any awkwardness that would occur from her bringing such an unrequited love into the light. Then again, there was always that slim chance that he returned her feelings, in which case confessing would prove to be a winning gamble. Too bad Lucy never cared for games of chance.
Lucy lifted and dropped her right shoulder with feigned indifference. "MnMMmn. The prom, maybe." She couldn't help but grin as her friend burst out laughing, especially when Alice started going on about how at least it would be better than something from Morticia Adams' garage sale.
Monday snuck up quicker than expected, and soon Lucy found herself back at school and swept up in the usual routine. Chemistry sucked, as usual, and she made a mental note to ask her friend Krysti for help on homework later.
"And how is my darling Lucille today?" cooed Alice as she locked arms with Lucy in the hall as they walked.
They made their ways to their seats at the front of the class, side-by-side. Sitting down, they both began to rifle through their backpacks in search of folders and text books. "Well, poems can have those things." Lucy had some trouble finding her pencil, and had to start pulling out random items from that compartment—keys, erasers, crumpled pieces of paper, a compass, a protractor… Ah. There it was.
"Psh. Rarely. And it's not the same. Besides, we were supposed to write a sonnet, not something that spans pages like 'The Raven.'" Alice twirled her long black hair distractedly, staring down at the printed page of poetry on her desk as if it were a plague-ridden blanket.
Pulling out her own assignment, Lucy shook her head at her friend's concern. "I'm sure you did fine. You didn't get into Honors English for no reason, Al. If you can tackle complex plot lines, surely you can compose a few lines of—" The door closing cut her off, and the room fell silent as Mr. Pulchrum walked to the podium in front of the class.
"Good day, class," greeted Pulchrum, a wide smile cutting across his pale face and perpetual stubble. He always had a sort of anemic look about him, and often had purplish bruises lingering around his eyes to denote lack of sleep. Sometimes Lucy worried he wasn't taking care of himself, especially when she'd look up from grading papers for him during her period as his assistant, to find him passed out in his chair, mouth open to release soft snores. Even so, he was always upbeat and would be quite energetic in his lectures on things such as dramatic irony. If Lucy was truly honest with herself, she would admit that she found him more than a little charming.
Purely because of his personality, of course. It had nothing to do with his totally touchable light brown hair and brilliantly shaded hazel-green eyes.
Pulchrum asked if anyone wanted to read their poetry, and Lucy waited until a few others went before she volunteered, so that she wouldn't appear too eager. Afterwards, Pulchrum flashed her a delighted smile and she felt butterfly wings brushing against the walls of her stomach. It always made her elated when people liked her poetry, and she valued a man like Pulchrum's opinion more than that of anyone else she knew. Because he was brilliant, of course, not because of how nicely his shirts clung to his frame.
The happy feeling lingered as she made her way to the cafeteria with Alice after class, which was probably a good thing since it helped keep back any flash of nervousness she would have otherwise felt when Kyle sat down at her table.
"Sorry you didn't like the party, Luce," he said by way of greeting.
The little butterflies had all gone and Lucy mourned their deaths. Chewing carrots so she would have the excuse of not being able to smile too broadly, she crinkled her eyes in what she hoped was a friendly way. "Good to hear," she said between chews. "Glad I didn't spoil your night." She ignored Alice's soft elbow nudge to her side and ate with the gusto of the starved.
Eva and Jim finally emerged from the lunch line, and were arguing about something, which was nothing new.
"I can't help it that people here see a black man with an English accent and can't understand that means I'm from England." With a full name like James William Lukehurst IV, it was hard to see how much more English he could get.
"At least people don't stare at you for an uncomfortably long amount of time before trying to guess your ethnicity." Rolling her eyes, Eva Kuntz-Tenno slid into her usual spot while Jim took his seat across from her.
Watching the entertaining exchange, Lucy tried not to look at Kyle, but ended up having to because of the advent of Krysti Van Schuyler at his side. Merrily setting her tray down, the stylish blonde proceeded to inform the group that she was going to join something called a LARP.
Krysti made a noise like a disappointed cat and pouted for a moment before digging into her own meal. When a hand grasped her shoulder, she dropped her spoon and quickly checked to make sure none of the chili got on her expensive blouse. Satisfied that she was clean, Krysti looked up at the girl who was now hovering near her shoulder.
Lucy eyed the girl, recognizing her as one of the girls from the goth clique which was commonly called the "vamps" due to their penchant for wearing elegant, Victorian-inspired outfits all year long. While Lucy was often called a goth by her peers, she was never a part of any of the varieties of goth cliques found at her school. She got along with most of them, but they were far too concerned with treating it as a lifestyle choice. Lucy liked the clothes and most of the music and certainly most of the literature, but she didn't want to feel restricted from loving other things as well.
When Krysti gave a hesitant nod, the goth girl smiled excitedly. "I had no idea you were into that! Our current role-playing group is thinking about taking things to that level. If you've got the time, you should totally come check our group out. We're always open for new members." The goth's words had Krysti literally bouncing in her seat.
"What's your game about?" she asked, a squeal of delight to her voice.
"It's a sort of creatures of the night thing, called Chains of the Damned. A fairly new game that's not really got a lot of attention yet. Don't see why, though; it has such a fascinating system and world. Also, you'd love our GM. He's a brilliant storyteller, and he keeps things running smoothly. Probably helps that he's the creator of the game." Lucy was amused to see that Krysti's eyes were gleaming by this point and that she was hanging on every word.
With a soft chuckle, Lucy turned back to her food. Her gaze brushed past Kyle and caught for a moment. He was laughing at something Jim just said. In that moment—that little insignificant speck of time—Lucy realized that she had a thing for smiles. Truly, she was a sucker for a man with a handsome smile. Kyle's smile made his cheeks and chin poke outwards until they formed a heart together. This always caused his eyes to crinkle up into sparkling slits. He had a smile that warmed her when she looked at it.
"Hey, you were at the party Friday, right?" a new voice asked, snapping Lucy's attention away from Kyle and making her look towards the source of the question. It seemed that another of the vamps had wandered over to join her friend in discussing games with Krysti, and she was studying Lucy with an uncertain smile. It was the girl whom Lucy had seen leaving with the older man, and for an instant Lucy felt a little nervous that the girl had perhaps recognized her from that moment as well. Maybe she thought Lucy was peeping at them or something. Trying to shake off her nerves, Lucy brought her hand up to tuck some hair back behind her ear and fiddle with the black loop of her cartilage piercing.
"Ah. Yeah, I was there. So was Kyle," she added, nodding towards the boy in question.
The second vamp's lips twitched at one corner before gliding smoothly into a smile. "We didn't really get a chance to talk that much," she offered in apology.
"The music was too loud for conversation," Lucy tossed in, for some inexplicable reason feeling as though she should help the girl out. Evidently their game master was quite the contested piece of meat. Hopefully Krysti wouldn't go to their games, or else Lucy worried she'd fall for him, too. As much as she adored the girl, Lucy found it ridiculous how quickly Krysti fell in and out of love. Granted, Lucy's head could be turned by a hot guy, but she didn't insist it was her true love each time.
"Looked like you were conversating just fine, Luce." The teasing implication in Kyle's voice had her whipping her attention back to him with a start.
He smiled one of his big, warming smiles at her, curving the edges up slightly in a devilish way. "Ah, but not before stopping to flirt with some college boys. Nice job soakin' his shirt, by the way. Man, this is why I say sexism goes both ways. Had I done something like that in order to get a similar view of a girl's chest, I'd have been slapped and called a pervert." Kyle was laughing by now, and everyone else was looking at Lucy with interest.
"It was an accident!" she squawked, but evidently that was not excuse enough.
"You didn't tell me about playing wet T-shirt contest with some hot college guy! You told me you had no fun at all!" Alice was looking torn between amusement and anger.
"Of course." Smirking, Eva exchanged a devilish leer with Jim.
"So you only rubbed part of him?" Eva asked by way of elaboration, eyebrows raised and mocking smirk tugging up a corner of her mouth.
"Ooo, did you get his number?" inquired the vamp, who Lucy felt was taking far too much interest in her love life.
Lucy changed her mind; Kyle's smiles were goofy and stupid and he gave them out too freely. "What time is the party?" she asked the vamp.
"Sounds great," said Kyle, still smiling at her as she left with her friend to rejoin the rest of their clique. Lucy viciously stabbed her applesauce with her spoon.
"Halloween come early this year?" Friday evening found Lucy standing in her doorway staring at Eva and Jim as if they'd gone insane. The two of them were on her welcome mat and dressed to the nines in gothic wear.
Eva was wearing black slacks tucked into red combat boots, a black dress shirt with red pinstripes with a vest over it of reverse colors, and a solid black fedora that had a small red feather tucked into its strap. Lucy only ever saw Eva wearing make-up when she was on stage, so she was even more shocked to notice the smoky eyeliner and shadow, as well as the deep red lips lined with black. Eva's long black hair was in its customary braid and trailing down her back, which exposed her dangling earrings that were comprised of little black heart fragments suspended by fine red chains.
Taking a different approach, Jim's ensemble looked more casual. His black denim pants were flared towards the end and hid most of his Converse sneakers, and the legs of the pants were loaded down with pockets, rings, and straps. Practically painted onto his chest, his shirt was black with a giant grinning skull stretched across the front, which went with his Jolly Roger hair kerchief very well. He wasn't wearing any special jewelry, his usual silver loop glinting from his right earlobe.
"Guess we'll just have to egg the house," Eva replied with a shrug.
"We came to join you for a fun-filled evening of wet clothing!" Jim flashed a grin before cringing as Eva elbowed him in the ribs.
"I'm closing the door now." Which Lucy promptly began to do, except she found it difficult to complete the task while Eva had a large combat boot in the way.
"Don't be like that. We're not going to get in your way of wooing Kyle." Letting her usual sardonic mask slip away, Eva gave Lucy a sincere look.
"No it isn't!" Oh, God, how she hoped it wasn't.
"Probably the only person who hasn't," snorted Eva.
A few hours later, Lucy found herself alone in a crowd. Evidently Kyle had found one of the girls he'd met at the last party, or perhaps simply hooked himself a new one. Either way, he was chatting up a girl with cough drop red hair and brown roots. Lucy couldn't hear what they were saying over the music from such a distance, but she could guess. The girl's body language was suggesting they go somewhere to get better acquainted, and Kyle's smile was suggesting a dark corner away from prying eyes. Feeling her stomach liquefy and drain down to her toes, Lucy looked around for her other friends so she could find support. Jim was talking with some boys, employing his usual wide, emphatic hand gestures to illustrate his points. Eva was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps she'd gone outside. Intent on finding her, Lucy made her way to the door.
Eva wasn't anywhere on the wrap-around veranda, nor could Lucy see her in the yard amongst the other kids. Right when she was going to give up, she noticed someone with dark hair and a light-colored shirt lounging alone in the tall grass. She climbed down the porch steps at the back of the house and wandered out onto the expansive and horribly overgrown lawn. When she drew close enough, the figure turned and Ren was staring at her with impossibly dark eyes. At first his expression was blank, and then the spark of recognition flickered across his features and he smirked.
"Come to pour more expensive beer on me?" he asked, and his teeth flashed brilliantly in the dim moonlight.
"I was looking for a friend of mine, actually," Lucy responded, with perhaps more defensiveness to her tone than was warranted. She had been looking for Eva, though—at least at first.
The confused and insulted expression on Ren's face made Lucy feel much better. "You mistook me for a girl?" Shrugging, Lucy didn't vocally respond, but she did allow herself a satisfied smirk which practically mirrored the one he'd worn earlier. Ren shook his head and turned away from her in order to lie back in the grass, pillowing his head on his folded arms.
Uninvited, Lucy sat down beside him. "Where's the lizard guy?" she asked, her attention directed upwards towards the stars.
She raised and lowered one shoulder in a falsely careless shrug, visions of red hair and sharp smiles flitting before her eyes. "Not really my scene," she said softly.
"So he's not your boyfriend, but not for lack of wanting on your part." It wasn't a question, so she didn't feel compelled to answer. Instead, she continued hugging her knees and gazing up at the stars. A whippoorwill was calling in the distance, and the trees surrounding the house whispered like waves on a shore. A soft breeze carried the scent of pine and Ren's scent—some kind of cologne or aftershave that was spicy and earthy.
"Maybe you shouldn't judge people by how they dress." His cliché admonition caused her to turn and look at him. The moonlight made him seem to glow ever so softly, with his pale shirt—was it baby blue tonight?—and fair skin. Instead of finding him beautiful like that, she was struck by how ill it made him appear to be. He looked washed out like an old photograph. The sallow tone of his skin suggested it was not his natural shade, and that he was meant to be tan and olive-toned. Dark brown, seemingly black eyes looked up at her from shadowed sockets, the skin around them bruised from chronic insomnia. His shaggy hair was the same color as his eyes, and it brushed his shoulders and spilled over his folded arms. He was grinning cheekily at her, and she noticed his teeth weren't as perfect or as white as she had thought a moment ago. They seemed to crowd each other in places, and they showed signs of him either being addicted to coffee or cigarettes.
"What?" She blinked at him and searched his dark eyes for a clue as to what he was talking about.
"There you are!" The voice behind her provided a second's warning before hands fell on her shoulders with a momentum that nearly knocked her over. She tilted her head back and saw Kyle's upside-down face beaming back at her, warm brown eyes crinkled in amusement.
"There was no moment," Lucy gritted out with a glare towards Ren.
"—but I just thought I'd let you know I'm heading out," he finished. Lucy shifted in preparation to stand, but Kyle's hands on her shoulders gently held her down. "With Nova." Her stomach gave a sickening twist. He leaned in close and smiled wide. She could smell that overpowering cologne of his, and the sweet tang of spiked soda. "So don't worry about me," he assured with a wink. "Seems you're having your own fun." Then just as suddenly as he had arrived, he was gone. In a daze, she watched as he ran across the yard towards the redhead. She wanted to throw up. Or cry. No, not cry. Especially not in front of Ren.
Without responding, Lucy rose to her feet and started walking off towards the woods. She wanted to be alone, away from that stupid party with its stupid people, and especially away from that stupid Ren. He was calling out to her, but she didn't care; she just kept walking.
There was a small footpath which seemed to be slowly getting eaten up by the untamed forest. She followed along the barely-existent trail, letting the trees blot out the faint moonlight as well as the sounds of youthful revelry. It was here in the concealing solitude of the forest that she allowed herself to let go and cry.
Why did it matter now? Why had she become the very thing which annoyed her? I'm pathetic, she thought to herself as her chest heaved with another painful, gasping sob. He's not worth this. Why am I letting him get to me so much?
Frantically Lucy wiped her eyes and forced her breathing back to normal before Eva could get close enough to see that she'd been crying. Thank God for waterproof mascara.
Lucy opened her mouth to ask Eva what the deal was, but her friend's hand suddenly grasping her upper arm stopped her short. Her mouth snapped closed and in the ensuing silence, she heard something from beyond the bushes to her left. Turning her head towards the sound, she made out the mingling figures of two people pressed against a tree. The couple was producing wet, sometimes sucking-like sounds, occasionally accompanied by a growl or groan. Kissing, was Lucy's first thought, They're just two kids from the party making-out in the woods. Something in the way Eva was gripping her arm and radiating tension made her question her initial assessment. Listening more closely, she noticed with a cold tremor that the sounds weren't right for kissing. A memory popped into her mind of her older brother Mick doing his best to annoy her as he chewed an excessive serving of steak with his mouth open, smacking the meat with his teeth.
Shifting slightly, she strained to get a better look at the couple, even as Eva started tugging at her arm. The wind assisted her by blowing enough on the bushes that she caught long, clear glimpses of them. They were a few yards away, and the shadows were as thick as the vegetation, but moonlight has a way of highlighting certain things. There was a woman—and Lucy could tell it was a woman by the curves—pressing against a man, the tree at his back. It was the man who was facing towards Lucy, and she saw skin glowing pale blue in the moonlight as he tilted his head back with a moan. The woman's dark head moved down along his cheek, his chin, working towards his neck. As soon as his entire face was in clear view, Lucy had to use every scrap of willpower not to scream. Eva was pulling more urgently at her arm, and this time Lucy allowed herself to be pulled away. Her eyes never left the scene, staring even as the increasing distance and shifting branches made them seem to be nothing more than obscure shadows.
The next few minutes passed by in a confusing rush. Eva pulled her back to the house, where the yelled conversations and the pounding music seemed as distant as they'd been while she was in the woods. On the other hand, that distinctive, wet smacking sound seemed to linger in her ears. Jim was there, objecting to Eva's insistence that they leave. Then he must have seen Lucy's face, because his objections came to an abrupt end and he was asking about what had happened, and was Lucy alright? Bodies bumped against her, and Eva's grip on her hand hurt, but Lucy said nothing as she was pulled through the crowd.
"What happened?" Ren's face was in front of her suddenly, his look of concern confusing her. Why would he be so worried about a stranger? It didn't seem right or real. Nothing looked or felt real, and instantly it made sense to Lucy to think the entire evening had been a dream.
Eva must have offered a satisfactory excuse, because Ren was backing off and Lucy was being pulled along again. They climbed into Eva's car, Lucy in the back, and the thought of being there alone made her grab Jim's shirt in sudden panic. Without question, he got in next to her and shut the door. She didn't let go, even after Eva had started the engine and left the party behind in a cloud of dust. The trees whirling past her window looked more threatening to her now than they ever had before, and she drew away from them, clinging to Jim for dear life.
The image would not leave her head, the sounds still ringing in her ears. She felt sick again, like after Kyle left but worse. Much worse. She was sick and dizzy and cold, and her body was trembling.
"Not right now," Eva said distractedly as she concentrated on navigating the dark roads without breaking too many traffic laws.
The small part of Lucy's brain which was still capable of rational thought despite her panic understood Eva's reasoning. She knew it was true, but she didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to believe any of it.
"Lucy and I saw someone being attacked in the woods," Eva offered as explanation, her eyes on the road ahead of them.
"Attacked?" Lucy and Jim chorused in unison, but Lucy continued with: "He looked like he was enjoying it! Oh, God, how could anyone…" She felt bile rise in her throat, and she swallowed down as she sank back into the cushions of the seat.
Lucy squeezed her eyes shut and hugged her stomach. The image was there behind her eyelids, just as clear and surreal as it had been as she'd witnessed it. Moon pale skin and dark, irregular shadows that gleamed, sticky and wet. "A girl was…eating…some guy's face." The words sounded so odd to her once they came out of her mouth, and she was torn between laughing and vomiting.
The car rumbled on in silence for a few moments, and though she kept her eyes closed, Lucy was certain Jim's face was twisted up in disgusted disbelief. "Seriously?" he finally asked.
Jim cursed under his breath and leaned back to join Lucy. She felt his arm come around her and she leaned into his warmth. The rest of the commute passed in silence as Lucy watched the scene play on loop in her mind.
Her father came into the living room looking anxious and concerned. Eva's father was Dr. Hartmut Kuntz, a dark-haired German immigrant with vivid green eyes and a strong physique. Even though he must have been middle-aged, he still looked quite young and fit, only a few streaks of grey in his hair betraying his true age. He was wearing his usual ensemble of slacks, a dress shirt, and a sweater vest, his hair perfectly arranged without a strand out of place.
Grabbing both of her father's hands, Eva erupted into rapid German rambling that was assumed to be entirely lost on Lucy and Jim. Well, at least it was entirely lost on Lucy, if her blank expression was anything to go by. Jim's face, however, was a mask of concentration as he watched the two of them talk. "Do you understand any of what she's saying?" Lucy whispered to him.
Turning her attention back to Eva, Lucy listen more closely, as if trying to see if she could identify any of the words from the severely limited German vocabulary she had picked up from Eva over the years. Looking back to Jim, she saw he was squinting now, his face squished in perplexed contemplation. "What? What's wrong?" she asked, maintaining her hushed tone.
"Scheusal. Eva said something about the woman and her being a 'scheusal,' but I have no idea what that is. They're using it a lot now, though." Jim then tried to relay what he could decipher to Lucy, speaking as softly as possible so that Eva and her father wouldn't hear. Dr. Kuntz asked if Eva was certain about whatever it was she had said, that part Jim said was easy to translate. When Eva nodded and prattled out her anxious response, Jim said it felt like he was listening to a radio station that kept fuzzing out in static. Only bits and pieces were clear to him, but the gaps between the familiar made the entire thing incomprehensible. All he was certain of was that this scheusal, whatever it was, had Eva upset. He also was able to translate what he was confident had to do with the man's face getting eaten.
"Why are they talking in German?" Lucy asked, suspicion seeping through her shock and fear.
Having no explanation, Jim simply clenched his jaw and shook his head.
"You can take Günter's room," Dr. Kuntz offered as he attempted to manage a smile despite his eyes now looking haunted and preoccupied.
"We need to call the police." Lucy didn't want comforting, she wanted to help the man she saw, or at the very least bring his assailant to justice.
Her eyebrows drew together and she tried to read his eyes like they were reading her, but they were as indecipherable to her as his native tongue. "Thanks," she heard herself say, and the sound was small and meek to her own ears. He patted her shoulder, a wan smile passing across his lips, then stood and walked into another room. Seconds later she heard the beeping of a cell phone's buttons followed by his rich voice talking in low murmurs.
As she sat there puzzling over what just happened, a low whistle from the hall drew her attention and she rose to investigate. Jim was standing in front of a frame containing various family photos, his eyes fixed on one image in particular.
Moving to stand beside him, Lucy followed his gaze and found herself looking at a photo of Günter laughing in the sun as he stood on a beach in only damp swim trunks, the sea at his back. His shoulder-length black hair was blowing in the ocean breeze, and his dark tan skin was a stark contrast against the white sands and pale sky. Even though Eva had some of her Japanese mother's features, she looked more European than Günter, who must have taken more strongly after their mother. Lucy felt herself smile a little as she looked at the image. She'd had a little crush on the guy since she and Eva were children, but she always knew nothing would ever come of it. Günter saw her as another kid sister, and that perception would likely never change.
Relief flooded through all of them in that moment, heralded by the banter and laughter. The world hadn't ended. They'd all be okay.
A staged cough alerted them to Dr. Kuntz's presence, and the three of them turned to see him standing there with a cell phone in his hand and his brows knitted together. He was giving Jim an assessing look, probably reconsidering the wisdom of having a teenaged boy stay the night in his house with two teenaged girls—especially his daughter.
Jim shoved at her playfully and averted his gaze away from Dr. Kuntz while Eva grinned wolfishly. The physician's eyebrows rose, and then his considering look returned, but it seemed more calculating than concerned.
Lucy slunk away to Dr. Kuntz's den in order to make her call. Closing her eyes, she took a few steadying breaths before pressing the buttons to activate her speed dial.
"Kincade residence." her younger brother Donnie's voice caught her off guard, having braced herself to talk to her mother.
"Lucy? Are you okay?" The worry in his tone had her working harder at masking the lingering shock and fear.
"I'm fine. Just tired." She sat down heavily in Dr. Kuntz's insanely comfortable desk chair, its gleaming leather creaking loudly in protest.
"Fine." Despite his acquiescence, it was obvious that the subject would be revisited in the near future.
During the brief pause, Lucy again tried to rein in her emotions and hide them beneath layers of believable calm.
"Yeah, Mom. Sounds great." The desk's surface was so dark and polished that it reflected Lucy's hand with almost mirror perfection. She watched as her fingers danced along the wood, the tips kissing their shadowy twins. It helped to distract her, to calm her.
She quickly ended the call before she was tempted to spill everything, overcome with the impulse to cling to her mother for comfort and protection. There was no way she would do that, though. None of the Kincade children had allowed themselves such a luxury in years. No, quite the contrary: they resolved to be there for their mother, should she ever need their support.
God, she missed her daddy.
Barely keeping the sobs back, she quickly punched at the phone's screen again and stared at the glowing picture that lit up the screen as it rang. Mick's pixilated smile looked back up at her, his glasses slipping down his nose as his eyes looked cheekily over the rims. He was growing to look so much like their father. Like Mick, Lucy also had their father's jet black hair, cadaver pale skin, and frost-colored eyes. Mick was the one with the bone structure and a similar nose, though.
"Hello?" And the same voice.
"Mick." She let the pain show in her voice this time, knowing it was safe to do so with him. He was the support for his younger siblings, and he'd always performed his job well.
"Lucy? Lucy, what's wrong?" She heard him shifting around, and could imagine him sprawled out on his dorm bed, books surrounding him that sported formulas and theories that she'd never understand.
After crying for a solid ten minutes as he husked gentle words of comfort in her ear, she told him. She told him everything.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she choked.
"Mick, please." She had to whisper to prevent a whine.
That night, as Lucy lay on a roll-out futon on Eva's floor, she watched the play of light on the ceiling from the outdoor lamps shining through the trees and curtains. Outside, the surrounding forest was alive with insects. Lucy lived in a more suburban area, where the insects were quieter and the cars provided a soothing hum for a lullaby, so the more rural sounds around Eva's home were strange to her. They always had been, whenever she'd stayed the night, but at least she could get over them eventually and manage some sleep. Not tonight, she suspected, gripping the soft covers so tightly that her nails jabbed her palms through the thick layers.
Dr. Kuntz had said she'd be safe there. For some reason, this scared her more than if he had never said anything at all. Saying such a thing would imply that she would have something to fear outside the house. It was a silly notion, and she knew it, but it would not leave her mind. Why would she think that the woman from earlier would be able to track her down? The woman probably didn't even know that Eva and Lucy had been there!
"How?" a boy asked—a dream person whom Lucy had never met in real life. She could see his face, but was unable to focus on any one feature at a time.
The shadows—nearly every shadow anywhere—was suddenly swarming with things. Whatever the creatures were, they were as dark as the sky during a new moon, but their bodies sometimes glistened with a slimy slickness. There were wet clicking sounds when they moved, but they did not growl or snarl. All around her, the students were erupting into a panic, screaming that they needed more light, needed weapons, needed to get away.
"There are shadows between the light posts," she observed, looking around and being unable to see anyone else beneath any of the other lights—lights which she had never noticed until that moment.
"It hurts." And it did, though it was the first time she realized it. There was clawing and biting from anywhere on her body that existed in shadow.
So she did. She ran through the darkness, the clicks loud near her ears and the sharp claws scraping at her flesh, but she never really saw the creatures. Beneath her feet, the sheet shifted and the world was suddenly whirling around her as the fabric rose and she lost her footing. She was falling, her hands grasping futilely at the cloth.
Twitching and gasping, she opened her eyes to find herself on the floor in Eva's room. Sunlight was cutting sharply through the gaps in the curtains, streaking the hardwood floors with gold and blazing a trail across Lucy's face. Squishing her eyes closed against the light, she made no effort to move away, her mind still lingering halfway in her dreams.
It'll keep the shadows off my face, a voice in her head reasoned.


This ring is an absolute classic! The center stone is a whopping 5 carat simulated size set on rhodium prongs. The side shoulders boast another 2.5 carats worth of stones to make a 7.5 total carat weight cubic zirconia ring. Our genuine rhodium finish is achieved using an electroplating process that coats the item with heavy layers of rhodium, a close cousin to platinum, which gives our jewelry a platinum luster.
Our Classic Engagement Ring R05629R-C01, designed in the United States especially for Women and manufactured in China comes in a beautiful Clear color and Silvertone plating. The base metal is Lead Free Alloy (Brass), and this jewelry item has an MSRP of $52.50. All carat weights and measurements are approximate and may vary slightly from the listed dimensions.


Aquaman star Jason Momoa was frightened by a "funny, scary moment" during a recent appearance at the convention.
"They are really nice to conventions, I think all these guys are really cool. They do not tell me to do really ridiculous things, "said Momoa Pedestrian.TV .
" I mean, a kiss or something like that, I'm like, "I'm married, it's us I'm not kissing you. "[Laughs] But all are really respectful, I had a strange, scary moment that just happened, but with fame things change a bit."
Asked After the encounter, Momoa decided not to reveal any details.
"I'd rather not say right now, but it's definitely a bit too far," he said. "The police had to interfere."
Momoa, who emerged as a star in HBO's Game of Thrones before he erupted in Justice League and Aquaman had previously EW said his newly discovered one Sense of fame is "part of the job."
"When people like you think Well, you did a good job and you're dealing with it. I hug it and try not to hide. I'd probably make it even worse wearing a stupid hat, "he said.
" As long as they stay away from my kids, I'm a pretty nice guy, I do not like my kids to see me like that I try not to be rude, but … "
The massive action star admitted Fox News he becomes a" hole "when fame and fans invade his family, wife Lisa Bonet, and children Lola and Nakoa Wolf.
"I landed in New York and I could feel like a shift because I went through customs and I felt like heads were turning around and then the paparazzi, I guess I hope things will stay the same, but I do not know, I do not know what's in front of us, "Momoa said.
"I'm quite open, I try to show respect to my fans and I hope they give me back the respect … I like it, to please people, when I have it in me [but if] … Me Am with my family, you will probably mistake me as a hole.
"I will not go out of my way to make you feel better when I barely see my children … only on Instagram can you see that I'm not with my family, but I go to lots of fan stuff … I spend time with them, hugs, dedicate this time and then when I'm alone, yes, I do not care, yes, let's get in But when I'm with my kids, I change into another beast, but I think most parents do.If anyone came around with a camera of children [with your]that's just an uncomfortable feeling.
Performers Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wi llem Dafoe and Nicole Kidman, Aquaman is now playing.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A personal self-love journey with accountability with Holly Dresson.
Are you ignoring or doing your very best to ignore your past and it keeps being repeated in your life for one reason or another?
Do you want to solve your puzzle once and for all?
Have you been stuck and unable to move forward?
Are you ready to leap and you are concerned about what other people are going to say?
There are 3 phases in life Pause, Reflect and Move Forward which are you in? Which do you want to be in? And what are you going to do to make that happen?
Homework will be given GET READY!
Scheduled one on one calls will be made in advance. If unable to make the scheduled call within 24 hour notice of your call you may forgo your session due to scheduling conflict.
I will need to know which works better for you, days or evenings.
This offer is only good thru 5/31/19 5pm EST. Prices subject to change without notice.


We left Dublin today and headed south through the desolate, yet stunning Wicklow Mountains.Te Jameson distillery in Midleton had a great tour and whiskey sampling. Our night ended with some pints and a live football match at a local Blarney pub. What a perfect setting to watch Ireland's 2-1 victory over Macedonia.


Micromax is an Indian OEM that has been around for a while now, which means it must be doing something right. Its new smartphone is an upgrade in the form of a Micromax Canvas Infinity Pro to its Micromax Canvas Infinity predecessor. The smartphone comes with a number of improved features, the most important part of which is the dual selfie camera. However, the spec sheet is somewhat unbalanced as the processor featured on it is a low tier one.
There's no arguing the fact that most recent premium smartphones have an 18:9 aspect ratio or something close. This is also what you have on the Micromax Canvas Infinity Pro smartphone with a nice metallic unibody to go with it. Although not premium, the design reinforces the build quality. There is also a a much reduced bezels to accommodate more screen space.
Talking about display, the smartphone is entirely low budget on this one. Packing a 1440 X 720 resolution on a 5.7-inch screen is not really the best but it is enough to get the work done. The Micromax Canvas Infinity Pro has a pixel density of 282 ppi and can brightens up to 450 nits.
The Micromax Canvas Infinity Pro has a battery capacity you would call average. The smartphone features a 3, 000 mAh Li-Po battery which in my opinion will last just a day max on normal usage.
Moving forward to the unique selling point of the smartphone, which is somewhat out of place looking at the spec sheet. Micromax Canvas Infinity Pro features a massive dual 20MP + 8MP front camera and a 16MP rear camera with flash on both sides.
This is were things gets a bit uncanny, looking at the SoC featured on the smartphone which is entry level on a supposedly mid-range smartphone. That being said, the Micromax Canvas Infinity Pro comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) running at 1.4GHz and an Adreno 505 GPU.
Going further things gets better, as the smartphone comes with a generous 4GB RAM and internal storage space of about 64GB. The storage can be expanded up to 128GB if you choose with a memory card. Micromax Canvas Infinity Pro also runs on Android 7.1 straight from the box.
The Micromax Canvas Infinity Pro is available for sale in various online stores and smartphone retail outlets. It has a price of about 70, 000 Naira to 80, 000 Naira depending on the deal and your location.


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3 Marketplace Success Strategies from B2C Platform Pioneers
By Sara Matasci on October 16, 2020
As the marketplace evolution continues to accelerate, companies around the world are facing growing pressure to get in on the action. It's no secret that platforming your business has the potential to accelerate sales, dramatically expand product selection and broaden your customer base—all of which drive business growth. But beyond these tactical justifications, there's also a strong strategic play as well, one that's been brought into focus by the COVID-19 crisis that turned everything we know upside down.
What we've learned from those who were ahead of the game is that a marketplace strategy isn't just about driving sales. It's about embracing transformation. It means discovering the framework and capabilities to solve new challenges, reduce business constraints and operate with a more agile approach – one that allows you to put your key advantages to work when the time is just right.
In a session sponsored by Kearney at the Platform Pioneer Summit by Mirakl, three of the world's leading B2C Platform Pioneers shared how their marketplace strategies not only solved their current challenges, but also prepared them for a future where anything can happen. While it remains to be seen how consumer habits will normalize as the world learns to live with COVID, it's clear that these pioneering strategies have laid the foundation for a more agile, adaptable, future-ready business approach.
Adopt a mindset, not just a marketplace
Bolting on a marketplace to an existing eCommerce program might give you a quick boost in sales, but more strategic, long-term success comes from adopting a marketplace mindset across the entire company. With investment and resources from across the organization, a marketplace supports an omnichannel strategy that drives business, audience affinity and brand relevance across every customer touchpoint.
"We knew that a main driver of success for our marketplace would be to have a lot of traffic, but we had to adjust our entire organization's mindset to support it and boost our omnichannel strategy," said Pedro Devesa, head of digital business at Worten. Beginning as the number one electronics retailer in Portugal, Worten has reinvented itself through a marketplace strategy to now become the most visited and highest performing eCommerce store in Portugal across all categories.
"Across eCommerce, sales, operations…We created an integration that allowed us to rapidly deploy new categories and new products, even those we hadn't thought of," he said. "At Christmastime, we were approached by a perfume company, and because we had the infrastructure, we were able to add perfumes to our lineup, even though it wasn't part of our initial plan. It ended up being quite successful."
Having a marketplace mindset allows companies like Worten to capitalize quickly on opportunities to expand target audiences and become relevant to more customers.
Put the customer at the center of the process
"Kroger has a very clear strategy about having a seamless experience for our customers so they can get what they want, how they want it," says Jody Kalmbach, Group Vice President of Product Experience at Kroger, the number-one grocery retailer in the U.S. "To do that, we knew we needed to create one digital experience that has all of the assortment choices that are available to our customer, and they can decide how they want to access it."
For Kroger, blurring the line between digital and physical is critical for delivering on customer expectations. Deploying one platform that could enable that seamlessness without diluting trust was also essential.
"We needed to balance the integration by providing real transparency to our customers. Yes, the experience is so deeply integrated that the product shows up as any other item, but it's also clear that this is a third-party seller. They know what they're getting. There are ratings associated with that seller," Kalmbach said. "It's important that we stay true to who we are and able to continue the trust that we've worked hard to earn with our customers."
A marketplace is a catalyst for innovation
"A marketplace is a bridge that connects the physical and the digital in the Carrefour ecosystem, and it's giving us a huge opportunity to become the most valuable ecosystem in the Brazil market," said Jose Nilson Ferreira, marketplace director of Carrefour Brazil. "Right now, you can buy a TV or smartphone on our website and do your grocery purchase together in the same place at the same time. We're the only provider in Brazil that's enabling that, and it's positioning us to be the market winner."
Facing an increasingly competitive market, Ferreira says this agility is a catalyst for driving the innovation that will keep Carrefour at the forefront, changing the entire game for what's possible in delivering on customer needs.
"I believe a marketplace is the center of the digital transformation strategy, the protagonist of the transformation in any business. We're talking about the business integrations, the technology, the partnerships, good people…it all creates a virtual circle with the tools we need to change and move fast," he continued. "And, with that change underway, the innovation will spread across all our other formats, including stores, drug stores, et cetera."
With a global market that continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, there's only one thing that's certain: being able to adapt quickly is the key differentiator between winners and losers. As these Platform Pioneers have shown, adopting a marketplace mindset that puts the customer's needs front and center with an attitude toward innovation is a smart, agile strategy that can position your company for stability, growth and success in the face of any new challenge or opportunity.
Thanks to leading global management consulting firm Kearney for supporting the Platform Pioneer Insights B2C track at this year's Summit. Learn more about Kearney.
Watch these and other Platform Pioneer Summit sessions on-demand to discover more insights from marketplace leaders.
Topics : Marketplace Best Practices B2C eCommerce Mirakl Summit
Mirakl and AB InBev Partner to Create Next Generation of B2B Distribution
3 Ways Marketplaces Can Help You Nail Your 2020 Black Friday Strategy


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5 Ways To Spread Sex Positivity Every Day
by Kristen Sollee
Kristen Sollee
The third annual Amber Rose SlutWalk took over downtown Los Angeles earlier this month, bringing together activists, celebrities, and everyday folks alike to fight sexual stigma, slut shaming and victim blaming. From the colorful signs and outrageous outfits to the powerful speeches and educational booths, the event was both celebratory and serious, balancing the political and the personal through an inclusive day of sex-positive community.
SlutWalks are nothing new, and have been making waves around the world since the movement started with Toronto organizers in 2011. However, now that we have a president who faces sexual assault allegations, talks openly about groping women without their consent, and is a threat to bodily autonomy for women and LGBTQ rights, America is in dire need of a refresher course on consent and sex positivity. In such darkness, the LA SlutWalk was a beacon of light, providing a safer space to freely express dissent against rape culture, sexual stigma, and the ruling party's sex-negative political platform — all while wearing as little or as much clothing as you please.
The event began in the morning with a mile long march and ended with talks, performances, and celebrations in Pershing Square where dozens of vendors (myself included) sold their wares. I was fortunate enough to meet and mingle with dozens of people who attended and chat with them about why they decided to show up for sex positivity.
These are my five takeaways from SlutWalk LA:
Clothing Is Never An Excuse For Sexual Assault
It should go without saying, but clothes do not equal consent. No one, regardless of what they are wearing, should be blamed for their own sexual assault. Critics of the SlutWalk may view hundreds of scantily clad folks marching as an apolitical offense to decency, but the tactic is harnessed by some attendees for a very powerful reason.
The SlutWalk participants who don their skimpiest garb do so to challenge the idea that an individual's fashion choices can or should invite sexual assault or slut shaming. And according to many attendees I spoke with, dressing in barely there looks was also a chance to embrace body positivity and take up space in ways they are not allowed to in their daily lives.
Sex-Positive Feminism Must Include Sex Workers
Throughout the day, multiple activists took to the stage to affirm that sex workers rights are human rights. As a former stripper, Amber Rose has been an advocate for sex workers, and her outfit for the SlutWalk flipped the script on the "Captain Save-A-Ho" archetype in all the best ways. For those unfamiliar with the term, Captain Save-A-Ho is the embodiment of benevolent sexism, aka the guy who believes he can save a "fallen" woman in the sex industry just so she can become his personal property (Jacq The Stripper sums it up best in this piece). Rose, on the other hand, transformed the archetype into something positive, embodying her desire to aid to all of her fellow "hos" by coming out against sexual stigma.
Sex-Positive Feminism Must Be Intersectional
In the past, some SlutWalks have gotten serious flak for their lack of diversity and insensitivity to the needs of women of color and trans women. Because racism, homophobia, and transphobia impact the ways sexism manifests, feminism must include the lived experiences of all people. As a queer woman of color, Amber Rose set out to make her event specifically amplify the voices of people of color and the LGBTQ community. The crowd and the lineup of performers and presenters reflected this effort, and so Black Lives Matter signs were front and center, as were those that challenged the gender binary and the idea that feminism is for cisgender women alone.
Community Is Crucial To Activism
By far, the most inspiring part of the day was witnessing friends who made signs together, coordinated their outfits together, and marched together. Larger communities are built through smaller communities linking up, so what better way is there raise awareness about rape culture, sexual assault, and sex positivity than to get all your BFFs involved?
Everyone Has The Power To Fight Sexual Stigma
Rose's keynote speech at the SlutWalk offered insight into the sex-positive momentum that she has built through her platform. But how can the everyday person change hearts and minds? Rose's advice to those attending the SlutWalk highlighted one way we can fight sexual oppression and repression every day.
"I want you all to know that you can make a difference in your own communities. I don't want to sound corny like a teacher...but you know, social media is a motherf*cker. You can really change people's minds on social media. We all have it," she said.
Granted, some online discourse can be very toxic and perpetuate misinformation, but there is undoubtedly truth in her statement. Both online and off, we all have the ability to challenge sexual stigma when we see it, whether it means examining our own sexual shame, calling in a friend when they slut shame someone, or volunteering at a local non-profit that helps survivors of sexual assault. Spreading sex positivity starts with each and every one of us, and we don't have to wait until the next SlutWalk to do it.
Help! I Haven't Had Sex With My Partner For 3 Years. He Blames Porn.
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There is a massive wealth destruction coming warns Hong Kong economist Marc Faber, who predicts the Super-Rich may lose up to 50 percent of their total wealth.
Somewhere down the line we will have a massive wealth destruction and that usually happens either through very high inflation, through social unrest, through war or a credit-market collapse and things get worse before they get better.
Most stock markets peaked in May 2011 and we will experience further weakness in the second half of 2012. Corporate profits will continue to disappoint, stock markets are oversold, the U.S. government-bond market is overbought, the U.S. dollar is overbought and gold is oversold near term. Analysts are very negative about the outlook longer term, especially the 2013-2014 Stock Market — the world is heading toward a major crisis.
U.S. Treasury's are earning only 1.6%, and the cost of living is increasing by about 5% a year around the world — you are getting a negative real return.
The stock market collapse will be caused by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and the Federal Reserve's continuous printing of new money — the bailout and money printing since the 2008 Wall Street Crash did not create any long-lasting wealth or create healthy growth, so investors must hedge longer-term bets.
The crash will be coming before Ben Bernanke leaves the Federal Reserve by early 2014.
The 2014 Stock Market Collapse will come on Bernanke's watch — Bernanke's second four-year term as Chairman of the Fed ends January 31st, 2014 and he will remain a board member until 2020.
Is the Stock Market Signaling a Crash and Double Dip Recession or Great Depression?


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Jan Hiller
Kelly School of Business - Indiana University-Bloomington
Greg Coticchia
Digital Risk Management Institute
Dr. Yair Levy
Application Security , Breach Notification , Cybercrime
Mixcloud Breach Affects 21 Million Accounts
Hashed Passwords, Email Addresses Leaked Jeremy Kirk (jeremy_kirk) • December 2, 2019
Source: Mixcloud
Digital streaming platform Mixcloud says it's the victim of a data breach after an attacker shared personal data for registered users with several media outlets, including Vice and ZDNet. Data that the seller claims is for about 21 million users is for sale in an underground market.
See Also: Unlocking IAM - Balancing Frictionless Registration & Data Integrity
That data includes email addresses and IP addresses, the company says in a statement. Also, hashed passwords for a "minority" of Mixcloud users were exposed. The company, which is based in London, doesn't store mailing addresses or full credit card numbers.
"We are actively investigating the incident," the company says. "We apologize to those affected and are sorry that this has happened. We understand this is frustrating and upsetting to hear, and we take the trust you put in us very seriously."
It wasn't immediately clear how the attackers gained access to Mixcloud's systems.
Mixcloud sits in a highly competitive landscape that includes Spotify and streaming services from Apple, Google and Amazon. It lets users upload their own mixes, similar to another competitor, SoundCloud, which has special appeal for DJs. According to a January 2017 story in Variety, Miscloud then had 17 million active monthly users.
Suggestion: Change Your Password
Mixcloud is recommending that users change their passwords. Most of its users, however, use single sign-on with their Facebook credentials for authentication. As a result, Mixcloud does not handle those passwords.
"Whilst we have no reason to believe that any passwords have been compromised, you may want to change yours, especially if you have been using the same one across multiple services," Mixcloud says.
The password hashes that were compromised were salted, Mixcloud says. Salting involves adding extra data to a hash in order to make it more resistant to cracking attempts.
"We are actively investigating the incident. We apologize to those affected and are sorry that this has happened. We understand this is frustrating and upsetting to hear, and we take the trust you put in us very seriously."
"The passwords that Mixcloud does store are encrypted with salted cryptographic hashes to ensure that they are extremely difficult to unscramble," Mixcloud says. "This means that they are unlikely to be decrypted by hackers."
Password re-use is one of the reasons that breaches are so valuable for attackers. The best practice with passwords is to create a unique one for each service. That's usually only practical for those using a password manager. Most browsers have built-in ones, while another option is a subscription to a third-party product.
Mozilla has taken a step further in Firefox. It has a password manager and also has a Monitor feature, which is integrated with the data breach notification service Have I Been Pwned. HIPB sends notification if someone's email address turns up in a batch of leaked data. The password manager 1Password has the same feature.
Data For Sale
The data is for sale in a dark web marketplace by someone going by the nickname A_W_S, Vice and ZDNet report. Someone contacted those publications with samples of the stolen data, which appears to be legitimate, both reported. The number of affected accounts is about 21 million, the sellers say.
Vice reported the data was for sale for .5 bitcoin, which is around $3,700. A screenshot of the advertisement on the unnamed dark web marketplace posted by ZDNet showed a reduced price of $2,000.
A_W_S has posted data sets on the marketplace in the past, including for Australian company Canva, Chegg and StockX, ZDNet reported.
Surviving a Breach: 8 Incident Response Essentials
TrueDialog Unsecure Database Exposes SMS Data: Report
Jeremy Kirk
Managing Editor, Security and Technology, ISMG
Kirk is a veteran journalist who has reported from more than a dozen countries. Based in Sydney, he is Managing Editor for Security and Technology for Information Security Media Group. Prior to ISMG, he worked from London and Sydney covering computer security and privacy for International Data Group. Further back, he covered military affairs from Seoul, South Korea, and general assignment news for his hometown paper in Illinois.
https://www.govinfosecurity.com/mixcloud-breach-affects-21-million-accounts-a-13461


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Captain Smart lists three instances that led to his suspension
Fri, 7 May 2021 Source: www.ghanaweb.com
The suspended host of Angel FM's morning show dubbed "Anopa Bofo" has been explaining the focus of his morning show on Angel 102.9 FM.
Captain Smart told Paul Adom-Otchere on Good Evening Ghana on Thursday that he had decided to use his editorial segment of his morning show dubbed "Fa ba wo so" to speak about the reality where other broadcasters are afraid to talk.
He explained that he picks the issue, research into it, "call people with brains to feed you with the needed information so that you can also give it out".
Captain Smart stated that his whole one-month suspension is about a commentary he passed on galamsey, Ghana's debts and an issue with the IGP and the Ghana Police Service.
He said he was worried about how police were being killed by some armed robbers, so he questioned why a police officer would be on duty without any bulletproof.
"We live in a country, 21st century and police officers are sitting in bullion vans with these long-wheeled weapons…and it is about time we stopped that. They should have some sidearms that make it easier for them to defend themselves anytime they are attacked."
When asked why he should blame the IGP for the police killings and for not having sidearms, Captain Smart said he called out the name of the IGP because he is in charge.
"And I said that if he does not take care, he will be the worst IGP Ghana has ever had," he recounted.
Smart further indicated that the promise of an increase in the salary of the police was never honoured after he [the IGP] had promised on live radio.
He indicated that all these fake promises to the police officers made him tell the IGP that, "if you are not careful, you will be the worst IGP. Then somebody from somewhere calls me and say that he gives some leaders of my company protection, so I need to keep quiet. I said me keeping quiet and look on for innocent police officers to be killed by some armed robbers…"
About the galamsey going on in Kyebi, I said on air that "if Nana Addo really wants to paint a very beautiful picture that he is really on in the fight against galamsey, then he should stop the galamsey in his hometown. And I will say it again…"
When Paul Adom-Otchere asked if he backed his claims with evidence, Captain Smart asked him when was the last time he went to Kyebi and he [Adom-Otchere] responded that he was there some months back for a funeral. Captain Smart impressed on him to go there today, Friday, May 7, 2021, and see things for himself.
Captain Smart went on to explain his third issue on Ghana's public debt which has been enjoined to merit his one-month suspension.
He said, "during Mahama's time, I was one of the people who were very critical about how the economy was managed under John Dramani Mahama. At a point in time, I was even afraid to go home…but I said Ghana first…
"At that time, I described Mahama as incompetent because of his mismanagement of the economy but upon coming into office, the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government promised us that they will not be borrowing but their public debt due is 76% of the GDP, then you are incompetent than Mahama."
Captain Smart tells security agencies what to do to make their work easy this year
Captain Smart's 'sexist attack' on female journalists condemned by GJA
'You will one day bow before the NPP' – Diana Asamoah as she slams Captain Smart
'You're a chief of villagers' - Captain Smart to Okyenhene
Were you a wizard for threatening anti-Mahama protest in 2014? – Captain Smart asks Okyenhene


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from os.path import abspath, dirname, join, normpath

SITE_ROOT = dirname(dirname(dirname(abspath(__file__))))
# STATIC_ROOT = normpath(join(dirname(SITE_ROOT), 'static'))
STATIC_ROOT = '{{ staticdir }}'
STATIC_URL = "/static/"
ADMIN_MEDIA_PREFIX = join(STATIC_URL, "admin/")

DATABASES =  {
    'default': {
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2',
        'NAME': 'veyepar',
        'PORT': '5432', # TODO automate port change
    }
}
SECRET_KEY = '{{ secret_key }}'


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Q: how to turn one to many mapping in a python df to a one to one mapping dropping the Nones I have two python dataframe columns, one column has consistent namings while the second column has the necessary mappings and some contain None's. For example:
df = pd.DataFrame({'column1':['apple','apple','orange','orange'],'column2':['green',None,'Orange',None]})

  column1 column2
0   apple   green
1   apple    None
2  orange  Orange
3  orange    None

The resulting dataframe has other columns im grouping by so I cant simply drop the None rows, I would like to replace the None's with the other mappings in column 2 which would allow me to then group the df properly, so I would want :
  column1 column2
0   apple   green
1   apple   green
2  orange  Orange
3  orange  Orange

Not sure how to tackle this

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A person must recognize all the changes that happen to him and move exactly according to them, perceiving each of them as coming from the Creator, as a necessity for his advancement.
With these states that are, as if, the "words" of the Creator, he must format his heart and his mind, in other words, transform them into a completely different format.
Just as it is required to delete a previous program in a computer in order to install a new one, in the same way we, while moving forward, must gradually delete each degree within us and record a new one to replace it. We need to gradually rewrite the entire egoistic attitude to the world, to life, and to each other in an altruistic way. And we need to do this independently.
Therefore it is written, "set these words of Mine upon your heart and upon your soul," meaning write down My program, the program of bestowal and love, upon your egoistic heart.
But the heart doesn't really want to accept it, so this program can't immediately go to the heart! It really isn't easy.