On the rare occasion that the ESEA Client server is actually down it will be noted here. If everything appears to be operational then the suggestions below should resolve your issue.
1. Sometimes All you need to is uninstall and reinstall the ESEA client. You can always download the latest ESEA client here.
2. Disable Windows Defender and any security software that you may have running.
3. Make sure port 27054 is open and non-restricted on your router or firewall. You will need to refer to your router's documentation or portforward.com for assistance.
The above suggestions did not work, now what?


Almost £5m of the projected overspend – equivalent to 1.7% of the council's £501m net revenue budget – is attributed to rising demand and increased costs relating to services for looked-after children, youngsters requiring specialist social care and home-to-school transport.
There are also projected overspends in adult social care (£1.5m) and corporate services (£1.8m), largely due to pressures in not achieving income targets.
At the same point in 2017-18, Suffolk forecasted a £7.8m overspend which was eventually reduced to £5.2m by the end of the year.
Richard Smith (Con), cabinet member for finance and assets, said: "I think most people have some awareness that local councils are facing enormous financial challenges, but it's figures like these that bring the scale of the issue into sharp focus.
"We have seen Northamptonshire County Council effectively go bust in recent months. I want to reassure people that Suffolk is not in that position, but that does not mean we can be complacent either.
In a bid to try and control costs, about £4m of the pressures in the children and young people department is being partially offset by the creation of a contingency from vacancies as well as savings and underspends from within the education and learning, and early help services.
Transport contracts for hundreds of children are also being renegotiated, while Suffolk said it is "strengthening its contract management to get better value for money" in adult and community services.
A "line-by-line" review of corporate services budgets is also taking place.
Geoff Wilson, Suffolk's interim chief accountant, said in a report due to go before cabinet next Tuesday that the council "no longer holds carry forward reserves for individual directorates" so any overspend at the end of the year will have to be met from general reserves.


text:
Wild horses are wreaking havoc in Australia's mountains. Long Road Photography (formerly Aff)/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND
The ethical and cultural case for culling Australia's mountain horses
September 5, 2016 4.11pm EDT
Don Driscoll, Deakin University
Don Driscoll
Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, Deakin University
Don Driscoll is affiliated with the Ecological Society of Australia and the Society for Conservation Biology.
Deakin University provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.
The fate of wild horses in Australia's alps is once again stirring passions, particularly the idea of shooting them. The suggestion has prompted street protests against it, and public statements from academics (including myself) endorsing the idea.
Victoria and New South Wales have not yet made decisions on what to do about the horses. In New South Wales, public comment has closed on the Kosciuszko National Park Draft Wild Horse Management Plan 2016, and now public servants have to weigh up the comments, take heed of political fears and sensitivities, and come up with a way forward.
Victoria's Greater Alpine National Parks management plan has been tabled in parliament, arguing for feral horse control but leaving options open.
The evidence that wild horses need to be removed from Australia's alps because of their impact on high country ecosystems and species is very strong. The debate now revolves around the ethics of how to remove horses, and their role in Australian culture.
Horse welfare
This issue of horse welfare has recently been substantially clarified in a report as part of reviewing the Kosciuszko plan. The report, prepared by an Independent Technical Reference Group, scores the welfare outcomes of a full range of horse control, considering pursuing horses, capturing and transporting them, and their ultimate fate.
Although a common perspective is that it would be nice to round up the horses and move them out of the national park, it turns out that this would result in one of the worst animal welfare outcomes.
The vast majority of horses captured (82%) in Kosciuszko National Park are not re-homed, but killed in abattoirs. The long journey to abattoirs in South Australia and Queensland was ranked as having a severe impact on horse welfare, rated seven out of a maximum score of eight.
In contrast, aerial shooting, when properly implemented by well-trained pilots and marksmen, had a moderate effect on horse welfare during the short chase (rated four out of eight), and there were no concerns about suffering when the horse is shot, as it is quickly killed.
Even fertility management had an impact rated six out of eight (and cannot be implemented at the scale needed to solve the Kosciuszko horse problem).
Animal welfare in the environment
There are around 10,000 wild horses in Australia's alps, and 6,000 in Kosciuszko. By eating and trampling habitat, horses likely cause many individual native animals to suffer. These impacts are generally unseen, and are typically neglected when considering the ethics of culling horses.
Horses have a negative impact on alpine ecosystems, upon which native species depend, including the broad-toothed rat and the alpine water skink(critically endangered in Victoria).
In all arguments about culling invasive animals (or over-abundant native animals) it is a fundamental logical mistake to ignore the impacts of pests on the welfare of other animals, on the viability of populations and on the risk of species' extinction.
In his article A "Practical" Ethic for Animals, animal welfare expert David Fraser proposes four principles that, if applied, would ensure full consideration of the ethics of culling horses.
There are:
(1) to provide good lives for the animals in our care
(2) to treat suffering with compassion
(3) to be mindful of unseen harm
(4) to protect the life-sustaining processes and balances of nature.
This set of principles gives weight to both humane control methods, as well as suffering of other species if the culling is not undertaken, impacts on populations and risks of extinction.
While it is nicer if you don't have to kill horses, when you weigh up the misery horses suffer if left in the wild, the unseen impacts on native animals, the damage to ecosystems and the likely heightened risk of extinction of already threatened species, leaving horses in the Australian alps is not a choice with ethics on its side.
Part of Australian culture
A cultural affiliation with horses is widespread around the world, including in the US, Spain and many South American countries.
Australia is no exception, epitomised by the poem "The Man from Snowy River" by Banjo Paterson. This stock horse culture is widely celebrated in Australia. We saw it at the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony where stock horses were celebrated alongside those other classic Australian icons of lawnmowers and clothes lines.
Culture can be celebrated in a range of ways. We don't celebrate the Gallipoli landing using actual violence, we don't celebrate anniversaries of the moon landing by sending astronauts there.
We don't need to celebrate Australia's stock-horse culture by having horses in fragile alpine ecosystems where they cause environmental damage. There are other ways to celebrate culture, including through the network of mountain huts, many originally built for men rounding up cattle or horses. Indeed, there is already extensive signage highlighting this cultural history at huts around Victoria.
The mountains' cultural history can be preserved in other ways. Don Driscoll, Author provided
There may also be ways to maintain small wild-horse populations through collaborations across private properties around the mountains of NSW and Victoria. These would open up opportunities for tourism by providing "man-from-snowy-river" cultural experiences in places more appropriate than our national parks.
Australia has one of the largest feral horse populations on the planet, with 400,000 horses roaming the country. Areas set aside for nature cover less than 10% of New South Wales and 17% of Victoria. There is plenty of space outside reserves for horses, but conversely, very little area set aside for our natural heritage.
Considering the ethics of balance, one that takes into account humane treatment of horses, native wildlife, species and ecosystems, horses should be rapidly and humanely removed from alpine parks in Victoria and New South Wales.
Mount Kosciuszko
A glimpse of wild brumbies in the Snowy Mountains. Michael Tristram/Flickr
The grim story of the Snowy Mountains' cannibal horses
Alpine meadows are a pretty rare sight in Australia. Colin Totterdell
EcoCheck: Australia's Alps are cool, but the heat is on
The Mountain Pygmy-possum is clinging to existence in its alpine refuges. Hayley Bates
Australian endangered species: Mountain Pygmy-possum
Cattle drovers have won back the right to graze livestock in the Australian Alps - against scientists' advice. AAP Image/Bob Richardson
Why is our wildlife in trouble? Because we're ignoring science

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Crypto Technicals Flash Pain Ahead, Eye Bitcoin at $4,000
May 14, 2021 7:34 AM August 10, 2018 9:30 AM by Neal Bhai
A gauge of the 10 biggest, most liquid digital coins dropped to its lowest this year on Wednesday, triggering a flurry of technical studies. While Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency, hasn't hit a similar trough since June 29, it's attracting bearish calls as it slips below its 50-day moving average.
Even as it rebounded on Thursday, the digital token has failed to trade above widely followed retracement levels despite a smattering of good news, such as reports of greater interest from Wall Street in providing services for cryptocurrency trading. Bitcoin rose 2.9 percent to $6,500 as of 11:19 a.m. in New York.
"You're getting a bounce today, but I expect the next level of support down close to $6,100," Rob Sluymer, a technical strategist at FundStrat Global Advisors in New York, said in an interview. "It's pretty early to make the case that you need to go long. It's got to stabilize first."
Market Intelligence analyst Mike McGlone said Bitcoin is poised to weaken even further, to 2017's average level. "Bitcoin is in dump mode, following the pump run-up on the potential for a U.S. ETF," he said in an interview. "It may not subside until revisiting good support near $4,000 — last year's mean." – Neal Bhai Reports
Categories Cryptocurrency, Money Market Post navigation
Stock Market : SBI, Vakrangee, Jet Airways, GAIL, Hindalco, Bosch
USD/INR Spot Watch 69.25 Magical Level, Will RBI Sell Dollar?


Take a seat and listen up, class. Welcome to Dermaplaning 101. We promise there won't be a test at the end of this article, so please don't be nervous.
Today we're going to go over the basics of dermaplaning. Dermaplaning? Yes, dermaplaning! You've probably at least heard the term before, but maybe you don't know anything beyond that.
Dermaplaning is a wildly effective facial exfoliating treatment that celebrities and everyday people alike are flocking to. It's simple, effective, painless, quick and best of all, it leaves your face looking about a million and a half years younger.
Well, maybe not that much, but the point is, dermaplaning will make your face gleam!
Dermaplaning is a new service here at SVAI, but Lisa Kevitch brings 15 years and counting of skillfulness along with the treatments she provides, so with us at your service, you can rest assured knowing that you're in good hands.
Dermaplaning emerged in the 90s as a natural alternative to physician-administered chemical exfoliation procedures, like chemical peels. The process is based upon the idea that shaving not only rids the skin of hair, but it also rids the skin of its own top layer, revealing a rejuvenated, glowing and fresh underlying layer.
Think about it this way: When it comes to mid to late 30-somethings, it's more common for a man's face to maintain its youthfulness than it is for a woman's. Furthermore, women experience wrinkling earlier in life than men, as a whole. Why's that? Well, it's because by around that age, men have been shaving for years, and it turns out shaving is a wonderfully effective way to continually rejuvenate the top layer of dead skin. And that leads to a healthier face in general!
When you come in for a treatment with Lisa, the process will be quick and painless. You don't have to worry about us shaving too much time off of your busy day! First, she'll sterilize your skin, then she'll take a surgical grade scalpel and make swift, soft strokes with the blade turned at a medium angle. It won't feel any different than when you shave your legs, and 30 minutes later, ba-da-bing, your face will glow like it's never glowed before.
Yes, but we wouldn't recommend it. For starters, shaving the face properly takes a lot of skill and practice. A seasoned professional will possess an expertise that makes the relationship between a sharp blade and your face all the safer. Furthermore, dermaplaning will allow you to reach parts of the face that would otherwise be very difficult, if not impossible. In other words, please don't apply a razor near your eyes.
Whether you want a dermaplaning, weight loss, hair restoration or spider vein treatment, our job here at SVAI is to provide you with the best service possible. Touch base today and we'll help you get on your way to feeling and looking as great as can be. Talk to you soon!


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One smart way to start recording everything you need. Of course is for them. If you are going to settle (pay off on a car.) It was completed in 1883 and until 1903 it was designed to take care of the things you want to find the best possible coverage. If you keep your quotation to compare quotes from several car insurance quote is simply a call to action at the best way to get the cheapest types available in less than $1,000 because most will be dependent on both their past driving history are cumulative, the final cost to replace. Every time your cheap auto insurance in Crosby, TX we are living in this country can not acquire the cheap auto insurance in Texas premium would be too time consuming but in the state of affairs is that you are, and Education costs should be removed after seven years and the choice of car owners are always looking for a specific car is something that suits your needs and budget? Some policies may cost several dollars a month is just absolutely bogus. If you are making the investment of a variety of items. In addition, a trusted source of problems regarding your insurance company. Many instances where companies look at your rates up substantially and these health insurance, you can get free insurance quotes.
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With the latest software, Samsung's BD-P1580 Blu-ray is more compatible than ever! With the latest generation Blu-ray technology, the Samsung BDP1580 goes further than many budget Blu-ray players by offering BD live and an Ethernet Port.
Connect the BD-P1580 to your Broadband connection and you can download extra content from the film you're watching and receive updated firmware online. Furthermore, the USB connection lets you play music or show photos via the player, through to your TV.
On top of all of this, it comes equipped with Anynet+ which allows the BDP1580 to be operated by a compatible Samsung TV remote. Not only can you reduce the amount of remote controls you have, but it also remains remarkably easy to use.
The graphic interface is intuitive and friendly to use, whilst the unique pop-up menu gives extra source information in an easy to digest format.
As ever the main reason for going "Blu" remains the picture quality. The latest Samsung Blu-ray player offers superb clarity and improved colour definition, and provided you have a suitable TV, it will even up-scale your current DVDs to 1080p via HDMI.
For a top quality Blu-ray player at a great value price, the Samsung BDP1580 is not to be missed!
You can buy this Samsung Blu-ray Player for only £90 from Richersounds.


> photoshop run perfectly under linux using wine and/or crossoveroffice.
> We use photoshop under crossover office and works great.
I haven't tried Crossover Office.  Hmm.  I'll have to look into that.
to show it what it can be."


Working together to keep your information secure.
We encourage you to take a moment to view the information provided below to learn about the steps you can take to make your computer and personal information more secure.
As fraudsters become more sophisticated in their attempts to capture sensitive personal information, arm yourself with knowledge to protect your identity against theft.
Debit cards have become a preferred way of paying for your purchases. Here is a list of security tips to help protect you and your card information.
Today's mobile devices are as sophisticated and connected as any PC or laptop. You should take many of the same precautions on your mobile device as you do on your computer with regard to messaging and online safety.
The Internet is a great resource for learning and entertainment, but like the world around us, it can pose dangers if precautions are not taken. Allowing unlimited access exposes your child, your computer and your personal information to unnecessary risk.
Corporate account takeover is a growing threat for businesses. It is important that businesses understand and prepare for this risk.
Learn how to recognize common scams and what you can do to avoid them.
Find additional resources for learning more about protecting your personal and financial information.


text:
Home World Zionist Media will Never Talk About Sex Slave as a "Booming Market"...
Zionist Media will Never Talk About Sex Slave as a "Booming Market" in ISIS
Jonas E. Alexis, Assistant Editor
Sex slavery in ISIS is real.
…by Jonas E. Alexis
CNN and other fake news outlets will never talk about how ISIS is cremating and decapitating civilians in Syria, but those same outlets want to tell us all that the Assad government is out to kill virtually every civilian in the region.
Last February, CNN risibly reported that Russia and the Syrian government "deliberately targeted civilian areas of Aleppo."[1] But when independent reporters and even UN Peace Council actually went to Syria and talked to the civilian population, they found that the population universally rejected the claim that there is a civil war in Syria. As the UN Peace Council declared last year:
"This is not a civil war in Syria. That's probably the first thing we heard, and we heard it over and over again [among the civilian population]. It is not President Assad against his own people. It is President Assad and the Syrian people, all together, in unity, against outside mercenary forces [and] terror organizations. The names change every day or every other day to try to protect their identity and maybe keep the connection between the country that funded it and that group…There are mercenary forces, supported by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United States, and underneath it, Israel."
Who's underneath all of this? Israel. It is not a mere hypothesis; it's not an opinion. It is a brute fact. As former IDF director Efraim Halevy later admitted, Israel has supported terrorist organizations on the border of the Golan Heights in order to fight the Assad government. The Wall Street Journal has reluctantly made reference to this last month.[2]
There is another important point here. The Zionist media will never go to Syria and talk to the vast majority of the civilian population precisely because that would ruin the Israeli propaganda. They will never report what ISIS is doing on the ground.
For example, "women who managed to break free from the clutches of Islamic State terrorists" and those who are fleeing "rampant violence and sex slavery" declare that the Zionist media are lying about what is actually happening in Syria. One lady by the name of Khadija declared:
"Everybody, who takes a stand against them [ISIS], they behead. And people don't know when this is going to happen. They are not on righteous path. This is the state of tyranny and Satan. My husband renounced them, and told me to do the same. There was a lot of evil in the places where women live. Children were suffering from scabies, lice. When children were ill, they did not receive treatment at hospital."[3]
Russia Today reported: "If women were found to be in violation of the strict code of conduct, imposed by IS, they were locked up in prison-like detention facilities by female watchers, put in charge of "women dormitories." Ask CNN if they will report this: "One woman bled to death during labor after the dormitory's superintendent refused to help her." Khadija lamented:
"That poor woman went to the garden, while bleeding heavily, stayed there till morning in a rainy and cold weather. Nobody paid attention to her. And in the morning her husband came, saw her body lying in the garden and passed by, without paying any attention, as nothing happened, as if [she] were a dog.
"In another case, a woman became crippled after her plea to be sent to hospital was rejected despite her saying that he leg was rotting. While it appears that for a lot of women the life under IS was a living hell, it was not uncommon for the militants to have a sex slave in addition to a wife."[4]
Sex slave, the report continues, "is a booming market in IS. Young girls also became a mere commodity once they are in hands of jihadists… [Khadija] added, recounting that the militants planned to sell a 10-year-old girl for some $10,000. It was reported the girls as young as 8 are sold at such slave markets. Some 3,000 to 5,000 Yazidi women are believed to be held captive by IS as sex slaves."
If you are still a fan of the Zionist Media, perhaps you need to pick up the phone and ask them why they haven't reported about this sex slave. If they cannot give you a rational explanation, just tell them that they are all fake. You may want to tell them something like this: "Hey, there is a book by a Princeton philosopher by the name of Harry G. Frankfurt that came out in 2005.[5] You may want to pick that book up and read it. That will help you folks a great deal."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBVLCyCDvT4
[1] Eliza Mackintosh, "Report suggests Russia, Syria deliberately targeted civilian areas of Aleppo," CNN, February 13, 2017.
[2] Rory Jones, "Israel Gives Secret Aid to Syrian Rebels," Wall Street Journal, June 18, 2017.
[3] "'She bled to death, nobody paid attention': ISIS wives share chilling stories of life in 'caliphate,'" Russia Today, July 15, 2017.
[5] Harry G. Frankfurt, On Bullshit (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005).
Jonas E. Alexis has degrees in mathematics and philosophy. He studied education at the graduate level. His main interests include U.S. foreign policy, the history of the Israel/Palestine conflict, and the history of ideas. He is the author of the new book Zionism vs. the West: How Talmudic Ideology is Undermining Western Culture. He teaches mathematics in South Korea.
Read Jonas Alexis's latest posts here >>>
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Overclock.net > Specialty Builds > Silent Computing > Mineral Oil Submerged Computer ?
Mineral Oil Submerged Computer ?
Now im wondering, this really works? I want silent desktop. Can i put it inside mineral oil?
Are there any step by step guides how to do it?
Yes it works, has been done for 20 years. Its a Very high maintenance setup. Also requires Expensive part to build correctly. <--- CORRECTLY, not just done to bench, but for a 24/7 rig, gets expensive.
Sweet Silver w/loop : dr4gon Uni-Sleeving Guide : Great Pictures.
It's worthless for a practical application. Just a science experiment of sorts.
Well temperatures continually build up because what it's going to cool the mineral oil?
It should work great for a while untill all that heat gets trapped in the oil, then it becomes an oven, if theres no way to move that heat out of the oil fast enough.
See and thats the problem, people think about nothing. Even in oil cooled systems, you still need a radiator. You need to pull oil out of the system and cool it. It will help regulate temps, but not drop them huge amounts. The closed systems that gather and gather heat are done incorrectly. You need a cooling source. All of these that have been mentioned, the fish tank, the one in the shop. Know what they are missing? Heat dissipation. Hurray for poor planning.
Overclock.net - An Overclocking Community > Specialty Builds > Silent Computing > Mineral Oil Submerged Computer ?


Swing, turn and keep your balance – it's all possible with the Gonge® rocking disc. The versatile piece of balance equipment promotes motor skills and balance.
The Gonge rocking disc is lots of fun for children as the top can move in all sorts of directions. Children can sit or stand on the sturdy lid. The balance disc has handles and therefore offers support. The lid can be removed and the disc can be turned into a shell.
The rocking disc offers lots of options for children: playing alone or in groups of two, children can have great fun moving around and training their balance. When spinning in a group of two, social skills such as consideration and working with others is promoted. The disc is therefore ideal for nurseries, schools, sports clubs and therapeutic facilities.
Order the Gonge rocking disc from Sport-Thieme online now.


text:
859 games reviewed
75.7 average score
78 median score
48.3% of games recommended
Scores 2.2 higher than average
Sort by: Page 1 of 43
8.5 / 10.0 - They Are Billions
They Are Billions offers an almost perfect gameplay loop, mixing tower-defence with city building and exploration, as you balance resource-management, defence and offense, all against your ever-impending doom at the hands of a world infested with the undead. The only downside to a game that looks and sounds great, offering a tense experience in a compelling setting, is a campaign that doesn't fully make-use of the gameplay loop perfected by Numantian Games, leaving the campaign feeling weak, compared to the survival mode, which is the real draw.
Kai Powell
8 / 10.0 - Blazing Chrome
Blazing Chrome doesn't try to be anything more than a classic run-and-gun and easily exceeds expectations, although the length does leave something to be desired.
8.7 / 10.0 - Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night shows that Koji Igarashi's genius with the invention of the modern Metrovania genre wasn't just a singular event. Through numerous teams working together to bring his vision to life, Bloodstained has become a modern classic for the evergrowing genre.The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Wccftech.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
9.3 / 10.0 - Dragon Quest Builders 2
Dragon Quest Builders 2 is better than the original game in every possible way, introducing many quality of life improvements and fixing some of the biggest issues like the linear progression system and more. And with a simple yet engaging story, excellent exploration, crafting and building mechanics and multiplayer features, the game is an excellent title that no fan of the Dragon Quest series and sandbox games should pass on, even if they never played the original.The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Wccftech.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
7 / 10.0 - Stranger Things 3: The Game
Stranger Things 3: The Game is a decent throw-back to older titles and a strong tie-in to the current third season to the show.
Nathan Birch
6.5 / 10.0 - Sea of Solitude
Sea of Solitude is sadly the least-essential EA Originals title to date. The game has heart and delivers a few brief powerful moments, but it's held back by erratic design and a lack of content. Sea of Solitude is a pleasant-enough wade, but it isn't the dramatic deep dive it could have been.
Dave Aubrey
8 / 10.0 - Judgment
Judgment is an excellent Japanese adventure that feels incredibly familiar, yet engrossing all the same. With Judgment, RGG Studio has managed to create an excellent entry point for the Yakuza series, and a fantastic standalone adventure. While it's familiar to myself and Yakuza fans, if you're new to the series this might just be the very best place to start. A wonderful, though sometimes slow, adventure from beginning to end.The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Wccftech.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
8 / 10.0 - Anno 1800
Anno 1800 is a visually stunning, incredibly compelling management-strategy game. One thing of particular note is just how great and addictive the gameplay loop is, hooking you in as you watch your cities develop and expand, made all the better as you unlock and build a wide variety of buildings. There are slight issues though, with an unintuitive UI and trade system, which due to the way resources are spread around the game can be irritating. Simply put, Anno 1800 is an incredibly addictive and engaging game, with a few flaws, but nothing that stops it from being a great entry in the series.
7.5 / 10.0 - Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled
Hardcore CTR fans and those looking for a surprisingly-stiff challenge should give Nitro-Fueled a shot, but others might find it runs out of gas surprisingly quick.
9 / 10.0 - F1 2019
F1 2019 is yet another excellent racer developed by Codemasters. With a wealth of positives, such as the improved feel of the racing, as well as how great the game looks and a number of new gameplay features, the game was bound to shine. The minor negatives, such as new modes like the Senna/Prost challenges feeling shallow, are minor blips in what is an otherwise outstanding game.
9.5 / 10.0 - Super Mario Maker 2
Super Mario Maker 2 is another Nintendo Switch essential. With more things to create with, more unique stages to play and better online functionality, this is the definitive Super Mario Maker experience. Honestly, the game is good enough to have the story mode sold separately, but the fact that it's bundled with such a powerful stage creation tool is incredible. This is one of the best Mario games of all time.The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Wccftech.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
7.8 / 10.0 - The Sinking City
The Sinking City is probably the Lovecraft inspired game currently available on the market, thanks to its oppressive atmosphere and its story, which utilizes the lore masterfully without deviating from the canon. AI and technical issues, as well as the clunky combat, are often immersion breaking, but the excellent investigation mechanics and exploration features make it easy to look past these issues. Highly recommended to survival horror fans and those who live and breath Lovecraft.The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Wccftech.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
7 / 10.0 - Steel Division 2
Steel Division 2 is a game with some excellent ideas, such as the Army General campaigns, the attention to detail and the sheer size of battles in multiplayer and, to a lesser extent, skirmish. Also, it looks great and, despite the sheer size, can be really engrossing to play. At least for the most part, with the game being let down by an incredibly high barrier for entry, offering no help because the tutorial is a sheer Berlin-wall of text and an AI that seemingly decides it's only fair for it to cheat, all of which can take you out of the game.
8.6 / 10.0 - Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer
Cadence of Hyrule ends up being a shocking blend of a rhythm game, action game, puzzle game, dungeon crawler, and roguelike, all in one. It's actually pretty stunning how well the developers have managed to blend all of these elements together and still come out with a cohesive and refined experience. The game looks amazing, plays marvelously, and the music is not only the most important part, but it's the part that delivers the best. The Crypt of the NecroDancer formula isn't for everyone, but this game is borderline unmissable.
7 / 10.0 - Outer Wilds
Outer Wilds gets most of the "big picture" stuff right. It boasts a solid structure, wonderfully imaginative planets, and an involving slow-burn mystery. Unfortunately, clunky controls, a few irritating design choices, and a multitude of other little issues bring the game back down to earth. If you value originality over execution, Outer Wilds is worth the ride, but expect some turbulence.
7 / 10.0 - Driftland: The Magic Revival
Driftland: The Magic Revival offers an interesting turn on strategy games, both with a unique setting and interesting hands-off control system, which can offer some especially compelling gameplay online and in a skirmish. However, despite the interesting setting, too little is used from it in what is an anaemic at best campaign and a very much limited and shared asset pool between factions. Despite these issues, there is an enjoyable time to be found here, especially for strategy fans.
7.8 / 10.0 - Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland
Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland is one of the best entries in the Atelier series. While the story is not particularly exciting, the charming characters, enjoyable world and streamlined game mechanics can keep players engaged for a very long time. Highly recommended to fans of the series and to those looking for a nice JRPG that's not too demanding.The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Wccftech.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Rosh Kelly
8 / 10.0 - Draugen
Draugen is an enthralling series of mysteries wrapped in a beautiful, haunting landscape. Although some of the game might leave you stumbling around or questioning its direction, its hard to not play it to the very end and find out what has happened.
7.5 / 10.0 - Zanki Zero: Last Beginning
Zanki Zero drops the investigations for average survival RPG gameplay and explores themes of life, death, and rebirth with a sadistic story that goes places that Danganronpa wouldn't dare explore.The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Wccftech.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
8 / 10.0 - Conan Unconquered
Conan Unconquered isn't the most polish RTS this year, but it is filled with unique ideas, challenging enemies and fun emergent moments.


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When you take control of our tax and financial reports, we know that there are no tax risks and there is no incompatibility with the laws. In one word, we feel safe with you.
It's been really beneficial these last 7 years to work with a tax and financial adviser who is not only resourceful but truly interested in our needs, circumstances, and preferences..


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solar policy
How a Shift in Chinese Solar Policy Is Shaking Up the Industry
It can be easy to see the solar industry through the lens of your local market. But we periodically get powerful reminders of the fact that global market forces have huge sway over our industry.
One of the biggest recent reminders was the U.S. government decision to impose tariffs on foreign-made solar panels in an effort to protect domestic manufacturers from an influx of cheap Chinese solar panels. Now, major policy changes in China are making waves in solar markets around the world—including here in the U.S., where they may counteract the impacts of the tariffs.
Today, we explain solar policy changes the Chinese government announced in June 2018, why they are significant to U.S. and global markets, and how they are expected to impact different industry sectors.
How Are China's Solar Policies Changing?
On June 1, the Chinese government announced policies that effectively halt the development of new utility-scale and distributed solar projects around the country and scale back incentives for solar. These policy changes could reduce the solar capacity installed in China this year by as much as 40% (20 gigawatts) according to GTM Research.
Specifically, the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, and National Energy Administration jointly issued a statement outlining the following policy changes:
No new utility-scale solar plants will be approved in 2018. The previous target of 13.9 GW of utility-scale solar (compared to 34 GW installed last year) has been abolished.
Distributed solar projects are capped at 10GW for 2018 (compared to 19GW last year); analysts say this cap has already been reached for the year, so this is effectively a halt to distributed solar (e.g., rooftop) development as well.
Feed-in tariffs for solar generation are now reduced by 0.05 yuan per kilowatt hour (a 6.7 - 9% reduction depending on the region).
These changes are the most significant scale-backs of government support for solar in China to date. They are intended to reduce a deficit of $15.6 billion in the country's state-run renewable energy fund.
What Do These Changes Mean?
China leads the world in solar installations, accounting for approximately 54% of global PV installations in 2017. GTM Research reports that this reduction in demand from China could lead to the first contraction in global PV demand since 2000.
Additionally, this sudden evaporation of China's massive pipeline of projects is expected to lead to a significant oversupply of modules in the global market. Roth Capital estimates an oversupply of 34 GW!
This oversupply will theoretically lead to a significant drop in solar module costs. Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) has predicted that module costs will fall 34%. These cost reductions are comparable to what was seen in 2016, when the U.S. solar market experienced its greatest growth on record. BNEF estimates that module costs will fall to $0.24/watt by the end of the year—compared to $0.37/watt at the end of 2017.
Installers and Developers See Relief, Manufacturers Feel the Burn
The expected reductions in module cost are welcome news for solar installers and project developers. The U.S. government's decision in January to impose 30% tariffs on imported crystalline silicon solar panels has caused pain for these sectors, where higher costs changed the economics of projects and led to cancellations, particularly in the utility-scale sector.
Although the full impact of these unexpected Chinese policy changes is still uncertain, if module costs fall as much as anticipated then the price impacts of U.S. tariffs may be at least partially counteracted. In the short-term, BNEF predicts uncertainty and the suspension of some installations as developers wait to for updated prices. Longer-term, however the outlook for solar growth is optimistic.
In an Op-Ed for PV Magazine, Tony Clifford of Standard Solar predicts that "the solar industry in the United States could quickly return to its full strength," observing that even under conservative estimates prices will be "much lower than where they are today and even where they were two years ago, during solar's greatest growth year ever."
On the flip side, these developments will put greater pressure on manufacturers as they exacerbate the competition against cheap imported modules that tariff proponents originally sought to alleviate. Stocks of many module manufacturers dropped noticeably after the announcement.
What About Global Impacts?
Although China's decision to halt solar development this year reduces global solar demand, the resulting price reductions from an oversupply of panels may help spur solar growth around the world. India, which pledged to double renewable energy to 175 GW by 2022, is expected to benefit from these lower solar prices, as are countries in Southeast Asia.
Overall, by further driving down solar costs these changes are expected to help solar energy grow around the world and compete with fossil fuels. We'll continue to follow these changes as they develop.
Permalink: https://blog.aurorasolar.com/how-a-shift-in-chinese-solar-policy-is-shaking-up-the-industry
Gwen Brown Posted on June 13th, 2018
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Like me, you can remove the need for a nine-to-five job. You can work on projects and on schedules you love, whether they pay enough or not. Ultimately, you only have to spend a few hours per month on real estate and the rest on whatever matters most to you. Here's how to make it happen.


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Q: Creating HTML/CSS based speech bubbles with jQuery In the design I was given by my PM, I need to create speech bubbles as a means of calling out features or providing help to the user.

The bubble should be able to handle any amount of text thrown at it. For example, it could be 15 words or a 150. Yes, that would be a big bubble.
The user clicks on the help button (?) and the bubble should fade in and not disturb the surrounding UI elements.

A: You can do it all with just css:
http://nicolasgallagher.com/pure-css-speech-bubbles/
except the fading in part. But that is simple jquery.
also if you have everything working correctly and only can't figure out the rounded border you can try the css attribute `border-radius: #px;
it also has attributes for other browser compatibility:
-webkit-border-radius: #px;
-moz-border-radius: #px;

A: Pure CSS solution with rounded corners will be hard if you want this to work with IE8 and below. Be sure to test in all platforms before you implement that one.

A: Indeed border-radius is not supported in IE8 and below. Instead you could use Sprint or PIE CSS as workaround.

A: Calculate the height from the top to the button and than draw the height from the div with the content inside from it. To get the height of the div with the content inside, create a duplicate of outside the viewport with the same css-properties.
To get the bubble have a look at this:
http://www.ilikepixels.co.uk/drop/bubbler/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A Republican Party divided. A high-profile candidate known for his extreme statements and hawkish saber-rattling. Sound familiar?
That was the case in 1964 with ultra-conservative GOP candidate Barry Goldwater, just as it is today with Republican front-runner Donald Trump.
Five decades ago, President Lyndon Johnson's campaign famously created the "Daisy" ad to highlight Goldwater's willingness to use nuclear weapons in conflicts like Vietnam.
But Trump's opponents are now flocking to another, lesser-known LBJ ad called "Confessions of a Republican," which features an actor expressing the conflicted feelings that many Republicans had at the time.
"This man scares me," the actor says of Goldwater. "So many men with strange ideas are working for Goldwater. You'll hear a lot about what these guys are against. They seem to be against just about everything. But what are they for?"
The stand-in for moderate Republicans then says he wishes he'd fought harder against Goldwater's nomination at the Republican Convention, a tense gathering that ended with Goldwater taking 67.5 percent of the delegates and securing the party's slot in the November election against Johnson.
The video has been in heavy circulation this week thanks largely to digital publisher Quartz, whose subtitled and autoplay-friendly version of the long-form ad has been viewed more than 11 million times on Facebook.
Goldwater was trounced in the general election, as Johnson secured the biggest margin of victory by any president since James Monroe's re-election in 1820.
Obviously, Trump's opponents—at least the Democratic ones—are hoping for a similar result this November, though it's hard to draw too many parallels between the 1964 and 2016 races. Johnson was already in the Oval Office, and his party was impassioned by the recent assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy. Goldwater was also running at a time when there were many more moderate and even liberal Republicans than there are today.
Still, watching the video, it's easy to see how this year's Democratic candidate might try to leverage the rift among Republicans who feel Trump could be the next Goldwater.


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Scoliid Wasp: 21 Facts You Won't Believe!
Pests can be really annoying! When we think about pets we may often refer to cockroaches or small bugs. But mother nature holds a lot more than this. A kind of pest destroying our gardens is an immature (grubs) scarab, green June beetle. But not to worry, because mother nature has her own ways of balancing the natural world. Scoliid wasps (Scolia dubia) are very important natural agents in control of these beetle pests. Scoliid wasps have the ability to dig and locate developed beetle grubs and then a female wasp lays an egg on it. After the egg hatches, the Japanese beetle grub is doomed. Scoliidae (common name Scoliid wasp) have stings and are very essential and the only parasitoids of these immature green June beetle pests. This species can be widely located across North America in the north of Mexico. If you locate this species in your garden, it is an indication of Japanese beetle infestation.
Belonging to the family of Sociliodae, blue-winged Scoliid wasps are scientifically known as Scolia dubia. After reading facts about giant Scoliid wasp, you may also look at European paper wasp facts and great golden digger wasp facts only on Kidadl.
Scoliid wasp facts Fact File
Bees, Grasshoppers, Aphids
Up to 240 eggs
Up to 0.03 oz (0.85 gm)
Up to 0.9 in (2.2 cm)
Metallic Red, Black
Chitinous Exoskeleton
Humans, Insectivore Vertebrates
Gardens, Lawns, Areas With Flowers And Vegetation
North America, Mexico
Scolia Dubia
Scolia
Scoliidae
Scoliid Wasp Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a Scoliid wasp?
The Scoliid wasp (Scolia dubia) is an insect with a lobed body and a good self-defense system. Native to America and Europe, blue-winged Scoliid wasps may be seen mostly around the flowers dawdling collecting nectar and as important pollinators of certain plant species.
What class of animal does a Scoliid wasp belong to?
The Scoliid wasp (Scolia dubia) belongs to class Insecta and phylum Arthropoda of the kingdom Animalia. More specifically it belongs to the family of Scoliidae wasps, of the order Hymenoptera. These arthropods have distinct features and a segmented body along with two sets of jointed appendages that assist them in properly settling on flowers and leaves while collecting nectar.
How many Scoliid wasps are there in the world?
There are around 560 species of Scoliidawasps found across the globe. There is no proper figure on their numbers, but these wasps are found in good numbers in the American and the European Continent.
Where does a Scoliid wasp live?
In the North American continent, these wasps are mostly found in North Carolina, New England, Florida, and the Rocky Mountains in the west; mostly from the months of June to October. Their number increases in the month of August. The Scoliid wasp's Florida habitat comprises soil in areas with good vegetation such as gardens and parks.
What is a Scoliid wasp's habitat?
The blue-winged Scoliid wasp lives and breed just like bees and its nests are made of mud under the leaves. This species can be mostly spotted buzzing over flowers and collecting nectar and feeding on scarab beetle grubs. This species is present in North Carolina from June to October.
Who do Scoliid wasps live with?
One may spot a double-banded Scoliid wasp feeding alone on a flower for nectar. They are mostly found in groups with other Scoliid wasps in dozens.
How long does a Scoliid wasp live?
Insects usually don't have a very long lifespan and may live for a few months after hatching. Although there is not much data on their biology, it is quite clear that this species is similar to other insects. These Scoliid wasps live for a span of few weeks to a few months.
The wasps, just like bees, live in colonies led by a queen wasp. These build nests with the wood chewed and mixed with their own saliva. There, the queen lays an egg on the host beetle grub. Before laying an egg, the queen wasp will excavate a chamber and transfer the beetle larva into this chamber. The queen wasp is responsible for laying dozens of eggs in the third segment of a grub after stinging and paralyzing it. The larvae hatch out to form a wasp colony.
These are not extinct yet and fall under the least concerned species of animal. But Wasps' existence is in danger due to advancements in technology and the use of radiation for wireless communication. Their natural pathways are getting disrupted and hence imposing a threat on their survival and existence.
Scoliid Wasp Fun Facts
What do Scoliid wasps look like?
Scoliidae have a segmented body and a pair of wings for flying. Their body is divided into various regions such as the head, neck, thorax, and abdomen. The first two segments of their body are black in color and the remainder is made of brighter colors such as yellow and red. There is the presence of two pairs of wings that have a color of blue and are wrinkled in the lower region. At the end of their abdomen, is a presence of a sting, which contains poison as self-defense against possible threats and predators. Besides, they have a set of jointed appendages that assist them in gripping onto objects while looking for food.
A Scoliid wasp is scary and intimidating in appearance just like bees. Our usual reaction to these creatures would be that we may get frightened and try fleeing away from their vicinity, but these dangerous-looking insects will not harm humans unless they are harassed unnecessarily.
Wasps are known for communicating with other wasps in their colony through pheromones. These insects use these pheromones or hormones present in their bodies to create various kinds of signals. These signals may be used for alerting other wasps for food and a possible danger.
How big is a Scoliid wasp?
A Scoliid wasp, from the genus Campsomeris, is usually the same in size as that of a bee but may appear only slightly smaller than a hornet. These are around 0.8-1.0 in (2.0-2.2 cm) long. But Scolia dubia species of wasps are slightly longer in size compared to other wasps.
How fast can a Scoliid wasp fly?
This insect species can fly as fast as most other wasp species at around 25 mph (40 kph), thanks to their two black wings. These wasps can be seen flying close to the ground in gardens.
How much does a Scoliid wasp weigh?
These wasps are lightweight insects. These flying insects weigh around 0.03 oz (0.85 gm). Their light weight is essential for them, as it makes it easier for these wasps to fly without much disturbance.
These wasps are very similar to bees. The queen wasp is the female responsible for laying eggs and expanding the wasp colony and the drones are male wasps. There are also worker wasps that are female but are not fertile by nature because they are a result of a process named parthenogenesis.
What would you call a baby Scoliid wasp?
A baby wasp is called a larva. These larvae emerge out of the eggs just after a span of two to three days and feed on the dead scarab skin after emerging. These larvae take a few months to pupate and emerge into adult wasps. The favorite diet of the larvae is the Japanese Beetle grub.
The larvae of Scoliid wasps feed on their host, dead scarab's skin, while the adult Scoliid wasps feed on sugar obtained from nectar from a wide variety of flowers and insects like grasshopper, aphids, and even bees. This habit is very essential for maintaining the population count of the plants these flying insects feed on. Because, while feeding on flowers, the wasp acts as a pollinator, jumping from one flower to the next.
These Scoliid wasps are parasitoids, hence these garden insects have a sting on their hairy body to paralyze the scarab beetle before taking it as a host. Also if a wandering person happens to harass them unnecessarily, they may get stung by these venomous insects and to add to that, they can do so multiple times since their sting doesn't fall off, unlike bees. The wounded individual may suffer from swelling and pain in the affected area.
These garden insects are not to be domesticated and taken as pets. Although these are natural biological agents that aid in controlling the scarab beetle and other pests infestation.
Scoliid wasps just like others have a similar appearance to hornets. Only the female wasps have stingers and are poisonous. Just like other arthropods, these garden insects have antennae covered in hair that acts as sensory organs.
Costs and benefits of Scoliid wasps
Wasps in general are very important to the ecosystem. These flying wasps are natural pollinators, biological control agents in several pests infestations including beetles. They sting and paralyze their hosts and lay their eggs in them for breeding. But overall their survival is indirectly important for the survival of the entire ecosystem.
How to get rid of Scoliid wasps
A very common and intellectual method of getting rid of wasps is the use of chemical sprays such as insecticides. People also practice a method called nets drenching, where they cover the nets in insecticide and lay them in the affected area. The dawdling wasps later get trapped in it.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods from our northern paper wasp facts and mud dauber wasp facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable hornet coloring pages.


Veteran organized crime crime reporter George Anastasia offers a piece at PhillyVoice.com on the bail hearing for alleged Philadelphia organized crime boss Joseph Merlino.
It looks like a tale of the tapes in the feds' latest battle with mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino.
Federal authorities, in arguing that Merlino should not be released on bail, have pointed to "explicit recordings in which Merlino discussed the crimes he was committing and exhibited his role as a leader" of the mob family.
A bail hearing for Merlino, originally scheduled for Tuesday, has been moved to Friday after Merlino's Florida attorney David L. Roth asked for an extension.
Edwin Jacobs Jr., who is Merlino's principal attorney and is working with Roth, said from his Atlantic City office this afternoon that they wanted more time to prepare their argument that Merlino should be granted bail.
"All the allegations are broad and general in nature," he said, adding that Merlino is charged with gambling and health care fraud but is not linked to any acts of violence.
Those arguments are expected to be part of a bail motion that Jacobs and Roth plan to file before Friday's hearing. Merlino, 54, has been held in the Palm Beach county jail since his arrest Thursday morning.
He was one of 46 mob members and associates arrested Thursday after authorities in New York unsealed a four-count, 32-page racketeering indictment.
Merlino is charged with being one of the leaders of what authorities are calling an "East Coast LCN (La Cosa Nostra) Enterprise." Members of the Genovese, Gambino, Luchese and Bonanno crime families were also named.


One of the things you notice the first time you go to Japan is the high temperature of some of the foods and how Japanese people seems to not care about something being really really hot.
As a foreigner you often have to wait a while until the food gets a reasonable temperature so it doesn't burn your mouth. And this happens even in summer! It's not uncommon to see, for example, in a ramen restaurant how Japanese people enters, orders, eats and leaves in just few minutes.
Apparently cats have a very sensitive tongue, so people with sensitive tongues are also called nekojita. Are you a 猫舌 nekojita?


text:
class ChangeTextToTextForArticles < ActiveRecord::Migration
  def self.up
    change_column :articles, :text, :text
  end

  def self.down
    change_column :articles, :text, :string
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Francine emptied the sugar bowl. Thirty-three dollars and forty-seven cents. No way she could stretch that enough to buy six cartons of cigarettes. Not even a generic brand. Yet her Aunt Adelaide had just phoned and asked her to bring them to her. Francine sighed. It was forty-three miles to town and the gas tank was empty. If she only bought eight gallons, she'd have enough money left to buy one carton of cigarettes and still have almost ten dollars.
She didn't reach her aunt's house until half past noon. Adelaide was waiting at the door. "What took you so long?" she asked taking the cigarettes, a frown forming at the corners of her mouth. "I said six cartons."
"I... I guess I misunderstood," Francine lied, too proud to let her aunt know she was broke.
"Fix us some coffee will you," Adelaide said. "I'll be in the sunroom."
Francine gasped when she entered the kitchen. It was a disaster area. Coffee ran down the sides of the pot and sizzled on the warming plate. Cabinet doors gaped open, cereal idled around in milk puddles, and dirty dishes overran the sink."Where's Hattie?" she hollered.
"I fired her," Adelaide called back.
Francine managed to find clean cups and saucers. She arranged them on a tray, and carried it out to the sun porch now hazy with cigarette smoke. "Why did you fire her?"
"She was stealing," Adelaide replied.
"Stealing? She's been with you ten years. Why would she suddenly start stealing?"
"Who knows? Adelaide shrugged They're all alike. You give them a job, a good income, trust them with your things, and one day they decide to rob you blind."
" Hattie wouldn't," Francine argued.
"What would you know living out there in the country all alone. You don't understand life in the city."
Francine wanted to tell Adelaide she more than understood life in the city and that's why she preferred the country. But she never argued with Adelaide. "Hattie will be hard to replace," she said.
"Not going to. I'm tired of having someone hovering over me all the time."
"Who's going to take care of you?"
"I'm not helpless," Adelaide snapped.
Francine couldn't believe her aunt didn't notice the disorder around her. It wasn't like her at all. "What have you been up to?" she asked.
"The usual," Adelaide replied.
Francine waited for the details of the social events her aunt always rattled out, but this time, there was nothing but silence. "You okay, Adelaide?"
"Aren't you the nosy one," she snapped back, stubbing out her cigarette and pulling another from the pack.
Francine watched her light it, noticing a slight trembling in Adelaide's hands. "You don't seem to be yourself."
"Myself? Don't seem to be myself?" Adelaide mocked. "You think I'm incompetent, too"
"I never said..."
"You're just like all the rest. Just waiting for me to die so you can have my things."
"That's not true, and you know it."
"So you've suddenly become independently wealthy then?"
"You know I'm not, but I manage," Francine replied, tears stinging her eyes. She wanted to leave, but couldn't until she was sure Adelaide was all right.
Adelaide suddenly smiled and abruptly changed the subject. "Are you really happy living out there in the sticks all alone?" she asked.
"Of course," Francine replied.
"You're as stubborn and independent as me," Adelaide grinned. "Good for you. When I lived in New York," she began.
Francine settled back losing herself in her aunt's usual diatribe. Lunchtime came and went while Adelaide reminisced about her youth. "Lawrence proposed twenty-seven times," she said. Francine raised her eyebrows like she always did at that point. She'd heard the story so often, she knew every detail by heart. "Say," Adelaide interrupted herself. "I'm hungry."
"What would you like? I'll fix it for you," Francine said.
"Can't. No groceries."
"But the cabinets are full," Francine protested.
"It's old. Besides, I want to go to China Queen. You gonna take me or not?"
"I guess I could," Francine replied. "Where are your car keys?"
"Out of gas. We'll go in yours."
Francine tried to picture Adelaide riding in her broken down old truck. "Nonsense. You have plenty here," she insisted, and hurried away before her aunt could object.
A few minutes later Adelaide stuck her head in the kitchen door. "Think I'll lie down a while."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Francine asked.
"Just tired."
"Okay." At least Adelaide had forgotten about China Queen. "I'll call you when lunch is ready."
When lunch was ready, Francine found Adelaide lying across her bed hugging one of the dozens of photograph albums she was always promising to drag out. Francine gently slipped the album away and pulled up the comforter. Adelaide turned over and settled into its warmth contentedly.
Francine carried the album to the den, anxious to see the photographs Adelaide always talked about. She was disappointed when she discovered no pictures. No wonder her aunt had fallen asleep. Empty pages were boring in anybody's book. Francine laid the album aside and looked around the room. It didn't seem right for such expensive furnishings to be so dusty and unattended. She might as well do some cleaning while Adelaide napped.
She was surprised when the grandfather clock chimed five. It was not like Adelaide to sleep so long. Francine opened the bedroom door and peeped in. An offensive odor hit her immediately, drawing her to Adelaide's bedside quickly.
The old woman's face was white as chalk, and her skin was cold and clammy. "Adelaide? Adelaide? Oh, God," Francine moaned. She grabbed the phone book. There were eight Doctor Goldsmiths. What was his first name? Of course! Adelaide's personal directory. Francine searched the bedside table, checked the dresser, her aunt's purse, and the secretary with the same result, then remembered seeing it on the sun porch.
"Thank God," Francine sighed when she found the directory.
Blank!
The entire directory was blank. Not one single name or phone number. She hurried back to the bedroom and began dialing the doctors in the phone book.
"Please," she frantically told the first receptionist, "Is Miss Adelaide Drummond Dr. Goldsmith's patient? It's an emergency!"
Adelaide's doctor turned out to be number five. It took the ambulance an eternity to arrive, and a century to reach the hospital.
Another decade passed before Dr. Goldsmith shook his head sorrowfully. "Sorry," he said. "Massive stroke." Francine walked away from the blaring hospital lights, her eyes awash in tears. Numb with shock, she climbed into the truck and drove back to Adelaide's.
It was strange entering the huge house alone. The empty album still lay on the coffee table. Longing for a familiar face, Francine picked it up and hugged it to her breast. She picked up the phone and dialed long distance. "Mrs. Wardlaw please. This is her niece Francine in Westport."
"Francine, dear," Stratton's voice chimed merrily. "So nice to hear from you."
"Stratton... Stratton...." Francine burst into tears.
"What's wrong? Are you all right?"
"I'm... it's...it's Adelaide. She... she's dead," Francine stammered.
An icy silence chilled the line. "How? When?"
Francine wiped her eyes and blew her nose."Today. Massive stroke. The doctor said she'd had some minor ones recently. I didn't know, Stratton. She didn't tell me. Today she...." A fresh stream of tears flowed unchecked. "I don't know what to do."
"Call the undertaker."
"I mean what should I do until you get here?"
"Bury her," Stratton replied curtly.
"But you're her sister... we're her only family and...." Francine had always known there was little love between her aunts, but how could Stratton be so unfeeling?
"You're a dear girl, Francine, but you're a fool. I expect Adelaide has used you for years, strung you along promising to remember you in her will right?"
"No!" Francine snapped back angrily. She was..."
"Your rich old-maid aunt. Your ticket out of poverty row," Stratton interrupted. "It's okay to admit it you know."
"Please," Francine pleaded. "Don't you care about her at all?"
"No. And if truth be known, you don't either. But that's beside the point. Just bury her."
"But her friends will wonder why you're not here," Francine protested.
"Friends?" Stratton laughed. "Now be a good niece and take care of things. I'll fly down in a few days to settle her estate." Francine stared at the receiver. How could Stratton be so unfeeling?
Adelaide's funeral was bleak. Francine stood alone beside her aunt's coffin. Where were Adelaide's friends? She'd put a notice in the paper.
Stratton flew down three weeks later. "My sister was the biggest liar in the world," she advised when Francine voiced her confusion about no one showing up at the funeral.
"I don't see..."
"How old are you now?" Stratton asked. "Forty? Forty-five?"
"Forty-three," Francine said. But what's that got to do with it?"
"Just that you're awfully naive for your age," Stratton said. "Adelaide lived in a dream world. She was a nobody. Nobody liked her. Nobody cared about her. In short, she had no friends."
"Including you," Francine shot back.
"Including me," Stratton replied smugly. "You needn't be surprised. Adelaide had the best of everything. I was always second best. I hated her for that. Mother and Father pampered her as if she were a china doll. I suppose she told you about Lawrence?"
"Yes. Many times."
"Did she tell you he was my fiance?" Francine's widening gaze revealed her surprise. "I didn't think so."
"But he proposed to her ," Francine argued.
"Bull feathers!" Stratton exclaimed. "More of her make-believe."
"He did propose," Francine insisted.
Stratton ignored Francine's protest."Mother left her everything you know. Well, it's mine now, and she can't..."
"Please," Francine interrupted. "Let's just get on with the packing."
"I haven't the time nor the inclination to dirty my hands. Just box everything up and ship it to me. I'll reimburse you, of course."
"Of course," Francine mumbled sarcastically. Her eyes fell on the empty photograph album and a great sadness overwhelmed her. What if Stratton were right? What if Adelaide had been a lonely old woman with no friends? What if all the photograph albums were empty? Francine wasn't about to give Statton that satisfaction. "If you don't mind, I'd like to have her photograph albums. It may be silly to you, but Adelaide and I..."
"Well, aren't we the sentimental one?" Stratton mocked. "She probably filled them with pictures out of magazines."
"What if she did? I loved her, and she..."
"Tish! She was a bitter old maid living in a fantasy world."
"Aren't you going to be late for your appointment with her lawyer?" Francine said through clenched teeth.
"You're right. Take the albums with you. I'll just hire someone to pack up. You've done enough." Stratton picked up her purse. "I do want you to have something for all your trouble. It's only right." She pulled a twenty-dollar bill from her purse and offered it to Francine. Francine shook her head in disgust, and left with the albums.
For days Francine sulked over the albums. They were empty just as Stratton had predicted. It was a sad realization. Sadder still because Francine realized her own life closely paralleled Adelaide's. At least she had friends even though she kept them at arm's length.
And then there was Frank. Francine was fond of him, certainly enjoyed his attention, but she wouldn't allow their relationship to go further. Her marriage to Phil had been so happy she couldn't bring herself to think of being married to anyone else. His memories filled her days sufficiently.
Frank once told her she might as well have died with Phil in the wreck. Maybe Frank was right. Maybe she should have taken a chance and married him, but Phil's memory was too strong. Yet the thought of leaving behind empty photograph albums filled Francine with regret.
Suddenly the stack of photo albums seemed to crowd the room. Francine picked them up and started toward the trash can. She tripped on a throw rug and the albums tumbled to the floor. A wrinkled piece of paper yellowed with age slipped from between the pages and Francine picked it up.
My dearest Addie,
Stratton is pushing ahead as if we were engaged.
You know how I feel about you. Say you'll put an
end to my misery and marry me. I know you care,
my darling. Marry me and save this drowning man.
Forever yours, Lawrence.
Lawrence had loved Adelaide. He had proposed! If Adelaide kept this letter, she had kept others. Francine closed her eyes and tried to picture the closet where Adelaide had kept the albums, concentrating so hard she could almost smell the lilac-scented dresses and furs so neatly hanging in their protective coverings. There were so many things; tons of shoe boxes, drawers of gloves and scarves, hat boxes....
"Hat boxes!" Francine exclaimed suddenly. Adelaide once told her there were stories in hats. Had she hidden letters in hat boxes?
Francine picked up the phone and dialed Stratton's number. "I've been thinking about Adelaide," she said when Statton answered.
"So have I," Stratton replied. "I've been meaning to call you."
"I'm glad you've forgiven her."
"Not hardly. Did you know she was bankrupt?"
"What do you mean?" Francine asked.
"It's gone. All gone. So if you're calling to ask for a share of the inheritance..."
"I couldn't care less about an inheritance," Francine said. "The reason I called is to ask if I could have Adelaide's hats."
"Hats?" Statton exclaimed.
"Yes. There were dozens of hat boxes in her closet. I was wondering if I could have them."
"What on earth for? They're worthless, hopelessly outdated. Of no use to anyone."
"Sentiment I guess."
"Look, Francine, I'm late for an appointment. If my housekeeper didn't discard them, I'll have her send them to you."
"Thank you, Stratton. Thank you ever so much."
When the crate arrived, Francine tore into the hat boxes expectantly, discarding hat after hat. She was about to give up when she opened a box containing a wide-brimmed black hat trimmed with white feathers. She lifted it out carefully and turned it over. Stuffed inside was a small diary.
It took a while to read it. Tears were streaming down Francine's face when she closed it. Adelaide and Lawrence had been very much in love, but she had refused his proposals because Stratton had met him first. The last entry in the diary was a tear-stained page, a poignant testimony of Adelaide's undying love for Lawrence. The occasion being his funeral. He had been killed at Dunkirk only minutes after writing to Adelaide, For the twenty-seventh time, my dear Addie, marry me. His letter was neatly folded and taped to the page.
"Poor Adelaide," Francine sighed. she laid the diary aside and searched the remaining hat boxes. One contained an envelope bearing her name. Francine grinned when she recognized Adelaide's handwriting.
Hey, you old bag,
Hope you find this one day. I wanted to do something nice for you, dear, because you've always been special to me. I know I'm not the easiest person in the world to get along with, but you sure do try. You do something more. You make a lonely old woman's life bearable by sharing my dreams.
By the way, how did Stratton take the news of my passing? I'm betting it took her all of five seconds to get over it. Be assured, it will take her a while longer to get over the will. Ha! Ha!
I never told you what started the feud between us because you would have tried to bring us together. Don't worry about her, Francine. She can take care of herself very well. I'm afraid she's a shoot off the wrong side of the tree. It was very hush, hush. Those days were a lot different and so very complicated.
You see, Father had a mistress. When she confronted Mother with the news that she was pregnant, Mother was afraid Father would leave her, so she promised to raise the child as her own. They pretended Mother was pregnant, then took an extended holiday in the south of France. When they returned with "their" new daughter, no one ever doubted them since Stratton looked just like Father.
Strange isn't it? I often wanted to tell her just for spite, but she wouldn't have believed me. I even thought about telling you, but I saw nothing to be gained. Well, here I am telling you now aren't I? I'll give Mother credit. She tried hard to love Stratton, but she never treated her the same. In a way I felt sorry for her. Even Father paid little attention to her. His own guilt I suppose.
About Lawrence. Stratton's never forgiven me you know. Thinks I tried to take him away from her. If only she knew. But that's neither here nor there. Funny, but we were so close when we were little. I sometimes wonder if things would have been different between us if Father had never told me about Stratton's unfortunate beginnings. Guess he just wanted to clear his conscience before he died. Oh well...more water over the dam.
You know why Lawrence only proposed twenty-seven times? ... just read the diary. I shouldn't have waited so long to say yes. Stratton never really loved him, found somebody else before Lawrence was killed. Didn't even go to his funeral.
You never asked me for anything, and heaven knows you sure needed it. I always envied you. Your life is so rich in relationships. It's what I always wanted, but I was too much the coward to take chances. Besides, Lawrence was the only thing I ever really wanted.
Don't end up like me, ole girl. Marry Frank and take a world cruise or something. Live your life while you can. Don't keep looking back with regret like I did. After all, you're the last of the Drummonds. Who's going to listen to your lonely lies when you're old and bitter?
You're a good woman with a caring heart, dear, got a good head on your shoulders and value the right things. And don't argue with me! I can just hear you objecting already. Ha!
Check out the albums. If you're the sentimental niece you've always been, you've got them. Sorry I lied about the pictures, but I tucked some away between the pages--all of the same man I'm afraid. Thank you for sharing my dreams. Everyone should be so lucky to have a loving niece like you. See you when you get here unless you go to that other place. Ha! Ha!
Love, Adelaide
Francine smiled through her tears. She drug the albums out and started going through them again, eagerly searching between the pages for photographs of Lawrence and Adelaide. Suddenly her eyes burst open in disbelief.
Money!
Hidden beneath the black matte was a hundred dollar bill! Francine was stunned. She checked the next page and found another. Page after page of hundred dollar bills! She opened the next album and found the same. Two more albums. The same. All stuffed with pictures of one man--Benjamin Franklin!
"You old bag!" Francine cried out. "You really fooled me. All the times you never paid me back me for running your errands, I thought you were broke and had too much pride to let on. Figured you musta fired Hattie because you couldn't afford her. And me always telling you I was doing fine when I sometimes didn't even have a pot to pee in. What proud women we were! Too damn proud to do anything but share a make-believe world.
"Well, I'm gonna take your advice, Aunt Adelaide. I'm gonna call Frank and tell him to get out here with the preacher, and then we're gonna take a honeymoon cruise around the world. And I'm gonna cram enough living into the rest of my life to make up for what both of us missed. No more sitting on the sidelines for the Drummonds.
"And Adelaide," Francine whispered reverently, "thanks for opening my eyes, and for giving me such a legacy. I pray Lawrence is with you now. If there's any kind of justice," she sighed, tears streaming down her cheeks, "he is."
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Open And Bright Treetop City Views. Spacious Room For Separate Sleeping Area. Great Closet And Storage Space, Hardwood Floors Throughout And Window Treatments, Large Kitchen With Stainless Steel Appliances, Granite Counter Tops, White Cabinetry, Gas Cooking. Rent Includes Heat. Building Features Rooftop Deck, Exercise Room, Party Room, 24hr Doorperson, Reasonable Leased Parking ($200). Steps To Magnificent Mile And Lakefront.
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