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Goda's Slave – Chapter 17: A Paradise of Strangers
By Pandouro | April 8, 2019
Kanna sat in the driver's seat of the motionless truck, staring out the dusty windshield and towards the back door of the house. She did not know how much time had passed. She had not gone inside again. Instead, she had contented herself with sitting stuck amongst the vines, feeling oddly comforted by the confines of the fence around her, because she found the idea of being housed with the giant too threatening to who she had become. She tried to imagine herself in an actual room with an actual bed alone with Goda. The image disturbed her as much as it pleased some more primitive side of her.
So when the shadow of the giant appeared in the doorway, she wondered if she had called it out with her own perverse thoughts. Kanna recoiled momentarily. She was able to control this display of weakness soon enough, though, and she stared straight into her master's face with as much dignity as she could muster.
The woman's hair was wet. Her clothes were dry.
"You bathed," Kanna said after a moment. She had grown so used to seeing Goda sauntering around naked outside, that it hadn't occurred to her that Goda could wash herself indoors. It seemed too mundane and civilized and out of sync with the usual ritual—but then perhaps it was only that Kanna wanted to see her body again.
Goda ignored the comment and appeared to scan the yard as she moved. Some of the sky was blocked out by the taller trees, but some of it wasn't, and the spaces between the branches allowed spots of sun to highlight luggage that Kanna had left on the ground.
"I'm waiting here," Kanna explained, even though Goda had not asked, "for my punishment." She said it without thinking, but she found that she didn't disagree with herself, either.
Goda laughed dismissively, turning away as if the comment had simply been a frivolous joke.
Kanna clasped her hands hard around the steering lever. The wheels beneath her creaked a little in response. "Well, it's only fair, is it?" she said, following Goda's movements with her eyes, watching to see if any of her words had changed the woman's posture. "I stole your truck and ran it down a hill and crashed it into a fence. I deserve a punishment—and that Middlelander woman who is hosting us made it sound like it was uncouth for you to deliver it inside. Either way, I don't want to sit in that house with you in some boring little room with a quaint little side table between our rocking chairs, pretending that we're happily married. So I stayed out here and waited for the monster to come back out." Kanna looked Goda dead in the face. "Punish me."
Goda tipped her gaze up finally. "You want me to hit you."
"Yes. That's what I want. If you do nothing else for me, do that: treat a slave like a slave."
Goda crossed the yard, past the luggage that Kanna had refused to bring into the house, over the jagged skid marks in the gravel, up to the open doorway of the truck. Her face was so empty and serious that Kanna had to fight not to jerk away, to take back what she had asked for. Goda raised both her hands and Kanna flinched because she saw that they were aiming for her face.
Her eyes closed on their own in an immediate reflex, so she did not realize Goda's intention until she felt a pair of large hands pressing softly to either side of her cheeks. Her eyes snapped open in astonishment. She looked up at Goda, who was wearing a faint smile, an expression that held no judgement and no interest. Kanna could barely tolerate it.
"You have a mouth that will cause you trouble one day. It endlessly complains, and weaves elaborate lies, and asks for things that you don't really want."
Kanna stared into Goda's face defiantly, even through the surprise. "You say that, but you like that mouth of mine, don't you? You found your way inside of it last night."
"Did I?"
"Don't play dumb now. Are you going to tell me that was a ghost, a hallucination? I had already awoken from my dream by then. It was you, in the flesh. You taste the same way that you smell."
Goda huffed. That exact scent that Kanna remembered from the night before became ever more intense. Then Goda lifted one of her hands and she brought it down again with a light, painless tap on Kanna's cheek.
"There," she murmured, her eyes still locked on Kanna's frustrated face, her expression becoming a mocking one. "There's your punishment." She let Kanna go and turned around and headed off towards the hole in the fence.
"Where are you going?" Kanna called out after her; but instead of waiting for an answer, she slid down off the driver's seat and onto the ground, avoiding the vines below as best she could, pounding her way through the chaos of the yard. She reached the other side just as the woman was disappearing around the corner.
Kanna ran up to her. She took Goda's hand in her own and Goda glanced down at her with mild surprise. Within a few strides, though, Goda had looked away again and the gesture suddenly felt natural and their steps fell into sync.
Kanna found herself examining the skin on the back of the woman's hand. She could see a bit of Goda's forearm just under the sleeve as well; it bore the shallow scratches that Kanna had given her during their earlier fight. Now, with the heat of the moment dissipated, she felt a bit ashamed, as she had with the bruise she had given Goda days before—but the darker part of Kanna's mind still felt a tinge of pride, of power.
"You were angry with me," Kanna said. "I hadn't seen such fire in your eyes until this morning. I won't lie, I liked it. I like knowing that what I do can have an effect on you after all. I like seeing you squirm, even if it's with fury. Even fury is weakness, isn't it?"
"It's over now. You're talking about it still for some reason." There wasn't surprise in Goda's tone, merely something akin to mild annoyance, as if Kanna was being tedious.
"You're too simple-minded and dismissive. When will you see that I'm no passive victim and that I don't need your forgiveness?" Kanna pressed herself against Goda's side.
"There is nothing to forgive."
Hearing this, something in Kanna wanted to taunt Goda more, to wave that small bit of power that she had in her pocket in the woman's face—but she knew better than to compromise her good fortune, so she shut her mouth before she blurted anything else out.
Instead, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to be led by Goda. She pressed her cheek to the woman's arm and felt her own skin sliding against the rough fabric of the robe sleeve, felt the heat radiating from Goda's flesh underneath.
"You still haven't told me where we're going," she murmured after awhile, when she sensed the texture of the ground changing beneath their feet. Something in her didn't care, though; something in her felt inclined to surrender to Goda's intentions as if she were being carried away by the current of a powerful stream, even as some part of her identity still shouted at her to resist every step.
She knew that there was no point in resisting for the moment. The resistance could come later. She would save her strength and push against Goda all at once.
"We're going into the city to resupply. The journey to Suda is a long one." Goda's voice had begun to compete with the sounds of crunching wheels in the distance, as well as a soft din that was growing ever more distinct. "We've also discovered something unexpected here, and that will need to be handled."
That was when Kanna opened her eyes and glanced up at Goda with curiosity. Before she could ask, though, she grew distracted because her eyes caught a sun glare beaming up from the ground in front of them. Twin streams of metal—rusted in some places, shining in others—flowed down from the Northern hills and cut across the path. It made Kanna squint temporarily, but as she stepped over the metal bars, she realized what they were: railroad tracks.
Kanna's breath hitched. She could feel the weight of the key in her pocket once again. Even as she leaned harder into the woman beside her, her focus slowly leaked into the future and away from the present moment. She was to escape the grasp of Goda Brahm.
When they reached the shadow of the tall buildings, Kanna couldn't help but tip her head up to gaze at the wide glass panels wedged in the stone. She had never seen anything like them. The structures must have been two dozen stories high, and they lined the streets and dwarfed the more traditional houses that littered the ground between them. If she peered for long enough, she could even see movement through the shining windows, and the shapes of people dressed in bureaucratic robes milling about inside. It captured her fascination enough that she bumped into a few bodies before she realized that they had wandered into a crowded street.
Strange eyes landed on her with lingering gazes, with bewildered expressions. She suddenly felt claustrophobic, and her first impulse was to move away from every person who passed by, to lower her head and make herself less obvious.
"Why are they staring at me?" she whispered.
"They're curious," Goda said.
"What, have they never seen a foreigner before?"
"Most of them have never seen an Upperlander, so they don't know what they're looking at. You'll just have to get used to it."
"Is this how it's going to be everywhere we go?" Kanna tried to fight the impulse to hide her face in the folds of Goda's robes.
"Generally, they won't approach you or talk to you, so just ignore them."
This was easy for Goda to say, Kanna thought. The giant stuck out to some extent among the crowd herself, but not in a manner that seemed to draw as much attention as Kanna did.
More alarmingly, this made Kanna worry about her ability to blend in when the time for escape finally came—if she could even figure out where she was supposed to go. She glanced across the span of the street and tried to pick up the thread of the train tracks again, but she could not find them anymore as the bodies had come to obscure the ground.
The space had also grown full of other distractions. Trucks began bounding down the road, honking at pedestrians that meandered too slowly, and the sides of the street were suddenly lined with booths, little storefronts manned by women who waved beckoning hands at every person who wandered by.
The smell of food wafted towards them in overwhelming bursts from outdoor ovens and stoves, and it was then that Kanna realized how inadequate Jaya's hospitality had really been. Her eyes wandered towards a few of the food stalls and she gave the people waiting in line an envious glance.
"What are they selling over there?" she asked.
"Fried yaw," Goda answered.
Kanna's face twisted with disgust. She turned her gaze elsewhere. "How about in that one? What is that?"
"Roasted yaw."
"Oh. Well, how about in—?"
"Buttered yaw on a stick."
Kanna shook her head in disbelief, gripping a handful of Goda's robes in frustrated reflex. "For the love of God," she muttered, "is that all you people eat?"
"No. We have fruit sometimes. Dead animals on occasion as well."
"Well, there's so much of that wretched yaw everywhere I go that I'm shocked your government hasn't figured out how to turn it into fuel yet."
Goda smiled at this. "We tried."
"We already tried making fuel out of yaw, but the same chemical that makes it taste bitter to foreigners also kills the yeast that would allow it to ferment into wine that could be distilled—and so we have to steal sugary mok from your kind instead."
Something about hearing that made Kanna feel vindicated; at least she wasn't the only one who thought that yaw tasted worse than dirt. "That can't be good for you, eating something that won't rot. Doesn't that mean that even the vermin don't want it?"
Goda shrugged. "It does spoil eventually, just very slowly. Whether the vermin like it or not, being able to stockpile our food for so long has saved us from extinction more than once. It's an advantage that has served us over thousands of years."
"So that you could steal from me and my father?" Kanna snapped. The sights and sounds and smells in the air had nearly knocked Kanna out of her head completely—but there were still some triggers in her that were aching to be touched and Goda had stepped all over them again.
Goda didn't seem to notice, though, or else she wasn't bothered by Kanna's anger. She merely replied, "You don't know the worst of it, but maybe that's good. You seem prone to tormenting yourself by taking such matters personally."
"It is personal," Kanna muttered, but as the murmur from the crowd grew, she doubted that Goda had heard her. So instead of arguing further, she busied herself with watching the people who flowed by, her own curiosity growing now that she had stopped being quite so offended by the stares.
She had also realized something strange that she couldn't ignore anymore.
"Where are the men?" She twisted her head to and fro. There were a few men sprinkled about, but they were greatly outnumbered, and it took her longer to single them out in the crowd because they were so small. Even the older men with graying hair seemed to not be much bigger than Kanna herself. "I had figured that the reason I had seen so few Middlelander men was because everything with you people is sex-segregated, but now I have to wonder if they just don't come out into the light of day at all. I'm in your native country, and still I see hardly any of them. Is there another place where they all gather?"
"It is true that most men—especially young men—work at home and don't go out unescorted by their family members, but that's not the only reason."
"Oh? Then what?"
Goda shrugged again. "Most Middlelanders are women."
"Ah, I see. Most Middlelanders are—"
Kanna fell silent as the full thought formed in her mind. It was only after she had walked a few more beats in this state of pause that she realized none of it made sense.
Still pressing herself against Goda's side, she managed to crane her neck a bit more to examine the mob. Her eyes flicked from person to person. She began to finally notice the individual variations. Most of them had wide hips and strong thighs, while a small few were built more top-heavy like Goda. Some had lightly tanned skin like bronze, and some were darker. Some were taller and some were shorter, but they almost all towered over Kanna, and the vast majority of them indeed seemed to be women. There was no mistake; she had judged the ratio correctly the first time.
But of course Goda's explanation couldn't possibly be true. For every woman born, there would also have to be a man. These were the laws of nature, whether in the Middleland or anywhere else. To be able to make children, every woman would need a man to match her, after all; otherwise, everything would be thrown off balance.
"That's preposterous," Kanna told her finally. "What, do you sacrifice most of the men to your Goddess or something?" It was just a wild, exaggerated guess, but at that point, she didn't know what to expect from these people, who had turned out to be little more civilized than the Lowerland savages she had heard about.
"No. It's just that a lot of boys die before they're born and most twins and triplets that survive are girls, so about two-thirds of adult Middlelanders are women."
"How does that even work?" Kanna demanded. For a reason that she couldn't understand in the heat of the moment, the whole notion had made her angry. "Why can't anything—just one thing—be normal with you people?"
"Normal according to whom? You?" Goda glanced down at her with mild amusement, a fact that annoyed Kanna even more. "Are you the one who gets to decide who makes it out of a Middleland woman's womb? Let me know and I'll take you to a midwife so that you can instruct her on who opens and closes that gate from now on."
And that was enough to silence Kanna for the time being, though she took to staring blankly out at the crowd with a sour look. It wasn't until they neared one of the buildings of glass and stone that her mood changed. Lifting a hand to shield her gaze from the glare, she couldn't help but stare up again in awe.
"Government offices," Goda told her. "This town is a major import-export hub because it's so close to the border—and that means plenty of tax people work here. Military, too."
"You mean all these fancy buildings are just for pushing around a bunch of paper?" Kanna asked, incredulous. They had looked so beautiful on the outside, but she couldn't imagine what kind of sterilized hell existed between those walls.
The structure immediately looked less appealing to her, but Goda was bringing her closer to it anyway. They passed a small garden just outside its massive front doors, a garden that looked overly ornate and polished with topiaries trimmed to geometric perfection. None of the plants bore any fruit, and their straight lines contrasted the sinewy trees that she had seen all over the place so far—in the forests on the sides of the road, in the garden of their newfound hosts—but she had little time to look. As soon as they had reached the front of the facade, Goda whisked her to the side, and they fell into a dark alley between two buildings.
To the right, the glass panels of the offices remained, now dim and more transparent without direct contact with the sun; but to Kanna's left, she noticed the porous stone of an old building. It was made of rock piled on top of rock, and as Goda pulled her deeper into the corridor that the two unmatching buildings had seemed to make for them, Kanna noticed doorways appearing on her left, carved into the walls. She guessed that they were storefronts, but she was walking too fast to have time to decipher all the names on all the tags that hung over the awnings.
Besides that, a strange pulsing had begun to sound in her ears. She dismissed it at first, thinking that she may have been out of breath from keeping up with Goda's long strides, but then the pulse turned into a high-pitched whir and she felt her heart pound with recognition. The alleyway seemed to open ahead of her like a blurry tunnel. The colorful weeds that climbed through the cracks in the rock looked suddenly much more vivid against he gray. She squeezed Goda's hand.
"Is there…?" Kanna swallowed. She blinked. Her vision had already begun strobing slightly. "Is there a shrine nearby here?"
Goda's head jerked back to look at her. Kanna wasn't sure if the movement had really been so urgent or if she had only perceived it that way. At any rate, Goda looked suddenly curious. She seemed to examine Kanna's face.
"Can you tell where it is?"
"No, I…." Kanna tried to concentrate. She looked around her, trying to pinpoint were the sensation seemed to be coming from, but as they kept moving, it began to quickly diminish. She didn't dwell on it; she was glad to be rid of it, even if the feeling had not been nearly as strong as it had been in the caverns. "It's gone now. It only lasted a few seconds this time."
"We passed over it," Goda told her. "It's deep underground, near the source of a cold spring. The government blocked it off years ago and no one has been in there in probably decades. Strange that you can feel it from up here. You must have become more sensitive."
"Oh perfect," Kanna said sarcastically.
When she finally felt her body returning to normal, she noticed that they had stopped near two doors that were covered merely with curtains over their thresholds. This time, Kanna could read the signs: "Paradise," the one on the left read in Middlelander—or at least, that's what it seemed to say.
Kanna made a face of mild annoyance. The word in Middlelander for "paradise" was also the same as the word for "garden," but the storefront gave no indication of being either of these things, and there was no way that she could ask Goda about the difference because there was no way to quickly make the distinction without switching to another language.
She turned to the right, half-convinced that she would see the word "hell," but instead she found something rather mundane over the second door: "Wine and Spirits," it said. Those words were simple enough to understand. Indeed, once she began moving again, it was because her simple companion had picked the door on the right and tugged her into the humid chamber inside.
The smell of sweet wine immediately filled her nose even as she had trouble seeing in the dim light, though her eyes began to adjust with each step away from the door. It also helped that some natural light beams flowed in from around the flapping curtain behind her, and that bright candles in the space served as beacons to show her where the tables were. In time, she noticed the bodies, the huddled groups of women that crouched in the dark—reading newspapers, playing dice, or simply arguing in loud voices.
A woman behind the front counter—as well as some patrons who were sitting alone and were less distracted—turned to stare at her as she walked by, but otherwise the energy in the room appeared too busy for anyone to take much notice of her.
Goda pulled her by the arm to an empty table and made her plop down into a chair.
"Wait here," Goda said.
Kanna raised an eyebrow. Before she could even think to protest, she felt a rush of air from Goda's robes as the woman began to leave, and Kanna spun around to look towards her master with confusion.
"Where are you going?" she asked for the second time that day, gripping the back of the chair with the full force of her irritation. "Hey!" She began to get up.
"Sit," Goda said.
"I already told you, I'm not a dog!" But still Kanna paused mid-motion. She became suddenly self-conscious, because she came to notice then that she was actually bothered by the idea of Goda's absence. Perhaps it was only that she did not want to be left alone in a room full of strangers, she reasoned.
She considered getting up to argue further, but she quickly thought better than to draw attention to herself, as she could already feel some new eyes settling on her. Either way, she knew who would probably win the scuffle.
She sat. She watched Goda walk towards yet another doorway in the back of the room and disappear around a corner that led to some place beyond Kanna's perspective. When there was nothing left to be done about it, Kanna turned back around and pursed her lips. She crossed her arms over her chest.
She stared at the table for a long time, avoiding the glances of the other patrons, and she felt some relief once the crowd slowly eased into a louder ruckus. She felt more people showing up through the door, though she did not look at them and could only notice their presence from the rush of air that would come into the space after each customer passed through. It made Goda's distinct presence seem all the more conspicuously absent. Even in the company of the shadows around her, she felt strangely alone.
But her relative solitude did not last long. She felt bodies hovering close to her, which she ignored at first. Some warmth came over the table, warmth that did not match the energy of the candle on top of it. It was only when the wood beneath her jostled a bit that she finally looked up to find that the seats across from her had been abruptly claimed.
Four identical eyes stared at her. They were filled with what Kanna could only interpret as mischief and they belonged to two women with matching smirks. She tried to turn away at first, but the strangers leaned further across the table, until the candle had bathed both their faces with light—and in that moment, Kanna found that she couldn't help but offer a stare in return.
Nearly every feature of their handsome faces mirrored each other. Kanna glanced back and forth between them a few times before she realized that she was sitting across from a pair of twins.
"Can I help you?" Kanna finally asked, a bit annoyed when neither of them uttered the barest greeting.
"Ah, she talks pretty good!" the one on the left said. She gave Kanna a friendly smile. "We were wondering how fluent you were in Middlelander, you see."
"You can just ask if you want to know. You don't have to sit there and stare at me like I'm an animal in some zoo."
"Right you are, right you are!" It was the other one who spoke that time. Her eyes had softened of their impish look, and her face had grown more open, more polite. "Please forgive my associate here. She has no manners. We apologize."
Kanna still had not uncrossed her arms, but she felt herself relaxing a bit in reply. She remembered what Goda had told her—that the people were only curious—and so she tried to view them through a less defensive lens. "It's fine," she said. "It's just that I'm…new to the Middleland. No one has tried to talk to me yet and I'm not sure how to react."
"Oh? Well, allow me to apologize for our countrymen as well. They're being rude, staring at you and not properly introducing themselves." The same woman who had spoken previously tipped her head in a short bow. "My name is Noa Bou, and this is my younger sister Leina Bou. I'm older by fourteen minutes." The way she had said the last part made it sound like the distinction was important, even though they both appeared to be grown women around Kanna's age, and Kanna saw little difference between them. She wondered if this had to do with that ever-present status game that permeated Middleland culture.
Regardless, Kanna cleared her throat when she realized that they were both looking at her with expectation. She hesitated, wondering how much she should reveal. "They call me Kanna," she offered eventually. She held back on the rest; she wasn't sure if the average person on that side of the border knew what the name "Rava" meant, but she preferred not to stir things up.
"Kanna…?" said the one on the right—the one named Leina.
The twins seemed to wait some more, which made Kanna wonder if she might have not been able to get away with such a glaring omission after all. Kanna shifted in her seat. She looked around, anxious for Goda's return; but still not seeing any sign of her, she couldn't come up with any reasonable plan of escape.
When the patient stares grew too awkward, Kanna sighed. She would have to lie again, clearly.
"Kanna…Brahm." Just in case, she decided to stick to her same story, though she had to stop herself from making a twisted face of displeasure as soon as the name left her mouth. As long as she did not lose sight of her real identity, she thought, she could be a Brahm for the night, whatever that meant. "I'm here with my wife."
"Oh, you're married?" the one named Noa said, tilting her head. "But wait, did you say Brahm?" The twins exchanged a look between them.
Kanna felt some panic rising in her chest. She wondered if she had somehow given a wrong answer. Were they acquainted with Goda? Was that brute really more infamous than Kanna had imagined? A lot of people did seem to randomly know who Goda was—but surely there would have to be other citizens with the family name Brahm. How uncommon could it be if it was only one syllable long?
"That's a Middlelander name," Leina said. "You married a Middlelander? How did that happen?" Both the women leaned towards her with even more curiosity.
At first, Kanna felt a reflex to lean away in response, but again she pushed herself to stand her ground and not show any weakness. She looked closely at both their faces. In spite of the way that they encroached across the invisible line at the middle of the table, they did not seem to mean any harm by it, and she decided that they merely had poor manners. Because their eyes had also lost their initial wild look, Kanna wondered if perhaps her own fear had colored her perception earlier.
"We met at a monastery in the Outerland," Kanna explained. That sounded about right. Lots of people went to monasteries; it would be a reasonable place to meet.
Noa made a face. "Ah, is she one of those stiff religious types that likes to go see the priestesses all the time?"
"I guess." Technically, it was true. Goda was indeed religious, though Kanna was starting to question which religion Goda ascribed to after all, especially since her stance on most things seemed to involve disbelieving rather than believing anything in particular.
"That's really too bad. There are a lot of fun things to do in Karo—drinking, gambling, going to the baths—but you'll miss them all if you have some prude showing you around."
"Baths?" This piqued Kanna's interest, if for no other reason than the fact that she hadn't had a chance to wash the dust off her body after the crash. She had never heard of Middlelanders having public baths, but this seemed to make sense considering their customs.
"Oh yeah, there's one right next door. There's a spring underground nearby here, and the water rises naturally to the surface. It's cold, so they let it come up into some isolated pools and they heat those up for the customers. Real nice. The water's supposed to have healing properties. It used to be a shrine or something, but now they turned it into a bathhouse." Noa gestured to the walls around them. "Even this tavern used to be part of the same religious site, I think."
Kanna followed the woman's gaze and squinted through the dark at the ancient, exposed rock that enclosed the small place. "And now people drink here?" she asked. She wasn't superstitious herself, but it did seem a bit sacrilegious.
"Yep. Crazy, huh? That's progress for you. The further you get into the Middleland, the less use people have for all this spiritual stuff. Just about the only bathing pools people take really seriously are the ones in Samma Valley, all the way to the West. That's where the natural hot springs are, but they're in some temples out in the middle of nowhere near some volcano, and only the priestesses are allowed to bathe in them."
Leina chuckled, giving Noa's shoulder a light whack. "What's the use of telling her all that? The baths next door are plenty fun—and more importantly, you don't have to sell your life to the clergy and mediate for ten years and take a vow of celibacy to have a good time."
"True enough, true enough," Noa said, picking up a drink beside her that Kanna hadn't noticed until then. It looked like some watered-down fruit wine, but she couldn't be sure. From what she had seen, no one was drinking distilled spirits, but that wasn't exactly surprising considering the shortage.
"So," Leina began. She exchanged another quick glance with Noa, then turned back to study Kanna's face across the flame that sat between them. "If you're here with your wife, then where did she go?"
The question had taken Kanna completely off guard, but of course it was a normal thing to ask. Her first instinct was to reach for something vague. "Um, she's close by." Kanna wasn't sure exactly where Goda had gone, but she couldn't have wandered too far from Kanna's cuff, so she was definitely close.
"Close? Like, how close?" Noa asked. "Is she in this room right now? Is she watching us?"
"Yeah, is she sitting right at one of these tables, hovering over you like a hawk, making sure you don't get into trouble?" Leina added, her eyes widening. "Or is she somewhere beyond the wall, gazing at you through a peephole?"
"Where is she? Did she run off and leave you here alone?" Noa looked around, perhaps a bit too dramatically. "Oh my goodness, I don't see your wife anywhere! Where could she be? Oh, wait, is that her?" She pointed to some random person who Kanna didn't recognize. "Or maybe her? Is that your wife over there?" She pointed to someone else. "How about her?"
Kanna rolled her eyes at the antics, but nonetheless she found herself uncrossing her arms and glancing over the table with amusement. "No. My wife's a lot better-looking than any of those people. Don't you think I have good taste?"
"How about us?" Noa brazenly asked. "Are we good-looking?"
Leina smacked her companion once again, but she nonetheless seemed interested in Kanna's answer and looked at her with expectation from across the table. Kanna raised an eyebrow, even more bewildered than before. She had no idea what kind of reply was safe to give or whether such a question was typical or not.
When she took a long time to answer, Noa laughed. "It's okay," she said, "you can admit that Leina's ugly. It won't hurt her feelings." This time, Noa earned a punch, but they were both smiling and it was then that Kanna realized that they had deliberately come over to entertain her for whatever reason.
"You look bored," Leina murmured, as if she had been reading Kanna's mind. She propped her chin up on her hand. It mashed her skin against her cheekbone and jaw, and gave her otherwise chiseled features a more defenseless look. It also made that attentive stare seem less intense, cute even.
Kanna found herself blushing. "I'm…fine," she said. "To be honest, I'm not sure where my wife went. She just told me to wait here until she comes back."
"Oh," Noa said, sliding back, her face taking on a knowing look. "So she's controlling, too, huh?"
Then Leina chimed in, nodding with agreement, "Yeah, most of the people who marry foreigners are like that—or at least the ones I know. They think that if they marry an immigrant, they can just tell their wife what to do all the time. Real sad."
"Exactly. As if she did you some huge favor by letting you marry her." Noa chugged some more of her wine, then tipped the cup towards Kanna with a pointed gesture. "Remember: No matter what, you're still your own person. Just because you married someone doesn't mean you're their slave."
Kanna rubbed her face slowly, trying to hide her reaction to the irony of what the woman had just said. Lying was getting easier every time she did it, but it was hard not to smile mirthlessly when someone skirted so close to the tragic truth.
"You can do whatever you want, Kanna Brahm," Noa continued, seemingly oblivious to Kanna's sardonic expression. "The world is yours! You don't have to wait here all day for your presumptuous wife if you don't want to."
"That's right, you're free to explore every corner of Karo. You have as much right to it as the rest of us!"
Kanna couldn't help but smile at them even as she waved her hands dismissively. "All right, all right," she said, "but the two of you are being kind of excessive. She's not controlling, she's just…watchful."
Noa's smirk grew twisted. "'Watchful'? What, are you a child or something?"
"No, but—"
"What would she do if you got up and left, then?" Leina interrupted. She tipped her head towards the curtain that covered the doorway. "For example, what if you went out there to stand in the alley and smoke with us? Would she be upset, even though that's literally just five or ten paces away?"
"Well, I mean, she would…." Kanna scratched the back of her head. In truth, she wasn't entirely sure what Goda would do if she got up from her seat, but it wasn't hard to surmise that the woman would be bothered by it. That in and of itself was besides the point, though. Even if Kanna had wanted to explore the tavern full of strangers, she wasn't sure how far within the cuff's range Goda had wandered, and she wasn't in the mood to find out through a shock.
She had to admit that the twins were right on some level, though, in spite of the fact that they had no idea what was really going on: Goda was indeed overbearing. Kanna's confinement to a single chair was unjust—and what did it really matter if she moved to another place as long as she didn't go too far?
Kanna hadn't really answered her tablemates, but she found that Leina was nodding at her again. "So she would have a fit, huh?" Leina said. "I don't know, that sounds pretty controlling to me."
"It does, it does," Noa agreed. "Maybe you should go out to the alley with us. That way, you can show her that you're not some dog on a leash."
Kanna gave them both a wry look. So they had been playing dumb after all, she thought. Clearly, they had overheard her comment to Goda earlier and had noticed Goda leaving her alone before they decided to swoop in. It made her wonder how many other people had watched the argument, and whether she and Goda had inadvertently made a scene in front of the patrons.
"C'mon!" Noa's eyebrows flicked up. There was a touch of flirtation in her look. "We're going to go outside just the same, but it would be nice to have you with us so that we don't have to cut the conversation short."
Leina's smirk was equally cajoling, even though it was still friendly and offered no pressure. "Yeah, keep us company! We're due a smoke break and the people in this city are really uptight about puffing on cigars inside, so we're going to stand right outside the door. We just don't want to get kicked out for smoking like we did at the train station a few weeks ago."
Kanna began to purse her lips again at their story, but then she stopped. She felt herself suddenly growing serious before she fully realized why. "The train station…?" As it had before, the thought of her impending escape cut through all the distractions of the moment and jerked her focus into the near future. "You two know where that is?"
"Of course!" Noa said. "We're visitors here, too, just like you, even if we've been to Karo a hundred times. We travel around, but we're from Gam, the Northernmost town in the Middleland. Real small place. Just below the bordering mountain range. You've probably never heard of it."
The truth was that Kanna hadn't really heard of any towns in the Middleland until she had been arrested, but she didn't realize that there was one so close to the treacherous mountains that separated the Upperland from the Middleland. More importantly, the twins had grown suddenly useful. "Is there a train leaving tonight?"
Leina tilted her head. "Yeah, I think so—but they only go North and then circle back. A new train comes every other night."
It was just as Priestess Rem had told her: the midnight train would leave once every two days, and so she only had a small window of time to escape because Goda hadn't planned on staying in Karo for long. Even through her suddenly pounding heart, Kanna felt some relief that she wouldn't have to stall for time—that she could leave while Goda was asleep and get it all over with that very night.
"Where is the train station?" Kanna finally blurted out, no longer guarding her tone to keep herself from sounding overly eager. She just needed to know. "Could you please tell me where it is?"
Again, the twins looked at each other briefly before one of them answered: "Sure," Noa said, her smile growing wide. "Come outside with us and we'll tell you all about it."
The cigar smoke was thick enough that it obscured Kanna's vision and made it hard for her to peer out at the details of the alley. Each cloud billowed out from each tip—and from the noses and mouths of her companions—and the haze danced in front of Kanna's face like a coy woman covered in a veil. It didn't burn nearly as cleanly as fuel did, and it smelled a bit different from whatever Innkeeper Jaya had been smoking, but she didn't ask what it was because a part of her was a little afraid to find out.
"Here, put your mouth on this!" Noa had offered her the cigar, but Kanna had waved it away. It was uncomfortable enough to be standing between the two of them; she didn't think her lungs could take a direct hit.
She tried to act casual as she leaned against the wall. She wasn't so naive that she didn't realize that if she seemed too interested in the whereabouts of the station, then they would stretch out their answer as long as they could to keep her around. At the very least, they didn't seem to have a problem with prying into her life, so she'd likely be peppered with questions about where she was planning on going.
Kanna cleared her throat—to try to get the taste of smoke out more than anything else—and she decided to approach the question indirectly this time. "So, you two came from the North, then?"
"Yep," Leina said. "Where are you from?" She turned and gave Kanna a playful smile, one that made the warmth start returning to Kanna's cheeks. Now in the relatively brighter light of the alley, she had to admit to herself that the twins were unusually attractive. They weren't as tall as Goda—no one she had met yet had been—but they were pleasantly lanky, with long arms and legs. Their features were more conventionally handsome than Goda's, and they lacked the rough edges of Goda's face, and their energy came off as much lighter and carefree.
She liked them in a strange way, in a way that numbed her worries. Even through the smokescreen, she found them pleasing to look at, and a small part of her wished she could have spent a normal night out with them under different circumstances. She had never been able to experience what it was like to just wander around a city and make friends. She wondered if this was what it was like to have the luxury of being frivolous.
But those thoughts dissipated into the smoke once she noticed that they were both waiting for her answer.
Where am I from?
Kanna glanced around furtively, trying to think of a single city that she could remember in the Outerland. She couldn't; even the name of the monastery she had stayed in escaped her. She wondered if she had ever even learned it in the first place.
"I'm from the Northern Outerland," she began. It seemed safe enough, and she was surprised at how casual she managed to make her voice sound. "That's why I need to know where the station is, if you could let me know. My wife and I are taking a route back to my hometown that passes through the Middleland." She kept her face as straight and as confident as she could. She silently prayed to the gods—or to the Goddess, or to whoever was watching her—that her lie had made enough sense, even though she had no idea where exactly most of the borders on the continent were.
The reaction was something she had not expected. Both the twins laughed.
"You're no Outerlander!" Noa said.
Kanna crossed her arms. "I am. What are you trying to say, that I don't know where my own homeland is? I know exactly who I am, thank you very much."
"You probably do. You're just lying about it, is all." Noa put her hands up placatingly when Kanna glared at her, but still her smile hadn't faded. "It's all right. It's totally understandable, considering that most people around here barely know that anything exists besides the Middleland and Outerland."
"Absolutely," Leina said, giving Kanna a friendly tap. "But we've traveled around, so we know better. You're an Upperlander, right?"
"No!" Kanna shouted on reflex.
This only made the two women laugh some more. "You look just like an Upperlander, though. Those small eyes, that fair skin, the tinge of red in your hair. I've only seen maybe a couple of Outerlanders that have some of your features, and they still looked real different from you. You're a pure-blooded Upperlander if I've ever seen one."
Because Kanna had looked away and become speechless, Noa reached over to lightly grasp her chin and pull her gaze back. Kanna lifted her arm up to smack the woman's hand away, but then she stopped when the overly-earnest look on Noa's face distracted her.
"Don't worry. I promise we won't tell anyone," Noa said. "We're not trying to inconvenience you or anything. We think you deserve to have a good time like the rest of us, even if you are a foreigner." Before Kanna could react, Noa released her and leaned back against the wall.
"That's right." Leina turned to give Kanna a similar smile. She was extinguishing her cigar against the stone, leaving a black mark of soot against its ancient surface. "We're very modern and open-minded. We don't care where you're from, you should be able to enjoy the pleasures that Karo has to offer!"
"That's why you should go in there with us." Noa gestured towards the other curtained doorway a few steps away from them, the one that had the word "Paradise"—or "Garden"—hanging over it. "It's the perfect time of day for a dip in the baths. We were already planning on it, but it'd be more fun with some company."
Kanna looked at the white fabric that fell over the door, and though she tried to make something out between the cracks, she could only see some warm light escaping from around the edges of the curtain. Silhouettes moved to and fro on the face of the cloth, as if it were the screen of a shadow puppet show. It did make her wonder what was behind all of that, but she knew that she didn't have time for an adventure.
"I can't," Kanna said. "I have to wait for my wife." More importantly, she had to figure out where the train station was, and it didn't help that no one seemed keen on giving her a straight answer about it. Middlelanders could be so indirect at the most inconvenient times.
Noa shrugged at her reply. "Then wait for her. If you have to wait for your wife anyway, you might as well do it somewhere fun, right? What difference does it make if you wait for her in the crummy old tavern or in the bathhouse? They're in the same building and barely in different chambers."
"Yeah, that very chair you were sitting in is hardly twenty paces away from the bathing pool. If there wasn't a wall in the way, you could walk straight to it in less than a minute. It's so close. There's nothing to be afraid of."
"I'm not afraid." Kanna's protest had been automatic, but as soon as it left her mouth, she did find herself questioning it. "It's just that if I leave suddenly without telling her, how will she know where I went?"
"Well, how can you tell her where you are if she just ran off without letting you know where she's gone? Why do you have to ask permission, but she can just go where she pleases? That's a little unbalanced, don't you think? You've given her way too much power in this relationship." Noa was shaking her head slowly, mock sadness on her face. "Makes me sick when people do that to themselves."
"You're letting her take advantage of you," Leina agreed, draping an arm around her shoulders. "Even slaves get treated better than this."
Kanna looked at the curtained door with the mysterious shadows, then back at the women who wore twin expressions that seemed to coax her closer to the entrance. She took in a shallow breath. She felt the thread of curiosity tugging her towards the door, and for the first time in a long while, her curiosity had nothing to do with Goda. She had to admit that it was a welcome distraction from her circular thoughts about both her master and her situation.
And if she went with them, they could tell her about the station, and maybe even explain to her some of the hazards of traveling North through the Middleland. They seemed experienced enough.
"Well," Kanna began to say, her eyes falling again on the doorway, "maybe for just a short while. As long as we come back quickly, she might not notice and—"
"She definitely won't notice!" Noa bellowed, already taking Kanna by the hand.
"It'll be the furthest thing from her mind!" Leina called out, pressing her hands lightly on Kanna's back and scooting her towards the thin veil that separated them from paradise.
Onto Chapter 18 >>
F/F, Goda's Slave, Novels
Goda's Slave – Chapter 16: An Accident Carved With Intention
Goda's Slave – Chapter 18: The Surfaceless Eye


text:
COPYRIGHT | ART & ARCHITECTURE BOOKSHOP / design / The Facit Model: Globalism, Localism & Identity
The Facit Model: Globalism, Localism & Identity
The Facit Model: Globalism, Localism & Identity aantal
With this publication, Fabian Reimann embarks on a journey into the Warburg universe and explores the concepts of the world put forward by the ever-popular science-fiction writer H. G. Wells (1866 – 1946). His novel The World Set Free, which was published in 1914, anticipated various future scenarios: World War I, aerial warfare over Europe, atomic bombs in 1956, the reconstruction of Europe, and the emergence of a world government. There are descriptions of progressive gender equality, English as the international second language, and the redundancy of money in the traditional sense. Many of his ideas have manifested in one form or another. Sometimes, there may have been a reciprocal effect, as in the book's promotion of the US atomic bomb programme.
The publication by Fabian Reimann is nevertheless not an unconditional veneration of Wells as a visionary but rather combines the multifaceted original text with an engaging visual essay.
576 pagina's, 1079 illustraties, 20 x 15 cm, paperback, Engels
Je bekijkt nu: The Facit Model: Globalism, Localism & Identity €32,00

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Before I was a mother, it never occurred to me that I could have three sons that were so different. Truth be told, it never occurred to me that I could have three sons. But that's not the point.
My guys. Each is pretty terrific, but boy, oh, boy, are they different from each other.
Sure, there are similarities. And yes, they have lots and lots and lots of traits that we call "Goldman" or "Scherer." It's funny to see my father's mannerisms in my boys. Or my father-in-law's. Because I promised them I wouldn't embarrass them TOO much, I won't go into too much detail here, but suffice it to say that the apples do not fall that far from the trees.
So here I am. With three big boys.
For those of you with little kids, let me tell you a few things that may frighten or surprise you.
I hear the voices of men and then realize it's my kids. Freaky.
They still sometimes need me in the middle of the night. Case in point – huge nose bleed at 2am yesterday.
It's harder to kiss and hug a 6 foot, 150 pound kid than a preschooler. Sometimes, I end up kissing a neck or something and it's weird.
Huge kids still need to cuddle when their sick. They just make you a lot hotter and squishier.
Even big kids thrive on a schedule and clear expectations.
They eat a lot at this size. A lot.
They read and learn things that they can share with us. It's fascinating and wonderful.
When you lecture them, there's a window of attention. Exceed it and you get the glaze. You know the glaze, right?
With three, there's always an odd man out. In our case, it shifts.. so it's always a surprise.
I was with some young kids the other day and I got the twinge. You know the one. The I wish. The I remember. The wasn't it special?
So this summer? Overnight camp for two in the mountains. Leadership camp for one in Wisconsin. Driving lessons for another. College visits and essays and portfolios to review.
I may have said this recently, but it's worth repeating.
Love this, and trying not to spin off about how much I miss my own kid and the boys that grew up in my house. I still feel most complete when we're gathered together, and NOW I understand all of those "other" people warning me to "enjoy them when I can." Of course I did. And I still do, when we gather. They're 26 now…and it's the same. It's exactly the same. Except I let them drink. Rather, I couldn't keep them from it if I tried. But other than that…same.
Nose bleeds are mostly caused by too much heat. Most of the time it can be remedied by cold compress. .*`".


Visual Equalizer. Left click on any point to create a new band point. To remove a band point right click on it. To assist you with shaping the Equalizer graph in the way you want, there is a preset list that displays the most common sorts of filters used in the Equalizer graph. You can choose any preset filter from the list and then manipulate the filter to achieve the effect you desire. The... Cuzins, video editing's not as tough as people make it to be. Sure, the first time may be a little shaky but with enough practice you'll be editing videos like the pros! Sure, the first time may be a little shaky but with enough practice you'll be editing videos like the pros!
Realtek audio sound cards feature a graphic equalizer to adjust the sound on your computer to your taste. Because digital audio is now being compressed at different qualities, there is no set equalization that will be ideal for all files. That is why you have to be able to get into the Realtek equalizer to make the proper adjustments. Many Realtek sound card users have reported that their... The Idea: Real-Time Visual Equalizer. All a visual equalizer fundamentally does is display the frequency content of a signal at each instance of time, where frequency content of a signal is simply the same signal whose magnitude changes with respect to frequency.
Graphic and Visual Equalizer We have our own player founded on DirectShow. We need to implement there Graphic and Visual Equalizer, which will deal with the audio buffer of the files played by means of player and we don't need grabbing system and line-in sound.
"basic online basic features of visual basic visual basic 2008 express vb net basic language basic editions studio 8 windows application meaning definition" "This section explains the basics of Excel.
Graphic Equalizer Studio is the next Windows 10 sound equalizer we have on our list. This application can run any Windows sound app or DVD Player software with this equalizer. Graphic Equalizer Studio 2018 has been developed by PAS-Products.


text:
Financial Action Task Force statement of February 25, 2009 concerning Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, São Tomé and Príncipe
FATF statement
In its statement of February 25, 2009, the FATF informs about still remaining deficiencies in anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime in Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, São Tomé and Príncipe. The statement stresses in particular the referring risks from Iran and Uzbekistan.
Concerning Iran, the FATF also urges jurisdictions to protect against correspondent bank relationships being used to bypass or evade counter measures and risk mitigation practices and to take into account ML/FT risks when considering requests by Iranian financial institutions to open branches and subsidiaries.
FINMA calls on the financial intermediaries to take the statement of the FATF concerning the mentioned countries into account when evaluating the AML and terrorist finance risks according to the Swiss Money Laundering Law (SR 955.0) and its executive ordinances.
Further, FINMA calls on the banks to take the statement of the FATF concerning Iran into account when applying art. 17 GwV- FINMA 1 (SR 955.022) to their correspondent bank relationships with foreign financial institutions.
FINMA also urges the self regulating organizations pursuant to the Swiss Money Laundering Law to take the statement of the FATF into account when considering requests by Iranian financial institutions to open new branches or subsidiaries in Switzerland.
For details please consult the FATF statement on the FATF Homepage http://www.fatf-gafi.org/dataoecd/18/28/42242615.pdf
Please also take note of the Moneyval (regional organization of the FATF gathering numerous members of the Council of Europe) communications concerning Aserbaijan:
http://www.fatf-gafi.org/dataoecd/41/41/42406214.pdf and
http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/moneyval/About/MONEYVALstatement-AZ_en.pdf


"Constructing subdivision rules from rational maps" by J. W. Cannon, W. J. Floyd et al.
This paper deepens the connections between critically finite rational maps and finite subdivision rules. The main theorem is that if f is a critically finite rational map with no periodic critical points, then for any sufficiently large integer n the iterate f is the subdivision map of a finite subdivision rule. This enables one to give essentially combinatorial models for the dynamics of such iterates.
Cannon, J. W., Floyd, W. J., Parry, W. R., Constructing subdivision rules from rational maps, Conform. Geom. Dyn. 11 (27), 128-136.
Cannon, J. W.; Floyd, W. J.; and Parry, W. R., "Constructing subdivision rules from rational maps" (2007). All Faculty Publications. 241.


text:
Teen Stud Wins Valentine's Day By Giving Chocolates To Every Girl At His School
ABC News via Anissa Brown
This week, a teenage boy in Utah made headlines for buying 537 girls chocolates for Valentine's Day. And no, that's not the set-up to a bad Mormon joke. It's the sound of 14-year-old Casanova, Tryston Brown, showing you up. He wanted to do something to make the girls at Rocky Mountain Junior High feel appreciated, but he didn't want to leave anyone out. And you thought you knew how to crush a Hallmark holiday.
His mother, Anissa Brown, told ABC News that she's had many conversations with Tryston about how hard adolescence can be for teenage girls. Tryston, who has struggled with depression, researched further and found that body image issues make this age even worse for his female friends. So, the least he figured he could do was give them all a special Valentine's Day. And that's how he ended up in the principal's office — not because he was in trouble for being such an empathetic male, but because he wanted to see exactly how many girls were enrolled at his school.
Tryston's story could've ended with him having 537 problems (all of them girls), but when his mom reached out to a local Hershey factory and inquired about the best place to buy chocolates in bulk, she shared his story with them. Taking a page from Tryston's book, they donated all 537 chocolates for free. And that, friends, is how a candy boy becomes a candy man.
[H/T] ABC News
News Keanu Reeves' Favorite Action Movie Is Obviously Ultra-Retro and Obscure
News A Dying Nurse Is Claiming She Switched Thousands of Babies at Birth
News This Map Shows Where You Can Buy Legal Weed Now in the United States
News Old-School James Bond Movie Marathon Is Streaming Completely Free Right Now
News Why Everyone Is Losing It Over This Resurfaced Elmo Clip
News These 5 Hacks Will Help You Determine If Your N95 Masks Are Counterfeit


None of this, like, short on one side/long on the other, or having longer than your girlfriend's, or preppy highlighted sh't.
Straight up skin head all the way please Boys.
Couldnt agree more! If you are ever unsure if a guy is hot or not- just shave his head and voila! Instant hot!


text:
import { APP_INITIALIZER, ValueProvider } from '@angular/core';
import { TestBed } from '@angular/core/testing';
import {
  WEBCOMPONENTS_READY_PROVIDER,
  WebComponentsReadyModule
} from './webcomponents-ready.module';
import { webcomponentsReady } from './webcomponents-ready';

describe('polyfills', () => {
  describe('WEBCOMPONENTS_READY_PROVIDER', () => {
    it('should provide webcomponentsReady to APP_INITIALIZER', () => {
      expect(WEBCOMPONENTS_READY_PROVIDER).toEqual({
        provide: APP_INITIALIZER,
        multi: true,
        useValue: webcomponentsReady
      });
    });
  });

  describe('WebComponentsReadyModule', () => {
    it('should call webcomponentsReady on startup', () => {
      expect((<ValueProvider>WEBCOMPONENTS_READY_PROVIDER).useValue).toBe(
        webcomponentsReady
      );
      spyOn(
        <ValueProvider>WEBCOMPONENTS_READY_PROVIDER,
        'useValue'
      ).and.callThrough();
      TestBed.configureTestingModule({
        imports: [WebComponentsReadyModule]
      });

      TestBed.get(APP_INITIALIZER);
      expect(
        (<ValueProvider>WEBCOMPONENTS_READY_PROVIDER).useValue
      ).toHaveBeenCalled();
    });
  });
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Containment Protocols: RPC-666 is currently in Site 313 RPC-666 has breached containment. It is theorized to be in the proximity of the city of New York.
RPC-666 must be contained in a reinforced steel cage, located inside a dome of 4 meters of a circumference. The walls of this dome are composed of three layers of 130cm thick stone walls. Inside, the dome must contain no less than two cameras monitoring any suspicious activity and an automatic food and water dispenser. The cage is to be cleaned weekly only by authorized personnel, with a protective suit which includes special glasses, aluminum-based helmet and a hazmat suit with reinforced aluminum that blocks waves sent by RPC-666. Any interaction with RPC-666 is strictly forbidden without Level-4 clearance to do so.
Personnel in a close area of 30 meters must wear headphones at all times, outputting an audio source of personal preference. Personnel monitoring the cameras must not be looking for more than 2 minutes straight. The surveillance room is occupied with 2 members of MST-Victor-15 "Aluminium Head" for any incidents. All security and staff assigned to the surveillance are to be rotated every 8 minutes, as the anomalous effects start to act at approximately 9-10 minutes inside. There are a total of 5 teams to rotate shifts between.
Description: RPC-666 appears to be a 2-year-old black parrot, belonging to the breed Lesser Vasa Parrot (Coracopsis nigra). It is capable of producing psychosis within subjects and is capable of producing other unknown anomalous effects. The entity has the body of an ordinary parrot. The only notable difference being its behavior as it is always steady or moving in a random pattern. It possesses high intelligence. It was able to escape its high technological jail when Incident 313 ocurred. It has knowledge of Authority code or intel potentially. The entity appears to speak alone when it is seen "sleeping", uttering short phrases such as "It comes." and "Did you forgot Your floaties?".
RPC-666 can speak like a parrot, communicating in a loud disturbed tone. It is equally able to speak telepathically. The voice produced by the telepathic waves is a calm, comforting one that RPC-666 utilizes to attract the human specimens, which RPC-666 refers as Swimps. Its anomalous telepathic power can be stopped by metal at least 4mm thick. RPC-666 can wield the force of its "mind" to move objects such as a fridge weighing around 70kg, and exert enough force to crush a human skull. Entity has demonstrated to be capable of speaking directly to one person's mind and progressively corrupt an individual this way. It was also capable of predicting future events and "reading" an individual subject's mind. As for the unknown abilities, It will talk to an entity, referred to as "The Lord of the Deep", and will appeal for help. However, it appears to have a time limit as it can only call upon its favors once a week, being possible to call for favors if this entity is satisfied. Those events are given the name "Dark Swirls" by RPC-666.
In those, 1-3 of the following outcomes can happen through the day.
Clouds that can instantly age people 10 years for each second.
Immediate Corruptions to RPC-666-A Stage 5 on people nearby water, this includes variants.
Appearance of RPC-666-B in the walls, causing light flickering.
Random teleportation to a pocket dimension for few hours.
Rain coming from the roof, if the liquid touches the skin it will result in corrosion.
Looking at RPC-666 for more than 5 seconds without eye protection(Dark glasses of at least 2mm or more) may result in visions and corruption of personal beliefs and ways of thinking. RPC-666 is capable of creating a memetic effect around it. Anyone within 30 meters of RPC will begin to hear voices. These voices grow louder over time and responding those voices will also activate the anomalous visual effects resulting and similar effects as observing RPC for five seconds. The person that proceeds with the actions mentioned above may receive stage one of corruption, once they get corrupted, they will slowly become a instance of RPC-666-A.
The lower part of the body, including neck and bellow will get fully covered in the black skin, the head will stay clear, with no marks or dots, but the eyes will slowly turn dark and the pupils will become blue.
The person will start to collect the items around it and bringing the closest to themselves and stay near the collected items protecting them. Their voices will appear to be lost.
The person will start to get aggressive with anyone that comes close to the gathered items. It will attack and follow any person that comes close the gathered items until it kills the target.
After that stage, the person will start sputtering, having convulsions and after 10 seconds, give the last scream before they fall dead on the floor.
RPC-666-B: RPC-666-B is an approximately 1.7 meters slim dark blue creature. It appears to have no facial features. It is able to produce sounds similar to bubbling water. Instances of RPC-666-B will appear in the walls of humid places, but also being able to appear by teleportation in any places with aqueous substances close enough to it. RPC-666-B appear to have control over two main known abilities: Hydrokinesis and teleportation. These however may present other variations of those abilities like teleportation of other objects/life beings, and control of certain liquids such as blood and saliva. When appearing through the wall, RPC-666-B instances will most likely head to RPC-666's location and use any means necessary to release it from the cage. It appears to have high intelligence and is shown to be capable of outwitting Authority personnel in order to approach and defend RPC-666.
RPC-666 was found on the island of Madagascar, Sainte-Marie after reports of a mass suicidal occurrence from drowning. The Authority picked up on these occurrences and sent an investigation team to collect information and confirm sightings of a possible anomaly. A research team was sent which reported a parrot, RPC-666, was found to be the only living survivor among the decaying bodies. The animal was taken in custody as an Alpha-White, as it could use telekinesis, but after a dark swirls incidents it was reclassified as Omega-Red.
Foreword:RPC-666 agreed to an interview after negotiation with RPC staff. However, it said only both of them would stay inside the room. RPC-666 said the name of one of the researchers currently working on Site 313. It said that the interview would only continue with him. It is unknown how RPC-666 obtained the name. Many special NU Corp. telekinesis speech machines were created for that special occasion. Dr. J████ was transferred inside of a dome acting as containment for RPC-666. Dr. J████ appears to be using an aluminum hat and special glasses for the occasion.
Dr. J████: Hello RPC-666, my name is Dr. J████, we will be doing the interview today, is there any name you would prefer me to use?
Sound Machine of RPC-666: Petshop.
Dr. J████: Sorry, I think I didn't understand that right. Petshop?
Dr. J████: I still can't comprehend that. Why would that be?
Dr. J████: We are, uh… Sorry?
Dr. J████: Oh, So we are the so-called Swimps. What would that stand for? Swamp Wimps?
Dr. J████: Then what would that mean?
Dr. J████: Hah, why would that be our name?
Dr. J████:That pool, I think all that water-related stuff got something to do with that pool, could you please explain to me what that pool is or what does it means?
RPC-666: Madness… Deepness…I Miss… Home.
Dr. J████: Right… What are instances RPC-666-A, the denominated "Corrupted."
RPC-666: Swimps…True… form… Serve… Master.
Dr. J████: W-What? Uh… And RPC-666-B, what are they supposed to "represent"? Swimps evolution?
RPC-666: Wrong… Priests… of the… Deep.
Dr. J████: Right… Lets quit the chit chat and tell me about that um, that Master.
Dr. J████: Right. Watch the tone, one last question before the end this interview. Why you chose my name of all of the doctors?
RPC-666: You hold… Great pain… Tries… To hide… Pain that great… too difficult… Not to see.
Dr. J████: Ok… I… What are you talking about, you better watch it.
RPC-666 Your… Glasses… May… Protect… You… It… However… Will not… Hide… Your… Soul.
Dr. J████: You damn bird… I knew it were planning something, This interview is over.
Closing Statement: Dr. J████ left the room frustrated, RPC-666 stayed still all day long with no activity present, only what could be presumed a "smile" coming from the same.
Due to a failure to follow Containment protocols, [REDACTED] caused a rampage on Site-313 where it was contained at the time. After this event, Authority personnel were attacked by POI-███ in conjunction with what are theorized to be supporters. As a result of this RPC-███ was shot, damaging the protective suit around RPC-███ that rusted guns used in the process. This resulted in the subsequent loss of RPC-666, RPC-███-01, [REDACTED], and RPC-███.
Currently, the whereabouts of RPC-666 are under investigation. Further details about this incident can be found on File [REDACTED]. Containment protocols have been updated and are to be enforced as soon as the asset is repossessed by Authority personnel.
Or do you just enjoy the feeling of cycles?
Living and repeating like the machine that you are?
You want to change that don't you?
I see… You wish to become one of us.
If that is the case, come along child.
Hush now, and repeat after me.


I can't believe this month has totally flown by! Behind the scenes I have been busy as a bee and one thing I've been working on is a 6th birthday party… And our next guest has also been party planning for a 6th birthday, but was still able to put together an adorable project for us! Irene is the blogger behind an adorable blog, Froo and Boo, where she sews fantastic clothes for her also adorable kids! You've got to check out her amazing wedding outfits she just made! And yes, you probably remember her from Project Run and Play as well! Super talented!
I know it's not really a game in the traditional sense–with an objective, a bit of friendly competition and an outcome, but it involves imaginative play, a sense of humour and fun. It can get pretty serious: Froo & Boo have a "clubhouse" where they meet on a picnic blanket and no grown-ups are allowed.
Anyhoo, I was inspired to make a patchwork skirt, while looking at the lovely quilts that Louise makes and posts on her blog. For a fresh and updated look, I decided on bright pink gingham, instead of the traditional red & white gingham used for picnic blankets.
To get started, cut your patchwork squares using a rotary cutter. For Froo's skirt, I cut 4×4″ squares (28 bright pink squares, 49 light pink squares and 21 white squares). I cut enough squares for 7 rows and 14 columns.
In the end, I only used 5 rows! The top photo shows 6 rows, but I hemmed one row up afterwards! Let's just call it a miscalculation that would have made the skirt long enough for me to wear. You can always play around with the size of the square, the number of rows and columns, but the number of columns must always be an even number.
Piece your squares together. The Practical Guide to Patchwork: New Basics for the Modern Quiltmaker, by Elizabeth Hartman, is an excellent resource for getting started with patchwork piecing. There is also a great tutorial on chain piecing on the Sew Mama Sew blog.
Measure your patchwork piece. Then cut a piece of white fabric using the same dimensions. This will become the backing of the skirt. Cut another piece for the waistband, the same length and 3.5″ wide. This will become the waistband.
Sew your patchwork piece into a tube using a 3/8″ seam allowance, trim with pinking shears and press open. Repeat with white piece.
With right sides together, sew the backing to the patchwork piece with a 3/8″ seam allowance. Flip the fabric so wrong sides are together and press. Then, baste the top of the skirt together using 1/4″ seam allowance.
Sew the waistband together at the short ends with a 3/8″ seam allowance, then press the waistband in half, with the wrong sides facing. You'll notice that mine is just the 7th row pieced together, but you could cut one solid piece.
With right sides together, sew the waistband onto the top of the skirt with a 3/8″ seam allowance. Press seams upward.
Press the unfinished edge of the waistband so that it is just over the seam line.
From the right side, stitch in the ditch over the waistband seam, making sure the inside waistband edge is catching the thread. Leave a 2-3″ opening. Topstitch the top edge of the waistband together. Thread a piece of 1″ non-roll elastic through the waistband. The elastic should measure the circumference of the wearer's waist minus 1″. Stitch the elastic together. Sew the opening of the waistband closed.
I have this silly decorative stitch of ants on my machine–which I sewed onto a piece of twill tape with a piece of tracing paper underneath as stabilizer, to make a small tag to indicate the center back.
That was a long one! It's definitely not a quick project, especially when you make some crazy miscalculations, but I'm really happy with how it turned out!
Thanks, Louise, for inviting me to your Sew Ready to Play series!
Thanks for inviting me to play along with your Sew Ready to Play series! Good luck with party planning!
Yea for creative game play!


melbournesellingg Great buyer to deal with! Pleasant transaction! Speedy replies. Thank you!
jessiexsell Quick and easy transaction!! Awesome buyer and would definitely deal with again!!!
@steph_mischa is on Carousell - Follow to stay updated!
Worn a couple times Purchased from Adidas Store Very good condition!


Large Trucks Buses Semis And Tractors - Industries - ZT | Zippertubing Co.
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Within each person's profile settings, Administrators and Project Managers are able to input information that impacts a team member's availability.
Team members are considered unavailable before their first day of work and after their last day of work. Dates that are input here should be done with care as time suggestions (unconfirmed hours) will not be scheduled if a person is unavailable.
The default work week for your organization (i.e. 8 hrs/day for 5 days/week) is set in Account Settings. This default work week informs the allocation % target on the Schedule, so you can schedule your team for 100% of their time (example: 40 hrs/week = 100%). For people who have availability that differs from the default setting, customize their availability by selecting the "Add part-time availability" button on their profile, then input the start & end dates for when their working duration differs from the default work week for your organization.


text:
WHO agrees watered-down resolution for clearer drug prices
WHO recognises 'burn-out' as medical condition...
World's rivers loaded with antibiotics waste:...
Added 28th May 2019 07:08 PM
Campaigners say some drugs are highly overpriced although they are often developed with public funding.
The World Health Organization's member states adopted on Tuesday a watered-down resolution on improving drug price transparency that leading medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) criticised as insufficient.
An initial draft of the resolution first introduced by Italy at WHO's main annual meeting called for near absolute transparency in the pharmaceutical sector, including requirements that companies make all data from clinical trials publicly available.
The Italian text presented to the World Health Assembly also demanded full disclosure from pharmaceutical firms on net revenue, once research and development, tax breaks and other subsidies are factored in.
Several countries -- notably those that host large pharmaceutical industries like the US, Britain, Germany, and Switzerland -- expressed reservations about the Italian draft.
The final version includes several modifications.
For example, an earlier draft called on governments to "require the dissemination of results and costs from human subject clinical trials regardless of the outcome."
But the approved text urged states to "take the necessary steps, as appropriate" to make data from the clinical public "regardless of outcomes or whether the results will support an application for marketing approval while ensuring patient confidentiality."
The language was similarly softened with respect to the production costs incurred by drug makers and patent notification.
Campaigners say some drugs are highly overpriced although they are often developed with public funding and that governments at times negotiate prices without any idea how much they cost.
- Corporations above people? -
MSF in a statement called the resolution "a welcome first step" but said it did not go far enough.
"While earlier drafts of the resolution included clear language to bring more transparency to this opaque area, unfortunately, a small group of countries... obstructed more concrete advances," it added.
It singled out Britain, Germany, Japan, and the US as countries that "chose to place the interests of a handful of corporations above the interests of people."
"We need to know the mark-ups corporations charge, production costs, the cost of clinical trials, how much investment is really covered by companies, and how much is underwritten by taxpayers and non-profit groups," MSF further said.
The only way to guarantee fair drug pricing is to have fair negotiations, which "are impossible without transparency," it added.
WHO has for years supported calls for drug pricing transparency, arguing it that a more open, balanced market would improve access to life-saving drugs, notably in lower income countries.
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Jill Abramson shares her Lean In story.
To this day, I push reporters at the Times to make sure to deeply report their stories and illustrate them with memorable details. "Show, don't tell," is my newsroom mantra.
The proverbial brass ring had come around.
The brass ring was an interview with Al Hunt, then the Washington Bureau Chief of The Wall Street Journal, one of the sun kings of political journalism. I knew his signature mop of white hair from television, but had never met him.
I was the editor of a backwater weekly legal newspaper. Al had no reason to be interested in me and, as I learned from him later, he was only meeting with me as a courtesy to the Journal's managing editor. There was a hiring freeze at the Journal. His goal going into our meeting was to get me out the door as quickly as possible.
As a reader and young journalist, I had come to love the Journal's Washington coverage, which showcased long stories that closely examined the institutions and people who wielded influence in the capital. I read it every day and often distributed its stories to my reporters as examples to emulate. The paper regularly ran front page articles showing, with lots of well-reported, behind-the-scenes detail, how the people with the most power often wielded it from behind the public curtain, in lawyers' private offices and in the corridors where Gucci-clad lobbyists patrolled. These are the kinds of stories I tried to write and get my young staff to deliver. I knew that if I could capture his interest, I could deliver exactly the kind of stories Al Hunt wanted.
But telling him this was not going to pique his interest. I had to show him. That was my strategy going into the meeting. I walked into the bureau chief's office with a story memo that I had spent days composing. The stories were pretty damn cool, filled with actual reporting leads. I remember one of them was about Tommy Boggs, then (and now) one of the most powerful lobbyists in Washington and scion of a great political family from Louisiana.
The meeting couldn't have lasted more than fifteen minutes. Al told me there was a hiring freeze and even if he could expand his bureau, he had little interest in hiring a legal reporter. As he talked, I gazed behind his desk at the pictures of Al and his wife, television correspondent Judy Woodruff, standing next to presidents. There was also a note from Ronald Reagan tacked on his bulletin board. I still remember what it said. ("You were both great.") I gave Al my story list as he ushered me out of the office. "It has a bunch of stories I think you'll like," I managed to say.
That memo was my lean in moment. My strength as a journalist, I knew, was my ability to frame, report and tell the story of insider power. That is still, 25 years later, my forte. The memo was specific enough to be tantalizing. Al actually read it right after I left, because he had gotten rid of me with time left to kill. Since has he has told this story many times, I know he was blown away by the story ideas.
So when he called and offered me a job, I used that memo as a roadmap and wrote most of those stories for the Journal. Six months into the new job, Al wrote me a note: "I wish I could clone you."
The written word has always been my greatest ally and I used it to make the leap from the backwaters of journalism to the big leagues. To this day, I push reporters at the Times to make sure to deeply report their stories and illustrate them with memorable details. "Show, don't tell," is my newsroom mantra.


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Port Authority Aviation: A Save at LaGuardia Airport →
Cleared for takeoff at Kennedy Airport as Flight 401
"The boundaries between life and death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where one ends and where the other begins?" — Edgar Allen Poe
Unlike many ghost tales, this one – which originated at Kennedy Airport's Terminal 1 – is based on an actual event from 1972.
At 7:45 p.m. on December 29 that year, an Eastern Air Lines jet out of Tampa, Fla. arrived at Kennedy Airport, one of the airline's hubs, for routine maintenance. After a few minor issues were resolved, the plane was cleared for a 9 p.m. departure to Miami, as Flight 401 with 176 passengers aboard.
In the cockpit was Capt. Robert Loft, 55, a seasoned pilot with 32 years under his belt. The aircraft he flew that night was a state-of-the-art Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, one of a dozen new wide-body "Whisperliners" delivered to the airline that year.
Hours later, the flight plunged into the alligator-laced Everglades at 227 miles per hour, just 19 miles short of the runway at Miami International Airport. Loft and Flight Engineer Don Repo, 51, were among the 101 souls who perished in the crash, which was later blamed by the National Transportation Safety Board on pilot error.
Flight 401 was under the command of Capt. Robert Loft (left). His crew included First Officer Albert Stockstill (center) and Flight Engineer Don Repo (right)
The details of this Portfolio story were collected from news accounts at the time and from a definitive non-fiction book written 40 years ago.
It's perhaps inevitable that the gruesome nature of the crash would inspire stories about restless souls that refuse to crossover – the walking dead who don't realize they're dead. More than 20 encounters with Loft and Repo were described in the aftermath of the crash by so-called credible sources associated with Eastern Air Lines – passengers, flight attendants and pilots.
In another bizarre twist to the story, these lifelike apparitions apparently appeared only on Eastern planes that had been fitted with recycled parts cannibalized from the wreckage of Flight 401.
Among the reported sightings were a vice president of Eastern who claimed he engaged in a lengthy conversation with a pilot who he assumed was in charge of his flight before realizing he was speaking to the deceased Loft.
A flight captain and two flight attendants claimed to have spoken to Loft before take-off and then watched as he vanished before their eyes – an experience that left them so shaken the captain cancelled the flight.
On another occasion, a female passenger supposedly became concerned about a pale quiet man sitting next to her wearing an Eastern Airlines uniform. Fearing that he might need medical attention, she informed a flight attendant. To their horror, the unresponsive gentleman disappeared in front of the two women and several nearby passengers. The man was later identified from a photograph as Repo. Eastern Flight Attendant Faye Merryweather claimed she saw Repo's face peering out at her from the airplane's oven.
The crew of Flight 401 taken aboard the jet earlier on the day of the crash: the flight attendants had gathered at the tail of the plane. Patricia George was on top of the coat closet. Back row: Pat Ghyssels, Trudy Smith, Adrianne Hamilton and Mercy Ruiz. Front row: Sue Tebbs, Dottie Warnock, Beverly Raposa and Stephanie Stanich. Not shown, Sharon Transue (she was taking the photo). Sadly for Patricia Ghyssels and Stephanie Stanich — this photo is the last time they were photographed alive.
Eastern Airlines maintained radio silence, refusing to publicly discuss tales of ghostly sightings. But they continued to circulate in the airline community. Frank Borman, CEO of Eastern and the former Apollo astronaut, denounced the stories as "garbage." Assertions of a cover-up by Eastern executives finally grew so persistent that the airline was forced to remove all of the recycled 401 parts from its fleet.
Flight 401 has been the subject of books; newspaper, magazine and newsletter articles; including an article published by the Flight Safety Foundation, an independent aviation organization that conducts research, education and publishing in the field of aviation safety.
The story also inspired numerous books and two made-for-television movies, including a primetime Emmy-nominated film in 1978 starring Ernest Borgnine and Kim Basinger.
John Fuller, author of The Ghost of Flight 401, was sued by Loft's family for invasion of privacy and for intentional infliction of emotional distress, but the lawsuit was dismissed, and the dismissal was upheld by the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal. The most journalistic account was written by Rob Elder of the Miami Herald. His 1977 book, Crash, tells the story of many of the passengers, the investigation and its aftermath. He later became an editor at the San Jose Mercury News.
"As a kid, I enjoyed The Ghost of Flight 401, and the story has certainly become one of the more enduring legends in the industry, "said Shea Oakley, Executive Director, New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame, who began his career as an aviation intern at the Port Authority. But, Oakley added, "I'm afraid my belief system doesn't include spectral cockpit crew members returning to haunt jetliners after they leave this world."
This entry was posted in airplane crash, airport history, airport terminals, airports, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, Halloween, history of aviation, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Kennedy Airport, movies, NYC, Uncategorized and tagged Albert Stockstill, Don Repo, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, ghosts, Robert Loft, Whisperliner. Bookmark the permalink.


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Mariah Angela Carey, known as Mariah Carey, is a hot talented songwriter, singer, producer, and actress best known for her singing skills and appearance.
In the 1990's, she amazed the whole world with her achievement, as her first five songs, "Vision of Love", "Love Takes Time", "I Don't Wanna Cry", "Someday", "Emotions" were listed in the Chart at the 1st place of the Billboard Hot 100. Mariah was the First Artist to achieve this.
Mariah Carey is also popularly known as "Songbird Supreme" and the "Queen of Christmas" among the fans and media. She is also well-known as an actress and has performed in several notable movies throughout her career, which is a fantastic thing to be noted.
1 Mariah Carey Age
2.1 Boyfriend & Children
6 Facts about Mariah Carey
7 Quick View
Mariah Carey Age
Born on March 27, 1969, Mariah Carey's age is 53 years as of 2023. She was born and grown up in Long Island, New York, U.S. state. Her zodiac star is Mariah Aries.
She did her schooling at Harborfields High School, Greenlawn, New York, and didn't attend college to pursue her singing career. She was very young when she started her singing career; therefore, she never tried to continue it for any reason. Mariah has a passion for singing from an early age.
Her father, Alfred Roy Carey, served as an Aeronautical engineer in America. Her mother, Patricia Carey, is an Opera singer back then. Her parents were only in a marriage relationship for 13 years and later got separated. Her father died back in the year July 4, 2002.
Apart from that, Mariah Carey has two siblings in the home, including brother Morgan Carey and a sister Alison Carey.
Mariah Carey Father
Boyfriend & Children
In 1993, Mariah Carey got married to Tommy Mottola. He was almost more than 20 years elder than Mariah and tended to be a well-known Businessman. Unfortunately, the wedding only lasted for 5 years without any children as they got separated in 1998.
Mariah Carey took almost 10 years of break and got married to Nick Cannon in the year 2008. Nick Cannon was almost 11 years younger than Mariah and is a famous TV Actor. From Nick, she had a daughter Monroe Cannon and a Son Moroccan Scott Cannon. However, in the year 2014, the duo got separated due to unknown reasons.
Mariah Carey with her Children
In 2016, she got engaged to James Packer, who is an Australian-based Businessman. However, the duo had to called-off the engagement in the same year. Right now, she is in a relationship with Bryan Tanaka, who is a well-known Dancer. He is almost 14 years younger than Mariah.
Mariah Carey with her Boyfriend
Mariah Carey has 76 Kg of weight and 5 feet 9 inches of height. She has body measurements of 38-27-35 inches, including 34D Bra cup size and 9.5 (US) shoe size. She has dark brown eyes and blonde hair color. Moreover, her skin tone is white that makes her entire appearance look good.
Mariah Carey started her career as a singer back in 1990 with the first solo album, which made headlines worldwide. Yes, her album received the ultimate positive response and has also been on the Hot 100 Billboard chart.
From there, she released several other Songs videos that were super hit throughout the time. Hence, it has helped her make a tremendous amount of fame and money. In addition, the financial stability helped her work on other notable projects that include Record production, Film production, etc.
Right now, she is among the list of wealthiest Singers in the whole world. Yes, she is well-known worldwide due to her outrageous singing skills, which is quite amazing.
Mariah Carey has a net worth of approximately $350 million as of 2023. In addition, she has released some outstanding albums throughout her career that has helped her make a good amount of money in the entire career through concerts, sponsors, etc.
Apart from that, Mariah Carey is a Voice Actor, Film Producer, Composer, Author, Model, songwriter, and record producer. Meanwhile, she has invested in several other businesses. So, a huge amount comes from these resources as well.
Facts about Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is a good friend of Will Smith, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dog, and many more.
Her favorite holiday spot in Spain.
She loves the color brown.
She loves Beyoncé Work.
Nick Name Mariah
Real Name Mariah Angela Carey
Birthplace Long Island, New York.
Height in centimeters – 175 cm
in meters – 1.75 m
in Feet Inches – 5' 9"
Father Alfred Roy Carey
Mother Patricia Carey
Brothers Morgan Carey
Sisters Alison Carey
Marital Status Divorced
Husband Tommy Mottola (1993-1998)
Nick Cannon (2008-2014)
Boyfriend/Dating Bryan Tanaka
Children Monroe Cannon (Born for Nick Cannon)
Moroccan Scott Cannon (Born for Nick Cannon)
Previous Dating Eddie Griffin (1996 – 1997)
Derek Jeter (1997 – 1998)
Luis Miguel (1999-2001)
Eminem (2001 – 2006)
James Packer (2015 – 2016)
School Harborfields High School in Greenlawn, New York
Net Worth $320 million as of 2023
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text:
AP Sues Aggregator Meltwater News
By Deborah D McAdams 14 February 2012
NEW YORK: The Associated Press said it filed suit today against Meltwater News "for copyright infringement and 'hot news' misappropriation."
"Meltwater News is a parasitic distribution service that competes directly with traditional news sources without paying license fees to cover the costs of creating those stories," said Tom Curley, president and CEO of The Associated Press. "It has a significant negative impact on the ability of AP to continue providing the high-quality news reports on which the public relies."
AP is saying that Meltwater, which is based in San Francisco, is turning around unlicensed verbatim AP content and selling it to its own clients.The suit was filed Tuesday, Feb. 14, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District, in Manhattan, by the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine, representing AP.
Meltwater offers subscription news software that "tracks keywords, phrases and topics in over 162,000 sources from over 190 countries and 100 languages, monitored consistently throughout the day."
AP says Meltwater is undercutting it because it "bears only the minimal costs of electronic distribution." AP's global newsgathering force comprises around 3,700 employees 100 countries. Meltwater's LinkedIn page says it has 850 employees and 20,000 clients.
AP says "Meltwater News… styles itself as a modern-day electronic clipping service with a guarantee of 'no copyright fees.' Meltwater delivers to its paying customers substantial verbatim excerpts from AP stories and other published news stories" based on keyword searches. The copyrighted material is also said to be stored on Meltwater servers.
AP says courts in the United Kingdom and Norway have issued decisions holding that Meltwater needs a license to distribute copyrighted content. AP says Meltwater "refuses to license the content that it delivers to its customers," unlike Yahoo News, Google News and AOL. Meltwater said it's appealing aspects of the U.K. Court of Appeal's decision "on web browsing in the U.K. Supreme Court schedule for February 2013."
AP's general counsel, Laura Malone, said AP's lawsuit is not a general attack on news aggregators, nor does it seek to restrict linking.
"Meltwater is not a typical news aggregator," Malone said, but rather a closed, subscription-only system.
AP's complaint further alleges that Meltwater provides "lengthier and more systematic excerpts from AP stories than most news aggregators, particularly with regard to AP breaking news articles. Meltwater retains a vast archive of AP articles dating back to at least 2007, many of which are no longer publicly available on the Internet. Meltwater actively facilitates the storage of those and other articles in customer archives on the Meltwater system."
"Meltwater free-rides on AP's significant investments in gathering and reporting news," Malone said. "In short, Meltwater earns substantial fees for redistributing premium news content, while bearing none of the costs associated with creating that content."
~ Deborah D. McAdams