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De Nieuwe Historici (Hebreeuws: ההיסטוריונים החדשים, HaHistoryonim HaHadashim) vormen een stroming binnen de geschiedschrijving over Israël, die kritisch staat tegenover het zionistische narratief dat binnen Israël traditioneel wordt verteld. Door het beschikbaar komen van voorheen geheim gehouden Israëlische archieven, zijn documenten gevonden die een ander licht werpen op onderdelen van het gebruikelijke als correct aanvaarde verhaal. De Nieuwe Historici willen dit narratief kritisch beoordelen en waar nodig aanpassen aan nieuw ontdekte feiten.

Belangrijke Nieuwe Historici van het eerste uur zijn Benny Morris, Ilan Pappé, Avi Shlaim, Simha Flappan en Tom Segev. De Nieuwe Historici hebben vooral in Israël een heftig debat uitgelokt tussen conventionele en progressievere historici. Historici die zeer kritisch en afwijzend tegenover deze stroming staan, zijn Efraim Karsh, Anita Shapira en Shabtai Tevet. Historici die kritisch zijn, omdat zij Nieuwe Historici te conventioneel prozionistisch vinden, zijn Norman Finkelstein en Nur Masalha en onderling ook Pappé en Shlaim ten aanzien van Morris.

Ontstaan
De term Nieuwe Historici wordt toegeschreven aan de – zelf hiertoe gerekende – onderzoeker Benny Morris. Zij vormden in de jaren 1980 een nieuwe stroming binnen de Israëlische geschiedschrijving, toen geheime archieven 30 jaar na de stichting van de staat openbaar werden gemaakt. Deze archieven bleken gegevens te bevatten, die strijdig waren met ideeën over de geschiedenis van de staat Israël die tot dan algemeen als de waarheid werden aangenomen. De Nieuwe Historici willen de geschiedschrijving meer in overeenstemming brengen met de nieuw ontdekte feiten.

Benny Morris gaf in 1988 de aanzet tot deze controversiële herschrijving van de geschiedenis, met zijn boek The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1947—1949, over de massale vlucht van de Palestijnen tijdens de  Arabisch-Israëlische Oorlog van 1948. In dit boek toonde Morris op basis van Israëlische documenten aan, dat de Palestijnen voornamelijk waren gevlucht als gevolg van Israëlische acties en dat er bevelen waren gegeven om hen te verdrijven.

Volgens de tot de Nieuwe Historici gerekende Avi Shlaim was ook de Israëlische invasie in Libanon in 1982 een keerpunt in de geschiedschrijving, toen premier Menachem Begin toegaf dat die oorlog, net als de Suezcrisis van 1956, een gekozen oorlog was, gericht op politieke doelen. Tot dan hadden zionistische leiders een imago van vredesduiven gecultiveerd.

Shlaim schreef in 2003, dat de standaard zionistische versie van de historie over het ontstaan van de staat Israël selectief, simplistisch en op eigenbelang gericht was. Het prentte bij Joden met een oorsprong uit verschillende landen een gevoel van gezamenlijke nationaliteit in en wekte internationale sympathie en steun op voor de ontluikende staat, maar leverde geen wederzijds begrip en verzoening op tussen Joden en Arabieren. Terwijl het narratief van de Palestijnen spreekt van De Nakba, waarbij zij zichzelf zien als de slachtoffers, waren de Israëli's als overwinnaars in staat hun versie te propageren, waarin zij de slachtoffers zijn. Shlaim refereert aan vier in 2018 verschenen boeken van Nieuwe Historici – inclusief van hemzelf – die het verhaal van conventionele zionisten aanvechten. Het idee om een kunstmatige eenheid onder alle immigranten te smeden door middel van nationale mythen en symbolen gaat terug op Ben-Gurion en het Mapai leiderschap.

Onderlinge verschillen
De Nieuwe Historici vormen geen homogene groep die er gelijkluidende standpunten eropna houdt. Zo staan Ilan Pappé en Benny Morris, twee van de bekendste proponenten van de stroming, ver uiteen wat hun ideologie betreft. Beide zien dat de verdrijving opzettelijk was, maar Morris gaf later aan dat deze wel moést wilde er een joodse staat gerealiseerd worden.

Pappé houdt er linkse denkbeelden op na en was parlementslid voor Hadash.
Hij beschrijft in zijn boek "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine" uit 2006 - o.a. gebruik makend van archiefmateriaal (o.a. Palmach archives, IDF-archives, Israeli State archives, Ben Gurion archives, Red Cross archives etc.) - dat er wel degelijk een plan was voor de verdrijving van de Palestijnse bevolking en hoe dit werd gerealiseerd. In zijn voorwoord schrijft hij oa:Op een koude woensdagmiddag, de 10e maart 1948, legde in dit gebouw (het niet meer bestaande "Rode Huis" in Tel Aviv) een groep van 11 man de laatste hand aan een plan voor de etnische zuivering van Palestina. Diezelfde avond nog gingen militaire orders uit naar de eenheden in het land om zich voor te bereiden op de systematische uitdrijving van de Palestijnen uit uitgestrekte gebieden van het land.. Die groep van elf noemt hij de "Consultancy" en zij staat onder leiding van David Ben Goerion . Pappe doceert en woont in Engeland .

Benny Morris daarentegen heeft zijn standpunten na 2002 enigszins genuanceerd waarop hij door andere Nieuwe Historici van verraad van het "linkse denken" en "zionistische propaganda" werd beschuldigd. Sommige van zijn critici stellen zelfs dat zijn nuanceringen het gevolg moeten zijn geweest van hersenchirurgie.

Hoofdthema's
Hoofdthema's van de Nieuwe Historici zijn:

 Volgens de traditionele lezing wilden de Britten de oprichting van een Joodse staat verhinderen; de Nieuwe Historici daarentegen stellen dat de Britten een Palestijnse staat wilden vermijden
 Volgens de traditionele lezing hadden tijdens de Arabisch-Israëlische Oorlog van 1948 de Palestijnse vluchtelingen vrijwillig hun huizen verlaten; de Nieuwe Historici stellen dat de vluchtelingen deels waren verdreven
 Volgens de traditionele lezing was tijdens de oorlog van 1948 de machtsverhouding tussen de zionistische en Arabische troepen in het voordeel van de Arabieren; de Nieuwe Historici stellen dat zowel in manschappen, als in bewapening Israël een overwicht had
 Volgens de traditionele lezing hadden de Arabische staten een gecoördineerd plan om de nieuwe Joodse staat te vernietigen; de Nieuwe Historici stellen dat de Arabieren onderling verdeeld waren en geen eenduidig beleid hadden
 Volgens de traditionele lezing stond de onverzoenlijke houding van de Arabische leiders een vreedzame oplossing in de weg; de Nieuwe Historici stellen dat vooral Israël debet was aan het vastgelopen vredesproces

Visies over de Palestijnse vluchtelingen
Morris schreef diverse boeken over de vlucht van de Palestijnen tijdens de Nakba. Bij onderzoek in Israëlische archieven, vond hij tegenstrijdige documenten en zette vraagtekens bij het officiële Israëlische verhaal over de Nakba, dat zegt dat de Palestijnen tijdens de Arabisch-Israëlische Oorlog van 1948 voornamelijk Palestina ontvluchtten op bevel van de Arabische leiders en niet door systematische verdrijving door zionistische milities.

Als reactie op heftige kritiek van conventionele zionistische historici, kwam Morris in 2001 met een meer genuanceerde opvatting. Hij stelde, dat de vluchtelingencrisis niet vooraf was gepland. Volgens hem waren de vlucht en verdrijving van de Arabieren uit Palestina in de periode rond 1948 dus niet een etnische zuivering, maar een logisch gevolg van de oorlog en waren  de Palestijnen en hun Arabische buren er grotendeels zelf de schuld van. Waar het de hedendaagse Palestijnse vluchtelingen betreft, ziet Morris deze als een potentiële vijfde colonne en stelt dat hun terugkeer naar het huidige Israël niet reëel is. Volgens Morris was het ook logisch,  dat de bevolkingsgroepen zo veel mogelijk gescheiden zouden moeten worden en dat een Arabische overwinning in de oorlog tot een slachting onder de Joden zou hebben geleid.

Laila Parsons, die afstudeerde onder supervisie van Avi Shlaim, stelde daarentegen dat de IDF handelde volgens een zorgvuldig gestructureerd plan om de Palestijnen te verdrijven, teneinde een levensvatbare zionistische staat te kunnen creëren. Ze wees er op, dat dorpen van de Druzen selectief werden gespaard en stelde, dat de Israëlische geschiedschrijving en visies bewust zijn verdraaid, om een gemeenschappelijk verleden van Joods-Druzische vriendschap te creëren.

Volgens onder andere Ilan Greilsammer, werd door Ben-Gurion en andere zionistische leiders de mythe bedacht, dat Arabische leiders in 1948 de Palestijnen opriepen om tijdelijk de regio te verlaten, om weer terug te kunnen keren nadat de Joden waren gedood en hun lichamen in de zee waren gegooid. Door dit narratief zou de verantwoordelijkheid voor de Nakba volledig op de Arabieren zelf worden geschoven en zou de Israëlische regering geen enkele schuld aan dit drama hebben gehad. Het zou ook de weigering om Palestijnen te laten terugkeren rechtvaardigen.

Censuur

De belangrijkste aanzet tot het ontstaan van de Nieuwe Historici was het openstellen van voorheen geheime staatsarchieven. De laatste jaren wordt steeds meer duidelijk, dat er nog altijd door de Israëlische overheid documenten geheim worden gehouden, die informatie bevatten waarvan openbaarheid als ongewenst wordt beschouwd. Dit zou met name tot doel hebben, om bewijzen voor de verdrijving van de Palestijnen in 1948 te verhullen. Onderzoekers ontdekten zelfs, dat documenten die aanvankelijk waren vrijgegeven, na openbaarmaking door historici weer opnieuw werden gecensureerd.

Historica Tamar Novick vond een incompleet document zonder vermelding van de herkomst, over bloedbaden en plunderingen in 1948 in het vernietigde Palestijnse dorp Safsaf, dat veroverd werd door de IDF. Benny Morris schreef over een document dat ging over dezelfde gebeurtenissen, maar Novick ontdekte na de publicatie daarover, dat het document op last van het Ministerie van Defensie weer achter slot en grendel was geplaatst.

Ook Morris zelf ondervond, dat eerder openbaar gemaakte documenten later weer waren verzegeld. Een van de documenten was een Shaidocument over "Migration of Eretz Yisrael Arabs" uit 1948. Hij miste ook documenten over het bloedbad van Deir Yassin. Morris' vader Ya'akov had in 1948 voor het Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken een boekje geschreven, waarin beweerd werd dat er geen bloedbad in Deir Yassin had plaatsgevonden en dat dit verhaal er slechts een van een serie Arabische sprookjes was. De linkse Mapaivleugel en de Laborbeweging hadden er tegen geprotesteerd. Het boekje werd in 1969 toch over de wereld verspreid en later door Herut ook in Israël. In 1971 werd er opnieuw over geklaagd en het bloedbad bevestigd, maar Herutleider Menachem Begin, die de Irgun destijds had geleid, bleef ontkennen. De correspondentie over het boekje en ook het boekje zelf werden na 2004 uit de archieven gehaald en weggeborgen. Hetzelfde lot onderging materiaal uit april 1948 van Haganah-intelligenceofficieren over het bloedbad.

Het afgelopen decennium hebben teams van het Ministerie van Defensie de archieven doorzocht, om historische documenten te verwijderen, onder andere om bewijzen van de Nakba te verbergen. Haaretz ontdekte, dat getuigenissen van IDF-generaals waren verborgen over het doden van burgers, het vernietigen van dorpen en het verdrijven van Bedoeïenen in het decennium na 1948. Ook werden interviews gecensureerd, afgenomen door het Yitzhak Rabin Center, over de verdrijving van Palestijnen en het vernietigen van dorpen om hun terugkeer te verhinderen. Het verbergen van documenten is onder andere bedoeld, om studies naar de oorsprong van het vluchtelingenprobleem te ondermijnen. Andere redenen zijn de noodzaak om de toegang van Arabische burgers tot de arbeidsmarkt destijds te beperken en het herstel van verwoeste dorpen te voorkomen. Ook het verhullen van getuigenissen over de verdrijving van Bedoeïenen uit de Negev wordt als reden genoemd.

In juli 2019 schreef Morris hierover, dat Israël's verhulling van de Nakbadocumenten dwaas en kwaadaardig is, zoals typisch voor totalitaire regimes. Het verbergen van belastend materiaal over feiten die al lang gepubliceerd zijn, noemde hij verbijsterend. Volgens Morris hoopt het Ministerie van Defensie daarmee twijfel te zaaien over de conclusies en geloofwaardigheid van bepaalde wetenschappers, inclusief Morris zelf. De Malmabafdeling van het Ministerie wil volgens hem de historie van de Joodse staat herschrijven en witwassen.

Hoewel een deel van de documenten op internet openbaar is gemaakt, is veel nog altijd niet toegankelijk, ondanks het verlopen van de geheimhoudingstermijn. Veel materiaal is alleen deels toegankelijk voor Israëlisch-Joodse onderzoekers. De Nationale Bibliotheek heeft zo'n 30.000 boeken, die niet toegankelijk zijn voor de meeste Palestijnen. Voor zover er databases van archieven zijn, zijn deze gewoonlijk alleen te doorzoeken in Hebreeuws en Engels, niet in Arabisch.

Kritiek
Efraim Karsj, heeft de Nieuwe Historici ervan beschuldigd systematische geschiedvervalsing te plegen.

Men verweet de Nieuwe Historici veelvuldig de schuld bij enkel de Israëlische zijde te zoeken en de vroegere protagonisten te meten aan hedendaagse moralistische maatstaven, zonder de historische context in beschouwing te nemen. Een ander punt van kritiek was dat de Nieuwe Historici het onderwerp zouden benaderen vanuit een linksradicaal en marxistisch perspectief.

Daarnaast is een punt van kritiek dat de Nieuwe Historici zich vrijwel alleen richten op Israëlische bronnen en dat de schaars gebruikte Arabische bronnen vaak ook via het Engels worden geraadpleegd. Zo zegt Shlaim dat hij geen Arabische bronnen hoeft te gebruiken omdat hij de Israëlische geschiedenis beschrijft en stelde Benny Morris dat hij uit de Israëlische geschiedschrijving de Arabische posities kan extrapoleren zonder ze uit de eerste hand te kennen.

Literatuur
 Benny Morris, The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1947-1949, Cambridge University Press 1988.
 Ilan Pappé, The ethnic cleansing of Palestine, 2006, Oneworld, Oxford.
 Avi Shlaim, The Debate about 1948, International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 27, No. 3, (Aug., 1995), pp. 287–304
 Dominique Vidal, Comment Israël expulsa les Palestiniens : Les nouveaux acquis de l'Histoire (1945-1949), Éditions de l'Atelier , 2007
 Sébastien Boussois, Israël confronté à son passé : Essai sur l'influence de la "Nouvelle Histoire", L'Harmattan, 2007
 Efraim Karsh, Fabricating Israeli history: The 'New Historians',

Arabisch-Israëlisch conflict

Zionisme
Israëlisch-Palestijns conflict


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The public can go online to vote for the best pitch, from March 28 to April 14. The 20 finalists will get business coaching, mentoring and a chance to present their ideas to a judging panel at Ontario Centres of Excellence's Discovery Conference in Toronto from May 9 to 10, 2016.
November 27, 2015 – McMaster Daily News – Mac grad Matthew Sheridan named Ontario's Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Matthew Sheridan, inventor of the Nix Colour Sensor and a McMaster alumnus, was named Ontario's Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2015 Ontario Business Achievement Awards on Nov. 25.
The Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, presented by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, is awarded to a young Ontario entrepreneur who has successfully built a unique and game-changing venture.
November 27, 2015 – Mentorworks – How the Rise of Millennials Affects Entrepreneurship and the Economy
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Clear Blue has developed the industry's most advanced technology to power, control, monitor and proactively service solar and wind based systems such as lighting, mobile power and security. Since its inception in 2011, Clear Blue has partnered with George Brown College and Centennial College on a number of research and development projects related to the company's Smart Off-Grid technology. OCE has made several investments in Clear Blue, which have been instrumental in helping the company commercialize its green energy technology.
November 27, 2015 – Financial Post – Canadian startups need more VC funding to stay at forefront of medical technology
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October 23, 2015 – Niagara Falls Review – College helps small businesses get with the times
If you don't exist online you just don't exist. That's what Neil Wilkinson a research project manager at Research and Innovation at Niagara College says. Wilkinson is part of a team of students and faculty at the college who will offer e business solutions to small and medium sized businesses in the region and across the province in the coming months.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Brian Ross (born January 14, 1962) is an American racecar driver. He won Rookie of the Year honors in the Automobile Racing Club of America in 2000 and won the CRA Kendall Late Model Series in 1999 and 2001. He has two career starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts, both in 2002. In 2012, Brian Ross won his first ever track championship at Plymouth Speedway.

Ross was also the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series rookie of the year and northern division champion in 2002.  That year he earned 5 wins. Ross was the 1999 winner of the annual Winchester 400.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Busch Series

Craftsman Truck Series

References

External links

ARCA Menards Series drivers
American Speed Association drivers
Living people
NASCAR drivers
CARS Tour drivers
1962 births
People from Plymouth, Indiana
Racing drivers from Indiana

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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myscience.ch › news › news 2020 › Decision time predicts the risk of depression relapse
Decision time predicts the risk of depression relapse - 20.2.20
Decision time predicts the risk of depression relapse
20 February 2020 - Deutsch - Français
Health | Pharmacology
In a study, researchers have shown that it is possible to predict the risk of relapsing into depression after stopping antidepressant medication. People who relapse take longer to decide how much effort to invest for a reward.
Depressive disorder is a major public health problem with an unpredictable course. It often recurs, with episodes of depression interspersed with periods of remission. Many studies have shown that in order to reduce the risk of relapse, treatment should continue even after symptoms have disappeared. Unfortunately, this does not seem to have any effect on the risk of subsequent relapse after the drugs have been discontinued. "It is estimated that 30% of patients relapse within six months of withdrawal. That's a very high rate. And doctors currently have no reliable tools for estimating this risk", says Isabel Berwian, psychologist.
In a longitudinal study on (SNSF) and published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry (*), Isabel Berwian, now postdoc at the Translational Neuromodeling Unit at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, has now shown that observing the way people in remission make choices helps to predict the risk of depression relapse.
Looking at motivation
To conduct this study, Quentin Huys - at the time researcher in computational psychiatry as well as a psychiatrist and psychotherapist - and his team recruited patients who had experienced recurrent or severe depression and were in remission, i.e. with no or almost no symptoms but still undergoing treatment. Independent of the study, these patients had already decided to stop taking antidepressants. Each participant was given a task to measure his or her willingness to exert effort based on different levels of reward. This type of task was chosen because the scientific literature shows that a characteristic feature of depression is low willingness to exert the effort required to receive a reward. The researchers wished to go further and investigate whether this might be an indicator of potential relapse.
Data from 123 patients and 66 healthy controls was collected between July 2015 and January 2019 in both Zurich and Berlin. All of the people who had experienced depression completed the task twice: once before the medication was stopped and a second time either before or after discontinuation. All subjects were also followed for 6 months after the study to monitor them for relapse. Analysis of the results showed that the decision time was longer in patients (mean 1.77 seconds) than in controls (mean 1.61 seconds) and, among patients, even longer in those who relapsed after tapering (mean 1.95 seconds). The researchers could show that decision time correctly indicates a future relapse for 2 out of 3 people.
Stay in bed or get up?
A computational model was used to understand the mechanisms involved in the task. The model showed that the nature of the choice (small effort for a small reward or larger effort for a larger reward) made it possible to differentiate between formerly depressed people and healthy people: the former more often chose the option that required the least effort. The researchers believe that in these people, depression may in fact persist, but asymptomatically.
The model also showed that people in remission are more sensitive to effort. Isabel Berwian explains the finding this way: "Imagine that one evening you are already in bed. Some friends invite you to go into town to have ice cream. A healthy person would probably get up and go out. A person who is suffering from a depressive episode would be more likely to stay in bed. Even if it's something the person enjoys doing, it just seems like too much trouble."
Although the study found that the time it takes people to decide is predictive of the risk of depressive relapse, it's too early to apply the finding in practice. "This indicator is promising, but at this stage we cannot claim to have found 'the' solution. The results need to be validated on a larger sample, because ours was relatively small", says Isabel Berwian. That poses a challenge for researchers as it's difficult to find patients for these kinds of studies. Quentin Huys - now an associate professor at University College London - and his team are also working on other potential indicators of depression relapse. For example, they are examining whether brain activity differs between people who have had depression and healthy people while they are watching a sad movie.
The study was carried out at the Translational Neuromodeling Unit at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich and at the University Psychiatric Clinic, Zurich, in collaboration with the Charité University Hospital, Berlin. The SNSF project funding scheme enables scientists to independently conduct research projects with topics and goals of their own choice.
Inflate a balloon, win points
To measure decision time, the study participants were asked to complete a task. The task consisted of tapping a key on a computer keyboard to obtain a certain number of virtual points. The participants had five seconds to choose between two alternatives: exerting little effort by tapping the key 20 times to gain one point, or exerting more effort by tapping the key 100 times for three to seven points, depending on the trial. Once participants had made their decision, they had 40 seconds to tap the key the number of times required to inflate a virtual balloon. The balloon burst when the number of taps was reached. Each participant performed the task 60 times.
(*) I. M. Berwian, J. Wenzel, A. G. E. Collins, E. Seifritz, K. E. Stephan, H. Walter, Q. J. M. Huys: Computational mechanisms of effort and reward decisions in depression and their relationship to relapse after antidepressant discontinuation, Jama Psychiatry (2020). doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.4971
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
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Q calls out Adam Schiff for his leaking and phony attacks on the President. Q also reminds us that it isn't enough to arrest corrupt people. We need to make the necessary changes to prevent this from ever happening again.


Click on the image above to watch the video on Youtube.
Pioneering Australian scientists have established Gondwana Genomics - the world's only deliverer of long-awaited genetic marker-assisted selection (MAS) technology to unlock the genetic potential of trees. This advanced MAS screening technology was developed through 10 years of plantation research in Australia and is being used for commercial growers around the world.
On a recent Gottstein Trust Forest Science course with participants from across Australia and the world, we visited Gondwana Genomics' impressive laboratory and thanks to Forest Learning we've got an exclusive video to share with you – a behind the scenes explainer of the technology used.
Gondwana Genomics genetic markers accurately predict tree performance and deliver substantial gains extremely quickly. Their next-generation genotyping platform allows for cost-effective implementation of a testing program, fast turnaround and high accuracy. Plantation tree rotations can be long, so this quick turnaround is crucial. The knowledge these markers provide can boost growers' businesses through increased growth, density, pulp yield, energy value and disease resistance in their trees.


I bought the LG model as a favor for my cousin, who was moving to Florida last summer and wanted a good portable AC (as per climatastic.com reviews). When it arrived, We checked the unit together and I was so thrilled with it that I couldn't resist and bought one for myself.
We proceed to the installation. It was not as easy as I expected and we got into a bit of trouble with the vent hose. However, LG has a very useful online video on their website, and that helps us a lot. Once we watch the video and got everything connected as it should, the hose simply felt in place as it should. I think the best you can do is follow the instructions, and check the video while you install it. It will be faster for you that way.
All in all, It took us 45 minutes to have the unit installed and running. We kept the box, as the unit was meant to travel to Florida with my cousin.
Then we turned the AC on. And oh boy, it worked perfectly! It cooled the living room in my 900 square feet condo really fast. In 15 minutes the unit has cooled down the place to a comfortable 72 degrees on a really hot 88-degree day. Absolutely chilly and very comfy. Even the kitchen, which is separated from the living room with a wall, felt downright fresh.
Another thing that surprised me was the noise level. I was expecting something louder. I mean, of course, it's noisy, it's an air conditioner. It can't be helped. But the noise level is quite tolerable, and if you have the unit on your living room on a hot day, you can drown it really easy with your TV. If I have to compare it, I will say it sounds like a large fan on high speed. It's not annoying at all, and the white noise can actually help you sleep if you are a light sleeper like me. However, If you are obsessed with silence, you might be looking for something else.
It also includes a nice remote control with swing feature that made the panes move up and down, helping on with air circulation and making it even more useful in enclosed spaces. Kudos to LG!
All in all, I'm giving it a 4/5 stars rate due to the not-so-easy installation. But mind that I liked this LG Portable AC unit so much, I ended up buying another one for my home, so that should tell you something!
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The others arrived right on time. Nathaniel directed them to the den while Mia remained in the kitchen preparing coffee. Nathaniel's machine was practically foolproof so she had no fear about burning the brew. She found a tray and placed the sugar bowl, the creamer and the hot pot of coffee. She had already prepared a tray with mugs, spoons and napkins.
She was just pulling the platters of small sandwiches and pastries from the fridge that Betsy had prepared for them before she left when the back door opened. Mia turned to find Nick shaking the snow off his boots and jacket in the mud room.
When he finally looked at her, she could see the rage still brewing but it was tempered now. He hung his jacket on a peg at the backdoor and left his wet boots in the mud room.
"Will you be okay?" Mia asked as she set the platters down on the counter besides the two trays.
Without a word, he walked over to her, he gathered her in to his arms, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. Before she could utter a word, his lips were against her own, his tongue tangling against her. He had always been intense in his love making, but lately his touches had become tender and gentle. She had nearly forgotten how consuming he could be. Only when he had literally taken her breath away did he pull back, but just enough so that they were eye to eye. His cold nose brushing against her own.
"I will not lose you," He said through gritted teeth, "You belong to me and I won't let anything take you from me, not you, not your father, not even death. You are mines and I will never let you go."
Mia lifted her arms to circle his neck, pressing her entire body against his own, "I love you too."
"I'm not joking around Mia, I will not lose you," His arms tightened to the point that breathing became a little hard, "Losing you is not an option."
"I never planned on it to be," Mia got out as best she could.
"Good," He said, pressing one last fierce kiss against her lips and releasing her.
Without another word, he grabbed the two coffee trays and walked out of the room. Mia picked up the food platters and followed. As they neared the den, Mia could hear the sounds of laughter and merriment. She was surprised to find not only Ada, Sarah, Ronan and Alastair in the room, but Adeline and Daphne as well.
"What are you doing here?" Mia asked as she set the tray down on the coffee table in the middle of the room.
"We came looking for you at your apartment this morning when he informed us you stayed out here last night," Daphne said simple as she motioned to Ronan as she made her way to the tray of food and coffee, "He offered to bring us since he had room in his car."
"Ada called to tell us what happened," Adeline said with a frown as she move towards her sister. Mia was unprepared when she threw her arms around Mia's shoulders and squeezed, "You should have told us. We're in this together, you're not alone."
"I wasn't trying to do this alone," Mia said, a little choked up by her sisters' concern.
"You always do everything on your own," Daphne corrected as she grabbed an egg salad sandwich off the tray. "You never wanted our help, ever."
"That's not true," Mia said with a frown and she tried to think of example of when she had asked for her, but amazingly, she easily think of one.
"See," Daphne said around her sandwich. "You would never let us take care of you. Even when you were sick, you would rather crawl out of bed on your hands and knees then ask one of us to get you a glass of water."
"I see nothing had changed," Ronan said with a smirk from his seat near the fireplace. Mia shot him a dirty look.
"I didn't say anything because it was too much for me to discuss. There were things I wasn't prepared to talk about with anyone, not even Nick," Mia admitted. Nick came up behind her to wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her against his chest and resting his chin against the top of her head.
"We should probably give her some slack about this though," Sarah said as she easily stood up and navigated her way towards the coffee pot, "Losing the man you love and your unborn child in one day would be hard for anyone to talk about."
The room suddenly fell silent as all eyes turned to Mia and Nick. Nick's arm tightened around Mia's waist as Adeline looked at her sister, her eyes brimming and her lips trembling as she reached out for Mia.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Adeline demanded to know as her hands clutched tightly at Mia's arm. "Why didn't you tell us you were pregnant? We would have come. We would have protected you. We would have been there that day."
"Oh," Sarah said, her face suddenly turning pale as she realized just what she had done. "Oh god Mia, I'm sorry, I didn't know they didn't know."
"It's okay Sarah," Mia said softly, "They would have found out soon enough."
"Did Thea know?" Adeline asked, Mia nodded.
"I didn't tell her but she knew."
"God Mia, you can't keep doing this," Adeline said shaking her head, "You can't keep things like this from us. We're family, we are supposed to be there for each other, but you always keep us at arm's length. You don't let us be there for you."
"I didn't want you getting hurt. I didn't want anything to happen to you," Mia said softly.
"You little fool," Daphne said in disgust, "Don't you get it yet, we don't care. After everything we have been through together, after everything we have suffered together, risking our lives for one another is nothing. After all, we died together once before, how much worse can it be to do it again."
Mia couldn't help but laugh at her sister's words.
"She's right you know. We will always be there for you. No matter what, we will always be there. That is what family is for," Adeline said squeezing her arm gently.
"And lucky for you, your family got a lot bigger recently," Ronan said with a goofy grin as he saluted her from his seat across the room.
"He's right Mia, you are family now," Nathaniel agreed. "Even without Nick, you would still be family."
"Oh god, if only you knew just how true your words were," Mia said with a slightly hysterical laugh as she thought of her mother and half-brother who would be arriving shortly. Nick seemed to understand her words and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
"Now that everything is all easy breezy, will someone tell me who made these little sandwich things, they are absolutely delicious," Daphne said as she wandered back over to the food. Adeline just shook her head and rolled her eyes at her younger sister.
"It doesn't matter how long she's been alive, she never seems to have aged beyond her teen years. Probably has something to do with dying at that age the first time around," Adeline said. "You have no idea how infuriating it's been to live with her for the past two weeks. It's like living with a teenager."
"Well, at least she decided to stick with a normal hair color," Mia offered. Adeline scowled at her.
"It was purple yesterday and blue the day before," Adeline informed her as they both turned to see their sister's shoulder length hair was a nice shade of auburn at the moment.
"Well, then, at least she did a good job of covering up the colors," Nick tried to offer diplomatically, which just caused Adeline to sigh.
"She uses magic to change it," Mia informed him. "Like I told you a while back, Daphne uses her magic for frivolous things, clothes, shoes, hair color, eye color, even face lifts. That was not the same face I saw the last time I saw her."
"Does she use…donors, for her magic?" Nick asked hesitantly. His words brought a wicked smile to her sister's lips.
"Oh does she."
"My sisters and I all have different unique talents. Something we developed after we awoke from our first death," Mia tried to explain which just had Adeline giggling, "Thea had her visions, Adeline can catch quick glimpses in to people's hearts when she touches them, Emily can sway people's minds for a short period of time, I have a slight problem with things exploding when I get upset, as you have seen, and Daphne can draw power from sex. She's sort of like a succubus."
Nick suddenly went white before his face turned bright red as she gazed in surprise at Daphne who was even now flirting with Ronan. Her hand resting lightly on his broad shoulder. He seemed to be sucking up her attention to.
Adeline tried not to laugh, instead she tried to cover it with a cough as she covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile.
"I think I should go warn him," Nick said as he gave Mia one last squeeze before hurrying over to his friend and their sister. Mia and Adeline just watched as Nick grabbed Ronan by the shoulders and quickly pulled him from the room with some asinine excuse.
"He's good for you," Adeline said as she stared after the two men.
"He too good for me," Mia said as she too stared after them.
"He doesn't think so."
"No, he never has," Mia agreed as she turned back to her sister who was watching her carefully.
"I don't think he would hate you," Adeline said, "If you made him like us, I don't think he would hate it at all."
Mia could hear the longing in her sister's voice. Mia knew that Adeline had a man in her life, but she didn't know much about him. She knew he wasn't a blood magic user, but that he was a magic user. Adeline didn't talk about him much, just that she loved him enough to kill him if their father ever got free. She would rather take his life than have their father take his soul.
"I am so freaking jealous of you," Daphne said as she threw her arms around Mia's shoulders, leaning heavily on her sister before turning to Adeline, "Do you see the ass on that man? What I would give to get a piece of him."
Mia didn't even bother getting annoyed with her sister's words. That was just the way Daphne was. Whatever she thought came right out of her mouth. She and Ada had that in common. There was no thing as censorship with them. It was probably why they got along so well.
Which is why she was in no way surprised when Ada joined them and added her own comments, "God, you don't even know the half of it. You should see him when he just gets out of the shower. Imagine that chest glistening with water and his hair slicked back. I was drooling."
"Do I even want to know how you saw Nick shirtless and just out of the shower?" Mia asked with a sigh, knowing she really probably shouldn't.
"Well it's not my fault your man walks around like that. I was waiting patiently for you to get ready and get your ass in to gear when he comes strolling out of the bedroom to get himself a cup of coffee," Ada huffed, "Did you actually expect me to look away from that piece of work. I think not."
"You should see him at the beach," A new voice joined them. Mia couldn't kept her mouth from falling open as Sarah joined their little group.
"Aren't you blind?" Ada asked point blank.
"Duh, but it doesn't mean I can't see. I can see a person's energy which is just a good as seeing them physically. Let me tell you, that man could like up the dark, he practically glows."
"Damn, that might be worth seeing," Ada said speculatively, "But I must admit, the flesh is pretty damn fine too."
A throat clearing behind them interrupted Ada's next thoughts as all eyes turned to Nathaniel who stood there shifting uncomfortably. Mia could feel her cheeks heating but Mia just look the man up and down with an appreciative smile.
"You aren't bad yourselves for like a really old guy," Ada said with a wink.
"Please tell me you are not hitting on my grandfather-in-law," Mia said with a groan as she covered her face with her hands.
"Can I help it if he's good looking?" Ada said, shrugging off Mia's words before turning to Nathaniel, "So Nate, how you ever thought about slipping in between the sheets with a blood magic user, because you know-"
Mia quickly slammed her hands over her cousin's mouth before she could continue.
"Don't you dare continue that thought," Mia growled. Nathaniel just chuckled as he watched them.
"Damn Mi, it's not like he's a virgin like the seer over there, he's obviously been around the block a time or two, he is like nearly five hundred years old," Ada complained as she pushed her cousin's hands away, "I mean, even his grandson knows how to rock it with a blood magic user. I've heard the way he makes you scream in pleasure."
"Oh my god, you did not just say that," Mia screeched as Sarah slammed her hands over her ears.
"I so did not want to know that," Sarah said, shaking her head, "Now I can't get the image out of my head. Eww, Eww, Eww."
Adeline and Daphne were laughing outright while Nathaniel at least tried to pretend he didn't find the whole situation as hilarious as it was.
"Seriously though, what it is like to shake sheets with that one?" Ada asked with a wink, "I mean I can imagine what it must be like, but the real thing must be out of this world."
"I assure you, it is," A voice stopped them all in their tracks. Mia refused to turn around look at him, but that didn't stop everyone else in the room from doing so. She stood perfectly still as she heard his footsteps draw near, then his arm slipped around her waist once more and drew her back to him. By then not only was her face bright red but her chest and neck as well.
"I'm the best, aren't I love?" Nick said with a deep chuckle as he pressed as kiss against the side of Mia's head.
"You are so bad," She said shaking her head, "You're grandfather's in the same room."
"He's been around us for the last month, I'm pretty sure he knows what were up to," Nick said, she could hear the grin in his voice. She could also hear Ronan snickering behind them.
"Thank god your mother's not here too," Mia groaned.
"She would be congratulating me if she were. She absolutely loves you just like the rest of the family. Besides, she knows what happens in a bedroom between a man and a woman. After all, she does have two children. " Mia shot him a glare, and was rewarded with a wink.
"You-" Mia was saying when she was cut off by Nick's lips dropping down on her own. It wasn't a quick peck, it was a possession. She was never more glad at that moment that Sarah was blind. There really were things she should not be seeing and this was probably one of them. But still, Mia didn't pull away or fight him, instead she got caught up in his kiss and kissed him back just as passionately.
"I am so jealous," Ada groaned, "I want one of him."
Mia could feel Nick smiling against her lips as he finally released her. She glared up at him and punched his shoulder, he just wrapped his arms around her shoulder and pulled up tight against him.
"Stop trying to shock my cousin, you'll never be able to do something she hasn't already seen or done herself," Mia scolded softly. He just laughed.
"But it's so much fun to watch your reactions. It's good for my ego," He replied before he brushed a quick peck on her lips and released her.
"You don't need any help with your ego," Mia grumbled as her cheeks started to warm again when she realized Nathaniel was watching her with a warm smile on his lips.
"You are good for him," Nathaniel said, "And he is good for you."
Mia just nodded because she knew he was right. They had both been through hell and they had come out stronger. He made her want to be a better person. He always had. If she ever lost him, she wasn't sure what would happen. Not just to her, but to the world.
"Leave those dark thoughts for another day, today we are focusing on fixing your future," Nathaniel said as he patted Mia on the shoulder before turning back to their company. Mia knew he was right. There were more pressing issue then what may happen. Right now they needed to worry about what was going to happen if they didn't do something.
Alastair and the others arrived with their guests five minutes later. By then, they were able to calm down enough to sit down to a have a nice snack with their coffee. Nick usually liked to keep Mia close nowadays, usually keeping her at his side with a hand resting on her thigh or an arm around her shoulders. But Nick seemed especially touchy today, he sat on one of the armchairs flanking the fireplace with Mia sitting on his lap. She had been planning to take a seat on the sofa near him, but he had reached out and grabbed her waist, pulling her down on his legs.
Ada had made a comment about getting Nick cloned as she sulked in the seat Mia had been planning to take with her coffee and pastries.
Mia had finished her coffee and had been leaning forward to place her cup down on the table when Nick's hand on her thigh stilled her. His fingers tightened on her jean clad thigh. Mia thought he was trying to get frisky again but realized the missing half of their party had decided to finally join them.
"Sorry, we're so late. Had a little bit of an issue making it up the drive. It seems the wards went on alert and started a little bit of snow storm," Alastair said as walked in to the room.
"That wasn't a little snow storm," Delilah grumbled as she stalked in to the room, her hands were a little shaking as she reached out to grab the coffee pot and pour herself a cup. "Your damn wards almost pushed us off the road and in to the trees."
"We knew it was a possibility," Marco said with a heavy sigh, but even he looked a little white around the eyes.
"I told you we should have taken one of them with us," Delilah grumbled as she took a deep chug.
"Where are our guests?" Nathaniel asked with a frown as he looked towards the well lit hallway.
"They needed to clean up," Delilah said with a snicker.
"Why? What happened?" Nick asked warily.
"A sink hole opened up in the side of the drive as Mrs. Chen was getting out of the car," Delilah said with a wide grin on her face, "She would have broken something if her son didn't have such speedy reflexes. As is, she was covered in a mud as we thought it might be better for all if she cleaned up first."
"Good," Ada said with a bright smile, before picking up another fruit tart.
"Are you sure it's a good thing to let her wander around the house alone?" Sarah asked with a frown as her eyes kept darting towards the open doorway. Mia wondered what her friend saw that they didn't.
"I highly doubt she will be able to get in to any trouble. The wards within the house are far more secure than the wards outside," Nathaniel said with a shrug.
"That's what I'm worried about," Sarah said just as they heard the sound of something crashing and breaking.
"I'll go check on them," Nick said with a sigh as he stood up, easily lifting Mia in his arms before setting her back down on the chair in his place. "I'll be back."
"I'll come with you, you may need backup," Ronan said as he too stood up. He handed his half filled cup of coffee to Mia, "Watch over that for me."
Mia frowned at the cup in her hands as the two men left the room. She heard Ada snickering besides her and a sudden suspicion entered her mind.
"What did you do?" Mia demanded as she turned to her cousin.
Ada just shrugged, "He kept drinking all of the coffee and never making another pot."
"Ada," Mia groaned.
"It was nothing," Ada said waving her hands and Mia, "I just decided to spice up the coffee a little bit."
"How little?"
"She slipped some ground up ghost pepper in to the pot," Sarah informed her.
"Ada! You can't do that."
"It was nothing," Ada argued, "He started breathing again after a minute or two. Besides he learned his lesson. Now there's always fresh coffee in the pot."
"I swear I'm surrounded by a bunch of children," Mia said shaking her head as she made to keep Ronan's coffee cup as far away from her cousin as possible.
"You know the whole tension thing between the two of you would just stop if you just slept with the man," Daphne said as she reached over her cousin for another sandwich. "I mean we could all smell it on the two of you. You should just get it over with."
Mia could only groan. Ada was bad enough, now she was stuck with the two of them, who knew what other scandalizing things would come out of their mouths.
"What?" Daphne looked up innocently.
"What does she mean you can smell it?" Sarah asked Adeline sitting next to her. Her older sister was shaking her head but explained to Sarah.
"Blood magic users had heightened senses. Our sense of smell is heightened enough that we can smell certain things," Adeline was trying to be diplomatic in her explanation as she looked around the room at Nathaniel and Alastair. Nathaniel was smiling but Alistair looked a bit red.
"You mean you can smell lust?" Sarah asked innocently.
"Yes, yes we can," Adeline said, her own cheeks looked a little pink.
"It's not really lust that we smell, it's-" Daphne was explaining when Adeline slammed her palm over her sister's mouth.
"Not now," Adeline said through gritted teeth. Sarah's mouth fell open as she suddenly realized what Daphne had been about to say. Daphne gave her sister an affronted look as she pushed her palm away and then winked as Sarah and whispered loudly, "I'll tell you later."
Mia grimaced just and Nick and Ronan walked back in to the room with their guests. Nick was frowning as he made his way back to Mia, instead of picking her up and placing her back on his lap, he took a stance behind her chair, his arms crossed over his chest, he shoulder leaning on the mantle behind them.
Ronan took his seat once more, grabbing is coffee from Mia. He mumbled thanks but she noticed how he sniffed his cup, eyeing it suspiciously. She wasn't the only one that noticed as Ada started snickering again.
Mia gazed at their two guests. Iliya looked somewhat cleaner. She still had a couple of streaks of mud on her cheek, but her hair looked clean, dripping wet but clean. The clothes she wore were a large, a loose pair of sweat pants and sweat shirt that Mia had never seen before. But she figured from the bright pink color that it probably belonged to Nick's younger sister.
Damien looked no worse for wear. There were a few streaks of dried dirt on his pants and the arm of his black suit, but besides that, he looked good, which was not lost on the women in the room. Ada let out a low whistle as she looked him up and down.
"I won't mind me a bit of that either," She said to Daphne besides her.
Marco started speaking before Daphne had time to reply, effectively cutting off whatever embarrassing comment was about to come out of her mouth, "Okay, now that we are all here, we can start. You claim that Mia is in danger. I want to know everything you know and how we fix it."
It was obvious Iliya Chen was not used to being ordered around. She leveled Marco with a icy glance before she walked over to an empty armchair and had a seat. Damien took up the space behind her chair. He glanced around the room warily, all to aware that he stood in a room with three Omegas, and five A-Level magic users.
"I warn you now, that whatever comes out of your mouth better not upset Mia or her sisters in anyway, or I shall take it as a personal offense," Nick said icily as he gazed at the woman who had given birth to the woman he loved.
"You are no threat to me," Iliya said with a wave of her hand, dismissing Nick's threat.
"We shall see," Nick said with a chilling smile, "I can be quite resourceful. After all, I learned from the best and how to get what I want. I have the scars to prove it."
The room got utterly silent. Nick didn't talk about what happened to him all those years ago. Mia and the Dragos clan knew best what he had suffered and they knew best what he was capable of. Mia doubted her mother truly understood just how dangerous Nick could be.
"Nick," Alistair warned. Nick said nothing but nodded, the smile left his face but he kept his fierce golden eyes trained on the Chens.
"You claim you have come here to help Mia, well prove it," Delilah challenged.
"I am here to do more than help Mia, I am here to help you all save this world," Iliya said, her head held high and her back straight. Anyone walking in to the room might have mistaken her for a queen, but Mia knew better. She lost the right the rule over them the moment she walked away.
"Well, get on with it then," Ada said with an eye roll.
"I assume that your seer has explained to you all the Mia's situation," Iliya paused for confirmation. Alistair and Marco nodded. "Well, the situation is far worse then you were informed. The body Mia is inhabiting is dying. The body and the soul she stole was never meant to contain Mia's true power. These visions she has been suffering from, are the first signs that the soul is shattering."
Mia could hear the gasps around the room as eyes suddenly turned in her direction. Nick stepped forward, his hands coming down Mia's shoulder's supportingly. Mia kept her face blank as she stared at the woman she realized she had never really known.
Since finding out she was her mother, Mia had tried to rack her brain to remember something about her. She had only lived with her mother for twenty-four years or so before the whole attack happened. Mia and her older sisters had always been independent, it was what their parents had wanted them to be. Daphne probably remembered her best, she was always clinging to her mother's skirts as a young child. Thea preferred her books, Adeline loved painting, Emily was obsessed with clothes, while Mia was usually with her father. He recognized she was most like him and he had wanted to impress his morals on her early on.
Mia realized she didn't really know the woman who gave birth to her. Her father loved her unconditionally. She was his life. He loved his daughters, but it was his wife who was his everything.
Mia knew what it was like to love someone that way. She knew what it was like to breathe for someone else alone. But where her father believed that, she knew Nick felt the same way about her, there was no doubt in her mind or heart of this. She wondered if her mother had ever felt the same way for her father. If she had, wouldn't she have immediately returned to his side. Wouldn't she have fought heaven and earth to be there. Nothing would have stopped Mia from returning to Nick, nothing. So why had her mother never tried?
"What does that mean? What happens when her soul shatters?" Adeline demanded to know as she looked worried in Mia's direction before turning back to Iliya.
"If your sister were a normal person, it would be the ultimate death. Without a soul to return to the darkness, you will never be reborn. Your existence will be wiped from the universe," Iliya explained plainly, no emotion showing on her face or leaking in to her voice.
"Oh god," Sarah cried as clutched to her father's arm. Tears started streaming down her face as she began to sob. Alistair wrapped an arm around his daughter's shoulder as he patted Delilah gently patted her back.
"You said if she were a normal person," Marco said, as he crossed his arm in front of his chest and glanced at his cousin, "What exactly is she, if she is not a normal person?"
"I assume you know how she was created," Iliya said looking around the room, everyone there nodded, "Then you also know that body and the soul she inhabits are not her own. Her sisters created a body for her soul to inhabit, in doing so, they overwrote the soul in the body, tying it to Mia's own."
"So you are saying the soul in Mia's body is not her real soul?" Adeline asked with a frown. "I may not be as well versed in Soul Magic as Thea was, but from what I understood, the spell should have taken Mia's soul from the Void and replaced the soul currently living in the body."
"And that was what should have happened. It's what happened for you and your sister, but that was because you two were already dead. Your souls had already returned to the void," Iliya informed them which only caused more confusion.
"But Mia was dead. Thea told us Mia had come to her and asked for release," Daphne said with a scowl, "Thea would never have lied to us."
"And she didn't. As far as your sister knew, Mia was dead," Iliya nodded in agreement.
"Well, if she wasn't dead, then what was she?" Ada snapped, getting irritated with conversation.
"Mia is incapable of dying. She is a true immortal, something my people call a Phoenix, " Iliya explained. "You can try to kill her, but she will just rise again. Her body is just a vessel for her soul, if it is destroyed or killed, then another body will be created. There is no way for her to die."
"Well damn, that's fucked up," Ada said as she glanced at her cousin besides her.
"So if she wasn't dead, how was her soul put in to the body of my biological daughter?" Adeline demanded to know.
"I'm not exactly sure just how your sister went about doing it. This is magic beyond my know. But from what we could gather, your sister imprinted Mia's memories, her consciousness into the soul of your child." Iliya said, "She some how was able to link their souls and transferred everything that was Mia to the soul of your daughter basically erasing the existing soul."
"But how is that even possible?" Nathaniel asked, shaking his head, "I have studied Blood magic and what little I could find of soul magic for the last four hundred years and never heard a thing about something like this."
"That's because it didn't exist. It was something new, something my people would never have believed possible because of the very fact that it is so dangerous. If something happens to the overwritten soul, then it's pretty much like an ultimate death. The only difference is that the original soul is still in existence, just completely wiped."
"And that is what will happen to Mia when the soul shatters?" Sarah asked, wiping tears from her face with her father's handkerchief.
"Yes," Iliya nodded, "Mia will basically vanish. Her body and soul will still exist, but all her memories, everything she is right now, will disappear. She will basically be a blank."
"Then Mia herself will be facing an ultimate death?" Alistair asked with a deep frown.
"Yes," Iliya said slowly.
"So what do we need to do to prevent that?" Ronan asked, "I mean, you wouldn't be here is there wasn't a way to fix it,"
"There is," Iliya admitted, "What you must do is find Mia's real body before the stolen soul shatters, and transfer her consciousness back to it."
"Well, that should be easy enough," Daphne said with a pleased smile as she turned to Mia, "So where did you leave your body?"
Mia could only stare in wonder at her younger sister. Adeline sat next to her shaking her head. Even Ada looked stunned.
"I don't know Daph, I don't seem to remember where I placed it," Mia said, sarcasm heavy in her voice.
"Well that's not going to help us at all," Daphne said shaking her head.
"By any chance, did something go wrong when they were transferring her soul into her new body?" Ronan asked as he stared at Daphne open mouthed.
"No," Adeline said with a sigh, "That is just Daphne."
"For real?" Ronan said, turning to Mia who just nodded. "Wow."
"Well sorry for not getting it," Daphne said icily, "But I mean, she was the last one to see her body, I can only assume she would have known where it was."
"I don't know Daph, I was kind of dead at the time, so I kind of don't know where my body was placed," Mia said.
"Well, you must have some idea? Maybe your body is still in the grave where Thea placed you. We could trying checking there," Daphne offered. "I mean, it's not like its far or anything."
A shiver suddenly ran down Mia's spine as things suddenly started clicking in her head. It was something she had wondered about distantly, but not something she thought about often. She had wondered how the magic imbuing the hearth and the house had remained so strong after so many years. It suddenly made sense and it made her just a little sick.
"Are you telling me, your sister buried Mia's body somewhere on this land?" Ronan said with a shiver as he realized exactly what Daphne had been saying as well.
"Of course," Daphne said with a roll of her eyes, "Mia would have wanted to be buried in the place she was happiest."
"Please tell me your previous body isn't buried around here someplace to?" Ronan asked as he turned to Nick who just glared at him. "Because seriously, try and tell me that's not a little freaky."
"He's not," Mia said softly. "I took them home, they were buried with the Stormrider Clan. That way he could rest with his family."
Nick leaned over a brushed a kiss against the top of her head, "Thank you."
"So, do we dig her up then?" Daphne asked looking at Iliya.
"No, because although her body may have been buried there, it would have basically turned to ash and been reborn in another location," Iliya said shaking her head.
"I don't understand. How does this all work? So Mia's dies, her body turns to dust and a new body is created in a new place?" Adeline asked as she looked between Mia and Iliya.
"You have the basics of it," Iliya nodded.
"How do you know this for sure? I mean, we never saw it happen, so how do you know this is what happens when she dies?" Adeline asked.
"Because I am like your sister, I am a Phoenix," Iliya admitted.
"Well, damn," Daphne said in wonder.
"So you know how this all works? You've died before?" Sarah asked with a frown.
Mia had to bit down on her bottom lip to keep her comment to herself. Yes, she had definitely died before. But instead she sat there quietly while Iliya nodded.
"Yes, I have. Many times, just as Mia has, although she was not aware of what was happening at the time."
Once again all eyes were back on Mia. She scowled at Iliya, if she didn't want to protect her sisters so much, she would have outed her. But she wanted to keep that information from them as much as possible. It would hurt them less that way. They didn't need to know what a selfish backstabbing woman had given them life.
"What is she talking about?" Adeline asked with a frown.
"It was long ago. When we first went off to start the five clans. I tried to leave my territory, tried to get away, but the moment I set my foot on the border, I would get a piercing headache and then it felt like was body was on fire. It hurt so damn much but I needed to get out so badly that I would keep pushing myself. Then there would be one last sharp pain in my chest and then everything would go dark. When I woke up again I would always be at the foot of father's altar, naked and covered in dried blood. I didn't understand at first what was happening. I just thought I was blacking out. It was until recently that I understood what had really happened."
"What you felt was a ward my people put up to contain your father if he ever awoke. It would not have lasted long, but it would have given us a better chance of defeating him," Iliya informed her. Mia was too blown away but the news to do much but sit there and stare at the woman. She really didn't know her at all. She had knowingly trapped her daughter in the same prison she had built for her husband. It was just too much for Mia to contemplate. She knew without a doubt, her mother had known it would trap Mia as well. She has said as much the other night. She was too much like her father. Nick noticed her stillness and reached down to grab her hand in his own, giving it a squeeze. Mia squeezed back, but she was still too numb by the new to do more.
"If it was a ward meant for our father, then why did it kill Mia?" Daphne demanded to know angrily.
"Because that ward couldn't differentiate between your father as your sister," Iliya said simply. "You four were all aware that off the five of you, Mia was most like her father. It was not something unknown. After all, he was in the process of training her when everything happened."
"Yes, we did know our sister inherited the most from our father, but how would you or your people know that? Only our family knew, we never spoke of it to anyone else. By the times the five clans were created, our father was more legend that reality. None of them really believe in him, so how do you know so much about him and about our family?" Adeline demanded to know.
"My clan is very old," Iliya started off.
"Bullshit," Adeline interrupted her. "There were no clans until we created them. There were no blood magic users until we created them. Magic users were born from our bloodline. We are the originators. So the real question is who the hell are you?"
"Adeline, let it go," Mia warned her sister. Adeline turned enraged eyes on her sister.
"We deserve to know the truth. How dare this woman come in her and try to tell us our own goddamn history. We created history. She knows nothing," Adeline snapped as she came to her feet. Damien immediately shifted in to a protect stance in front of his mother.
"Adeline, calm down before you wake the wards," Mia said as she too stood. "The house recognizes my magic and the magic of the St. Clair family. But any other use of magic used with ill intent will awaken them."
As if to prove her point, the lights in the room began to flicker as the flames in the fire place began to grow.
Adeline bit off a curse but sat back down as she glared at Iliya and her son.
"And you," Mia said as she turned to Iliya, "I recommend that you keep you condemnation of my family to a minimum. After all, the wards have no problem when I use my magic within them. As powerful as your son maybe, he won't be enough to stop me if I decide to end one of your lives. Like you said, I am my father's daughter."
Iliya said nothing, but Mia could tell from the flashing in her jade green eyes that she very much wanted to. But even she was aware just how outnumbered she was. She may survive this night, but Damien wouldn't. And if she cared anything for her son that she did not feel for her daughters, it would be best if she behaved herself.
"Our best course of action and this point would be to put all of our resource in to searching for Mia's real body," Alistair said, breaking the tense silence.
"I agree, as much of a threat as Ophelia poses, our biggest concern should be helping Mia," Marco agreed before turning to Iliya, "Do you know of anyway that could help us find her body? Since you seem to know the most about this whole thing?"
Iliya shook her head, "I have never come upon a problem like this before. Usually a soul remains within a body so there is never a need to find the body. This is something my clan had never come across."
"If only Thea was still alive," Daphne said with a sigh, "She would have known where Mia's body was. After all, wouldn't she have had to know in order to do the soul stealing thing."
"That's it!" Iliya said excitedly which startled the whole room. They hadn't seen this much animation from her until now.
"What are you talking about? Did you want us to have a seance or something? Thea is dead. There's no way we can ask her now," Adeline scowled at the other woman.
"No, you are right, Thea is dead, but the one who put Mia's soul in to this body wasn't Thea," Iliya announced. There was complete silence at the proclamation as everyone tried to figure out what the hell she was talking about.
"I don't know what you heard, but it was most definitely Thea who placed Mia's soul in that body," Adeline said with a shake of her head.
"No, it wasn't. Thea was already dead by that time. Thea died not long after the two of you. She's been dead for over a thousand years," Iliya said. Adeline was ready to argue but Iliya cut her off. "Emily created the persona of Theodora Dragos and took Thea's place. She has been running the Dragos family for the last thousand years. She had no desire for any competition and she took you three out after she believe Mia died."
"I don't believe you," Adeline said shaking her. "Emily would never do that."
"Your sister has always been unstable. You saw the signs, you just ignored them. When she lost the man she believed was destined for her, she lost it completely. She poisoned Mia's clan against her. She was the one that sent them after Mia. She was the reason you lost your lover and your child. She was the one behind it all."
Mia could only sit there in shock. Not because it was unbelievable, but because it was. Emily had been furious when Kai chose Mia over her. She had threaten to make her pay. She probably hadn't intended for Kai to die, but when she found out that Mia was pregnant with his child, she probably lost it.
If it had been Mia in Thea's place for the last thousand years, that would mean. Mia mind froze as she looked up at Nathaniel, a man that she herself had once admitted looked just like Nick. One that could easily have been mistaken for him. So Emily had cursed him thinking he was Nick. She had ensured that he couldn't die just in case she needed to come after Mia again.
Mia felt sick. She literally felt sick to her stomach. Her sister was completely and utterly insane. Everything she had done, everything sick thing she had ever done was because she felt slighted.
"Emily wouldn't do that," Adeline said weakly, but there was no real conviction in her voice and they all heard it.
"Why?" Daphne asked after a second. "Why kill us only to raise us again? What's the purpose?"
"Because even she is aware that she has no chance of defeating your father. He is too powerful. It took five of you to defeat him the first time. She knows she has no chance this time around. She needed you to stop him."
"But if Emily was Thea, who the hell was Emily? What the hell did she do to my daughter?" Adeline demanded to know as she slammed her fist down on the table.
Iliya gave Adeline a sympathetic glance, "I believe your daughter was a trial for what she planned to do with Mia. She put a portion of her memories in to her, enough so that you two would believe it was her. But it was too much for the poor soul and it end up making her mad."
Adeline could only look at Iliya with horror written over her face. She grew pale and her hands shook.
"She used me. She used my children," Adeline said, her voice wavering as her hands suddenly clenched in to fists. "She told me we had to do this. She told me there was no choice. That only a child born between her son and I would be strong enough to hold the souls of our sisters. She lied to me."
Daphne reached over and wrapped her arms around Adeline's shoulders. Pulling her sister in to her embrace.
"I believe she also has Mia's real body in her possession or she is at least aware of its location," Iliya announced.
"I'm going to kill her. I'm going to kill her slowly and painfully and then rip her heart out and burn it to ashes. I'm going to make her pay for every crime she had committed against our family. She isn't one of us. She was never one of us," Adeline growled as she broke free from Daphne's embrace.
"Then you're going to need an army. Your sister has convinced the Rosengards to follow her. She was in negotiations with the Chens but I was able to put that on hold for now. Damien was able to convince his father to wait to see what happens before pledging any troops to her," Iliya informed them.
"We won't need any army, all we'll need is one," Adeline said fiercely as she gazed at Mia. "We will find your body and stuff your soul back in it, then you will make her pay for everything she has done to us. She killed your husband and murdered your child. She took my two children and turned them in to experiments. She deserves to die for everything she has done. She needs to pay."
"As lovely as that idea sounds, there is one little problem," Iliya interrupted her.
"What?" Adeline snapped.
"If your sister were to unleash her true powers on this world, it would awaken your father from his already light slumber. You would then have to deal with two enemies rather than one."
Adeline snarled as she pounded her fists against the cushion beneath her. Daphne tried to reach out for her again but Adeline slapped her hands aside. Mia knew exactly what her sister was feeling. She knew the pain, the sorrow, the loss that Adeline was going through right at that moment. She had felt the exact same thing when she lost Kai and their child. Emily needed to pay for this, for all the pain and sorrow she has caused them all, she needed to pay. Mia vowed that she would not stop until she made sure of that.
Next: Chapter Seven


text:
IP Enforcement 2020
On 10 May 2016 the UK Intellectual Property Office published a strategy document setting out the Government's intellectual property enforcement strategy for the next four years.
The paper sets out three core strategic ambitions. These are to ensure that:
UK businesses, including small businesses, are more confident operating internationally as a result of better IP protection globally;
Rights owners and rights users have access to proportionate and effective mechanisms to resolve disputes and tackle IP infringement; and
Consumers and users are educated to the benefits of respecting IP rights, and do so.
One area in which action has already been taken is cooperation between the China-British Business Council (CBBC) and the Alibaba Group. In 2014 an agreement was signed to tackle counterfeit goods sold on Alibaba e-commerce platforms with the aim of helping UK companies remove counterfeit goods from Alibaba platforms. This has been successful and such cooperation could be extended to other internet companies in China.
The government intends to concentrate future actions in six key areas:
Reducing the level of illegal content online;
Tackling the trade in counterfeit goods;
Further strengthening the legal framework to facilitate easier access to justice;
Increasing education, awareness and building respect for IP;
Making it safer for UK rights holders and businesses to trade internationally; and
Improving the evidence base for IP enforcement policy.
There will be a review of notice and takedown procedures to improve and streamline the process. Also a notice and 'trackdown' system will be considered which would enable rights holders to take action directly against an identified infringer. A further aim is to clarify EU rules governing platform liability.
Tackling counterfeit goods requires cooperation and coordination by various enforcement partners. To this end, the Home Office Serious and Organised Crime Strategy will continue to provide a dedicated intelligence hub. Key countries identified as involved in counterfeit activity are China, Hong Kong, India, Turkey and Pakistan and resources will be targeted at helping those countries improve their IP laws, identify criminals and stem the flow of counterfeit goods. Further, the UK Poise framework for enforcement initiatives, developed by UKIPO, can be promoted to international organisations such as Europol, Interpol, OLAF, EUIPO and the UN with the aim of disrupting international the supply chain.
More use will be made of the Proceeds of Crime Act to confiscate money and assets from criminals involved in counterfeiting. And streamlining of import and export procedures will lead to better enforcement across the agencies with border responsibiities.
Following the success of the IPEC (Intellectual Property Enterprise Court) in England and Wales demand for a similar system in Scotland and Northern Ireland will be assessed. The IPO Mediation Service and IPO Opinions Service will also be promoted.
Another possibility is legislation against intermediaries such as fulfilment houses, search engines, ISPs and other platforms that facilitate infringement and counterfeiting, or to deal with illegal streaming via set top boxes.
Increasing awareness
It is important to educate consumers of all ages to improve respect for IP rights and genuine goods. Reaching consumers and changing behavior is challenging but steps will be taken to change attitudes.
Increasing international engagement
Collaboration will continue with overseas partners, both existing and new. It is important to ensure that businesses are not deterred from trading internationally by concern about possible IP theft.
Improving the evidence base
This is likely to include an IPEC case database and the annual publication of IPEC claims data in addition to publication of criminal IP case data in the IP Crime Report.
We are delighted that the Government has put so much thought and effort into measures to facilitate IP enforcement and reduce problems of counterfeiting. We will continue to watch and report on developments as implementation progresses.


I did not begin my Monday on a good note. Some personal things did not go my way and naturally I was peeved. Bloghopping during lunchtime only made the blood boiled a bit more than it should, and the temperature rising came to a head when I stumbled upon that entry that ignited my creative juices into typing the previous entry. Even though I had contemplated whether to be jumpy and peeved in the first sentence, from the way I wrote overall, I guess I was spitting vile and venom and baying for blood.
With regards to my previous entry yesterday, I believe someone has already read it and responded in kind in her blog. She said she hates conflicts, and I agree wholeheartedly as I also hate it to the core. What started off as something which was meant to end up with happiness for many people, turned out otherwise just because there were suspicions and lack of communication. I believe I made a mistake in scaring her, when I joked once that I would find their old friends right down to the graveyard, which of course was meant as a figure of speech. Unknowingly I did not even realise that one of them had in actual fact passed on, hence the peeve towards my apparent insensitivity.
Though I perfectly understood why she felt the way she did, on why would a total stranger suddenly appear and be so excited about helping out, I believe things could have been done a little more tastefully by getting to know me a bit better, rather than look at me like a total wacko or stalker for that matter. Yeah you can be protective of your friends' interests and entitled to your own opinions but if it affects morale and spreads unhappiness throughout, we won't even get to realise our intentions to unite everyone. True, the world will be a boring place if people were to agree with one another but the world will also be a disaster if people do not learn to respect, tolerate and compromise their own differences towards each other.
Personally I hate to prolong this and I certainly thought it was over and done with after I had explained myself to her in a lengthy email sometime towards the end of 2006. Little did I expect this to crop up again a year on. I might have used religion as a way of reasoning in the previous entry but I believe I made sense in what I said and I certainly approached this whole reunion thingy with the love of Islam in mind. I never questioned her faith but to remind herself and also myself that there are more than just the 5 daily prayers that we need to look after. I don't have to elaborate further. We're all intelligent and mature, thinking adults to know ourselves.


Good morning! Today I'd like to talk about something that is extremely important to me. Something I am passionate about ~ keeping my home safe for my family. A few years ago, some friends of ours lost some close family friends to carbon monoxide poisoning. The cause was a faulty heating system and not having carbon monoxide detectors in their home. Having those detectors could of prevented that senseless tragedy. As soon as I heard about it, I went right to the store and bought carbon monoxide alarms for our home. It's crazy that it took a tragedy before I did something so simple as installing those alarms. Many states (California, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma Oregon, Virginia, Washington & Wisconsin) adopted new building codes that took effect in 2011 which requires carbon monoxide alarms in all one-and-two-family homes. That's been seven years ago! As with everything, these alarms don't last forever. So, today I am excited to partner with First Alert to remind you that it's time to change out those aging carbon dioxide alarms with brand new ones. Even if you don't live in one of those states, please take action. It could save your life and the lives of your family!
What is Carbon Monoxide? Carbon Monoxide is an invisible, odorless and deadly gas that can be produced by any fuel-burning device. Sources of Carbon Monoxide? CO can be produced by any fuel-burning device, such as a furnace, boiler, stove, or cars. Even if your home is all electric, but you do have an attached garage, a CO alarm is great to install.
CO alarms detect this poisonous gas and provide early warning. First Alert has a variety of CO alarms that can fit your family's needs. I personally love the easy plug-in alarms. They are so simple to install & use. They also have battery backup incase of power outages.
So, all you have to do is plug it in. So easy!
They also makes this handy Smoke & Carbon Monoxide combo alarm with a 10 year battery life.
This handy table top Carbon Monoxide Alarm is extremely easy to use & install as well (no tools required!).
Whichever style of CO alarm you chose to install is not as important, of just doing it! Find out the CO alarm regulations in your state. Most require CO alarms on each level or your home & in each sleeping area. Remember to maintain, test & replace your alarms as needed. Don't let the beep steal your sleep! What does this mean? Alarms have an end of life warning, letting you know it's time to replace. The beep, beep, beep of your alarm means it's time to replace it. Remember, having working CO alarms can save your family's life. Remind your neighbors, family & friends as well. Let's keep everyone safe!
When you replace your CO alarms. Share on social media using the hashtag #ReplaceYourCOAlarms. Help spread the word, and you could save a life! Don't forget to visit this website to learn more CO safety tips and legislation requirements in your state.


text:
La vida d'Alexandre Nevski (, Jitié Aleksandra Névskogo), títol complet La història de la vida i valor de l'ortodox i Gran Duc Alexandre  Povest o jiti i o khràbrosti blagovérnogo i velíkogo kniàzia Aleksandra, és un monument literari rus de finals del  i principis del segle XIV del gènere hagiogràfic.

L'obra descriu la vida i els èxits d'Alexandre Nevski, un governant rus i líder militar que va defensar les fronteres del nord de la Rus en contra de la invasió sueca, derrotà els cavallers teutònics al llac Peipus en 1242 i es feu vassall de Batu Khan per protegir el Principat de Vladímir-Súzdal de les incursions dels khàzars. "La vida ..." està plena d'esperit patriòtic i aconsegueix un alt grau d'expressivitat artística en la seva descripció dels fets heroics d'Alexandre i els dels seus guerrers.

L'autor de la història era probablement un escriba de l'entorn de Vladímir, el metropolità Kíril, que va venir de Galítsia-Volínia a la Rus en 1246 , per la qual cosa la història reflecteix les tradicions literàries establertes del sud-oest i nord-orient de Rússia. L'autor informa personalment que coneixia Alexandre Nevski i que va ser testimoni dels seus actes. La forma de l'obra és una combinació de la vella convenció hagiogràfica russa amb un intent de proporcionar un coneixement més profund de les característiques psicològiques del príncep, amb especial èmfasi en l'anàlisi de la seva profunda religiositat.

Una manifestació d'estil hagiogràfic a La vida ... és un ús generós de les convencions existents que defineixen la forma d'escriure les vides dels sants. En aquest esperit, l'autor descriu el naixement i la mort del príncep, el compara amb una sèrie d'herois de la Bíblia, posa de relleu l'extraordinària religiositat del seu caràcter. També afirma que les accions d'Alexandre Nevski estaven sota la cura especial de la divinitat. Característic de l'hagiografia és també l'obertura de tot el cant i la pregària, i el seu tancament, on descriu el funeral del futur sant, així com les nombroses cites de la Bíblia.

Enllaços externs
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Obres literàries en rus