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The next island
14, Ekim, 2022 Bankalar kategorisinde jaijiel0Ie (300 puan) tarafından soruldu
Although, he has always felt that that is where he should be. I will try to try other ways. Those that don't work so fast, that are more circuitous, that are safer. Perhaps he can find a way to lose less, but the effect can be maintained for many more years, perhaps, he can turn this sea into a pure land, because four or five years of self-exile, let him find that human beings are not so hopeless. He met Victor, Etan, and enthusiastic volunteers like Xiao Ying, and finally, he met Bei Zhiyi. A woman who can make him feel peaceful just by staying quiet. A woman who can calm him down in an instant like entering the bottom of the sea. His tragic life was quietly reversed before he could fully react, and he didn't even have time to think about whether he deserved such a reversal. He knew that he had not yet come out of the nightmare, and that he still dared not recall the past,fine bubble diffuser, and still could not say it. But he finally took the first step. Bei Zhiyi is the best listener he has ever seen, so that he can still remain calm after such analysis, and even some relief. I'm done. He An straightened up and released Bei Zhiyi's hand. He felt that he needed to give Bei Zhiyi time to digest. He said so many heavy words without thinking. In the end, he did not promise that he would not exchange his life for sharks on impulse. He just assured her that he would try. He felt a little out of place as a hooligan. Now he wants to have love, but he doesn't want to give up the plan he has been thinking about for many years. He analyzed all he could say, but he did not know how to describe it with Bei Zhiyi,Dissolved Gas Flotation, leaving him a burial plan would make him feel safe. His life had fallen apart overnight, and everything he had, everything he wanted, everything he had had no meaning. At that time, he longed for a chance to extricate himself. So when life once again showed signs of stabilizing, he was reluctant to give up such a chance of relief. It is difficult for people who have experienced the vicissitudes of life and have no way to die to have the courage to give up this opportunity. He was frightened by life, and when he welcomed the new life again, he became a little morbidly cautious. But these feelings, he can not open his mouth. He could only watch Bei Zhiyi twist her thin brows and look at him with reddish eyes. He has a little hope, hope Bei Zhi meaning can understand, Lamella Plate Settler ,wall penstocks, even if only a little. You Wait a minute Still speaking softly, the woman stood up in a hurry, ran into her room barefoot, rummaged through boxes and cupboards, and ran out barefoot again. Holding a bag of candy in his hand, fine beads of sweat oozed from his forehead because he had just moved too much. She opened the package of candies and shoved two into his palm. He and Ann stared at the candy in their hands. He knew this sugar, and at one time, American stores put this sugar as a Chinese specialty in the import area. Blue and white packaging with an extremely stupid rabbit on it. When I was in junior high school, my deskmate was a little fat boy. Holding a bag of candy in her hand, she rustled. "His grades are not good, but he is very happy every day. He often eats candy secretly in class." "My parents are very strict. This kind of candy snack is impossible to have in our family. On holidays, my parents will give it to the children of neighbors or relatives. So every time my deskmate secretly eats candy, I actually want to eat it." She's a little shy. Like a child, she said the truth to Ann, and she was in a hurry to give back with her heart. When I was in school, I was very poor in sports, but China's high school entrance examination is to count sports results. When my parents were in the first year of junior high school, they let me practice sports for two hours every day before school. "At that time." She hesitated for a moment, secretly looked at and Ann, "in the second year of junior high school, the girl came." The voice is getting lower and lower. He and Ann blinked, and the white rabbit toffee in his hand and the woman in front of him shyly told him the story of the girl's menarche, which made him a little confused. I didn't dare to tell my parents that it was too painful when I practiced running 800 meters. My legs were weak and I fell down, and my knees and elbows were broken. " "Then my deskmate gave me a candy." "He told me that candy was a reward, because I fell down and didn't dare to go home for fear of being scolded by my parents. He ran to the bathroom to wash the wound, and then ran to the classroom to change into a sports uniform with long sleeves and trousers. He thought I was very brave." "That's the first reward I've ever received in my life, and that's it." She pointed to the big white rabbit toffee in Hean's hand. So when she had an income from her job, she kept the candy with her. Take one when you are very tired as a reward for yourself. The toffee is sticky and milky. It's not particularly tasty, but it's sweet. Sufficient sugar can make her forget the cruelty of reality for a while. She occasionally remembers the smiling face of the little fat man, whose teeth are about to decay, and whose exam results are always in the bottom five of the class, but he is very happy. Even in their short life at the same table, the only time they said anything that had nothing to do with learning was when he gave her a toffee. She felt that it took a lot of courage to say what Ann had just said, and the look on Ann's face after he had said it reminded her of the way she longed to be appreciated when she was a child. So she remembered the big white rabbit toffee. When she really told the story, she looked at the big white rabbit candy in Ann's hand and felt a little cramped again. Compared with what Ann had said before,multi disc screw press, her unweathered experience was so childish that it was ridiculous. That one In fact, this candy is not delicious. She tried to get the toffee back. He An closed his palms. He digested what Bei Zhiyi had just said. With an incredible but helpless tone, she summed it up: "Are you using other men to coax you to coax me now?" …… Bei Zhiyi was surprised by this novel angle and was dumbfounded. How many years has the fat man been at your table? He's spooky. khnwatertreatment.com


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Home > Psoriasis Blog > Guttate Psoriasis Tip - Sunbathing Helps!
First off – I want to thank you for your psoriasis shampoo & conditioner. They've done an amazing job on my scalp psoriasis, and your gel has really helped with the psoriasis I get on my arms. I can't thank you enough.
But back to my 'tip' for another way to help treat guttate psoriasis naturally...Sunbathing!
I know going in the sun without any sunblock is meant to be the worst thing we can do these days, but I figured that if doctors can recommend phototherapy as a treatment, I could maybe risk 30 minutes a day in the garden without any sun protection. I tried it last summer – at least the bits of summer where we saw some sun! – and it really seemed to make a difference. I was very strict with myself about the 30 minutes and didn't go out in the middle of the day when the sun's hottest, to be on the safe side. After half an hour I always covered up and put on sunscreen to make sure I didn't burn.
I was a bit nervous at first, as I've got quite fair skin as well. The spots went a bit redder at first, but the next day they were noticeably whiter again and much less painful and itchy.
That bit of nice weather we just had sent me back int my garden - it was brilliant. Now I'm just hoping that wasn't the last of the sun we've seen for this year or I may just have to migrate!


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Medical Council of India (MCI) planning a shorter medical degree for rural students
January 3, 2010 at 6:24 pm sanjibkarmee Leave a comment
Following is a report The Times of India: Thanks to Kalahandia blog for the pointer.
A medical degree in 3-1/2 years? This could soon be a reality with the health ministry and Medical Council of India (MCI) planning a shorter medical degree for rural students who would exclusively serve the rural populace.
The hinterland, where few doctors want to serve, could soon have a dedicated corps of medical practitioners drawn from among students raised in rural areas.
After incentives failed to lure doctors to practise in remote areas, the health ministry is finalising the novel scheme along with MCI to start 3-1/2 year degree courses in medicine and surgery in institutes set up in rural areas.
Under the scheme, the undergraduate `Bachelor of Rural Medicine and Surgery' (BRMS) degree would be acquired in two phases and at two different levels — Community Health Facility (one-and-a-half year duration) and sub-divisional hospitals (secondary level hospitals) for a further duration of two years.
The BRMS degree would be offered by institutes in rural areas with an annual sanctioned strength of 50 students. "Selection of students would be based on merit in the 10+2 examination with physics, chemistry and biology as subjects. A student who has had his entire schooling in a rural area with a population not more than 10,000 would be eligible for selection, which would be done by professional bodies set up by the Directorate of Medical Education of the state governments," the scheme noted.
MCI president Dr Ketan Desai told TOI that the idea was to get students from rural areas who were willing to work in rural areas as doctors from outside didn't want to live and work in villages. Many do not even turn up for their assignment.
Many rounds of discussion on the scheme have taken place between the ministry officials and MCI representatives, the last one being on November 17 under the chairmanship of health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. "At this meeting, many of the operational details were discussed and rough edges ironed out," Dr Desai said.
The ministry is backing the scheme as it is finding it increasingly difficult to get adequate number of doctors to serve in rural areas to fulfil the UPA government's commitments under National Rural Health Mission-2009.
To keep BRMS graduates in the loop, MCI is also proposing a parallel mechanism to register them by state medical councils and MCI. "Registration would be granted provisionally on an annual renewal basis and would only entitle the holders of such innovative medical qualification of 3-1/2 years to practise in a rural set-up in the same district," it said.
Dr Desai was confident that the scheme would take final shape by March after incorporating the suggestions received during a workshop scheduled for February 4-5, 2010, where deans of all 300 medical colleges, vice-chancellors of all medical universities and directors of education of all 29 states would participate.
All this would be conveyed to a Delhi High Court Bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice S Muralidhar on January 6 by MCI counsel Pratibha Singh. The HC is hearing a PIL filed by Dr Meenakshi Gautam complaining that the ministry and MCI were not paying enough attention to improving the rural healthcare system.
dhananjay.mahapatra@timesgroup.com
Entry filed under: Advanced policies of health care sector, Health Care Facility.
Liberate Indian science from bureaucratism and in-house favouritism: PM tells scientists Bihar ahead of Odisha in economic growth

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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damnd1
forced arousal, gay coming of age, horror
The forest – part 2 of 4
Fantasy, horror, gay coming of age
After a good start, strange noises in the night and odd rock statues leave the hikers deeply unsettled.
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The forest – Part 2
Ten minutes after discovering that their camp had been surrounded by rock dildos, the trio had repacked all of their belongings into their metal-framed backpacks ready to set off for home. Their conversation was muted as they pondered the meaning of the sculptures.
Hugo unzipped the front of his pack to take out his phone. He didn't expect a signal that far away from town, but on the off-chance that he might still get one, he wanted to double-check their position on his GPS app. The phone was not where he thought he'd left it. He searched the other front pocket, then the two pairs of side pockets. It was in none of them.
"Hey, have any of you guys picked up my phone?" he asked.
"Nope," Finn said, and Sam shook his head.
Hugo opened the main compartment of his pack and slowly emptied it onto the ground, laying his gear out methodically, and carefully checking that the phone had not somehow been wrapped in an item of clothing. He even looked inside the cartons of food. Soon, he was absolutely positive that it wasn't anywhere in his gear. He patted the pockets of his cargo shorts, although he was certain that he would already have felt the weight. He even unfurled his sleeping bag and shook it, but it was nowhere to be found.
"Would you guys check your gear to make sure it hasn't gotten mixed up in your stuff somehow."
Finn and Sam followed suit, going through their own gear with the same thoroughness.
Sam was the first to make a disturbing discovery.
"Hey my phone's gone too!"
They both looked to Finn.
"Don't look at me like that. I didn't take them" he protested.
He continued going through his gear, emptying it on the ground beside Hugo's. Soon, it became apparent that he was not hiding their phones.
He swallowed hard and looked intensely at Hugo.
"What? What's up Finn?" Hugo asked.
"My phone's gone too," Finn replied, his voice strangely flat as he struggled to hide his fear. "Hue, how could someone do that? Get into our camp and take our phones, and leave all that Blair Witch shit around?"
Hugo looked solemn.
"I dunno, but I think we'd better pack our gear up quickly and get the fuck away from here."
They repacked quickly and shouldered their packs. Finn kicked and stomped the last of the fire out while Hugo and Sam did a quick sweep of the clearing in search of their phones.
"Nothing," Hugo said, rejoining Finn by the stream. "Not a sign of them. Course, someone could have just thrown them in the pond and we'd never know."
"Fuck it, let's just get out of here Hue. I just wanna get back to civilisation at this point," Finn said.
"Yeah, me too," Sam agreed.
Hugo nodded and they set off back along the stream.
Three hours later, Hugo pulled out his map and studied it.
"We should have reached that decline ages ago."
"What decline?" Sam asked.
"The hill, where the stream fell through the rocks. You said it looked like mini-rapids, remember?"
"Oh yeah, I do remember. That slope killed my legs."
"Yeah, mine too. But it was less than two hours from the camp, and we've been walking gently downhill almost the entire time. We should have got there even quicker."
"Did we miss a fork in the stream?" Finn asked.
"I don't see how we could have. I mean, we've been walking right on top of it the whole time."
"Let's take a break and see if I can work out where we are."
The three friends sat down and pulled out their canteens which they had filled with water from the stream before setting off from their camp. Hugo studied the map closely. On the large scale, the landscape was easy to read; mountains west, and a long very gradual decline over the course of 20 miles to a valley containing their town of Carver to the east. More mountains north, a major river between them and town, running north to south and a highway running parallel to it. But on a local scale, there was almost nothing to distinguish one part of the forest from any other. Hugo looked at his watch, and the built-in compass indicated that they were indeed facing east. But other than that, there was no way of telling how far they'd travelled.
Eventually, Hugo sighed.
"Look, I don't know exactly where we are. We're still headed east, and we haven't crossed the Wash," he said referring to the river. "That runs all the way to Hanning City 40 miles away so we can't go past that without knowing it. I suggest we keep on walking until we find something we recognise. Even if we come out on the highway way south, we can always follow it north back to town. Or camp right on the edge of the road if needs be. I'd prefer that to spending another night in the forest wouldn't you?"
Finn and Sam looked at each other. Neither of them wanted to find out who had laid the boner rock piles, or what message they were intended to convey.
"Yeah," Finn said. "Agreed."
Sam nodded.
They continued walking for another two hours then Hugo saw something that made him stop. He frowned and gestured.
"Hey did you guys see that?"
"What?" Sam asked.
"The air kind of shimmered. Like heat haze but all around us."
"Nope," Finn said. "Didn't see a thing."
"Nor did I," Sam confirmed.
Hugo looked around and he saw something to his left that disturbed him even more.
"Buff over there. This shouldn't be possible."
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"Those steep rocks, that looks like the base of the mountain. That means the stream is running uphill. That's impossible."
"But we can see it's running downhill. It has been the whole time," Finn said.
"I know but still, there's the buff. And we should be way down the slope, far from the mountains by now. We should go up there. Climb the rocks. We can get out bearings if we get above the treetops."
They walked up to the steep rock face. It inclined upwards at a 70-degree angle, and rose at least a hundred yards before angling backwards out of sight.
"This is much higher than the trees. At last, we can finally get our bearings," Hugo said, certain of his plan and relieved that they would soon be able to get a positive fix on their location. Follow me, keep your weight forwards, don't rush, and for fuck's sake don't fall!"
His two companions followed as Hugo carefully ascended the sandstone buff. They climbed in silence, conserving their breath as they made their ascent. After a while, the angle of ascent shallowed and then they emerged onto a flat area dividing two buffs. They walked onto the safe terrace, and Hugo scanned the terrain in a wide arc behind and below them. Then he stopped dead, and his blood turned to ice.
"What the fuck!"
He was looking to the west, where, far off in the distance was their town.
Sam frowned.
"Is that… is that Carver? But, how can we have crossed the Wash? Or the highway? And how have we come so far?"
Finn looked and said nothing, his brow furrowed. Hugo rubbed his temples. He was starting to feel a headache building. He felt as though reality was warping. What he was seeing was impossible. There was no way they could have become that turned around in the woods, especially as they had followed the stream for a good deal of the way.
"I have no idea Sam," Hugo said, controlling the fear that knotted his stomach, "but if we walk along this ridge, we should be able to keep town in sight all the way back."
He worked hard to stay calm for the sake of the others.
"I dunno how far it is away," he continued. "I'd guess maybe seven miles. We can do that in well under two hours."
Sam turned to Finn.
"What do you think Finn?"
Finn seemed withdrawn and his eyes had taken on a fixed stare, as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Seeing the normally cocky older boy looking shellshocked was unsettling to Sam.
"I don't know what to think. There's no way we can have covered a whole day's walking in three hours AND crossed the highway and the Wash. None of this makes sense. I feel like I'm going crazy. Like none of this can be real."
Sam tried to encourage the older teen.
"I know what you mean, but I think Hugo's idea is best don't you? At least we can keep Carver in sight the whole way. That sounds like a good thing huh?"
Finn looked at him slowly and Sam could see that the boy was really not handling the situation well. He looked remote and distracted.
"We'll do that then, huh," Sam affirmed, not waiting for an answer.
He turned back to Hugo and the older boy nodded.
At 19, Hugo was the oldest of the group. In two years' time he'd be too old to be a Venture scout so he was training to be a Scout leader and he was the calm voice of reason that everyone always turned to.
"Sam, why don't you take point, Finn in the middle and I'll go last okay? Keep well away from the drop, and keep Carver in sight the whole time."
Sam nodded and they started walking.
In an effort to distract them and lighten the mood, Hugo started talking about a pool party they had all been to earlier in the summer. Everyone at the party was older than Sam, and it made him feel ten feet tall to be invited. He chatted with enthusiasm about the day, and a girl whom he had hit it off with. They'd had a three-week fling before parting as friends.
Hugo talked about the other girls too, and about another boy, James getting stripped naked and thrown in. Sam laughed as they remembered the incident. Eventually, even Finn joined in.
"I got it on with Cara at that party."
Sam turned and grinned.
"You and Cara? Cara!"
He puffed up his cheeks to confirm that they were both talking about the same girl. To say that Cara was a big girl, would be like saying Michael Jordan wasn't bad at basketball.
Sam made an immature fucking gesture, pumping his right index finger into his left fist.
Finn grinned and nodded.
"How could you?"
"Carefully. With ropes," Finn joked.
"Awww, now that's cold. Now I feel bad for her," Hugo said grinning.
Finn turned to him with a cheeky grin.
"Hey fat chicks like to do the nasty too you know!"
Hugo grinned.
"Lucky that you were there to help then huh?"
Sam returned his attention to the path smiling to himself. He was so grateful that these guys had taken him under their wing. He almost said something sappy, but he bit it back. He wished that he could tell them how much they meant to him without seeming dumb.
Ahead, the air momentarily shimmered for the second time. He waited to see if anyone else would mention it, and when they didn't, he ignored it. The last thing he wanted to do was creep Finn out again.
They continued walking for another hour before the terrace came to an end. The town of Carver was closer, but not as close as Hugo has hoped. They had closed the distance by about a third. That meant it was still likely more than ten miles away. He couldn't figure out how they could have walked so far past their target.
He looked up the steep walls of the buff ahead. They extended up a lot higher and at a steeper angle.
"Too dangerous to try to climb. We'll have to drop back down, but so long as we keep the rocks to our right side, we'll hit the highway soon or later," he said.
"We already missed the highway once," Finn said.
"Yeah, but this time we're staying close to the bluff. I don't think we can pass it again," he said with certainty that he didn't feel.
Neither Finn nor Sam was thrilled to be going back to the forest level, but the logic of Hugo's plan was sound. If things got weird, they could always climb back up the rocks.
They scrambled carefully back down the buff, tiredness and apprehension weakening their legs. Their former forced light-heartedness diminished the nearer they got to the tops of the trees and then below.
Then they were back to the forest level. Sam was relieved to discover that the forest felt lighter; airier here, and the sounds of birds in the branches was much more pronounced. He smiled.
"What's up?" Finn asked.
"Just the birds. I didn't notice them earlier."
The others didn't even need to concentrate to hear the thronging sounds of life in the tree branches.
"Oh yeah," Finn said, "Funny how you don't normally notice them."
The mood returned to its lighter tone, and they continued heading west along the bottom of the buff. Despite their positive mood, they were still leery of wandering back into the trees.
After 45 minutes, the buff took a sharp almost 90-degree turn to the left, as though cutting off their path. They couldn't see how far it continued in that direction, but there was a gap in the rock face that looked as if the rocky cliff had cracked apart millennia ago, and had long-since weathered smooth on its exposed faces.
Hugo looked at the crack. It was easily eight feet wide, continuing in the same direction they had been walking. Although he could not see how far it extended, it was bathed in daylight as far as he could see.
"I say we carry on going straight through," he suggested. "You guys okay with that?"
Finn and Sam nodded their assent and the party continued on into the wide crevice.
20 feet along, it opened into a large chamber. You might have described it as a cave, except there was no roof. But there were ancient paintings covering the walls.
"What the fuck?" Finn said.
"They look like cave paintings. Prehistoric people used to make them," Sam said.
"And Native Americans," Hugo added. "But I never heard of any in this part of the country before. Guys, this could make us famous!"
They examined the paintings. They formed a mural that circled the sunny chamber. In every picture, they depicted naked people of two sizes. The larger ones all had lines radiating out of them.
"They're dancing," Sam said.
"I dunno," Finn mused. "They've all got boners."
Hugo made an observation.
"I think it's some kind of sex ritual. To make the crops grow or shit. Look, there's some pictures of the sun," he said pointing to multiple suspended orbs also with lines radiating from them.
"There's no women," Finn said.
"No. Maybe to help the hunt then?"
They studied the paintings more closely.
"Hey look, the little ones are giving dick statues to the bigger ones," Sam said.
"Oh shit. Let's get out of here Hugo," Finn said.
They passed through the chamber continuing west, and they found themselves in a second roofless chamber where the murals continued. These were raunchier. Some of the stylised figures were sucking each other off, and others knelt on all fours while they were fucked, the stick erections between their legs indicating that they were enjoying it.
"It's a fucking gay orgy," Finn said.
"Yeah, looks like it," Hugo agreed.
But Sam was no longer interested. He'd seen something that drew his attention. Resting on the ground to the north, lay his phone.
"Guys," he said in a cautious voice. "My phone."
Finn and Hugo instantly turned to him as he stepped forwards tentatively and picked it up.
"Are you sure?" Hugo asked.
"Yeah, it's in my Fallout 4 case."
"Has it got any charge left?"
Sam pressed the side button and the screen flickered to life.
"Yup plenty. But there's no signal. There's a video on pause."
Finn and Hugo gathered round, looking over Sam's shouders.
"Play it then," Finn said.
Sam pressed the play button and the video resumed. It was zoomed in on his own face. He was grinning wildly, then the camera swept downwards to reveal his hard dick in his fist. It measured no more than four inches long; way below average; but he was pumping it frantically and laughing as though jacking off was the edgiest thing in the world.
Finn laughed.
"You dirty motherfucker. Who'd you send that to?"
Sam dropped the phone in horror and it landed face up. His face bore an expression of shock. He stepped away from the device.
"I didn't take that. I don't do sexting. You never know who's gonna share them."
"Then who…?" Hugo asked looking at the screen.
The camera panned around to reveal the clearing they had camped in the night before. The fire burning brightly. Then it showed Finn and Hugo, and they were both jacking off as well. Finn was dancing around laughing, making exaggerated pumping gestures on his nine-inch erection, while Hugo had formed a tube between both fists around his more modest dick and thrusting his hips as though having intercourse with his hands.
"What the fuck? That never happened!" Hugo said, picking the phone up.
Then the video changed, to show the three laughing boys all fucking their rolled up sleeping bags, their bare asses rising and falling.
Before they could cum, the scene changed again. Sam was on his knees while Hugo slammed his boner repeatedly into his hole.
"Go on Hugo, fuck him harder!" video Finn called, laughing, on the other side of the pair.
"That never HAPPENED!" Sam screamed.
He was outraged at the idea that he would allow himself to be used like that.
"I'd never…"
The phone was recording from a low vantage where it could take in Sam's happy reaction. He noticed with disgust that the video version of him was hard, and was clearly enjoying being reamed in the firelight. His video cock bounced and twitched, clearly eager to cum. Precum started to drool from it, swinging like a sparkling pendant as Hugo fucked him. He started to moan like an over-acting porn star. Hugo gripped Sam by the hips and he fucked the 16-year-old harder.
Sam's cock spat its seed, discharging a huge load of surprisingly thick spunk up past his head onto the ground in a series of massive and powerful squirts, and at the same time, Hugo also noisily came, filling his hole, and moaning as he did so. His spunk dribbled from Sam's hole.
In the darkness, more moaning voices filled the air.
The moaning seemed to fill the cavern, bouncing off the walls. The atmosphere was balmy and intoxicating.
"That never happened! That never happened!" Sam screamed. "I wouldn't. There's no way. I'm not…"
A lump grew in his shorts.
"Turn it off! turn it off!"
Hugo offered the phone to Sam. The sound of orgasmic moaning from the phone bounced off the cavern walls. Sam looked at the phone in horror and staggered backwards until he fell onto his butt on the sandy ground. He realised that both Finn and Hugo were also hard. Finn's erection was impossible to miss.
"Your dicks are hard!" Sam said in horror, as though expecting his companions to jump him at any moment.
"So is yours," Finn said.
Sam looked down at himself, dismayed by the lump he saw between his open knees. An expression of horrified confusion distorted his features.
"But I'm not gay. That never happened. It didn't!"
Hugo frowned.
"Sam," he said in a soft voice, "Sam, we know it never happened. We'd remember. There's no way dude. There's something crazy going on here. Someone's messing with us."
"But how could they even know we'd come this way? And what about us crossing the Wash and coming so far?" Sam babbled "And the paintings and the noises?"
"He's right Hugo," Finn said. "There's no way this is just people messing with us. There's something totally fucked up happening man."
Hugo thought about it for a few seconds.
"You're right. This is fucked. Supernatural maybe. Let's get out of here and get back to town as quick as we can."
He stepped towards Sam who was still sitting on the ground, and Sam scooted fearfully away from him, until he was stopped by the wall.
"Sam, dude, have I EVER done anything to hurt you? Even an unkind word?"
He offered Sam his phone but Sam drew his hands away as though it was radioactive.
"I don't want it."
Hugo stopped the video, but the after-echo of orgasmic grunting seemed to linger in the cavern.
He offered a hand and Sam stared at it as though it was a snake that might strike at any moment.
"Sam," he said softly, "you can't stay here. It's not safe. We've got to keep going."
Sam timidly accepted the outstretched hand and Hugo gently pulled him back to his feet. Sam looked even more emotionally scarred than Finn had just a few hours earlier. He leaned close to Hugo's ear.
"Hugo, I'm terrified," Sam whispered trembling.
"Yeah, me too," Hugo admitted, looking him in the face with an expression that said that they were brothers in arms.
Sam reached behind and felt his butthole to see if it was sore. It wasn't.
Hugo watched him.
"It never happened buddy," he reassured.
"But that was me!"
Sam looked at him with big, scared puppy-dog eyes. Hugo hugged Sam, careful not to let their boners touch and held him tight offering the sort of comfort that a big brother might provide. He held him in his embrace for 20 seconds, before parting.
"Someone's fucking with us Sam. Come on, we'd better get going," he said kindly.
They headed towards the western opening in the cavern. They could see the forest beyond.
"Hugo one more thing," Sam asked in a small voice.
Hugo put his arm around Sam's shoulders and hugged him as they walked.
"What's that Sam?"
"Who was holding the phone?"


Prominent KZN farm, the Piemonte Stud, will be offering seven high class two-year-olds at Thursday and Friday's National Two Year Old Sale.
Pleasingly, the Piemonte Stud Grooms Program will also feature in this draft, with the grooms set to consign a striking son of G1 winner Byword in the form of Giacomo (Lot 298) at this year's Two Year Old Sale.
Giacomo, who is out of a winning daughter of champion sire Captain Al, is from the same family as recent graded winners Bull Valley and Star Express –as well as Horse Of The Year and high class sire, Model Man.
Piemonte's draft will include lots by popular young stallions Capetown Noir, Crusade, Jackson, Master Of My Fate and Wylie Hall –which makes this a draft a must-see for all serious buyers.
Triple G1 winner Capetown Noir is the sire of Elma (Lot 368) a filly from the same family as champion Ice Cube –with the latter, like Capetown Noir, a son of Western Winter. Pietrina (Lot 131) is a daughter of Dynasty sired Derby winner Jackson, with this filly a daughter of Var's stakes winner Wishful Eye, and Pietrina is a ½ sister to two good winners including recent scorer Aldo.
Middle Park Stakes winner Crusade has been responsible for stakes winners in each of his first two crops and he is represented by a half-brother (Lot 160 to last season's top class 2yo filly, and East Cape Fillies Nursery winner, Carlita, in the Piemonte draft.
Royal Ascot hero Byword is represented here by Spin Master (Lot 263) –a colt out of a winning half-sister to G2 Ipi Tombe Challenge winner First Again and this colt is from the same family as Met hero Ding Dong.
Other lots of note in the Piemonte draft include a Master Of My Fate colt (Lot 371) whose dam is a stakes placed own sister to short-lived G2 Premier Trophy winner Hundred Acre Wood, a Wylie Hall colt (Lot 189) from the same family as G1 winners Kiss Of Peace, Harry Hotspur and Rotterdam, and the Admire Main (Lot 331) full-sister to high class Eastern Cape galloper Kalamain –whose wins included the Guineas Plate.


HOME | indie blog | matt huynh : asperatus : one night only!
matt huynh : asperatus : one night only!
We're really excited about next Tuesday night's Asperatus exhibition. Not only is it Matt Huynh's first solo exhibition in three years - it's also being held at the Australian Museum... in the Skeleton Gallery!
The location is perfect for Matt's return to a subconscious and primitive approach to image making, with his never-before-seen illustration series, "Asperatus". The starkly desaturated illustrations in ink, charcoal, paint and gesso portray visual narratives with a reliance upon instinct, intuition, waking dreams and chance. Matt's imagery is haunting. With an uneasy tension between individual characters and elements, his unnatural environments possess both a stillness and a sense of creeping change - as if each illustration is morphing while nobody's looking.
"Asperatus" roughly translates to 'agitated' or 'roughened' in Latin. It's also the name of the first new cloud formation to be discovered in over half a century - clouds that look heavy and dark, and pulse down towards the Earth like ripples viewed from below the skin of water. Despite their threatening appearance, they disperse without casting a storm. The name seems a good fit for the brooding, atmospheric works of the "Asperatus" series, which are also full of uncertainty. For Huynh, it captures "the turbulence of present times... effects or consequences abstracted from the causes of modern challenges..."
Corner of College Street and William Street, central Sydney.
We've already sent in our RSVPs, so we'll see you there!


text:
Becoming Cat
Healing heartbeats.. follow them home.
Barre + Yoga
Pilates – Beginners
Feeding Your Mind
My Story.. in part.
Relax and Restore
Before Bed
← Under construction
One day the hardest thing will become the easiest, one day it will make you strong, one day the struggle will just be your strength; the one million practice rounds.. Until one day, you pause and you think no.. I won't spiral, I won't dig this hole deeper, I'll look up instead of down, forwards instead of back..
I can promise you I didn't get here on my own. I never would have. I would have stayed, capped it there. Existed.. and I can tell you that sometimes you really just get to a place where you really just get there.. exhausted and honestly, perhaps only, just grateful to be there at all.. It's not that grateful presence.. the 'gift' of life that will fail you, not ever, it's the exhausted, the exhausting, wadding through quick sand, treading water, enough is enough.. Only it isn't.. The utter when will it be over, terrified that might be, praying that it won't be. Making it through each day, grateful to have, again.. yet, afraid of the next, already exhausted by the monotony of it, tomorrow..
But.. You do it, because you hope, because you have to believe that there is always hope. I say I capped it, but I hoped, I did, I think secretly deep down inside I hoped that the exhausting step after step, of and through it, the 'when it rains it's pours'.. honestly it never felt like it would.. stop. I slipped a lot, old habits, old paths, old ways.. Until one day it all changed.. One day it felt like that rain washed me clean.. Rain, tears, black and grey.. Light to colour. and in one single moment.. It all fell away, it was a now.. A future a tomorrow, an oh my goodness kind of tomorrow, an almost couldn't fall asleep I can't wait to wake up, an oh my goodness I get to feel this.. tomorrow. Now. Alive.
Breathe.. You're here.. Still. Breathe.. Feel, follow it, follow your heart, follow it home..
I don't need to talk about it. My past. It's precisely that. For years, and then, last year.. All of it, quicksand. I can either look at it and describe as the then to now.. The, pause.. The what I feel like I crawled out of, the how.. the how I felt afterwards, then. and every day since, honestly.. I think I crawled out of it a long time ago, but in so many ways and in every way, I never let go. I carried it with me, I felt like every moment out of it, I somehow wore it, coated and cloaked in it.. I often called it my armour, my shield.. but deep in my heart, when I felt like it beated at all, that.. What, it. It was shame. I walked inside of it, yet I never felt at home, never felt like I had arrived.. Half in half out.. Waiting.. For what.? For it to be over.. No. But in every other way, for 'it' to be over. And yes, there is a difference, not it all.. Never. There was always something, a little extra room in that sometimes beating heart, a little extra fight.. a little more.. louder then whisper; don't you dare stop, don't you dare give up.. your inner fighter. This fighter of mine; quiet.. patient. Strong, enough.. Your self worth, the part of you that loves you when you don't, and can't possibly think you do, or could. You do. You're still here and it's why your here.
My story.. my quicksand. It's not that it doesn't matter, or that it hasn't shaped, hurt, destroyed, broken and perhaps, and I'll say it, defined me. It has. It did.
But you know what.. It's mine. but, in all of those ways.. All of those pieces it stopped mattering that I didn't feel intact, put together. What does that even mean? I asked myself this, and in hindsight it's so clear, it became so clear.. What if your one.. just one.. one piece? How do you bend? Where do you grow? To me.. it's the hurt in the healing.. or maybe it's healing in the hurt. But it's the growth, in between and out of those pieces, it is the glue.. It is the you. You. It's the under construction, working in progress.. an ongoing project.. And I told myself this.. You have to let it be.. Let your fighter fight for you, let you feel your worth, let you see why, let you find your own pace, your own path, whether you're still wading, crawling out of it, half in half out.. Out.. It doesn't entirely matter where you are.. it's honestly that, at the end of each day, you're there, here, now. It can't and won't always be where you want, but maybe that's the point.. the journey, not the destination.. the point of arrival. For me it was the day the journey felt like home. And I didn't expect it, I didn't even know it could be. I don't think I was ready.. but, that's the point, for me anyway. In all this.. in all of that thought, those thoughts.. I didn't.. I felt. I felt like I could breathe.. sigh. And for the very first time I wasn't lost in the thoughts, the memories of why and when I couldn't, or struggled to. I just did it. That's when I knew I was out. So where am I now? What does this feel like?
You know, it changes everyday. But I am not afraid. because, I can't look back and I won't, because my fears; my reasons for fearing the next day, the next second.. they are past, they have.. they must and they are exactly that..past. and I can't carry it any further, I won't. But I need to be clear. The hurt.. I also won't wear it, change it or let it settle into black and grey, develop it on the way to colour and let it settle, soak in anger. resent. I never could. Because how ever long it has taken and how ever much it hurt. I'm here, and it was part of it all. I mentioned earlier how it defined me.. It did, it has, but, I like to think of it in how it has strengthened me. There comes a point on any level, where you survive. and for me.. I can only be grateful.. and I would have been. Even and in every way for the 'cap'. The plateau.. But there was still hope, still my fighter.. Still every moment out. And you know what else I am..? I say this with a smile, I'm lucky..I haven't made it. I'm making it. And I get to. Woah! Now that's not a breathe. Pause.. that is a breath taking, heart beating moment.. A single moment in the rest of the 'I'm still here' life, whether you know it or feel it, it's the life you've been fighting for.. and please know that you're worth it.. Every bit of it. Pieces, parts and glue. Growing. It's you. The best you can be, the most you can be.
So where am I ? how do I feel? I'm home.. It feels like home.
Processed with VSCOcam with b1 preset
2 responses to "Home."
George | February 28, 2016 at 11:10 AM | Reply
Cat's back!
Michelle | February 28, 2016 at 7:19 PM | Reply
A great read!! Woohoo!! Go girl


THE LITTLE SQUARE GALLERY CURATES ARTISTICALLY STYLED, CONTEMPORARY EXHIBITS OF TREASURED PICTURES.
Family memories, holiday adventures and good times with friends captured on camera. A child's first doodles, school paintings and junior sketches. Our favourite pictures are so often stored hidden away, or modestly displayed, awaiting the inspiration to present with deserved care and stunning effect.
In 2013 The Little Square Gallery was borne of a desire to offer high-end bespoke exhibits of treasured photography and children's art, and their multi award winning creative service now leads the way curating gallery-worthy commissions centred around timeless beautiful design.
A simple yet wonderful way to capture pictures.
The perfect gift. Art with plenty of style and heart.
Watch out, collages just got cool.


Escape overwhelming thoughts and emotions and live your life now. Pause, breathe and root yourself into this moment. Release your body's tension and put an end to your churning thoughts. Be Here Now.
Herbaceous floral notes mingle with deep, rich wood.
Vegan + cruelty free. Handcrafted using a proprietary blend of essential oils including juniper and frankincense.


Most of these events are whole-day events (typically 10:00 am – 4:00 pm), although some are half-day events associated with a tournament. We have some advice for those intending to run such an event.
A typical event will have between 12 and 20 participants, with 2 teachers. For some topics the students will be divided into 2 sections by strength. We are looking for hosts to hold teaching events - we can provide the teacher if you can provide the venue - please contact us. If a club or local organiser requires specific additional topics this can usually be arranged.
With the exception of the Strong Player's weekend, each event will be run by strong British Go players who are accredited by the Association. The Strong Player's weekend is restricted by numbers (and strength) and normally has a professional in charge, Guo Juan for the last few years.
There's normally a half-day teaching event at Penzance on the morning of the Saturday of the Cornwall tournament in September and also on the afternoon preceding the British Go Congress in March/April. There has often been a combined teaching day and mini-tournament at the London Go Centre in November/December.
Details of teaching events will be found in the Tournament Calendar.
From time to time we get Oriental or European professional players visiting the UK. They perform teaching at a tournament, such as the London Open, or tour a variety of clubs teaching and playing simultaneous games. Sometimes these visits are part of a top professional title game or teaching tour.
You can read about the 2013 teaching tour by Michael Redmond 9p and the 2002 Kisei title game and associated teaching.
The fees shown above will be doubled for a workshop where the teacher is of professional strength (such as the Strong Players' Teaching Weekend), but if the visit is attached to an event, or is sponsorred, then there is often no change.


text:
HomeMastersBarcelona Graduate Scholarship 2023-2024 In Spain
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The Barcelona Graduate Scholarship 2023-2024 is a fully funded scholarship for international students that offers waivers covering up to 100% of tuition fees as well as a limited number of fully funded scholarships.
Begin your academic adventure in Spain. Excellent news! Scholarship applications for the Barcelona Graduate Scholarship 2023-2024 are now being accepted. This article will go into detail about this scholarship program, its benefits, and the application process.
The Barcelona Graduate School of Economics Scholarship 2023-2024 is a master's degree scholarship for international students. This scholarship offers waivers covering up to 100% of tuition fees as well as a limited number of fully-funded scholarships.
Applicants who are accepted to the Barcelona GSE have demonstrated their ability to succeed in our rigorous, intensive Master's programs. The most qualified candidates are also given a financial offer that covers all or a portion of their tuition.
This merit-based funding is provided by generous public and private sponsors, as well as by the Barcelona GSE's own funds.
The Barcelona GSE provides financial aid based on academic achievement. Tuition fee waivers of 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% are available, with a limited number of fully funded scholarships. Only candidates with an outstanding academic record will be considered for financial aid.
The Barcelona Graduate School of Economics, also known as the Barcelona GSE, is an independent research and graduate education institution. The School of Economics and Finance offers a variety of master's degrees in Economics, Finance, and Data Science. RePEc has ranked it as one of the top Economics Departments in the world.
We award an average of 800,000€ in merit-based funding to Master's students each year. Approximately 36% of matriculated students have received full or partial funding for their studies.
You Can Apply: Hubei Government Scholarship 2023-2024 (Fully Funded)
Barcelona Graduate Scholarship 2023-2024 Summary
Level of Study: Masters
Institution(s): Barcelona Graduate School of Economics
Study in: Barcelona, Spain
Deadline: January 15, 2023 / July 09, 2023
Master's Degree in Economics and Finance
Finance Program
Master's Degree in Specialized Economic Analysis
Competition and Market Regulation Program
Economics of Public Policy Program
International Trade, Finance, and Development Program
Macroeconomic Policy and Financial Markets Program
Master's Degree in Data Science
Data Science Program
You Can Apply: Orange Knowledge Programme 2023 In The Netherlands (Application Process)
Barcelona Graduate Scholarship 2023-2024 Coverage
Barcelona Graduate School of Economics Scholarships provide the recipient with the following benefits:
Waivers for 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% of tuition fees
A limited number of fully-funded scholarships
Eligibility Criteria for Barcelona Graduate School of Economics Scholarships
To qualify for Barcelona Graduate School of Economics Scholarships, candidate must fulfill all of the following requirements below:
Required Languages: English
Eligible Countries: International students from developing countries
An undergraduate/bachelor/grado/laurea, or equivalent degree from an accredited college or university (for Bologna degrees, a minimum of 180 ECTS are required).
A typical applicant would hold a University Diploma in Economics, Finance, Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics or Business Administration.
An advanced level of English language skills: TOEFL score of 90 or better / IELTS Academic Test score of 6.5 or better
Not required but highly recommended:
Note that the fulfillment of the application requirements does not guarantee admission. Candidates will also be evaluated on the following admission criteria:
Outstanding academic record
Quantitative skills
You can Apply: University of British Columbia Fellowship Program 2023 In Canada (Fully Funded)
How to Apply for Barcelona Graduate Scholarship 2023-2024?
Please follow the following application instructions to apply for this scholarship:
(1) Gather your application materials:
Undergraduate transcripts: If you don't have an official transcript yet when applying, you may upload an unofficial copy. However, all accepted students must submit official transcripts during course registration in September, before the academic year begins.
Undergraduate diploma: If you are applying before having completed your undergraduate program, you will need to to upload a signed letter stating that you commit to graduating before you begin your master's program at the Barcelona GSE
Copy of your passport
Curriculum vitae (2 pages maximum)
Statement of purpose (700 words maximum)
Proof of English language proficiency: Unless you are a native English speaker or have done your undergraduate degree at an English-speaking university, you must provide TOEFL, IELTS, or Cambridge scores or certificates. If you are not yet in possession of one of these language certificates, we suggest you wait to apply until you can fulfill this requirement with the documents required.
Optional but highly recommended: GRE General Test scores: Applicants to all programs are encouraged to provide the scores of the GRE General Test, which are often an important element for admission decisions.
A good GRE result is particularly helpful to candidates who have a bachelor in social sciences or other undergraduate degree without a strong quantitative component. In previous years, the GRE score has helped directors to identify candidates with excellent potential but little previous exposure to serious mathematical training. Hence we strongly encourage candidates to submit a GRE. (Barcelona GSE institution code for GRE General Test: 2531).
Two refernce letter include:
– Intellectual ability
– Research abilities/experience
– Motivation to face challenges
– Capacity to work in groups
– Propensity to thrive in new environment
(2) Complete the online application form: All programs share one online application form. When you create your application, you will have the option to list up to three programs, in order of your preference.
(3) You may submit only one application, with up to three program choices, per academic year.
(4) There is an application fee of 60€ (non-refundable). Most major credit card and bank transfer options are available.
(5) You will receive your admission decision and any financial aid offer within 4-6 weeks (if seats are still available in your program)
To know more about Barcelona Graduate School of Economics Scholarships, please visit the official website:
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Faruku abubakar libata December 28, 2022 At 3:12 am
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Fully Funded323Europe137Asia86United States62United Kingdom48Australia46Canada24China20Germany16Netherlands10


text:
Brother of top expert on COVID-19 is president of Plymouth State
Donald Birx says he has asked his sister for advice
Kirk Enstrom
Digital Managing Editor
RESPONDERS. DR. BIRX: THE MOST IMPORTA THING IS THE SOCIAL DISTANCING. TIM: DR. DEBORAH BIRX HAS STOOD SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP AND OTHER LEADERS AS THEY GUIDE THE NATION THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC. A WORLD-RENOWNED MEDICAL EXPERT, SHE HAS DECADES OF EXPERIENCE, WORKED WITH OTHER PRESIDENTS, AND WAS FIXTURE DURING T HIV/AIDS CRISIS. DR. DONALD BIRX: THERE'S NOBODY THAT'S BEEN BETTER TRAINED OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS. TIM: DR. DONALD BIRX, THE PRESIDENT OF PLYMOUTH STATE, SAYS AS A PROUD BIG BROTHER, HE TURNED TO HIS SISTER FOR ADVICE WHEN COVID-19 FIRST ARRIVED IN THE U.S. DR. DONALD BIRX: WE TALKED WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE SYSTEM AND TRIED TO SHARE WITH THEM WHAT SHE WAS TELLING ME ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON. AND I'D ASK HER QUESTIONS ABOUT, WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN THIS KIND OF CASE? TIM: PLYMOUTH STATE IS ALSO DOING ITS PART. A SURGE SITE HAS BEEN SITE UP ON CAMPUS, PROVING SOME 150 BEDS FOR LOCAL HOSPITALS TO USE SHOULD THEY SEE AN INCREASE IN PATIENTS DR. DONALD BIRX: AND WE HAVE A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN TO GET TESTING.
Dr. Deborah Birx, one of the country's top medical experts during its fight against COVID-19, has a close connection to the Granite State.Birx is the sister of the president of Plymouth State University, Dr. Donald Birx.Deborah Birx, a world-renowned medical expert, has decades of experience, has worked with other presidents and was a fixture during the HIV/AIDS crisis. "There's nobody that's been better trained over the last 20 years," her brother said. Donald Birx said he turned to his sister for advice when COVID-19 first arrived in the United State."I talked with the University of New Hampshire system and tried to share with them what she was telling me about what's going on, and I'd ask her questions about what should we do in this kind of case," he said.Plymouth State University is doing its part. A surge site has been set up on campus to provide about 150 beds for local hospitals to use should they see an increase in patients. "And we have a place for people to come in to get testing, and we've set aside two of our residence halls for first responders to be located and those that need to be quarantined," Donald Birx said.The college is also making face shields for first responders and other health care professionals.
Dr. Deborah Birx, one of the country's top medical experts during its fight against COVID-19, has a close connection to the Granite State.
Birx is the sister of the president of Plymouth State University, Dr. Donald Birx.
Deborah Birx, a world-renowned medical expert, has decades of experience, has worked with other presidents and was a fixture during the HIV/AIDS crisis.
"There's nobody that's been better trained over the last 20 years," her brother said.
Donald Birx said he turned to his sister for advice when COVID-19 first arrived in the United State.
"I talked with the University of New Hampshire system and tried to share with them what she was telling me about what's going on, and I'd ask her questions about what should we do in this kind of case," he said.
Plymouth State University is doing its part. A surge site has been set up on campus to provide about 150 beds for local hospitals to use should they see an increase in patients.
"And we have a place for people to come in to get testing, and we've set aside two of our residence halls for first responders to be located and those that need to be quarantined," Donald Birx said.
The college is also making face shields for first responders and other health care professionals.


text:
BNP Paribas EARTH UCITS
Thematic alpha from green solutions
Originally published in the August | September 2020 issue
Since 2002 BNP Paribas Asset Management (BNPP AM) has run various ESG equity strategies. The new Environmental Absolute Return Thematic Equity (EARTH) UCITS fund launched in July 2020 is not an ESG fund per se, though the 'E' [environmental] element of ESG guides its top down thematic thinking and bottom up stock selection. "This is a returns first environmental solutions fund, focused on existential threats to our environment, but also looking for business opportunities, cash flows, growing technologies and margin expansion," explains co-portfolio manager, Edward Lees.
Our primary focus is backing interesting new companies on solutions, not making big speculative bets on the decline of fossil fuels.
Edward Lees, Co-Portfolio Manager, BNP Paribas EARTH
Lees and co-portfolio manager, Ulrik Fugmann, believe that new technologies including batteries and fuel cell applications are at inflection points both in terms of scientific breakthroughs and commercial viability, while flourishing technologies such as renewable wind energy offer a multi-decade trajectory of double-digit growth that is hard to find in other industries.
Why not simply invest on a long only basis? The pair do run a long only fund with a somewhat narrower mandate that still looks at more than 1,000 companies globally, focused on energy transition, but they have chosen a high conviction, substantially market neutral approach for environmental solutions. The strategy will hold 25-45 names with latitude to range between 20% net long or short, and gross exposure capped at 200%. There are several reasons why they favour a long/short approach.
"There will be big divergences between the disruptors and the disrupted, which may lie in less green – or even brown sectors," says Lees. EARTH could short companies losing out from disruption that may be forced to make write downs, and could ultimately end up owning stranded assets. EARTH has the freedom to short stocks that are excluded from the long universe for many BNPP AM mandates.
This would not necessarily result in the most obvious short book trades however. The managers expect fossil fuels to see price pressure and eventually get phased out, but they are not necessarily inclined to short thermal coal or oilsands companies in July 2020, as although they expect the long-term downward trend to continue, energy prices could be subject to temporary short-term recoveries. "This trade has been around for a long time and to a large degree has played out. Our primary focus is backing interesting new companies on solutions, not making big speculative bets on the decline of fossil fuels. We would rather find a company pivoting into new growth areas, and pair it against a short in one that is not changing its business model," says Lees.
"An exclusive saints versus sinners approach would not only introduce a huge amount of sector and factor risk, but also overlooks another important trade type: owning companies that are transitioning their business model," says Fugmann. Though the fund does produce a quarterly report including footprints for carbon emissions, waste and water and positive impact thereof, the belief in transition explains why they retain some flexibility on individual long holdings' greenhouse gas/carbon footprint/implied temperature rise metrics, with no requirement for any individual position to be aligned with the Paris Agreement target of a well below two degree world (although there are constraints on a portfolio basis). "We do not want to impose artificial labels on the investment process," says Lees. "Naturally, many companies greening the atmosphere, such as wind, solar, hydrogen and battery companies have palpably low carbon footprints, though there are also good opportunities in the mid-range of carbon emissions. We will get large marginal changes from some companies that have reasonably high carbon footprints, but which are reducing them in the future, such as cement or steel companies using hydrogen as an energy source". Greenhouse gases, carbon and climate are anyway only part of EARTH's environmental metrics; the circular economy of recycling is another one, which can point the portfolio towards firms such as steel companies using recycled scrap.
Pairing such firms against sector peers that are greening their business models more slowly – or not at all – can create a "green stub": isolating the green change in a business model, while mitigating sector and factor risk. Hedge funds traditionally constructed "stubs" by using holding companies or parent companies trading at discounts to their constituents or subsidiaries, but the same concept applies here between unaffiliated firms. Lees envisages those with more environmentally aware business models could see their valuations expand, while the laggards will suffer multiple compression. In these pair trades, longs are likely to derive more of their revenues, capital spending or EBITDA from environmental solutions than shorts.
Where single name counterparts cannot be found for a pairs trade, the optimal hedge basket can be carefully constructed to hedge out market, sector, style or other factor risk using indices or ETFs.
(L-R): Ulrik Fugmann and Edward Lees, Co-Portfolio Managers, BNP Paribas EARTH
Picking winners in green sectors
EARTH can also construct pair trades within green industries. Green growth sectors can sometimes run into overcapacity, as happened with solar power generation a few years ago. "China brought onstream a huge supply of low-cost photovoltaic capacity, which led to a collapse in its price. A long/short approach allows for picking winners and shorting losers within growth sectors. We can winnow the herd of hangers-on taking productive capital away from the champions," says Lees. Similarly, within a sub-sector such as wind power generation, dispersion creates potential for pitting winners against losers. Some firms make more efficient turbines, and could have stronger order books and more robust business models due to more recurring revenues from servicing.
Eclectic experience
Another reason why Lees and Fugmann opt for a long/short approach is that it builds on their prior investing careers. "We worked together at Goldman Sachs, in the early 2000s, including at the GSPS (Goldman Sachs Principal Strategies) internal hedge fund, which did a lot in energy and natural resources. We also invested in private equity and venture capital. Natural resources, including green and brown sectors, formed the basis for our North Shore Partners strategy that was brought into Duet in 2015," says Lees.
Lees originally worked in investment banking for Morgan Stanley and also had a spell working for a biotech long/short strategy, Clear River Capital, which had a long bias ahead of the 2011 market correction. EARTH in comparison will be fairly market neutral. Lees and Fugmann partnered with BNPP AM to roll out the strategy they had been developing since setting up a firm called Sustainable Solutions in 2017, after they left Duet. EARTH has a broad base of capital from three sources: a minority share of internal proprietary capital, affiliated discretionary client capital, and external clients.
Leveraging BNPP AM resources
EARTH reflects BNPP AM's steadfast commitment to ESG. "BNPP AM is one of the most credible SRI investors in Europe, with a 25-person sustainability team. BNPP AM is engaged on the regulatory front as part of the steering committee on the EU taxonomy," says Fugmann. BNPP AM's long standing ESG commitment began with establishing an ESG team in 2002; moved on with being a founder signatory of the UN PRI in 2006, and the firm is now involved with more than 40 initiatives, including PRI, IIGC, TCFD and TEG. The managers are part of the ongoing development of ESG at BNPP AM, having sat on the committee for the latest overhaul of BNPP AM's own ESG scoring system, though as mentioned earlier, they are pinpointing the 'E, and do not necessarily require the highest overall ESG scores for their portfolio companies.
BNPP AM has well organized engagement and proxy voting routines. Lees and Fugmann talk directly to companies as they have long-standing corporate relationships, and will actively engage with both long and short portfolio companies when necessary, but voting is coordinated through the Sustainability Centre.
EARTH can also draw upon BNPP AM's strong pedigree in quantitative development, regional equity teams across the globe, and the internal macro group.
The strategy will hold 25-45 names with latitude to range between 20% net long or short, and gross exposure capped at 200%.
Long only energy transition fund
The first strategy that Lees and Fugmann started managing at BNPP AM in September 2019 is a long only energy transition fund, which was up 61.37% YTD (as at the end of August 2020) and has outperformed its reference benchmark by 72.38% since September 2019. This has some degree of overlap with EARTH's long book, since energy transition is also among EARTH's themes. "But EARTH could have different holdings in this sleeve for reasons including time horizons, volatility tolerance and hedging. The liquidity criteria for the two funds are on balance similar as they are both daily UCITS: while EARTH's five-day notice period for daily dealing might provide more flexibility on the liquidity side, it is also likely to be trading more actively to control volatility," explains Lees.
Beyond energy transition, EARTH addresses a range of other sub-themes, including: the circular economy, plastic, oceans, water, alternative protein and sustainable forestry. "The ecosystem needs to consider trees, oceans, rivers and land as well as carbon," points out Lees.
A distinctive mandate
EARTH's big picture guiding stars are addressing population growth by two billion growing to nine billion by 2035 and associated urbanisation; the need to reduce carbon emissions from over 33 trillion gigatonnes in 2018 to below 10 trillion by 2050, and the growing resource intensity of energy, food and water, which may rise by 35-50% by 2035.
EARTH's various aims can, to some extent, be mapped onto one or more of eight of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (numbers 2, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15). "However, digging deeper into the 17 SDGs reveals that they have 169 more precisely defined goals, targets and indicators, and we are of the opinion that most of these can only be attained through public policy. For each of the eight relevant SDGs, we estimate that only two or three of the targets and indicators can realistically be targeted through investment in public equity markets, based on a granular analysis of companies' green or potentially green revenues. This adds up to around 20 or so of the 169 criteria," Lees points out. "We do not lead with the SDGs, rather addressing some aspects of the SDGs is a by product of making good decisions towards our objectives," he adds.
EARTH's investment universe can also be estimated as 1,700 public companies spanning four broad sectors – energy, materials, agriculture and industrials, but again traditional industry breakdowns are not so helpful, because EARTH is focused on 24 specific sub-sectors. For instance, within energy, EARTH looks at renewable and transitional energy generation, equipment, production and distribution including for wind and solar energy, biofuels, fuel cells and batteries, with the tech sector increasingly involved in our space. "Our objectives of environmental solutions including decarbonization, digitization, decentralization and detoxification, cross over the classic sector classification. We are finding potential companies in green buildings, plastic, waste disposal, recycling, farming, sustainable forestry, water conservation and looking at contamination of land, air and water," says Lees. He keeps an open mind about where to find these sorts of firms, so it is more informative to highlight a selection of themes that are potentially in the portfolio.
Batteries, fuel cells and hydrogen
Within energy and renewable energy, Lees expects that, "battery technology, fuel cells and hydrogen will eventually advance to allow for dramatically increased penetration of cost-effective storage of renewable energy, addressing the intermittency of solar, wind and hydro power. For the time being, other fuels such as nuclear or natural gas are also needed to provide the guaranteed baseload generation capacity. Therefore, EARTH can invest in utilities that are using some natural gas or limited existing nuclear generation capacity, but it cannot invest in new nuclear capacity".
Lees is excited about hydrogen fuel cell applications in transport, power and heating. Historically, "grey hydrogen" had the drawback of creating carbon but now there is potential to make hydrogen with low or no carbon footprint. "Hydrogen has been around for decades, but the potential for increasingly cost-effective carbon-free hydrogen is new. One solution here is "blue hydrogen", using carbon capture. "Green hydrogen" generated from renewable energy via an electroliser holds out potential for a complete cycle of greenness when the electricity is generated from renewable sources. This is initially practical for backup power supplies, trucks and warehouse forklifts, but could soon be used for boats and potentially even planes eventually," says Lees. "This is being accelerated by European policy," he adds. Hydrogen straddles both energy and mobility, where EARTH has also looked at scope for methanol powered engines.
EARTH sees a long runway of growth for various electric vehicle manufacturers – and related ecosystems – to revolutionise transport, though the managers are disciplined about valuations of some firms in the space.
"We see potential for biofuels to play a growing role, but are cognizant of their heavy water use in some situations. We are aware of the controversy around whether biofuels increase food prices, but view this as a second order effect that should not outweigh the investment case," says Lees.
"Veganism is not the main thrust of the fund, but we view meat and fish through the lens of their environmental impact. Meat is a health burden and a drain on grain and water resources. We are interested in plant-based proteins, algae or insect-based products but are wary of valuations ascribed to some firms in the area. In fish farming, we would seek responsible approaches including floating offshore farms that can bring disease down," says Lees.
EARTH is concerned about the health risks of GMO farming and advocates organic farming for detoxification benefits. Fugmann argues that, "responsible organic farming can be more efficient and produce higher yields on a sustainable basis without impairing soil quality or using fertilisers that cause problems for river and ocean health. This can also involve more efficient irrigation and water use, through smart watering drones". This is one example of the exciting scope for agri-tech and modern greenhouse precision agriculture to develop higher produce yields using less land, while eliminating the need for pesticides by creating controlled environments. This could eventually revolutionise how we use land, reduce airborne food travel, create smaller supply chains, and improve our health significantly.
Factor bias and risk management
Lees acknowledges that, "the strategy is likely to have some degree of factor tilt towards growth given the underlying investment themes that are still nascent and developing quickly. A few holdings can be pre-profit or even pre-revenue, but the great majority will already have revenues and profits. At the same time, we are finding some compelling value stocks, particularly in Europe, and particularly amongst those transitioning to newer business models". Some utilities in Europe trade on single digit PE multiples.
Active risk management also helps to rein in some of the glamorous growth stock exposures. Several holdings in the long only fund are up by triple digit percentages for the first half of 2020, but the managers have been top slicing the positions, partly to keep them within target weights, but also to stay within the UCITS diversification criteria.
An exclusive saints versus sinners approach would not only introduce a huge amount of sector and factor risk, but also overlooks another important trade type: owning companies that are transitioning their business model
Ulrik Fugmann, Co-Portfolio Manager, BNP Paribas EARTH
A global mandate
EARTH can forage globally, in all cap sizes in the Americas, Europe and Asia, subject to its liquidity needs, which generally set a minimum market cap at USD 1 billion, although sometimes slightly below, and mean that emerging market exposure is likely to be in the larger countries rather than frontier markets. For instance, "in Asia, we have identified firms in China that are active across multiple verticals, including autos, battery powered bicycles, solar panels, rechargeable batteries and smart grids. These can be leveraged to stated-backed infrastructure plans for grid optimization," says Lees.
Politics and market forces
The managers had anticipated a bias towards Europe, but given much of the technology is being developed by US companies their portfolio is weighted towards North America, followed by Europe and then followed by developed Asia.
"The EU is clearly at the forefront of policy action and well ahead of the US Federal government. However, US politicians are taking action at the state and city level, with California being a standout. We expect that a Biden Presidency could be transformational in bringing the US back into the Paris Agreement, amongst other things," says Fugmann. "Yet whatever the outcome of the US elections, market forces are driving environmental solutions including the adoption of renewables in both Democratic and Republican states. Solar can be cheapest in the South and West, while wind is a very efficient way to generate power in the mid-West. Politically, solar and wind are also important because they now employ far more people than does the coal industry," says Lees. Globally, the managers are constructive on governments enhancing the growth story for companies providing environmental solutions, with a very recent example being China's commitment to carbon neutrality by 2060.


He is like[e] the horns of a wild ox for them.
I perceive him,[h] but not near.
6 An Israelite man came bringing a Midianite woman to his relatives in the sight of Moses and the whole Israelite community while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand, 8 followed the Israelite man into the tent,[n] and drove it through both the Israelite man and the woman—through her belly. Then the plague on the Israelites was stopped, 9 but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.
14 The name of the slain Israelite man, who was struck dead with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite ancestral house. 15 The name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal head of an ancestral house in Midian.
2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus[a] that the whole empire[b] should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while[c] Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him[d] and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place.
16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough. 17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things[j] in her heart and meditating on them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard, just as they had been told.
21 When the eight days were completed for His circumcision, He was named Jesus—the name given by the angel before He was conceived.[k] 22 And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (just as it is written in the law of the Lord: Every firstborn male[l] will be dedicated[m] to the Lord[n]) 24 and to offer a sacrifice (according to what is stated in the law of the Lord: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons[o]).
Luke 2:1 Emperor who ruled the Roman Empire 27 b.c.–a.d. 14; also known as Octavian, he established the peaceful era known as the Pax Romana; Caesar was a title of Roman emperors.
For the choir director: "Do Not Destroy."[a] A Davidic Miktam. When Saul sent agents to watch the house and kill him.
3 Lord, look! They set an ambush for me.
but not because of any sin or rebellion of mine.
they run and take up a position.
Awake to help me, and take notice.
and prowling around the city.
sharp words from[b] their lips.
You ridicule all the nations.
because God is my stronghold.
God will let me look down on my adversaries.
11 Do not kill them; otherwise, my people will forget.
They utter curses and lies.
consume them until they are gone.
they growl if they are not satisfied.
but with many counselors there is deliverance.


text:
Home / Obits / Charles A. "Chuck" Maxon
Charles A. "Chuck" Maxon
Wed, 01/20/2016 - 9:35am admin
Sept. 14, 1938 - Jan. 13, 2016
Charles A. (Chuck) Maxon, 77, Rapid City, S.D., passed away Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2016, at Rapid City Regional Hospital, surrounded by his family.
Chuck was a long-time school administrator in western South Dakota, including the towns of Springfield, Faith, Mission, Philip, Wanblee, and for many years in Buffalo.
Chuck, son of Laurence and Mary (Ament) Maxon, was born Sept. 14, 1938, in Lemmon. He grew up on a cattle ranch with 11 brothers and sisters near McLaughlin, graduating from McLaughlin High School where he excelled in academics and sports. He received three degrees from the University of South Dakota, including Educational Specialist, and was a life-long learner. He was an avid USD Coyotes and Green Bay Packers fan, and he loved all sports. He was an exceptional golfer, winning championships on several courses, as well as a hunter and sportsman. Chuck loved South Dakota, its landscapes and its people.
Chuck will be remembered fondly for his wit, humor, generosity, humility and love of a good joke. His family and especially his grandchildren were the center of his life.
He was a friend to everybody and rarely forgot a name. He was a strong advocate for high school student extracurricular activities and educating young people. Chuck believed intensely in a strong public education system and worked hard to make his schools havens of learning for young and old. He cared about his people, and his staff members understood that they were valued no matter what their role. Chuck could be seen discussing curriculum one minute and pushing a broom on the basketball court the next. No task was too big or too small, and people loved and respected him for his leadership.
After his retirement in Buffalo, one of Chuck's special interests was the community center. He used his skills as an administrator to coordinate events held there. He also enjoyed helping with the annual Labor Day Rodeo. He was elected to the Harding Co. School Board, and took that job very seriously.
As a father, Chuck was patient, generous, kind, funny, fair and supportive. He showed his children how to work, how to laugh, and how to love. He rewarded hard work and supported his children and grandchildren's many interests and activities.
Chuck was preceded in death by his wife, LaVina, in 2008, and his son, Greg, in 2007.
Grateful for having shared his life are his sons, Mark Maxon, Elizabethtown, Ky., Clay Maxon, St. Paul, Minn., and Eric Maxon and his wife, Shannon, Rapid City; five daughters, Shelly Baker and Kim Davis, Rapid City, Shaun Gant, Missoula, Mont., Kelly Penticoff and her husband, Jeff, Philip, and Nan Rasor and her husband, Tom, Houston, Texas; 19 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Chuck's family would like to invite you to reminisce with them at a Cowboy Wake at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, at the VFW Club, 420 Main St., in Rapid City.
Cards of condolence may be sent to Kelly Penticoff, PO Box 153, Philip, SD 57567. Messages to the family may also be made at www.rushfuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Chuck's name to: Attn: St. Basil's Church Rebuilding Fund, Acct. #2908, PO Box 10, Eagle Butte, SD 57625, or to the charity of your choice.


Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald has expressed concern at a fish kill in the River Faughan near Claudy in Co Derry.
"The cause of the fish kill has not been determined as yet but the extent of the kill is severe and over a large section of river.
"I have been in touch with NIEA this morning and been informed that the cause of the kill is suspected silage effluent.
"The Loughs Agency are conducting analysis and walking the river to narrow down and identify the source.
"I was also informed that NI Water have taken precautions to minimise any further spread of the pollution.
"This incident needs to be fully investigated, those responsible must be held accountable and brought before the courts.
"The penalties imposed for incidents such as this should be as severe as the law allows.
"At times the fines are not a sufficient deterrent and do not match the damage being done to the environment."


text:
module.exports = {
  activate: function() {}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Power Query Sql.Database is slow when supplying an SQL string to the "Query" option compared to GUI-generated M code I am finding that using Sql.Database with the [Query=<query-string>] option is leading to much slower query times than using Sql.Database without a query specified and instead followed by drilling down into the resulting table.
For example, if I create an SQL query through the Power Query GUI, I can produce a query of this form:
Query 1:
let
    Source = Sql.Database("SomeServer", "SomeDB"),
    SomeTable = Source{[Schema="SomeSchema", Item="SomeTable"})[Data],
    SelectedCols = Table.SelectColumns(SomeTable, {"a", "b", "c"}),
    FilteredRows = Table.SelectRows(SelectedCols, each [a] = 1 and [b] = 2)
    Result = FilteredRows
in
    Result

However, if I select the "View Native Query" option, and paste that SQL code directly into the following query, this will result in a much slower result:
Query 2:
let
    // this uses the result of the native query generated by Query 1
    sql_string = "
    select [_].[a], [_].[b], [_].[c]
    from (select [a], [b], [c] from [SomeSchema].[SomeTable] as [$Table]) as [_]
    where [_].[a] = 1 and [_].[b] = 2
    ",
    run_query = (sql_string as text) as table => Sql.Database("SomeServer", "SomeDB", [Query=sql_string])
    Result = run_query(sql_string)
in
    Result

In my case, with a more complex query producing over 1M rows, I am finding that the first query performs in 1-2 seconds, while the second takes nearly 5 minutes.
How can this be so much different if Query 1 is supposedly running a native query, and Query 2 is just initiating that same query directly? Note the database is in SQL Server.

A: If you put the native query in the correct location, it will run fast. In the first step (Source) put your native query in the SQL Statement box like this:
I don't normally execute the native query generated by the GUI, but it is a good indicator. If the last step provides a native query, it means the query will execute entirely on the server. If "native query" is greyed out in the last step, it means the query will execute on the PC. This means bringing the data to the PC for processing and can be slow when you deal with millions of rows of data.
I sometimes develop queries in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) then paste the resultant query in the SQL Statement box in Excel SQL Server database screen. I can use it as is or touch up the query further in Excel GUI.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
$LOAD_PATH.push(File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/.."))
require 'init'

describe App do
  behaves_like :db_helper

  before do
      reset_db
  end

  it "should return nil value if key does not exist" do
     myEnv = Environment.create(:name => 'testenv')
     myApp = App.create(:name => 'testapp')
     myEnv.add_app(myApp)
     value = myApp.get_key_value(nil, myEnv)
     value.nil?.should == true
  end

  it "should get default value for key" do
     myEnv = Environment.create(:name => 'testenv')
     myApp = App.create(:name => 'testapp')
     myEnv.add_app(myApp)
     key = Key.create(:name => 'key', :app_id=>myApp[:id])
     Value.create(:key_id => key[:id], :environment_id => Environment.default[:id], :value=>'defaultvalue')
     value = myApp.get_key_value(key, myEnv)
     value[:value].should == 'defaultvalue'
     value.default?.should == true
  end

  it "should get actual value for key" do
     myEnv = Environment.create(:name => 'testenv')
     myApp = App.create(:name => 'testapp')
     myEnv.add_app(myApp)
     key = Key.create(:name => 'key', :app_id=>myApp[:id])
     Value.create(:key_id => key[:id], :environment_id => Environment.default[:id], :value=>'defaultvalue')
     Value.create(:key_id => key[:id], :environment_id => myEnv[:id], :value=>'value')
     value = myApp.get_key_value(key, myEnv)
     value[:value].should == 'value'
     value.default?.should == false
  end

  it "should add new key value" do
    myEnv = Environment.create(:name => 'testenv')
    myApp = App.create(:name => 'testapp')
    myEnv.add_app(myApp)
    myApp.keys.length.should == 0
    added = myApp.set_key_value('key', myEnv, 'value', false)
    myApp.keys.length.should == 1
    added.should == true
    key = Key[:name => 'key', :app_id => myApp[:id]]
    Value[:key_id => key[:id], :environment_id => myEnv[:id]][:value].should == 'value'
  end

  it "should add value for existing key with nil value" do
    myEnv = Environment.create(:name => 'testenv')
    myApp = App.create(:name => 'testapp')
    myEnv.add_app(myApp)
    key = Key.create(:name => 'key', :app_id=>myApp[:id])
    added = myApp.set_key_value('key', myEnv, 'value', false)
    added.should == true
    myApp.keys.length.should == 1
    Value[:key_id => key[:id], :environment_id => myEnv[:id]][:value].should == 'value'
  end

  it "should update value for existing key with non-nil value" do
    myEnv = Environment.create(:name => 'testenv')
    myApp = App.create(:name => 'testapp')
    myEnv.add_app(myApp)
    key = Key.create(:name => 'key', :app_id=>myApp[:id])
    value = Value.create(:key_id => key[:id], :environment_id => myEnv[:id], :value=>'oldvalue')
    added = myApp.set_key_value('key', myEnv, 'value', false)
    added.should == false
    myApp.keys.length.should == 1
    Value[:key_id => key[:id], :environment_id => myEnv[:id]][:value].should == 'value'
  end

end