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Dark Fate Ten b – The Sequelning!
*FIRST AND VERY IMPORTANTLY, THIS IS NOT CANON. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNSANCTIONED (okay, not completely. Larry said I could do this for you guys without his ripping my head off) MHI FANFIC.
Good, now that we got that out of the way, why am I doing this? Both Grant and Fado Negro (Portuguese Monster Hunters) have minuscule parts in Guardian, the MHI book I'm collaborating with Larry Correia on. However, obviously the Portugal of Monster Hunter is not the real Portugal (Really, no arcane creatures come stumbling out of the undergrowth there. If there were arcane creatures, the country would be chock-a-block with them, when you take in account the continuous human occupation since… well, forever.) And this story gives me more of an opportunity to firm the worldbuilding. (Yes, it would be MUCH easier to do this with a notebook and noting things down, but that's not how my mind works, d*mn it.)
Okay, that's the rational excuse. The real reason is that d*mn Grant Jefferson won't leave me alone. (Always had a thing for men from Patrician New England families. Ask my husband.) So I'm torturing him in order to redeem him.
Will this ever be a book? Don't know. First Guardian will get delivered. Then, this being finished, I throw it at Larry. And then it's his SOLE DECISION. (Which means, don't you monkeys hassle him.) It's his world and his character. I'm just grateful he lets me play in it in Guardian and here for your amusement.
Previous installments are HERE.*
Come to Portugal, I thought. Come for the history, the culture, the thousands of years of ruins and artifacts. But stay for the beaches. I stared at the hordes of revenants scrambling up the beach towards us. Or on the beaches. In itty bitty pieces. Until the next goddess or false saint or whatever gets its panties in a twist and…. assembles you to do her bidding.
It was bright enough — the police had spotlights on the bridge — that I could see the nearest revenants were collections of marine life in human form. Some fish were still flopping, while pretending to be part of a leg or arm. One of them, I could distinctly see, had seaweed air, and sea shells for eyes. I shuddered. I don't know why and I will certainly not explain it, but I hated the idea of being eaten by zombies made up of seashells and fish more than being eaten by zombies made up of rotting flesh. To be fair I never liked fish.
Silvia was yelling loudly at the policeman, and one of the dark haired, thin guys I had seen at the Dark Fate headquarters lay down next to me, supporting his — machine gun? — on the top of the seawall (which was deeper on the beach side, but here was about 2 feet up from the road.)
The machine gun went the hack hack hack of an AK47, and he stitched neat rows across the heads of the first row of zombies who fell to be trampled by their fellows.
He looked up at me, "So, Americans too good to shoot? he said, before resuming shooting.
My first impulse was to tell him to go to hell, but if I understood what I was supposed to be doing here, but I was supposed to be a good will ambassador. Considering it was Franks who had told me that, perhaps I should be Grrrrring or shouting "Classified" at the hapless people now taking their place on the wall and shooting down at the zombies. I noted they made no big difference, except the horde advanced somewhat slower.
Silvia was still yelling at the policeman.
I shouted over the machine gun and — were some people really shooting handguns? — other fire "And what do you think this will do?"
"We die defending the city," the guy next to me shouted, and took a moment to glower at me, as if I were a bad person for not embracing this glorious martyrdom.
Look, the point of a battle is to make the other guy die. Sure, sometimes you have to give your life to save someone, but the whole point is that in that situation it should be possible to save someone.
I'd once made a snap decision that I couldn't save someone else and saved myself, and therefore had lost Julie Schakelford's good opinion, but hey, sometimes your decision was wrong.
In this case, though… I looked at the massed, massing hordes, and the idiots machine gunning them down, without trying to do something that would actually save them.
I thought if I started running now, stole one of the cars parked in the police barricade of the street, and drove like hell to the airport, I could definitely save myself. Of course, sea-revenants might eat and shred the whole North of Portugal.
And Franks would almost certainly growl at me. Also, possibly rip my head off and beat me to death with it.
Besides, it would take a hell of a lot of driving to get me out of there. And look, the US couldn't possibly drop a nuclear bomb over Portugal without starting some internatioal incident. … well, it could if the other option was letting all of Europe be devoured. And damn it, I thought well of the Louvre.
The idea of cars waiting at the barricade stirred in my mind. There was something….
Suddenly it bloomed in my mind, filling everything — so to put it — with light and heat. The hordes of undead were now so near I could smell them, a smell like clam chowder gone very, very bad.
I ran back towards the barricade. I barely heard the sneering "Run, American run." Yeah, what I really needed in my life, right now, was sneering nationalistic condescension. Well done, them.
The vehicle I remembered seeing was just past the barricade, and I was very glad to read on the side "BP Oil" Because it would be pure crap if, say, it had been milk. My mind desperately wanted to make a joke about the milk of human kindness but I didn't let it. I also didn't let myself think about whether this would work. After all, could you burn sea-revenants?
I knew it was a crazy, last ditch idea, but it seemed better than let the sea-dead eat the living of Europe.
I climbed on the running board and knocked at the window to the tanker truck, and the man rolled it down and garbled at me in Portuguese. I screamed incoherently at him "Get out, get out, get out" and reached for the door handle. To my shock the door came over. The guy was about twice my size, and started screaming at me and trying to push me.
In the process, he also half-stepped out of the truck. Which is when I beaned him with the guitar — Toink — shoved him out of the truck, shouting, "There really are useful for monster hunting" and then, after a moment of confusion, drove the tanker truck forward.
This involved driving between two rows of parked cars. Well, kind of in between. As people screamed and ran out of the way, I scraped the doors of cars on either side and might have dragged a smart car several feet. The police tried to wave me off the barricade, but when I drove towards it, they dove out of the way. I stopped the truck, looked over at the beach, and the situation was as desperate as I thought, so I ran back.
The guys with machine guns were preparing to fall back, and Silvia was about to join them.
People surrounded me and tried to stop me, or pull me away from the truck, but I was bigger than most of them, and bulled through. The guitar, much the worse for the wear, thonked a couple more heads.
Fortunately the tanker had a hose. Well, sort of a hose. I think it was meant to fit into the receptacle for gas stations' underground tank.
I didn't have a way to unlock the end, though, and nothing was flowing. So I dragged the hose out to the wall, pointed it over the wall, banged the end-piece of the hose till it broke and gas started flowing. I was in luck. It flowed out with pressure.
I pointed it at the revenants, and let it fly. Then I yelled. "Anybody have matches?"
The guy next to me passed me a matchbook, and suddenly all the guys on the wall let go the machine guns and started flinging lit matches. None were making it. They were just too light. The gas-soaked revenants advanced, close enough to see the shells of their eyes.
I said "Lighter."
Guy next to me said, "It won't stay lit"
Looking dubious, he handed it to me.
There was something I had learned. That is that sometimes you really do have to risk your life to save others. I lit the lighter, jumped over the sea wall and ran at the revenants.
A hand made of fish and shells grabbed me. I put my lighter to the other arm.
I think it let go of me. I wasn't sure. I was too busy wondering if I'd come back as a sea zombie or a vampire. I tried to run for the sea wall. There was an explosion — I think — at least I was flying through the air, and I think my hair was on fire. At least it hurt like hell.
I hit the wall face first, and fell into…. Her arms.
She was blue and twenty feet tall, and the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, even if she smelled like fish.
"Hello Sailor," she said. "I've been waiting for you."
"Not a sailor," I said.
And everything went black.
66 responses to "Dark Fate Ten b – The Sequelning!"
paladin3001 | November 17, 2017 at 3:08 pm |
One of these days I have to sit down and read them. Just not in the mood for fiction these days. 😦
*peers mournfully at Kindle loaded with unread novels*
Paul (Drak Bibliophile) Howard | November 17, 2017 at 3:16 pm |
She's blue. Does that mean she wants Grant to cheer her up? 😉
accordingtohoyt | November 17, 2017 at 3:29 pm |
in a way… Not a way he'll like.
You being mean to Grant? 👿
Byron | November 17, 2017 at 4:55 pm |
Really rather the point.
Luke | November 17, 2017 at 8:43 pm |
Nah. He got his redemption in Nemisis. Most of the named MCB characters did.
accordingtohoyt | November 17, 2017 at 10:14 pm |
Kind of. He wasn't that humanized, though
RES | November 17, 2017 at 3:37 pm |
That is very dark ending.
Mike Houst | November 17, 2017 at 3:44 pm |
20 foot tall woman? Wow, last I remember was 15-foot giants. Blue though, eh? Frost Giant Woman? Now I'm going to have to get the REST of Larry's books just to figure out what's going on. 😉
Feather Blade | November 17, 2017 at 3:47 pm |
I'm guessing Nereid.
Of some sort.
My guess is that she's higher ranking than a Nereid.
Looking back at the earlier chapters, I think this woman is one of the Sirens mentioned earlier.
Perhaps a Siren Queen.
wyrdbard | November 17, 2017 at 4:53 pm |
… Maab? (yeah, I know, a bit of a leap.)
richardmcenroe | November 17, 2017 at 5:38 pm |
So that makes Grant a Nereid-do-well…
Ooo. Bad Richard! Eat high velocity, suitably sun-ripened, Cyprinidae!
Given that Grant is a huge dick I hesitate to speculate what use a 20-ft tall femme fatale might find for him.
GWB | November 17, 2017 at 4:18 pm |
OK, I *have* to visit that link at the top and read from the beginning.
And, obviously, I need to get the next MHI book (I'm way behind) and get to reading.
sam57l0 | November 17, 2017 at 4:32 pm |
Purty danged funny, missy!
tcbobg | November 17, 2017 at 5:12 pm |
AK14? Don't quite know what it is, but if it's good enough for Portagee monster hunters I want one. 🙂
Kalashnikov's first assailt weapon with the bump stock…
Okay, guys, don't you know I typo as I breathe?
Orvan Taurus | November 17, 2017 at 7:45 pm |
So you are also fluent in 'typonese'?
richard mcenroe (@richard_mcenroe) | November 18, 2017 at 12:06 am |
Yeah, she's a back belt in taipo chi…
Tom Reynolds (@Beregond) | November 17, 2017 at 5:49 pm |
William O. B'Livion | November 17, 2017 at 6:22 pm |
They don't exist any more, and would not (probably) been able to export to Portugal.
There is an AK-12, but it only went into production in 2010. It is essentially (handwaving) the Russian equivalent of a M16-A4/M4, using the 5.45×39 round (rough equivalent of the 5.56×45.
Given the timeframe (blackberry not too obsolete to use), I don't think that Portugese would have had these yet.
There is also the AK-74, which uses the same round and has been around for a long time.
For things like that a AK-47 would be "better", but a PKM…now THAT would be good for moderate problems.
Serious problems require crew served weapons.
the AK 47 DOES exist in Portugal. I was shot at with it.
richardmcenroe | November 18, 2017 at 2:28 am |
Oh, pish! I have it on very good authority (twitter) that there is very little gun violence in Europe!
accordingtohoyt | November 18, 2017 at 10:08 am |
This was the seventies, after the revolution, so everything was peaceful and it was utopia.
I was shot at a couple of times and "brandished at" about ten. I have very little respect for people pointing AKs at me when I can bean them with my umbrella AND their friends are right behind me. I told them they were literally a circular firing squad… Fricking idiot commies.
Another time the only reason I'm here is that idiots didn't understand recoil. They shot the ceiling…
CCO | November 18, 2017 at 9:04 am |
AK-47s are the cockroach of guns. Fun bonus fact: We were told in Initial Entry Training (Basic) that it takes 36 inches of wood to stop a 7.62 mm round. Yard thick trees are kinda scarce.
TRX | November 18, 2017 at 9:51 am |
> cockroach of guns
[looks at gun rack]
Well, yeah. But the Mosins are running a close second…
Older son loves the Mosins. Not that he has any, because you know, tragic boating accident.
TRX | November 19, 2017 at 11:50 am |
Yeah. Lots of that going around…
The Mosin was originally the Berdan #1, designed by one Hiram Berdan, a former Union army officer. The Tsar's army adopted it, and later an improved version as the Berdan #2. Later the army wanted to upgrade from single shots to repeaters, so they added a magazine to the Berdan, and while they were at it they went to a spiffy new small-bore smokeless cartridge, the 7.62x54R.
The Berdan and Mosin are such close cousins that when there was a rifle shortage in WWI, the arsenals upgraded Berdans with Mosin parts to turn them into repeaters.
The Mosins were declared obsolete and stored in warehouses until the Soviet troops in Afghanistan found out that the ancient British .303s used by some of the indigenes easily outranged their spiffy new AK-74s. The call went out and thousands of Mosins were cleaned up and sent back into combat.
The Russian Empire went away, the Soviet Union went away, and the Russian Federation traded most of its Mosins for dirty capitalist imperialist dollars, much to the consternation of gun safes and closets throughout the USA.
But Russian police still use a descendant of the Mosin as a sniper rifle, and I imagine there are a few ancient warehouses full of crates seeping the Soviet version of Cosmoline… And the 7.62x54R is still ab active service cartridge, mostly for light machine guns now.
That's quite a success story when you think about it.
Draven | November 19, 2017 at 2:07 pm |
Izmash still sells a descendant of the Mosin as a sporting rifle.
AK 47. I've been typing weirder than normal all day.
ACK. It's supposed to be 47. Stupid fingers.
OK, makes sense. But then, here being here, I thought it might be some kind of AK-47/M-14 hybrid – an AK platform firing the 7.62 x 51 mm NATO round. Hmmm . . .
which is currently available from VEPR, and thre used to be ones available from Saiga…
but at this point you can get an AR10 for less.
No. Though honestly, a lot of guns in Portugal are frankensteined from foreign parts. One of my dreams is to take Larry to the Portuguese museum of guns, and have him go "WTF?" and take a lot of pictures and laugh.
Thing is, if I were doing that, I'd have made a big deal of it, not just mentioned the characteristic sound of the 47
Eugene Stoner designed the M-16. The M-16 was a descendant of his earlier AR-10 design, the main difference being that the AR-10 was in .308 and the M-16 in .223.
The AR-10 was always the odd alternative, and the only major purchaser was Portugal…
There are plenty of "AR-10s" on the market now, but most of them share only the caliber and name with the original design.
My dad has a book on Portuguese guns. Unfortunately he lost it. His mission is to find it before I visit, so I can steal it… (Is it stealing if he knows I'm going to do it?)
Depends on whether you're going to ever return it. And if he ever offered to let you borrow it.
"Papa. You remember you offered to let me borrow your book 5 years ago? Well, I just did."
He offered to GIVE it to me, he just can't find it. In his defense, my mom thinks too many books are a problem, and she might have thrown it away.
tprice | November 19, 2017 at 1:43 pm |
To many books can only be a problem if it's effecting the structural integrity of the building. Then the problem is you need a better building!
Mom thinks "too many books" is more than a dozen that look good in her front room (small) bookcase.
At one time she decided "books piled everywhere" were a problem for my bedroom, so she flung them out the window, to farmer's field next door. That I still have a mother is a minor miracle and proves i'm not as much of a berserker as I thought.
TRX | November 19, 2017 at 9:44 pm |
An online friend visited. He excused himself to use the bathroom, and after twenty minutes or so I went and tapped on the door.
"Hey Kemp, you okay?"
"There's BOOKS in here!"
"Uh… yeah."
"I'll be out as soon as I finish this chapter…"
not really, most of the commercial AR-10s use dimensionally similar parts in many places. Many use other magazines (there have been ones that take FAL mags and M-14 mags) or essentially scaled up AR mags (the SR-25 pattern mags) That and the charging handle was changed to the AR-style "T". They have essentially been given the M-16 design changes (to make them mechanically similar to the M-16) and the A3 improvements like picatinny rail receivers instead of the old carry handle, especially because the military wants to use them as DMRs.
Send your fingers to bed without any supper! That'll teach them.
You know, that's part of the problem. Night before last was spectacularly bad, and I'm still recovering.
Dunno if it's a continuity error, but in the beginning all he's got in his checked bags is Knives, then it turns out he had a Glock in there.
Probably hid it inside his hair dryer.
I had some vague idea he'd mailed it to himself…
I sorta remember something about having to pick something up, but maybe it was checked luggage.
overgrownhobbit | November 17, 2017 at 6:24 pm |
Really looking forward to reading these one day!
/me waits for Larry to react
I'm sure Larry's reaction will be calm, restrained, and well-reasoned.
LARRY KNOWS I'M DOING THIS. I wouldn't do it otherwise.
tprice | November 18, 2017 at 11:03 am |
Yes, but has Larry _read it_ yet? 😉
The gasoline tanker flame thrower was actually not a bad idea. To bad they didn't have a road flare to throw instead but then we wouldn't have Grant getting to "Dream of large women" to quote the most quotable movie of all time. 😀
I don't know if he's read it. I know his better half has read some.
And it's not "precisely" a dream. It's more "Grant meets his nemesis."
Grant meets and falls in love with a 20 foot tall Queen of the Nereids?
Not… precisely.
Thus, the after reaction report—(supply) is requested to stock road flares.
I'm hoping that last 20 ft woman is an hallucination.
After reading the above, I guess not.
Jasini | November 18, 2017 at 10:27 am |
C taylor | November 19, 2017 at 6:51 pm |
So will Grant undergo a sea-change? As The Bard would describe it.
SteveW | November 20, 2017 at 11:51 am |
I guess Grant is too young to make a reference to "El Kabong."


GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump is not alone in attempting to appeal to Christian audiences while blaming immigrants, Muslims and other minorities for the nation's social ills.
The Croatian Party of Rights, for example, has as its motto "God and Croats." The Golden Dawn Party in Greece attempts to portray itself as a defender of the Greek Orthodox Church.
A 2015 study of 13 European countries found that supporters of populist radical right parties were relatively non-religious. With the exception of Poland, higher levels of Christian religiosity were weakly or negatively associated with voting for the populist radical right.
"People who only loosely identify with their religion were actually the most prejudiced," said John Shaver, the lead study author.
The least likely to display tolerance were those who were nominally connected to a faith, but who said it was not important in their life and they rarely attended services.
"Results suggest that in New Zealand, high levels of religious identification and church attendance are associated with substantial reductions in minority-group prejudice, and that such tolerance extends to members of a poorly tolerated religious minority group, Muslims," the researchers reported.
It is a strategy, Shaver said, that is likely to attract more than it repels people loosely tied to their faith because they tend to use religion "to justify their own self-interest" rather than to engage in moral reflection.
"When those things are stressed, that should increase tolerance," he said.
Trump's attendance at a service before the Iowa caucus didn't mute the Rev. Pamela Saturnia of First Presbyterian Church in Muscatine.
She preached a message of healing and acceptance for "those who are the most unloved, the most discriminated against, the most forgotten in our community and in our world." She specifically mentioned Syrian refugees and Mexican migrants.
Hundreds of rabbis and Jewish leaders organized under the banner "Come Together Against Hate" plan to protest Trump's scheduled appearance tonight before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington.


The Google presented on Tuesday (8) the four Brazilian non-governmental organizations that won the Challenge of Social Impact award to those who submit the best ideas of how to use technology to improve the reality of Brazil. In all, Google has distributed R$ 7 million (over 3 million US dollars) to these entities (one million reais each).
Meu Rio was awarded for the project "My City Network", which uses mobile applications to encourage residents to engage communities.
Conservation Internation Brazil stood out with the proposal to transform more sustainable fishing in extractive communities to launch an application that identifies the origin of fish and fishing methods.
The Instituto Zero a Seis was chosen for its idea of supporting the development of children in early childhood and their mothers by sending SMS to pregnant women and mothers of infants up to age three.
The fourth prize was selected in a vote in the open internet, who received 475,000 votes. The Geledés Black Women's Institute will create an application to support women in vulnerable situations and who are victims of domestic violence.
Additionally, Google rewarded with R$ 500,000 the other six finalists NGOs. The ten entities submitted bids jurors Jacquelline Fuller, director of Google.org, Luciano Huck, presenter of TV Globo, Viviane Senna, social entrepreneur, and rapper MV Bill. Also attended the entrepreneur Josué Gomes, president of Coteminas.
Besides money, the winners will receive technical support from Google so that projects can come to life. Brazil is the third country to host this competition, after England and India.
In other editions of the challenge, some of the winners were an application to connect citizens to government, a program of lighting communities in Africa from the capture of solar energy and a program that follows the course of social projects and reconstruction in countries devastated by war.
via G1 – Google gives £ 7 million to NGOs that use technology to change Brazil – News Technology and Games.


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Home Cover
SGF, ministers snub Senators
in Cover, National
•Cracks in Senate widens
From Fred Itua, Abuja
The ongoing war between the presidency and the Senate, yesterday, got messier, as the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir Lawal and four ministers, shunned summons extended to them by the Upper Legislative Chamber.
Abubakar Malami, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF); Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama; and Mr. Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications, were billed to appear before various committees of the Senate.
The Senate, had on Tuesday, summoned the AGF to appear before it yesterday, to explain why a legal action was instituted against the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu, over claims that they forged the Senate Standing Rules of 2015.
This followed a motion brought under matter of urgent public importance by Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West).
Malami was billed to appear before the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, while Lawal and Onyeama were summoned to clarify grey areas in the list of ambassadorial nominees recently sent to the Senate for screening and onward confirmation.
Meanwhile, 16 senators who are members of the factional All Progressives Congress (APC) Unity Forum, yesterday, announced that they were solidly behind President Buhari, 24 hours after their Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterparts said they were withdrawing their support for the president.
Addressing a press conference after a closed door meeting, Senate Minority Whip, Olusola Adeyeye, said they were fully backing the anti-corruption war of the president.
"We are shocked at the totally partisan reaction of our colleagues from the minority party, PDP, to the on-going investigations and recovery of public funds meant for the prosecution of the war against insurgency. Contrary to the assertion of our PDP colleagues, the investigation is not a partisan war against a particular political party."
My plans for NEITI –Adio
Those calling for restructuring are indirectly asking for break-up –David-West
Sylva plans to destabilise Bayelsa –Govt
From Lateef Dada, Osogbo After eight months in darkness, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola has ordered the restoration of...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This week the three co-hosts, Brian Roemmele, Mike Townsend and Faisal Khan are back on the air, discussing what is proverbial $64 Million Question: Is Bitcoin A Bubble? (or is this the real deal?) For the last couple of years, bitcoin has seen almost no sharp rise, until this year, from August onwards, the price of bitcoin has been sky-rocketing. Famed economists tell us we are in a bubble. Investment experts tell us we are in a bubble. But are we in a bubble. Tune in and listen to three different viewpoints on the Bitcoin & Bubble argument.


"I don't know how you do it." Any military spouse will tell you they have had a well-meaning civilian friend or family member say these words. It is usually during a deployment or on either end of a PCS move. And most mil spouses shrug off this compliment (is it a compliment?) just as their active duty spouse does.
The military life is not for the faint of heart. For the past few decades; it has been entirely a voluntary fighting force. A common phrase heard often by the military community is "You knew what you were getting into." For the active duty warrior, yes but for their families, not so much. Oh sure, in theory, there are expectations of numerous moves, changing schools, frequent goodbyes, and the dreaded deployment. But the reality of living through these staples of military life and still keeping some semblance of "normal" is at times challenging.
There are plenty of ways to recognize and honor those who didn't "choose" this life but rather are living it because they love someone who did opt to step up and defend this nation. Civilian friends and neighbors can truly honor and thank military families for the sacrifices made in support of those who keep our nation safe.
When you figure out what the need is, take action. When my husband deployed, a girlfriend decorated my front yard for my birthday. My kids were young at the time, so she knew with my Marine gone, my birthday would be on the back burner. I was touched, and the kids loved the decorations!
Most military spouses volunteer a lot of their time. It is a great way to immerse themselves into a new community. Military kids get involved in many of the same activities as their civilians counterparts. But ask any mil spouse what it is like having a daughter join a new Girl Scout Troop and feeling pressured to sell a ton of Thin Mints to the new neighbor you just met last week. Admittedly, the "pressure" is often self-inflicted. But try explaining to an 11-year old why she can't out sell Susie Q who grew up in the area and has more relatives in a four block radius than you have on the entire eastern seaboard. So purchase that box of Do Si Dos that you know you want or volunteer to stuff care packages alongside your military friends at the local USO. Shared interests are a great way to bond.
Some civilians consciously keep their distance from military families. The thought might be the military family will be moving on in two to three years. There is a tendency not to get too emotionally involved. But if military families led their lives this way, they would never feel connected. It's important to a military family that their kids feel at home at a new duty station as soon as possible. Military families see a new neighborhood or school as an exciting opportunity to meet people and learn new things about their adopted community. And many times, the military family moving away, actually moves back to the area, so there is a chance to reconnect with old friends.
Invite a military family to celebrate Memorial Day, Independence Day, or Veteran's Day with you. If you volunteer with your Parent/Teacher Organization at school, organize a slide show to honor military and veteran members in your community on Veteran's Day. My kids loved seeing a photo of their Dad shown on the big screen during the annual Salute to Veterans at their school.
Don't tell a mil spouse, "This is how we've always done it." There is nothing more deflating than volunteering at your new church or school and finding that they are not open to any new ideas. One of the benefits of the nomadic military lifestyle is that military families get to experience all types of cultures and situations. They can be a terrific resource for new ideas.
Military families tend to be stationed far from family and friends so traveling home to celebrate major holidays, or special occasions may not always be possible. While the tradition with your civilian family may be to invite extended family from across town, go the extra mile and invite a military family to share your holiday. Or better yet, make every effort to accept if an invitation is extended by a military family. My civilian friends have supported our family on numerous occasions attending birthdays and church events when extended family couldn't be there.
Military families feel honored that their active duty or veteran family member serves their country. They take pride in whatever sacrifices they have made as a family along the way. And the support from the civilian community means a lot.
PreviousNeed To Vent About Your Nightmare PCS?


It is widely recognised that the UK construction industry is suffering from a shortage in skilled workers. With an ageing workforce and potential changes to visa legislation following Brexit, this has potential to escalate further. The roofing sector, like many others, could be affected too.
To mitigate against this shortage many contractors may have become increasingly reliant on outsourcing work to subcontractors, giving them the flexibility to upscale their workforce based on demand. But bringing in 'subbies' on site, inevitably, has its own considerations and risks. Roofing contractors must fully appreciate the differences between bona-fide and labour-only subcontractors and what their responsibilities and requirements are to them from a health and safety perspective.
Labour-only subcontractors generally work under the direction of the roofing contractor who will typically provide materials for the job. In the eyes of the law this is regarded as a master and servant type relationship. As such, the roofing contractor's duties towards labour-only subcontractors are the same as to their own staff. Their health and safety documentation and procedures should reflect this. Roofing contractors must recognise the specific skill and experience of a labour-only subcontractor and consider additional health and safety procedures where necessary. If a labour-only subcontractor has an accident on site, the roofing contractor may be liable if they cannot provide evidence to demonstrate risks were properly considered and reduced to the lowest possible level and adequate protection was put in place to safeguard the worker concerned.
In comparison, bona-fide subcontractors are generally deemed to be specialist contractors who are responsible for their own systems of work and control the work undertaken by their employees. A bona-fide subcontractor is responsible for managing their own health and safety risks for their own element(s) of a contract. When bona-fide sub-contractors are hired, the roofing contractor should satisfy themselves that the bona-fide subcontractor adopts safe working practices and produces suitable risk assessments and method statements. They should also ensure they carry suitable insurances to cover the works they are undertaking.
It is also important to note that the main contractor on a project will retain responsibility for overall health and safety for a site as detailed in the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015. The main contractor has a duty to clearly and effectively communicate health and safety measures, and matters relating to risk management to the roofing contractor and the roofing contractor's bona-fide subcontractors which usually takes the form of a site induction.
The continuing emphasis on health and safety is justified by the 27% increase in construction fatalities in the past year with falls from height accounting for the biggest proportion (24%) of deaths at work. These underline the continued importance of embedding a health and safety culture that is outlined clearly to all those involved – on any basis in a contractor's business.
There could also be serious economic implications for businesses failing to comply with health and safety regulations following changes to the sentencing guidelines for fines imposed on businesses found guilty of health and safety offences.
Due to the wide bracket of fines under the new guidelines, mid-sized roofing businesses could face a fine similar to that of a much larger company, with much deeper pockets, or even a custodial sentence for the most severe cases. The best way to avoid this is to have an effective and robust approach to complying with health and safety laws that cascades throughout the workforce.


The longer Game of Thrones has gone on, the more and more it's plunged into the nitty-gritty of George R.R. Martin's fantastical setting and its most obscure concepts—so it's good that HBO's home releases are packed with little animated primers to keep you in the know when it comes to Westeros' long history. And this new one is all about dragons.
It's cool to see Game of Thrones leaning in on the vast history of Martin's fantasy world to act as a primer for fans who might not have ingested page after page of material about everything from giant frost spiders to the petty squabbles of minor houses, but I kind of wish they did more than just relegate it to (very niftily animated) special features on a box set. There is an immense amount of fascinating and wild lore behind Game of Thrones that could be utilized for something really special. After all, that's why there's that handful of Game of Thrones spinoffs already being worked on, right?
But for now, these delightful animated primers—as well as the lavish, 45-minute-long Conquest & Rebellion animated featurette about House Targaryen's rise and fall also included in the box set—will have to do. It's not a bad way to while away the long wait for the final season at least! Game of Thrones season seven's DVD and Blu-ray is available now.


text:
La commanderie de Perpignan était la commanderie urbaine la plus importante de l'Ordre du Temple dans le nord de la Catalogne, et la commanderie principale du Mas Deu qui partageait avec lui la capitale du Temple de Roussillon. Comme dans presque toutes les capitales de Catalogne, l'Ordre du Temple avait un ordre dans la capitale du Roussillon. C'est-à-dire un ordre urbain où, comme à Barcelone, l'ordre développait des activités marchandes et des politiques propres de la ville, alors que celui du Mas Deu se consacrait essentiellement à l'exploitation agricole et à l'administration territoriale.

Histoire

Bien qu'un commandant templier de Perpignan ne soit documenté qu'en 1209, il commença bientôt à recevoir des propriétés dans la ville. Le patrimoine urbain du Temple de Perpignan a commencé à se former en 1139 avec la donation de propriété faite par Guillem Gairard et son frère. Dès lors, l'ordre déploie sa stratégie sur les familles notables de la commune afin d'obtenir d'autres dons (immobiliers ou économiques) afin d'installer une maison ou une commande dans la ville. Ils ont immédiatement reçu d'autres avantages de la part des comtes et de différents membres de l'oligarchie urbaine (de Ramon Esteve, Pere Ermengol, Bernat de Rennes, entre autres). C'est ainsi que petit à petit, le Temple est devenu une partie du tissu urbain.

La direction de cet important ordre de Perpignan était confiée à des administrateurs expérimentés, dont la plupart étaient promus sergents moines travaillant au commanderie du Mas Deu. C'étaient les deux derniers commandants de Perpignan, le Père de Camprodon et Jaume d'Ollers, auxquels le roi de Majorque confia la charge d'administrer son patrimoine avec le titre de procurator regis, qui devint une sorte de ministre de Trésorerie. A Perpignan, comme partout, le Temple a cherché à participer à toutes sortes d'entreprises qui procuraient des avantages. Les principaux forums: moulins, poids et mesures, fours, légumes et viande, cuir, chiffons...

Les moulins
Comme dans d'autres commandements catalans, l'attention des Templiers de Perpignan est dirigée vers le contrôle des moulins à proximité de la ville, car l'exploitation de ces gins, principalement des aubes, leur apporterait des revenus importants, car le quartier avait l'obligation d'apporter là pour moudre le grain. Dans ce but, en 1146, ils achetèrent, pour un montant insignifiant (probablement en remboursant une dette) au comte Gausfred III, deux moulins près de Saint-Jean, et un autre au même endroit, peu de temps après. Après ces premières acquisitions, d'autres sont documentées vers les années soixante-dix; en 1172, le comte Girard II cède ses moulins de Mailloles, à l'ouest de la ville, et plus tard, déjà dans la seconde moitié du , 1262, lorsque l'expansion urbaine de la ville atteint la bande de Saint-François, le roi Jacques Ier leur accorda le pouvoir perpétuel d'utiliser l'eau qui passait par le canal près de leurs écuries et de leurs vergers; une concession qui finirait par leur poser plus d'un problème.

Bibliographie
 Bernard Alart (1867): "Suppression de l'Ordre du Temple en Roussillon", BSASL, t. 15, p. 30.[1]
 Joan Fuguet Sans (1989): L'arquitectura dels templers a Catalunya, Tesi Doctoral dirigida pel Dr. Antoni José i Pitarch. Université de Barcelone. (Col·lecció de Tesis Doctorals Microfitxades, núm. 840).
 — (1995): L'arquitectura dels templers a Catalunya, Barcelone, Rafael Dalmau Ed.
 — (2005): Templers i Hospitalers, IV. Guia de la Catalunya Vella, el Penedès, els Comtats del Rosselló i Mallorca, Barcelone, Rafael Dalmau, Ed.
 — (1998), «L'arquitectura dels templers a la "Catalunya Nord"», a VV. AA.(1998), Les Templiers en Pays Catalan, Éditions Trabucaire, Perpignan, p. 159-213.
 Joaquim Miret y Sans (1910): Les cases de Templers y Hospitalers en Catalunya, Barcelone, 1910.[2]
 Rodrigue Tréton (2010): Diplomatari del Masdéu, I-V, Fundació Noguera, Barcelone. [3]
 Pierre Vidal (1897): Histoire de Perpignan, (Réédition refondue avec notes critiques et bibliographie de Jacques Enfer), Barré  Dayez, ed., Paris, 1988.
 Robert Vinas (1961): Les templiers en Roussillon d'après le cartulaire de la Commanderie du Mas Deu, Faculté des Lettres de Montpellier, Diplôme d'Études Supérieures d'Histoire du Moyen Âge. (Mecanoscrit)
 —(2002): Els templers al Rosselló, Pagès editors, Lleida.
 Robert Vinas, Laure Verdon, Gauthier Langlois, Pierre-Vincent Claverie, Josep Maria Sans i Travé, FUGUET SANS Joan Fuguet Sans, (1998): Les Templiers en pays catalan, Col·lecció "HISTÒRIA", Éditions Trabucaire, Perpignan.

Notes et références

Perpignan
Commanderie templière

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Sarpamthullal is usually performed in the courtyard of houses having snake shrines for family wealth and happiness. This dance is mainly performed by the members of a community called Pulluvar. A Kolam (picture) of two or more twining snakes in the courtyard are drawn and an oil lit traditional lamp and one full measure (nirapara) each of paddy and rice are placed in front of the kolam. Also, the idol of the snake is brought out from the Kavu in a procession called thalapoli and placed in the kolam. A number of girls with their hair dressed up like the hoods of snakes and reminiscent of the legend of the naga kanyakas partake in this procession. The poojari then dances round the kolam to the rhythmic beating of para and elathalam. All the while a pulluvan and pulluvathi will be singing special devotional songs set to tune and rhythem by nanduni (a primitive type of veena) and kudam (a primitive form of modern khatam) respectively.
Ayyappan Vilaku depicts the legendary right between Ayyappan and Vavar. Numerous miniature temples are constructed out of tender coconut frond and plantain leaf-stalks. Two dancers in the costume and make up of Ayyappan and Vavar perform the dance, striking the swords and defending with coconut fronds.
This martial folk-dance having its origin in kalaripayattu, involves the performers dancing with sword and shield on their hands. Songs are sung throughout and the cymbals chime in perfect union with the steps and the striking of swords against the shields.
Being a devotional offering of pulayas for the deity Bhadrakali, this dance is performed in the fields after the harvest. This prolonged dance has numerous phases with each phase having different type of make up and costumes.
Being a marital dance of the Nair community, this depicts the ancient warfare in Kerala in all its ferocity and valour. Armed with shining swords and shields in exotic costumes, this dance is performed with complete vigour and force. The dance ends in the victory of good over evil.
Purathu which means imitation or mimicy, is a humorous folk-play performed by Ezhavas or Pulayas, involving many characters like Chettiar, Chettichi, Kuravan and Kurathi. The accompanying songs are in Tamil.
Pulayar kali is a gay group dance of Pulayas, the former class of untouchables. It is noted for its rhythm, vigour and beauty. Women also participate in this dance which is usually performed after the harvest season. The songs are all based on themes from mythologies of Mahabharatha and Ramayana accompanied by the instruments like para, veekan chenda kavu etc.


Hello. I am looking at the Super Mario Bros 1 assembly code that is on Github Gist (Google "Super Mario Bros assembly code" to find it). I came upon some syntax that I don't understand, and to this point it is also the only question I have regarding the source code thus far.
The syntax in question is the ">" and "<" prefixes.
I understand # means immediate addressing, but what are the less-than and greater-than signs for?
The Gist says it compiles using x816, and I tried looking up the docs of that to no avail.
Last edited by pikachu64 on Sat Feb 23, 2019 6:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
"<" means "low byte", ">" means "high byte". In other words, "<" takes the bottom 8 bits from the value, and ">" takes the upper 8 bits.
edit: $ means hexadecimal. Each digit in hex takes 4 bits... 0 to F (hex) == 0000 to 1111 (binary).
Last edited by unregistered on Wed Feb 07, 2018 1:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
A number can be modified using the symbols <, >, ^, and !
preceding the number or symbol.
at the beginning of the expression in the operand field.


text:
BMW X3: Rugged, luxurious, ready.
Get Average Asking Price Get Trade-in Value View Gallery Search All X3
The BMW X3 is an SUV which has space, style and sophistication and capable of all wheel drive to tackle any terrain. Take a test drive today to discover this elegant beast which captures the spirit of luxury adventure.
BMW X3: The Stylish SUV that is Ready for an Adventure
The BMW X3 is a masterclass in luxury, a compact crossover which remains ahead of the field in terms of both engineering and comfort. A sporty and sleek exterior design coupled with a large array of features supported by the very best technology to deliver a premium crossover which you're guaranteed to love.
An elevated driving position and excellent visibility provide space and light inside this vehicle, which has the capacity to seat five. There's excellent legroom in both the front and the back and combined with a high silhouette, every driver and passenger will have sufficient space to stretch out.
Under the hood, the turbocharged four-cylinders 2,0-litre engine is quiet yet powerful, providing 248 horsepower and 258 lb/ft of torque as it purrs around the city or along the highway. All wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission complete the package but there's also the option to add extras such as suspension dampers and variable ratio steering.
Luxury To Go Exploring In
BMW is well known to be a luxury manufacturer and although this SUV is built to withstand even tough terrain, there's no sign that they've sacrificed quality or comfort.
Inside the cabin there's a range of features which pamper and relax both the driver and passengers, making every trip a real pleasure. A smart infotainment interface, touchscreen controls, USB ports and smartphone integration mean you don't need to be out of contact when you're on the move.
Other features on the inside include heated and ventilated seats, a leather trim, keyless entry, panoramic sunroof, satellite radio, and power adjustable seating. The exact features you have on your X3 depends on the packages you choose to add, giving you the ultimate control to create the car of your dreams.
Taking Safety Seriously
Safety is a major feature for the X3 and it's one of the aspects that BMW is the most enthusiastic about promoting. The all-wheel-drive helps to keep the wheels on the road and ensures that drives can get out in even the worst of the Canadian winters! Slippery surfaces and adverse weather won't prove to be a deterrent when you're behind the wheel of the X3 as superior traction, control and agility will give the driver the winning edge.
There is a long list of technology included in the X3 to aid the driver; these include parking sensors, automatic braking, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning. These accompany more standard features such as airbags, power steering, and ABS.
The BMW X3 is an SUV that's equipped to tackle whatever the terrain has to offer, while simultaneously offering comfort and luxury. Head and shoulders above the competition, this BMW SUV is one that every driver will fall in love with.


text:
using Model;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace Processing.Core.API
{
    public interface IProcessingService
    {
        IEnumerable<Item> GetItemsByName(string name);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Ed Swan on British Fighters in Syria
Posted on 25th November 2013 21st January 2017 by Quilliam Admin
Ed Swan, Programs Officer at Quilliam, writes in the International Business Times on the need to challenge the false jihadi narrative which is attracting young British men to join the horrific war in Syria.
The confirmation this week of a second British man killed in Syria has shed some light on a disturbing trend – that of young British Muslims travelling to Syria to take part in the Syrian civil war, which has now entered its third year. Mohammed El-Araj, who was 23 and from West London, was reported to have been killed in August in an attempted ambush on pro-Assad forces near Aleppo. Another Briton, Ibrahim al-Mazwagi from North London, was killed in February, after travelling to Syria having previously taken part in the Libyan conflict.
It is estimated that there are between 200 and 300 British citizens currently taking part in the civil war in Syria, in addition to several hundred fighters from other European countries, although no clear figures are available. While the main secular opposition grouping, the Free Syrian Army, has the broad support of European governments, as many as 90% of foreign fighters are said to have joined extremist jihadi groups, many of which are linked to Al Qaeda, most notably Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and Al Sham (ISIS). Al Qaeda have, in the past, recruited Western jihadis radicalised overseas to commit terrorist attacks in their home countries, most notably in the 7/7 attacks. This makes the participation of young British citizens in extremist groups in Syria particularly worrying.
The phenomenon of young British Muslims taking part in conflicts overseas is not new. It is believed that hundreds of British citizens travelled to Afghanistan and Bosnia in the 80s and 90s, to fight in what they saw as the struggle of Muslims against Russian and Serbian oppression. However, the emergence of the internet as an ungoverned space for the dissemination of the extremist Islamist narrative, coupled with the identity crisis experienced by some Muslim youth in the West, has allowed for the latest wave of radicalisation to be conducted on a far wider scale, resulting in a much faster internationalising of the Syrian civil war relative to previous conflicts.
The extremist narrative of Western oppression of Muslims has effectively been used to encourage a younger generation to take part in a war in which Muslims are killing Muslims on a horrific scale, with frequent reports of atrocities such as the execution of unarmed civilians perpetrated by all sides. The appeal of adventure and danger, and the opportunity to belong to a movement which purports to represent their Muslim identity is a powerful draw to idealistic young men with a sense of alienation from British society, and a frustration at the failure of the West to prevent the killing of Muslims in Syria and other areas. Of course, such a narrative – that simultaneously condemns Western intervention in former conflicts and condemns the lack of it in Syria – does not stand up to rational argument, but it has nevertheless clearly been persuasive to vulnerable minds, rightfully outraged at events in the Middle East.
The internet has been used effectively by Al Qaeda and related groups to spread their narratives. Marginal religious scholars, often self-proclaimed, have been able to gain wide audiences online for takfiri proclamations, which declare certain individuals or groups to be non-Muslim for the purpose of legitimising their killing, which has happened in the case of Shia Muslims in Syria. There is now an urgent need for greater investment in challenging extremism online, as well as in the 'real world'. This can be done in part by establishing a strong positive narrative which helps British young people at risk of radicalisation to integrate into British society, and to challenge the extremist narrative that is now effectively promoting the large-scale killing of both Muslims and non-Muslims.
At the same time, it would be wrong to consider all British fighters in Syria as a terrorist threat to the UK on their return. Although the Terrorism Act 2006 allows for the prosecution of those who have taken part in extremist activity overseas, permitting former fighters to return to their jobs and families without harassment from the law, as for example many former fighters in Afghanistan did, would be likely to help toward their deradicalisation. The trouble for the security services, as their chiefs explained in the televised select committee earlier this month, is in knowing which ones pose a real threat. In the meantime, it is essential to expose the incoherence and hypocrisy of the extremist narrative, and provide strong credible alternative models for participation in British society.
Click here to read the article in the International Business Times.
Usama Hasan talks to 5 News
Ghaffar Hussain quoted in Independent article on al-Muhajiroun and Syria


Owner used as a mobile concrete crusher Good condition Sale Price: ... and provides machines for stone crusher Used Concrete Crushing Plant For Sale and processing plant.
Search for used concrete recycling plant. Find WHITE LAI, Tigercrusher, Ackermann, Beco, Belarus, Hazemag, International, Keestrack for sale on Machinio.
Used Mechanical Concrete Crusher Fits To: CATERPILLAR, HYUNDAI, KOBELCO, ... SJH-All Plant Group Ltd. Alconbury, CAMBRIDGESHIRE, United Kingdom PE28 4JX.
Portable Concrete Crushing Plants For Sale, Wholesale Various High Quality Portable Concrete Crushing Plants For Sale Products from Global Portable Concrete Crushing Plants For Sale Suppliers and Portable Concrete Crushing Plants For Sale Factory,Importer,Exporter at .
Mobile Concrete Crusher plant. Mobile concrete crusher vegetation is used in site where requires more flexibility and transportation. The mobile concrete crusher plant can eliminate obstacles caused by location, environment, and foundation configuration; consequently provide simple, efficient, low-cost crushing solution.


text:
Temple priest suspended for FB post against Kerala minister
Kasaragod, Nov 22, 2018: A temple priest in Kerala has been suspended after he allegedly posted abusive comments on social media against Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surerdran over Sabarimala issue.
Action was taken against T Madhavan Namboothiri, the 'melsanthi' (chief priest) of the Madiyan Koolom Kshetra Palaka temple at Kanhangad near Kasaragod, after the objectionable comments on his Facebook page were noticed.
The temple comes under the Malabar Devaswom Board, an apex temple body which manages a number of Hindu shrines in Malabar (north Kerala) region.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Board on Wednesday and the suspension order was handed over to the priest by its executive officer P Vijayan, Board sources said.
However, the priest claimed that he is a hereditary trustee of the shrine and cannot be suspended.
The priest had allegedly posted abusive comments against the minister after BJP state general secretary K Surendran was arrested by police as he defied police orders not to go to the Lord Ayyappa shrine.
Mr Surendran along with two others had been arrested on November 18 from Nilackal as he tried to proceed to the Lord Ayyappa Temple despite being advised by police personnel against visiting Sabarimala due to law and order issues.
However, a Pathanamthitta court on Wednesday granted conditional bail to 72 people, including Surendran, arrested in connection with the Sabarimala temple row.
The state government has clamped prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code banning assembly of four or more people in Sabarimala and surrounding areas in view of protests by devotees over the government's decision to implement the Supreme Court verdict allowing entry of women of all ages into the hill shrine.


The Audain Art Museum opened in 2016 and was founded by Vancouver home builder and philanthropist Michael Audain and his wife Yoshiko Karasawa. The 56,000 square foot Museum, located in Whistler, British Columbia, was designed by the award winning architectural firm Patkau Architects. Set in a grove of spruce trees, the architecture is intentionally restrained in its visual presence to fit within the natural environment. The Museum's Permanent Collection showcases the Art of British Columbia from the late 18th Century to present. Among its strengths is an important collection of 19th and 20th century First Nations masks and works by some of Canada's most significant artists including Emily Carr, E.J. Hughes and the internationally renowned photo-conceptualists Jeff Wall, Stan Douglas and others. In addition to the Permanent Collection the Museum has visiting exhibitions of art from Canada and around the world.


In this lesson, you learn how to hack your smartphone to upload existing videos to Vine.
Is the Vine App the Only Way to Upload Videos to Vine?
As you've learned throughout this book, you upload videos to Vine using the Vine mobile app. You shoot the video using the app on your mobile phone or tablet, and then upload the video directly from the app to the Vine service.
What about videos you've shot otherwise? Say you have a short video you shot with your iPhone's built-in video camera, and have stored in your phone's library. Is there any way to upload that existing video to Vine?
By default, the answer is no. Vine is designed to use videos shot exclusively with the Vine mobile app.


Hartlepool FC striker Jamie Tumilty is celebrating after being crowned the Wearside League's top goalscorer.
He becomes the very first player from the town to win the award in the league's entire 125-year history.
Tumilty netted 33 goals in league games with another eight in the cup competitions, ending the season with a total of 41 goals.
The striker could have had more but the five he scored against Prudhoe were null and void after the Northumberland club left the league during the season.
Pool completed their league programme with a 1-1 draw with third-placed Sunderland West End, with Sam Cook grabbing the goal.
FC had a hectic finish to their season using some 25 players in their final four games in eight days.
Meanwhile, Wolviston take on Sunderland West End in the Monkwearmouth Charity Cup Final tonight, kick-off 7pm.
squad, the only player missing due to a knee injury, is central defender Adam Johnston.
Strikers Philip Otele and Junior Masandi are battling it out to become the clubs top scorer this season, with Philip on 23 and Junior on 22 goals.
Good luck to Stockton Town who take on Thatcham Town, from the Hellenic Football League, in the FA Vase Final at Wembley on Saturday, 12:15pm KO.


text:
Q: Will old (+5) reputation remain in the old reputation leagues? Reputation leagues offer at least approximate values showing how much reputation the users had at some point in the past. For example, I can check the reputation at the end of 2018, at the end of 2017, etc.
I am aware of the fact that the values in the reputation leagues are not exact values of the reputation the users had at that time. For example, reputation from deleted posts and reputation lost on downvotes (of answers) is not shown in the reputation leagues. Still, it is at least reasonable approximation.
At the moment, reputation is being recalculated networkwide from +5 to +10 for upvote on a question.
Question. Will this change be retroactive also for reputation league, or will past reputation leagues still show reputation calculated from +5 for questions?

A: Reputation leagues will recompute as well (should be in the next couple days or so) and will reflect the new vote value.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


There are various options to change in the way the wedding invitations are written for both formal and informal versions however the basic elements remain the same. It is also advisable that before you decide on the wording the husband and bride to be consult with both parents so as everyone will be comfortable with the way the invitation is written.
Also when it comes to wedding invitations for destination weddings it is advisable to provide the guests with as much information as possible about the destination, culture, entertainment and nearby accommodation suggestions that can be done in the selected location. The best way to go about this is to create a website with all the necessary details and to include a link to the website in your wedding invitation. Always keep in mind that probably most of your guests will be combining their holiday together with your wedding and as such the more information you provide the simpler it will be for them decide to join you for your special day. From our experience the turnout for your destination wedding will be much higher when you provide comprehensive and complete information about not only the wedding itself but also the destination.
If you are planning a destination wedding in Malta and need wedding planning advice or other information about getting married in Malta, please do not hesitate to contact us on pearlweddingsmalta@gmail.com and we will gladly help.


FOSDEM 2017 - Why should we take an interest in Open Design?
We know the expression 'Open Source'; what about 'Open Design'? How could we define 'Open Design'? Design creative process is not disclosed. The secrecy around it is of the utmost importance in order to prevent the original creations from being stolen. The different stages of the process and the techniques used are only known by those involved in the design. How could we call this stance into question and open the creative process? This talk will present existing initiatives and thoughts to make Graphic Design and Open Fonts fields more available to the public.
First I will introduce graphic designers and typographers who open their process: why do they share their practice? why is it interesting? how and why is it useful? I will talk about originality and copy: we should not be afraid of copying. Moreover copying can be an opportunity to improve the original design. About Mozilla rebranding: I will point out some suggestions to further that initiative. How could designers take part and get committed? Finally I will give designers food for thought to defend their work, explain and communicate it, and better collaborate with their team and people who are not designers.


Charles and Ray Eames were intended only to be the starting point for "Design Entrepreneurs: The Next Generation," the conference organized by Metropolis and sponsored by Nokia on May 19 at ICFF 2003. But the designing couple's presence resonated throughout the day, as the new generation of design entrepreneurs showed its work and talked about the business of running a studio and/or a manufacturing and marketing program.
Metropolis magazine October 2003 article by Akiko Busch.
EXCERPT: "Charles and Ray Eames were intended only to be the starting point for "Design Entrepreneurs: The Next Generation," the conference organized by Metropolis and sponsored by Nokia on May 19 at ICFF 2003. But the designing couple's presence resonated throughout the day, as the new generation of design entrepreneurs showed its work and talked about the business of running a studio and/or a manufacturing and marketing program. And finally, a dozen hopeful designers submitted their prototypes or finished products to be critiqued by a panel composed of established practitioners in such varied fields as industrial design, architecture, manufacturing, marketing, and retailing. All of which made sense for a day that set out to explore the many different ways of being a creative entrepreneur in the twenty-first century.
Photograph courtesy of Herman Miller, Inc.


Fixer Upper w/Nice Back Yard. Home and 26x16 Storage Building Have A Metal Roof Sitting On Almost 1/2 Acre Corner Lot. Walk to School or Downtown Kingston Springs, 5 Minute Drive to I-40 and 30 minutes to Downtown Nashville. Selling AS-IS, No FHA or VA. Inspections Are Welcome But Are For Informational Purposes Only.


Somatomedin C, IGF-I, IGFIA, IGF1.
The somatomedins, or IGFs, comprise a family of peptides that play important roles in mammalian growth and development. IGF1 mediates many of the growth-promoting effects of GH. Early studies showed that GH did not directly stimulate the incorporation of sulfate into cartilage, but rather acted through a serum factor, termed 'sulfation factor,' which later became known as 'somatomedin' (Daughaday et al., 1972). Three main somatomedins have been characterized: somatomedin C (IGF1), somatomedin A (IGF2; MIM 147470), and somatomedin B (MIM 193190) (Rotwein, 1986; Rosenfeld, 2003).
IGF-1 Rat Recombinant produced in E.Coli is a single, non-glycosylated, polypeptide chain containing 70 amino acids and having a molecular mass of 7.7kDa.
IGF-I is purified by proprietary chromatographic techniques.
The protein was lyophilized with a 0.2µm filtered concentrated solution in 20mM PBS, pH 7.0.
It is recommended to reconstitute the lyophilized IGF1 in sterile 18MΩ-cm H2O not less than 100µg/ml, which can then be further diluted to other aqueous solutions.
Lyophilized IGF-1 although stable at room temperature for 3 weeks, should be stored desiccated below -18°C. Upon reconstitution IGFI should be stored at 4°C between 2-7 days and for future use below -18°C.
Greater than 98.0% as determined by SDS-PAGE.
GPETLCGAEL VDALQFVCGP RGFYFNKPTG YGSSIRRAPQ TGIVDECCFR SCDLRRLEMY CAPLKPTKSA.
The ED50 as determined by a cell proliferation assay using FDC-P1 cells is less than 2.0ng/ml, corresponding to a specific activity of >500,000units/mg.
Title:Evidence that androgen-independent stromal growth factor signals promote androgen-insensitive prostate cancer cell growth in vivo.
Publication: Published online before print March 17, 2009, doi: 10.1677/ERC-08-0219 <?xml:namespace prefix = nlm />Endocr Relat Cancer June 1, 2009 16 415-428 .


Terwillegar South also extends the "traditional neighbourhood development pattern" from the Terwillegar Towne neighbourhood to the north. Streets are designed in a modified grid pattern and houses are designed to face the street with car parking located at the rear of buildings. Care was taken to ensure that a variety of open spaces and pedestrian linkages were provided throughout the neighbourhood.
The 2006 federal census indicated that over 80% of all housing units within Terwillegar South were single detached homes, but when the neighbourhood is complete the unit density will reflect a greater mixture of housing types and densities. The plan for the neighbourhood includes 26% low density units, 45% medium density units, 28% street-oriented units and just over 1% of housing units in mixed use buildings. Higher density housing is located along arterial roadways and adjacent to neighbourhood amenities. As with all neighbourhoods within the Terwillegar Town SCDB, Terwillegar South reflects higher residential densities, a finer-grained mixture of land uses and a greater variety of dwelling types than what was observed in typical suburban neighbourhoods built in Edmonton in the 1980s and 1990s.
Terwillegar South's name reflects both its geographic location (in the southernmost portion of the Terwillegar Heights SCDB), and the Terwillegar surname, which was chosen in honour of Dr. Norman L. Terwillegar (1884-1948). Dr. Terwillegar was a pioneer, a surgeon and a local property owner in the area for many years. Terwillegar practiced medicine in the Edmonton area between 1912 and 1947 and was on staff at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for over 35 years. He also served as president of the Alberta Division of the Canadian Medical Association as well as for the Edmonton Academy of Medicine.


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What is your story? Understanding your narrative and where it is taking you
Achieving goals, Personal Growth, Purpose
I have found that people do not appreciate their own stories. There is such a premium placed on amazing, dramatic, tear-jerkers that average stories, just stories about who we are and what we want are relegated to the "boring" file. So these stories are neglected and unformed. Yet I have found that every personal story told is fascinating.
Our stories are helpful to others so they can help us. But our stories can reinforce our own behaviors and actions and become self fulfilling prophecies.
Not talking about your interview technique or even how to sound clever at a cocktail party.
I am talking about what you say to yourself and how that reveals itself to others.
The classics: "I am not good at math." "I have a terrible voice." "I can't even draw a circle." "I can't even boil water." "I am such a terrible public speaker."
Whether you like it or not these are part of your story and become part of your reputation.
What are you good at? What are you most confident about? Are you risk averse? Are you afraid of failure or looking stupid?
You can become what you say you are and not become what you don't say.
What are you telling yourself about you?
I made a woman and a young man cry recently. I didn't mean to.
It was my interpretation of their stories that got them choked up.
The gentleman was testing his pitch for a new venture he was thinking of starting and I told him that people want to invest in you who are you. I gave him my version of the hardships he had overcome.
The lady was looking to make a very serious career change and I asked her to tell me why? She struggled with her answer. I summarized her rationale, qualifications and the value she would add.
I loved their stories. Basically I told them their own stories. I gleaned from them what they were saying and I crafted the stories–positive stories. I have no special skill or technique. I listened to them and read their resumes. These were uplifting meetings for all of us. To see people's potential and share it with them was inspirational for me! When your story is set free and it resonates with the protagonist it creates vulnerability–like a secret was told out loud. It is liberating. It can be cathartic. It is empowering.
And your story evolves, if you allow it. If you keep an eye on the possibility ahead you can edit your story.
One of the many benefits of mentoring and networking is to work on your internal narrative. What story is guiding how you live and what you do. The greatest gift is to ask someone you trust: "What do you see in me?" 'Where do you see me going?"
Steve Jobs advice from his famous commencement address still rings true. "Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly already want to become. Everything else is secondary."
Hearing your inner voice out loud gives it life and freedom far from the tyranny of others expectations.
Is your story fraught with limitations, excuses and pessimism? Or is it nestled in optimism, opportunities, and lessons?
"I have few options." "I don't have the right (education, job, mentor, financial condition….)"
"There are so many things I can do and learn." "This problem is going to teach me new things."
It is a choice. The story you tell.
Stories we tell ourselves and others define our well-being. Depressed individuals often have deeply ingrained internal stories such as 'I'm never good enough,' or 'My father told me I should have been a doctor.' Versus athletes who visualize success and use mantras like "You have been here before. You know what to do."
From Phillipa Perry's book How to Stay Sane "The meanings you find, and the stories you hear, will have an impact on how optimistic you are: it's how we evolved. If you do not know how to draw positive meaning from what happens in life, the neural pathways you need to appreciate good news will never fire up. We need to look at the repetitions in the stories we tell ourselves, at the process of the stories rather than merely their surface content. Then we can begin to experiment with changing the filter through which we look at the world, start to edit the story and thus regain flexibility where we have been getting stuck."
Take control of your story. Own it. Interrupt the negative audio loops. Open it up. Tell your truths. Talk about it. Listen to other people's assessments of it. Edit and enhance your story. See the possibilities over the problems. Your story is amazing. Sometimes you just have to get out of its way.
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Zeta Bar in Hilton Beijing held its fourth pole-dancing competition on Saturday in collaboration with Love Show Studio, the self-proclaimed "Beijing's No. 1 pole-dancing school." Local nightlife blogger Jim Boyce informs us the winners were "Ms. Zhenzhen," as chosen by judges, and "Ms. Vivi," as chosen by the audience. We're not sure who they are. I'm equally confused by this country's apparent fascination with pole dancers, but that's a story for another time.
And the video? The title reads, "Hot girl show pole dancing in Beijing subway," and the timestamp is May 26, 2012. What else do you need to know? Youku video for those in China after the jump, along with pictures from Pole Dancing Competition Season IV. Update, 10/14, 4:12 pm: The original video has been taken down, so the above is a replacement.


Confused where you fit perfectly—with extroverts (someone who re-energizes themselves in the company of other people) or introverts (someone who re-energizes themselves in the company of self)? Welcome to the club of an utterly confused adult who is still trying to figure it out. I think I might be the only member of that club but I am hoping to make some friends here by the end of this article.
Those who think in black and white.
Every decision for them is a yes, no or, sometimes, all of the above.
Those who think in 50 shades of grey.
No, not the movie or the book. I am talking more like a colour palette of greys.
I think I belong to the latter category. To me, there are always so many alternatives that I have difficulty choosing one among them. I love being like that and I love having options to choose from—even though I almost always end up choosing the same thing.
So, here's the big thing: when someone asks me if I am an introvert or an extrovert I never have a good answer. My actions indicate that I am an extrovert. For instance, I talk rather loudly and laugh even louder than that. I have no problem talking to strangers or ordering food at a restaurant. But then five minutes later, I frantically search for a quiet corner to listen to my music and be on my own. I go to the mall alone and even watch movies by myself because I don't feel like interacting with people. I am a riot at the parties I attend along with my family, but I am always a bit subdued when I'm partying with my friends. Not to mention how absolutely bored I get at nightclubs almost as soon as I enter them.
Now, you may think that all of those situations point towards me being an extrovert (at least this buzzfeed quiz seemed to think so), but I feel more like an ambivert (someone who gets the best of both worlds— extroverts and introverts).
The definitions of an introvert and an extrovert, as given by Urban Dictionary, are far more accommodating than some of the traditional meanings that we have learned growing up. They clear out some of the preconceived notions associated with being an extrovert or an introvert. They, to some extent, explain my predicament when telling people I am confused about that aspect of my personality.
Being an ambivert, or just being undecided about your own personality, is still a relatively new concept and it often affects people in an adverse way. And the one thing that I have learned from my experiences is that being confused about something is not a weakness, it is a learning phase and you are entitled to make mistakes.
If you feel like you don't fit anywhere right now it's because you may not have found your people yet. But someday, hopefully soon, you will find them and you will fit right in with them. So, go out there or stay in but don't think too hard because the answer will come to you soon enough. Try to be happy in the moment. You will know who you are when you need it the most.
Shefali is a third-year student pursuing honors specialization in Animal Behavior with a certificate in digital communication. She loves almost everything in the world but traveling, adventure and writing about her thoughts and experiences is the closest to her heart.


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Home Environment An environmental sociologist explains how permaculture offers a path to climate justice
An environmental sociologist explains how permaculture offers a path to climate justice
Permaculture practitioners manage their gardens or farms in ways inspired by the sustainability and resilience of healthy natural ecosystems. simonkr/E+ via Getty Images
Christina Ergas, University of Tennessee
Big farming is both a victim of climate change and a contributor. Droughts, floods and soil degradation threaten crop yields. But agriculture produces nearly one-quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions.
A potential antidote to harmful monocultures is a form of community farming invented back in the 1970s: permaculture. Permaculture is not just about farming; it incorporates economic and social principles.
I am an environmental sociologist, and I have witnessed permaculture working in two urban farming communities. I study ways that environmental justice, global development and social equity affect climate change.
Permaculture's three main tenets – caring for the Earth, caring for the people and sharing the surplus – offer a potential path toward climate justice, which is a response to well-researched phenomena that climate change disproportionately harms underprivileged groups in economic, public health and other ways, and solutions to climate change should include adaptation strategies designed specifically for underprivileged groups.
I spent time at two communities in the Pacific Northwest and in Cuba during the fieldwork for my book "Surviving Collapse." I witnessed how the communities worked to cut emissions and adapt to climate change in two ways: with egalitarian social organization and regenerative farming techniques.
Permaculture was born in Australia
In the 1970s, two Australian naturalists, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, invented permaculture, a method of growing that considers the natural ecosystem and the community. They wanted to change agriculture's unsustainable practices, like the heavy use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
Mollison and Holmgren borrowed ideas and techniques from the knowledge and practices of Indigenous and traditional peoples, as well as the "do-nothing" farming methods of Japanese farmer and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka. Today permaculture is an international movement that, although understudied, shows great promise.
Permaculture aims to care for the Earth by emulating how healthy natural ecosystems function rather than trying to fight or control nature. Its methods are regenerative, meaning that they maintain healthy, nutrient-rich soils, minimize waste, conserve water and protect wildlife habitat. Permaculture often produces crops that are more nutritious than those from industrial farms and, in some cases, yields greater harvests.
Permaculture differs from organic farming in that organic is a legal designation about regulating genetically modified organisms and synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, whereas regenerative agriculture is more concerned with ecosystem and soil health. Both permaculture and organic methods sometimes manage fertilizers or pests in similar ways. However, as Holmgren has emphasized "people, their buildings and the ways they organize themselves are central to permaculture." https://www.youtube.com/embed/QBLKuYDh5S8?wmode=transparent&start=0 Permaculture's other founder, Bill Mollison, said, "A sustainable system is a system that in its lifetime can produce more energy than it takes to establish and maintain it."
Permaculture in the Pacific Northwest
Two of the communities I observed practiced permaculture's principles of caring for the Earth and people and sharing the surplus.
I call one place I studied in 2007 Asaṅga – the name is made up to give my subjects confidentiality. It's a 1-acre, 30-person "ecovillage," or environmental intentional community, in the Pacific Northwest – the agricultural efforts involve a variety of permaculture practices to maintain the soil, ranging from composting food scraps to fertilizing gardens with chicken manure.
To avoid synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, the ecovillagers use techniques like "polyculture" – mimicking the diversity of natural ecosystems by simultaneously growing several different crops in the same place. For instance, they plant food crops with cover crops such as lentils, peas, beans and soybeans that increase the soil's natural fertility, manage erosion and help retain soil moisture.
Asaṅga residents practice ecological pest management, in which they proactively prevent pests rather than attempt to eradicate them after they've arrived. One way they do this is through "companion planting" – growing food crops together with noncompetitive, pest-repelling plant species like marigold, mint or sage.
Asaṅga irrigates crops with captured rainwater and filters wastewater from low-impact activities like dishwashing or bathing for its decorative fountain in the village center.
Permaculture in Cuba
The farmers at a 27-acre urban farm in Havana, Cuba, that I call el Organopónico – again, a made-up name – share similar concerns and practices. The farm's roughly 200 cooperative members manage 11 areas, such as livestock, fields and nursery, so that each contributes to another.
They save manure from the bulls in the livestock area – which are employed to transport heavy equipment – to feed the worms at the vermiculture station. The worms consume the manure and expel their own waste, or humus, which is combined with compost and rice shells to make soil and fertilizer for trays of tomatoes, lettuce, onions, garlic, guava, mint, and chamomile seedlings in the plant nursery.
Very little is wasted at el Organopónico. Even overripe crops are turned into condiments or are composted. The farmers also recycle potential waste by cleaning and reusing soda bottles for value-added products on the farm, such as tomato paste.
Farms run by community consensus
The permaculture principle of caring for the people refers to making sure people can meet basic needs for healthy food and good homes. It also sets expectations for the ways communities organize themselves to make decisions, manage conflict and achieve larger goals like providing education.
At Asaṅga, people pay rent to live at the community. Residents together decide community issues, such as what to do with the geese on the property and where to store the compost. At bimonthly meetings, ecovillagers decide most questions by consensus.
El Organopónico is led by a president who was voted into leadership. At the farm, they meet monthly, and everyone votes on new proposals, which pass by simple majority. This farm is a workers' cooperative. The members own the machinery, inputs like seeds or fertilizers and the produce they grow. They pay the government a subsidized rent for the land.
Sharing surplus can slow overconsumption
Human populations are consuming far more in a given year than the Earth can replenish and creating waste much faster than the Earth can assimilate it. This is a global problem, but the worst offenders are affluent people of the West.
Sharing surplus is a way of limiting consumption. Asaṅga residents share in many ways. Community meetings are potlucks where villagers share food from their gardens. One community member shared bread from a local bakery that gave away leftovers. Ecovillagers share tools, knowledge and other resources.
Farmers at el Organopónico share surplus through wages. During my fieldwork, the farmers earned a decent wage by Cuban standards, and wages at the farm were capped and calculated based on years employed at the farm. Workers began at a minimum salary and earned a raise every five years. In times of surplus, profits were evenly distributed.
Although my research focused on only two small communities, I believe the principles of permaculture offer an important model because they address both the environmental and social challenges posed by climate change.
Permaculture holds powerful lessons that could guide many countries to save resources and cut emissions, thus finding a balance between production and consumption.
Christina Ergas, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Tennessee
crop yield
regenerative farming
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Slept well some condensation on my tent perhaps due to camping by the river! Woke up early and was packed and ready to walk. I was surprised to see several naked hikers still in the hot pools.
The walk started nicely then I began to climb god my pack seems heavy too much water. But I might need it. Again the trail followed the river course far below. It was a lovely. Morning and I soon realised I had on too many layers. The views this morning were fantastic as the sun was breaking. On I strolled several hrs later my toe was complain normally the pain stops after an hour. Mmmm I stop soon. But no I ploughed on and on till I reached Mojave dam. I'll stop there and take a break. I crossed the river by jumping across . On the other side was cheese snake good to see you snail he said then he wandered off up the trail. Then out came the tyvek and off came the boots. Mr Toe didn't look good. But he was great yesterday! .maybe the hot pool wasn't so good. I sat there not sure what to do. I bathed it squirted antiseptic on it and stared at it. In all honesty it possibly needs some antibiotics. Then Missred arrived and after some discussion with her I decided I would take next exit and try to hitch to Wrightwood and rest it. That is the plan, so I stumbled on (toe was feeling better) as I crossed a small road there was a man there in a small motor home his name Coppertone I explained about my toe and he suggested that I could take this road . So off I went,it was about 30 minutes to I got to the main road .I dropped my pack then stood and waited and waited and waited Zzzzz. 3 hrs later and I have a ride, He dropped me at Cajun pass whoop. I walked up the road to the garage to finish the journey. And I waited only an hr and I have a ride and he drops me outside the post office. But first is a visit to the hardware store to sign the hiker register. I also wrote down the names of people who may have some where for me to stay then time for a beer.
Okay a place to stay I rang all the names and left my number. Now the post office, do you have a package for me? The lady went away and then came back empty handed. It may be in tomorrow.
Bugger oh well. I went outside and sat on a rock to think. Two seconds later a young girl came running out. They have found your package. Oh brill. I emerged from the post office with my boots. I sat again on my rock and opened the box, my shinny boots plus omg all the other stuff that I had thrown in in a panic.
I took what I needed. Sent my old boots up the trail just in case. Then posted the other spare items to another location. Now I was feeling a lot better so went for lunch/supper. A grizzly burger, yummy. Right I need a place to stay plus it's getting cold. I came across another hiker sat outside the hardware store. Have you got anywhere to stay?
He said a lady was ringing him back.
I tried a number that he had written down and Jack answered. Yep I can fit you in great. Jack arrived 30 mind later. Do you have room for one more?


Awww, sweetie. Just because you can, doesn't always mean you should.
It's called make-up, look into some.
Why is Bobby's hair so high? Why are Julia's pants so short? Is she rocking the Rolling Stones t-shirt to look edgy?
I had no idea floor length gowns came in leather.


When Mark Clark began working in Greyhound garages during the 1980s, the job was almost all mechanical and basic electrical. And then things got interesting.
"During the early 1990s, DDEC and ECM technology changed the way we work, and now we must keep up with Multiplex, Cadec, Wi-fi and much, much more," said Clark, who represents mechanics on the ATU Local 1700 Executive Board.
Greyhound is counting on new technology to help revive intercity bus travel. Servicing a fleet of new vehicles clearly requires fresh skills, but Clark said the company has been cutting back on mechanics and training.
Local 1700 President Bruce Hamilton said companies downsize whenever they can save money.
Routes stabilized somewhat during the mid-1990s and early 2000s. Greyhound (then owned by Laidlaw) began downsizing even more aggressively in 2004, when the company emerged from bankruptcy. Nearly 40% of drivers and a third of maintenance workers were eliminated.
Other factors behind reduced maintenance include improved tires and other bus components, and the resulting ability to stretch out oil changes, lubrication and other regularly scheduled work.
Local 1700 has negotiated paid training for maintenance workers, including a provision allowing employees in lower classifications to qualify for better jobs. Greyhound also expressed interest recently in a union proposal to establish a partnership under the auspices of the national Transportation Learning Center to provide subsidized training for mechanics.


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The EX Enduro announces dates for 2023 and a new e-MTB only format for 2024
By Richard Owen
This one-of-a-kind enduro confirms details for 2023 and a major change in the pipeline for 2024
(Image credit: Paul Box / The EX)
The Merida EX Enduro has confirmed that it will be running from 15th to 17th September 2023 and pre-registration for the event is now open. The big news for 2024 is that the event will be renamed as the eEX and be an e-MTB only competition. Both races will take place as usual among the North Exmoor hills, with the event village based in the picturesque village of Allerford.
If you like your climbs sadistically steep, the EX doesn't disappoint (Image credit: Paul Box / The EX)
If you're unfamiliar with the EX, it's a three-day enduro with no practice time and around 10 competitive stages each day. With as much as 2,000 metres of climbing per day, it's an enduro with a heavy emphasis on endurance.
Entries are limited to 80 riders but despite the heavy toll taken by three days of serious riding, there's a proper party vibe and event organizer Mike Wilkens and the rest of the EX team go out of their way to ensure you're well looked after throughout.
Your reward for the grimace inducing climbs is plenty of long, technical descents (Image credit: Paul Box / The EX)
In our opinion, it's one of the best MTB events in the UK calendar and should definitely be on every rider's bucket list. With limited spaces available, getting an entry isn't easy though, so if you're interested, pre-registration is open now, with entries being issued on the 5th March. You can also register your interest in the eEX for 2024.
For more info and pre-registration, head to the-ex.co.uk. If you'd like more on off-road events for 2023, check out our best UK gravel events and the best US gravel events.
The EX's stag trophies are highly sought after (Image credit: The Merida EX)
Today's best enduro bike deals
Specialized S-Works Enduro 2022
Trek Slash 9.8 2022
Yeti SB115
Santa Cruz Nomad C 2022
Richard Owen
Editor, Bike Perfect
Richard has worked as print and internet journalist for 22 years. He's the editor of the Bikeperfect.com team, having previous been editor of What Mountain Bike magazine and written for Bikeradar.com, MBUK.com, Off-Road.cc, Mountain Biking UK, Cycling Plus, as well as many other magazines and websites. Rich has been riding mountain bikes for over 30 years and mostly likes hitting flowy yet technical trails that point downhill. A jack of many trades, Rich has competed in cross-country, enduro and long distance MTB races, not to mention also now adding gravel to his riding repertoire. A resident of North Devon, he can mostly be found pedaling furiously around his local trails, or slightly further afield in the Quantocks, the Mendips or Exmoor.
Current rides: Canyon Spectral:ON, Jamis Faultline A1, Vitus Substance VR


Our REBBL team is small, tough, and full of love.
We thought it would be fun to share a sneak peek into the lives of those who make the magical REBBLion happen everyday. Join us along this journey as we celebrate the grit-filled REBBL team and discuss everything from super herbs to favorite weekend past times.
First up? Our CEO, Sheryl O'Loughlin.
What is your favorite herb and how do you use?
S: Reishi, and I use it by drinking lots of Reishi Chocolate Elixir. I get to enjoy the pure yumminess of REBBL with the added bonus of feeling at peace when I use Reishi.
What is your favorite place to eat or meal to make at home and why?
S: I love grilling in our sunny backyard in Santa Rosa with tunes on the radio, and eating by the fireplace with my family. It's just really special family bonding time.
How does REBBL inspire you?
S: Our consumers who love REBBL— how it tastes, its nourishment and purpose—make me incredibly inspired each and every day.
S: Grapes. I eat so many grapes now I think I am a grape.
S: Camping with my family. It's time to just be in nature and enjoy each other with no distractions.
What is your personality in a few song lyrics?
S: I am woman hear me roar!
If you were a yoga pose what would you be?
Where are you found on a Saturday afternoon?
S: Drinking wine with my best friend and hubby, Patrick.
Do you speak another other languages, if so which ones?
S: A wee bit of Spanish.
What is the best thing about working for REBBL?
S: The incredibly smart, creative team with grit and passion who are truly wonderful human beings.


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Q: Find a matrix such that $XX'= I$ Suppose that $X$ and $Y$ are both $n \times k$ matrices with $n > k$.
Are there any matrices that satisfy $YX' = I_n$?

A: The rank of $YX'$ is less than the rank of $Y$ and the rank of $X$, both of which are at most $k$.  The identity has rank $n >k$ which would violate $YX' = I$.