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DockRat 2
Frustration, Distraction, and the End of the Snippets*
September 18, 2021 September 18, 2021 WriterMinionLeave a comment
*For now, anyway — they will come again for Act One of The Flicker of Ghosts
Ever shop for bar-height tables and chairs? Sure you have; anyone who has thought even remotely about redoing their kitchen or dining room has looked into various options. Usually, for most of us, the price tag of new furniture ends those dreams of a "new living space" pretty darned quickly.
So, take that (expensive) furniture shopping/fantasizing and multiply it to 15-20 tables, and 100 or so seats…
I wish I had paid a lot more attention when I took wood shop all those years ago; at least then I could have pretended that I could make my own stuff! At this point, I have no choice but to go with what others want to charge for their stuff.
Err, never mind. Time to stop distracting myself with that stuff.
If there is one firm commitment I have made to myself, it is to not let my work and efforts to open the brewery overflow into my writing. Oh, it will undoubtedly flow into the content of my writing, but (hopefully) not into how I go about things. For very good reason I am doing my best to keep both this blog and my personal writing completely separate from my real world business efforts. That is, of course, also why this blog has been so sporadic lately…
I can't tell you how much I look forward to sitting in the corner of my own taproom, with my earbuds firmly in place to keep the customers at bay, and writing the words and emotions that I have allowed to build up behind my own personal dam of worry, stress and hope. Hell, half (at least) of the reason I want to run my own place is so I always have the perfect to go and write!
At any rate, I thought about doing a quick snippet on Connor, but then I realized just how much of The Silence That Never Comes I have already put up on this blog. The entire first act, in fact. Oh, in terms of word-count that is only something like 20% of the story, but it is still an awful lot to put up for, well…for free. So, I am going to stop posting snippets.
Err…umm…I'm going to stop after I (re)post this last one! The final scene of that book, as a matter of fact. Now, just how Connor goes from a 50th floor office to this last scene is, well…it's the other 75% of the damned story! Oh, and yes, this really was in fact the very first scene I wrote for this entire story!
"Hi, Mom"
The room was dark, but Connor didn't need the light. Hell, he didn't want the light. Not for this. This was private. This was his. Maybe the only thing in the miserable fucking universe that fit that description.
The screen snapped open, still crisp and new, and the icons displayed there glittered in a bright cheerfulness that annoyed the shit out of him. Connor still couldn't bring himself to use his new implant, however. Not when he had other options. He knew that implant was safe — that he had made sure of himself — but it still was something far too new, and far too dangerous, to ever really trust.
Several taps of his fingers and the screen scrambled in a wave of colors. Less than a second later a logo appeared. He had come to know that logo…and to fear everything it represented. He punched in a code — a very specific, very special code — and waited while the network routed his call.
There was a hint of static on the screen, and a buzzing through the speaker newly implanted in his inner ear. The jamming and security measures he had set up were fighting the taps and tracers he knew were seeking him. He hoped he had done his work well; if that security failed, a lot more people than just he were going to die.
Another wave of colors, in answer to his code, then a face appeared. It was old, that face. Older than he would have thought. The light hair was turning distinctly grey and there were lines around the mouth and eyes. Those eyes still held life, however, and a lightness that he had never really seen before. Certainly no Docksider had ever had eyes with that much humor and hope in them.
A puzzled expression and the woman opened her mouth, about to speak.
Connor cut her off — he had thought through this moment a million times over the past days, had envisioned how it would turn out. The fact that every single one of those dreams ended in misery and pain was just a fact of life. How could it ever be any different for him? Shou ga nai.
A choke for a moment, a second to find his breath past the block in his throat, then he spoke, "Hi, Mom…"
{Musical Note — I've mentioned these guys more than once as a major influence on me, but I wanted to go with them again. This song, especially, has as much to say to me personally as it does to Connor. And, yes, to "get it" you really do have to listen to the lyrics! I post the live version because, well I absolutely love live music…and because I was actually at this particular show (at Denver's Red Rocks amphitheater), so it has a huge place in my heart.}
DockRat 2DockRat, Snippet
Flashfiction (sorta): "I Waited For You"
July 31, 2021 WriterMinionLeave a comment
This is weird for me. This is my normal flashfiction…and it ain't. This is a spur-of-moment creation based on a line from a song…and it ain't. This is a story about Oz and Connor…and it ain't.
Oh, I tried to do this like any other flashfiction piece, but I failed. I failed even before I started. I mean, c'mon, this if freaking Oz! This is, in the millions of words and dozens of stories I've written, my favorite character…
As it turns out, I took the exact opposite approach for this than I do for my other flashfiction pieces. I took a thought and an inspiration and I…thought about it. I had to think about it, by the way, because it is a scene that matters to me. It matters to me a lot.
In the end, it took me better than a freaking week to write this "flashfiction" piece, rather than the usual hour. I would love to say the extra time was invested in editing and perfecting the words, but that would be complete bullshit. The extra time was invested in…working up my courage to write the fucking thing.
This was harder to write than you might think, by the way. There aren't many scenes — topics, thoughts, concepts — that I shy away from writing, but there are some. This particular piece scared the living shit out of me. It still does, even now, after I've written it.
Although this scene has no "official" existence in Somewhere Peaceful to Die, it nonetheless exists in the space between Oz's request — his cry, really — to meet with Connor when everything was going to shit, and his eventual betrayal of the only person he loved.
This little bit of writing hit me at least as hard as did the process of writing Oz's death, to be honest. There are three scenes (well, three now) that are inextricably linked in the story. They are linked not just in the characters involved, or in the story, but also in the amount of me involved in each. Of the three, Oz's death was actually the "easiest" to write. His suicide note, on the other hand…
As someone who has lost three close friends to suicide — two of them Oz's age — writing Oz's suicide note quite literally broke me for several days. And, yes, that does indeed mean I drank myself down to the bottom of the bottle after I wrote that bit…then took those several days to come back up. This scene was…
This seen was almost as hard. A big part of that, by the way, is that I did not have my "normal" safe, comfortable space in which I could write without others staring at me. When I wrote in Grimm Brothers' taproom, no one bothered me. Everyone knew the guy writing in the corner was good-people. Everyone forgave the tears in my eyes as I wrote because they knew me…they also knew my characters and my stories. But today? Today, I write in strange places, with people who have no idea just what the hell I'm doing. Today people just think I'm a freaking lunatic…*
*Err…I'm a writer. "Writer" is, of course, just pretentious-speak for "lunatic."
"I Waited for You"
"Please, Spog…" Oz stuttered as the hammering of his heart threatened to tear his body apart.
He could fix it…Oz knew he could. He could fix it, if only he could talk — really talk — to Connor. Not over a screen, and not with others around. No, face-to-face. They needed to talk face-to-face.
The shake of Connor's head on the tiny screen once would have told Oz everything he needed to know. Once, before…
Before he had given up everything. Before his world had shrunk to a brother he wanted to be so much more. Before he fell in love with his best friend.
He knew the words that would come from Connor next. He knew Connor better than Connor knew himself, in fact, and if the words were inevitable, Oz still had to hear them. They wouldn't be real until he heard them. His universe would still be whole until he heard them.
"I'm sorry, Oz, but I can't. Later, when things settle down, but not now. I have to concentrate on getting Nat out of here. I got her into this, and I gotta get her out."
More words, then, with his friend. Words to bring that horrific call to an end. Banal words. Meaningless words. Words of presence and acting, to cover the shaking that threatened to tear Oz apart.
Oz didn't know where to go, didn't know what to do. While there was a small, vicious part deep inside that wanted its revenge, the rest of him knew…the rest of him knew that Connor would need help. Would need a friend. Would need a brother.
He would wait, he decided, for Connor to come. He would be there to offer what help he could when his friend — his beloved — needed it. There was, of course, only one place Connor would come to seek help. Only one place that truly was safe for them. Only one place that was home.
"Wanna try something new?" Marie asked as Oz settled into his usual seat at the bar. "Just got it from a new in-system brewery on Redux."
Oz could act. Oz had, of brutal necessity, built his life around being exactly what others needed him to be. He fully expected, then, the smile he offered to Marie to put her at her ease. To forestall any questions, and to allow him to wait for Connor in peace.
"What's wrong, Oz?" she asked, her soft eyes penetrating easily whatever veil it was Oz used to be able to draw over himself.
"Nothing's wrong. I just need to wait for Connor for a bit. He'll be here soon."
Of words there were none, but when Marie placed an opened bottle in front of Oz, her sad eyes told just how deeply she understood.
Oz stared at the bottle to give himself to do. A glowing moon dominated the label, gave rise to all of the emotions humans had evolved within themselves to greet the rising of a full moon. But just as strongly as the moon, it was a shadow that drew Oz's eyes. A tiny form, perched on a rock. A wolf howling his loneliness into the night.
The first night his body had been taken, Oz hadn't cried. When his mother had died, Oz hadn't cried. Staring at that moon — something Oz had never seen, except on a screen — and at that wolf, calling out into the night? Oz finally felt tears threaten. He gulped that bottle down, then, as much to have Marie take away the label that both drew and repelled him, as to get the alcohol into his system.
He would wait. As many bottles as it took, Oz would wait. He would wait for Connor.
There were tears in Marie's eyes when she replaced yet another empty bottle with a new one.
"He'll come…he has to. I'll wait," was all Oz could say to her. To anyone.
"I have to get home to Vin," she answered, the tears in her voice now, "but you stay as long as you need."
Another bottle in front of him, the last Marie had placed, and Oz continued to stare at that label.
Oz always had wanted to see the moon.
But the moon…the moon was never to be, not for him. At seven he had lived in terror and dread. At eleven he had discovered meaning and worth in the form of his tall, confused blond friend. At seventeen he had…nothing left. Not Connor. Not the moon. Not a thing.
Most of him wanted to go to the Fort, to that fate he had always known was waiting for him. Most, but not all. A bit of him — the bit that remembered all too clearly those years of pain and loneliness before he met Connor — wanted nothing more than to lash out; to hurt someone as badly as he had been hurt.
It was just a small bit, but as the rest of him wallowed in the paralysis of loss, and in the devastation of his heart, that small bit finally took control.
A touch to his screen, then, and a face appeared. A face of strength and cunning hidden under layers of fat. "You win, you bastard," Oz said, "I'll give you what you want."
A few moments to make arrangements, that was all it took. While the rest of him cried helplessly, that small bit sold the tiny scrap of soul that was all he had left. He terminated the call with the swipe of a finger, then stared at the bottle in front of him, surprised to find it empty.
He stared at the moon on that bottle, and at the howling, lonely wolf.
"I waited for you, Connor. I waited as long as I could," Oz whispered to no one.
{Musical Note — What, you're curious about today's song? Fine, here's the explanation: Each of my characters has a couple of "theme songs" I keep in mind when I think and write about them. Oz's primary theme is a tune called Benediction, but his secondary one… Yeah, look, there IS a reason why Oz's songs focus on someone else…and that's all I'm gonna say. If you want to understand — both the character, and the writer — just listen to the damned song(s)!}
DockRat 2, FlashfictionDockRat, Flashfiction
2-for-1 Snippets! "Ghosts"
July 28, 2021 July 28, 2021 WriterMinionLeave a comment
A snippet, then, because…why the hell not?
"Jesus Christ, Connor," Sonthi said with a lopsided grin, "close your goddamned mouth. You look like you've seen a ghost."
What the hell did you say to that?
"You are a fuckin' ghost. What the fuck are you doing here?" Connor spluttered, fought to focus his mind. Off-balance was vulnerable, and he did not want to be vulnerable in front of the curacek behind that desk.
Try as he might, however, he could not wrap his mind around what he saw. The last time he had seen Sonthi had been to hand over the datastick that had touched off all the insanity tearing apart both Dockside and the Station. The time when Sonthi had told him about Oz.
A smile from the shorter man, then, an effort to put Connor at ease. Connor was used to the ex-cop in a police uniform; the tight-fitting, dark suit that seemed de rigeur for those working in that ridiculous office tower looked decidedly odd on the older man. Expensive or not, those clothes did nothing to help his look. Several inches shorter than Connor, Sonthi's hair had turned from salt-and-pepper to completely gray over the past year, and his paunch had grown more pronounced than when he had been a sergeant in Dockside's corrupt police force.
The ghost of a wink, then, from the shorter man as he turned to face the desk. "Sir, I've sent you my update on the kid's file. I'd suggest a minute or two to read it while I get Connor clued in a bit as to what he's doing here."
A nod from the svine behind the desk even as he began to read from his screen. Sonthi grabbed Connor's arm in a grip that was almost painfully tight as he guided him to the large, comfortable chairs arranged to maximize the view out over the dark towers of the city. Heavy clouds had rolled in, brought with them the winds and rain that were beginning to lash the glass.
"Do not fuck around with this aho, you stupid motherfuckin' ikiryo," Sonthi hissed as they sat, his voice for Connor's ears alone. "I worked too fuckin' hard to get your ass out of that shithole prison to watch you fuck it up now. You smile and nod and say yessir to whatever the hell Chapman wants. Don't try to scam him, not yet. You don't know the rules, chiima. Until you do, you'll just screw yourself right back into that hole you just crawled out of."
Connor thought about that. He thought about it very, very hard. Those thoughts, much to his surprise, were interrupted by a half-full tumbler held out for him. Chapman had brought him another drink? Just when was he going to understand what was happening?
"In case you missed it, Connor, Mr. Chapman is the CEO of LRC Exploration," Sonthi explained with a nod for his boss. "He hired me to head up his security department about nine months ago. He and I have been discussing some, ahh, options for the business that call for a skill set very different from your average college graduate."
Every bit of his voice was different from what Connor remembered. Very little of Dockside clung to Sonthi's tongue as he talked. Very little accent, and even less vocabulary. Instead, the ex-cop was more formal and more precise…and far more irritating.
Connor's stare was direct. He would dance and play with Chapman, at least for a while. Fine, Sonthi was right about the need for that. But with Sonthi himself? Connor was a thief and a liar, but Sonthi was just as bad in his own way. There was no way Connor was going to let some crooked cop patronize him. Even if he did owe the man.
"Saishei tanmei, mappo, but no one loves me. We were chara the second I handed you that stick." Connor's voice was not friendly. The hostility was a reminder for Sonthi; a reminder of just where Connor came from, and of how little he had to lose.
"I don't have time for this," Chapman barked, a hand raised to forestall any reply from his security director.
That hand was not needed, however. At least not so far as Connor could see. Sonthi's face may have been unreadable to his boss — just what the hell did a CEO do, anyway? — but to Connor it was an open book. A book of guilt, and a hint of shame.
Dockside rules still applied to the pair of them, even in that office, and those rules said Connor had made his point. He gave a tiny, sharp nod to the ex-cop then turned to fully face Chapman. He needed to focus, and to read everything he could from the man's face and body language as they talked. His life might very well depend on that reading.
"I have all the information in the world, Mr. Spogelse," Chapman explained. Lectured, actually. "What I lack are viable means to act on that information. Oh, I can use what my agents dig up to carry out certain negotiations and decisions, but I cannot act proactively with it.
"The five companies that founded this colony hold all of the cards, not to mention most of the power, and I'm tired of having to toe their line. I need operatives who can act on my information, when and how I tell them. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
The boredom that had begun to displace Connor's anger disappeared, replaced by a certain amount of interest. The idea had possibilities. Almost as many possibilities as it had problems. He could get ahead with this…if he was careful. If he was very, very careful.
"None of your spies are willing to risk their ass for you," he answered, meeting Chapman's stare with one of his own. "You need someone willing to get his hands dirty. Someone with nothing to lose. But that ain't the real problem, boss. There're a couple million people over in the Haze and the Camp who'd stab their own mothers for a few grand. If even I know that, you better fuckin' well be aware. Let's not worry about the job itself, not just yet. You're looking for something pretty specific in all this, so the first question is why me?"
Sonthi answered for his boss, "You're a ghost, Connor. What little trace remains of Connor Spogelse is so buried and lost in the system, no one will ever find it again. You can be whoever, or whatever, the situation calls for."
Connor arched an eyebrow at that, but didn't say a word. Let the kamo talk themselves into the scam. His entire day up to that point might have been a major fuck-up that had his head spinning, but this? This was a scam. This was what he did best.
A moment of hesitation while Sonthi glanced at his boss. A wave from Chapman and the ex-cop continued, "That could never be true of someone from Redux, Connor. Everyone here is implanted as a child, for one thing. Even more, however, everyone has a detailed ident entered in the databases from the get-go. Even in the Haze and the Camp…especially in the Haze and the Camp."
Chapman cleared his throat to interrupt. Both Connor and Sonthi turned to stare, but the executive remained quiet, let the silence build for several moments.
Overdramatic aho, Oz laughed.
A moment more of silence, then Chapman spoke, "Mr. Sonthi assures me you are the best he has ever seen at cracking networks and security. I need that skill, Mr. Spogelse. Almost as much as I need somebody who can disappear at will. Rest assured, you are physically quite safe. You are not in this office because I want you to be my…what is it you people call them? Oh yes, my baita. You — very specifically you — are in this office because I need an operative that I, and Mr. Sonthi, can trust and control."
Connor's irritation was back. Very, very back. Just how the hell did this idiot think he would control Connor? He had no doubt Sonthi had primed the man with that crack about being a baita, and that made him even angrier.
His voice was cold when he replied, "You need an awful lot, Mr. CEO. What's in it for me?"
"Money, for one thing. You will be well compensated for your efforts, I assure you. Your freedom, for another. You were not released from prison, Mr. Spogelse. You are currently being, ahh, transferred back to Port Oblivion. Whether that transfer remains lost in the bureaucratic shuffle, or the authorities become aware of your escape from prison, is entirely up to you."
{Musical Note — although this song isn't the soundtrack I had in my head when I wrote the scene, it nonetheless fits. It fits the mood, the characters, and where things are going. And, yes, there is allegory and subtext involved…}
Edit — I am adding a "scene" blow. Although I wrote the scene above, and this one I am adding, at very different times and in very different places, they are in fact a single scene. Here's a challenge for you: see if you can spot the difference in tone and thematic elements that came with the weeks between creating the two…
"Ghosts" (continued)
"I will let Mr. Sonthi give you the details," Chapman continued after a moment for the threat to sink home, "but it is important that I know you understand what it is I want of you. You will be a weapon, Mr. Spogelse. A weapon aimed at my adversaries. Whether you are a sledgehammer or a scalpel is something we will have to see."
Did the man never shut up? Connor had met, and scammed, any number of arrogant aho in his life, but never had he met someone so in love with the sound of his own voice. He'd never liked or trusted any takie — a sudden memory of Nat's face, and a rush of loss, both quickly repressed — but Chapman was quickly moving to the top of his list of those he most despised.
Nothing said Connor had to like the man, however. He just had to take his money.
"We will, of course, have to start slowly," Chapman was still talking, and Connor still taking note of anything he could use to his advantage. "Mr. Sonthi has already made certain arrangements for you, and he will be your primary point of contact. My instructions will come through him, and you will do whatever he says. Whatever he says, Mr. Spogelse, and in the manner and time he directs. Those instructions will have come from me, and you will treat his words as if they were my own."
Connor shifted his glance between the two men before he answered with a sharp nod. The arrogance and conceit in Chapman's voice should have had Connor's anger and resentment on the rise, just as the threat of prison should have had him worried and stressed. But neither of those things was happening. Why not?
You've got nothing to lose, Spog, that's why, Oz observed. Just remember to feed these baka what they expect.
Chapman would expect him to be angry and resentful, so Connor made sure those emotions were evident on his face, and in his reply. "No one owns me, Mr. CEO. No one. You got my ass out of that shithole prison, and I'm grateful, but gratitude ain't gonna buy you shit. Better men than you have tried to fuck me over. The worst of all you pretentious aho is currently fighting like hell to keep his own ass out of prison because of me. No, you better fuckin' well paint a picture that's a hell of a lot prettier than just using me as your own personal bataya."
Connor leaned back after that little tirade, as insolently as he could, and took a long gulp of his drink. How Chapman reacted would tell him a very great deal.
That same flare of irritation, that same self-satisfied smirk. Oh yes, Chapman took confidence to a whole new level. Connor could almost admire his self-possession. Almost.
"Connor…" Sonthi warned, his voice quiet but insistent.
Chapman stopped the interjection with a sharp motion. His voice was cold and emphatic, his words rapid-fire, "It really is very simple, Mr. Spogelse. You will be whatever I tell you to be. Escape from prison means an extra fifteen years on your sentence. To date, the criminals from what you and your ilk call the Families have been kept away from Redux's prisons. That can change very, very quickly. Never forget the name on the front of that prison you so conveniently just left."
Chapman Penitentiary.
Well…fuck me, Oz whispered.
Connor agreed.
The anger wasn't feigned this time, at least not completely. "You piece of shit kuroko. What the fuck don't you own?" Connor's knuckles were white on the expensive crystal tumbler as he downed the rest of the liquor.
"Not much, Mr. Spogelse. Not much," Chapman answered, a sneering laugh under his words.
Fifteen more years in prison? Did it really matter? Connor would be free or he wouldn't. He would live to see the sun rise again or he wouldn't. The fundamental truth was that he'd always known he would die young. Just like the ikiryo he truly was. Who the hell really cared, anyway?
Connor squelched that voice. It was too good to hear; too comfortable…and far, far too disturbing. He couldn't afford to listen to Oz. Not yet.
No, it was no time to let free that particular demon. He had work to do. Chapman's threats might have been pointless to Connor, but the job he offered had definite possibilities. If Connor couldn't turn the situation to his own advantage, he would deserve to end up back in that prison.
The silence hung in the air for several seconds, but Chapman seemed content to wait quietly while Connor worked through his thoughts. Worked through his fears, Chapman would assume. Connor could all-but read the executive's thoughts; could almost hear the self-satisfied laugh undoubtedly echoing in the man's head.
He leaned forward and stared hard at Chapman, intensity and bitterness portrayed with every bit of the skill a life on the streets, and Oz's coaching, had given him. "So it's die in prison, or work for you? That's a hell of a choice. Ask Sonthi what happened to the last hum noi who tried to force me to work for him."
"I'm well aware of your recent history. And of what happened to your last, ahh, employer. I think you'll find I'm no Kazuo. Just as I am not William Hendricks. Relax, Mr. Spogelse, all is not bad. As I said before, working for me will prove lucrative for you. Very lucrative, if you're anywhere near as good as Mr. Sonthi insists. I may not be an easy man to work for, but I am a generous one."
Sonthi reached out, touched Connor's knee hesitantly. "C'mon, Connor. It's a good deal, and you know it. Hell, it's the only deal you're going to get after all the shit that's gone down. Trust me on that."
Trust? No, never that. Not again. Trust had died a year ago, in a pool of blood. Just like love. Just like family.
Trust he would not, but use he would. He would always use. The rules never changed, no matter where in the universe you were. And when the price came due, as it always did? Shou ga nai.
Connor blew out a breath, then, and leaned back in his chair. The picture of defeat, and of resignation. But still the anger and resentment. Oh yes, still those. Chapman — and Sonthi — would expect them, and Connor hated to disappoint his kamo.
A moment to look between the two, then he focused again on Chapman. "You win, boss. Just like you knew you would. You've got me nailed to the wall, and you'll get your operative. We both know I'm never goin' back inside, not if I have any choice in the matter, so you'll get my best effort, too. That you can be sure of."
{Musical Note — why the hell not? It's all 2-for-1 today!! And with Oz gaining in presence and importance (yay!), its time for a song that characterized the boys in the "good ol' days"}
Snippet: "WTF?"
July 1, 2021 July 1, 2021 WriterMinionLeave a comment
Holy cow, how did it get to be July already?
Wasn't it just yesterday that I woke up for my last day in Yellowstone? No? It was a month-and-a-half ago? Are you freaking kidding me?!
Note: You all know me well enough by now to imagine the swear words I'm using at this particular moment, so feel free to insert your own here…
Oh, and just to add a random thought for the day: Beach sand and bluetooth keyboards don't mix particularly well. That is all. Nothing to see here. Move along.
One of the fun things about coming to rest in a new place, by the way, is the exploration factor. Everything is new and unknown, everything is a surprise. Every restaurant is an unknown variable, every bar a new experience. When you go into that with no preconceptions, it can lead to a lot of fun, new experiences. It can also, it must be said, lead to undercooked chicken and overcooked beef. Worse — for me as a brewery nerd, anyway — is that it can lead also to bad beers, and to tap handles (actually, the lines that lead back to the kegs) that are infected and dirty.
Tasting grass and horseblanket and smoke in your beer? That's good. Tasting butterscotch and corn and banana? Yeah, that's bad.
**Beedo!*Beedo!**Squirrel Alert!**
Wait, whaddya mean those tasting-notes don't mean anything to you? Good lord, people, get yourselves down to your local craft brewery! Pronto! Make sure you spend a while talking to the beertender behind the bar, too. If the place is worth a damn, he or she will be able to teach you a thing or two about the flavors to expect in different types of beers…and the flavors to fear.
Okay…bigger digression avoided. All clear now. We almost had a major rant building there, but I pulled up in time and you're safe now. Phew.
It has, at any rate, been over a month since we heard from Connor (and Oz). Given that this post has already gone completely off the rails, let's just give up on it and have a bit of a check-in instead:
The sound of steps and the closing of the door. Silence, then, as Connor continued to stare straight ahead, continued to stare at that disconcerting view. Finally, he pulled his eyes away. He leaned back in the chair and propped an ankle on his knee, the very picture of arrogant insolence.
He'd be damned if he'd let some takie bastard see him sweat. No, just like he had told the shotcaller in the prison yard, it was never a good idea to push too hard an ikiryo with nothing left to lose.
Connor finally did turn, a few heartbeats later, when the tense silence was broken by the sound of ice clinking into a glass. Tall and thin the man was, but that was all Connor could tell. He stood with his back to Connor, and the rest of that vast, now-empty office, as he mixed himself a drink in the corner.
It was an attempt, Connor knew, to assert control, and to make him impatient and nervous. A transparent attempt. So…it was going to be a pissing contest after all. The world might be different — the kamo richer and more powerful — but the rules…the rules of the game never changed. Connor's game.
"A scotch for me, thanks," he called, his voice almost as relaxed as if he'd been calling an order to Marie. "But only if it's Islay single malt."
That brought a look, thrown back over one expensively-clad shoulder. Genuine surprise on that face, to go with a certain amused disdain.
Connor continued to study the man, his stare intentionally direct and disconcerting. In prison, what had kept most of Connor's fellow inmates at bay was the worry that he was more than a little nuts. It definitely would not hurt to have this svine worried about the same thing. Connor knew he was not likely to make the man comfortable or trusting, but uncomfortable was almost as good. Uncomfortable usually meant nervous, and nervous people made mistakes.
The guy was young, perhaps ten or twelve years older than Connor himself. He had the same rail-thin attempt at effete elegance that Connor had seen on so many of the idiots down on that plaza, as well as the same tightly-tailored dark suit. His face, however…his face was very different from the drones below.
Arrogance and confidence in that face, and a certain note of self-indulgence. Brown hair, brown eyes…not bad looking. Oz would have had the guy wrapped around a finger in about thirty seconds, Connor decided with an inward grin. Connor knew, however, that he would have to use tactics very different from those of his dead friend.
The man wordlessly placed a tumbler in front of Connor, then moved around that impressive desk to sit and begin his own inspection. He stared and studied, sipping at his drink all the while.
Connor stared right back. On both of the man's hands lay some of the most extensive and intricate tattoo-work Connor had ever seen. The colors and designs shifted and changed, but not with the cheap randomness he had seen in prison. No, these changes were subtly patterned and timed, suggesting meanings and purposes at which Connor couldn't even begin to guess.
A reach and Connor took up his own glass, every bit of him full of slow confidence. A slow, steady swirl — at least the guy was smart enough not to waste ice on whiskey — then he took a sip. The surprise didn't make it to his face, thankfully, but beneath his cool exterior he was all-but knocked off his mental feet.
Good booze had always been well beyond Connor's means, but Oz had from time to time brought home bottles given by his clients. Some of those bottles had been top notch stuff, hard to get even on the Station. What was in that glass, however, made every drop Connor had ever so much as sniffed pale in comparison. That little calculator in his mind — the one that assessed the value of everything the takies so took for granted — told him he did not want to know what those few ounces were worth.
"My family helped to build all this, Mr. Spogelse," the man said with a wave vaguely towards the view behind him. "LRC is the largest resource exploration and assessment company in the entire system. We may not be one of the colony's Founders, unfortunately, but we are one of the top five hundred companies in all of human space."
If he'd known he was in for a recruiting speech, Connor thought, he might very well have decided to stay in prison. Just who the hell did this debil think he was?
"Boss, I don't know what you've got in mind, but you can skip the sales pitch. Those folks down in your lobby might have resumes and references, but I've got nothin' but a fuckin' rap sheet. I appreciate the drink, but can we skip the bullshit and just get to the point?" he said, interrupting what threatened to be the biggest waste of time in all of human history.
Irritation flared in the man's eyes. Irritation that was very, very close to outright rage.
So…the guy did not like to be interrupted. That was good to know. Anything and everything that could throw him off balance was ammunition for Connor. You learned that, early on, when you were young and small; learned to never let the other guy have control. Piss him off, confuse him, even make him laugh…but never, ever let him have control. Not in a situation like this.
Yeah, but you got your ass kicked a lot, too, the memory of Oz's voice laughed.
Much like Connor, Oz had been, socially and culturally, a ghost in life — an ikiryo in Dockside's patois — but why the hell did Connor's best friend have to end up a real ghost, too?
"Stop haunting me, Oz," he muttered under his breath. The scariest thing to Connor? He didn't mean it. Connor knew it was crazy, but there was no voice in the universe he wanted more to hear. Not even Nat's. He still loved Nat, still thought and dreamed of her, but Oz was…special.
Oh yeah, there was real rage now on the face across that desk. The man stood and glowered, leaned across the expanse of wood and glass. "If you're wasted now, you little shit…" he spat, just what he would do left unsaid.
Connor almost laughed. Once, he would have been on his feet as well, in the svine's face and ready to fight. Once, but no more. Who the hell cared?
"Relax, boss," he said, his weak attempt at soothing ruined by the amused cynicism in his voice. "You went to a lot of trouble to get a goddamned worthless ikiryo out of prison and into your office. Why don't we sit down and talk about that?"
The rage was still visible on that pampered face, but only because Connor knew what to look for. To most observers, he knew, the man would be the very picture of a calm and controlled professional. That control would even have impressed Connor, if the guy were less of a privileged ass.
A long sip of his drink and the man sat. "You're quite right, young man. But, I do need to get a feel for you. To do that I have to assure myself that you understand just what it is I do here. I do not generally meet with young delinquents, you know."
From rage to patronizing condescension. Yep, definitely a privileged ass…just like the takies who had been Connor's prey for so long. And just like those takies, this debil was starting to irritate him.
"We can make this as short as you want. You know my name. You know where I came from. There, the basics are out of the way. Now it's my turn. What the fuck do you want?" Connor's stare as he spoke was, if anything, even more direct and challenging than his voice.
"Call me Mr. Chapman. Or sir," came the reply, simple and matter of fact. The mouth carried just a hint of a smirk.
Even Connor couldn't read through the man's growing control, and that made him nervous. If he couldn't read his kamo, he couldn't manipulate them. Then an even more disturbing thought hit him: just how much was this svine manipulating him?
Chapman studied him in silence for several moments. The old nerves, the ones Connor had thought long gone, returned with a vengeance, fought with his growing irritation. Suddenly, it was Connor's turn to stand and pace the length of the office.
He held his drink more to give his hands something to do than because he wanted the alcohol. A year in prison with nothing but cell-made pruno meant the potent liquor in that glass was affecting him already, and he suspected getting drunk around Chapman was not a terribly good idea.
It was, however, time to regain some of the initiative, he decided.
He moved to the bar in the corner, took a moment to study it. Shit, there weren't even any bottles. Just clear, engraved decanters that he very much doubted came from any local glass shop.
His years years living in Dockside's chaotic corruption had, however, taught him to adapt. The secret to survival was confidence. Even if you didn't know what the hell you were doing, you never let anyone else see that particular weakness.
Connor took his time, moved with all the slow arrogance he could muster. He picked up those decanters with contents that looked similar to what was in his glass and sniffed. A moment to visibly savor each aroma — most of which meant not a single thing to him — then he settled on one. It might have been the same as what was in his glass, or it might have been completely different. He had no idea. He took his time, however, and poured slowly another few ounces into his glass.
His shoulders were itching. He knew the svine was staring at him, could picture the rage growing behind those cold eyes. That thought almost made him smile. Almost.
A tap, Connor heard, as he started to turn.
"Marcy," Chapman barked, "send in the Security Director."
Uh-oh.
You always did overplay your bluffs, Oz whispered at the back of Connor's mind.
The door opened and Connor tensed, expected a squad of rvac ready to beat the crap out of him. Maybe he'd see that empty field, after all.
It wasn't a squad of guards, however. It was just one man. One very, very familiar man.
Connor dropped his glass, stood frozen and immobile.
"Sonthi? What the fuck?"
{Muscial Note — if you go all metaphorical with the lyrics, this song works for Connor's new life…}
DockRat 2, UncategorizedDockRat, Snippet


See the gallery for quotes by Alexander Hamilton. You can to use those 8 images of quotes as a desktop wallpapers.
In the main it will be found that a power over a man's support (salary) is a power over his will.
Much more quotes by Alexander Hamilton below the page.


Sarah "We ain't playing for fifth place, we're not playing for third place either.. eat that sh*t"
9:30am Big Brother wakes up the house guests. Bobby, Bruno, Zach, and Pili are in the kitchen. Sarah says sure we keep Bobby now and maybe he helps us get people out but then he kills us in competitions. I didn't come here to play for third or second place. Sarah asks you can only win 1 week at a time. Not to mention what have you done for me lately bro!? Godfrey says he got Sindy out, he throws competitions, he lied about the secret veto. Sarah says I trust you more than him. Sarah says we don't have to put all our eggs in the Bobby basket. Sarah says when they get really intense is at the end when we would be f**ked at the end against him, not them. Bobby might get us one more week. I'm looking long term. I'm not looking for one more week. Godfrey says I'm going to keep Britt Yo! She's a way more independent thinker. She's not going to flip. Sarah says everyone is trying to go to the end with Ash and Pili .. because think about it what have they done. Godfrey says but that's dangerous .. better to go with people you trust. Godfrey says right after Kevin didn't nominate me the two Goblins came up to me and said hey we got your back! Godfrey says yeah just like the two votes you cast against me last week. Sarah says that's hilarious. Godfrey leaves. Sarah talks to Brittnee and tells her about the conversation she had with Bruno last night. He was almost yelling at me. He says we're all next if Bobby goes. Sarah says no you're next. Britt says exactly. Sarah says we ain't playing for fifth place.. we're not playing for third place either.. eat that sh*t.
10am – 10:35am Bruno and Bobby head out to tan in the hot tub room. Bruno talks about Zach and says that he's full of sh*t. He was sitting there telling me he's going after Sarah and Britt. Bobby talks about piece of a coat hanger he pulled out in the veto ceremony and says after he was joking maybe he could sell it on ebay for 10K .. the 10K he should have gotten if he had pressed that button in the vault. Zach and Godfrey join them. They all suntan in silence. Willow, Ash and Pili join them.
10:40am – 11am Kevin joins Sarah and Britt in the bedroom. Sarah tells him about the conversation she had with Bruno last night. Kevin laughs and leaves with Britt. Sarah asks Willow to come here right now. I swear to god I will self evict if you keep acting like this. Sarah says we already have to act distant in front of other people can't we just act real if we have 2 minutes alone together. Willow says I have to do it all the time to keep it up. Sarah says can you not just say you love me? Sarah gets upset and crawls under the covers. She says she can't do this. Willow comforts her. Big Brother tells them the house is off limits. Sarah asks task!?!
11am – 11:35am Hot tub – Bobby, Britt, Bruno and Godfrey are hanging out chatting about random things. Godfrey talks about eating goat eyes and says they're the shape of hershey kisses. Bruno asks what else do you eat that's gross. Godfrey says goat head and brain. "Brain spread" Brittnee is disgusted by the conversation. Godfrey says that the tongue is the best part. People would fight for it. It tastes like ham.
11:40am – 11:50am Brittnee, Sarah and Bobby are in the kitchen. Britt tells Bobby in a couple days we won't see each other. ..well not for awhile. Bobby talks about how he still thinks winning the first HOH was a curse. He says that he wants to keep his pride. Its a very relaxing feeling to not be talking game. Big Brother tells the house guests the backyard is now off limits. All the house guests head inside.
11:55am 12:05pm Up in the HOH room – Kevin, Ash and Pilar are talking. Pili says its obvious that Bruno is lying. Ash says everyone is coming and talking to each other and he's telling everyone different things. Kevin tells them about how Bruno pulled Sarah out by the pool late last night. They talk about how its perfect Bruno, B and Sarah are pissed at each other. Ash says the more heat that they have .. the cooler we are. I want to win this next HOH so bad. I need it. He is trying so hard to scramble and he's going about it all the wrong way. Kevin says even if Godfrey wins you would probably be able to survive. Ash says for me right now Sarah is not a threat to me but I want to look out for you guys too. Kevin says even if Sarah wins we might be okay. Ash heads down stairs.
12:05pm – 12:25pm Big Brother tells the house guests again that the house is off limits. All the house guests head back out into the backyard. They talk about the road trip they want to take from Seattle to Vegas. Sarah says we have to get a big bag so we don't have to mess with it the rest of the trip. Sarah says I'm contacting Dr. Will and telling him we're coming.
12:30pm Big Brother blocks the feeds.
My head is spinning with all the lies that Sarah spews unnecessarily. I watched the discussion with Bruno last night, and although not my favorite player, he certainly didn't yell at her. I just don't get why she constantly lies to everybody. He tried to make a point yes, but so did she. No yelling. Is she trying to get him out? Does she want the Diapers to win this? I don't get this whole thing. Why isn't she trying to keep their little group together instead of talking bad about the people that can keep her in the game longer.
It's the same thing that Bruno is doing to Sarah, they can't actually throw anyone else under the bus anymore to further themselves. The four couples are strong and what you say to one of them is being relayed to their entire whole group so the only way to defend themselves is to shift the target to another person. She basically is villifying Bruno to make his target bigger. This also makes it look like Bruno is trying everything to upset the votes and go after the couples.
Apart from that this also make it look like she is coming after Bruno, which is actually why the diapers are feeling safe that even if Sarah/Brit wins HOH they will still have the numbers to keep a diaper member safe.
Bruno has been the one spewing lies since POV ceremony..
Not everyone who dislikes Sarah or her gameplay is a mysoginist/woman hater. I guess you need to resort to extreme and hateful language because you don't have really have a convincing argument or rebuttal, that and you clearly don't have any confidence in your own opinions to stand alone without resorting to stereotypes and hate.
LOL. The "unnecessarily" lies that Sarah just spewed just saves her another two weeks from the diapers few hours after she told Kevin. If you listen to the diapers meeting they are targeting Bruno and Godfrey next week. And even if she gets put up in the triple eviction this Wednesday when one of the diapers win HOH, she could end up staying.
I watched that conversation too and i didn't hear Bruno yelling at her at all.He did make a cogent case from HER perspective and it's up to her whether she goes with the plan or not, but she shouldn't have spilled the beans to the others.All her "all girls alliance BS" she hangs on even in the 7th week will be her demise.She does deserve to get booted out while sitting just beside her best friend Brittnee.
I respect Sarah bad-mouthing everyone as a strategy to let her interlocutor know "I'd never work with that guy", but I'm just irritated by what I'd call going way overboard with it.
She said "he was almost yelling at me. he was being a bully".
I'm really sick of people using the bully card that much, and that applies to both HGs and people commenting on this forum.
Sarah made fun of Bruno for having arguments to save Bobby that were contradicting themselves. She's right, but she's just as contradictory when she says "girl power!" and then paints herself as this weak little girl who got bullied by Bruno.
How dare you criticize Sarah and make a valid point?? You must be a mysogynistic, chauvanistic woman-hater. You have the audacity to criticize Sarah's lies. You should apologize to ALL women right now.
look how dan gheesling played see how many lies cameouty his mouth!
You'd probably like frog legs and escargots if you gave it an honest try – they actually taste great!
I hope Bru takes out the poison pill / crybaby / nanny state handout seeking pot head that is Sarah. Her hypocrisy is unbearable! If you want power earn it! If you want respect earn it! Stop crying about how unfair life is and how the other side doesnt deserve anything because they are rich, spoiled and entitled. Sarah, the weed has your mind twisted and your victim mentality is transparent. Bru is going to send you back to stonerville!
first off I thumbs down your uneducated comment … read the latest study on the effects of weed before making a very such comments. Second , you leave me wondering what vice you take that has left a few of your brain cells dead…lol.. ouch huh … only saying educate yourself before making uneducated and I might add discusting comments… THUMBS DOWN ..
I just do not understand why people like Sarah. All she does is cry because she has no power and talk horrible crap about who does. Its not their fault that she can't win anything!!! But yet when B was HOH, she walked around like her Sh@& didn't stink. And now she criticizes people for acting just as she did. And she condemns the Diapers for being together but yet she has her pose'. Something!! What a hypocrite. I hope to God that she gets evicted on Wed. Please! Make my day!!
Perhaps you don't understand the game.
Oh, I understand it VERY well. She's a weak girl who cry's her way through life. She says she's so independent and strong, when? Where? She can't even get through a day without Willow saying "I Love You" or she starts freaking out. And she hasn't won crap. She's a horrible player and its time to go. Even Willow is a better player than Sarah and Willow is a Andy Rat Clone.
My comment was not ridiculous. I was asking a question, that's all. I have no horse in this race, just trying to understand what her reasoning was…..no more, no less. Obviously you cannot stand anyone questioning what she is doing. I thought this is where we come to comment and question moves in the game. Sorry if I sounded like your beloved Sarah was doing something wrong….that wasn't my intent.
Don't let it get to you. There are some really questionable people on the internet. You getting affected by their mean spirited comments might just be the only highlight of their day. Don't give them that pleasure – they certainly don't deserve it.
I concurr ! Sarah for some reason thinks the game should be give to her…win something then and don't cry if you dont! Get rid of that man-eating wall you got built and think for 1 second about aligning with a male or two….get rid of Britnee who is only keeping you down.
Bruno's conversation with bobby about Zach being a liar in saying he'd go after britt and sarah shows one thing: Zach isn't the only person that is misreading what is going on around him. Bruno fails to see that Zach's entire method of attack is to never directly target physically strong competitors. He wants other people to do that so that the physically strong will target someone other than him. (its too soon for a big move./ if you take the shot first, i'll come in later and wipe up the rest, later.) Zach would most likely go after sarah and britt, even before godfrey that has blatantly targeted him for eviction. less risk of successful counter attack reprisal in his mind. he would prefer if one of his allies nominate the other comp physical threats. Bruno has talked strategy with Zach before. he should have realized this.
Wow are they going to be BIG TIME SHOCK…when they hear Arissa say TRIPLE! I can't wait to see their faces.
It's so ridiculous to me that Sarah and Bruno don't realize how much they need eachother in this game. If they would just shut up and stay loyal to eachother they could go further. Instead they're feeding a 4 person, solid alliance information to further THEIR game. It's really frustrating.
Sarah keeps holding it against Bruno for putting her up … ages ago instead of getting over it especially now when the numbers have been dwindling down. And , it's true, Bruno's "Sarah is poison" thing should stop and both of them should reconcile and play mindfully from now on.
Bruno and Sarah have their own trusted ally on the block together. It only makes sense that two of the strongest social players are going to do whatever to keep their respective ally. So we should give them room to do that.Each does need to be cautious regarding bridges burned during this spar off.
And the more I think about Kevin's strategy to keep noms the same the more I am convinced it was his smarter choice. He still is not fully certain that the other side (Bruno/Sarah) are not working together. This puts a wedge in there and he can see how the different players scramble. Kevin is getting more information out of this week than if both Bobby and Bruno were up together. Kev's still not as safe as he hopes though.
Voting out Bobby is the big mistake on Sara's part. On Sara's side, there is no one is good at endurance comp, puzzle comp and physical comp. After Bobby goes, they will be picked off one by one. I do not understand why Sara concerns so much about by keeping Bobby will make Bruno's side stronger. Does Sara think by voting out Bobby will make other side stronger? Kevin is playing with Sara to push for Bobby to go, does she see that? Does Sara see the other side is afraid of Bobby? I do not know how is Britt good for Sara's game. Even Britt stays, when Sara is on the block, she does not have the vote to stay. Willow, Britt will likely vote with the house. At this point, Sara needs someone to win comp, not someone she needs to carry to final 2. Sara and Britt will not win comp back to back to get to final 2. Does Sara see that? Sara is playing emotional not logical right now. Even Derrick knows Caleb is a threat, but he still keeps Caleb to help him further his game. I can see the other side will win this season.
Great post! I would give you more than a thumb up, but it's not possible.
What if Sarah goes up beside her shield and goes home in F6 or even earlier? Maybe Sarah would be better off as a pawn herself than sitting beside B. Either way, Sarah, Brittnee and Willow don't seem to win comps for themselves and, no matter who they align themselves with (Diapers or the guys), all of them are bound to go home sooner or latter. Derrick didn't win any comp last year, but his social game was way better than Sarah's just for the fact that he was good with everybody, whereas Sarah is not.
Her odds go up as people go out. And she is right, the really physical comps tend to come later.
Difference to Derrick/Caleb: Caleb legitimately wanted to take Derrick to F2 (as did many people!).
Sarah knows Bobby wouldn't. As a matter of fact, she must fear that Bobby might have some remnant Chop Shop loyalty to Ash and Zach. Bobby is part of a solid double with Bruno, so since she can't evict a diaper right now, she might as well break that couple up. Also, if Brit was evicted, she'd become the most likely new eternal pawn in the future.
So you rather see sara's side keeps losing comp and with Britt as pawn until they are picked off one by one or you rather see sara's side wins comp and no one needs to be pawn.
IF Bobby for sure WAS on Sarah's side, I'd agree with you.
But they just voted together once out of necessity, and they don't trust each other one bit.
Sarah's game is to be with whoever is in power as much as possible. She's fine with a strong guy getting evicted, since she can sense that it might be her best shot to wait for a crack in the diapers (sorry for that image in your head!) while week for week, strong players are going to get evicted.
She's all talk when telling us what a strong player she is, but she's happy to keep on floating on for being considered a waste of an HOH.
If Sara, Bruno, Godfrey or Britt do not win the next HOH on Wed, I think I will be done with this season. Because after the triple eviction HOH is the endurance HOH. Sara, Bruno, Godfrey or Britt needs miracle after bobby is evicted.
I really want Sara wins the next HOH so badly, just to see how Kevin's cockiness drops when he is on the block.
find it funny every1 bashing sarah lies but isnt it how to win the game!well i gues kevin lies working to aka the poker player!
Bruno a woman hater?!?! Haha, not at all. Sarah's gameplay is poison for his for sure. She is playing a similar game to his. If Kevin is left in the game too long he will win it.
More like Sarah man hater no?
House off limits could mean planting of clues for the Red Veto.


The happiest moments in life are the birth of a first child, your wedding day and the birth of grandchildren according to new research out today.
Online insurance company Beagle Street quizzed 1,000 life experts aged 70 or older about their happiest moments to mark the release of a new short film called Happiest Moment, featuring some of the UK's oldest couples passing on advice to the younger generation.
The research revealed that men are happiest at 40 whilst women hit their positive peak at 38 – citing being fit and healthy, having a great group of friends and feeling confident in their appearance as the main reasons for their bliss.
The findings show that loving relationships outweigh money and material gains with life's top ten happiest moments dominated by friends and family. Other milestone moments that didn't make the top ten included England winning the World Cup in 1966 and Neil Armstrong walking on the moon in 1969.
'Never take the people you love for granted' was the top piece of advice the elderly wanted to pass onto the younger generation to help them live a happier life. Other pearls of wisdom included 'believe in yourself' and that 'nothing worth having comes easy'.
58 per cent of respondents said they had no regrets in life. The most common cause for regret was choosing the wrong career and not pursuing lifelong dreams. One in ten of those with regrets wished they had worked harder in school with seven per cent regretting that they had not travelled the world.
Happiest Moment was filmed and produced by BAFTA-nominated Gary Tarn. It features Bournemouth couple Maurice and Helen Kaye aged 102 and 101 respectively who have been married for 80 years.
Watch the Happiest Moment video on the Beagle Street YouTube Channel.
About the research: Independent research company Censuswide questioned 1,000 adults over the age of 70 in December 2014 from across the country.


The dual quaternion was used to investigate the 6-DOF (six degree-of-freedom) relative motion of spacecraft, and an integrated controller of attitude and orbit with input saturation constraint was designed. Firstly, the dual number and dual quaternion followed by the derivation of 6-DOF relative motion of attitude and orbit coupled model were introduced. Then, an explicitly bounded controller was proposed by using the property that the absolute value of hyperbolic tangent function was less than 1. Two coupled adaptive regulators were respectively designed to adjust the outputs of the controller dynamically. Thirdly, it is proved by a rigorous theoretical analysis that the closed loop system is globally and asymptotically stable. Finally, numerical simulation experiment is implemented to demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed controller. Experimental results show that both the obtained control torque and control force satisfy the given constraints, the 6-DOF relative motion of spacecraft can be controlled accurately and the method is robust to parameter uncertainties and external disturbance. Compared with other methods, the proposed method has the following advantages: the convergence rate is faster, the max magnitude of output control torque and control force are both smaller, and the consumed energy is less.


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Ride up Pikes Peak in a Rare McLaren P1 LM!
All sounds, all fun.
The McLaren P1 GTR was a track-only version of the P1 hypercar that cut out all the road-legal crap and focused on going around the track as fast as possible. Lanzante Motorsport purchased six of these P1 GTR models so that they could transform them into road-legal, track-focused cars in an effort to create the ultimate P1 variant.
There are only five of these special McLaren P1 LM models built by Lanzante Motorsport and one prototype rolling around the globe these days, and they're absolutely amazing machines to behold. There's new aerodynamic upgrades, lightweight upgrades such as titanium hardware and exhaust, better cooling, and much more that lends to a 132-lb. drop in weight.
The twin-turbocharged V-8 engine that powers the P1 and P1 GTR has been enlarged to 4.0-liters of displacement and has an 8,500 RPM redline in the P1 LM. Combined with the electric motor, a total of 986 horsepower and 774 lb-ft. of torque is generated, serving up an electronically-limited 214 mph top speed.
Lanzante Motorsport had already tackled the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife with a 6:43.22 lap time using their prototype P1 LM called the 'XP1 LM'.
During the High Desert Drive 2018 as part of the F1 Owners Club Tour, Lanzante Motorsport took one of their P1 LM models up the 12.42-mile Pikes Peak Hillclimb course. While the driver wasn't going all-out to set a new record (especially at the end with the steep drop-offs), it's a beautiful look and experience of what this exotic is capable of without any kind of commentary – just pure car sounds.
Source: Lanzante YouTube
What other track would you like to see the rare Lanzante Motorsport McLaren P1 LM take on next?
Dive into the Magnificent Revival of the 991.2 Porsche 935
Celebrate 70 Years with the Porsche 911 Speedster!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Review by Todd Russell
Scoob! 2020 ★★½
Watched May 26, 2020
Todd Russell's review published on Letterboxd:
I've literally grown up on Scooby-Doo and his friends in the Mystery Machine. From the original 1969 animated series Scooby Doo Where Are You? (my favorite) through the reboots, various animated movies and the live action movies.
Picked up Scoob on VOD for $24.99 as these animated movies with children tend to be rewatch-friendly. I wish Trolls 2 would have offered the option to pay $5 more and own the movie right away, thank you Warner Bros.!
What drew me to this new movie, besides an opportunity to watch with our grandchildren, was a younger Scooby Doo meeting his buddy, Shaggy, getting his first color with the SD initials and being sucked into a new adventure with the Mystery Machine gang: Fred, Velma and Daphne helping to solve the case. I was hoping for an exciting mystery to solve, food-related fun with Scoob and Shaggy and some wild, zany chases along the way.
The opening scene on Venice Beach with Scooby causing mischief in search of -- yes, food -- and leading to his first meeting with Shaggy. Those two always crack me up, they are always hungry!
There's some noticeable technology nods in the current day. Shaggy listening to podcasts, the team actively using cell phones, a mention of Netflix and so on. Nice to see Scooby Doo in 2020.
One of my favorite parts of the original series were the guest stars: Sonny & Cher, The Harlem Globtrotters and more. Who do we get in this movie? Simon Cowell! Ok, I guess that kind of works.
The adventure itself is a bit all over the place and not a very satisfying mystery (this is a big part of the fun of the original show!), but follows the original formula enough to satisfy older fans like me and keep the attention of younger children. Our grandchildren were more tuned into this than Trolls World Tour.
I've seen other reviews saying this wasn't very good and it's not on par with the original show -- that's a pretty high expectation, but it's a decent enough adventure.
I liked it better than the live action Scooby-Doo films. Yeah, that's not a huge compliment, but Scoob fans will find enough here to be (mostly) entertained. Those who didn't and don't like Scooby Doo aren't going to be won over by this film. Giving it 2.5 stars overall.
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AcoRN Seminar 1: Alcohol Marketing
November 9, 2021 9:39 am / Leave a comment
The UK-Ireland Alcohol Research Network (AcoRN) would like to invite you to a webinar on Wednesday the 17th of November from 13:00 to 14:30. The webinar will be exploring one of our key research areas: Alcohol Marketing.
In this webinar – hosted on Zoom – we will be joined by Dr. Pat Kenny, Dr. Nathan Critchlow, Vania Filipova, Dr. Richard Purves, and Eunan McKinney to update on the latest evidence on alcohol marketing in Ireland and discuss implications for the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 and future research needs in Ireland.
This is an important and timely webinar given that Ireland will have implemented the latest Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 controls on some advertising at sport and some event sponsorship the previous week.
Agenda and presentation titles:
13:00 – Dr. Pat Kenny (Technological University Dublin) – Opening remarks and update on the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018.
13:10 – Dr. Nathan Critchlow (University of Stirling) – Examining changes in alcohol marketing awareness one year after initial implementation and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from online repeat cross-sectional surveys.
13:25 – Vania Filipova (Technological University Dublin) – The impact of health warnings in alcohol ads: Comparing single vs. multiple vs. graphic health warnings.
13:40 – Dr. Richard Purves (University of Stirling) – Examining alcohol marketing during the 2020 Six Nations and implications for the Public Health (Alcohol) Act.
13:55 – Short Break (5 minutes).
14:00 – Panel Discussion with Dr. Pat Kenny, Dr. Nathan Critchlow, Vania Filipova, Dr. Richard Purves, and Eunan McKinney (Alcohol Action Ireland).
14:25 – Closing remarks
This event is for researchers, public health professionals, policymakers, government officials, civil society groups etc. We reserve the right to exclude access to those who have a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest arises if you have received funding/remuneration from an entity substantially funded by, or substantially related to, the alcohol industry in the past 5 years.
If you wish to register for this event, please do so through the Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/acorn-webinar-alcohol-marketing-research-and-policy-in-ireland-tickets-193346062277
Study Visit Scholarships
We have secured funding to enable four researchers to spend a week working with an established alcohol research team to enable them to develop paper or research ideas, funding applications or to gain specific skills or insight. The visit must be aligned to one of AcoRN'S four policy themes; Availability, Price, Marketing or Politics.
The AcoRN Steering Group will assess applications and award the funding as they see fit to best further the objectives of the network. AcoRN is particularly keen to support several applicants from ROI where there are internationally innovative policy developments and fewer established research groups. Selection will be based on a competitive process whereby researchers and their proposed hosts make the case for how the visit will progress the aims of the network, the researcher's development and commit to reporting on their visit in writing. Please visit https://alcoholresearch-uk-irl.net/study-visit-scholarships/ for more information and application guidance.
ACORN Launch Report!
April 29, 2021 4:29 pm / Leave a comment
The ACORN network kicked off today with a popular and interactive launch event. Suzanne Costello, CEO of the Public Health Institute of Ireland (itself a cross-border body) chaired the event, which was attended online by more than 60 researchers, policy and community colleagues and other stakeholders. Prof. Joe Barry delivered the first plenary presentation, focused on the background to and structure of the network.
All participants had the opportunity then to attend two of the four breakout sessions, each one focused on an ACORN theme. Colin Angus (University of Sheffield) led the Alcohol Pricing research theme, Prof. Niamh Shortt (University of Edinburgh) led the Alcohol Availability research theme, Dr. Pat Kenny (TU Dublin) led the Alcohol Marketing research theme and Dr. Matt Lesch (University of York) led the alcohol policymaking and politics research theme. Breakouts focused on setting the scene for research on each theme, highlighting the relevant work of ACORN members and lively discussions with those present. The discussions were fed back into the main plenary event by rapporteurs for each theme including Dr. Frank Houghton (Limerick IT), Dr. Nathan Critchlow (University of Stirling), Vania Filipova (TU Dublin) and Dr. Joanna Purdy (Institute of Public Health in Ireland).
In the final session, Prof. Niamh Fitzgerald (Institute for Social Marketing & Health, University of Stirling) presented the next steps for the network.
Sign up to ACORN mailing list & launch
April 8, 2021 10:43 am / Leave a comment
We are delighted to announce that ACORN is now open to interested colleagues to sign up.
You can sign up to the ACORN mailing list, and express interest in applying to become a member of ACORN by completing a single form here. ACORN public events, activities and the ACORN mailing list, will be open to researchers, policy stakeholders and interested colleagues.
Membership of ACORN, and access to internal capacity building activities, will be restricted to researchers interested in building or developing UK-Ireland collaborations on alcohol policy research in one of our four priority themes (price, availability, marketing and politics/policymaking). ACORN welcomes interest from both early career and established researchers and from diverse academic disciplines.
ACORN reserves the right to exclude participants from activities where a conflict of interest is evident.
Welcome to ACORN
January 25, 2021 9:26 am / Leave a comment
The UK and Ireland face common cultural, social, political and economic challenges in reducing harms related to alcohol consumption, yet alcohol research has historically been the domain of clinicians. ACORN has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (UK) and the Irish Research Council to take a social science-led approach to alcohol policy research.
ACORN aims to generate and build capacity for interdisciplinary research into the development, adoption, implementation and evaluation of alcohol policy innovation in Ireland and the UK within four cross-cutting themes: price, availability, marketing and politics.
ACORN is open to academic researchers in Ireland and the UK with an interest in research in any of our four themes, with the aim of reducing alcohol-related harms. Policy partners will also be welcome to join activities where relevant.
ACORN starts on 1st March 2021, and will host a launch event on 29th April 2021, 1-4pm. Further details, including sign-up, to follow.


Bobby Daquara of the Greenhouse Cafe serves a pint of beer during his restaurant's 12-hour long happy hour.
It's official: the Greenhouse Cafe is the happiest bar in Brooklyn.
For the past two years, the Third Avenue watering hole has boasted having "the longest happy hour," with hooch and food specials for a whopping 12 hours Mondays through Thursdays.
But no one seems to know about it — there were only two patrons at the bar when we stopped by last Wednesday.
"It's the best kept secret in Bay Ridge," said owner Bobby Daquera, whose half-day sip-fests make it possible for tipplers to slug back two dozen pints of Brooklyn Lager for less than the cost of an unlimited MetroCard — while spending more than an entire work day getting soused at the taproom between 77th and 78th streets.
"No one has survived the full happy hour!" said Daquera, whose sudsy deal lasts from noon until midnight weekdays, and from noon to 7 pm on Fridays, when draft and bottled beers, bottom shelf liquor, and house wines sell for $4.
There's also enough cheap food to sop up the rotgut: patrons can line their tummies with $4 platters of calamari, nachos and marinated steak on garlic toast, with change to spare.
"My wife likes it because I still have money in my pocket when I come home!" said a barfly who identified himself only as "John" — sheepishly admitting that he didn't want his wife to know where he spent his afternoons (she may want to join him).
Other watering holes around town with lengthy happy hours promptly shelved their bragging rights after learning about the Greenhouse Cafe's marathon pour: The Mark Bar in Greenpoint was close with six hours of drink specials from Monday to Friday, and eight hours on weekends, while ex-reigning champ the Soda Bar — a Prospect Heights dive which offers watered down prices for seven hours straight — drowned its sorrows with a gracious shot of defeat.
Yet Daquera defended his specials, claiming — despite the turnout we saw on Wednesday — his happy hour is doing exactly what it's supposed to: drum up business.
"These deals are designed to bring in people during slower times," he said.
The Greenhouse Cafe [7717 Third Ave. between 77th and 78th Streets in Bay Ridge, (718) 833-8200].


Abstract: Objectives	The paper studied the fluorescence dynamics of functional leaves of Bt cotton genotypes under the condition of potash fertilization, to provide a scientific basis for K fertilizer application in Bt cottons.	Methods	Field experiments were carried out at Shandong Agricultural University Experimental Station during 2016−2017. Three cotton genotypes, DP99B, L21 and J169 were chosen, and two treatments of no K fertilization (CK) and application of K2SO4 240 kg/hm2 (K) were used in the experiments. Samples of functional leaves were collected during the budding stage of cotton. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs) and chlorophyll content were measured using LI-6400XT potable photosynthesis system. The chlorophyll fluorescence transients were measured using multiple plant efficiency meter (M-PEA Hansatech), including the excitation energy of light absorbed by excited cross section of PSII reaction center (TRo/CSm), the number of active reaction centers (RC/CSm), probability of an electron moving from QA to QB (Ψo) and the performance index of absorption basis (PIabs). The related parameters of the dynamics of the photosystemⅡperformance (OJIP) were analyzed using JIP-test.	Results	The basal application of K fertilizer significantly increased net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), chlorophyll content, excitation energy of light absorbed by leaf area per PSII reaction center (TRo/CSm), number of active reaction centers (RC/CSm), probability of an electron moving from QA to QB (Ψo), performance index of absorption basis (PIabs). At the same time, application of K fertilizer significantly reduced the heat dissipation energy per unit reaction center (DIo/RC), the ratio of a variable fluorescence Fk to the amplitude Fo-Fj (Wk) and the ratio of a variable fluorescence Fj to the amplitude Fo-Fp (Vj). After potassium fertilization, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) was increased significantly by 9.60%, 19.84%, 11.85% in 2016 and by 9.14%, 18.48%, 9.60% in 2017, and the performance index (PIabs) was also increased significantly by 10.79%, 17.93% and 14.04% for Bt cotton genotype DP99B, L21 and J169, respectively.	Conclusions	Potassium fertilizer application is beneficial to improve the performances of electron donor and acceptor in PSII reaction center of various Bt cotton genotypes, and the performance of the electron transfer chain at the electron acceptor side of the PSII reaction center was also improved. Thus, potassium fertilizer application could effectively improve the overall performance of PSII and ultimately enhanced the photosynthetic capacity of different cotton genotypes. L21 showed better responsive effect to potassium fertilization than DP99B and J169. Thus, rational potassium fertilization in actual cotton production should consider the sensitivity of different genotypes to potassium fertilization.
注(Note):Pn—净光合速率 Net photosynthetic rate;Gs—气孔导度 Conductance to H2O;Ci—胞间CO2浓度 Intercellular C2O concentration;数值后不同字母表示同一品种不同处理间差异达 5% 显著水平上 Values followed by different letters within a column are significantly different at 5% level.
注(Note):同列数值后不同字母表示同一品种不同处理间差异达 5% 显著水平 Values followed by different letters within a column are significantly different at 5% level.
注(Note):ABS—天线色素吸收的能量 Absorption energy;CSm—PSⅡ单位活化截面积 Excited cross section of PSⅡ;DIo—热耗散 Dissipated energy;TRo—还原 QA 的激发能 Trapped energy;ETo—用于电子传递的能量 Electron energy;数值后不同字母表示同一品种不同处理间差异达 5% 显著水平 Values followed by different letters within a column are significantly different at 5% level.
注(Note):ABS—天线色素吸收的能量 Absorption energy;CSm—PSⅡ单位活化截面积 Excited cross section of PSⅡ;DIo—热耗散 Dissipated energy;TRo—还原 QA 的激发能 Trapped energy;ETo—用于电子传递的能量 Electron energy;RC—PSⅡ单位反应中心 PSⅡunit reaction center;数值后不同字母表示同一品种不同处理间差异达 5% 显著水平 Values followed by different letters within a column are significantly different at 5% level.
 Strasser R J, Srivastava A, Tsimilli-Michael M. The fluorescence transient as a tool to characterize and screen photosynthetic samples[A]. Yunus M, Pathre U, Mohanty P. Probing photosynthesis: Mechanism, regulation and adaptation[M]. London, UK: Taylor and Francis, 2000. 443−480.
 Strasser R J, Tsimill-Michael M, Srivastava A. Analysis of the chlorophyll a fluorescence transient[A]. Papageorgiou G and Govindjee. Advances in photosynthesis and respiration[M]. Netherlands: KAP Press, 2004, 12: 1–47.


Add Tony Jeacock to your addressbook by scanning this barcode with your mobile phone.
Originally an Oxfordshire man, Tony's first venture into the Medway Towns was in 1968 when as a young lance corporal serving in the Corps of Royal Engineers, he was stationed at 1RSME Brompton for 6 months on a carpenter's course.
It wasn't until 1984 that he returned to settle down here, in Rainham, working as a financial adviser with the Tunbridge Wells Equitable Friendly Society.
Tony first joined the Liberal party in 1978, when the party put its neck on the line in what it considered to be the best interest of the country at the time by forming the 'LibLab' pact. The country had gone to the IMF with cap in hand to secure a massive national loan, for we were deeply in debt and about to crash. The Tories were screaming for a General Election, but put simply, the country could not then afford it. The thought that the Liberals were prepared to forego their own future existence as a viable party in the very best interests of the nation first and foremost was, to him, a party worth taking a serious look at, and he is so glad that he did, having been a supporter of the party ever since. Having looked at his original reasons for joining the party, Tony had no qualms about going into coalition in 2010 and he is immensely proud of what the LibDems achieved for the nation during that shared tenure of office.
suffered defeat as the electorate failed to recognise the immense good the LibDems had done nationwide.
remaining the telephone conduit through which public enquiries will come. He has also been invited by the Kent Messenger group to be the voice of the LibDems in the resurrection of their People's Politics column.
On local issues, Tony's particular interests revolve around housing in all its aspects and he is a very strong advocate of building a new fit for purpose hospital on the site of Rochester Airport.


ScaleFactor Hires New Senior VP of Lending | ScaleFactor, Inc.
AUSTIN, Texas — February 5, 2019 — ScaleFactor, an intelligent finance and automated accounting platform, today announced the hiring of Eric Steinhoff as its new Senior Vice President of Lending. With international experience in product development and credit risk management, Steinhoff joins ScaleFactor's swiftly growing team alongside SVP of Marketing Robert Gilbreath and CTO Francis Sullivan on the heels of its recent $30 million series B funding round.
At Capital One, Steinhoff worked in product development and credit risk management in the Virginia, London, and Toronto offices. He was also an accredited credit officer and an instructor at the Capital One Credit College. After this role, he became head of credit for the auto loan portfolio for Standard Bank's South African business. Before ScaleFactor, Steinhoff was the Chief Credit Officer of ApplePie Capital. His extensive experience includes chairing several credit and risk committees, and he holds a BS in Commerce from the University of Virginia.


STUART Watkiss got his Youth team managerial career off to a winning start with a comfortable victory against North Ferriby United tonight.
A hat-trick by Lee Wattam, a brace by Caine Winfarrah and goals by Sam Loughran and Lewis Bemrose sealed a seven-nil win for the young Mariners, and sealed their place in the second round.
They will will now face Harrogate Town in a FA Youth Cup second qualifying round.
Town: Bastock, Walker, Appleby, Robinson, Falconer, Humble, Bemrose, Charlesworth, Loughran, Wattam, Winfarrah.
Subs: Dale, Barnett, Bennett, Sunter, Pearson.


On Photography And More: Regarding Theo.
Some time ago Amsterdam street photographer Theo Niekus acquired temporary notoriety for being arrested by the police as he stood in a doorway on Dam Square. When asked about his business by the patrolmen, he simply answered defiantly: "I am just standing here". Off they took him to the nick, and eventually to court. Probably it was the camera that made him both conspicuous and suspicious. By the time he reached judgment a huge crowd of support had gathered as a general outcry was made from many sympathizers of civil liberties and the rights of photographers on the street in particular. He got off with a light punishment, albeit the judge complained about the unnecessary commotion around his seemingly simple case. Things had been drummed up a lot needlessly. Theo simply should have known better than addressing nowadays stressed and thinly spread law enforcers like he did. That was the underlying message. Off the hook for this time, he went back to his usual work with renewed energy.
Street photography is what he does. One would be almost tempted to call it one street photography really, as his favourite haunt seems to be that stretch that connects Central Station to Dam Square, maybe half a k long, called Damrak, and Dam Square itself (where he was arrested). My personal encounter with Theo happened on a different spot, a bridge on the Oude Waal close to his home, where I was photographing the city with my view camera and he was photographing me – completely undetected – from the other side of the bridge. The shot taken, he walked over and we had a congenial chat. He also gave me some sheet film holders he wasn't using any more. Later I bought one of his books, and have recently subscribed to the first number of his magazine.
Damrak is a busy place, the first street every tourist or commuter has to negotiate arriving by train to the city, lined with restaurants and cheap hotels, snack bars, money changers and souvenir places. Even the Erotica museum. It is noisy and crowded, chaotic and my least favourite place in town. Ideal for Theo, for he has an uncanny ability of looking at the noise and confusion, and selecting these slices of reality in which things seem to make some kind of absurd statement if not sense. I would imagine it takes exceptional speed to capture these very fleeting instants on camera. More than that, even intuition of how things will develop. To react is not enough, he needs to anticipate in order to get the shot that you and I merely see flashing by helplessly, frustrated at being unable to catch it.
Sometimes reality is so quick and fascinating, that you would wish for a camera inside your eye, so as to record everything with no delay and unfailingly. Theo seems to have such a camera, but of course he doesn't. Don't know his secret yet, but find the results both intriguing and soothing. Because should we have a camera in the eye, we wouldn't do better than him, and now at least we can see what we are missing if not claiming paternity of the results. What do you get by being so fast?
Actually Theo's work is maybe to be compared with photographic Tourette's syndrome: a compulsive collection of often sexually tinted or vaguely obscene hints, human interactions, allusive objects and texts, the random kaleidoscopy of life suddenly falling into some kind of rough pattern, with possibly a peculiar kind of sarcasm as a result, maybe a darker meaning. It derives its legitimacy from being completely honest and authentic. It would be tragic if it were the product of a lunatic, sad as the fabrication of a psychopath or worse – a conceptual artist –. But it is neither. Theo is perfectly sane; all he does is raw photography of raw reality at exceptional speed. Unretouched, direct, unhibited, confronting as the incoffessable truth about what we look at and how we see it. I can only imagine how hard it must have been to develop this unique approach, original, very Amsterdam, slightly anarchistic as I suspect Theo's sympathies may lie in politics and which could account for his attitude towards the cops who interfered with his photo stalking. I don't see anything wrong with what he does. There are cameras all over, especially on Damrak. If you are there you should be aware of it, and are fair game for photo shooting, in my opinion. As long as the work isn't used dishonestly or unfairly. How to define fair? Relatively simple: no mystifying captions and no commercial use. He does neither, leaves his photographs be what they are, to be judged on their merit alone on the pages of his self produced magazine. It takes guts to do that and usually doesn't make one rich.
I like Theo because I see him as a success in uncompromising dedication to his vision. Also I think that his attitude and choices are rooted in a historic rebellious side of Amsterdam that is now lost. The city of tolerance, of protest movements, again a place where a measure of anarchy would be possible even though it occasionally lead to widespread self indulgence and excesses. He is a survivor of a bygone era, an active positively hard working one at that. So we should subscribe to his magazine titled "report". It's a small contribution to make in exchange for intriguing if at times vaguely disturbing images. If someone has to do it, and I believe it to be the case, I am more than glad that Theo is out there doing it instead of me. He does a great job at it and I don't have to feel sorry or inadequate for not having a camera in my eye any more. I can look at his pictures from time to time, a healthy catharsis of potential street frustration, the better to focus on my own - admittedly quite different - work.


Our band has put together a playlist to match the client's request of upbeat music with a good vibe. It includes some Beatles – Here Comes the Sun, Stevie Wonder, & Taylor Swift + their usual very cool Latin jazz like Corcovado & The Girl From Ipanema. They are going to sound amazing!


text:
Man Allegedly Attacks Pop Star After Tracking Her Down Through Instagram Selfies
News 2:08 PM PDT, October 9, 2019 - Inside Edition Staff
2:08 PM PDT, October 9, 2019 - Inside Edition Staff
A man in Tokyo allegedly assaulted a pop star after tracking her down through her Instagram selfies, police say.
The 26-year-old, Hibiki Sato, reportedly told police he scoured the victim's social media and was able to enlarge the photos and deduce the scenery reflected in her eyes using Google Street View. From there, he allegedly was able to pinpoint a specific train station the woman used to commute.
Sato also informed police he studied the details of photos taken in her apartment to figure out where she lived, according to local news outlets. He was able to reportedly identify a bus stop near her home through one of her pictures.
On Sept. 1, he accosted her outside her building and allegedly sexually assaulted her, then fled, CBS News reported.
"People should be fully aware that posting pictures and video on social media runs the risk of divulging personal data," authorities told Japanese daily newspaper Sankei Shimbun.
He reportedly admitted to police that he was a fan of the star. He has been charged with with injury caused by forcible indecency.
Family Says Stalker Won't Stop Sending Deliverymen, Plumbers and Even Sex Workers
How Taylor Swift's Security Team Used Facial Recognition Software to Search for Stalkers at a Concert
Is Golden State Killer Also Behind Santa Barbara's 'Original Night Stalker' Slayings?
Man Accused of Stalking Katy Perry


Jon Key will talk about design as a means to amplify and empower communities with a focus on Queer and Trans communities of color. From editorial to poster design, Jon investigates strategies for facilitating community building and making marginalized voices visible. In today's world of racial tensions and alternative facts, the designer can and must be an active combatant in the fight to dismantle oppressive systems. Design can clear space for authentic narratives to (re)emerge.


This classic Italian recipe is a tomato Bruschetta. It is a very easy bruschetta recipe of which there are many using a variety of toppings. Use this as a base and then you can experiment yourself and create any bruschetta recipe you like.
Firstly, slice our tomatoes and then dice them into chunks.
Next, place them in a bowl and add a generous amount of olive oil, perhaps 5-6 tablespoons and salt, pepper and basil leaves. Mix well and leave.
That is our bruschetta topping prepared. You can leave this now while we move on and get the bruschetta base ready.
Now take our slices of bread and put them on a preheated griddle pan/skillet and brown both sides. If you do not have them then place them under a hot grill and brown both sides. Last resort is to use a toaster.
Lay your slices out on a platter or warm plates and drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over them.
With the bruschetta base now prepared it is time to get our pre prepared bruschetta topping and generously spoon it over our base.
Your classic tomato bruschetta recipe is now complete. Buon appetito!
This is a very easy bruschetta recipe but this is a foundations upon which you can add any bruschetta topping you like. Some people like to add cheese and put it back under the grill that is still hot! But you can add onions, olives, capers anything you like to make you perfect bruschetta recipe.