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Home Improvement Group News

Cudahy creates home buyers’ paradise - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

They reasoned that a group open house would work especially well in a small ... where home-improvement advice will be offered, along with information on the city, its schools and other institutions. Restaurants and ...

Haiti quake survivor returns home after 6 months - AP - msnbc.com

... activist group ... home. But he worried too — about finding a job, paying for his apartment, and the challenges of being a disabled young man in an even more disabled country. Suy can expect additional ...

Survivor of Haiti earthquake returns home after 6-month medical odyssey, vows to ... - Washington Examiner

Home Depot to hire 250 in Ontario - TradingMarkets.com

Home Depot has started to accept applications for jobs at a distribution center in the city set to open in December. The retail home improvement company is looking ... The Connors Group, Inc. ("Company") is not an ...

"Home Improvement and Gardening Supplies Retailers in France" now available at Fast Market Research - PR Inside

segmentation by markets ($m), 2003-08 20 Table 13: Home improvement and gardening supplies retailers format, France, segmentation by markets ($m), 2008-13 22 About Datamonitor The Datamonitor Group is a world-leading ...

Business Improvement Districts to become more popular in Hub? - Boston Herald

... Improvement District in Downtown Crossing ... Menino and a group of businesspeople, the BID would levy a tax on merchants from $200 to more than $200,000 annually. Now that the first BID has been approved ...

Instant View: Pending Home Sales Rise in July - ABC News

Home Video News Politics Blotter Health Entertainment Money Tech Travel Good ... owned U.S. homes rose unexpectedly in July, an industry group said ... We are going to be range bound until we see a steady improvement in the U ...

U.S. consumer confidence and home prices edge up - Reuters

an industry group, said its index of U ... This small improvement is encouraging. It suggests that even though consumers remain in a glass-half-empty mood, sentiment isn't getting any worse," said Zach Pandl,

Dementia Patients, Caregivers May Benefit From Home-Based Program - AZCentral.com

Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) -- A home ... differences between the COPE group and the control group for any outcome measures. "However, COPE compared with control caregivers reported a 'great deal' of improvement in ...

Mortgage Bonds Lose Ground With Home Refi Boom: Credit Markets - BusinessWeek

... bonds tied to home ... Markit Group Ltd. prices show. Credit-default swaps pay the buyer face value if a borrower fails to meet its obligations, less the value of the defaulted debt. A decline signals an ...

The Home Improvement Group of Louisiana - New Orleans, LA ...

The Home Improvement Group Of Louisiana is located in New Orleans, Louisiana and proudly serves the surrounding local areas with professional remodeling and home improvement ...

Lombard, IL Home Improvement Group | Find Home Improvement Group ...

Search for Home Improvement Group in Lombard, IL. Get addresses, phone numbers, driving directions, reviews and ratings on Local.com

Complete Home Improvement Group, Inc. | Fort Lauderdale, Florida ...

Complete Home Improvement Group, Inc. | ServiceMagic prescreened Addition & Remodeling Contractors, Disaster Recovery Pros in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

The Home Improvement Group Inc - Woodland, California (CA ...

The Home Improvement Group Inc company profile in Woodland, CA. Our free company profile report for The Home Improvement Group Inc includes business information such as contact ...

Voting Question: How do you respond to my "2 Reasons Obama is...?

... Fascist"? (I split that off on the assumption Y!A won't let me post 'Obama' and 'Fascist' in the same sentence.) 2 Reasons Obama is Fascist: Reason #1. SOCIAL DARWINISM (Wikipedia, Fascism): (Fascists contend,) “Conflict is in fact the basic law of life in all social organisms, as it is of all biological ones; societies are formed, gain strength, and move forwards through conflict; the healthiest and most vital of them assert themselves against the weakest and less well adapted through conflict…” “(Fascism does) not support social welfare for egalitarian reasons. Fascists criticised egalitarianism as preserving the weak.” “Adolf Hitler was opposed to egalitarian and universal social welfare because, in his view, it encouraged the preservation of the degenerate and feeble.” Obama: Reward and ‘incentives’ only for those least harmed by the economic system (presumably the ‘strong’ and meritorious); home mortgage refinance, cash credits for those with means intact to purchase new homes, new cars or new windows for their houses / no benefits for those dispossessed and displaced (presumably the "degenerate and feeble"); ‘bailouts’ for corporate enterprise / no relief or protection for citizens dispossessed and displaced. Reason #2. CORPORATISM (Wikipedia, Fascism): “… corporatism, a political system in which the economy is collectively managed by employers, workers, and state officials by formal mechanisms at the national level…” Obama: Healthcare and Financial ‘reform’ authored by corporations, designed to protect, benefit and strengthen corporations while incidentally and superficially benefitting some (but conspicuously NOT all) citizens. Obama: Declares Gulf of Mexico ‘back to normal’ while engaging in active cover up of environmental consequences and contributory criminal actions, protecting corporate enterprise partners involved while average citizens and activist groups reporting adverse conditions and related health issues are told by EPA, “Prove it.” Citizens and activists in numerous states complain throughout the Bush administration, when reporting adverse effects from commercial natural gas pumping operations have also been told by EPA, “Prove it.” even to an extent that when tap water ignites into flames and residents are diagnosed with illnesses related to contamination, EPA conducts ‘tests’ then asserts, “Your water is not on fire and you are not sick.” These practices continue in full force under the Obama administration and extend to far more than just the gulf oil spill and natural gas pumping. This is indisputably corporate enterprise “managed by state officials and formal mechanisms at the national level.” I could easily list another half dozen articles (and maybe I will add more later) especially as it relates to militarism but I only have so much space to work with and I seriously doubt anyone will read what I have already posted anyway. Be advised, I am a socialist that voted for Obama and will vote for him again if I have to but just because he is a slightly less repulsive fascist than Hitler and most republicans does not make him something other than a fascist. With the combination of Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush & Obama, we are two years away from completing eight consecutive administrations under one continuing fascist program. For those of you that still insist Obama is making ‘incremental improvements’, remember that fascist Italy expanded voting rights, established the 8 hour workday and a minimum wage, lowered retirement age from 65 to 55 and imposed a progressive tax on capital. How did all that work out for fascist Italy? How do you respond to my ‘2 Reasons Obama is Fascist’? Agree or disagree? more

Resolved Question: How can I find good contractors?

I recently started a power washing business (which will soon be expanding to provide other services) and I'd like to find half-dozen contractors or so that I can work with. I need lawn mowers, gutter installers, window installers, painters --- people who provide home improvement type services. The idea is to form a small group of contractors who can refer each other, sub jobs out to each other when we get too busy, etc. The problem is --- how do I know which contractors I can and cannot trust? I've thought about making sure everyone I include in this group provide two or more references, but how do I know if the references are even good? Any suggestions? Thanks for your help, and have a great day. more

Resolved Question: Borderline Personality Disorder - Lying - DBT?

My niece has a diagnosis of BPD and is into her 3rd month of DBT. I thought I was seeing some improvement, but I have just caught her in a series of lies. The lies are stupid. If she had told the truth nothing much would be different. All they do is cause me to not trust her. Is this her future? Always lying and being untrustworthy? I try to understand why she lies. There is a goal they meet. I sometimes believe her and her goal is met, but than I discover the truth and I am just angry. She could have told the truth and met the same goal. Example: she lives in a group home and goes to a clubhouse during the day. She told me the group home would not allow her to make lunch to take to the clubhouse. So she asked for money to buy lunch. Instead I bought her a bunch of packaged meals I know she likes. If she had just said, I don't want to make a sandwich for lunch, I want to buy the lunch - I would have deposited the needed money into her account. So today I find out from the group home that she can make her own lunch. So I was angry at the group home for no reason. I was hoping living in a group home would be a temporary measure to help her, and it is in some small ways - the biggest issue remains. Is there anyone with BPD and is closer to living well who can help me understand why she does this? What do I do? I want so much to have her come back home to live, but I can't live with the constant lying. more

Resolved Question: What do you think Area immigration bust nets 30 suspects here for better life?

GLENWOOD SPRINGS — Local, state and federal authorities rounded up 30 alleged gang members and gang associates from towns around Garfield County and beyond this week, many of whom are likely to be deported back to their “home countries,” according to official statements. The arrestees — 26 men and four women, whose names have not been released — were from Western Slope towns and are believed to have been involved in gang-related criminal activities for some time, according to a release from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the Office of Homeland Security. According to a breakdown from ICE, of those arrested 11 were from Carbondale, six from El Jebel, six from Rifle, five from Glenwood Springs, one from Battlement Mesa and one from Montrose. Nearly all of the arrests, said Carl Rusnok of ICE, were for alleged immigration violations, including returning to the U.S. after being deported, which is a felony. One El Jebel arrestee is accused of possessing cocaine when he was arrested, and a Carbondale suspect is said to have been convicted of sexual abuse of a minor, Rustok said. The gangs that the arrestees are believed to have been members of, or associated with, include the Bloods, the Mexican Mafia-Azteca, MS 13, SUR 13 and Sureños, according to ICE. “The idea of the operation is to get the gang members off the streets,” he said, referring to the work of Operation Community Shield, which has been doing this kind of work since its inception in 2005. The OCS operation mainly was aimed at the MS 13 gang initially, but its scope has since been expanded to other gangs, Rusnok said. He said the main local agencies involved in the operation, which began three and a half months ago, were the Garfield County Sheriff's Office and the Carbondale Police Department, though other regional authorities also were involved. “Garfield County Sheriff's Office and our specialized Threat Assessment Group (TAG) played an integral role with ICE in this week's anti-gang operation,” said Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario. “During the 18 months of its existence, TAG was specifically designed to address gang-related activity, and remove criminal aliens from our streets.” From Carbondale, Police Chief Gene Schilling said, “We appreciate ICE's efforts that resulted in several arrests of suspected gang-affiliated persons which contribute to the improvement of the quality of life within the community.” ICE reported that two U.S. citizens and two illegal-alien gang members were arrested on state criminal arrest warrants or charges, three from Garfield County and one from Eagle County. The statement declared that ICE and other agencies have reason to believe that “criminal gangs, such as the Sureños and others, are becoming increasingly involved in Colorado with smuggling and distributing narcotics and other criminal activities.” Rustok said no injuries or violence were reported to have occurred during the arrests, which started five days ago and ended on Friday. http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100717/NEWS/100719855/1077%26ParentProfile=1058 more

Resolved Question: President BUSH made this speech DEC. 16 2003, how does it make you feel now?

Thank you all. Thank you for coming. Thanks for the warm welcome. It's great to be back at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is not my first time here, nor will it be my last. I am here today because we are taking action to bring many thousands of Americans closer to owning a home. Our Government is supporting homeownership because it is good for America; it is good for our families; it is good for our economy. One of the biggest hurdles to homeownership is getting money for a downpayment. This administration has recognized that, and so today I'm honored to be here to sign a law that will help many low-income buyers to overcome that hurdle and to achieve an important part of the American Dream. I appreciate Alphonso Jackson agreeing to step up and become the Acting Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development. I look forward to his Senate confirmation, a hasty confirmation. I also want to thank Mel Martinez for doing such a fine job as the Secretary of this important organization. Mel brought integrity and honor to the office. He did a fine job on behalf of all Americans. And we honor you, Mel. I want to thank all the hard-working officers and employees of HUD. I appreciate your focus and your dedication, your willingness to work on behalf of a better America. I thank very much Members of the Congress who have taken time to come and join us for this important bill signing. Senator Wayne Allard from Colorado is with us. Senator Allard, thank you for your work on the floor of the Senate. Chairman of the Financial Services Committee Mike Oxley is with us. Congressman, thank you for coming. Congressman Jim Leach from Iowa is with us today. Congressman, thank you for being here. Congresswoman Katherine Harris, who had a lot to do with this bill getting passed, is here with us. Katherine, thank you for coming. Delegate Madeleine Bordallo of Guam is with us today. I'm honored you are here. Thank you for coming, Madeleine. I appreciate you coming. I too want to pay homage to a man I call Little Woody; that would be Rob Woodson. He worked hard in the development of this policy. I think it is safe to say that he was the - he developed the concept for this policy, a concept embraced by my administration. I'm appreciative that Michelle is here. I also want to thank Dad for coming, Bob Woodson, who is a social entrepreneur, a person who cares deeply about every American having the right and a chance to own a home. Thank the Woodson family. God bless you all. I want to thank the representatives of consumer and housing groups that worked hard on this piece of legislation. I want to thank leaders of the national community organizations that are with us, members of the real estate industry. This administration will constantly strive to promote an ownership society in America. We want more people owning their own home. It is in our national interest that more people own their own home. After all, if you own your own home, you have a vital stake in the future of our country. And this is a good time for the American homeowner. Today we received a report that showed that new home construction last month reached its highest level in nearly 20 years. The reason that is so is because there is renewed confidence in our economy. Low interest rates help. They have made owning a home more affordable for those who refinance and for those who buy a home for the first time. Rising home values have added more than $21/2 trillion to the assets of the American families since the start of 2001. The rate of homeownership in America now stands at a record high of 68.4 percent. Yet there is room for improvement. The rate of homeownership amongst minorities is below 50 percent. And that's not right, and this country needs to do something about it. We need to close the minority homeownership gap in America so more citizens get the satisfaction and mobility that comes from owning your own home, from owning a piece of the future of America. Last year I set a goal to add 5.5 million new minority homeowners in America by the end of the decade. That is an attainable goal; that is an essential goal. And we're making progress toward that goal. In the past 18 months, more than 1 million minority families have become homeowners. And there's more that we can do to achieve the goal. The law I sign today will help us build on this progress in a very practical way. Many people are able to afford a monthly mortgage payment but are unable to make the downpayment, and so this legislation will authorize $200 million per year in downpayment assistance to at least 40,000 low- income families. These funds will help American families achieve their goals and, at the same time, strengthen our communities. And there's more to do as well. We'll continue to pursue a broad agenda to help people own a home. There are three steps I want to describe to you right quickly about what more

Resolved Question: Social experiment ...What picture do you see...I am really intrigued.?

I know it is lengthy, but to get the full picture I'd be grateful for your time in reading the background to my question. Thank you so much. I know I am opening myself up to some type of criticism here as I may be coming across as self indulgent/ and probably half witted, but this is a genuine attempt to understand what picture others see of me. OK, this is the picture i see. I’m basically a city girl, born and raised, and taken every opportunity that came my way. I have achieved a master’s degree. My beginnings was actually poor inner-city, went days without food, basically to cut a long story short I ended up in care as my mother was sectioned. There was plenty of room for improvement within care as many kids there had been traumatised. Cutting another very long story short, I am pretty accepting of other people, cultures, and well spoken, tall, mildly attractive, dress well and take a degree of pride in the way I look. I’m open minded pretty optimistic about life really....there had been lots of jobs and opportunities that came my way living in the big city including friendships across the divide, in work, rest and play. (note I hadn’t said much about family, we are not close knit and we basically live without each other hence me being placed in care. I marry ( mixed race) have two small children and we move to a developing town/v.small city that has no diversity in culture, nothing in the way of opportunities, high unemployment and a lot of people that are uneducated, we live in a part of the country where there is a high race hate campaign. My beautiful children can be easily spotted within their school because of their skin colour and I am the only person of my sex and race in my community and having to take and fetch my kids from school. So I am easily spotted. I don’t think this is really a bad thing but socially I am better 1-2-1 and quieter in a large group setting. I deal with this by eventually making the effort to get around to others. (I note I always seem to make the first move) I always make the effort to say hello, I am very polite. I find myself getting blanked, left out of groups, conversations, disliked, and I even feel my ethnicity offends people (this is totally new to me). My in-laws seem to want to judge me before getting to know me (they are also from this small town), and seem upset that they can’t mould me. I have gone from being accepted, successful and popular, to being ostracised, blanked, and left to stand alone. I also have an illness that affects my energy levels and at times can affect me socially; my illness can manifest itself through my eyes so at times I do find it hard to look at people straight in the eye to not draw attention to myself. My 5 year old son is very handsome, and wins awards for his politeness at school. However watching him in the playground he too is blanked by the same kids who parents blank me. It breaks my heart I feel so sorry for him he really puts the effort in and the kids don’t seem to want to know. He is also left to play by himself. At just the tender age of three he came home really upset saying he wants to be white like daddy, and he wants blue eyes like daddy. When we visit the city he is very popular and deeply respected like myself. A lady I used to speak to has just had a baby, I buy here a card, she suddenly blanks me and walks past me and no longer wants to speak to me. What’s up? I just don’t understand the people here. It is the same wherever I go here even in my church people are the same. I am learning to just walk past people now and say nothing at all. Why is it so hard to be accepted? So as one stranger to another, would you avoid me and why? Please also explain why you think people might be treating me this way. more

Resolved Question: What are some good couple activities?

I am 26 and wife is 25. It seems most people in the same age group just go out and drink all the time. I like to got out once in a while and have a drink but most of the buddies I have will go out 2 or 3 times a week to hit the drink specials. We like doing things like kayaking, bowling, movies, going out to dinner, concerts, etc.. My closest friend likes to drink, drink, watch golf while drinking. What this has done is gotten him to become a lot closer with the people he works with because they all go out and drink with him. And he used to invite me but I'm sorry I can't go out and drink 2 or 3 times a week when I work the next day. His job has less responsibility put on him as he works in a home improvement store so it doesn't matter if he shows up hungover. I have no issue with just going out to eat dinner with my wife. We have a great time and two or three times a month we go out with this other couple to eat and a movie. I also meet a buddy mine once maybe twice a week I just want more options as a couple to do things with other couples. I have met couples or parents that A. stay home alot and rarely go out. Doesn't have to many friends. B.Go out alot and meet up with a ton of friends C. Go out on the weekends and then meet up with people once in a while. (This is where we fall) My wife and I go out every Friday and Saturday night to eat and we are rarley at home on the weekends. We are always somewhere doing something. Is this an issue with any other young married couples. It seems you just get disconnected from the single friends.LOL, Already do plenty of that! more

Resolved Question: Step daughter and daughter don't get along, why?

OK, I have 2 step children 1 girl - 12 yrs 1 boy - 9 yrs. I have my daughter - 12 yrs (prev marriage) then we have our boy - 3 yrs old. We've been together for 7 years. At first the girls had a little trouble getting along which is understandable. Then things got really good for a long time maybe 2-3 years. Then we moved closer to my daughter, but really not much further from their father from 40 mins to 45 mins. Lately, the last year or maybe 18 mos, Emily (step) seems to want to exclude Erika (Mine) from all activities. At first I thought it would pass, but after this long (1 to 1-1/2 yrs with no improvement I am wondering what to do. It makes for a terrible family dynamic. On vacations, where there are my wifes cousins with children and her mom and dad, Emily will go with a family relative who she knows and leave Erika alone or with me. (and she does it sort of cruelly, see another scenario I talk about below from today) I love being with Erika, but there is only so much a dad can provide in terms of entertainment and just hanging out with his daughter before she gets bored. Erika also asks questions, when will Emily get back to her old self and be with me? It's tough, but I'm not sure what to do. Help!! FYI, more info...Erika lives about 45 mins away so her friends are not local. They really don't seem to have problems when they are together. I don't think is all out hatred of erika that causes this. It almost seems that Emily is doing it to be spiteful. When they do decide to be around each other they are fine. Its when she gets the third friend around or has activities to be with many of her local friends that the exclusion happens. I do understand the third wheel concept. Is it something that simple? Do you try to talk to the step to let her know its not right to exclude? Do i accept the behavior and tell my daughter, "well that's tough. She is how she is. Maybe she'll come around someday."? It's probably something in between... One scenario happened today as an example...I got Erika for the week since school is out. We came to our house where Emily was with a neighbor Hannah who erika gets along with fine. After being home for about 10 mins, Emily and hannah walked from upstairs directly out the front door without saying anything to anyone and was walking toward hannahs house to watch movies. I wonder why Emily wouldn't ask Erika to go watch movies also. Why such drama? To be honest, I don't think it is right. At this point I want to stick my foot down and tell Emily if she can't play / hang out as a group she can't go out at all. Wife thinks it is what it is sort of, but does show some sympathy toward Erika. I'm confused and would like more answers. more

Resolved Question: I have 2 questions from my statistic class I could use help with?

Ok I am using excel binomial distribution to work these problems and the answer I got was incorrect. Please explain how this was answered. It is claimed that Aldradine, a new medicine for acne, is 73 percent effective- that is, of every 100 persons who apply it, 73 show significant improvement. It is applied to the affected area of a group of 11 people. Let x be the number who show significant improvement. Find the mean of X. The answer came out to be 8.03 please explain how, I tried excell and did not get this answer. Question 2. The on-line access computer service industry is growing at an extraordinary rate. Current estimates suggest that only 69% of home based computers have access to online services. This number is expected to grow quickly over the next five years. Suppose 10 people with home based computers were randomly and independently sampled. Find the probability that at least 6 of those sampled currently have access to online services. The answer was 0.83 please help explainI am sorry for sounding stupid but where or how do you find q= 0.31. more

Resolved Question: Your opinion on "The meaning of life"?

I will quote a user on the internet who posted the following (and I'd like your opinion): This riddle–”life has no purpose”–is one that isn’t so easily solved for a single man, well into middle-age, who has few if any friends and is more or less alone in the world. He came to this point neither by mistake nor overnight. He has a little money, so he attempts to shake things up by quitting his job (which he didn’t like all that much anyway) and “letting it all hang out”: doing the things he enjoys, living like a retiree; basically trying to “prime” his life like a pump–pouring a little happiness in from the outside to see if that will get the happiness going inside. He tries. He prays. He allows his love for a woman to have a purchase in his life even though she doesn’t meaningfully reciprocate. He gets professional help and gets on a strong daily dose of psychotropic drugs. He gets involved in his church. He starts to write a book. He tries singles groups. He makes improvements in his life: fixes up and redecorates his home. He treats himself to special “gifts”: a new stereo for his pickup truck, some new suits, et cetera, et cetera. He takes long walks on the beach (which is a 20-minute walk away) at least once and usually twice a day. He knows that he “has it made,” and just about everybody else in the whole world would kill to be in his situation. But it’s not so simple. He was a “problem child” who grew into a “problem adult”: clinically depressed and most definitely not really plugged into the same reality as most others. He doesn’t understand most of what he sees and hears. He’s very highly educated, very talented, has a “gifted” IQ and is accomplished in three or four different professions. He was earning his own way before he could read and is no stranger to hard work. He’s worked three jobs and gone to night school simultaneously. He has proactively tried to find a solution to this life-long issue. He’s religiously attended 12-step group meetings. He’s tried to “make something happen.” But it hasn’t worked. When he was younger he could bounce back; tomorrow always had a promise. But he’s approaching his mid 50s now, and tomorrow has broken all of its promises. He’s tried it all: “positive mental attitude,” “get busy to get better,” et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, and he’s still pushing that same boulder up that same mountain, and he’s tired: tired of trying and failing, and the only thing that keeps him putting one foot in front of the other and plodding aimlessly through life is his basic, organic will to survive: the same thing that makes single-celled organisms eat and reproduce. What’s the solution? How about a fling with a younger woman? How about a long trip? How about a job working the night shift at the local convenience store? He figures he ought to just go back to work, but he can’t find a reason why he should. He’s standing at reality’s porous border, and he feels like he could take one little step and fade into unreality without anyone noticing. He knows he could die in his redecorated, fixed-up home and nobody would know until his body started to decay and stink. He’s afraid to have faith because he’s had it before. He’s afraid to “make something happen” because he’s done that before with really bad results. When he prays that God’s “will be done,” he wonders exactly what he’s bringing on because God’s will, which is not always kind to human beings, is beginning to scare him. He’s not suicidal, but dying seems so easy and living seems so hard. He sees that things are important to other people: tasks to accomplish, goals to reach, people to see. He feels he must be missing something as plain as the hand on the end of his arm. He will see it any day now . . . any day now. When life has no purpose–when life really has no purpose–all the well-worn platitudes in the world won’t work. A man can hack his own path or build his own bridge through life, but if he hasn’t a place to go, and he keeps hacking and/or building anyway, thinking a place–a destination–will emerge, but one doesn’t, well, he stops. He puts down his tools, and he looks around and tries to make some sense out of all he has done and all that has happened to him, and finds it makes no sense at all. If he had never existed, that’d be one less grain of sand on an endless beach, and what difference would that make? source: http://help.com/post/159089-i-feel-like-my-life-has-no-purpose more

Resolved Question: What do you think of this piece?

This is my query letter, Please make any suggestions of improvements I should make to it. Do you think it's good? Dear Ms. Lord, Nataja Okello is trying to run from her past – one that could destroy her future. Why? Because the heroine of my novel, Rebel's Prey, is forced to become a child soldier in Northern Uganda. Rebel's Prey is an 80,000 word action/adventure novel dealing with the serious real life problem of children being abducted by rebel armies and forced into lives of crime. Nataja Okello, along with her two best friends, is abducted by a notorious rebel group, the Vultures. She goes from being loved by her family, to becoming a child rebel forced into armed forces. She is suddenly separated from her friends, leaving Nataja alone in the darkness of hell. She learns to fend for herself and becomes what is required of her: evil. It is only when she meets American Journalist Dorian Gerard that her life is forever changed, opening her to a whole new world of endless possibilities. This story is very dear to me as it relates to a country I call home, it feels very natural for me to tell the story of these children in hope of inspiring readers in knowing no matter what life has thrown at you, there’s always hope. Most importantly, the purpose of this story is to raise awareness on this devastating issue. more

Resolved Question: I need your honest opinions please?

I've started querying agents and here is my query letter. Please let me know on improvements I need to make to it. Thank you. Dear Mr. Lee Mary Jones is trying to run from her past – one that could destroy her future. Why? Because the heroine of my novel, Rebel's Prey, is forced to become a child soldier in the jungles of a fictitious Nimu. Set in current day Africa, Rebel's Prey as a 70,000 word action/adventure dealing with the serious real life problem of children being abducted by rebel armies and forced into lives of crime. Mary Jones, along with her two best friends, is abducted by a notorious rebel group, the Vultures. She goes from being loved by her family, to becoming a sex slave to a man old enough to be her father, to giving birth to a baby who is taken away from her at birth. She is suddenly separated from her friends, leaving Nataja alone in the darkness of Hell. She learns to fend for herself and becomes what is required of her: EVIL. After a friend's death, Mary decides enough is enough. Now that she is in this alone, she will risk her life to get back to the place where she has always felt safe: home, even if it kills her. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to an opportunity to share the entire manuscript with you soon. Sincerely, more

Resolved Question: What do you think of this? Be honest?

Resolved Question: Is this a good opening? I haven't done any planning and it's my first attempt to be gentle?

The Elephant and Castle Pub is a familiar place to the locals of West Brumich. Most people in the tiny village would meet there to avoid the miserable existence that they would have to endure in their own homes, with their own families. Throughout the evening the residents could predict who would walk through the door as soon as the door stammered. The person would then be greeted by his friends and walk over to their booth to the welcoming sounds of cheering and a beer being ordered for him by one of his buddies. Just near the entrance sat what the others in the Pub called the “Old Timers”. They spent most of their time playing dominos and cards, the games that they had never upgraded from, in times of more tempting alternatives. The old men would try their luck with the women, using lines they had thought were as effective as they had been in their younger days. By the time it was 10:00pm the pub would be as full as anyone would expect it to be. The different groups would be intermingling with one another, yelling jokes aimed at one another. The pub would often burst into laughter as banter came to the full attention of the lounge, often resulting in the Old Timers groaning with cynicism at the crude joke. Just as the locals were all enjoying one another’s company, like they had for every other day for the past five years, a young man jolted the door open and stumbled other his own feet. He immediately recovered and walked towards the bar, noticing he was an unwelcome guest he kept his eyes on the floor to avoid eye contact. The man was wearing clean white trainers, which had be cleaned by the rain, a pair of drenched wet jeans, a purple polo shirt and a black nylon jacket. His black, messy hair had water dripping onto his jacket profusely. He scrambled his hair with his right hand as he approached the bar with to lift his gaze at the Landlord. Just give me some tips if you can for improvement (which I know there will be) and can you tell me if you are interested in reading on? more

Resolved Question: What do you think about this?...Honest answers please?

I've started querying agents and here is my query letter. Please let me know on improvements I need to make to it. Thank you. Dear Mr. Lee Mary Jones is trying to run from her past – one that could destroy her future. Why? Because the heroine of my novel, Rebel's Prey, is forced to become a child soldier in the jungles of a fictitious Nimu. Set in current day Africa, Rebel's Prey as a 70,000 word action/adventure dealing with the serious real life problem of children being abducted by rebel armies and forced into lives of crime. Mary Jones, along with her two best friends, is abducted by a notorious rebel group, the Vultures. She goes from being loved by her family, to becoming a sex slave to a man old enough to be her father, to giving birth to a baby who is taken away from her at birth. She is suddenly separated from her friends, leaving Nataja alone in the darkness of Hell. She learns to fend for herself and becomes what is required of her: EVIL. After a friend's death, Nataja decides enough is enough. Now that she is in this alone, she will risk her life to get back to the place where she has always felt safe: home, even if it kills her. Now a little about me. My greatest accomplishment so far has been the attainment of my Bachelor's degree in Advertising & Marketing Communications. I fell in love with writing while studying at a university in London. During this time, I got a part-time job as an assistant librarian, and used my down time to read works of some of the most amazing story tellers of all time. Their stories led me to dabble in my own creativity. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to an opportunity to share the entire manuscript with you soon. Sincerely, more

Resolved Question: Would it be wise to upgrade my system?

Well, I'm a gamer. I'm pretty happy with my system, however, I see opportunity to upgrade. I know that because I am a gamer and hardware enthusiast, there will ALWAYS be an opportunity to upgrade which is why I'm asking for other opinions. Before I go on about the upgrades I'm considering, I will list my system specs: AMD Athlon II x4 630 @ 3.4GHz (OC'd) 1 x 2GB DDR2 RAM @ 972MHz (it's 1066MHz that caused instability with CPU OC, so it reverted to 800MHz and got a boost from CPU OC because I changed the bus speed since mult is locked) 750GB HDD @ 7200 RPM (115MB/s max transfer rate) 1 GB ATi Radeon 4670 (slight OC) WinXP Pro SP3. The first upgrade I am considering is my graphics card. I want a Radeon 5770. I've had my card for over a year, and even then, it was a low-end performance card. The second upgrade I am considering is adding another 2GB of RAM. I know this would provide a big improvement because it would enable dual-channel memory. I'm considering upgrading my Hard drive as well. I am considering an SSD, or at the very least a few regular hard drives in RAID 0. I am considering getting a new monitor as well... about 27-32" so it can double up as a TV for my PS3. My current monitor is a 17" that has a group of dead pixels due to a puncture in the middle of the screen. Also, the max resolution is 1280x1024... I would prefer at least 1920x1080 for HD movies and gaming. And the last "upgrade" I'm considering is Win7 64bit so it can take full advantage of my CPU and GPU. And here is why I haven't upgraded: I've had second thoughts about every upgrade: GPU: I'm able to play every game I've thrown at it (aside from GTA IV) at max, or high graphics. RAM: I've never used more than 2GB on XP HDD: SSD's don't provide enough space, and I'm not quite sure how to configure RAID 0. Display: My monitor still works. OS: My laptop has Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit (pre-installed/OEM) and it doesn't usually boot up. It crashes right before the log-in splash screen. Plus Win7 is bloated and sluggish. (No, it's not the laptop... it has C2D T9600 @ 2.8GHz, 2GB DDR3 @ 1333MHz, and Radeon 4650 and 7.2k HDD. Plus Ubuntu has never had trouble booting up on it) So my question is which of these upgrades, if any, would be most beneficial? And is it worth the price?I was also considering after-market cooling for my CPU. It still uses stock cooling. Currently it runs 31C idle and 61 under FULL load. more

Resolved Question: Have you regreted an abortion?

Short: Have you ever had an affair and fallen pregnant? Have you ever had an abortion? Did you regret it? Story to question: I meet a up with a girl from school 10yrs later, im 26 shes 22. She already has a child and in a relationship of 5 1/2 years She is engadged to this guy who she meet online when 16 When thru hell with parents when found out she was pregnant but couldnt carry out an abortion and she didnt want to either. They split up for 8 months due to a number of issues 1) He didnt want another child she did 2) He played on console all day and ignored or barely paid attention to her when home 3) He said he didnt love her no more (Or falling out of love) with her After living together thru out the split they got back together, but 2 weeks later we started to hit things off and he promised to change (and she said he was showing signs of improvement). Her choice as I tok it as shes in a relationship But since she made the choice to come on to me, I thought if shes gonna cheat shes going to do it any way and hey maze well go for it and have a bit of fun since at the time I was single. We agreed to stop since she hadnt given her bloke a chance but she still wanted to meet up for cuddles etc, She mentioned a kiss couldnt be just a kiss or a fcuk just a fcuk and it had to meaningful which I fully support on the basis thats what a girl wants. If she doesnt then she should be straight forward and say she wants a fcuk buddy. This way it stops any emotions or feelings being involved thus no hurt on seperating or stopping Eventually 2 months later we discovered she was pregnant She wants to abort it even tho she wants a child for the benefit of saving her relationship with her existing bf of 5 1/2 yrs, despite her choosing to have an affair. She told him, and as mad as he went he still wants to stay with her and stated she cant have any futher contact with me (thats understandable) but we hang around in a group so its gonna make things awkward. Further complications and problems Its her birthday on Wednesday, meaning she is having the abortion pill and going to be carrying out a miscarriage on her birthday, so this time every year for the rest of her life she will have to remember she aborted the pregnancy She also has to accept everytime her and her partner argue, he is likely to throw this back in her face (the affair, and possibly the abortion) Every christmas (as shes 5 weeks gone) she will have to remember that she could be celebrating the birth of our child as it would be due around about the end of December / New Year So whilst every one is celebrating we will have to always be reminded of what could of been. If people can answer the above questions in a Yes / No format followed by your reason for why you think the things you said Do I want kids? Yes Do I want her to go thru with the pregnancy? Yes but I understand shes trying to save her family How do I feel about it? Confused, very and feel like Ive lost her as well as the potention of a child Have I got a girl pregnant before? No Im 26, ive used protection most of my sexual life but since we both wanted a child and im 26 not 16 ive started to stop using a condom So not only is this the first pregnant woman but also the first scenario of facing an abortion Example: Have you ever had an affair and fallen pregnant? Have you ever had an abortion? Did you regret it? What you think of the current scenario I am having to endure If you have no experiance of an abortion then please note, silly replies just to boost their points will be reportedJust t add: Common question What if the baby isnt mine He pulls out in advanced and jerks off to cu_m outside so less chance of precum remember he doesnt want another baby tho he has agreed recently to have another child in time. We slpet together 4 1/2 weeks ago (by the time of the abortion it will be 5 weeks) Clear Blue pregnancy test pin pointed it to 3+ weeks last week (so to the time we slept together) I did cu_m inside her fully, so there is 95% chance its mine and 5% his well she is certain it is mine and has even told her partner it is mine more

Resolved Question: Any ideas, on how to get 3 toddlers to share?

I run a home daycare. I have a set of twins b/g (19 months) that I care for, and as well as another child 2 days a week (20 months) Right now my HUGE dilemma is to get them to share. (more so the twins) When one has something, the other will snatch it away from the other... the other will cry, then slap and bite their sibling... I've gone out and bought more toys the same in order to have some peace. But no matter what, they always want what the other one has. (of course) During the day we have craft time, where we paint, color and try to get as creative as we can get with 2-3 toddlers. To try to distract them, but as soon as thats over, it's right back to fighting. I'm worried too, because the other child is now doing this... and didnt before he came to my home. Does anyone have ANY ideas... I need my sanity back. Ive tried time outs, where I walk them to a corner, I sit them down and tell them what they have done is not nice and that it hurts the other child's feelings, and at the end we apologize. I've been doing this for 6 moths, and haven't seen any improvement. As well as time away from play group. That DOESN'T work... I refuse to hit, do not think its appropriate.... I would never hit my own children, never mind someone else's... so please don't respond if that's you're answer. more

Resolved Question: Would you recommend help from a trainer for my horse?

My horse doesn't pull any dangerous stunts, he just is smart, and knows what he can get away with. He can be mouthy on the ground, but nothing pasty mouthiness, he doesn't bite. (and i don't hand feed treats). When lunging he is pretty good, he still needs work on turning while lunging, and not cutting in. Riding on the trail, he'll sometimes trot downhills, but it is just a lack of experience out there. He also can get nervous if he sees horses trotting away from him, but walking away he is fine, and that would probably be fixed with just going out there more. I have no clue how he'd do at shows, or riding in unfamiliar places, because we haven't been yet. Riding in the arena at home he needs improvement. He is very unresponsive, its very hard to get him going and stay going. He also associates groups of horses with stopping (because i use to stop and talk to friends, but i stopped doing that when riding and he's improving) He gets one lead right consistently, the other one no. if he is hyper he'll sometimes try to run into the corner, or he'll do little crow-hops (which has only been twice in the whole year i have owned him.) He doesn't spook that easily, and he comes back to his senses quickly, but he does look around a lot and gets distracted. We started jumping and he is alright, he sometimes veers off or stops in front, but he just can't get amped up enough for the jump. (one time we did this jump and he realized he didn't have the right striding so he slowed on his own and still jumped it, my trainer said that that was very good and that he was such a good boy) He knows nothing about dressage, and it would be good to get him to have solid basics, though he still needs help in just general riding. When i first got him, he didn't know anything, he didn't know how to lunge at all, turn when riding, or going at all. he was nearing age 4. He is around five right now. When i first got him he was left alone for a few months, so he probably forgot some other things. And to think i wasn't even comfortable cantering on the lesson horse yet. well i guess we did somewhat well for me being a greenie to the horse world. Don't worry I;m comfortable with cantering and galloping now, and any of the stunts he tries to pull, my trainer sometimes laughs and says he doesn't know how to be bad, even when he tries. I enjoy riding him so its not anything like that. I just think I can't bring out his potential with my skill level. My trainer is very knowledgeable and I'm confident she could help him tremendously. She says it would only take 6 weeks to transform him, but that she'd have to work with me so he doesn't get back to his old habits. I've owned him for a year, and I know we didn't improve as much as we should have, I mean we have improved some. but since I'm not super-experienced we haven't improved as much as we could have. I only moved him close at the beginning of august of last year,and only started riding regularly then. We did improve a lot, some people at the barn said we improved exponentially, i got him to canter for ten minutes straight once, which was amazing. But then we went downwards rapidly for about a month, where he would only walk, and when i used ask, tell, demand he'd stop moving and shut down. But then this last week, my trainer convinced me to stop being nice and to hit him harder and he has been so good and listening ever since then, and going on the ask part instead of the demand. So should i have my trainer work with him to improve him, Although I do eventually want to train my own horse from the complete beginning. My farrier is also knowledgeable and she might give me a job to help her train some of her horses, not from scratch but just to refine their skills. And when I told my trainer that i eventually wanted to do that she said she would work with me in "breaking" (i hate that term) a horse, she said if she worked with me someone would probably let us do that for free. so should i have my trainer help me refine my horse's skills? thanks for the help and sorry for it being so long.omg did not realize how long that was thought it was shorter, so sorry guys, I'd be amazed if anyone read that whole thing more

Resolved Question: support groups for depression?

Unbelievable... I have put "depression sucks" on my cell phone. I can't take it anymore either. (I've said that a million times). I decided to type "depression sucks" in my search and found so many others did the same thing. Does anyone out there feel like you have so much to offer the world, or you feel like there are hidden talents screaming to come out? I do. I feel like doing so many things, making a difference, volunteering, learning new things I'm sure I would discover I'm great at. But I am being held down kinda like I was a prisoner but not in a jail, I think jail would be an improvement sometimes. I feel like I'm in a sick camp where gaurds are watching and waiting to see me smile and chuckle over a funny joke, then they move right in and put crates of cinder blocks on me to make sure I don't dare try that again. I see 01/30/10 is the last post. Is there any kind of group out there looking to pick eachother up somehow? Well.... my best to everyone out there. I know that people who don't suffer from depression don't understand. Some say they do but I know deep inside most of them thing we are just lazy losers. Let me add... I believe I suffered my whole life from depression but didn't realize til a couple of years ago. I used to think I was depressed because I didn't make enough money. Then, for 2006 (and only that year) I was doing good, able to pay my bills and actually able to save a little each week. Well I found myself coming home from work and sleeping whenever I had the chance. I was sad constantly and at home the tears would pour out. I knew then that it wasn't the money. I sought help and started wellbutrin and I can say the crying stopped but that was it. A year later I was given lexipro to start with the wellbutrin but I took 1/2 a pill, had a bad reaction and didn't continue. I am not taking anything now and want something different, The old stuff didn't seem to be doing it for me. I started drinking v8 with a scoop of this green vibrance powder and could swear it was balancing me a little but stopped because It's just too expensive for me but would love to know what ingredients or combination would possibly help depression? Maybe no new posts means something good? more

Resolved Question: Working with dogs that aren't fond of children?

Background: My Newf is around 18 months old. When he was a puppy, we did all sorts of socialization including with children. But around 6 months old, he developed a fear towards children. We continued to work on it and the problem seemed went away. But around 13 months old, that nervousness/fear toward children resurfaced again. This time is not as easy, because he is a big boy now. Luckily, after long searches, we got to know a very good canine behaviourist. We have been working with her for few months and it's progressing slowly but nicely. We learn about clicker training, we learn about how to introduce him to a children environment and how to break his eye contact constantly to ease away the tension, how to play certain games with children etc.... There is definitely improvement. He is now able to recover much faster when he shows nervousness, couple weeks ago he even played with a kid in the dog park for quite a while. But there are still lots to be done, he is still nervous when kids suddenly approaching him or a group of children running toward us. He never got to the stage that he learns to bite, only warning barks. But barks coming from a 140lbs dog is quite different than coming from a chihuahua. Other than this issue, he is a perfect dog all around...well behaved at home, good with strangers and dogs. Me and my partner never plan to have children. Not many of our closed friends have young children so he will stay with us forever even his issue with children does not go away. And he did not react to children during walks, only if suddenly they start approaching him before he gets comfortable. I know lots of people have experience working with dogs that have this issue before. Could you kindly share some of your stories? So I can learn from other people experiences. I know this kind of therapy takes long time and you can't simply push it too quick. I have all the time and love for my dog to help him. more

Resolved Question: How can I improve my workout regimen?

I'm a 23 year old female at 5'4" and 160 lbs. My ultimate goal is regaining the strength and flexibility I had as a dancer, and I'd also like to get back down to 120 lbs in the process. I had shoulder surgery this past June to repair a torn labrum, and I'm still working on getting it back to full strength and flexibility, though it has improved immensely over the past 7 months. Current exercise: Per week, I do about 3 hours of pilates and 6-8 hours of yoga, including 3-3.5 hours of relatively intensive Astanga Vinyasa yoga. I know I need to add cardio back in, but I'm just sort of getting used to this routine for now. Here's the question: Apart from adding cardio, what should I do to improve my overall level of fitness? How much weight training would be appropriate given the fact that I'm already doing a fair amount of resistance training using my own body weight? What muscle groups would be the most beneficial to work on? I do not have access to a gym and can't afford a membership at this point, though I do have some dumbbells at home. I know weight training is important to achieve and maintain desirable body composition, I'm just not sure how to incorporate it with what I'm already doing. I'm only asking about how to improve my exercise regimen, as I have already looked at my diet and made improvements where necessary. Thanks for any advice, I appreciate it! more

Resolved Question: English Help! 10 points to best answer!?

I need help answering the following questions below! 10 points to best answer! Q1: Study the group of signal words; then select the name of the pattern in which these signal words would most likely be used. first, meanwhile, afterward a. time order b. spatial c. cause-effect d. comparison-contrast e. order of importance f. simple listing Q2: In what adjective form or position is the italicized word or phrase? Jonah proposed a three-pronged plan for improvement. a. attributive b. predicate c. appositive Q3: Identify the card type of the note: a. summary b. paraphrase c. direct quotation d. none of the above Q4: Which is an example of an appeal to ethos? a. "Paul's Pizza Pies: the best pies in town for five generations." b. "Cramer's Comfy Couches: satisfaction or your money back...guaranteed!" c. "Doug's Exterminating Service: We use only safe and organic chemicals in your home." d. all of the above e. a and b only thanks! more

Resolved Question: Moved to Melbourne and had a baby? Want to join a mothers group? Bubs and kids playgroup?

Hi all mummas with bubbas who are away from home! I have started a mum's group for ladies like us and would love some members! My family live in London and I moved here 4 years ago, got my career under way and then... had a beautiful bouncing baby girl. Then, last year I married her father and all my family came to stay. It was FABULOUS! Parenting was so much easier with family around, people I trusted. And My little girl loved the attention and having people in the house constantly. Her development took off and she's now a sociable 8 month old. When they all left I realised she needed more time with close family but as ours live a gazillion miles away (non of my Aussie friends have children) I thought, there must be other gals in the same situation... SO, have planned to start a mummas group for ladies of the like. Let me know what you think... pass this group onto other mums who you think may benefit. They can be from anywhere in the world, just remember it's for mums away from their families or those who don't have the close family support network. Please visit: http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/expatmums Join up and we can build our support network and start fun times! Please let me know if you are a mother who would be interested in something like this and also suggestions for improvement. It's pretty basic at the moment but would like to know if a group like this is worth promoting in other forums such as meetup.com, facebook etc etc NO UNHELPFUL REMARKS PLEASE. ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE NOT A MOTHER/CARER! THIS GROUP IS FOR MAKING FRIENDS NOT ENEMIES... Look forward to hearing from you!Group based in Melbourne, AustraliaI'm from Frankston South but will see how we go and try and get regional groups together. Must start somewhere! If anyone wants to help get these groups together I would be glad of the networking! Email me or join the group as above if interested. Thanks! more

Voting Question: is my plot any good? please have a quick look for me!?

its for the stage, and is set in the urban/city outskirts. Character A is an infamous burgular on the run from the police. Character B is the loveable character, with whom the audience can relate to. All the characters (excluding character A) are homless people of different ages, sex, and personalities, yet they are like a family.m They have created a home from a rubbish dump. The whole play is set in this one place. -Character A arrives at the dump looking for a hideout from the police.The group do not know this, but take him in. -The group discover that the land which they live on is to be turned into new apartments under the new scheme led by a local buisnessman, and they have two weeks to move on. -they decide to take action and plot various schemes (such as kidnapping a buisnessman, going on strike, etc.) with disaterous effects. -the dump is set on fire by a group of drunk young adults. -one character dies. -the group decide that they cannot change the way they are treated, and go their seperate ways. -they play finishes with the revelation that character A is the buisnessman who was set to build the new apartments, on the run for major fraud and manslaughter. please help me! any suggestions on improvements/ feedback? thankyou! x more

Resolved Question: Fresh eyes. Am I missing something in my story?

So I've probably had to rewrite a lot of background things for my story because I've discovered that something simply doesn't work or make sense. I think I've finally worked out the flaws, but I would like some fresh eyes to be sure. Some notes before I start: --It's about Vampires. If you don't like stuff about Vampires, please move along. --I'm not looking for plot suggestions. --I want feedback, too. I don't really care if you say it sucks, but I do want to know why you think that way. --Not looking for flattery. I appreciate it, but flattery doesn't help me make improvements. --I suck at punctuation so don't expect perfection. Feel free to ask questions. I'm not the best at explaining things, so it's very likely that I left out a detail or two. Okay, let's begin! :) Vibe City, 2076 Vibe city was constructed 50 years ago in an attempt to ease the increasing population in the States. The city is home to 10.5 million people and sits in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Underneath the city is Atlantis' Pillar, the main support for this artificially created land mass. While the people of the city believe this pillar to house only the equipment for controlling the air, weather, etc, it is actually an underwater prison for Vampires captured by Hunters of the Society. The Vampires in these prisons will become test subjects for new and more powerful hunting weapons. Powerful Vampires are just killed, unless the Society wants them. The Society is an ancient organization of Vampire Hunters. While you would assume a Vampire Hunter's main purpose would be to hunt and kill all Vampires, these Hunters can only touch Vampires that have broken the Crimson Laws, thanks to a Treaty formed between the Society and the Vampires- Vampires won't be hunted as long as they obey the laws set by the Society- 250 years ago. -- Quick note here: You may be asking why they would do a Treaty. The reason is because the Society needed a way to break apart the power structure of the Vampire world in order to destroy them. Vampires agreed to it because they needed time to find an ancient power of their kind (Read "The Crimson"). They can't search if they are being hunted.-- Along with strict hunting assignments, some Human Hunters are partnered with Vampires that have been bound by a Blood Contract. These Blood Contracts keep the Vampire under the power of Holy Magic for a set amount of years (a min of 50). Most Vampires under a BC are voluntary, but others, more powerful Vampires, were forced into these contracts with the use of threats. Crimson Laws-- (A bit rough at the moment) - A Vampire cannot drink straight from a Human - A Vampire may not turn a Human - Vampires may not form groups with authority - Vampires may not have a Power Structure (No elders, no covens, etc) - Vampires may not roam outside of their assigned areas ::Society's Structure:: Types of Hunters within the Society (In order of Authority, Importance, and Power) - Reapers: Reapers don't actually hunt Vampires. The purpose of a Reaper is to hunt down and kill Society Hunters that have gone rogue. - Watchers: Watchers are sleeper agents that take up positions all over a city. Their purpose is to keep watch over the city and over Vampire activity. Sleepers within the Police report crimes they suspect to have been committed by Vampires. - Gate-Guardians aka Guardians: Guardians are the ones who watch over the Pillar Prison. They are the only ones allowed within the prison. Should a prisoner escape (never happened, but just in case ;)), they have absolute authority over anyone involved with their prisoner. These Guardians are often Vampires or Humans with magical abilities. - Holy Knights: Holy Knights is actually another ancient Organization bent on the destruction of Vampires, but around 500 years ago, the Society and the Holy Knights joined together. Holy Knights are born into their positions and are the only ones who can use Holy Magic, which is the main component in a Blood Contract. While Holy Knights are powerful, they are not sent out on Hunts, but are instead assigned the position of teachers to training Hunters or bodyguard to the Pure-bloods. (Read below) - Keeper: Keeper's sole purpose is keeping the existence of Vampires a secret. They are the only Hunter type that has permission to kill Humans out in the world, though they usually resort to killing last and just erase the person's memories. - Hunters: These are the ones who do the majority of Vampire hunting. Though they are the last on the "food" chain, the people in these groups still hold great power and skills. Some Hunters even have special seals that give them special abilities. (the seals kind of tap into the plot, but I'll tell you anyways. You can't tell from this, but the Society is NOT the good guy in my story. The Society manipulates people, even kills people to get what they want. One of things they want are dormant Blu Bloods. Only dormaWell shit, got cut off. lol If you're interested, you can find the rest here; http://detailsforcrimson.weebly.com/Thanks for the website! :)Honestly, the plot is just a group of rogue Vampires trying to reveal the existence of vampires to the world. Or at least, that's how it seems on the surface. The main character is Rica Monroe (human hunter) and Nickolai (Vampire). The anniversary of a friend who died in a Vampire attack just passed when they are sent a letter with the message "The Truth - 8-25" written on it. Hours later a body shows up. This person was murdered the same way their friend was murdered. On the body is "the truth" written in Violet's blood. This ultimately sends Tony (hunter), Violet's secret husband, into a rage to find the man who did this. Tony is classified as rogue when he takes the life of humans. While Reapers are sent after him, R and N get a visit from Scarlet, a Watcher. She'll be watching over them until Tony is found. The only problem is that this woman is not Scarlet. She is a forgotton character from the past, but from whose past? And why and for what purpose is she here now? -Better? :) more

Resolved Question: My husband has itchy skin rashes on his neck and genitals...pls advice?

Hi, Last week we went to tahoe with a group of friends and stayed at a log house for 4 days. During our stay there, my husband took a bath in the hot water tub and also took bath with a soap called 'caress'. I don't know what happened, but since sunday afternoon he started itching on his neck. We thought it was a simple itch and ignored it. But on monday evening, it aggravated and became a huge rash (it's red and itchy). He also had the rash on his genitals. On tuesday, he went to a doctor and she said it's a simple allergic rash gave him benadryl allergy, zyrtec and cortisone cream. He was using those medicines but with little improvement. Today, when i came home from work, he got the rash on his left hand(it's not that scary as it is on the neck). We took an appointment with another doctor tomorrow. I'm really scared and worried for him. I regret so much for going to tahoe. If only, we wouldn't have gone, he wouldn't be suffering that much today. Please advise and help me out. more

Resolved Question: Which home improvement businesses are in South Africa?

I am doing a project for UNI and I am interested in the number of large home improvement / DIY companies in South Africa - are there big outlets like IKEA or B&Q or just small local stores under the Mica Hardware group? Any help would be very much appreciated. Many thanks more

Resolved Question: Could anyone answer this? About Management?

Question 1 Juanita is an area manager at Home Theater, Inc. She anticipates the needs of her area and formulates a proposed budget every quarter. She then sends this proposal to her manager. This is an example of Choose one answer. a. top-down budgeting. b. strategic budgeting. c. bottom-up budgeting. Question 2 Joey is a department manager at IronRods.com. His sole role in the budget process is to implement the budget that is developed for him. This is an example of Choose one answer. a. operational budgeting. b. strategic budgeting. c. top-down budgeting. Question 3 Patty works in an organization where coordination across organizational units is poor and the units perceived themselves to be in competition with one another for organizational resources. These characteristics are consistent with which of the following structures? Choose one answer. a. A divisional structure b. A functional structure c. A matrix structure Question 4 ______ is the process of measuring your organizational process against the best in the industry. Choose one answer. a. Environmental analysis b. Benchmarking c. Continuous improvement Question 5 A group of 6 to 12 volunteer employees who meet regularly to discuss and solve problems affecting their common work activities is a Choose one answer. a. work team. b. feedforward control group. c. quality circle. Question 6 Marie is a manager at Candies Store. On a regular basis Marie and her subordinates set individual and organizational goals. This process is similar to which component of the control model? Choose one answer. a. An information system b. Taking corrective action when necessary c. Establishing performance standards Question 7 Pacita is a manager at Country Roads, Inc. She encourages employee participation and delegates as much authority as she can to her subordinates. She is a good example of Choose one answer. a. country-club leader. b. an initiating structure leader. c. a democratic leader. Question 8 Sonia works in one of seven research and development departments at the Terrace of Tarra, Inc. This would suggest that Terrace of Tarra has a Choose one answer. a. wide span of control. b. divisional structure. c. functional structure. Question 9 A control system that identifies the various activities needed to produce a product and determines the cost of those activities is referred to as Choose one answer. a. open-book management. b. activity-based costing. c. an economic value-added system. Question 10 ______ allows employees to see for themselves the financial condition of the company. Choose one answer. a. An economic value-added system b. Open-book management c. Activity-based costing 11 Tina is a supervisor at Dawson Dolls. She always makes it a point to tell her subordinates exactly what to do. According to path-goal theory, this is an example of Choose one answer. a. directive leadership. b. supportive leadership. c. participative leadership. Question 12 Which of the following is an example of a feedforward control? Choose one answer. a. criteria used in the hiring process b. A manager observing a new employee to see how he/she is performing c. An examination of work records of employees Question 13 The control "system" at Quality Corporation is based on the culture of the organization and norms that develop in the individual work teams. This is an example of Choose one answer. a. decentralized control. b. bureaucratic control. c. organizational control. Question 14 Moesha is a manager at Technology Advancements. Moesha uses threats and punishment to influence the behavior of his subordinates. Which of the following responses is Moesha likely to encounter? Choose one answer. a. Commitment b. Compliance c. Resistance Question 15 ________ is a philosophy of organization-wide commitment to continuous improvement, focusing on teamwork, customer satisfaction, and lowering costs. Choose one answer. a. Outsourcing b. Total quality management c. Engineering Question 16 Minimum standards, little direction, and trust are all characteristics of ______ control. Choose one answer. a. bureaucratic b. concurrent c. decentralized Question 17 The mandatory leadership-training seminar had just been concluded. All of the newly promoted managers at Scottie Sandals had been asked to attend and participate in the two-day seminar, and Shawn McClelland had been fascinated with what she had learned. She is now reviewing the material she covered. Shawn places maximum value on developing her people and, on Fiedler's questionnaire scored as a high LPC leader. The best more

Voting Question: What else can I do to help my students achieve success?

I'm sorry this is going to be lengthy but I just need to vent a little bit and see what people outside the school have to say. I am currently a 6th-grade math teacher and this is my second year teaching. Last year, I had eighth graders but that was a baptism under fire as I was thrown in with the most problematic eighth graders in the school. Even the best eighth grade teachers were frustrated with their classes. Anyway, this year I have sixth-graders and everything was going good until the math started becoming a little more "thinkative" where the students would have to do several steps to solve the math. We are currently doing order of operation after spending several weeks on integers, which they just had an assessment quiz on because my school is in "Program Improvement." Of all the sixth grade match teachers, my group came in last. The school wants 75% of the students per class passing these assessments and my top group had 59% passing and I had one group that none of them passed it. At this point, I just don't know what else to do. I come in everyday ready to go. I do warm-ups with the students on the elmo projector. I have a notebook that I take home and fill-up with notes from study guides on each new lesson for them to use on their homework along with all types of examples they can expect to see with step-by-step instruction how to solve them, all of which I put up on the project for them to get in their notes. I take homework questions, I show them how to solve them. I even done problems on the upcoming test and quizzes on the projector and when they see the quiz or test, they say that they don't know how to do this or that I never went over it with them. Am I being too nice to them and they are just taking advantage? I mean, I haven't told the kids to shut-up or anything like that. I always say "yes sir" and "yes ma'am" when I call on them. Is there something I'm doing wrong?Here is something else I forgot to add.....I'm only 25. Could my young age be a factor? more

Resolved Question: is my story chapter good or does it need improvement?

The plane ride was long and exhausting. Not to Minchin the bile trying to escape from my throat when I looked out the plane window, I hated heights. Every summer my mom made me go to Montana to visit my aunt and uncle. She makes me go so I won’t have a “boring” summer, like they would even know the definition of the word “exciting” or “fun”. My uncle worked as a janitor in and old folk’s home in Bartlesville while my aunt worked as a dish washer at a school for extraordinarily intelligent 5th and 6th graders. I shrank down in my seat and toyed with my curly chocolate brown hair and twisted my head over to the opposite side of the plane window as my eyes lured over to a teenage boy who seemed to be in a deep sleep. He looked about the same age as me, 16. I studied his features which seemed quite stunning. He wore a plain white tea-shirt with a logo I wasn’t familiar with and denim jeans which stretched to the seat in front of him which classified him as tall. He had dark almost black hair that reached about two inches below his ear which swooped to one side. The shape of his face fascinated me, it wasn’t square but not really round more like, “Perfect”, failure to realize I had said that out loud, apparently someone heard me from behind. “He is pretty cute, huh?” I twisted my head to the next row behind me. A girl who looked about 15 years old stared at me with a wide grin pasted on her pixie face. Her hair was pale blonde which parted in the center of her forehead and was straight and long, she had icy blue eyes that stared back at me with humor. “Well he is”, she stated. The girl next to her fast asleep had “weirdo” written in black marker across her forehead. Black Wavy shoulder length hair swept out of her face, earphones in her ears. She caught my eyes and explained. “I got locked in the plane bathroom and she didn’t help me and she fell asleep”. I smiled at her and chuckled under my breath. She held out a hand and introduced herself, “I’m Violet by the way”. “Nevaeh”, I told her shyly and returned the handshake. “So, she motioned her head back toward the inmate next to me, “You have a crush on him?” she asked with sureness in a husky voice. “Um… no?” I lied questionably. She nodded understandably and calmly closed her eyes and opened them back up. She parted her lips and pasted a sly grin on her face. “Alright, alright don’t tell me the truth but you know it’s true!” she sang in a high pitched voice. I gave her an odd look and twirled my body back to my seat. She said nothing after that. I need music I told myself. I stood up fully in my seat trying not to trip over the guy, failure. My stomach rolled on top of his stretched out legs and my body flipped over onto the floor, my head hitting a sharp pointing thing on the floor jabbing my flesh. I heard a bewildered gasp and an eruption of laugher from a group of people on the 4th row behind me. I rolled over onto my back and felt a trickle run down the right side of my forehead. Blood. I felt a hand lift me up from the floor and emerald green eyes look worryingly in to my own honey colored ones. He didn’t say anything; he helped me and led me to the cramped plane restroom. He finally spoke. “I am so sorry!” he said with a plead in his mesmerizing voice. He handed me a handkerchief and dampened it. I looked at him; his eyes stared back at me with fascination. “I should be the one apologizing! I am such a freakin klutz!”, I bursted. He sang with soft laughter and introduced himself. “I’m Noah”. “Nevaeh”, I said quickly. He dampened my head some more and flushed the bright red blood down the sink. “Again, sorry I tripped you”. “It’s not your fault; I can trip over nothing and still get injured”. He led me back to my seat and studied me. I squirmed in my seat and took a sip of the orange juice on my arm rest. He looked uncomfortable as he tried to start a conversation with me. “So, um…, where are you going?” “I’m going to my aunt and uncles house for the summer”, I rolled my eyes with displeasure. “You don’t like them?” he guessed surprisingly. “Well it’s not that I don’t like them, there just really well… boring I guess you could say.” The questions fired at me, and he didn’t stop until halfway through the ride. Questions about me, my life, and why I was on the plane. Why was he asking me all these questions? It felt weird answering them. The questions were none stop and his eyes were intense and soft at the same time. I had to look away a few times; his eyes stared at me with two sparkled emeralds. He (finally) stopped halfway through the ride and fell asleep. Turbulence shook the plane and I struggled to hold my stomach. My eyes were heavy and my face stretched its self into a small yawn. I fell asleep pretty soon after 3 more tiring hours on the longest plane ride in the world. I curled up in my seat and fell into a deep dreamless sleep. sorry its so long and im not shure if i spelled everything correctly and critize i really dont care i jui just want to know if its good or not more

Resolved Question: How can you tell if a schizophrenic living in a group home is safe to be released?

My boyfriend's brother is 25 years old and was diagnosed with either schizophrenia or schizoid personality disorder (not sure exactly which) and put into this group home when he was like 17 or 18. So he's lived his whole adult life in there and he wants to get out and start his life. Naturally. He has visited us almost every weekend for six months and he seems fine except for normal roommate issues, picking up after himself, etc. He takes his medicine on his own like clockwork and says he never has episodes any more and from what I can tell he's telling the truth. He says when he asks the staff and doctors there about when he might get to come out they say, "your time will come." He says they say what he needs to work on is "self-directed skills" which of course just means doing things without being told. He wants to get his GED, a driver's license, and eventually go to a trade school. If a schizophrenic is well-managed and not resisting taking their meds do they need to be in a group home? I mean if he can learn some independent living skills (which he is! I'm so proud that he's starting to make improvements when he visits lately. And learning to fix small meals for himself and clean up the kitchen afterward. He's been making his bed and doing laundry without being told. He does need to work on not wanting to spend the little money he has on fast food and CD's all the time.. but he's like a 16 y.o. in mental development I think because he has never had any responsibility. He went from being a kid in his parents' home to being in there.) So does anyone out there know anything about this condition and group home issues. We've called the group home people and get vague, non-committal answers. Do they just want to keep him in there for the money? I mean yeah they can get another person to replace his $ but they know him and his quirks & issues. I imagine it's extremely difficult to let a soft-spoken, gentle, nonviolent resident go to allow someone else whose problems you've got to learn come into the program. Sort of like the saying "the devil you know as opposed to the devil you don't". It's so sad to see someone in a place like that.... especially if they don't need to be. Thanks for any answers or advice you guys might have =DUm, yeah he has been violent but not recently. I think he used to get in fights when he was 17 or 18 but not anything that resulted in him being arrested. BUT about two years ago he got in a fight with another resident in the group home and hit this guy in the head with a chair. The other guy had to be hospitalized for a while but it must have been proven that my boyfriend's brother was just defending himself or something because there were no charges brought or anything. But who knows? Maybe the situation escalating to that level of violence in the first place was due to the schizophrenia(?) Thanks again everybody.... more

Resolved Question: I'm not good at anything I do, what else can I?

I'm sure a lot of you have heard this question before. I'm not saying it's the end of my life or I fail at life. Everything I do no matter how long I keep at it I seem to fail at. I've tried everything from Jumpstyle to Sports to Politics. It's not that I think I'll be perfect in a week, I know it takes practice but as I keep doing the said activity I look and see no improvement. I look at my friends, their always busy. Either with sports, friends or another activity. I try a bit of everything like I said but I haven't homed on something that I have a passion for. The only thing I could see me being is a leader I guess. In theater production, a class at my school we build all the sets and props and when I'm in a group I kinda take charge and try to get things done. I hate it when they screw off. I also like video games, mostly mmo's or fps but I'm not good at those either. I play 'em a lot but am always behind. So little help? Any advice would go along ways her folk's. more

Resolved Question: Should I have my aggressive dog put down?

Please - no insensitive, or uneducated comments. I would like to hear from long time dog owners, behaviorists, trainers, and vets. I rescued my dog (now 3.5 years old) from a rescue group when she was 3 1/2 months old. She is a pit bull / lab mix (possibly a 3rd breed in there too.) A week after bringing her home, I started to notice aggression issues. She snarled and snapped at me when I went over to pet her while she was sniffing in the dirt. She was less than 4 months old. Also, within a month she was growling at me whenever I would touch her while eating. She is a well trained and obedient dog, but her aggression cannot be controlled. I have seen behaviorists, gone through several extensive training/behavior changing programs with little to no improvement. She is possessive of her toys, food, crate, and she will also snap if she is startled or threatened by a stranger. She has sometimes even snapped at a new person who was just standing there talking to me, no movement or attempt to interact with the dog. She bit my 10 year old cousin when she was less than 1 year old. They were playing with a ball in the backyard for an hour with no problems, then the dog snapped and bit her in the arm for sneaking up behind her and trying to take the ball. She bit our dog walker when she was less than 1 year old for reaching into her crate to adjust the food bowl (it was tipping over.) She bit my friend who was standing several feet away from her food bowl. She bit her on the finger for merely pointing towards her bowl and telling her to eat. She has bit me and my boyfriend (we are both her owners) more than once. She has snapped on numerous people, including both of her owners numerous times. I have no doubt that she will snap and bite again. so it seems pretty clear to me that I think I need to be responsible and make this decision. I have exhausted every method of training and rehabilitation possible. I excercise her plenty. We walk at least 5 miles a day. It is very difficult to seal her fate because she is a very obedient dog and very sweet most of the time. But at other times, she is very aggressive and downright scary. Once, as I was trying to close her crate it took me a few seconds longer than normal and she started snarling and lunging, teeth bared at me... I wanted to put her down immediately after that... but time went by and I "forgave" her. Please give me your honest and respectful opinions. I feel like a failure as a dog owner... I feel guilty. I need to fulfill my responsibility to the dog, but more importantly I need to fulfill my responsibility as a good dog owner by not putting others in danger. This dog cannot be watched or cared for by anyone but her owners. So, in order to keep her I would basically have to never ever go on vacation for the next 10 years.... I dont know about that. This is a tough decision. I'm afraid I will regret it forever if I do decide to put her down. But I'd hate for it to come down to a serious bite or attack... a lawsuit... who knows? Please help! more

Resolved Question: Advice from a PT, chiro, or Dr for the source of this pain in my hip please!?

History: Initially the pain was very intense in my groin, right at the front of the hip in that groin crease, dull as apposed to sharp but quite intense in severity but only when walking.Not a shooting skinny electrical pain. Each step on the right leg caused this intense pain in the front of my hip/groin. The pain was worse on hip extension. The pain spread downwards in the shape of a fan the size of my hand , on the upper front of my thigh (but not a skin pain) I also had a sharp pain in the anterior medial aspect of my lower thigh above the knee, again only on each step. Above the knee, it is best described as being at 7oclock if I was looking down to my knee. It wasnt an electrical nerve pain either , more like a very well defined ache that spread upwards in a small fan shape. Initially in this first week of hell I also had pain in the back of my thigh too, again only with each step. (I cant remember now if it was runnign up from the knee or going down from the top.) If I continued to walk for more than a few minutes with these pains then my entire upper thigh (at the front) felt like it was on fire, a real burning ache. Even driving the car hurt my thigh then- when I had to take my foot on and off the accelerator and move it to the brake and back again. At the height of the aching 'constant' burning pain that I would get it felt like I had been given a 'dead leg' (punched in the thigh). The sharp pain continued with each step on the right side.It was becomming sharper and more defined. The burning across the top of my thigh lasted about a week. Mind you I stopped my 'exercise' walking after the first day and stayed home to rest it. The pain in the back of my leg had considerably weakened too and wasnt a problem anymore. It has now been 18 days since initial injury. Whilst the week of rest gave some improvement in that aching, the last 11 days have shown no improvement at all. It feels like something is out of place. Like something is catching or getting pinched with each step, right in the front of my groin. If I was to look down my body the pain would be at 1 oclock below my iliac crest. Tonight I lay on my back and put my R heel on my L knee to test a muscle group. It was mildly painful but more uncomfortable and tight feeling. Leaving my foot there I let my R knee slowly lower to the bed and the pain was gripping me in the inner thigh before it was even a fraction lowered. I brought that knee back up to stop the exercise and ease the pain but when I raised my foot up to straighten my leg it felt like I had pinched a nerve in my groin. The pain was so severe it took my breath away and I began to panick. It was like a dislocation in that to try and move it made the pinch even worse. The pain was unbearable until the groin joint popped and I could put my leg down. It all happened quite quickly though. I have repeatead this (gingerly two more times tonight) and the same thing happened. (I feel I am getting misdiagnosed so was trying to isolate muscle groups.) It hurts more to walk uphill or upstairs. When I am not walking it doesnt hurt at all. But if I do a 20min walk and therefore suffer 1000 steps of sharp pain then it leaves my upper thigh/groin aching. I have spent hours online looking at signs and symtoms and diagnostics for the muscles and ligaments and joints in this region. Today I pushed in where the pain was, in the front of my hip/groin, whilst I walked and the pain went away, when I took my fingers off - the pain returned. I am an RN and I dont believe this is sciatica pain. No offence to the kind people wanting to answer this question but if you are not experienced in this field please dont post a guess disguised as a diagnosis. As I said I feel I have been misdiagnosed (wont put the diagnosis in here yet) so I am curious to hear a second professional opinion to see if it matches my own. I have tried to be as specific as possible. Thankyou in advance, JoI didnt want this to bias the answer as I wanted the thoughts to be on the groin pain; I had minor back pain prior to this injury. (injured the week prior but only result of injury after initial day was a quick twinge sometimes if I bent down and out) Since subsequent groin injury it is now a major back problem with constant severe pain. The minute you have back pain and leg pain the diagnosis of sciatica is dished out without a second thought. I can FEEL this and I am an RN of 19yrs, I am not ignorant of neuro pain vs mechanical pain vs somatic pain. Imagine if you could 'feel' what your patients were suffering, how that would help with your diagnosis? Well I can feel this! It feels somatic! more

Resolved Question: Please give feed back on my cover letter and resume ALL feed back welcome!?

Objective: To obtain full time employment where I may utilize my skills and further my experience Professional Skills * Microsoft Office Certificate * Microsoft Windows * Word Perfect 5.1/6.1 * Office Equipment Use * Filing/Editing* Typing (55+ wpm) * Office Procedures * Telephone Skills * Many different computer programs specific to the company* Some Basic Accounting * Business English * Customer Service Skills Education2007-2008 Health Information Office Assistant Graduate 3.71GPA 2003-2006 High School Diploma Employment Skills * Developed ability to work in a fast-paced atmosphere * Maintained excellent customer relations and developed customer rapport * Diplomatically resolved customers complaints on as-needed basis * Accurately calculated and made daily cheque deposits of up to $20,000 * Ability to follow instructions well and make decisions with no supervision * Maintained record-keeping procedures without error * Effectively developed telephone communication skills * Maintained a professional Appearance * Quick to learn other computer software programs * Effectively worked in a team environment Employment History October 2008 – Present The Telsec Group -Construction Administration * Issuing purchase orders for Site Employees * Keeping trade information up to date * Requesting quotes *Filing *Assisting 2 construction Managers on 14+ projects currently on going September 2008 – Present Alberta Health Services- Unit Clerk Casual * Answer phone calls and direct accordingly * Daily use of Clinibase, Muse, ESP, Sunrise, REDIS computer systems * Access patient records, patient confidentiality * Assist Doctors and Nurses in find information for patients * Fax, Photocopy, organize unit documentation * Doctor referrals, DI requests, Lab services requests April 2008 – September 2008 We Care Home Health Services - Retention Coordinator *Assist new caregivers in the transition to building schedules * Provide resources to new caregivers * Research and Advise management on retention rates and improvement suggestions * 15 community scheduler, scheduling up to 30 care aides **References are Available upon Request** Dear Employer: I am responding to the position posted. Indicated on the enclosed resume I have the skills you are seeking and would be a valuable asset to your company. I am a graduate of the Health Information & Office Assistant program at the South Alberta Institute of Technology. In addition to my course I also have experience in: • 60 wpm typing • Formal Training and 10 years experience in Microsoft Software • 7 years of Customer Service • 4 years in clerical positions • Medical Terminology • Alberta Health Services (Calgary Health region) training in Clinibase, Sunrise, REDIS, ESP, Muse, Netcare. I would be a good fit because of my great personality and strong work ethic. I have a flexible schedule and am very willing to take on any task at hand. I have worked at a jeweler’s warehouse in an accounts receivable position, working with customers and staff to have orders shipped completed and on time which taught me the importance of time management. After receiving my Certificate I moved into the health care field, I have learned great patience and understanding as well as how important correct information is. As a casual employee with AHS I am also currently employed with a Construction company assisting 2 construction managers with various administration duties. I feel with my experience in many different areas I am a well rounded employee and really look for a challenge. Thank you so much for taking the time to review my resume. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, more

Resolved Question: What are some websites that you could go to to find home improvement people to come to your house and re-do it?

I really want to get my mom the best Christmas present ever!!! I want to find some designer group to come out to our house and re-do everything!!! How would I find someone to do that?? PLEASE HELP ME:))) more

Voting Question: My friend smoked his brains out , hes become lost and quiet?

A couple months back , the night Obama won the election, My friends and I were out celebrating. I eventually left and two of my best friends, Rashad and Ricky went into a local Dunkin' Donuts. The one I will be talking about mainly in this question is the one who decided to say " let celebrate in a different way , lets smoke weed" The two idiots smoked that night. And they enjoyed it. Now , it wasn't there first time smoking weed but this time was different. An epidemic started at my school where almost every student was smoking and coming to school high or cutting to get high and sneaking back in. I joined my friends some times just for the fun of it but I didn't always do it. Then one day my Rashad's mom caught a bunch of us at his house on a very white January school day and kicked us out, Rashad told his mother he was suspended so he stayed home , she kicked the rest of us out. Later that day Rashad told me his mom found out we were smoking so he told me I should stop to , so I did. Later I found out he lied to me just to get me to stop smoking , And I thank him for that and opened my eyes and now I hate smokers or people who call me a smoker. Rashad and Ricky smoked every day , some times 2-4 times being in Rashads room listening to Dipset, or old skool rap and hip hop. But mostly instrumentals and they thought they were good at rapping -_- . The two eventually stopped coming to school , or come once a week or two. All of the potheads thought Rashad was the same kid they met as a pothead. All the people who REALLY knew Rashad noticed how much he has changed and miss that old kid. He used to be a fun loving , funny , adventurous , girl getting , silly guy. Now he's quiet , stays home all day playing xbox 360 , doesn't really hit us up to hang out, I picture him as being one of those kids from the above the influence commercials where they're sitting in a chair deflated . We invited him to Six Flags hoping he'll get some life back into him. And we thought there was no hope for him after... He would ALWAYS *** ask my last best friend , now #1 best friend Danny for his ipod whenever we would travel to places but that day he didn't ask, he starred out the window and was quiet. We got on the new ride Bizzaro (great ride =D ) and his response was "it's alright" and we were so shocked. Last year I went to Six Flags with Rashad and he was scared to get on rides but still did it and when we were on El Toro he said "I wanna get off I wanna get off I wanna get off ...OHH SH*TTTTTTTTTT" But this year he got on with no hesitation. He's lost a lot of emotion. Recently , he has shown some improvements. He's written to me on AIM , we talk a little , Danny and I see he's getting some what of his sense of humor back. We don't wanna tell him hes changed because even though theres a possibility he might see that hes changed and try to go back to how he was , he might also just feel bad about himself. I know the real Rashad has to been in there somewhere , Danny and I will be trying our best to get him back into shape (the "munchies" left the poor skinny boy a gut" and get him more active. But we need a lot of time to work on him. As for Ricky, Rashad's mother doesn't like him anymore and thinks hes a theif because the two robbed this girl for her laptop and as a result , she stole Rashad's phone and now our school has it and Rashad still hasn't got it back (knowing the school system , they probably lost it) And Rashad has done little to nothing about getting it back. Well back to Ricky , Danny and I see no change in him , maybe for the fact that he stopped hanging out with us before when we used to joke on him a lot and he found a new group of friends to hang out with and he smoked with them a lot, maybe his result from that was a more upgraded sex fiend. Ricky has smoked A LOT more weed than Rashad will EVER consume. But Rashad ended up a burn out, and Ricky ended up leaving to Florida last weekend. Who knows if he will return. But I made this because I really need help on trying to fix Rashad and get him back to the way he once was.The reason for the novel is to let you guys know the situation. Please someone gimme good advice on trying to get my friend back... more

Resolved Question: You liberals WISH this wasn't true?

I posted a question about having to lay off 23 workers, all democrats, all voted for obama, all were told it was because of restructuring due to anticipated tax increases...... Liberals refused to allow themselves to believe it. They all claimed I was lying....... so now I'm posting what a friend of mine that is a business owner said to me. He owns a home improvement company so he hires in-house as well as subcontracts jobs. He said... "I'm not going to employ black people anymore. I'm also not going to subcontract to black contractors" So I asked him why, what was his reason? He replied to me that "They media keeps flaunting the fact that 98% of African Americans voted for Obama, why would I employ a group of people that work against me and my business?" How do you like THEM apples??? By the way, this is in California.... and I have another 4 questions to go about my conversations with different California business owners..... Dems won't like it but, hey, they voted for it.delina_m : So there should be no problem with firing liberals.... thank you for the thoughtful justification... most businesses (about 75%) are owned by Republicans... good luck with that! Let us know how it goes for you.happyguy: He's an unaffiliated voter.... but he told me he voted for Ron Paul.Fred W : This is correct, but he's pretty much profiling politically. I'm sure his logic is that that is the only group of people who almost completely voted for Obama and it's a 98% guarantee that you will be throwing business to an Obama voter. He doesn't want to do that.happyguy: No he's not a racist, that's the point. He's a politicist.... deal with it.beren : PLEASE!!! He doesn't feel the same. He was doing black people a favor and he'll do fine without them. Illegal imigrants are cheaper and they didn't vote for Obama. That's where he's sending that work from now on. Didn't you want them here????TheRaven: I didn't say a word about McCain, you idiot. I voted for Ron Paul! He's not a racist if his motivation is political. He could care less. If it were Latinos he would stop employing them, although that would be pretty difficult for him to do in California. But he would try! As for what IIIIII think, if more businesses do this, it will kill the economy, and it would take Obama down with it. Republicans own the businesses, they control the country. If the president pisses them off, they lash back.... and they're willing to deal with the repercussions!OGRE!!! : REALLY?????? Who is my friend?????beren : Not my business so I could care less! How about maybe READING???Employing Illegal imigrants.... is a gray area.... If you don't like illegals taking your jobs... don't let them into the country. AS LONG AS YOU DO... and GIVE EXCUSES FOR THEM LIKE "THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WILLING TO DO A JOB".... don't complain when they take yours!!!! more

Resolved Question: What does each group have in common-see details?

1. The back of a dime, the Statue of Liberty, a jilted lover 2. The TV show Home Improvement, the movie National Velvet, the White House in 1850 3. A NASCAR Race Track, an olive, the movie Seven more

Resolved Question: Christian response: Distant dad, difficult brother?

Yes, this is long. If it's too long for you, don't waste time saying so please. Constructive/mature answers pleaaase. My father has often sat outside by the fire, when we, the rest of the family would be inside doing our own things. Admittedly, we weren't the best kids growing up... but only recently he's been sort of surly, and it's just not fair because two of the three of us kids have matured... we're all "kid adults now"... and so for the passive-aggressive/surly part, he just leaves his shoes, underwear, and socks around the house... not fun when I have to explain to a friend who they belong to as I'm picking them up. I've tried talking to him, but he just makes this odd face and basically says "yeah right". He'll also just start talking to some of my friend's parents about things like how my room wasn't too neat... I know he has stress from work - He's overqualified, and a lot of people who like to blab (and have little idea of what they are doing) are given "Man of the Year" awards, promotions, etc... but this doesn't mean that he has to take that and past actions out on his family. I mean being away at college during the schoolyear, I won't be affected too much by this firsthand but it's frustrating that he's being so creepy. I don't know how to handle it. I've tried confronting him before about it, there hasn't been a lot of improvement. My brother doesn't help the situation. He's very "me, me, me".... Always asking for the most expensive thing on the menu at restaurants, using most of the internet line when he's home... even being on two computers at once and saying we can't use the other. Trust me, there is no good reason why. Just a day or two ago, he was on the family computer streaming Hulu (it has speakers, his doesn't now for whatever reason).. and I said okay, if you're using that computer then I'm getting on yours, seeing as I just did some work and I want to check my email, etc. (He had gotten up within the last hour or two, it being 2-3pm) ... I open a new tab, and I see some "questionable" sites, so I confront him about it and he tells me to shut up and that I shouldn't be "snooping" on his computer --- which was hardly my fault seeing as when I opened a new tab it showed "Most frequently visited websites." Bleh. This only upsets my dad more, these petty disagreements that my brother tends to start.. I mean he has graduated from college, has a degree... but he's not really keeping up with his degree, working on his portfolio. What he is looking into doing -- they want him to have developed a game (most companies) or have a very, very impressive portfolio... so things aren't looking good for him. If it were up to my dad, he would probably be on the street. My mom tends to intervene... and try to work things out in other ways, but she's only one person and he just won't change his self centered ways. Just living here at our house, not contributing anything... I feel almost horrible writing this out, knowing that we are supposed to be "loyal" to my family (like not telling other people every little thing so as to shoot someone's character)... but at the same time I feel like this needs to be addressed. Another thing... when I'm on facebook, he hovers over my shoulder, trying to read what I'm doing. He noticed I was looking at a group event for Harry Potter sometime next week, and he was like "Oh, so you're snooping on things I'm doing?" --- and he's not kidding at all, he's totally serious. We have some of the same friends now, especially us being older.. you know, his friends and me being on a closer maturity level. Thing is, he gets super upset if I were to hover over his shoulder. And when I ask what his plans for the day are, he starts telling me to shut up and says that I'm "judging him"...? I don't know where he gets all of this from, and I just don't know how to respond to him. Like I've said, parents don't do much about him... so that's almost out of the question. And I hate to ask them about it because they always sigh and say something to the effect of "We'll handle it"... I know prayer is something I should be doing, and I try not to engage in arguments... but sometimes I feel like I just can't help it. Often when my brother argues about something, he's very black and white about it -- how he was unfairly treated or something, and he keeps repeating the same thing over and over, half the time shouting it. I feel like I just need to point out where he's wrong... but it never seems to help when I do. It bugs me when I don't though because I feel like he may not realize how absurd some of the things he's doing/saying are. And yes, I do realize I'm ranting a little here... but how else can I try to impose on you the gravity of my situation, without examples? Please give constructive, mature answers. more

Resolved Question: Can I get into any of these schools?

I'm aiming for: Syracuse University Ithaca College Pepperdine University Boston University Chapman University Florida State University NYU If you think I can get into more than one tell me which is better, I'm majoring in film and foreign languages I have a 3.2 gpa and I'm an upcoming senior. I am a half African American and half native American female, affiliated with a state recognized tribe 1750 was my SAT though I am going to take it again, and aiming for a 1900+ this was my first try. CR:640 Math:550 Writing:560 I have 3 AP classes lined up for this year and I took one last year. I have almost 200 hours in community service (working at rec. centers, nursing homes, libraries, and cleaning up the community) and I am in extracurricular activities such as volleyball tennis FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America which me and my group won the state competition in Digital Video Production) Green Clean-Up Drum line Youth and Government This year I'm joining Model U.N Softball Debate Team National Honor Society (Only need a 3.2 to get in, I finally reached it) Freshman year GPA: 2.63 Sophomore year: 3.2 Junior: 3.71 Plus some high school classes I took in middle school I got A's in I put this fact because I hope this shows gradual improvement and maybe colleges might appreciate that. I have a job with the DC Government part time after school and I'm ranked in the top 15% of my class out of 242 students So any chances? Also if there are other schools I should consider, feel free to post!!!! more

Resolved Question: is there any good group for do it yourself / home improvement YG that has no nasty remarks or unkind messages?

Resolved Question: I've been commissioned to write a play? Help me please?

I've been commissioned by the theater group to write a play and well I have this idea for a fantasy love story: It's about a renegade son of a noble house,(you can compare their culture as something similar to Renaissance Italy and Germany) and is now working as an artist employed by a small parish. When he comes back to his home he sees his beloved sister...one of the reasons he left his family in the first place, standing in the rain. He invited her to come inside and they start talking...until she couldn't help it and threw herself at him confessing her feelings for him which he responded with shock...but confessed he had the same feelings for her and well... they made love that night...the next morning he found out the reason why she went there in the first place, she was getting married, and said that now that she's said what she wanted she was satisfied, but he wasn't, and asked her to leave with him. She happily accepts... ...but that's just the first act... The real problems comes after it; their family is now hunting him down, and in the end it will end in tragedy with the son committing so many sins even hell won't accept him. Problem is it could still change^^ I'm willing to take suggestions,and improvements in the story that you feel may help me, but what do you think about it so far? I just came up with the idea and the first act yesterday.It isn't my best so it's still a little hazy and I feel it's a little rushed, so I could really need your help^^HarryPotterFan: Yeah...you do have a point....maybe I should write something about two gay guys instead^^hehe(I'm serious...)Lynci akaMaryn: You're both right. Maybe I should start over...this is a college play after all, and I'm only going to get a small percentage of the tickets sold XD So yeah I'll start a new idea, ther is another play I'm working on since I expected this not to work for a mainstream audience-it's loosley based on Ludwig II of Bavaria, and I'm going to be tacking a lot of subjects on that one too...I've been known to make some pretty outrageuous stuff but for something I'm getting paid for I should reconsider. Anyway thanks^^Forgive the mispellings^^akaMaryn: Your time and your answer has helped me make my mind^^ I've decided to go with another idea though i'm still going to write this play on the side(or maybe I should change it froma play into a novella instead?) since I think the idea and the present inspiration is a waste.On the defense of my work though: This isn't the first time I've written the story with the subject of incest, just the first one where it's the main topic. I don't like using the not-blood siblings cop out or any other excuse for the relationship-it just seems a little wrong to me...and feels a little cowardly. I want them to have no excuses, to have no way to justify themselves...I share the same view that these kinds of relationships are "wrong"...but I have different reasons for so; and I want to show that... The couple knows they are the ones in the wrong here; they know they'll never be like normal lovers-aware that the taboo is there for a reason. They don't fret or lament on the wolrd not being able to accept them, and they never go on to the point of obsession. I want to show the effects of such a relationship: all it's destructiveness, and all it's consequences. A love that is unforgivable, evil, selfish... ...but also true.... more

Resolved Question: Short section from my novel - suggestions for improvement?

You won't gain much info about what it is about, but I was just wondering how I can improve my writing style and technique. I'm only a beginner and this is a section from my first novel so any constructive criticism is welcomed! “Well I think I’ll wait here with you if it’s all the same.” He gestured towards the wooden steps that led onto the barge. “Ladies first, of course.” His meaning was implicit, Lizzie thought to herself. James did not want to discuss matters, of any level of importance with a woman. That thought alone fuelled her mistrust of the man and under her visceral thinking, Lizzie did not relax her posture once as she made her way on board. Stepping on board the barge was an experience like none other. The very few of them on board must have been the only living beings for miles. At first glance, it was little more than another ordinary boat. However, after a while, Lizzie grew quite accustomed to the jolly music on deck, played by a lively group of three to four bongo and flute players. It was a tune Lizzie had, in reality, never heard before, but here on the barge was so far from reality that she felt as though it was a part of her, somewhere within, in a private place she associated with home, and dreams and far-away fairytales. She could have been a thousand miles away, just listening to it. Opposite Lizzie was James. Heaven only knew where Sam had disappeared to, and if she was quite honest with herself, Lizzie thought she’d rather not know. Across the far end of the deck, in the very corner, half hidden by an over-caste shadow, was a shapeless figure, with hunched shoulders and long, brittle hair that stuck to his neck by perspiration. He was drinking; Lizzie could see his huge arms raise a bottle to his mouth, perhaps drinking his sorrows away… Who knew or even cared out here? more

Resolved Question: Please help me out...?

Okay, I know that this is the dog section but I feel you guys will better understand what I am going through...Anyone who remembers my old question from my account Keep My Soldier Safe here is a follow up. We own a 1yr old dog that has to be put down this week due to extreme aggression issues with people and dogs. My husband is deployed and I have grown extremely attached to this dog and she was my company so to say. When we were discussing it online yesterday after she bit my mother he went on saying what a waste of money she was and how upset he was about it. Personally, I feel that he is not understanding that she was more than just money but our pet. He went over everything like things she chewed up of his, her surgery, food, etc. Sometimes he is not all in touch with sensitivity since being deployed which is understandable, but how can I tell him that I need sometime to cope and he needs to be there for me without him using the money as a combative? Here is some more information for those who are unaware of my dogs problems. **She has high anxiety and has been on 1 10mg prozac once daily for the past months with no improvement. She has DAP collars along with diffusers. I have done reactive/fearful dog training classes(woman is also a certified behaviorist). She has now bit 4 people and gone after our neighbor's child getting his shirt before I caught her (she got out while I was letting my other dog out). She also has dog on dog aggression attacking our other one twice and biting my MIL dog. I tried working with her because she is so young but she just isn't wired correctly. She has to be muzzled and is basically a prisoner to my home which is no way for her to live. I've contacted many no kill shelters and rescue groups but all have turned her away since she is a 4 time bite case and most foster families are multiple dog homes.How can I make my husband understand that I need time to cope and she was more than just a waste of money... is what I'm trying to ask. The people of the M&D section just thought I was a horrible owner. But I know that I am doing the right thing by putting her to sleep. more

Voting Question: How could I summerize this paragraph?

With only the most important facts? I just need the general information on geothermal energy. Geothermal power (from the Greek roots geo, meaning earth, and thermos, meaning heat) is power extracted from heat stored in the earth. This geothermal energy originates from the original formation of the planet, from radioactive decay of minerals, and from solar energy absorbed at the surface. It has been used for space heating and bathing since ancient roman times, but is now better known for generating electricity. About 10 GW of geothermal electric capacity is installed around the world as of 2007, generating 0.3% of global electricity demand. An additional 28 GW of direct geothermal heating capacity is installed for district heating, space heating, spas, industrial processes, desalination and agricultural applications.[1] Geothermal power is cost effective, reliable, and environmentally friendly, but has previously been geographically limited to areas near tectonic plate boundaries. Recent technological advances have dramatically expanded the range and size of viable resources, especially for direct applications such as home heating. Geothermal wells tend to release greenhouse gases trapped deep within the earth, but these emissions are much lower than those of conventional fossil fuels. As a result, geothermal power has the potential to help mitigate global warming if widely deployed instead of fossil fuels.[1] Prince Piero Ginori Conti tested the first geothermal generator on 4 July 1904, at the Larderello dry steam field in Italy.[2] The largest group of geothermal power plants in the world is located at The Geysers, a geothermal field in California, United States.[3] As of 2004, five countries (El Salvador, Kenya, the Philippines, Iceland, and Costa Rica) generate more than 15% of their electricity from geothermal sources. Twenty-four countries generated a total of 56,786 GWh (204 PJ) of electricity from geothermal power in 2005, accounting for 0.3% of worldwide electricity consumption. This output is growing by 3% annually, thanks to a growing number of plants as well as improvements in their capacity factors. Because a geothermal power station does not rely on transient sources of energy, unlike, for example, wind turbines or solar panels, its capacity factor can be quite large; up to 90% has been demonstrated.[4] Their global average was 73% in 2005.[1] The global capacity was 10 GW in 2007. Geothermal electric power plants have been limited to the edges oftectonic plates until recently. Geothermal electric plants have until recently been built exclusively on the edges of tectonic plates where high temperature geothermal resources are available near the surface. The development of binary cycle power plants and improvements in drilling and extraction technology has opened the hope that enhanced geothermal systems might be viable over a much greater geographical range. A demonstration project has recently been completed in Landau-Pfalz, Germany, and others are under construction in Soultz-sous-Forêts, France and Cooper Basin,Australia. more

Voting Question: Hard to stop helping; will it help anyway?

There have been some significant problems between me and my husband for three months. He's having some new mental illness problems and becomes enraged almost every day over nothing. He directs his anger toward me. I have been supportive and tolerant, though I'm sick of the abuse, and I tell him that, too. He is seeing a psychiatrist, a psychologist and going to a support group. He is on medicine. I do not see a significant improvement. Last week I was in the hospital and he did nothing to help me. He actually came home and unplugged the phone at night so I couldn't bother him. I have decided to stop helping him when he does nothing for me. I've stopped doing laundry, calling the dr for appts, calling in prescriptions, working on a custody modification I was doing for him, reminding him of the 1000 things I remind him of, making his lunch, and grocery shopping. I'm very uneasy with this, and I have to stop myself constantly from offering help, or just doing something. My intent isn't really to change him. My intent is to stop giving something for nothing. I take responsibility for my own problems, which are similar to his, and I do not take them out on him. My hope is to feel less resentful, and to disengage a bit from all the interaction and his anger. Does this seem like it'll be effective? more

Resolved Question: Is this clinical depression or just situational?

I'm discontent with what I have right now. Most likely cause what I don't have. I'm TIRED (both emotionally, and physically) of chasing after what I thought was a butterfly... but was it's shadow. Only getting a taste of the cake. Then the baker taking it away just when I'm happy. I'm not depressed. Well at least in my perspective. I'm a generally happy person. I can crack a joke once or twice... sometimes not knowing when to stop. High school grades are good. Good relations with family and peers (though there ARE some room for improvement) and I have everything I could possibly NEED. But it's my WANT that drives me into loneliness and discontent feelings. Almost more than half a year ago. I posted this SAME question but in a difference scenerio and lifestyle. I was bored with life then too. But then I took good advice and got out there. I was finally happy. I wanted to be in a BIG group of friends, be the SMARTEST of the class, and have a WONDERFUL and FAITHFUL girl in my arms. I got that feeling. For once. I thought I was happy. But then I got paranoid. And lost all that happiness. Life began to stop shaking. It was a straight line. It's lost it's spontaineous moments. I began to withdraw myself from more and more people till I was back at square one. This girl I LIKED held hands with me and I couldn't believe my progress. NOW we hardly talk cause I came off as TOO needy. Screwed myself at the end. Now I think of what could HAVE been and I feel worse. It's my own fault for inflicting these feelings towards myself. Feeling pity for myselft. BUT I'm just too emotionally tired to go through this "finding a new hobby, finding new friends, finding a new goal" kind of **** that people tell me. Physically, I'm just as tired. I don't go home eager to do something. I SLEEP. From 3pm to 8pm and 10pm to 7am... over and over again in the same cycle. I get TIRED of sleeping that my dreams tire me out too. I've no TRUE motivation. And if i DO have one... it would probably fade away in a matter of weeks. Everything's just calm. Nothing new happens. Everything I regret and miss. I love reliving memories so much that I dawdle in the present. I'm not selfish. I'm not asking you to cry on my shoulders. What is this feeling? Do I need help? Or am i Fine/ more

Resolved Question: Am I clinically depressed?

I'm selfish I know. Others would give anything to be in the state I'm in 8 minutes ago - 4 days left to answer. Additional Details I'm discontent with what I have right now. Most likely cause what I don't have. I'm TIRED (both emotionally, and physically) of chasing after what I thought was a butterfly... but was it's shadow. Only getting a taste of the cake. Then the baker taking it away just when I'm happy. I'm not depressed. Well at least in my perspective. I'm a generally happy person. I can crack a joke once or twice... sometimes not knowing when to stop. High school grades are good. Good relations with family and peers (though there ARE some room for improvement) and I have everything I could possibly NEED. But it's my WANT that drives me into loneliness and discontent feelings. Almost more than half a year ago. I posted this SAME question but in a difference scenerio and lifestyle. I was bored with life then too. But then I took good advice and got out there. I was finally happy. I wanted to be in a BIG group of friends, be the SMARTEST of the class, and have a WONDERFUL and FAITHFUL girl in my arms. I got that feeling. For once. I thought I was happy. But then I got paranoid. And lost all that happiness. Life began to stop shaking. It was a straight line. It's lost it's spontaineous moments. I began to withdraw myself from more and more people till I was back at square one. This girl I LIKED held hands with me and I couldn't believe my progress. NOW we hardly talk cause I came off as TOO needy. Screwed myself at the end. Now I think of what could HAVE been and I feel worse. It's my own fault for inflicting these feelings towards myself. Feeling pity for myselft. BUT I'm just too emotionally tired to go through this "finding a new hobby, finding new friends, finding a new goal" kind of **** that people tell me. Physically, I'm just as tired. I don't go home eager to do something. I SLEEP. From 3pm to 8pm and 10pm to 7am... over and over again in the same cycle. I get TIRED of sleeping that my dreams tire me out too. I've no TRUE motivation. And if i DO have one... it would probably fade away in a matter of weeks. Everything's just calm. Nothing new happens. Everything I regret and miss. I love reliving memories so much that I dawdle in the present. I always play a little movie in my head about how my day will be. And when it all doesn't go accordingly... my legs and arms start shaking and I feel a sudden weakness. What is this feeling? Do I need help? Or am i Fine? more

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