Argentina's ongoing crisis has raised serious questions among many Argentines about the validity of the free market economic model adopted by the South American nation during the 1990's. Many are also questioning the role of the International Monetary Fund and the United States in advocating policies which they believe helped lead Argentina to ruin.

Most Argentines are the first to say corruption, government overspending, uncontrolled borrowing and other factors are to blame for the current crisis. Argentina is struggling to emerge from a deep recession that has lasted almost four years, it is burdened with a huge public debt of $141 billion, and is facing a painful devaluation of its currency.

In the span of less than two weeks, in late December, unrest over the government's inability to deal withthese problems drove two Presidents out of office. Now, a third president - Eduardo Duhalde - is trying to find a way out of the crisis.

Yet while Argentines blame misguided government policies for the country's ills, many now also are pointing the finger at the free market model that Argentina adopted during the early 1990's, with strong encouragement from the United States.

The views of municipal worker Miguel Angel Buljan are typical of the sentiment now heard on the streets of Buenos Aires. "The model we've been following with the advice of the economists has been a disaster," he says, "and we want that model to change."

In the early 1990's, then-President Carlos Menem embraced the economic policy prescriptions advocated by Washington and the IMF. These included dismantling trade barriers,


selling off state enterprises, and taking other measures to promote competition. Even though investment and economic growth soared during the mid-1990's, so did borrowing on international markets. When a recession hit Argentina in mid-1998, the bubble began to burst.

The IMF - with US support - responded by calling for increasingly harsh fiscal austerity measures, especially after the administration of President Fernando de la Rua came to office in December, 1999.

Some analysts say the IMF acted too late, and could have done more to prevent the ensuing crisis. Atilio Boron of the Latin American Social Sciences Council (Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales), says the Fund and the U.S. administrations at the time bear much of the blame for what is happening now. "The IMF has played a major role.It kept saying to the Argentine public, and you can see this in the popular press in the years '93, '94, '95...it kept saying that the fundamentals of the Argentine economic policies were alright," he explains. "They kept saying that, 'the fundamentals are alright, make no mistake; you just have to make some minor revisions, but in the fundamentals you are on the right track'. This was the message, the message of [the first] President Bush and President Clinton."

Other analysts agree, but view the matter from a different angle. Economic consultant Jose Luis Espert says the Menem Administration never really fully implemented the free market model in Argentina. Instead, he says the Argentine economy remained relatively noncompetitive, with a bloated public sector, while growth was financed with international


be of great concern to Washington, especially in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. "After September 11," says Mr. Boron, "the story is completely different, because if you are in this sort of crusade against terrorists you need to have your backyard more or less well ordered, and the problem is that the backyard is getting more and more disorderly in the last month, and Argentina was one of the first countries that tried the new liberal recipes…and it may be one of the first to proclaim the death of neoliberalism."

In apparent recognition of the dangers, President Bush has sent a letter to President Duhalde expressing confidence in continued close relations based on what the letter termed "shared values". A White Housespokesman said the President and his advisors continue to closely monitor events in Argentina, and that Mr. Bush has spoken to other Latin American leaders about the situation.

Meanwhile, the Duhalde government is appealing for help and understanding from the United States and the rest of the international community. Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich told reporters Wednesday the world should realize that Argentina is undergoing a difficult crisis, and needs the solidarity of other nations as well as the Argentine people.


Egypt riots raise doubts about Mubarak's authority

February 27, 1986

By Scott MacLeodSpecial to The Christian Science Monitor

Cairo

A serious outbreak of rioting in the Egyptian capital has presented President Hosni Mubarak with his gravest crisis since taking office in 1981. Wednesday's unrest, certain to undermine Mr. Mubarak's image at home and abroad, ignited within a few hundred yards of Egypt's famed tourist attractions -- the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Several thousand black-uniformed Central Security Force policemen in the area set alight and ransacked luxury hotels Tuesday night. The actions were repeated at other police barracks as the unrest spread through Cairo and the cities of Ismailiya, Assuit, and Sohag on Wednesday. Reports at press time yesterday said 15 civilians were killed and more than 300 people were injured.

Thespectacle of Egyptians burning and looting hotels popular with foreign tourists is a misfortune that Egypt can ill afford. Three hijackings in 1985 -- of the American TWA airliner, the Italian liner Achille Lauro, and an EgyptAir plane -- directly or indirectly involved Egypt and have already hurt its crucial revenues from tourism.

But of greater concern, diplomats and observers say, is the fact that yesterday's rioting has damaged Mubarak's authority within Egypt. It called into question the government's control of internal security, given that the Central Security Force is itself one of the Interior Ministry's forces for keeping public order.

Mubarak's regime has recently been shaken by three rounds of illegal public demonstrations. The first began last October when students protested Israel's bombing of the Palestine Liberation Organization's headquarters


in Tunisia. Two weeks later, universities were again rocked by violent protests after the United States intercepted an Egyptian airliner that was carrying the hijackers of the Achille Lauro. Finally in late December and January, small-scale rioting erupted over the government's handling of the case of Sgt. Suleiman Khater, a policeman who had killed seven Israeli tourists in the Sinai.

The thrust of the government's response yesterday consisted in mobilizing the Army throughout Cairo and imposing an indefinite curfew. A sign of official worry was that at 7:30 a.m., the authorities ordered the indefinite closure of Cairo International Airport. After a 4 p.m. curfew, streets all over the city emptied and tanks and armored personnel carriers rumbled through on patrol.

The Egyptian government said yesterday's unrest was sparked off whenconscripts were notified that their three-year tours of duty were to be extended for one more year. Though some police sources confirmed the story, other reports spoke of the involvement of the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood organization. (Islamic fundamentalists have been blamed for the assassination of President Anwar Sadat in October 1981.)

A long government silence about the disturbances created confusion in Cairo and fueled rumors, including one that Libya had attacked Egypt's western border. Although the rioting near the pyramids broke out at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, the government's initial statement was not issued until past midnight. Authorities took no precautions such as canceling school classes or closing public facilities early on Wednesday.

Eyewitnesses near the pyramids said that the Army unleashed heavy gunfire as it attempted to subdue the mutiny,


1. Field
The subject Invention is in the field of heavy nails and spikes, particularly spikes used for attaching railroad rails to railroad ties in conjunction with plates set between the rails and ties. The plates distribute the loads applied by the rails on the ties over a larger area.
2. Prior Art
In the prior art, at points along the rail, the rail is fastened to a plate and a tie by spikes which go into the tie through holes in the plate and the heads of these spikes engage the edges of the flanges of the rail, thus providing attachment of the rail at a point and partial attachment of the plate to the tie at the same point. Additional spikes are driven through holes in the plate thatprovide further attachment of the plate to the tie. The loads on the rails from wheels rolling on the rails are not vertical, so that there is a horizontal component of the loads, applied to the rail and tending to move it sidewise and also to roll it over since the load is applied some distance above the flanges of the rail. The rail is prevented from rolling over by a force couple comprising an upward force between a rail flange and the plate at the edge of one flange and a downward force applied by the head of a spike onto the edge of the other flange. The limit of the restraint to rolling over is determined by the distance between the edges of the flanges and


In the essay below, Higginson discusses Child's broad cultural influence, tempering a general synopsis of her life and works with his personal recollections of her.

To those of us who were by twenty years or more the juniors of Mrs. Child, she always presented herself rather as an object of love than of cool criticism, even if we had rarely met her face to face. In our earliest recollections she came before us less as author or philanthropist than as some kindly and omnipresent aunt, beloved forever by the heart of childhood,—some one gifted with all lore, and furnished with unfathomable resources,—some one discoursing equal delight to all members of the household. In those days she seemed to supply a sufficient literature for any family through her own...his gentle nature and unfaltering character and we were all sad to see him go. We wish him all the best in all his future endeavors and would not hesitate in welcoming him back.

Another Reference ExampleTo whom it may concern It is my pleasure to recommend him who has been collaborating with Azul Diving Center Madeira from the 1st of June 2016 until 2nd of September 2016. As the base leader I worked closely with him and the quality of his work as a dive guide and receptionist for our company enables me to say that he will be a precious addition to any company.

He attended his training as SSI Dive Guide and Divemaster during a three months internship. His field of duties included assisting Divemasters and Instructors


in taking care of certified divers, welcoming guests, conducting briefings and debriefings, guiding certified divers under supervision, taking care of equipment, performing equipment maintenance and filling cylinders. His language skills were extremely valuable to us since he speaks English, Spanish like a native speaker and Italian, he has proved himself to be very enthusiastic, honest, hard working, professional and always showed a courteous and friendly attitude toward our guests and staff. He performed all the tasks required to the highest standard and took constructive criticisms very well, was always polite, willing to listen and learn and therefore it was a pleasure to work with him.

He is leaving our diving centre too soon to my liking; his performance in our company is a good indication of how well heJordan talking about her first college party where she was drunk and throwing up before she got there. Apparently she was 16 and passed out in a dorm room. When she woke up a cop was there and called her mother


hypertension only presented to the emergency department with left hand weakness and numbness for past 7 hours. He was unable to extend his wrist and fingers and had loss of sensation and paresthesia on the dorsum of the left hand. He had experienced a similar episode 3 days ago, which resolved in a few hours; the patient had initially attributed these symptoms to old age and muscle spasms. Today his symptoms did not resolve in the past few hours, hence he decided to come to the emergency room for further investigation. He denied any dizziness, lightheadedness, loss of consciousness, slurring of speech, ambulatory dysfunction, or difficulty maintaining balance. He denied any weakness or loss of sensation in any other extremity. His home medications were amlodipine, benazepril, and vitaminchecked with his dispatcher, and learned that Upshaw had a suspended license.
As Officer Drane radioed for backup, he observed Drane moving towards the center console of the vehicle, holding something, and moving his hand toward his mouth. When other officers arrived, Officer Drane directed Upshaw to exit the vehicle. Upon exiting, Upshaw shouted, "I'm a dealer, I sell narcotics." Tr. p. 90, 122. One of the other officers took custody of Upshaw because he was "acting out," id. at 122, and Officer Drane advised Upshaw that he was under arrest for driving while suspended.
The other police officers observed substances later identified as marijuana and crack cocaine on the driver's seat, where Upshaw had been sitting. As Upshaw was being taken to the rear of his vehicle, he threatened


search incident to Upshaw's arrest, the officers found $116 and a torn marijuana baggie in Upshaw's pants pocket.
On March 30, 2009, the State charged Upshaw with class B felony dealing in cocaine, class D felony possession of cocaine, class A misdemeanor and class D felony possession of marijuana, and class A misdemeanor driving while suspended with a prior misdemeanor conviction. On June 17, 2009, the State amended the charging information, adding charges of class B felony possession of cocaine, class A felony dealing in cocaine, and a habitual substance offender enhancement.
On August 4, 2009, Upshaw filed a motion for a speedy trial pursuant to Criminal Rule 4(B). The trial court granted the motion on August 11, found that the deadline was October 13, 2009, and set a trialfor October 8, 2009.
On October 6, 2009, the State filed a motion to continue the trial because of the unavailability of key witnesses. The trial court denied the State's motion on October 7, and on October 8, released Upshaw on his own recognizance. The trial court reset Upshaw's trial for March 1, 2010.
Less than three weeks later, on October 27, the State moved to revoke Upshaw's bond in this case following his arrest in another, unrelated matter for class A misdemeanor battery of a police officer. The trial court granted the motion the same day.
On November 11, 2009, Upshaw renewed his motion for a fast and speedy trial. The trial court granted the motion, found that the new speedy trial deadline was January 11, 2010, and set the


• The trade ladder: Where did your club rank?

• WATCH: The Trade wrap part one

• WATCH: The Trade wrap part two

WHEN Damien Hardwick wrote that clubs should be able to trade players yet to qualify for free agency without their consent, it seemed he had spent one too many mind-warping days in the Richmond coach's box.

It was a radical idea that Hardwick put forward in February on AFL.com.au, one that went totally against how things had been done in the modern era of player trading.

But after this year's trade period we think Hardwick might be on to something.

The practice of first- to seventh-year players nominating their preferred new homes has skewed the balance of power in trade negotiations too far in the players' favour.

Generally, players can get toplayer's nominated new home?

Is it fair that a club's only real recourse in the existing pick-your-club landscape is the cut-off-your-nose option of forcing the player into the draft for no return?

We're not saying Hardwick's no-consent proposal is necessarily the way forward.

The notion of clubs being able to send players to the other side of the country without any say in it doesn't sit well.

But neither does the situation the Lions faced at the end of 2013, when five second- and third-year players – Jared Polec (Port Adelaide), Elliot Yeo (West Coast), Sam Docherty (Carlton), Billy Longer (St Kilda) and Patrick Karnezis (Collingwood) – all arrived at their nominated new homes at bargain-basement rates.

What if those wantaway Lions had been required to nominate at least another club – perhaps


her when she tries to tell you she's been raped. — jon frozenberg❄☠ (@jonrosenberg) October 6, 2018

King’s behavior on Twitter has been suspect in recent months, making him appear to be an outright white supremacist. The Republican has promoted the views of prominent white nationalists, including Lana Lokteff, host of media outfit Red Ice (designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group), and British neo-Nazi Mark Collett.

Just last month, he disparaged Kavanaugh’s accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, by sharing a meme that suggested she was lying about her assault for Hillary Clinton.

King, who has served eight terms in Congress, is up for re-election this November against Democrat J.D. Scholten.Duke Basketball: First loss a major wake-up call

The 2018-19 Duke Basketball squad entered the Maui Invitational with arguably the most amount of hype ever attributed to one college basketball team.

After destroying Kentucky in the season opener and rampaging through their first five games, coach Mike Krzyzewski and company headed to Hawaii with unprecedented media attention. From pundits saying the team might go undefeated to scouts breaking down R.J. Barrett, Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish as potentially the top three picks in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Blue Devils had become the talk of the basketball world.

They continued to dominate the headlines after dismantling San Diego State and turning in a strong performance against eighth-ranked Auburn, setting up a championship matchup against Gonzaga. All signs seemed to point towards


It's not often that a Canadian bank can say its products were too popular with Canadians for their own good, but that's exactly what happened to EQ Bank this month as the lender was flooded with inquiries for its high-interest savings account.

The bank, part of bricks and mortar lender Equitable Bank with close to $17 billion in assets, made a splash with its offer of a three per cent savings rate for its online-only savings account in January. The bank was promptly flooded with requests to sign up, and many would-be customers complained about processing delays and other headaches with getting their savings accounts up and running.

"We underestimated the response from Canadians, and this led to long customer service wait times and delays in account activations," the bankMr. Anthony Bavaria provides services to the students at Shaull Elementary School and Cumberland Valley HS. He can be reached at 717-732-2460. Mr. Bavaria will be on leave November 2017 until the new year. Please contact the building principal if you have any questions.

Mrs. Jennifer Cameron provides services to the students of Sporting Hill Elementary. She can be reached at 717-761-5052.

Dr. JoAnn Coslett's office is located in Cumberland Valley High School. You can reach her at 717-506-3634. Dr. Coslett provides services to the CV High School students.

Mrs. Jennifer Garvey's office is located in Cumberland Valley High School. You can reach her at 717-506-3572. Mrs. Garvey provides services to CV High School students.

Ms. Erin Hanshaw's office is located at Middlesex Elementary. She provides services to Green Ridge Elementary and


Middlesex Elementary. You can reach her at 717-249-5586.

Mrs. Jill LaFaver's office is located at Hampden Elementary School. You can reach her at 717-737-4513. Mrs. LaFaver provides services to students at Hampden Elementary School and Monroe Elementary School.

Mr. Garry Maus' office is located in Eagle View Middle School. You can reach him at 717-506-3811. Mr. Maus provides services to the students of Eagle View Middle School and Silver Spring Elementary.

Mrs. Bethany Fratus has her office in Good Hope Middle School. You can reach her at 717-761-1865. Mrs. Fratus provides services to the students of Good Hope Middle School and CV High School.

WHAT WE DO:

School psychologists at Cumberland Valley School District have two main job functions. First, we consult with parents and teachers about a student's educational progress through thewas bounded by Wenatchee Avenue and the Columbia River. It contained an environmental impact assessment, not an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and recognized actual implementation would require compliance with both SEPA and RCW 90.58, the Shoreline Management Act of 1971.
The City Planning Commission and the Chelan County Planning Commission conducted a joint public hearing in October of 1974 to consider incorporating the Plan into the Wenatchee Urban Area Comprehensive Plan. At the hearing, potential flooding and sewage treatment problems were discussed. Both commissions endorsed the Plan. Each made a factual finding that the environmental impact of the Plan had been evaluated and that while major impact might result from the individual projects contemplated by the Plan, a negative declaration would be entered "for the record." Thereafter, in November


October of 1975 purchased an option to the Wade Fruit property. The City had taken title to the Standard Lumber property in 1973.
In February 1976, the City applied to rezone 6.3 acres of site No. 2 from C-M (Commercial District) and W-I (Warehousing and Industrial District) to C-H (Commercial District). The 6.3-acre site included the Just, Standard Lumber and Wade Fruit properties. An environmental checklist was prepared and a proposed declaration of nonsignificance was entered.
The City Planning Commission held a rezone hearing March 13, 1976, which resulted in a recommendation that the City approve the application. On March 31, 1976, the City took title to the Wade Fruit property and one day later took title to the Just property.
Two weeks later, on April 13, 1976, the City Commissionershad violated both Const. art. 8, § 7 and SEPA. After respondent City and respondent Mercy had filed their answers, they entered a written agreement covering "lease back arrangements" for the theater complex. On June 2, 1976, the City prepared a preliminary environmental assessment for the community center complex, but no EIS. At the time of trial, the City still had not acquired all property located within site No. 2, had not prepared schematic diagrams for the community center complex, and had not prepared an EIS under either SEPA or the National Environmental Policy Act.
Following a trial to the court, the judge dismissed appellant's complaint and denied subsequent motions for reconsideration and for a new trial. Appellant sought direct review by this court.
In addition to challenging 10 findings


but was heavily influenced by his disappointment with an unrelated dispute earlier this year.” An explanation that was also given almost verbatim to the Bloomberg news agency, who has also reported on the series of events between Nextmove and Tesla.

Update 21.08.2019: In a new video Nextmove managing director Stefan Moeller classifies the statement of Tesla in reaction to the service hell allegations of the electric car rental. Moeller also underlined the rumour that has been circulating in industry circles for some time that Jochen Rudat, Director Central Europe at Tesla, “has not been active in the company for a few weeks”.

twitter.com (Video, subtitled in English)

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Nextmove is under some pressure because, after ordering 100 vehicles, the company has already signed numerous long-term leases with customers. These hadto be partially terminated or rented to the customers at the discounted price with another electric car. In the summer, Nextmove said it wanted to order four Model 3 over online. “The result was that Tesla was able to offer us vehicles as new that had already been registered to a private individual,” says Moeller.

This would have had two main consequences: BAFA only grants the environmental bonus for vehicles registered for the first time. If, as Nextmove claims, the Model 3 had already been approved, it would not have been possible to apply for the plug-in grant despite the offer of a new car. Besides, the sales tax could no longer be claimed as input tax from the tax office.

In response to this accusation, Tesla explained that it


News

30 days to go until the 2018 Youth Olympic Games

September 7, 2018

With just 30 days to go until the start of the Youth Olympic Games in the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires, an impressive list of young boxing stars are preparing to launch their Olympic careers. While the Youth Olympic Games combines both competition and cultural exchange, the boxing event itself will run from 14-18 October and will provide an excellent platform for unveiling future champions and propelling them into the Olympic spotlight. The likes of Rio 2016 Olympic gold medallists Tony Yoka and Robeisy Ramirez and silver medallists Shakur Stevenson and Bektemir Melikuziev started their Olympic careers by triumphing at previous Youth Olympic Games editions.

“The Youth Olympic Games are an excellent opportunity to see our future championsNeil Young takes aim at Keystone pipeline

Singer Neil Young speaks during a press conference in Toronto, Sunday January 12, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mark Blinch

WINNIPEG - Rocker Neil Young took aim at the proposed Keystone XL pipeline Thursday on his concert tour condemning the Alberta oilsands, while energy executives, politicians and even a fellow musician shot back that he is irresponsible and uninformed.

Young told a news conference ahead of his Winnipeg concert that the TransCanada pipeline, which would carry oilsands bitumen from Alberta to Texas refineries, makes no sense since the oil would be sent to China — a country he called one of the dirtiest on Earth.

"People don't understand this oil is not for Canada," Young said. "A couple of months ago, Beijing had 30 times the World


a four-city Canadian tour to support the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation that lives downstream from the oilsands. The band has filed a lawsuit to try to protect its traditional territory from further industrialization.

Since he kicked off the tour in Toronto on Sunday, the iconic musician has traded shots with the Prime Minister's Office and oil executives who say Young doesn't understand the oilsands or their economic benefit.

Even fellow Canadian musician Jim Cuddy from Blue Rodeo called Young's comparison of the oilsands with Hiroshima extreme.

"He's grossly exaggerating," Cuddy told Saskatchewan-based Missinipi Broadcasting Corp. "Nobody can say that any kind of open-pit mining — whether it's oil, shale or whatever — is beautiful," he said.

"I'm not sure this is about esthetics. It's about clean water, clean air and economics."

However, Cuddy,and mow it down like a city did with a poverty-stricken woman in Tulsa, OK who came home to find her vegetation and medicinal herbs completely excavated – even though, she followed the code.

Jason has already tried reasoning with the city by offering to build a fence, but from his experience, the Tulsa example and Toronto below, we find that reasoning and compromise don’t go far.

Things fair just as bad in Toronto when community gardeners discovered that the city destroyed their garden saying it was “illegally planted” even though the gardeners had worked with the city. Of course, they waited until harvest time, until months of toil had gone into the plot, before destruction – allowing no one to benefit from the food or save their rare heirloom


because he was at his limit for frequent flier miles

Trevor May: Played Fortnite, duh

Adalberto Mejia: Tried to do the math on how many scoreless innings he has to pitch in order to considerably lower his ERA

Mike Morin: Tried convincing fans that he was a baseball player with the Minnesota Twins

Matt Magill: Same as Morin

Blake Parker: Realizing that having a newborn means so little sleep and so many dirty diapers

Martin Perez: Studied up on how he actually improved this season

Michael Pineda: He was still standing out on the mound pitching since his pace is that of a snail

Taylor Rogers: Prepared a post-season rampage for not making it on the All-Star team this year

Jason Castro: Found a way how to get rid of all the wet blankets that were mailedto him last year (so mildew-y...)

Mitch Garver: Mailed some more wet blankets to Jason Castro

Ehire Adrianza: Tried to think of a way to get Gonzalez and Arraez off the team so he stays with the big-league club

Luis Arraez: Tried to think of a way to get Gonzalez or Adrianza off the team so he stays with the big-league club

Marwin Gonzalez: Sat around not knowing that Adrianza and Arraez are trying to kick him off the team

Jorge Polanco: Took in the All-Star Break knowing that he has a spot on the team

Miguel Sano: Watched the Home Run Derby, trying to figure out how to hit all those dingers

Nelson Cruz: Watched the Home Run Derby, reminiscing hitting all his famous dingers

Jonathan Schoop: Held a class for all your dads on


Today marks the 160th anniversary of a seminal, but largely forgotten moment in the history of the conservation movement.

On Monday, 27 June, 1853, a giant sequoia – one of the natural world's most awe-inspiring sights - was brought to the ground by a band of gold-rush speculators in Calaveras county, California. It had taken the men three weeks to cut through the base of the 300ft-tall, 1,244-year-old tree, but finally it fell to the forest floor.

A section of the bark from the "Mammoth Tree", as newspapers soon described it, had already been removed and was sent to San Francisco to be put on display. The species had only been "discovered" (local Native American tribes such as the Miwok had known of the trees for centuries) that spring bya hunter who stumbled upon the pristine grove in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada whilst chasing an injured bear. Word of the discovery quickly spread.

In the age of PT Barnum's freak shows, the speculators, mostly gold miners, had sensed a commercial opportunity. The section of bark – re-erected using scaffold, with a piano inside to entertain paying visitors - would later be sent to Broadway in New York, as would the bark from a second tree felled a year later. The bark of the "Mother of the Forest" – as the second tree was named – would even go on to be displayed at London's Crystal Palace causing great excitement and wonder in Victorian England before it was destroyed by fire on 30 December 1866. (The bark


of the original mammoth tree was also lost to fire as it lay in storage in New York in 1855. A fitting end, perhaps, as fire plays such a crucial role in the life cycle of giant sequoias.)

The fame of the trees was such that a hotel was quickly built at the site to host the influx of tourists. To entertain the guests, tea dances were regularly held on the stump of the mammoth tree and a bowling alley was built on the now prone trunk. (This page has a wonderful range of images of the Mammoth Tree and the Mother of the Forest.)

The remarkable, engaging story of these two doomed trees is too detailed to be told here, but what is worth recalling on this anniversary isthe reaction their destruction caused in the media at the time – and its subsequent effect on some progressive politicians a decade later when they cited their felling and exploitation as an inspiration to establish what later came to be known as the US national park system.

Tourist walking by 'The Father of The Forest" in Calaveras Grove, California c.1880s. Photograph: Alamy

Was the outrage expressed by some in the popular media of the day evidence of the first stirrings of an environmental consciousness in the US? It would be wrong to assess such statements without noting the historical context of that age – a time of the "manifest destiny" when nature was viewed as a God-given resource for Mankind to exploit – but it is also hard to ignore


to be sent to New York.

"Amator" [Latin for "friend"] is dreadfully shocked at the vandalism and barbarity of flaying that giant of the woods, and depriving California of its greatest "growing" exponent.

However, the same report also goes on to say that the stripping of the tree's bark is "characteristic of California enterprise" and that Hanford's efforts to exhibit the bark in New York will allow "millions of the inhabitants of the earth to see it, has rendered his adopted state a lasting benefit, given to science a page, and the world a natural curiosity". So any sadness at the tree's demise was counteracted by the boost to local pride.

Two people standing on the stump of the 'Mammoth Tree' at Calaveras Big Trees State Park, California. Photograph: Jeff Compasso/Alamy

Butan act of vandalism not to be forgiven, yet the desecration has been committed, and it is useless now to reiterate our vain regrets.

However, the ripples of outrage took a further year – and the stripping of the Mother of the Forest – to really gain traction. Then came this editorial in the New York Herald, dated 17 December, 1855:

The finest, the most beautiful and symmetrical of these trees, (though not the largest) has been cut down…From this beginning, unless the Goths and Vandals are arrested in their work, the destruction of the incomparable forest will probably go on till the last vestige of it is destroyed. In this view, the point that we make is, that the State of California and the Congress of the Union should


issue (pdf) of Hutchings' California Magazine. It was also later reprinted the following year in the popular tourist guide, Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity in California:

In our estimation, it was a sacrilegious act; although it is possible, that the exhibition of the bark, among the unbelievers of the eastern part of our continent, and of Europe, may have convinced all the "Thomases" living, that we have great facts in California, that must be believed, sooner or later. This is the only palliating consideration with us for this act of desecration.

And then, in 1864, came the culminating moment when John Conness, the senator from California, rose in Congress to make a speech urging his colleagues to pass a bill that would see the now nationally famous Yosemite Valley andwould not believe us. The purpose of this bill is to preserve one of these groves from devastation and injury. The necessity of taking early possession and care of these great wonders can easily be seen and understood.

The bill passed and the "Yosemite grant" paved the way for the first official national park being established at Yellowstone in 1872. Celebrated conservationists such as John Muir would all later visit the stump of the original "mammoth tree" to reflect on both its fate and influence. However, the grove of sequoias at Calaveras – where the story of the US conservation movement arguably began – did not become a state park until 1931 following a decades-long fight to see off the desires of lumber companies.

Today, the trees are now safe


from the "Goths and Vandals", but not, alas, some of the side-effects of modern civilization: urban ozone, climate change, uncontrolled frequent fires, to name but a few.

Over 100 people stand atop of and around a logged giant sequoia tree, Calaveras County, California, 1917. Photograph: A. R. Moore/National Geographic Society/Corbis

Footnote: I first fell under the spell of the story of the Mammoth Tree five years ago - I feel it has many lessons for us today - and have been researching the tale, on and off, ever since, with the expert guidance of Gary D Lowe. Gary has written a number of booklets on the topic, including one about the Cornish plant hunter William Lobb who was in California at the time and, upon hearing of the tree's discovery,clinics in other countries. Although the people who took their animals to the PDSA would not have been able to afford to go to a vet, the veterinary profession still looked down on the organization.

The people who worked at PDSA clinics had no veterinary training. This was not illegal, because the law at the time only prevented people from calling themselves veterinary surgeons without training, not from caring for animals. The large number of animals passing through the clinics meant that staff quickly became experienced, and apparently many vets at the time – more used to horses – were not good at handling small animals.

In 1926, when a woman called Sarah Martha Grove Hardy left the PDSA £50,000, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons tried to claim some


of Making Your Dog Happy . She is the founder of the popular blog Companion Animal Psychology , where she writes about everything from training methods to the human-canine relationship. She also writes a column for Psychology Today and has received the prestigious Captain Haggerty Award for Best Training Article in 2017. Todd lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband and two cats.As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As an Etsy affiliate, I earn from qualifying Etsy purchases.Sea to shining sea

Resource Information

The work Sea to shining sea represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Clinton Public Library. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

Corrie's reputation as a journalist has brought her to the attention of handsome young Republican aide Cal Burton, who tries to convince her to use her influence to get Abe Lincoln elected, and though she is very opposed to slavery, her zeal is tempered by the mounting conflict within the nation and her own family


is chiefly significant for its role as a Sailors' Home, reflecting the importance of Newcastle's maritime history and representing an international benevolent movement concerned with the welfare of seamen in British ports throughout the world that developed in the 1860s.

Established in 1882 through private and public philanthropic efforts, Coutts Sailors' Home was the only other such institution established outside Sydney, making it rare in NSW and possibly Australia and reflecting Newcastle's status as a major national and international port and also the esteem with which sailors and seamen were held by the community at a time when shipping was crucial to international trade and communication. Newcastle's development as a port has shaped much of its economic and social history.

The Sailors' Home is one of several buildings in thehas potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

The site may have archaeological potential as the convict lumber yard, which operated from 1814 to c. 1850 extended beneath the north-west corner of the site. It therefore has the potential to reveal something of the area's penal history. The lumber yard is commemorated in an interpretive park on the adjoining allotment.

The buildings themselves have the potential to yield information relating to the original design philosophies, layout, construction methods and materials associated with the various phases of the building's history.

The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

The former Sailors' Home is extremely rare as the only institution of


NO. 07-02-0352-CR

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE SEVENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS

AT AMARILLO

PANEL C

NOVEMBER 21, 2002
______________________________

DAVID MCKAY,

		Appellant

v.

THE STATE OF TEXAS,

		Appellee

_________________________________

FROM THE 31ST DISTRICT COURT OF LIPSCOMB COUNTY;

NO. 1026; HON. STEVEN EMMERT, PRESIDING
_______________________________

Before QUINN, REAVIS and JOHNSON, JJ.
	David McKay (appellant) appeals from an order revoking his community
supervision.  He had originally been convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
via a plea bargain and plea of guilty.  Pursuant to the plea agreement, he was sentenced
to five years imprisonment.  However, the sentence was suspended, and appellant was
placed on five years probation.  Subsequently, the State filed a motion to revoke probation.
Appellant pled true to various grounds stated in the motion and denied the others.  The
trial court granted the motion, revoked appellant's probation, and sentenced him toa small child, and a brief conversation ensued.  Hooper then took
the child to some unidentified location and returned to the car which was operated by
appellant.  Appellant and Hooper left the apartment complex and then later returned to the
parking lot.  Upon their return, Hooper got out of the automobile, and got into a vehicle
driven by Officer Ponce.  As he did so, there was testimony that Officer Ponce looked over
to the red Monte Carlo, and he and appellant waved and greeted each other.
          While Hooper was in the officer’s car, the officer paid money to Hooper and received
some crack cocaine.  At that time, another law enforcement agent gave a signal and an
arrest team moved in and arrested both appellant and Hooper.  The


evidence established
that the cocaine received by Officer Ponce was in an amount of at least four but less than
200 grams.  It was also established that the transaction took place within 1000 feet of a
premises operated by a school.
          In testimony regarding the relationship between appellant and Hooper, the State
presented the testimony of Carol McKnight, appellant’s ex-girlfriend.  Ms. McKnight averred
that appellant lived with her at the apartment complex where the transaction took place.
She also testified that Hooper stayed overnight at the apartment she shared with appellant.
She said that neither appellant nor Hooper had a job while she knew them and that Hooper
obtained his income from selling crack cocaine.  She also averred that appellant and
Hooper had discussions about selling crack cocaine and that she witnessed conversations
betweenAn underground station has been named after an LGBT activist for the first time ever – and it looks stunning.

Jáuregui station was officially inaugurated by Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, chief of government in Buenos Aires, last week.

Carlos Jáuregui was the first president of the Homosexual Community of Argentina in 1984, and eight years later, he led the first Gay Pride parade through the Argentinian capital.

The station now has rainbow steps and a huge mural featuring a giant painting of Jáuregui, a Pride participant holding a rainbow flag and a female couple embracing.

The mural, which stretches along the main wall of the station, also includes mostly naked men, a representation of the disabled LGBT community, and one Jáuregui’s most famous quotes.

It reads: “In a society that teaches us to shame,


pride is a political response.”

Jáuregui, who was also a historian and journalist, died of AIDS in 1996, aged 38.

His brother Roberto and partner Pablo Azcona also died from the disease.

The activist also has a plaza in the city named after him, while the date of his death, August 20, became a national Day of Activism for Sexual Diversity.

Argentina now allows gay and bi men to give blood, has a government department which helps LGBT citizens fight discrimination, and has made Buenos Aires an LGBT-friendly city.

Same-sex marriage has also been legal nationwide since 2010, before either the UK or the US. It was the first Latin American country to do so.1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air nozzle and, more particularly, to an air nozzle for an automatically inflatable air cushion.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional air nozzle for an automatically inflatable air cushion in accordance with the prior art shown in FIG. 7 comprises a mounting seat 30 mounted on an automatically inflatable air cushion 31 containing a packing 311, a connecting pipe 10 having a first end mounted on the mounting seat 30 by ratchet teeth 16 and limit bosses 15, a mediate portion formed with an outer thread 14 and a second end formed with a mounting portion 12 having an inside formed with an annular passage 13 connected to the mounting seat 30, a control cap 20 rotatably mounted


on the connecting pipe 10 and having an inside formed with an inner thread 24 screwed onto the outer thread 14 of the connecting pipe 10 and an end face 21 provided with a protruding seal portion 23 that is movable to seal the passage 13 of the connecting pipe 10, and a gasket 11 mounted in the passage 13 of the connecting pipe 10 to press the seal portion 23 of the control cap 20 when the seal portion 23 of the control cap 20 is inserted into the passage 13 of the connecting pipe 10. The connecting pipe 10 has an inside formed with an air chamber 101 connected between the mounting seat 30 and the passage 13. The control cap 20 has an inside formedwith an air channel 25 connected to the passage 13 of the connecting pipe 10 when the seal portion 23 of the control cap 20 is detached from the passage 13 of the connecting pipe 10. The end face 21 of the control cap 20 has a peripheral wall formed with a plurality of air vents 22 connected to the air channel 25.
In practice, the inner thread 24 of the control cap 20 is screwed onto the outer thread 14 of the connecting pipe 10, so that when the control cap 20 is rotated relative to the connecting pipe 10, the seal portion 23 of the control cap 20 is movable relative to the passage 13 of the connecting pipe 10. Thus, the seal portion 23 of the


control cap 20 is movable to detach from the passage 13 of the connecting pipe 10 to open a connection between the air channel 25 of the control cap 20 and the passage 13 of the connecting pipe 10, so that an air from the ambient environment is in turn introduced through the air vents 22 of the control cap 20, the air channel 25 of the control cap 20, the passage 13 of the connecting pipe 10, the air chamber 101 of the connecting pipe 10 and the mounting seat 30 into the automatically inflatable air cushion 31 so as to inflate the automatically inflatable air cushion 31 automatically. On the contrary, the seal portion 23 of the control cap 20 is movable to seal the passage

Sample collected with swab.

Sample collected with electrostatic cloth.

Two light switches were sampled as a pool.

One table, one door, and room equipment (stethoscope, rectal thermometer, and hand soap dispenser) were sampled as a pool.

Eight cages were sampled as a pool.

Two doors were sampled as a pool.

Two tables were sampled as a pool.

Four chairs were sampled as a pool.

Four tables were sampled as a pool.

Four cages were sampled as a pool.

Three cages were sampled as a pool.

Two keyboards were sampled as a pool.

One table and two doors were sampled as a pool.

Four vests and two cassettes were sampled as a pool.

Two cabinets were sampled as a pool.

Two dispensers were sampled as a pool.

Two gurneys were sampled as a pool.

Six muzzles were sampled as a pool.

Ten bowls were sampled


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Paul S. Boyer

American History: A Very Short Introduction spans the earliest migrations to the present looking at the United States's failures to live up to its oft-stated ideals. The ...
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American History: A Very Short Introduction spans the earliest migrations to the present looking at the United States's failures to live up to its oft-stated ideals. The establishment of the North American colonies had very different meanings for colonists, native peoples, and enslaved Africans. The late nineteenth century saw industrial expansion, appalling conditions, and an exploited labor force. The twentieth-century emergence of a suburbansociety of consumer abundance meant a better life for many, yet left behind crime-ridden inner cities and spawned a stultifying mass culture. While American popular culture has demonstrated global appeal, the projection of U.S. military power abroad has sometimes failed in its purpose and damaged the nation's international standing.Less

David A. Gerber

American Immigration: A Very Short Introduction examines the many legal efforts to curb immigration and to define who is and is not an American. It looks at immigration from ...
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American Immigration: A Very Short Introduction examines the many legal efforts to curb immigration and to define who is and is not an American. It looks at immigration from the perspective of the migrant — farmers and industrial workers, mechanics and domestics, highly trained professionals and small-business owners —


who willingly upped sticks for the promise of a better life. Americans have come from every corner of the globe, and have been brought together by a variety of historical processes — conquest, colonialism, the slave trade, territorial acquisition, and voluntary immigration. What is the relationship between race and ethnicity in the life of these groups and in the formation of American society?Less

Robert J. Allison

Between 1760 and 1800, the American people cast off British rule to create a new nation and a radically new form of government based on the idea that people have the right to govern ...
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Between 1760 and 1800, the American people cast off British rule to create a new nation and a radically new form of government based on the idea that people havethe right to govern themselves. The American Revolution: A Very Short Introduction provides a cohesive synthesis of the military, diplomatic, political, social, and intellectual aspects of the American Revolution, paying special attention to the Revolution's causes and consequences. It recreates the tumultuous events that led to revolution, such as the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party, and highlights the major battles and commanders on both sides before exploring the aftermath of the Revolution and how the new republic developed.Less

Stephen Aron

The American West: A Very Short Introduction tracks “the West” from the building of the Cahokia Mounds around 900 ad, through early encounters with Europeans, to the Newlands ...
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The American West: A Very Short Introduction tracks “the West” from the building of the Cahokia Mounds around 900 ad,


through early encounters with Europeans, to the Newlands Reclamation Act in 1902, and the post-World War II migration to California. It stretches the chronology, enlarges the geography, and varies the casting, providing a history of the American West that is longer, larger, and more complicated than popular culture has previously suggested. It is a history of how portions of North America became Wests, how parts of these became American, and how ultimately American Wests became the American West.Less

Susan Ware

What does U.S. history look like with women at the center of the story? From Pocahantas to military women serving in the Iraq war, American Women's History: A Very Short Introduction ...
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What does U.S. history look like with women at the center of the story? From Pocahantas to military womenserving in the Iraq war, American Women's History: A Very Short Introduction chronicles the contributions, recognized and unrecognized, that women have made to the American experience. It recognizes the diversity of American women's experiences defined by race, ethnicity, and class, but also geography, sexual orientation, age, and religion. At the core of the narrative is the recognition that gender—the changing historical and cultural constructions of roles assigned to the biological differences of the sexes—is central to understanding the history of American women's lives, and the history of the United States.
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Madeline Y. Hsu

Asians have migrated to North America for centuries, in search of opportunities and conveyed by increasingly dense, international circuits of trade, labor markets, and family networks. ...
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Asians have migrated to North America for centuries, in search of


opportunities and conveyed by increasingly dense, international circuits of trade, labor markets, and family networks. Asians joined a diverse array of immigrants arriving in capacities as diverse merchants, farmers, soldiers, missionaries, soldiers, artists, and students. They contributed significantly to the massive transformation of the United States into the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world, particularly on the west coast and Hawaii. Asian American History: A Very Short Introduction highlights how Asian immigration has shaped the evolution of ideological and legal interpretations of America as a “nation of immigrants.”Less

Alan Taylor

Colonial America: A Very Short Introduction presents the current scholarly understanding of the subject. During the past generation, historians have broadened that ...
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Colonial America: A Very Short Introduction presents the current scholarly understanding of the subject. During thepast generation, historians have broadened that understanding by adopting both a trans-Atlantic and a trans-continental perspective, examining the interplay of Europe, Africa, and the Americas through the flows of goods, people, plants, animals, capital, and ideas. Colonial America produced an unprecedented mixing of radically diverse peoples — African, European, and Indian — under stressful circumstances for all. The colonial intermingling of peoples, microbes, plants, and animals from different continents was unparalleled in speed and volume. Everyone had to adjust to a new world of unpredictable social and cultural hybrids that compromised and complicated the ambitious plans of empire-builders.Less

R. B. Bernstein

The Founding Fathers: A Very Short Introduction provides an overview of the brilliant, flawed, and quarrelsome group of lawyers, politicians, merchants, military men, and ...
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The Founding Fathers: A Very


Short Introduction provides an overview of the brilliant, flawed, and quarrelsome group of lawyers, politicians, merchants, military men, and clergy known as “the Founding Fathers,” what they did, and what history has made of them. It traces the dynamic forces that molded Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton, and their contemporaries as British colonists in North America and as intellectual citizens of the Atlantic civilization’s Age of Enlightenment. It analyzes the American Revolution, the framing and adoption of state and federal constitutions, and the key concepts and problems that both shaped and circumscribed the founders’ achievements as the United States sought its place in the world.Less

Eric Rauchway

The Great Depression and the New Deal: A Very Short Introduction explores the roots, events, and legacy of the Great Depression and Roosevelt'sNew Deal. America's post-war ...
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The Great Depression and the New Deal: A Very Short Introduction explores the roots, events, and legacy of the Great Depression and Roosevelt's New Deal. America's post-war laissez-faire economic policies resulted in an economic upheaval of unprecedented severity, to which President Roosevelt responded with a vigorous (and sometimes unconstitutional) set of Depression-fighting economic measures, which were only justifiable in the face of such a global economic disaster. Key New Deal programmes are examined, such as the National Recovery Agency, Public Works Administration, and Social Security, revealing why some worked and others did not.Less

Theda Perdue and Michael D. Green

North American Indians: A Very Short Introduction describes how nomadic bands of hunter-gatherers travelled over the Bering land mass between Asia and what is now Alaska from


On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled (PDF) that states can limit their Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to only citizens of that state.

The unanimous decision is a significant setback to journalists and researchers who use the tool to gather information from public agencies. Ars and dozens of media organizations—including the Associated Press, Bloomberg News, The New Yorker, The New York Times, National Public Radio, The Washington Post, etc.—filed an amicus brief (PDF) in favor of the two men who challenged the restriction.

The case’s first petitioner is a man who used to live in Virginia, Mark J. McBurney, whose ex-wife is a Virginia citizen. After the woman did not fulfill her child support obligations, McBurney asked a state public agency to file a petition for child support onrejection of the Board's employment contract.

Permanent

Permanent teachers will be provided with an indefinite contract as provided by state statute. Indefinite contracts may be modified by the Board on or before May 15 with respect to the school year and with respect to annual compensation. Permanent teachers will receive copies of contract modifications within thirty (30) days of Board adoption.

Administrative

All administrators will be provided with contracts of from one-to-three-year duration. Administrative personnel, other than the Superintendent, who are employed under a one year contract will be notified on or before April 15 of the Board's wish to reemploy them in their present administrative position. Failure to provide a timely notice of reemployment will result in the administrator's reemployment in the present position and salary. Administrators employed on one-year contracts,


Evaluation of a focused short-term preventive counselling project for families with a parent with cancer.
Twenty-four families participated in counselling for families with a parent with cancer (24 mothers, 17 fathers, and 34 children). Parents who received counselling were significantly more depressed before the counselling than a nonrandomized control group who did not receive counselling, but participated in another part of the project. For the parents, there was a significant decrease in depression and increase in family functioning scores from before to after the intervention. For the children, a significant pre- to post-decrease in depression scores was found. Changes in depression and family functioning were significantly correlated with the degree of counselling contentment. Reasons for seeking counselling were insecurity in relation to the children, problems with communication, high levelOur client is a baby products retailer, currently looking for a Manager, based in Campbelltown, Sydney. The ideal Manager will be hardworking and reliable, with strong organisation and ...45000 - 50000

New South Wales is located on the eastern side of Australia and its capital city Sydney is the most populous of the nation. It boasts a beautiful coastline with many surfing beaches including Bondi Beach, Wollongong and Byron Bay. Reflective of Australia's diverse landscape, the Snowy Mountains are located in Southern New South Wales and are Australia's highest mountain range.

New South Wales generally experiences a temperate climate that tends not to reach the extreme ends of the temperature spectrum. The state is also a large sporting region with a prominent focus on National Rugby League. The chief summer


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WHY FILES:

The odor of love.

Sex of the salmon

Courtesy Cathy Levesque

A dart in the dark

What you are about to read is true. Weird, but true. It's news from the battlefront between the sexes -- molluscan style. (Molluscs include snails and slugs.)

The story concerns the garden snail. Helix aspersa is found in California and South America. The snail is native to Europe, where it may have picked up its curious courtship and mating rituals.

Consider: Like many air-breathing snails, they are hermaphrodites. Hermaphrodites can take male or female roles in mating and reproduction, as circumstances dictate. The garden snail fulfills both sexual roles simultaneously. It gets weirder.

These snails punctuate their mating ritual by puncturing their partners with a calcified "love dart." You could call it a shot in the dark, becausesurrounding the organ housing the dart, and when the second animal touches the darter's genitals, it fires that dart.

After snail number two responds by firing its own dart, the snails simultaneously mate. She/he does unto him/her while he/she does unto her/him. And for every mating except their first, both Helix aspersa fire the dart. (The tiny harpoon forms after the first mating.)

Courtesy Ronald Chase

Why?

We hoped you would wonder about that. In a new study, Chase and colleague David Rogers showed that a chemical signal thought to be carried on the dart prevents the mate from digesting the usual amount of sperm.

The female reproductive tract in many animals, Chase says, is hostile to sperm, because better sperm yield better young. "Basically, she's making it tough so only the best


the kidnapped kids.

"He was a nice man and told us to call him Laiar. He showed us the moon and other places in the sky and said they were the stars." A great golden ship took us up in the sky and it was driven by God - I know it was God.He wore golden robes and had long silver hair said Maria Molero, the oldest of the kidnapped kids."He was a nice man and told us to call him Laiar. He showed us the moon and other places in the sky and said they were the stars."

The other children confirmed her account and said they were scared "for just a little while. He scraped our faces with a little stick and stuck us with a needle butFBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok, testifies before a House Judiciary Committee joint hearing on “oversight of FBI and Department of Justice actions surrounding the 2016 election” on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Things are definitely heating up in the investigation of the Russia probe.

Multiple reports confirmed yesterday that U.S. Attorney John Durham’s investigation was now officially a criminal investigation which gives him the power to subpoena witnesses, call a grand jury, and file charges.

Reports have also indicated that this expanding of the investigation changed after information which Attorney General William Barr and Durham found in Rome during their investigation and that Durham was very interested in questioning former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan.

Now new


so I’m a little disappointed in that,” she said at an advisory board meeting yesterday.

Clark detailed her experience trying to sign up on the site three weeks after it launched Oct. 1.

Purchasing a small group plan through the site would cost 14 percent more next year than her current costs, still better than her option outside the marketplace, which would have meant a 39 percent increase, she said.

But she found her employees would get better deals – a 13 percent decrease in cost – if they purchase individual plans on the marketplace on their own, and she could increase their wage compensation by what she used to pay for their premiums, she said.

After sorting that out, she sat down to purchase a plan for herself and her family.Chapters:

A teenage girl stands under an old oak tree watching all the
other children play, well holding a black long case, she walks to
the park everyday to wait to see if her friends are there. But no
one ever comes. She walks home that night wondering why does
everyday end this way. Her father and mother are no longer
together, her father long gone since her birth and her mother
working all the time at home. Her mother still finds time for her
two sons and one daughter, even though the girl prefers to be
alone a lot, the girl smiles for her mother who has lost and gand
so much. The girl's name is Lillian, she is 14, and has long
brown hair, green eyes that sparkle when sunlight hits them, and
pale white skin that seems


to glow.
She hears a noise like a group of people walking her way, she
turns the corner to see that it is, a group of teenage boys. She
walks past them as fast as she can without looking suspicious.
She is stopped by a tall boy around 15 or 16years old, he has
pale skin and black short hair. "Hi there, you know you shouldn't
be out this late at night, a vampire might get cha." He
laughs.
"I'm not afraid of a mythical creature." She whispers passing
him.
"Hey I didn't say you could leave yet." The boy says as he grabs
Lillian's arm.
"I don't take orders from you now release my arm." She says
glaring at him.
"And what if I don't? What is a little girl like you going to do,
huh?" He says with a smirk.
"I willbe forced to hurt you." She jerks away from him and out
of his hold.
"But what if I'm not killable?" He says staring at her as his
friends sneak up behind her. "What if I'm a scary vampire?" He
says with a evil smile well raising his arms to look scary.
"Vampires aren't real." She replays'. And then the boy's friends
grab a hold of Lillian's arms. She screams but one puts his hand
over her mouth. She bites the boy's hand and he lets out a cry in
pain and curses under his breath. "Let go!" She screams.
"Rusn lets get this over with so we can get out of here before
someone hears her." Says the boy who's hand was bitten.
"Fine, lets just get a drink and go." Rusn says disappointedly.
He moves toward Lillian as


he smiles showing his long white
fangs. He leans in to bite her. She gets her left arm free from
the boy holding it and punches in the face making him
bleed.
"Don't even think about it." She says as she jerks at the other
boy holding her right arm, but the boy has a hold to tight for
her to break free from. "Let go, now!" She yells and punches the
boy with her fist covered in Rusn's blood. The boy curses and
throws Lillian against the ally wall, she yelps in pain as she
smacks her head against it and starts bleeding. Rusn stands up
and walks over to her,
"You should not have done that." He says angrily and holds her up
against the wall by her shirt. "Now your goin to have to pay for
it hun."gushes out of his wound and splatters over her and the ally
wall. Lillian falls to the ground landing on her feet.
"I told you I would hurt you." She turns her back to Rusn who is
laying on the ground in pain. "Now I will tell you this much
whoever or whatever you are. Take your friend and leave, or you
will end up like him. What is your decision?" She asks as she
stands there covered in blood and glaring at the group of male
vampires, as she raises her sword as a threat. "I ask, what is
your decision?" The vampires look at each other and run past her
to Rusn, and grab him and then they vanish in thin air. "That's
what I thought." She says as she leans against the wall and
slides down


it, putting way her sword. "I thought they didn't
exist." She whispers to her self as she looks at the blood on
her, "How am I supposed to explain this to my mom." Lillian tries
to stand put falls from the lose of blood. She tries again and
stumbles to the ground and her vision starts to blur, as she sees
a tall young man stand over her.
"Hm. That was very interesting girl. Now lets get you some help."
He says as he lifts her into his arms as she passes out.

She wakes up to nothing but darkness hours later, she is in a
warm bed and sits up, "No, lay and rest. It is tiring work
fighting a group of young male vampires. You know, that sword of
yours saved your life." Her eyes a justto the dark and she sees
a young man sitting in an arm chair next to the bed she is laying
in. He has short dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. He is just
staring at her with wondering eyes.
"Yea, well its not the weapon that's important it's the one using
it." She says as she sits up. "I cant rest long, I have to get
home." She says as she stands up next to the man.
"I wouldn't try standing just yet, you have lost quiet a lot of
blood. Rest till morning and I will take you home then." He says
as he appears in front of her. Forcing her to sit down. He looks
at his hand now covered in almost dried blood. "You should get
cleaned up. The bath room is down the hall."


He says as he helps
Lillian up and pulls her toward a long dark hall.
"I doesn't matter cause when I put my clothes back on I will have
blood all over me again." She says looking down. He stops at a
room and tells her,
"I will get you something to ware so do not worry. And by the way
I'm Aryan."
"I'm Lillian." She whispers. He pushes her into the room and
walks away into the dark. Lillian feels around for a light switch
and flicks on the light. She screams and falls against the wall.
Aryan knocks on the door.
" Are you alright Miss Lillian?" She looks at the reflection
again and feels relieved.
"Yea, I'm fine thanks." She turns on the shower and undresses and
gets in. Well feeling the warm water on her skin washing awayhere?" Says a man standing behind
Lillian.
"Yes it is very weird isn't it brother?" Says another man sitting
on the stair case.
"Hm. Interesting, she smells like she has vampire blood on her."
Says the man standing behind Lillian as he sniffs her. "Why is
that Aryan?" He says looking at Aryan.
"Well you see Alexander… she was attacked by a group of young
vampires and.." He stuttered.
"And you saved her?" Alexander said with a smirk.
"No, she used her sword and hurt the lead vampire and that scared
the rest away." He said as he looked at Alexander.
"Huh? This little girl hurt a lead vampire? Some how I don't
think that's what happened." The other brother said as he
appeared next to Lillian as he played with a little of her
hair.
"Um, really that is what happened." She said


keep you safe from vampires or they
will try to get the power. And especially Granfil." Aryan said to
his brothers.
"Granfil? Who's that?" Lillian asked with a blank expression.
They stared at her surprised, and then they looked at each other
and started laughing.
"Are you serious women?" Crusan laughed as he pointed at
Lillian.
"My name is not women… its Lillian." She whispered looking at
him. "And yes I am serious. Who is Granfil?" Crusan stopped
laughing and pulled her to the reading room and sat her down. The
others followed and sat down next to her as Crusan sat in front
of her, all three of them were close to her at that moment which
made her uncomfortable. "Um, why are you guys sitting so
close?"
"Cause, its funny." Alexander said chuckling a little.
"And you smell good." Crusan said lickingcute." Crusan said
well pulling the blanket up and sticking his head under it. "It
must be embarrassing cause your as red as a cherry Lillian." He
said poking her head.
"Hey don't do that!" She yells from surprise as she falls out of
bed and knocks her head on the floor. "Owwww…. That's why you
cant scare me… "She says as she rubs her head. "That really hurt
ya know."
"Oh stop being a baby Lilly." Crusan says well poking his head
out from under the blankets. Lillian stands up and walks over to
the window and stares out the thin cretins', well think.
"What you thinking about Lillian?" Aryan asked as he sat down by
his brothers. She turned to look at them but fell down.
"I-I don-don't fee-feel so g-goo-good…" Lillian passed out on the
floor. Aryan and his


brothers jumped over to her.
"Lillian? Lillian what's wrong? Please wake up." Aryan said as he
picked her up and sat her on the bed. "Alex what's wrong with
her?" Alexander walks over to her and feels her head, as she
breaths heavily.
"She's got a high fever. But I don't know why… I think instead of
taking her home we should take her to the VHS now…" He said
turning to Aryan.
"They might have a better idea of what's wrong with her?" Aryan
asked still looking at Lillian.
"Yea…"
"Ok lets get ready to go Crusan… Aryan you t.."
" No, I'm staying right here till we leave." Aryan said as he
looked at his brothers.
"Fine." Crusan said as he exited the room with Alexander. Aryan
pulled up a chair next to Lillian and sat down looking out the
room. Ashe felt a tug on his shirt.
"A-Aryan?"
"Lillian your awake?"
"What's go-going o-on?" She said with her eyes still
closed.
"We're going to take you to the VHS as soon as possible.
Alexander and Crusan went to go pack some stuff." He said as he
stared at her.
"Aryan?"
"Yea?"
"Why are you staring at me?" She said letting go of his
shirt.
"How do you know I'm staring at you?"
"I know when someone's staring at me… I know the fe-feeling." She
feel asleep again.
"Please don't force your self to talk… your just going to run up
the little energy you have left." He said as his brothers
re-entered the room with a back pack.
"How's the human doing?" Crusan said with a low chuckle.
"What's so funny Crusan? This is no laughing matter…" Aryan yield
as he jumped up. He jumped to get his


staring at her.
"I'm not weak and I don't need h-help… " She walks to the stair
case with the vampires fallowing close behind. As she falls down
to her knees in pain. Using the last of her energy to keep from
screaming, as she passes out and falls forward down the stair
case. Crusan catches her arm before she can roll down the stair
case.
"Stupid girl." He whispers as he picks her up and puts her on his
back. "I'll carry her for a while…" He says as he exit's through
the front door with Lillian on his back.
"Alexander why do you think she's sick?" Aryan asks.
"I'm not sure but it might be from that vampire you said she bit
or it might even be from her powers awakening or both… The
vampire hunters will know maybe…"
"Ilooked around at the dark and saw a figure in the
meadow with her.
"Hello? Why is there a human girl all the way out here?" He said
to him self as he moved closer to her until he was arms length to
her. She tried moving back but she was to weak. "Don't worry I'm
not a vampire… I'm a vampire hunter. So I wont hurt you unless
you're a vampire." He said pulling out a light to look at her
better. "You don't look all that good." She just sat there
staring at him. She fell backwards onto the ground and laid there
just staring straight up. "Hey! Are you alright?" He said as he
knelt down next to her to examine her.
"No… I do-don-don't know wha-whats wrong with m-me…" She said
trying to move.
"Well don't move,


him.
"Who is she Corin?"
"Where did you find her?"
"What's wrong with her? Look she's opening her eyes." Lillian
opened her eyes to see all the people looking at her. She freaked
out and fell out of Corin's arms and sat there staring at the
ground in pain.
"Hey are you ok?" A tall man asked her. She stayed quiet trying
to not scream in pain.
"She's in pain, look at her face." Another man younger than the
other pointed at her. She looked down.
"I was tol-told by m-my fr-friends that I needed to get to the
vampire hunter society. cause someone might be able to help and
see what's wrong… they said it might be the fault of a mark of
mine…."She told them and showed them the mark on her arm.
"The Mark of the Power." Corin said. Lillianpassed out. Corin
picked her up and headed toward the infirmary. "You need to help
her."
"P-please my friends are still out there… th-they are vampires
but good ones…. Just ask them there names… there's Aryan,
Alexander, and Crusan…." She fell asleep again. The group stood
at her bed and stared at her blankly.
"She has vampire friends? That's not normal for a human girl."
Said a man standing at the door. The man was dressed in all black
but looked like a teenager. He walked over to her and stared at
her like he was looking at an interesting painting. "So who is
she Corin?"
"I don't know. I just found her in the forest covered up in a
blanket."
"Hm. Interesting. I would say we should go look for her friends
and bring them to her. It is obvious that her


friends were trying
to help her so they must be good vamps. So lets go." He said
walking away putting his hands behind his head. Corin looked at
Lillian and followed the man.

Hours Later

Lillian opened her eyes to see a boy sitting in a chair next to
her bed with his eyes closed. His hand holding hers. She moved
trying to see who it was but her vision is still fuzzy.
"Ar-Aryan?" The boy moved right away as heard Lillian.
"Lillian? Your awake, that's great." He said letting go over her
hand so he could leave the room. But a tug stopped him.
"Please don't leave me alone." She whispered. "Stay. Please?" She
said trying to pull him close to her.
"Uh. Ok." He said sitting on the bed staring at her as she kept
her hand on his shirt.She kept her eyes closed as Aryan shifted
his body on the bed until he was laying next to her.
"Aryan?"
"Yes?"
"Why do you care what happens to me?"
"I don't know, its just this feeling." He said blushing and
holding Lillian close to him. "If you were to die I don't think I
would be able to handle it…" Lillian laid there in his arms,
trying to think of how a vampire can be in love with a
human.
"Well well.. Looks like she's feeling better." Said the boy from
last night as he walked in and Aryan jumped out of the bed.
"Um yea I think she is.. Haha." Aryan said blushing and laughing
unconterfably.
"So I guessed right… You do have a crush on her. Aryan-san." The
boy said leaning on Aryan's shoulder. He moved over to Lillian
and looked


at her. "I don't see what's so special about this
little human. She looks like anyoth-" He stared at her in
surprise as her hair turned red and her eyes opened and stared at
him.
"Wha-what ar-are you st-starin-staring a-at?" She said sitting
up.
"Your hair and eyes just turned colors.." He said pulling on her
hair to look at it.
"They did? I didn't see." She said blushing. "I have something to
tell you Aryan…"
"Yes what is it Miss Lillian?" He said moving over too her.
"I found this out the day I was attacked by Rusan… it was why I
was out late… My mom said I was adopted…. She said that my real
family was murdered and I was almost killed… I belonged to a
family that was well know to vampires and vampire hunters alike…
I was notLillian jumped on
him and sent him flying to the floor. She stared at him with red
eyes. She blushed realizing that she was on top of him and jumped
off him. He laid there and laughed at her.
"I told you to let go." She said blushing and walking over to
Aryan. She pulled him through the door. "Aryan, if you liked me
you could have just said so ya know?" She said quietly.
"I know, its just.. I don't think you like me back." He said
looking down.
"What gave you that idea? I kinda.. Do like you.." She said
blushing.
"Really?" He said as his brother Crusan ran out of the room and
jumped on Lillian causing her to fall forward onto Aryan.
"Ow."
"Aryan you wanted closer to Lilly so I made her come closer." He
said with a


childish giggle.
"Crusan!! I'm going to kill y-" He blushed realizing Lillian was
on top of him passed out. "Crusan look what you did now she's
probably hurt you idiot!" He said kicking Crusan off her and
picking her up and setting her against the wall. "Lillian? Wakey
wakey Lillian." He said shaking her a little.
"Don't do that.. That kinda hurts…" She said staring at him. She
laughed and stood up and faced Crusan. She hit him on the head
and made him fall back to the ground. "Don't do that again.. Its
very rude and annoying. "
"Ouch.. So is hitting someone on the head human.." He said
rubbing his head.
"As you would say, 'stop being a baby'." She said laughing and
sticking her tongue out at him. He grumbled under his breath and
walked over to Aryan.
"Better becareful she might hurt you to Ary…" He said with a
grin.
"Yea well I think you're the one that needs to be careful Crusan…
she doesn't like you all that much.. Haha." Aryan said with a
laugh.
"I think Crusan is ok… he just gets on my nervous a lot.. Reminds
me of my brothers…" She said staring at them. She walked past
Aryan to Corin. "Thank you, Corin." She left back to her
room.

The Next Day

Lillian woke to a dark room, she was alone. She thought she was
alone but was not sure do to the fact she can not see well in the
dark. She stepped out of the bed and walked through the darkened
room. She tripped over someone who was lying on the floor and
landed on top of him. "Aryan?" She squinted to try


to see the
person's face better.
"Owwww.. Get off women." The boy whispered angrily at her. He
pushed her off him and sat up. "Your so blind." He said rubbing
his stomach in pain.
"I'm sorry I didn't see you. Who are you and why are you lying on
the floor?" She said sitting up and heading for the blinds.
"No don't open them.. It hurts my eyes first thing after waking
up." He whispered. She opened them anyway. She turned back to the
boy who was on the floor. She did not know the boy, he had long
red hair pulled back into a ponytail and crystal blue eyes, he
was wearing all black and next to him laid a magnificent sword.
"I told you not to do that." He jumped up and pushed her out of
the way andknocked her to the ground. To the other side of the
room so he could a just his vision to the light.
"Ouch… why does everyone keep knocking me down…" She said to her
self, getting back up to her feet. She looked at the boy one last
time and headed for the door. He jumped in front of her.
"Sorry bout that but I had to see the person who is so powerful…
maybe I have the wrong room… cause your just a little girl." He
said looking Lillian over. He stared at him and walked over to
her bed and grabbed her sword and sword case and headed back
toward the door. She pushed the boy out of the way and headed for
the nearest stair way. "Hey wait." He ran after her but lost her
after


the third corridor. She hid in a room that was darkened as
she peeked out the door to make sure the boy didn't follow her.
She leaned against the door in relief.
"Thank god." She let out her once held breath and stared into the
darkened room not knowing where she was. "Great, now I'm lost…."
She whispered, she moved through the room trying not to hit
anything until she came to a switch on the other side of the
room. She flicked it on, she saw that she was not in a regular
room. It was a small library, many books were scattered and torn
everywhere and the walls looked as if though they had been burnt
and the chairs and desks were burnt and throw everywhere. She
picked up books that weren't burnt and looked at them.This was a
record room of some sort she thought to her self. "Hm… Why would
someone harm these books… They look very interesting…" She
mumbled to herself well pushing a table back up and setting the
books in her arms on it. She picked up a chair that wasn't burnt
that badly and sat down on it and started flipping through the
books. She couldn't see the pages very well so she went to the
window and pushed open the croutons to let the gorgeous sun shine
in. She heard a click of a door behind her and she turned around
to see the boy who had been casing her standing at the door
staring at her.
"O-ok.. Stop run-running aw-away from me.. Your to fast for me….
I-I'm not going to hur-hurt you.." He huffed out. He walked


I don't have much of a choice do I? Anyway why
does he want you to keep an eye on me anyway?" She said sitting
back down and continued to read the book she was before he walked
in.
"My name is , but that's not important…." He said sitting down by
the window with his eyes still on Lillian.
"Could you please stop staring at me.. Its creepy."
She said with a shiver. He just kept looking at her back giving
her the chills. "I said stop it you jerk." She pushed herself out
of her chair and smacked his head.
"Ouch, hey you mean little girl… don't hit me…" He said rubbing
his head.
"You were told to keep an eye on me.. Not to freak me out with
your staring." She said ignoring him. She took a coupleof the
books into her arms and headed for the door.
"Where you going?" He said angrily. Standing up almost
immediately. She left the room and locked Akatsu in the room and
ran down the hall and ran out of the building. She walked out
into a beautiful garden, there was a pond and it was green a
lushes. The trees and the flowers looked graceful together. She
saw a bench and sat down on it continuing her reading. Akatsu
broke down the door and started searching for Lillian. "Ah.. Of
all people he sticks me with that girl…" He mumbled to himself.
He walked out side and spotted Lillian reading on the bench. He
walked over to her and grabbed her arm and pulled her back toward
the building. "Now stop doing that.." He said more angry then the
last


time. He pushed open the door and throw Lillian on his
shoulder so she couldn't run away.
"Let go of me you weirdo! Let go. I wont run again I just wanted
somewhere peaceful to read!" She yelled. She knocked him in the
head with hers and she was knocked out. She woke up minutes
later, she saw a boy standing over her and she was startled and
punched him in the face.
"Owwww… what the hell women? What did you do that for?!" He
yelled at her well rubbing his cheek.
"Your ugly face scared me to death." She said with a smirk. She
stood up and walked past him. He grabbed her ankle. "Let
go!!"
"No I told you to stop running away."
"I'm not going to run I need to get the books you so rudely made
me leaveoutside.. You idiot." She said kicking his hand off her
ankle.
"Why do you have so much interest in those stupid books." He said
with a sigh.
"Their not stupid, every book holds a story and information that
can help us with something.. And the books I was trying to read
held some personal information… about.. My family.. So shut up
you idiot." She said angrily and ran down the hall and outside.
It was dark out and hard to see. She felt her way to the bench
and grabbed the books and just sat there staring at the pitch
black darkness that was surrounded her. She felt a cold hand on
her shoulder.
"Hey.. Why are you out her in the cold." The man said. He moved
to fast for her to think he was human and he sat down


next to
her. He pulled her close and held her close.
"Wh-"
"Its me.. Aryan." He said happily.
"Oh.. What are you doing out so late Aryan?" She said trying to
keep hold of the books in her arms.
"Well I am a vampire remember? And I ran into Akatsu in the
hall.. He said you ran out side and you seemed upset.." He said
worriedly.
"Well he should know.. He's the one who was acting like an
idiot…" She said well turning her head away. He pushed her chin
up so he could look at her eyes. She stared at the eyes she could
not see. Then she felt something cold yet warm in some way and
she realized she was being kissed. She kissed him back. She felt
warm even though she was cold. He moved his lips and faced.away
from hers.
"I-I'm sorry.." He said blushing.
"Its ok.. don't apogilize" She said with a smile. He blushed at
reaction. "I already told you.. I like you back." She said
hugging him. Just as he was about to hug her there was a noise.
"What was that?" Lillian asked as she stood up dropping her
books. She stared into the darkness and spotted a pair of red
eyes.
"Lillian.. Get out of here now!" Aryan said pushing her to the
ground just as she was about to be pounced on. "Run now!" Aryan
yelled at her after being knocked to the ground. Lillian started
toward the door but tripped over something black on the ground.
She felt around to see if she could use it. Then she found what
she'd tripped over, it was her case, for her sword. As she


opened
the case more red eyes appeared in the darkness. "Lillian?" She
jumped to her feet as she wielded her long silver sword. The moon
came out from behind the clouds that once suppressed it. She
could now see the attackers, they were a group of young vampires.
Three of them to be exact.
"Soooo, is that the girl that Master told us to get for him
Arcad?" The vampire who was standing under the tree asked.
"I do not know. She does not look like the Power. She must just
be someone who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong
time." The vampire who was standing on Aryan answered. "She
smells different, but she can not be the one we're looking for. I
mean look at her, she's to weak to protect even her little
books." Hethe one who beat you up in the ally…"
She said moving a little closer to Aryan. Rusn's eyes got big as
he remembered Lillian and that night.
"Cloud, Koramo.. Get her, she is the Power.. " The vampire Cloud
had long sliver hair and amber eyes. He was very tall and he wore
black pants, a black shirt, and black shoe. Koramo had crimson
hair and green eyes. As they moved closer to Lillian and pounced
her. She was able to stab Cloud as he knocked her backwards and
landed on her sword. His blood squirted out and ran down the
sword and all over Lillian's hands and face. Cloud's long sliver
hair fell over her face as he landed down next to her screaming
in pain.
"Uh?" Lillian stared in horror as blood ran down her arms. She
could


smell the stench of Cloud's blood everywhere around her.
Koramo moved back to his fellow vampires. She stumbled to her
feet. Her body started to feel different, -What's going on?- she
thought to herself. Her body started to glow. Her hair turned
Crimson, her eyes turned sliver blue. Her sword transformed into
a 5ft long one with a cross spread a crossed its handle.
"Guys!! Hurry up and catch her before she realizes what's going
on!!!" Rusn yelled. Lillian stood there not able to move. Staring
at the once was shadows of the vampires. She could now see
clearly what they all looked like, they all looked as if though
they were moving in slow motion. She followed their movements
closely as Koramo jumped in to grab her, she flipped over him,
her feet first and sliced his back. Bloodsquirting out all over
the garden floor and Lillian's back. She walked forward with her
hair flowing with her and dripping blood off. She flipped over
another vampire but did not cut him. She kept moving toward the
vampire standing on Aryan. The vampire realizing that she was
coming for him leaped forward at her knocking her down to the
ground. She showed no expression toward the vampire. Her eyes
just kept staring at him as he leaned in toward her neck.
"Heh, I thought you would have killed me before I could move…
guess not… Ugg!?" He spitted up blood as he stared at Lillian as
she pushed her hand against his body, her hand was glowing like
fire. Markings started to show up on her body as she did this. He
fell over to his side twitching in


pain. She slowly got to her
feet and walked closer to Aryan who was trying to get up. But had
suffered a broken arm and rib from the vampire who had pounced on
him. She helped him up as her eyes turned light pink.
"A-are you alright Aryan-san?" She said blushing a little.
"Yea, but what matters is if your alright." He said looking down
at her as Cloud stood and the three vampires by him charged at
Lillian and Aryan. Lillian helped Aryan to the bench just a few
steps away and turned her back to the charging vampires behind
her. She turned to slow and Cloud kicked her into the wall. Rusn
walked over to Aryan who could not protect himself,
"What would you do if I would hurt your beloved Aryan?" He said
smiling showing his teeth.
"Iwould kill you before you would ever do that." She said
standing to her feet. Blood ran out her lips and down her chin
dripping to the ground.
"Well lets just see if what you say is true. Shall we?" He said
rising his hand to his back and motioned for his vampire group to
do the same, they all pulled out a long sword. They all stricken
with all their strength at Aryan.
"No!!" She moved her hand towards Aryan and jumped in front of
him. Taking the blows. She put up a small barrier up just before
the swords hit her, but was struck on the arm. "Ahh!!" She fell
to her knees. She thought to her self -I don't think I can fight
anymore. But you have to protect Aryan. Come on you weakling get
up- She


stumbled to her feet but feel backwards onto Aryan's
lap.
"Get away from them now!!!" Said a voice, that came from behind
the group of vampires. A group of men stood behind the vampires
with weapons at the ready. They out numbered the vampires. "Now I
suggest you leave or else." He said with an angry expression on
his face. The vampires looked at Rusn who signaled for them to
head out.
"Very well Alexander… we will leave for now, But we will be
back.. Oh yes we will be back.. Hahahaha." Rusn said as he
vanished into the darkness. Alexander ran over to Aryan and
Lillian.
"Guys are you ok?" He said picking up Lillian. She transformed
back to her normal self. Her hair turned back to brown and her
eyes back to green. She woke up and pushed herself awayfrom
Alexander.
"I'm fine please put me down." She said huffing. He sat her down
on the bench and looked over his brother. "Is he alright?" She
said picking up her books. Her vision started to blur and she
started to stumble.
"Yea he'll be fin-" He saw she had passed out on the ground.
Still holding her books. "Hey! Lillian?!" He yelled. "Crusin! We
got to get these two to the infirmary!" He said grabbing a hold
of Aryan and putting him on his back. Crusin watched Alexander
take his brother in side. He looked down at Lillian who was now
awake staring straight ahead well still lying on the
ground.
"Come on Lilly. Lets get y-" He reached for her but stopped and
picked up the book lying next to her. "'The Caramora Family
history'?" He looked at her. "Your part


of the Caramora family?"
She nodded yes weakly. She grabbed a hold of the book and tugged
on it but was to weak to take it back. "Ok anyway lets get you to
the infirmary." He lifted her onto his back and picked up her
books and headed to the infirmary. Crusin lied her down on the
bed and took a look at her, he spotted The Mark on her arm. She
stared at him as he rubbed the mark. She flinched in pain. "Hm so
you are hurt well it doesn't look that bad so you'll be fine. Go
to sleep." He said.

The dream realm

"Wake up Lillian… Please my daughter wake up." A voice said that
echoed. Lillian sat up to see she was in a dark meadow. She saw a
women and man standing in themiddle of it glowing, the stood
together and stared at her with wondering eyes.. She stood up to
see that she was standing on nothing but what looked like really
clear thin glass, She walked slowly toward the angel like
characters standing before her. She moved close enough to be able
to se their faces. The man and the women looked just like Lillian
in her Power state. She stared at them and then remember where
she had seen them before. They were her died parents.
"M-mom? D-dad? What's going on? Why are you here?" She said
moving closer. The women looked at Lillian with caring eyes.
Lillian knew that these people where her birth parents. Her
glowing mother moved forward gracefully and hugged her daughter.
Lillian closed her eyes and a tear rolled down her cheek. "Mom…
Dad.. I know


this is a dream… I saw you with my own eyes be
killed… so why are you hear in the realm of dreams… with me?" She
said looking up at her mother. The tear fell to the glass like
ground and everything started to glow. Lillian started to fell
something in her change, her hair turned into the Crimson color
it had when she fought the vampires in the garden, her eyes
turned its silver blue. Her sword appeared on her back its Power
form. Marking started to form on her body and glowed. "Mom? Dad?
What's wrong with me? What am I?" She said staring at them. The
looked at each other and her father spoke.
"We are the Maruans we took the form of you parents, but they are
here with us. We must tell you whaton screen and off screen she
stared in horror at what Granfil did. Then it all stopped at an
Image of a teenage boy. "This is Granfil.. He looks the same as
the day his full pure vampire powers were awakened." Sitting on
the screen was an image of a teenage boy who looked about 17 or
18 years old. The boy had medium cut hair that spiked up in the
front and back. His hair was the color of the moon. His eyes the
color of blood shining in the sun. His skin glowed white.
"That's Granfil? He isn't what I would expect from a pure blooded
vampire who kills human and vampires alike…." She said staring at
the picture. She heard a noise, the glass floor started to crake
she fell and woke up.

After Leaving the Dream


Realm

"Mom!? Dad!? Ah?" She looked around puzzled. She was surrounded
by a group of boys, she recognized Aryan in the bed next to her,
and Alexander and Crusin, and Corin. But the others she didn't
recognize. "Hello? Um what happened?" She asked looking at her
hands which was covered in bandages. The guys all moved to the
side as a man walked in an headed for Lillian's bed. He sat down
on it and examined her.
"It looks as if your doing good… We were all in the hall till we
heard a noise coming from in here. Apparently you were having a
dream… hah." He said smiling. He stood and walked over to
Aryan.
"Is Aryan alright?" She said with a look of worry on her face.
She moved out of her bed and stood next to Aryan's bedstaring at
him.
"He's fine. Thanks to you, if you hadn't jumped in front of him
then he would be dead." He said with a serious face. He stood and
leaned his head next to Lillian's. "You saved him… Miss. Lillian
Maria Caramora…" He walked past her and through the group who all
moved around Aryan looking at him. Lillian glanced at the man and
ran after him.
"Wait! How do you know who I am? Who are you?" She said grabbing
a hold of the mans shirt.
"My name is not important but if you must know my name is Sam… I
know you because the books you had were in my old room… I study
there almost everyday.. But then someone burned it and all the
books in it.. But the books showed them selves to you Miss
Caramora.." He


said, his tone imposed that he was disappointed.
He walked closer to her and handed her a book that was dressed in
black leather and had a silver family crest on it. "That is a
book that no one knows about.. That is your family history.. That
book holds information on all you family members.. Including
you.. Its yours now.. Keep it safe and show no one it.." He said
disappearing in thin air. She rose her hand to stop him but he
was gone before she could react.
"Thank you… Sam…" She tucked the book away into her sweater and
walked back into the room as everyone was leaving..
"We will be out here if you need us.. Ok?" Alexander said.
"Ok… thanks.." She walked over to Aryan's bed and sat on it
staring at him in the nowdark room. She held his hand and her's
started to glow. "Ah?" She didn't care she laid down on his
blankets next to him still holding his hand as hers glow. She
stared at him and she fell asleep then and there still holding
his hand close to her.

The next day

Aryan woke up to see Lillian laying asleep next to him holding
his hand. He spoke to her softly, "L-Lillian? Please wake up. I
cant feel my hand anymore." She slowly and tiredly opened her
eyes. She blushed and jumped out of his bed and hit her head on
the bed next to his.
"Ouch.. That hurt.. Sorry I didn't mean to wake you Aryan-san.."
She said standing up. She kept rubbing the back of her head.
Aryan stared at her, she was whereing a black dress and had