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Stanford NLP 15

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CHAPTER VIII AN AWFUL RESPONSIBILITY John Hardaway, although he was a solicitor in a very busy practice, did not keep his friend waiting for a moment. "Come in, Deane, old chap," he said. "Is this business or friendship?" "Mostly business," declared Deane. Hardaway glanced at the clock. "Twelve minutes, precisely," he said. "Fire away, there's a good fellow. You are not going to give me the affairs of the Incorporated Gold-Mines Association to look after, I suppose?" "Not I," Deane answered. "They need a more subtle brain than yours, I am afraid. I have come to see you about the other affair." The lawyer nodded. "You heard the result?" he asked. "We did what we could." "Perhaps," Deane answered. "The only thing is that you did not do enough. I am perfectly convinced, Hardaway, that that man did not go there with the intention of murdering Sinclair." "The evidence," Hardaway remarked, "was exceedingly awkward." "Do you think," Deane asked, "that there is any chance of a reprieve?" "As things stand at present," said Hardaway, "I am afraid not." Deane for the first time sat down. With frowning face, he seemed to be engaged in a deliberate study of the pattern of the carpet. "Hardaway," he said finally, "I want to ask you a question in criminal law." The lawyer laughed dryly. "Not on your own account, I hope?" "You can call it curiosity, or whatever you like," Deane answered. "The only point is that I want you to answer me a question, and forget that I have ever asked it you. Your lawyer is like your confessor, isn't he--your lawyer and your doctor?"

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CHAPTER X. NOBLESSE OBLIGE The other won't agree thereto, So here they fall to strife; With one another they did fight About the children's life. Babes in the Wood. "I say, Aunt Cherry," said Adrian, "the fossil forest is to be uncovered to-morrow, and Merrifield is going to stay for it, and I'm going down with him." "Fossil forest? What, in the Museum?" "No, indeed. In Anscombe Cove, they call it. There's a forest buried there, and bits come up sometimes. To-morrow there's to be a tremendous low tide that will leave a lot of it uncovered, and Merrifield and I mean to dig it out, and if there are some duplicate bits they may be had for the bazaar." "Yes, they have been begging Fergus's duplicates for a collection of fossils," said Anna. "But can it be safe? A low tide means a high tide, you know." "Bosh!" returned Adrian. "Miss Mohun is sure to know all about the tides, I suppose," said Clement; "if her nephew goes with her consent I suppose it is safe." "If-—" said Mrs. Grinstead. Adrian looked contemptuous, and muttered something, on which Anna undertook to see Miss Mohun betimes, and judge how the land, or rather the sea, lay, and whether Fergus was to be trusted. It would be a Saturday, a whole holiday, on which he generally went home for Sunday, and Adrian spent the day with him, but the boys' present scheme was, to take their luncheon with them and spend the whole day in Anscombe Cove. This was on the further side of the bay from the marble works, shut in by big cliffs, which ran out into long chains of rocks on either side, but retreated in the midst, where a little stream from the village of Anscombe, or rather from the moorland beyond, made its way to the sea.

cnn

(EW.com) -- Identity Thief (CinemaScore: B) fared even better than expected, bringing in $36.6 million over the weekend across 3,141 theaters. For comparison, Melissa McCarthy's last major film Bridesmaids (though it was in a supporting role) opened at $26.2 million, in 2,918 theaters. With an opening like this, big things are surely expected from Seth Gordon's R-rated comedy which has already surpassed its $35 million production budget. Though Bateman and Gordon had a successful run with Horrible Bosses after a $28.3 million opening weekend in July 2011, Bateman hasn't had this kind of luck with most of his starring roles. Universal's The Change-Up (with Ryan Reynolds) opened at $13.5 million in August 2011 and went on to gross only $37.1 million domestically, on a $52 million production budget. Jonathan Levine's Warm Bodies took second place for its second weekend with $11.5 million, bringing its domestic total to $36.7 million. This breaks Levine's record, beating the lifetime domestic gross of his last feature, the cancer dramedy 50/50 with Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, which brought in $35 million. The R-rated Hitchcock-style, prescription-drug thriller Side Effects (CinemaScore: B) ended up beating director Steven Soderbergh's January 2012 weekend opening of Haywire, earning $10 million weekend this weekend and averaging $3,845 per theater. We talked a little bit about stars Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum's box office history yesterday. Another star of Side Effects is Jude Law, and he's got a varied track record at the box office. He generally participates in ensemble casts -- Anna Karenina, the Sherlock Holmes franchise, Soderbergh's Contagion, The Holiday -- making his singular box office appeal somewhat more elusive. Side Effects has Soderbergh's name and another strong ensemble, and could go on to a respectable run, even though it won't reach Contagion heights (the epidemic thriller eventually grossed $76 million).

mctest

Lisa wants a new pet. Sometimes it is very hard trying to choose a new pet. There are so many different animals, each cuter than the last. There are cats, dogs, and goldfishes. In the end, Lisa chose a bunny. Lisa's bunny is very cute. The bunny has snowy white fur and large black eyes. His ears are large, floppy, and grey. She named the bunny Chomper since Chomper loves to eat everything. Chomper eats carrots, celery, and even licks Lisa's fingers! Nothing to worry, Chompers has a very small mouth and he is never fussy. Except...every time Lisa leans down to kiss Chomper - he runs away! Why? Chomper thinks Lisa is trying to steal his treats! He hates sharing his treats. Chomper always wants second helpings of food. Lisa is afraid Chomper would get so big he could fall off her lap. But not to worry Lisa, Chomper hops around the house a lot. Chomper knows how to stay fit like Lisa. It's clear as day! Lisa and Chomper make great friends.

wikipedia

ISO 9564 is an international standard for personal identification number (PIN) management and security in financial services. The PIN is used to verify the identity of a customer (the user of a bank card) within an electronic funds transfer system, and (typically) to authorize the transfer or withdrawal of funds. Therefore, it is important to protect PINs against unauthorized disclosure or misuse. Modern banking systems require interoperability between a variety of PIN entry devices, smart cards, card readers, card issuers, acquiring banks and retailers – including transmission of PINs between those entities – so a common set of rules for handling and securing PINs is required, both to ensure technical compatibility and a mutually agreed level of security. ISO 9564 provides principles and techniques to meet these requirements. ISO 9564 comprises three parts, under the general title of "Financial services — Personal Identification Number (PIN) management and security". ISO 9564-1:2011 specifies the basic principles and techniques of secure PIN management. It includes both general principles and specific requirements. The basic principles of PIN management include: The standard specifies some characteristics required or recommended of "PIN entry devices" (also known as PIN pads), i.e. the device into which the customer enters the PIN, including:

gutenberg

CHAPTER VIII IN WHICH MICHAEL FINSBURY ENJOYS A HOLIDAY Punctually at eight o'clock next morning the lawyer rattled (according to previous appointment) on the studio door. He found the artist sadly altered for the worse--bleached, bloodshot, and chalky--a man upon wires, the tail of his haggard eye still wandering to the closet. Nor was the professor of drawing less inclined to wonder at his friend. Michael was usually attired in the height of fashion, with a certain mercantile brilliancy best described perhaps as stylish; nor could anything be said against him, as a rule, but that he looked a trifle too like a wedding guest to be quite a gentleman. To-day he had fallen altogether from these heights. He wore a flannel shirt of washed-out shepherd's tartan, and a suit of reddish tweeds, of the colour known to tailors as "heather mixture"; his neckcloth was black, and tied loosely in a sailor's knot; a rusty ulster partly concealed these advantages; and his feet were shod with rough walking boots. His hat was an old soft felt, which he removed with a flourish as he entered. "Here I am, William Dent!" he cried, and drawing from his pocket two little wisps of reddish hair, he held them to his cheeks like side-whiskers and danced about the studio with the filmy graces of a ballet-girl. Pitman laughed sadly. "I should never have known you," said he. "Nor were you intended to," returned Michael, replacing his false whiskers in his pocket. "Now we must overhaul you and your wardrobe, and disguise you up to the nines."

race

It was an afternoon Truman would never forget. Rayburn and his friend were talking in the office before Truman arrived. The telephone rang. It was a call from the White House asking whether Vice-President Truman had arrived yet. No, Rayburn replied. The caller asked to have him telephone the White House as soon as he arrived. Truman entered a minute later. He immediately called the White House. As he talked, his face became white. He put down the phone and raced out of the door to his car. Truman arrived at the White House within minutes. An assistant took him to the president's private living area. Eleanor Roosevelt, the president's wife, was waiting for him there. "Harry," she said, "the president is dead." Truman was shocked. He asked Mrs. Roosevelt if there was anything he could do to help her. But her reply made clear to him that his own life had suddenly changed. "Is there anything we can do for you ?" Mrs. Roosevelt asked the new president, " _ ." Truman had been a surprise choice for vice-president at the Democratic Party nominating convention in nineteen forty-four. Delegates considered several other candidates before they chose him as Roosevelt's running mate. That was at a time when presidential candidates did not make their own choices for vice-president. Harry Truman lacked the fame,the rich family and the strong speech-making skills of Franklin Roosevelt.He was a much simpler man.He grew up in the Midwestern state of Missouri.Truman only studied through high school but took some nighttime law school classes.He worked for many years as a farmer and a small businessman,but without much success. Truman had long been interested in politics.When he was almost forty,he finally won several low-level positions in his home state.By nineteen thirty-four,he was popular enough in Missouri to be nominated and elected to the United States Senate. And he won re-election six years later. Most Americans, however, knew little about Harry Truman when he became president.They knew he had close ties to the Democratic Party political machine in his home state.But they had also heard that he was a very honest man.They could see that Truman had strongly supported President Roosevelt's New Deal programs.But they could not be sure what kind of president Truman would become. At the center of all the action was Harry Truman.It was not long before he showed Americans and the world that he had the ability to be a good president.He was honest,strong and willing to make decisions.

wikipedia

A system is a regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole. Every system is delineated by its spatial and temporal boundaries, surrounded and influenced by its environment, described by its structure and purpose and expressed in its functioning. The term "system" comes from the Latin word "systēma", in turn from Greek "systēma": "whole concept made of several parts or members, system", literary "composition". According to Marshall McLuhan, "System" means "something to look at". You must have a very high visual gradient to have systematization. But in philosophy, prior to Descartes, there was no "system". Plato had no "system". Aristotle had no "system". In the 19th century the French physicist Sadi Carnot, who studied thermodynamics, pioneered the development of the concept of a "system" in the natural sciences. In 1824 he studied the system which he called the "working substance" (typically a body of water vapor) in steam engines, in regards to the system's ability to do work when heat is applied to it. The working substance could be put in contact with either a boiler, a cold reservoir (a stream of cold water), or a piston (to which the working body could do work by pushing on it). In 1850, the German physicist Rudolf Clausius generalized this picture to include the concept of the surroundings and began to use the term "working body" when referring to the system.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XII So sailed the Ship of Fools--Michael playing with Scraps, respecting Cocky and by Cocky being bullied and wheedled, singing with Steward and worshipping him; Daughtry drinking his six quarts of beer each day, collecting his wages the first of each month, and admiring Charles Stough Greenleaf as the finest man on board; Kwaque serving and loving his master and thickening and darkening and creasing his brow with the growing leprous infiltration; Ah Moy avoiding the Black Papuan as the very plague, washing himself continuously and boiling his blankets once a week; Captain Doane doing the navigating and worrying about his flat-building in San Francisco; Grimshaw resting his ham-hands on his colossal knees and girding at the pawnbroker to contribute as much to the adventure as he was contributing from his wheat-ranches; Simon Nishikanta wiping his sweaty neck with the greasy silk handkerchief and painting endless water-colours; the mate patiently stealing the ship's latitude and longitude with his duplicate key; and the Ancient Mariner, solacing himself with Scotch highballs, smoking fragrant three-for-a-dollar Havanas that were charged to the adventure, and for ever maundering about the hell of the longboat, the cross-bearings unnamable, and the treasure a fathom under the sand. Came a stretch of ocean that to Daughtry was like all other stretches of ocean and unidentifiable from them. No land broke the sea-rim. The ship the centre, the horizon was the invariable and eternal circle of the world. The magnetic needle in the binnacle was the point on which the _Mary Turner_ ever pivoted. The sun rose in the undoubted east and set in the undoubted west, corrected and proved, of course, by declination, deviation, and variation; and the nightly march of the stars and constellations proceeded across the sky.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XVII. ARRIVAL AT FORT CUMBERLAND--LETTERS OF WASHINGTON TO HIS FAMILY--PANIC OF DUNBAR--FORTUNES OF DR. HUGH MERCER--TRIUMPH OF THE FRENCH. The obsequies of the unfortunate Braddock being finished, the escort continued its retreat with the sick and wounded. Washington, assisted by Dr. Craik, watched with assiduity over his comrades, Orme and Morris. As the horses which bore their litters were nearly knocked up, he despatched messengers to the commander of Fort Cumberland requesting that others might be sent on, and that comfortable quarters might be prepared for the reception of those officers. On the 17th, the sad cavalcade reached the fort, and were relieved from the incessant apprehension of pursuit. Here, too, flying reports had preceded them, brought by fugitives from the battle; who, with the disposition usual in such cases to exaggerate, had represented the whole army as massacred. Fearing these reports might reach home, and affect his family, Washington wrote to his mother, and his brother, John Augustine, apprising them of his safety. "The Virginia troops," says he, in a letter to his mother, "showed a good deal of bravery, and were nearly all killed. ... The dastardly behavior of those they called regulars exposed all others, that were ordered to do their duty, to almost certain death; and, at last, in despite of all the efforts of the officers to the contrary, they ran, as sheep pursued by dogs, and it was impossible to rally them." To his brother, he writes: "As I have heard, since my arrival at this place, a circumstantial account of my death and dying speech, I take this early opportunity of contradicting the first, and of assuring you that I have not composed the latter. But, by the all-powerful dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability, or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, though death was levelling my companions on every side of me!

cnn

(CNN) -- Henrik Stenson kept his cool to collect the biggest paycheck of his career Sunday, landing a $10 million FedEx Cup jackpot along with the $1.44 million prize for winning the Tour Championship in Atlanta. The Swede, who also collected $1.44 million for winning the Deutsche Bank Championship earlier this month, finished three shots clear of young American hope Jordan Spieth and veteran Steve Stricker. The 37-year-old went into the final day at East Lake with a four-stroke advantage, having been nine ahead halfway through Saturday's round, but Spieth ate into that as he fired a superb six-under-par 64. The 20-year-old, who won his first PGA Tour title in July while still a teen, had carded eight birdies until his second bogey at 17 dimmed his hopes of a remarkable victory. "It's been a dream come true," said Spieth, who had nine top-10 finishes in his rookie year. Stricker, second behind Stenson in Boston and tied for fourth at last week's BMW Championship, made his charge with an eagle three at the 15th but he could only par from there as he also finished on 10 under. It put the 46-year-old in third place in the FedEx Cup standings, while Spieth was seventh. Stenson had given them hope when he dropped a shot at 14, but allayed any fears of another blowout like Saturday as he bounced back immediately with a birdie and finished with pars to complete a memorable wire-to-wire victory. Webb Simpson shot the round of the day, a flawless seven-birdie 63 that lifted the 2012 U.S. Open winner up to fourth on 271 -- two shots ahead of his successor Justin Rose (67).

mctest

There was once a family called the McAllisters. There was a dad, John McAllister, a mom, Amy McAllister, and their two twins, Ally and Jonah McAllister. This family was a family family, but when it came time to eat dinner, they sometimes argued. This is because different people liked different meals. John liked chicken most of all, and Amy liked vegetables. The twins, Ally and Jonah, preferred hotdogs, but Ally preferred ketchup, and Jonah preferred mustard. When it came to every day dinners, they took turns eating what each person liked. However, when it came to special meals like thanksgiving, it was difficult for the family to choose what to have. There would be frequent fights between all of them on what they would eat. Finally, they all had the answer. They would invite their grandpa over, because their grandpa was a great cook and could make everyone's favorite food, including chicken, vegetables, and hotdogs. On Thanksgiving, everyone was happy.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XVII DRUMMOND OFFERS HELP It was a calm evening and Thirlwell and Scott sat outside the shack, watching the river while the sunset faded across the woods. A few _Metis_ freighters had gone to the settlements for supplies and mining tools, and although much depended on the condition of the portages, Scott expected them that night. "Antoine will bring up our mail," he said. "It's some time since Miss Strange has written to you about her plans." Thirlwell said it was nearly three months, and Scott resumed: "Well, I think if I'd had a part in the business, I'd have tried to find if the Hudson's Bay agent was alive. It's possible that he could tell you something about the location of the ore." "I don't know that I have any part in the business," Thirlwell replied. "I promised to go with Miss Strange, but that's all." "If she finds the lode, she'll need a mining engineer." "She'll have no trouble in engaging one if the pay is good." "But you wouldn't think you had first claim to the post? In fact, if you helped the girl to find the ore, you'd be satisfied to drop out and leave her alone?" Thirlwell frowned. He had made no plans for the future and certainly did not mean to trade upon Agatha's gratitude, but he knew it would hurt him, so to speak, to drop out and let her look for other help. "The lode isn't found yet," he rejoined. "Anyhow, I feel that the girl or you ought to have got on the agent's track," Scott insisted. "He knew where Strange went, and saw him when he returned. It's possible that Strange confused his memory by his subsequent trips, but the agent heard his story when the matter was fresh."

cnn

(CNN) -- Police in Texas used a Taser on a 42-year-old pastor and pepper spray to disperse members of his church after police said the pastor interfered with a traffic stop. Jose Moran was arrested early Wednesday morning after interfering with the duties of a public servant in the parking lot of a Webster, Texas, building that is being remodeled for the Iglesias Profetica Peniel Church, Webster police said in a written statement. Moran's son, Omar, said his father had been trying to help. He added that his father has heart problems. Moran approached an officer who was handling a traffic stop in the church's parking lot on Wednesday morning, police said. Moran identified himself as the church's pastor and began yelling at the officer, police said. The officer told Moran to leave several times, but Moran did not, police said. The officer then tried to arrest him. But Moran pushed the officer and ran into the church building, police said. Moran's son said after his father asked the officer if he could help, the officer began yelling. The son said his father went back inside the church. The officer followed him and kicked in the church door, he said. The pastor came outside, and a second officer used his Taser twice on the pastor, the younger Moran said. The son's account differs from the police version of events. Police said Moran emerged from the church building with dozens of other people who subsequently surrounded the officer. The officer used pepper spray to disperse the crowd, the statement said.

cnn

(CNN) -- The 2009 snooker world champion John Higgins has said his "conscience is clear" following allegations of match fixing. British newspaper The News of the World claimed the 34-year-old accepted a $398,000 bribe to throw frames in future matches during a meeting with undercover reporters in Kiev, Ukraine. However, in a statement read out on the BBC, the Scotsman denied ever intentionally losing a match or taking a bribe at any point in his career. "My conscience is 100 percent clear," said Higgins. "I have never been involved in any form of snooker match fixing ... I have never deliberately missed a shot, never mind intentionally lost a frame or a match." Snooker's governing body -- The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) -- announced through an official statement that Higgins had been suspended from future tournaments pending an investigation. The same statement confirmed his manager, Pat Mooney, resigned from his position on the board of the WPBSA after he was alleged to have been at the meeting with Higgins in Kiev. The three-time world champion claimed clearing his name will be the biggest challenge of his career and he will assist snooker authorities with the forthcoming investigation. "Today is the start of the biggest match of my life. I will co-operate fully with the snooker authorities. I have built my reputation on honesty and integrity." Higgins is one of the most successful snooker players in history and has won game's top prize on three occasions, taking last year's championship in addition to previous triumphs in 1998 and 2007.

race

That was my grandmother's first Christmas without Grandfather. When my parents and I arrived at her little house ,we found she had waited up all night for us. Grandfather had always said that the Christmas tree was the most important decoration of all. So first we took out the beautiful tree that was stored in the closet . But the star was _ . It was my grandmother's favorite part of the tree. "Why? It must be somewhere in the closet," my grandmother said. As we opened up boxes one by one and found no star, my grandmother's eyes were full of tears. Grandfather had given it to her some fifty years ago, on their first Christmas together. But on her first Christmas without him, the star was gone. The next morning, my family sat down together to open the presents. "The last gift is to Grandmother from Grandfather," Father said, in a strange voice. "From whom?" There was surprise in my grandmother's voice. "I found this gift in Grandfather's closet when we got the tree down," Mother explained. My grandmother opened the box. There was a shinning golden star and a note in it: Don't be angry with me, dear. I broke your star while putting away the decorations, and I couldn't bear to tell you. I hope it brings you as much happiness as the first one. Merry Christmas! Love, Bryant ,A, B, C, D,. (10)

wikipedia

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is one of the few dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s, and serves as the enacting legislation to carry out the provisions outlined in The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The ESA was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation." The U.S. Supreme Court found that "the plain intent of Congress in enacting" the ESA "was to halt and reverse the trend toward species extinction, whatever the cost." The Act is administered by two federal agencies, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). One species in particular received widespread attention—the whooping crane. The species' historical range extended from central Canada South to Mexico, and from Utah to the Atlantic coast. Unregulated hunting and habitat loss contributed to a steady decline in the whooping crane population until, by 1890, it had disappeared from its primary breeding range in the north central United States. It would be another eight years before the first national law regulating wildlife commerce was signed, and another two years before the first version of the endangered species act was passed. The whooping crane population by 1941 was estimated at about only 16 birds still in the wild.

race

Michelle Obama has just started a campaign against childhood obesity with the admission that she put her girls Malia and Sasha on a diet because they were getting fat. Clearly, childhood obesity must be solved urgently. But is it a good idea for mothers to put their daughters on diets? Studies show that the more children diet, the more likely they are to become obese as adults. Research also shows that girls are highly influenced by their mothers when it comes to eating habits and body image. This was the case for Carly, 40, who blames her mother for her lifelong struggle with weight. "My mother was on a diet the whole time I was growing up," she says. "And she put me on my first diet when I was 10. I lost puppy fat, gained her approval and never ate normally again." America's First Lady clearly has a vital healthy eating message to convey. But could this be damaging for Malia and Sasha? Could they develop eating disorders because of it? "It's wrong just to blame mothers for their daughters' eating disorders," says Susan Ringwood, chief executive of the eating disorders charity. "There is a genetic component to eating disorders." However, "We do know that parents have a very strong influence over a child's eating. It's important to realize that you are your daughter's role model. Girls idolize their mothers." says Ringwood. "No food should ever be 'good 'or' bad'," Ringwood says. Instead, "You have to make it clear that food is a sociable, healthy and fun part of life, not something to be feared." "Talk to her about body image," Ringwood says. "Talk about how curves are an important and exciting part of being a woman. Show her that anorexic ) fashion models are not sexy, but ill. The pressure on girls today is immense," she says. Never forget that you are the authoritative voice, too.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XXIX DAYS OF ANXIETY "I wonder what Davenport will say when he finds those men are working here?" remarked Fred. "I don't care what he says," answered Jack. "Do you think he'll dare come over here and have it out with Uncle Dick?" questioned Andy. "I don't think so," answered his brother. "I believe behind it all he is afraid we'll have him arrested for the theft of those documents." "If he really took them, what do you think he did with them?" came from Fred. "More than likely he destroyed them," answered Jack. "He wouldn't want evidence like that lying around loose, you know." When Carson Davenport learned that six of his men had deserted and gone over to the Rovers he was more angry than ever. "They're going to do their best to undermine us," he said to Tate. "I wish I knew just how to get square with them." "We'll get square enough if we strike oil here," said Tate. "Those Rovers will feel sick enough if they learn we are making a barrel of money." "It's easy enough to talk about making a barrel of money," came from Jackson, who was present. "But I don't see the money flowing in very fast." He had been talking to a number of his friends, and many of them had said they thought the chances of getting oil from the Spell claim were very slim. "Oh, you just hold your horses, Jackson," said Carson Davenport smoothly. "Take my word for it, this well we are putting down is going to be one of the biggest in this territory."

mctest

Once upon a time, there was a dog named Puddles. Puddles was lonely because he lived in an area where there were no other dogs, but only cats. Day after day, Puddles would have to eat cat food and do cat things in order to fit in with the rest of his group. He found it very boring and Puddles was sad. Puddles didn't even look like a cat! All of the other cats teased Puddles. "You're too big," they said. "You've got too long of a nose!" "Why are you panting like that?" Puddles knew that he was different. One day, Puddles chose to run away from all of the cats. The cats laughed at him. What a stupid dog! Didn't he know that there were monsters in the woods that could eat him? Puddles didn't care, because Puddles was sad enough to try. So Puddles packed up his things - his squeaky ball, his water dish, and his bone - and headed off into the woods. He was finally happy! All of a sudden, Puddles turned. He smelled a funny smell. It smelled like something he had never smelled before. He turned around, and what did he see but another dog! Puddles was so happy, he barked with joy. He went home with the other dog, who was named Mittens, and to his family. Puddles was never lonely again.

race

Jack was a skilled artist with a wife and two sons. One night, his elder son had a stomachache . Thinking it was only some common intestinal disorders, neither Jack nor his wife took it seriously. But the boy died suddenly that night. Knowing the death could have been avoided if he had only realized the seriousness of the situation, Jack always felt guilty. His wife left him a short time later, leaving him alone with his six-year-old younger son. The hurt and pain of the two situations were more than that Jack could stand, so he turned to alcohol for help. Later, Jack began to lose everything he had --- his land, house, etc. Finally Jack died alone in a small bar. Hearing of Jack's death, I thought, "What a totally wasted life! What a complete failure!" As time went by, I knew Jack's younger son who grew into an adult, Ernie. He is one of the kindest and most loving men I have ever known. I saw the love between Ernie and his children, thinking that kindness and caring had to come from somewhere. One day, I asked him what his father had done so that he became such a special person. Ernie said quietly, "As a child until I left home at 18, Jack came into my room every night, gave me a kiss and said, 'love you, son'."

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Doctor Manette had suddenly disappeared. Everything was done to discover some trace of him, but in vain. The loss of her husband caused his wife such pain that she decided to bring up her little daughter, Lucie, in ignorance of her father's fate, and when in two years she died she left little Lucie under the guardianship of Mr. Lorry. After eighteen years, strange news concerning the doctor had just come from Paris. Mr. Lorry, told Lucie, "your father has been found. He is alive, greatly changed, but alive. He has been taken to the house of a former servant in Paris, and we are going there." On arrival, the banker and Lucie were taken to an attic, where a haggard , white-haired man sat on a low bench, making shoes. He was sheltered by a man by the name of Defarge who, with his wife, kept a wine-shop in the district of St. Antoine. Charles Darnay was of noble birth; but his ancestors had for many years so cruelly oppressed the French peasants that the name of Evremonde was hated and looked down upon. Unlike them in character, this last descendant of his race had given up his name and wealth and had come to England as a private gentleman, eager to begin a new life. Sydney Carton was a young English lawyer. _ soon became frequent visitors at the small house in Soho Square, the home of Doctor Manette and his daughter. Through Lucie's care and devotion, the doctor had almost completely recovered from the effects of his long imprisonment, and it was only in times of strong excitement that any trace of his past foolish behaviors could be discovered. The sweet face of Lucie Manette soon won the hearts of both the young men, but it was Darnay to whom she gave her love. They married. The French Revolution had actually begun and in 1792 Mr. Lorry and Charles Darnay landed in Paris, the former to protect the French branch of Tellson & Co. and the latter to help an old family servant -Gabelle-who had begged his help. Not until they had set foot in Paris did they realize what a caldron of fury they had been involved in. Mr. Lorry, on account of his business relations, was allowed his freedom, but Darnay was hurried at once to the prison of La Force, there to wait for his trial. The reason given for this outrage was the new law for the arrest of all returning French emigrants , but the true cause was that he had been recognized as Charles Evremonde. Doctor Manette, going to France with Lucie, gained a promise that Darnay's life should be spared. At last came the terrible year of the Reign of Terror. The sympathy which at first had been given to Doctor Manette had become weakened through the influence of Mrs. Defarge. Also, there had been found in the ruins of the Bastille a paper which contained Doctor Manette's account of his imprisonment, and pronouncing a curse upon the House of Evremonde and their descendants, who were responsible for his eighteen years of misery. Charles Darnay's fate was sealed. "Death within twenty-four hours." To Sydney Carton, who had followed his friends to Paris, came an inspiration. He once promised Lucie that he would die to save a life she loved. He managed to gain admission to the prison; Darnay was removed unconscious from the cell, and Carton sat down to wait for his fate. Along the Paris streets six tumbrels were carrying the day's wine to La Guillotine. In the third car sat a young man with his hands tied. As the cries from the street arose against him, they only move him to a quiet smile as he shook more loosely his hair about his face. Crash! A head is held up. The third cart came up, and the supposed Evremonde came down. His lips move, forming the words, "a life you love."

cnn

(CNN)For a group of radical anti-Western militants, ISIS is pretty good at luring Westerners to its ranks. The latest is an American teen from suburban Chicago who was allegedly on his way to join ISIS. Mohammed Hamzah Khan was stopped just before he was supposed to board a plane to Turkey, authorities said. But he's far from alone. Last month, U.S. authorities detailed their case against a New York food store owner accused of funding ISIS and plotting to gun down American troops who had served in Iraq. And a French man told his mother that he and his half-brother were going on vacation -- only to tell her later that they were fighting in Syria. "Some of the foreign fighters may not return as terrorists to their respective countries, but all of them will have been exposed to an environment of sustained radicalization and violence with unknowable but worrying consequences," Richard Barrett of The Soufan Group wrote in a report called "Foreign fighters in Syria" this summer. So what is it about ISIS and its uncanny ability to recruit Westerners? Here are five methods the group employs: It preys on a recruit's sense of identity The recruits are often young -- sometimes disillusioned teenagers trying to find purpose and make their mark. For many, it boils down to a lack of a sense of identity or belonging, Barrett said. "The general picture provided by foreign fighters of their lives in Syria suggests camaraderie, good morale and purposeful activity, all mixed in with a sense of understated heroism, designed to attract their friends as well as to boost their own self-esteem," he wrote.

gutenberg

CHAPTER VIII AFFAIRS OF LAULII AND FANGALII _November--December_ 1888 For Becker I have not been able to conceal my distaste, for he seems to me both false and foolish. But of his successor, the unfortunately famous Dr. Knappe, we may think as of a good enough fellow driven distraught. Fond of Samoa and the Samoans, he thought to bring peace and enjoy popularity among the islanders; of a genial, amiable, and sanguine temper, he made no doubt but he could repair the breach with the English consul. Hope told a flattering tale. He awoke to find himself exchanging defiances with de Coetlogon, beaten in the field by Mataafa, surrounded on the spot by general exasperation, and disowned from home by his own government. The history of his administration leaves on the mind of the student a sentiment of pity scarcely mingled. On Blacklock he did not call, and, in view of Leary's attitude, may be excused. But the English consul was in a different category. England, weary of the name of Samoa, and desirous only to see peace established, was prepared to wink hard during the process and to welcome the result of any German settlement. It was an unpardonable fault in Becker to have kicked and buffeted his ready-made allies into a state of jealousy, anger, and suspicion. Knappe set himself at once to efface these impressions, and the English officials rejoiced for the moment in the change. Between Knappe and de Coetlogon there seems to have been mutual sympathy; and, in considering the steps by which they were led at last into an attitude of mutual defiance, it must be remembered that both the men were sick,--Knappe from time to time prostrated with that formidable complaint, New Guinea fever, and de Coetlogon throughout his whole stay in the islands continually ailing.

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Have you ever watched the big parade on Tian'anmen Square on October 1? Some students performed in the big parade. In order to get ready for it, this summer, many Beijing middle school students had a different kind of vacation. Instead of hanging out with friends or traveling, they trained hard for the 60th birthday of China this year. Students trained from 7:30 am to around 10:00 am or from 4 pm to 6:30 pm, because it was very hot this summer. They wore white hats, T-shirts and blue trousers. The hats and T-shirts were printed with a red logo, the number "60". The first week of training was PE. Students practiced standing and squatting. Then they moved on to practice the group show. When we watched the parade on TV we saw them making colorful pictures. What did the students think of their unusual summer? "Sometimes we find it a bit tiring." said Lu Wenqi, 13. "But most of us think it's a great _ to take part in such an important show." Li Hui, 15, thought the same as Lu. She said her classmates were hardly late for training. "It's a wonderful chance for us," said Li. "When my parents were in college, they also took part in a national day parade. Now it's my turn!"

mctest

I had always had fun playing in the dirt growing up, digging, throwing, building, smashing, everything, so this year for my birthday my mom and dad had bought me a gardening kit to grow my own vegetables. It came with a watering pot, a shovel, a rake and seeds! The next morning we all went out to the backyard to start our garden. We dug a bunch of small holes with my new shovel, put a seed or two in each hole, and covered them up with dirt and raked over them. Our dog was very confused because he's the one that digs the holes. Every day I would get so excited to water them and see how big they'd gotten. Every day they would get even bigger. That was the most exciting part! Then they started making little tomatoes, and they sort of looked like grapes. And those too got bigger and bigger and started turning red. This was all very exciting and finally by Christmas my dad and I picked our fresh tomatoes and washed them to be eaten in a salad with dinner.

mctest

Many, many years back, in a place full of magic, there lived a man and a woman who were married. The man and woman did not love one another or anything else. The man was a wood man and often spent days alone in the wood. One day the man spent more time in the wood and he became lost. After days and days he grew hungry and weak. When he thought for sure he was going to die a tall wizard appeared before him. The man did not know the wizard had placed a spell on him, making him get lost, but he did. The wizard smiled at the man in a friendly way and said to him, "I can show you the way out of the woods, if you give me the one thing you love most in the world." Since there was nothing that the man loved, he said yes at once. The Wizard showed the man the way home and then disappeared into the wood. The man and woman lived well for many years and the man never told his meeting to the wizard and after a time, he too forgot about his promise. In time the woman gave birth and the man had a daughter who he loved. One day the wizard came to the door to take the girl, making the man remember his promise. The man was very sad to lose his daughter. But in the end he had to give her over to the wizard. The wizard was bad and locked the girl away in a cave. Every day the girl grew to be prettier and smarter. Every day the Wizard asked if the girl would marry him, but he was mean and she would not marry him. And every time the girl said no, the wizard would find a new way to make her sad. But the girl had found a secret flower that was very beautiful. "If you marry me I can let you out." "There is a lovely bit of sunlight that comes in through the rocks. I am very happy here in my cave." The girl said. The wizard became angry and steam poured from his eyes He blocked out the sun so the girl lived only in darkness. Still the girl said no. The wizard came back again and told the girl, "If you marry me I can let you out." The wizard became angry and steam poured from his mouth "There is a lovely stream of water that comes in through the rocks. I am very happy here in my cave." The girl said. The wizard became angry and steam poured from his ears He blocked out the water so the girl lived only in dry sand. Still the girl said no. The wizard came back again and told the girl, "If you marry me I can let you out." Again, the girl only said "There is a soft wind that comes in through the rocks. I am very happy here in my cave." The wizard became angry and steam poured from his ears and fire came out of his eyes So the Wizard blocked out the wind and left the girl in a hot cave with no air. But the girl would still not marry him. The wizard became so angry he turned to flame and burned up. The girl was free and went down to her flower only to find it was gone. Instead she found a handsome prince. "I thank you my lady," he said, "for saving me from the evil wizard. In return you may come live in my palace with me and be happy." The girl said yes. In time they came to love one another and got married and lived happy together.

wikipedia

Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, usually while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime. Diving is one of the most popular Olympic sports with spectators. Competitors possess many of the same characteristics as gymnasts and dancers, including strength, flexibility, kinaesthetic judgment and air awareness. Some professional divers were originally gymnasts or dancers as both the sports have similar characteristics to diving. Dmitri Sautin holds the record for most Olympic diving medals won, by winning eight medals in total between 1992 and 2008. Although diving has been a popular pastime across the world since ancient times, the first modern diving competitions were held in England in the 1880s. The exact origins of the sport are unclear, though it likely derives from the act of diving at the start of swimming races. The 1904 book "Swimming" by Ralph Thomas notes English reports of plunging records dating back to at least 1865. The 1877 edition to "British Rural Sports" by John Henry Walsh makes note of a "Mr. Young" plunging 56 feet in 1870, and also states that 25 years prior, a swimmer named Drake could cover 53 feet.

mctest

The dinosaur wants to have a pet goldfish. He is reading a book called, "How to Take Care of Your Pet Goldfish" because he wants to learn how to take care of a goldfish. After he finishes reading the book, he goes to the pet store. The pet store is not in Detroit, St. Louis, or Pakistan. The pet store is in a town called Oceanside. It takes the dinosaur an hour to walk to the store. The store is very big, so that the dinosaur can fit inside. A worker from the store walks up to the dinosaur and asks, "How can I help you?" "I'm looking to buy a pet goldfish," the dinosaur said. "Are you sure?" the worker asked, "We have rainbow fish, red fish, and blue fish. The rainbow fish makes for a great pet." "No, thank you," the dinosaur said, "Goldfish are my favorite." And so the worker put a goldfish in a bag of water for the dinosaur. "Why did you put the goldfish in a bag of water?" the dinosaur asked. "Fish always love to have something to swim in," the worker answered, "Enjoy your goldfish!" And so the dinosaur walked home, his new best buddy in hand.

wikipedia

A software release life cycle is the sum of the stages of development and maturity for a piece of computer software: ranging from its initial development to its eventual release, and including updated versions of the released version to help improve software or fix software bugs still present in the software. Usage of the "alpha/beta" test terminology originated at IBM. As long ago as the 1950s (and probably earlier), IBM used similar terminology for their hardware development. "A" test was the verification of a new product before public announcement. "B" test was the verification before releasing the product to be manufactured. "C" test was the final test before general availability of the product. As software became a significant part of IBM's offerings, the alpha test terminology was used to denote the pre-announcement test and beta test was used to show product readiness for general availability. Martin Belsky, a manager on some of IBM's earlier software projects claimed to have invented the terminology. IBM dropped the alpha/beta terminology during the 1960s, but by then it had received fairly wide notice. The usage of "beta test" to refer to testing done by customers was not done in IBM. Rather, IBM used the term "field test".

cnn

New York (CNN) -- A member of Pedro Hernandez's family walked into a Camden, New Jersey, police station in the 1980s and reported that Hernandez told relatives and others that he had killed a boy in New York and threw the body near a Dumpster -- but there's no indication anything came out of that report, the family member told CNN. "You feel like they didn't believe you. I felt empty and a little bit mad," the relative said. "I was expecting something else." Now, 33 years after Etan Patz disappeared, Pedro Hernandez stands accused of choking to death the 6-year-old youngster after luring him to the basement of a corner grocery store in New York City, and of throwing away his body inside a trash bag. The family member, who CNN has agreed to not identify, said there was no receipt of paperwork to document the information provided -- nor was the relative ever contacted again about the report. "Police asked whether I was mad" at Hernandez or had an ulterior motive, the source added. Hernandez allegedly confided the information to a New Jersey church prayer group that included some members of his family and his then-spiritual adviser, the source told CNN. Tomas Rivera, a leader of the prayer group, declined comment Monday on Hernandez or the prayer group, citing authorities who told him not to talk to the media. Pastor: Wife of suspect in Etan Patz case 'absolutely shell-shocked' At 19, shortly after Patz's disappearance on May 25, 1979, Hernandez left his job as a stock clerk and returned to his mother's home in North Camden, New Jersey. The attempt to tell police that Hernandez might have killed a child happened a few years after that.

cnn

(CNN) -- Roger Federer secured a record-equaling seventh Wimbledon title to dash the hopes of Andy Murray and a partisan Centre Court crowd. Federer made it 17 grand slam titles to his name after a two-and-a-half-year drought and matched the haul of American Pete Sampras at the All England Club. The Swiss will return to the top of the world rankings as a result of his 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4 victory, meaning he will match his hero Sampras' record of 286 weeks at No. 1. For Murray, the first Briton to reach a men's singles final at Wimbledon in 74 years, it represented his fourth defeat in major finals, and his pain was acutely felt by a fervent crowd at Wimbledon. Sampras: I hated (and loved) Wimbledon Federer's triumph was his first at Wimbledon since 2009, with his last major win coming at the Australian Open in 2010 when he also beat Murray. "It's amazing," Federer told the host broadcaster. "It equals me with Pete Sampras, who is my hero, so it feels amazing. "I think I played some of my best tennis in the last couple of matches. It's worked out so many times here that I play my best in semis and the final. I couldn't be more happy -- it feels being great being back here as the winner. It's a great moment." Federer's victory means he is only the second player in the men's game to have held the top ranking over the age of 30, alongside Andre Agassi.

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Consumer electronics once again topped the list of the most wanted gifts this holiday season. "Seventy-six percent of consumers who plan to buy holiday gifts say that they will spend money buying at least one technology product; definitely a solid vote of confidence for technology." Steve Koenig is with the Consumer Electronics Association. He says the group's latest research also shows that Americans this year are spending more on technology products. "Here in 2012, $252 on average-the technology spend for consumers this year." From tablet computers to smartphones, American shoppers have been lining up to get the newest and coolest electronic devices on the market. There are more choices today than ever before. "It's kind of hard to make a decision." Tablet computers are one of the best-selling products this year. Brian Tong is Senior Editor of CNET.com. The website reports on tech news and examines the latest electronic products. He says the Apple iPad Mini is one of the most popular tablets. Its starting price is $329. One of Apple's biggest competitors is the Google Nexus 7. It starts at $199. "The hardware inside is more powerful than what's in the iPad Mini, but also it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple's maps." Brian Tong says there is one reason why people may like the iPad Mini more than the Nexus 7. "If you just want to read books and surf the Internet, you don't really need to get an iPad Mini, but if you want the largest group of apps that's where the iPad and Apple's ecosystem shines the most." Elman Chacon is with the electronics store Best Buy. He says another hot product this season is smart cameras. They connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi. This makes it easy for users to email or upload photographs directly from the camera. "You can literally take a picture, upload it into your Facebook in a matter of seconds. These things are pretty cool because they do a lot of things." Streaming media boxes also connect to the Internet. People are able to watch web content such as movies and YouTube videos on their televisions. Another popular item is wireless speaker systems. The newest ones work with any device that has Bluetooth technology, including smartphones, laptops and tablets. With the growing popularity of Internet shopping, many consumers will visit a store first to look at a product, and then go online to find it at a lower price. Stores like Best Buy understand that and they want to stay competitive. "We have something called the perfect match promise which means if you buy a certain device and you find it cheaper within 30 days we'll go ahead and price match that for you." Elman Chacon said.

mctest

On the third day of November, Ron and Pam went to the store. They wanted to get some food for a new recipe. It was late in the afternoon, but they wanted to eat the food soon at dinner. To save time they split the list in half. Ron was to get the pasta and tomato sauce, and Pam was to get the vegetables and juice. They went their separate ways in the store, and made plans to meet in the checkout line in half an hour. On her way to the fruit and vegetable section, Pam ran into her friend Tom. Tom had bought a pet bunny for his friend and wanted to buy it some food. He asked Pam what he needs to feed the bunny. Pam told him lettuce and carrots, so he put 5 heads of lettuce in his basket along with one bag of carrots. Tom said goodbye to Pam and went to the front of the store to buy his vegetables. Now it was time for Pam to pick out the vegetables she would buy for dinner. She wanted to make a salad, so she bought spinach, 2 big red tomatoes, a box of mushrooms, and 3 cucumbers. Pam then went to where they kept the juice and grabbed a big bottle of lemonade. Pam went to the front of the store and met Ron. They handed their items to the sales clerk so that they could buy them. The total cost of the food was 20 dollars. As a gift to Pam, Ron paid for the food and said happy birthday. As a gift he would be cooking her dinner.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XXII An Independent Family Just as Old Mother Nature asked who they should learn about next, Happy Jack Squirrel spied some one coming down the Lone Little Path. "See who's coming!" cried Happy Jack. Everybody turned to look down the Lone Little Path. There, ambling along in the most matter-of-fact and unconcerned way imaginable, came a certain small person who was dressed wholly in black and white. "Hello, Jimmy Skunk," cried Chatterer the Red Squirrel. "What are you doing over here in the Green Forest?" Jimmy Skunk looked up and grinned. It was a slow, good-natured grin. "Hello, everybody," said he. "I thought I would just amble over here and see your school. I suppose all you fellows are getting so wise that pretty soon you will think you know all there is to know. Have any of you seen any fat Beetles around here?" Just then Jimmy noticed Old Mother Nature and hastened to bow his head in a funny way. "Please excuse me, Mother Nature," he said, "I thought school was over. I don't want to interrupt." Old Mother Nature smiled. The fact is, Old Mother Nature is rather fond of Jimmy Skunk. "You aren't interrupting," said she. "The fact is, we had just ended the lesson about Flitter the Bat and his relatives, and were trying to decide who to study about next. I think you came along at just the right time. You belong to a large and rather important order, one that all these little folks here ought to know about. How many cousins have you, Jimmy?"

cnn

The Dutch man suspected in the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway has sued the Chilean government for more than $13 million, alleging his human rights were violated when Chile extradited him last year to Peru to face charges in the death of a Peruvian woman. "The lawsuit is against the Chilean government, for having violated Joran van der Sloot's basic human rights," his Peruvian lawyer Aldo Cotrina told In Session. The suit was filed September 4 with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in Washington. "Maybe they won't accept my analysis in Peru, because they feel this is the way things have always been done," said Cotrina, who is based in New York. "But I believe there are universal human rights and we have to respect those rights. We can't say that because someone is accused of killing a person, you can violate all their rights." Cotrina said van der Sloot's former attorney, Maximo Altez, contacted him in July 2010 about the complaint, and the two men met the following month to begin researching grounds for the lawsuit on the basis of their claim that van der Sloot's human rights had been violated in June 2010, when Chile expelled him to Peru. Cotrina said he expects to complete next week a similar document, to be filed against the government of Peru. Van der Sloot, 24, faces a trial on murder and robbery charges that is set to begin January 6 in Peru. He is accused of killing 21-year-old Stephany Flores in his Lima hotel room last year. Police say he took money and bank cards from her wallet and fled to Chile, where he was arrested a few days later.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XVII. THE INDUSTRIAL MAGNATE In Beldover, there was both for Ursula and for Gudrun an interval. It seemed to Ursula as if Birkin had gone out of her for the time, he had lost his significance, he scarcely mattered in her world. She had her own friends, her own activities, her own life. She turned back to the old ways with zest, away from him. And Gudrun, after feeling every moment in all her veins conscious of Gerald Crich, connected even physically with him, was now almost indifferent to the thought of him. She was nursing new schemes for going away and trying a new form of life. All the time, there was something in her urging her to avoid the final establishing of a relationship with Gerald. She felt it would be wiser and better to have no more than a casual acquaintance with him. She had a scheme for going to St Petersburg, where she had a friend who was a sculptor like herself, and who lived with a wealthy Russian whose hobby was jewel-making. The emotional, rather rootless life of the Russians appealed to her. She did not want to go to Paris. Paris was dry, and essentially boring. She would like to go to Rome, Munich, Vienna, or to St Petersburg or Moscow. She had a friend in St Petersburg and a friend in Munich. To each of these she wrote, asking about rooms. She had a certain amount of money. She had come home partly to save, and now she had sold several pieces of work, she had been praised in various shows. She knew she could become quite the 'go' if she went to London. But she knew London, she wanted something else. She had seventy pounds, of which nobody knew anything. She would move soon, as soon as she heard from her friends. Her nature, in spite of her apparent placidity and calm, was profoundly restless.

cnn

Amman, Jordan (CNN) -- The wife of an alleged suicide bomber who killed eight people at a U.S. base in Afghanistan last week says she is shocked by his actions but "proud" of what he did. Defne Bayrak, the Turkish wife of Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi -- a Jordanian doctor identified as the attacker -- said she doubted accusations her husband had been an intelligence agent, but was satisfied he did not die in vain. "I am proud of my husband. My husband accomplished a very big operation in such a war," she told reporters. "If he is a martyr, may God accept his martyrdom." Al-Balawi has been named as the suspected bomber behind a December 30 attack on a U.S. base in Khost, in southeastern Afghanistan, that killed seven CIA officers and contractors, and a Jordanian army captain. U.S. and Jordanian officials say al-Balawi had been recruited as a counterterrorism intelligence agent, despite concerns over his extremist views, and was being used in the hunt for a senior al Qaeda figure. Bayrak, speaking from their home in Istanbul, told CNN Turk television she was "shocked" to hear what he had done. "It is impossible for me to make a guess if he was an agent, what was his reason going there," she said. "I am not saying whether I am believing or not believing. I am trying to say, we were not expecting something like this." Al-Balawi's mother, Shnara Fadel al-Balawi, told CNN her son, who she said had been a loner since childhood, had aspired to go to America, even telling her last year that he had booked a ticket to the United States.

mctest

Hi there! How are you doing today? I was hanging out with my friend earlier today. I am looking for a guy in a blue shirt and blue pants. Have you seen him? I cannot find him, and I thought I looked everywhere. I have checked behind the green couch and he was not there. I looked inside the white refrigerator and he was not there either. I looked to the left and looked to the right of the television and he was not in those places either! Where would you look for someone? Where would you look in their house? I think he could be in one of the other rooms here. I checked in the living room and it was empty. I checked in the bedroom and it was empty too! I knocked on the bathroom door and that was empty. It is easy to find him because he is in blue. Wait, what's that? You said you saw someone in the kitchen? What were they wearing? Were they wearing a blue shirt? Oh they weren't? I think that could still be my friend! I'll head over to the kitchen, you can follow if you want. There's my friend! And he's wearing an orange shirt now; he must have left to change his shirt. Thank you so much!

wikipedia

CBS News is the news division of American television and radio service CBS. The president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' broadcasts include the "CBS Evening News", "CBS This Morning", news magazine programs "CBS Sunday Morning", "60 Minutes" and "48 Hours", and Sunday morning political affairs program "Face the Nation". CBS Radio News produces hourly newscasts for hundreds of radio stations, while CBS also operates a 24-hour news network called CBSN, the first live anchored 24-hour streaming news network that is exclusively online and on smart devices. In 1929, the Columbia Broadcasting System began making regular radio news broadcasts—five-minute summaries taken from reports from the United Press, one of the three wire services that supplied newspapers with national and international news. In December 1930 CBS chief William S. Paley hired journalist Paul W. White away from United Press as CBS's news editor. Paley put the radio network's news operation at the same level as entertainment, and authorized White to interrupt programming if events warranted. Along with other networks, CBS chafed at the breaking news embargo imposed upon radio by the wire services, which prevented them from using bulletins until they first appeared in print. CBS disregarded an embargo when it broke the story of the Lindbergh kidnapping in 1932, using live on-the-air reporting. Radio networks scooped print outlets with news of the 1932 presidential election.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XXIV: LOST LAMBS And Philammon? For a long while he stood in the street outside the theatre, too much maddened to determine on any course of action; and, ere he had recovered his self-possession, the crowd began to pour from every outlet, and filling the street, swept him away in its stream. Then, as he heard his sister's name, in every tone of pity, contempt, and horror, mingle with their angry exclamations, he awoke from his dream, and, bursting through the mob, made straight for Pelagia's house. It was fast closed; and his repeated knocks at the gate brought only, after long waiting, a surly negro face to a little wicket. He asked eagerly and instinctively for Pelagia; of course she had not yet returned. For Wulf he was not within. And then he took his station close to the gateway, while his heart beat loud with hope and dread. At last the Goths appeared, forcing their way through the mob in a close column. There were no litters with them. Where, then, were Pelagia and her girls? Where, too, was the hated figure of the Amal? and Wulf, and Smid? The men came on, led by Goderic and Agilmund, with folded arms, knitted brows, downcast eyes: a stern disgust, not unmingled with shame, on every countenance, told Philammon afresh of his sister's infamy. Goderic passed him close, and Philammon summoned up courage to ask for Wulf.... Pelagia he had not courage to name. 'Out, Greek hound! we have seen enough of your accursed race to-day! What? are you trying to follow us in?' And the young man's sword flashed from its sheath so swiftly, that Philammon had but just time enough to spring back into the street, and wait there, in an agony of disappointment and anxiety, as the gates slid together again, and the house was as silent as before.

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Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed most commonly on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is prepared for by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night; in some traditions, Christmastide includes an Octave. The traditional Christmas narrative, the Nativity of Jesus, delineated in the New Testament says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in accordance with messianic prophecies; when Joseph and Mary arrived in the city, the inn had no room and so they were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born, with angels proclaiming this news to shepherds who then disseminated the message furthermore. Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world's nations, is celebrated religiously by the vast majority of Christians, as well as culturally by a number of non-Christian people, and is an integral part of the holiday season, while some Christian groups reject the celebration. In several countries, celebrating Christmas Eve on December 24 has the main focus rather than December 25, with gift-giving and sharing a traditional meal with the family.

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The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the descendants of the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Americas. Pueblos indígenas (indigenous peoples) is a common term in Spanish-speaking countries. Aborigen (aboriginal/native) is used in Argentina, whereas "Amerindian" is used in Quebec, The Guianas, and the English-speaking Caribbean. Indigenous peoples are commonly known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, which include First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. Indigenous peoples of the United States are commonly known as Native Americans or American Indians, and Alaska Natives. According to the prevailing theories of the settlement of the Americas, migrations of humans from Asia (in particular North Asia) to the Americas took place via Beringia, a land bridge which connected the two continents across what is now the Bering Strait. The majority of experts agree that the earliest pre-modern human migration via Beringia took place at least 13,500 years ago, with disputed evidence that people had migrated into the Americas much earlier, up to 40,000 years ago. These early Paleo-Indians spread throughout the Americas, diversifying into many hundreds of culturally distinct nations and tribes. According to the oral histories of many of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, they have been living there since their genesis, described by a wide range of creation myths.

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Biodiversity, a contraction of "biological diversity," generally refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth. One of the most widely used definitions defines it in terms of the variability within species, between species, and between ecosystems. It is a measure of the variety of organisms present in different ecosystems. This can refer to genetic variation, ecosystem variation, or species variation (number of species) within an area, biome, or planet. Terrestrial biodiversity tends to be greater near the equator, which seems to be the result of the warm climate and high primary productivity. Biodiversity is not distributed evenly on Earth. It is richest in the tropics. Marine biodiversity tends to be highest along coasts in the Western Pacific, where sea surface temperature is highest and in the mid-latitudinal band in all oceans. There are latitudinal gradients in species diversity. Biodiversity generally tends to cluster in hotspots, and has been increasing through time, but will be likely to slow in the future.

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The BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, commonly known as the British Phonographic Industry or BPI, is the British recorded music industry's trade association. Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all three "major" record companies in the UK (Warner Music UK, Sony Music Entertainment, and Universal Music Group), and hundreds of independent music labels and small to medium-sized music businesses. It has represented the interests of British record companies since being formally incorporated in 1973 when the principal aim was to promote British music and fight copyright infringement. In 2007, the association's legal name was changed from British Phonographic Industry Limited (The). It founded the annual BRIT Awards for the British music industry in 1977, and, later, The Classic BRIT Awards. The organizing company, BRIT Awards Limited, is a fully owned subsidiary of the BPI. Proceeds from both shows go to the BRIT Trust, the charitable arm of the BPI that has donated almost £15m to charitable causes nationwide since its foundation in 1989. In September 2013, the BPI presented the first ever BRITs Icon Award to Sir Elton John. The BPI also endorsed the launch of the Mercury Prize for the Album of the Year in 1992. The recorded music industry's Certified Awards program, which attributes Platinum, Gold and Silver status to singles, albums and music videos (Platinum and Gold only) based on their sales performance (see BPI Certified Awards program), has been administered by the BPI since its inception in 1973. In September 2008, the BPI became one of the founding members of UK Music, an umbrella organisation representing the interests of all parts of the industry.

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In 1943, when I was 4, my parents moved from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to Fairbanks, Alaska, where adventure was never very far away. We arrived in the summer, just in time to enjoy the midnight sun. All that sunlight was fantastic for Mom's vegetable garden. Working in the garden at midnight tended to throw her timing off, so she didn't care much about my bedtime. Dad was a Railway Express agent and Mom was his clerk. That left me in a mess. I usually managed to find some trouble to get into. Once I had a little Are going in the dirt basement of a hotel. I had tried to light a barrel of paint but couldn't really get a good fire going. The smoke got pretty bad, though, and when 1 made my exit, a crowd and the police were there to greet me. The policemen took my matches and drove me Mom and Dad were occupied in the garden and Dad told the police to keep me, and they did! I had a tour of the prison before Mom rescued me. 1 hadn't turned 5 yet. As I entered kindergarten, the serious cold began to set in. Would it surprise you to know that I soon left part of my tongue on a metal handrail at school? As for Leonhard Seppala, famous as a dog sledder , I think I knew him well because I was taken for a ride with his white dog team one Sunday. At the time I didn't realize what a superstar he was, but I do remember the ride well. I was wrapped heavily and well sheltered from the freezing and blowing weather. In 1950, we moved back to Coeur d'Alene, but we got one more Alaskan adventure when Leonhard invited us eight years later by paying a visit to Idaho to attend a gathering of former neighbors of Alaska.

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On October 9, 2006 at 6:00 a.m., the network switched to a 24-hour schedule, becoming one of the last major English-language broadcasters to transition to such a schedule. Most CBC-owned stations previously signed off the air during the early morning hours (typically from 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.). Instead of the infomercials aired by most private stations, or a simulcast of CBC News Network in the style of BBC One's nightly simulcast of BBC News Channel, the CBC uses the time to air repeats, including local news, primetime series, movies and other programming from the CBC library. Its French counterpart, Ici Radio-Canada Télé, still signs off every night. Until 1998, the network carried a variety of American programs in addition to its core Canadian programming, directly competing with private Canadian broadcasters such as CTV and Global. Since then, it has restricted itself to Canadian programs, a handful of British programs, and a few American movies and off-network repeats. Since this change, the CBC has sometimes struggled to maintain ratings comparable to those it achieved before 1995, although it has seen somewhat of a ratings resurgence in recent years. In the 2007-08 season, hit series such as Little Mosque on the Prairie and The Border helped the network achieve its strongest ratings performance in over half a decade.

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The annelids are bilaterally symmetrical, triploblastic, coelomate, invertebrate organisms. They also have parapodia for locomotion. Most textbooks still use the traditional division into polychaetes (almost all marine), oligochaetes (which include earthworms) and leech-like species. Cladistic research since 1997 has radically changed this scheme, viewing leeches as a sub-group of oligochaetes and oligochaetes as a sub-group of polychaetes. In addition, the Pogonophora, Echiura and Sipuncula, previously regarded as separate phyla, are now regarded as sub-groups of polychaetes. Annelids are considered members of the Lophotrochozoa, a "super-phylum" of protostomes that also includes molluscs, brachiopods, flatworms and nemerteans. The basic annelid form consists of multiple segments. Each segment has the same sets of organs and, in most polychaetes, has a pair of parapodia that many species use for locomotion. Septa separate the segments of many species, but are poorly defined or absent in others, and Echiura and Sipuncula show no obvious signs of segmentation. In species with well-developed septa, the blood circulates entirely within blood vessels, and the vessels in segments near the front ends of these species are often built up with muscles that act as hearts. The septa of such species also enable them to change the shapes of individual segments, which facilitates movement by peristalsis ("ripples" that pass along the body) or by undulations that improve the effectiveness of the parapodia. In species with incomplete septa or none, the blood circulates through the main body cavity without any kind of pump, and there is a wide range of locomotory techniques – some burrowing species turn their pharynges inside out to drag themselves through the sediment.

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Not long ago, a rock band called the Backstreet Boys _ on the music scene. Young people everywhere loved their songs. One of the band's biggest fans was a young boy named Aaron Carter. Aaron had a special reason for taking such an interest in the band. Nick Carter, one of the Backstreet Boys, was Aaron's big brother. Even before Nick joined the band in 1996, Aaron loved music. From the age of two, Aaron spent most of his time listening to the radio. He sang along with his favorite songs. He made up dances to go with them. So Aaron's family was not surprised when Aaron decided to follow Nick into the music world. Aaron got off to a fast start. At the age of seven, he joined a band in his hometown of Tampa, Florida. But after two years, Aaron didn't want to be part of a band anymore. He wanted to sing alone. Soon, Brother Nick gave Aaron a helping hand. During a Backstreet Boys show in Germany, Aaron sang a song. He did an amazing job! After the show, someone from a record company asked Aaron to make an album . Of course, Aaron said yes! Since that day, Aaron has made lots of songs that sell well. His songs include "Crush on You" and "I'm Gonna Miss You Forever". Aaron has worked hard to become a success. But he never forgets how his brother gave him his start. As Aaron has said, "If Nick wasn't a singer, then I wouldn't be there."

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For many years, Yang Shanzhou was the local party secretary in a remote, mountainous village in southwest China's Yunnan Province. Though he could live a better life in the city, he still decided to move even further into the mountains, and devoted himself to greening the land. He passed away in 2010, but his story lives on. A blanket of green - And it all started with a surprising decision made by Yang Shanzhou back in 1988. The 62 year old decided to return to his hometown in Daliang Mountain, to bring green back to the _ hills. Along with fifteen other people, Yang settled down deep in the mountains and began to work on his plan. It was a life that was harder than most people could ever imagine. Su Jiaxiang, Yang Shanzhou's secretary, said, "I went to visit him several times. He didn't even have decent shoes and it was very cold at night. But you know he was almost seventy!" In 2010, Yang Shanzhou passed away. He was buried in Daliang Mountain, according to his will. More than twenty years has passed since he first began his planting in the mountains.The hills are now covered with kinds of trees. By planting trees, Yang Shanzhou also planted hope. This hidden hero left his local government with a priceless legacy.

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(CNN) -- Italian manager Gianfranco Zola has been sacked by English Premier League club West Ham, while former England boss Steve McLaren has joined German side Wolfsburg. The Hammers announced in a statement on their official Web site that they had terminated Zola's contract after a season in which they finished just one place above the relegation zone. West Ham's new owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, who took control of the club in January, made clear there would be changes at the end of the season, and they have been true to their word. The official statement read: "West Ham United confirm that they have terminated the contract of Gianfranco Zola. "The Board of Directors would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him well for the future. The Club will now be focusing its efforts on seeking a replacement." Meanwhile, ex-England coach Steve McLaren has been confirmed as Wolfsburg's new coach. McLaren led Dutch side FC Twente to their first ever league title last season and will become the first English coach to take charge of a German side. A statement on Wolfsburg's official Web site said: "Steve McClaren is to take over as new trainer at VfL Wolfsburg. The 49 year old will start work on July 1st under a two year contract to keep him in Wolfsburg until June 30th 2012." Former Netherlands and Ajax coach Marco van Basten has ruled himself out of the running to become the next boss of Italian giants AC Milan.

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CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT. A PECULIAR CONFIDANT--MORE DIFFICULTIES, AND VARIOUS PLANS TO OVERCOME THEM. When Alice Mason was a little child, there was a certain tree near her father's house to which, in her hours of sorrow, she was wont to run and tell it all the grief of her overflowing heart. She firmly believed that this tree heard and understood and sympathised with all that she said. There was a hole in the stem into which she was wont to pour her complaints, and when she had thus unburthened her heart to her silent confidant she felt comforted, as one feels when a human friend has shared one's sorrows. When the child became older, and her sorrows were heavier and, perhaps, more real, her well-nurtured mind began to rise to a higher source for comfort. Habit and inclination led her indeed to the same tree, but when she kneeled upon its roots and leaned against its stem, she poured out her heart into the bosom of Him who is ever present, and who can be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. Almost immediately after landing on the island Alice sought the umbrageous shelter of her old friend and favourite, and on her knees thanked God for restoring her to her father and her home. To the same place the missionary directed his steps, for he knew it well, and doubtless expected to find his daughter there. "Alice, dear, I have good news to tell you," said the missionary, sitting down beside her.

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(CNN) -- Roger Ebert was seldom at a loss for words. His debates with Gene Siskel, his longtime co-host on a succession of movie-review television shows, sometimes seemed to start before the introduction and often appeared to continue well after the credits rolled. He wrote reviews, columns, interviews and articles, an astonishing collection of work that spanned more than four decades with the Chicago Sun-Times, freelance contributions for magazines such as Esquire, CD-ROMs (Ebert's movie guide was one of the sources for the popular Cinemania) and rogerebert.com. He hosted festivals for underappreciated films. He gave running travelogues from Cannes and Toronto. He tweeted, Facebooked, corresponded with film lovers and held court with words long after his physical voice was silenced by cancer a decade ago. Ebert lost his battle with cancer Thursday. He was 70. What a voice he had: firm, plain, brooking no claptrap and telling you exactly what he thought, a throwback, he said, to his newspaper reporter days. (Chicago, then and now, was full of such cheerily blunt personalities: Mike Royko, Irv Kupcinet, Studs Terkel -- perhaps to be expected in the birthplace of "The Front Page.") Opinion: Ebert's sheer love of life Above all, he was easy to relate to. Like many of his readers, I didn't always agree with Ebert, but I could understand his viewpoint. He understood movies were these complex machines of directors and actors and special effects guys and studio suits holding bags of money, machines that -- when they worked -- were magical, like dreams. And when they didn't, he could be a compassionate man, more forgiving than many other critics.

gutenberg

CHAPTER IV. MRS. MADDEN'S BALL. Two days after the dinner, George Bertram called in Eaton Square and saw Lady Harcourt; but, as it happened, she was not alone. Their interview on this occasion was not in any great degree embarrassing to either of them. He did not stay long; and as strangers were present, he was able to talk freely on indifferent subjects. Lady Harcourt probably did not talk much, but she looked as though she did. And then Adela Gauntlet came up to town for a month; and George, though he was on three or four occasions in Eaton Square, never saw Caroline alone; but he became used to seeing her and being with her. The strangeness of their meeting wore itself away: he could speak to her without reserve on the common matters of life, and found that he had intense delight in doing so. Adela Gauntlet was present at all these interviews, and in her heart of hearts condemned them bitterly; but she could say nothing to Caroline. They had been friends--real friends; but Caroline was now almost like stone to her. This visit of Adela's had been a long promise--yes, very long; for the visit, when first promised, was to have been made to Mrs. Bertram. One knows how these promises still live on. Caroline had pressed it even when she felt that Adela's presence could no longer be of comfort to her; and Adela would not now refuse, lest in doing so she might seem to condemn. But she felt that Caroline Harcourt could never be to her what Caroline Bertram would have been.

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Zürich or Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. The municipality has approximately 400,028 inhabitants, the urban agglomeration 1.315 million and the Zürich metropolitan area 1.83 million. Zürich is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic. Both Zürich Airport and railway station are the largest and busiest in the country. Permanently settled for about 2000 years, Zürich was founded by the Romans, who, in 15 BC, called it "". However, early settlements have been found dating back more than 6400 years ago. During the Middle Ages, Zürich gained the independent and privileged status of imperial immediacy and, in 1519, became a primary centre of the Protestant Reformation in Europe under the leadership of Huldrych Zwingli. The official language of Zurich is German, but the main spoken language is the local variant of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect. Many museums and art galleries can be found in the city, including the Swiss National Museum and the Kunsthaus. Schauspielhaus Zürich is one of the most important theatres in the German-speaking world. Zürich is a leading global city and among the world's largest financial centres despite having a relatively small population. The city is home to a large number of financial institutions and banking giants. Most of Switzerland's research and development centres are concentrated in Zürich and the low tax rates attract overseas companies to set up their headquarters there.

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For many people, the name Baskin-Robbins is connected to sweet memories of eating ice cream. Irvine Robbins, who helped create this famous company, died in May at the age of ninety. His career of making fun and exciting ice cream flavors changed the way Americans enjoy this food. Irvine Robbins opened his first ice cream store in 1945 in California. At the time, there were no stores that sold only ice cream. His sister's husband, Burton Baskin, also opened his own ice cream stores. In 1948 they combined their six stores into one business. Baskin and Robbins realized that they were too busy to operate each store well. So, they decided to sell part of each operation to the manager of that store. This permitted the company to grow quickly. By 1953, they renamed their company Baskin-Robbins. They advertised that they sold 31 kinds of ice cream to show the many choices buyers had. There was one flavor for every day of the month. Robbins and Baskin sold "Lunar Cheesecake " the day after astronauts landed on the moon in 1969. Other flavors included "ChaChaCha", for cherry chocolate chip, and Robbins' personal favorite "Jamoca Almond Fudge". They said, "We sell fun, not just ice cream." By 1967, there were 500 Baskin-Robbins stores in the United States. The business partners sold their company that year. Today, there are more than 5,800 Baskin-Robbins stores around the world.

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A mathematician who goes mad is not a subject most directors consider commercially attractive, but then Ron Howard isn't among most directors, despite an impressive list of credits, a Beautiful Mind is his most successful work to date, combining psychological drama with a moving love story to produce a film that is as interesting as it is entertaining. The Oscar winning Russel Crowe has put himself in line for further honors with his acting John Nash, the Nobel Prize-winning mathematician troubled by schizophrenia . A Beautiful Mind pictures Nash as an unusual hero, not just because of his academic achievements, but also because of the courage he displays while battling his illness. In 1947, Nash was one of many great young minds at Princeton. "To find a truly original idea is the only way to distinguish myself." The proud and determined student declared. His exploration of such an idea afforded him little time for the normal socializing. His shyness and straightforward approach brought him few friends. After finally _ a revolutionary new idea, Nash's career took off and his reputation was secured. He balanced research work with teaching, which is where he met the bright and beautiful student Alicia (Jennifer Connelly). Things in his life were going well when his talent for code breaking brought him to the attention of the military who employed him during the early stages of the cold war with Russia. However, the stress of his work made Nash's illness develop. Crowe's performance is perfect. He and Connelly ignite (make something exciting) the film's passionate love story and Connelly's wonderful performance makes the audience moved by Alicia, whose courage, strength and faith in her husband are the primary reasons for his recovery.

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Los Angeles (CNN) -- The co-author of a study on propofol addiction funded by AEG Live and used in their defense in the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial lost his medical license for writing illegal drug prescriptions, according to testimony. Dr. Torin Finver was hired to help with the AEG Live study after he lost his job at a pizza parlor and took a job driving a Goodwill truck, said Dr. Paul Earley, who testified Wednesday as an expert witness for the concert promoter. Finver was "destitute, dead broke, and I wanted to help him," Earley, himself a recovering heroin addict, testified. The revelation was a bizarre twist in the trial of the billion-dollar lawsuit filed by Jackson's mother and three children, which is being heard by a Los Angeles jury. The four-month-long trial is nearing a conclusion. AEG Live lawyers will announce if they have any more witnesses to call before playing the video depositions of three more doctors on Friday. Jackson lawyers would then take several days to call rebuttal witnesses before closing arguments are heard, which is likely to happened around September 23. Earley testified that he never disclosed to AEG Live lawyers that his co-author had lost his medical license. Ironically, the company is being accused of the negligent hiring of Dr. Conrad Murray, convicted in Jackson's death because it allegedly failed to check Murray's background before hiring him. Jackson lawyer Kevin Boyle also grilled Earley over his nondisclosure that he was working as a paid consultant in AEG Live's defense when he submitted the study for publication in a medical journal.

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Is there intelligent life on other planets? For years, scientists said "no." or "we don't know." But today this is changing. Seth Shostak and Alexandra Barnett are astronomers . They believe intelligent life exists somewhere in the universe. They also think we sill soon contact these beings(;). Why do Shostak and Barnett think intelligent life exists on other planets? The first reason is time. Scientists believe the universe is about 12 billion years old. "This is long enough for other planets to have intelligent life," say Shostak and Barnett. The second reason is size--the universe is huge. "Tools like the Hubble Telescope have shown that there are at least 100 billion galaxies," says Shostak. "And our galaxy, the Milky Way, has at least 100 billion stars. Some planets going around these stars might be similar to Earth." In the past, it was hard to look for signs of intelligent life in the universe. But now, powerful telescopes allow scientists to discover smaller planets--the size of Mars or Earth--in other solar systems. These planets might have intelligent life. Have beings from space already visited Earth? "Probably not," says Shostak. "It's a long way away. However, intelligent beings may contact us in other way, such as radio signals . In fact, they may be trying to communicate with us now, but we don't have the right tools to receive their messages. However, this is changing. By 2025, we could make contact with other life forms in our universe and we might help each other."

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Jon woke up knowing that today was finally the day. It was his birthday! He had been waiting for this day all year long. He was super excited to get all his presents and hoped he finally got the basketball he wanted. As he ran outside, he saw his parents weren't even awake yet! He looked at the clock and it was still only six in the morning. He tried to wake up his parents, but they told him to go back to sleep. Jon went back to his bed and laid there until it was finally time to open presents. His parents were brushing their teeth and taking a shower, so Jon waited outside where the presents were. He saw that he had three gifts from his parents waiting for him. He had really hoped there was a basketball. The first gift he opened was a new pair of pants his mom had bought for him. The second gift he opened was a picture of his favorite basketball player to hang on his wall. Jon was starting to feel nervous as there was only one gift left! He wished and wished with all his might for a basketball. The last box was a square shape. If it was a basketball, surely it would have been round! He opened the box and saw that it really was a basketball! His parents had put it in a box so it wouldn't be clear. He was so happy he hugged his parents and told them thank you. His parents brought the cake out and he ate cake, holding on to his basketball the whole time. There was pizza and ice cream and chips, but Jon was too full and wanted to play with his new ball right away!

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Jeff Corwin is a scientist and writer. He does these jobs with one life goal help save animals and their habitats. His latest book, 100 Heartbeats: The Race to Save Earth's Most Endangered Species. Is a collection of stories about animals on the edge of _ . Corwin recently talked to a reporter. Reporter: How would you describe your job? Corwin: My job is to travel around, look at animals and tell their stories. Reporter : When did you know this is what your wanted to do? Corwin: I knew that when I was 6 years old. My dad was a police officer, and we lived in the city. I really enjoyed the time when I could go to the quiet countryside. One day I saw my very first wild snake and I knew that's what I would do for the rest of my life. I didn't know if I would be a teacher or a zookeeper, but I knew I would have a life connected with nature. Reporter: Why did you write the book? Corwin: We are losing species very fast. _ If we make big changes, we may have the chance to save what remains. Reporter: Is it true that humans are the reason that many of these animals are in danger? Corwin: Human beings have a powerful effect on every other living thing. It's important to make that effect a positive one. ,.

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Hubert Joseph Schlafly was an electrical engineer who helped change the way actors, politicians and other people speak on television. In 1950, he and two other men developed the teleprompter. One co-worker, Fred Barton, was an actor. He had an idea for a tool that would help television actors read their lines without having to memorize them. The other co-worker was Irving Kahn. He worked as vice-president of radio and television at 20thCentury Fox. The first teleprompter involved a person who held a long piece of paper printed with big letters. As the actor read the lines, another person would move the paper ahead on the device . The teleprompter was first used on a television program called "The First Hundred Years." Later versions used television screens to show the words that were to be read. Hub Schlafly and his co-workers believed that many companies would want to buy the teleprompter. So, they left their jobs and created the TelePrompTer Corporation to sell their invention. In 1952, former President Herbert Hoover became the first politician to use a teleprompter. The former president was speaking at the Republican National Convention in Chicago, USA. For a brief time, he stopped reading and began to talk about a subject not written in his speech. When Hoover wanted to continue the speech, the words on the teleprompter were not moving. He then said the machine should be restarted and viewers became aware of the new invention. Many reporters wrote about that incident, creating a new level of publicity for the teleprompter. Soon more and more politicians started to use it to face the television camera while reading prepared statements, instead of looking down at their notes. Then the device was used for almost all live television broadcasts.

gutenberg

CHAPTER LIV "I Don't Think She Is a Snake" On the following day, Tuesday, the Boncassens went, and then there were none of the guests left but Mrs. Finn and Lady Mabel Grex,--with of course Miss Cassewary. The Duke had especially asked both Mrs. Finn and Lady Mabel to remain, the former, through his anxiety to show his repentance for the injustice he had formerly done her, and the latter in the hope that something might be settled as soon as the crowd of visitors should have gone. He had never spoken quite distinctly to Mabel. He had felt that the manner in which he had learned his son's purpose,--that which once had been his son's purpose,--forbade him to do so. But he had so spoken as to make Lady Mabel quite aware of his wish. He would not have told her how sure he was that Silverbridge would keep no more racehorses, how he trusted that Silverbridge had done with betting, how he believed that the young member would take a real interest in the House of Commons, had he not intended that she should take a special interest in the young man. And then he had spoken about the house in London. It was to be made over to Silverbridge as soon as Silverbridge should marry. And there was Gatherum Castle. Gatherum was rather a trouble than otherwise. He had ever felt it to be so, but had nevertheless always kept it open perhaps for a month in the year. His uncle had always resided there for a fortnight at Christmas. When Silverbridge was married it would become the young man's duty to do something of the same kind. Gatherum was the White Elephant of the family, and Silverbridge must enter in upon his share of the trouble. He did not know that in saying all this he was offering his son as a husband to Lady Mabel, but she understood it as thoroughly as though he had spoken the words.

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Joliet, Illinois (CNN) -- Attorneys for Drew Peterson, a former Chicago-area police officer accused of murdering his third wife, argued during opening statements Tuesday that their client spent his career protecting the public and that murder accusations are groundless. "Kathy slipped, fell, hit her head in a household accident, and drowned. Case closed," said attorney Joel Brodsky. Kathleen Savio was found dead in a bathtub in 2004. Peterson also remains under investigation in the October 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson. Prosecutors, meanwhile, argued that Peterson was motivated to kill, at least in part, by his desire to avoid settlement payments to his ex-wife. "This (is) not a case where you'll have DNA, fingerprints, or a videotaped confession . . . (But) when you've heard all the evidence, you'll be able to determine that Drew Peterson killed Kathleen Savio beyond a reasonable doubt," said Will Country State's Attorney James Glasgow during his opening statement. Prosecutors called Mary Pontarelli, a neighbor, as their first witness. Her voice cracked on a couple of occasions as she described finding the body of Savio, her friend. Court is scheduled to resume Wednesday morning. A jury of seven men and five women, chosen over two days last week, will decide Drew Peterson's fate during the trial in Joliet, Illinois, which is expected to last about a month, according to his lawyer. Peterson, 58, was married to Savio in 2001 when he had an affair with then-17-year-old Stacy Kales, who later became Stacy Peterson. Savio and Peterson filed for divorce that October, and their relationship remained contentious for the next several years.

mctest

Charles went on a bike ride last week when he was on vacation. His father took him Saturday morning. It had rained Thursday and Friday. They got in his father's truck and put their bikes in the back. Father and son went to a bike path in a town near them. Trees were on both sides of the path. It was nice and warm outside, but Charles like riding on the road between the trees. There was a lot of shade. Charles saw several friends and people from school when they were riding. He got to ride with Harry and Peter. They also rode with Peter's sisters, Anne, Kelley, and Beth. His friend Paul also went by. They only said, "Hi," to each other. Charles fell once. He fell after seeing a girl he liked. Her name was Claire. She came over to see if he was okay. He had a small cut on his arm. His father put a bandage on his arm and they rode back to the truck. Charles and his father stopped for ice cream. They both got sundaes and ate them when they got home. They were glad they went for a ride because it also rained on Sunday.

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Meryl Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film. She is regarded as one of the most talented actresses of all time. The following is a list of movies that Meryl Streep has been involved with: Kramer vs. Krammer (1979) In the film, Meryl plays a mother caught up in a custody dispute . Her co-star, Dustin Hoffman, said, "She's extraordinarily hardworking. I think she thinks about nothing else but what she's doing." Meryl won her first Oscar for her performance in this film. Sophie's Choice (1982) Meryl plays Sophie, a Polish war survivor. To prepare for the role she learned to speak German and perfected a Polish accent. Film critic Roger Ebert said, "This is one of the most astonishing and yet one of the most natural performances I can imagine." Meryl won her second Best Actress Oscar for her performance. Out of Africa(1985) Meryl is Karen Blixen, a Danish woman living in Kenya in the early 20th century. The story follows Karens attempts to run a coffee plantation and her love affair with big-game hunter Denys. The film is based on the memoirs of the real Karen Blixen. A Cry in the Dark (1995) This is based on the true-life case of the disappearance of baby Azaria. Meryl plays Linda Chamberlain, a mother who is wrongly accused of killing her own child. After spending four years in prison, it was found that wild dogs had taken away the baby. Meryl won Best Actress at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. The Bridge of Madison County (1995) This movie is based on one of the biggest bestsellers of the 20th century (the book sold 50 million copies worldwide). Meryl plays Francesca Johnson, an Italian war bride living in 1960s Iowa. It's about her brief affair with photographer Robert Kincaid. Mamma Mial(2008) This is a romantic comedy based on the stage musical Mamma Mial, featuring the music from 1970s Swedish pop group ABBA. Meryl plays Donna Sheridan, a hotel owner on the Greek island of Kalokairi. Mamma Mial made over U.S. $ 600 million worldwide. Apparently, Meryl had seen the musical in 2001 and was completely absorbed in it. She had no idea that seven years later she'd be in the movie version.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XII. THE LAST CARD Mr. Brinsmade and the Doctor were the first to leave the little room where Silas Whipple had lived and worked and died, Mr. Brinsmade bent upon one of those errands which claimed him at all times. He took Shadrach with him. Virginia sat on, a vague fear haunting her,--a fear for her father's safety. Where was Clarence? What had he seen? Was the place watched? These questions, at first intruding upon her sorrow, remained to torture her. Softly she stirred from the chair where she had sat before the piano, and opened the door of the outer office. A clock in a steeple near by was striking twelve. The Colonel did not raise his head. Only Stephen saw her go; she felt his eyes following her, and as she slipped out lifted hers to meet them for a brief instant through the opening of the door. Then it closed behind her. First of all she knew that the light in the outer office was burning dimly, and the discovery gave her a shock. Who had turned it down? Had Clarence? Was he here? Fearfully searching the room for him, her gaze was held by a figure in the recess of the window at the back of the room. A solid, bulky figure it was, and, though uncertainly outlined in the semi-darkness, she knew it. She took a step nearer, and a cry escaped her. The man was Eliphalet Hopper. He got down from the sill with a motion at once sheepish and stealthy. Her breath caught, and instinctively she gave back toward the door, as if to open it again.

cnn

Nick Wilkins was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 4 years old, and when the cancer kept bouncing back, impervious to all the different treatments the doctors tried, his father sat him down for a talk. John Wilkins explained to Nick, who was by then 14, that doctors had tried chemotherapy, radiation, even a bone marrow transplant from his sister. "I explained to him that we're running out of options," Wilkins remembers telling his son. There was one possible treatment they could try: an experimental therapy at the University of Pennsylvania. He asked his son if he understood what it would mean if this treatment didn't work. "He understood he could die," Wilkins says. "He was very stoic." A few months later, Nick traveled from his home in Virginia to Philadelphia to become a part of the experiment. This new therapy was decidedly different from the treatments he'd received before: Instead of attacking his cancer with poisons like chemotherapy and radiation, the Philadelphia doctors taught Nick's own immune cells to become more adept at killing the cancer. Two months later, he emerged cancer-free. It's been six months since Nick, now 15, received the personalized cell therapy, and doctors still can find no trace of leukemia in his system. Trusting her intuition led to two cancer diagnoses Twenty-one other young people received the same treatment at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and 18 of them, like Nick, went into complete remission -- one of them has been disease-free for 20 months. The Penn doctors released their findings this weekend at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

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Parents have widely different views on the problem of pocket money. Four new fathers were asked this question and this is how they answered. Ashish Khanna: Although many argue that pocket money helps develop children's sense of value, I don't agree. I wouldn't give my child any pocket money. First of all, I never got pocket money and I seem to have a good value for money. If my child ever needed something and I felt it was a reasonable request, I would buy it for him. Sharad Sanghi: No, I wouldn't give my child pocket money because I don't want to create the perception of "her" money and "my" money. Besides, if I refuse to buy her something that I think is bad for her, she may buy it with her pocket money _ In this way, I would lose control over my child's requests. I feel it also encourages children to care more about money than anything else. I don't want my child to start judging other children by the amount of money or pocket money they have. Rakesh Shah: Yes, I would give my child pocket money because I feel that children should learn to spend money properly. I will give him a fixed amount every month and if he spends the money before the month is over, he will learn a lesson and not spend money so freely. He will learn what his limitations are and feel the difficulty when he has to pay for something that is over his own pocket. Rajiv Patel: Yes, I would give my child pocket money because it is important that he learns to manage money. But I would not give it to him on a weekly or monthly basis. He would have to earn it. If he helped me finish some of my jobs or helped his mother with housework, I would reward him. This helps him realize that "money does not grow on trees" and it requires hard work to earn money.

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I'm Marie. I work in a nursing home and my job is to look after the old people. Alice is one of them. She's a very nice old woman. This year, Alice had a difficult time. She went to hospital twice. In November, I finally could get her back to her "home". Alice hoped that her daughter could come to visit her on Christmas Eve because she wanted to be with her family, like the old days. But her daughter was coming after Christmas, so she was very sad. I also felt sad because she would be alone on the holiday! On Christmas Eve, I took her to a candlelight service at church that night. I didn't take her to my church. I took her to the church in her old neighborhood. We got there early and I let her sit near the door, so people could see her when they came in. Soon some of her friends came to the church and they all talked to her and sat with her. Alice got a lot of love from her old and new friends there. She said she loved the gift like this. That night, I thought I got the best gift: the smile on Alice's face. .

cnn

London (CNN) -- Sixty years ago Monday, a 25-year-old woman visiting a remote part of Kenya got a message that her father had died. She cut her trip short and flew home to London. Prime Minister Winston Churchill met her at the airport -- because with her father dead, she had become Queen Elizabeth II. Celebrations of her Diamond Jubilee, marking six decades on the throne, officially begin Monday and continue through June, when London will mark the anniversary of her coronation with festivities including up to 1,000 boats sailing up the River Thames. On Monday, the queen thanked the public "for the wonderful support and encouragement that you have given to me and (husband) Prince Philip over these years." She said in the open letter that she planned to "dedicate myself anew to your service." She called on people to "give thanks for the great advances that have been made since 1952 and to look forward to the future with clear head and warm heart" in a brief letter that she signed simply "Elizabeth R." She was honored with a 41-gun salute in London's Hyde Park Monday, and a 21-gun salute in Edinburgh, Scotland. Two new photographs of the queen were released Monday as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, showing her wearing a necklace worn by Queen Victoria in her own Diamond Jubilee portrait in 1897. She is the oldest British monarch in history, but has not yet passed her great-great-grandmother Victoria as the longest-reigning one. Elizabeth II was not in line to the throne when she was born April 21, 1926. But the fate of Lilibet, as she was known to her friends, changed when her uncle Edward abdicated the thone to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XX BACK IN CAMP "What's this you are saying, Link?" demanded Phil, who had overheard the conversation just recorded. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself to talk that way. Just because Dave spent part of his life in the poorhouse after he was stolen away from his parents is no reason why you should speak as you do." "And that isn't the reason why I am talking this way," retorted the prisoner. "I've got another reason, and Dave Porter will find out what it is before very long." "You just said that I was not Dave Porter," remarked our hero. "What do you mean by that?" "Never mind what I mean; you'll find out sooner or later," answered Link, with an expression of cunning on his countenance. "Oh, don't listen to him!" broke in Roger; "he is only trying to worry you, Dave. Let us get back to the bungalows and tell Mr. Wadsworth about this capture." "I'm not going back with you," retorted Link Merwell. And now, with his hands tied behind him, he made a leap over the rocks in the direction of the woods. The sudden movement on the part of the prisoner, surrounded as he was by all of the boys, came somewhat as a surprise. But Dave, Roger and Phil were quick to recover, and away they bounded in pursuit of the fleeing one. Terror lent speed to Link Merwell's feet, and soon he gained the edge of the growth, which at this point was quite heavy.

mctest

A man named Albert had the choice to build a tree house, a garage, a desk, or a cabinet. Albert chose to build something big to share with his kid, so he wanted to make a tree house. Albert had to choose what kind of stuff to make the tree house out of. Wood is popular, but splinters would hurt his son. Metal is very strong, but it would also be very hard to use. Plastic is not expensive, but it also bends a lot. The last choice was to give up, but Albert really wanted to do this for his son. It would make him very happy. Albert ended up choosing wood, as it was the most popular choice. Albert went to the store to buy nails, tools, and wood, but forgot to buy glue. He had to go back there and he finally had everything he needed. He got started and it was very hard. One hour went by, then two, then three, then four. Finally, on the fifth hour, Albert finally finished the tree house. His son ran out and jumped into his dad's arms. They both looked at it, and Albert's son gave his dad a kiss for all the hard work he had done. Albert looked at the tree house he had built and was very happy. He had done it all by himself, and he was happy to see his son being so happy as well. They would have a long summer of playing together in the tree house that Albert built. It was one of the best tree houses ever!

cnn

(CNN) -- Answers to the quiz are in bold. 1. What is the 5-digit number in which the first, third and last digits are the same, the first digit is four less than the second, the last is four less than the fourth and the second and fourth are the same? (Hint: The sum of all the digits is 33.) 59,595 2. Boris Smetana and Karl Smith were world-class chess champions. In one series of matches, each won every game. How? They were not playing each other 3. Nicole was sure she got the right answer when her botany teacher asked her to pick out the plant that was not a tree from the list below. Which one would you choose? Peach, plum, walnut, linden, banana Banana 4. Six bricklayers can lay 24 bricks in half an hour. How many bricks can 12 bricklayers lay in two hours? 192 (Each bricklayer lays four bricks in half an hour, or eight bricks in an hour. That is 16 bricks in two hours times 12 bricklayers who can lay 16 bricks each.) 5. What is the number that is one more than one-tenth of one-fifth of one-half of 4,000? 41. (4,000/2 = 2,000, /5=400,/10=40,+1=41) 6. In a pie-eating contest, Alice was neither first nor last, but she beat Evan. Ben beat Alice. Carol beat Dan who beat Ben. Who was last? Evan 7. What letter would logically complete the series below? A Z B Y C X D W E? V (There are two series: A to E forward and Z, Y, X, W backward)

gutenberg

CHAPTER L The Duke's Arguments The Duke before he left Custins had an interview with Lady Cantrip, at which that lady found herself called upon to speak her mind freely. "I don't think she cares about Lord Popplecourt," Lady Cantrip said. "I am sure I don't know why she should," said the Duke, who was often very aggravating even to his friend. "But as we had thought--" "She ought to do as she is told," said the Duke, remembering how obedient his Glencora had been. "Has he spoken to her?" "I think not." "Then how can we tell?" "I asked her to see him, but she expressed so much dislike that I could not press it. I am afraid, Duke, that you will find it difficult to deal with her." "I have found it very difficult!" "As you have trusted me so much--" "Yes;--I have trusted you, and do trust you. I hope you understand that I appreciate your kindness." "Perhaps then you will let me say what I think." "Certainly, Lady Cantrip." "Mary is a very peculiar girl,--with great gifts,--but--" "But what?" "She is obstinate. Perhaps it would be fairer to say that she has great firmness of character. It is within your power to separate her from Mr. Tregear. It would be foreign to her character to--to--leave you, except with your approbation." "You mean, she will not run away." "She will do nothing without your permission. But she will remain unmarried unless she be allowed to marry Mr. Tregear."

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Delia was a young pianist. Her husband, Joe, was a young artist. Each of them was taking lessons: Joe with a famous art teacher, and Delia with a great pianist from Germany. Their teachers were the very best, so lessons were expensive, more than they could really afford, but...when you love your art, nothing is too much. But soon the money began to run out, and they couldn't afford the lessons any more. Then one day Delia came back home and told Joe that she had met a man whose daughter, Sally, wanted to learn the piano, and he was going to pay her $ 50 an hour. "Delia," Joe said, "I'll be much happier if you keep up your lessons," Delia said it didn't matter. "When I've had some money, I'll continue." But Joe also decided to stop his lessons, to draw pictures and sell them. A few days later, Joe came home and proudly took $ 200 from his pocket. "I met a man from Vermont," he said, "who bought one of my pictures. And he wants to buy more!" _ .They didn't have to worry any more about money. Then, one day, Joe came home and saw that Delia's hand was wrapped in a bandage . He asked her what had happened. "Oh," said Delia. "My student, Sally, asked me to make some coffee for her. I dropped the coffee and burned my hand. Sally went straight to the drugstore and got this bandage for me. " "Delia, what have you been doing the last two weeks?" Joe asked. She tried not to tell him, but the tears came. "Oh Joe, I couldn't get any students, so I worked as a waitress in a restaurant. Today, I burned my hand with hot water. So I can't work any more. But we'll still have money from the man in Vermont, won't we?" Joe looked at her. "There's no man in Vermont, " he said. "I've been working in a drugstore, and today someone came in to buy bandages for a woman who's burned her hand. So when I saw you, well, I guessed." They both laughed. [A story by O. Henry--adapted ]

wikipedia

Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most-populous continent (the first being Asia). At about 30.3 million km (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of its total land area. With /1e9 round 1 billion people as of , it accounts for about 16% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagos. It contains 54 fully recognised sovereign states (countries), nine territories and two "de facto" independent states with limited or no recognition. Africa's average population is the youngest amongst all the continents; the median age in 2012 was 19.7, when the worldwide median age was 30.4. Algeria is Africa's largest country by area, and Nigeria is its largest by population. Africa, particularly central Eastern Africa, is widely accepted as the place of origin of humans and the Hominidae clade (great apes), as evidenced by the discovery of the earliest hominids and their ancestors, as well as later ones that have been dated to around seven million years ago, including "Sahelanthropus tchadensis", "Australopithecus africanus", "A. afarensis", "Homo erectus", "H. habilis" and "H. ergaster"—with the earliest "Homo sapiens" (modern human) found in Ethiopia being dated to circa 200,000 years ago. Africa straddles the equator and encompasses numerous climate areas; it is the only continent to stretch from the northern temperate to southern temperate zones.

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No one knows exactly when jazz was invented, or by whom. But it is said that it began in the early 1900s. Jazz was a new kind of music, for America and the world, and New Orleans was its birthplace. Who were the jazz pioneers? Most were blacks. This music was not written down, and at first only blacks played it. It was hard for white musicians to learn the new style. But soon they, too, were playing jazz. The popularity of this music spread. From New Orleans, it traveled up the Mississippi to Chicago, then to Kansas City and New York. By the 1920s, there were many jazz musicians, both black and white. Many of them were famous. One man was better than the rest. His name was Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong was a born musician. He was not only talented but also hard-working. He also had a good sense of humor and a big, good-natured smile. These personal qualities were valuable in his rise to fame. After he became famous, he traveled around the world. It seemed that everyone wanted to hear Louis play. But life was not always easy, especially at the beginning. Louis Armstrong was born in 1900 in New Orleans. His father never went to school and his mother could hardly read. When Louis was still a kid, his parents separated, and Louis lived with his mother. How hard their life was can readily be imagined. And yet Louis smiled through everything. He later wrote, "My whole life has been happiness. Life was there for me and I accepted it. Whatever happened has been beautiful to me. I love everybody."

wikipedia

The theory of relativity usually encompasses two interrelated theories by Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity. Special relativity applies to elementary particles and their interactions, describing all their physical phenomena except gravity. General relativity explains the law of gravitation and its relation to other forces of nature. It applies to the cosmological and astrophysical realm, including astronomy. The theory transformed theoretical physics and astronomy during the 20th century, superseding a 200-year-old theory of mechanics created primarily by Isaac Newton. It introduced concepts including spacetime as a unified entity of space and time, relativity of simultaneity, kinematic and gravitational time dilation, and length contraction. In the field of physics, relativity improved the science of elementary particles and their fundamental interactions, along with ushering in the nuclear age. With relativity, cosmology and astrophysics predicted extraordinary astronomical phenomena such as neutron stars, black holes, and gravitational waves. Albert Einstein published the theory of special relativity in 1905, building on many theoretical results and empirical findings obtained by Albert A. Michelson, Hendrik Lorentz, Henri Poincaré and others. Max Planck, Hermann Minkowski and others did subsequent work. Einstein developed general relativity between 1907 and 1915, with contributions by many others after 1915. The final form of general relativity was published in 1916.

cnn

(CNN) -- The unexpected resignation of David Petraeus as head of the CIA must have come as a shock to many Americans, especially given his impeccable record as a distinguished military commander. But like the greatest heroes from Shakespeare, it would appear that he was not exempt from the time-honored temptations of human folly and self-destruction. And now the plot is thickening, as details emerge that Gen. John Allen, the commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, is involved somehow in the scandal. As Americans are coming to terms with the revelation of Petraeus' adultery, on the other side of the Atlantic, the feeling among the French can be summed up by a blasé shrug. Every time a steamy sexual intrigue is laid bare near the corridors of Washington power, the French don't see what all the fuss is about. It's only sex, after all. It's impossible to imagine a French political leader resigning because of an extramarital indiscretion. If this rule were observed, the French parliament would be nearly vacant. The Petraeus affair: A lot more than sex The past five French presidents are known to have had at least one -- and in some cases, many more -- mistresses throughout their political career. The current resident of the Elysée Palace, Francois Hollande, has been caught in the middle of an embarrassing dispute between his previous and current female companions. The French, long used to regarding their leaders with cynical detachment, have been following this tormented domestic feud with interest and maybe some contempt.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XIX WHAT HAPPENED TO TOM AND SAM Let us return to Tom and Sam, at the time they were left alone at Binoto's hostelry. "I wish we had gone with Dick and Uncle Randolph," said Tom, as he slipped into his coat and shoes. "I don't like this thing at all." "Oh, don't get scared before you are hurt, Tom!" laughed his younger brother. "These people out here may be peculiar, but --" Sam did not finish. A loud call from the woods had reached his ears, and in alarm he too began to dress, at the same time reaching for his pistol and the money belt which Randolph Rover had left behind. "I -- I guess something is wrong," he went on, after a pause. "If we -" "Tom! Sam! look out fo' yourselves!" came from Aleck, and in a second more the negro, burst on their view. "Come, if yo' is dressed!" he added. "Where to?" asked Tom hurriedly. "Anywhar, Massah Tom. De others is took prisoners! Come!" And Aleck almost dragged the boy along. The Rover boys could readily surmise that Aleck would not act in this highly excited manner unless there was good cause for it. Consequently, as Sam said afterward, "They didn't stand on the order of their going, but just flew." Pell-mell out of the hostelry they tumbled, and ran up the highway as rapidly as their nimble limbs would permit. They heard several men coming after them, and heard the command "Halt!" yelled after them in both French and bad English. But they did not halt until a sudden tumble on Tom's part made the others pause in dismay.

mctest

Once upon a time there was a fish that lived in a bowl. The fish wanted to give a kid a party. But the fish was sad. The fish had no present to give to the kid. The fish would give the kid a spoon. But the fish had no spoon. The fish was a cutie. The fish had an idea. The fish had a stone in the bowl. The fish could give the kid the stone! The fish took the stone from the bowl. The fish put the stone in a bag. The fish gave the kid a party and gave the kid the stone as a gift. The kid told his granddaddy and his mommy that the fish was a cutie. The kid gave the fish a banana. The fish ate the banana and was very happy. The fish and the kid are friends and they love each other.

race

Is there anything the latest cell phone can't do? It can record movies, surf the net, and download the newest MP3 songs, but don't let those fancy features fool you. After all, chances are that phones have a Global Positioning System (GPS) chip. GPS lets phone companies determine the location of your phone at all times. If you are hurt and call 911, rescuers can find you by using your phone's GPS. But emergency officials aren't the only people interested in knowing where you are. Several new companies are using cell phones with GPS to monitor teen drivers for _ parents. The programs vary, but most of them allow parents to use the Internet to monitor their kids' locations, driving habits and speed. Some programs even let parents set speed and location limits so that they are alerted if their kids drive too fast or go beyond a predetermined boundary. Supporters of monitoring say that the programs also help if a teen is kidnapped or lost. Andrea Gutierrez uses a driving program to help her daughter get home. "I give her directions by looking at an online map, which shows me where she is". Jean Nichols, 17, says that parents are forgetting one very important thing: trust. "I don't like the idea of someone using a device that keeps tabs on me." Others say the information could be misused. "If everyone can find out exactly where your 17-year-old girl is at all times, it will present a potentially dangerous problem," Hohn Lawford told the Ottawa Citizen. Alana Watenpuhl, 19, says that teens can easily outsmart the programs. "Teens can always leave their cell phones somewhere and then go out with their friends. It's not likely that the chips are attached to their bodies," she told reporters. "But who knows?" she added. "That might be what's coming next."

mctest

A lamb named Lana woke up on an early Monday morning. After taking a shower and getting dressed, she chose to start making something to eat. In the end, she made eggs, toast and coffee for her breakfast. While she was eating, she was called on the telephone by her good friend Drake the dog. They chose to meet up after Lana finished eating so they could take a walk around the park. Drake also told her that their friend, Terry the turtle, would not be joining them. As soon as Lana finished cleaning her dishes, she heard a knock on her door - it was Drake! She threw on her coat and went outside, so they could start their walk. In the end, they spent a few hours walking along the park's sidewalk, until ending up back near Lana's house. "Let's do this again soon!" Drake said, as he wagged his tail. "Sure!" Lana said, as she walked back into her home. Lana made a light dinner, cleaned up, then chose to hop into bed. She soon fell asleep.

gutenberg

CHAPTER IV. NEGOTIATIONS. It is necessary in this chapter to return to Phonny and Wallace, in order to explain how Phonny succeeded in getting his squirrel. He was quite in haste, as he went on after leaving the squirrel, in order to get down to the mill where Espy lived, before the squirrel should have gnawed out. The road, he was quite confident, led to the mill. "I should like to buy the squirrel, if Espy will sell him," said Phonny. "Do you think that your mother would be willing?" asked Wallace. "Why yes," said Phonny, "certainly. What objection could she have?" "None, only the trouble that it would occasion her," replied Wallace. "Oh, it would not make her any trouble," said Phonny. "I should take care of it myself." "It would not make her much trouble, I know," said Wallace, "if you were only considerate and careful. As it is I think it may make her a great deal." "No," said Phonny, "I don't think that it will make her any trouble at all." "Where shall you keep your squirrel?" asked Wallace. "In a cage, in the back room," said Phonny, promptly. "Have you got a cage?" asked Wallace. "No," said Phonny, "but I can make one." "I think that in making a cage," replied Wallace, "you would have to give other people a great deal of trouble. You would be inquiring all about the house, for tools, and boards, and wire,--that is unless you keep your tools and materials for such kind of work, in better order than boys usually do."

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True Manliness "Please, mother, do sit down and let me try my hand,"said Fred Liscom, a bright active boy, twelve years old. Mrs. Liscom, looking pale and worn, was moving languidly about, trying to clear away the breakfast she had scarcely tasted. She smiled and said, "You, Fred, you wash dishes?" "Yes, indeed, mother," answered Fred. "I should be a poor scholar if I couldn't, when I've seen you do it so many times. Just try me." A look of relief came over his mother's face as she seated herself in her low rocking chair. Fred washed the dishes and put them in the closet. He swept the kitchen, brought up the potatoes from the cellar for the dinner and washed them, and then set out for school. Fred's father was away from home and as there was some cold meat in the pantry , Mrs. Liscom found it an easy task to prepare dinner. Fred hurried home from school, set the table, and again washed the dishes. He kept on in this way for two or three days, until his mother was able to resume her usual work. He felt amply rewarded when the doctor, who happened in one day, said, "Well, madam, it's my opinion that you would have been very sick if you had not kept quiet." The doctor did not know how the "quiet" had been secured, nor how the boy's heart bounded at his words. Fred had given up a great deal of what boys hold dear, for the purpose of helping his mother, coasting and skating being just at this time in perfection. Besides this, his temper and his patience had been severely tried. He had been in the habit of going early to school and staying to play after it was dismissed. The boys missed him and their curiosity was excited when he would give no other reason for not coming to school earlier, or staying after school, than that he was "Wanted at home." "I'll tell you," said Tom Barton, "I'll find him out, boys-see if I don't!" So, one morning on his way to school, he called on Fred. As he went around to the side door, he walked lightly and somewhat nearer the kitchen window than was ly needful. Looking in, he saw Fred standing at the table with a dishcloth in his hand. Of course he reported this at school, and various were the greetings poor Fred received at recess ."Well, you're a brave one to stay at home washing dishes!""Girl boy!" "Pretty Bessie!""Lost your apron, haven't you, Polly!" Fred was not wanting either in spirit or in courage, and he was strongly tempted to resent these insults and to fight some of his tormentors . But his consciousness of right and his love for his mother helped him. While he was struggling for self-mastery, his teacher appeared at the door of the schoolhouse. Fred caught his eye, and it seemed to look, if it did not say, "Don't give up! Be really brave!" He knew the teacher had heard the insulting taunts of his thoughtless schoolmates. The boys received notice during the day that Fred must not be taunted in any manner. They knew that the teacher meant what he said; and so the brave little boy had no further trouble.

cnn

(CNN) -- There are plenty of reasons to fall in love with a staircase. It's a home's conduit and connector. It ushers life along, makes a grand impression on visitors and serves as the backdrop for family memories. "It's where my daughter took pictures for her first daddy-daughter dance," said Anisa Darnell, part of the Milk and Honey Home decorator team from Roswell, Georgia. Her home's staircase is also special to her because her grandfather posed with her daughter for a snapshot there before he passed away. The back staircase in Emily A. Clark's home is significant because it's mostly used by her kids. "I've also caught them playing school on the little landing in the middle of the stairs." Jacki Poovey and her husband designed their staircase to be a grand, welcoming part of their Cary, North Carolina home, but it's also at the heart of countless family memories. It still bears reminders of the time their puppy chewed every bit of molding from the edges of the newel post to the cap molding on the treads. "It's a lived-in home," says Poovey. Massive undertakings, like DIY home renovations, can imbue a home's staircase with lasting impressions of the experience. "If you paint three stories of spindles, you never forget it," Victoria Barnes said of the painstaking restoration she and her husband undertook in their 1890 Victorian home near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Barnes blogs about the "really, really, really slow" process of their work, which she calls wonderful and overwhelming. Christine Price, from Manchester, England, can relate, having spent 250 hours stripping, sanding and painting the staircase in her Edwardian home. "The staircase is the first thing you see when you enter our home," she said. "Now that it's restored it makes such a huge difference to the whole feel of the house."

wikipedia

Napoléon Bonaparte (/nəˈpoʊliən, -ˈpoʊljən/; French: [napɔleɔ̃ bɔnapaʁt], born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led several successful campaigns during the Revolutionary Wars. As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 until 1814, and again in 1815. Napoleon dominated European and global affairs for more than a decade while leading France against a series of coalitions in the Napoleonic Wars. He won most of these wars and the vast majority of his battles, building a large empire that ruled over continental Europe before its final collapse in 1815. Often considered one of the greatest commanders in history, his wars and campaigns are studied at military schools worldwide. He also remains one of the most celebrated and controversial political figures in Western history. In civil affairs, Napoleon had a major long-term impact by bringing liberal reforms to the territories that he conquered, especially the Low Countries, Switzerland, and large parts of modern Italy and Germany. He implemented fundamental liberal policies in France and throughout Western Europe.[note 1] His lasting legal achievement, the Napoleonic Code, has been adopted in various forms by a quarter of the world's legal systems, from Japan to Quebec.

gutenberg

CHAPTER IX Sunday morning Saxon was beforehand in getting ready, and on her return to the kitchen from her second journey to peep through the front windows, Sarah began her customary attack. "It's a shame an' a disgrace the way some people can afford silk stockings," she began. "Look at me, a-toilin' and a-stewin' day an' night, and I never get silk stockings--nor shoes, three pairs of them all at one time. But there's a just God in heaven, and there'll be some mighty big surprises for some when the end comes and folks get passed out what's comin' to them." Tom, smoking his pipe and cuddling his youngest-born on his knees, dropped an eyelid surreptitiously on his cheek in token that Sarah was in a tantrum. Saxon devoted herself to tying a ribbon in the hair of one of the little girls. Sarah lumbered heavily about the kitchen, washing and putting away the breakfast dishes. She straightened her back from the sink with a groan and glared at Saxon with fresh hostility. "You ain't sayin' anything, eh? An' why don't you? Because I guess you still got some natural shame in you a-runnin' with a prizefighter. Oh, I've heard about your goings-on with Bill Roberts. A nice specimen he is. But just you wait till Charley Long gets his hands on him, that's all." "Oh, I don't know," Tom intervened. "Bill Roberts is a pretty good boy from what I hear." Saxon smiled with superior knowledge, and Sarah, catching her, was infuriated.

wikipedia

New Delhi (i/ˌnjuː ˈdɛli/) is a municipality and district in Delhi which serves as the capital and seat of government of India. In addition, it also serves as the seat of Government of Delhi. The foundation stone of the city was laid by George V, Emperor of India during the Delhi Durbar of 1911. It was designed by British architects, Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. The new capital was inaugurated on 13 February 1931, by India's Viceroy Lord Irwin. Although colloquially Delhi and New Delhi as names are used interchangeably to refer to the jurisdiction of NCT of Delhi, these are two distinct entities, and the latter is a small part of the former. New Delhi has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under PM Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Cities Mission. Calcutta (now Kolkata) was the capital of India during the British Raj until December 1911. However, Delhi had served as the political and financial centre of several empires of ancient India and the Delhi Sultanate, most notably of the Mughal Empire from 1649 to 1857. During the early 1900s, a proposal was made to the British administration to shift the capital of the British Indian Empire (as it was officially called) from Calcutta to Delhi. Unlike Calcutta, which was located on the eastern coast of India, Delhi was at the centre of northern India and the Government of British India felt that it would be logistically easier to administer India from the latter rather than the former.

wikipedia

The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad (Italian: "Giochi della XVII Olimpiade"), was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960, in Rome, Italy. Rome had been awarded the organization of the 1908 Summer Olympics, but after the 1906 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, was forced to decline and pass the honors to London. On June 15, 1955, at the 50th IOC Session in Paris, France, Rome beat out Lausanne, Detroit, Budapest (being the first city of the Eastern Bloc to bid for the Olympic Games), Brussels, Mexico City and Tokyo for the rights to host the Games. Tokyo and Mexico City would eventually host the following 1964 and 1968 Summer Olympics. Toronto was initially interested in the bidding, but appears to have been dropped during the final bid process. This is the first of five attempts by Toronto up to 2001, which all ended in failure. ¹ New facilities constructed in preparation for the Olympic Games. ² Existing facilities modified or refurbished in preparation for the Olympic Games. A total of 83 nations participated at the Rome Games. Athletes from Morocco, San Marino, Sudan, and Tunisia competed at the Olympic Games for the first time. Athletes from Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago would represent the new (British) West Indies Federation, competing as "Antilles", but this nation would only exist for this single Olympiad. Athletes from Northern Rhodesia and Southern Rhodesia competed under the Rhodesia name while representing the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Athletes from East Germany and West Germany would compete as the United Team of Germany from 1956 to 1964. The number in parentheses indicates the number of participants that each country contributed.

gutenberg

CHAPTER V. _THE WAR BETWEEN CÆSAR AND POMPEY._ What official arrangements were made for Proconsuls in regard to money, when in command of a province, we do not know. The amounts allowed were no doubt splendid, but it was not to them that the Roman governor looked as the source of that fortune which he expected to amass. The means of plunder were infinite, but of plunder always subject to the danger of an accusation. We remember how Verres calculated that he could divide his spoil into three sufficient parts--one for the lawyers, one for the judges, so as to insure his acquittal, and then one for himself. This plundering was common--so common as to have become almost a matter of course; but it was illegal, and subjected some unfortunate culprits to exile, and to the disgorging of a part of what they had taken. No accusation was made against Cicero. As to others there were constantly threats, if no more than threats. Cicero was not even threatened. But he had saved out of his legitimate expenses a sum equal to £18,000 of our money--from which we may learn how noble were the appanages of a Roman governor. The expenses of all his staff passed through his own hands, and many of those of his army. Any saving effected would therefore be to his own personal advantage. On this money he counted much when his affairs were in trouble, as he was going to join Pompey at Pharsalia in the following year. He then begged Atticus to arrange his matters for him, telling him that the sum was at his call in Asia,[116] but he never saw it again: Pompey borrowed it--or took it; and when Pompey had been killed the money was of course gone.

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I am Steve. I was born and grew up in South Wales. My favorite place to play was out on the hills where my imagination had plenty of space to expand . My family moved out of Wales when I was thirteen. I went to a new school. One of my subjects was French. Because I had never learned any French, my teacher told me to sit in the corner and write anything I was interested in. That's the time I started writing, just for myself, and I've been writing ever since. I have always loved BIG IDEAS, and so I enjoy writing fantastic stories. And I also write horror I think they are like the old fairytales ,and can teach you important things. I am in my forties on the outside, twelve on the inside. I like rock music, Indian and Chinese food, and I enjoy drinking. I live in a small village with my wife Mary, ducks, cats, goats, hens and lots of rabbits. If you'd like to find out more about me and hope to buy any books, go to

cnn

(CNN) -- Dennis Rodman, the former NBA star and the first American known to have met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was in the secretive country again this past week, purportedly to meet his "friend Kim, the Marshal" and perhaps also, to negotiate for the release of Kenneth Bae, a U.S. citizen detained since November. Rodman's second trip to North Korea this year comes months after months of threats of nuclear annihilation from Pyongyang. His desire to help Bae is likely to be registered in the annals of diplomatic history as little more than a little diverting adventure. But one never knows. The "Marshal," who has actually never served in the military, might choose to act in a statesmanlike manner and release Bae after another high-spirited soiree with the basketball legend. That would be good news for Bae, who is reportedly in poor health. Other detained Americans Such a dramatic gesture of goodwill by the reclusive leader would achieve the effect of adding insult to the United States in light of North Korea's recent cancellation of an invitation to the U.S. special envoy on North Korean human rights issues. Rodman, of course, is not qualified to carry out negotiations with North Korea on sensitive political issues. Nor does the North Korean leadership see him as a credible conveyor of official message to Washington. Kim's unconventional courting of Rodman is about equivalent to his enjoyment of Disney characters and scantily clad women on stage. It's all jolly and trite pleasure. Kim's attraction to American icons such as the NBA or Hollywood does not signal a genuine overture to Washington. It does not indicate intentions of reform or opening up of the isolated totalitarian state that imprisons some 1% of its population in political concentration camps.

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When your pet meets your infant, it might not be love at first sniff. Baby's Best Friend When Jennifer Merritt brought her baby, Arielle, home from the hospital, her cherished dogs had very different reactions. Her boxer, Sonya, was immediately gentle and protective. But Tiger, the Pomeranian, was less welcoming: "If any diapers or toys were on the floor, he peed on them!"says the Greenbrier, prefix = st1 /Arkansas, mom. Tiger isn't the first dog to feel jealous of a baby. In the eyes of a pet's, there's a new star in town who's stealing his spotlight. Even the most gentle animal will probably act up if he doesn't get his usual attention. These simple steps will help your pet adjust -- and keep your baby safe. u Introduce Them with Care Your newborn and pet's first encounter can set the tone for their relationship. To make it as smooth as possible, try this trick from Caryn Ruiz, of Raleigh, North Carolina: "Before we left the hospital, my husband took blankets home to our dog, Daisy, so she'd know our newborn Devon's smell." When you get home, have your husband carry the baby so you can greet your pet without worrying about her jumping on you. A cat will likely walk away at first, while a dog will probably want to investigate right away. To introduce your baby, get down on your pet's level and let her have a hello sniff. Don't panic and pull your newborn away unless your pet is barking or hissing, because it'll send the message that the baby is a threat. u Learn the Safety Basics No matter how smoothly the introduction goes, there are certain safety rules you should follow, says Bonnie Beaver, DVM, past president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Number one: Never leave your baby alone with the pet. Even the gentlest animal can react unpredictably. Your baby's crying could frighten your cat, or your dog could suddenly become territorial. Consider setting up baby gates to limit your pet's access. To keep your cat from jumping into the bassinet , try putting mosquito netting over the top. Cats hate sticky paws, so keep the crib and changing table off-limits by lining the edges with sticky strips made for furniture (available in most pet stores). You can also train your dog to sleep in a crate.

cnn

(CNN) -- It used to be called "the love that dare not speak its name" -- particularly in Hollywood, where the revelation of homosexuality was believed to be a career-killer. Clay Aiken recently announced he was gay on the cover of People magazine. Now, out gays and lesbians are as casually visible as the cover of People magazine, which has recently run stories on Ellen DeGeneres' wedding to Portia de Rossi and Clay Aiken's decision to discuss his sexuality. So, in a time when self-declared bisexual Tila Tequila can have a highly rated MTV show on looking for a partner of either sex, Lindsay Lohan talks about her relationship with DJ Samantha Ronson and "Star Trek's" George Takei can have a very public wedding with his longtime partner, is coming out still a big deal? Publicist Howard Bragman, author of the forthcoming "Where's My Fifteen Minutes" (Portfolio), says that it is. "Every person that comes out is another barrier coming down," Bragman, who is openly gay, told CNN.com. Acceptance by the mainstream public, he observes, is easier but by no means automatic, particularly when issues such as gay marriage are at stake. "I look at it as a long-term process. The revolution is over -- now it's an evolution." Watch "American Morning's" Lola Ogunnaike look at changing attitudes » Bragman was around when a performer revealing his or her homosexuality could still shock. He helped guide Dick Sargent when the "Bewitched" star came out of the closet in 1989, and remembers when it was difficult to get support for movies such as "Philadelphia," the 1993 film that won Tom Hanks an Oscar as a lawyer dying of AIDS.

wikipedia

Texas is the second largest state in the United States by both area and population. Geographically located in the South Central region of the country, Texas shares borders with the U.S. states of Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the southwest, while the Gulf of Mexico is to the southeast. Houston is the most populous city in Texas and the fourth largest in the U.S., while San Antonio is the second most populous in the state and seventh largest in the U.S. Dallas–Fort Worth and Greater Houston are the fourth and fifth largest metropolitan statistical areas in the country, respectively. Other major cities include Austin, the second most populous state capital in the U.S., and El Paso. Texas is nicknamed "The Lone Star State" to signify its former status as an independent republic, and as a reminder of the state's struggle for independence from Mexico. The "Lone Star" can be found on the Texas state flag and on the Texan state seal. The origin of Texas's name is from the word "Tejas," which means "friends" in the Caddo language.

gutenberg

CHAPTER III LISTER CLEARS THE GROUND The sun was on the rocks and the lichen shone in rings of soft and varied color. Blue shadows filled the dale, which, from the side of the Buttress, looked profoundly deep. A row of young men and women followed a ledge that crossed the face of the steep crag; Mortimer Hyslop leading, a girl and Vernon a few yards behind, Lister and Barbara farther off. Hyslop knew the rocks and was a good leader. He was cool and cautious and did not undertake a climb until he was satisfied about his companions' powers. The slanting edge looked dangerous, but was not, although one must be steady and there was an awkward corner. At the turning, the ledge got narrow, and one must seize a knob and then step lightly on a stone embedded in mossy soil. When they reached the spot Hyslop stopped and told Vernon what to do; the girl immediately behind him was a clever mountaineer. They went round and Lister watched from a few yards off. For a moment or two each in turn, supported by one foot with body braced against the rock, grasped the knob and vanished round the corner. It was plain one must get a firm hold, but Lister thought this was all. He was used to the tall skeleton trestles that carried the rails across Canadian ravines. After the others disappeared Lister seized the knob. He thought the stone he stood on moved and he cautiously took a heavier strain on his arm. He could get across, but he obeyed an impulse and gave the stone a push. It rolled out and, when he swung himself back to the ledge, plunged down and smashed upon the rocks below. For a few moments the echoes rolled about the crags, and then Hyslop shouted: "Are you all right? Can you get round?"

gutenberg

CHAPTER IV IN THE GYMNASIUM "Company attention! Carry arms! Present arms! Shoulder arms! Forward march!" Captain Jack Rover, assisted by Lieutenant Fred Rover and his other officers, was drilling Company C in a corner of the gymnasium of Colby Hall. It was two days after the adventure on the Rick Rack River, and it was still raining, so that drilling in the open was almost out of the question. The four cadets who had taken part in the rescue of John Franklin and his son Phil had explained the situation to Captain Dale on their return to the school and had been warmly praised by that old West Point military man for their bravery. It may be mentioned here that Captain Dale had been in charge of the school since Colonel Colby had volunteered for the war and gone to France to fight. Many of the cadets hated the rain and hoped it would soon clear. They loved drilling in the open far more than when held indoors, and they also wished to get at baseball and other Spring sports. "It's a shame it doesn't let up," remarked Gif Garrison, after the drilling had come to an end and the rifles had been put away in their cases along the wall. Gif was a big youth, and the recognized head of many of the athletic sports. "Well, we have to take such matters as they come," returned Spouter Powell, running his hand through his heavy brush of hair. "Were it not for the gentle rains, and the dews later on, the fields and slopes of the hills would not be clothed in the verdant green which all true lovers of nature so much admire. Instead we might have a bleak barrenness, a dissolution which would appall----"

cnn

(CNN) -- It's called the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment, and weeks before authorities say he got on a plane with a bomb, Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab was in it. The vast government databank, known as TIDE, is administered by the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center. It contains information about hundreds of thousands of people, the majority of them foreign nationals, who are suspected of having terrorist leanings. An FBI official said AbdulMutallab was included in TIDE after his father warned the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria of his son's hard-line beliefs and possible ties to militant Islamists. To understand how he could have been under the government's scrutiny and still make it onto a U.S.-bound plane with an explosive, you have to understand the way the government's watch list system works. TIDE is just the start. The FBI uses the raw information contained in the TIDE databank to determine whether to put the subject onto the government's terror watch list, known as the Terrorism Screening Data Base. That list contains the names and aliases of about 400,000 people, but AbdulMutallab didn't make the cut. According to Chad Kolton, a spokesman for the FBI's Terror Screening Center, there wasn't enough hard evidence to back up AbdulMutallab's father's fears, and so he wasn't placed on the terror list. The bureau's own Web site spells out the criteria for inclusion in the screening database, saying that "only individuals who are known or reasonably suspected to be or have been engaged in conduct constituting, in preparation for, in aid of, or related to terrorism are included."