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It is classified as a Beta World City, ranking seventh in Latin America and 73rd in the world. Described as a "vibrant, eclectic place with a rich cultural life", and "a thriving tech center and entrepreneurial culture", Montevideo ranks 8th in Latin America on the 2013 MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index. By 2014, is also regarded as the fifth most gay-friendly major city in the world, first in Latin America. It is the hub of commerce and higher education in Uruguay as well as its chief port. The city is also the financial and cultural hub of a larger metropolitan area, with a population of around 2 million. A Spanish expedition was sent from Buenos Aires, organized by the Spanish governor of that city, Bruno Mauricio de Zabala. On 22 January 1724, the Spanish forced the Portuguese to abandon the location and started populating the city, initially with six families moving in from Buenos Aires and soon thereafter by families arriving from the Canary Islands who were called by the locals "guanches", "guanchos" or "canarios". There was also one significant early Italian resident by the name of Jorge Burgues.

wikipedia

Washington University in St. Louis (Wash. U., or WUSTL) is a private research university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853, and named after George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all 50 U.S. states and more than 120 countries. Twenty-five Nobel laureates have been affiliated with Washington University, nine having done the major part of their pioneering research at the university. Washington University's undergraduate program is ranked 15th by U.S. News and World Report. The university is ranked 32nd in the world by the Academic Ranking of World Universities. The university's first chancellor was Joseph Gibson Hoyt. Crow secured the university charter from the Missouri General Assembly in 1853, and Eliot was named President of the Board of Trustees. Early on, Eliot solicited support from members of the local business community, including John O'Fallon, but Eliot failed to secure a permanent endowment. Washington University is unusual among major American universities in not having had a prior financial endowment. The institution had no backing of a religious organization, single wealthy patron, or earmarked government support.

race

Short Skirts Are Out! After decades of skimpy skirts and sleeveless tops on game days, some schools in the US are saying cheerleader uniforms will have to meet stricter dress codes when they are worn in class. In Lake County, Florida, cheerleaders with uniforms too skimpy for the code are being asked to wear long shorts or trousers under their skirts and a T-shirt under the sleeveless tops, according to a district memo. Principals at two of Lake's eight high schools - Leesburg and Lake Minneola - are not allowing the outfits in school at all. Michelle Thomas, a cheerleader at Leesburg High School, was disappointed when she learned she couldn't wear her outfit to school on game days. "It shows that we're a team just like all the other sports," she said. But the school administrators did not agree. "During the educational portion of the day, they have to meet the dress code just like every other student," said school board chairwoman Debbie Stivender, who ordered the staff to bring the outfits into line with the dress code. Bare midriffs are banned across the state by the Florida High School Athletic Association, but no state rules mention cheerleader miniskirts. Sheila Noone, a spokeswoman for cheerleading uniform company Varsity Brands, says the outfits haven't become more revealing over the last 10 years. She says that the short skirts are designed to help the girls jump and kick. "Cheerleading is athletic," Noone said. "There's a lot of jumping, so you won't want a knee-length skirt that might hamper a tie touch." Most cheerleaders were sad to hear the news, but say they'll follow the rules. Even male cheerleaders, whose pants and tops meet dress codes, chose not to wear their outfits to show unity. "I understanding, because they are kind of short," said Holly Bishop, 14, a Lake Minneola High School cheerleader, about her miniskirt. "It would have been really, really cool to wear them to school."

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CHAPTER IX The latter part of September Carley returned to New York. Soon after her arrival she received by letter a formal proposal of marriage from Elbert Harrington, who had been quietly attentive to her during her sojourn at Lake Placid. He was a lawyer of distinction, somewhat older than most of her friends, and a man of means and fine family. Carley was quite surprised. Harrington was really one of the few of her acquaintances whom she regarded as somewhat behind the times, and liked him the better for that. But she could not marry him, and replied to his letter in as kindly a manner as possible. Then he called personally. "Carley, I've come to ask you to reconsider," he said, with a smile in his gray eyes. He was not a tall or handsome man, but he had what women called a nice strong face. "Elbert, you embarrass me," she replied, trying to laugh it out. "Indeed I feel honored, and I thank you. But I can't marry you." "Why not?" he asked, quietly. "Because I don't love you," she replied. "I did not expect you to," he said. "I hoped in time you might come to care. I've known you a good many years, Carley. Forgive me if I tell you I see you are breaking--wearing yourself down. Maybe it is not a husband you need so much now, but you do need a home and children. You are wasting your life." "All you say may be true, my friend," replied Carley, with a helpless little upflinging of hands. "Yet it does not alter my feelings."

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"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug. "It's so dreadful to be poor!" sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress. "I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all," added little Amy, with an injured sniff. "We've got father and mother and each other," said Beth, contentedly. The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but darkened again as Jo said sadly: "We haven't got father, and shall not have him for a long time." She didn't say "perhaps never", but each silently added it, thinking of father far away, where the fighting was. Nobody spoke for a minute; then Meg said in an altered tone: "You know the reason mother proposed not having any presents this Christmas was because it is going to be a hard winter for everyone; and she thinks we ought not to spend money for pleasure when our men are suffering so in the army. We can't do much, but we can make our little sacrifices, and ought to do it gladly. But I am afraid I don't"; and Meg shook her head, and she thought regretfully of all the pretty things she wanted. "But I don't think the little we should spend would do any good. We've each got a dollar, and the army wouldn't be much helped by our giving that. I agree not to expect anything from mother or you, but I do want to buy UNDINE AND SINTRAM for myself; I've wanted it so long," said Jo, who was a bookworm. "I planned to spend mine on new music," said Beth, with a little sigh. "I shall get a nice box of Faber's drawing pencils; I really need them," said Amy, decidedly. "Mother didn't say anything about our money, and she won't wish us to give up everything. Let's each buy what we want, and have a little fun; I'm sure we work hard enough to earn it," cried Jo, examining the heels of her shoes in a gentlemanly manner. "I know I do - teaching those tiresome children nearly all day when I am longing to enjoy myself at home," began Meg, in the complaining tone again. "You don't have half such a hard time as I do," said Jo. "How would you like to be shut up for hours with a nervous, fussy old lady, who is never satisfied, and worries you till you're ready to fly out of the window or cry?" "It's naughty to fret; but I do think washing dishes and keeping things tidy is the worst work in the world. _ and my hands get so stiff, I can't practice well at all"; and Beth looked at her rough hands with a sigh that anyone could hear. "I don't believe any of you suffer as I do." cried Amy, "for you don't have to go to school with impertinent girls, who plague you if you don't know your lessons, and laugh at your dresses, and label your father if he isn't rich." "If you mean libel, I'd say so, and not talk about labels, as if papa was a pickle-bottle," advised Jo, laughing. "I know what I mean, and you needn't be satirical about it. It's proper to use good words, and improve your vocabulary," returned Amy, with dignity. "Don't peck at one another, children. Don't you wish we had the money papa lost when we were little, Jo? Dear me! How happy and good we'd be, if we had no worries!" said Meg, who could remember better times. "You once said you thought we were a deal happier than the King children, for they were fighting and fretting all the time, in spite of their money." "So I did. I think we are; for, though we do have to work, we make fun for ourselves, and are a pretty jolly set, as Jo would say." Jo immediately sat up, put her hands in her pockets, and began to whistle. "Don't, Jo; it's so boyish!" "That's why I do it." "I detest rude, unladylike girls!" "I hate affected, niminy-piminy chits!" "Birds in their little nests agree" sang Beth, the peacemaker, with such a funny face that both sharp voices softened to a laugh, and the `pecking' ended for that time.

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CHAPTER IX Montemar was too near the frontier to be a safe abode for the little Duke, and his uncle, Count Hubert of Senlis, agreed with Bernard the Dane that he would be more secure beyond the limits of his own duchy, which was likely soon to be the scene of war; and, sorely against his will, he was sent in secret, under a strong escort, first to the Castle of Coucy, and afterwards to Senlis. His consolation was, that he was not again separated from his friends; Alberic, Sir Eric, and even Fru Astrida, accompanied him, as well as his constant follower, Osmond. Indeed, the Baron would hardly bear that he should be out of his sight; and he was still so carefully watched, that it was almost like a captivity. Never, even in the summer days, was he allowed to go beyond the Castle walls; and his guardians would fain have had it supposed that the Castle did not contain any such guest. Osmond did not give him so much of his company as usual, but was always at work in the armourer's forge--a low, vaulted chamber, opening into the Castle court. Richard and Alberic were very curious to know what he did there; but he fastened the door with an iron bar, and they were forced to content themselves with listening to the strokes of the hammer, keeping time to the voice that sang out, loud and cheerily, the song of "Sigurd's sword, and the maiden sleeping within the ring of flame." Fru Astrida said Osmond was quite right--no good weapon-smith ever toiled with open doors; and when the boys asked him questions as to his work, he only smiled, and said that they would see what it was when the call to arms should come.

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Chapter XIV The Return Home WHILE that parting in the wood was happening, there was a parting in the cottage too, and Lisbeth had stood with Adam at the door, straining her aged eyes to get the last glimpse of Seth and Dinah, as they mounted the opposite slope. "Eh, I'm loath to see the last on her," she said to Adam, as they turned into the house again. "I'd ha' been willin' t' ha' her about me till I died and went to lie by my old man. She'd make it easier dyin'--she spakes so gentle an' moves about so still. I could be fast sure that pictur' was drawed for her i' thy new Bible--th' angel a-sittin' on the big stone by the grave. Eh, I wouldna mind ha'in a daughter like that; but nobody ne'er marries them as is good for aught." "Well, Mother, I hope thee WILT have her for a daughter; for Seth's got a liking for her, and I hope she'll get a liking for Seth in time." "Where's th' use o' talkin' a-that'n? She caresna for Seth. She's goin' away twenty mile aff. How's she to get a likin' for him, I'd like to know? No more nor the cake 'ull come wi'out the leaven. Thy figurin' books might ha' tould thee better nor that, I should think, else thee mightst as well read the commin print, as Seth allays does." "Nay, Mother," said Adam, laughing, "the figures tell us a fine deal, and we couldn't go far without 'em, but they don't tell us about folks's feelings. It's a nicer job to calculate THEM. But Seth's as good-hearted a lad as ever handled a tool, and plenty o' sense, and good-looking too; and he's got the same way o' thinking as Dinah. He deserves to win her, though there's no denying she's a rare bit o' workmanship. You don't see such women turned off the wheel every day."

mctest

Once there was a fish who had lived his whole life in his bowl. He often got bored and wished to see the rest of the world, but because he was a fish, he couldn't leave the water. So one day he made a special fish suit that would allow him to walk on land and breathe air like humans. He knew this would change his life, and make him rich, but first he would have to test it out. He put the suit on and leaped from the bowl that until now had been his whole world. The suit worked! Now he could go where he wanted. First he went to the kitchen of the house. There he saw a parrot eating a cracker. Second he went outside to the yard. He saw squirrels there running around looking for food. Third he went to the barn in the field. He saw a mommy cow. She was teaching her calf how to run. Finally he went to forest where he saw more trees than he had ever seen in his whole life. But after all this he was tired, and made up his mind to go back to his home in the bowl. It was a lot of work trying to see the world. He took off the special suit and splashed back into the water. His suit had passed the test and he was very happy, but he had made up his mind that his bowl was the place for him.

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What do you see when you look at abstract art? Does it make sense to you? Does it look like anything? Abstract art became popular in the early 20th century. Artists did not want to paint, draw, or sculpt things like they looked. They didn't want their art to be realistic . They were more interested in basic shapes and colours. Picasso is probably the most famous of these artists. He painted and drew in many, many styles. Sometimes he used a lot of blue colours (his "blue period"). Later, he used more red and pink colours (his "rose period"). Many of his other paintings are called "cubist " because they are made of painted squares. After a long time, Picasso's paintings became more and more abstract. He painted people and things using strange shapes. His work was so original, many his fellow artists didn't understand it. Kindinsky, another famous artist, used lines, shapes, and patterns to paint his subjects. His paintings also used strong colours to express feelings. Other artists like the surrealists , they were interested in the subconscious . Painters like Breton and Magritte used many symbols in their work. The meaning or subject of their work wasn't always clear. Dai, another artist, painted pictures that looked like dreams. There are still many abstract artists around the world. It's often hard to say what their art is about. That's the way many artists like better. They want each person to look at art and find their own meaning in it.

cnn

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Senate was called to order for 11 seconds on Wednesday as the last political scuffle of the year between the White House and the Democratic-led Congress played out. Democratic senators will hold short "pro forma" sessions over the holiday break to prevent recess appointments. Nearly all the senators left the Capitol for the Christmas holiday last week, but Democrats are keeping the Senate in session to block President Bush from making any recess appointments -- a constitutional mechanism that allows the president, during congressional recesses, to fill top government posts for up to one year without Senate confirmation. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, opened and then immediately gaveled the Senate session to a close. He spent 57 seconds in the chamber. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, announced December 19 that he would keep the Senate open with a series of "pro forma" sessions through mid-January. Talks had just broken down with the White House on a deal that would have allowed the president to make dozens of those appointments if he agreed not to appoint one controversial official, Steven Bradbury, as the permanent head of the influential Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department. Bush declined to accept the Democrats' offer, and Reid refused to approve Bradbury because of concerns about his involvement in crafting legal opinions for the administration on interrogation techniques of terrorism suspects. Similar sessions were conducted over the Thanksgiving recess. Webb also did the duty Friday, but he won't be the only senator tasked with presiding over the shortened sessions. Other Democrats -- including Sens. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Ben Cardin of Maryland and Chuck Schumer of New York -- will share the duty. E-mail to a friend

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CHAPTER XIII We all knew Isobel's history. It had taken barely twenty minutes to tell it, but they had been twenty minutes of tragedy. We were all, I think, in different ways affected. Monsieur Feurgéres alone sat back in his seat like a carved image, his face white and haggard, his deep-set eyes fixed upon vacancy. We felt that he had passed wholly away from the world of present things. He himself was lingering amongst the shadows of that wonderful past, upon which he had only a moment before dropped the curtain. He had told us to ask him questions, but I for my part felt that questions just then were a sacrilege. Arthur, however, seemed to feel nothing of this. It was he who took the lead. "Isobel, then," he said, "is the granddaughter of the King of Waldenburg, the only child of his eldest daughter! Her mother was divorced from her husband, Prince of Herrshoff, and afterwards married to you. What about her father?" "He died two years after the divorce was granted," Feurgéres said without turning his head. "Isobel was hurried away from the Court through the influence of her aunt, the Archduchess of Bristlaw, and sent to a convent in France. It was not intended that she should ever reappear at the Court of Waldenburg." "Why not?" "The King is very old, and he is the richest man in Europe. Isobel is the daughter of his eldest and favourite child. The Archduchess also has a daughter, and, failing Isobel, she will inherit."

wikipedia

Haryana (), is one of the 29 states in India, situated in North India. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1November 1966 on a linguistic basis. It stands 21st in terms of its area, which is spread about . census of India, the state is eighteenth largest by population with 25,353,081 inhabitants. The city of Chandigarh is its capital while the National Capital Region city of Faridabad is the most populous city of the state and the city of Gurugram is financial hub of NCR with major Fortune 500 companies located in it. Haryana is one of the wealthiest states of India and has the third highest per capita income in the country at in the year 2012–13 and in the year 2013–14, The state is one of the most economically developed regions in South Asia, and its agricultural and manufacturing industries have experienced sustained growth since the 1970s. Since 2000, the state has emerged as the largest recipient of investment per capita in India. It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south. The river Yamuna defines its eastern border with Uttar Pradesh. Haryana surrounds the country's capital Delhi on three sides, forming the northern, western and southern borders of Delhi. Consequently, a large area of south Haryana is included in the National Capital Region for purposes of planning and development.

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Spiderman is one of the most famous comic book heroes of all time.He was created by Stan Lee in 1963 and was first introduced to the world in the pages of Marvel comic books. Spiderman's story is the story of Peter Parker,a child who lost his parents and lives with his aunt and uncle.Peter is a shy,quiet boy wearing glasses and has few friends.One day,on a high school class trip to a science lab,he gets bitten by a special spider.Soon Peter realizes he has amazing powers:he is as strong and quick as a spider and also has a type of sixth sense.He no longer needs his glasses and he can use his super power to fly through the city streets! Remembering something his Uncle Ben has told him,that"with great power,there must also come great responsibility ,"Peter decides to use his powers to fight enemies who do cruel things to people.And so,Spiderman is born. Life is not easy for Peter even though he is a superhero.He is in love with Mary Jane but cannot tell her about his amazing powers.Besides,his best friend Harry hates Spiderman! Peter is also short of money and time.He has to sell photos of Spiderman(himself!)to a newspaper and he keeps losing his other jobs because he's so busy saving people! Yet he has to fight different kinds of cruel enemies.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XI. Drummers and Carpenters. Peter Rabbit was so full of questions that he hardly knew which one to ask first. But Yellow Wing the Flicker didn't give him a chance to ask any. From the edge of the Green forest there came a clear, loud call of, "Pe-ok! Pe-ok! Pe-ok!" "Excuse me, Peter, there's Mrs. Yellow Wing calling me," exclaimed Yellow Wing, and away he went. Peter noticed that as he flew he went up and down. It seemed very much as if he bounded through the air just as Peter bounds over the ground. "I would know him by the way he flies just as far as I could see him," thought Peter, as he started for home in the dear Old Briar-patch. "Somehow he doesn't seem like a Woodpecker because he is on the ground so much. I must ask Jenny Wren about him." It was two or three days before Peter had a chance for a bit of gossip with Jenny Wren. When he did the first thing he asked was if Yellow Wing is a true Woodpecker. "Certainly he is," replied Jenny Wren. "Of course he is. Why under the sun should you think he isn't?" "Because it seems to me he is on the ground more than he's in the trees," retorted Peter. "I don't know any other Woodpeckers who come down on the ground at all." "Tut, tut, tut, tut!" scolded Jenny. "Think a minute, Peter! Think a minute! Haven't you ever seen Redhead on the ground?"

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Buck did not read the newspapers,or he would have known that trouble was coming,not only for himself,but for every big dog,strong of muscle and with long,warm hair in California.Men had found gold in the Yukon,and these men wanted big,strong dogs to work in the cold and snow of the north. Buck lived at a big house in the sunkissed Santa Clara valley.Judge Miller's place,it was called.There were large gardens and fields of fruit trees around the house,and a river nearby.In a big place like this,of course,there were many dogs.There were house dogs and farm dogs,but they were not important.Over this great land Buck ruled.Here he was born and here he had lived the four years of his life.He was not so large--he weighed only one hundred and forty pounds.But he had saved himself by not becoming a mere housedog.Hunting and outdoor delights had kept down the fat and hardened his muscles.He went swimming with Judge Miller's sons,and walking with his daughters.He carried the grandchildren on his back,and he sat at Judge Miller's feet in front of the warm library fire in winter.During the four years,he had a fine pride in himself which came of good living and universal respect.He was king of Judge Miller's place. But this was 1897,and Buck did not know that men and dogs were hurrying to northwest Canada to look for gold.And he did not know that Manuel,one of the gardener's helpers,was in bad need of money for his hobby of gambling and for his large family.One day,the Judge was at a meeting and the boys were busy organizing an athletic club.No one saw Manuel and Buck go off on what Buck imagined was merely an evening walk.Only one man saw them arrive at the railway station.This man talked to Manuel,and gave him some money.Then Manuel tied a piece of rope around Buck's neck. Buck had accepted the rope with quiet dignity .He had learned to trust in men he knew and to give them credit.But when the ends of the rope were placed in the stranger's hands,Buck roared,and was surprised when the rope tightened around his neck,shutting off his breath.In extreme anger,he jumped at the man.The man caught him and suddenly Buck was thrown over on his back.Then the rope tightened cruelly while Buck struggled,his tongue out of his mouth.Never in all his life had he been so badly treated.Never in all his life had he been so angry.For a few moments he was unable to move,and it was easy for the two men to put him into the train. When Buck woke up,the train was still moving.The man was sitting and watching him,but Buck was too quick for him and he bit the man's hand hard.Then the rope was pulled again and Buck had to let go. That evening,the man took Buck to the back room of a bar in San Francisco.The barman looked at the man's hand and trousers covered in blood. "How much are they paying you for this?"he asked. "Only get fifty dollars." "And the man who stole him--how much did he get?"asked the barman. "A hundred.He wouldn't take less." "That makes a hundred and fifty.It's a good price for a dog like him." Buck spent that night in a cagelike box.He could not understand what it all meant.What did they want with him,these strange men?And where were Judge Miller and the boys? The next day Buck was carried in the box to the railway station and put on a train to the north.

mctest

Once there was a boy named Bill who liked to play at being a cowboy. One day he was playing at chasing Indians in his room when he heard a loud crack of thunder. He got really scared. Bill's parents, Ned and Susan, came into his room. They told him not to be scared. They said they were going to make sure the car windows were shut and they would be back soon. Bill said okay. He climbed under his bed and listened to the wind outside. He had his favorite toy gun to keep him safe, but he was still scared because his parents weren't back yet. His brother Zack had given him the gun. Bill started to think he could hear voices in the wind. It sounded like a strange kind of chanting. He started to shake and hug his toy gun. He said, "I'm not afraid of you. If you try to hurt me I'll shoot you." After that he felt a little better. But then he jumped as his bedroom door slammed shut. He hit his head on the bottom of his bed and it hurt. He looked out from under his blanket and saw a strange orange light in his room. He was worried that it was on fire, but he couldn't smell any smoke.

race

Two young artists named Sue and Joanna shared a studio apartment in the Greenwich Village area of New York, trying to realize their dreams. In November pneumonia killed many people. Unluckily, Joanna fell ill, too. One morning, a doctor examined Joanna and then spoke with Sue in another room. "She has decided that she has no chance. All we can do is give her a strong will to live." Holding back her tears, Sue went to Joanna's room. Joanna lay with her face toward the window, eyes wide open. She was counting something backward. "Twelve," she said, and a little later "eleven" until "five," almost together. Sue looked out of the window. What was there to count? There was a wall covered with an old ivy vine growing half way up it. The cold breath of autumn has stricken the leaves from the vine until it was almost bare. "Five what, dear?" asked Sue. "Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls I must go, too." "Oh, Don't be silly." Said Sue, "You will get better." "There goes another one. I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark." "Try to sleep." said Sue. "I must call Mr. Behrman up to be my model for my drawing of an old miner. Don't try to move until I come back." Old Behrman was a poor painter who lived in the building. For years he had always been planning to paint a work of art, but had never yet begun it. He earned a little money by serving as a model to artists who could not pay for a professional model. Sue found Behrman in his room. In one area was a blank canvas that had been waiting twenty-five years for the first line of paint. Sue told him about Joanna and how she feared that her friend would float away like a leaf. "What!" Old Behrman was angered at such an idea. "How silly! Just take me to her room." Joanna was sleeping when they went in. A cold rain was falling, mixed with snow. The next morning, Sue awoke after an hour's sleep. She found Joanna staring at the covered window. "Pull up the shade; I want to see." Sue obeyed. "It's the last leaf," said Joanna. "It will fall today, and I will go with it." When night came, the rain began to fall again with a strong wind. The next morning, Joanna demanded that the window shade be raised. The ivy leaf was still there. Joanna lay for a long time, looking at it. And then she called Sue, "I have been a bad girl. I'm so wrong. Now I want to get well and paint again." The doctor came to see Joanna in the afternoon. He told Sue "Joanna is improving. Now I must see Behrman. Pneumonia, too, very ill. Little hope for him." Later that day, Sue came to Joanna, and put one arm around her. "Mr. Behrman died of pneumonia in the hospital today. He was sick only two days. When someone went into his room, Behrman was lying there with his shoes on. His shoes and clothes were all wet. Nobody knew why." "Oh, poor Behrman!" Cried Joanna. "See the last leaf on the wall," said Sue, " It looks like a real leaf, doesn't it? " "A real leaf ? " "Ah, darling, it is Behrman's masterpiece -- he painted it there the night when the last leaf fell."

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CHAPTER XXIII. AGAIN AT CROKER'S HALL. About three o'clock on that day Mr Whittlestaff came home. The pony-carriage had gone to meet him, but Mary remained purposely out of the way. She could not rush out to greet him, as she would have done had his absence been occasioned by any other cause. But he had no sooner taken his place in the library than he sent for her. He had been thinking about it all the way down from London, and had in some sort prepared his words. During the next half hour he did promise himself some pleasure, after that his life was to be altogether a blank to him. He would go. To that only had he made up his mind. He would tell Mary that she should be happy. He would make Mrs Baggett understand that for the sake of his property she must remain at Croker's Hall for some period to which he would decline to name an end. And then he would go. "Well, Mary," he said, smiling, "so I have got back safe." "Yes; I see you have got back." "I saw a friend of yours when I was up in London." "I have had a letter, you know, from Mr Gordon." "He has written, has he? Then he has been very sudden." "He said he had your leave to write." "That is true. He had. I thought that, perhaps, he would have taken more time to think about it." "I suppose he knew what he had to say," said Mary. And then she blushed, as though fearing that she had appeared to have been quite sure that her lover would not have been so dull.

gutenberg

CHAPTER VIII. Breakfast on Sunday morning was an hour later than on week-days, and Priscilla, who usually made no public appearance before luncheon, honoured it by her presence. Dressed in black silk, with a ruby cross as well as her customary string of pearls round her neck, she presided. An enormous Sunday paper concealed all but the extreme pinnacle of her coiffure from the outer world. "I see Surrey has won," she said, with her mouth full, "by four wickets. The sun is in Leo: that would account for it!" "Splendid game, cricket," remarked Mr. Barbecue-Smith heartily to no one in particular; "so thoroughly English." Jenny, who was sitting next to him, woke up suddenly with a start. "What?" she said. "What?" "So English," repeated Mr. Barbecue-Smith. Jenny looked at him, surprised. "English? Of course I am." He was beginning to explain, when Mrs. Wimbush vailed her Sunday paper, and appeared, a square, mauve-powdered face in the midst of orange splendours. "I see there's a new series of articles on the next world just beginning," she said to Mr. Barbecue-Smith. "This one's called 'Summer Land and Gehenna.'" "Summer Land," echoed Mr. Barbecue-Smith, closing his eyes. "Summer Land. A beautiful name. Beautiful--beautiful." Mary had taken the seat next to Denis's. After a night of careful consideration she had decided on Denis. He might have less talent than Gombauld, he might be a little lacking in seriousness, but somehow he was safer. "Are you writing much poetry here in the country?" she asked, with a bright gravity.

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CHAPTER XXIV A WAR OF WORDS The knowledge that Professor Lemm, Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell were approaching the cabins on the upper end of Snowshoe Island filled the Rover boys with wonder. "Professor Lemm must have come to see Uncle Barney about those deeds," remarked Randy. "I wonder if that is Slugger's father with him?" broke in Fred. "Maybe," answered Jack. "Those men were the only two who were interested in getting possession of this island." "I'll tell you what I think we ought to do!" exclaimed Andy. "What?" came from the others quickly. "I think we ought to go back to our own cabin and arm ourselves." "That might not be such a bad idea, Andy," returned Jack. "Those men, backed up by Slugger and Nappy, may want to carry things with a high hand." Acting on Andy's suggestion, the four boys retreated to the cabin which they had just left, and each took possession of his weapon. "I don't think they'll try much rough-house work when they see how we are armed," remarked Randy grimly. "Of course, we don't want to do any shooting," cautioned Jack. "We only want to scare them, in case they go too far." "Jack, you had better be the spokesman for the crowd," remarked Randy. "You go ahead and talk to them, and we'll stand back with our guns." Still holding his rifle, Jack went forward again, and in a moment more found himself confronted by Asa Lemm and the man who was with him.

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(CNN) -- Marc Marquez barely held off the legendary Valentino Rossi in a nail-biting conclusion to the opening race of the 2014 MotoGP season in Qatar but judging by his performances this weekend the second race won't be as close. Marquez, the reigning world champion from Spain, finished well ahead of the pack Saturday in qualifying for the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, setting a record lap time and beating Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa by 0.289 seconds. He was the fastest rider in practice yesterday, too. "All weekend it has been going so well, but Sunday is the most important," Marquez told MotoGP's website. "We will have to push very hard the whole race. "It will be an important start to the race when the tires are new, we can make a difference there before they start to slide. I'm happy with the base we have and we'll try to fight for the victory. I'm sure we'll be fighting with Pedrosa, he is our strongest rival." Germany's Stefan Bradl starts third for LCR Honda, while two-time MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo and Rossi, his fellow Yamaha racer, begin fifth and sixth, respectively. "The progression from the first practice on Friday is very big, we were two seconds behind and now half a second," said Lorenzo. "Anyway, as I thought, it's going to be a hard race tomorrow. "Our goal is to fight for fourth or third position. I think it would be a good result because here our competitors are really strong so we need to make the best result we can. To finish on the podium would be a good thing."

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Chapter VIII. MAGGIE AND THE GIPSIES. After Tom and Lucy had walked away, Maggie's quick mind formed a plan which was not so simple as that of going home. No; she would run away and go to the gipsies, and Tom should never see her any more. She had been often told she was like a gipsy, and "half wild;" so now she would go and live in a little brown tent on the common. The gipsies, she considered, would gladly receive her, and pay her much respect on account of her superior knowledge. She had once mentioned her views on this point to Tom, and suggested that he should stain his face brown, and they should run away together; but Tom rejected the scheme with contempt, observing that gipsies were thieves, and hardly got anything to eat, and had nothing to drive but a donkey. To-day, however, Maggie thought her misery had reached a pitch at which gipsydom was her only refuge, and she rose from her seat on the roots of the tree with the sense that this was a great crisis in her life. She would run straight away till she came to Dunlow Common, where there would certainly be gipsies; and cruel Tom, and the rest of her relations who found fault with her, should never see her any more. She thought of her father as she ran along, but made up her mind that she would secretly send him a letter by a small gipsy, who would run away without telling where she was, and just let him know that she was well and happy, and always loved him very much.

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(CNN) -- It's been 31 years since Stanley Guidroz first reported his 3-year-old son missing in Tacoma, Washington. Investigators, after reopening the cold case, now say the boy, Wallace Guidroz, was never missing at all and that his father had killed him. Guidroz, 57, has been charged with first-degree manslaughter after he confessed to the crime, said Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist on Tuesday. "This is another success for the Cold Case Unit," said Lindquist. "Justice matters, no matter how long it takes." Guidroz first reported his son missing in January 1983, telling Tacoma police that his son had gone missing in a neighborhood park after they had gone fishing together. Guidroz said he believed that a family they had met in the park had kidnapped him, prosecutors said. Police were unable to locate a family that fit the description Guidroz gave them, and they were unable to connect Guidroz to the boy's disappearance. For years, the mystery of what happened to Wallace remained unsolved. Guidroz left Washington state in 1984 and did not return, according to a press release from the Pierce County Prosecutor's Office. In 2011, Cold Case Unit Detective Gene Miller reopened the case. Miller reviewed old documents from the initial investigation and saw that Guidroz's stories never seemed to add up. There were "several inconsistencies in Guidroz's account of the events from the day Wallace went missing," the release said. Guidroz resurfaced in Louisiana in March 2011 after reports that he had been charged in the killing of his wife, who is not the mother of Wallace.

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In February 1907, the Royal Dutch Shell Group was created through the amalgamation of two rival companies: the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company of the Netherlands and the "Shell" Transport and Trading Company Ltd of the United Kingdom. It was a move largely driven by the need to compete globally with Standard Oil. The Royal Dutch Petroleum Company was a Dutch company founded in 1890 to develop an oilfield in Sumatra, and initially led by August Kessler, Hugo Loudon, and Henri Deterding. The "Shell" Transport and Trading Company (the quotation marks were part of the legal name) was a British company, founded in 1897 by Marcus Samuel, 1st Viscount Bearsted, and his brother Samuel Samuel. Their father had owned an antique company in Houndsditch, London, which expanded in 1833 to import and sell sea-shells, after which the company "Shell" took its name. Shell was vertically integrated and is active in every area of the oil and gas industry, including exploration and production, refining, distribution and marketing, petrochemicals, power generation and trading. It has minor renewable energy activities in the form of biofuels and wind. It has operations in over 90 countries, produces around 3.1 million barrels of oil equivalent per day and has 44,000 service stations worldwide. Shell Oil Company, its subsidiary in the United States, is one of its largest businesses.

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CHAPTER XIV IN DISTRESS The clear night was falling when Jimmy leaned on the bridge-rails as the _Shasta_ steamed out of the Inlet beneath a black wall of pines. Over her port quarter the pale lights of the climbing city twinkled tier on tier, with dim forest rolling away behind them into the creeping mist. Beyond that, in turn, a faint blink of snow still gleamed against the dusky blueness of the east. All this was familiar, but he was leaving it behind, and ahead there lay an empty waste of darkening water, into which the _Shasta_ pushed her way with thumping engines and a drowsy gurgle at the bows. It seemed to Jimmy, in one sense, appropriate that it should be so. He had cut himself adrift from all that he had been accustomed to, and where the course he had launched upon would lead him he did not know. That, however, did not greatly trouble him. His character was by no means a complex one, and it was sufficient for him to do the obvious thing, which, after all, usually saves everybody trouble. It was clear that Tom Wheelock needed him, and he could, at least, look back a little, though this was an occupation to which he was not greatly addicted. He understood now how his father, who had perhaps never been a strong man, had slowly broken down under a load of debt that was too heavy for him, though the nature of the man who had with deliberate intent laid it on his shoulders was incomprehensible. Jimmy, in fact, could scarcely conceive the possibility of any man scheming and plotting to ruin a fellow-being for the value of two old schooners. The apparently insufficient motive made the thing almost devilish. Merril, he felt, was outside the pale of humanity, a noxious creature to be shunned or, on opportunity, crushed by honest men.

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Robin's First Flight Robin was a little baby bird who was born only 6 weeks before. Her mother took care of her and her brothers and sister by feeding them bugs and worms. Robin had 2 brothers. She also had one sister. During this time, Robin grew and grew and got stronger and stronger. Her feathers got longer, too. The day had finally come when mother bird told Robin and her brothers and sister that they would be learning to fly for the first time. Chirps of joy were heard from all the baby birds. All except for Robin. She was too afraid to fly out into the world. She wanted to stay in her comfy nest with all of her family for the rest of her life. She also wanted her mother to feed her for the rest of her life. Mother bird told Robin how exciting it was to fly and see all the beautiful flowers and trees and told her she would help her learn like she did when she was a baby bird. She told her that she would meet lots of other bird friends, too. So Robin tried not to be scared, even as she saw both of her brothers and sister fly off the nest and out into the world. They looked so happy. Then it was her turn. She spread her wings, closed her eyes and jumped out of the nest. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes to see that she was actually flying. Oh happy day! It was everything her mother said it would be. The world looked so big and Robin couldn't wait to see it all.

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London, England (CNN) -- UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has ordered a full review of security measures at UK airports following the attempted Detroit plane bombing on December 25. In a statement published Friday on the prime minister's official Web site, Brown said the UK government will be working with the U.S. to "examine a range of new techniques to enhance airport security systems beyond traditional measures, such as pat-down searches and sniffer dogs." These new measures might include using "explosive trace technology, full body scanners and advanced x-ray technology." Writing on the first day of a new decade, Brown issued a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by international terrorism. "The new decade," he said, "is starting as the last began -- with al Qaeda creating a climate of fear. These enemies of democracy and freedom... are concealing explosives in ways which are more difficult to detect." The Detroit incident highlighted an "urgent" need to tighten airport security measures, Brown said. "The UK," Brown said, "will continually explore the most sophisticated devices capable of identifying explosives, guns, knives and other such items anywhere on the body." The alleged plane bomber, Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab is believed to have concealed explosives in his underwear. The 23-year-old Nigerian is thought to have linked up with an al Qaeda group based in Yemen after attending the UK's University College London. Brown said the plot was a reminder of al Qaeda's increasing influence away from "better-known homes of international terror such as Pakistan and Afghanistan."

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(CNN) -- A Florida man charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a teenager amid an argument over loud music at a gas station pleaded not guilty Monday. Michael Dunn, 45, entered his plea during a hearing Monday morning at the Duval County, Florida, jail. Dunn told investigators he fired at a car in which Jordan Davis, 17, and three of his friends were sitting because he felt threatened by them. No guns were found inside the teens' car, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said. The case against Dunn, who has been jailed without bond since the November 26 shooting at the Jacksonville, Florida, gas station, has been compared to the "stand your ground" case in which George Zimmerman is charged with killing Trayvon Martin. Similar to Martin, Davis was an African-American teen. Dunn, indicted on a first-degree murder charge last Thursday, is no "vigilante" but did feel threatened and shot out of "self-defense," his lawyer said two days after his arrest. "There are no comparisons to the Trayvon Martin situation," said Robin Lemonidis, Dunn's attorney. "He is devastated and horrified by the death of the teen." Dunn told authorities that he had asked the teens to turn down the blaring music coming from their vehicle, which was parked next to his as he waited for his girlfriend to return to the car. He heard threats from the teens, Dunn told police, and he felt threatened and thought he saw a gun in their car. He grabbed his gun and fired at least eight shots, authorities said.

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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- An Emirati blogger who has called for reform in the United Arab Emirates is being held in Al Wathba prison in Abu Dhabi, his wife said Wednesday Ahmed Mansoor is being treated well, according to wife Nadia, who said she spoke to him Tuesday evening. Mansoor's attorney, Abdul Hamid Al Kumity, said he is not aware of any charges against his client, but will meet with the prosecutor's office Wednesday. Dubai police have told Al Kumity that two bottles of whiskey were found in Mansoor's house. Alcohol is available at hotels and select stores in the UAE, but Muslims are not allowed to buy or possess it. Mansoor's wife acknowledged that here was alcohol in their house, but said they don't drink. The alcohol, in a small unopened box, was probably a gift from friends or family, she said. About 10 men, including two wearing police uniforms, picked up Mansoor from his apartment Friday afternoon, according to his wife. The men also took Mansoor's passport and laptop and left without telling her where they were taking him or why. Fahad Salem al-Shehhi, a friend of Mansoor's who helped him with his website, was detained Saturday evening, said activist Mohammed al-Mansoori. Al-Shehhi was taken from the Emirate of Ajman, where he was living temporarily while his wife studies there, al-Mansoori said. Al-Shehhi has been without a passport for seven years, he said. The third, Nasser bin Ghaith, an Emirati writer who also maintains a website, was detained Sunday, al-Mansoori said.

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One day my dad was walking home and he had a big ice-cream cone. He had chocolate and vanilla and strawberry ice-cream on top of each other. He was moving his head back and forward to some music that he was playing when a spider dropped on his ice-cream for a little bite. My dad saw right away that a spider was on it and he brushed the spider off. After the spider was put on the floor, a fly flew into his ice-cream, right where the spider had been! Oh how terrible! My dad made the spider leave and right after that he saw an alligator come running up to him wanting a bite of his ice-cream too! My dad dropped his cone, ran away, and bought a yoghurt instead. He thought about buying a dingdong, but since dinner time was so close and he had such a big lunch, he thought a yoghurt would be better. It's a much safer and better dessert. 165 words.

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(CNN) -- Han Han is China's rebel writer who has become the unofficial voice for his generation. As a teenager the 27-year-old began writing novels about angst-ridden characters that proved tremendously popular with China's angsty youth. But it is his blog that has propelled him to celebrity status in China and earned him the accolade as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people of 2009. He's been touted as mouthpiece for the "post-80's generation"; China's youth who have grown up during the country's economic boom and are often characterized as apolitical and consumer-obsessed. Blogging about issues such as the Chinese government's handling of the Sichuan earthquake of 2008 and recent spate of school stabbings, Han Han is savvy enough to know the limits of what he can and can't write about. "Even though the Chinese government has improved on the freedom of speech front in recent years, writing is still rather dangerous, so it's quite difficult to strike this balance," he told CNN. "But I believe you still need to try despite these difficulties. The situation only improves when there are more people trying; if no one is trying, it only gets more and more difficult." With boyish good-looks and a rebel's cred (he dropped out of high-school and races rally cars) he's become one of China's more popular and recognizable bloggers, where the Internet is an increasingly popular forum for self-expression. For Jeremy Goldkorn, a China media commentator, Han's attitude combined with his writing helps strike a chord with millions of China's disaffected youth.

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It was a beautiful day. In the morning Tommy and I went to the park to play. We rode our bikes around and went down to the lake. We swam around in the lake and splashed water on other kids. We got back on our bikes and rode back home. Mommy made lunch. It was yummy, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and milk. Then it was time for our nap. We woke up and watched some TV. Mommy gave us some money for candy later. Tommy and I went back to the park to play. Tommy and I played with a baseball with some other kids. Then we played with the football. We went to the store across the street. We bought some candy with the money Mommy gave us. We went back to the park and watched the other kids play as we ate our candy. It was hot, so we went swimming again. It was fun! We like swimming so we go swimming almost every day. We swam all afternoon until Mommy came down to the park at told us to come home. Mommy was very upset because we were gone so long. Mommy was worried that something might have happened to us. Mommy was not paying attention to her kids and what they were doing for hours. Tommy and I told Mommy she needs to pay more attention to us. Mommy started crying, then Tommy and I started crying. Mommy said from now on, I must pay more attention to you two. Daddy came home from work and playing softball for his company team. Daddy wanted to know what was going on. Daddy saw that we were all crying. Daddy started to cry too. We all said that we would pay more attention to each other. We all said that we would do more things together like going to the park. We all said we would eat together more often.

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Melissa Harris-Lacewell is associate professor of politics and African-American studies at Princeton University. She is the author of the award-winning book "Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought" and writes a daily blog titled The Kitchen Table. Melissa Harris-Lacewell says African-Americans remain skeptical about racial progress in the U.S. PRINCETON, New Jersey (CNN) -- America was proud of itself for electing Barack Obama. The pride was not just partisan and ideological; it was also specifically and clearly racial. The morning after Obama's win, The New York Times declared "Racial Barrier Falls in Decisive Victory." The Los Angeles Times asserted that "for the first time in human history, a largely white nation has elected a black man to be its paramount leader." Some black commentators openly wept on election night, thrilled with witnessing the election of our first black president. Even Sen. John McCain, conceding defeat, pointed to the greatness of the American promise fulfilled in the election of his opponent. Obama's victory offered the possibility that the scars of America's racial legacy were healed or, at least, that they were less raw. For many African-American citizens, the election of the first black U.S. president was cause for celebration and open-mouthed wonder about an outcome that seemed so unlikely just two years earlier, when Obama announced his bid. Despite this joy, many black citizens were dubious that his victory represented the destruction of any particular racial barrier. African-Americans were both proud of and excited about Obama, but in the 45 years since the passage of the Civil Rights Act, black Americans had seen doors to power, influence and wealth open just enough to admit just a few without fundamentally altering opportunities for the majority.

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(CNN) -- Jeff Weiss had spent 20 years teaching negotiation skills to top executives when he realized those techniques might be just as valuable to soldiers on the battlefield. So a decade ago, he approached the U.S. Military to teach officers negotiation tools and strategies they could use in a theater of war. The West Point Negotiation Project was founded, and before long, Weiss made another realization: the lessons could go the other way, too. "There's a ton to take from the military back to the corporations," says Weiss, a partner at Vantage Partners, a Boston-based negotiation training and consulting firm that works with Fortune 500 companies. "Business leaders have a lot to learn from military leaders who, in extreme situations, are able to take a deep breath, get perspective and negotiate through a set of strategies." Read more: Why we pick bad leaders Perhaps counter-intuitively, the best military negotiators adopt a creative, problem-solving approach. A more macho, "Rambo style" of negotiation -- in which the negotiator digs in inflexibly to a position they believe to be right -- is "just not effective," Weiss says, and could lead to fatal errors. "When we're under pressure to act fast in a high-stakes situation, it often leads us to a set of traps," he adds. "We often act on perception and assumptions, we tend to use a strong position and dig in, we tend to use threats and we play a concessions game far too frequently." Below are five key points into which Weiss has distilled the essence of successful deal-making, which he says are equally applicable whether you're dealing with potentially hostile stakeholders on the battlefield, or a fellow boardroom warrior.

wikipedia

Kindergarten (; from German , which literally means "garden for the children") is a preschool educational approach traditionally based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. At first such institutions were created in the late 18th century in Bavaria and Strasbourg to serve children whose parents both worked out of the home. The term was coined by the German Friedrich Fröbel, whose approach globally influenced early-years education. Today, the term is used in many countries to describe a variety of educational institutions and learning spaces for children ranging from two to seven years of age, based on a variety of teaching methods. In 1779, Johann Friedrich Oberlin and Louise Scheppler founded in Strasbourg an early establishment for caring for and educating pre-school children whose parents were absent during the day. At about the same time, in 1780, similar infant establishments were established in Bavaria. In 1802, Princess Pauline zur Lippe established a preschool center in Detmold, the capital of the then principality of Lippe, Germany (now in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia). In 1816, Robert Owen, a philosopher and pedagogue, opened the first British and probably globally the first infants school in New Lanark, Scotland. In conjunction with his venture for cooperative mills Owen wanted the children to be given a good moral education so that they would be fit for work. His system was successful in producing obedient children with basic literacy and numeracy.

wikipedia

Zionism ( "Tsiyyonut" after "Zion") is the national movement of the Jewish people that supports the re-establishment of a Jewish homeland in the territory defined as the historic Land of Israel (roughly corresponding to Canaan, the Holy Land, or the region of Palestine). Modern Zionism emerged in the late 19th century in Central and Eastern Europe as a national revival movement, in reaction to anti-Semitic and exclusionary nationalist movements in Europe. Soon after this, most leaders of the movement associated the main goal with creating the desired state in Palestine, then an area controlled by the Ottoman Empire. Until 1948, the primary goals of Zionism were the re-establishment of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel, ingathering of the exiles, and liberation of Jews from the antisemitic discrimination and persecution that they experienced during their diaspora. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Zionism continues primarily to advocate on behalf of Israel and to address threats to its continued existence and security. A religious variety of Zionism supports Jews upholding their Jewish identity defined as adherence to religious Judaism, opposes the assimilation of Jews into other societies, and has advocated the return of Jews to Israel as a means for Jews to be a majority nation in their own state. A variety of Zionism, called cultural Zionism, founded and represented most prominently by Ahad Ha'am, fostered a secular vision of a Jewish "spiritual center" in Israel. Unlike Herzl, the founder of political Zionism, Ahad Ha'am strived for Israel to be "a Jewish state and not merely a state of Jews".

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What would you do if you were a fifth grader facing a huge homework load every night, and you found out that there was a machine that would do all the work for you? That's the situation presented to Sam, Kelsey, Judy and Brenton in Dan Gutman's entertaining new book for young readers, The Home Machine. The four children, all fifth graders in Miss Rasmussen's Grand Canyon School, are as different as any other 11-year-old child could be, but they have one thing in common -- all are somewhat separated from their classmates. Sam is a newcomer and has had his share of school trouble before; Kelsey quietly carries her pain at losing her father; Judy's sense of justice always annoys others; Brenton is the smartest child in the school, so smart that even his parents and teachers have trouble keeping up with him. When Brenton and his three classmates are put into the same study group by their teacher, the others discover that Brenton has made a time-saving gadget to do homework for him. While the boy is perfectly able to do his homework himself, Sam, Kelsey and Judy can use the help. Having perfect grades is something new for these three, and as they meet every day to "do homework", they find that they're learning a lot about each other. Such a good thing can't last though, and when a secret man starts trying to get in touch with them, they begin to get nervous. Soon there's an even more frightening problem -- why can't the Homework Machine be turned off? Told in different voices as all the children make statements to the Grand Canyon Police, the story develops in an interesting fashion. Gutman is a gifted writer who has written dozens of children's books, each with a funny and impressing table that should be equally liked by boys and girls.

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(CNN) -- [WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the "Doctor Who" season finale.] Permission to squee? Saturday night's "Doctor Who" season finale was a roller coaster of feels, with deaths, goodbyes and one incredible James Bond-esque move by the Doctor. It was the end of the first season of Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor. Here are five moments that had us cheering or reaching for the tissues: 1. The Master kills Osgood This one really hurt. UNIT captured the Master and made the Doctor the president of Earth, as they faced a massive invasion by dead-people-turned-Cybermen. The Master tried the old talking-to-your-captor trick to bowtie-wearing geek Osgood ("Bowties are cool," after all), telling Osgood that she was about to be killed within 60 seconds. Unfortunately for Osgood, the Master was no longer handcuffed and made good on her promise. It was part of a terrific nutso performance by Michelle Gomez as the Master, but we'll really miss Osgood, who was like the ultimate "Doctor Who" fan. 2. Windsurfing into the TARDIS The plane that carried the Doctor and members of UNIT exploded, and the Doctor was sent flying out of it, about to crash to the ground. Was this how it would all end? Instead, the Doctor spotted the TARDIS and aimed himself to land right inside it. Wow! The Master's AI interface assistant Seb was quite impressed by this, but the Master destroyed him as he squeed. 3. Clara reunites with Danny After talking her way out of being killed by the Cybermen by impersonating the Doctor, Clara found herself in a graveyard, and discovered that an approaching Cyberman was her late boyfriend, Danny, who still had emotions, but was begging her to switch them off.

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Jack Benny was one of the most famous names in show business.He was born in Chicago,Illinois,on February 14th,1894.His parents,Meyer and Emma Kubelsky,were religious Jews.They had moved to the United States from Eastern Europe.Benny was a quiet boy.For much of the time,his parents were busy working in his father's store.As a child,Benny learned to play the violin.After finishing his school,he joined the Navy.He continued using his violin to perform for sailors.In one show he was chosen more for his funny jokes than for his skill with the violin.That experience made him believe that his future job was a comedian. Benny developed a show personality that had all the qualities people dislike.He was known for being so _ --he refused to spend any money unless forced to do so.On his shows Benny often spoke of his appearance,especially his baby blue eyes.As he grew older,he always claimed to be 39 years old.Benny rarely made jokes that hurt other people.Instead,he would let the other actors on the show tell jokes about him. In real life,he was very giving and he was a person people liked having as their employer.Benny entered the new media of television in 1950.Five years later,he dropped his radio programme to spend more time developing his television show.At first his appearances on television were rare.By 1960 the Benny Show was a weekly television programme.It continued until 1965.Benny appeared in about twenty films during his life.A few became popular.But most were not.In 1963 Benny returned to Broadway for the first time since 1931. Benny received many awards during his lifetime.Perhaps the one honour that pleased him most was that his hometown of Waukeegan named a school for him.This was a special honour for a man who had never finished high school. Benny continued to perform.He died of cancer in 1974.At his funeral his friend Bob Hope said,"Jack Benny was stingy to the end.He gave us only eighty years."

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Fred Astaire was born in Nebraska in 1899. Fred and his sister, Adele, learned to dance when they were very young. Their mother took them to New York to study dance. They performed in their first professional show when Fred was ten years old and Adele was twelve. Later, as teenagers, the two danced in many shows throughout the United States. Their first big success was on Broadway in 1917. The Astaires -- as they were known --- became Broadway stars. However, in 1932, Adele Astaire married a British man, and stopped performing. But Fred did not give up his dream. He would go on alone, in the movies. Fred said, "Dancing is a sweaty job. You cannot just sit down and do it. You have to get up on your feet. It takes time to get a dance right, to create something memorable. I always try to get to know my dance so well that I do not have to think." In 1949, Fred Astaire won a special award for his film work from America's Motion Picture Academy. He also won awards from the television industry for a number of his television programs.[:ZXXK] Fred stopped dancing in 1970. He was more than seventy years old at the time. He said a dancer could not continue dancing forever. He said he did not want to disappoint anyone, even himself. He danced again in public only once after that. It was with another great male dancer, Gene Kelly, in the movie "That's Entertainment, Part Two". Fred Astaire and his first wife, Phyllis, had three children. Phyllis died in 1954. Twenty-five years later, Fred married race horse rider Robyn Smith. Fred Astaire died on June 22, 1987. He was eighty-eight years old. He was called the greatest dancer in the world. His dancing was called perfect. And moviegoers everywhere will remember him as a great performer whose work will live forever in his films.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XIV "Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him."--JOB XL. 9. A few moments later Licinia came running back into the room. "Augusta!" she exclaimed excitedly even before she had crossed the threshold. "Augusta! quick! the Cæsar!" Dea Flavia started, for she had indeed been suddenly awakened from a dream. Slowly, and with eyes still vague and thoughtful, she turned to her slave. "The Cæsar?" she repeated, whilst a puzzled frown appeared between her brows and the young blood faded from her cheeks. "The Cæsar?" "Aye," said the old woman hurriedly. "He is in the atrium even now, having just arrived, and his slaves fill the vestibule. He desires speech with thee." "He does not often come at this hour," said Dea Flavia, whose face had become very white and set at mention of a name which indeed had the power of rousing terror in every heart just now. "Doth he seem angered?" she asked under her breath. "No, no," said Licinia reassuringly, "how could he be angered against thee, my pet lamb? But come quickly, dear, to thy robing room; what dress wilt put on to greet the Cæsar in?" "Nay, nay," she said with a tremulous little laugh, "we'll not keep my kinsman waiting. That indeed might anger him. He has been in this room before and hath liked to watch me at my work. Let him come now, an he wills." Licinia would have protested for she loved to deck her darling out in all the finery that, to her mind, rendered the Augusta more beautiful than a goddess, but there was no time to say anything for even now the Cæsar's voice was heard at the further end of the atrium.

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Hannah Harvey was a ten year old that had many friends in school. She lived in New York and enjoyed doing gymnastics and playing soccer. One day, Hannah came home from school and her parents greeted her. She knew that something was different by the expressions on their faces. Even Jackson, Hannah's dog, was acting different. Hannah asked why everyone was being so strange. Hannah's father, who was known as Pop, explained to Hannah that his job was forcing him to move. Hannah did not seem to think this was too big of a deal. Then, Hannah's mother explained that they were moving to Kenya. Kenya, she explained, was a place in Africa and life would be very different there. As Hannah began to cry thinking about all of her friends at home, Hannah's mother calmed her with a gentle touch. Jackson began howling as Hannah cried, but was also calmed by Hannah's mother. Hannah spent the next two weeks visiting her friends and saying her goodbyes. She did not know the next time she would be home. She cried very hard when she said goodbye to her best friend, Susan. Susan did not quite understand where Kenya was, but promised to visit Hannah. The next day, Hannah boarded a plane with her family. At first, they thought that Jackson could not come with them. However, Hannah worked hard and helped make sure that he had all of his shots so that he could come. After he had them all, the airport said it was OK for Jackson to come! The Harvey family left and off they went across the ocean to begin their new life in Kenya.

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Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct. The term "ethics" derives , . The branch of philosophy axiology comprises the sub-branches of ethics and aesthetics, each concerned with values. Ethics seeks to resolve questions of human morality by defining concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime. As a field of intellectual enquiry, moral philosophy also is related to the fields of moral psychology, descriptive ethics, and value theory. Three major areas of study within ethics recognized today are: Rushworth Kidder states that "standard definitions of "ethics" have typically included such phrases as 'the science of the ideal human character' or 'the science of moral duty'. Richard William Paul and Linda Elder define ethics as "a set of concepts and principles that guide us in determining what behavior helps or harms sentient creatures". The "Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy" states that the word ethics is "commonly used interchangeably with 'morality' ... and sometimes it is used more narrowly to mean the moral principles of a particular tradition, group or individual." Paul and Elder state that most people confuse ethics with behaving in accordance with social conventions, religious beliefs and the law and don't treat ethics as a stand-alone concept.

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Dear Mom, I'm sorry that I can't go back home for Mother's Day next week. On that day, I'll have to go to an important meeting for my boss, who helps me a lot with my work and life here. But I'll find time to see you at home soon. Mom, thank you for everything you've done for Tim and me. After Dad died of a heart attack at home ten years ago in a road accident, you had to work in a supermarket in the daytime and in a restaurant at night. But you always gave us two your love and care. Though you don't have to work now, I still remember your coming home and feeling tired many evenings. Tim is going to finish his studies next month. He said he would move back from school and look for a job near home. I'm glad you won't live by yourself any more. Let's plan to take a trip in the near future. It's been years since the three of us took a trip together. Happy Mother's Day. I love you, Mom. Best wishes, David

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The American Mathematical Society (AMS) is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and scholarship, and serves the national and international community through its publications, meetings, advocacy and other programs. The society is one of the four parts of the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics and a member of the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences. It was founded in 1888 as the "New York Mathematical Society", the brainchild of Thomas Fiske, who was impressed by the "London Mathematical Society" on a visit to England. John Howard Van Amringe was the first president and Fiske became secretary. The society soon decided to publish a journal, but ran into some resistance, due to concerns about competing with the American Journal of Mathematics. The result was the "Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society", with Fiske as editor-in-chief. The de facto journal, as intended, was influential in increasing membership. The popularity of the "Bulletin" soon led to Transactions of the American Mathematical Society and Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society, which were also "de facto" journals. In 1891 Charlotte Scott became the first woman to join the society. The society reorganized under its present name and became a national society in 1894, and that year Scott served as the first woman on the first Council of the American Mathematical Society.

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Hunting is the practice of killing or trapping any animal, or pursuing or tracking it with the intent of doing so. Hunting wildlife or feral animals is most commonly done by humans for food, recreation, to remove predators which are dangerous to humans or domestic animals, or for trade. In the 2010s, lawful hunting is distinguished from poaching, which is the illegal killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species. The species that are hunted are referred to as game or prey and are usually mammals and birds. Furthermore, evidence exists that hunting may have been one of the multiple environmental factors leading to extinctions of the holocene megafauna and their replacement by smaller herbivores. North American megafauna extinction was coincidental with the Younger Dryas impact event, possibly making hunting a less critical factor in prehistoric species loss than had been previously thought. However, in other locations such as Australia, humans are thought to have played a very significant role in the extinction of the Australian megafauna that was widespread prior to human occupation.

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CHAPTER XIX--HOW NORMAN LESLIE RODE AGAIN TO THE WARS Tidings of these parleys, and marches, and surrenders of cities came to us at Tours, the King sending letters to his good towns by messengers. One of these, the very Thomas Scott of whom I have before spoken, a man out of Rankelburn, in Ettrick Forest, brought a letter for me, which was from Randal Rutherford. "Mess-John Urquhart writes for me, that am no clerk," said Randal, "and, to spare his pains, as he writes for the most of us, I say no more than this: come now, or come never, for the Maid will ride to see Paris in three days, or four, let the King follow or not as he will." There was no more but a cross marked opposite the name of Randal Rutherford, and the date of place and day, August the nineteenth, at Compiegne. My face fired, for I felt it, when I had read this, and I made no more ado, but, covenanting with Thomas Scott to be with him when he rode forth at dawn, I went home, put my harness in order, and hired a horse from him that kept the hostelry of the "Hanging Sword," whither also I sent my harness, for that I would sleep there. This was all done in the late evening, secretly, and, after supper, I broke the matter to my master and Elliot. Her face changed to a dead white, and she sat silent, while my master took the word, saying, in our country speech, that "he who will to Cupar, maun to Cupar," and therewith he turned, and walked out and about in the garden.

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The Lok Sabha (House of the People) is the Lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the Upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by adult universal suffrage and a first-past-the-post system to represent their respective constituencies, and they hold their seats for five years or until the body is dissolved by the President on the advice of the council of ministers. The house meets in the Lok Sabha Chambers of the Sansad Bhavan in New Delhi. The maximum strength of the House envisaged by the Constitution of India is 552, which is made up by election of up to 530 members to represent the states; up to 20 members to represent the Union Territories and not more than two members of the Anglo-Indian Community to be nominated by the President of India, if, in his/her opinion, that community is not adequately represented in the House. Under the current laws, the strength of Lok Sabha is 545, including the two seats reserved for members of the Anglo-Indian community. The total elective membership is distributed among the states in proportion to their population. A total of 131 seats (18.42%) are reserved for representatives of Scheduled Castes (84) and Scheduled Tribes (47). The quorum for the House is 10% of the total membership.

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Infantry is the general branch of an army that engages in military combat on foot. As the troops who engage with the enemy in close-ranged combat, infantry units bear the largest brunt of warfare and typically suffer the greatest number of casualties during a military campaign. Historically, as the oldest branch of the combat arms, the infantry are the tip of the spear of a modern army, and continually undergo training that is typically more physically demanding and psychologically stressful than that of any other branch of the combat arms. Common representations of infantry fighting forces include the U.S. Army Infantry Branch, U.S. Marine Corps Infantry, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps, Infantry of the British Army, and the Royal Australian Corps of Infantry, infantry of the Norwegian Army. Infantry can enter and maneuver in terrain that is inaccessible to military vehicles and employ crew-served infantry weapons that provide greater and more sustained firepower. The transport and delivery techniques of modern infantrymen to engage in battle include marching, mechanised transport, aerial drop by parachute or by air assault from helicopter and amphibious landing from the sea. In English, the 16th century term infantry (ca. 1570s) describes soldiers who walk to the battlefield, and there engage, fight, and defeat the enemy in direct combat, usually to take and occupy the terrain. As describing the branch of the combat arms, the term "infantry" derives from the French infanterie, which, in turn, is derived from the Italian fanteria and ultimately from the Latin infantera; the individual-soldier term infantryman (1837) was not coined until the 19th century. Historically, before the invention and the introduction of firearms to warfare, the foot soldiers of previous eras—armed with blunt and edged weapons, and a shield—also are considered and identified as infantrymen.

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CHAPTER XI. Ike Watson's Arrival Let us go back to Allen. We left him just as the sound made by Paul's horse aroused the leader of the horse thieves, whose full name was Saul Mangle. "The feller that went over into the river, as sure as fate!" burst from the lips of Mangle, and he started back in astonishment. "Impossible!" cried Darry, the second man. "That feller must have been killed!" "See for yourself." With these words Saul Mangle sprang forward to stop Allen, who was about to mount Jasper. He reached the young man's side as Allen gained the saddle. "Come down out of that!" he cried, roughly. "Not much!" returned the young man. "Clear the track, unless you want to be run down!" He urged the horse forward. Jasper started, but ere he had taken three steps, Mangle caught him by the bridle. "Whoa!" he cried. "Whoa, I say!" "Let the horse go, do you hear?" ejaculated Allen, sharply. "I won't do it! Darry! Jeff! Come here, why don't you?" The others leaped into the brush. Allen saw that affairs were turning against him. He leaned forward to Jasper's neck. Smack! Mangle caught a sharp blow full across his mouth. It came so quickly that he staggered back and his hold was loosened. "On, Jasper, on, my boy!" cried Allen, slapping the animal with his palm. "Come, Rush! Come, Rush!" he added to Chet's horse, which stood close beside. Off went Jasper with a bound, and Rush followed at his heels.

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Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who serves as the focal point of the Christian faith. It is the world's largest religion, with over 2.4 billion followers, or 33% of the global population, known as Christians. Christians make up a majority of the population in 158 countries and territories. They believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the savior of humanity whose coming as the Messiah (the Christ) was prophesied in the Old Testament. Christian theology is summarized in creeds such as the Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed. These professions of faith state that Jesus suffered, died, was buried, descended into hell, and rose from the dead, in order to grant eternal life to those who believe in him and trust in him for the remission of their sins. The creeds further maintain that Jesus physically ascended into heaven, where he reigns with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, and that he will return to judge the living and the dead and grant eternal life to his followers. His incarnation, earthly ministry, crucifixion and resurrection are often referred to as "the gospel", meaning "good news". The term "gospel" also refers to written accounts of Jesus' life and teaching, four of which—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—are considered canonical and included in the Christian Bible.

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Li Na, who is a famous and wonderful tennis player, was born on February 26th , 1982 in Wuhan. She began to practice tennis at the age of 6, but read the following news: BEIJING--- China's first and only Grand Slam winner Li Na formally announced her retirement on Friday, leaving the Chinese tennis yearning for the next superstar. Following is part of her farewell and retirement letters: 2014 has become one of the most significant years in my career and my life. This year was full of amazing events, which included winning my second Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open and sharing the extraordinary experience with my country, my team, my husband and my fans. It was also a year filled with difficult moments, such as having to deal with the inevitable ----making the decision to end my professional tennis career. The breaking news lift her fans surprised, especially as it comes on the day when the Asian Games open in Incheon, South Korea, and the Wuhan Open debuts in Li's hometown. "I know Li Na went to Shanghai and Germany in summer to have her knees treated. But I know nothing about whether she is retiring," said Ma Keqin, chief of Hubei Tennis Sport Management Center, a government-backed body in Li's hometown that pays her salary. "I felt sorry for her when she withdraw from the US Open. She must have withdrawn from the tournament because her injuries were serious. I know her well. She's been tough since childhood. She will not quit unless there is no alternative," said Xia Xiyao, Li's coach in the 1990s." Li became an icon for Chinese sports after she won the 2011 French Open, the first Asian to win a Grand Slam singles title.

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The Pleistocene (, often colloquially referred to as the Ice Age) is the geological epoch which lasted from about 2,588,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the world's most recent period of repeated glaciations. The end of the Pleistocene corresponds with the end of the last glacial period and also with the end of the Paleolithic age used in archaeology. The Pleistocene is the first epoch of the Quaternary Period or sixth epoch of the Cenozoic Era. In the ICS timescale, the Pleistocene is divided into four stages or ages, the Gelasian, Calabrian, Ionian and Tarantian. All of these stages were defined in southern Europe. In addition to this international subdivision, various regional subdivisions are often used. Before a change finally confirmed in 2009 by the International Union of Geological Sciences, the time boundary between the Pleistocene and the preceding Pliocene was regarded as being at 1.806 million years Before Present (BP), as opposed to the currently accepted 2.588 million years BP: publications from the preceding years may use either definition of the period. Charles Lyell introduced the term "pleistocene" in 1839 to describe strata in Sicily that had at least 70% of their molluscan fauna still living today. This distinguished it from the older Pliocene Epoch, which Lyell had originally thought to be the youngest fossil rock layer. He constructed the name "Pleistocene" ("Most New" or "Newest") from the Greek πλεῖστος, "pleīstos", "most", and καινός, "kainós" (latinized as "cænus"), "new"; this contrasting with the immediately preceding Pliocene ("More New" or "Newer", from πλείων, "pleíōn", "more", and "kainós"; usual spelling: Pliocene), and the immediately subsequent Holocene ("wholly new" or "entirely new", from ὅλος, "hólos", "whole", and "kainós") epoch, which extends to the present time.

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Cornell University is a private and statutory Ivy League research university located in Ithaca, New York. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, the university was intended to teach and make contributions in all fields of knowledge—from the classics to the sciences, and from the theoretical to the applied. These ideals, unconventional for the time, are captured in Cornell's motto, a popular 1865 Ezra Cornell quotation: "I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study." The university is broadly organized into seven undergraduate colleges and seven graduate divisions at its main Ithaca campus, with each college and division defining its own admission standards and academic programs in near autonomy. The university also administers two satellite medical campuses, one in New York City and one in Education City, Qatar, and Cornell Tech, a graduate program that incorporates technology, business, and creative thinking. The program moved from Google's Chelsea Building in New York City to its permanent campus on Roosevelt Island in September 2017. Cornell is one of three private land grant universities in the United States and the only one in New York. Of its seven undergraduate colleges, three are state-supported statutory or contract colleges through the State University of New York (SUNY) system, including its agricultural and human ecology colleges as well as its industrial labor relations school. Of Cornell's graduate schools, only the veterinary college is state-supported. As a land grant college, Cornell operates a cooperative extension outreach program in every county of New York and receives annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions. The Cornell University Ithaca Campus comprises 745 acres, but is much larger when the Cornell Botanic Gardens (more than 4,300 acres) and the numerous university-owned lands in New York City are considered.

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South Ossetia () is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian SSR. It has a population of 53,000 people who live in an area of 3,900 km, south of the Russian Caucasus, with 30,000 living in its capital city of Tskhinvali. South Ossetia declared independence from the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991. The Georgian government responded by abolishing South Ossetia's autonomy and trying to re-establish its control over the region by force. The crisis escalation led to the 1991–92 South Ossetia War. Georgian fighting against those controlling South Ossetia occurred on two other occasions, in 2004 and 2008. The latter conflict led to the Russo–Georgian War, during which Ossetian and Russian forces gained full "de facto" control of the territory of the former South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast. In the wake of the 2008 war, Russia, followed by Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru, recognised South Ossetia's independence. Georgia does not recognise the existence of South Ossetia as a political entity, including most of the area in its Shida Kartli region, under the administration of the Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia. Georgia and a significant part of the international community consider South Ossetia to be occupied by the Russian military. South Ossetia relies heavily on military, political and financial aid from Russia. Russia does not allow European Union Monitoring Mission to enter South Ossetia.

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN. LINCH-PINS. "And leave them laughing, Ho! Ho Ho!"--_Robin Goodfellow_. Notice was sent from the Bishop of the diocese that he was about to hold a Confirmation at Poppleby in six weeks' time. This was matter of rejoicing to Mr Harford, who had mourned over the very few communicants. Before he came the Celebrations had been only three times a year, and were attended by most of the aged paupers. To the joy of the Carbonels, the feast was monthly after his coming; but the first time the aged people were there, and all lingered, George Hewlett, the clerk, said, when the curate looked to him for information-- "The alms, sir. They be waiting for the money in the plate." "Why, that is to be reserved for sick and distressed." "Mr Selby, he always give it out to them, and so did Mr Jones afore him, sir. They be all expecting of it." Mr Harford thought that it might be best not to disappoint the old people suddenly, so he stood at the vestry door counting heads, and numbering among them two whom he had already been somewhat startled to see present themselves, namely, Dame Spurrell, whom he had heard abusing her neighbour with a torrent of foul words, and who pretended to be a witch, and Tom Jarrold, whom Hewlett had described to him as the wickedest old chap in the parish. He took counsel with the churchwardens, Farmers Goodenough and Rawson, who both agreed that they were a bad lot, who didn't deserve nothing, but it helped to keep down the rates. Then he talked to Captain Carbonel, who, being a reverent man, was dismayed at what he heard.

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It was 3:30 in the morning and 8-year-old Walt Disney was doing what he did at that time every morning- rolling hundreds of newspapers he would soon deliver in his neighborhood. It was hard work for a little kid who had to go to school, then deliver another round in the evening. But delivering papers beat picking apples for a living. That's what he'd been doing before, on his family's failing farms in Missouri. Walt Disney, born in December, 1901, never had time for a childhood. As a result, he spent all of his adult life attempting to invent one for himself. In the process - almost by accident - he created wonderful childhood memories for generation after generation of children worldwide. When the Disneys moved to Chicago, Walt signed up for cartooning classes, working three part-time jobs to pay for them. At 24, he created a cartoon character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, which was a great success. Hethen shifted his attention to mice, or one particular mouse called Mickey.And Mickey Mouse became an overnight success. Success followed success, but Walt Disney pushed himself even harder. He produced Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, for which he won a special Oscar. After the Second World War, Walt came up with the idea of Disneyland. Everyone said it was too costly a dream, but he wouldn't listen. His great world of fantasy opened on July 17, 1955. In the next seven weeks, more than one million people walked into Disneyland. The man who had spent a painful childhood now watched other people enjoy the perfect childhood world that he had created.

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prefix = st1 /PITTSBURGH, Sept. 7 -- At 26, many people haven't even decided on a career. Luke Ravenstahl, cashing in on his family's political tradition, is already the mayor of Pittsburgh, the youngest mayor of any major city in the country. Although mayors elsewhere have been younger, Jeff Dunkel was 18 in 2001 when he was elected mayor of Mount Carbon, small towns inNew York, and elsewhere have also elected teenagers as mayors. But,Tallahassee, is the only other city with a population over 100,000 that has had a mayor as young as Mr. Ravenstahl. A supporter of Mr. Ravenstahl said concerns about Mr. Ravenstahl's age would _ once the city saw his work ethic. But now comes the hard part. As he strives to be taken seriously and take charge of a city only recently back from the brink of bankruptcy, the baby-faced mayor said that even the smallest decisions felt weighty, even what to wear in the Steelers game matters. And another pressing issue is to strengthen the city's economy. Pittsburghhas lost all its mills, nearly half its population and much of its downtown commercial district in the last several decades. "ButPittsburghhas 50,000 college students, and our challenge is to figure out how to retain them and to increase downtown development." He said. But one of the biggest uncertainties is how long he will remain in office. According to the city charter, Mayor Ravenstahl's term will not expire until November 2009. Some city lawyers, however, have argued that he must face the electorate next year. And residents in Pittsburghare still withholding judgment on him. Deli, Jimmy Cvetic, a sandwich shop owner, said "I call him Cool Hand Luke. He'll be all right, but he's going to need a cool hand to get through this." Mayor Ravenstahl said he was still coming to terms with the challenge he faced.

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Canon law is the body of laws and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (Church leadership), for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church (both Latin Church and Eastern Catholic Churches), the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the individual national churches within the Anglican Communion. The way that such church law is legislated, interpreted and at times adjudicated varies widely among these three bodies of churches. In all three traditions, a canon was originally a rule adopted by a church council; these canons formed the foundation of canon law. Greek kanon / Ancient Greek: κανών, Arabic Qanun / قانون, Hebrew kaneh / קנה, "straight"; a rule, code, standard, or measure; the root meaning in all these languages is "reed" (cf. the Romance-language ancestors of the English word "cane"). The Apostolic Canons or Ecclesiastical Canons of the Same Holy Apostles is a collection of ancient ecclesiastical decrees (eighty-five in the Eastern, fifty in the Western Church) concerning the government and discipline of the Early Christian Church, incorporated with the Apostolic Constitutions which are part of the Ante-Nicene Fathers In the fourth century the First Council of Nicaea (325) calls canons the disciplinary measures of the Church: the term canon, κανὠν, means in Greek, a rule. There is a very early distinction between the rules enacted by the Church and the legislative measures taken by the State called leges, Latin for laws.

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A preschool also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, playschool; kindergarten (outside the US and UK) is an educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children, usually between the ages of 2½ and 5, prior to the commencement of compulsory education at primary school. They may be privately operated or government run, and one option is to subsidize the costs. The grades include daycare, preschool, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten. Terminology varies by country. In some European countries the term "kindergarten" refers to formal education of children classified as "ISCED level 0" - with one or several years of such education being compulsory - before children start primary school at "ISCED level 1". The following terms may be used for educational establishments for this age group: In an age when school was restricted to children who had already learned to read and write at home, there were many attempts to make school accessible to orphans or to the children of women who worked in factories. In 1779, Johann Friedrich Oberlin and Louise Scheppler founded in Strassbourg an early establishment for caring for and educating pre-school children whose parents were absent during the day. At about the same time, in 1780, similar infant establishments were established in Bavaria In 1802, Pauline zur Lippe established a preschool center in Detmold.

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(CNN) -- Never underestimate the power of the dark side. Scratch that. Let's go with never underestimate the power of a cute blond kid cloaked in the robes of Mr. Dark Side himself, Darth Vader. Despite having already been on television since 2009, 6-year-old Max Page is winning more fans than he likely ever could have imagined after his appearance in a Super Bowl advertisement for Volkswagen. "My dad said I'm the hit star!" Max said Tuesday during an appearance on CNN's "American Morning." You've doubtless seen the commercial by now. As many as 110 million Americans who watched the Super Bowl on Sunday saw it, and it's been viewed more than 20 million times on YouTube. It depicts a young boy dressed in Vader's black robe and helmet feverishly trying to get something -- anything -- to obey "The Force" and bend to his will. He tries the washer and dryer. A doll. A sandwich. Nothing happens. Not even the family dog is moved. But when he tries to wield "The Force" on his dad's new car, the engine roars to life -- with a little help from dad and his keyfob, of course. You can almost see Max's eyes, wide-open with amazement, as he holds his arms out and turns to his unseen parents as if to say, "Did you see that?" "Lance Acord, the director, said what he brought to the spot when they were filming was more of an authenticity because he wasn't mimicking Darth Vader," Max's mom, Jennifer said. "He was just challenging Darth Vader and doing what he thought Darth Vader looked like."

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Lisbon is the capital and the largest city of Portugal, with a population of 552,700 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km. Its urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits with a population of around 3 million people, being the 11th-most populous urban area in the European Union. About 3 million people live in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (which represents approximately 27% of the country's population). It is continental Europe's westernmost capital city and the only one along the Atlantic coast. Lisbon lies in the western Iberian Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean and the River Tagus. The westernmost areas of its metro area is the westernmost point of Continental Europe. Lisbon is recognised as a alpha- level global city by the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) Study Group because of its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts, international trade, education and tourism. Lisbon is the only Portuguese city besides Porto to be recognised as a global city. It is one of the major economic centres on the continent, with a growing financial sector and one of the largest container ports on Europe's Atlantic coast. Humberto Delgado Airport serves over 20 million passengers annually, as of 2015, and the motorway network and the high-speed rail system of Alfa Pendular link the main cities of Portugal. The city is the 7th-most-visited city in Southern Europe, after Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Athens and Milan, with 1,740,000 tourists in 2009. The Lisbon region contributes with a higher GDP PPP per capita than any other region in Portugal. Its GDP amounts to 96.3 billion USD and thus $32,434 per capita .The city occupies 32nd place of highest gross earnings in the world. Most of the headquarters of multinationals in the country are located in the Lisbon area. It is also the political centre of the country, as its seat of Government and residence of the Head of State.

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Joseph really felt very happy. When he arrived at his seat in the classroom that morning, he found an invitation on his desk. It was from several of his classmates asking him to join them on a camping trip. This was the first time he was asked to join in an out-of school activity. Why were they asking him now? Nobody seemed to like him. In fact, he had been so lonely _ . As a result, he had put on a lot of weight, and this gave the kids something more to make fun of him. Celina, who was standing near Joseph when he read the invitation, went out quickly to tell the others that the trick had worked. Everyone was pleased that Joseph thought that was true. But there was no camping trip. The whole thing was made up. At first, Celina thought it was fun. But later, when Joseph told her that he was going to buy a sleeping bag with his savings, Celina had a second idea. She knew that Joseph's family had little money, and she hated to see him spend his savings on something he would never use. Celina also hated to tell Joseph the truth. Her close friends would be angry with her. What could she do now?

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Foday Gallah saw the sick child was distressed and felt he had to do something. So he picked the kid up to comfort him. And with that act of kindness, the 37-year-old ambulance supervisor in Monrovia, Liberia, contracted Ebola himself. "Of course, he got vomit all over him and that's how he got Ebola," said photographer Jackie Nickerson, who shot Gallah's image for Time's "Person of the Year" magazine cover, which honors those on the front line of the Ebola epidemic. They're "the ones who answered the call," the magazine said on its website Wednesday morning. Nickerson expanded on why Gallah was chosen for one of the magazine's five covers: "He's the shining example of what the right thing to do is. He's a shining example that we should all try to follow. He really did touch me with his story. I don't usually like to use the word hero, but I have to use it here." According to the latest World Health Organization figures, about 6,300 people have died from the disease, mainly in West Africa. Health workers are still battling more than 11,000 confirmed cases in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and more than 6,000 suspected and probable cases loom, according to WHO. Though those countries mark the epicenter of the outbreak, isolated cases have spread wider, penetrating other African countries, Europe and even the United States. Time magazine's editors decided to honor the "unprecedented numbers" of doctors and nurses who responded when Ebola overtook an already-weak public health infrastructure, and Time Editor Nancy Gibbs outlined how governments were ill-equipped to respond, WHO "was in denial and snarled in red tape" and first responders were accused of crying wolf as the disease spread.

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Chapter 14: The End Of The Persecutor. Signor Polani was so well known, that upon his arrival at the governor's house the domestics, upon being aroused, did not hesitate to awaken the governor at once. The latter, as soon as he heard that the pirates had landed and were devastating the other side of the island, and that their ship was lying close in to the coast under the charge of a few sailors only, at once despatched a messenger to the commander of the galleys; ordering them to arouse the crews and make ready to put out to sea instantly. He added that he, himself, should follow his messenger on board in a few minutes, and should accompany them. He then issued orders that the bell should toll to summon the inhabitants to arms; and directed an officer to take the command, and to start with them at once across the island, and to fall upon the pirates while engaged in their work of pillage. They were to take a party with them with litters to carry Polani's daughters to the town, and an apartment was to be assigned to them in his palace, until his return. While he was issuing this order, refreshments had been placed upon the table, and he pressed Polani and his companions to partake of these before starting. Francis needed no second invitation. He had been too excited, at the news he had heard on board the ship, to think of eating; and he now remembered that it was a good many hours since he had taken his last meal. He was but a few minutes, however, in satisfying his hunger. By the time he had finished, the governor had seen that his orders had been carried out.

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CHAPTER V. A NIGHT IN NEW YORK. "The description certainly does fit these two men," said Earl, with some hesitation. "And it is queer that Roland should be down here, when only a few days ago he was in Basco. Guardley, I know, is not above cheating--he's been up before Squire Dobson several times for it." "Let us go and have a talk with them," said Randy, impulsively. "If they stole that money, I want to know it." "It's not our business to hunt those swindlers up," answered Earl, hesitatingly; yet he followed Randy to the platform of the smoking-car, and they were soon inside, and making their way to where Roland and Guardley sat, pulling away at two black-looking cigars. "How do you do, Earl?" said Tom Roland, familiarly, as soon as the boys appeared. "It's queer we should be on the same train, isn't it?" "It is queer," answered Earl, stiffly, taken aback by the greeting. "Where are you bound?" "Guardley and I are going to try our luck in the West. Say, I heard you boys were bound for Alaska. Is that true?" "Yes." "It costs a heap to go there--didn't know you had so much money," put in Guardley, with a smile that neither Earl nor Randy appreciated. "And I didn't know you had any money for a Western trip," returned the older brother, rather sharply. "Oh, Tom here is seeing me through," answered Guardley; but both Randy and Earl noted that he appeared somewhat confused for the moment.

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What will you do if you have six million dollars? Different people give different answers. David I will buy an island if I have six million dollars. Then I will be the king of the island. I will invite my friends to my island and we'll have a good time there. Cathy If I get six million dollars, I want to start my own business and I will do a lot of things for my family. For me, nothing is more important than my family. I will buy a new house for my parents and take them to travel around the world. Julie If I have six million dollars, I will put five million in the bank and spend one million. I will visit Sydney, Toronto, Moscow and other interesting cities. I want to try different kinds of delicious food, and build a house with a swimming pool. Victor If I have six million dollars, I will use the money to do everything I like. I will use two million to open my own shop. And I will give another four million to schools and charities. I would like to help students in poor areas to get good education. I want everyone to live a happy life.

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It was a cold winter day in John's city. It was December and snowing outside. This made John want a bowl of warm soup. John went to the refrigerator to make soup. He looked for the things needed to make the soup. He did not see some items he needed. John needed to go to the grocery store. John wanted to make a list. He found a pencil and paper to make a list. He needed sugar, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. John wrote down the items. He put the grocery list in his pocket. He then went to the closet to get dressed. John needed a jacket and gloves for the cold weather. He also put his boots on. He remembered to close the front door to his house. John used a key to lock his front door. Then he put the house key is his pocket. The grocery store was around the corner. John walked to the grocery store. He grabbed a grocery basket to put his items in. What did John need? He pulled out his list of items. John found each item and walked back to his house. On this cold winter day, John can make a bowl of warm soup. He has all the items he needed. John was happy.

wikipedia

Architecture (Latin architectura, from the Greek ἀρχιτέκτων arkhitekton "architect", from ἀρχι- "chief" and τέκτων "builder") is both the process and the product of planning, designing, and constructing buildings and other physical structures. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural symbols and as works of art. Historical civilizations are often identified with their surviving architectural achievements. The earliest surviving written work on the subject of architecture is De architectura, by the Roman architect Vitruvius in the early 1st century AD. According to Vitruvius, a good building should satisfy the three principles of firmitas, utilitas, venustas, commonly known by the original translation – firmness, commodity and delight. An equivalent in modern English would be: According to Vitruvius, the architect should strive to fulfill each of these three attributes as well as possible. Leon Battista Alberti, who elaborates on the ideas of Vitruvius in his treatise, De Re Aedificatoria, saw beauty primarily as a matter of proportion, although ornament also played a part. For Alberti, the rules of proportion were those that governed the idealised human figure, the Golden mean. The most important aspect of beauty was therefore an inherent part of an object, rather than something applied superficially; and was based on universal, recognisable truths. The notion of style in the arts was not developed until the 16th century, with the writing of Vasari: by the 18th century, his Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects had been translated into Italian, French, Spanish and English.

cnn

(CNN) -- A teenage mother and her young daughter, snatched off a Cleveland street, were found shot to death in a garage early Sunday, Cleveland, Ohio, police said. Thomas Lorde, the estranged boyfriend of 19-year-old Latasha Jackson and the father of 1-year-old Chaniya Wynn, was found next to them, dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, police said Sunday. Cleveland police issued an Amber Alert on Saturday after witnesses reported seeing Jackson and Chaniya abducted while walking on East 72nd Avenue in Cleveland. Jackson's 14-year-old brother was walking with the pair when he said Lorde approached. "He walked up on us and ... he pulled out the gun. He pointed it at me," the brother told CNN affiliate WEWS. "He told me to run." The brother, who CNN is not identifying because of his age, ran home and called 911. "I was scared for my niece and my sister," he said. "She (Jackson) was silent. She was scared. She didn't know what to do." The alert named Lorde, 25, as the kidnapping suspect, warning that he was a "violent sexual predator with felony warrants out of New York," and armed and dangerous. The alert was lifted Sunday after police found the bodies of the three "in a closed garage of an unoccupied structure in the 7000 block of Union Avenue," a police statement said. "All three were found unresponsive with gunshot wounds and pronounced dead on the scene," the statement said. No other details of the investigation were made public.

wikipedia

Solar time is a calculation of the passage of time based on the position of the Sun in the sky. The fundamental unit of solar time is the day. Two types of solar time are apparent solar time (sundial time) and mean solar time (clock time). A tall pole vertically fixed in the ground casts a shadow on any sunny day. At one moment during the day, the shadow will point exactly north or south (or disappear when and if the Sun moves directly overhead). That instant is local apparent noon, or 12:00 local apparent time. About 24 hours later the shadow will again point north/south, the Sun seeming to have covered a 360-degree arc around the Earth's axis. When the Sun has covered exactly 15 degrees (1/24 of a circle, both angles being measured in a plane perpendicular to the Earth's axis), local apparent time is 13:00 exactly; after 15 more degrees it will be 14:00 exactly. The problem is that in September the Sun takes less time (as measured by an accurate clock) to make an apparent revolution than it does in December; 24 "hours" of solar time can be 21 seconds less or 29 seconds more than 24 hours of clock time. As explained in the equation of time article, this is due to the eccentricity of the Earth's orbit (i.e. the Earth's orbit is not perfectly circular, meaning that the Earth-Sun distance varies throughout the year), and the fact that the Earth's axis is not perpendicular to the plane of its orbit (the so-called obliquity of the ecliptic).

cnn

Mexico City (CNN) -- The leader of Mexico's leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, announced Tuesday that he has asked Mexico's Federal Election Institute for a recount of the ballots cast in Sunday's presidential election. Lopez Obrador's demand came the day after he said the vote had been "plagued by irregularities." Election authorities have projected Lopez Obrador as the runner-up in the vote. Mexico's presumed president-elect, Enrique Peña Nieto, said Monday it was time for his country to leave behind the political rancor of campaign season. Political tensions flare after Mexican presidential vote The Federal Election Institute, known by its Spanish acronym IFE, says it expects the final count results Sunday. That's when each of the approximately 143,000 polling stations are supposed to have finished counting votes and signed an "act" detailing the number of votes. Wednesday marks the beginning of the district count, in which each of the 300 electoral districts will scrutinize the acts. Ballots will be recounted in cases where: -- The difference between the first and second place candidate is 1% or less; -- The number of annulled votes is greater than the difference between the first and second place candidates. Ana Isabel Fuentes, international coordinator of information for IFE, said she expects the law to mandate recounts in 19 districts, representing about a third of the total ballots cast. Lopez Obrador must wait until Sunday to formally submit any application for a recount to the Federal Election Tribunal. Any candidate can challenge, but National Action Party candidate Josefina Vazquez Mota has already conceded.

mctest

There was once a young bear who lived in a small cave in the woods. His cave was comfy, warm, and dark, and had a bit of a yard in front of it. The bear lived with his mother and father, and spent his days walking around and his nights curled up asleep. He liked to look for berries to eat. His favorite berries were blueberries, but he would eat any berries he found: strawberries, raspberries, cherries, anything. There was a river near the bear's cave, and he loved to sit on the bank and look at the fish and frogs, and at his own reflection in the water. One sunny afternoon, when he was looking into the river, he saw a family of ducks swimming by. He got up and followed them. They swam along in the river, and he walked along the bank. They traveled like this until they reached a small clearing in the forest. The bear stopped and looked around, and saw that the clearing was completely filled with blueberries -- more than he had ever seen! The young bear ate his fill of blueberries, then took home as many as he could carry in his paws. He went to bed happy. It was a wonderful day.

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Chuck Berry, the man often called the "father of rock and roll" is still performing at 85. Another music great, Smokey Robinson, has described Chuck Berry as "the inspiration for all of today's rock 'n' roll guitarists." And, Anthony Kiedis calls him "a musical scientist who discovered a cure for the blues." On stage, he became known for his wild performances, and his "duck walk" that many musicians copied. But his songwriting skills -- some call him a rock and roll poet -- and his guitar work really set him apart. Early in his career he played mostly blues for black audiences in clubs in St. Louis, Missouri. But the most popular music in the area was country. So this musical scientist mixed country and blues. Chuck Berry was born on October 18th, 1926, in St. Louis, where he still lives. His mother, Martha, was a high school principal. He was born the fourth of six children. He started singing in church when he was six years old. His interest in music stuck with him. A lot of Chuck Berry's material is about teenage life, especially school. Chuck Berry and two friends were arrested after they used a gun to steal a car . He was released from prison four years later. But that would not be the last of his legal problems over the years. Filmmaker Taylor Hackford made a documentary called "Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll," named for a Chuck Berry song. It centered on the making of a concert to honor the musician on his sixtieth birthday in 1986. More than seventy-five artists and bands have done their own versions of Chuck Berry songs. Many have done several, including the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty and Bruce Springsteen. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, included Chuck Berry in its first year of honors in 1986. The Hall of Fame had this to say: "While no individual can be said to have invented rock and roll, Chuck Berry comes the closest of any single figure to being the one who put all the essential pieces together."

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CHAPTER XXII COLONEL BARRINGTON IS CONVINCED It was not until early morning that Courthorne awakened from the stupor he sank into soon after Winston conveyed him into his homestead. First, however, he asked for a little food, and ate it with apparent difficulty. When Winston came in he looked up from the bed where he lay, with the dust still white upon his clothing, and his face showed gray and haggard in the creeping light. "I'm feeling a trifle better now," he said; "still, I scarcely fancy I could get up just yet. I gave you a little surprise last night?" Winston nodded. "You did. Of course, I knew how much your promise was worth, but in view of the risks you ran, I had not expected you to turn up at the Grange." "The risks!" said Courthorne, with an unpleasant smile. "Yes," said Winston wearily, "I have a good deal on hand I would like to finish here and it will not take me long, but I am quite prepared to give myself up now, if it is necessary." Courthorne laughed. "I don't think you need, and it wouldn't be wise. You see, even if you made out your innocence, which you couldn't do, you rendered yourself an accessory by not denouncing me long ago. I fancy we can come to an understanding which would be pleasanter to both of us." "The difficulty," said Winston, "is that an understanding is useless when made with a man who never keeps his word."

gutenberg

CHAPTER XXX: SENTENCE "I have hope to live, and am prepared to die." Measure for Measure. Ralph was bidden to be ready to take his young master home early the next morning. At eight o'clock the boy, who had slept with his father, came down the stair, clinging to his father's hand, and Miss Woodford coming closely with him. "Yes," said Charles, as he held the little fair fellow in his arms, ere seating him on the horse, "he knows all, Ralph. He knows that his father did an evil thing, and that what we do in our youth finds us out later, and must be paid for. He has promised me to be a comfort to the old people, and to look on this lady as a mother. Nay, no more, Ralph; 'tis not good-bye to any of you yet. There, Phil, don't lug my head off, nor catch my hair in your buttons. Give my dutiful love to your grandmamma and to Aunt Nutley, and be a good boy to them." "And when I come to see you again I'll bring another salad," quoth Philip, as he rode out of the court; and his father, by way of excusing a contortion of features, smoothed the entangled lock of hair, and muttered something about, "This comes of not wearing a periwig." Then he said-- "And to think that I have wasted the company of such a boy as that, all his life except for this mere glimpse!" "Oh! you will come back to him," was all that could be said.

cnn

Flea and the rest of Red Hot Chili Peppers will jump on to the stage, compliments of fellow performer Bruno Mars, at next month's Super Bowl halftime show. The news was announced Saturday during Fox's coverage of an NFC divisional playoff game. Mars, a Grammy-winning pop singer, invited the Chili Peppers to join him for the Super Bowl XLVIII festivities on February 2 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. "One of the most successful acts in rock history, Red Hot Chili Peppers, which is singer Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer, Chad Smith, and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, have sold more than 60 million albums, including five multi-platinum LPs, and won six Grammy Awards," the NFL said in a press release. Their hit songs include "Give It Away," "Scar Tissue," "Californication" and "Suck My Kiss." Kiedis and Flea, born Michael Balzary, are more than 20 years older than Mars. Their band has pioneered a bold style of rock infused with funk and rap. His 50th birthday bash in October 2012 gave Flea time to take stock of his life, he told CNN. "I'm definitely wiser, and less likely to make gigantic blunders of an intellectual, spiritual, emotional or physical type," he said. "... But more than anything the passion for the things that I really care about like playing music, and being kind, and children, and the things I love -- sports, books, art -- my passion for all these things has deepened." Expectations for Super Bowl halftime performances are always high.

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CHAPTER VI NEWS OF IMPORTANCE "Link Merwell!" "Nat, you must be fooling!" put in Ben. "Why, we couldn't find a single trace of him after that awful landslide!" went on Dave. "We made a thorough search, too." "I don't know anything about that," returned the money-lender's son. "But I know Link Merwell is alive. I got a letter from him yesterday." "Are you sure that it was not an old letter delayed in delivery?" queried Ben. "No, it was not an old letter. It was dated only a few days ago. It was sent to me from Boston." "Boston!" cried Laura. "Then he must not only be alive, but he must have followed us East." "Did he say anything about Job Haskers?" queried our hero. "He said he didn't know what had become of Haskers. He said they had separated a short while before the big landslide struck them. He was pretty well bruised up, and had to rest in a little mining camp up in the mountains for two weeks." "This is certainly the strangest news yet," was Dave's comment. "I thought sure that he and Haskers had been swallowed up in that landslide, along with that miner who was with them. Nat, what caused him to write to you? I thought you told me that you had destroyed his last letter without answering it." "So I did destroy it, Dave, without answering it," returned the money-lender's son. "I was as surprised to hear from him as you would have been. I thought he would know enough to let me alone."

wikipedia

Pesticides are substances meant for attracting, seducing, and then destroying any pest. They are a class of biocide. The most common use of pesticides is as plant protection products (also known as crop protection products), which in general protect plants from damaging influences such as weeds, fungi, or insects. This use of pesticides is so common that the term pesticide is often treated as synonymous with plant protection product, although it is in fact a broader term, as pesticides are also used for non-agricultural purposes. The term pesticide includes all of the following: herbicide, insecticide, insect growth regulator, nematicide, termiticide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, predacide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, antimicrobial, fungicide, disinfectant (antimicrobial), and sanitizer. In general, a pesticide is a chemical or biological agent (such as a virus, bacterium, antimicrobial, or disinfectant) that deters, incapacitates, kills, or otherwise discourages pests. Target pests can include insects, plant pathogens, weeds, mollusks, birds, mammals, fish, nematodes (roundworms), and microbes that destroy property, cause nuisance, or spread disease, or are disease vectors. Although pesticides have benefits, some also have drawbacks, such as potential toxicity to humans and other species. According to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, 9 of the 12 most dangerous and persistent organic chemicals are organochlorine pesticides.

cnn

(CNN) -- The Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, who helped lead the civil rights movement, has died, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute said Wednesday. He was 89. Shuttlesworth is among the iconic figures honored in the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta. King once called Shuttlesworth "the most courageous civil rights fighter in the South." President Barack Obama issued a statement honoring Shuttleworth, saying he "dedicated his life to advancing the cause of justice for all Americans. He was a testament to the strength of the human spirit. And today we stand on his shoulders, and the shoulders of all those who marched and sat and lifted their voices to help perfect our union. ... "America owes Reverend Shuttlesworth a debt of gratitude, and our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Sephira, and their family, friends and loved ones." When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against segregated busing in Montgomery, Alabama, Shuttlesworth rallied the membership of a group he established in May 1956 -- the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights -- to challenge the practice of segregated busing in Birmingham. Shuttlesworth also helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, with King and other civil rights leaders. Shuttlesworth's efforts weren't without a price: his home was bombed on Christmas Day in 1956, but he and his family were not injured. He was, however, hurt in 1957 when he was beaten with chains and whips as he sought to integrate an all-white public school.

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CHAPTER VI. The Bridge over the Rhine. "George," said Kate, speaking before she quite got up to them, "will you tell me whether you have been preparing all your things for an open sale by auction?" Then she stole a look at Alice, and having learned from that glance that something had occurred which prevented Alice from joining her in her raillery, she went on with it herself rapidly, as though to cover Alice's confusion, and give her time to rally before they should all move. "Would you believe it? he had three razors laid out on his table--" "A man must shave,--even at Basle." "But not with three razors at once; and three hair-brushes, and half a dozen toothbrushes, and a small collection of combs, and four or five little glass bottles, looking as though they contained poison,--all with silver tops. I can only suppose you desired to startle the weak mind of the chambermaid. I have put them all up; but remember this, if they are taken out again you are responsible. And I will not put up your boots, George. What can you have wanted with three pairs of boots at Basle?" "When you have completed the list of my wardrobe we'll go out upon the bridge. That is, if Alice likes it." "Oh, yes; I shall like it." "Come along then," said Kate. And so they moved away. When they got upon the bridge Alice and Kate were together, while George strolled behind them, close to them, but not taking any part in their conversation,--as though he had merely gone with them as an escort. Kate seemed to be perfectly content with this arrangement, chattering to Alice, so that she might show that there was nothing serious on the minds of any of them. It need hardly be said that Alice at this time made no appeal to George to join them. He followed them at their heels, with his hands behind his back, looking down upon the pavement and simply waiting upon their pleasure.

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What will you do if you get five million ? Different people give different answers. Sally If I get five million, I want to do business. I will do a lot of things for my family. For me nothing is more important than my family. I will buy a new house for them and travel around the world. Joe If I have five million, I will use the money to do everything I like. First, I will use two million to open my own shop. And I will use another two million to buy some new houses. In the future, the houses which I buy will become more expensive, and I will sell them to other people. Finally, I will use one million to buy some presents for my family and my best friends. Anna If I have five million, I will put three million in the bank and spend two million. I will visit Paris, London and New York. I will eat delicious food, play games, and build a house with a swimming pool. Jack I will buy an island if I have five million. Then I will be the king of the island. I will invite my friends to my island. ,.

wikipedia

The Australian Labor Party (ALP, also Labor, was Labour before 1912) is a political party in Australia. The party has been in opposition at the federal level since the 2013 election. Bill Shorten has been the party's federal parliamentary leader since 13 October 2013. The party is a federal party with branches in each state and territory. Labor is in government in the states of Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and in both the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory. The party competes against the Liberal/National Coalition for political office at the federal and state (and sometimes local) levels. Labor's constitution has long stated: "The Australian Labor Party is a democratic socialist party and has the objective of the democratic socialisation of industry, production, distribution and exchange, to the extent necessary to eliminate exploitation and other anti-social features in these fields". This "socialist objective" was introduced in 1921, but was later qualified by two further objectives: "maintenance of and support for a competitive non-monopolistic private sector" and "the right to own private property". Labor governments have not attempted the "democratic socialisation" of any industry since the 1940s, when the Chifley government failed to nationalise the private banks, and in fact have privatised several industries such as aviation and banking. Labor's current National Platform describes the party as "a modern social democratic party", "the party of opportunity and security for working people" and "a party of active government".

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While engineers have made out fantastic products for sitting still--Munchery instead of walking to lunch, Uber instead of walking to the bus stop--services to make you move have been less appealing for consumers. Fitbit's stock price fell 18% after they announced their latest Apple Watch-like product named Fitbit Force. And new data suggests that, for the first time, death rates for large parts of the American population are rising, with signs pointing to inactivity and weight gain as the reasons. Our digital lifestyles and desk-based workplaces are contributing to serious health problems and could be shortening our lives, wellness firms want us to believe. Northrup, president and co-founder of the connected exercise device TAO-Wellness, was in Las Vegas to promote TAO's small device that encourages exercises. He lifts the device, about the size of an apple, and says workplaces should start encouraging on-site exercise. Nick Mokey, the managing editor of Digital Trends, agrees. "I hate to break it to you, a room full of people sitting down, but sitting is killing you," he says to the audience. They shift in their seats. In the health section of the Sands Exposition Hall, people are selling devices made by LifeSpan Fitness. They say they're the largest seller of treadmill desks in the US. At the center of their exhibition area is a Bike Desk, which looks like three gym bikes attached to a table. That's for people who just want to sit and enjoy conversation. Treadmill desk-related shame is their biggest obstacle, they say when LifeSpan installs two in opposite ends of the same building, neither tends to get used. If the company installs two next to each other, people will use them. "You don't want to be so noticeable, especially at work," company spokesman James Lowe says. What's more, what if we get sweaty using a treadmill in the office?

mctest

Benny and his Dad wanted to make a pizza. On Sunday afternoon, they went to the supermarket to buy the ingredients. At the supermarket, they picked up some pizza dough, sauce, cheese, and pepperoni slices. The next day, Benny and his Dad started making the pizza. First, Benny rolled out the dough. Then, his Dad poured the sauce over the dough. Afterwards, Benny put the cheese on the pizza Last, Benny's dad put pepperoni slices on top. "Now, we must put it in the oven", Benny's Dad said. They slid the pizza into the oven and waited for it to finish cooking. After some time, Benny's Dad removed the pizza from the oven. The cheese was bubbly. "It looks great!" Benny shouted. After the cheese stopped bubbling, Benny's Dad cut the pizza into eight slices. Benny got four slices and Benny's Dad got four slices. They were both happy with how the pizza came out. They both enjoyed eating the pizza very much.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XX A LESSON IN PICQUET Lord Dreever, meanwhile, having left the waterside, lighted a cigarette, and proceeded to make a reflective tour of the grounds. He felt aggrieved with the world. Molly's desertion in the canoe with Jimmy did not trouble him: he had other sorrows. One is never at one's best and sunniest when one has been forced by a ruthless uncle into abandoning the girl one loves and becoming engaged to another, to whom one is indifferent. Something of a jaundiced tinge stains one's outlook on life in such circumstances. Moreover, Lord Dreever was not by nature an introspective young man, but, examining his position as he walked along, he found himself wondering whether it was not a little unheroic. He came to the conclusion that perhaps it was. Of course, Uncle Thomas could make it deucedly unpleasant for him if he kicked. That was the trouble. If only he had even--say, a couple of thousands a year of his own--he might make a fight for it. But, dash it, Uncle Tom could cut off supplies to such a frightful extent, if there was trouble, that he would have to go on living at Dreever indefinitely, without so much as a fearful quid to call his own. Imagination boggled at the prospect. In the summer and autumn, when there was shooting, his lordship was not indisposed to a stay at the home of his fathers. But all the year round! Better a broken heart inside the radius than a sound one in the country in the winter.

gutenberg

CHAPTER THREE. THE COTTAGE AT COVE INVADED--DAN HORSEY SPEAKS "TOORKO" TO RUSSIANS, AND FAILS TO ENLIGHTEN THEM. Retracing his steps hastily to the village of Cove, Stephen Gaff sought out his own humble cottage, which, during his absence on his frequent voyages, was left under the charge of his fisherman brother-in-law, John Furby. Presenting himself at the door, he created the family sensation which has been described at the end of the first chapter. The first violent demonstrations of surprise and joy over, Mrs Gaff dragged her husband into a small closet, which was regarded by the household in the light of a spare room, and there compelled him to change his garments. While this change was being made the volatile Bu'ster, indignant at being bolted out, kicked the door with his heel until he became convinced that no good or evil could result from the process. Then his active mind reverted to the forbidden loaf, and he forthwith drew a chair below the shelf on which it lay. Upon the chair he placed a three-legged stool, and upon the stool an eight-inch block, which latter being an unstable foundation, caused Billy to lose his balance when he got upon it. The erection instantly gave way, and fell with a hideous crash. Tottie, who stood near, gazing at her brother's misdeeds, as was her wont, in awe-stricken admiration, was overwhelmed in the debris. Nothing daunted, the Bu'ster "returned to the charge," and fell a second time,--with the loaf, however, in his arms.

cnn

My heart went out to Barb Dunn the moment her 16-year-old son, Daniel, answered my question. Once he gets his license in June, would he text and drive? That's what I asked during a kitchen table conversation in their Roxbury, New Jersey, home. As you can see in the video above, his answer was not the one his mom expected. "I'm taking a deep breath," said Dunn, who recently purchased visor clips for Daniel's friends who have already gotten their licenses that say "Stay alive. Don't text and drive." "I wouldn't even mind if he said, 'I'm at a red light and I picked up the phone for a minute to read something and put it back down,' but that moving and texting freaks me out. It's not acceptable." Daniel's mom might have wanted to slam her head against the counter but still she told me she appreciated her son's candor and realized in that moment how difficult it is to persuade teens, who text nearly all day long, not to do it while behind the wheel. "Even a well-meaning teen is going to have trouble saying no when they get that buzz" from an incoming text or status update, said David Teater, senior director for the National Safety Council. "It's almost a Pavlovian response." Teater sadly knows all too well what can go wrong with distracted driving. Ten years ago, a 20-year-old woman who had been talking on a cell phone ran a red light and killed his then 12-year-old son, Joe. Since then, he's dedicated his life to raising awareness about the dangers of talking on a cell phone while behind the wheel. A newer concern: how to eliminate driving while texting.

cnn

Cairo (CNN) -- Mohamed al-Zawahiri, brother of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, will be freed from prison in Egypt after 13 years, his attorney said Monday. He was acquitted by an Egyptian military court and will be released Tuesday, said attorney Nizar Ghorab. Mohamed al-Zawahiri was imprisoned in 1999 after being detained and extradited from the United Arab Emirates on allegations that he was linked to the 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Al-Zawahiri was acquitted on the assassination charges but later was accused of conspiring against the Egyptian government. He was sentenced to death, but then appealed the ruling. Last year, Egypt's interim government released him along with scores of other political prisoners after a general pardon was issued by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which ruled the country after the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. But al-Zawahiri was arrested again shortly after. Ahmed al-Zawahiri, nephew of Mohamed al-Zawahiri, told CNN that after the release last year, security forces stormed his uncle's home, beat him up and rearrested him for no apparent reason. "It was a day after my uncle spoke to a local paper and spoke of the torture he endured inside prison for years," Ahmed al-Zawahiri told CNN. "He paid a high price for being Ayman's brother and he has denounced any sort of violent ideologies now that his main enemy, the Mubarak regime, has been removed," the nephew added. "Zawahiri has been tortured for years by Mubarak's state security officers because he is the brother of Ayman Zawahiri," Ghorab said.

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CHAPTER IX--THE WASP 'Whom He hath blessed and called His own, He tries them early, look and tone, Bent brow and throbbing heart, Tries them with pain.' The next week Lily had the pleasure of fitting out Faith Longley for her place at Mrs. Weston's. She rejoiced at this opportunity of patronising her, because in her secret soul she felt that she might have done her a little injustice in choosing her own favourite Esther in her stead. Esther's popularity at the New Court, however, made Lilias confident in her own judgment; the servants liked her because she was quick and obliging, Mr. Mohun said she looked very neat, Phyllis liked her because a mischance to her frock was not so brave an offence with her as with Rachel, and Ada was growing very fond of her, because she was in the habit of bestowing great admiration on her golden curls as she arranged them, and both little girls were glad not to be compelled to put away the playthings they took out. Maurice and Reginald had agreed to defer their onslaught on the wasps till Lord Rotherwood's arrival, and the war was now limited to attacks on foraging parties. Reginald most carefully marked every nest about the garden and farm, and, on his cousin's arrival on Saturday evening, began eagerly to give him a list of their localities. Lord Rotherwood was as ardent in the cause as even Reginald could desire, and would have instantly set out with him to reconnoitre had not the evening been rainy.

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CHAPTER XV. Mary Brander made her way wearily home. "You have had another terrible time, I can see it in your face," Madame Michaud said, as she entered. "They say there have been four thousand wounded and fifteen hundred killed. I cannot understand how you support such scenes." "It has been a hard time," Mary said; "I will go up to my room at once, madame. I am worn out." "Do so, my dear. I will send you in a basin of broth." Without even taking her bonnet off Mary dropped into a chair when she entered her room and sat there till Margot brought in the broth. "I don't think I can take it, thank you, Margot." "But you must take it, mademoiselle," the servant said, sturdily; "but wait a moment, let me take off your bonnet and brush your hair. There is nothing like having your hair brushed when you are tired." Passively Mary submitted to the woman's ministrations, and presently felt soothed, as Margot with, by no means ungentle hands, brushed steadily the long hair she had let down. "You feel better, mademoiselle?" the woman asked, presently. "That is right, now take a little of this broth. Please try, and then I will take off your cloak and frock and you shall lie down, and I will cover you up." Mary made an effort to drink the broth, then the servant partly undressed her and covered her up warmly with blankets, drew the curtains across the window and left her with the words. "Sleep well, mademoiselle."

wikipedia

Antioch on the Orontes (; , also Syrian Antioch) was an ancient Greco-Roman city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. Its ruins lie near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey, and lends the modern city its name. Antioch was founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals. The city's geographical, military, and economic location benefited its occupants, particularly such features as the spice trade, the Silk Road, and the Persian Royal Road. It eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the Near East. It was also the main center of Hellenistic Judaism at the end of the Second Temple period. Most of the urban development of Antioch was done during the Roman Empire, when the city was one of the most important in the eastern Mediterranean area of Rome's dominions. Antioch was called "the cradle of Christianity" as a result of its longevity and the pivotal role that it played in the emergence of both Hellenistic Judaism and early Christianity. The Christian New Testament asserts that the name "Christian" first emerged in Antioch. It was one of the four cities of the Syrian tetrapolis, and its residents were known as "Antiochenes". The city was a metropolis of half a million people during Augustan times, but it declined to relative insignificance during the Middle Ages because of warfare, repeated earthquakes, and a change in trade routes, which no longer passed through Antioch from the far east following the Mongol conquests.

wikipedia

The Republic of the Congo (French: République du Congo), also known as Congo, Congo Republic, West Congo[citation needed], or Congo-Brazzaville, is a country located in Central Africa. It is bordered by five countries: Gabon to the west; Cameroon to the northwest; the Central African Republic to the northeast; the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the east and south; and the Angolan exclave of Cabinda to the southwest. The region was dominated by Bantu-speaking tribes, who built trade links leading into the Congo River basin. Congo-Brazzaville was formerly part of the French colony of Equatorial Africa. Upon independence in 1960, the former colony of French Congo became the Republic of the Congo. The People's Republic of the Congo was a Marxist–Leninist one-party state from 1970 to 1991. Multi-party elections have been held since 1992, although a democratically elected government was ousted in the 1997 Republic of the Congo Civil War and President Denis Sassou Nguesso has ruled for 26 of the past 36 years.

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CHAPTER XIII. ST. VALENTINE'S DAY Miss Mohun came back in the dark after a long day, for once in her life quite jaded, and explaining that the health-officer and the landlord had been by no means agreed, and that nothing could be done till Sir Jasper came home and decided whether to retain the house or not. All that she was clear about, and which she had telegraphed to Aden, was, that there must be no going back to Silverfold for the present, and she was prepared to begin lodging-hunting as soon as she received an answer. 'And how have you got on?' she asked, thinking all looked rather blank. 'We haven't been to see Fly,' broke out Valetta, 'though she went out on the beach, and Mysie must not stay out after dark, for fear she should cough.' 'Mysie says they are afraid of excitement,' said Gillian gloomily. 'Then you have seen nothing of the others?' 'Yes, I have seen Victoria, said Aunt Adeline, with a meaning smile. Miss Mohun went up to take off her things, and Gillian followed her, shutting the door with ominous carefulness, and colouring all over. 'Aunt Jane, I ought to tell you. A dreadful thing has happened!' 'Indeed, my dear! What?' 'I have had a valentine.' 'Oh!' repressing a certain inclination to laugh at the bathos from the look of horror and shame in the girl's eyes. 'It is from that miserable Alexis! Oh, I know I brought it on myself, and I have been so wretched and so ashamed all day.'

race

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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CHAPTER XXXV HIS WIFE Wrayson drew a little breath and looked back at Sydney Barnes. "You asked me a question," he said. "I believe I have heard of your brother calling himself by some such name." Barnes grasped him by the arm. "Look here," he said, "come and repeat that to the young lady over there. She's with me. It won't do you any harm." Wrayson rose to his feet, but before he could move he felt Heneage's hand fall upon his arm. "Where are you going, Wrayson?" he asked. Barnes looked up at him anxiously. His pale face seemed twisted into a scowl. "Don't you interfere!" he exclaimed. "You've done me enough harm, you have. You let Mr. Wrayson pass. He's coming with me." Heneage took no more notice of him than he would of a yapping terrier. He looked over his head into Wrayson's eyes. "Wrayson," he said, "don't have anything more to do with this business. Take my advice. I know more than you do about it. If you go on, I swear to you that there is nothing but misery at the end." "I know more than you think I do," Wrayson answered quietly. "I know more indeed than you have any idea of. If the end were in hell I should not hold back." Heneage hesitated for a moment. He stood there with darkening face, an obstinate, almost a threatening figure. Passers-by looked with a gleam of interest at the oddly assorted trio, whose conversation was obviously far removed from the ordinary chatter of the loungers about the place. One or two made an excuse to linger by--it seemed possible that there might be developments. Heneage, however, disappointed them. He turned suddenly upon his heel and left the room. Those who had the curiosity to follow along the corridor saw him, without glancing to the right or to the left, descend the stairs and walk out of the building. He had the air of a man who abandons finally a hopeless task.

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Oceania ( or ) is a geographic region comprising Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia and Australasia. Spanning the eastern and western hemispheres, Oceania covers an area of and has a population of 40 million. Oceania is the smallest continental grouping in land area and the second smallest in population after Antarctica. The islands at the geographic extremes of Oceania are Bonin Islands, a politically integral part of Japan; Hawaii, a state of the United States; Clipperton Island, a possession of France; the Juan Fernández Islands, belonging to Chile; the Campbell Islands, belonging to New Zealand; and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, belonging to Australia. Oceania has a diverse mix of economies from the highly developed and globally competitive financial market of Australia and New Zealand, which rank high in quality of life and human development index, to the much less developed economies that belong to countries such as of Kiribati and Tuvalu. The largest and most populous country in Oceania is Australia, with Sydney being the largest city of both Oceania and Australia. The first settlers of Australia, New Guinea, and the large islands just to the east arrived between 50,000 and 30,000 years ago, when Neanderthals still roamed. Oceania was first explored by Europeans from the 16th century onward. Portuguese navigators, between 1512 and 1526, reached the Tanimbar Islands, some of the Caroline Islands and west Papua New Guinea. On his first voyage in the 18th century, James Cook, who later founded the Hawaiian Islands, went to Tahiti and followed the east coast of Australia for the first time. The Pacific front saw major action during the Second World War, mainly between the belligerents United States, its ally Australia, and Japan.

mctest

Bobby got a big surprise when he came home from school one day. He found an angel in his room. His grandma had always told him angels were real. Bobby had not believed her when she told him stories. She had also told him stories about mermaids, Bigfoot, leprechauns, and other things. Now, he knew at least one thing she had told him was true. He thought angel wings had to be white. This angel's feathers were many colors. They were red, blue, and green. No white ones that he could see. They looked at each other without speaking. Then, the angel began to talk. He told Bobby he had to listen to his grandma, and believe her stories. Bobby said he would. Bobby asked the angel what it was like to fly. The angel told Bobby it could show him. Bobby would have to beat it at a game. Bobby hoped it would be checkers or chess. His dad had taught him those. He was also good at card games. Instead, the angel wanted to play rock-paper-scissors. Bobby beat the angel two out of three times, so he won. Bobby and the angel then went for a long ride. After they flew, the angel dropped Bobby back at home. It told Bobby he had to promise not to tell anyone. Bobby asked if that included his grandma, mother, brother, and father. The angel said it did. Bobby said he would. The angel left. They met a few more times and became good friends.

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CHAPTER IV A new tenseness seemed to have crept into the situation. The conversation, never without its emotional tendencies, at once changed its character. Philippa, cold and reserved, with a threat lurking all the time in her tone and manner, became its guiding spirit. "We may enquire your name?" she asked. "I am the Baron Maderstrom," was the prompt reply. "For the purpose of my brief residence in this country, however, I fancy that the name of Mr. Hamar Lessingham might provoke less comment." "Maderstrom," Philippa repeated. "You were at Magdalen with my brother." "For three terms," he assented. "You have visited at Wood Norton. It was only an accident, then, that I did not meet you." "It is true," he answered, with a bow. "I received the most charming hospitality there from your father and mother." "Why, you are the friend," Helen exclaimed, suddenly seizing his hands, "of whom Dick speaks in his letter!" "It has been my great privilege to have been of service to Major Felstead," was the grave admission. "He and I, during our college days, were more than ordinarily intimate. I saw his name in one of the lists of prisoners, and I went at once to Wittenberg." A fresh flood of questions was upon Helen's lips, but Philippa brushed her away. "Please let me speak," she said. "You have brought us these letters from Richard, for which we offer you our heartfelt thanks, but you did not risk your liberty, perhaps your life, to come here simply as his ambassador. There is something beyond this in your visit to this country. You may be a Swede, but is it not true that at the present moment you are in the service of an enemy?"

mctest

There was once an old tree. The children from all around the neighborhood loved to climb the tree. The children also liked to sit under the tree, hang on it and play games around it. Animals liked the tree as well. Birds, cats and all kinds of lizards would climb the tree too! Rabbits, dogs, frogs and and many ground animals loved to play around the bottom of the tree. One day the children learned the tree was going to be cut down. This made the children, and maybe the animals, very sad. Why was it being cut down? Was it too old? Too weak? Maybe it was dying? The children learned it was because the tree was sick. The children were very sad to hear about this. They wondered where they would play from now on. The tree was their favorite place and they didn't want to see it go. One little boy, named John, went home to tell his parents the story. His parents could tell he was sad so they told him something that made him very happy. What was it? He wondered. Was a jungle gym going to be put in? A mall, maybe a park? In fact, even better than that, a new tree would be planted in its place. John was so happy he rushed off to tell his friends. "Big news!", he shouted. "My parents told me a new tree is going to be planted here over the old one!" All his friends cheered in excitement, now knowing they wouldn't lose their favorite spot. John and his friends went to celebrate by getting ice cream. His friends liked chocolate and vanilla but John got strawberry.