Platform Decks

how can i build a floating deck? I saw a deck built using premade concrete piers. Anyone done this? can I do it if i live where the ground freezes? Do the piers just sit on top of the ground or do they have to be set with concrete?

i want to build a floating deck how do i do that and what is the cost?

Im building a deck, how far can i span using....? Im building a 12X12 free floating deck, it will have three girders with only a 5 foot span between each. Is it acceptable to use 2x6 joists? Also, can i downgrade my girder to a double 2x8 to span 5 feet between posts? could i go down to a double 2x6? I am tryin to keep a low profile if i can.

How much flexibility is there in a 4inch thick concrete slab--need to raise one side 1/2 inch without breaking this is a floating deck (a deck built on pillars about 4 feet above the ground) and I need to raise one side of the 12 foot wide slab by about 1/2 inch. am concerned about the slab breaking. thanks.

How to build a Wall Mounted Shelf? Basically I trying to build a floating shelf to put my home theater receiver,dvd player,x-box and cable box. I already have a 42" plasma tv mounted on the wall and this is gonna be below it. An example of my vision is found in this pic http://tinyurl.com/dztlr Here are the specs - Total weight of all the equipments - 40lbs *but i would like it support double that amount because i would like place some decor on the shelf as well. The height I am looking @ is 8 inches Depth - 18 inches Width/Length - is something I am still trying to decide but it might be 6 ft or maybe 5ft. I was thinking of getting some wood and construct it myself. But now i need some advice on where to begin and how to make it strong enough to support my contents. I definitely am gonna mount it to the studs. I also need to know what tools I need and which type. For example I was trying figure, which was the most powerful type of screw, lag screws or deck screws or any other type? Then I thought of my kitchen cabinets, as they hold heavy ceramic plates/utensils/glassware and are mounted to the wall too. So i could use the same technique and mount my shelf. But i don't know where to start or what to do. So whatever advice or tips you all can provide me will be very helpful. I am basically worried about its strength and reliability the most. [B]Thank you all![/B] :) If you can't help then don't bother to answer ;) OK . .people . i know its long.Just post some thing if you know about home improvement.

Can someone rate and provide tips for my deck? I have gotten back into the yu-gi-oh game, and I'm trying to build a decent deck. I don't have enough cards for a single theme deck, so I combined two themes and some other cards to form a deck. For the most part, my deck is a Machine/Warrior deck, with other powerful cards added to boost the deck. I was told only a deck of 40 is permitted, so that was one requirement I had to consider while building the deck. My deck is as follows: Monsters: Exiled Force Twin Shield Defender Junk Synchron Marauding Captain Axe Raider Tune Warrior Speed Warrior Dark Blade Morphtronic Scopen Turbo Booster Spell Reactor * RE Quillbolt Hedgehog Woodborg Inpachi (for its high defense points) Darksea Float Renge, Gatekeeper of Dark World (for its high defense points) Ancient Crimson Ape (for its attack points and special ability) Magna Drago (extra tuner and special ability) Spiral Serpent (for its high attack and defense points) Necroface (for its special ability, question about this card later) Copycat (special ability) Synchro Monsters: Colossal Fighter Junk Warrior Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth Spell Cards: Synchro Boost Synchro Change Synchro Blast Wave Domino Effect Lightning Vortex Symbols of Duty The Warrior Returning Alive Monster Reincarnation (to bring back a synchro monster if need be) Vengeful Servant (just in case a change of control would happen) Assault Armor (to boost a synchro monster and attack twice) Trap Cards: Ebon Arrow Birthright Defense Draw Trap Hole (classic trap, use to bring down most powerful monster) Divine Wrath Sakuretsu Armor Slip of Fortune Spellbinding Circle (too keep a low defense or attack monster in that same battle position) Swallow Flip Backup Soldier (boost my hand) There's my deck. It isn't complete, but given the cards i had this was the best I could come up with. Please tell me what you think and what could be improved on... I havent used this deck in a duel... although I know it cant be that powerful of a deck. Also, how exactly is Necroface used? Are the removed from play cards in the graveyard or somewhere else? Thank you for your help!

I want to build a pontoon boat for fun out of materials that typically get scraped? How or where can I get information on boat building and the legality issues. I have access to large diamiter stanless pipe and other materials, plus a large shop with facilities to do most any comercial project. I could build a extra large pontoon style craft that would float a 8x40 foot conex\container. I could put deck on either side to make overall dementions around 28x40. Building it, dissambling and houling to the coast, then reasembling would not be a problem. Usage would be limited to east coast close to shore and intercoastal waterwways. Dock and bridge repair and underwater welding equipment would be primary use.Should it be self powered or towed like a barge?Any related info helpfull. Thanks

Can you interpret this intensive dream? I was walking toward a beach from a brown house type thing. The house looked like the park ranger station at Robert Moses Beach but closer to the beach. I get to beach area closest to the water after stepping off a deck like sidewalk and notice far off there is a tornado heading back and forth (left to right) out far in the water. When I turn around I see these areas with eyes looking at me. The people with me are some guitarist from some kind of band made up in my dream and my best friend. The guy from the band tells me that those are the kids that live on the beach and they have the safest hiding spots of them all and not to worry. We begin to run toward the house type structure and something makes me turn back and run toward the beach again. The guy and my friend run back with me and now I see this huge tornado headed toward the beach where we were standing. We then run away with the Tornado chasing us and we find this cement area with steps or benches… the area looks like a baseball dugout type structure. We go in and I it on the top step or bench closest to the ceiling of the structure thinking it would be safest to be as far from the entrance as possible. The guy from the band is slightly below me on a diferent step or bench and my best friend is by the small entrance which has a blue valance to close the small entrance off however it is open. The tornado passes where we are hiding multiple times almost as if it is waiting for us to leave. I keep telling my friend to back away and go to the step I am on but on the other end. As the Tornado passes each time little tiny tornados enter the valance sized entrance where the curtain is open. They just enter and dissipate after ruffling my friends jeans. They are too small and weak to cause any harm. I then reach over when I see the tornado pass again and really cause a pulling sensation and close the blue valance type curtain. We hide for a bit and the curtain stops moving so I go to check to make sure the tornado is gone and I see that this time the big one is gone and instead there are many out on the water and down the beach. They are the same height but thinner and not as powerful at the huge one that chased us. I remember thinking that the big one was breaking up and going to die now. We were talking about how it was possible for the multiple to go back together and create the big one again. The one of the tornados come toward us but now it is more like a water spout. Then it stops and just disapates into a splash right before it hits where we are hiding. However we were right and the remaining tornados become one large (not as large but large) tornado again. It comes over where we are hidden and our whole section breaks off and floats into the water. We were never lifted up but we then peek out of the curtain and see we haven’t floated that far and the tornado was gone so we paddled our way beck to a large brick building with a fence around it and grab onto the fence. How this cement dugout area was floating was beyond me...but it did. We look back toward the beach which was a short paddle away and see people sitting in little areas like our cement dugout type thing and all I wanted to do was see if everyone was ok. Weird thing was all the other areas were in tact it was just that our whole area… steps, ceiling, floor, valance type curtain… was the only part ripped out. You could see from where we were by that fence that that area was just jagged and nothing else looked wrong. Then I wake up.

How much horse power and torque with this setup? and what size cam? SBC CHEVY 383 Bottom End: Eagle ESP Cast/Steel 3.750" Stroke Crankshaft (External Balance) 1 piece rear seal part # 103523750 or 2pc crank 103503750 6.0" 5140 steel SIR (Full float bushed) rods with ARP bolts (SIR6000BBLW), these rods are clearanced for up to a 600 lift cam! SRP forged flat top 11:1 with a 64 cc head, or 9.8:1 with a 72 cc head. SRP DISHED pistons 10.5:1 with a 58 cc head, 9:8:1 a 64 cc head, 9:1 with a 72 cc head. (Compression also dependant on your deck height) Pistons available in .020, .030, .040, or .060 Perfect Circle or Speed Pro Premium Plasma Moly Ring set Clevite 77 MS909P Main & CB663P Rod bearings Top End: Dart Small Block Chevrolet Top End Kit. Part #01211101. Kit includes assembled 200cc Aluminum Dart Pro 1 cylinder heads with 2.02/1.60 valves, 64cc chambers, 1.250 single valve springs & straight plugs, a Dart dual plane aluminum intake manifold, gaskets, spark plugs, Dart stamped steel valve covers & ARP head bolts I still dont know the carb or cam size. Thats where any suggestions would help. Also I have heard building a 383 with this kit w/ Dart or World heads & cam you can easily built a 450 - 500hp motor. Is this true, or can I get even more out of it? This is going in a 1970 Nova, its not a daily driver. But will be driven on the street mostly. Looking to build a fast prostreet car. Current engine, 327, going to be using same block. I do not know the current bore size. I know the engine was rebuilt in 95, so I may need to go the .040 over but again im not 100% on that one yet. Full tube headers 1 3/4" to a 3" straight pipe to 2 chamber flowmasters

Have you seen where your stimulus dollars are going? The $787 billion stimulus bill was passed in February and was promised as a job saver and economy booster. Here is where some of the money went: - $300,000 for a GPS-equipped helicopter to hunt for radioactive rabbit droppings at the Hanford nuclear reservation in Washington state. - $30 million for a spring training baseball complex for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. - $11 million for Microsoft to build a bridge connecting its two headquarter campuses in Redmond, Wash., which are separated by a highway. - $430,000 to repair a bridge in Iowa County, Wis., that carries 10 or fewer cars per day. - $800,000 for the John Murtha Airport in Johnstown, Pa., serving about 20 passengers per day, to build a backup runway. - $219,000 for Syracuse University to study the sex lives of freshmen women. - $2.3 million for the U.S. Forest Service to rear large numbers of arthropods, including the Asian longhorned beetle, the nun moth and the woolly adelgid. - $3.4 million for a 13-foot tunnel for turtles and other wildlife attempting to cross U.S. 27 in Lake Jackson, Fla. - $1.15 million to install a guardrail for a persistently dry lake bed in Guymon, Okla. - $9.38 million to renovate a century-old train depot in Lancaster County, Pa., that has not been used for three decades. - $2.5 million in stimulus checks sent to the deceased. - $6 million for a snow-making facility in Duluth, Minn. - $173,834 to weatherize eight pickup trucks in Madison County, Ill. - $20,000 for a fish sperm freezer at the Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery in South Dakota. - $380,000 to spay and neuter pets in Wichita, Kan. - $300 apiece for thousands of signs at road construction sites across the country announcing that the projects are funded by stimulus money. - $1.5 million for a fence to block would-be jumpers from leaping off the All-American Bridge in Akron, Ohio. - $1 million to study the health effects of environmentally friendly public housing on 300 people in Chicago. - $356,000 for Indiana University to study childhood comprehension of foreign accents compared with native speech. - $983,952 for street beautification in Ann Arbor, Mich., including decorative lighting, trees, benches and bike paths. - $148,438 for Washington State University to analyze the use of marijuana in conjunction with medications like morphine. - $462,000 to purchase 22 concrete toilets for use in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri - $3.1 million to transform a canal barge into a floating museum that will travel the Erie Canal in New York state. - $1.3 million on government arts jobs in Maine, including $30,000 for basket makers, $20,000 for storytelling and $12,500 for a music festival. - $71,000 for a hybrid car to be used by student drivers in Colchester, Vt., as well as a plug-in hybrid for town workers decked out with a sign touting the vehicle's energy efficiency. - $1 million for Portland, Ore., to replace 100 aging bike lockers and build a garage that would house 250 bicycles. How's that 'hope & change" working out for you?

The stimulus went to what!? These people have no clue...unless all they wanted to do was spend money and reward their friends. How does any of this tie in with stimulating the economy? Everyone knows that heavy infrastructure work and legitimate new construction projects help the most...hell, even temporally stopping collecting taxes for the feds for a quarter would've been more productive than this crap. The $787 billion stimulus bill was passed in February and was promised as a job saver and economy booster. Here is where some of the money went: - $300,000 for a GPS-equipped helicopter to hunt for radioactive rabbit droppings at the Hanford nuclear reservation in Washington state. - $30 million for a spring training baseball complex for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. - $11 million for Microsoft to build a bridge connecting its two headquarter campuses in Redmond, Wash., which are separated by a highway. - $430,000 to repair a bridge in Iowa County, Wis., that carries 10 or fewer cars per day. - $800,000 for the John Murtha Airport in Johnstown, Pa., serving about 20 passengers per day, to build a backup runway. - $219,000 for Syracuse University to study the sex lives of freshmen women. - $2.3 million for the U.S. Forest Service to rear large numbers of arthropods, including the Asian longhorned beetle, the nun moth and the woolly adelgid. - $3.4 million for a 13-foot tunnel for turtles and other wildlife attempting to cross U.S. 27 in Lake Jackson, Fla. - $1.15 million to install a guardrail for a persistently dry lake bed in Guymon, Okla. - $9.38 million to renovate a century-old train depot in Lancaster County, Pa., that has not been used for three decades. - $2.5 million in stimulus checks sent to the deceased. - $6 million for a snow-making facility in Duluth, Minn. - $173,834 to weatherize eight pickup trucks in Madison County, Ill. - $20,000 for a fish sperm freezer at the Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery in South Dakota. - $380,000 to spay and neuter pets in Wichita, Kan. - $300 apiece for thousands of signs at road construction sites across the country announcing that the projects are funded by stimulus money. - $1.5 million for a fence to block would-be jumpers from leaping off the All-American Bridge in Akron, Ohio. - $1 million to study the health effects of environmentally friendly public housing on 300 people in Chicago. - $356,000 for Indiana University to study childhood comprehension of foreign accents compared with native speech. - $983,952 for street beautification in Ann Arbor, Mich., including decorative lighting, trees, benches and bike paths. - $148,438 for Washington State University to analyze the use of marijuana in conjunction with medications like morphine. - $462,000 to purchase 22 concrete toilets for use in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri - $3.1 million to transform a canal barge into a floating museum that will travel the Erie Canal in New York state. - $1.3 million on government arts jobs in Maine, including $30,000 for basket makers, $20,000 for storytelling and $12,500 for a music festival. - $71,000 for a hybrid car to be used by student drivers in Colchester, Vt., as well as a plug-in hybrid for town workers decked out with a sign touting the vehicle's energy efficiency. - $1 million for Portland, Ore., to replace 100 aging bike lockers and build a garage that would house 250 bicycles. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/After-a-flurry-of-stimulus-spending_-questionable-projects-pile-up-8474249-68709732.html

28 Somers Loop, would you like to buy it? Balanced between two times, the Old Tahoe days of yesteryear and the Tahoe of the New Millennium is this spectacular custom home, nestled in the quiet of Crystal Bay, Nevada. Granite boulders and views of the sparkling cobalt waters of Lake Tahoe, combined with enhanced natural landscaping on this level piece of ground invite you to enjoy the outdoors from the moment you arrive. The entry is flanked by reclaimed timbers found in the Sierra Nevada mountains, a piece of yesterday that by using it preserves a piece of tomorrow. Open the door and, adjacent to the garage, you will be attracted to the hand crafted manzanita railing and floating wooden stairs drawing you to the upper floor. Before you go, stop and take the time to visit the two bedrooms and two baths on this floor, one a master suite. From here, choose the stairs or the elevator and arrive up to the great room with hand scraped hickory flooring and a granite fireplace to compliment the boulders of the area. Reclaimed timber mantle and reclaimed timber deck railings tie in with the entry. The powder room has a stone sink and wooden slab counter top with tile detailing. On this, as well as the entry level, you will find closets with ample room for your guest’s coats. The kitchen is complete with pantry, AGA stove, and an unusual granite where crystals formed within the surface thousands of years ago, crystals for Crystal Bay. The microwave is actually a drawer and the country sink oversized. There is a faucet for filling pots at the stove as well as a prep sink in the island. Set up for the gourmet chef, the conveniences will please the cook who usually makes reservations, too. On this level is also the grand master suite complete with walk-in closet and see-through fireplace from the bedroom to the bath. The bath has extensive use of marble and interesting tile patterns, a steam shower, soaking tub and a heated towel bar for luxury after bathing. The suite includes it’s own washer and dryer as well as built-in cabinetry with a custom wood slab top. Take the elevator to the lowest level and arrive at the gathering room. Slate floors make for easy living as you enter from the yard. This level also has the main laundry room, a theater room and another bedroom and bath. For convenience there is a wet bar complete with refrigerator and ice maker as well as a copper sink and a custom wood slab top. Every detail has been attended to from the central vacuum to the custom doors, from the specialty light fixtures to the in floor radiant heating. This is the home of dreams, waiting for you to make your dreams come true. Owner/agent ^ That is my moms flier for 28 somers loop, I am trying to sell it for her. Please E-mail me at somers.loop@yahoo.com or go to my myspace http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=437585557 for more deatails. I really want to give her the offer as a christmas presnt so please read and tell me how I could sell it quick and easy, please help!

strange and very long dream, any ideas? I'll make it short, since it woke me up at 0430. First part was at an old house I lived at, and involved a small child who was maybe 9. I did something to the kid's phone in the driveway of the house, and the police showed up, and I had done something wrong but can't remember what, but thought I'd be arrested. Somehow my phone was broken as well, so the police gave us used phones that were really in bad condiion but worked. Mine had a lot of rust in it if you took it apart. It was an old Motorola flip type. Then my mum and the kid and I went to the city for some reason that had to do with something in the trees (pine trees) around us at the house. We go there and discover that whilst on a regular underground commuter train, that there's something on the news about bioiogical warfare. Somehow the kid we're supposed to be protecting named Che (longer name than that, but that's what I remember) who turned to female (don't ask how), and asian but still the same age. We get her off the train by a conductor or some other titled woman with a designation of "4". We then look for the number "4" as we now know her, but she's nowhere around. We notice that this bio warfare disease (think resident evil) is spreading slowly and only 1 or 2 people are affected. We get out of the train (mum and I) and start running to find this "4" and get her to get us out of the station. We finally find her, but she's now infected with this, but not to the point where she's really dangerous, just confused like a rabid animal. So somehow we make it out of the station to a giftshop type place where there are many people looking around at gifts. The gitshop is full of windows and in a very high class neighbourhood and on water. Somehow there's a Cajun restaurant where we're supposed to deliver this small girl if we can find her. She also for some strange reason in the train station wrote a letter that's on a really old yellowing piece of paper, almost like a poem. We were supposed to return that to, even though we have no idea what the poem is supposed to mean. All of a sudden the disease starts consuming people in the gift shop and so I start climbing on these tall bookshelf type things in the middle of the shop to get away from the people. I look at these very small rectangular windows that have a bit of spacing between them to allow air in. I break one of them and then I guess the security system is activated causing this super strong glass that's really thin and in much larger pieces to drop. I try to break one but it's useless. So my mum gives me this sculpture thing that can fit in my hand, and we start smashing people over the head and in the face with it, she finds more of them and gives me another (they break easily with blund force attacks), and I keep hitting people, mostly just knocking them out. I'm by the cash mashine where I can look out the small windows and see a part of the building where the security glass didn't fall. So I break that glass and it shatters into smaller pieces. I crawl through the hole that I made and escape. That's when I fly to this restaurant. It's really strange that just about the whole city is floating on a very nice set of docks. I find this older woman in black as I'm flying near the restaurant that I just found, but she's an enemy keeping me from my "mission", so I kick her a few times to get her off my foot as she's trying to drag me down to the water or the deck of someplace on this dock system. That's when I use Elemental Water and kill her. which makes her dissolve and dissapear. At that time I go into the cajun restaurant and tell the owners (older couple) that I'll be back. I go to the giftshop and use this water elemental and kill everyone that's been infected with this disease. I fly my mum out of the shop and to the restaurant, she stays there and then I go to this other place with a bus. Some woman shows me the little girl on the bus setting towards the back and wearing the same thing she was which was a white shirt and black dress. I ask her if she remembers me (somehow 3 years has passed) and she says yes, and then quickly looks away in embarassment. I then give her the letter/poem she wrote me and she says that was for you to understand, not me. That's when I woke up. This is the longest and most involved dream meaning it had so many parts to it. I've never had it before.

I had a dream. Can anyone interpet it at all? I was very interesting, but confusing.? Last night, I had an odd dream. I was wondering if anyone could explain it at all. I don't remember all of it (I have a hard time doing that). So here it is: I was at this giant lake or ocean. It was during the day, but it was dark. There were clouds everywhere. On the shore, there was this giant wooden fortress/house built onto a cliff. Almost everyone I knew was there, either out on the water or walking through the cliffs and house. Then, out on the water a giant sea monster emerged from the water. Waves splashed out and hit the shore with force. A few of my friends were out on the water on these floating platforms (in the air, not on the water) and were fighting the monster. I raced through the house and tried to get everyone safe. I was knocked into the water and a huge cruise ship rescued me. Then the monster threw a rock at it and it sank. As I was being submerged with the boat, I slammed my eyes closed and imagined the dock. Next thing I knew, I was lying on the deck. I ran up and stood next to the stairs. I closed my eyes again and I was on top of the fortress, a platform in the cliff was right next to me with a large, mossy stone staircase leading up to it. A group of people walked up it and they started talking. Then I closed my eyes again to teleport and I didn't go anywhere. Then, I fell off the cliff and landed safely on the ground. Another group of people walked by and one of my friends took out his trombone and started playing "Holiday in Cambodia". For the rest of the dream, he showed up randomly and played the same thing. Soon after that, a fireball hit me and I hit it back. It hit the monster and then I woke up. Sorry for how long it is, I tried to put as much details into it as I remember. Anyone have any answers?

For all readers. What do you think of this? Chapter one. For more than thirty years, the town of Redville suffered from the evil Dominion of Lord Vladimir. He tortured whoever spoke against his will. Down the dungeon of his castle, you could find his guards whipping grey haired men, and helpless women. However, it was on a dark night in the middle of December when hope came back. Elma, the oracle of Redville, drifted like a shadow down the streets; her red hair floating all around her shoulders, and her twisted fingers counting the steps she walked over the flagstones. She was sure that her sudden visit to the Gustavs would cause a lot of disturbance, but she held extremely important news for them, news that cannot be postponed. Stroking the kinks in her blue coat, she stopped in front of the red-bricked house. After knocking twice, a voice came from behind the door. “Who’s there?” “I’m Elma, The oracle.” A blue eye appeared at the peephole and then the door flung open. A tall, skinny woman with black bags under her eyes smiled thinly at Elma. “It’s very cold outside. What brings you at such a time?” Elma did not reply. After making sure that no one followed her, she rushed into the house. “What do you want?” the woman repeated. Still, Elma gave no reply. she hang her coat at the hook behind the door then walked to the living room with the other woman at her tail. “I have important news for your family, Beatrice.” Elma said, eyeing the four babies that blubbered and wailed on the sofa beside the fireplace. “Where’s Gustave.” Elma asked, “He must hear what I have to say.” “What do you have to say Elma?” a raspy, low voice spoke from behind Elma. A tall, well-built man walked down the living room, his green eyes glowed wildly against the fire of the hearth. “Very important news,” Elma said, “come, sit down.” The three walked to the round table standing at the northern corner of the living room. Elma sat at the head of the table with gustave and Beatrice on her sides. She smiled at the newly married couple, and dipped her hand under her short skirt. Her slender legs shivered for a while and then a deck of cards burst from under the table like a latent volcano. “The future, oh the future,” Elma began in her dreamy voice. “I know it, I feel it, and I hear it. It’s as obvious as the stars for me; let me tell it to you.” The couple’s eyes widened as they watched Elma kick her chair back and walk to the four babies. “I have a prophecy for your children,” Elma ran a slender finger back and forth over the babies’ heads, and suddenly the cards flew in a wavy line towards her. They spun like a snake around her neck then, fell to the carpet. “One of your four kids will have a magical talent; a talent that will allow him to bring hope in the hearts of the tortured.” The couples shook as the oracle spoke. “Which one of our babies will do so?” Beatrice asked, rushing to her four babies and examining them. Elma shrugged and pointed to the ceiling of the house. “Only the stars know. Only the stars choose.” It's a chapter book for ages 9-12. Hope you enjoyed. i live in Egypt and i don't know how to get it published in America?

How wide (diameter) do the cylinders need to be? I'm building a small make-shift pontoon boat and I'm using PVC pipes as flotation devices for the deck. I'm not sure how wide (diameter) the pipes should be in order to get them to float and i don't want them cut and then the boat sinks because of too much weight. This is the information needed to solve (i think): If four 10 foot long cylinders were placed in water at an air temperature of 0 degrees Celsius, and all four cylinders are holding a connective weight of 800 lbs (1760 kg), how much diameter should the cylinders have in order to float holding the given weight? Thanks in advance to whoever can solve this problem!

Do property taxes increase with a floating deck and would I need a permit to build a floating deck?

I am building a floating deck for my manufactured home. Ineed to know if this deck needs to be inspected.? Is their certain spacing between the deck and home? Ive been told that I dont need a permit for a floating deck with any kind of home. Is this true?

floating or fixed deck for house? Hi , I am designing a deck for my home is there any advantage to building a floating deck as opposed to a deck with a cement foundation and post holes? I know it would be moveable if it was floating , which is better?

Should I build a paver patio or should I have a floating deck off of my exsisting concrete patio? I need to keep within a very inexpensive budget! Any suggestions?

Dek-block floating deck system do they work? I am getting ready to build a deck all the way around my 30ft. above ground pool and I want to use Dek-Blocks as they seem easier than digging 48 holes and pouring footings. I have an existing deck(Not built with Dek Block) and I want to tie the new deck in to the old one. I have heard good and bad about dek-blocks regarding code, and frost heave..Can anyone help me in determining if this is a good idea or not? Or if they have any other suggestions I am up for all info. I live in northern Indiana if that helps.

can someone build me a good yugioh deck? ok well i have a killer deck built, but it has way too many cards. so what i need is a good deck that includes at least 2 earthbound immortals, and meets the 40-60 card requirement. Monsters: kuriboh x2 twin-headed wolf dark effigy x3 earthbound immortal ccapac apu invader of darkness sangan des kangaroo infernity necromancer rapid-fire magician mystic tomato earthbound immortal wiraqocha rasca getsu fuhma swift gaia the fierce knight zero gardna earthbound immortal aslla piscu gravekeeper's commandant gravekeeper's assailant umbral soul harpie queen gravekeeper's guard archfiend soldier newdoria blackwing-fane the steel chain earthbound immortal chacu challhua blackwing-kalut the moon shadow opticlops renge, gatekeeper of dark world x2 marrionette mite x2 blackwing-bora the spear drillago earthbound immortal uru earthbound immortal ccarayhua la jinn the mystical genie of the lamp reptilianne medusa reptilianne scylla darksea float hunter dragon kryuel ritual raven x2 giant germ breaker the magical warrior gravekeeper's spy dark blade earthbound immortal cusillu dark jeroid regenerating mummy Tuners: Nettles tuned magician synchros: black rose dragon spells: stray lambs x2 ekibyo drakmord remove trap x2 yami x3 forest harpie's hunting ground swords of revealing lighht reptilianne spawn necrovalley symbols of duty mystical space typhoon x2 ribbon of rebirth sword of deep-seated goblin theif mystic plasma zone gift of the martyr lightning vortex dian keto the cure master mountain malevolent nuzzler heavy storm field barrier traps: waboku x3 blasting the ruins shadow spell magic cylinder x2 earthbound wave sakuretsu armor miracle locus trap stun damage translation x2 fake trap bottomless trap hole physical double soul resurrection cemetary bomb shining silver force fiend's hand mirror enchanted javelin coffin seller just desserts update: i don't actually need earthbound immortals it would just help cz i got some handy support cards...but yea the deck MUST INCLUDE BLACK ROSE DRAGON AND THE TWO TUNERS

Above Ground Pool deck? I am looking into building a deck partailly around our 27 foot above ground pool. We live in Illinois and I am not sure if I can use Dek-Block's for the footings or do I need to bury concrete below the frost line. I know with the Dek-Blocks that the deck will float, but is that ok. Especially around a pool. I want the deck to last.

Build me a deck please? Monsters Buster Blader Chiron The Mage Wall of Illusion Man Eater Bug Opticlops Kuriboh Big Shield Gardna Catapult Turtle Summoned Skull Senju of The Thousand Hands Genetic Woman Giant Soldier of Stone Mystical Elf Space Mambo Dark Magician Weather Report Royal Magical Library Blue Eyes White Dragon La Jinn The Mystical Genie of The Lamp Mine Golem Battle Ox Black Luster Soldier The Bistro Butcher Dark Blade Harpie's Brother Harpie Lady 1,2,3 Amphibious Bugroth MK-3 Royal Keeper Mermaid Knight Mad Sword Beast KA-2 Des Scissors Maryokutai Spirit Ryu Masked Dragon Creeping Doom Manta Mobius The Frost Monarch Psychic Emperor Fire Bird Tactical Espionage Expert Marshmallon Yellow Gadget Jack's Knight Darksea Float Blade Rabbit The Dark Hex Sealed Fusion Mother Grizzly Armed Samurai Ben Kei Cyber Stein Elemental Hero Avian Bokoichi The Freightening Car Bubonic Vermin Rescue Cat Cyber Falcon Bite Shoes Swarm of Scarabs Drill Bug Star Boy Heavy Mech Support Platform Little Chimera Dark Dust Spirit Fenrir Spells Swords of Revealing Light Soul Exchange Monster Reborn Change of Heart Reload Mystic Plasma Zone Black Luster Ritual Mystical Space Typhoon Brain Control Insect Barrier Axe of Despair Card Destruction Diffusion Wave Motion Pot of Greed Card of Sanctity MegaMorph 7 Complete Rain of Mercy Harpies' Hunting Ground Soul of The Pure Heavy Storm Release Restraint Wave Ancient Leaf Water Hazard Magic Reflector A legendary Ocean Salvage Fulfillment of The Contract The Puppet Magic of The Dark Ruler Burning Land Special Hurricane Pyramid Energy Doriado's Blessing Traps Slip of Fortune Just Desserts Dust Tornado Shadow of Eyes Trap Hole DNA Surgery Dark Spirit of The Silent Raigeki Break Magical Hats Spellbinding Circle Tornado Wall Type Zero Magic Crusher Gravity Bind Blind Destruction Needle Ceiling Micro Ray Dark Coffin Stronghold The Moving Fortress Damage Translation Revival of The Immortals Penalty Game! Interdimensional Matter Transporter Spirit's Invitation Shift Spell Shield Type 8 The Emperor's Holiday Beast Soul Swap Mispolymerization World Suppression Driving Snow Bottomless Shifting Sand Infinite Dismissal

What is the best/safest way to "hang" a 32" 115lb TV on a floating shelf? Basically, I want to "hang" a 32", 115lb television to get it off the ground, and allow it to be seen from anywhere in the room. I want to build a 45 dergree shelf... I'm thinking 2"x4"'s screwed into the existing studs, 2"x4" "cross beam", 1/2" plywood "deck", and then maybe chain or cable running from the bottom corners of the shelf up and through the ceiling and into the ceiling joists? I'm pretty confident that this will work, however, just looking to make sure.

did you know about the world largest ship to be build? Capital letters Nearly a mile long and 40,000 on board - the first floating city Duncan Campbell in Los Angeles Saturday May 6, 2000 It may sound like something from a science fiction story - a floating city of 40,000 people that will slowly circumnavigate the globe - but the building of what will be the world's largest ship is about to begin. The Freedom Ship's creators say the vessel, whose constuction is due to start in Honduras this summer, will be one of the wonders of the world. The company behind the scheme said reservations for the 20,000 homes on board had begun to accelerate, and there were already plans to build two other floating cities. Freedom Ship will be nearly a mile long (4,320ft), 725ft wide and 340ft tall and will have room for 40,000 people, including a staff of 10,000. There will be a school and university on board, not to mention a landing strip, a hospital, a casino, a shopping mall and 200 acres of open space. The idea is that it will slowly travel the world, pausing a few miles out from chosen destinations such as ports or exotic tropical islands that can only be reached by sea. It will be on the move for 25% of the time and otherwise anchored off different ports. People who want to live on board can purchase their homes for prices which range from $150,000 (£94,000) for a small unit to $40m for something rather larger. There will be 20,000 units in total and the whole venture will cost $9bn. Developers are being encouraged to pre-purchase space and sell it on in the same way as their real estate counterparts do on dry land. "Already we have reservations for 15% [of the units]," said Roger Gooch, the marketing vice-president for the venture from his Florida office yesterday. "Once we are under construction, people will come running. It's already being termed one of the wonders of the world." Construction would start in "60 to 90 days", and would take three years to complete, with the shipyard operating 24 hours a day, he said. The ship is the brainchild of the project director, Norman Nixon of Engineering Solutions, an engineer from Arkansas who has overseen the construction of chemical plants and office buildings from Saudi Arabia to Texas. Application forms for workers on either the construction or staff of the ship when it is finally launched have been placed on the internet and talks are under way with the Nova Southwestern University to ensure that an established academic institution will be responsible for running the degree courses on the ship. Mr Gooch said that the hope was that the vessel would have a "global environment", with a large mixture of different nationalities and ages. It was not meant to be seen as a retirement cruise ship but one where people could run their businesses and educate their children. As a sales incentive, the company's material points out that there will be no local taxes to pay. So far, the greatest interest had come from Europe, with Germans and Scandinavians already paying deposits to secure their units. "We're just a giant landlord," Mr Gooch said, adding that anyone who wanted to start and run a business on the ship was free to do so. "We're not in the business of owning a barber shop or a restaurant. We're shipbuilders." There had been scepticism, he accepted, about the safety of such a vessel, but the company's engineers were confident that a ship of such a size would be secure and viable. But was there not a concern that the ship's size seemed to make it the stuff of which Titanic-style disaster movies are made, the vessel taken hostage perhaps by international pirates or the like? Mr Gooch said that a former FBI man would head a 2,000-strong security force, and the ship would be equipped with "state-of-the-art defensive weapons". The laws on board will be those of the country under whose flag the ship eventually sails - that country is still to be decided, but will not be the US, he said. Serious offenders would be held until the ship reached its next port and then surrendered to the authorities, he added. And will the city have its own government? Different decks and floors would be able to elect their representatives, Mr Gooch said, but "the captain's word will be final". Bh I was asking everyone did they know about the world biggest ship to be build ?BH it's good to know what is going on around you in other parts of the world ,anyone one can comment on this question.people thinking titanic you think this might be a nother big disaster or you thing the bernuda triangle I think not because they have better thing to build this ship with what do you think?

Can I get some tips for building a raft? I'm building a raft and I am torn between a plank deck and a plywood deck. I figure a ply deck would be cheaper because I only need to buy 2 sheets or 3/4, and a plank deck would need 35 2x4s. I see problems with ply- it wouldn't be quite as strong as the 2x4s- and problems with the planks- they would have openings for water to get into the boxes that make it float. Which would be cheaper, easier, and stronger?

What are the best upgrades for resale value to an older ranch home in rural upstate New York? We live in a small village in upstate NY. An older community of older houses. There is a big seasonal community on a nearby lake, with many pricey homes. Our house is a very well built 1952 ranch. It has wide crown molding throughout. Hardwood floors everywhere but kitchen & baths. Redid the bathrooms 2 years ago in nice but not magnificent manner. The floors are in good shape. We recently had the house repainted. The kitchen cupboards are in good shape & not really dated. We have 2 fireplaces, 1 in the living room & 1 in the basement. The basement needs to be refinished. The back/side porch was remodeled into a family room w/French door about 20 years ago, it has carpeting which we are going to rip out & replace w/floating wood flooring. We recently put new sashes in all the old Anderson windows. I would like a deck. We have a large yard. My husband is interested in putting a metal roof on the house when it next needs one and I am adamantly opposed. Any ideas for the best upgrades?

Are you putting off improvements on your home? I'm wondering if others are going to continue with remodeling and improvements on their homes with the market the way it is. Are you going to wait? Here's my situation: bought a home a year ago. Paid cash for it, so no loans. We had rented it for 2 years prior, and we didn't get an inspection. I know, very BAD! This was our first home and should've got advice. We didn't want to move so paid. Now I'm researching and I think we paid too much for it. Nothing we can do now. It's a very small house (small rooms, small kitchen, 1 bathroom). It has a garage that will need to be torn down and rebuilt. Kitchen needs remodel. We gutted the bathroom and remodeled it. It's a livable place but not what I want. The yard needs work. We were thinking of building a deck or putting in a concrete patio on the entire yard. It's a small yard. We have 3 dogs, so keeping grass is impossible. There is hardwood under the carpet but when we pulled up some of it, we found that they had glued the carpet to the hardwood. So that would have to be refinished or lay down a floating laminate. The basement is unfinshed, hubby wants to finish it. The windows need to be replaced sometime and also the roof and siding. We don't have any leaking or anything but most of it is cosmetic. It's just ugly. If I had my choice i would knock down walls and reconfigure the layout. The upstairs is 1 small bedroom that is not being used. The area we live in is not a great neighborhood. It's not the worst but not the best. So do we go along with projects or just live with it the way it is? We may have some money coming and I don't know if we should put it into the home? We can't just buy another home that we would like because of bad credit. Who would we talk to to find out if improvements would be worth it in the area? Sorry so long! Thanx for any suggestions.

selling house..is this too much to ask? Getting ready to sell my home? 1988 double wide trailer,3Bedroom,2 bath(one is master bath)has 3 large walk in closets.. we have built large covered concrete front porch, & wood back deck,put in double hung windows,sliding glass doors,put on metal roof,paved the road,lots of parking,built small carport..put in central air..re-done a few floors and put in wood"floating floors" on 3/4 of an acre comes with small storage building,dishwasher,stove & dining room table. Is 77,000 too much to ask?its in East,KY 17 minutes ago - 3 days left to answer. Additional Details 5 minutes ago has septic tank & well water. So we have no sewer or water bill here(saves about $70.00 a month) 3 minutes ago newer ones are selling for 100,000, but thats without land like mine..I have planted golf course grass(only needs cut every 3 weeks) and the landscaping here is beautiful. plus its very private.. 2 minutes ago also put brick around the bottom so that it no longer looks so much like a "mobile home"

tell me what you think? this is the start to my story, i just wrote it so there is probably many mistakes. tell me what you think. It was my first summer in Sydney and I was as nervous as anything. I had come from Melbourne so it wasn’t like I was starting out in a new country, but it was a new city, with a new school with a new group of people. It wasn’t like I didn’t want to move, but I liked it where we used to live, On the outskirts of Melbourne in a small town called with all my old friends and my old public school with just under 500 kids. Mum said it was best to start afresh after what happened, so she enrolled my and my two younger sisters and brother in one of the most well known private schools in Sydney. St Andrews Cathedral School in the middle of the city. Since when have we been religious anyway? We never go to church or say grace or anything like that. We used to go to church on Easter but since the triplets came along everything got difficult. I remember my old house. It was big but just one story, it had a verandah all the way around and we had two paddocks. It was a red brick house but dad had painted it cream when I was five. He said it was to go with the sandstone edges of the front of the house. And it did look better, but I always loved the red against the pale white and yellows of the sandstone. It had a red corrugated iron roof and when heavily it would make your ears ring but when it was light it was the best thing to put you to sleep. My room wasn’t big but at least I didn’t have to share, my two sisters, Narnie and Leah shared the biggest room. But it was so full of Narnie’s junk that it didn’t matter much. Leah was neater, her bed was always made and her clothes were hung up but you couldn’t tell because Narnie’s Junk floated around the place making it all look messy. I loved sitting on the back verandah with Goat. We had a pet goat called Goat. He was good, but we didn’t have much in the way of flowers because of him, but mum didn’t mind, she said she never had time to look after it before we got Goat, and since we got him the grass was always short. The grass in the garden was slightly greener that the yellowing grass of the paddocks beyond it but it was grey compared to the green in Sydney. I was quite sad that we couldn’t take Goat with us but dad kept him in his new home two houses down from our old one, and promised to look after him and give him a carrot every few days. Anyways who ever heard of a goat in the middle of Sydney? It wasn’t going to happen so I had to put up with it. hopefully we could get another pet in Sydney. My new house is modern. It has an open plan area down stairs with a big kitchen and living room. Upstairs there are the bedrooms and a big study. We have three bathrooms. I tried to think of a situation where we would need that many, but I couldn’t. There is a pool outside and a deck, it has a barbeque built into a bench topped with a giant granite slab that runs the length of the whole bench. Its not the same as our old house but its new and there wont be leaks in the roof out the back and they wont be mice in the kitchen which is always good. I like this house because my bedroom has a big window at one end and a walk in wardrobe next to it. There is enough room for a queen sized bed in my room, and the kids don’t have to share bedrooms. The lounge room is a lot bigger than our old home but it isn’t the same as before. It will never be the same. This time dad isn’t with us. He’s back in Melbourne and because of that it will never feel exactly like it used to.

what do you think of the start of my story? this is the introduction to i story i have been writing. please tell me what you think and whether you would keep reading. any constructive criticism is welcome. Beginning We had just moved to Sydney and I remember feeling nervous. I was so nervous I had spent the whole time since moving chewing my nails into dust. I remember walking up to the school to enroll and my hands were shaking so much I had to put them in my pockets to stop them. My mum had said it wasn’t a big deal, and I was fine until I got there, but as I looked up at the posh school and the principal looked down at me like a starving bear looks at a cooked chicken in a cartoon I gulped just like the characters do in the cartoons. When my teeth wouldn’t stop chattering the principle Miss Rupert asked me if there was something wrong, I turned red and felt my cheeks grow hot. I had come from Melbourne so it wasn’t like I was starting out in a new country, but it was a new city, with a new school with a new group of people. It wasn’t like I didn’t want to move, but I liked it where we used to live, On the outskirts of Melbourne in a small town called Willconston with all my old friends and my old public school with just under 400 kids. Mum said it was best to start afresh, so she enrolled my and my two younger sisters and brother in the best and most well known private school in Sydney. St David Catholic School in the middle of the city. Since when have we been religious anyway? We have never gone to church or said grace before our meals or anything like that. We used to go to church the night before Easter when I was little, but since the triplets came along everything got difficult. I remember my old house. It was big but just one story, it had a verandah all the way around and we had two paddocks out the back. It was a red brick house, but dad had painted it cream when I was five. He said it was to go with the sandstone edges that were on each of the four corners of the house. And it did look better, but I always loved the red against the pale white and yellow of the sandstone. It had a grey corrugated iron roof and when it rained heavily it would make your ears ring but when it was light it was the best thing to lull you to sleep. My room hadn’t been big but at least I didn’t have to share, my two sisters, Narnie and Leah used to share the biggest room. But it was so full of Narnie’s junk that it didn’t matter much. Leah’s side was neater, her bed was always made and her clothes were hung up but it was hard to tell because Narnie’s Junk floated around the place making it all look messy. I loved sitting on the back verandah with Goat. We had a pet goat called Goat. He was good, but we never had much in the way of flowers because of him, mum didn’t mind, she said she never had time to look after it before we got Goat, and after we got him the grass was always kept short. The grass in the garden was slightly greener that the yellowing grass of the paddocks beyond it but it was grey compared to the green in Sydney. I was quite sad that we couldn’t take Goat with us but dad kept him in his new home two houses down from our old one, and promised to look after him and give him a treat of string beans or carrot every few days. Anyways who ever heard of a goat in the middle of Sydney? It wasn’t going to happen so I had to put up with it. My new house is modern. It has an open plan area down stairs with a big kitchen and living room. Upstairs there are the bedrooms and a big study. We have three bathrooms. I tried to think of a situation where we would need that many, but I couldn’t. There is a pool outside and a deck, it has a barbeque built into a bench topped with a giant granite slab that runs the length of the whole bench. It’s not the same as our old house but it is new and there won’t be leaks in the roof out the back and they won’t be mice in the kitchen which is always good. I like this house because my bedroom has a big window at one end and a walk in wardrobe next to it. There is enough room for a queen sized bed in my room, and none of the kids have to share bedrooms. The lounge room is a lot bigger than our old home but it isn’t the same as before. It will never be the same. This time dad isn’t with us. He’s back in Melbourne and because of that it will never feel exactly like it used to.

TODAY`S NEWS>>>>>>>>CLICK IT? Digital cloud plan for city skies By Jonathan Fildes Technology reporter, BBC News The inflatable elements of the building would sit on top of thin, lightweight towers A giant "digital cloud" that would "float" above London's skyline has been outlined by an international team of architects, artists and engineers. The construction would include 120m- (400ft-) tall mesh towers and a series of interconnected plastic bubbles that can be used to display images and data. The Cloud, as it is known, would also be used an observation deck and park. The unconventional structure was originally envisaged as a centre piece of the city's Olympic village. The building draws inspiration from the work of Tomas Saraceno Its designers plan to raise the funds to build it by asking for micro-donations from millions of people. "It's really about people coming together to raise the Cloud," Carlo Ratti, one of the architects behind the design from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) told BBC News. "We can build our Cloud with £5m or £50m. The flexibility of the structural system will allow us to tune the size of the Cloud to the level of funding that is reached." The size of the structure will evolve depending on the number of contributions, he said. Paola Antonelli, senior curator of architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York who has seen the design described it as a "sculptural spectacle" and "a celebration of technology". 'Data streams' The Cloud was shortlisted in a competition set-up by London Mayor Boris Johnson. The mayor has committed to build a tourist attraction in the Olympic Park "with a legacy for the east end [of London]". Other finalists are thought to include the former Turner prize winner Anish Kapoor and Antony Gormley, the designer of the Angel of the North. The mayor is still in the "process of deciding" which design will be commissioned, according to a spokesperson. However, the team, which also includes the writer Umberto Eco and engineers from Arup, has decided to push ahead and publish details of its design. The structure draws on work by artist Tomas Saraceno, a German-based designer who has previously shown off huge inflatable sculptures. It is envisaged that the spheres would be made of a plastic known as Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), the material used to build the Beijing Aquatic Centre. The different spheres would act as structural elements, habitable spaces, decoration and LCD screens on which data could be projected. "We could provide a custom feed of… searches made by Londoners during the Olympics to give a real time 'barometer' of the city's interests and mood," said Google, one of the supporters of the project, which has also offered to provide the information feeds. The team also envisage projecting weather information, spectator numbers, race results or even images of the Olympic Torch on to the building. Ramps, stairs and lifts would carry people to the top of the structure to look out over the city. 'Zero power' The inflatable elements of the building would sit on top of slender, lightweight towers, stabilised by a net of metal cables. Damping technology, similar to that used in Japanese skyscrapers to resist earthquakes, would prevent the towers being buffeted by the wind. The Killesberg Tower in Germany is built using similar principles "Many tall towers have preceded this, but our achievement is the high degree of transparency, the minimal use of material and the vast volume created by the spheres," said professor Joerg Schleich, the structural engineer behind the towers. Professor Schleich was responsible for the Olympic Stadium in Munich as well as numerous lightweight towers built to the same design as the Cloud. The structure would also be used to harvest all the energy it produces according to Professor Ratti. "It would be a zero power cloud," he said. As well as solar cells on the ground and inside some of the spheres, the lifts would use regenerative braking, similar to that in some hybrid cars. That way, the designers say, potential energy from visitors to the top of the tower can be harnessed into useful electricity. The team have launched a fundraising website called raisethecloud.org and are now looking for a site for the tower. Google has already offered to provide free advertising for the so-called "cloud-raising" effort. The firm has offered a sponsored link at the top of the page advertising a "£1 for 1 pixel" concept to people who search for terms relevant to London 2012. "It will be a monument to crowd-sourcing," said Professor Ratti.

Don't read this!!!!!!? At 11:40 P.M. Sunday, April 14, 1912, an iceberg was melting. The iceberg was clear and hard to see. It reflected the night sky. It was small. Not big enough to even touch the bridge of the ship. Six ice warnings were received that day. All of which were ignored. The wireless operator was preoccupied with transmitting passenger messages. The ship was traveling 22.5 knots while cruising the iceberg filled water. That’s just .5 knots away from its maximum speed. (24 knots=28 miles per hour) As they neared this iceberg, the unsinkable ship’s chaos began. The largest most luxurious ship afloat was the Titanic. It took two years to build and three thousand men to build it. This wasn’t your ordinary ship. It had the first heated pool to be in a ship, a squash court, Turkish bath, and gymnasium with rowing machines and stationary bikes. Engines the size of a three story house powered it. The Titanic cost about seven million five hundred thousand dollars to build. That’s one hundred twenty three million dollars today. Lord Pirrie and J. Bruce Ismay came up with the idea to make the ship. Lord Pirrie did the overall design while Alexander Carlis was in charge of the details. The ship was owned by White Star Line. The Titanic sailed from England and supposed to get to New York City. The ship weighed fifty three thousand tons. It was eight hundred eighty two feet long and ninety-two feet wide. It had eight hundred ninety crewmembers. Twenty-three were women. Women were stewardesses, cashiers, masseuse, and bath attendants. Twenty out of the twenty-three women on the crew survived. People were divided into social classes according to their background, wealth, and education. The bottom layer of the Titanic was for manual workers. The next layer was for the third class passengers. Many of these were from other countries hoping to start a new life in America. The second layer was for teachers, merchants, and professionals. The top layer was for first class. These were rich and aristocratic. Many famous people were aboard the Titanic. After all, elegance was the word for the Titanic’s interior. Lavish in its décor, menus, and entertainment. It surpassed the highest expectations from its passengers. Not only was it the biggest, it was sleek, fast and considered unsinkable. Every proven safety feature and several new ones were put into its construction. So it’s no doubt why rich were aboard. The richest was considered Colonel JJ Astor whose great grandfather was the wealthiest American prior to the Civil War. Molly Brown whose husband struck rich mining silver and Mister and Misses Straus co-owned Macy’s department store are just a few. The titanic set off at 1:55 P.M. on April 10, 1912 from England not knowing that on April 14, 1912 near midnight the catastrophic nightmare would start. The small, clear iceberg was spotted at 11:39 P.M. by Fred Fleet who was on watch in the crow’s nest too late to avoid hitting it. Crew was not worried, because they didn’t think such a small iceberg could do much damage. After all, the ship was unsinkable. The iceberg indented the ship and made a 220-245 feet hole. The ship had sixteen watertight compartments. They ship could float if four compartments flooded. Five did. Many passengers didn’t know they hit anything. Captain Smith and Thomas Andrew, ship’s builder, went to inspect the damage. The mailroom and two of the boiler rooms were filling up with water. They knew the ship would sink. The radio room was ordered to send a distress call. Stewards told people to put lifejackets on. At midnight, the lifeboats were uncovered. A number of ships responded to the distress call, but all were too far away. Even an hour after the crash, people didn’t realize the seriousness of the situation. Captain Smith ordered at 12:30 to fill lifeboats. The Titanic only carried the law, which was sixteen lifeboats, because the ship was unsinkable. They thought it took away from the elegance. There were enough lifeboats for half the people. At 12:45 the first lifeboat was lowered. Women and children were first to get on. It could carry about sixty-four people when only twenty-eight got on. While as this was happening, the third class was locked under deck. Gates were locked to keep them from entering first and second-class areas. Crews weren’t ordered to open gates until all lifeboats were gone. After all the lifeboats were gone at 2:05, one thousand five hundred people were still on the sinking ship. Four hundred seventy-two seats were not used on the lifeboats. The biggest cause of death was the freezing temperature of the water. Charles Joughin was the only one to survive in the water. He reportedly had been drinking heavily. As the titanic slid into the water, hundreds of cries could be heard. It was not until dawn that the Carpathia came to rescue those in lifeboats. Out of about two thousand three hundred fifty people, eight hundred sixty-eight were survivors. One thousand four hundred ninety died on the Titanic. Most were rich, famous, or wanting to start over. Many gave up lifeboat seats for others, cradled the dead, and helped the broken. Such a bad time brought out the good in people. Such a catastrophe will never be forgotten. It was a time of sorrow and a lesson that nothing is impossible.

Response to the US Vs UK military questions? Just read this article. It came out of the most anti-American newspaper in the world. The Guardian... That being said, even these idiots can not deny the scope of American power. Oh yeah...There is no way Britain could even begin to dream about winning a (hypothetical) war against America. Read up on the US Military - no one even comes close. This isn't opinion...its fact. -------- American power -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Armed to the teeth Is Bush's awesome increase in military spending a reasonable response to the afermath of September 11, or is he creating a force almost too powerful for its own good? Peter Beaumont and Ed Vulliamy report Is America too powerful for its own good? You can have your say online here. Observer Worldview Sunday February 10, 2002 The Observer There is a United States special forces dog-handler who meets journalists, diplomats and aid workers off the UN flight to Kabul. His job is to search luggage and ensure the security of US troops in Afghanistan. He is short, gingery and aggressive. His skills at persuasion are limited to shouting at the milling crowd: 'Stand back! Stand back! My dog will bite!' Last week that phrase had become the defining motto and operating credo for the military and foreign policy of the Bush administration. Already President George W. Bush has put Iran, Iraq and North Korea on notice as terrorist-sponsoring nations at the centre of an international 'axis of evil', despite the CIA's recent evidence that none of them was in the business of threatening the United States at present. Article continues -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Monday, to back that explicit threat, he announced an increase in US military spending of 15 per cent, the biggest in 20 years, more than double the military spending in all of the European Union. The rise will be $36 billion (£26.5bn) this year, $48 billion next year and $120 billion over the next five years, rising to a staggering two trillion over the next five years. Even this is not enough for General Richard Myers, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. They want the US defence budget to increase at an even faster rate. What all this means is clear. Troubled by the 11 September attacks and buoyed by the ease of the war against Afghanistan, Bush's message to the 'evil doers' of the world is that he has a dog; that it is very big, getting bigger, and certainly it will bite. The puzzle about the latest rise in defence spending is that America at the beginning of the 21st century is already not so much a superpower as a behemoth on the world stage. Economically dominant, it enjoys military and cultural power unrivalled since the days of the Roman emperors, as the American author Robert D. Kaplan reminds us in his new book, Warrior Politics. Typically, it has been left to the French, traditionally suspicious of US global hegemony, to find the best words to describe it. Gigantisme militaire they call it, in a phrase that describes both the scale of America's ambitions and also a pathological condition: an organism grown so large it is sick. The question the rest of the world is asking itself is: Who is the enemy America is arming itself so against? And why? 'Ostensibly,' says one European diplomat, 'this is about security. But quite how a massive increase in defence spending is supposed to prevent another terrorist attack remains unclear. Instead this seems to be about repairing the bruised American psyche after 11 September. America's powerlessness in the face of this attack requires big gestures and reassurances, even if they are counter-productive and meaningless.' Indeed, some analysts say, if it is security that America seeks it is better sought in dialogue with potentially threatening states, rather than in reinforcing the idea already held by many anti-US groups that it is an evil empire bent on world domination. Cynics have identified more overtly self-serving strands in the Republican obsession with America's defence. The 'war' rhetoric, as some US liberal commentators have pointed out, serves a purely domestic Republican agenda in the post-11 September mood of national paranoia: to win Bush a second presidential term and, in the shorter term, regain Congress. The reality - even before the latest proposed increases in military spending - is that America could beat the rest of the world at war with one hand tied behind its back. The requirement that US armed forces be able to fight two fully fledged wars with two separate adversaries simultaneously may recently have been dropped, but only because it would be hard pushed to find two such equal foes to fight. A single US nuclear-powered carrier group - which forms around the USS Enterprise, for example, with a flight deck almost a mile in length and a superstructure 20 storeys high - concentrates more military power in one naval group than most states can manage with all their armed forces. America has seven of these battle groups. It is not just the scale and power of these weapons systems. The reach of US arms, too, is awesome. When the USS Kitty Hawk was sent with its accompanying warships from Yokohama to the Gulf for the war against Afghanistan, it covered 6,000 miles in just 12 days to be transformed into a vast floating forward attack station for thousands of US special forces. Its B-52 bombers can fly and refuel across the world armed with cruise missiles that can be fired hundreds of miles away from hostile skies, the missiles themselves directed to their targets by satellites in orbit. And America's supremacy in bombs, planes, satellites, tanks and real-time intelligence have made the prospect of US casualties remote, except in the event of cock-up or disaster. And, significantly, as the world's only economic hyper-power, it can afford this level of militarisation. But against all this even the manufacturers of America's arms - like the aviation giant Lockheed-Martin - have been struggling for a decade or so to define the threat its top-shelf jets will be battling in the skies, being forced in one memorable presentation to show the European Eurofighter as a potential adversary. So why the need for more and better military power? Even military analysts are baffled. 'The rise in US military spending,' says Dan Plesch, senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, 'ought to be compared to the decision in the First World War to order up more cavalry when the first wave had been mown down by machine-guns. 'The US has no competitor in high-tech military equipment. And what it is spending its money on is mostly irrelevant against the knives used to carry out 11 September. The bombing of Afghanistan has created the illusion of victory.' Professor Paul Kennedy at Yale University calculates that the US now spends more each year than the next nine largest national defence budgets combined. Indeed America is responsible for about 40 per cent of the world's military spending. The new defence expenditure will be paid for by a freshly dug deficit and cuts to every other federal spending programme - including social security, Medicare and urban renewal - apart from tax breaks loaded heavily in favour of the upper-income brackets. Amid all this, military might has emerged as the central tenet of America's new power, the defining feature of the Bush administration. Already it is causing alarm, even among America's closest allies in Nato, where Lord Robertson, the usually unflappable secretary-general, has been moved to warn some members that unless the declining European defence expenditure is reversed then Europe - and the Europeans in Nato - are in danger of becoming military pygmies. It is not a prospect likely to worry the military hawks in the Bush administration, who favour unilateralism over alliance. Indeed the Nato alliance, built to counter the rival superpower conflict of the Cold War, is already almost redundant, some diplomats claim. 'Will the Americans ever fight a war through Nato again?' asks Carl Bildt, former Swedish Prime Minister. 'It's doubtful. The United States reserves the right to itself to wage war, and dumps on others the messy, expensive business of nation-building and peace keeping'. And the Afghan war has not only put the US in sole command of the world, but fundamentally reshaped the architecture of international alliances. Central Asia is splattered with new American fortresses; the Pacific and Indian oceans are patrolled by aircraft carriers and accompanying fleets of awesome size.

Do all these pork projects seem like a good use of our hard earned tax dollars? What did it "stimulate"? http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/After-a-flurry-of-stimulus-spending_-questionable-projects-pile-up-8474249-68709732.html - $30 million for a spring training baseball complex for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. - $11 million for Microsoft to build a bridge connecting its two headquarter campuses in Redmond, Wash., which are separated by a highway. - $430,000 to repair a bridge in Iowa County, Wis., that carries 10 or fewer cars per day. - $800,000 for the John Murtha Airport in Johnstown, Pa., serving about 20 passengers per day, to build a backup runway. - $219,000 for Syracuse University to study the sex lives of freshmen women. - $2.3 million for the U.S. Forest Service to rear large numbers of arthropods, including the Asian longhorned beetle, the nun moth and the woolly adelgid. - $3.4 million for a 13-foot tunnel for turtles and other wildlife attempting to cross U.S. 27 in Lake Jackson, Fla. - $1.15 million to install a guardrail for a persistently dry lake bed in Guymon, Okla. - $9.38 million to renovate a century-old train depot in Lancaster County, Pa., that has not been used for three decades. - $2.5 million in stimulus checks sent to the deceased. - $6 million for a snow-making facility in Duluth, Minn. - $173,834 to weatherize eight pickup trucks in Madison County, Ill. - $20,000 for a fish sperm freezer at the Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery in South Dakota. - $380,000 to spay and neuter pets in Wichita, Kan. - $300 apiece for thousands of signs at road construction sites across the country announcing that the projects are funded by stimulus money. - $1.5 million for a fence to block would-be jumpers from leaping off the All-American Bridge in Akron, Ohio. - $1 million to study the health effects of environmentally friendly public housing on 300 people in Chicago. - $356,000 for Indiana University to study childhood comprehension of foreign accents compared with native speech. - $983,952 for street beautification in Ann Arbor, Mich., including decorative lighting, trees, benches and bike paths. - $148,438 for Washington State University to analyze the use of marijuana in conjunction with medications like morphine. - $462,000 to purchase 22 concrete toilets for use in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri - $3.1 million to transform a canal barge into a floating museum that will travel the Erie Canal in New York state. - $1.3 million on government arts jobs in Maine, including $30,000 for basket makers, $20,000 for storytelling and $12,500 for a music festival. - $71,000 for a hybrid car to be used by student drivers in Colchester, Vt., as well as a plug-in hybrid for town workers decked out with a sign touting the vehicle's energy efficiency. - $1 million for Portland, Ore., to replace 100 aging bike lockers and build a garage that would house 250 bicycles.

Have you seen the stimulus bill hard at work? After a flurry of stimulus spending, questionable projects pile up By: Susan Ferrechio Chief Congressional Correspondent November 3, 2009 The $787 billion stimulus bill was passed in February and was promised as a job saver and economy booster. Here is where some of the money went: - $300,000 for a GPS-equipped helicopter to hunt for radioactive rabbit droppings at the Hanford nuclear reservation in Washington state. - $30 million for a spring training baseball complex for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. - $11 million for Microsoft to build a bridge connecting its two headquarter campuses in Redmond, Wash., which are separated by a highway. - $430,000 to repair a bridge in Iowa County, Wis., that carries 10 or fewer cars per day. - $800,000 for the John Murtha Airport in Johnstown, Pa., serving about 20 passengers per day, to build a backup runway. - $219,000 for Syracuse University to study the sex lives of freshmen women. - $2.3 million for the U.S. Forest Service to rear large numbers of arthropods, including the Asian longhorned beetle, the nun moth and the woolly adelgid. - $3.4 million for a 13-foot tunnel for turtles and other wildlife attempting to cross U.S. 27 in Lake Jackson, Fla. - $1.15 million to install a guardrail for a persistently dry lake bed in Guymon, Okla. - $9.38 million to renovate a century-old train depot in Lancaster County, Pa., that has not been used for three decades. - $2.5 million in stimulus checks sent to the deceased. - $6 million for a snow-making facility in Duluth, Minn. - $173,834 to weatherize eight pickup trucks in Madison County, Ill. - $20,000 for a fish sperm freezer at the Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery in South Dakota. - $380,000 to spay and neuter pets in Wichita, Kan. - $300 apiece for thousands of signs at road construction sites across the country announcing that the projects are funded by stimulus money. - $1.5 million for a fence to block would-be jumpers from leaping off the All-American Bridge in Akron, Ohio. - $1 million to study the health effects of environmentally friendly public housing on 300 people in Chicago. - $356,000 for Indiana University to study childhood comprehension of foreign accents compared with native speech. - $983,952 for street beautification in Ann Arbor, Mich., including decorative lighting, trees, benches and bike paths. - $148,438 for Washington State University to analyze the use of marijuana in conjunction with medications like morphine. - $462,000 to purchase 22 concrete toilets for use in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri - $3.1 million to transform a canal barge into a floating museum that will travel the Erie Canal in New York state. - $1.3 million on government arts jobs in Maine, including $30,000 for basket makers, $20,000 for storytelling and $12,500 for a music festival. - $71,000 for a hybrid car to be used by student drivers in Colchester, Vt., as well as a plug-in hybrid for town workers decked out with a sign touting the vehicle's energy efficiency. - $1 million for Portland, Ore., to replace 100 aging bike lockers and build a garage that would house 250 bicycles. Real nice, eh?

Interesting Facts? If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee. The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue. Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie. The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet. Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour. A person cannot taste food unless it is mixed with saliva. For example, if strong-tasting substance like salt is placed on a dry tongue, the taste buds will not be able to taste it. As soon as a drop of saliva is added and the salt is dissolved, however, a definite taste sensation results. This is true for all foods. Try it! The average person falls asleep in seven minutes. Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks otherwise it will digest itself Humans are the only primates that don't have pigment in the palms of their hands. Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married. It's possible to lead a cow upstairs...but not downstairs. Dogs have four toes on their hind feet, and five on their front feet. The ant can lift 50 times its own weight, can pull 30 times its own weight and always falls over on its right side when intoxicated. A cockroach will live nine days without it's head, before it starves to death. The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the males head off. Butterflies taste with their feet. Elephants are the only mamals that can't jump. Starfish don't have brains. Polar bears are left handed. A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why. An ostrich's eye is bigger that it's brain. The longest recorded flight of a chicken is thirteen seconds. The fingerprints of koala bears are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they could be confused at a crime scene. Snails can sleep for 3 years without eating Porcupines float in water. Armadillos are the only animal besides humans that can get leprosy. Many hamsters only blink one eye at a time. A pregnant goldfish is called a twit. The longest recorded flight of a chicken is thirteen seconds. A male emperor moth can smell a female emperor moth up to 7 miles away. A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue! Orcas (killer whales) kill sharks by torpedoing up into to shark's stomach from underneath, causing the shark to explode. Ten percent of the Russian government's income comes from the sale of vodka. The number of possible ways of playing the first four moves per side in a game of chess is 318,979,564,000. The sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." uses every letter in the alphabet. (Developed by Western Union to Test telex/two communications) The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is "uncopyrightable". Stewardesses' is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand. No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, and purple. "I am" is the shortest complete sentence in the English language. The Hawaiian alphabet has 12 letters. 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321 If you spell out consecutive numbers, you have to go up to one thousand until you would find the letter "a" Men can read smaller print than women; women can hear better than men. Bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers were all invented by women. The reason firehouses have circular stairways is from the days of yore when the engines were pulled by horses. The horses were stabled on the ground floor and figured out how to walk up straight staircases. The airplane Buddy Holly died in was the "American Pie." (Thus the name of the Don McLean song.) Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history. Spades - King David; Clubs - Alexander the Great; Hearts - Charlemagne; and Diamonds - Julius Caesar. Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously. Pearls melt in vinegar. Honey is the only food that doesn't spoil. If you put a raisin in a glass of champagne, it will keep floating to the top and sinking to the bottom. Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older. Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks or it will digest itself. It was discovered on a space mission that a frog can throw up. The frog throws up its stomach first, so the stomach is dangling out of its mouth.Then the frog uses its forearms to dig out all of the stomach's contents and then swallows the stomach back down again. If NASA sent birds into space they would soon die; they need gravity to swallow. Studies show that if a cat falls off the seventh floor of a building, it has about thirty percent less chance of surviving than a cat that falls off the twentieth floor. It supposedly takes about eight floors for the cat to realise what is occurring, relax and correct itself. Emus and kangaroos cannot walk backwards, and are on the Australian coat of arms for that reason. The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin during World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo. More people are killed annually by donkeys than die in aircrashes. Certain frogs can be frozen solid, then thawed, and survive. Cat's urine glows under a black light. A shark can detect one part of blood in 100 million parts of water. A rat can last longer without water than a camel. To escape the grip of a crocodile's jaws, push your thumbs into its eyeballs - it will let you go instantly. If you toss a penny 10000 times, it will not be heads 5000 times,but more like 4950. The heads picture weighs more, so it ends up on the bottom. Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2-6 years of age. The 3 most valuable brand names on earth: Marlboro, Coca-Cola, and Budweiser, in that order. Coca Cola was originally green. 40% of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals. Every person has a unique tongue print. The most common name in the world is Mohammed. Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair. The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910. The youngest Pope was 11 years old. Einstein couldn't speak fluently when he was nine. His parents thought he might be retarded. Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time. Sherlock Holmes never said "Elementary, my dear Watson". In "Casablanca", Humphrey Bogart never said "Play it again, Sam". A 'jiffy' is an actual unit of time: 1/100th of a second. Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th." First novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer The mask used by Michael Myers in the original film "Halloween" was actually a Captain Kirk mask painted white. James Doohan, who plays Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott on Star Trek, is missing the entire middle finger of his right hand. All of the clocks in the movie "Pulp Fiction" are stuck on 4:20. Debra Winger was the voice of E.T. During the chariot scene in 'Ben Hur' a small red car can be seen in the distance. The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time television were Fred and Wilma Flintstone. Mel Blanc (the voice of Bugs Bunny) was allergic to carrots. Every day more money is printed for monopoly than the US Treasury. The city with the most Roll Royces per capita: Hong Kong Percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% Percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38% Barbie's measurements if she were life size: 39-23-33 Cost of raising a medium-sized dog to the age of 11: £4000 Clans of long ago that wanted to get rid of their unwanted people without killing them used to burn their houses down - hence the expression "to get fired." The name Jeep came from the abbreviation used in the army for the "General Purpose" vehicle, G.P. The term "whole 9 yards" came from WWII fighter pilots in the South Pacific. When arming their airplanes on the ground, the .50 caliber machine gun ammo belts measured exactly 27 feet. If the pilots fired all their ammo at a target, it got the "whole 9 yards." The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb. The US Interstate road system was designed so that one mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies. The cruise liner Queen Elizabeth II, moves only six inches for each gallon of fuel that it burns. A Saudi Arabian woman can get a divorce if her husband doesn't give her coffee. The dot over the letter 'i' is called a tittle. Most lipstick contains fish scales. Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear trousers. Ketchup was sold in the 1830s as medicine You can tell from the statue of a mounted horseman how the rider died. If all four of the horse's feet are on the ground, he died of natural causes. One foot raised means he died from wounds suffered in battle. Two legs raised means he died in action.

help physics question? The United States possesses the eight largest warships in the world, aircraft carriers of the Nimitz class, and it is building one more. Suppose that one of the ships bobs up to float 10.5 cm higher in the water when 52 fighters take off from it in at a location where g = 9.78 m/s2. Bristling with bombs and missiles, the planes have average mass of 28990 kg. Find the horizontal area enclosed by the waterline of the $4 billion ship. By comparison, its flight deck has an area of 18000 m2. Below decks are passageways hundreds of meters long, so narrow that two large men cannot pass each other.

For all book lovers. What do you think? Chapter one. For more than thirty years, the town of Redville suffered from the evil Dominion of Lord Vladimir. He tortured whoever spoke against his will. Down the dungeon of his castle, you could find his guards whipping grey haired men, and helpless women. However, it was on a dark night in the middle of December when hope came back. Elma, the oracle of Redville, drifted like a shadow down the streets; her red hair floating all around her shoulders, and her twisted fingers counting the steps she walked over the flagstones. She was sure that her sudden visit to the Gustavs would cause a lot of disturbance, but she held extremely important news for them, news that cannot be postponed. Stroking the kinks in her blue coat, she stopped in front of the red-bricked house. After knocking twice, a voice came from behind the door. “Who’s there?” “I’m Elma, The oracle.” A blue eye appeared at the peephole and then the door flung open. A tall, skinny woman with black bags under her eyes smiled thinly at Elma. “It’s very cold outside. What brings you at such a time?” Elma did not reply. After making sure that no one followed her, she rushed into the house. “What do you want?” the woman repeated. Still, Elma gave no reply. she hang her coat at the hook behind the door then walked to the living room with the other woman at her tail. “I have important news for your family, Beatrice.” Elma said, eyeing the four babies that blubbered and wailed on the sofa beside the fireplace. “Where’s Gustave.” Elma asked, “He must hear what I have to say.” “What do you have to say Elma?” a raspy, low voice spoke from behind Elma. A tall, well-built man walked down the living room, his green eyes glowed wildly against the fire of the hearth. “Very important news,” Elma said, “come, sit down.” The three walked to the round table standing at the northern corner of the living room. Elma sat at the head of the table with gustave and Beatrice on her sides. She smiled at the newly married couple, and dipped her hand under her short skirt. Her slender legs shivered for a while and then a deck of cards burst from under the table like a latent volcano. “The future, oh the future,” Elma began in her dreamy voice. “I know it, I feel it, and I hear it. It’s as obvious as the stars for me; let me tell it to you.” The couple’s eyes widened as they watched Elma kick her chair back and walk to the four babies. “I have a prophecy for your children,” Elma ran a slender finger back and forth over the babies’ heads, and suddenly the cards flew in a wavy line towards her. They spun like a snake around her neck then, fell to the carpet. “One of your four kids will have a magical talent; a talent that will allow him to bring hope in the hearts of the tortured.” The couples shook as the oracle spoke. “Which one of our babies will do so?” Beatrice asked, rushing to her four babies and examining them. Elma shrugged and pointed to the ceiling of the house. “Only the stars know. Only the stars choose.” It's a chapter book for ages 9-12. Hope you enjoyed.

For all avid readers. What do you think of this? Chapter one. For more than thirty years, the town of Redville suffered from the evil Dominion of Lord Vladimir. He tortured whoever spoke against his will. Down the dungeon of his castle, you could find his guards whipping grey haired men, and helpless women. However, it was on a dark night in the middle of December when hope came back. Elma, the oracle of Redville, drifted like a shadow down the streets; her red hair floating all around her shoulders, and her twisted fingers counting the steps she walked over the flagstones. She was sure that her sudden visit to the Gustavs would cause a lot of disturbance, but she held extremely important news for them, news that cannot be postponed. Stroking the kinks in her blue coat, she stopped in front of the red-bricked house. After knocking twice, a voice came from behind the door. “Who’s there?” “I’m Elma, The oracle.” A blue eye appeared at the peephole and then the door flung open. A tall, skinny woman with black bags under her eyes smiled thinly at Elma. “It’s very cold outside. What brings you at such a time?” Elma did not reply. After making sure that no one followed her, she rushed into the house. “What do you want?” the woman repeated. Still, Elma gave no reply. she hang her coat at the hook behind the door then walked to the living room with the other woman at her tail. “I have important news for your family, Beatrice.” Elma said, eyeing the four babies that blubbered and wailed on the sofa beside the fireplace. “Where’s Gustave.” Elma asked, “He must hear what I have to say.” “What do you have to say Elma?” a raspy, low voice spoke from behind Elma. A tall, well-built man walked down the living room, his green eyes glowed wildly against the fire of the hearth. “Very important news,” Elma said, “come, sit down.” The three walked to the round table standing at the northern corner of the living room. Elma sat at the head of the table with gustave and Beatrice on her sides. She smiled at the newly married couple, and dipped her hand under her short skirt. Her slender legs shivered for a while and then a deck of cards burst from under the table like a latent volcano. “The future, oh the future,” Elma began in her dreamy voice. “I know it, I feel it, and I hear it. It’s as obvious as the stars for me; let me tell it to you.” The couple’s eyes widened as they watched Elma kick her chair back and walk to the four babies. “I have a prophecy for your children,” Elma ran a slender finger back and forth over the babies’ heads, and suddenly the cards flew in a wavy line towards her. They spun like a snake around her neck then, fell to the carpet. “One of your four kids will have a magical talent; a talent that will allow him to bring hope in the hearts of the tortured.” The couples shook as the oracle spoke. “Which one of our babies will do so?” Beatrice asked, rushing to her four babies and examining them. Elma shrugged and pointed to the ceiling of the house. “Only the stars know. Only the stars choose.” It's a chapter book for ages 9-12. Hope you enjoyed.

For all book lovers. what do you think of this? Chapter one. For more than thirty years, the town of Redville suffered from the evil Dominion of Lord Vladimir. He tortured whoever spoke against his will. Down the dungeon of his castle, you could find his guards whipping grey haired men, and helpless women. However, it was on a dark night in the middle of December when hope came back. Elma, the oracle of Redville, drifted like a shadow down the streets; her red hair floating all around her shoulders, and her twisted fingers counting the steps she walked over the flagstones. She was sure that her sudden visit to the Gustavs would cause a lot of disturbance, but she held extremely important news for them, news that cannot be postponed. Stroking the kinks in her blue coat, she stopped in front of the red-bricked house. After knocking twice, a voice came from behind the door. “Who’s there?” “I’m Elma, The oracle.” A blue eye appeared at the peephole and then the door flung open. A tall, skinny woman with black bags under her eyes smiled thinly at Elma. “It’s very cold outside. What brings you at such a time?” Elma did not reply. After making sure that no one followed her, she rushed into the house. “What do you want?” the woman repeated. Still, Elma gave no reply. she hang her coat at the hook behind the door then walked to the living room with the other woman at her tail. “I have important news for your family, Beatrice.” Elma said, eyeing the four babies that blubbered and wailed on the sofa beside the fireplace. “Where’s Gustave.” Elma asked, “He must hear what I have to say.” “What do you have to say Elma?” a raspy, low voice spoke from behind Elma. A tall, well-built man walked down the living room, his green eyes glowed wildly against the fire of the hearth. “Very important news,” Elma said, “come, sit down.” The three walked to the round table standing at the northern corner of the living room. Elma sat at the head of the table with gustave and Beatrice on her sides. She smiled at the newly married couple, and dipped her hand under her short skirt. Her slender legs shivered for a while and then a deck of cards burst from under the table like a latent volcano. “The future, oh the future,” Elma began in her dreamy voice. “I know it, I feel it, and I hear it. It’s as obvious as the stars for me; let me tell it to you.” The couple’s eyes widened as they watched Elma kick her chair back and walk to the four babies. “I have a prophecy for your children,” Elma ran a slender finger back and forth over the babies’ heads, and suddenly the cards flew in a wavy line towards her. They spun like a snake around her neck then, fell to the carpet. “One of your four kids will have a magical talent; a talent that will allow him to bring hope in the hearts of the tortured.” The couples shook as the oracle spoke. “Which one of our babies will do so?” Beatrice asked, rushing to her four babies and examining them. Elma shrugged and pointed to the ceiling of the house. “Only the stars know. Only the stars choose.” It's a chapter book for ages 9-12. Hope you enjoyed.

What do you think of this chapter truthfully? Chapter one. For more than thirty years, the town of Redville suffered from the evil Dominion of Lord Vladimir. He tortured whoever spoke against his will. Down the dungeon of his castle, you could find his guards whipping grey haired men, and helpless women. However, it was on a dark night in the middle of December when hope came back. Elma, the oracle of Redville, drifted like a shadow down the streets; her red hair floating all around her shoulders, and her twisted fingers counting the steps she walked over the flagstones. She was sure that her sudden visit to the Gustavs would cause a lot of disturbance, but she held extremely important news for them, news that cannot be postponed. Stroking the kinks in her blue coat, she stopped in front of the red-bricked house. After knocking twice, a voice came from behind the door. “Who’s there?” “I’m Elma, The oracle.” A blue eye appeared at the peephole and then the door flung open. A tall, skinny woman with black bags under her eyes smiled thinly at Elma. “It’s very cold outside. What brings you at such a time?” Elma did not reply. After making sure that no one followed her, she rushed into the house. “What do you want?” the woman repeated. Still, Elma gave no reply. she hang her coat at the hook behind the door then walked to the living room with the other woman at her tail. “I have important news for your family, Beatrice.” Elma said, eyeing the four babies that blubbered and wailed on the sofa beside the fireplace. “Where’s Gustave.” Elma asked, “He must hear what I have to say.” “What do you have to say Elma?” a raspy, low voice spoke from behind Elma. A tall, well-built man walked down the living room, his green eyes glowed wildly against the fire of the hearth. “Very important news,” Elma said, “come, sit down.” The three walked to the round table standing at the northern corner of the living room. Elma sat at the head of the table with gustave and Beatrice on her sides. She smiled at the newly married couple, and dipped her hand under her short skirt. Her slender legs shivered for a while and then a deck of cards burst from under the table like a latent volcano. “The future, oh the future,” Elma began in her dreamy voice. “I know it, I feel it, and I hear it. It’s as obvious as the stars for me; let me tell it to you.” The couple’s eyes widened as they watched Elma kick her chair back and walk to the four babies. “I have a prophecy for your children,” Elma ran a slender finger back and forth over the babies’ heads, and suddenly the cards flew in a wavy line towards her. They spun like a snake around her neck then, fell to the carpet. “One of your four kids will have a magical talent; a talent that will allow him to bring hope in the hearts of the tortured.” The couples shook as the oracle spoke. “Which one of our babies will do so?” Beatrice asked, rushing to her four babies and examining them. Elma shrugged and pointed to the ceiling of the house. “Only the stars know. Only the stars choose.”

Howz about these Aussies Jokes/ slang? Drovers Two Aussie cattle drovers standing in an Outback bar. One asked, "What are you up to, Mate?" The other one replied, "Ahh, I'm takin' a mob of 6000 from Goondiwindi to Gympie." "Oh yeah ... and what route are you takin'?" "Ah, probably the Missus; after all, she stuck by me durin' the drought." New Widow Three guys were working on a high-rise building project - Steve, Bruce and Bluey. Steve falls off and is killed instantly. As the ambulance takes the body away, Bruce says, "Someone should go and tell his wife." Bluey says, "OK, I'm pretty good at that sensitive stuff, I'll do it." Two hours later, he comes back carrying a case of Foster's. Bruce says, "Where did you get that, Bluey?" "Steve's wife gave it to me," Bluey replies. "That's unbelievable! You told the lady her husband was dead and she gave you the beer?" "Well not exactly," Bluey says. "When she answered the door, I said to her,'You must be Steve's widow'. She said, 'No, I'm not a widow.' And I said, 'I'll bet you a case of Foster's you are'." Aussie Slang I'm hungry: "I could eat the crotch out of a dead leper's undies." "I could eat the horse and chase the jockey." "So hungry I'd eat a shit sandwich, only I don't like bread." "I could eat the arse out of a rag doll through a cane chair." "So hungry I could eat the arse out of a low flying duck." I'm thirsty: "I'm dry as a dead dingo's donger." "I'm drier than a nuns nasty." "I'm dry as a f**k with no foreplay." "I'm as dry as a pommie's bath mat." "I'm as dry as a bulls bum going up a hill backwards." "I'm drier than an Arab's fart." I need to go for a pee: "Gonna drain me dragon." "My back teeth are floating." "Need to syphon the python." "Takin' the kids to the pool." "I got to take a snakes hiss." "Gotta go have a slash." "Gonna go water a horse." "I'm off to drain the main vein." "Time to splatter the bladder." "I'm dying for a piss ! so bad I can taste it." "Shake hands with the wife's best friend." I need to do a poo: "I gotta go give birth to a Kiwi." "I'm takin' a stroll to the gravy bowl." "It was like giving birth to Kim Beasly." "Off to the bog to leave an offering." "Time to snap off a grogan." "Have to hang a brown bear in the porcelain cave." "I'm gonna strangle a brownie." "There's a brown dog barking at the back door." "I'm going to give birth to your twin." "Need to choke a brown dog." "I've freed Nelson Mandela." "Going for a Rodney." "Taking out the garbage." "I gotta back one out." "Release the Chocolate hostage" "i gotta lay some cables for telstra" Vomit: "Calling for George." "I was driving the porcelain bus this morning." "I left him a lawn pizza." "Toss a tiger on the carpet." "Gotta go Ralph" Insults: "I hope your ears turn into arseholes and shit on your shoulders." "Not enough brains to giv! e 'imself a headache!" "About as useful as tits on a bull." "You must be the world's only living brain donor." "He's a few wanks short of an orgasm." "She had more pricks than a second hand dartboard." "He had a head on him like a sucked mango." "May your chooks turn into emus and kick your dunny down." "He's got a few roos loose in the top paddock." "So stupid that he wouldn't know a tram was up him 'til the bell rang!" "Couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery." "Pull your lip over your head and swallow!" "As ugly as a hat full of arseholes." "If I had a dog that looked like him, I'd shave it's arse and make it walk backwards." "Got a face like a bashed in shit can." "Couldn't tell his ass from a hole in the ground." "Couldn't drive a greasy stick up a dog's arse." "Couldn't organise a f**k in a brothel with a fist full of fifties." "About as useful as a one-legged man in an arse-kicking competition." "I'll kick your! bum till your nose bleeds!" "A stubbie short of a six pack." "Seen better heads in a piss trough." "You're as handy as shit on a stick." "Tighter than a fish's arse." "So tight that he wouldn't shout if a shark bit him." "Face like a smashed crab." "As ugly as a bulldog chewing a wasp." "He could talk a dog off a meatwagon." "F**ked in the head." "You've got a head like a half-eaten pastie." "He wouldn't go two rounds with a revolving door." "Mate, she's as rough as a pigs breakfast." "Your face is like a twisted ugg boot." "He's got a face like a cat licking shit off a thistle." "She's been hit with the ugly stick too many times." "She's two pick handles wide." "An arse like two pigs fighting in a sugar bag." "As ugly as a bag of spanners." "You've got a head like a dropped pie." "He thinks his shit don't stink, but his farts give him away." "I wish his dad had settled for a blow job." "Fell out of the ugly ! tree, and hit every branch on the way down." "Your the load your mother should have swallowed" "If I had a head like yours I'd circumcise it." "Wouldn't know if someone was up him sideways with an armful of deck chairs." "As thick as two short planks!" "you got a head like a busted watermelon" Compliments: "Ya bloods worth bottling!" "He's True Blue."

What do you think of my story? Chapter one. For more than thirty years, the town of Redville suffered from the evil Dominion of Lord Vladimir. He tortured whoever spoke against his will. Down the dungeon of his castle, you could find his guards whipping grey haired men, and helpless women. However, it was on a dark night in the middle of December when hope came back. Elma, the oracle of Redville, drifted like a shadow down the streets; her red hair floating all around her shoulders, and her twisted fingers counting the steps she walked over the flagstones. She was sure that her sudden visit to the Gustavs would cause a lot of disturbance, but she held extremely important news for them, news that cannot be postponed. Stroking the kinks in her blue coat, she stopped in front of the red-bricked house. After knocking twice, a voice came from behind the door. “Who’s there?” “I’m Elma, The oracle.” A blue eye appeared at the peephole and then the door flung open. A tall, skinny woman with black bags under her eyes smiled thinly at Elma. “It’s very cold outside. What brings you at such a time?” Elma did not reply. After making sure that no one followed her, she rushed into the house. “What do you want?” the woman repeated. Still, Elma gave no reply. she hang her coat at the hook behind the door then walked to the living room with the other woman at her tail. “I have important news for your family, Beatrice.” Elma said, eyeing the four babies that blubbered and wailed on the sofa beside the fireplace. “Where’s Gustave.” Elma asked, “He must hear what I have to say.” “What do you have to say Elma?” a raspy, low voice spoke from behind Elma. A tall, well-built man walked down the living room, his green eyes glowed wildly against the fire of the hearth. “Very important news,” Elma said, “come, sit down.” The three walked to the round table standing at the northern corner of the living room. Elma sat at the head of the table with gustave and Beatrice on her sides. She smiled at the newly married couple, and dipped her hand under her short skirt. Her slender legs shivered for a while and then a deck of cards burst from under the table like a latent volcano. “The future, oh the future,” Elma began in her dreamy voice. “I know it, I feel it, and I hear it. It’s as obvious as the stars for me; let me tell it to you.” The couple’s eyes widened as they watched Elma kick her chair back and walk to the four babies. “I have a prophecy for your children,” Elma ran a slender finger back and forth over the babies’ heads, and suddenly the cards flew in a wavy line towards her. They spun like a snake around her neck then, fell to the carpet. “One of your four kids will have a magical talent; a talent that will allow him to bring hope in the hearts of the tortured.” The couples shook as the oracle spoke. “Which one of our babies will do so?” Beatrice asked, rushing to her four babies and examining them. Elma shrugged and pointed to the ceiling of the house. “Only the stars know. Only the stars choose.” it's for ages 9-12. Hope you enjoyed it.

For all readers. does this sound interesting? Chapter one. For more than thirty years, the town of Redville suffered from the evil Dominion of Lord Vladimir. He tortured whoever spoke against his will. Down the dungeon of his castle, you could find his guards whipping grey haired men, and helpless women. However, it was on a dark night in the middle of December when hope came back. Elma, the oracle of Redville, drifted like a shadow down the streets; her red hair floating all around her shoulders, and her twisted fingers counting the steps she walked over the flagstones. She was sure that her sudden visit to the Gustavs would cause a lot of disturbance, but she held extremely important news for them, news that cannot be postponed. Stroking the kinks in her blue coat, she stopped in front of the red-bricked house. After knocking twice, a voice came from behind the door. “Who’s there?” “I’m Elma, The oracle.” A blue eye appeared at the peephole and then the door flung open. A tall, skinny woman with black bags under her eyes smiled thinly at Elma. “It’s very cold outside. What brings you at such a time?” Elma did not reply. After making sure that no one followed her, she rushed into the house. “What do you want?” the woman repeated. Still, Elma gave no reply. she hang her coat at the hook behind the door then walked to the living room with the other woman at her tail. “I have important news for your family, Beatrice.” Elma said, eyeing the four babies that blubbered and wailed on the sofa beside the fireplace. “Where’s Gustave.” Elma asked, “He must hear what I have to say.” “What do you have to say Elma?” a raspy, low voice spoke from behind Elma. A tall, well-built man walked down the living room, his green eyes glowed wildly against the fire of the hearth. “Very important news,” Elma said, “come, sit down.” The three walked to the round table standing at the northern corner of the living room. Elma sat at the head of the table with gustave and Beatrice on her sides. She smiled at the newly married couple, and dipped her hand under her short skirt. Her slender legs shivered for a while and then a deck of cards burst from under the table like a latent volcano. “The future, oh the future,” Elma began in her dreamy voice. “I know it, I feel it, and I hear it. It’s as obvious as the stars for me; let me tell it to you.” The couple’s eyes widened as they watched Elma kick her chair back and walk to the four babies. “I have a prophecy for your children,” Elma ran a slender finger back and forth over the babies’ heads, and suddenly the cards flew in a wavy line towards her. They spun like a snake around her neck then, fell to the carpet. “One of your four kids will have a magical talent; a talent that will allow him to bring hope in the hearts of the tortured.” The couples shook as the oracle spoke. “Which one of our babies will do so?” Beatrice asked, rushing to her four babies and examining them. Elma shrugged and pointed to the ceiling of the house. “Only the stars know. Only the stars choose.” It's a chapter book for ages 9-12. Hope you enjoyed.

For all readers out there. what do you think? Chapter one. For more than thirty years, the town of Redville suffered from the evil Dominion of Lord Vladimir. He tortured whoever spoke against his will. Down the dungeon of his castle, you could find his guards whipping grey haired men, and helpless women. However, it was on a dark night in the middle of December when hope came back. Elma, the oracle of Redville, drifted like a shadow down the streets; her red hair floating all around her shoulders, and her twisted fingers counting the steps she walked over the flagstones. She was sure that her sudden visit to the Gustavs would cause a lot of disturbance, but she held extremely important news for them, news that cannot be postponed. Stroking the kinks in her blue coat, she stopped in front of the red-bricked house. After knocking twice, a voice came from behind the door. “Who’s there?” “I’m Elma, The oracle.” A blue eye appeared at the peephole and then the door flung open. A tall, skinny woman with black bags under her eyes smiled thinly at Elma. “It’s very cold outside. What brings you at such a time?” Elma did not reply. After making sure that no one followed her, she rushed into the house. “What do you want?” the woman repeated. Still, Elma gave no reply. she hang her coat at the hook behind the door then walked to the living room with the other woman at her tail. “I have important news for your family, Beatrice.” Elma said, eyeing the four babies that blubbered and wailed on the sofa beside the fireplace. “Where’s Gustave.” Elma asked, “He must hear what I have to say.” “What do you have to say Elma?” a raspy, low voice spoke from behind Elma. A tall, well-built man walked down the living room, his green eyes glowed wildly against the fire of the hearth. “Very important news,” Elma said, “come, sit down.” The three walked to the round table standing at the northern corner of the living room. Elma sat at the head of the table with gustave and Beatrice on her sides. She smiled at the newly married couple, and dipped her hand under her short skirt. Her slender legs shivered for a while and then a deck of cards burst from under the table like a latent volcano. “The future, oh the future,” Elma began in her dreamy voice. “I know it, I feel it, and I hear it. It’s as obvious as the stars for me; let me tell it to you.” The couple’s eyes widened as they watched Elma kick her chair back and walk to the four babies. “I have a prophecy for your children,” Elma ran a slender finger back and forth over the babies’ heads, and suddenly the cards flew in a wavy line towards her. They spun like a snake around her neck then, fell to the carpet. “One of your four kids will have a magical talent; a talent that will allow him to bring hope in the hearts of the tortured.” The couples shook as the oracle spoke. “Which one of our babies will do so?” Beatrice asked, rushing to her four babies and examining them. Elma shrugged and pointed to the ceiling of the house. “Only the stars know. Only the stars choose.” It's a chapter book for ages 9-12. Hope you enjoyed.

For all readers. Do you love my book? Chapter one. For more than thirty years, the town of Redville suffered from the evil Dominion of Lord Vladimir. He tortured whoever spoke against his will. Down the dungeon of his castle, you could find his guards whipping grey haired men, and helpless women. However, it was on a dark night in the middle of December when hope came back. Elma, the oracle of Redville, drifted like a shadow down the streets; her red hair floating all around her shoulders, and her twisted fingers counting the steps she walked over the flagstones. She was sure that her sudden visit to the Gustavs would cause a lot of disturbance, but she held extremely important news for them, news that cannot be postponed. Stroking the kinks in her blue coat, she stopped in front of the red-bricked house. After knocking twice, a voice came from behind the door. “Who’s there?” “I’m Elma, The oracle.” A blue eye appeared at the peephole and then the door flung open. A tall, skinny woman with black bags under her eyes smiled thinly at Elma. “It’s very cold outside. What brings you at such a time?” Elma did not reply. After making sure that no one followed her, she rushed into the house. “What do you want?” the woman repeated. Still, Elma gave no reply. she hang her coat at the hook behind the door then walked to the living room with the other woman at her tail. “I have important news for your family, Beatrice.” Elma said, eyeing the four babies that blubbered and wailed on the sofa beside the fireplace. “Where’s Gustave.” Elma asked, “He must hear what I have to say.” “What do you have to say Elma?” a raspy, low voice spoke from behind Elma. A tall, well-built man walked down the living room, his green eyes glowed wildly against the fire of the hearth. “Very important news,” Elma said, “come, sit down.” The three walked to the round table standing at the northern corner of the living room. Elma sat at the head of the table with gustave and Beatrice on her sides. She smiled at the newly married couple, and dipped her hand under her short skirt. Her slender legs shivered for a while and then a deck of cards burst from under the table like a latent volcano. “The future, oh the future,” Elma began in her dreamy voice. “I know it, I feel it, and I hear it. It’s as obvious as the stars for me; let me tell it to you.” The couple’s eyes widened as they watched Elma kick her chair back and walk to the four babies. “I have a prophecy for your children,” Elma ran a slender finger back and forth over the babies’ heads, and suddenly the cards flew in a wavy line towards her. They spun like a snake around her neck then, fell to the carpet. “One of your four kids will have a magical talent; a talent that will allow him to bring hope in the hearts of the tortured.” The couples shook as the oracle spoke. “Which one of our babies will do so?” Beatrice asked, rushing to her four babies and examining them. Elma shrugged and pointed to the ceiling of the house. “Only the stars know. Only the stars choose.” It's a chapter book for ages 9-12. Hope you enjoyed.

Would you read my book one day or..? Chapter one. For more than thirty years, the town of Redville suffered from the evil Dominion of Lord Vladimir. He tortured whoever spoke against his will. Down the dungeon of his castle, you could find his guards whipping grey haired men, and helpless women. However, it was on a dark night in the middle of December when hope came back. Elma, the oracle of Redville, drifted like a shadow down the streets; her red hair floating all around her shoulders, and her twisted fingers counting the steps she walked over the flagstones. She was sure that her sudden visit to the Gustavs would cause a lot of disturbance, but she held extremely important news for them, news that cannot be postponed. Stroking the kinks in her blue coat, she stopped in front of the red-bricked house. After knocking twice, a voice came from behind the door. “Who’s there?” “I’m Elma, The oracle.” A blue eye appeared at the peephole and then the door flung open. A tall, skinny woman with black bags under her eyes smiled thinly at Elma. “It’s very cold outside. What brings you at such a time?” Elma did not reply. After making sure that no one followed her, she rushed into the house. “What do you want?” the woman repeated. Still, Elma gave no reply. she hang her coat at the hook behind the door then walked to the living room with the other woman at her tail. “I have important news for your family, Beatrice.” Elma said, eyeing the four babies that blubbered and wailed on the sofa beside the fireplace. “Where’s Gustave.” Elma asked, “He must hear what I have to say.” “What do you have to say Elma?” a raspy, low voice spoke from behind Elma. A tall, well-built man walked down the living room, his green eyes glowed wildly against the fire of the hearth. “Very important news,” Elma said, “come, sit down.” The three walked to the round table standing at the northern corner of the living room. Elma sat at the head of the table with gustave and Beatrice on her sides. She smiled at the newly married couple, and dipped her hand under her short skirt. Her slender legs shivered for a while and then a deck of cards burst from under the table like a latent volcano. “The future, oh the future,” Elma began in her dreamy voice. “I know it, I feel it, and I hear it. It’s as obvious as the stars for me; let me tell it to you.” The couple’s eyes widened as they watched Elma kick her chair back and walk to the four babies. “I have a prophecy for your children,” Elma ran a slender finger back and forth over the babies’ heads, and suddenly the cards flew in a wavy line towards her. They spun like a snake around her neck then, fell to the carpet. “One of your four kids will have a magical talent; a talent that will allow him to bring hope in the hearts of the tortured.” The couples shook as the oracle spoke. “Which one of our babies will do so?” Beatrice asked, rushing to her four babies and examining them. Elma shrugged and pointed to the ceiling of the house. “Only the stars know. Only the stars choose.” It's a chapter book for ages 9-12. Hope you enjoyed.

For all teenagers. what do you think of this? Chapter one. For more than thirty years, the town of Redville suffered from the evil Dominion of Lord Vladimir. He tortured whoever spoke against his will. Down the dungeon of his castle, you could find his guards whipping grey haired men, and helpless women. However, it was on a dark night in the middle of December when hope came back. Elma, the oracle of Redville, drifted like a shadow down the streets; her red hair floating all around her shoulders, and her twisted fingers counting the steps she walked over the flagstones. She was sure that her sudden visit to the Gustavs would cause a lot of disturbance, but she held extremely important news for them, news that cannot be postponed. Stroking the kinks in her blue coat, she stopped in front of the red-bricked house. After knocking twice, a voice came from behind the door. “Who’s there?” “I’m Elma, The oracle.” A blue eye appeared at the peephole and then the door flung open. A tall, skinny woman with black bags under her eyes smiled thinly at Elma. “It’s very cold outside. What brings you at such a time?” Elma did not reply. After making sure that no one followed her, she rushed into the house. “What do you want?” the woman repeated. Still, Elma gave no reply. she hang her coat at the hook behind the door then walked to the living room with the other woman at her tail. “I have important news for your family, Beatrice.” Elma said, eyeing the four babies that blubbered and wailed on the sofa beside the fireplace. “Where’s Gustave.” Elma asked, “He must hear what I have to say.” “What do you have to say Elma?” a raspy, low voice spoke from behind Elma. A tall, well-built man walked down the living room, his green eyes glowed wildly against the fire of the hearth. “Very important news,” Elma said, “come, sit down.” The three walked to the round table standing at the northern corner of the living room. Elma sat at the head of the table with gustave and Beatrice on her sides. She smiled at the newly married couple, and dipped her hand under her short skirt. Her slender legs shivered for a while and then a deck of cards burst from under the table like a latent volcano. “The future, oh the future,” Elma began in her dreamy voice. “I know it, I feel it, and I hear it. It’s as obvious as the stars for me; let me tell it to you.” The couple’s eyes widened as they watched Elma kick her chair back and walk to the four babies. “I have a prophecy for your children,” Elma ran a slender finger back and forth over the babies’ heads, and suddenly the cards flew in a wavy line towards her. They spun like a snake around her neck then, fell to the carpet. “One of your four kids will have a magical talent; a talent that will allow him to bring hope in the hearts of the tortured.” The couples shook as the oracle spoke. “Which one of our babies will do so?” Beatrice asked, rushing to her four babies and examining them. Elma shrugged and pointed to the ceiling of the house. “Only the stars know. Only the stars choose.” It's a chapter book for ages 9-12. Hope you enjoyed.

For everyone. What do you think? Chapter one. For more than thirty years, the town of Redville suffered from the evil Dominion of Lord Vladimir. He tortured whoever spoke against his will. Down the dungeon of his castle, you could find his guards whipping grey haired men, and helpless women. However, it was on a dark night in the middle of December when hope came back. Elma, the oracle of Redville, drifted like a shadow down the streets; her red hair floating all around her shoulders, and her twisted fingers counting the steps she walked over the flagstones. She was sure that her sudden visit to the Gustavs would cause a lot of disturbance, but she held extremely important news for them, news that cannot be postponed. Stroking the kinks in her blue coat, she stopped in front of the red-bricked house. After knocking twice, a voice came from behind the door. “Who’s there?” “I’m Elma, The oracle.” A blue eye appeared at the peephole and then the door flung open. A tall, skinny woman with black bags under her eyes smiled thinly at Elma. “It’s very cold outside. What brings you at such a time?” Elma did not reply. After making sure that no one followed her, she rushed into the house. “What do you want?” the woman repeated. Still, Elma gave no reply. she hang her coat at the hook behind the door then walked to the living room with the other woman at her tail. “I have important news for your family, Beatrice.” Elma said, eyeing the four babies that blubbered and wailed on the sofa beside the fireplace. “Where’s Gustave.” Elma asked, “He must hear what I have to say.” “What do you have to say Elma?” a raspy, low voice spoke from behind Elma. A tall, well-built man walked down the living room, his green eyes glowed wildly against the fire of the hearth. “Very important news,” Elma said, “come, sit down.” The three walked to the round table standing at the northern corner of the living room. Elma sat at the head of the table with gustave and Beatrice on her sides. She smiled at the newly married couple, and dipped her hand under her short skirt. Her slender legs shivered for a while and then a deck of cards burst from under the table like a latent volcano. “The future, oh the future,” Elma began in her dreamy voice. “I know it, I feel it, and I hear it. It’s as obvious as the stars for me; let me tell it to you.” The couple’s eyes widened as they watched Elma kick her chair back and walk to the four babies. “I have a prophecy for your children,” Elma ran a slender finger back and forth over the babies’ heads, and suddenly the cards flew in a wavy line towards her. They spun like a snake around her neck then, fell to the carpet. “One of your four kids will have a magical talent; a talent that will allow him to bring hope in the hearts of the tortured.” The couples shook as the oracle spoke. “Which one of our babies will do so?” Beatrice asked, rushing to her four babies and examining them. Elma shrugged and pointed to the ceiling of the house. “Only the stars know. Only the stars choose.” It's a chapter book for ages 9-12. Hope you enjoyed.

What do you think of this? Chapter one. For more than thirty years, the town of Redville suffered from the evil Dominion of Lord Vladimir. He tortured whoever spoke against his will. Down the dungeon of his castle, you could find his guards whipping grey haired men, and helpless women. However, it was on a dark night in the middle of December when hope came back. Elma, the oracle of Redville, drifted like a shadow down the streets; her red hair floating all around her shoulders, and her twisted fingers counting the steps she walked over the flagstones. She was sure that her sudden visit to the Gustavs would cause a lot of disturbance, but she held extremely important news for them, news that cannot be postponed. Stroking the kinks in her blue coat, she stopped in front of the red-bricked house. After knocking twice, a voice came from behind the door. “Who’s there?” “I’m Elma, The oracle.” A blue eye appeared at the peephole and then the door flung open. A tall, skinny woman with black bags under her eyes smiled thinly at Elma. “It’s very cold outside. What brings you at such a time?” Elma did not reply. After making sure that no one followed her, she rushed into the house. “What do you want?” the woman repeated. Still, Elma gave no reply. she hang her coat at the hook behind the door then walked to the living room with the other woman at her tail. “I have important news for your family, Beatrice.” Elma said, eyeing the four babies that blubbered and wailed on the sofa beside the fireplace. “Where’s Gustave.” Elma asked, “He must hear what I have to say.” “What do you have to say Elma?” a raspy, low voice spoke from behind Elma. A tall, well-built man walked down the living room, his green eyes glowed wildly against the fire of the hearth. “Very important news,” Elma said, “come, sit down.” The three walked to the round table standing at the northern corner of the living room. Elma sat at the head of the table with gustave and Beatrice on her sides. She smiled at the newly married couple, and dipped her hand under her short skirt. Her slender legs shivered for a while and then a deck of cards burst from under the table like a latent volcano. “The future, oh the future,” Elma began in her dreamy voice. “I know it, I feel it, and I hear it. It’s as obvious as the stars for me; let me tell it to you.” The couple’s eyes widened as they watched Elma kick her chair back and walk to the four babies. “I have a prophecy for your children,” Elma ran a slender finger back and forth over the babies’ heads, and suddenly the cards flew in a wavy line towards her. They spun like a snake around her neck then, fell to the carpet. “One of your four kids will have a magical talent; a talent that will allow him to bring hope in the hearts of the tortured.” The couples shook as the oracle spoke. “Which one of our babies will do so?” Beatrice asked, rushing to her four babies and examining them. Elma shrugged and pointed to the ceiling of the house. “Only the stars know. Only the stars choose.”

For all teenagers. What do you think? Chapter one. For more than thirty years, the town of Redville suffered from the evil Dominion of Lord Vladimir. He tortured whoever spoke against his will. Down the dungeon of his castle, you could find his guards whipping grey haired men, and helpless women. However, it was on a dark night in the middle of December when hope came back. Elma, the oracle of Redville, drifted like a shadow down the streets; her red hair floating all around her shoulders, and her twisted fingers counting the steps she walked over the flagstones. She was sure that her sudden visit to the Gustavs would cause a lot of disturbance, but she held extremely important news for them, news that cannot be postponed. Stroking the kinks in her blue coat, she stopped in front of the red-bricked house. After knocking twice, a voice came from behind the door. “Who’s there?” “I’m Elma, The oracle.” A blue eye appeared at the peephole and then the door flung open. A tall, skinny woman with black bags under her eyes smiled thinly at Elma. “It’s very cold outside. What brings you at such a time?” Elma did not reply. After making sure that no one followed her, she rushed into the house. “What do you want?” the woman repeated. Still, Elma gave no reply. she hang her coat at the hook behind the door then walked to the living room with the other woman at her tail. “I have important news for your family, Beatrice.” Elma said, eyeing the four babies that blubbered and wailed on the sofa beside the fireplace. “Where’s Gustave.” Elma asked, “He must hear what I have to say.” “What do you have to say Elma?” a raspy, low voice spoke from behind Elma. A tall, well-built man walked down the living room, his green eyes glowed wildly against the fire of the hearth. “Very important news,” Elma said, “come, sit down.” The three walked to the round table standing at the northern corner of the living room. Elma sat at the head of the table with gustave and Beatrice on her sides. She smiled at the newly married couple, and dipped her hand under her short skirt. Her slender legs shivered for a while and then a deck of cards burst from under the table like a latent volcano. “The future, oh the future,” Elma began in her dreamy voice. “I know it, I feel it, and I hear it. It’s as obvious as the stars for me; let me tell it to you.” The couple’s eyes widened as they watched Elma kick her chair back and walk to the four babies. “I have a prophecy for your children,” Elma ran a slender finger back and forth over the babies’ heads, and suddenly the cards flew in a wavy line towards her. They spun like a snake around her neck then, fell to the carpet. “One of your four kids will have a magical talent; a talent that will allow him to bring hope in the hearts of the tortured.” The couples shook as the oracle spoke. “Which one of our babies will do so?” Beatrice asked, rushing to her four babies and examining them. Elma shrugged and pointed to the ceiling of the house. “Only the stars know. Only the stars choose.” It's a chapter book for ages 9-12. Hope you enjoyed.

For all teenagers. what do you think of my writing? Chapter one. For more than thirty years, the town of Redville suffered from the evil Dominion of Lord Vladimir. He tortured whoever spoke against his will. Down the dungeon of his castle, you could find his guards whipping grey haired men, and helpless women. However, it was on a dark night in the middle of December when hope came back. Elma, the oracle of Redville, drifted like a shadow down the streets; her red hair floating all around her shoulders, and her twisted fingers counting the steps she walked over the flagstones. She was sure that her sudden visit to the Gustavs would cause a lot of disturbance, but she held extremely important news for them, news that cannot be postponed. Stroking the kinks in her blue coat, she stopped in front of the red-bricked house. After knocking twice, a voice came from behind the door. “Who’s there?” “I’m Elma, The oracle.” A blue eye appeared at the peephole and then the door flung open. A tall, skinny woman with black bags under her eyes smiled thinly at Elma. “It’s very cold outside. What brings you at such a time?” Elma did not reply. After making sure that no one followed her, she rushed into the house. “What do you want?” the woman repeated. Still, Elma gave no reply. she hang her coat at the hook behind the door then walked to the living room with the other woman at her tail. “I have important news for your family, Beatrice.” Elma said, eyeing the four babies that blubbered and wailed on the sofa beside the fireplace. “Where’s Gustave.” Elma asked, “He must hear what I have to say.” “What do you have to say Elma?” a raspy, low voice spoke from behind Elma. A tall, well-built man walked down the living room, his green eyes glowed wildly against the fire of the hearth. “Very important news,” Elma said, “come, sit down.” The three walked to the round table standing at the northern corner of the living room. Elma sat at the head of the table with gustave and Beatrice on her sides. She smiled at the newly married couple, and dipped her hand under her short skirt. Her slender legs shivered for a while and then a deck of cards burst from under the table like a latent volcano. “The future, oh the future,” Elma began in her dreamy voice. “I know it, I feel it, and I hear it. It’s as obvious as the stars for me; let me tell it to you.” The couple’s eyes widened as they watched Elma kick her chair back and walk to the four babies. “I have a prophecy for your children,” Elma ran a slender finger back and forth over the babies’ heads, and suddenly the cards flew in a wavy line towards her. They spun like a snake around her neck then, fell to the carpet. “One of your four kids will have a magical talent; a talent that will allow him to bring hope in the hearts of the tortured.” The couples shook as the oracle spoke. “Which one of our babies will do so?” Beatrice asked, rushing to her four babies and examining them. Elma shrugged and pointed to the ceiling of the house. “Only the stars know. Only the stars choose.”

What do you think of the first chapter of my novel? Chapter one. For more than thirty years, the town of Redville suffered from the evil Dominion of Lord Vladimir. He tortured whoever spoke against his will. Down the dungeon of his castle, you could find his guards whipping grey haired men, and helpless women. However, it was on a dark night in the middle of December when hope came back. Elma, the oracle of Redville, drifted like a shadow down the streets; her red hair floating all around her shoulders, and her twisted fingers counting the steps she walked over the flagstones. She was sure that her sudden visit to the Gustavs would cause a lot of disturbance, but she held extremely important news for them, news that cannot be postponed. Stroking the kinks in her blue coat, she stopped in front of the red-bricked house. After knocking twice, a voice came from behind the door. “Who’s there?” “I’m Elma, The oracle.” A blue eye appeared at the peephole and then the door flung open. A tall, skinny woman with black bags under her eyes smiled thinly at Elma. “It’s very cold outside. What brings you at such a time?” Elma did not reply. After making sure that no one followed her, she rushed into the house. “What do you want?” the woman repeated. Still, Elma gave no reply. she hang her coat at the hook behind the door then walked to the living room with the other woman at her tail. “I have important news for your family, Beatrice.” Elma said, eyeing the four babies that blubbered and wailed on the sofa beside the fireplace. “Where’s Gustave.” Elma asked, “He must hear what I have to say.” “What do you have to say Elma?” a raspy, low voice spoke from behind Elma. A tall, well-built man walked down the living room, his green eyes glowed wildly against the fire of the hearth. “Very important news,” Elma said, “come, sit down.” The three walked to the round table standing at the northern corner of the living room. Elma sat at the head of the table with gustave and Beatrice on her sides. She smiled at the newly married couple, and dipped her hand under her short skirt. Her slender legs shivered for a while and then a deck of cards burst from under the table like a latent volcano. “The future, oh the future,” Elma began in her dreamy voice. “I know it, I feel it, and I hear it. It’s as obvious as the stars for me; let me tell it to you.” The couple’s eyes widened as they watched Elma kick her chair back and walk to the four babies. “I have a prophecy for your children,” Elma ran a slender finger back and forth over the babies’ heads, and suddenly the cards flew in a wavy line towards her. They spun like a snake around her neck then, fell to the carpet. “One of your four kids will have a magical talent; a talent that will allow him to bring hope in the hearts of the tortured.” The couples shook as the oracle spoke. “Which one of our babies will do so?” Beatrice asked, rushing to her four babies and examining them. Elma shrugged and pointed to the ceiling of the house. “Only the stars know. Only the stars choose.”

The United States possesses the eight largest warships in the world -- aircraft carriers of the Nimitz class -? The United States possesses the eight largest warships in the world -- aircraft carriers of the Nimitz class -- and is building more. Suppose one of the ships bobs up to float 10.8 cm higher in the water when 50 fighters take off from it in 25 min, at a location where the free fall acceleration is 9.78 m/s2. Bristling with bombs and missiles, the planes have average mass of 2.90 104 kg. Find the horizontal area enclosed by the waterline of the $4 billion ship. By comparison, its flight deck has an area of 18000 m2. Below decks are passageways hundreds of meters long, so narrow that two large men cannot pass each other. Note: you can use the value of 1.025 103 kg/m3 as the density of seawater. In this problem you will have to realize the total weight of the departed planes was supported by the part of the total buoyant force keeping the entire ship afloat associated with the additional vertical distance,10.8 cm, the ship bobbed upward in the water without the planes.

Physics HELP please! on Buoyant forces and archimedes's Principle!? The United States posses the eight largest warships in the world, aircraft carriers of the Nimitz class, and is building one more. suppose one of the ships bobs up to float 11.0 cm higher in the water when 50 fighters take off from it in 25 minutes, at a location where g=9.78 m/s^2. Bristling with bombs and missiles, the planes have average mass 29 000 kg. find the horizontal area enclosed by the waterline of the $4-billion ship. by comparison its flight deck has area of 18 000 m^2. below decks are passageways hundreds of meters long, so narrow that two large men cannot pass each other.

What does this dream mean? I'm scared, please help? I had a dream that my class went on a field trip to this ancient museum said to have been built on an old ritual ground. Our tour guide brought us to the room where they had unearthed a "portal". It was a pure white circle with gold markings on it, and it was supposed to lead to a demonic puzzle world. Now here's where the weirdness really begins. The portal is behind glass, but then a boy from my class gets through and steps on the portal, and vanishes. We start freaking out and suddenly the glass isn't there and we run forward. The moment my feet touch the circle,the museum fades and a different room comes into focus. It has a large pool of water in it, with sharp rocks pointing up from the bottom. There is a wall on the other side with five four panels above a small doorway. On each of the panels is what looks like a piece of a heart. I hear something move behind me, and I see that my friends are here too. No one else, just them. We decide that we should swim across the pool and see if we can find a way out. Once we're on the other side, we notice that one of us isn't there. We look back over the pool, and he's standing there, staring at the water, mumbling that he can't cross it. We keep telling him that it's alright, and he finally jumps in. It wasn't like watching a person fall through water. It looked like he was falling of the side of a cliff, and instead of bobbing back up, he hit the rocks on the bottom. I can't tear my eyes away as they pierce his body. I can't look away as the blood runs down the rocks. We're all scared now, and run down into the doorway, which leads to a dimly-lit hallway. We run, but it seems endless. The lights go out, and I hear my friends scream, but further back from where I thought they were. I run in the direction of their voices, and I run into something hard. The lights come up again, as dim as they were before, and standing before me is the boy who was dead underwater a moment before. He tells me to come with him, that he needs me for something. I run away, and I can hear him follow me. I eventually end up in the room I had left, and I don't know what came over me, but I threw him back into the water. The minute he hit it, he disappeared. My friends are there, and ask me what happened. I tell them. They say it can't be true and point to the water. His body is as I thought it was, dead on the rocks. I can feel my heart pounding, and tell them that we have to leave. We go back along the hallway and find a set of double doors. When we open them, we see the museum. I hear voices coming from along the hallway. I tell them to go ahead, and I go back down the hallway. Suddenly, I'm grabbed by two men in white suits. They pull me into a room cavered in crimson, and tie up my hands before standing guard at the door. There are two others next to me, a dark-skinned woman wearing a black skirt and a red shirt, and a pale man wearing khakis and a white blue-and-red striped shirt. They are bound the same way I am. Before us is a low, rust colored table. Behind it are two figures. One is a woman decked in scarves and jewels. The other is the dead boy. His eyes are pure white, and he has a vicious smile on his face. The woman makes a motion with her hand, and one of the guards brings the dark skinned woman forward. The woman produces a ornate jeweld dagger from amidst the folds of cloth, and the other is thrown down on the table. She stabs her, and just before she dies, I see a white smoke escape her lips. THe man is brought forward, and the same happens. Then I am thrown down on the table. You'd think with a dream like this, I'd wake up before I die, right? Wrong. She stabs me, and I feel my spirit leave me. I stand beside my dead body, and see the spirits of the man and woman standing next to the boy. He's calling to me, asking for my help, and a translucent blue figure with glowing red eyes is floating behind him. The figure floats forward, over to me, and I feel the sensation of something so much more powerful than fear. It's like nothing can help me, like I'm alone, and I'm going to be erased from the world. I woke up shivering and unable to get to sleep. Everything in the dream was vivid, every voice was clear and I felt every touch. What does this mean? Help me if you can.

Can I get some tips for building a raft? I'm building a raft and I am torn between a plank deck and a plywood deck. I figure a ply deck would be cheaper because I only need to buy 2 sheets or 3/4, and a plank deck would need 35 2x4s. I see problems with ply- it wouldn't be quite as strong as the 2x4s- and problems with the planks- they would have openings for water to get into the boxes that make it float. Which would be cheaper, easier, and stronger?

Can I get some tips for building a raft? I'm building a raft and I am torn between a plank deck and a plywood deck. I figure a ply deck would be cheaper because I only need to buy 2 sheets or 3/4, and a plank deck would need 35 2x4s. I see problems with ply- it wouldn't be quite as strong as the 2x4s- and problems with the planks- they would have openings for water to get into the boxes that make it float. Which would be cheaper, easier, and stronger?

Poll: Did you like The Oddysey or The Iliad better? I liked the Iliad better. This was my favorite part: Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another. And which of the gods was it that set them on to quarrel? It was the son of Jove and Leto; for he was angry with the king and sent a pestilence upon the host to plague the people, because the son of Atreus had dishonoured Chryses his priest. Now Chryses had come to the ships of the Achaeans to free his daughter, and had brought with him a great ransom: moreover he bore in his hand the sceptre of Apollo wreathed with a suppliant's wreath and he besought the Achaeans, but most of all the two sons of Atreus, who were their chiefs. "Sons of Atreus," he cried, "and all other Achaeans, may the gods who dwell in Olympus grant you to sack the city of Priam, and to reach your homes in safety; but free my daughter, and accept a ransom for her, in reverence to Apollo, son of Jove." On this the rest of the Achaeans with one voice were for respecting the priest and taking the ransom that he offered; but not so Agamemnon, who spoke fiercely to him and sent him roughly away. "Old man," said he, "let me not find you tarrying about our ships, nor yet coming hereafter. Your sceptre of the god and your wreath shall profit you nothing. I will not free her. She shall grow old in my house at Argos far from her own home, busying herself with her loom and visiting my couch; so go, and do not provoke me or it shall be the worse for you." The old man feared him and obeyed. Not a word he spoke, but went by the shore of the sounding sea and prayed apart to King Apollo whom lovely Leto had borne. "Hear me," he cried, "O god of the silver bow, that protectest Chryse and holy Cilla and rulest Tenedos with thy might, hear me oh thou of Sminthe. If I have ever decked your temple with garlands, or burned your thigh-bones in fat of bulls or goats, grant my prayer, and let your arrows avenge these my tears upon the Danaans." Thus did he pray, and Apollo heard his prayer. He came down furious from the summits of Olympus, with his bow and his quiver upon his shoulder, and the arrows rattled on his back with the rage that trembled within him. He sat himself down away from the ships with a face as dark as night, and his silver bow rang death as he shot his arrow in the midst of them. First he smote their mules and their hounds, but presently he aimed his shafts at the people themselves, and all day long the pyres of the dead were burning. For nine whole days he shot his arrows among the people, but upon the tenth day Achilles called them in assembly- moved thereto by Juno, who saw the Achaeans in their death-throes and had compassion upon them. Then, when they were got together, he rose and spoke among them. "Son of Atreus," said he, "I deem that we should now turn roving home if we would escape destruction, for we are being cut down by war and pestilence at once. Let us ask some priest or prophet, or some reader of dreams (for dreams, too, are of Jove) who can tell us why Phoebus Apollo is so angry, and say whether it is for some vow that we have broken, or hecatomb that we have not offered, and whether he will accept the savour of lambs and goats without blemish, so as to take away the plague from us." With these words he sat down, and Calchas son of Thestor, wisest of augurs, who knew things past present and to come, rose to speak. He it was who had guided the Achaeans with their fleet to Ilius, through the prophesyings with which Phoebus Apollo had inspired him. With all sincerity and goodwill he addressed them thus:- "Achilles, loved of heaven, you bid me tell you about the anger of King Apollo, I will therefore do so; but consider first and swear that you will stand by me heartily in word and deed, for I know that I shall offend one who rules the Argives with might, to whom all the Achaeans are in subjection. A plain man cannot stand against the anger of a king, who if he swallow his displeasure now, will yet nurse revenge till he has wreaked it. Consider, therefore, whether or no you will protect me." And Achilles answered, "Fear not, but speak as it is borne in upon you from heaven, for by Apollo, Calchas, to whom you pray, and whose oracles you reveal to us, not a Danaan at our ships shall lay his hand upon you, while I yet live to look upon the face of the earth- no, not though you name Agamemnon himself, who is by far the foremost of the Achaeans." Thereon the seer spoke boldly. "The god," he said, "is angry neither about vow nor hecatomb, but for his priest's sake, whom Agamemnon has dishonoured, in that he would not free his daughter nor take a ransom for her; therefore has he sent these evils upon us, and will yet send others. He will not deliver the Danaans from this pestilence till Agamemnon has restored the girl without fee or ransom to her father, and has sent a holy hecatomb to Chryse. Thus we may perhaps appease him." With these words he sat down, and Agamemnon rose in anger. His heart was black with rage, and his eyes flashed fire as he scowled on Calchas and said, "Seer of evil, you never yet prophesied smooth things concerning me, but have ever loved to foretell that which was evil. You have brought me neither comfort nor performance; and now you come seeing among Danaans, and saying that Apollo has plagued us because I would not take a ransom for this girl, the daughter of Chryses. I have set my heart on keeping her in my own house, for I love her better even than my own wife Clytemnestra, whose peer she is alike in form and feature, in understanding and accomplishments. Still I will give her up if I must, for I would have the people live, not die; but you must find me a prize instead, or I alone among the Argives shall be without one. This is not well; for you behold, all of you, that my prize is to go elsewhither." And Achilles answered, "Most noble son of Atreus, covetous beyond all mankind, how shall the Achaeans find you another prize? We have no common store from which to take one. Those we took from the cities have been awarded; we cannot disallow the awards that have been made already. Give this girl, therefore, to the god, and if ever Jove grants us to sack the city of Troy we will requite you three and fourfold." Then Agamemnon said, "Achilles, valiant though you be, you shall not thus outwit me. You shall not overreach and you shall not persuade me. Are you to keep your own prize, while I sit tamely under my loss and give up the girl at your bidding? Let the Achaeans find me a prize in fair exchange to my liking, or I will come and take your own, or that of Ajax or of Ulysses; and he to whomsoever I may come shall rue my coming. But of this we will take thought hereafter; for the present, let us draw a ship into the sea, and find a crew for her expressly; let us put a hecatomb on board, and let us send Chryseis also; further, let some chief man among us be in command, either Ajax, or Idomeneus, or yourself, son of Peleus, mighty warrior that you are, that we may offer sacrifice and appease the the anger of the god." Achilles scowled at him and answered, "You are steeped in insolence and lust of gain. With what heart can any of the Achaeans do your bidding, either on foray or in open fighting? I came not warring here for any ill the Trojans had done me. I have no quarrel with them. They have not raided my cattle nor my horses, nor cut down my harvests on the rich plains of Phthia; for between me and them there is a great space, both mountain and sounding sea. We have followed you, Sir Insolence! for your pleasure, not ours- to gain satisfaction from the Trojans for your shameless self and for Menelaus. You forget this, and threaten to rob me of the prize for which I have toiled, and which the sons of the Achaeans have given me. Never when the Achaeans sack any rich city of the Trojans do I receive so good a prize as you do, though it is my hands that do the better part of the fighting. When the sharing comes, your share is far the largest, and I, forsooth, must go back to my ships, take what I can get and be thankful, when my labour of fighting is done. Now, therefore, I shall go back to Phthia; it will be much better for me to return home with my ships, for I will not stay here dishonoured to gather gold and substance for you." And Agamemnon answered, "Fly if you will, I shall make you no prayers to stay you. I have others here who will do me honour, and above all Jove, the lord of counsel. There is no king here so hateful to me as you are, for you are ever quarrelsome and ill affected. What though you be brave? Was it not heaven that made you so? Go home, then, with your ships and comrades to lord it over the Myrmidons. I care neither for you nor for your anger; and thus will I do: since Phoebus Apollo is taking Chryseis from me, I shall send her with my ship and my followers, but I shall come to your tent and take your own prize Briseis, that you may learn how much stronger I am than you are, and that another may fear to set himself up as equal or comparable with me." The son of Peleus was furious, and his heart within his shaggy breast was divided whether to draw his sword, push the others aside, and kill the son of Atreus, or to restrain himself and check his anger. While he was thus in two minds, and was drawing his mighty sword from its scabbard, Minerva came down from heaven (for Juno had sent her in the love she bore to them both), and seized the son of Peleus by his yellow hair, visible to him alone, for of the others no man could see her. Achilles turned in amaze, and by the fire that flashed from her eyes at once knew that she was Minerva. "Why are you here," said he, "daughter of aegis-bearing Jove? To see the pride of Agamemnon, son of Atreus? Let me tell you- and it shall surely be- he shall pay for this insolence with his life." And Minerva said, "I come from heaven, if you will hear me, to bid you stay your anger. Juno has sent me, who cares for both of you alike. Cease, then, this brawling, and do not draw your sword; rail at him if you will, and your railing will not be vain, for I tell you- and it shall surely be- that you shall hereafter receive gifts three times as splendid by reason of this present insult. Hold, therefore, and obey." "Goddess," answered Achilles, "however angry a man may be, he must do as you two command him. This will be best, for the gods ever hear the prayers of him who has obeyed them." He stayed his hand on the silver hilt of his sword, and thrust it back into the scabbard as Minerva bade him. Then she went back to Olympus among the other gods, and to the house of aegis-bearing Jove. But the son of Peleus again began railing at the son of Atreus, for he was still in a rage. "Wine-bibber," he cried, "with the face of a dog and the heart of a hind, you never dare to go out with the host in fight, nor yet with our chosen men in ambuscade. You shun this as you do death itself. You had rather go round and rob his prizes from any man who contradicts you. You devour your people, for you are king over a feeble folk; otherwise, son of Atreus, henceforward you would insult no man. Therefore I say, and swear it with a great oath- nay, by this my sceptre which shalt sprout neither leaf nor shoot, nor bud anew from the day on which it left its parent stem upon the mountains- for the axe stripped it of leaf and bark, and now the sons of the Achaeans bear it as judges and guardians of the decrees of heaven- so surely and solemnly do I swear that hereafter they shall look fondly for Achilles and shall not find him. In the day of your distress, when your men fall dying by the murderous hand of Hector, you shall not know how to help them, and shall rend your heart with rage for the hour when you offered insult to the bravest of the Achaeans." With this the son of Peleus dashed his gold-bestudded sceptre on the ground and took his seat, while the son of Atreus was beginning fiercely from his place upon the other side. Then uprose smooth-tongued Nestor, the facile speaker of the Pylians, and the words fell from his lips sweeter than honey. Two generations of men born and bred in Pylos had passed away under his rule, and he was now reigning over the third. With all sincerity and goodwill, therefore, he addressed them thus:- "Of a truth," he said, "a great sorrow has befallen the Achaean land. Surely Priam with his sons would rejoice, and the Trojans be glad at heart if they could hear this quarrel between you two, who are so excellent in fight and counsel. I am older than either of you; therefore be guided by me. Moreover I have been the familiar friend of men even greater than you are, and they did not disregard my counsels. Never again can I behold such men as Pirithous and Dryas shepherd of his people, or as Caeneus, Exadius, godlike Polyphemus, and Theseus son of Aegeus, peer of the immortals. These were the mightiest men ever born upon this earth: mightiest were they, and when they fought the fiercest tribes of mountain savages they utterly overthrew them. I came from distant Pylos, and went about among them, for they would have me come, and I fought as it was in me to do. Not a man now living could withstand them, but they heard my words, and were persuaded by them. So be it also with yourselves, for this is the more excellent way. Therefore, Agamemnon, though you be strong, take not this girl away, for the sons of the Achaeans have already given her to Achilles; and you, Achilles, strive not further with the king, for no man who by the grace of Jove wields a sceptre has like honour with Agamemnon. You are strong, and have a goddess for your mother; but Agamemnon is stronger than you, for he has more people under him. Son of Atreus, check your anger, I implore you; end this quarrel with Achilles, who in the day of battle is a tower of strength to the Achaeans." And Agamemnon answered, "Sir, all that you have said is true, but this fellow must needs become our lord and master: he must be lord of all, king of all, and captain of all, and this shall hardly be. Granted that the gods have made him a great warrior, have they also given him the right to speak with railing?" Achilles interrupted him. "I should be a mean coward," he cried, "were I to give in to you in all things. Order other people about, not me, for I shall obey no longer. Furthermore I say- and lay my saying to your heart- I shall fight neither you nor any man about this girl, for those that take were those also that gave. But of all else that is at my ship you shall carry away nothing by force. Try, that others may see; if you do, my spear shall be reddened with your blood." When they had quarrelled thus angrily, they rose, and broke up the assembly at the ships of the Achaeans. The son of Peleus went back to his tents and ships with the son of Menoetius and his company, while Agamemnon drew a vessel into the water and chose a crew of twenty oarsmen. He escorted Chryseis on board and sent moreover a hecatomb for the god. And Ulysses went as captain. These, then, went on board and sailed their ways over the sea. But the son of Atreus bade the people purify themselves; so they purified themselves and cast their filth into the sea. Then they offered hecatombs of bulls and goats without blemish on the sea-shore, and the smoke with the savour of their sacrifice rose curling up towards heaven. Thus did they busy themselves throughout the host. But Agamemnon did not forget the threat that he had made Achilles, and called his trusty messengers and squires Talthybius and Eurybates. "Go," said he, "to the tent of Achilles, son of Peleus; take Briseis by the hand and bring her hither; if he will not give her I shall come with others and take her- which will press him harder." He charged them straightly further and dismissed them, whereon they went their way sorrowfully by the seaside, till they came to the tents and ships of the Myrmidons. They found Achilles sitting by his tent and his ships, and ill-pleased he was when he beheld them. They stood fearfully and reverently before him, and never a word did they speak, but he knew them and said, "Welcome, heralds, messengers of gods and men; draw near; my quarrel is not with you but with Agamemnon who has sent you for the girl Briseis. Therefore, Patroclus, bring her and give her to them, but let them be witnesses by the blessed gods, by mortal men, and by the fierceness of Agamemnon's anger, that if ever again there be need of me to save the people from ruin, they shall seek and they shall not find. Agamemnon is mad with rage and knows not how to look before and after that the Achaeans may fight by their ships in safety." Patroclus did as his dear comrade had bidden him. He brought Briseis from the tent and gave her over to the heralds, who took her with them to the ships of the Achaeans- and the woman was loth to go. Then Achilles went all alone by the side of the hoar sea, weeping and looking out upon the boundless waste of waters. He raised his hands in prayer to his immortal mother, "Mother," he cried, "you bore me doomed to live but for a little season; surely Jove, who thunders from Olympus, might have made that little glorious. It is not so. Agamemnon, son of Atreus, has done me dishonour, and has robbed me of my prize by force." As he spoke he wept aloud, and his mother heard him where she was sitting in the depths of the sea hard by the old man her father. Forthwith she rose as it were a grey mist out of the waves, sat down before him as he stood weeping, caressed him with her hand, and said, "My son, why are you weeping? What is it that grieves you? Keep it not from me, but tell me, that we may know it together." Achilles drew a deep sigh and said, "You know it; why tell you what you know well already? We went to Thebe the strong city of Eetion, sacked it, and brought hither the spoil. The sons of the Achaeans shared it duly among themselves, and chose lovely Chryseis as the meed of Agamemnon; but Chryses, priest of Apollo, came to the ships of the Achaeans to free his daughter, and brought with him a great ransom: moreover he bore in his hand the sceptre of Apollo, wreathed with a suppliant's wreath, and he besought the Achaeans, but most of all the two sons of Atreus who were their chiefs. "On this the rest of the Achaeans with one voice were for respecting the priest and taking the ransom that he offered; but not so Agamemnon, who spoke fiercely to him and sent him roughly away. So he went back in anger, and Apollo, who loved him dearly, heard his prayer. Then the god sent a deadly dart upon the Argives, and the people died thick on one another, for the arrows went everywhither among the wide host of the Achaeans. At last a seer in the fulness of his knowledge declared to us the oracles of Apollo, and I was myself first to say that we should appease him. Whereon the son of Atreus rose in anger, and threatened that which he has since done. The Achaeans are now taking the girl in a ship to Chryse, and sending gifts of sacrifice to the god; but the heralds have just taken from my tent the daughter of Briseus, whom the Achaeans had awarded to myself. "Help your brave son, therefore, if you are able. Go to Olympus, and if you have ever done him service in word or deed, implore the aid of Jove. Ofttimes in my father's house have I heard you glory in that you alone of the immortals saved the son of Saturn from ruin, when the others, with Juno, Neptune, and Pallas Minerva would have put him in bonds. It was you, goddess, who delivered him by calling to Olympus the hundred-handed monster whom gods call Briareus, but men Aegaeon, for he is stronger even than his father; when therefore he took his seat all-glorious beside the son of Saturn, the other gods were afraid, and did not bind him. Go, then, to him, remind him of all this, clasp his knees, and bid him give succour to the Trojans. Let the Achaeans be hemmed in at the sterns of their ships, and perish on the sea-shore, that they may reap what joy they may of their king, and that Agamemnon may rue his blindness in offering insult to the foremost of the Achaeans." Thetis wept and answered, "My son, woe is me that I should have borne or suckled you. Would indeed that you had lived your span free from all sorrow at your ships, for it is all too brief; alas, that you should be at once short of life and long of sorrow above your peers: woe, therefore, was the hour in which I bore you; nevertheless I will go to the snowy heights of Olympus, and tell this tale to Jove, if he will hear our prayer: meanwhile stay where you are with your ships, nurse your anger against the Achaeans, and hold aloof from fight. For Jove went yesterday to Oceanus, to a feast among the Ethiopians, and the other gods went with him. He will return to Olympus twelve days hence; I will then go to his mansion paved with bronze and will beseech him; nor do I doubt that I shall be able to persuade him." On this she left him, still furious at the loss of her that had been taken from him. Meanwhile Ulysses reached Chryse with the hecatomb. When they had come inside the harbour they furled the sails and laid them in the ship's hold; they slackened the forestays, lowered the mast into its place, and rowed the ship to the place where they would have her lie; there they cast out their mooring-stones and made fast the hawsers. They then got out upon the sea-shore and landed the hecatomb for Apollo; Chryseis also left the ship, and Ulysses led her to the altar to deliver her into the hands of her father. "Chryses," said he, "King Agamemnon has sent me to bring you back your child, and to offer sacrifice to Apollo on behalf of the Danaans, that we may propitiate the god, who has now brought sorrow upon the Argives." So saying he gave the girl over to her father, who received her gladly, and they ranged the holy hecatomb all orderly round the altar of the god. They washed their hands and took up the barley-meal to sprinkle over the victims, while Chryses lifted up his hands and prayed aloud on their behalf. "Hear me," he cried, "O god of the silver bow, that protectest Chryse and holy Cilla, and rulest Tenedos with thy might. Even as thou didst hear me aforetime when I prayed, and didst press hardly upon the Achaeans, so hear me yet again, and stay this fearful pestilence from the Danaans." Thus did he pray, and Apollo heard his prayer. When they had done praying and sprinkling the barley-meal, they drew back the heads of the victims and killed and flayed them. They cut out the thigh-bones, wrapped them round in two layers of fat, set some pieces of raw meat on the top of them, and then Chryses laid them on the wood fire and poured wine over them, while the young men stood near him with five-pronged spits in their hands. When the thigh-bones were burned and they had tasted the inward meats, they cut the rest up small, put the pieces upon the spits, roasted them till they were done, and drew them off: then, when they had finished their work and the feast was ready, they ate it, and every man had his full share, so that all were satisfied. As soon as they had had enough to eat and drink, pages filled the mixing-bowl with wine and water and handed it round, after giving every man his drink-offering. Thus all day long the young men worshipped the god with song, hymning him and chaunting the joyous paean, and the god took pleasure in their voices; but when the sun went down, and it came on dark, they laid themselves down to sleep by the stern cables of the ship, and when the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared they again set sail for the host of the Achaeans. Apollo sent them a fair wind, so they raised their mast and hoisted their white sails aloft. As the sail bellied with the wind the ship flew through the deep blue water, and the foam hissed against her bows as she sped onward. When they reached the wide-stretching host of the Achaeans, they drew the vessel ashore, high and dry upon the sands, set her strong props beneath her, and went their ways to their own tents and ships. But Achilles abode at his ships and nursed his anger. He went not to the honourable assembly, and sallied not forth to fight, but gnawed at his own heart, pining for battle and the war-cry. Now after twelve days the immortal gods came back in a body to Olympus, and Jove led the way. Thetis was not unmindful of the charge her son had laid upon her, so she rose from under the sea and went through great heaven with early morning to Olympus, where she found the mighty son of Saturn sitting all alone upon its topmost ridges. She sat herself down before him, and with her left hand seized his knees, while with her right she caught him under the chin, and besought him, saying- "Father Jove, if I ever did you service in word or deed among the immortals, hear my prayer, and do honour to my son, whose life is to be cut short so early. King Agamemnon has dishonoured him by taking his prize and keeping her. Honour him then yourself, Olympian lord of counsel, and grant victory to the Trojans, till the Achaeans give my son his due and load him with riches in requital." Jove sat for a while silent, and without a word, but Thetis still kept firm hold of his knees, and besought him a second time. "Incline your head," said she, "and promise me surely, or else deny me- for you have nothing to fear- that I may learn how greatly you disdain me." At this Jove was much troubled and answered, "I shall have trouble if you set me quarrelling with Juno, for she will provoke me with her taunting speeches; even now she is always railing at me before the other gods and accusing me of giving aid to the Trojans. Go back now, lest she should find out. I will consider the matter, and will bring it about as wish. See, I incline my head that you believe me. This is the most solemn that I can give to any god. I never recall my word, or deceive, or fail to do what I say, when I have nodded my head." As he spoke the son of Saturn bowed his dark brows, and the ambrosial locks swayed on his immortal head, till vast Olympus reeled. When the pair had thus laid their plans, they parted- Jove to his house, while the goddess quitted the splendour of Olympus, and plunged into the depths of the sea. The gods rose from their seats, before the coming of their sire. Not one of them dared to remain sitting, but all stood up as he came among them. There, then, he took his seat. But Juno, when she saw him, knew that he and the old merman's daughter, silver-footed Thetis, had been hatching mischief, so she at once began to upbraid him. "Trickster," she cried, "which of the gods have you been taking into your counsels now? You are always settling matters in secret behind my back, and have never yet told me, if you could help it, one word of your intentions." "Juno," replied the sire of gods and men, "you must not expect to be informed of all my counsels. You are my wife, but you would find it hard to understand them. When it is proper for you to hear, there is no one, god or man, who will be told sooner, but when I mean to keep a matter to myself, you must not pry nor ask questions." "Dread son of Saturn," answered Juno, "what are you talking about? I? Pry and ask questions? Never. I let you have your own way in everything. Still, I have a strong misgiving that the old merman's daughter Thetis has been talking you over, for she was with you and had hold of your knees this self-same morning. I believe, therefore, that you have been promising her to give glory to Achilles, and to kill much people at the ships of the Achaeans." "Wife," said Jove, "I can do nothing but you suspect me and find it out. You will take nothing by it, for I shall only dislike you the more, and it will go harder with you. Granted that it is as you say; I mean to have it so; sit down and hold your tongue as I bid you for if I once begin to lay my hands about you, though all heaven were on your side it would profit you nothing." On this Juno was frightened, so she curbed her stubborn will and sat down in silence. But the heavenly beings were disquieted throughout the house of Jove, till the cunning workman Vulcan began to try and pacify his mother Juno. "It will be intolerable," said he, "if you two fall to wrangling and setting heaven in an uproar about a pack of mortals. If such ill counsels are to prevail, we shall have no pleasure at our banquet. Let me then advise my mother- and she must herself know that it will be better- to make friends with my dear father Jove, lest he again scold her and disturb our feast. If the Olympian Thunderer wants to hurl us all from our seats, he can do so, for he is far the strongest, so give him fair words, and he will then soon be in a good humour with us." As he spoke, he took a double cup of nectar, and placed it in his mother's hand. "Cheer up, my dear mother," said he, "and make the best of it. I love you dearly, and should be very sorry to see you get a thrashing; however grieved I might be, I could not help for there is no standing against Jove. Once before when I was trying to help you, he caught me by the foot and flung me from the heavenly threshold. All day long from morn till eve, was I falling, till at sunset I came to ground in the island of Lemnos, and there I lay, with very little life left in me, till the Sintians came and tended me." Juno smiled at this, and as she smiled she took the cup from her son's hands. Then Vulcan drew sweet nectar from the mixing-bowl, and served it round among the gods, going from left to right; and the blessed gods laughed out a loud applause as they saw him ing bustling about the heavenly mansion. Thus through the livelong day to the going down of the sun they feasted, and every one had his full share, so that all were satisfied. Apollo struck his lyre, and the Muses lifted up their sweet voices, calling and answering one another. But when the sun's glorious light had faded, they went home to bed, each in his own abode, which lame Vulcan with his consummate skill had fashioned for them. So Jove, the Olympian Lord of Thunder, hied him to the bed in which he always slept; and when he had got on to it he went to sleep, with Juno of the golden throne by his side. Now the other gods and the armed warriors on the plain slept soundly, but Jove was wakeful, for he was thinking how to do honour to Achilles, and destroyed much people at the ships of the Achaeans. In the end he deemed it would be best to send a lying dream to King Agamemnon; so he called one to him and said to it, "Lying Dream, go to the ships of the Achaeans, into the tent of Agamemnon, and say to him word to word as I now bid you. Tell him to get the Achaeans instantly under arms, for he shall take Troy. There are no longer divided counsels among the gods; Juno has brought them to her own mind, and woe betides the Trojans." The dream went when it had heard its message, and soon reached the ships of the Achaeans. It sought Agamemnon son of Atreus and found him in his tent, wrapped in a profound slumber. It hovered over his head in the likeness of Nestor, son of Neleus, whom Agamemnon honoured above all his councillors, and said:- "You are sleeping, son of Atreus; one who has the welfare of his host and so much other care upon his shoulders should dock his sleep. Hear me at once, for I come as a messenger from Jove, who, though he be not near, yet takes thought for you and pities you. He bids you get the Achaeans instantly under arms, for you shall take Troy. There are no longer divided counsels among the gods; Juno has brought them over to her own mind, and woe betides the Trojans at the hands of Jove. Remember this, and when you wake see that it does not escape you." The dream then left him, and he thought of things that were, surely not to be accomplished. He thought that on that same day he was to take the city of Priam, but he little knew what was in the mind of Jove, who had many another hard-fought fight in store alike for Danaans and Trojans. Then presently he woke, with the divine message still ringing in his ears; so he sat upright, and put on his soft shirt so fair and new, and over this his heavy cloak. He bound his sandals on to his comely feet, and slung his silver-studded sword about his shoulders; then he took the imperishable staff of his father, and sallied forth to the ships of the Achaeans. The goddess Dawn now wended her way to vast Olympus that she might herald day to Jove and to the other immortals, and Agamemnon sent the criers round to call the people in assembly; so they called them and the people gathered thereon. But first he summoned a meeting of the elders at the ship of Nestor king of Pylos, and when they were assembled he laid a cunning counsel before them. "My friends," said he, "I have had a dream from heaven in the dead of night, and its face and figure resembled none but Nestor's. It hovered over my head and said, 'You are sleeping, son of Atreus; one who has the welfare of his host and so much other care upon his shoulders should dock his sleep. Hear me at once, for I am a messenger from Jove, who, though he be not near, yet takes thought for you and pities you. He bids you get the Achaeans instantly under arms, for you shall take Troy. There are no longer divided counsels among the gods; Juno has brought them over to her own mind, and woe betides the Trojans at the hands of Jove. Remember this.' The dream then vanished and I awoke. Let us now, therefore, arm the sons of the Achaeans. But it will be well that I should first sound them, and to this end I will tell them to fly with their ships; but do you others go about among the host and prevent their doing so." He then sat down, and Nestor the prince of Pylos with all sincerity and goodwill addressed them thus: "My friends," said he, "princes and councillors of the Argives, if any other man of the Achaeans had told us of this dream we should have declared it false, and would have had nothing to do with it. But he who has seen it is the foremost man among us; we must therefore set about getting the people under arms." With this he led the way from the assembly, and the other sceptred kings rose with him in obedience to the word of Agamemnon; but the people pressed forward to hear. They swarmed like bees that sally from some hollow cave and flit in countless throng among the spring flowers, bunched in knots and clusters; even so did the mighty multitude pour from ships and tents to the assembly, and range themselves upon the wide-watered shore, while among them ran Wildfire Rumour, messenger of Jove, urging them ever to the fore. Thus they gathered in a pell-mell of mad confusion, and the earth groaned under the tramp of men as the people sought their places. Nine heralds went crying about among them to stay their tumult and bid them listen to the kings, till at last they were got into their several places and ceased their clamour. Then King Agamemnon rose, holding his sceptre. This was the work of Vulcan, who gave it to Jove the son of Saturn. Jove gave it to Mercury, slayer of Argus, guide and guardian. King Mercury gave it to Pelops, the mighty charioteer, and Pelops to Atreus, shepherd of his people. Atreus, when he died, left it to Thyestes, rich in flocks, and Thyestes in his turn left it to be borne by Agamemnon, that he might be lord of all Argos and of the isles. Leaning, then, on his sceptre, he addressed the Argives. "My friends," he said, "heroes, servants of Mars, the hand of heaven has been laid heavily upon me. Cruel Jove gave me his solemn promise that I should sack the city of Priam before returning, but he has played me false, and is now bidding me go ingloriously back to Argos with the loss of much people. Such is the will of Jove, who has laid many a proud city in the dust, as he will yet lay others, for his power is above all. It will be a sorry tale hereafter that an Achaean host, at once so great and valiant, battled in vain against men fewer in number than themselves; but as yet the end is not in sight. Think that the Achaeans and Trojans have sworn to a solemn covenant, and that they have each been numbered- the Trojans by the roll of their householders, and we by companies of ten; think further that each of our companies desired to have a Trojan householder to pour out their wine; we are so greatly more in number that full many a company would have to go without its cup-bearer. But they have in the town allies from other places, and it is these that hinder me from being able to sack the rich city of Ilius. Nine of Jove years are gone; the timbers of our ships have rotted; their tackling is sound no longer. Our wives and little ones at home look anxiously for our coming, but the work that we came hither to do has not been done. Now, therefore, let us all do as I say: let us sail back to our own land, for we shall not take Troy." With these words he moved the hearts of the multitude, so many of them as knew not the cunning counsel of Agamemnon. They surged to and fro like the waves of the Icarian Sea, when the east and south winds break from heaven's clouds to lash them; or as when the west wind sweeps over a field of corn and the ears bow beneath the blast, even so were they swayed as they flew with loud cries towards the ships, and the dust from under their feet rose heavenward. They cheered each other on to draw the ships into the sea; they cleared the channels in front of them; they began taking away the stays from underneath them, and the welkin rang with their glad cries, so eager were they to return. Then surely the Argives would have returned after a fashion that was not fated. But Juno said to Minerva, "Alas, daughter of aegis-bearing Jove, unweariable, shall the Argives fly home to their own land over the broad sea, and leave Priam and the Trojans the glory of still keeping Helen, for whose sake so many of the Achaeans have died at Troy, far from their homes? Go about at once among the host, and speak fairly to them, man by man, that they draw not their ships into the sea." Minerva was not slack to do her bidding. Down she darted from the topmost summits of Olympus, and in a moment she was at the ships of the Achaeans. There she found Ulysses, peer of Jove in counsel, standing alone. He had not as yet laid a hand upon his ship, for he was grieved and sorry; so she went close up to him and said, "Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, are you going to fling yourselves into your ships and be off home to your own land in this way? Will you leave Priam and the Trojans the glory of still keeping Helen, for whose sake so many of the Achaeans have died at Troy, far from their homes? Go about at once among the host, and speak fairly to them, man by man, that they draw not their ships into the sea." Ulysses knew the voice as that of the goddess: he flung his cloak from him and set off to run. His servant Eurybates, a man of Ithaca, who waited on him, took charge of the cloak, whereon Ulysses went straight up to Agamemnon and received from him his ancestral, imperishable staff. With this he went about among the ships of the Achaeans. Whenever he met a king or chieftain, he stood by him and spoke him fairly. "Sir," said he, "this flight is cowardly and unworthy. Stand to your post, and bid your people also keep their places. You do not yet know the full mind of Agamemnon; he was sounding us, and ere long will visit the Achaeans with his displeasure. We were not all of us at the council to hear what he then said; see to it lest he be angry and do us a mischief; for the pride of kings is great, and the hand of Jove is with them." But when he came across any common man who was making a noise, he struck him with his staff and rebuked him, saying, "Sirrah, hold your peace, and listen to better men than yourself. You are a coward and no soldier; you are nobody either in fight or council; we cannot all be kings; it is not well that there should be many masters; one man must be supreme- one king to whom the son of scheming Saturn has given the sceptre of sovereignty over you all." Thus masterfully did he go about among the host, and the people hurried back to the council from their tents and ships with a sound as the thunder of surf when it comes crashing down upon the shore, and all the sea is in an uproar. The rest now took their seats and kept to their own several places, but Thersites still went on wagging his unbridled tongue- a man of many words, and those unseemly; a monger of sedition, a railer against all who were in authority, who cared not what he said, so that he might set the Achaeans in a laugh. He was the ugliest man of all those that came before Troy- bandy-legged, lame of one foot, with his two shoulders rounded and hunched over his chest. His head ran up to a point, but there was little hair on the top of it. Achilles and Ulysses hated him worst of all, for it was with them that he was most wont to wrangle; now, however, with a shrill squeaky voice he began heaping his abuse on Agamemnon. The Achaeans were angry and disgusted, yet none the less he kept on brawling and bawling at the son of Atreus. "Agamemnon," he cried, "what ails you now, and what more do you want? Your tents are filled with bronze and with fair women, for whenever we take a town we give you the pick of them. Would you have yet more gold, which some Trojan is to give you as a ransom for his son, when I or another Achaean has taken him prisoner? or is it some young girl to hide and lie with? It is not well that you, the ruler of the Achaeans, should bring them into such misery. Weakling cowards, women rather than men, let us sail home, and leave this fellow here at Troy to stew in his own meeds of honour, and discover whether we were of any service to him or no. Achilles is a much better man than he is, and see how he has treated him- robbing him of his prize and keeping it himself. Achilles takes it meekly and shows no fight; if he did, son of Atreus, you would never again insult him." Thus railed Thersites, but Ulysses at once went up to him and rebuked him sternly. "Check your glib tongue, Thersites," said be, "and babble not a word further. Chide not with princes when you have none to back you. There is no viler creature come before Troy with the sons of Atreus. Drop this chatter about kings, and neither revile them nor keep harping about going home. We do not yet know how things are going to be, nor whether the Achaeans are to return with good success or evil. How dare you gibe at Agamemnon because the Danaans have awarded him so many prizes? I tell you, therefore- and it shall surely be- that if I again catch you talking such nonsense, I will either forfeit my own head and be no more called father of Telemachus, or I will take you, strip you stark naked, and whip you out of the assembly till you go blubbering back to the ships." On this he beat him with his staff about the back and shoulders till he dropped and fell a-weeping. The golden sceptre raised a bloody weal on his back, so he sat down frightened and in pain, looking foolish as he wiped the tears from his eyes. The people were sorry for him, yet they laughed heartily, and one would turn to his neighbour saying, "Ulysses has done many a good thing ere now in fight and council, but he never did the Argives a better turn than when he stopped this fellow's mouth from prating further. He will give the kings no more of his insolence." Thus said the people. Then Ulysses rose, sceptre in hand, and Minerva in the likeness of a herald bade the people be still, that those who were far off might hear him and consider his council. He therefore with all sincerity and goodwill addressed them thus:- "King Agamemnon, the Achaeans are for making you a by-word among all mankind. They forget the promise they made you when they set out from Argos, that you should not return till you had sacked the town of Troy, and, like children or widowed women, they murmur and would set off homeward. True it is that they have had toil enough to be disheartened. A man chafes at having to stay away from his wife even for a single month, when he is on shipboard, at the mercy of wind and sea, but it is now nine long years that we have been kept here; I cannot, therefore, blame the Achaeans if they turn restive; still we shall be shamed if we go home empty after so long a stay- therefore, my friends, be patient yet a little longer that we may learn whether the prophesyings of Calchas were false or true. "All who have not since perished must remember as though it were yesterday or the day before, how the ships of the Achaeans were detained in Aulis when we were on our way hither to make war on Priam and the Trojans. We were ranged round about a fountain offering hecatombs to the gods upon their holy altars, and there was a fine plane-tree from beneath which there welled a stream of pure water. Then we saw a prodigy; for Jove sent a fearful serpent out of the ground, with blood-red stains upon its back, and it darted from under the altar on to the plane-tree. Now there was a brood of young sparrows, quite small, upon the topmost bough, peeping out from under the leaves, eight in all, and their mother that hatched them made nine. The serpent ate the poor cheeping things, while the old bird flew about lamenting her little ones; but the serpent threw his coils about her and caught her by the wing as she was screaming. Then, when he had eaten both the sparrow and her young, the god who had sent him made him become a sign; for the son of scheming Saturn turned him into stone, and we stood there wondering at that which had come to pass. Seeing, then, that such a fearful portent had broken in upon our hecatombs, Calchas forthwith declared to us the oracles of heaven. 'Why, Achaeans,' said he, 'are you thus speechless? Jove has sent us this sign, long in coming, and long ere it be fulfilled, though its fame shall last for ever. As the serpent ate the eight fledglings and the sparrow that hatched them, which makes nine, so shall we fight nine years at Troy, but in the tenth shall take the town.' This was what he said, and now it is all coming true. Stay here, therefore, all of you, till we take the city of Priam." On this the Argives raised a shout, till the ships rang again with the uproar. Nestor, knight of Gerene, then addressed them. "Shame on you," he cried, "to stay talking here like children, when you should fight like men. Where are our covenants now, and where the oaths that we have taken? Shall our counsels be flung into the fire, with our drink-offerings and the right hands of fellowship wherein we have put our trust? We waste our time in words, and for all our talking here shall be no further forward. Stand, therefore, son of Atreus, by your own steadfast purpose; lead the Argives on to battle, and leave this handful of men to rot, who scheme, and scheme in vain, to get back to Argos ere they have learned whether Jove be true or a liar. For the mighty son of Saturn surely promised that we should succeed, when we Argives set sail to bring death and destruction upon the Trojans. He showed us favourable signs by flashing his lightning on our right hands; therefore let none make haste to go till he has first lain with the wife of some Trojan, and avenged the toil and sorrow that he has suffered for the sake of Helen. Nevertheless, if any man is in such haste to be at home again, let him lay his hand to his ship that he may meet his doom in the sight of all. But, O king, consider and give ear to my counsel, for the word that I say may not be neglected lightly. Divide your men, Agamemnon, into their several tribes and clans, that clans and tribes may stand by and help one another. If you do this, and if the Achaeans obey you, you will find out who, both chiefs and peoples, are brave, and who are cowards; for they will vie against the other. Thus you shall also learn whether it is through the counsel of heaven or the cowardice of man that you shall fail to take the town." And Agamemnon answered, "Nestor, you have again outdone the sons of the Achaeans in counsel. Would, by Father Jove, Minerva, and Apollo, that I had among them ten more such councillors, for the city of King Priam would then soon fall beneath our hands, and we should sack it. But the son of Saturn afflicts me with bootless wranglings and strife. Achilles and I are quarrelling about this girl, in which matter I was the first to offend; if we can be of one mind again, the Trojans will not stave off destruction for a day. Now, therefore, get your morning meal, that our hosts join in fight. Whet well your spears; see well to the ordering of your shields; give good feeds to your horses, and look your chariots carefully over, that we may do battle the livelong day; for we shall have no rest, not for a moment, till night falls to part us. The bands that bear your shields shall be wet with the sweat upon your shoulders, your hands shall weary upon your spears, your horses shall steam in front of your chariots, and if I see any man shirking the fight, or trying to keep out of it at the ships, there shall be no help for him, but he shall be a prey to dogs and vultures." Thus he spoke, and the Achaeans roared applause. As when the waves run high before the blast of the south wind and break on some lofty headland, dashing against it and buffeting it without ceasing, as the storms from every quarter drive them, even so did the Achaeans rise and hurry in all directions to their ships. There they lighted their fires at their tents and got dinner, offering sacrifice every man to one or other of the gods, and praying each one of them that he might live to come out of the fight. Agamemnon, king of men, sacrificed a fat five-year-old bull to the mighty son of Saturn, and invited the princes and elders of his host. First he asked Nestor and King Idomeneus, then the two Ajaxes and the son of Tydeus, and sixthly Ulysses, peer of gods in counsel; but Menelaus came of his own accord, for he knew how busy his brother then was. They stood round the bull with the barley-meal in their hands, and Agamemnon prayed, saying, "Jove, most glorious, supreme, that dwellest in heaven, and ridest upon the storm-cloud, grant that the sun may not go down, nor the night fall, till the palace of Priam is laid low, and its gates are consumed with fire. Grant that my sword may pierce the shirt of Hector about his heart, and that full many of his comrades may bite the dust as they fall dying round him." Thus he prayed, but the son of Saturn would not fulfil his prayer. He accepted the sacrifice, yet none the less increased their toil continually. When they had done praying and sprinkling the barley-meal upon the victim, they drew back its head, killed it, and then flayed it. They cut out the thigh-bones, wrapped them round in two layers of fat, and set pieces of raw meat on the top of them. These they burned upon the split logs of firewood, but they spitted the inward meats, and held them in the flames to cook. When the thigh-bones were burned, and they had tasted the inward meats, they cut the rest up small, put the pieces upon spits, roasted them till they were done, and drew them off; then, when they had finished their work and the feast was ready, they ate it, and every man had his full share, so that all were satisfied. As soon as they had had enough to eat and drink, Nestor, knight of Gerene, began to speak. "King Agamemnon," said he, "let us not stay talking here, nor be slack in the work that heaven has put into our hands. Let the heralds summon the people to gather at their several ships; we will then go about among the host, that we may begin fighting at once." Thus did he speak, and Agamemnon heeded his words. He at once sent the criers round to call the people in assembly. So they called them, and the people gathered thereon. The chiefs about the son of Atreus chose their men and marshalled them, while Minerva went among them holding her priceless aegis that knows neither age nor death. From it there waved a hundred tassels of pure gold, all deftly woven, and each one of them worth a hundred oxen. With this she darted furiously everywhere among the hosts of the Achaeans, urging them forward, and putting courage into the heart of each, so that he might fight and do battle without ceasing. Thus war became sweeter in their eyes even than returning home in their ships. As when some great forest fire is raging upon a mountain top and its light is seen afar, even so as they marched the gleam of their armour flashed up into the firmament of heaven. They were like great flocks of geese, or cranes, or swans on the plain about the waters of Cayster, that wing their way hither and thither, glorying in the pride of flight, and crying as they settle till the fen is alive with their screaming. Even thus did their tribes pour from ships and tents on to the plain of the Scamander, and the ground rang as brass under the feet of men and horses. They stood as thick upon the flower-bespangled field as leaves that bloom in summer. As countless swarms of flies buzz around a herdsman's homestead in the time of spring when the pails are drenched with milk, even so did the Achaeans swarm on to the plain to charge the Trojans and destroy them. The chiefs disposed their men this way and that before the fight began, drafting them out as easily as goatherds draft their flocks when they have got mixed while feeding; and among them went King Agamemnon, with a head and face like Jove the lord of thunder, a waist like Mars, and a chest like that of Neptune. As some great bull that lords it over the herds upon the plain, even so did Jove make the son of Atreus stand peerless among the multitude of heroes. And now, O Muses, dwellers in the mansions of Olympus, tell me- for you are goddesses and are in all places so that you see all things, while we know nothing but by report- who were the chiefs and princes of the Danaans? As for the common soldiers, they were so that I could not name every single one of them though I had ten tongues, and though my voice failed not and my heart were of bronze within me, unless you, O Olympian Muses, daughters of aegis-bearing Jove, were to recount them to me. Nevertheless, I will tell the captains of the ships and all the fleet together. Peneleos, Leitus, Arcesilaus, Prothoenor, and Clonius were captains of the Boeotians. These were they that dwelt in Hyria and rocky Aulis, and who held Schoenus, Scolus, and the highlands of Eteonus, with Thespeia, Graia, and the fair city of Mycalessus. They also held Harma, Eilesium, and Erythrae; and they had Eleon, Hyle, and Peteon; Ocalea and the strong fortress of Medeon; Copae, Eutresis, and Thisbe the haunt of doves; Coronea, and the pastures of Haliartus; Plataea and Glisas; the fortress of Thebes the less; holy Onchestus with its famous grove of Neptune; Arne rich in vineyards; Midea, sacred Nisa, and Anthedon upon the sea. From these there came fifty ships, and in each there were a hundred and twenty young men of the Boeotians. Ascalaphus and Ialmenus, sons of Mars, led the people that dwelt in Aspledon and Orchomenus the realm of Minyas. Astyoche a noble maiden bore them in the house of Actor son of Azeus; for she had gone with Mars secretly into an upper chamber, and he had lain with her. With these there came thirty ships. The Phoceans were led by Schedius and Epistrophus, sons of mighty Iphitus the son of Naubolus. These were they that held Cyparissus, rocky Pytho, holy Crisa, Daulis, and Panopeus; they also that dwelt in Anemorea and Hyampolis, and about the waters of the river Cephissus, and Lilaea by the springs of the Cephissus; with their chieftains came forty ships, and they marshalled the forces of the Phoceans, which were stationed next to the Boeotians, on their left. Ajax, the fleet son of Oileus, commanded the Locrians. He was not so great, nor nearly so great, as Ajax the son of Telamon. He was a little man, and his breastplate was made of linen, but in use of the spear he excelled all the Hellenes and the Achaeans. These dwelt in Cynus, Opous, Calliarus, Bessa, Scarphe, fair Augeae, Tarphe, and Thronium about the river Boagrius. With him there came forty ships of the Locrians who dwell beyond Euboea. The fierce Abantes held Euboea with its cities, Chalcis, Eretria, Histiaea rich in vines, Cerinthus upon the sea, and the rock-perched town of Dium; with them were also the men of Carystus and Styra; Elephenor of the race of Mars was in command of these; he was son of Chalcodon, and chief over all the Abantes. With him they came, fleet of foot and wearing their hair long behind, brave warriors, who would ever strive to tear open the corslets of their foes with their long ashen spears. Of these there came fifty ships. And they that held the strong city of Athens, the people of great Erechtheus, who was born of the soil itself, but Jove's daughter, Minerva, fostered him, and established him at Athens in her own rich sanctuary. There, year by year, the Athenian youths worship him with sacrifices of bulls and rams. These were commanded by Menestheus, son of Peteos. No man living could equal him in the marshalling of chariots and foot soldiers. Nestor could alone rival him, for he was older. With him there came fifty ships. Ajax brought twelve ships from Salamis, and stationed them alongside those of the Athenians. The men of Argos, again, and those who held the walls of Tiryns, with Hermione, and Asine upon the gulf; Troezene, Eionae, and the vineyard lands of Epidaurus; the Achaean youths, moreover, who came from Aegina and Mases; these were led by Diomed of the loud battle-cry, and Sthenelus son of famed Capaneus. With them in command was Euryalus, son of king Mecisteus, son of Talaus; but Diomed was chief over them all. With these there came eighty ships. Those who held the strong city of Mycenae, rich Corinth and Cleonae; Orneae, Araethyrea, and Licyon, where Adrastus reigned of old; Hyperesia, high Gonoessa, and Pellene; Aegium and all the coast-land round about Helice; these sent a hundred ships under the command of King Agamemnon, son of Atreus. His force was far both finest and most numerous, and in their midst was the king himself, all glorious in his armour of gleaming bronze- foremost among the heroes, for he was the greatest king, and had most men under him. And those that dwelt in Lacedaemon, lying low among the hills, Pharis, Sparta, with Messe the haunt of doves; Bryseae, Augeae, Amyclae, and Helos upon the sea; Laas, moreover, and Oetylus; these were led by Menelaus of the loud battle-cry, brother to Agamemnon, and of them there were sixty ships, drawn up apart from the others. Among them went Menelaus himself, strong in zeal, urging his men to fight; for he longed to avenge the toil and sorrow that he had suffered for the sake of Helen. The men of Pylos and Arene, and Thryum where is the ford of the river Alpheus; strong Aipy, Cyparisseis, and Amphigenea; Pteleum, Helos, and Dorium, where the Muses met Thamyris, and stilled his minstrelsy for ever. He was returning from Oechalia, where Eurytus lived and reigned, and boasted that he would surpass even the Muses, daughters of aegis-bearing Jove, if they should sing against him; whereon they were angry, and maimed him. They robbed him of his divine power of song, and thenceforth he could strike the lyre no more. These were commanded by Nestor, knight of Gerene, and with him there came ninety ships. And those that held Arcadia, under the high mountain of Cyllene, near the tomb of Aepytus, where the people fight hand to hand; the men of Pheneus also, and Orchomenus rich in flocks; of Rhipae, Stratie, and bleak Enispe; of Tegea and fair Mantinea; of Stymphelus and Parrhasia; of these King Agapenor son of Ancaeus was commander, and they had sixty ships. Many Arcadians, good soldiers, came in each one of them, but Agamemnon found them the ships in which to cross the sea, for they were not a people that occupied their business upon the waters. The men, moreover, of Buprasium and of Elis, so much of it as is enclosed between Hyrmine, Myrsinus upon the sea-shore, the rock Olene and Alesium. These had four leaders, and each of them had ten ships, with many Epeans on board. Their captains were Amphimachus and Thalpius- the one, son of Cteatus, and the other, of Eurytus- both of the race of Actor. The two others were Diores, son of Amarynces, and Polyxenus, son of King Agasthenes, son of Augeas. And those of Dulichium with the sacred Echinean islands, who dwelt beyond the sea off Elis; these were led by Meges, peer of Mars, and the son of valiant Phyleus, dear to Jove, who quarrelled with his father, and went to settle in Dulichium. With him there came forty ships. Ulysses led the brave Cephallenians, who held Ithaca, Neritum with its forests, Crocylea, rugged Aegilips, Samos and Zacynthus, with the mainland also that was over against the islands. These were led by Ulysses, peer of Jove in counsel, and with him there came twelve ships. Thoas, son of Andraemon, commanded the Aetolians, who dwelt in Pleuron, Olenus, Pylene, Chalcis by the sea, and rocky Calydon, for the great king Oeneus had now no sons living, and was himself dead, as was also golden-haired Meleager, who had been set over the Aetolians to be their king. And with Thoas there came forty ships. The famous spearsman Idomeneus led the Cretans, who held Cnossus, and the well-walled city of Gortys; Lyctus also, Miletus and Lycastus that lies upon the chalk; the populous towns of Phaestus and Rhytium, with the other peoples that dwelt in the hundred cities of Crete. All these were led by Idomeneus, and by Meriones, peer of murderous Mars. And with these there came eighty ships. Tlepolemus, son of Hercules, a man both brave and large of stature, brought nine ships of lordly warriors from Rhodes. These dwelt in Rhodes which is divided among the three cities of Lindus, Ielysus, and Cameirus, that lies upon the chalk. These were commanded by Tlepolemus, son of Hercules by Astyochea, whom he had carried off from Ephyra, on the river Selleis, after sacking many cities of valiant warriors. When Tlepolemus grew up, he killed his father's uncle Licymnius, who had been a famous warrior in his time, but was then grown old. On this he built himself a fleet, gathered a great following, and fled beyond the sea, for he was menaced by the other sons and grandsons of Hercules. After a voyage. during which he suffered great hardship, he came to Rhodes, where the people divided into three communities, according to their tribes, and were dearly loved by Jove, the lord, of gods and men; wherefore the son of Saturn showered down great riches upon them. And Nireus brought three ships from Syme- Nireus, who was the handsomest man that came up under Ilius of all the Danaans after the son of Peleus- but he was a man of no substance, and had but a small following. And those that held Nisyrus, Crapathus, and Casus, with Cos, the city of Eurypylus,

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