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Thursday, November 29, 2012
NFL's Roger Goodell speaks on Ndamukong Suh's kick, behavior
Detroit ? NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday he looked at Ndamukong Suh's latest on-the-field incident from "several different angles" before deciding not to suspend the Lions star defensive tackle.
The NFL's football operations staff is still reviewing the play from the Lions' Thanksgiving loss to the Texans in which Suh kicked Houston quarterback Matt Schaub in the groin and should determine his punishment, or lack thereof, in the next couple days, Goodell said Tuesday night at Ford Field.
"They've been very thoughtful about (the review). They're still going through the process of whether it should be a fine," he said. "Anytime you see a play like you want to say, 'Well, why did it happen?'
"It's hard for us to be able to determine that just from video. ? Intent is something that's very difficult for us to ever try to make a judgment on."
Goodell delivered the keynote address Tuesday night for the Lions' annual Courage House Dinner, which benefits HAVEN, a Bingham Farms nonprofit center for prevention and treatment of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.
Goodell hasn't talked to Suh since Thursday's game and didn't definitively say anyone from the league would talk to him before making a ruling.
Suh was suspended two games and fined last season after stomping on Packers guard Evan Dietrich-Smith during the Thanksgiving game. Suh, a third-year player, has also been fined previously for hits on quarterbacks Jay Cutler, Jake Delhomme and Andy Dalton.
Since last season's stomp, though, Suh hasn't faced any punishment from the NFL, and doesn't have a personal foul penalty this season.
"The reality is since last Thanksgiving he has not been fined or disciplined from our standpoint," Goodell said. "I know he's working at it, he's trying at it and he knows he's got to continue to do that. The rules are there and everybody's got to play by those rules whether you're Ndamukong or any other player."
Suh has, however, been involved in a few off-field incidents, including a Nov. 15 traffic violation in Lathrup Village.
"I think Ndamukong prides himself on what he does on the field, and that's something that you always want to keep that focus as a player," Goodell said. "He also does a lot off the field in a positive way, but they get lost when things happen that can distract from that."
The Lions are awaiting word from the league regarding a rule that might have cost them the Thanksgiving game. Texans back Justin Forsett scored on an 81-yard run that would've been reviewed, but Lions coach Jim Schwartz threw a challenge flag that earned a penalty and prevented the review.
Goodell said the rule won't be changed during the regular season.
"We may evaluate it as it relates to the postseason, but it certainly will get consideration by the competition committee in the offseason," he said. "When we make any rule changes, it's important to look at the unintended consequences of those rules, and that's why the competition committee spends weeks evaluating these and trying to evaluate will it have an impact on the game that we're not anticipating."
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Source: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121128/SPORTS0101/211280374/1126/rss14
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Moral judgments quicker, more extreme than practical ones, but also flexible
ScienceDaily (Nov. 28, 2012) ? Judgments we make with a moral underpinning are made more quickly and are more extreme than those same judgments based on practical considerations, a new set of studies finds. However, the findings, which appear in the journal PLOS ONE, also show that judgments based on morality can be readily shifted and made with other considerations in mind.
"Little work has been done on how attaching morality to a particular judgment or decision may affect that outcome," explains Jay Van Bavel, an assistant professor in New York University's Department of Psychology and one of the study's co-authors. "Our findings show that we make and see decisions quite differently if they are made with a morality frame. But, despite these differences, there is now evidence that we can shift judgments so they are based on practical, rather than moral, considerations -- and vice versa."
"Our findings suggest that deciding to frame any issue as moral or not may have important consequences," said co-author Ingrid Haas, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "Once an issue is declared moral, people's judgments about that issue become more extreme, and they are more likely to apply those judgments to others."
"Ultimately, the way that people make decisions is likely to affect their behavior," said co-author Dominic Packer, an assistant professor at Lehigh University. "People may act in ways that violate their moral values when they make decisions in terms of pragmatic concerns -- dollars and cents -- rather than in a moral frame. In ongoing research, we are examining factors that can trigger moral forms of decision making, so that people are more likely to behave in line with their values."
The study, which gauged decisions ranging from voting to saving for retirement to dating a co-worker, also included researchers from Ohio State University and the University of Toronto.
Millions of decisions are made every day -- which type of car to purchase, which restaurant to dine in, which company to invest in. But sometimes these decisions are made under a morality-based framework (e.g., purchasing a hybrid automobile because of our concerns about the environment) and other times we have practicality in mind (e.g., purchasing a hybrid automobile because of its fuel efficiency) -- even though we end up making the same decision.
However, less known are the differences between the nature of judgments based on morals and those driven by a practical, or non-moral, considerations.
To address this question, the researchers conducted three experiments at Ohio State's Social Cognitive Science lab in which they prompted subjects to evaluate a variety of decisions from either moral or non-moral (pragmatic) standpoints. In the first experiment, participants were presented with 104 actions, one at a time, on a desktop computer. Participants made moral evaluations for 52 actions using the keyboard, rating "how morally wrong/right it would be for you to" take a specific action, ranging from 1 (very wrong) to 7 (very right); they also made pragmatic evaluations for the other 52 actions, rating "how personally bad/good you think it would be for you to" take a specific action, ranging from 1 (very bad) to 7 (very good). Following each moral and pragmatic judgment, participants made universality judgments for the same action, rating "how many other people should" take a specific action (1 = nobody to 7 = everybody).
Actions to be evaluated morally versus pragmatically were randomly assigned within participants. Each action was equally likely to be evaluated according to moral or pragmatic standards. This ensured that any differences between moral and pragmatic evaluations were not due to the specific actions, but, rather, to differences in moral versus pragmatic evaluation.
Their results showed that morality-based decisions were made significantly faster than non-morality ones and that the decisions with a moral underpinning were more extreme -- they rated, on a 1 to 7 scale, moral decisions more extremely than they did pragmatic ones. In addition, subjects were also more likely to make universality judgments under the moral-decision frame than under the pragmatic one -- that is, they were more likely to indicate that others should make the same decisions they did for judgments made with a moral underpinning.
But perhaps more significantly, the findings revealed flexibility in what we consider to be moral or non-moral decisions. The study's subjects were randomly assigned moral and non-moral judgments -- for instance, some were asked about if it is "morally right" to "flatter a boss with a lie" while others were asked if "how personally good" it would be for them to take such an action. Subjects had different responses to the same decision, depending on whether or not it was framed as a moral or pragmatic decision, indicating that how we view a particular decision (buying organic food, reporting a crime) may be malleable.
This research was supported by grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the John Templeton Foundation, and the National Science Foundation (BCS-0819250).
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by New York University, via Newswise.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Jay J. Van Bavel, Dominic J. Packer, Ingrid Johnsen Haas, William A. Cunningham. The Importance of Moral Construal: Moral versus Non-Moral Construal Elicits Faster, More Extreme, Universal Evaluations of the Same Actions. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (11): e48693 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048693
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/hBgthOcyb7k/121128182717.htm
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Tuesday, November 27, 2012
sensation revkah: Crystals Feng Shui Bedroom | HouseofFengShui ...
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Source: http://houseoffengshui.net/crystals-feng-shui-bedroom/
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Monday, November 26, 2012
FCC To Hold Hearings On Emergency Communications Post-Sandy ...
FCC Hearings
The FCC will hold a series of field hearings in the coming months to review the challenges to communications in the wake of Superstorm SANDY.? The hearings will commence early in 2013.
Chairman JULIUS GENACHOWSKI said, ?This unprecedented storm has revealed new challenges that will require a national dialogue around ideas and actions to ensure the resilience of communications networks. As our thoughts and sympathies remain with those who have suffered loss and damage as a result of Superstorm Sandy, I urge all stakeholders to engage constructively in the period ahead.?? He thanked Sen, CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY) for pushing the issue.
Among the topics to be addressed will be how communications providers can work together in emergencies, including sharing resources; back-up power resources; and restoration of service.
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Politics 101: Entitlements - Care2 News Network
 Kit B. (294) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 10:03 am (Cartoon image: Jill Sorenson) So I really did see this billboard over the summer, on I-5 in southern Washington. Anyone who travels between Portland and Seattle with any frequency is aware of the cultural institution known as the "Uncle Sam billboard." It always has some extreme right-wing slogan next to a likeness of Uncle Sam. Apparently a farmer started it decades ago, and now the fabled sign is maintained by his son. (I neglected to include Uncle Sam when I drew the cartoon; I was so gobsmacked by the sentiment that I forgot all about him. And the internet tells me belatedly that the exact wording was "Should people receiving entitlements be allowed to vote?", but I'm too tired to fix it now.) Clearly the sign is the handiwork of an ignoramus, but it touches on something that's been bothering me for a while. Many Americans don't understand the term "entitlements." Anyone hoping to preserve the social safety net should avoid the word, which makes Social Security and Medicare sound like frivolous handouts to undeserving snots. The fact that anti-poverty measures like food stamps are also referred to as entitlement programs only adds to the confusion, not that denying voting rights to poor people is any less reprehensible. I wouldn't dismiss this billboard guy as a lone crackpot, either. TPM recently reported on conservative columnist Matthew Vadum, who suggested that registering poor people to vote is like handing out burglary tools to criminals. I smell a meme.
by Jen Sorensen for Daily Kos
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 Arielle S. (252) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 10:11 am In the past year, I've met a woman who would not give her used refrigerator to a black woman because "they get so much stuff". I've heard a retired, wealthy man say that anybody who wants to work can get a job. And I've heard a presidential candidate diss 47% of the people he wanted to represent. Sometimes it's embarrassing to be a human being.... And Matthew Vadum should spend six months or a year as a homeless man - then we'll see how he feels. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Kit B. (294) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 10:11 am This is an older article, one from last year, but no less relevant today. I submit this because I do believe we must have a public discussion about the real issue of entitlements, not the change of the lexicon as presented by one side of this issue. We are all easily influenced by the ongoing political rhetoric that we hear used every day. The word entitlements has now become a word that is used to describe those who wish live from the government teat and not care what it may cost the public in taxation. It's a convenient twist in the true meaning of the word, yet is quickly affecting the national discussion.
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 Barbara K. (87) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 10:53 am Thanks, my friend. The problem is that the word "Entitlement" was cooked up for use by the Tbagggers and Republicans to describe people's "Earned Benefits", just to turn their people against a segment of society who have already worked their years and paid into SS and Medicare and now are receiving the Benefits they paid for. They are not free. The Rs and TPs cannot stand to see the sick, the disabled, the seniors, the students, the single moms, the retired, or anyone not them, to receive any benefits at all. They'd rather we all be out begging in the streets for what we have spent our lives earning, and those who were not able to do so because of disabilities or illness. They are a bunch of selfish a$$es, who cannot stand it that THEY don't have ALL the money. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Roseann D. (151) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 10:57 am Calling them Entitlements is inaccurate since we've EARNED that money and it's set aside for our futures. Now if you want to talk Entitlements, let's take a look at GOP paychecks...what have they done to EARN their money over the past decade? Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 pam w. (177) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 10:58 am It all comes down to the "I've got MINE....not SCREW YOU" attitude demonstrated so ably by the Republicans in our past election. The Constitution talks about "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Are those "entitlements?" How about breathing? Or...how about breathing clean air? Are THOSE entitlements? Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 SuSanne P. (110) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 11:18 am Thank you Kit, although this is just so WRONG. After viewing the actual Uncle Sam Billboard "No Mexican Olympic Teams...All The Runners and Swimmers are Here" I can't even imagine the Hate that has been confusing everyone for so many years. Pam you always impress me with your short and concise words..."The Constitution talks about "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." "Are those "entitlements?" "How about breathing? Or...how about breathing clean air? Are THOSE entitlements?" Many feel that way...How pathetic our Gr$$dy politicians are... WE THE PEOPLE is WE the 1% Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Nancy M. (201) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 12:03 pm "TPM recently reported on conservative columnist Matthew Vadum, who suggested that registering poor people to vote is like handing out burglary tools to criminals. I smell a meme." WOW. Such hatred from people. And the comments here. Not wanting to give away a used refrigerator? The "right" jas become so demented, they seem to get worse every day. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Nancy M. (201) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 12:06 pm Clicked on of the links in your article Kit, about the billboard, and found another very interesting article. Here it is about the man who put up the billboard: ""If he graduated, he would have been drafted. He quit early so he could get a deferment, and he farmed instead of going into the service." Like many of his politically like-minded brethren, Hamilton couldn't be troubled to bother actually going to war, despite the fact that later in life he had plenty to say about those who didn't "support" the troops. By not graduating, he apparently continued to seek academic deferments, a favorite of the next generation of conservatives to dodge the draft during Vietnam (Vice President Dick Cheney receivied five)." Even back in WWII, there were people getting out of going? WOW. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Tamara Hayes (121) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 12:56 pm Hate begets hate and so on...."You reap what you sow". Is that an entitlement too? Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Jae A. (287) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 1:02 pm Ditto to all that Pam W said first off. That being said...all great comments and green stars plus applause worthy so far. Thanks kit for sharing. Fortunately for the nation the Teabagger Klans anti-American...ProRacism ...ran out of influence long before the last election...that became clear when the GOP didn't pick any of their favorite guano extremist morons to run against Obama. Their end will come with their last yelps of hate and hyprocracy as they are pushed back into their pits of misery...all the signs of that are currenlty very noticable, not only on care2 but most sites where political catagories are their focus but within even Republican media...except those of the Murdock insanitea chain... Later in the month we will be reading their hyped titles of how the left have declaired war on Christmas...again...but by early Jan. it will be back to 'entitlements'....but without their mentioning of Corporate Entitlements they are so supportive of......... Geee Fricken wizzzzzzzzz...and pass the biscuts please. It's time for some comfort food ..enough of their poisonous snack trays and Teabagger Klan Koolaid....better known as.... rightwing politicans and their rethoric. IN closing...I repeat...Ditto to all that Pam W. said above. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Kit B. (294) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 1:04 pm My own thoughts on entitlements is simple. Should I decide I want to pay for something and then I do that, then that item is something that I am entitled to own. I like most of America paid for Social Security and Medicare, that Congress has over the years abused their privileges and in turn abused and misused those funds is not the fault of those who paid in good faith. I can not in good conscience allow this discussion about "entitlements" to become yet another national discussion about those who wish to abuse the system. Thanks for reading the article and leaving your thoughts, if I can send green stars I do. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Angelikanomail Roll (75) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 1:32 pm When I read it for the first time I also stumbled upon that word, it sure is not the best choice for what it stands for in this context. In German we simply say SOZIALLEISTUNGEN (social benefits) In my view your term points more towards the recipient (is why there can be so much nasty interpretation) while ours expresses more the givers side. (less inviting to twist and smear) Also, the word LEISTUNGEN stands for both sides, i.e. what s.o. ows you or has to serve you with and also your own merits and achievements. One way to prevent such dirty games and abuse for politics. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Angelikanomail Roll (75) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 1:39 pm Kit-how couls Congress abuse and misuse those funds that americas paid for SS? I thought they cannot be touched as they go to a treasury fund? Are you saying they helped themselves taking from that money?? Now THAT would be criminal in my view.-? Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Kit B. (294) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 2:09 pm Maybe that is just more of the many "legends" about Social Security, though there have been reports of the Congress dipping into the Social Security and Medicare funds to finance secret operations for many years. This group that more clearly defines how SS is invested says that is not true. Thanks Angelika for making me back track and correct myself. http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3299 Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Angelikanomail Roll (75) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 3:08 pm Alright Kit, that sounds good. And they confirm that media has contributed to that "legend". "The U.S. government has never defaulted on its obligations, and investors consider U.S. government securities to be one of the world?s safest investments." so no sweating there. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Gloria picchetti (139) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 3:41 pm I don't care what you call Social Security but the fact is I worked for it & don't touch it. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Yvonne White (213) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 4:10 pm As a Baby Boomer & an American I feel ENTITLED to Every Right & EVERY Guaranteed benefit that I was Educated to Know was mine! Obviously politics has Down-graded my expectations Somewhat, but what I have known can't be "un-known" as Easily as the young can simply be left Uneducated..so it will be a L-o-n-g time before politicians can Safely screw over the aging masses!;) Or am I alone in this thinking? Gotta find that Gray Panthers recruitment letter..;) Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Diane O. (135) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 4:56 pm I believe what Kit is trying to say is that the word "entitlements" in our country has gotten a bad name. People in America are receiving medicare who have never paid a dime into it. People in America are also receiving social security who have never paid a dime into it. These people feel entitled to receive these benefits even though unlike many Americans who have paid into it they have not paid into it. So, those who haven't paid into anything feel "entitled" to receive the same benefits as people who have paid into it. Don't get me started on the illegals who are also receiving social security and medicare who haven't paid a dime into it. For me personally, I hope I never have to take social security. But, the government tells me I have to start taking it at age 68 or 69. The government also says that I must go on medicare at age 65 when I actually want to keep my private insurance carrier. In fact, I would like it just fine never to have to go on medicare. Save that for the people who need it. Millions of Americans don't want medicare. They can afford private insurance. See how screwed up the system is? If medicare would just allow only those who need to go on medicare apply for it and leave the rest of us alone just think how that would reduce the cost of medicare! But our government insists that all Americans must go on medicare at age 65. And now we have ObamaCare....how lucky can we be? Not only can we not have excellent healthcare that we can afford to pay for it but we must now be told which procedures we can have and which ones we can't because ObamaCare won't allow it. See how ridiculous this is? Leave Americans who can afford private health care alone and lighten the burden on the taxpayers. But, no, that's not the way it works. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Diane O. (135) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 4:58 pm Regarding medicare, I don't even care that I paid into medicare. I simply don't want to be on it. So, keep my money and spend it on one of those Americans who have never paid a dime into it and leave me alone. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Diane O. (135) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 5:15 pm Same with ObamaCare....I want no part of it. I just want the government to leave me alone and let me decide for myself what I feel is best for me. If our country embraced this mentality that millions of Americans don't want to go on a government controlled healthcare plan and can afford to pay for their own private insurance would that no lesson the financial overburden the already overburdens medical expenses facing the taxpayers today? The only way out as I see it is to invest yearly in concierge medicine which is an upcoming option for many Americans. Primary care doctors in this system will continue to see their patients who are forced on medicare whether they need it or not because of the annual fee that is paid to them which pays them what they deserve to be paid for seeing patients. These concierge doctors are dropping down from 2,000 patients a year to 600 patients a year. Finally, the upper tier physicians have found a way to be compensated adequately for the work they do for paying patients instead of what the government/Obamacare tells them they are worth. Works for me. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Diane O. (135) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 5:26 pm There's always a way to outfox the fox. Concierge medicine is doing just that. They have an enrollment period. Only those who pay the fee will see their preferred physician. This gives the physicians the extra compensation they deserve. Why is this important? Because the physicians do not want to be over run with medicare and medicaid patients because the government pays them $20.00 for a visit when they can get $50 to $60 a visit from a paying patient. None of us can blame the physicians. They easily spent well over $200,000 for their medical education and the government expects them to be satisfied with being paid substandard costs? It doesn't work that way in our country. The best physicians are invited into the "concierge medicine" concept. They will be in a position to refer their patients to the "best" doctors when the need arises. What I love about America is that innovation begins here and this is a very good example. The government hates it I am sure but Americans will always resist being controlled by the government. And, that's a good thing. Obamacare should be for those Americans who need it and hopefully with millions of Americans opting for the concierge route it will enable ObamaCare or medicare/medicaid to have the flexibility to offer better care for those enrolled in it. I call it a win/win. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Armand B. (68) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 5:34 pm TU Kit. Are bribes considered entitlements I wonder... Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Kit B. (294) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 5:41 pm Most probably Armand, some consider bribes their proper remuneration for being in a given position,say Congress for one. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Kit B. (294) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 5:42 pm I am certain that Ayn Rand never expected to be dependent on Social Security and Medicare, and yet, she was. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Diane O. (135) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 5:50 pm None of us should be forced to go on Medicare, Kit. Yes, we paid into it but we don't want to have to go on it. Give what we paid into it to those who have never paid into it. It lifts the burden of the escalating costs of medicare to the taxpayers. No, I'm not the 1%. I'm a middle class American who has charted my life course to be personally responsible for what I want in what I consider a quality lifestyle. I'm willing to give what I paid into medicare to someone else who needs it. I not only do not need it I don't want it shoved down my throat. I'll happily give it to someone who actually needs it. What is your response, Kit? I'm sure it will be good. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Angelikanomail Roll (75) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 5:55 pm and she had no shame accepting it? Wow Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Diane O. (135) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 6:06 pm What is not being said here is that the majority of Americans have excellent credit, have paid off their mortgages, have money in savings and retirement investment accounts. Yes, we have paid into social security although we know it was always the worst investment anyone can make financially but we paid into it knowing full well there was no way in hell we could live on one check. When Obama stepped in during the mortgage meltdown and tampered with the natural recovery of the real estate market he was wrong to do so. What he didn't understand that millions of Americans had the credit and money to step in and buy up the foreclosures in record time. However, once he tampered with that natural recovery by realigning mortgages which was responsible for months of red tape meanwhile the values were continuing to drop, Americans stepped aside. Why on this earth would anyone lock into a foreclosure tied up for four months when the value was going to drop another $30,000.00 stay seated at the table? That's how incompetent Obama is. He needed to stay out of the fray but he had something he wanted to prove and unfortunately the only thing he proved was that he didn't know what the hell he was doing. Sadly, the foreclosures sat and sat and sat. Everyone lost on that deal....the banks, the mortgage companies, Americans who would've helped the economy by buying up foreclosures.....what a circus Obama created. And now millions of Americans are still under water because Obama stopped the natural recovery of the real estate market. We've had recessions in America since 1948. Some of you who may be interested should read the study on those recessions. I researched it. I read it. Most recessions in America recovered in 14 months real estate driven and real estate corrected. The subprime debacle presented a different "twist" but Americans with excellent credit could've solved this problem if only Obama had stepped out of the way. Obama gave new meaning to "enhancing a deep recession." Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Kit B. (294) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 6:16 pm No, Angelika she had no shame. She was still selling her drivel as her own delusional facts, even while taking both Social Security and Medicare. And the depression of 1873? How fast was that recovery? How many died of starvation when there was no government intervention? Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 John C. (77) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 6:22 pm So happy to do so, and thank you for your contribution! Please feel obliged to do the same. I cannot see how social security can be insolvent. Illegals must pay in if they work and will never be able to collect. I have paid in all my life and conservative people say the same thing to me. Excuse me but there is a problem here. I only have to count the Ferrari's to see where the problem with that program is. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Diane O. (135) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 6:26 pm Kit, you can hardly compare 1873 to what is going on today. That was way back then and this is now. The world has changed in case you haven't noticed. People died of starvation because there was no government money to make it better. Ayn Rand wrote Atlas Shrugged saying that capitalist gave up on society because innovation and hard work were not rewarded by society. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Diane O. (135) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 6:29 pm John, if I'm arguing with someone who is counting Ferrari's I'm arguing with somebody whose concentrating not just the top 1% but the top .03%. Don't be ridiculous, John. The wealth producers of this country don't own Ferrari's. The wealth producers of this country own Cadillacs. when the earn them. The Ferrari owners are Hollywood moguls who get their own tax breaks to keep California economy going on a bandaid. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Diane O. (135) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 6:30 pm typo: Who is concentrating... Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Roseann D. (151) | Sunday November 25, 2012, 6:36 pm The 1% has their own Entitlement program : BushCo tax cuts. From what I've seen, rather than creating jobs, they used close to 1 Trillion in tax cuts to fund defeating Obama and other candidates they disagreed with. Yet, another great reason to end the Bush Tax cuts. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
Source: http://www.care2.com/news/member/451276626/3490536
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Dragon's Blood
(So a little backstory. Yesterday I was watching How to Train Your Dragon, and of course with me loving dragons, I got inspired to make something revolving around them. I've always loved dragons, ever since I was little, almost as long as I've loved dinosaurs. Once again, I have no idea if this story will take itself anywhere else or whatever, I'm just making it because... I love dragons. Dragons!!!)
The Isle of Riders
In the old days, when magic ruled the world and such, dragons were very popular back then. Either they were treasure greedy and savaged beasts, or they were the tam beasts of certain people which could be used to turn a battle to one's favor. Now though, it seems most of them have vanished from our peaceful world. We continue to watch over the remaining dragon's we have left and hope that they will grow in generations to come. The Isle of Riders is where those who are to become the next Dragon Riders live and train for possibly years before a dragon hatches. I am one such person, one of six chosen since birth. I've been living here for about four years, and my eighteen birthday is approaching. The others are excited, for they know what this means. We get to label ourselves as true riders. We get to use the one thing that is almost forbidden to be used on any human.
Dragon's Blood.
"Eric! It is time!" The Red Rider called out to me while I was busy looking into the history of riders. I furrowed my brows and sighed, closing my book as I walk out of my room and close the door behind me. There stood the Red Rider, with the Purple and Blue Riders at his sides. I was to be the Green Rider, the other two were to be the Orange and Yellow Riders. It was a sad thing, really. No one would really ever know me as 'Eric the Green Rider' in history books, but as 'The Green Rider of the 12th Generation' or something like that.
"I'm here. Let's do this." I replied to Red.
"Splendid. You will pass the test, and then, Dragon's Blood for everyone!" The other two cheered at this, so happy and proud to finally be doing this. I didn't like it, becoming half dragon to be able to ride a dragon was insane. Yet no one questioned the Laws of Riders, it was the only known way to make a human bond to his dragon. Dragon Riders had been known to go insane from this method, since the 6th Generation it had become tradition almost. Yet who among those Riders had lived long enough to warn future generations of the impending dangers that came with this? Some Riders had become corrupt because of it, others went mad and almost revealed the secret location of the isle.
"Sure. Let's go." I couldn't say no, it was my destiny. It was who I was meant to become. When we walked out of my home - The Green Rider's destined home, we could view the great castle that held so many riders in the past. The Isle was mostly covered in green, perhaps that is why the past Green Riders had grown so close to it. Or maybe it was because the rider's dragon's ancestors thrived here. Whichever the case, it was beautiful. No place on our world looked quite as wonderful any more, with the modernization of our world coming into control. As we walked towards the castle for my greatest trial, we could feel the wonderful breeze sweep over us. It felt as if angels were blowing air upon us, making us feel calm and cool, well rested and full of courage. I was not full of confidence though, I was full of doubt, I was full of fear at what we were about to become.
For the past four years, we Riders of the 12th Generation had grown to acknowledge one another as brothers, not by blood, but by our great bonds to one another. Our friendships had made us a family in a way, but now that would end. My brothers were about to become corrupted, and I was left to share the same fate. The thought continued to haunt me, I had nightmares for the past two weeks about this. My brothers transforming into some half Dragon-half Human form in the midst of battle and slaying any enemy before them. The dragons they would have would only help this, fighting alongside the rider with undying loyalty and with no knowledge of it's rider becoming corrupted. Always at the end I saw darkness come over me as I too began to change, just before I completely lost myself, I would wake up.
After several minutes of walking we entered, and as we entered into the bottom floor of the castle, the Orange and Yellow riders soon joined us. The Red Rider was the tallest among us, while also being the eldest at 19. I was the youngest and stood on par in height with the Orange and Blue riders. The others varied in size, the Purple Rider stood almost as tall as the Red, and the Yellow stood as the shortest. Once inside, the other five riders spread out and stood by a statue of the 1st Generation's riders respectively. I looked up to find the three elders standing before me, a few feet high in the air they had ascended up stairs in order to look down at our every move. They oversaw our trials, they determined who were Riders. They would also bring about my inevitable fate.
"Welcome, Green Rider." The tallest of the elders spoke, he asserted himself as the leader among the three. The most wise, the most in power and the man of destiny. "Tomorrow will be the day you turn 18. So today, we will see if the Riders are ready, or if they shall wait yet another year." I knew what he meant. We could of gotten the Dragon's Blood sooner, but our Blue rider had failed his test, leaving us another year to learn from his mistake. He had passed yesterday, so now it was my turn since I had met the age requirements now. "This last test will test you in everything you know about Dragons, while also mentally seeing if you know what it takes to be a Rider." It made me want to sleep a little, I do admit, but that would basically mean I couldn't care less whether I died or not today. "Open the gate!"
Underneath where the three Elders stood was the gate that held the dragon to test me. Once the gate opened, the beast inside was ready to come out. I have to also admit, I felt scared when I saw the beast slowly walk out, years after it's master had died and the corruption it's master had left behind had turned it from a once wise and peaceful creature, into a savage and greedy creature. It just goes to show you the Dragon's Blood theory didn't just harm the rider. The Green Dragon of the 11th Generation growled at me, it's eyes searching for any treasure on me. When it found nothing, it began to circle me, it's hungry eyes and drooling mouth made me doubt I could do this. "Rider, you will have to choose eventually." Spoke the leader Elder again.
The Green Dragon made the choice for me. It ran at me and breathed out the wispy green fire it held inside. I was lucky enough to jump to the side and just narrowly miss them as they burned a statue to ashes in just seconds. I rose up as the Green Dragon looked at me again and roared out, trying to gain an advantage over me by damaging me temporarily. I kept my focus just enough though to see it charge it's head at me, I rolled out of the way as it collided it's head with the statue and let out a cry in pain, the statue crumbling to pieces shortly after being hit. We made eye contact for a moment and I knew what had to be done. I raced towards the statue closet to me, as the other riders watched from above. I hid behind the statue as the Green Dragon collided into it again, but not as hard as it cried out briefly before taking a step back. I took this chance to push my feet against the statue and push it slowly forward, the dragon's great strength had weakened it enough for me to do this. When the dragon noticed, it was too late, as the statue came crumbling down on top of it, pinning it to the ground with it's head exposed.
"Good, Green Rider. Now, choose the fate of this dragon." I looked at the elder, holding back a glare. I knew all too well it didn't matter if you killed the dragon or not, you passed either way. If they wanted to blackmail you later on though, it could very easily happen either way. Like 'oh you didn't kill this dragon, blah blah' or 'oh, you killed this poor innocent dragon, blah blah blah' or such things like that. I walked over to the beaten dragon, looking into it's savage eyes as it struggled weakly to rise up and take me down where I stood. I knelt down beside the head as I put my hand gently on the dragon's forehead, watching it stop all motion briefly while I did this. Everyone was watching in awe, what had I just done? I stood up slowly as the dragon let out a low growl in sorrow, suddenly realizing what it had been doing.
"Hey, Red! Purple! Can you come help me?" I asked them as they rushed down the stairs on the left side of the room.
"Sure thing, Green!" The Red Rider spoke as they helped me push the rubble off of the dragon, I was only lucky Dragons were strong enough to survive boulders being dropped on them. Depending on how big they were, of course. The Red and Purple Riders were the best two I could trust out of the others, I could imagine them now. Blue was probably thinking I was soft, Orange probably didn't care and Yellow would probably try to ask if he could kill the dragon later. The Green Dragon rose once all was said and done, it then walked back into the darkness as the gate closed behind it. The other Riders came down at this, I looked up at the Elders. They looked all too pleased with the results.
"Well done, Rider. You have passed the test, and proven you all are ready to take the Dragon's Blood. Jerald, if you would be so kind..." The shortest Elder descended down to us and set down a box near us. Opening it, we all saw six syringes inside. We all looked up to the Elders as Jerald joined them. "Go on Riders, you have earned it." I knew all too well this was just the last thing they needed to hold servitude over our heads. The Blue Rider was the first to rush over to a syringe and stab it into his arm without hesitation.
"Feels good..." The Blue Rider commented. He threw the empty syringe into the ground afterword and let it shatter, seeming to enjoy this. The Yellow Rider followed next, taking a syringe and stabbing it in as well as he watched the blood enter his body. We could all tell he was enjoying it far more than the Blue Rider had. Once he was finished, he crushed the syringe in his hand and cast the pieces aside.
"Come, brothers." He said to us. "It feels right." The next was the Orange Rider, who was more hesitant than the Blue or Yellow Riders were. But slowly, he inserted the syringe into him and let the Dragon's Blood enter his body. He quickly took it out once it was empty and threw it away, seeming to pant as he walked over to the other two.
"I feel... Ill." He stated to us. The next up was Purple, who cleaned up the messes of the other syringes first before taking his own syringe. He took a deep breath before inserting it into his body. He did not watch the blood enter his body, taking it out once the blood was in and putting the syringe with the other messes. He then made his way over to the others.
"I... I think I'm getting a fever." He said. The next up was Red, who confidently took the syringe and placed it into his body, quickly letting the blood enter his body as he soon took the syringe out and put it among the others.
"It feels... Good, I guess." He shrugged and walked over to the others. Then it was my turn, as I walked over to the only syringe left and took it, feeling my hand shake as I struggled to breath. I hesitantly put it above my arm, feeling like the entire world was closing in on me as I slowly brought it down.
"Oh you idiot, let me!" I felt myself getting pushed as the Blue Rider took the syringe out of my hands and stabbed it into my arm. I screamed out as only a portion of the blood entered my body before I pushed him away. He stumbled back as his back hit the wall, the syringe shattering as the blood fell over his arm.
"Restrain the Blue Rider!" The leader Elder spoke, the Yellow and Red Riders pinning the Blue Rider to the wall as he struggled.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
"You are a fool, Blue Rider! Not only have you tried to do it for him, but you broke the syringe and have broken many traditions in just one action!"
"It is not my fault! He shouldn't of reacted the way he did!"
"It was self defense! You will be punished for this, I assure you! Everyone, dismissed!" None of us spoke to each other for the rest of the day. Blue gave me a glare before heading out. For the rest of the day, I felt ill. My back felt off as I kept myself restrained for the day. That night, I had a dream of sorts. I was flying... The air was rushing into me, it was fast. I was fast. I felt free, no longer was the Isle of Riders near me. No other Riders were near me. I felt... Like I was in heaven. That all changed when I woke up and gasped for air, sweating as I sat up. I prepared myself for the day, knowing what was ahead. I was still Eric to myself, to the others though, I was Green.
"Today is the day we see how you are developing." Jerald spoke to us, pacing back and forth as we stood all in a line. "The Dragon's Blood should have settled in over the night, and you should be able to have some power showing. It will take a while, but in time, you will learn to harness those powers and be the Riders we need you to be. Show us what each of you can do!"
"Alright, step back ladies!" Blue Rider called out to us. "Let me show you how it's done!" He was the first to go, or rather volunteer. I still didn't feel well, something inside of me was changing. We watched as Blue's arms buffed up a bit as he grabbed a boulder and tried to lift it up. He struggled for a few minutes, trying to not look pathetic or weak as he did. After a bit, he was able to just slightly lift it before putting it down and came back panting. Jerald shook his head as he watched Blue walk back to us.
"Next." Jerald called out for the next Rider to show us something. Yellow Rider went up next, shrugging his shoulders before going to show us what he had. He inhaled before breathing out, but only air came out. He huffed and he puffed three more times until he was too tired to huff and puff. He walked back over to us while Jerald sighed out in what seemed like pity.
"I'll -- I'll get it..." Yellow Rider mumbled to us. Orange stepped up to the challenge, punching the boulder that Blue tried to lift, but didn't even get a crack on it. He screamed out and ran around while holding his fist, Jerald put his hand over his face. Purple came up after this, closing his eyes as when he opened them, his eyes shifted. Jerald rose his brows at this.
"What... What do you see, Purple Rider?" He asked.
"I see... Fish. Jumping out of the waters and going back. A bird is coming near them... He just caught a fish. Wait... Colors are coming in. It's... My head is starting to hurt."
"Alright Purple Rider, that's enough."
"I... Don't know how."
"Focus, Rider. Focus!" The Purple Rider did just this, exiting out of his Dragon Vision as he nearly stumbled to the ground. Red helped him over as he had him sit down in his spot before walking over to Jerald. He concentrated as his form slowly changed. It was brief and very sudden, but his body became red briefly before returning to normal.
"Impressive, Red Rider! You are getting the hang of it."
"Almost..." He stated before walking back to us. I walked forward as I felt nervous.
"Green Rider? You don't have to do this today, you know."
"I know... But... I feel like I should do something at this point."
"Hm... If you wish. Try it out." I concentrated inside at this, on the blood now changing me. I struggled as I screamed out as something began tearing out of my back. Jerald jumped back briefly as my green wings spread out across my back as I collapsed to my hands and knees. Red rose a brow at this, I had just perfected a better transformation than he did.
"Good work, good work! You may retract them now." I felt only pain for a few, his words were hit and miss after that. I remember it being a few minutes, before I finally was able to pull the wings back in as I collapsed, shaking. "Take him to the medic at once!" The rest of the day was mostly hit and miss. That night, I remember going home. I don't remember why. I woke up from another dream though, I was flying again. I wanted to fly... So bad. When I got up and walked out, I saw... Something. I furrowed my brows and walked out to the kitchen to find some sort of creature devouring my food. It stopped when it realized I was there and looked over at me slowly.
"Green Rider..." It spoke in it's deep and demonic voice. It slowly turned around as it's wings spread out of it's back.
"What... Do I know you?" I asked the thing.
"Come now... You must remember Blue." My eyes widened as I felt myself shaking.
"Blue Rider...?" I asked.
"That's right. I'm in a sort of developing stage, but once I get more Dragon's Blood in me... I'll be ready."
"Ready for what?!"
"To transform. To ascend. Soon. Now... Perhaps I should get out of --" But before he could go on, Red and Purple tackled him down.
"Green, stay back! You don't want to look at him too closely!" Blue screamed out as he struggled around to move. The other Riders shortly came in after this. After some time, we were back in the castle, watching the restrained half-dragon/half-human Blue Rider try to break free.
"This is terrible!" Jerald said to us. "How did he more?!"
"I don't know! There was more?!?" Red asked him.
"Of course! We have them somewhere secret, but no one was suppose to know where they were but us!"
"What do we do?!" Orange asked.
"Is he stuck?!" Yellow asked.
"I am afraid he has too much... The transformation will soon be impossible to reserve."
"What do we do?!" Red asked.
"We have two options... Keep him as he is, or..." Jerald looked at Red, who's eyes widened with shock.
"No! I can't do that to him!"
"Then he shall remain as he is?"
"Well...."
"It is up to you, Red Rider." Jerald spoke to him. Red looked around at us as he gritted his teeth. He hadn't killed his dragon, nor had he killed before. He looked to Blue as he slowly took a hold of something, it looked like a stake. We all looked away as he prepared himself, Jerald stepping back as Red came closer.
"I am sorry, Blue Rider..." With that, he brought the stake down. Blue Rider's shadow struggled and screamed before the stake was twisted and the Blue Rider fell motionless. I had been watching the shadows, and when I looked back, Red had pulled the stake out and dropped it. "... By the Gods, why?" Afterword, me, Red and Purple had gone to see the leader Elder, who sat in the Elder's house. He drank something as he set down the cup before looking at us.
"So... He broke traditions, the rules... By the Gods, I am pleased you made the right choice."
"The right choice...?" Purple asked.
"Yes. Death was the only good thing for him."
"How was it...?" Red asked.
"Would you rather you have waited another year for the training, hmm?"
"Well... No, sir, but --"
"Then you did the right thing. Now, we will need to discuss the matter of the Blue Dragon egg..."
"Um... What, sir?"
"We will need to dispose of it at once."
"Sir! That is --"
"It is the right thing to do. Another Blue Rider will come in a few years, do not worry. Red, I am counting on you to destroy that egg."
".... Sir.... I...."
"Can I count on you to do this?"
".... Yes.... Sir." Red bowed his head at this.
"Good. Dismissed." It was morning before all of us met inside what was now the empty Blue Rider's home. Red seemed to have his face in his hands. Orange was leaning on a wall for support as his illness continued to get worse. Yellow stood in silence. Purple was the only one to take chances among the silence that had engulfed the five of us.
"Come on guys. We need not worry. The Gods will take good care of the Blue Rider now --"
"Phillip."
"... Excuse me?"
"He wasn't the Blue Rider when he died. He was Phillip." The Red Rider continued to comment.
"... Okay... Well... You did what had to be done, Red."
"What if the Elders are wrong though?"
"The Elders have never been wrong though."
"But they are still human! Just like us!"
"Are we human any more?! We are Dragon Blood!"
"Guys... I'm not feeling too good." Orange spoke out.
"Oh man... Alright Orange, we'll take you to the medic today."
"Thank you, Purple..."
"We'll talk later Red."
"No... We won't." Red got up and walked out, shutting the door behind him as he did. After taking Orange to the medic and doing training for the day, we all departed. That was when Red came running back to us. "Something's wrong!"
"What's happened?!" Purple asked.
"Come... We must hurry!" When we followed him to the medic, we found Orange struggling to hold on to his life.
"How did this happen?!" I asked.
"I... I don't know. I came to check on him and found him in this condition!"
"We must do something!" Yellow said to them.
"I don't think we can!"
"We must! For Orange!" For the rest of the day, we were there for Orange. But he was not Orange any more... No. He was Jeffrey. And that night, that's who he was when he passed away. The four of us bowed our heads briefly. Jerald came in and saw what had happened. Red was angry, but Jerald got away. Shortly after, Red was called in to see the leader Elder again. He walked off angry, while we buried our second brother that night. It wasn't until morning when Red finally told us how it went.
"It was horrible! He said it was natural this happened some times! Our powers are still developing in us, and he goes and says it's natural we might die?! Oh, I was angry... But I held it in. Even as he commanded me to destroy the Orange Rider's egg... I was not proud to do it. But I do feel like we should stop the Elders!"
"The Elders are right though, brother." Purple told him. "Why would they lie?!"
"I know they are... They are using us, brother! Do you not see it?! Blue's transformation - they did it to him while he was asleep!"
"How do you know this, Red?!?"
"And Orange! They poisoned him while he was resting!"
"Where is the evidence, Red!?"
"I know this! I know it from just looking at them! I had to kill one of them!"
"No one forced you to, Red! We had a choice! You made one for us!"
"I am meant to lead this team! What choice DID I have?! Yellow, Green?! Are you with me?!" He looked at us with a dark look in his eyes.
"I... Think Purple has a point." I said to him.
"So you are with him, huh? Yellow?"
"I am with you, brother. Tell me what to do and I will follow it without question."
"Good... Let us get away from these two." With that, the two went off. Purple patted me on the shoulder, but he frowned while doing it. He wasn't sure if he was making the right choice, but we had chosen our side. That day, it was just us two training. The sudden deaths of Blue and Orange still filled our heads, but we pressed them back. It was days before we saw Red and Yellow passing by just two weeks later. They were up to something. We were so close to harnessing our powers, too.
"I think the only thing you can do is fly, Green." Purple told me.
"That's... A good thing, right?" I asked him.
"Should be... Hopefully it will. I just hope --" That was when Red came bursting in to Purple's home. "Red, what is the meaning of this?!"
"Yellow... They took him down!"
"What? Calm down, Red! Tell us what has happened!"
"He killed an Elder! The fool! I told him not to do it, but he did it anyway! They put him down, made me bury the body just now! I had to destroy a third egg..."
"Brother... Tell me you two weren't planning on killing the Elders!"
"... It may have come to mind." He confirmed.
"WHAT?!"
"Listen to me --"
"No! You are obviously doing something to them, you did something! Who was it?! Who did he kill?!"
"The little short one, of course! Jerald is fine, and the leader is still breathing down my neck!"
"You fool! You will be banished! You will be an outcast for this!"
"Let it be so, then! I have had enough of the Elder's and the lies they spew at me!" He walked out before Purple could answer, slamming the door shut as Purple fell into a seat. He looked a little pale.
"... Brother? Are you okay?"
"I..." He started. "... Green. Whatever happens... If something does happen, run."
"What?"
"Take the egg you have and run. I don't know what Red is doing, but..." He paused at this. "... If something does happen, please... Get off this island. For the world's sake." He looked at me. "Please..."
"... I promise." I told him. He seemed relieved at this, but I felt wrong for agreeing to it. It was another week of training before we finally told Jerald what Red had told us. Red had been missing for a while now.
"What? Red is behind all this then... It all makes sense now."
"Elder?" Purple asked. "What do you mean?"
"He must of broken in where the Dragon's Blood was... No doubt he might of taken more by now. He must of tested some on Blue, to see how much he should take a time. He might of tried this on Orange too, it is only a guess boys, but... We did not kill Yellow. He was going mad when we found him, eating the poor Elder... We fended him off as long as we could before he suddenly stopped and died. His body wasn't able to handle it... I must warn the leader at once. Boys, you must leave the island and take the eggs with you."
"But --"
"Do not question me now. I am sorry boys... This is the only path left for us." He rushed off before we could stop him.
"What do we do now, Purple?" I asked him.
"... Go home and pack. Hurry now."
"But --"
"Do not question me. Please..." He, too, ran off. I felt sad going home and packing up my things, but... What choice did I have? I left enough room for us to carry the eggs inside. When it came to night, all was silent on the island. When I looked to the castle, I felt my heart sink for some reason. But that didn't matter, I had to get to the eggs. Reaching the cave, I looked in to only see the Purple and Green eggs left. I rushed to the Green once first and put it away. I waited for Purple, but the hours started to pass by. I studied the eggs, watched them even... After a few hours of waiting, I sniffed the air as something came to my nose. Smoke...? But then... My worse fears came to life. But then, Purple showed up.
"Green..." He mumbled, rushing over as he picked up his egg. "Leave this with me, please... You must go, now."
"What? But... Why?"
"The Elders are dead. Jerald was killed two hours ago, and the leader of the Elders just died not long ago... I barely escaped, but he is after us."
"Who?"
"Who else?" I got up and we ran towards one of the edges of the Isle. I could see fire spreading everywhere... How did this go by me? Had I fallen asleep somehow when this started? The castle, our homes... Everything was burning to the ground! I spread out my wings as I looked at Purple.
"Where are we going?"
"... We are going to the Island of the Dragons..."
"Why?"
"This place will soon be Red's Domain... We must not hesitate. We must go where we can properly train our Dragons." A large explosion of fire came in the middle of the Isle at this, and a great roar echoed out. I briefly could see Red walking towards us, he had mastered his half dragon/half human form.
"Hurry, now!" Purple shouted, as I flew into the air first, holding my stuff close to my chest. This was the most flying I had gotten yet, so I was a little unprepared when I first went into the air. Purple swiftly followed, just barely avoiding a blast of fire. I looked down briefly to see Red glaring at us, his eyes only could show betrayal. I could confirm it in my heart, at that moment, that everything said about Red had been true. He had betrayed us, he had killed the Elders and he had taken over the Isle of Riders. We flew for some time before I started feeling my wings get heavier.
"Purple... I don't think we can go on like this."
"Do not call me Purple from here on. From here on, I am P. And you?"
"Don't you have a name?"
"They told me my father never gave me one before he passed."
"Well... My name's Eric."
"Eric, huh? You still remember?"
"I never forgot who I was."
"... I see. You are lucky, Eric." After he said this, we saw a dragon fly up next to us. We hesitated for a moment or two, before I could tell who it was.
"Green Dragon?" I asked in disbelief. We heard it's voice in our heads.
Are you the Green Rider who showed me mercy? It asked. I nodded in response.
I thank you, Rider. You saved me from madness. Now, I will repay you... I offer to show you the way to the Island of the Dragons. Climb on. We did not hesitate, we got on. We were relieved, we could return to being humans briefly for the night.
"Green Dragon, tell us... Do you know why Red has done this?" P asked.
I do, unfortunately. I could tell something was going wrong, but I could do nothing to warn the Elders of this news. By the time I had gotten out, the one called Jerald had been slain. I noticed you two were leaving the Isle of Riders, and so I followed. I wish I could of done something sooner. But I will tell you everything I know... I will help you. Consider this my redemption before I pass on. Sleep for the night... You both will need it. We did as it asked, and that was the beginning of how it started. Things had suddenly changed. Our world was about to change. I didn't know what was going to happen with Red or his dragon, but I had a feeling we would need to face him again in the future. Whatever happens... I want to remember. My name is Eric. I am the Green Rider.
And so... Our Journey started.
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