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Here is the essay based on the observance of the recurrence and cost of wars during my lifetime. How fine might this world have been and how great might it have become, but for the upheaval of cataclysmic war? How much more civilized and humane, how caring and decent, how trusting in love and oriented with virtue? For, of one thing yet may we be assured, that the world can only be poorer today by the lacking, deficient today by the omission of the contributions and hopes of those deceased or disabled by the dreadful decimation of wars which have taken so many of the talented and the brave from out our midst, from off the broken breadth of this peculiar, polluted planet, from space so yet beautiful a distant blue, this our world, our war-torn, weeping world, carbureted under the hungry skies of this so much Hamburger Heaven Earth that so well knows the nature and the ubiquitous loss of un-godly war. Still, so ever most graciously abetted by blood, it is surely a better world ensconce we here today--for the life, and well-being sacrificed of these ever so valiantly brave, as did they ever so gallantly behave in the preserving of good, in the thwarting of evil--then might else have been attained for this our home of estuaries humane as course the banks and bridges, branches and arms, floes and coves and inlets in and about the lands and seas of the free, of we the peoples yet ardent and free who tread firmly today in both safety and in peace over the clear, cool paths and porticos of freedom with un-leaned-on a deed-- our soldiers having thus secured and sealed these byways in the sacrificial medium of their very human lives. May we give thanks to God on this, and on all days, for these military women and men, our warriors, our air-men and sea-men, present, past and future who make, have made, and will make clear and safe the thoroughfares of freedom. Thank you, Soldiers, for the most decent, shining and princely of ardencies and for the utterly altruistic magnanimity of your supremely chivalrous sacrifices. "No greater love has a man than this..." And you much more deserve than these, our little medallions and fillets, our bands and cinctures and carcanets, these little stars and hearts and crosses, these shreds of purple and ribbons of blue, cinches and braids of honorary hue bestowed of dignitaries, generals, governors, and presidents -- although prestigiously fitting, these small signs, so quite impelling to discern upon the chests of You, our true heroes-- yet matching not the level of our indebtedness and gratitude to you. >Graduate of Pennsylvania State University >Ex-Serviceman--US Army and Technical Writer >Resides in Saint Cloud, Fl with Wife, Benj; Dog, Skittle; and several Queen Palms. >Novel in progress, writes poetry also

Geotags, aerial synths, street synths… capturing events as they happen. If you can mark it on a map, then this is the place to talk about it. There are some really cool places in the world that I'd love to see synths of, but for lack of time and money haven't been able to make it to (yet). Here's my list. What about other people, what would you like to see? • Shiptons Arch, China • Angel Falls, Venezuela • Nazca lines, Peru • Bungle Bungles, Australia • some bones in dinosaur national monument, Colorado/Utah • Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe/Zambia • K2/Baltoro Glacier, Pakistan http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=35.759607~76.548615&style=h&lvl=11&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&cam=-54.055532~-37.330167&scene=-1&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1 • Deer Cave, Malaysia The Ice Hotel! [Insert large cavern system here] preferably shot both as a walk-through (and back!) but also as panoramics in areas of interest so we get lots of donuts. Another one high on my list would be an aerial synth of the Grand Canyon, preferably done about 200' below the altitude of the rim so you're down in it the whole way. Ideally, photograph it using a hemispherical array of cameras all synchronized to a single shutter control so you get instant donuts every time an exposure is taken. But you know what would be tops on my list? For the Mars rover teams to submit their pictures as massive synths. MWAHAHAHAHAHAA! I'd love to boldly go where no man has gone before. Ok, so little wheeled robots have, but... I realize I'm posting things that aren't likely to be picked up by someone local to the place who says, "Sure! That's easy enough!" but these really are the places I'd love to see synthed. How about New Zealand. Not exciting? I'm talking about someone Synth'ing their Bungie trip from the walk up, to the jump off, the way down, and the bounce back up. That camera had better be strapped onto their helmet... Fracture - this thread was meant to be list of all the places in the world we'd like to see a synth of where we currently don't have one. We actually have OK coverage of NZ, but havent seen any taken while bungie jumping. That would be fairly cool, skydiving as well. Can you guys think of any more places/situtation we need synths of? Son Doong Cave In Vietnam While I was replying to a thread about collaborative synths, this came to mind: I know Photosynth won't synth water, but a closer statement would be that it won't synth the water's surface. Underwater there are loads of fixed points to tie images together. Soooo... I'd love to see a synth of a coral reef. That would be a BLAST. Even better, I'd love to figure out a way to tie the below-water images to the above-water shots and have someone on the reef and someone else on shore doing a collaborative synth. You'd be able to "stand on the beach" at the beginning of the synth, and "dive underwater" to see the reef. (Oh PLEEEEZE tell me someone is interested in doing this! I don't have an underwater housing on my camera!!) I think Tom's onto something here. I think the transition from above water to below water would be the absolute hardest part, but I too would LOVE to see this. A good polarizer and a really careful choice of angles might work. I've had underwater features show up in a couple of synths I've done this way. It might be enough to tie the two, though the other direction would be a LOT harder. (Anyone on the Big Island with an underwater housing for their camera? I'll do the dry-land photography!) Cave systems in halong bay/Cat Ba island Vietnam would fit your suggestion TBenedict, and I'd love to see them http://images.google.com/images?q=halong bay cave system&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7HPEA_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi Also synths of reefs.. excellent idea. There are a huge team of underwater photographers in Egypt and some awesome dive sites I'm sure the Devs here could fire off some emails to camel divers & they could use it for promo work ;) ;) One possiblility would be the use of a glass bottom boat to ease the transition from land to water? I'd particularly like to see some underwater wrecks, starting underwater at the boat near a shallow reef and descending down. Some well phrased emails would definately start off a few clusters of this type of synth! Any series of photos from space... The saturn mission has some good stuff going around Titan - their pictures are already in the public domain as well, I reckon they might be up for some synthing.. I honestly think you're right, the above/below beach/reef synth should ideally be done by underwater photographers. I REALLY like the idea of the glass bottomed boat for the transition. That or something similar on a smaller scale. I'm still interested in doing this, but I hope an honest to goodness underwater photographer beats me to it. It will be far better done. Your mention of space synths (of which I think NASA has done several) gave me an idea... I'll try to get this one done later in the week (time permitting.) Okay, I'm now obsessed with large scale underwater reef synthing... Underwater photography is tough, normally holiday divers don't have the equipment to balance the red shift (deeper water has less blue light) it's a pain to have to add/remove coloured slides for every photo.. (sorry--going off topic there) I emailed one dive centre in Sharm el Sheik but they haven't responded so I have sent emails out to dive centres I have worked at in the past suggesting they make a synth map a part of their dive master/master scuba diver course or make a synth to use for promos, there are centres where professionals dive the same reefs month in month out, 20 photos per dive, 70 dives per month... Anyways, I'll let you know if I get any success synth fishing :D Also, to return to the thread topic - I'd love to see a synth from the front of a train, some rapid fire photos might do the trick from trains both ways? *deeper water has less red light... doh! Glad to see you taking point on this, Mister_Blondie! I don't even qualify as a holiday diver, and my equipment is nil. I really like the direction you're taking with that, especially the idea of using photos from centers where professionals are in there all the time. I'd really like to see how that turns out! I don't know about the front of a train, but a while back Darius posted a link to a "drive through" synth where someone was taking pictures from inside a car, coming and going. The technique works quite well. At the speeds most trains go, though, you might need a pretty high frame rate to pull that off. Glad you thought of doing it both ways. For the viewer to be able to turn around and go back, that's essential. No dice on the space synth I hoped to do this week. I'll have another chance next week, so I'll give it another go then. A sculpture park. A whole big sculpture park... Here's an fantastic attempt at a sculpture park: http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=97153326-97b4-4df7-ba8d-aaf9851fa34d This is pushing the upper limit of the synther as it is, so a park larger than this would be very difficult. The overhead view in this one is great. awesome, thanks :) I'd like to see some Mt Everest base camp synths. This takes a step out of the realm of the real world, but I'd absolutely love to see Michael Chesko's miniature model cities thoroughly synthed. He's worked on models of New York City, but also has a fictional city of his own design, entitled 'Britannica'. I happened to bump into his work on Robyn Miller's blog some time ago and have been hooked on the idea of synthing his models ever since. You can find one of Robyn's Britannica posts here: http://tinselman.typepad.com/tinselman/2008/08/stop-and-smell.html Unfreakin'real. I second that, Nathanael. I'd be willing to be there are no small number of photographers who would be ready to jump at the chance. (I WOULD!) I would love to synth Jack Lewis's house, "The Kilns". Short of being able to tackle it myself, though, I'd truly enjoy someone else doing a good job of it.

Psalm CXXVI. 5492 1. …How man had come into captivity, let us ask the Apostle Paul.…For he saith: “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.” 5493 Behold whence we became captives; because we were sold under sin. Who sold us? We ourselves, who consented to the seducer. We could sell ourselves; we could not redeem ourselves. We sold ourselves by consent of sin, we are redeemed in the faith of righteousness. For innocent blood was given for us, that we might be redeemed. Whatsoever blood he shed in persecuting the righteous, what kind of blood did he shed? Righteous mens blood, indeed, he shed; they were Prophets, righteous men, our fathers, and Martyrs. Whose blood he shed, yet all coming of the offspring of sin. One blood he shed of Him who was not justified, 5494 but born righteous: by shedding that blood, he lost those whom he held. For they p. 604 for whom innocent blood was given were redeemed, and, turned back from their captivity, they sing this Psalm. 2. “When the Lord turned back the captivity of Sion, we became as those that are comforted” (Psa. 126.1). He meant by this to say, we became joyful. When? “When the Lord turned back the captivity of Sion.” What is Sion? Jerusalem, the same is also the eternal Sion. How is Sion eternal, how is Sion captive? In angels eternal, in men captive. For not all the citizens of that city are captives, but those who are away from thence, they are captives. Man was a citizen of Jerusalem, but sold under sin he became a pilgrim. Of his progeny was born the human race, and the captivity of Sion filled all lands. And how is this captivity of Sion a shadow of that Jerusalem? The shadow of that Sion, which was granted to the Jews, in an image, in a figure, was in captivity in Babylonia, and after seventy years that people turned back to its own city. 5495 …But when all time is past, then we return to our country, as after seventy years that people returned from the Babylonish captivity, for Babylon is this world; since Babylon is interpreted “confusion.”…So then this whole life of human affairs is confusion, which belongeth not unto God. In this confusion, in this Babylonish land, Sion is held captive. But “the Lord hath turned back the captivity of Sion.” “And we became,” he saith, “as those that are comforted.” That is, we rejoiced as receiving consolation. Consolation is not save for the unhappy, consolation is not save for them that groan, that mourn. Wherefore, “as those that are comforted,” except because we are still mourning? We mourn for our present lot, we are comforted in hope: when the present is passed by, of our mourning will come everlasting joy, when there will be no need of consolation, because we shall be wounded with no distress. But wherefore saith he “as” those that are comforted, and saith not comforted? This word “as,” is not always put for likeness: when we say “As,” it sometimes refers to the actual case, sometimes to likeness: here it is with reference to the actual case.…Walk therefore in Christ, and sing rejoicing, sing as one that is comforted; because He went before thee who hath commanded thee to follow Him. 3. “Then was our mouth filled with joy, and our tongue with exultation” (Psa. 126.2). That mouth, brethren, which we have in our body, how is it “filled with joy”? It useth not to be “filled,” save with meat, or drink, or some such thing put into the mouth. Sometimes our mouth is filled; and it is more that we say to your holiness, 5496 when we have our mouth full, we cannot speak. But we have a mouth within, that is, in the heart, whence whatsoever proceedeth, if it is evil, defileth us, if it is good, cleanseth us. For concerning this very mouth ye heard when the Gospel was read. For the Jews reproached the Lord, because His disciples ate with unwashen hands. 5497 They reproached who had cleanness without; and within were full of stains. They reproached, whose righteousness was only in the eyes of men. But the Lord sought our inward cleanness, which if we have, the outside must needs be clean also. “Cleanse,” He saith, “the inside,” and “the outside shall be clean also.” 5498 … 4. But let us return to what was just now read from the Gospel, relating to the verse before us, “Our mouth was filled with joy, and our tongue with delight:” for we are inquiring what mouth and what tongue. Listen, beloved brethren. The Lord was scoffed at, because His disciples ate with unwashed hands. The Lord answered them as was fitting, and said unto the crowds whom He had called unto Him, “Hear ye all, and understand: not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” 5499 What is this? when He said, what goeth into the mouth, He meant only the mouth of the body. For meat goeth in, and meats defile not a man; because, “All things are clean to the clean;” and, “every creature of God is good, and none to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving.” 5500 … 5. Guard the mouth of thy heart from evil, and thou wilt be innocent: the tongue of thy body will be innocent, thy hands will be innocent; even thy feet will be innocent, thy eyes, thy ears, will be innocent; all thy members will serve under righteousness, because a righteous commander hath thy heart. “Then shall they say among the heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them.” 6. “Yea, the Lord hath done great things for us already, whereof we rejoice” (Psa. 126.3). Consider, my brethren, if Sion doth not at present say this among the heathen, throughout the whole world; consider if men are not running unto the Church. In the whole world our redemption is received; Amen is answered. The dwellers in Jerusalem, therefore, captive, destined to return, pilgrims, sighing for their country, speak thus among the heathen. What do they say? “The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we rejoice.” Have they done anything for themselves? They have done ill with themselves, for they have sold themselves under sin. The Redeemer came, and did the good things for them. 7. “Turn our captivity, O Lord, as the torrents in the south” (Psa. 126.4). Consider, my p. 605 brethren, what this meaneth.…As torrents are turned in the south, so turn our captivity. In a certain passage Scripture saith, in admonishing us concerning good works, “Thy sins also shall melt away, even as the ice in fair warm weather.” 5501 Our sins therefore bound us. How? As the cold bindeth the water that it run not. Bound with the frost of our sins, we have frozen. But the south wind is a warm wind: when the south wind blows, the ice melts, and the torrents are filled. Now winter streams are called torrents; for filled with sudden rains they run with great force. We had therefore become frozen in captivity; our sins bound us: the south wind the Holy Spirit hath blown: our sins are forgiven us, we are released from the frost of iniquity; as the ice in fair weather, our sins are melted. Let us run unto our country, as the torrents in the south.… 8. For the next words are, “They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy” (Psa. 126.5). In this life, which is full of tears, let us sow. What shall we sow? Good works. Works of mercy are our seeds: of which seeds the Apostle saith, “Let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.” 5502 Speaking therefore of almsgiving itself, what saith he? “This I say; he that soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly.” 5503 He therefore who soweth plentifully, shall reap plentifully: he who soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly: and he that soweth nothing, shall reap nothing. Why do ye long for ample estates, where ye may sow plentifully? There is not a wider field on which ye can sow than Christ, who hath willed that we should sow in Himself. Your soil is the Church; sow as much as ye can. But thou hast not enough to do this. Hast thou the will? 5504 As what thou hadst would be nothing, if thou hadst not a good will; so do not despond, because thou hast not, if thou hast a good will. For what dost thou sow? Mercy. And what wilt thou reap? Peace. Said the Angels, Peace on earth unto rich men? No, but, “Peace on earth unto men of a good will.” 5505 Zacchæus had a strong will, Zacchæus had great charity. 5506 …Did then that widow who cast her two farthings into the treasury, sow little? Nay, as much as Zacchæus. For she had narrower means, but an equal will. She gave her two mites 5507 with as good a will as Zacchæus gave the half of his patrimony. If thou consider what they gave, thou wilt find their gifts different; if thou look to the source, thou wilt find them equal; she gave whatever she had, and he gave what he had.…But if they are beggars whose profession is asking alms, in trouble they also have what to bestow upon one another. God hath not so forsaken them, but that they have wherein they may be tried by their bestowing of alms. This man cannot walk; he who can walk, lendeth his feet to the lame; he who seeth, lendeth his eyes to the blind; and he who is young and sound, lendeth his strength to the old or the infirm, carrieth him: the one is poor, the other is rich. 9. Sometimes also the rich man is found to be poor, and something is bestowed upon him by the poor. Somebody cometh to a river, so much the more delicate as he is more rich; he cannot pass over: if he were to pass over with bare limbs, he would catch cold, would be ill, would die: a poor man more active in body cometh up: he carries the rich man over; he giveth alms unto the rich. Think not therefore those only poor, who have not money.…Thus love ye, thus be ye affectioned unto one another. Attend not solely to yourselves: but to those who are in want around you. But because these things take place in this life with troubles and cares, faint not. Ye sow in tears, ye shall reap in joy. 10. How, my brethren? When the farmer goeth forth with the plough, carrying seed, is not the wind sometimes keen, and doth not the shower sometimes deter him? He looketh to the sky, seeth it lowering, shivers with cold, nevertheless goeth forth, and soweth. For he feareth lest while he is observing the foul weather, and awaiting sunshine, the time may pass away, and he may not find anything to reap. Put not off, my brethren; sow in wintry weather, sow good works, even while ye weep; for, “They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy.” They sow their seed, good will, and good works. “They went on their way and wept, casting their seed” (Psa. 126.6). Why did they weep? Because they were among the miserable, and were themselves miserable. It is better, my brethren, that no man should be miserable, than that thou shouldest do alms.…Nevertheless, as long as there are objects for its exercise, let us not fail amid those troubles to sow our seed. Although we sow in tears, yet shall we reap in joy. For in that resurrection of the dead, each man shall receive his own sheaves, that is, the produce of his seed, the crown of joys and of delight. Then will there be a joyous triumph, when we shall laugh at death, wherein we groaned before: then shall they say to death, “O death, where is thy strife? O death, where is thy sting?” 5508 But why do they now rejoice? Because “they bring their sheaves with them.” 11. In this Psalm we have chiefly exhorted you to do deeds of alms, because it is thence that we ascend; and ye see that he who ascendp. 606 eth, singeth the song of steps. Remember: do not love to descend, instead of to ascend, but reflect upon your ascent: because he who descended from Jerusalem to Jericho fell among thieves. 5509 …The Samaritan as He passed by slighted us not: He healed us, He raised us upon His beast, upon His flesh; He led us to the inn, that is, the Church; He entrusted us to the host, that is, to the Apostle; He gave two pence, whereby we might be healed, 5510 the love of God, and the love of our neighbour. The Apostle spent more; for, though it was allowed unto all the Apostles to receive, as Christs soldiers, pay from Christs subjects, 5511 that Apostle, nevertheless, toiled with his own hands, and excused the subjects the maintenance owing to him. 5512 All this hath already happened: if we have descended, and have been wounded; let us ascend, let us sing, and make progress, in order that we may arrive. Lat. CXXV. A song of degrees. A sermon to the people.603:5493 Rom. vii. 14.603:5494 Or, “made righteous.”604:5495 Jer. 25:11, Jer. 29:10.604:5496 [A bishop seems to have been present.—C.]604:5497 Matt. xv. 1, etc.604:5498 Matt. xxiii. 26.604:5499 Matt. 15:10, 11.604:5500 1 Tim. iv. 4.605:5501 Gal. vi. 9.605:5503 2 Cor. ix. 6.605:5504 Oxf. mss. “have a good will.”605:5505 Luke ii. 14.605:5506 Luke xix. 8.605:5507 Luke xxi. 1-4.605:5508 1 Cor. xv. 55.606:5509 Luke x. 30.606:5510 Luke 10:35, 37.606:5511 Provincialibus. 1 Cor. iv. 2.606:5512 1 Thess. 2:7, 9, 2 Thess. 3:8, 9.

Barbara Ehrenreich – a Situationist Posted by The Situationist Staff on October 14, 2009 From a related Time Magazine article here’s a brief sample of her writing on the topic of optimism. * * * If you’re craving a quick hit of optimism, reading a news magazine is probably not the best way to go about finding it. As the life coaches and motivational speakers have been trying to tell us for more than a decade now, a healthy, positive mental outlook requires strict abstinence from current events in all forms. Instead, you should patronize sites like Happynews.com, where the top international stories of the week include “Jobless Man Finds Buried Treasure” and “Adorable ‘Teacup Pigs’ Are Latest Hit with Brits.” Or of course you can train yourself to be optimistic through sheer mental discipline. Ever since psychologist Martin Seligman crafted the phrase “learned optimism” in 1991 and started offering optimism training, there’s been a thriving industry in the kind of thought reform that supposedly overcomes negative thinking. You can buy any number of books and DVDs with titles like Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, in which you will learn mental exercises to reprogram your outlook from gray to the rosiest pink: “affirmations,” for example, in which you repeat upbeat predictions over and over to yourself; “visualizations” in which you post on your bathroom mirror pictures of that car or boat you want; “disputations” to refute any stray negative thoughts that may come along. If money is no object, you can undergo a three-month “happiness makeover” from a life coach or invest $3,575 for three days of “optimism training” on a Good Mood Safari on the coast of New South Wales. . . . * * * Americans have long prided themselves on being “positive” and optimistic — traits that reached a manic zenith in the early years of this millennium. Iraq would be a cakewalk! The Dow would reach 36,000! Housing prices could never decline! Optimism was not only patriotic, it was a Christian virtue, or so we learned from the proliferating preachers of the “prosperity gospel,” whose God wants to “prosper” you. In 2006, the runaway bestseller The Secret promised that you could have anything you wanted, anything at all, simply by using your mental powers to “attract” it. The poor listened to upbeat preachers like Joel Osteen and took out subprime mortgages. The rich paid for seminars led by motivational speakers like Tony Robbins and repackaged those mortgages into securities sold around the world. . . . * * * Below are some excerpts from the introduction of her new book explaining that, optimism notwithstanding, Americans are not necessarily better off. * * * Surprisingly, when psychologists undertake to measure the relative happiness of nations, they routinely find that Americans are not, even in prosperous times and despite our vaunted positivity, very happy at all. A recent meta-analysis of over a hundred studies of self-reported happiness worldwide found Americans ranking only twenty-third, surpassed by the Dutch, the Danes, the Malaysians, the Bahamians, the Austrians, and even the supposedly dour Finns. In another potential sign of relative distress, Americans account for two-thirds of the global market for antidepressants, which happen also to be the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. To my knowledge, no one knows how antidepressant use affects people’s responses to happiness surveys: do respondents report being happy because the drugs make them feel happy or do they report being unhappy because they know they are dependent on drugs to make them feel better? Without our heavy use of antidepressants, Americans would likely rank far lower in the happiness rankings than we currently do. When economists attempt to rank nations more objectively in terms of “well-being,” taking into account such factors as health, environmental sustainability, and the possibility of upward mobility, the United States does even more poorly than it does when only the subjective state of “happiness” is measured. The Happy Planet Index, to give just one example, locates us at 150th among the world’s nations. * * * But of course it takes the effort of positive thinking to imagine that America is the “best” or the “greatest.” Militarily, yes, we are the mightiest nation on earth. But on many other fronts, the American score is dismal, and was dismal even before the economic downturn that began in 2007. Our children routinely turn out to be more ignorant of basic subjects like math and geography than their counterparts in other industrialized nations. They are also more likely to die in infancy or grow up in poverty. Almost everyone acknowledges that our health care system is “broken” and our physical infrastructure crumbling. We have lost so much of our edge in science and technology that American companies have even begun to outsource their research and development efforts. Worse, some of the measures by which we do lead the world should inspire embarrassment rather than pride: We have the highest percentage of our population incarcerated, and the greatest level of inequality in wealth and income. We are plagued by gun violence and racked by personal debt. While positive thinking has reinforced and found reinforcement in American national pride, it has also entered into a kind of symbiotic relationship with American capitalism. There is no natural, innate affinity between capitalism and positive thinking. In fact, one of the classics of sociology, Max Weber’s Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, makes a still impressive case for capitalism’s roots in the grim and punitive outlook of Calvinist Protestantism, which required people to defer gratification and resist all pleasurable temptations in favor of hard work and the accumulation of wealth. But if early capitalism was inhospitable to positive thinking, “late” capitalism, or consumer capitalism, is far more congenial, depending as it does on the individual’s hunger for more and the firm’s imperative of growth. The consumer culture encourages individuals to want more — cars, larger homes, television sets, cell phones, gadgets of all kinds — and positive thinking is ready at hand to tell them they deserve more and can have it if they really want it and are willing to make the effort to get it. Meanwhile, in a competitive business world, the companies that manufacture these goods and provide the paychecks that purchase them have no alternative but to grow. If you don’t steadily increase market share and profits, you risk being driven out of business or swallowed by a larger enterprise. Perpetual growth, whether of a particular company or an entire economy, is of course an absurdity, but positive thinking makes it seem possible, if not ordained. In addition, positive thinking has made itself useful as an apology for the crueler aspects of the market economy. If optimism is the key to material success, and if you can achieve an optimistic outlook through the discipline of positive thinking, then there is no excuse for failure. The flip side of positivity is thus a harsh insistence on personal responsibility: if your business fails or your job is eliminated, it must because you didn’t try hard enough, didn’t believe firmly enough in the inevitability of your success. As the economy has brought more layoffs and financial turbulence to the middle class, the promoters of positive thinking have increasingly emphasized this negative judgment: to be disappointed, resentful, or downcast is to be a “victim” and a “whiner.” * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “Self-Serving Biases,” “The Motivated Situation of Inequality and Discrimination,” “Thanksgiving as “System Justification”?,” “Cheering for the Underdog,” “Ayn Rand’s Dispositionism: The Situation of Ideas,” “Deep Capture – Part X,” “Promoting Dispositionism through Entertainment – Part I, Part II, & Part III,” “The Unconscious Situation of our Consciousness – Part IV,” and “The (Unconscious) Situation of our Consciousness – Part III.”

LISBON, Mar 22 (IPS) - The huge impact of the economic crisis on male employment in Portugal has led to a sharp increase in the proportion of women who have become the main breadwinners in their families. But that has not translated into progress towards equality. "Today there is more male unemployment than female, because the crisis has especially affected the civil construction industry," said Anália Torres, a professor at the Technical University of Lisbon's Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences. "With less economic activity in that industry, which traditionally employs men, the male unemployment rate has climbed, while in sectors that generally employ women, unemployment grew much less," Torres said in an interview with IPS. The European Commission expects unemployment in Portugal to reach 17.3 percent in 2013. But opposition parties and trade unions project a rate of 24 percent. Professor Anália Torres at the Technical University of Lisbon's Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences. Credit: Mario Queiroz/IPS The gap between the figures is explained by the thousands of people who have stopped registering at the government employment centres or have moved abroad, mainly to other European countries or to the former Portuguese colonies of Brazil, Angola, Mozambique or Macau. Among those who only have a primary school education, "the woman always earns less than the man," Torres said. "And as the educational level increases, the difference between the incomes of men and women grows. A woman with a doctorate earns much less than a man (with the same degree)." In areas like education and health, where women earn 20 percent less than men, it is men who are most often laid off "because they are more expensive." Another factor that puts women in the position of bringing home the bacon "is that many remunerated activities carried out by women are in the informal economy, undeclared or unskilled work, such as cleaning or babysitting in the homes of the well-off," the academic said. In Portugal, the 1961-1974 colonial war in the country's overseas territories in Africa – Angola, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique – "led to large numbers of women replacing men (in the workplace)," Torres said. Since then, "the idea of the working woman who helps support her family has remained in place," she added. During the war, Portugal maintained a permanent force of 220,000 military troops – an enormous figure compared to a population at the time of 8.8 million (10.6 million today). In the 1960s, one million people from Portugal moved abroad for economic reasons or to avoid being sent to war in Africa. Women, Torres said, "took on a central role in a country with very few men of working age." Nevertheless, "the predominant sexism persisted, and men continue to make a show of unacceptable machismo today," she said. "By refusing to help do things around the home on the argument that ‘I am a man, I don't do that kind of work', which also causes serious domestic violence problems, men show that the sexist culture is still in place." Women are sometimes the target of violence, often with tragic results, because many men "base their masculinity on their wage-earning power, even though both men and women have been working and supporting the family for a long time now in Portugal," Torres added. Between January and November 2012, 30 women were killed in Portugal by their partners or ex-partners, according to UMAR, one of the largest women's organisations in the country. That makes Portugal the country with the largest number of femicides – gender-related murders – in the European Union, in proportion to the population. But "working is also a kind of insurance against machismo, in the sense of women being aware that they are making a living and don't need men," Torres said. Sociologist and researcher Sofia Aboim of the University of Lisbon's Institute of Social Sciences said that in the last eight years, the proportion of couples in which the woman is the main breadwinner has risen from two to 16.5 percent. It is "obvious" that many men "have suffered a strong blow to their self-esteem, because their masculinity is traditionally associated closely with supporting the family," she wrote in the newspaper Público about the conclusions of a study on the subject. Aboim said this situation was seen especially in couples with low levels of education and in older couples, especially between the ages of 51 and 65. But Torres said discrimination against women is also deeply rooted among more educated segments of the population, even though "there are many women with excellent educations - teachers and professors, for instance." In general, "the highest-level posts are filled by men, even though, for example in the academic world, studies show that there is no difference in the production of research or articles. But women are not heads of institutes and are not on the boards of universities, with very few exceptions," she said. One big exception is the Centre for Judicial Studies, which provides training for future judges and prosecutors. Because the centre accepts lawyers on the basis of competitive examinations, "80 percent of those who have been accepted for training as magistrates in the last decade were women, because they scored higher than men." The problems plaguing Portugal affect everyone, "but in the crisis, women face greater difficulties, aggravated in cases in which their husbands are unemployed, because they still have to take everything on their shoulders. "The worst thing about this government (of conservative Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho) is its complete insensitivity and indifference towards the plight of the people," Torres said. This is especially serious in Portugal and other countries where sexism is predominant, she said, because "if a woman has work and her partner does not, she continues to do the housework, unlike what occurs in other places, where men participate in the housework when they are unemployed." © Inter Press Service (2013) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service Latest News Headlines Read the latest news stories: - U.S. Strategy on Water, Development a “Major Advance” Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - Stressed Ecosystems Leaving Humanity High and Dry Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - Organic Cooperative Proves that Agriculture Can Prosper in Cuba Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - Indigenous Brazilians Learn to Fight for the Right to Food Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - Seeking Justice for Dictatorship Victims – Two Continents Apart Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - Tackling Crime Takes on Import As Urban Populations Rise Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - Q&A: Guantanamo 'Has No Right to Exist' Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - UNFPA Focuses on Contraception for 222 Million in Developing World Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - Caribbean Farming Gets Its Roots Wet Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - Zimbabwe’s Ruling Party Militias Spread Fear of Voting Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Several home invasions have been reported in Oakland County in the past few weeks, according to the Franklin-Bingham Farms Police Department. They are urging residents to be wary of burglars posing as solicitors or lost travelers. “It appears that the burglars repeatedly ring the door bell and knock on doors to determine that no one is inside the house before they break in,” said Franklin officials in a Friday media release. “If an occupant answers the door, the suspect either claims to be looking for someone they thought lived there or offering some type of home improvement service.” Franklin police have kept investigations open in a few incidents in their village. The most recent, say officials, is a break-in that was reported around 11 a.m. Wednesday in the area of Helmandale Drive. Authorities warn that burglars have been reported breaking windows in the back of homes or prying doors open. Suspects in these certain types of robberies are described by neighbors and victims as young men in their late teens to their early 20s, sometimes dressed in business or casual clothes. Suspicious vehicles have also been reported as being a green or blue SUV, a gray or sliver minivan, a silver Ford Taurus, a tan or white sedan, or a gray PT Cruiser. Officials are asking residents to be vigilant in immediately reporting any solicitors or suspicious people and vehicles in Franklin or Bingham Farms. Contact the police department’s dispatch center at 248-626-5444. Continued... Contact staff writer John Turk at 248-745-4613 or email@example.com. Remember to activate your home security alarm systems and lock all doors and windows. Do not leave valuables such as laptop computers, jewelry, iPhones and purses within view while you’re outside. Keep valuables stored in a safe or a heavy-duty lock box. See wrong or incorrect information in a story. Tell us here Location, ST | website.com National News Videos - Driver runs into Rochester Hills bar in accident that is one of many involving cars crashing into buildings in county (2058) - PAT CAPUTO: Detroit Red Wings show Blackhawks, again, why they are real Stanley Cup contenders WITH VIDEO (1530) - Pontiac taxpayers to pay $2.3 million of $7.8 million schools debt, neighbors to pay rest (1507) - Prince Fielder helps Tigers rally past Minnesota (1328) - DEAR ABBY May 24: Wedding thank-you note fails to deliver intended message (1066) - One killed, one injured in Brandon Township crash (1042) - PAULA PASCHE: Time for Detroit Lions' Ndamukong Suh to step up as leader (1032) - New backcourt leads Lathrup over Dragons (57) - Pontiac taxpayers to pay $2.3 million of $7.8 million schools debt, neighbors to pay rest (9) - Nearby neighbors concerned after man convicted of murder paroled, moves to Pontiac group home (8) - Auburn Hills chamber eyes lawsuit over $7.8 million Pontiac schools tax bill (8) - Property owners in eight communities may have to pay Pontiac schools' $7.8M debt (7) - Holly High School graduate to perform free vocal recital (6) - Michigan wolf hunting put on hold; issue will be put before voters (6) Recent Activity on Facebook Stephen Frye has covered the police beat and courts for The Oakland Press and now serves as online editor for www.theoaklandpress.com. Informs on and discusses current matters of legal interest to readers of The Oakland Press and to consumers of legal services in the community. Caren Gittleman likes talking cats. She'll discuss everything about them. Share your stories and ask her questions about your favorite feline. Roger Beukema shares news from Lansing that impacts sportsmen (this means ladies as well) and talks about things he finds when he goes overseas to visit his children, and adding your comments into the mix. Join Jonathan Schechter as he shares thoughts on our natural world in Oakland County and beyond.

Anna Karenina (2012) Anna Karenina SynopsisThe third collaboration of Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley with director Joe Wright, following the award-winning box office successes Pride & Prejudice and Atonement, is the epic love story Anna Karenina, adapted from Leo Tolstoy’s classic novel by Academy Award winner Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love). The story unfolds in its original late-19th-century Russia high-society setting and powerfully explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart, from the passion between adulterers to the bond between a mother and her children. As Anna (Ms. Knightley) questions her happiness, change comes to her family, friends, and community. Anna Karenina Release Date In Theaters November 16, 2012 Anna Karenina Credits Starring: Keira Knightley, Aaron Johnson, Jude Law, Matthew Macfadyen, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Kelly Macdonald, Ruth Wilson, Olivia Williams, and Emily Watson Written by: Tom Stoppard Directed by: Joe Wright Produced by: Tim Bevan, Alexander Dostal, Alexandra Ferguson MPAA Rating: [ R ] Distributor: Focus Features Subscribe To Anna Karenina Updates if you're excited for Anna Karenina This Week In Home Entertainment: Argo & Anna Karenina, Plus Things Get Sinister There’s a lot of imagination in this week’s best releases. From a ghastly creature haunting old visual mediums to reenvisioned historical moments, and world and their wars built entirely for the small screen, this week in home entertainment offers a little something for everyone, even if that something is watching scantily dressed teens try to find a younger sibling in a haunted house. by Jessica Rawden February 19, 2013 comments Skyfall, Lincoln And More Nominated By The American Society Of Cinematographers Skyfall may be seen by some as just another silly blockbuster action movie, but the truth is that it really was one of the most beautiful films to be released in 2012, the Shanghai sequence alone deserving tons of recognition. But do you think that he deserves the top prize from the ASC? by Eric Eisenberg January 9, 2013 comments The Top 10 Movies Of 2012: Kristy's List Creating this list has filled me with a dizzying amount of joy and dread. Really, 2012 was a year that offered so many examples of daring and thrilling cinema that it was difficult to even determine what the criteria should be for a list of my personal ten favorites. In the end, I went with my gut, selecting those films that not only hit me hard in the theater, but also lingered with me for days, weeks, or months afterwards, and which I can still vividly recall. by Kristy Puchko December 19, 2012 comments The Top 10 Movies Of 2012: Katey's List 2012 was a really, really hard year to sum up in list form, and a top 20 would really be more appropriate to reflect the astonishing variety of blockbusters, out-of-nowhere successes and totally tiny arthouse stuff that grabbed me this year. A lot of these movies snuck up on me, only revealing their brilliance long after I'd written a review or thought I'd forgotten about it. Plenty of those not on this list did the opposite, making an amazing first impression and fading so quickly by Katey Rich December 17, 2012 comments Joe Wright And Keira Knightley Talk Collaboration In Anna Karenina Featurette With the cast and crew gushing so profusely about how terrific Knightley's performance is and how deep her devotion to the role was, it seems this featurette is meant as a kind of "For Your Consideration" ad. It's a relief to see Focus Features making such a push, since—despite all its grace, grandeur and great performances—this film appears to be getting lost in the shuffle with so many hotly anticipated titles nearing release. by Kristy Puchko December 3, 2012 comments Domnhall Gleeson Goes From Holding A Wand In The Background Of Harry Potter To Anna Karenina's Romantic Lead For a while Domhnall Gleeson didn't think he'd become an actor. As the son of famed Irish actor Brendan Gleeson, he had every young person's urge to separate himself from his parents-- even as it became clear to him that acting was what he wanted to do anyway. by Katey Rich November 21, 2012 comments Jude Law On The Difference Between The Theater And The World Of Anna Karenina It’s never easy playing the third wheel in a love triangle, particularly when it’s your wife who wants to leave you for another man. Couple this with the fact that Karenin (Jude Law) is a well-respected and very public figure in Russia’s aristocracy – and his crumbling marriage is being played out on a national stage – and you can understand why Anna Karenina is such a challenge by Sean O'Connell November 19, 2012 comments 5 Oscar Hopefuls You Should Catch Up With Over The Holiday This time of year you're probably overwhelmed figuring out your holiday plans and making a list of everyone you need to give presents, but there's another list you probably have in mind as a movie buff: the Oscar nominations. No, the nominees won't be announced until January 10, but now is the time to start catching up on the names that will probably be read that day by CB Staff November 19, 2012 comments Keira Knightley Explains Why You Shouldn't Be Intimidated By Anna Karenina The conversation, according to Keira Knightley, started on the set of by Sean O'Connell November 19, 2012 comments Aaron Taylor Johnson Talks Anna Karenina's Heightened Style If Anna Karenina was a by-the-numbers, Garry Marshall-directed romantic comedy, we’d actively root for Anna (Keira Knightley) to buck the odds and be with her true love, Count Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). But this isn’t Hollywood fluff. It’s classic Russian literature – Tolstoy, to be specific. Anna is a married Russian socialite, and Vronsky her forbidden fruit by Sean O'Connell November 16, 2012 comments Operation Kino 89: Swooning For Anna Karenina, And The New Short The Sleepover This week on Operation Kino, we're embarking on a pretty ill-fated affair, as we review Joe Wright's gorgeous new movie Anna Karenina. From there we bring you the newest installment of OpKino Indie, in which Da7e chats with Chris Cullari, Jennifer Raite and Carolyn Jania, the team behind the new short film "The Sleepover," by Operation Kino November 16, 2012 comments Director Joe Wright On Regaining His Confidence To Make A Bold Anna Karenina Now we have Anna Karenina, which might be the umpteenth adaptation of the Tolstoy classic but which stands very much on its own, partly because of Wright's bold decision to set most of the film inside a dilapidated theater, where bedrooms are tucked in among the rafters and horses can trot among the audience seats by Katey Rich November 13, 2012 comments Oscar Eye: Lincoln Holds Strong, Jennifer Lawrence Moves Up, And More Developments Between Election Day and a nasty fever that suddenly took over my life, I didn't have it in me last Tuesday-- and I got the feeling you guys had other things on your mind as well. Plus, what we're talking about this week is the same thing we would have been talking about last week: Lincoln and Skyfall, and the handful of mysteries still waiting for us down the line by Katey Rich November 13, 2012 comments Now Streaming: Netflix Instant Alternatives To Lincoln, Anna Karenina & Breaking Dawn - Part 2 This week, inspired by Lincoln, Anna Karenina, and Breaking Dawn – Part 2, for inspiration, we offer a selection of historical dramas, steamy costume dramas, and supernatural romances. by Kristy Puchko November 11, 2012 comments Joe Wright Considering A Harry Houdini Biopic As for Houdini, his biopic almost landed in the hands of The Hunger Games director Gary Ross. And his life story is informing a Broadway musical backed by Aaron Sorkin and Hugh Jackman. But the escape artist really deserves his own movie, and in my opinion, Wright would be a tremendous choice to take over the project. by Sean O'Connell October 12, 2012 comments Oscar Eye: Argo Prepares To Emerge As A Frontrunner, While Lincoln Surprises New York This week marks the wide release of one of the very big Best Picture contenders, Ben Affleck's Argo, but through sheer chance I've managed to catch up with four major Oscar movies in the last week. Argo is among them, so we'll start there, but there's plenty else to go over, even if the rest of these movies won't emerge in theaters for a few weeks yet. Exciting times to be a moviegoer! by Katey Rich October 9, 2012 comments Anna Karenina Posters Put Different Forms Of Love On Display This is such a smart campaign, because audiences need to be informed that Karenina -- despite being based on centuries-old Russian literature – is a passionate piece of filmmaking that crackles with creative energies, lustful performances, emotional heat and palpable tragedy. Don’t mistake this for another dry costume drama. by Sean O'Connell October 8, 2012 comments Toronto Film Festival Wrap-Up: The Good, The Bad, And The Best Oscar Bets The Toronto Film Festival technically doesn't wrap up until Sunday, when award winners will be announced (including the usually important Audience Award) and the crowds will recede from downtown Toronto for another year. But Team Cinema Blend has already left the premises, with dozens of movies and a handful interviews under our belts by Katey Rich and Sean O'Connell September 14, 2012 comments Anna Karenina: The Best Film Of TIFF 2012 So Far The heavy hitters emerged at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday, as audiences got their first look at films that would make any cinema junkie drool. Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master, Joe Wright’s Anna Karenina, Ben Affleck’s Argo and Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha all played north of the border to packed houses … and we were there for as much of it as we could absorb. by Sean O'Connell September 8, 2012 comments Keira Knightley, Jude Law In Anna Karenina Character Posters Russian literature might not float your boat, but we remain excited for Karenina because of Wright’s previous collaborations with lithe, beautiful leading lady Keira Knightley. They reinvented Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, then found heat in a steamy pre-war affair on the wrenching Atonement. by Sean O'Connell September 3, 2012 comments Anna Karenina Featurette Shows Off More Theatricality And Glitz It's still hard to know exactly how it will work out, but today we get another glimpse at the film and, once again, it's cramming with arresting visuals and some intriguing looking performance. The clip also has a lot of Keira Knightley and Wright talking about the idea behind the film's melodramatic style. Take a look below by Katey Rich July 30, 2012 comments Joe Wright's Anna Karenina Shows Breathtaking Ambition In Six-Minute Clip Wright has become cheered for his incredible and complicated long takes, like the beach scene in Atonement and the underground fight scene in Hanna. But now his love of this elegant but hard-earned fluidity has informed the entire construction of his Anna Karenina, an epic breathtaking in its ambition. by Kristy Puchko July 23, 2012 comments Anna Karenina Steals Great Gatsby's Thunder With Glamorous Poster And Trailer Between Baz Luhrmann's Great Gatsby and Joe Wright's Anna Karenina, moviegoers will be spoiled for choice this winter, when it comes to luxurious adaptations of novels that explore ill-fated love in high society. Focus Features has previously unveiled a striking string of first look images for Anna that revealed an almost unrecognizable Jude Law, a stunningly regal Keira Knightley, and a mustachioed—yet dapper—Aaron Johnson. by Kristy Puchko June 20, 2012 comments Robocop Sets August 2013 Release, Anna Karenina Coming This Oscar Season It's hard to think of anything that really connects the upcoming Robocop remake and the upcoming Anna Karenina adaptation, so let's just get down to facts. Recent schedule updates at Box Office Mojo have finally assigned release dates for both films; by Katey Rich March 13, 2012 comments Keira Knightley Dances In First Look At Joe Wright's Anna Karenina In 2007 director Joe Wright made a huge splash when he directed Atonement, a period drama starring Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan and James McAvoy. The film was a huge hit, both with audiences and critics, and it ended up earning seven Academy Award nominations (and it won for Best Original Score). Wright's last two films, The Soloist and Hanna, were both a step away from what we have typically seen from the director by Eric Eisenberg February 24, 2012 comments Exclusive: James McAvoy Still Unsure On Anna Karenina, Talks Welcome To The Punch Wright has been very vocal about wanting McAvoy for the film, but it's been unclear if McAvoy's schedule would cooperate; based on what he told me it seems that's still very much up in the air. by Katey Rich April 13, 2011 comments Benedict Cumberbatch And Kelly Macdonald Join Joe Wright's Stunning Anna Karenina Cast Cumberbatch actually makes this even more of an Atonement reunion, having played the actual rapist who goes off scot free when Ronan's character Briony accuses McAvoy instead. The British actor has been working steadily for years in all kinds of films you might recognize him in by Katey Rich April 7, 2011 comments James McAvoy And Saoirse Ronan May Also Join Joe Wright's Anna Karenina Though Hanna, a modern-day action thriller with strong fairy tale elements, is a bit of a departure from the polished period world of Atonement, Anna Karenina gets Wright back to what he established early as his wheelhouse. It's a classic story that's building a phenomenal cast by Katey Rich April 2, 2011 comments Jude Law Might Join Knightley, Johnson In Anna Karenina It's still a little unclear which role he might potentially be attached to in the eight part novel. There's Anna husband, twenty years her senior, which might work considering Law is thirteen years older than Knightley by Mack Rawden March 19, 2011 comments Kick-Ass Aaron Johnson Considering Tolstoy And New Oliver Stone Flick If he chooses both of these projects, studios should start getting a pretty fair handle on Aaron Johnson’s bankability. All the acting talent in the world doesn’t make you a leading man by Mack Rawden March 17, 2011 comments Joe Wright Hints That Keira Knightley Will Still Star In His Anna Karenina Though Wright says he's "not sure yet" who the star will be, he also admits "it's fairly obvious" and "I'm loyal to my actors," and is only holding back because "she hasn't signed on the dotted line." by Katey Rich March 2, 2011 comments Around The Web

PHILADELPHIA - Michael Vick's peers appreciate his tough journey back to the NFL. Vick won the Ed Block Courage Award, voted on by his teammates on the Philadelphia Eagles, after the once-disgraced star quarterback returned to the league after spending 18 months in a federal prison for his role in a dogfighting ring. "It means a great deal to me," Vick said Wednesday. "I was voted unanimously by my teammates. They know what I've been through. I've been through a lot. It's been great to come back and have an opportunity to play and be with a great group of guys. I'm just ecstatic about that and I enjoy every day." A three-time Pro Bowl pick in six seasons with Atlanta, Vick has played sparingly with the Eagles. He has two touchdowns rushing and one passing in 12 games. The Ed Block Award honours players who exemplify commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage. Each of the 32 NFL teams selects a recipient. "I've overcome a lot, more than probably one single individual can handle or bear," Vick said. "You ask certain people to walk through my shoes, they probably couldn't. Probably 95 per cent of the people in this world because nobody had to endure what I've been through, situations I've been put in, situations I put myself in and decisions I have made, whether they have been good or bad. "There's always consequences behind certain things and repercussions behind them, too. And then you have to wake up every day and face the world, whether they perceive you in the right perspective, it's a totally different outlook on you. You have to be strong, believe in yourself, be optimistic. That's what I've been able to do. That's what I display." The Eagles were criticized by animal rights activists for signing Vick less than a month after he was released from prison. Dozens of protesters voiced their outrage outside the team's practice facility the day after Vick was signed, and many fans threatened to give up their tickets. But Vick got a warm reception in his first game with the Eagles and by most accounts has been a model citizen off the field. The animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, issued a statement reprimanding the Eagles for giving Vick the award. "The Philadelphia Eagles fumbled when they gave Michael Vick the Ed Block Courage Award, which was named after a man who advocated in behalf of abused children," the PETA statement read. "Michael Vick should not be the person anyone points to as a model of sportsmanship, even though he has now exchanged dogs for touchdowns after serving time for extreme cruelty to animals. We wish him well in educating others, but this is not appropriate and does not mark a joyous moment in NFL history." Vick has spent time working with the Humane Society of the United States, speaking to school and community groups about the mistakes he made in getting involved in dogfighting. "It was a big obstacle proving I'm worthy of a second chance," Vick said. "It doesn't stop here. I have to continue to prove that. I think it's not going to be a day-to-day process, it's going to be a year-in, year-out process. It's a challenge to myself. The thing I told (NFL commissioner) Roger (Goodell) is that four or five years from now, I'm going to come to him and say, 'Everything I told you I was going to do, I'm still doing it.' And that's what I pride myself on and that's my focus and that's my goal." Quarterback Donovan McNabb called the award "well-deserved." "Congratulations to him for straightening his life around and bettering himself as a human being," coach Andy Reid said. "He's obviously very well-respected by his teammates."

This fall, Blair Underwood stars in "Ironside," an NBC reboot of the classic police drama that featured Raymond Burr as a paraplegic detective. But viewers shouldn't expect many similarities between the new show and the "Ironside" that aired from 1967 to '75. Besides the title, the fact that the title character is a detective and in a wheelchair, "everything else is re-imagined," Underwood told reporters here at the TV critics press tour. One of the chief differences is the personality of Ironside himself. As portrayed by Underwood in the pilot episode, he's a gruff and very intense guy who demands a lot of himself and his team. "He's kind of a bad ass," Underwood said. "In terms of his bad-assness, he's a great character." The character is also very self-sufficient. There are no handles on his wheelchair and he doesn't get much assistance in making his way around. That aspect of Ironside, said Underwood, is derived from the show's technical adviser -- a man who was paralyzed at the age of 19 in a skiing accident and has gone on to lead an extremely independent life. "A lot of what you see in this portrayal of Ironside is inspired by him," he said. Underwood, who had never before played a character in a wheelchair, acknowledged that the role presented a big learning curve for him. "It's something I had to delve into and continue to delve into," he said. "Our job is to make you believe it and to be as authentic as possible." Along those lines, a producer was asked if any actual paraplegics were considered for the role. They were not, he replied, because the series will feature many flashback scenes showing Ironside before his injury.

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Comment current news topics here. Sorry if already posted. http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars ... udd-apatow To God, every living being is beautiful... Except for you. Jim was interviewed in an exclusive video in the Vanity Fair website. Here's the link: And some more pics all together: http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2012/12/note-from-judd-apatow-comedy-issue?mbid=social_facebook I'm a guardian of the spark... I'm a God damn and proud good fan... and I love it! = )> Bigger size of Jim Carrey: When I was a stand-up comedian, in the late 80s, I used to open for Jim Carrey on the road. I would do my lame act, and then he would come on and do the most energetic, inventive, uproarious set I had ever witnessed. I retired from performing as a result. He was and is the funniest man on earth. This is something we can all agree on. We can debate No. 2 forever, but Jim will always be the king. True, but they have finally posted some of the photos without text on their website. Fantastic photos. Who is online Users browsing this forum: MSNbot Media and 2 guests

Newspaper Page Text S.ip and think (1f this a itlnne. ut waii t I l use I_ l best Iuainl that yoV can It y: I we vant i I soi[ y , I the I .I I int made. The Important Thing to You Is Who Made the Paint? I itl I t \, Iloy a con ern lbt, n the w rl oi ver. with re ur·iii e, anlal 'ai il itiies Ito k .now hoIi i nai l ai 1h'-" in. e-.Ianentl I)) Ir'o t , ti h .e ii I t make iaiitls I igh it ? YOur afegMotto is the - iiIn e anlt re lutltaliion of' the ia , ker the i rale PaWilliams Co.w Glass I over 53 years ll." kIlimv1, ill over the w rlbl, i altl you 'an aunk ,n its klip vin,: holv I,, lmake i lmint thal will \\ear. he c<ause it (I'<lltaills the le-s al umbing and liseed ctril. is to give 1buyers their mn1ey's worthl in every ( a'tli'le i 'urehased here. The Home of Good Hardware Mechanics' Fine Tools Plumbing and Electrical Phone 956-221 E. Park SAY YOU SAW IT IN BULLETINi Poynter's Cash Store 1854 IARRISON AVE. Wholesale to Consumer. S Io you realize that by buying tc your supplies each day in small a; quantities that your day's pay S goes little more than half as far p as it would it you bought the si Whole week's supply at one time? Call up Poynter's N _Wholesale-to-Consumer, Phone 1 6534-R, and'order your week's 10 lbs. granulated sugar (with $10 order) .............. $1.00 .00 lbs. cane sugar........$11.0()0 ,8 lbs. Montana's best hard wheat flour ......................$6.50 49 lbs. Montana's best hard wheat flour .....................$3.35 34 lbs. Montana's best hard Wheat flour ........... ... ....$1.75 5 lbs. M. J. B. coffee ........$2.23 1 lb. School Boy peanut but er .................................. 0c Pbhree packages Lux Washing Corn flakes, per pkg......lOc Shelled walnuts or almonds, per lb. .......................... ........85c 22 large bars brown laundry soap ............................. $1.00 Creamery butter, per lb.....60c WESTERN CASH MEAT 2410 Harvard Ave. has opened up for business. We handle but the best of everything and can please the most particu lar. Prices as low as elsewhere. Give us a trial order and you will Nerve, Blood and Skin Diseases. Dr. W. H. Haviland Rooms 2, 8 and 4, Baltimore 71 W. Park St., Butte, Mont. Office hours, 10 a. nm. to 8 p. m. rw qW s t Your r nances Will Not Permit You to Help Maintain In ndependent New spapen' in Any Other Way,You Can Help by Making Your Purchases of Dtiy Bulletin Adversers CAME ENDS LIFEK WITH BULLET i Well-Known Real Estate Dealer Shoots Self in Fit of Despondency. Body Is Found in Clothes Closet. Despondent, it is believed, over the death of hi:; wife to whom he was greatly attached, John B. Caiie, a well-known local real estate and in surance man, committed suicide sometime Sunday night or early yes terday morning, by shooting himself through the head with a high power rifle. Came's dead body was found i% lying on a pile of suitcases in a clothes closet in his room, 419 West Galena street yesterday. Mir. Came spent Saturday at hi: tnl office and apparently had given none of his friends or acquaintances any hint as to his intention to take his life. Hie was absent from his room all day Sunday, but is thought to have returned late at night without the attention of the other occupants of the house being attracted. Caine presumably loaded his rifle with one shell from a full box and then, standing facing the closet, to hayve put the muzzle in his mouth 51 and fired. Death is believed to have lte is survived by one brother. Mark I. Came; a sister, Mrs. Charles S. Passiiore of Butte, and another sister, Mrs. Gail Fogg of York, Pa. An inquest will probably be held within the next few days. thi GIRL ASKS O. CHANCE TO THAYEL "STRAIGHT" f Says Main Has No Right to or Drag Woman Down When tr She Desires and Tries to not Do Right. cot "Because a girl has fallen once. cda it isn't right that a man should keep a dragging her down," stated Maxine tl D)avis in police court yesterday, cat when telling of incidents that led upem to her arrest with William Amerin on charges of disturbing the peace. the Miss Davis said she had formerly an had improper relations with Amerin, agi but had left hime with the intention of "going straight." She said Amerin had been spreading evil stor icesabout herr and that Saturday she pla went to his home to take him to 5a1s thl for his allhgcd acts. It wa I, the :hi :.aid. that he beat and choked her fat and e'.jcItd hei' from" the1( i house. I Ai\e'rinl was fine(d $10 l andli Mis:;, Davis was fiined $35. mn SUES FI $2,500 t FOR WLELM SERWlVIES James T. Fitzpatrick, a Butte an- l torncy, is suing Nellie Eiiscnbauer, as the administratrix of the John 11. Saltes estate, for $2,500, which Fitz patrick claims is due him for legal He alleges in his complaint that Nellie Eisenbauer employed him int G 1916, agreeing to pay whatever the judgeo of the probate court might de cide was a prolper fee; that the judge afterward fixed the fee at $2,500, which plaintiff contends is a reason able one; but that the administratrix has refused to pay him the amount. The plaintiff in this action is rep- i resented by Peter Breen, Joseph R. hi Jackson, N. H. Itotering and J. A. N Geagon and Canning are attot neys for Nellie Eis;enbauer. 'Taking of 01 evidence is proceeding this aftr EAGLES TO SELECT hi SITE FOR NEW HOME 2 Miembers of the BIutte aerie of ' Eagles at a largely attended imeeting g last night unanimously decided to h select a site and erect a lodge hall 8 exclusively for the use of the Eagles. n SA special committee comiprising A. t' I . Cohenl, chairman; D)on B. Kin.ig. secretary; Jerry Sullivan, E. A. Sut- a ilivan, William Malloy, J.. E. McNal- a ly, \V. H. Maloney, Jack Turner, t James O'Flynn and Gus F"itchen, was applointed to select the Site. BIids have been asked from property owners with sites suitable for a lodge -hall to be presented to the secretary by next Thursday noon. LOOKING FOR WORK HARDER THAN ARMY Asserting that looking for work was a harder job than being a sol dier, Joseph Willing. who said he de serted three weeks ago friom an arm. post near Denver, yesterday pre sented himself at police headquar ters and asked that the army an thorities be notified that he was will iitfg and anxious to get back inti service. As the result of Willing'i 1 action Chief of Detectives Ed Mor rissey will fall into a reward of $5( offered by army authorities for tht return of all deserters. Bulletin Want Ads Get Results. Phone 52. ---itlNK IN INTEREST-SAVE NEWPORT NEWS SHIPYARDS FROM AIR LG . ll t\ ent g pior.aph of the shipyards at 'wport News, Va, iken f'mi tn -i rl ii. The view shows Imn-y of the transports and supply ,bllp whi'h have carried men and munitions between this country and France. SUVbIVOR SFECULATOH I Sues for $22,000. Alleges 1 Criminal Negligency of at Company Started Fire ° and Blocked Escape. 3a The suit of John Wirta, one of th the survivors of the Speculator mine vi disaster of 1917, is in court today br trying to collect $22,000 from the th North Butte Mining company and se from Norman Braley, superintendent of the properly. ca The complaint alleges that Wirta in was confined for 40 hours in the crosscut where lie was working be- h cause the passage way to the High Oi Ore mine had been blocked by con- fr crete bulkheads. It further states that the closing of the passage had not been brought to the attention of Wirta by his employers; that to consequently Wirta was allowed to tii work down in the mine, thinking a certain way of escape in time of danger was open, when, in fact, it be had been closed. And Wirta claims b3 that by reason of the company':; 1 carelessness in not informing its or employes of the closing of the pass- bi age, lie was trapped in the mine at of the time of the fire in the shaft. 1] lnd suffered there such injuries and at agonies that he has been ever since th e physical wreck. ca In fact, the contention of the plaintiff is to the effect that not only et the fire in the shaft. was due to care- le lessness of the company, but also the nt fatalities and humani suffering, re- a1 :lilting froum such a fire. It seems to be a case which will decide how in imlnly ways of egress a mine must aiS maintain for its employes in ordier in to itnsure a reasonable standard of or Dan M. Kelly is attorney for Nor man Braley and the North Butte. b Mlackel & Tyvand arc representing the plaintiff. di FOR TEACHERS' EXAMS Grade School Instructors Required to Attend Quiz By County Superintende ent Next Week. The chcl dles for teach.,rs-' exam inations to he hell niext w tee'k havI been annonlllced biy Sulperilntendent Nellie Small. All 'rubjects; for pro- l fessioinal certificates will Ib, given Satuirday. .1 tn 7, whoetn examinations . on school I::w :, rin-ipl"es of p.i.i hol t ogy and educational Ipsyc.iclogy will First ;grall:d questions on A lierican literature and physeit;l g! ograplhy will ibe on Friday, Jun' G, and on t Saturday shot'l m. nagenientl an(' t e(leitentllla"y l:'yc'bology will ibe given n The :'r('cond gralde subjec't: will hi give\' en 'Thurisdey end Friday, with ii histior, ci \ics. gra'ullnlar. theory ton( spelling on the first day and arit!, mncti., geography, reading, agricull ture and physiology on Friday. The county superintendent will I. assisted by 'Miss Margaret tlog, and ' Min s I). Gobbons in conductin AUDITORIUM GOES TO ARMY AND NAVY MEN At last Saturday night's meeting I of the library board, it was decided to withdraw the request for the use 1 of the upper floor of the library building, recently vacated by' thfe Red Cross. The library had wanted to make use of the who), building and it was at the instigation qf tlhe board that the city council ordered the upper floor vacated by the 11t" But the army and navy men. known now as the World War Veter ans, asked for it and came to an agreenment with new library board which contains a majority of nw memnbers, whereby the library's ap, plication for the upper floor wa, withdrawn in favor of the army antl Bulletin Boosters should patronize "SLIPPERY VULCH" A There i: an entortain ment entire- be ly out of the ordinary now going on oc at the Holland rink, where the L. O. ca O. M. No. 431 is staging a unique oil frontier night dance and joy festival th each night until Sunday, June 1. m1 This fun camp i:s called "Slippery th Gulch," and is proving a fun maker $1 that causes visitors to repeat their visit the following evening and tic bring their friends, thereby letting Cl them in on the "one best bet of t.e be "Slippery Gulch" is a realistic or camp that has been used by the mov- St ing picture studlios in Hollywood. P' Calif., and the Loyal Order of Moose have gone to a great expense in se caring this attraction, and, judging J1 from reports received from Portland. Ore., where this attraction played for 10 nights, in the municipal audi torium, before coming to Butte, the fun loving folks should have the time of hecir lives. ',.,c enteriong Holland rink one ch beholds a towr square, surrounded th by various storeg, banks, alusement pa places and a mammoth dance hall-- eo one end of the town is devoted to a th big gambling "joint," where millions to of "bucks" are won and lost nightly. la This feature is sure proving nighly BR attractive to the ladies, for they are th the best patrons of this part of the it Every one upon purchasing a tick et of admission is given the equiva lent in "fun currency," and as it is Yi not redeemable, one must spend it as quickly as possible. "Calamity Jane's dance hall comes in for a goodly share of the patron age, for Sielaff's orchestra is furnish ing the jazziest of jazz music, and one is almost forced to dance wheth er one wishes to or not. The floor of the Holland rink has been put in shape so that the most exacting will find it in excellent con- Ci dition for tripping the light fantastic. of On next Friday afternoon (Deco- w ration (lay) at 3:30 o'clock the fun Ii will start and run continuously until w midnight. This will give many an J. opportunity to visit the camp that m otherwise might not have the time hb during the eight nights. tl CAPTURE OF PETROIRAOl RY IHINKS REPORTED (Specie',l 1 nierd I'ro i s \Vire.) LonTon, Mily 27.--A Vihorg dis patch reported that Chinese. Lett. and Finnish troops hold Petrograd having o\verthrotn the soviet gov ernmenll t. A heavy bombardmlent fromi the sea is reported. apparently directed at Petrograd and l'ronstadL. ce Made Sawdust Valuable. 4 Not Illlany yeari's ago the sawdust ti that nccumulated each spring albout b the local mills was - nuisallle to the mill-owners. It wais in tlihe waiy, Somei of it was dlmped ilto the strenlrs andl lish were exterminatied, and some wars -'irven awl\ y to anyone who would make p ulse of it. And about the only use that S'ulllld he made of the sawdust was that i ri' packing for ice in the ice-houses. h The explanisiou of dairy farming g 1alted for iuore ice, and more ice called f ior more sawdust. The demand note- n 'i'd the mill-owners that the by-prod. t niit o Itheir mills, which they had been giving iaway and throwing away, had a c'omnlkrclal value. Sawdust Is now$ sold by the load. Nan-I cried like a baby during the lbain-ir don't believe It. You would have been put out if you had.-Judge. I 7 Alice seems very liberal in Yes, and very i lavish of them. . .IK IN INTEEST--SA\E-- ' B." KR[MEI- AND "ILR." OBWN, NOW Loeal Politician, Red Cross Head and. Printer. Pur- t chase Business of Paxson n & Rockefeller. r J. Bruce Kremer, Raymond Ruble c ,nd Trevor Bowen, it was announced " 'esterday, have purchased the drug " $id sundries businesses operated on d forth Main and West Park streets r' inde' the 'firm name of Paxson & n lockefeller and in the future will onduct the business. Trevor Dowen vill act as general manager. Announcement was made by Mr. h tockefeller that he intends to dis- y Bose of all his business interests and s' ,roperty in Butte and travel for a h ime until he decides upon a new lo ation for his business energies. S CIVIL SE[ ri E EXAMS t FOR CLERK AND CARRIER The United States civil service 0: ommission announces that an etam nation will be held at Butte (Mont.) 'ostoffice for clerk and carrier, June h 8, -1919, to establish an eligible ; egister from which selection may h e made to fill vacancies as they may Si ccur in the positions of clerk and i arrier at the Butte (Mont.) post- ii ffice. Age limits, 18 to 45 years on ji he date of the examination. Both pen and women will be admitted to his examination. Entrance salary, T 1,000 per annum. G .Application blanks and informa- w ion may be obtained by applying to s1 Tharles F. Williams, local secretary, oard of United States civil service W xaminers, Butte (Mont.) postoffice, t` ,r to the secretary, Eleventh United tates Civil Service district. 303 'ostoffice building, Seattle, Wash. h IOHN 0. AND FRIEND CONNY VISIT MISSOULA Missoula, May 27.-John D. Ryan, F hairman of the board of directors of he Anaconda Copper Mining com bany; President C. F. Kelly of the v ompany and John Gillis, manager of ti he Butte mines, made'a brief visit v o this city yesterday and visited the A arge lumber mill of the company at lonner, which is being rebuilt after he disastrous fire which destroyed F t several months ago. Mr. Ryan - ees a bright future for Western lonta na. The party returned to 3utte late in the day and Mr. Ryan s end Mr. Kelly will return to New a fork in about a week. TACOMA MAN CHARGED WITH KILLING BANKERS t Tacoma, Wash., May 27.-Albert lonway, assistant district attorney if New York, following a conference with Acting Gov. Louis F. Hart, an- 2 nounced that in his estimation there ( will be little difficulty in extraditing t I. B. Allan. wanted in New York for t murder and robbing a Brooklyn I bank. Mr. Conway is waiting for . the extradition papers from Governor t Smith of New York, and he expects $ to return to New York with Allan in his custody. Allan still declares c he had no hand in the Brooklyn c PLUMBING SHOP IN NAVY YARD ON FIRE (Special United Press Wire.) I Norfolk, Va., May 27.-Fire, ac- I companied by many explosions, is t raging in the plumbing shop of the Norfolk navy yards. The shop is 400 feet from the water and navy tugs are throwing streams on the NEW HANK IN FALILS. Great Falls, May 27.-Application for a charter from the treasury de partment for another national bank in Great Falls, which, if granted, will give the city its ninth banking institution, lhas been made by James 11. IRyan, president of the First Mort gage Loan company of this city, and four associates whose names have not been made public. The applica tion is made in the name of the Northern National bank of Great Falls, with an authorized capital of $100,000 and a provided surplus of Charged with kidnaping his child by his former wife, Antone Papich, a local miner, was arrested yester day and is being held by the local police for action by the authorities at Bozeman. Papich was divorced by his wife two years ago, the mother securing custody of the child. Papich was granted per mission to visit the child occasion ally, but was ordered not to take it away from its mother. WI.LL STAND BY SCOUTS. Members of the Rotary club have pledged themselves and their organ ization to stand behind the drive to i raise $10,000 for the yearly budget I of the Butte Boy Scouts. Announce- 1 ment of the fact was conveyed to a meeting of the executive committee of the Scouts held yesterday atter noon at which Deputy National Field Commipsioner Charles Miller of San Francisco was present. $100 reward will be paid to any noe proving we do not put in the est main spring for $1. Mayer, 37 orth Main street.-Adv. Carl Smith, in charge Of the Mon ana Power company's Jefferson val ey station at Parrot, is visiting in lutte and Tuesday announced the eceipt of an extended furlough in ffect until such time as he is dis harged. Mr. Smith was gassed vlille fighting with the U. S. marines a France and for that reason his ischarge has been delayed. He will esume his duties the first of the nonth at Pai'rot. You have got to clean and clear he bowels thoroughly to have good enlth after months of indoor life; ou would do so now if you could ee them as you do your face or ands. Hollister's Rocky Mountain 'ea cleans and clears as nothing else Lieut. A. J. Lavelle, nephew of ity Jailer Barney Lavelle, has re urned to Butte after being dis harged from the army. Lieut. La elle was a member of the Seventy eventh division for more than a ear in France. He was in the hateau Thierry drive and was later n duty with general headquarters. Keep the little ones healthy and appy. Their tender, sensative or ans require a cooling, healing. armless remedy to prepare their tomachs for summer's heat. Hol ister's Rocky Mountain Tea is ro [able and safe, thorough but not in Funeral services will be held 'hursday for the late Richard J. Gallivan, well-known mine carpenter S rho died Sunday night following a - troke of paralysis at his home, 605 Vest Galena street. The funeral rill be directed by Daly-Shea, under Keep the little ones healthy and [appy. Their tender, sensitive or ans require a cooling, healing, armless food and blood purifier to repare their stomachs for the sum ier's heat. Goat's milk is reconm nended by leading physicians for his purpose. It has no equal for ummer complaint. Goat's milk can ie secured from the Pierce & 3rocker ranch, Box 69, R. F. D. vo. 1, Butte, Montana.-Adv. The application of the Otis Ele ator company, a foreign corporktion, o do business in Montana was filed vith Clerk and Recorder Sam L. Dr. C. M. Eddy, dentist, 204-203 3ennsylvania block. Phone 4035-W. The weekly meeting of the district chool board will be held this eve ling at the high school. Washington Market. Ground bone, ( pounds for 25c.--Adv. SUITS l!E SETTLED IN DISTRICT COURT In the suit of S. P. Wright against \lfred L. O'Brien and Monia Ducie )'Brien, the defendants withdrew heir answer and acknowledged that hey owed the sum of $1,000. Judge Jwyer awarded plaintiff $1,207, which represents the principal, in ;rest of $107 and attorney's fee of The suit of W. P. Mitchell for lamages against the Butte, Anacon la and Pacific railroad was dis- - nissed as fully settled out of court. So, also, was a similar action brought by J. P. Kill. TOTEID ORATOR WILL TALK FOR IRELAND The Rev. Dr. J. G. Mythan, an Episcopal clergyman of Norfolk, Va., will speak in the high school audi torium on Sunday night on the right of the Irish people to freedom. Dr. Mythan is noted throughout the east as an orator. The Rev. Michael Mc Cormack will preside. FRENCH AVIATOR IS OUT OF RUNNING Casa Blanca, Morocco, May 26. ieutenant Roget, a French aviator who left Paris Saturday on the first leg of a projected trans-Atlantic flight by way of Dakar to Brazil, landed last night at at IKenitra, 30 kilometers from Rabat. His machine was damaged in landing and the trans-Atlantic trip will have to be AUTO SLEUTH HERE. C. J. McAllister, special agent of the secretary of state is in Butte for the purpose of apprehending all auto drivers who have neglected to apply to the secretary of state for license numbers for their machines. He stated that persons driving cars with out 1919 license tags on both the front and rear ends of the cars will be arrested and prosecuted. BOr SUFFERS INJURY. While engaged in playing "follow my leader," Iast evening, Jack Barne coat, 8-yea;-o!d son of Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Barnecoat, 605 West Park street, fell from the-roof of a porch and sustained a compound fracture of the bones in his iight arm. The boy was taken to Murray hospital tiis morning for an X-ray examina tion of his arm. Bulletin Want Ad4 Get Results. Phone 52. Pounds of Ice S. & H. Green Trading Stamps with all cash purchases and first payment on time purchases. Shiners, the only furniture store that gives stamps with pur taken at par in exchange FOR LESS ON EASIEST OF TERIYJ8 LY YOU SAW IT IN BULLETIN. Expert Watch Repairing Watch Cleaning, $1.50 Mainsprings - -$1.00 Both Guaranteed for One People's Theater Bldg. 40 E. PARK ST. 17 S. MAIN ST. Belier aid h)igg.er than ever. A cale for the workilg class. Give us a We Have Excellent Rooms in Connection A good home for the mine A Fine Room For $3.50 Center of the City 8am . and John .. Kogffql AY YOU SAW, IT IN BULLE.IN. or a (' .C el. ti1ble lasting j)leasure catll be secured( 73 East Park 8t. Fine line of wrist watche:, signet .iiigs, cut glass, vases aind jewelry of every description. Ylour latron The Finest in Butte MAX VITT, Proprietor. 205 W. Park-1l5 8. Main

HARRISBURG — Forty-four years after his body was discovered on the side of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the state police have identified and are looking for information in the apparent murder of a U.S. Marine who’d twice received the Purple Heart in Vietnam. Corporal Robert Daniel Corriveau was just 20 but had already been wounded three separate times in Vietnam before a state trooper on turnpike patrol found him stabbed through the heart Nov. 18, 1968. Corriveau was originally classified and buried as a John Doe because he had no identification on him. The state trooper discovered the man in a seated position roughly a mile east of the Downingtown interchange, according to a release from the state police Thursday. The case was classified as a homicide. Looking to “further the investigation” in July 2009, the state police Criminal Investigation Assessment/Missing Persons Unit with the Chester County District Attorney’s Office and the Chester County Coroner’s Office exhumed the unidentified body and took bone samples. The samples were sent to the University of Northern Texas Center for Human Identification. A DNA sample was taken from the bone sample and put into the nationwide missing persons DNA database. In addition to the DNA sample, police said there were indications that the murdered man was in the military because of his physical description and two tattoos: one with “a bird in flight with a heart in the background and the other being a bulldog wearing a World War I helmet with (the) letters ‘USMC’ printed below it.” As such, a plea for help in the case was put out to the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service Cold Case Unit the U.S. Marine Corps Absentee Collection Unit, the police said. In May, the DNA was “positively identified” as Corriveau’s. Police said when Corriveau disappeared, he was a patient at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital being treated “for a combat related condition,” possibly the same condition that he also received treatment for at the Chelsea Naval Hospital in Chelsea, Mass. He was discovered missing from the Philadelphia Naval Hospital 7:50 a.m. the day he was discovered dead on the turnpike, Nov. 18. Corriveau, originally from Lawrence, Mass., enlisted in the Marines in March 1965 and served several tours in Vietnam. The state police are looking for information from anyone who may have served with Corriveau, as well as anyone who may have been staff or patients at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital in October and November in 1968. Those with information are asked to contact the state police at 610-268-5158 or email RA-1968MarineDeath@pa.gov. Anyone with a tip in the Corriveau case or any other “serious crime or wanted person” can call the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1-800-4PA-TIPS or visit the website at www.PACrimeStoppers.org A reward may be available for tips made.

Well, this weekend ought to be good. Today we’re just going to be relaxing all day, but tomorrow Brian has to work at his part-time job in the evening and I’m going to be going to a free Christian concert with one of my girlfriends from work. I hate to go without my husband, but he said it would be just fine if I went with my friends. Last night we went to Bessie’s house for Friday night movie night and served BBQ spare ribs, bread, chips, cheese, and sushi. It was a great night. Loving on the homeless, prostitutes and gang bangers that we serve. I enjoy my time with my guys and gals, especially when they call me Mama. There’s one young man named Neil, he’s a senior in high school, that I just love to death, he’s like a son to me. Every time he sees me he runs up to me first and just hugs me hard and tells me how much he loves me and misses me, then gives me a kiss on my cheek. Puts a tear in my eye every time. I think he just misses me telling him to pull his pants up. Cause every time I tell him that he pulls them up and laughs. Anyway, we talked to an interesting man last night. His name is Sony and he’s been homeless since he’s been 13 and he’s now 36 years old. He got put in the pen when he was 19 and was in for 10 years, didn’t ask him why it’s not my business. 2 years ago on Independence Avenue at a gas station, he was shot in the face and robbed basically for change. But the coolest part about his story was that he knows Jesus and he finds the joy with his life everyday. He said even though the right side of his face is paralyzed, his right eye is blind, and when he speaks, he drools he can still find joy in the life the God gave him, the second chance that the Lord blessed him with. He speaks with such a passion, it brought goose bumps to my skin listening to him speak about his life and how much he loves Jesus. People like Neil and Sony are who we serve in our Ministry. There are more stories, but those are just 2 from last night that I wanted to share. I love what we do and I wish I could be there full time doing this, but I do work a full-time job. So I help out when I can. Our web page is a little outdated, but you can check it out if you’d like: http://www.hope-outreach.org. Well, I think that’s all for today, I have to go pick up my van and we have to go drop off some food. God bless and take care. How kind the LORD is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours! ~ Psalm 116:5, NLT Yep, I have not been around in quite a while. Between work and the ministry, life has been just crazy busy. But last night I did go get my grand-daughter and spend a few hours with her and enjoyed that time. She just makes my heart soar!!! Well, since I’ve been working I’ve been trying to watch what I’ve been eating and not following any diet plan. I feel that if I follow a diet plan and fall off of it, I will fail. So if I just do my own thing, I’ll do just fine and so far it’s working. Brian has jumped on in the last 7 weeks also. So we’ve cut out red meat, pork, and basically anything white. We eat a lot of chicken, turkey, fish, and the nothing white is now whole grain/wheat. I quite drinking milk, mainly because it made too much, not to sound gross, phlegm in my throat. Now I drink Almond Breeze. I’m going to also try Coconut milk. Since I’ve been doing this I’m now down 63 lbs. and in the 7 weeks Brian’s been doing it, he’s down 27 lbs. I still have a lot more to go, but I went to my Drs. about 3 weeks ago, and he said he’s very proud of the way I’ve been doing things. I told him what I’ve been doing and what I’ve been eating and drinking, and he’s just ecstatic about it. Especially since how heavy I was, he’s very proud. I go back in June and I’m hoping to have quite a bit more off and also hoping to have him tell me that I can get off my high blood pressure medication. That would be nice. Today has been a pretty good day so far. I’ve been in my little cubical working on my payables and receivables and while doing that I have all my music I like, mostly worship music, in my computer. So I’ve been listening to it. I enjoy doing that and just praising my Jesus for the glorious day and life that he’s given me. Is my life perfect? Not by a long shot, but I can find the positive in the negatives. Here at work, I’ve had so many people tell me, ” you always have a smile on your face, what’s up with that?” I tell them, “It’s because the Lord let me wake up another day.” Then I just usually get a blank stare and I just smile and tell them to have a great and beautiful day too. Take care everyone and have a great and beautiful day yourselves!! I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. ~ Psalm 9:2, NLT Brian and I have spent quite a bit of time together this weekend and it’s been awesome. I have so much enjoyed going out and being able to serve our brothers and sisters in need on the streets. What a joy that is for me. Actually I think it’s more that the Lord has been letting me know that Brian needs to learn to let go of me a little more each time we go out and let me learn on my own. Brian is very protective of me and I know why. I’m his wife, of course he’s going to be protective of me, I have medical issues, MS with left side weakness, high blood pressure, my eyes go blurry, but when I’m serving and doing the Lords will, I’m strong and HE leads me to where he wants me to go and say what HE wants me to say. So I guess if we’re going to be living in the Northeast area, Brian’s going to have to learn that he can’t be with me 24/7. We’re going to be living in a place where the homeless and prostitutes are going to be able to come in, take a shower, wash their clothes, eat, take a nap, watch TV, etc. and I’ll be there too. He can’t keep me guarded all the time. Now our living quarters will be apart from where they will be able to hang out, but still. I just feel that the Lord is telling me that I need to talk to Brian to let him know that he needs to let go a little more than he normally does. That’s only part of what I have. My son told me last weekend that of course for the Labor Day weekend he’d have a 3 day weekend and come see me. Well, I never heard a word from him. I wound up calling him around 5 in the evening on Monday. He never even thought anything about it. Here’s the thing that bugs me the most. He’s living at his best friends dad’s house in the basement cause Lenny lets him. Fine. Well, he seems to care for Lenny and Melissa more than his own parents. I don’t get phone calls, or text messages. I finally told him last night that if I didn’t get even a text message letting me know that he’s OK, I’m going to go sideways on his ass. He kind of laughed and said, “mom you’re so cute.” I wasn’t trying to be funny or cute, I was letting him know how worried I get when I don’t hear from him for days and days. It breaks my heart and it hurts me terribly. So needless to say while I was trying to eat, I was crying. Well that pissed my husband off so he called Lil’ Brian, our son, and said, “I just want you t0 know that your mother is very hurt that you don’t call or come by and while she’s trying to eat her dinner she’s crying.” LB said, “she was fine while I was talking to her.” BB said, “She doesn’t want you to hear her cry or hear her pain that you put her through, you know how strong of a woman your mother is, but she’s hurt and I just wanted you to know so you have a great night Brian, OK? Good night.” Then he hung up. I haven’t heard from him since. It’ll take him a few days to process. That’s how his brain works. He gets told something, and he doesn’t react right away, he has to process. It drives me nuts. Well, that’s all I have to say for now. Have a great day and God bless everyone!!! I finally told my son that he is selfish and only thinks of himself. He really pissed me off this weekend. Not only was I pissed, but I was just down right hurt. I really wanted to spend time with both my kids this holiday weekend and I asked him a couple of times, are we going to see you at all this holiday weekend? His reply each time was “well, I don’t know.” All I said was, “It’d be nice to spend some time with you since it seems we never get to see you any more.” He said nothing. So last night after he got home, I went to my room and folded the laundry. He followed me and asked me what’s wrong. Well, I let him have it. Everytime he has a new girlfriend, which he’s been dating Kara for about 3 months now, he’s in his own world and has nothing, and I mean nothing to do with any of us, let alone even bring any of his girlfriends around us. Personally I think he’s ashamed of us. That just kills me inside. I told him that when I don’t hear from him it scares me cause he’s so irresponsible. I’m afraid I’m going to get a call or a cop show up at my door and tell me that my son’s dead. I asked him if understood my feelings, he said yes, but I said do you really? All I got was him staring at me. I’m hoping what I said will sink into that thick skull of his. Then he goes and stays with his old best friends parents. I’m glad he likes them, but sorry Bud, I’m not going to allow you to have your girlfriend spend the night in the same bed under my roof and I won’t buy your alcohol. They will. That pisses me off. I’ve asked them not to but why would they listen to me. My son is a 20-year-old man. If they let him drive drunk and get in a wreck, I’ll kill them. Apparently, my son is the only one left of their son’s friends that actually talk to them. Last night before I went to bed, I saw my son laying in the dining room area, in the dark, with his arm over his eyes, sniffing, so I hope what I said got to him. He needs to realize how immature and selfish he’s been. His dad and I have bent over backwards to help him out with letting him live with us in our one bedroom apartment, his dad helping him out with his finances to get him on his feet, helping him look for a new job, which a friend of our told us about a really good company that was hiring and he got a job there, so we’re letting him stay with us till his 60 days is up at his new job and he finds a place of his own. He just doesn’t appreciate what he asked us to help him with and we’ve done. Sorry to rant, but I had to get it off my chest. I know expressing it to him helped out a lot, but I needed to share it with others. I guess my public announcement of how angry I am. Although yesterday evening I did spend with my daughter. We went to go see Eclipse. I really enjoyed it a lot. But then again, I love the Twilight series. I’ve read all the books and now I can’t wait for Breaking Dawn to come out. I wouldn’t mind reading the Short Life of Bree Tanner. But I really wish that Stephenie Meyer would come up with more in the series. She is a good writer and I really like her writing style. Anyway, I better get back to the non-ringing lines here at work. We have about 42 people here at work and there are probably about 15 people here. Have a blessed day. Well, first off of course I had a great day on Saturday with Miss Isabelle. How could I not. She’s the light of my life. I love spending time with her. She’s growing like a weed, and pulling herself up on everything. Now she’s trying to get the whole walking around things down. It’s fun watching her figure it out, but it makes me sad when she bonks her head, or smacks her mouth on the table, but I guess she has to learn some how. Then on Sunday, wow what a day that was. Brian and I headed out to Bessie’s House around 8:30 to be there by 9:00 am. It was so great for me to be there for the first time. Bessie’s is a place for homeless and prostitutes to come in and take a shower, wash clothes, get some food, etc. Anyway, on Sundays they have their own Sunday service outside praising Jesus, they get fed, then Bessie’s House closes down for the day. But I totally enjoyed the day serving and listening to the service and just being welcomed with open arms by everyone that knows Brian and finally got to meet me for the first time they showed me love the way Christ loved the church. It was Amazing. I’m going to go with Brian every Sunday to help serve. I really enjoyed myself and felt at home there. Just seeing a difference from there to where we worship is crazy. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with where we worship, but the difference is in the people and how they see Jesus. People on the streets depend on Him more than people who have safety in their lives of living in homes and always having food in their bellies. They just seem to know Jesus more. So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:6 Here recently I’ve been wondering about my weight with my MS. I know that my weight is a big issue, I mean BIG!!! Ge’ez, I’m BIG, B-I-G!!! So anyway, I’m looking into Lap Band Surgery. I’m going to go to a seminar on it in July to see what it’s all about. There’s a possibility that my insurance could cover up to 100%. I mean when you go through the list, I’m pre-diabetic, I have high blood pressure, my BMI is over 35, I’ve been over weight (or should I say obese) for at least 5 years, you have to be at least 18 (well I’m 40 so I think I qualify for that), your series of weight loss attempts have been short-term (yep, I qualify for that too). I have to do something so I’m going to talk to my Dr. about it on Tuesday when I go in. We’ve been talking about my weight anyway so it maybe something he might approve of. Maybe he’d even write a letter of recommendation to the insurance company stating that it’s a necessity for my health with my MS and all. Anyway, that’s the crap going on in my head these last couple days. But my poor husband has had a stupid summer cold. Now my daughter is getting it and if I get it again, I’m really going to be pissed at someone. I can’t afford to be sick again. I don’t take time off work. The only time I do is to leave early for my Dr. appointments. I accrue 2.3 hours each pay period and after next Tuesday I’ll only have 8.7 hours available. I’m not wasting those. So anyway, I have to keep myself healthy. But an update on my MS meds. I did get the authorization from my insurance company to go with the Copaxone, but I haven’t heard from my Neurologists office yet on when I’ll be starting it or what. But I’m feeling fine since I haven’t been taking anything. That Avonex was some Bad A$$ stuff!!! YUCK!!! Well, I better go and sit here at my desk and answer the phones. Take care & God bless. Well, I got a call back from my Neurologists office yesterday about my Avonex. I guess hearing me cry about it and hearing the pain in my voice got them to decide to change my treatment. So anyway they’re getting authorization from my insurance company and then I’ll be starting Copaxone. It’s an everyday shot, but it apparently doesn’t have the side effects that Avonex has. Do I want to do a shot everyday? No, but I will if it will make me feel better. Believe it or not, I think my body knows it’s Friday cause it’s tensing up dreading what normally happens tonight. Well, I’m not going to take my last shot, it’s going in the garbage. BYE, BYE AVONEX!!! Good riddance!!! I went to my regular Dr the other day and my blood pressure was really high for me. I have always ran normal. Always in the 120/80 range. Not Wednesday. It was 168/102. So needless to say they put me on a HCTZ which is also a diuretic. Yea me, I’ll be peeing a lot!!! LOL Anyway, I let him know that I was going to stop my Avonex and he thought it was a smart idea. I just gave him a look and said ‘really’? He said yea. He said he felt that I should know my body and if it made me feel bad and I hurt with it, then it wasn’t the right “treatment” for me. So this weekend will be fun. I have Isabelle tomorrow and she’s going to the dentist with me. The girls there will be enjoying that. They always loved it when the kids were little and they got to play with them at that time, now they get to play with the grand baby. They still can’t believe that Amanda has a baby. Jeez, I can’t believe Amanda has a baby. LOL. But anyway, it’s never too early to take them to the dentist and show them what it’s like. Get them socially involved with them. So, after the dentist, I’m meeting up with a girlfriend and her kids and going to take pictures of the kids for her. I guess it’ll be one way for me to get my name out there and hopefully get some business for photography and make a little cash on the side. :) Well, better get back to work. Take care and God bless y’all!!! Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself ~Ephesians 2:20

Police say Andrew Thompson had stolen a Grand Prix before his high-speed joyride ended when he crossed center-line and hit a truck Millsboro, Del.- The Delaware State Police report that the Crash Reconstruction Unit has positively identified the man that was killed in the two vehicle crash that occurred on Dec. 16, 2014 on SR 24 in Millsboro as Andrew S. Thompson, 20, of Lewes, DE. The initial investigation has determined that the crash occurred on Tuesday, December 16, 2014, at approximately 12:57 a.m., as Thompson was operating a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix and was traveling in a westbound direction on SR 24 (John J. Williams Highway), just west of CR 298 (Legion Road), at an apparent high rate of speed. Thompson then lost control of the vehicle causing it to cross the center line of the roadway and enter into the eastbound lane. The front of the Grand Prix then struck the front of a 2007 Dodge Ram 3500 that was being operated by Mark A. Bradford, 29, of Millsboro, DE, and which was traveling in an eastbound direction on SR 24. Thompson was not only piloting a stolen car at a high rate of speed, but unlucky for him he failed to fasten his seat belt – a fatal mistake. During the investigation it was determined that the Pontiac had recently been stolen from Sunny’s Auto Sales located at 25924 John J. Williams Highway, in Millsboro. Mark Bradford, who was properly restrained at the time of the crash, was trapped in his vehicle which became engulfed in flames. He was freed, however, with the assistance of several witnesses. Bradford was removed from the scene by EMS and transported to Beebe Healthcare where he is being treated for his non-life threatening injuries. The investigation into this crash by the Delaware State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit is on-going and no charges are expected. John J. Williams Highway between Oak Road and Legion Road was closed for approximately four hours as the crash was investigated and cleared. Elderly woman killed when she struck utility pole The initial investigation has determined that the crash occurred at approximately 9:45 a.m., Tuesday, December 16, 2014, as Mary A. Frisbie, 86, of Newark, DE, was operating a 2000 Dodge Stratus and was traveling westbound on Ogletown-Stanton Road east of the intersection of SR4 and Old Churchman’s Road, Newark. For an unknown reason, Frisbie’s vehicle exited the north side of the roadway where it then struck a utility pole and came to a rest. Mary Frisbie, who was properly restrained at the time of the crash, was removed from the scene by EMS and transported to the Christiana Hospital Trauma Center where she was pronounced dead a short time later. A 95-year-old front seat passenger in Frisbie’s vehicle, Arthur Frisbie (husband) was also removed from the scene by EMS and transported to the Christiana Hospital Trauma Center where he was admitted with non-life threatening injuries. Arthur Frisbie was also properly restrained at the time of the crash. The investigation into this crash by the Delaware State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit is continuing. HI HO, HI HO, IT’S OFF TO ROB WE GO! New Castle, Del.- The Delaware State Police report that they are currently investigating two armed robberies which occurred within minutes of each other last night in New Castle. The first robbery occurred at approximately 9:05 p.m., Tuesday, December 16, 2014, as a male suspect entered the BP Gas Station located at 601 N. DuPont Highway, New Castle. The suspect then displayed a handgun and confronted a 24 year old male employee. He then demanded money from the cash register. The clerk complied with the suspect’s demands and turned over an undisclosed amount of money to the suspect. The suspect then fled in an unknown direction. The clerk was not injured. The suspect was described as a Hispanic male, 27-35 years of age. He was 5’10” tall and weighed approximately 180 lbs. He was also seen wearing blue jeans, a black raincoat, and had a grey scarf covering his face. He was also armed with an unknown make and model handgun. The second robbery occurred at approximately 9:22 p.m. as a male suspect entered the BP Gas Station located at 1 Jay Drive, New Castle. The suspect produced an unknown make and model handgun and then confronted a 65 year old male employee. He then demanded money from the cash register. The employee complied with the suspect’s demands and turned over an undisclosed amount of money to him. The suspect then fled from the store in an unknown direction. The clerk was not injured. The suspect is described as a black male with a light complexion. He was last seen wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, black sweatpants, white sneakers, and had a scarf covering his face. He was also armed with a handgun. There is no further physical or clothing description available. No video surveillance footage is available at this time. If anyone has any information in reference to this incident they are asked to contact the robbery unit at Troop 2, Glasgow, at 302-834-2630 or by utilizing the Delaware State Police Mobile Crime Tip Application available to download at: delaware.gov/apps/. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword “DSP.” G-Men & Delaware Sleuths finger Marece M. Scott for two bank jobs Glasgow, Del.- Delaware State Police Troop 2 robbery unit detectives are seeking the public’s help in locating a suspect who is currently wanted in connection with two armed bank robberies that occurred in Bear in 2012 and 2013. As the result of a long term joint investigation conducted by the Delaware State Police and the FBI in Wilmington, Marece M. Scott, 29, has been positively identified as the suspect who committed the armed robberies of the Artisan’s Bank located at 1124 Pulaski Highway, Bear, on October 25, 2012, and again on January 18, 2013. In both instances the armed suspect who had a mask covering his face, vaulted over the teller counter and demanded cash from the bank employees. He then jumped back over the counter and fled the bank. There were no injuries in either incident. Marece Scott is described as a black male, 6’02” tall and 195 lbs. He is last known to reside in the 700 block of W. 3rd Street, Chester, PA and the 6600 block of Haddington Lane, Philadelphia, PA. He is currently wanted for six counts of Robbery 1st degree and two counts of Wearing a Disguise during the Commission of a Felony. Marece Scott should be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached. If anyone has any information in reference to the location of Marece M. Scott, they are asked to contact Detective Daniel Grassi at 302-365-8441 or Special Agent Scott Duffey at 302-218-6252 or by utilizing the Delaware State Police Mobile Crime Tip Application available to download at: http://www.delaware.gov/apps/. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword “DSP.”

God worked on his most ambitious project and created man. He endowed the super toy with a tiny chip of his mind along with other gizmos. In the tropical resource rich woods on the banks of ancient rivers, human civilization flourished. The clever ones took up the job of learning and teaching. And they marketed their theories in the name of God and under the trade mark of Dharma(religion). They made rules and formulated code of conduct, which was binding on all. However, they kept the knowledge under wraps. This knowledge was only available to their families and caste. ....God's will thus far. These knowledgeable guys enjoyed their status in the society and had little materialistic desires. They believed in indestructible soul and illusionary disposition of the universe. They gave body little importance and thought that by controlling senses and mind they could attain super-natural powers and finally crack the perishable shell of matter to come out of the great illusion, they all were bound to. The creator got scared of his toy, who was about to wreck the stage he created for his entertainment. God gave a 180 degree twist to the script and started revealing algorithm and logic in nature and matter through common subjects, who were obsessed with material. A new religion was born called Science. The religion had its roots in material. It rewarded the disciples with materialistic rewards instantly. The master stroke worked. From soul, the man was swayed to material. Soul preachers and practitioners were frustrated in their wild goose chase and the toy was soon dancing on the beats of science and technology. Science describes nature by way of principles, rules, theorems etc, but all these hold good under certain limits. However, we have seen the extent and realm of these principles stretching over the time. But till now we have not had a set of rules which are not limited by conditions. Having come thus far, scientist have ample indications that it all is a digital illusion. But having their roots deep down the matter, it will be hard for them to breach the limits, which bind us all to the material. The creator is now preparing his toy for celestial launch and mobility as reward for his unperturbed obedience and faithfulness. Theatre Universe will rock with activity for a long-time as God has slyly reversed the bias of the tiny chip in the toy's brain. The poor toy has now moved far away from the switchboard to be able to switch off the light.

“Shipmates, this book, containing only four chapters—four yarns—is one of the smallest strands in the mighty cable of the Scriptures. Yet what depths of the soul does Jonah’s deep sealine sound! what a pregnant lesson to us is this prophet! What a noble thing is that canticle in the fish’s belly! How billow-like and boisterously grand! We feel the floods surging over us; we sound with him to the kelpy bottom of the waters; sea-weed and all the slime of the sea is about us! But WHAT is this lesson that the book of Jonah teaches? Shipmates, it is a two-stranded lesson; a lesson to us all as sinful men, and a lesson to me as a pilot of the living God. As sinful men, it is a lesson to us all, because it is a story of the sin, hard-heartedness, suddenly awakened fears, the swift punishment, repentance, prayers, and finally the deliverance and joy of Jonah. As with all sinners among men, the sin of this son of Amittai was in his wilful disobedience of the command of God—never mind now what that command was, or how conveyed—which he found a hard command. But all the things that God would have us do are hard for us to do—remember that—and hence, he oftener commands us than endeavors to persuade. And if we obey God, we must disobey ourselves; and it is in this disobeying ourselves, wherein the hardness of obeying God consists. “With this sin of disobedience in him, Jonah still further flouts at God, by seeking to flee from Him. He thinks that a ship made by men will carry him into countries where God does not reign, but only the Captains of this earth. He skulks about the wharves of Joppa, and seeks a ship that’s bound for Tarshish. There lurks, perhaps, a hitherto unheeded meaning here. By all accounts Tarshish could have been no other city than the modern Cadiz. That’s the opinion of learned men. And where is Cadiz, shipmates? Cadiz is in Spain; as far by water, from Joppa, as Jonah could possibly have sailed in those ancient days, when the Atlantic was an almost unknown sea. Because Joppa, the modern Jaffa, shipmates, is on the most easterly coast of the Mediterranean, the Syrian; and Tarshish or Cadiz more than two thousand miles to the westward from that, just outside the Straits of Gibraltar. See ye not then, shipmates, that Jonah sought to flee world-wide from God? Miserable man! Oh! most contemptible and worthy of all scorn; with slouched hat and guilty eye, skulking from his God; prowling among the shipping like a vile burglar hastening to cross the seas. So disordered, self-condemning is his look, that had there been policemen in those days, Jonah, on the mere suspicion of something wrong, had been arrested ere he touched a deck. How plainly he’s a fugitive! no baggage, not a hat-box, valise, or carpet-bag,—no friends accompany him to the wharf with their adieux. At last, after much dodging search, he finds the Tarshish ship receiving the last items of her cargo; and as he steps on board to see its Captain in the cabin, all the sailors for the moment desist from hoisting in the goods, to mark the stranger’s evil eye. Jonah sees this; but in vain he tries to look all ease and confidence; in vain essays his wretched smile. Strong intuitions of the man assure the mariners he can be no innocent. In their gamesome but still serious way, one whispers to the other—”Jack, he’s robbed a widow;” or, “Joe, do you mark him; he’s a bigamist;” or, “Harry lad, I guess he’s the adulterer that broke jail in old Gomorrah, or belike, one of the missing murderers from Sodom.” Another runs to read the bill that’s stuck against the spile upon the wharf to which the ship is moored, offering five hundred gold coins for the apprehension of a parricide, and containing a description of his person. He reads, and looks from Jonah to the bill; while all his sympathetic shipmates now crowd round Jonah, prepared to lay their hands upon him. Frighted Jonah trembles, and summoning all his boldness to his face, only looks so much the more a coward. He will not confess himself suspected; but that itself is strong suspicion. So he makes the best of it; and when the sailors find him not to be the man that is advertised, they let him pass, and he descends into the cabin. “‘Who’s there?’ cries the Captain at his busy desk, hurriedly making out his papers for the Customs—’Who’s there?’ Oh! how that harmless question mangles Jonah! For the instant he almost turns to flee again. But he rallies. ‘I seek a passage in this ship to Tarshish; how soon sail ye, sir?’ Thus far the busy Captain had not looked up to Jonah, though the man now stands before him; but no sooner does he hear that hollow voice, than he darts a scrutinizing glance. ‘We sail with the next coming tide,’ at last he slowly answered, still intently eyeing him. ‘No sooner, sir?’—’Soon enough for any honest man that goes a passenger.’ Ha! Jonah, that’s another stab. But he swiftly calls away the Captain from that scent. ‘I’ll sail with ye,’—he says,—’the passage money how much is that?—I’ll pay now.’ For it is particularly written, shipmates, as if it were a thing not to be overlooked in this history, ‘that he paid the fare thereof’ ere the craft did sail. And taken with the context, this is full of meaning.

I heard this week from Ian Kleinman -- our own personal Mr. Wizard, the man who brought molecular gastronomy to Westminster and blew the heads clean off almost everyone who was lucky enough to walk through the doors of O's Steak and Seafood when he was running his molecular gastronomy tasting menus there. But Kleinman was laid off from his chef's gig at O's this fall, and took some time to relax, unwind and spend time with his family. Well, he's apparently done with that. Because now he's started a catering company called The Inventing Room. "It's named after the place where Willy Wonka thought up his sweetest concoctions," Kleinman announced on his blog, Food 102 (pretty much required reading for any of you food geeks in the audience). "The Inventing Room team will provide one-of-a-kind food experiences for holiday parties, corporate gatherings and celebrations with family, friends and foodies." One-of-a-kind is something of an understatement whenever Kleinman is involved in a project. He'll be offering liquid nitrogen ice cream parties, Miracle Fruit tastings, homemade soups (the guy really is a master at doing soups) and customized four-course molecular-tasting menus for anyone who asks (and is willing to pay, of course). All of this is good news for anyone who has need of instant peanut butter ice cream, food pills, Guinness gelee or s'mores spring rolls. Anyone who's truly interested in the extremes to which food can be taken and the flavors that live there -- out on the edge of the possible. And it's also the perfect business plan for a guy who once made a pulled sugar Oompa Loompa while at culinary school. If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters. SHOW ME HOW You have successfully signed up for your selected newsletter(s) - please keep an eye on your mailbox, we're movin' in! Kleinman really is our own private Willy Wonka, our chef-jacketed mad scientist, pushing the boundaries of what's possible and what's sane in a world of food too often mired in tradition and copy-cat-ism. If I might paraphrase Roald Dahl and Gene Wilder just a bit: "Meine Damen und Herren, der Inventing Room," said Wonka with a flourish. "Now remember, no messing about. No touching, no tasting, no telling. You see, all of my most secret inventions are cooking and simmering in here. Old Slugworth would give his false teeth to get inside for just five minutes, so don't touch a thing!" For more information on the Inventing Room, check out Kleinman's blog or drop him an e-mail at email@example.com. He'll have a website up and running shortly, and promises more surprises in store.

Mark it down. Recall it to your grandchildren one day. The week ending Friday 8th January 2016 is when “PC” in Australia sent us all around the twist. As a nation we are a mad house. We’re officially Bonkers! It is entirely possible after considering this post that you, the reader, add Koneko to the list of those who “don’t get it”. The Don’t Get It List is where everyone who doesn’t agree with a yet-to-be officially ratified, Political Correctness School of Philosophy, is banished for speaking out against politically correct philosophical pronouncements (PCPee-Pee). Note: At the time of writing nobody can confirm whether an offence has been committed by the use of the term “pee-pee”. What IS extremely certain is that having a “pee-pee” is problematic nowadays! So what did happen this week that sent us off the PC equivalent of the Richter Scale? The first mistake made was a seemingly innocuous one. We watched cricket on a summers eve (what were we thinking in retrospect? Bad move!) On a day where our forefathers would have packed a Test cricket venue, NOBODY attended a Test Match. EVERBODY, however, tuned in to the Big Bash. The Big Bash is where cricket mad Aussies, instead of hating the Paki’s or the fucking pommie bastards all dressed in white, get to cheer on teams dressed in bright colours. Sri Lankans, South Africans, English, West-Indians, Aussies & others play side-by-side in an atmosphere of camaraderie and high spirits. Personalities we once hated with a passion … such as KP & Freddie Flintoff … now boom into our lounge rooms as comics, entertainers and genuine great blokes (not sure if I can say bloke either?) Responsibility for the second mistake falls squarely on the shoulders of the Hobart Hurricanes bowlers. Why-oh-Why did they bowl 14 hapless deliveries that allowed Chris Gayle to plunder 41 runs? THAT interview would never have taken place. Without their misguided contribution we might still be teetering on the edge of sanity. But it happened. Squire Gayle entertained us like Zorro wielding willow and then proceeded to plunge mankind (used deliberately) into a new gender-based Ice Age. If you have just been released from a mental institution and don’t know what I am talking about click here. In summary, the crime was to flirt on television. His punishment = $10k fine. OUR punishment = not getting to see him Down Under ever again? All on top of the pain & suffering we are experiencing as a result of the pandemic known as PC. Let me state right now, before I exercise my right of free speech, that I support equality, and I deplore discrimination and domestic violence. Playful flirting and practical joking is NONE of these things. Do not trot out the “but this is her workplace” claptrap. Do you know how many people find their spouse or partner through “the workplace”? And do we really think that this would be the same story if Meg Lanning had propositioned a male reporter during a WBBL mid-match interview? Indeed footage materialised of a female news reporter “chatting up” a bare chested male beach goer. This was deemed fair television. Equality? If the fight is for equality, where is that elusive beast in all of the hoo-ha we are now being subjected to? And where does “freedom of expression” stand? Is it dead? A patron (he was a MAN) was ejected from the MCG at a subsequent BBL game for holding up a banner that read, “#standbyGayle”. In the very same ground a patron was NOT ejected (she was a WOMAN) for holding up a sign saying, “Marry me Marcus Stoinos”. Fancy harassing poor sweet Marcus in his place of work like that? Shame! But it doesn’t end there. No it is only the beginning of the week that was. Enter Peter Dutton MP. Most of us will admit to having “drunk text” at some stage and got it horribly wrong. Mr Dutton needs no such lubrication. The technology “Gaff-father” can do it sober as a judge and cock it up monumentally. Not only did he use the incredibly offensive description “mad fucking witch”, he inadvertently text “mad fucking witch” TO the mad fucking witch, which opened up the damned broom closet on a whole new front. Let me share the following with you as Exhibit A for PC out of control. The Sydney Morning Herald (referenced below) contained an article entitled, “Witching hour at Peter Dutton’s office as protestors call for sacking over text”. Let me quote … “The term ‘witch’ is generally thought of as a gendered insult when used by men to describe women. Feminist author and commentator Jane Caro told Faifax Media: By saying mad fucking witch you are actually painting a picture of something that is very different from “mad fucking idiot”, which would have been fine because it is an equal opportunity insult” An EQUAL OPPORTUNITY INSULT … WTF? Leslie Nielsen (yep Leslie can be a boys name) could respond best. Surely you aren’t serious? I am serious and don’t call me Shirley! I can’t speak for you but I do not want to participate in a society that even contemplates an “equal opportunity insult”, let alone one that actually has a name for it! The article goes on to recommend Mr Dutton be sacked … and replaced by a woman (one proficient in the use of mobile technology I presume?). In a parallel Universe, a politician (call him Mr Button) accidentally sent a text (meant for a parliamentary colleague) to a male journalist calling him a “mad fucking warlock”. And, curiously, NOBODY jumped to the journo’s aid by trotting out an “equal opportunity insult” defense. How would it even go? Ahh Mr Button you shouldn’t refer to Barnaby Joyce as a warlock it would be more appropriate and non-gender-offensive to call him a mad fucking idiot? Meanwhile, back in our universe, the following occurred: - A father drove himself and his 2 young sons off a wharf in SA in a murder-suicide. Details about WHY have been suppressed by the media to protect the public ???; - A passenger on a domestic flight in WA groped cabin crew. It was never reported in the media and went unpunished ???; - A man committed domestic violence against his wife … and the wife’s mother encouraged her to go back to him ???; - A young man dies in an early morning one-punch attack in a Brisbane nightclub precinct; - George Pell continues to avoid the Royal Commission into child abuse in the church due to “ill health” but is fit to be in his workplace managing the Catholic Churches finances at the Vatican (talk about a discriminating workplace); - AFL player Dustin Martin remains “unpunished” after his accuser WAS prepared to do a TV interview (dentist style and for her employers network) but WASN’T prepared to undertake a formal police interview; - Donald Trump offends or discriminates against a new group every day … and continues to be a presidential candidate. [edit as at 20/1/17 he is now POTUS …] Violence is violence. Discrimination is discrimination. Abuse is abuse. If you threaten ANYONE with violence THAT is the issue. Not gender. According to the media a woman in a restaurant is a WOMAN but a man is a PATRON or a DINER. What would newspaper articles look like if gender was not allowed to be disclosed? “A patron in a bar alleges that they were threatened by another patron with chopsticks”, reads very differently from “Drunk AFL star threatens woman with a weapon” Here is the Ko-down … and it is an incredibly important one. Feminists, activists, PC devotees take note. If you try to push the barrows of equal opportunity and respect for women through the media using controversial sensationalism, then the men who most need educating will shutdown and an opportunity will be lost… Do not underestimate the potential for those with a pee-pee to throw the baby out with the bath water. If you want to make a real sustainable difference then keep the message simple, pure, fair and easy to understand … and don’t target sports people. The week where Aussies lost the plot completely just happened to coincide with the first anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo shootings … Liberté, égalité, fraternité

DETECTIVES are investigating after a man was shot in both legs on Tuesday evening. The attack happened in the village of Cullyhanna, south Armagh. The PSNI say a gang of men entered a house in the village around 7.30 pm and shot the man who is in his 40s. He was taken to hospital by ambulance where he is being treated for gunshot injuries to his legs. However, they are not thought to be life-threatening. Police said a number of other people who were in the house at the time were left shocked but uninjured. Sinn Féin councillor, Colman Burns, said: “Those responsible for this attack must outline their rationale for doing this and what they hoped to achieve. “The community in south Armagh is appalled at this incident and I would urge anyone with information to present it to the authorities.”

I always knew I had a bunch of remarkable friends but it was only until we got arrested that I realised the extent to which my cronies dabbled on the borderline of crazy. Mine is a colourful group – ranging from lawyers, chefs, accountants, beauty therapists, musicians and everything else in between. We have laughed together, cried together, been grounded together, and travelled together. The parentals finally realised that this chosen family could not be separated. And they tried to break up the friendships numerous times over the course of the years until they realised they were only creating difficult tasks for themselves and we were content with our friendship. It all started on a lazy Saturday. Taurai suggested we go and have a braai somewhere. Or did it all start when we found the money? I did mention, ours was an incredible bunch! How we found it is a story for another day. As we were driving to one of our favourite spots after purchasing copious amounts of meat and alcohol, I suggested we have the braai at one of the mansions on the way to our spot. “It’s rich folk houses so they are always empty! How many times have we used this route and we have never come across anybody! How many cars have you heard starting in this area? We need to live a little!” That was all it took. Initially, it was supposed to be a joke but the crew was never one to say no to a challenge and that is how we found ourselves breaking and entering. We picked a house at random and the sight that greeted our eyes as we finally made it through the hedges was breathtaking. Yes, we went through the hedge! The house was enormous. It was made of red brick that seemed to be glaring at us and challenging us to try something, anything! It had huge windows which we watched for a few minutes and convinced ourselves, had someone been home, we would have seen some movement by now. “I see this in the movies all the time,” said Frank breaking the silence. He used all his strength to shift a pot plant that was close to the door. “The key will be underneath here!” he declared boldly. Alas he found nothing! The entire group burst out laughing! “It’s ok Frank, we don’t need to get into the house anyway. Let’s go round the back and check out the setting there” muttered Sabelo. We all trooped to the rear of the house. The view was astonishing. Big towering trees, well manicured lawns and a fountain set the scene. And there set in a shady corner of the garden close to the pool was the grill station. It was set up with expensive looking equipment and a fully stocked bar. We had hit the jackpot! The boys wasted no time in setting up the fire while the girls got the meat ready. Whatever drinks we hadn’t bought for ourselves, we found at that bar. After a couple of hours, as the drinks started flowing and talk became reckless, Frank feeling like he had to prove a point decided he could get into that house at all costs. “It’s not necessary,” the group chastised. Others admonished while others cheered him on. “Go for it buddy. These girls think you are a sissy now. Show them who is in charge.” Frank had all the liquid courage he needed and he felt confident. He left the group to go on his mission. As we all suspected defeat, we got back to our transgressions and paid no attention to Frank, determined to enjoy our final moments here. The ear-piercing scream is what reminded us we were on borrowed time. We all turned towards the house and there was Frank. Being dragged by the ear by a man proportionately as humongous as his house. “Run for it guys. I’ll be ok,” screamed Frank. We all made a dash for the cars. As trespassers you have to take some precautionary measures as you never know what to expect which is why we had parked our cars outside the gate, a safe distance away from the house. Since we had not waltzed into the yard through the front gate, the thick hedge surrounding the house was our only way out of this madness. It was quite a site. We ran in all directions but the mission was the same and didn’t need to be communicated twice. Eventually, we made it out, huffing and puffing like old ladies. We drove off to Sihle’s house. Before we had even disembarked the cars, resounding laughter heard ensued. We laughed at ourselves until tears streamed down our faces. And then we faced reality. We had to get Frank back. Eventually through connections of Sabelo, we found out which police station he had been taken to. As it was my idea I was tasked with going in to bail him out. Everyone else waited a safe distance away from the police station. I got there and played my best damsel in distress dating a silly guy routine and after parting with a considerable amount of cash, I finally got Frank out of the police station. As for Frank, he then explained how it had all gone down. The front door hadn’t been locked. He had just walked in and was so busy admiring the house that by the time he realised he had walked into the bedroom and woken up the owner, it was too late. The owner of the house had dragged him to the police station to report the crime and said there had been a whole herd of us trespassing. Frank had denied and insisted he was alone. The owner had then left Frank with the cops to go and assess the damage back at his property. The cops had strongly reprimanded Frank and threatened to call his parents. We are pretty sure the owner of the house wanted to press charges. But by the time he returned to the station, Frank and the officer who had taken the owner’s statement were nowhere to be seen. I had arrived at the police station in the nick of time.

As Believers who are seeking to advance His Kingdom we have the right and privilege to do business with God. Why does He need us to do business with Him? 1. God has given mankind dominion over the earth. Therefore, we have the authority to release Him to work when we pray. God has never violated the free will that He gave humankind. And He has given dominion over the earth to men and women. Psalm 8:4-8 says: "What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen—even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas." God does not violate authority. He sits above it, and He judges men when they abuse the authority given to them; and His hierarchy of authority is not the same as we often think it is. (For instance, prayers carry higher authority than leaders' decisions, and so God can turn the hearts of leaders in response to prayer.) However, He does not violate the authority He has given us. To do so would be a violation of our free will. Understanding how Kingdom authority works is absolutely essential if you want to walk in the supernatural. 2. Why authority and dominion matter in our prayer closets: It matters because God has given dominion over the earth to men. Therefore, if we want Him to move on the earth, we must ask. History is full of stories of God moving when there was prayer. If we want God to move, we must pray. PRAYER OPENS DOORS AND PROVIDES A WAY WHERE THERE SEEMS TO BE NO WAY Father is so serious about our prayer assignment that He actually gave us the Helper to help us pray! The Holy Spirit of grace and supplication has several specific jobs, but one of them is to move through us in prayer. Romans 8:26-27 says: "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the Saints according to the will of God." Even Jesus came as a baby in response to prayer and intercession. God had told us that it was His will to send the Messiah, and dedicated lovers of God prayed for the Deliverer to come for many years. We have dominion over the earth. If we desire to see God move on the earth, we must pray. 3. God has always desired to converse and even reason with mankind. God desires the best for us now. Even if some things are stored up for the future, they can be pulled into the present by the prayer of faith. PULL ON GOD THROUGH FAITH-FILLED PRAYERS Then remember Moses, who interceded before God for the lives of the children of Israel. It was God's plan to wipe them out and raise up a new nation from the offspring of Moses. But Moses reasoned with God, and He changed His mind. God's reasoning is the kind of reasoning that God encourages us to logically present His Word back to Him in prayer. Psalm 138:1-3, "I will praise You with my whole heart; before the gods I will sing praises to You. I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your Word above all Your name. In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul." When we reason with God His way, we search out the deep things of His Word to discover His will for our lives individually and for the whole earth. Then, we go boldly before God's throne of grace as the kings over the earth that we are. From that position, we are to present our requests to Him with prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving—based on His own Word. When we pray God's own Word back to Him, we have assurance that we will receive whatever we request. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us this: "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." So doing business with God means presenting His own will back to Him. It's always His will to establish and expand His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, joy, and power on the earth and in your life personally. It's always His will for you to ask—YES, FOR YOURSELF—for Jesus said: "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:24). QUESTIONS TO ASK MYSELF: How will I respond? Will I set yourself apart to seek Him morning, noon, and night? Will I go boldly before His throne of grace, praying specific prayers and expecting specific answers? Will I accept the challenge to do business with God on purpose? ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Death Wish, with Bruce Willis, Vincent D’Onofrio and Elisabeth Shue, directed by Eli Roth. PAUL Kersey (Bruce Willis) is a surgeon in a Chicago hospital and has had to deal with the violence of the city’s streets for years. Although sympathetic it appears that, as a matter of survival, he tries not to think about it too much. He rather focusses on his wife, Lucy (Elisabeth Shue) and daughter Jordan (Camila Morrone) who has just been accepted into college. She is also a keen soccer player, and the family show great support for each other. That all changes when two gunshot victims are rushed to the hospital after being viciously attacked in their suburban home. Paul realises that the two victims are, in fact, his wife and daughter. Lucy does not survive the attack but Jordan is operated on and remains in a coma. The police attend the scene of the crime in the form of detectives Kevin Raines (Dean Norris) and Leonore Jackson (Kimberly Elise) who, with perhaps a hundred unsolved murders on their books are totally impotent. But they tell Paul they will continue to search for his wife’s killers. When a criminal is delivered to the emergency room at the hospital with a gunshot wound Paul recognises the man as a valet he met recently. Putting two and two together he surreptitiously takes the dying man’s gun. Although he seems reluctant to use a weapon initially the audience knows (based on the actions of Willis’ predecessor in the role, Charles Bronson, in the 1974 movie of the same name) it is inevitable that Kersey is about to exact vengeance on his wife’s killers. The movie has generated a lot of controversy in the United States where anti- and pro-gun lobbyists are still hurting over the most recent mass shooting at a school in Florida. However you feel about guns, there is no doubt most people watching the movie would sympathise (if not necessarily condone) with the actions of the distraught father and husband who was placed in this situation. A really good movie with plenty of graphic violence for those who, like me, enjoy a little mayhem in an action film, Death Wish will make you ask yourself what you would do the same given the same circumstances.

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Monthly Archives: July 2012 Yesterday I rang my mobile phone provider to bleat something about ‘when am I out of my contract, please sir?’ The stern reply was not yet, but you could talk to someone to see what we could do, yada, yada, yada; blah, blah, blah. I couldn’t be bothered with it, so I just muttered something about wanting shot of the Crapberry, thanks anyway, and hung up. My main beef with said item is it sticks on ‘O’ or ‘+’ and often times it is a battle to get something out there not full of ooooooooooooooooo s or ++++++++++++++++++ s. Plus it freezes. A lot. Oh and the camera is terrible. Within an hour, I had an email from RIM, the makers of the Crapberry (apt manufacturers name, I think), imploring me to consider upgrading to the new SuperCrackCrapBerry. Well, they did for me anyway. At first, I was full of cynicism. Oh a green hill, and, oh, a hymn *shudders*. Then Kenneth Branagh doing Isambard Kingdom Brunel, whilst quoting Shakespeare, in a top hat and ‘scary facial whiskers’ (to quote my daughter) bothered my sensibilities somewhat and the grubby working classes, well worked… until, the five Olympic rings were forged before my eyes and raised above the stadium and then, you might say, we were all on the same page. That sentence took some writing. Not unlike the time (cubed) it took for me to catch up with the vision. There’s no need for me to catalogue what came next is there? All I want to say really, is this. The time passed awfully quickly and when Muhammad Ali faltered onto the stage I cried. I didn’t cry a little, I cried a lot. I have mentioned Ali on here before, mainly as a beautiful individual and a lyrical gangster. The night before the opening ceremony I had coincidentally waved his photo biography at a small audience and extolled his many qualities, lest they troubled to forget. Then last night, as if by magic, there he was. He looks so different from his prime. It’s more than age, it’s the ravages of the cruel neurological disease that is Parkinson’s, a disease that afflicted my grandfather. Last night, I had to look and look again to be sure, ‘Is that Muhammad Ali?’ And then, when Ali moved to touch the Olympic flag, suddenly, time and space collapsed and so did I. In that Olympic moment I was a child again, watching Ali in black and white on the portable tv, listening to his patter and his press conferences. I was reading him, occasionally writing about or quoting him, over a lifetime. I was the age I am now, waving his picture to strangers and I was all I can ever try to be, somehow incredibly knowing shared humanity, connected through all our wondrous possibilities. I am nothing to Muhammad Ali, and he is nothing and no-one and everything and everyone to me. How much easier for a man of his age, and frailty to stay at home out of the public’s gaze, than fly to London for a late night gig. But despite the disease, the age, the infirmity and confusion, he is the same as he ever was, because he was there. There, still fighting his battle, on the world stage. And to me, that is the Greatest Ever Inspiration any of us could wish for. He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. The Olympic torch came through our town a few weeks ago. It was a wet day; the children were allowed time off school to see this once in a lifetime event with their families. I took my two girls, who were distinctly underwhelmed; in fact they spent a lot of time moaning. It doesn’t matter though, they saw it and the youngest took the photograph of the torch bearer as she had the best view. I haven’t parented outside the 21st century so I can’t compare the job with that of my parents, or theirs, but I suspect every generation faces its own unique challenges, as well as some in common. I believe as parents, all that you can do, is provide the opportunity for them and let them make of it what they will. I wrote this to myself as a reminder, for when things get tough, as they always do. You cannot have all of it Use your wisdom Let go of something, or something will let go of you. At least if you take the former option you have the choice Take photographs. You cannot have too many. Whatever you hope to remember you will most assuredly forget Do one thing at a time – you will get less done, better If you’re in the room, be in the room Make time to leave the room. Alone Listen with your heart Don’t live just in your head Get in your body – it’s missed you Guilt is the most pointless construct, until you commit a crime. If you are legal, ditch the guilt Our best is all we have to give Sometimes we think our best is not good enough – even then it is all we have to give Give what you can Take as little as you need Stick your tongue out in the snow Kick off your shoes Take a walk in the rain Wear holes in your socks Let the light in But know when to draw the blinds Accept imperfection, it is your friend Look them in the eye Gaze into your soul Mostly, stay hungry, stay foolish (via Steve Jobs) Discover your purpose, And pass the torch on This year we’ve been up against it in the garden. First we had no water, and then we had too much, so I’ve not gone overboard with the annuals and gone for some low maintenance kitsch to inject some colour instead. I reckon I could run my laptop off this windmill, if only knew how. Finding out how? It’s on my bucket list. I might be giving a talk later, I’ll be taking my mate the butterfly to help me illustrate a point. I hope he’s been rehearsing ‘cos I haven’t; how do you rehearse what is already in your heart? ‘Oh yes, he’s fit enough.’ ‘Is he doing it properly? He’s not is he?’ ‘Oh yes, well… he’s just relaxed.’ ‘He needs a straight back?’ ‘Well, mmmm. Michael Johnson ran with a straight back and he did alright.’ I think, Michael Johnson ran like a duck but when you break world records it doesn’t matter what you look like. ‘Oh no, he’s not fit enough.’ ‘No, he’s not fit enough at all.’ ‘It’s good though, this physical exercise. Too much studiousness is bad for the boy.’ ‘Is he doing it properly? She’s doing it properly isn’t she?’ ‘He needs to watch what the others are doing.’ ‘Look he’s not watching.’ The studious boy, who looks like he is running into a wind tunnel, comes over to the edge of the track and weeps. An elite athlete sticks his head through the fence and throws up. The man, who was once hit by a train, completes his lap. Right, wrong, none of it is ever easy. Doing my annual King Canute impression. Aggregate score so far: Sea 42 – Me 0. Unfair, as it always has the home advantage #time&tide Cardiff University sewed kittens eyes shut in taxpayer funded experiments http://ow.ly/cs562 Like virtually all vivisection – pointless Resisting the strong urge to tell the rest of the beach to sit down and SHUT UP. Bet King C didn’t have to put up with sunseeking plebs. Realise I am turning into my mother. I love her, but still, oh dear #notready There is some eye-watering gusset action down here. Girls, check your rear view before leaving home, I beg you #southend Lovers’ tiff. Man wearing sweater on head – she’s conducting face to face argument and tel con simultaneously. Multi-tasking emotions She’s off phone, employing finger pointing tactic. He’s shouting, sweater still on head. Bit early. #chill ‘It’s Southend – no-one cares. No-one is going to check you out’ #shockhorror #southend #Icare ‘Where’s the sea? Where’s the sea?’ ‘I’ll take you for a walk to find the water…’ Chelsea FC beach towel, Harrods carrier bag, deckchair hire, still arguing. Still wearing his sweater as a yashmak. Still #dre ‘You have to wait 20 minutes for your food to go down.’ Do you? Oh dear, I’ve been doing the wrong thing my whole life. Illegal spaniel on the beach alert. Tut. Stuck here now until the argument ends or the tide comes in, whichever is sooner. Sweater removed from head: argument over. All smiles. Yay. Says he can’t swim. Tide’s close enough now to see its line of scum. Doesn’t seem to put people off going in. Parents bawling at their kids behind me. The danger of an adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort Argument man wears his black woollen socks in the sea. Wet socks, caked in sand = interesting look Wearing socks in the sea, now that’s an adventure. Sea 42 – Me 1 Tide turns in my favour, for now. Another adventure. Whenever I pass this marine skeleton along Paglesham Creek, I always wonder what it was. I took this photo ages ago, back in the winter, but it resonates with me now because recently, as I have said, my brain just won’t work. My mind has been like a rusting hulk, run aground and of an unknown provenance. Now, I don’t want to jinx it, but it feels like the tide might have come in overnight and perhaps we are, once again, afloat. Perhaps… I feed this animal about 4 times a day – I can never get a covering on his ribs. He always seems in good form though *touch wood* He’s the third dog I’ve had; I’d like another smaller one. A walk’s not the same without a dog. I didn’t take this photo – it was taken on a Samsung S2 mobile phone. Not bad at all. This blog has been a longtime critic of the government, mainly because they don’t seem to have a clue what they are doing. And when they do have a reasonable idea, they put in ridiculously short time limits to see results, so that they can claim the credit in time for the next election (I am thinking of the Work Programme and the pilot programmes for reducing re-offending here, where funding is dependent on outcomes, but also set within unrealistic time frames, equivalent to the lifespan of a flea). Their one idea for the economy, the notorious Plan A, is dead in the water. It’s greatest proponent George Osborne is on the missing list, and he seems to have taken even deeper cover since the IMF wagged their finger at him yesterday. On all previous known form, he’ll take about five days to think about what he’s going to say next and since he’s not due an annual Mansion House speech for another year, it might be even longer. Then there’s Michael Gove’s new phonics based ‘reading’ test (actually an exercise in decoding sounds) which is failing competent children who read for understanding and meaning. Incidentally, Mr Gove, trying to teach the latter to adults is a tough gig, whereas the sounds – well those are child’s play… As for Theresa and Jeremy and Dave et al – well would you? Knowing what you know now? Dave’s autumn cabinet reshuffle is going to have to introduce Willy Wonka himself to to turn this thing around. I suppose they were banking on the Jubilee and the Olympic summer saving their collective bacon and bringing back the feelgood factor to the populace (also on the missing list, probably in George Osborne’s back pocket), but the Gulf jetstream, the bus drivers, train drivers and Border Agency staff, not forgetting G4S, had their own ideas about that. Don’t get me wrong, I hope the Olympics goes off well, for the sake of the athletes and for the rest of us that have had to pay for the effing thing (just don’t think about Greece ok?). On the other hand, I can’t help but have a few reservations (still don’t think about Greece). Arguing about surface to air missiles on the roof, when god knows how many G4S uniforms have gone AWOL? It’s really not cool. I have a fantastic colleague at work, she’s from Hull and she’s a no-nonsense Northern lass who produces spot-on stuff, including colour-coded spreadsheets for everything. She’d have organised the Olympics, on budget, on time, with security, no problem. I think if she’d been in charge you might have even been able to get in wearing a Pepsi t-shirt… And that’s my problem with the government, right there, in a nutshell. My colleague is operating well within her comfort zone, she has a lot more to offer, in fact. The government are collectively suffering from the Peter Principle – where employees rise to their level of incompetence. And the problem for us is that it’s not just one of them, it’s bloody well all of them. They are too young, too arrogant, insufficiently wise and lacking in substance to do the job properly. The facts are that they can barely run this country. Sadly, the default setting of desperate clinging on to power will probably see the coalition stagger on to the next election; the Lib Dems will be finished after that and the Tories will hopefully be chased back into their historical blue lands. I for one, cannot wait. And I’m hoping that Miliband et al have the sense to learn from the mistakes of others before they inevitably start making their own, as we all do. In the meantime, whilst we suffer the horrors of the British summer, the mish mash of the coalition’s blue and yellow colour combo and also those pretty disgusting Olympic mascots Wenlock and Mandeville , I would really like to have Spitting Image back on Sunday night. That would really cheer me up.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of 2002 By: Glenn BurnSilver Out with one year and in with the next. The music, of course carries across time. 2002 can be broken down into three simple categories: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly releases of the past year. (And yes, there was even an excellent Ennio Morricone remix album, Morricone RMX, that included numerous mixes of Clint Eastwood movie soundtracks.) So, let's get the bad and ugly out of the way first this time so we can close 2002 with pleasant musical memories. The Bad: Surprisingly, Eric Clapton's One More Car, One More Rider (Reprise) is little more than an uninspired live album from his last tour. There are a few great solos from this former guitar God, but otherwise nothing to write home about. Chris Isaak suffers the fate of repetition on Always Got Tonight (Reprise). The title track incorporates a heavy modern funk layer and rock power cords over that ever-present twang -- the albums highlight. Otherwise, Isaak's formula is too tried and true, but unlike his first albums when his "sound" felt fresh and new and he was willing to experiment more, this one comes across a little stale around the edges. The debut self-titled album by the Sahara Hotnights (Jetset) represents little more than an attempt to cash in on the current "rough and raw-sound" re-popularized by The Strokes. This four-piece girl band attempts to be The Runaways for the new millennium, but even with black leather jackets and tough attitudes, can't pack the punch. Want the real thing? Try The Donnas. The Ugly: The seriously awful releases last year, owed more to overblown image and wasteful media attention (in such trashy fashion magazines as Rolling Stone) as more of a successful guiding force than actually musical quality. Of course, the is no need to belabor the sad contributions from J. Lo, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. 'Nuff said! The Good: There was certainly plenty in 2002, but the best of the lot included: Solomon Burke's Don't Give Up On Me (Fat Possum). Burke, a top rock 'n' soul performer in the 60s, makes a glorious comeback with an album that exudes a fiery brand of gospel-tinged soul shot straight from the, well, soul. The songs, originally done by others (including Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and Brian Wilson) receive glorious makeovers as Burke's baritone breathes new zest into each number. Gospel singers the Blind Boys of Alabama guest on the uplifting spiritual "None Of Us Are Free," adding even more gospel zeal along with stunning vocal harmonies that are nothing short of inspirational and revelatory. Don't Give Up On Me is a showcase of what soul music really is, raw, powerful and feverish in sweat, heart and desire. With every album The Flaming Lips have progressively reached for new heights and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Warner Brothers) is this year's masterpiece. If it wasn't the Lips, an album like Yoshimi -- the central character who must battle evil robots set on world domination - coming from some other band would have been a tossed aside like a stray lounge/easy listening album trying to hard to masquerade as a trippy rock album, which in some ways it is. And that is where the difference is most relevant. Only for the Lips can this succeed, backed by years of following an internal and slightly skewed musical vision that has once again created a masterpiece of sound and heartfelt emotion amongst a backdrop of unlimited musical imagination. A positive note for musical crossover experimentation, the Tin Hat Trio reach the furthest with a blend of avant country swing jazz with old world, Eastern European leanings and new world Americana romps on The Rodeo Eroded (Ropadope). At times the music conjures up images back porch southern hill country tales of woe and lament - slow and melancholy - but packing an emotional wallop that only a mournful viola can bring out. Imagine, if you will, songs that seem to float in outer space like some twisted twangy-jazz version of the Twilight Zone and it won't be surprising this album is unparallel and mysterious in a way that is too compelling to ignore. An uncompromising mixture of styles and overall creative experimentation propels Cornershop's Handcream For A Generation (Beggars Group) with all the moves and grooves, shakes and pops, toasts and hymns of a modern disco, rock, techno, soul, jazz, reggae, dub, power-pop, hip-hop and Indian raga-inspired masterpiece. Whoa! It is all there in a manner of controlled mayhem that works to perfection under Singh's guidance. "Lesson's Learned from Rock I to Rocky III" may just be one of the best songs of 2002. Handcream bounces around in the head until you just have to play it again--and again. Unlike Wilco's previous efforts, the country twang and pedal-steel wail is much more subdued and in many cases barley discernable altogether. Instead, Yankee Foxtrot Hotel (Nonesuch) finds front man Jeff Tweedy pushing the musical envelope once again, albeit in a new direction beyond the somehow defined alt-country limitations. Where does it say the songs have to be whiney and mellow to the point of sleepiness? Guitars feedback and distort, Rolling Stone "ooo ooh's" reverberate in the mix, sampled sounds come and go, horns and piano appear in the most unexpected places with an occasional psychedelic excursion thrown in. YFH feels more like a vintage rock album that has been updated and reworked into something fresh and accessible for a modern generation of listeners searching for something extraordinarily different. One of the best jazz releases in 2002, Vietnam: the aftermath (Justin Time) finds violinist and composer Billy Bang reaching into his heart to musically extract the nightmares and demons he has carried inside since his days as a soldier in Vietnam. Bang takes lush Southeast Asian harmonies and carefully sets them against jazz formats that run the gamut from traditional to abstract to classical, dabbling as well with rock and blues textures. The music conjures up sad images, tension filled moments, disturbing experiences and the horrors of combat on a tortured walk through a mysterious jungle landscape; one that is full of dangerous surprises.

The New Cover will be grace by powerhouse voice Sofia Evangelia! Get your physical copy today! Johnny is a professional recording artist and producer that was born in Kissimmee Florida. He's started music as a hobby and just grew to love the art of creation. And yes, he has done a great job creating. Johnny song "Ice cold Flow" can be found off his album smash the stereo to pieces. The melodic flow is over the top. Honestly, he is an MC/Rapper that flows over an R&B beat that is rare and needed with all the trap and hip-hop that people don't even understand these days. His flow will alone one fall back in their car and just rock to the beat. Johnny's flow would let you believe he's from the Bronx, NY. In the chorus, it says "don't give up and don't give in, yes you're a loved". You just want to rock and the song is very catchy. Johnny's voice reminded of when the eyes catch the movie "Brown Sugar" and the understanding of true music where "Mos Def" lyrics was with meaning and not a gimmick. Though he's from Orlando Florida Johnny will get extremely far with his sweet beat and "ice cold flow" he's very proud of the 407. He's has accomplished having close to half a million listeners on the music platform Pandora. You can listen to Johnny's music by going to https://www.pandora.com/station/play/3882417477222603762. Listening to Johnny you will hear in his music that he truly has a love for Hip-hop. Listen to the song below or visit his social and music platforms. Twitter: (@bugs_johnny): https://twitter.com/bugs_johnny?s=09 David Vater's energy as an artist/lyricist is something he couldn't keep down any more. With long periods of sharpening and culminating his songwriting aptitudes, working with incredible players on two landmasses, David chose to discharge Volume 1 and Volume 2 of his latest songwriting as an autonomous solo craftsman. Born In Canadian David has worked with some notable performers and makers in Canada, the UK, and USA including Henri Spinetti (Eric Clapton, Tina Turner), Dave Markee (Eric Clapton) Skip Procop (Lighthouse) and Norman Barrett (Paul Young. Larry Norman, Cliff Richard) and Dan Cutrona. (Joe Cocker, Bee Gees) just as Canadian artists Gene LaTour, Seppo Salmenin, Greg Atkinson and Kai Siltamaki. "This first solo exertion on Volume One highlights a program of surely understood players Tom Hemby (Vince Gill, Michael McDonald), Kenny Loggins) on guitars and mandolin, John Hammond (Amy Grant, Vince Gill) and Brian Fullen (Peter Frampton) on drums and percussion and Jeff Cox (Trisha Yearwood) on Bass, David Vest (Bob Carlisle) on consoles, Johnathan Brown on Keyboards, Charles Owens on Harmonica, Michael Whittaker on Accordion, Susie Vaters and K.J. Raney on foundation vocals, David Vaters on Acoustic Guitar and Vocals with Dave Vest and David Vaters co-delivering the collection. Much obliged to you Kai for your info and prompt! Volume Two was recorded with the folks expressed above and furthermore, Scott Farris served to co-produce 4 tunes, Prepare, Resurrection Day, Service of the King and Prepare at Amusement Park Studios in Lubbock, Texas. Tom Green on Bass and Sean Frankhouser on Bass and Stand up Bass, Phil and Scott Farris on Guitars, Jason Robinett on Drums and Background vocals. Tom Hemby delivered and played on Godly Man of which continues to FCM and its Honor Your Father crusade. A Voice in the Wilderness Volume 1 is an accumulation of convincing supplications, petitions and sonnets all with a crude feeling of direness and sympathy that is an immediate impression of both the marvel and elegance of God towards humankind. Volume 1 collection download is accessible NOW here, iTunes, Amazon and every single advanced stage worldwide and Volume 2 CD was released October 2, 2017, by the V Group Indie Music Label. Presidents Day celebrates iconic presidents, but there was a time when even Washington and Lincoln endured as much partisan rancor as Obama. I hope after 2020+ we can enjoy the presidents to that level of great changes in our the government and society. 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Jean-Jacques Rousseau, (born June 28, 1712, Geneva, Switzerland—died July 2, 1778, Ermenonville, France), Swiss-born philosopher, writer, and political theorist whose treatises and novels inspired the leaders of the French Revolution and the Romantic generation. Rousseau was the least academic of modern philosophers and in many ways was the most influential. His thought marked the end of the Age of Reason. He propelled political and ethical thinking into new channels. His reforms revolutionized taste, first in music, then in the other arts. He had a profound impact on people’s way of life; he taught parents to take a new interest in their children and to educate them differently; he furthered the expression of emotion rather than polite restraint in friendship and love. He introduced the cult of religious sentiment among people who had discarded religious dogma. He opened people’s eyes to the beauties of nature, and he made liberty an object of almost universal aspiration. Rousseau’s mother died in childbirth, and he was brought up by his father, who taught him to believe that the city of his birth was a republic as splendid as Sparta or ancient Rome. Rousseau senior had an equally glorious image of his own importance; after marrying above his modest station as a watchmaker, he got into trouble with the civil authorities by brandishing the sword that his upper-class pretentions prompted him to wear, and he had to leave Geneva to avoid imprisonment. Rousseau, the son, then lived for six years as a poor relation in his mother’s family, patronized and humiliated, until he, too, at the age of 16, fled from Geneva to live the life of an adventurer and a Roman Catholic convert in the kingdoms of Sardinia and France. Rousseau was fortunate in finding in the province of Savoy a benefactor, the baroness de Warens, who provided him with a refuge in her home and employed him as her steward. She also furthered his education to such a degree that the boy who had arrived on her doorstep as a stammering apprentice who had never been to school developed into a philosopher, a man of letters, and a musician. Mme de Warens, who thus transformed the adventurer into a philosopher, was herself an adventuress—a Swiss convert to Catholicism who had stripped her husband of his money before fleeing to Savoy with the gardener’s son to set herself up as a Catholic missionary specializing in the conversion of young male Protestants. Her morals distressed Rousseau, even when he became her lover. But she was a woman of taste, intelligence, and energy, who brought out in Rousseau just the talents that were needed to conquer Paris at a time when Voltaire had made radical ideas fashionable. Rousseau reached Paris when he was 30 and was lucky enough to meet another young man from the provinces seeking literary fame in the capital, Denis Diderot. The two soon became immensely successful as the centre of a group of intellectuals—or philosophes—who gathered round the great French Encyclopédie, of which Diderot was appointed editor. The Encyclopédie was an important organ of radical and anticlerical opinion, and its contributors were as much reforming and even iconoclastic pamphleteers as they were philosophers. Rousseau, the most original of them all in his thinking and the most forceful and eloquent in his style of writing, was soon also the most conspicuous. He wrote music as well as prose, and one of his operas, Le Devin du village (1752; “The Village Soothsayer”), attracted so much admiration from the king (Louis XV) and the court that he might have enjoyed an easy life as a fashionable composer, but something in his Calvinist blood rejected that type of worldly glory. Indeed, at the age of 37 Rousseau had what he called an “illumination” while walking to Vincennes to visit Diderot, who had been imprisoned there because of his irreligious writings. In the Confessions (1782–89), which he wrote late in life, Rousseau says that it came to him then in a “terrible flash” that modern progress had corrupted people instead of improving them. He went on to write his first important work, a prize essay for the Academy of Dijon entitled Discours sur les sciences et les arts (1750; A Discourse on the Sciences and the Arts), in which he argues that the history of human life on earth has been a history of decay. That work is by no means Rousseau’s best piece of writing, but its central theme was to inform almost everything else he wrote. Throughout his life he kept returning to the thought that people are good by nature but have been corrupted by society and civilization. He did not mean to suggest that society and civilization are inherently bad but rather that both had taken a wrong direction and become more harmful as they became more sophisticated. That idea in itself was not unfamiliar in Rousseau’s time. Many Roman Catholic writers, for example, deplored the direction that European culture had taken since the Middle Ages. They shared the hostility toward progress that Rousseau had expressed. What they did not share was his belief that people are naturally good. It was, however, just that belief that Rousseau made the cornerstone of his argument. Rousseau may well have received the inspiration for that belief from Mme de Warens; for although she had become a communicant of the Roman Catholic Church, she retained—and transmitted to Rousseau—much of the sentimental optimism about human purity that she had herself absorbed as a child from the mystical Protestant Pietists who were her teachers in the canton of Bern. At all events, the idea of human goodness, as Rousseau developed it, set him apart from both conservatives and radicals. Even so, for several years after the publication of his first Discourse, he remained a close collaborator in Diderot’s essentially progressive enterprise, the Encyclopédie, and an active contributor to its pages. His speciality there was music, and it was in this sphere that he first established his influence as a reformer. Controversy With Rameau The arrival of an Italian opera company in Paris in 1752 to perform works of opera buffa (comic opera) by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Alessandro Scarlatti, Leonardo Vinci, and other such composers suddenly divided the French music-loving public into two excited camps, supporters of the new Italian opera and supporters of the traditional French opera. The philosophes of the Encyclopédie—Jean Le Rond d’Alembert, Diderot, and Paul-Henri Dietrich, baron d’Holbach among them—entered the fray as champions of Italian music, but Rousseau, who had arranged for the publication of Pergolesi’s music in Paris and who knew more about the subject than most Frenchmen after the months he had spent visiting the opera houses of Venice during his time as secretary to the French ambassador to the doge in 1743–44, emerged as the most-forceful and effective combatant. He was the only one to direct his fire squarely at the leading living exponent of French operatic music, Jean-Philippe Rameau. Rousseau and Rameau must at that time have seemed unevenly matched in a controversy about music. Rameau, already in his 70th year, was not only a prolific and successful composer but was also, as the author of the celebrated Traité de l’harmonie (1722; Treatise on Harmony) and other technical works, Europe’s leading musicologist. Rousseau, by contrast, was 30 years younger, a newcomer to music, with no professional training and only one successful opera to his credit. His scheme for a new notation for music had been rejected by the Academy of Sciences, and most of his musical entries for Diderot’s Encyclopédie were as yet unpublished. Yet the dispute was not only musical but also philosophical, and Rameau was confronted with a more-formidable adversary than he had realized. Rousseau built his case for the superiority of Italian music over French on the principle that melody must have priority over harmony, whereas Rameau based his on the assertion that harmony must have priority over melody. By pleading for melody, Rousseau introduced what later came to be recognized as a characteristic idea of Romanticism, namely, that in art the free expression of the creative spirit is more important than strict adherence to formal rules and traditional procedures. By pleading for harmony, Rameau reaffirmed the first principle of French Classicism, namely, that conformity to rationally intelligible rules is a necessary condition of art, the aim of which is to impose order on the chaos of human experience. In music, Rousseau was a liberator. He argued for freedom in music, and he pointed to the Italian composers as models to be followed. In doing so he had more success than Rameau; he changed people’s attitudes. Christoph Willibald Gluck, who succeeded Rameau as the most-important operatic composer in France, acknowledged his debt to Rousseau’s teaching, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart based the text for his one-act operetta Bastien und Bastienne (Bastien and Bastienne) on Rousseau’s Le Devin du village. European music had taken a new direction. But Rousseau himself composed no more operas. Despite the success of Le Devin du village, or rather because of its success, Rousseau felt that, as a moralist who had decided to make a break with worldly values, he could not allow himself to go on working for the theatre. He decided to devote his energies henceforth to literature and philosophy. Major Works Of Political Philosophy As part of what Rousseau called his “reform,” or improvement of his own character, he began to look back at some of the austere principles that he had learned as a child in the Calvinist republic of Geneva. Indeed, he decided to return to that city, repudiate his Catholicism, and seek readmission to the Protestant church. He had in the meantime acquired a mistress, an illiterate laundry maid named Thérèse Levasseur. To the surprise of his friends, he took her with him to Geneva, presenting her as a nurse. Although her presence caused some murmurings, Rousseau was readmitted easily to the Calvinist communion, his literary fame having made him very welcome to a city that prided itself as much on its culture as on its morals. Rousseau had by that time completed a second Discourse in response to a question set by the Academy of Dijon: “What is the origin of the inequality among men and is it justified by natural law?” In response to that challenge he produced a masterpiece of speculative anthropology. The argument follows on that of his first Discourse by developing the proposition that people are naturally good and then tracing the successive stages by which they have descended from primitive innocence to corrupt sophistication. Rousseau begins his Discours sur l’origine de l’inegalité (1755; Discourse on the Origin of Inequality) by distinguishing two kinds of inequality, natural and artificial, the first arising from differences in strength, intelligence, and so forth, the second from the conventions that govern societies. It is the inequalities of the latter sort that he set out to explain. Adopting what he thought the properly “scientific” method of investigating origins, he attempts to reconstruct the earliest phases of human life on earth. He suggests that original humans were not social beings but entirely solitary, and to that extent he agrees with Thomas Hobbes’s account of the state of nature. But in contrast to the English pessimist’s view that human life in such a condition must have been “poor, nasty, brutish, and short,” Rousseau claims that original humans, although admittedly solitary, were healthy, happy, good, and free. Human vices, he argued, date from the time when societies were formed. Rousseau thus exonerates nature and blames society. He says that passions that generate vices hardly existed in the state of nature but began to develop as soon as people formed societies. He goes on to suggest that societies started when people built their first huts, a development that facilitated cohabitation of males and females; that in turn produced the habit of living as a family and associating with neighbours. That “nascent society,” as Rousseau calls it, was good while it lasted; it was indeed the “golden age” of human history. Only it did not endure. With the tender passion of love there was also born the destructive passion of jealousy. Neighbours started to compare their abilities and achievements with one another, and that “marked the first step towards inequality and at the same time towards vice.” People started to demand consideration and respect. Their innocent self-love turned into culpable pride, as each person wanted to be better than everyone else. The introduction of property marked a further step toward inequality, since it made law and government necessary as a means of protecting it. Rousseau laments the “fatal” concept of property in one of his more-eloquent passages, describing the “horrors” that have resulted from the departure from a condition in which the earth belonged to no one. Those passages in his second Discourse excited later revolutionaries such as Karl Marx and Vladimir Ilich Lenin, but Rousseau himself did not think that the past could be undone in any way. There was no point in dreaming of a return to the golden age. Civil society, as Rousseau describes it, comes into being to serve two purposes: to provide peace for everyone and to ensure the right to property for anyone lucky enough to have possessions. It is thus of some advantage to everyone, but mostly to the advantage of the rich, since it transforms their de facto ownership into rightful ownership and keeps the poor dispossessed. It is a somewhat fraudulent social contract that introduces government, since the poor get so much less out of it than do the rich. Even so, the rich are no happier in civil society than are the poor because people in society are never satisfied. Society leads people to hate one another to the extent that their interests conflict, and the best they are able to do is to hide their hostility behind a mask of courtesy. Thus, Rousseau regards inequality not as a separate problem but as one of the features of the long process by which men become alienated from nature and from innocence. In the dedication Rousseau wrote for the second Discourse, in order to present it to the republic of Geneva, he nevertheless praised that city-state for having achieved the ideal balance between “the equality which nature established among men and the inequality which they have instituted among themselves.” The arrangement he discerned in Geneva was one in which the best persons were chosen by the citizens and put in the highest positions of authority. Like Plato, Rousseau always believed that a just society was one in which everyone was in his proper place. And having written the second Discourse to explain how people had lost their liberty in the past, he went on to write another book, Du Contrat social (1762; The Social Contract), to suggest how they might recover their liberty in the future. Again Geneva was the model: not Geneva as it had become in 1754 when Rousseau returned there to recover his rights as a citizen, but Geneva as it had once been—i.e., Geneva as Calvin had designed it. The Social Contract begins with the sensational opening sentence: “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains,” and proceeds to argue that men need not be in chains. If a civil society, or state, could be based on a genuine social contract, as opposed to the fraudulent social contract depicted in the Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, people would receive in exchange for their independence a better kind of freedom, namely true political, or republican, liberty. Such liberty is to be found in obedience to a self-imposed law. Rousseau’s definition of political liberty raises an obvious problem. For while it can be readily agreed that an individual is free if he obeys only rules he prescribes for himself, this is so because an individual is a person with a single will. A society, by contrast, is a set of persons with a set of individual wills, and conflict between separate wills is a fact of universal experience. Rousseau’s response to the problem is to define civil society as an artificial person united by a general will, or volonté générale. The social contract that brings society into being is a pledge, and the society remains in being as a pledged group. Rousseau’s republic is a creation of the general will—of a will that never falters in each and every member to further the public, common, or national interest—even though it may conflict at times with personal interest. Rousseau sounds very much like Hobbes when he says that under the pact by which people enter civil society everyone totally alienates himself and all his rights to the whole community. Rousseau, however, represents this act as a form of exchange of rights whereby people give up natural rights in return for civil rights. The bargain is a good one, because what is surrendered are rights of dubious value, whose realization depends solely on an individual’s own might, and what is obtained in return are rights that are both legitimate and enforced by the collective force of the community. There is no more haunting paragraph in The Social Contract than that in which Rousseau speaks of “forcing a man to be free.” But it would be wrong to interpret these words in the manner of those critics who see Rousseau as a prophet of modern totalitarianism. He does not claim that a whole society can be forced to be free but only that an occasional individual, who is enslaved by his passions to the extent of disobeying the law, can be restored by force to obedience to the voice of the general will that exists inside of him. The person who is coerced by society for a breach of the law is, in Rousseau’s view, being brought back to an awareness of his own true interests. For Rousseau there is a radical dichotomy between true law and actual law. Actual law, which he described in the Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, simply protects the status quo. True law, as described in The Social Contract, is just law, and what ensures its being just is that it is made by the people in their collective capacity as sovereign and obeyed by the same people in their individual capacities as subjects. Rousseau is confident that such laws could not be unjust because it is inconceivable that any people would make unjust laws for itself. Rousseau is, however, troubled by the fact that the majority of a people does not necessarily represent its most-intelligent citizens. Indeed, he agrees with Plato that most people are stupid. Thus, the general will, while always morally sound, is sometimes mistaken. Hence Rousseau suggests the people need a lawgiver—a great mind like Solon or Lycurgus or Calvin—to draw up a constitution and system of laws. He even suggests that such lawgivers need to claim divine inspiration in order to persuade the dim-witted multitude to accept and endorse the laws it is offered. That suggestion echoes a similar proposal by Niccolò Machiavelli, a political theorist whom Rousseau greatly admired and whose love of republican government he shared. An even more conspicuously Machiavellian influence can be discerned in Rousseau’s chapter on civil religion, where he argues that Christianity, despite its truth, is useless as a republican religion on the grounds that it is directed to the unseen world and does nothing to teach citizens the virtues that are needed in the service of the state, namely, courage, virility, and patriotism. Rousseau does not go so far as Machiavelli in proposing a revival of pagan cults, but he does propose a civil religion with minimal theological content designed to fortify and not impede (as Christianity impedes) the cultivation of martial virtues. It is understandable that the authorities of Geneva, profoundly convinced that the national church of their little republic was at the same time a truly Christian church and a nursery of patriotism, reacted angrily against that chapter in Rousseau’s Social Contract. By the year 1762, however, when The Social Contract was published, Rousseau had given up any thought of settling in Geneva. After recovering his citizen’s rights in 1754, he had returned to Paris and the company of his friends around the Encyclopédie. But he became increasingly ill at ease in such worldly society and began to quarrel with his fellow philosophes. An article for the Encyclopédie on the subject of Geneva, written by d’Alembert at Voltaire’s instigation, upset Rousseau partly by suggesting that the pastors of the city had lapsed from Calvinist severity into unitarian laxity and partly by proposing that a theatre should be erected there. Rousseau hastened into print with a defense of the Calvinist orthodoxy of the pastors and with an elaborate attack on the theatre as an institution that could only do harm to an innocent community such as Geneva. Years Of Seclusion And Exile By the time his Lettre à d’Alembert sur les spectacles (1758; Letter to Monsieur d’Alembert on the Theatre) appeared in print, Rousseau had already left Paris to pursue a life closer to nature on the country estate of his friend Mme d’Épinay near Montmorency. When the hospitality of Mme d’Épinay proved to entail much the same social round as that of Paris, Rousseau retreated to a nearby cottage, called Montlouis, under the protection of the Maréchal de Luxembourg. But even that highly placed friend could not save him in 1762 when his treatise Émile; ou, de l’education (Emile; or, On Education), was published and scandalized the pious Jansenists of the French Parlements even as The Social Contract scandalized the Calvinists of Geneva. In Paris, as in Geneva, they ordered the book to be burned and the author arrested; all the Maréchal de Luxembourg could do was to provide a carriage for Rousseau to escape from France. After formally renouncing his Genevan citizenship in 1763, Rousseau became a fugitive, spending the rest of his life moving from one refuge to another. The years at Montmorency had been the most productive of his literary career; The Social Contract, Émile, and Julie; ou, la nouvelle Héloïse (1761; Julie; or, The New Eloise) came out within 12 months, all three works of seminal importance. The New Eloise, being a novel, escaped the censorship to which the other two works were subject; indeed, of all his books it proved to be the most widely read and the most universally praised in his lifetime. It develops the Romanticism that had already informed his writings on music and perhaps did more than any other single work of literature to influence the spirit of its age. It made the author at least as many friends among the reading public—and especially among educated women—as The Social Contract and Émile made enemies among magistrates and priests. If it did not exempt him from persecution, at least it ensured that his persecution was observed, and admiring femmes du monde intervened from time to time to help him so that Rousseau was never, unlike Voltaire and Diderot, actually imprisoned. The theme of The New Eloise provides a striking contrast to that of The Social Contract. It is about people finding happiness in domestic as distinct from public life, in the family as opposed to the state. The central character, Saint-Preux, is a middle-class preceptor who falls in love with his upper-class pupil, Julie. She returns his love and yields to his advances, but the difference between their classes makes marriage between them impossible. Baron d’Étange, Julie’s father, has indeed promised her to a fellow nobleman named Wolmar. As a dutiful daughter, Julie marries Wolmar and Saint-Preux goes off on a voyage around the world with an English aristocrat, Bomston, from whom he acquires a certain stoicism. Julie succeeds in forgetting her feelings for Saint-Preux and finds happiness as wife, mother, and chatelaine. Some six years later Saint-Preux returns from his travels and is engaged as tutor to the Wolmar children. All live together in harmony, and there are only faint echoes of the old affair between Saint-Preux and Julie. The little community, dominated by Julie, illustrates one of Rousseau’s political principles: that while men should rule the world in public life, women should rule men in private life. At the end of The New Eloise, when Julie has made herself ill in an attempt to rescue one of her children from drowning, she comes face-to-face with a truth about herself: that her love for Saint-Preux has never died. The novel was clearly inspired by Rousseau’s own curious relationship—at once passionate and platonic—with Sophie d’Houdetot, a noblewoman who lived near him at Montmorency. He himself asserted in the Confessions that he was led to write the book by “a desire for loving, which I had never been able to satisfy and by which I felt myself devoured.” Saint-Preux’s experience of love forbidden by the laws of class reflects Rousseau’s own experience; and yet it cannot be said that The New Eloise is an attack on those laws, which seem, on the contrary, to be given the status almost of laws of nature. The members of the Wolmar household are depicted as finding happiness in living according to an aristocratic ideal. They appreciate the routines of country life and enjoy the beauties of the Swiss and Savoyard Alps. But despite such an endorsement of the social order, the novel was revolutionary; its very free expression of emotions and its extreme sensibility deeply moved its large readership and profoundly influenced literary developments. Émile is a book that seems to appeal alternately to the republican ethic of The Social Contract and the aristocratic ethic of The New Eloise. It is also halfway between a novel and a didactic essay. Described by the author as a treatise on education, it is not about schooling but about the upbringing of a rich man’s son by a tutor who is given unlimited authority over him. At the same time the book sets out to explore the possibilities of an education for republican citizenship. The basic argument of the book, as Rousseau himself expressed it, is that vice and error, which are alien to a child’s original nature, are introduced by external agencies, so that the work of a tutor must always be directed to counteracting those forces by manipulating pressures that will work with nature and not against it. Rousseau devotes many pages to explaining the methods the tutor must use. Those methods involve a noticeable measure of deceit, and although corporal punishment is forbidden, mental cruelty is not. Whereas The Social Contract is concerned with the problems of achieving freedom, Émile is concerned with achieving happiness and wisdom. In this different context religion plays a different role. Instead of a civil religion, Rousseau here outlines a personal religion, which proves to be a kind of simplified Christianity, involving neither revelation nor the familiar dogmas of the church. In the guise of La Profession de foi du vicaire savoyard (1765; The Profession of Faith of a Savoyard Vicar) Rousseau sets out what may fairly be regarded as his own religious views, since that book confirms what he says on the subject in his private correspondence. Rousseau could never entertain doubts about God’s existence or about the immortality of the soul. He felt, moreover, a strong emotional drive toward the worship of God, whose presence he felt most forcefully in nature, especially in mountains and forests untouched by the hand of man. He also attached great importance to conscience, the “divine voice of the soul in man,” opposing this both to the bloodless categories of rationalistic ethics and to the cold tablets of biblical authority. That minimal creed put Rousseau at odds with the orthodox adherents of the churches and with the openly atheistic philosophes of Paris, so that despite the enthusiasm that some of his writings, and especially The New Eloise, excited in the reading public, he felt himself increasingly isolated, tormented, and pursued. After he had been expelled from France, he was chased from canton to canton in Switzerland. He reacted to the suppression of The Social Contract in Geneva by indicting the regime of that city-state in a pamphlet entitled Lettres écrites de la montagne (1764; Letters Written from the Mountain). No longer, as in the Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, was Geneva depicted as a model republic but as one that had been taken over by “twenty-five despots”; the subjects of the king of England were said to be free by comparison with the victims of Genevan tyranny. It was in England that Rousseau found refuge after he had been banished from the canton of Bern. The Scottish philosopher David Hume took him there and secured the offer of a pension from King George III; but once in England, Rousseau became aware that certain British intellectuals were making fun of him, and he suspected Hume of participating in the mockery. Various symptoms of paranoia began to manifest themselves in Rousseau, and he returned to France incognito. Believing that Thérèse was the only person he could rely on, he finally married her in 1768, when he was 56 years old. The Last Decade In the remaining 10 years of his life Rousseau produced primarily autobiographical writings, mostly intended to justify himself against the accusations of his adversaries. The most important was his Confessions, modeled on the work of the same title by St. Augustine and achieving something of the same classic status. He also wrote Rousseau juge de Jean-Jacques (1780; Rousseau, Judge of Jean-Jacques) to reply to specific charges by his enemies and Les Rêveries du promeneur solitaire (1782; Reveries of the Solitary Walker), one of the most moving of his books, in which the intense passion of his earlier writings gives way to a gentle lyricism and serenity. And indeed, Rousseau does seem to have recovered his peace of mind in his last years, when he was once again afforded refuge on the estates of great French noblemen, first the Prince de Conti and then the Marquis de Girardin, in whose park at Ermenonville he died. Duignan, B., & Cranston, M. (2018, October 15). Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Retrieved January 10, 2019, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Jacques-Rousseau

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Dieting is catching up around the world. ‘To Diet’ – is more popular for better looks than for sound health. High calorie junk foods are shunned. A struggle between the palate and the desire to slim down continues. The Yogic concept of food however, takes into consideration the total dimension of human existence. Yoga believes, apart from the atoms and molecules of which our gross physical body is made, we possess prana, mind, intellect, emotions and the spiritual dimensions. Yoga is the process by which we bring an integration of the entire personality at all these levels. If the stamina of the body is to be developed, the prana should be brought to a harmonious balance, the mind should be calmed down, the emotion should be stabilized and the intellect should be under total control. Samkhya means ‘right knowledge’; it also means ‘numbers’. Samkhya is one of the oldest systems of Indian philosophy. It occupies a unique place among the six systems of Indian philosophy. Almost all branches of Indian literature reflect the influence of Samkhya Philosophy. This system is sometimes, described as the ‘atheistic Yoga’ as distinguished from Yoga Philosophy, which is also referred as ‘Theistic Samkhya. This system is accepted as the main opponent of Vedanta Philosophy which is a non-dualistic philosophy; whereas, Samkhya maintains a clear-cut dualism between Purusha (Pure Consciousness, soul) and Prakriti (nature, manifested being, mind-body complex); further maintains the plurality of Purusha, and is silent on God. It is often also referred as pluralistic spiritualism, an atheistic realism and uncompromising dualism. International Day of Yoga (IDY), is celebrated annually on 21 June since its inception in 2015. The idea of International Day of Yoga was formally proposed by the current Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), on 27 September 2014. He stated; Yoga is science of life carrying in it the mystery of conservation of health and complete transformation of life. Its techniques offer remedies of health and hygiene chiefly because these are half therapy. Yogic therapy contributes to the integration of personality through healthy body and mind with minimum of time, effort and expense. This is attained by promotive, preventive and curative methods. Whereas Promotive methods bring in homeostatic functioning in the body, Preventive methods protect individuals from exposure to bad influences and Curative methods bring cure in the disturbed psychophysiological function. Hatha Yoga is one of the first types of Yoga with which people have become acquainted world over. Most of the physical formats of Yoga as are popular today are all types of Hatha Yoga. The word ‘hatha’ consists of two seed words – ‘ha’ (sun) means ‘prana’ or energy flowing within the body and ‘tha’ (moon) means the mind or mental energy. Hatha means to bring balance in the energies of the sun and moon, or unify the vital energy of the body with the mental energy. Education is not just the amassing of information and its purpose is not mere career hunting. It is a means of developing a fully integrated personality and enabling one to grow effectively into the likeness of the ideal that one has set before oneself. Student life is precious period of inner culture, a period concerned with the very important task of laying the foundation of one’s character and personality. Upon this alone depends the making of one’s life. Thoughts come from the minute we wake up until the minute we fall asleep, and even after that they are in our dreams. We undeniably need voluntary thinking, but how to silence involuntary thoughts – thoughts that brings down efficiency, is the cause of stress, anxiety and depression! Yoga provides fulfillment, removes illusions, death and birth, unhealthy condition of body and provides happiness; bringing high spirit, keen intellect and perfection in the practitioner. This path to excellence is illuminated in Yoga Philosophy based on ‘The Yogasutra of Patanjali’. Continue reading “Glimpse into ‘Yoga Philosophy’” In the earlier years man suffered stress. They were probably afraid of attack by wild animals, or dying of hunger or cold. The reaction was simple –‘Fight or Flight’. Unfortunately, in today’s times life is not as simple. Today, the stress situations are either too complex like crash of stock market, environmental pollution, threat of nuclear war or these situations are too mundane to be overlooked like traffic jams, misplacing car keys, foul-ups at work, concern about weight gain and the list goes on. In this sense people are often seen as passive helpless victims of the stress phenomenon. Continue reading “Game of STRESS – What level are you on?” Truth in a civilized society undergoes multiple tests – Is it the Truth? Is it beneficial or harmful? Is it pleasant or unpleasant? Only when it passes all such stages does it qualify of being an acceptable ‘Truth’. Speaking this ‘Truth’ make us a social, law abiding, acceptable individual in the society. However, such ‘Truth’ rather ‘Untruthfulness’ over a period of time puts our system out of harmony by creating mental and emotional stresses leading to a complicated unfulfilling life. Continue reading “‘Satya’ (being truthful) – a gateway to lasting happiness!”

In the beginning, God created humanity for relationship. He had angels to serve and worship Him, but He wanted something more, creatures whom He could enjoy spending time with, made in His image. (Genesis 1, 2) The foundation of this kind of love is freedom to choose. No love exists without this. And so God gave man the option to love Him or not. Ultimately, they chose to go their own way, the consequences being death. However, God had compassion and a plan. In the fullness of time, He sent Jesus, His son to the earth to live a sinless life and die in our place so we could live and have an opportunity to choose Him again. But it doesn’t end there. Jesus rose from the grave in victory and power and offers that same power to you and me. Other religions require you to earn your way into God’s graces. Christianity stands out in contrast because it’s the only faith where God comes and becomes a man, chooses to take on the penalty for sin and to die. This is amazing love! Our part is to simply receive His gift of new life (salvation) and enter into relationship with Him! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 The first part is acknowledging that we’ve sinned and gone our own way. Look at your past. Have you lived a perfect life? None of us have. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 There’s much we might regret or be ashamed of. The good news is that when we give our life to Jesus, He takes that sin, cleanses us and give us power to live a new life in Him. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 The second part is receiving that new life and a new relationship with Him. Jesus offers radical transformation of your life, not just a patch-up job. He offers us His power, joy, healing and life. If you’ve never given your life to Jesus and would like to now, pray this prayer: Jesus, I’ve sinned and made a mess of my life. I want the freedom and cleansing that You offer. I thank You for loving me and dying for my sins. I receive Your forgiveness and the new life You have for me. Show me how to walk out this relationship with You. I want to know You more. Amen. Congratulations! You’ve enter into a whole new life experience with Jesus! The meditations on this site will help you grow in developing a relationship with Him, but also encourage you to: It’s amazing that Jesus came to live among us, to experience humanity and to ultimately die for us and rise again. But that wasn’t the end. Jesus said, “It is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate (or Helper) won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send Him to you.” John 16:7. He told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Holy Spirit and Acts 2:2-4 says “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting…and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” This experience is available to all who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and who want to be empowered and gifted to walk the life God intended. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God and you are not your own?” Holy Spirit wants to fill you with power and gifts to live the abundant life God has for you. It’s not something you have to work up or strive for, but simply a gift He wants to give you. To understand more fully the work and gifts of the Holy Spirit, read the book of Acts. If you are ready to receive Holy Spirit in a deeper way, pray this prayer: Father, I thank you for sending Jesus to save me from my sins. Now I ask for the power of Holy Spirit to live the life You intended for me to live. Lord Jesus, baptize me in Your Holy Spirit. I receive Holy Spirit now by faith in Your Word. May the anointing, glory and power of God come on me right now and fill my life. I want to be empowered to partner with You to see Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Thank you Jesus for filling me with Holy Spirit now.” Amen Our world is busy with lots of sounds. Its rare for us to just be quiet and still. It's not easy for us. Yet, it is in the quiet when we can best hear God's voice. Learning to meditate in silence is a valuable tool as well as a spiritual discipline. You may struggle with it in the beginning, but as you continue, you will find God filling the silence with His presence and love. Writing a Breath Prayer Writing a breath prayer is simply finding a sentence or phrase that fits the truth God is desire you to implant deeply in your heart. As often as possible, try to use Scripture as the basis for your prayer. You can use a concordance or an online resource like www.BlueLetterBible.org to look up a word or phrase to help you in this process. Here are some examples to help you get started: Anxious? Worried? Say silently “The Lord is my Shepherd” as you breathe in picturing Jesus’ tender care over you. Then as you breathe out, “I shall not want” (or “I have all I need”) as you release all your cares on Him. Repeat over and over until you feel fully at peace. Stressed out? Overburdened? Say “His yoke is easy” as you breathe in, choosing His easy yoke. “His burden is light” as you breathe out, picturing Him remove your heavy burdens. Fearful? Say “The Lord is for me” as you breathe in picturing His loving protection over you. “Whom (or what) shall I fear?” as you breathe out, releasing all fear to Him. Insecure? Say “I am my Beloved’s” as you breathe in experiencing His pleasure and delight over you. “And He is mine” as you breathe out, fully embraced by the King of Kings. We encourage the phrases to be as close to Scripture, but yet easy to say in one breath. You might need to shorten or adapt to make it flow. If you are struggling with this, ask the Lord to help you or a good friend

802.359.5000 | WILD BIRD HOTLINE: x510 August 23 | 10:00 am - 5:00 pm An event every day that begins at 10:00 am, repeating until August 31, 2019 Marc Beerman dedicates his time to photography, and is known as “Old Man Photographer” by his children. Marc’s interest in photography started with taking and developing black and white film. After a several decade hiatus, raising a family, career, etc., his free time and interest returned to photography. Having a strong love of nature, Marc’s main focus is wildlife and landscape photography. His camera allows him to explore and capture the innocence, simplicity, and beauty of the world around him. It is Marc’s passion to find the perspective that captures not only the beauty of the subject but a lasting memory. View more photography by Marc Beerman at www.oldmanphotography.com. The Artist Exhibition will be on display at the VINS Nature Center from May 17 to August 7, 2019. For more information contact us at firstname.lastname@example.org or 802.359.5000.

When we admit we are weak, then we will discover the Strength of the nations. I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. Isaiah 13:11 (NIV) It’s an indictment on our nation when we puff up our chest in the face of our enemies and make trite, inaccurate statements about our supposed strength. American pride is finally coming back to haunt us. Our haughty, arrogant spirit has opened the gates of our nation to our enemies. No, America, we are not strong, and we need to finally admit it. Without a radical devotion to Jesus, we have no hope. A NEW AMERICAN REVOLUTION We need our President to humble himself, to admit our extreme vulnerability without God and to lead the nation in cries of repentance. Pastors, do the same. Nothing less than a new American Revolution will stop our downward spiral as a nation. Except, this time we aren’t fighting for our independence. We must humbly repent of our pride, arrogance and self-sufficiency. Instead of overthrowing the authority of the British monarchy, we must submit to the authority of the Kingdom of God. If we understand the nature of God, realization of our weakness is very good news for us—if we repent, cry out to God as a nation and surrender to the King. And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Hebrews 11:32-34 (ESV) American can become strong out of weakness and put ISIS, cop killers, terrorists and foreign armies to flight—if we turn to God. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV) PROTESTS VS. REPENTANCE & FORGIVENESS What if we hit our knees and admitted how dark our own hearts can be? The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:9-10 (ESV) God knows the depths of our heart and we are being tested as a nation. Will we humble ourselves or rise up in anger and pride? The answer to that question will determine the direction of our nation. “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6 (ESV) We have to embrace meekness as a people—if we want our nation to be safe and favored again. PRAYER FOR OUR NATION IS NOT ENOUGH. It’s laughable when celebrities and politicians tweet and post about prayers being given during times of crisis. Are they really praying? To whom? Is the spirit of prayer really driving them, or is it something else? Maybe if we didn’t wait for tragedy to hit before a national movement of prayer launches, we would find the protection and prosperity we so desire. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 (ESV) Prayer isn’t enough. Per the above passage in 1 Chronicles 7, the prescription for national safety is more involved than simply tweeting a prayer. It will truly take a new American Revolution to see a response like this on a large scale level: - HUMILITY—We are nothing without God. This is why it’s so critical to elect politicians who are meek. Proud, arrogant people give hope in the natural, but spiritually they are a serious liability. - PRAY—Prayer movements must erupt from coast to coast. Never ending, heart rending intercession must launch now. - SEEK—God is calling us into his presence! A holy people running after and encountering God as a lifestyle is a must. - TURN—The vile wickedness in our nation, and in so much of our church, is a stench in the nostrils of God. Repentance has to begin, and when it does, God will finally forgive our sin and hear our prayer! Then, and only then, will God begin the process of healing America. I’d say a revolution like this is well worth it. Let’s do this America. Let’s see our great land become safe, free and prosperous again.

During the COVID crisis, restrictions have been put in place which have sometimes kept people apart for the purpose of safety. For counseling cases in which there has been marital abuse the victim often must be separated from the abuser for the sake of safety. During this time, we counsel the abuser separate from the victim as we seek to lead him to faithful biblical repentance (2 Cor. 7:10-11). This often is a slow, hard process. We usually hope for the ultimate restoration of the marriage. We also must ensure that the mistreated spouse and children are safe. It is hard to know when the husband and wife are ready to move again towards each other. As Chris Moles often says, “If you have seen one case of abuse, you have seen one case of abuse.” Wisdom is required as they move towards reconciliation (James 1:5). As I have observed how government leaders have implemented phased lifting of restrictions during the COVID crisis, it has occurred to me that a similar process might be appropriate as separated couples seek to safely remove restrictions on their interaction. Rather than moving instantly from separation to total restoration of privileges, a phased approach might be a wise approach. Just as there is flexibility (depending upon the data) in implementing the phases of lifting restrictions from COVID, certain factors (data) in a marriage may indicate that they should move forward to the next phase, or remain in the present phase for longer than anticipated, or even go back to a previous phase. Phase 1 – Just as the COVID crisis began with an almost total lockdown (businesses being shut down and people being ordered to stay at home), a couple in crisis because of abuse may need to be totally separated for a period of time. During this time the abusive husband1I refer to the husband as the abuser because the great majority of abusers are men. We do encounter cases in which the wife is the abuser, in which case the same principles would apply. should receive biblical counsel in order to deal with the heart issues which have led to his oppressive controlling behavior. His church leaders would work with him seeking to bring him to a comprehensive recognition of the categories of his sin so that he could repent first before God and ultimately towards the family members he has harmed. His spouse also may receive individual counsel as she processes biblically her experience of having been oppressed and betrayed by the man whom she should have been able to trust. During this phase, contact will be limited to that which is essential (i.e., necessary interactions about children and finances). Mediation and accountability will probably be necessary to ensure that the abuser doesn’t try to exercise coercive control or to go beyond the agreed parameters of their interactions. Phase 2 – Just as governors gradually lifted restrictions on individuals and businesses in the second phase of reopening after certain benchmarks had been met, a separated couple might take initial steps towards greater interaction if they and their counselors sense that they are making progress. The most important factor would be that the abuser has grasped the severity of his sin and is repentant before God and his spouse. An equally important factor is the assessment of the wife regarding his continued behavior. A counselor would be wise to take the wife’s preferences and understanding into consideration as they develop a plan (see the repentance card2https://ibcd.org/product/domestic-abuse-study-cards/ , https://jimnewheiser.com/counseling-cards-english/). Some of their interaction during this phase would involve the guilty party seeking forgiveness. The couple might initially agree to speak over the phone for an hour or two a week in order to try to rebuild their trust. One of the benchmarks during this phase would be the patience of the abuser (1 Cor. 13:4-7). This is evidenced by him not pushing ahead or demanding more time and attention than has been agreed, or insisting that he be trusted and allowed home before his wife and her counselors believe the couple is ready. Putting pressure on her and violating the agreed parameters of their discussions may keep him in phase 2 or even put him back into phase 1. When this phase is going well marriage counseling could be initiated while individual counseling might also continue. Phase 3 – The benchmarks which indicate that it may be safe to move to phase 3 include humility and patience on the part of the abuser, and a sense on the part of his spouse that it is safe to move forward. Phase 3 could include going out on weekly dates, sharing meals together with the children, or enjoying fun family activities together. Some of the time together might include serious conversation about their relationship with the Lord and each other. Much of their time together could be just enjoying each other and rebuilding friendship. This phase also would provide benchmarks for the abuser’s spouse and her counselors. Is the former abuser treating her with respect and not harshness (Col. 3:19)? Will he accept “no” for an answer? How does he handle disappointment? Is he thankful for the fact that his wife is open to rebuilding their broken marriage? As with the other phases, progress could lead to the next phase and regress could leave them in this stage or even force them to revert back to a previous stage. Ideally their counselors would help them work through any setbacks. It is important for both spouses to have realistic expectations. A repentant man will be characterized by biblical love, humility, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit, but he will not be perfect. He may sometimes struggle with selfishness, impatience, or self-pity. Hopefully, these failures will be much less dramatic than before and he will be quick to truly repent (not just using an apology as a “get out of jail free” card). Phase 4 – Assuming that phase 3 has been going well for a period of time, the couple may consider entering into a phase 4. There is no “right” answer for how long this should be in weeks or months. Sadly, some situations may not progress at all. This phase could involve allowing the husband to come home for a couple of days a week – i.e., on weekends. The purpose of this phase would be to see how the couple can readjust to sharing life together. Hopefully, having him back in the home will confirm the new patterns of godliness, servanthood, and grace (reflecting the fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23) in the former abuser which would then increase the wife’s confidence that she is doing the right thing to move towards full reconciliation. On the other hand, if the husband begins to revert to some of his former patterns of oppressive controlling behavior, this phase may be put on hold or may revert back to an earlier phase. It is important that relational expectations and parameters (boundaries) are made very clear, agreed upon and enforced during this phase. Phase 5 – When the wife is confident that new patterns have been established, the husband may move home, hopefully once and for all. They probably should still receive marital and individual counseling which would cover issues such as agreed biblical procedures for dealing with conflict, how the wife can speak up and gently correct her husband (Gal. 6:1) with respect, and how the husband can learn to be a Christlike servant leader (Mark 10:43 John 13:1ff). They may even choose to reaffirm their marriage vows in celebration of what God has done. It could be said that the church has experienced an abuse pandemic. A lot has been written about the need to separate an abuser from his victims, but not much has been offered about how to bring a family back together. I am fully committed to preserving the safety of the victims of abuse. I also am committed to not pushing too fast towards reuniting a wife with an abusive husband.3Sometimes in our experience it is the wife who is in too much of a hurry – eager to take him back before he is truly repentant. I also find great joy seeing the power of the gospel which transforms selfish, angry, oppressive men into humble servants (Phil. 2:3-8), and enables those who have been hurt to offer Christlike forgiveness (Eph. 4:31-32). We are presently walking through phased reconciliation with some couples whom we have been counseling. We rejoice to see gospel-based progress for which God alone receives glory.

Rebecca Roberts questions the use of language in criminal justice and introduces comments from Frances Crook, Jonathan Simon, Mike Nellis, Lizzie Seal, Simon Pemberton and Nils Christie The proliferation of ‘criminal justice talk’ – the number of words that are spoken and written about ‘crime’ and ‘criminal justice’ – in politics, media outlets, academia, and public policy is ever increasing and ever more widely accessible. This ‘debating’ section attempts to kick off a discussion about the use of criminal justice language which we can hopefully continue within the pages of cjm as well as through our Works for Freedom website. The idea for this came from discussions at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies about the language we use in our day-to-day work. Whether it is drafting a strategic plan or funding application, writing up research or, indeed, editing cjm , we have to think carefully about language in the communication of ideas and engaging in public debate. At one level, it should be easy – just say what you see and do it in simple and easily understood terms. However, this is more challenging when attempting to foster critical thinking about issues relating to crime and justice. In an arena so dominated by stereotypes, prejudices, and mystification about how the system operates and who or what it targets, it seemed relevant to open up a discussion on this. So, we approached a number of writers to ask for their views. Frances Crook, Jonathan Simon, and Mike Nellis look at the uses and abuses of the term ‘offender’. Crook argues that the label is demeaning and counterproductive and calls on the voluntary sector to lead the way in challenging the use of language about people caught up in the criminal justice system. Jonathan Simon is also critical of the term ‘offender’ and takes issue with describing people by one aspect of their behaviour and discusses some alternatives. Mike Nellis defends the use of ‘offender’ in probation practice and highlights its popularisation in the 1960s as an alternative to terms such as ‘criminal’ and ‘delinquent’. Nellis argues that ‘treating people with respect and dignity regardless of what they have done, and finding words to match, is always important, but not necessarily straightforward’. Lizzie Seal looks at representations of women accused of murder and how they are often framed in terms of ‘perverse’ sexuality in a bid to emphasise their apparent deviation from the ‘norm’. Nils Christie and Simon Pemberton look at crime and harm. Christie highlights the increasing number of acts that are defined as criminal and the negative impact of social isolation and distance in terms of framing behaviour and actions, and how they are subsequently interpreted and dealt with. Simon Pemberton argues that we should look beyond individual acts and ‘offences’ and use a social harm approach to interpret and interrogate social structures and how they create and reproduce harm. It would be difficult to institute timeless and unchanging rules about what language can and cannot be used. New terms that may seem value free can soon become coopted and value laden. The popularity of words and phrases will shift over time – for good and bad. In reflecting on the discussion in the debating section, the message that comes through is the importance of being searching and reflective in our use of language. In conclusion, I offer three possible things to consider when engaging in discussion and debate about criminal justice. The first is the human aspect – remembering at all times that when we talk about offenders, victims, deviants, criminals, or research subjects – all are human beings first. Secondly, it is important to encourage accuracy in defining our terms of reference. For example, there is a strong tendency towards talking about crime and criminal justice in very loose terms. Are we talking about all illegal acts? If not, which ones are we particularly interested in, and why? Those that come to the attention of the police? Are we talking about shoplifting or sexual assault or widespread harmful and illegal practices of the banking sector? When we talk about ‘offenders’, who and what are we talking about? The final point is about how best to foster and encourage critical understanding – thinking critically about the implications of using certain terms and the assumptions underlying them. Viewing certain social ‘problems’ through a ‘crime’ lens tends to imply the criminal justice system as the primary mechanism through which certain social ‘problems’ are viewed and dealt with. Exploring and debating definitions is more than a merely ‘academic’ exercise. From an early age we are given words and labels to describe the world around us. They are important tools to help interpret and explain our surroundings and feelings – the concrete and abstract. At one level, a common sense approach of using language that those around us understand needs no explanation. But, the words and phrases we use contain signals about gender, class, power, and the nature of social relations. If we want to understand criminal justice it is also important to understand the way in which the public discourse about it is constructed – and to encourage reflective and critical discussion. This is not a call for stripping away meaning from words. As emphasised by Stan Cohen (1985) in studying the professional discourse around social control, he calls for an exploration of what he describes as ‘Controltalk’ – and warns against overly sanitising the language we use. Making coercive interventions sound non-coercive and ‘nice’, it can help to obscure the harsh realities of confinement and control. But ultimately, the point is to be careful in our use of language, because as Cohen argues, ‘such a project of self awareness might help to clarify the moral, tactical and political choices in working out a policy… I would always prefer a form of justice in which values, conflicts and injustices become open and visible’ (Cohen, 1985). It's not so much the words themselves that are good or bad. It is their meaning and associations that matter. Social problems exist as do the people that experience them – how we name and frame these problems and the people involved is important and should be at the forefront of our thinking when engaging in research, policy, and public debate. Labelling people as offenders is demeaning and counter-productive by Frances Crook A summer article in The Guardian reported on recent research from the UK Drugs Policy Commission that the use of stigmatising terms such as ‘junkie’ was a major obstacle to recovery for problem drug users. This can hardly be a surprise to anyone who has worked with people with any sort of health, mental health, or social problem, however, it may be a revelation to politicians. For too long it is has been easy for politicians to treat certain sections of the population as ‘other’, implying that they are less than human. Insulting labels that define the action or illness as if it defines the whole person inhibit that individual from confronting the problem and moving on; just as importantly, the label prevents us from understanding as it becomes all we see. The Howard League conducted in-depth interviews with young adults in prison a few years ago, and they told us clearly that the first step towards a crime-free life was no longer to be labelled an offender. They had to see themselves as something different, and other people had to help them make that transition. Someone who commits an offence is not an offender; they are someone who has done something. The action does not define the whole person. They may also do good things and they will certainly fit into other categories that can offer a different definition like parent or friend. By insisting that the offence overcomes all other parts of the person we are condemning them to a sub-human category for whom there is no hope. The last government created a whole industry of services for offenders. There are skills for offenders, education for offenders, and work for offenders. Huge numbers of people are employed to deliver services at these unfortunate people. Of course, it was part of the scheme of things that offenders are not deserving of having any say in the quality or style of services, as they have had their citizenship diluted to the point of abstraction. It is time to move away from this so that the criminal justice system itself and its terminology are circumscribed. People who have committed offences have just the same right to education and employment as anyone else, and whilst they do face additional and sometimes extraordinary challenges, redressing that should simply be built into all mainstream provision. Just as the language about disability has been transformed and services have been adapted to include people with disabilities, so our language about people who have committed offences must change. It is up to the voluntary sector to lead the way. A strategy for writing in criminology and law and society work by Jonathan Simon Anyone writing in criminology or law and society scholarship in the post labelling/Foucault generations is generally haunted by the problem of what to call the subjects of criminal justice processing and punishment (as you can see I'm fighting myself to delay the moment when it becomes incumbent). We know that when we move from an adjective for conduct to using that adjective for the name of the subjects we are associating with that conduct (whether by legal or scientific procedure) we are producing a potentially consequential ‘truth effect’ that we are, however modestly involved in what Ian Hacking memorably called ‘making people up’. The two most famous/infamous are criminal and homosexual. To take the latter first, the move from describing sexual conduct as ‘homosexual’, meaning between two people of the same sex, to talking about ‘homosexuals’ involves the assumption that the conduct defines a constitutive characteristic of the subject involved such that whether that person is an out Gay man engaged in full and open life within a big city Gay community, or a married Tory minister involved in an occasional and discrete liaison with a handsome young protégé, there is a continuity of character strong enough to be the defining identity of that person. When we move from describing conduct as ‘criminal’ to speaking of a person as a ‘criminal’, we are likewise assuming a sovereign character trait that can be traced into the subject's developmental past, and used to predict their future behaviour. The fact that many and probably most contemporary social scientists would feel uncomfortable making this kind of transfer of meaning is a dramatic shift from the early and even mid-twentieth century forms of social science. It divides us from our ancestors who felt their job was making people up correctly (think about Lombroso as well as his competitors) and it is a tremendous legacy for the generation of scholars that included Michel Foucault, David Matza, Howard Becker, and Jeffrey Weeks just to name a few. Yet, many of us do it in language. The solution, promoted for years now by activists and lawyers is to talk about ‘people engaged in homosexual conduct’ or ‘people engaged in criminal conduct’. This works fine enough conceptually, but it leaves us with a writing problem. Using the formulation, ‘people engaged in criminal conduct’ over and over again, in an article about people who commit crimes, is wearying. Since I do not see a good conceptual way out of this problem, I prefer to adopt some writing strategies. Since ‘people’ or ‘men’ or ‘women’ etc. ‘engaged in criminal conduct’ deconstructs the very idea of a ‘criminal type’, it buys us some freedom to use other words for literary benefit, so long as we are careful not to choose words that affirmatively mystify but reinvesting in the made up subject of crime. Thus it seems fine to me to refer to ‘defendants’, ‘convicts’, or ‘prisoners’, when those more or less legal terms appropriately apply (throw in arrestee, detainee). Unlike the dreaded ‘al’ terms, terms ending in ‘ts’ or ‘rs’ are a well know and comfortable way of referring to people by their ‘occupations’. We talk about lawyers, doctors, dentists, and bankers at will, without fear we are making subjects up. Our culture retains the sense that one's occupation is an important but not defining source of identity. The productive sociological notion of a ‘career’ once again recommends this. We can think of someone's time in prison, or time engaged in criminal behaviour, as a part of a career in the sense of a body of experience that helps to structure their future but does not determine it. Using language in practice by Mike Nellis When the term ‘offender’ was popularised by Nacro (the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders) in the 1960s it was talked up on the understanding that it was less moralistic and less stigmatising than ‘criminal’ or ‘delinquent’, less portentous than ‘lawbreaker’ and less condescending than ‘probationer’. It wasn't new, but of the limited range of words around, it was relatively neutral in its connotations. It has remained surprisingly serviceable in this respect, relatively immune to the infusions of loathing and contempt that can indeed poison our penal vocabularies. The tabloids rarely use it; except when prefaced by ‘sex’, it's not a term that's easily freighted with outrage or hate. Like ‘prisoner’ (which has never been fully displaced by the euphemism ‘inmate’) ‘offender’ has retained a simple literal meaning – someone who has committed an offence. As such, it provides minimal linguistic justification for the formal, court-ordered involvement of a probation officer in a person's life, in a way that both the old term ‘client’ and the newer term ‘service user’ shy away from. From a probation standpoint, no one is ever an ‘offender’ and nothing more. It denotes what people are, not just what they do, but it's not a totalising identity. Other facets of their lives and personalities can remain in play around and alongside it – father, daughter, partner, comedian, mate, cook, dancer, builder, whatever – all as much if not more important than the often temporary status of ‘offender’. To consider, or even call, someone an ‘offender’ does not intrinsically preclude thinking of them as a complex and vulnerable person or feeling warmly or respectful towards them. It does not necessarily impede empathy or limit one's capacity to imagine what it might be like to be them, or even to imagine doing what they have done – though that does depend somewhat on what the offence was. It need not mean that someone who has offended may not also be, or have been, a victim or survivor. Treating people with respect and dignity regardless of what they have done, and finding words to match, is always important, but not necessarily straightforward. Sentimentality and the anodyne, sanitising language that goes with it is as much to be avoided as the moralism which insidiously humiliates and imprisons people in roles and identities from which they need to distance themselves if they are to live good lives. There are probably no words that are entirely immune from debasement in some form or context – and some words that probation has toyed with, like ‘perpetrator’, were doomed from the start – but for now ‘offender’ retains its utility in the complex ‘identity work’ that probation officers do with people who have committed crimes. Different people need different responses. Some who come the way of probation shamelessly disavow criminal identities – rapist, for example – and need pressing to accept that aspect of who they are, as a precursor to taking responsibility for harm done. Others spend lifetimes sombrely regretting that they once committed murder, indelibly stained in their own eyes. Yet others may never have had – or had and rejected – conventional familial or occupational identities, and actually draw strength and purpose from an overriding criminal, sometimes violent, identity, preferring to be more feared than loved. They may resent and disdain the efforts of well-meaning probation officers to get them to think differently about themselves, and even if they do desist, may never fully repudiate what they have been in the past – anymore than the rest of us can. One can be an ‘ex-offender’ (or even an ‘ex-con’) without losing self-respect. Women, murder and narratives of femininity by Lizzie Seal The language used to portray women accused of murder is frequently lurid and stereotypical. It can be especially shocking when women stand accused of such crimes as it violates idealised notions of femininity as conformist and nurturing. A recent example is the fascination sparked by the trial and conviction of Amanda Knox, a young American woman, for the sexual assault and murder of British exchange student, Meredith Kercher, in Perugia, Italy. Meredith was killed in 2007, although the convictions of Amanda and her Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were not secured until 2009. A story about Amanda Knox posted on the Daily Mail's website describes her as having a ‘wild, raunchy past’, which included drinking and soft drug use, and quotes university acquaintances who label her a ‘man-eater’. Amanda's supposed sexual insatiability was also central to the Italian prosecution's argument that she stabbed Meredith to death after Meredith refused to participate in a sex game with Raffaele and another man, Rudy Guede. The perceived link between abnormal or excessive sexuality in women and a capacity for violence is an enduring one. Martha Beck and her boyfriend, Raymond Fernandez, were executed in New York in 1951 for murdering two women and a child. They were known as the ‘Lonely Hearts Killers’ because they found their victims through the personal ads. Important to the trial was Martha's argued sexual perversity, evidenced by her enjoyment of oral sex. The 1958 English case of Yvonne Jennion, who was found guilty of murdering her aunt, revolved around discussion of her sexuality and whether as a ‘female homosexual’ she could be regarded as a psychopathic personality (Seal, 2010). The recurrence of sexual deviance as an explanation for violence by women means that it can be understood as a ‘stock story’ that perpetuates restrictive views of acceptable female sexuality. Although doubts surround the safety of Amanda Knox's conviction, the use of stereotypical narratives of femininity in the media and criminal justice system is not troubling solely because it may contribute to a wrongful conviction. In the case of Yvonne Jennion it was the defence that sought to prove she was a psychopathic personality in order to win a verdict of manslaughter instead of murder (it did not succeed). The stories told during and about cases of murder communicate the values and assumptions of the era in which they take place – in the 1950s, ‘homosexuality’ was considered abnormal. The language used in the cases of Amanda Knox, Martha Beck, and Yvonne Jennion provides us with information about norms of femininity – what is perceived as the correct and appropriate behaviour for women. What counts as acceptable or deviant does, of course, change according to place and time. It would be unlikely that a woman's enjoyment of oral sex would be offered as an example of her ‘perversity’ in a murder trial in the present-day United States. Disagreement over the language employed to describe the gender of women accused of murder also highlights the shifting boundaries of appropriateness. The portrayal of Amanda Knox as sexually ‘promiscuous’ has been contested, with many arguing that her supposedly ‘wild’ lifestyle was neither shocking nor unusual, but normal behaviour for a 20 year old university student. Stories of women accused of murder are a cultural barometer of assumptions and arguments about the meanings of gender. Social harm and the politics of capitalist crisis by Simon Pemberton Language is fundamental to how we reach an understanding of the harms we face in our daily lives. Indeed powerful ideologies, such as crime, exist to tell us exactly what and whom we should fear, with these discourses focused disproportionately on the least powerful groups in our society. Such discourses serve to draw our attention from the very serious harms produced by the state and corporate organisations and the damaging behaviours of the powerful. Yet, as the current recession highlights, the very organisation of our society in accordance with specific vested interests, can also produce serious and widespread harms, such as poverty, unemployment, and homelessness. The language of responsibility constructed in relation to structural harms is crucial to our understanding of their causes and how we should best respond to them. Such discussions, in the wake of the credit crunch have been inevitably highly politicised, as they necessarily entail subjecting the very organisation of our societies to scrutiny. The terms of this debate have shifted dramatically. Thus, whilst critiques surfaced following the credit crunch in relation to ‘casino capitalism’ these soon passed and were replaced by calls to reform a ‘bloated and costly’ public sector. Ironically, what began as a critique of neo-liberal forms of capitalist organisation, have been turned full circle to re-affirm the central tenets of this ideology providing the basis on which the social state may be dismantled – the very structures that could serve to ameliorate the impact of the harms detailed above. Underpinning the prevailing neo-liberal language of responsibility is a set of assumptions about intentionality drawn from the liberal philosopher, Friedrich Hayek. For Hayek, market outcomes could not be considered unjust as the harms that result from them are unintended; for example, poor business decisions that result in unemployment. Furthermore, Hayek argued, as no consensus could ever be reached over the reallocation of social resources to ameliorate the consequences of harmful market consequences, there remains no just basis for a state to interfere in such outcomes. Whilst, Hayek's logic has not been followed to its ultimate conclusion in this instance, it clearly influences the current ‘common sense’ position toward the role of the state. An important critique of these ideas can be found in the work of Raymond Plant, which asserts that structural harms should be considered to be unjust, exactly because they are foreseeable and, therefore, preventable. To illustrate this point, in anticipation of the public sector cuts to be announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review, a number of analyses have demonstrated the harms that will result, alongside those communities that will bear the brunt of these cuts (see, for example, the Institute for Fiscal Studies Briefing Note BN108 and the TUC report Where the Money Goes). Given the awareness of these analyses, these potential structural harms are entirely foreseeable and, indeed, avoidable. They are avoidable exactly because alternative policy options are available to the coalition. Rather, it would appear that these harms are considered the ‘price worth paying’ to satisfy the demands of the international credit rating agencies. However, we should remind ourselves that other nations are running larger public debts than our own and have not felt the need to acquiesce to such demands. Alternative policy options exist, however, the construction of the current crisis serves to promote the interests of the financial markets at the expense of the vulnerable. …powerful ideologies, such as crime, exist to tell us exactly what and whom we should fear, with these discourses focused disproportionately on the least powerful groups in our society. Crime does not exist by Nils Christie Words can create bridges between people: beautiful and useful bridges that bring ideas, emotions, and understanding back and forth. But words can also function as barriers. Some words are so big that they contain everything, and therefore nothing. We do not understand more when such concepts are used; we understand less and give thereby free room for manoeuvre to all sorts of political or professional authorities. ‘Crime’ is one of these words. We do not understand more by using this concept, we understand less. If we want to create a type of society where citizens participate, we need to describe deplorable acts in minute detail and with small words from the daily vocabulary. Acts do not simply exist, they become. For all acts, including those seen by most people as unwanted, there are dozens of possible alternative ways of understanding them – bad, mad, evil, misplaced honour, youth bravado, political heroism – or crime. The ‘same’ acts can thus be met within several parallel systems as judicial, psychiatric, pedagogical, theological – or simply by understandings valid among family and friends. Social and/or physical distance is of particular importance in how we attach meaning to particular acts. Persons close to me are mostly not seen as criminals. I see them too well; understand the reasons for their acts. But family life is only one of several examples of social conditions of a sort that creates resistance against perceiving acts as crimes and persons as criminals. To refrain from the use of big abstract terms is more important in our time than ever before. We have created types of social life where we know each other less and less as whole human beings. Where we earlier could evaluate and react towards unwanted acts, we must now in our ignorance call in state power in the form of police. Back in the 1950s, some 30,000 cases were officially handled as ‘crimes’ in Norway. Now it is close to 300,000. This does not necessarily mean that the amount of unwanted acts have increased in this period. But it means that we now live under social conditions where most of us have lost close contact with the acts and actors, and thereby also lose the possibility to create our own interpretations of what happens. In such a situation it is particularly important to be presented with simple concrete terms in the description of the occurrences. We need detailed storytelling, not references to empty categories as ‘crime’. ‘Crime’ and ‘criminals’ are strong terms with large abilities to stick to persons. They etch other understandings of the acts and the humans behind the labels. They hide other understandings for interpretation of the acts and the humans behind the label. I have never met people – when I come close to them – who are only criminals. They are, as most of us, a mixture of good and bad. Some, maybe all, are walking mysteries. But some might have committed and are serving sentences for something terrible, and then all other aspects are overshadowed by the concept of that act or for the personality type he or she is found to be. Destructive words will often blossom among the many professionals so central in defining how humans are to be understood and governed: The psychopath, the paedophile, the manicdepressive … Destructive words will often blossom among the many professionals so central in defining how humans are to be understood and governed: The psychopath, the paedophile, the manic-depressive, the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-child; the diagnostic manuals are filled to the brim. My alternative would be to tell the whole story. And how would I like to have the supposed behavioural expert to describe those they work with? As whole persons, described in old-fashioned, pre-professional terms. Described so thoroughly that they became unsuitable for categorisation. I want to know something, concretely, on what occurred, and about the persons. Small words put together in small stories are particularly well suited to give us such knowledge. The big words from the toolbox of various professionals will often close both for insight in what happened and for informed social participation. But without their language, experts would lose both authority and efficiency! 1. Cohen , S. 1985 , Visions of Social Control , Cambridge : Polity Press 2. Seal , L. 2010 , Women, Murder and Femininity: Gender Representations of Women Who Kill , Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan . [CrossRef]

No Products in the Cart In 2014, at thirty years old, Dennis Kipruto Kimetto, (b. Jan 22, 1984) a long-distance runner from Kenya set the marathon record of 2:02:57 (two hours, two minutes and 57 seconds) in Chicago, Illinois. He was the first man to ever run under 2:03. He held the record for four years. It was then broken by Eliud Kipchoge (b. Nov 5, 1984), another Kenyan long-distance runner. Kipchoge is now the world record holder in the marathon with a time of 2:01:39, which he set Sept. 16, 2018, at the 2018 Berlin Marathon. Kipchoge also ran the marathon distance at a special event in Vienna, Austria, and achieved a time of 1:59:40. The run did not count as a new marathon record, however, because it was not an open event and the standard competition rules for pacing and fluids were not followed, but he did become the first person to ever run a marathon in less than two hours. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Kipruto_Kimetto and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliud_Kipchoge) When someone does the seemingly impossible, everyone’s interest is heightened and they, too, want to improve. For the most part, to run long distances it takes the right genetics along with having the correct limb lengths and, of course, at least 70 percent Type 1/slow twitch/slow oxidative muscle fibers, but you also must train efficiently. The most efficient way to improve is to gain muscular endurance. At the end of a marathon it is the legs that give out, not the lungs. Most will incorrectly try to increase their VO2 max, but it cannot be increased by top athletes as it cannot be raised after 12 or 18 months in endurance runners. This leaves only one way and that is to raise muscular endurance by maximally training strength endurance. If one simply runs a set distance at a set body weight at the same pace, then you are not increasing your work. You must become more powerful. For example, by becoming stronger you can deliver greater ground force that can reduce ground contact time. A study by Leema Paavolainen concluded that reduced ground contact time is the most important for faster running times no matter the distance. The study on 5K racers who had an average stride length of two meters found they would use 2500 strides to cover a 5K. A one one-hundredth of a second reduction in ground contact time would reduce their 5K time by 25 seconds. More on this topic can be found in Underground Secrets to Faster Running by Barry Ross. Why is increasing strength so important? This is a simple physics equation. First, let’s look at what is work. In physics, work is defined as the product of the net force and the displacement through which that force is exerted, or W=Fd. Let’s look at power. Power is defined as work done divided by the time used to do the work (P=wt). This simply says that the more powerful you are, the faster you can do the work; the work in this case being 60, 100, or 25,000 meters or even a marathon. If you are just running and not strengthening your body you have most likely developed a speed barrier where you can no longer cover your distant faster. That’s the definition of the biological Law of Accommodation—that your body adapts to a constant continued stimulus by decreasing its response. So just by running you won’t eventually run faster. To break that speed barrier, you must train other activities such as special exercises for the running muscles—the calves, hamstrings, hips and glutes, and of course, some upper body work for strength and balance. Westside uses weight sleds to build running muscles. For strength endurance training instead of doing the same amount of work with just body weight, the runner should use three weights on a weight sled that is connected to your body with a strap. This does not effect your running technique when using 15, 25 and 35 pounds. Through experimentation Westside found that long-distance runners lack maximal strength. For instance, one long-distance runner could parallel box squat 65 pounds for 100 reps, but could only squat 100 pounds for one rep. By doing interval training with a weight sled with three different weights, strength endurance was built. Westside established 25, 35 and 45 pounds in a three-week wave will build strength endurance. By doing interval training with a weight sled with three different weights to build strength endurance. But experimenting Westside has established 25, 35 and 45 pounds in a three-week wave will build strength endurance. For races up to 10,000 meters one can pull a weight sled for 30 minutes or just over the world record for that length race. For the very fit, two trips can be performed. Time between trips will depend on your level of preparedness, meaning letting your heart rate get back to your normal range and then repeat. Pull the sled two times a week, but remember to cut your running back by at least 30 percent. A 16-ounce bottle holds 16 ounces and no more, so when you include weight sled work you have to cut your running back. We know it will be hard to change your thinking, but you must. Your total work capacity is just like that 16-ounce bottle. The bottle can only hold 16 ounces at one time, but it can be full of different substances. For 20,000 meters—a half marathon—do two trips for 30 minutes or four trips for the advanced, and then push for two trips of 45 minutes. Remember, if your pace starts to slow down, you should stop. The key is to maintain top speed for as long as you can. If you slow down you lose … period. If you run a full marathon, start with four trips using the interval method, meaning powerwalk for 30 minutes. Let your heart rate return to normal and repeat. Then, you should try to increase your speed on the second, third and fourth trips. Note: you must always use the same power walking style to correctly monitor your speed. For runners with distances less than 30 minutes—10K and under—you should pull a weight sled for 30 minutes. Mark the distance you cover at the 30-minute time limit and try to cover a longer distance each trip. When this can be achieved you have improved your top speed maintenance velocity as well as increased your strength endurance. Ross, Barry. 2005. Underground Secrets to Faster Running. Lulu.com. Simmons, Louie. 2017. Strength Manual for Running—Raising Strength to Prevent Injuries. Westside4Athletes

I’m participating in Excerpt Monday, organized by the lovely Bria Quinlan and Mel Berthier from Romance Divas. Today’s excerpt comes from Chapter One of my fantasy/paranormal romance Deeper Than Bone. Boyd Harbor, New Jersey, Earth: Catherine Lecuyer jolted awake, her hand reaching for the baseball bat leaning against the night stand. Wait— She was home. She was safe. That was the past. Heart pounding, she sagged back against the down pillows and focused on the television blaring with a careening car chase and the sharp crack and bang of gunfire. Some cop drama had replaced the cheerful romantic comedy she’d found to keep her insomnia company. She had finally drifted off and missed the last fifteen minutes and the happily ever after. It figured. She clicked the remote. The picture tube’s grey light faded, leaving her bedroom cloaked in shadow. Dark. Quiet. She took a sharp breath. Exhaled slowly. She could do this. She tossed to her side. The clock’s red glow glared. 2:13. 2:14. 2:15. 2:16. All quiet. Too quiet. The baseboard heat ticked and gurgled with the deeper hum of the furnace in the basement. Her ears strained for each tiny noise in the old house. Stop it. You’ve absolutely nothing to be anxious over. She lived next door to a cop. How much safer could she get? She was tired of being afraid. Tired of being tired. “So get over it.” She turned on the lamp, punched her pillows into shape and crawled back under the covers. A revving car engine followed by a screech of tires jarred her off the pillow. A firecracker banged. Darn it, hadn’t those teens down the street learned their lesson? She untangled herself from the bedding. Tires squealed again and the car sped past her house. By the time she peeked through the front window blinds, the noisy-makers were long gone. Her frost-hazed neighborhood slept peacefully in the moonless November night. Stray snow flakes idled through the pools of street lights. John Morris, her police officer neighbor, was finally home from work. Everyone was sleeping. So should she. Letting the blinds fall closed, she eyed her rumpled bed. Maybe some tea first. She pulled on her fleece bathrobe and slid into her slippers. Tires shrieked, ending with a odd bang. She pushed aside the blinds. A red sedan perched askew over the curb, front bumper creased against her old maple tree. Officer Morris must have heard the crash. She glanced next door. Porch light spilled over his tidy front lawn. He was still up. He’d be outside any second. The driver shoved open the car door and stumbled out. He held onto the car door. Oh, come on, Morris. Where are you? You had to have heard it. She grabbed her phone and dialed Morris’s number as she hurried downstairs. His answering machine picked up. Good. He must already be out the door. She fumbled the two locks and the safety chain. She peered out the door. Ignoring the damage to his car, the man walked away in long, jerky strides, his attention fixed on the stretch of dark roadway near Morris’s Jeep. The hair on the back of her neck prickled. Let Officer Morris handle this. You can’t. It’s not your job. Cat hesitated on the threshold, unable to let go of the doorknob. Her breath fogged in the icy air. Don’t go. You know what’s out there in the dark. I’m supposed to help. “Hey, are you okay?” She pried her fingers from the doorknob. “Oh, God!” The driver’s voice broke. His knees hit the wet pavement beside a dark crumpled form lying just outside the pool of amber street light. “Call 911!” Cat punched the numbers and took unsteady steps along the slippery front walk. A man, face down. Her stomach tied in a hot knot. Her Sight fought to open, drew her on. She fought the Seeing back. The driver, his young face chalky, pressed his fingers to the man’s throat. “Shit! No pulse. I can’t find a pulse. Shit. He’s not breathing. Oh, God, please.” The white of t-shirt showed through a rip in his dark blue long-sleeved shirt. One black shoe was missing. Disbelief stole her breath. It couldn’t be– The driver eased the man over onto his back revealing the bloody, slack face. “Oh, God, a cop.” Choking back a sob, he launched into CPR. Not just any cop. John Morris. Blood blackened his military-short sandy brown hair and glossed his uniform shirt. Light gleamed on the grim puddle beneath him. Too much blood. This couldn’t be. A calm voice in the phone reached Cat and tugged her back. “An accident. There’s been an accident.” The voice in the phone asked so many questions. A black gun gleamed in the leaf-clotted, ice-scummed puddle by the Jeep’s rear tire. “Please, tell them I didn’t hit him! One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six . . .” He chanted the count with each forceful chest thrust. He breathed into Officer Morris. “Hit the tree. One. Two. Three. . . Saw something. Thought a deer, a dog. Hit the brakes. Hit the tree. Not him. Oh, breathe, please. One. Two. Three. . .” John Morris had waved to her in his brusk no-nonsense manner on his way to work, just hours ago. He’d flashed her one of his far too rare smiles that ignited his ice blue eyes and brightened the bad-boy sensuality of his lean rugged face, transforming him from uptight defender of the law and major anal-retentive neighbor to out-and-out temptation. The first thin siren rose wailing in the distance. Too late. Officer Morris was dead. Her unwelcome Sight knew. He was dead. The driver’s diligent CPR efforts were hopeless. Officer Morris was gone. Not a wisp of his aura remained. This couldn’t be. Just hours ago, he’d smiled, and she’d thanked God she was immune to fickle alpha-male charm. She shuddered, forced the Seeing away. Gone. A cry choked in her throat. No more lectures on her leaves in his yard. No more rare flashing smiles. No more newspapers neatly lined up on her porch. “. . . Six. Shit, oh man, oh shit. Oh, come on, breathe, man. One. Two . . .” Everyone wants to play along with Excerpt Monday! If you’d like to join in, visit the Guidelines page for more details. Excerpt Monday links: Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site. For all Excerpt Monday links, go HERE A random sampling of the many wonderful writers from varied genres to explore are: Bryn Donovan, Paranormal (PG) Kaige, Historical Romance (PG 13) Adelle Laundan, Contemporary Romance (PG 13) Jeannie Lin, Historical Romance (PG 13) Crista McHugh, Paranormal (PG 13) Aithne Jarretta, Paranormal (R) Inez Kelley, Contemporary Romantic Comedy (R) Photo: Karoly Mezei

A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1912. This free content was digitised by double rekeying. All rights reserved. Ermud (xi cent.); Eremuthe (xii cent.); Heremud, Ermue, Eremuham, Horemue, Ernemue (xiii cent.); Yaremuth, Yaremuth-under-Wyght, Heremuth, Iremuth (xiv cent.); Yernemouth (xvi cent.). Yarmouth, the smallest parish in the Isle of Wight, containing only 58 acres of land, is chiefly noted as possessing one of the oldest boroughs in the Island. It is the first port inside the Needles, and lies at the mouth of the Western Yar, being connected by a bridge (fn. 1) with Freshwater parish, and has a harbour and quay. It is one of the ports for the mainland, a line of steamers running from it to Lymington, and has a station on the Isle of Wight Central railway. The pier, built by the corporation in 1876 (fn. 2) at a cost of £4,000, has three landing-stages and is 700 ft. in length. The town is well lighted and supplied with water from Afton. There is a town hall with an undercroft on the west side of the square bearing the inscription 'A.D. 1764 the fourth year of the reign of his present Majesty King George III, this hall was rebuilt by Thomas, Lord Holmes, Governor of the Isle of Wight. Benjamin Lee Esq. Mayor.' (fn. 3) The market-house or town hall is described in 1849 as 'a neat building with a hall over it in which the several courts are held, and the public business of the corporation transacted.' (fn. 4) It was formerly known as the Guildhall. (fn. 5) At the time of the building of the castle the town possessed four gates—the Quay Gate (fn. 6) towards the sea, the outer and inner (fn. 7) Town Gates (fn. 8) towards the east, and the Hither Gate, (fn. 9) probably to the south. Stone Cross and Draffehaven are place-names (xvii cent.). The borough of Yarmouth, which is co-extensive with the parish, received its first charter from Baldwin de Redvers third Earl of Devon, (fn. 10) who granted his men of Yarmouth all liberties and customs belonging to free burgesses, and quittance from tolls and other customs throughout all his lands in fairs and markets. (fn. 11) In 1334 the burgesses of Yarmouth obtained from Edward III a confirmation of their charter, (fn. 12) but the borough still remained a mesne borough (fn. 13) until 1440, when Henry VI confirmed their charter (fn. 14) and granted the burgesses their town at a fee-farm rent of 20s., payable yearly at Michaelmas. (fn. 15) A confirmation of the charter was granted in 1466 by Edward IV, and by Queen Elizabeth in 1560. (fn. 16) The last and most important charter to Yarmouth was granted in 1609 by James I at the petition of the mayor and burgesses. (fn. 17) The town was to remain for ever a free borough, and was to be incorporate under the style of the 'Mayor and Burgesses of the borough of Yarmouth,' with the right to acquire land to the value of £20 a year, and to have a common seal. (fn. 18) The common council was to consist of the mayor and eleven chief burgesses, and was to hold the view of frankpledge and the assize of bread and ale in the gild hall. In 1693 Lord Cutts reported that the Corporation of Yarmouth consisted of a mayor and twelve aldermen, (fn. 19) who had power to add to the corporation as many free men as they pleased, all of whom had a voice in the election of members to Parliament. (fn. 20) These free men or free burgesses, who were elected by a majority of the common council, were very numerous in the 18th century, but the Commissioners upon the Municipal Corporations of England reported in 1835 that only those were chosen who would support the interest of the patron within the borough. Under the Municipal Corporations Act of 1883 (fn. 21) the corporation ceased to exist in March 1886, and the town is now governed by a town trust of eleven members, five of whom are elected by the parish council of Yarmouth, two by the parish council of Freshwater, three are co-optative, and one is appointed by the London and South-Western Railway Company. The governing officer of the early borough was a bailiff who was probably an officer of the lord of the town for the time being, and was elected by him, as his stipend was paid from the issues of the town. (fn. 22) Between 1378 and 1385 the vill of Yarmouth was farmed by the bailiff at a rent of 40s., paid at Easter and Michaelmas in equal portions, (fn. 23) but from Easter 1380 to Christmas of that year no rent was paid for the town, because it had been burnt by the French, and neither the bailiff nor the townsfolk had any goods on which the rent could be distrained. The right to elect a mayor was apparently granted to the burgesses in 1440 with the right to have the borough at fee farm, for in 1449 the fee farm was paid by the mayor, bailiff and burgesses of the borough. (fn. 24) The charter of 1609 ordered that the election of the mayor by the common council from among the chief burgesses (fn. 25) should take place yearly at the feast of St. Matthew the Apostle in the gild hall of the borough. (fn. 26) If a mayor died in office another was elected for the remainder of the year. One of the mayoral duties was to preside as returning officer at the election of members of Parliament. (fn. 27) Originally the possession of a burgage tenement was probably a necessary qualification for a burgess, but all burgage tenures had ceased before 1835. (fn. 28) The capital burgesses (fn. 29) were chosen from among the free burgesses, but the latter never seem to have taken any part in the administration of the borough and were only present at the meetings for the election of members of Parliament. In 1835 there had been no recent elections of free burgesses except of such as were intended for chief burgesses immediately. The corporation had by this means been reduced to the smallest possible limits, possibly owing to a desire to prevent any risk of opposition at parliamentary elections. (fn. 30) The function of the common clerk who under the charter of 1609 was elected by the common council and held office during pleasure was to attend at meetings of the common council and enter the proceedings in a book and to keep the accounts and serve as steward of the court leet. His salary was £6 6s. a year with a fee of a guinea on the election of a free or chief burgess. The serjeant-at-mace held office under the charter of 1609 during pleasure and by the election of the common council. (fn. 31) His salary was a guinea and his duty was to attend all meetings of the corporation and serve all notices and summonses of the mayor. The market of Yarmouth was held on Mondays and a fair lasting three days took place at the feast of St. James. The right to both market and fair was successfully claimed by Isabel de Fortibus in 1279–80, (fn. 32) and belonged to the borough after 1440. By the charter of 1609 the market day was changed to Wednesday, (fn. 33) and in 1778 the market was held on Fridays, but was unfrequented. (fn. 34) In 1849 it was held on Wednesdays (fn. 35) and in 1863 and subsequently on Fridays, (fn. 36) but the market had died out before 1875. The date of the fair remained unchanged until 1863, (fn. 37) but it was merely a pleasure fair in 1792, (fn. 38) and ceased before 1875. The revenues of the corporation in 1835 arose from tolls of the markets and fairs, wharfage dues, a rent of £4 12s. 6d. derived from 2½ acres of land, fee-farm rents from old burgage tenements called town rents, amounting to £3 17s. 6d., and rent arising from the lease of an oyster fishery. The wharfage dues were imposed upon all goods imported or exported by water, but no toll was levied upon fish. In addition to this a toll was imposed on each vessel of 12 or 15 tons and upwards. Burgesses were exempt from all these dues. (fn. 39) In 1835 the tolls of the market had diminished to 10s. a year, paid by a butcher, the only person who sold in the market-house, for his standing there. (fn. 40) Fair tolls were taken from persons setting up stalls at the fairs, but the receipts at each fair seldom exceeded 2s. 6d. (fn. 41) In the 13th and 14th centuries the market and fair tolls had varied between 16s. and 22s. (fn. 42) By the charter of 1609 the mayor and burgesses were entitled to hold a court of pie powder, but this court, if it was ever held, was quite obsolete in 1835 (fn. 43); in fact, the borough of Yarmouth never seems to have had a borough court as distinct from the court leet, any by-laws or orders for the payment of money being made at the meetings of the common council. (fn. 44) The only case which has been found in which the court leet is called the court of the mayor and burgesses is in 1625. (fn. 45) During the 17th century the court leet was apparently held twice a year, in April and September or October, (fn. 46) but in 1835 the commissioners found that it was held only once a year on 18 October. The jury was composed of the small tradespeople of the town, and the same persons generally attended year by year as a matter of course without a summons, providing substitutes when they were unable themselves to be present. An allowance was made to the jury for a dinner on the court day. (fn. 47) They presented two high constables, (fn. 48) two petty constables (fn. 49) and a hayward annually, and also presented encroachments, nuisances and improper weights and measures. (fn. 50) Yarmouth and Newport together returned two members to Parliament in 1295, (fn. 51) but Yarmouth was not again represented until 1584, (fn. 52) from which date it regularly returned two members until disfranchised in 1832. Yarmouth was visited by King John in May 1206, (fn. 53) and it was probably at this time that he entertained the Earl of Salisbury there. (fn. 54) He again visited the town in February 1213–14, making a stay of a week, (fn. 55) so that there must have been at that time a mansion of some importance at Yarmouth. A survey of the town taken in 1559 showed that its size and importance had greatly diminished, since there were not many more than a dozen houses. (fn. 56) The commissioners of 1835 stated that there was scarcely any trade in the town and very little export or import. (fn. 57) In the survey of Yarmouth taken in 1559 a list is given of all the boats belonging to the port. (fn. 60) At a court leet held in 1602 the inhabitants were bidden to repair the quay with all speed, (fn. 61) and in 1603 the common council ordered that every ship belonging to the port of the burden of forty tons and upwards should pay yearly at Michaelmas towards the maintenance of the quay 5s.; boats between forty and twenty tons, 2s. 6d.; and those between ten and twenty tons, 1s. 6d.; all barques of four tons and upwards using the passage should pay 1s. and 'every pynnys keeping passage' 6d. (fn. 62) In 1618 the quay was again in decay, and the duty of repairing it fell upon the mayor and constables, (fn. 63) while in 1625 a levy for that purpose was made upon all the inhabitants of the town. (fn. 64) In 1628 Charles I granted the port of Yarmouth to Mary Wandisford, widow, and to William Wandisford, her sister's husband, (fn. 65) who proposed to include it in a scheme for cutting off the parishes of Freshwater and Totland from the main island. The mayor and burgesses petitioned against this scheme, on the ground that it would ruin their harbour by diminishing the current of the river, which was already only just sufficient to keep the harbour clear. (fn. 66) About 1662, however, the Governor of the Island cut a passage round the eastern side of the town, thus making it an island, with a view to rendering it more capable of being fortified, as a French invasion was feared. (fn. 67) Two years later the marshes were embanked and the town was connected with the main island by a drawbridge. (fn. 68) In 1825 £44 12s. 9d. was spent in repairs to the quay and sea wall, which had been injured by a storm, (fn. 69) and in 1829, the wharfs having been found insufficient, an application was made to the Board of Ordnance for a lease of some ground belonging to the castle and adjoining the old wharf, which was granted to the corporation at a rent of £1, and a quit-rent paid to the Board of Ordnance. The corporation also had to pay the government £30 for the old material standing upon the ground. In the following year the corporation built a new wharf on this land and the site of the old wharf. (fn. 70) The trade of the port is at the present day very limited, the imports consisting chiefly of coal and iron, but not more than is required for use in the immediate neighbourhood. A small quantity of corn is exported. The manor of YARMOUTH, consisting of a hide and 2½ virgates of land, was held in the time of King Edward the Confessor by Alvric and Wislac in parage of the king, and they retained it after the Conquest. It formed one of the three holdings in Hemreswel Hundred. (fn. 71) The manor was evidently granted by Henry I to Richard de Redvers, and subsequently followed the same descent as the lordship of the Isle (fn. 72) and Carisbrooke Castle (q.v.) until about 1440, when the men of Yarmouth began to farm their own borough. The interest of the lord of the manor was from then until about 1886 represented by a fee-farm rent of 20s. annually, which was apparently granted by the Crown to Sir Robert Holmes. He died in 1692, leaving an illegitimate daughter Mary, and left the chief part of his estate to his nephew Henry Holmes on condition that he should marry Mary Holmes. (fn. 73) This Henry did and the fee-farm rent of Yarmouth passed on his death in 1738 to his son Thomas, who was created Lord Holmes of Killmallock in 1760. (fn. 74) He died in 1764 without surviving issue, and was succeeded in the property by his nephew the Rev. Leonard Holmes, formerly Troughear, who was created Baron Holmes in 1798. (fn. 75) He died in 1804 and the rent passed to his daughter Elizabeth wife of Sir Henry Worsley Holmes, bart. On her death in 1832 it passed to her granddaughter Elizabeth, wife of William Henry Ashe A'Court, who assumed the name Holmes in 1833 and succeeded his father as Lord Heytesbury in 1860. (fn. 76) He died in 1891 and was succeeded by his grandson William Frederick third Lord Heytesbury, whose widow, Margaret Lady Heytesbury, is now lady of the manor. Sir Robert Holmes, Governor of the Isle of Wight from 1669 until 1692, (fn. 77) built at Yarmouth a large mansion, said to be the present Pier Hotel (fn. 78) (formerly, until 1897, the George Inn), where in 1671, 1675 and 1677 he entertained the king with great magnificence. (fn. 79) The room where Charles II slept is still shown at the inn. This house was apparently built on the site of an old mansion, probably to be identified with 'the king's house' at Yarmouth mentioned in 1638. (fn. 80) In 1301–2 a payment of 3s. was made for a new pillory at Yarmouth. (fn. 81) The castle of Yarmouth was built towards the end of the reign of Henry VIII (fn. 82) in consequence of a raid by the French upon the Island about 1543, (fn. 83) and formed part of the south coast defence scheme which included Calshot, Hurst, and Sandown. It was built under the superintendence of Richard Worsley, then Captain of the Island, (fn. 84) and consisted of a tower and platform towards the sea, mounted with cannon of various calibre, (fn. 85) backed with the usual residence and storehouse. It had a fine gateway towards the east with the royal arms above it, (fn. 86) and seems to have been a more ambitious building than either Cowes or Sandown. The building was probably finished about 1547, for in that year £1,000 was paid to George Mill for the works at Yarmouth and for the discharge of the soldiers there. (fn. 87) The castle has always belonged to the Crown, and was exempted by a special clause in the charter of 1609 from the jurisdiction of the borough. (fn. 88) Repairs were required there in 1565, and were carried out under the direction of Richard Worsley. (fn. 89) Owing to troubles with Spain the fortifications of the coast towns were inquired into in 1586, and the defences of Yarmouth Castle were found to be very insufficient. (fn. 90) Between March and November in the following year works costing in all £50 7s. 7d. were carried out at Yarmouth under the supervision of Thomas Worsley and John Dingley. The chief item seems to have been the erection of a fortification of earth and turf. (fn. 91) After the Armada scare it was again repaired, and a new building was erected on the platform. (fn. 92) In 1599 Sir Edmund Uvedale estimated at £300 the cost of putting Yarmouth Castle into a proper state of defence, and stated that the sum would be well spent, as Yarmouth was strongly situated, and was a necessary fort for holding up any ships which might get past Hurst Castle and Carey's Sconce. (fn. 93) Repairs were undertaken at about this time, and were reported in 1603 as being almost completed. (fn. 94) In 1609, however, the Earl of Southampton, then Governor of the Isle of Wight, spent £300 on the repairs of Sandown and Yarmouth Castles. (fn. 95) In 1623, when John Burley was Captain and the garrison consisted of four men, a survey of the castle was taken. The surveyors reported that the parapet of the middle tower was quite decayed, and that lodging was wanted for four gunners. The three rooms in the square tower were in a ruinous state and required roofing. The moat and the sluice regulating the supply of water in it were both useless. The moat was 17 rods in circumference and 2 rods wide, and was to be made 5 ft. deeper, and a counter-scarp of brick or earth was to be constructed. Repairs were again urgently required in 1625. (fn. 96) On the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642 the Parliamentarians took steps to secure all the castles of the Isle of Wight. Captain Barnaby Burley, who was then in command at Yarmouth, made active preparations to defend the castle for the king, but finally surrendered on condition that he might remain in the castle, the Parliamentarians leaving with him a sufficient guard. (fn. 97) In 1650 the garrison at Yarmouth was found to be very insufficient, and it was proposed that the existing force of a captain and thirty men should be increased by thirty men and a lieutenant. (fn. 98) Thus in 1654 the garrison comprised seventy soldiers, (fn. 99) and in 1655 the cost of the upkeep of the garrison was £78 3s. 4d., and steps were taken to reduce it. (fn. 100) On the accession of Charles II the dismantling of castles and fortresses, begun under the Long Parliament as a precaution against rebellion, was carried further, and in 1661 the entire garrison of Yarmouth Castle was disbanded at four days' notice, and the removal of the guns to Cowes was ordered unless the men of Yarmouth would undertake to defend their own castle. (fn. 101) Apparently the burgesses did not do this, for in 1666 the king wrote to Lord Colepeper, then Governor of the Island, suggesting that the inhabitants of Yarmouth and other places in the Isle of Wight might contribute to the safety of the Island by fortifying their castles. (fn. 102) Some steps may have been taken in this direction, for Sir Robert Holmes, when he surveyed the fortifications in 1669, found that, though Yarmouth Castle was totally out of repair and had no officer, there were four men acting as a garrison. (fn. 103) In the following year orders were issued by the king for the proper fortification of the town of Yarmouth, fresh ground to be bought if necessary for the extension of existing fortifications, and such guns and ordnance as could be spared from Cowes to be placed at Yarmouth. (fn. 104) In 1688, when William of Orange was preparing to land in England, Sir Robert Holmes wrote in despair to Lord Preston that he could never secure the Island without speedy help. He could only attempt to retain the two forts of Yarmouth and Hurst, the militia being already mutinous and the townspeople ready to declare in favour of the prince. (fn. 105) In the following year things were in the same bad state. (fn. 106) The military establishment in 1781 included a captain, one master gunner and five other gunners. (fn. 107) Extensive repairs were carried out at the fort in 1855, and it was then garrisoned by a detachment of the regular army of the county, (fn. 108) but it was dismantled about thirty years later, and the fort has been used since about 1898 for coastguard purposes. It consisted in 1863 of a platform with four guns. (fn. 109) The castle is leased to the proprietors of the Pier Hotel, with which it is now incorporated. (fn. 110) The parish church of ST. JAMES is an uninteresting structure consisting of nave with north and south aisles, a chancel and a western tower. The original church was said by local tradition to have been at the east end of the town, and its foundations were visible in the old churchyard in 1845. (fn. 111) Destroyed by the French in their raid of 1377, it is said to have been rebuilt on the present site only to be again reduced to a ruin in 1543. At the beginning of the 17th century it was practically rebuilt, (fn. 112) and reconsecrated by the Bishop of Salisbury on 11 March 1626. (fn. 113) The chancel, which had a polygonal roof with enriched bosses at the intersection of the ribs, was lengthened 12 ft. in 1889. To the south of it is the little mortuary chapel containing a fine statue of Sir Robert Holmes, died 1692, and many memorials to the Holmes family. There is a wall tablet by Nollekens to Captain John Urry, 1802, and in the floor are 17th-century grave slabs of the Hide family (fn. 114) and to Peter Pryavlx, 1644. On the front of the gallery at the west end are brass tablets commemorating the different charitable bequests, and in the north aisle is the royal achievement of George I, 1715. There is one bell, by James Bartlet of London, inscribed 'The . Gvift . of . Sir . Richard . Mason . Knight . 1679' and a clock made by Nicholas Paris in the same year. The plate consists of two pewter 18th-century patens, plated flagon, plated paten on three feet, of 8½ in. diameter, and plated chalice, both inscribed 'PARISH OF YARMOUTH,' and silver chalice and paten. In the vestry are two lidded pewter flagons said to have formerly been used in the church. The registers date from 1614. Baldwin de Redvers, the first of the name, granted to the priory of Christchurch Twyneham the tithes that belonged to Sir Alfred de Brockley in Yarmouth, (fn. 115) and this grant was confirmed by his sons Richard and Baldwin and by the king in 1313. (fn. 116) The lords of the manor evidently retained the advowson, (fn. 117) and it passed to the king in the same way as the manor, (fn. 118) and was granted with it to the Earl of Chester. (fn. 119) In 1333, however, Philip de Heyterdebury came before the king and sought to recover the advowson of a moiety of the church of Yarmouth to the Prior of Christchurch Twyneham, the advowson having been taken into the king's hands on account of the prior's default before Geoffrey le Scrop the king's justice. (fn. 120) In the following year Geoffrey and his fellow-justices received orders not to put the prior in default for his absence at a suit between the king and the prior concerning the rendering by the prior to the king of a moiety of the advowson, as the prior was in the king's service at that time. (fn. 121) Presumably the whole advowson then passed to the king, (fn. 122) and the king or the Lord Chancellor presented (fn. 123) until 1866–7, when the advowson was purchased by Samuel Fisher. (fn. 124) In 1894–5 it was sold by the trustees of the Rev. C. T. Fisher to the Rev. B. Maturin, from whom it passed in 1900 to Mr. Elmer Speed, the present patron. (fn. 125) In 1380 the church of Yarmouth was exonerated from the subsidy on account of the poverty (fn. 126) of the town, which had been burnt by the French. In 1559 in the survey above quoted it is stated that the benefice of Yarmouth was insufficient to find a priest, (fn. 127) and in 1654 the mayor and inhabitants of the town in a petition to the Protector stated that the benefice, being not above 20 marks a year, served only for an old man who could merely read. They, therefore, begged that they might have an augmentation of £50 a year, so that they could have a proper pastor, and this request was granted. (fn. 128) A brief assigned to the year 1626 was issued for building a new church at Yarmouth, (fn. 129) and by a faculty granted by the Bishop of Winchester in 1635 the townsfolk of Yarmouth were allowed to pull down their old church, which was in a ruinous state, and to build a new one. (fn. 130) William de Vernon, lord of the Isle of Wight from 1184 to 1216, granted and confirmed to William Mackerel the land and house at Yarmouth which Guy the clerk held, for making a hospital in honour of God and St. Mary the Virgin and All Saints, for the soul of King Henry son of Earl Geoffrey and for the soul of Earl Baldwin and Richard his brother, (fn. 131) and for the soul of William Mackerel and his ancestors. (fn. 132) William's grant was confirmed by Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury (1185–90), (fn. 133) and by Godfrey Bishop of Winchester (1189–1204). (fn. 134) The hospital was endowed with land at Milford and Kerne, and at Chalk in Wiltshire, and with the chapel of Brook. (fn. 135) William Mackerel apparently gave the hospital with its endowments to the knights of Solomon's Temple, for his gift to that effect was confirmed by Ralph his brother and successor, and by William de Vernon. (fn. 136) It would seem that the hospital was allowed to fall into decay, for no further mention of it has been found, and its endowment with the exception of the chapel of Brook was appropriated to the Knights Templars. There are Baptist, Wesleyan and Bible Christian chapels at Yarmouth, the latter having been registered for marriages in 1869, (fn. 137) and the Plymouth Brethren have a small room. The Town Trust, comprising the property of the dissolved corporation of 'The Mayor and Chief Burgesses of Yarmouth,' is regulated by a scheme of the Charity Commissioners 30 December 1890. The property consists of:— Part i, fee-farm rents and parcels of land and buildings in Yarmouth, and £134 19s. 5d. Plymouth Corporation 3 per cent. stock, £35 6s. 8d. consols, and £49 18s. 6d. India 3 per cent. stock held by the official trustees; Part ii, the quay, harbour, wharfage, tolls and harbour dues, and also reversion of Yar Bridge; Part iii, the pier and tolls and rates comprised in and levied under the Yarmouth (I. of W.) Pier Order 1874; Part iv, the mace, common seal, ancient charters, &c.; Part v, mud land containing 36 a. 2 r. 27 p. The scheme directs that the income from Part i, about £30 a year, shall be applied in defraying cost of repairs and management of Parts i and iv, and in maintenance of the town hall and to any purpose for public benefit; the income from Part ii, about £250 a year, in payment of harbour master and other officers, in maintaining harbour lights, &c., and in contributing to the expenses of the pier; the income from Part iii, about £610 a year, in upkeep of the pier, including salaries of officers, and in paying interest accruing in respect of debts incurred. In 1752 Thomas Lord Holmes by deed charged his farm called Alverstone in Brading with an annuity of £30, to be applied in keeping in repair the monument in the parish church in memory of his son, one-third of the residue in apprenticing poor boys and girls, a moiety of the remainder for the minister and the other moiety for the poor. By an order of the Charity Commissioners 12 June 1896 the yearly sum of 20s. was directed to be applied in repair of the monument and £9 13s. 4d. for the minister, constituting the Ecclesiastical charity, £9 13s. 4d. for apprenticing and £9 13s. 4d. for the poor. In 1846 Joseph Squire by will bequeathed £200 consols, now £196 14s. 1d. Nottingham Corporation 3 per cent. stock, the dividends to be distributed among poor not receiving parochial relief, on the anniversary of testator's death (September 14). In 1856 John Squire, by his will proved at Winchester 15 September, bequeathed £100 consols, now £98 7s. like Corporation stock, the income to be applied in distribution of coals to poor widows at Christmas. In 1872 Miss Harriet Blagrave Dean Love by deed gave £200 consols, now £196 19s. 2d. like Corporation stock, the income to be distributed to the poor on 1 January yearly. The same donor, by her will proved at London 17 March 1881, left £50 consols, now £49 4s. 3d. like Corporation stock, the interest to be applied in keeping in repair a tablet in the church and tombstones in the churchyard, and the surplus to any useful or charitable purpose. The income of this charity is accumulating until required. In 1871 Vice-Admiral Henry Ommanney Love by deed gave £200 consols, now £196 19s. 2d. like Corporation stock, the income to be applied as to one moiety for the rector and the other moiety for the poor on 1 March in each year. In 1868 Caroline Leigh, by her will proved at Winchester 27 October, bequeathed £1,000 consols, now £984 16s. 1d. like Corporation stock, producing £29 11s. yearly, to be applied in augmentation of the rector's stipend. The sums of stock above mentioned are held by the official trustees, producing in the aggregate £51 13s. 6d., of which £32 10s. is received by the rector, in addition to the share of Lord Holmes's charity. The proportion (fn. 138) applicable for eleemosynary purposes is distributed in coal and money doles. In 1825 Jane Seymour Hearne by will bequeathed a sum of money, now represented by £88 8s. Nottingham Corporation 3 per cent. stock. In 1871 Vice-Admiral Henry Ommanney Love by deed gave £100 consols, now £98 9s. 7d. like Corporation stock. In 1872 Miss Harriet Blagrave Dean Love by deed gave £100 consols, now £98 9s. 7d. like Corporation stock. In 1874 Barnabas, otherwise Barnaby, Beere bequeathed a sum of money, now represented by £143 17s. 10d. like Corporation stock. In 1897 Miss Elizabeth Leigh, by a codicil to her will proved 10 December, bequeathed £1,000 consols, now represented by £1,000 like Corporation stock, and £21 12s. 1d. consols, the income to be applied in equal proportion towards the salaries of the master and mistress of the National schools, both to be members of the Church of England. The several sums of stock are held by the official trustees, producing in the aggregate £43 8s. yearly, which is applied in connexion with the National schools.

As I said previously, in March (in New York Timeline (1913)), I’m totally fascinated by Rudolph Valentino’s first years in the USA; particularly those spent in and around New York from 1913 to 1917. Forty two or so months crammed with incident; six months of which are, apparently, an impenetrable void. This month, June, I look in some detail at 1914 — one of his most difficult years. Anyway, here is: New York Timeline (1914). For Marchese Guglielmi the first few months of 1914 are, for-want-of-a-better-phrase, a Social Whirl. Determined to put behind him his miserable Festive Period, he plunges into the dance-mad city of New York. His accommodation, Giolito’s, at 108-110 W. 49th St., is situated just east of Broadway, ten blocks south of Central Park, ten or so more north west, of the gleaming and glistening, newly-opened Grand Central Station, and a quick walk away from several exciting afternoon and evening establishments. At which, by all accounts, he becomes a regular. He calls on his fellow S. S. Cleveland passenger, Miss Eleanor Post, and they go riding in Central Park at least once. He also pays a visit and introduces himself (with a letter of introduction), to Social Butterfly, Schuyler L. Parsons Jr.; who invites him to remain for dinner and then join the various guests, when they go out to dance until the early hours. Miss Post had, along with Marion Herrion, been the young woman who’d enjoyed many hours dancing the latest dances, with Rodolfo Guglielmi, in the Second Class dining room. (Their friendship didn’t last.) Mr. Parsons, meanwhile, was a person whose name appeared in the press with alarming regularity, as an attendee, of dinner and theatre parties, dance parties and other exclusive society events. It’s interesting that he featured in an amateur film, The Flame of Kapur (1916), as a villain, not dissimilar to the sort played by Valentino a few years later. (He was to be a friend of Rudy’s right to the end.) Rodolfo continues to socialise hopeful it’ll lead to something. He reacquaints himself with three Paris friends: brothers Count Otto and Count Alex. von Salm-Hoogstraeten, and their friend, Georges/George T. Aranyi. The trio are in the US to play tennis, and Rodolfo no doubt watches them, at the National Indoor Championship Tournament, at the Seventh Regiment Armoury, 643 Park Avenue, in mid. February. Afterwards, in the evenings, the quartet enjoy nights out. Austrians, Otto and Alex., and Frenchman George, too, were seemingly all a little older than their Italian playmate. (Otto was born in 1886 and Alex. (who would perish during WW1) in 1890.) So being in their company would’ve been something of an education for someone not yet 19. I personally don’t believe that the Salms taught Valentino to tango at the Central Park Zoo, as his female fellow passengers on the Cleveland said he already knew it. However, there’s no doubt they taught him other things, and that he was a willing Pupil. The addiction of New Yorkers at this time to dancing is clear when we peruse the city’s newspapers and see how often it’s mentioned. At the start of the month a report states that the Pope has neither banned the Tango nor endorsed La Furlana. A review, days later, of The Laughing Husband, an operetta at the Knickerbocker Theatre, reveals how “Graceful Steps [Of] A New Sort” had been added to the U. S. adaptation, and that the chorus did “The Tango”. (You can listen to a medley here.) On the 9th, we see a story about 2,000 waiters, trotting, tangoing, dipping, maxixeing, and hesitating, at the Manhattan Waiters’ Association Annual Ball. (In many instances with each other.) On the 14th, we view fourteen recent or expected social gatherings, of which seven included dancing. The 17th saw the Castles, Vernon and Irene, explaining to Marguerite Mooers Marshall, a columnist, how to dance the Half and Half. And at the close of February, we learn that the Arabian Nights Ball, on the 26th, at the Folies Marigny, had begun at midnight, and had been: “… JUST ONE DANCE AFTER ANOTHER.” Thanks to high living and nightly shenanigans, with the Salms, Aranyi, and with others, Rodolfo’s funds are dwindling; and as he commences the month, he begins to appreciate he’s unable to continue in the same fashion as in January and February. In order to save money he quits his quarters at Giolito’s, and moves to less expensive, unknown, Uptown rooms. Knowing he’ll soon have to find employment, he’s also eager to seriously improve his basic English. He understands that what he learned at Nervi won’t be sufficient for him to be able to work, and he’ll be unable to improve it, while he’s surrounded by fellow Italians. His departure from Giolito’s isn’t fixed in stone and it could easily have occurred in February. The reason being, that the position he secured as a Gardener (thanks to a letter of introduction (from his older brother Alberto), to outgoing Commissioner of Immigration, William Williams), commenced after the snow had melted. As I only saw bad snow reported locally in early March, and not later, we have to accept the possibility he was out of his initial accommodation earlier than was previously thought. Maybe even by the middle of February. After some work, which included planting rhododendrons (which are still there and are referred to as ‘Rudy’s Rhodos’), his employment with Mr. Bliss, at his estate, at Brookville, outside the city on Long Island, abruptly ends, after he crashes a borrowed motorcycle. It’s also an issue that the return of Mrs. Bliss, from Europe, has ended plans for an Italian garden. Rodolfo himself isn’t enjoying being so far from Manhattan. And isn’t too pleased to be eating his meals with the other servants. Cornelius N. Bliss Jr., a kind-hearted type, then President of the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, provides him with a letter of introduction, to the New York City Parks Commissioner, Louis F. La Roche. He also, amazingly, provides him with a small weekly allowance so that he can manage in the short term. Rudy returns to Manhattan, able, just about, to manage on his recent earnings, and his allowance from Bliss. Despite his worsening situation, it seems, from time-to-time, that he’s still able to enjoy the cafes and restaurants. Rodolfo Guglielmi doesn’t grasp that Mr. and Mrs. Bliss are two people who, in time, could’ve seriously helped him with a career as a Landscape Gardener. However, he did understand he was a million miles from entering, or being accepted in, Society. Painfully aware. And this was something of a problem for him. After resettling back in the city, sometime in May, Rodolfo secures a less pleasant position as an Apprentice Park Gardener. He works the majority of the month. But eventually discovers that he’s unable to continue working, as the apprenticeship exam is open only to American citizens. By now Cornelius N. Bliss Jr.’s small allowance has probably ceased. The little he’s earned in May is disappearing. And he searches for some other kind of employment. It’s probably in May and June that he goes to the Waldorf-Astoria, one of the great New York hotels, to write on the their fine stationery to his mother (to reassure her that he’s alright and is doing well). That he eventually revealed this to his family, is known, thanks to his older brother, Alberto, mentioning it in a lengthy interview in 1977. He manages to secure a position as a Bank Teller. However, due to poor English, or an inability to calculate quickly enough, or both, he loses this job. And is once again forced to look for another vacancy. It’s now, in mid. June, that he catches the eye of ‘Dickie’ Warner – true name Richard H. Warner – a blonde, blue-eyed man in his late twenties, who’s as much of a Social Moth as Schuyler L. Parsons Jr.. Apparently, Dickie sees him: “… seated at the opposite side of the dancing space in company of several friends.” After a formal introduction they converse. And days later he invites him to dinner on the roof of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. On that warm evening, they afterwards sit drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes, and Rodolfo opens his heart to the near stranger. Telling him he’s a foreigner in a foreign land. Isn’t getting anywhere in his profession. And is: “… too proud to seek aid from his family.” Dickie’s sympathetic and tells Rudy he can move into his apartment with him until things improve. Which, the very next day, he does. Warner helping him to pack his possessions at his “anything but cheerful” lodgings. Thus commences a quite lengthy and comfortable stay, at Dickie Warner’s gorgeously decorated two room studio, at 78 West 55th Street. Rudy wakes late each day; lounges about in pyjamas in Warner’s tulip wood bed; plays with the cat, Prunella; and talks on the telephone to his girlfriends. His host is irritated by his poor English but doesn’t mind his singing. (The song that he sings most often is Mamma Mia.) Warner’s detailed – too detailed to be fabricated – account, which was published in the early Twenties, in a piece entitled, Before They Were Famous, in SCREENLAND, reveals much about Rudy half way through 1914. He continues to frequent some of the places he enjoyed earlier that year as and when he can. Has friends. And is still able to dress and present himself well. Warner remembered: “… distinctly, his dress suit, also the handiwork of a tailor in Taranto.” This pretty much proves false, the claim that Frank A. Mennillo took him to his New York tailor, to kit him out in more suitable, American garb. He was in May and June still wearing all of the garments he’d carried with him at the end of the previous year. So far he’s moved from Giolitos, to Uptown, then out to Long Island, then back to Manhattan. (He also appears to have been in Brooklyn at some point in order to be able to save money.) Living with Dickie facilitates indolence. For the time being, at least, he seems in no hurry to do anything, except laze, pet Prunella, and speak for hours on the telephone. According to his host a stay of a few days stretches to many weeks. In my estimation at least a month to six weeks. Rudy continues to live with Dickie. At some point the pair enjoy a trip to Long Beach; for so long, that Warner is forced to wire a friend in the city, and get them to climb through a window, in order to feed the cat. At the end of the month World War One breaks out in Europe. However, as neither Italy nor America are initially involved, it doesn’t yet affect Rodolfo Guglielmi, or, his family. After six or so weeks his stay with Warner ends. Where he goes next isn’t too clear. Yet it’s certain about now is when things begin to get very tough. For the next eight weeks he goes from poorly-paid job to poorly-paid job. He washes dishes, cleans automobiles, and polishes brass; anything that will give him enough money to be able to eat and pay for a place to sleep. This is a period where he’ll move about even more frequently, staying a week here, then a week there. Always moving. He’s forced to pawn his belongings. What’s left is kept by a Landlady that he’d been unable to pay. In later years, he told Norma Talmadge a story about walking five miles to City Hall, in order to find work, and, after failing to, how he’d bought a “bologna sandwich” with his very last ten cents, before walking the five miles back. The fact Norma recalled such a story, in 1938, again shows he couldn’t possibly have had a Godfather during this time. Nineteen-year-old Rodolfo continues to suffer. He eats at one, perhaps all, of the Horn & Hardart Co. Automats, on Broadway, Sixth Avenue and West 42nd St. And he sleeps at the downbeat, Mills Hotel, which charges 12 cents per night. When he can’t even afford that he doesn’t eat and sleeps on a bench in Central Park. (He also sleeps under the shrubbery and in all-night cinemas.) There’s absolutely no evidence nineteen-year-old Rudolph Valentino was forced to commit any crime in order to survive; but we must consider the possibility he may have had no choice. It’s interesting, that in a letter home, he feels that any work is better than a life of crime. And it’s in this letter, according to the family, that he reveals he’d come very close to compromising his honour. So if he didn’t commit a crime it was certainly on his mind. The disappearance of the contents of his police file, decades ago, doesn’t allow us to be sure one way or the other. In a report, in The New-York Tribune, in 1910, vagrants were only arrested if they were considered to be a ‘Cadet’ — in-other-words, a person learning to be a street criminal. If they were, they were discharged, sent to a work house, or, fined. If Rudy slept on a park bench, he would simply be moved along; as Anthony Dexter was, as Valentino, in Valentino (1951). (A rare instance of accuracy in an otherwise largely inaccurate film.) Broke and homeless things are so bleak that Rudy contemplates suicide. Then a Mystery Man he meets changes his luck. The person, apparently an Italian, takes him under his wing, shares his food and his bed, talks to him, gives him advice, and perhaps allows his guest to get a wash and to shave. The next day, or soon afterwards, after the suggestion, Rodolfo heads to Maxim’s/Cafe Maxim to speak to the piano player (who’s from Taranto). The piano player suggests talking to the Head Waiter there. When he does, The Head Waiter recalls him from earlier in the year, and offers him work as a dance partner for hire. (To dance with females who aren’t already accompanied by a male.) He accepts and commences that month. There’s no pay, but he can eat for free, keep any tips, and use an upper room, with a Victrola, to give dance instructions on the side. A different version of Rodolfo’s spell as a dancer, at Cafe Maxim, is found in the owner, Julius Keller’s, 1939 memoir, Inns and Outs. Keller claims that he himself hired him. And that Rudy had been washing cars at a nearby garage. Keller says that he found the young man to be “dark and romantic in appearance”. Whether it was Keller’s or another proprietor’s innovation isn’t clear. But dance partners for hire were far from unique to Maxim’s. They were very much looked down upon at the time as it was considered to be an unsuitable profession for a Real Man. Maxim’s was, along with Sherry’s, Delmonico’s, Luchow’s, Churchill’s, Rectors, Murray’s, and a few other venues, a restaurant that allowed patrons to dance. Their adverts in September declared that it was the “COOLEST and BEST VENTILATED DINING ROOM in TOWN”. That luncheon was just 60c. That dancing was from noon to close. And the cabaret was after 6:30 p. m. Dark, romantic Rodolfo Guglielmi swiftly enhances his natural ability, and is an instant success with patrons. He returns to being a Marchese; but, perhaps due to the French atmosphere of the establishment, tells customers he’s a Marquis. By now he has many regular female dance partners. And these varied ladies generously tip him and shower him with small gifts. In the third or fourth week of the month, Bonnie Glass (“the most original young person in the [dancing] profession”), and her former dance partner, Clifton Webb, arrive at Cafe Maxim and take a table. Glass has asked Webb to assist her in searching for a talented new partner, and they soon notice: “… a remarkably handsome, dark young man named Rudolph.” Bonnie is impressed by his tango and, on the spot, offers him the job. He tells her frankly that he doesn’t have the money to pay for the clothing required. And she tells him that she’ll cover the cost. In Clifton Webb’s posthumously published autobiography, Sitting Pretty: the Life and Times of Clifton Webb, 2011, the then very notable Bonnie Glass had recently returned from Chicago. Checking her engagements in late 1914 I saw this to be the case. (She’d danced in Chicago recently with Al. Davis.) And so I trust both Clifton Webb’s memory and his story. It seems Bonnie had a partner – George Richmond – but he was temporary. And, as she had plans for 1915, that included re-opening the grille of Cafe Boulevard, at Broadway and 41st Street, as Cafe Montmartre, she required somebody reliable who’d be available nightly. (For me this settles once and for all the question of how they met and came to be a successful Act.) It’s easy to imagine Rudy’s delight in being singled out by Bonnie and Clifton after they’d left and it all began to sink in. In no-time-at-all he would be able to quit the establishment and leave behind him, perhaps forever, the life of a Taxi Dancer — a life he found more than a little distasteful. During the first two weeks of the month Rodolfo rehearses with Bonnie in the mornings and continues to work as a hired dancer, at Maxim’s, in the afternoons and evenings. He likewise continues to be the favourite of several ladies (as mentioned by Keller in Inns and Outs). And utilises the upper room, with the Victrola, to provide private instruction for a fee. Mid. December, he dances for the first time with Glass, at Rector’s, in front of their “stage setting”, for an elegant New York audience seated amidst “fronded palms”. He’ll continue to do so for the rest of the month. And, though he fails to be credited at this point in any adverts, he’s buoyed by the realisation that bigger things lie ahead of him in 1915. In only a matter of months he’s turned his life completely around. This year, the Festive Period will not be the lonely, upsetting affair it was twelve months before. Thank you so much for reading this post. As always, the sources are available to anyone who contacts me, if they’re not already embedded into the text, or added as an image. This latest timeline will be followed by others looking at the years 1915 to 1917. And I’ve planned standalone posts for his 1916 arrest and also the missing half year. See you all in July!

FrontPage Magazine, April 15, 2011 Interview by Jamie Glazov Frontpage Interview’s guest today is Ying Ma, a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace at Stanford University. She is the author of the new book, Chinese Girl in the Ghetto , which has been endorsed by Ward Connerly, Founder and President of the American Civil Rights Institute and the man who has led the fight to end state-sponsored racial quotas and preferences across the country; and by Xiao Qiang, Adjunct Professor at the University of California at Berkeley and a prominent Chinese human rights activist. FP: Ying Ma, welcome to Frontpage Magazine. Tell us about your new book. Ying Ma: Thank you Jamie. The book, at its most basic level, is a story about a little girl’s journey from the insidiousness of Chinese authoritarianism to the horrors of inner-city America. The story begins in China in the late 1970s, where economic reforms are rapidly transforming the country into a more hopeful, more colorful place, and where our protagonist immerses herself in a world of fantasy and foreign influences while grappling with the mundane vagaries of Communist rule. In the mid-1980s, she happily immigrates to Oakland, California, expecting her new life to be far better in all ways than life in China. Instead, she discovers crumbling schools, unsafe streets, and racist people. In the land of the free, she comes of age amid the dysfunction of a city’s brokenness and learns to hate in the shadows of urban decay. The book is a story about her journey and how she prevailed. FP: And that little girl is you, you’re the Chinese girl in the ghetto. YM: Yes, the book is autobiographical. It is about my family’s journey from Guangzhou, China’s third largest city, to inner-city Oakland, California. FP: On your website, you refer to the book as “a politically incorrect memoir.” What makes it politically incorrect? Read entire interview here.

What do you think of when you hear the term, Adventure Travel? For us, it is our post retirement dream! For us and the purpose of this blog, it is where we are now, more or less! We can finally say we are “really” retired. Isn’t that a common goal for Americans, to become retired? I (Debbie) officially retired from a 20 year career in law enforcement in February 2006, but I ended up working part time for a few years and have been a regular volunteer. Bill said he never wanted to “retire” so his path is a bit different. His goal or end game was to be self-employed. His first full time experience as being self-employed was as a Snap on Tool Dealer, from 1986-1988, too short of a time, but those were very profitable years for him. Sadly, that ended when we divorced in December 1988 (but that story has a happy ending:Chapter 2 So why share about our marriage?) He formally quit the working world in October 2004. When he quit, he actually had a dream job with Nationwide Insurance as an automotive claims adjuster. But in 2000, we began working his way back into self-employment as we began our path into retirement. That was when we invested in our first piece of rental real estate. When we moved to Florida in November 2004, he went full board into real estate rentals, peaking at owning six rentals homes, but also caring for our home, his mother’s home and helping my parents out from time to time with their home – all of us in the same town. Needless to say, caring for real estate in Florida is a year around task, especially in the heat of the summer. We sold his last piece of rental real estate in August, 2013 – a dream come true as we prepared for the end game. My “retirement dream” was to be a volunteer and work in the community to help make it a better place for all to live. But as a workaholic, it was hard to stop working, so I started back to work part time for our Sheriff. That lasted four years and my time there actually introduced me to our community in a unique way. I made connections that helped me become a volunteer and allowed me to work with some of the most phenomenal people I’ve ever met – let alone have the privilege of volunteering with! I was able to do this for several years – and this will be hard to leave as we approach our end game – adventure travel! I’m hoping with technology, I can still be useful! Bill’s “retirement” dream was to travel all over the United States and Canada in a Class A motor home (one of those big bus-type rigs that pulls your car and tows your motorcycle, also called a Recreational Vehicle or RV). Bill dreamed about this for at least three years, searching websites for the “perfect” RV and we went to many RV shows. So here we are, months since Bill was officially retired, although he said he’d never use that word. But the other day, he asked me, “We are really retired, aren’t we?” I had to chuckle! What has happened – why an end game? Probably the greatest thing a parent could ever hope for – we became grand parents! And that has rocked our world in a way we never could have imagined! See, our problem is that we live nearly 900 miles from that precious grandson! So how can we marry our dream goals? Well, we are working on that and so far so good! We are now saying we are adventure travelers – but swinging by our daughter’s to spend as much time as possible with our grandson. This is a short blog as I prepare to tell more about our transition into full time retirement! But first, I always love to see what the Bible says about whatever we are doing. So here are a few of my favorite scriptures (all from ESV) to read as one thinks about retiring, from http://www.openbible.info/topics/retirement: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.'” “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.” “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” “The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to theLord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.” “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;… Until next time…

An Analysis of All’s Well That Ends Well (Shakespeare) by Joseph Suglia “Die Forderung, geliebt zu werden, ist die grösste aller Anmassungen.” —Friedrich Nietzsche, Menschliches, Allzumenschliches, Volume One, 525 My argument is that Shakespeare is both the most overestimated and the most underestimated writer in the history of English literature. His most famous plays are stupendously and stupefyingly overrated (e.g. The Tempest), whereas the problematical plays that have been relatively understaged and underread until recently, such as Measure for Measure and Love’s Labour’s Lost, are his masterworks. All’s Well That Ends Well is rightly seen as one of the problematical plays, since it does not exactly follow the contours of the Shakespearean comedy. One could rightly say that all of the Shakespearean comedies are conjugal propaganda. They celebrate marriage, that is to say, and marriage, for Hegel and for many others, is the foundation of civil society. In the Age of Elizabeth, long before and long afterward, the way in which children are expected to have been begotten is with the imprimatur of marriage. But there is no marriage-boosterism in All’s Well That Ends Well, no ra-raing or oohing and aahing over marriage. In All’s Well That Ends Well, a celebration of marriage is absent. Whereas Much Ado about Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream end in anti-orgies, in collectivized, communalized, semi-coerced marriages, the wedding in All’s Well That Ends Well takes place in the second act and is absolutely coerced. The play is about a woman named Helena who forces a man named Bertram to marry her and to have sexual intercourse with her. As blunt as this synopsis might be, it is nonetheless accurate. A psychotic stalker, Helena will stop at nothing and will not take “Yes” for an answer. She pursues Bertram relentlessly. As I shall argue below, Bertram genuinely does not want to be married to Helena, nor does he wish to be physically intimate with her. Not only that: There is absolutely no evidence that he desires Helena at the end of the play. Quite the opposite, as I shall contend. Much like her predecessor, Boccaccio’s Giletta, Helena is a monomaniac whose obsession ends in the achievement of her desire and her scheme: “[M]y intents are fix’d, and will not leave me” [I:i]. And yet, does obsession ever end? When we are first presented with her, Helena remarks, “I do affect a sorrow indeed, but I have it too” [I:i]. She means that she affects a sorrow for her father, who died not more than six months ago, but is genuinely sorrowful over the thought of the impossibility of possessing Bertram: “I think not on my father, / And these great tears grace his remembrance more / Than those I shed for him” [Ibid.]. Her indifference to her father’s death reveals that she is hardly the virtuous innocent that the Countess, Lefew, and (later) the King of France take her to be: “I think not on my father… I have forgot him. My imagination / Carries no favour in’t but Bertram’s” [Ibid.]. All she thinks about is Bertram, whose “relics” she “sanctifies” [Ibid.], much like a dement who collects the socks of her lover which she has pilfered from the laundry machine. Even more revealingly, Helena’s love for Bertram has a social and political valence: “Th’ambition in my love thus plagues itself” [I:i]. Am I alone in hearing in the word ambition an envy for Bertram’s higher social status? I am not suggesting that her love for him is purely socially and politically motivated. I am suggesting rather that her love is inseparable from the desire for social / political advancement. When he takes his leave, Bertram does not propose that Helena visit Paris to win the King’s favor, despite what Helena’s words might suggest: “My lord your son made me to think of this; / Else Paris and the medicine and the king / Had from the conversation of my thoughts / Haply been absent then” [I:iii]. Helena lies to the Countess—and/or lies to herself—when she says that her love “seeks not to find that her search implies, / But riddle-like lives sweetly where she dies” [I:iii]. No, Helena is indefatigable and is hardly the self-abnegating “barefooted” saint [III:iv] that she pretends to be. Furthermore, she is lying to herself and to the Countess of Rossillion when she says that she is not “presumptuous,” as she is lying when she says that she would not “have [Bertram]” until she “deserve[s] him” [I:iii]. Who decides when she should “deserve” Bertram? Apparently, Helena believes that only she is authorized to decide when she is deserving of Bertram. Why is Bertram not permitted to decide when and if she is deserving of him? Helena is sexually aggressive from the beginning unto the sour end. The fundamental challenge of the play is not for Helena to find a way to become married to Bertram. As I wrote above, Bertram is forced to marry Helena in the second act of the play. The fundamental challenge of the play is for Helena to find a way to have sexual intercourse with Bertram—to couple with him, whether he wants to couple with her or not. And Bertram has made it clear that he does not find Helena sexually attractive. And yet Helena refuses to accept his rejection and sexually unifies with Bertram while dissembling herself as another woman, Diana Capilet. Helena is not satisfied merely being married to Bertram. Nor, it seems, would she be satisfied with Bertram’s assent and consent, even if he had assented and consented to the marriage. She wants to possess Bertram against his own will: “[L]ike a timorous thief, most fain would steal / What law does vouch mine own” [II:v]. Why not take Helena at her word? On the one hand, she is saying that she is lawfully entitled to the appropriation of Bertram’s body, but that is not enough for her. She is saying that she has the power to break his life, but she would rather have the power to break his heart. On the other hand, taking Helena at her word, she is the thief who would like to steal what is lawfully her own. She would like to experience the thrill of transgressing the law without ever transgressing the law. All’s well that ends well. She does not want to take the wealth of his body; she wants to steal the wealth of his body. Now, this might seem a curiously literal interpretation of the line, but does Helena not deceive her husband like a thief in the night [III:ii]? She does not cheat on her husband; she cheats with her husband. She is like the banker who steals from her own bank or like the casino owner who gambles at her own casino. It would be a mistake to see Bertram as an erotophobe, since he does attempt to seduce Diana. He is revolted by Helena. The idea of having sex with her suffuses him with nausea. Bertram acknowledges that he is married to a woman whom he does not love, but he swears that he will never be physically intimate with her. In a letter to his mother, Bertram writes: “I have wedded [Helena], not bedded her, and sworn to make the ‘not’ eternal” [II:ii]. He is so disgusted by the idea of having sex with her that he goes to war to escape her: “I’ll to the Tuscan wars and never bed her” [II:iii]. Bertram’s reluctance to be yoked to Helena must be seen within the horizon of the early seventeenth century. Let us not forget that Queen Elizabeth was the monarch at the time of the play’s composition, and within Bertram’s refusal to become the “forehorse to a smock” [II:i] (the leading horse in a train of horses spurred on by a woman) one can hear the resonances of Elizabeth’s reign. However, it would be mistaken to suggest that Bertram does not want to marry Helena merely because she is a woman who has been invested with regal authority or merely because she was once lowborn and poor. Again, he finds her physically repellent. Helena does not stop until she couples with Bertram without his consent. Is this not rape? According to the standards of our day, impersonated sex is indeed sexual violation, but it is unlikely that it would have been considered ravishment in the Age of Elizabeth. And is this not incest, for Helena and Bertram are sister and brother, disregarding the banality of biology? There is a conversation about incest in Act One, Scene Three, the conclusion of which is: Helena would acknowledge the Countess as her mother, on the condition that the world does not recognize Bertram as her brother. But are Helena and Bertram not sister and brother? They grew up together in the same household, and it is possible that Bertram rejects Helena partly out of the fear of incest. The Countess certainly sees Helena as her organic daughter: “If [Helena] had partaken of my flesh and cost me the dearest groans of a mother I could not have owed her a more rooted love” [V:v]. Helena is the replica that is naturalized, much like the artificial fruit in the bowl that lies upon your kitchen table, which you accept as natural. Fortune (what is constituted after birth) and Nature (what is constituted at birth) reverse each other: Bertram becomes the bastard child; the orphan Helena becomes the proper daughter: “Which of them both / Is dearest to me I have no skill in sense / To make distinction” [III:iv]. Much worse: The Countess raises Helena to a status that is higher than that of her own son, who is written off by her as a reprobate. When the Countess intones the opening line of the play, “In delivering my son from me, I bury a second husband” [I:i], you do get the impression that her biological son is dead through the act of birth, that her son is a stillborn. Throughout the play, there are posited false equivalences. Convalescence is falsely equated to marriage, as virginity is equated to mortality. Epexegesis: The revival of the King of France is equated to the compulsory marriage of Bertram to Helena (Bertram questions this false economics of equivalence: “But follows it, my lord to bring me down / Must answer for your raising?” [II:iii]), in a Bachelorette-style gameshow that is rigged in advance in which she nominates Bertram without ever taking any of the French lords seriously as his competitors. The death of the King is equated to virginity, as virginity is equated to death in Parolles’ campaign against virginity (“He that hangs himself is a virgin; virginity murthers itself, and should be buried in highways out of all sanctified limit, as a desperate offendress against nature” [I:i]). The King strikes a balance between Bertram’s loss and Helena’s gain: “Take her by the hand / And tell her she is thine; to whom I promise / A counterpoise, if not to thy estate, / A balance more replete” [II:iii]. A fake equivalence, false equation is again posited, between the sacrifice of Bertram’s social status and the elevation of Helena’s status. One thing is taken for another, one person is replaced with another, as we see with the replacement of Diana with Helena. Such is the logic of substitution or the logic of substitutability in All’s Well That Ends Well. Those literary critics who praise Helena as an innocent are wrong (I am looking at you, Harold Bloom), in the same way that the Countess of Rossillion and Lefew are wrong about her “innocence”: Helena is not saintly, she is not simple, she is not unambiguously honest (unless by “honesty” one intends “virginity”), she is not unambiguously good, she is not uncomplicatedly “virtuous” [I:i]. She is not reducible to the role of the innocent that she plays. Shakespeare’s characters are not undifferentiated. His fools tend to be wise, and his characters in general are neither simply good nor simply evil, but rather both good and evil—sometimes, his characters are even good and evil at the same time. This is stated almost aphoristically in the words of the First Lord, a gentleman whose role seems to be to emphasize that #NotAllMenAreSwine: “The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together; our virtues would be proud if our faults whipp’d them not, and our crimes would despair if they were not cherish’d by our virtues” [IV:iii]. The proto-Nietzschean Shakespeare is ventriloquized through the First Lord, I think. Both Nietzsche and Shakespeare admonish us against pouring all of humanity into twin buckets, one marked GOOD and the other marked EVIL. Shakespearean characters are of overwhelming and self-contradicting complexity, assemblages of oxymoronic elements. For this reason, those critics who condemn Bertram as a cad are wrong in the same way that Diana is wrong when she calls him simply “not honest” [III:v]. (Let me remark parenthetically that Parolles is the double of Bertram, as Diana is the double of Helena. Parolles absorbs all of Bertram’s negative traits, particularly the tendency to seduce and impregnate washerwomen.) (And here is a second set of parentheses: Parolles is also the double of Helena. He ignores his social status when he refuses to call his lord Bertram “master” [II:iii].) Those who suggest that Helena shyly longs after a man who is unworthy of her are as wrong as Lefew, who claims that the French lords reject Helena, when it is the other way around. (I’m still looking at you, Harold Bloom.) Bertram is a cad, a seducer, yes, but he is not reducible to his caddishness. Despite her indifference to her father’s death, Helena identifies with her father, Gerard de Narbon, the physician, and uses her father’s recipes to heal the King of France. When Bertram pleads to the Florentine washerwoman, “[G]ive thyself unto my sick desires” [IV:ii], it is apparent that he is conscious of his own sickness, and it is Helena who will wear the quackish mask of the physician once more. The first half of the play folds upon the second half: In the first half, Helena cures the King of his ailment; in the second, Helena cures Bertram of the sickness of his lechery—against his will. When the King’s eyes first alight upon Helena, she seems a radiant presence: “This haste hath wings indeed” [II:i], he says, as if she were a seraphic apparition. It is Helena’s womanly charm, her femaleness, that resurrects him from the dead: “Methinks in thee some blessed spirit doth speak / His powerful sound within an organ weak” [Ibid.]. It is her vixenishness that virilizes him. The King is revived from the dead. Now, Bertram has lost the right to say, “No” to Helena. Love for Helena is now equated to the obedience to the King of France: “Thou wrong’st thyself if thou should’st strive to choose [to love Helena]!” [II:iii], the King screams at Bertram. In other words, “You should not have to choose to love Helena. I have commanded you to love Helena, and therefore you MUST love Helena.” The word of the King is law, and to defy the word of the King is misprision. Behind Helena’s monomaniacal pursuit of Bertram is all of the weight of legal and regal authority. Love of Helena is bound up with love of the King, and an affront to Helena is an affront to the throne. This is to say that Bertram is legally and politically obligated to love Helena, as if love is something that could be compelled, coerced, commanded. Here, the King of France ignores that desire is not logical or causal and is not subject to regal injunction. Desire cannot be systematized. We cannot program our minds to love; we cannot download love applications into the smartphones of our minds. Were she not such a monomaniac, Helena would have let Bertram go after he refuses her, but she does not. Not once does Helena accept Bertram’s rejection. Not once does she turn her attention to another man after Bertram scorns her. Instead, she pretends to relinquish the man she is determined to appropriate: “That you are well restor’d, my lord, I’m glad. / Let the rest go” [II:iii]. When Helena says this, it is accismus, that is, the feigned refusal of that which is earnestly desired. It is not a statement of resignation. Nor should one mistake her demand to marry for a marriage proposal. Helena does not propose marriage; she imposes marriage. It would have been noble had Helena renounced Bertram upon learning that he is a marriage escapee, that he defected to Italy and entered the Tuscan Wars and a likely death to escape her. However, this is not what Helena does: Instead, she pursues him to Italy. Her path of reflection is as follows: “Bertram left France to escape me; therefore, I will leave France, as well—and follow him to Italy.” Whereas Helena wants presence, Bertram wants absence: “Till I have no wife I have nothing in France” [III:ii], he writes to his mother. To say that she wants everything would be a gross understatement. She wants more than everything—she wants to eat her Key Lime Pie and refrigerate it at the same time. Bertram gives away his six-generation family ring to Helena, who is disguised as a Florentine washerwoman, and this is ring will be returned to him. The ring seals not only his marriage to Helena, but also seals his marriage to the community / to the collective. The symbol of the ring is clearly the chief symbol of the play, for treason moves in an annular pattern. Treachery is circular; treason is circular. This is the meaning of the difficult and frequently misinterpreted words of the First Lord: We are, the First Lord says, “[m]erely our own traitors. And as in the common course of all treasons we still see them reveal themselves till they attain to their abhorr’d ends; so he that in this action contrives against his own nobility, in his proper stream o’erflows himself” [IV:iii]. I would translate these lines thus: “We human beings are traitors to ourselves. We betray ourselves in the very act of betrayal. As we betray others, we betray ourselves—that is, we reveal ourselves as traitors and thus we betray our own betrayals.” According to a citation in The Oxford English Dictionary, “till” could mean “while” in 1603. All’s Well That Ends Well is believed to have been written between 1604 and 1605. If “till” meant “while” in 1603 in England, then this is a justifiable reading of the lines. All of the main characters are unrepentant traitors, and traitors always betray themselves. We see treacherous treason in the treacheries of Parolles, of Helena, and of Bertram. Parolles intends to betray the Florentine army, but ends up betraying military secrets to the Florentine army. Helena does, in fact, deceive her husband, but this deception ends in legitimized sexual intercourse. Moreover, she lies when she says that she “embrace[s]” death to “set [Bertram] free” [III:iv], but she does so in order to affirm the sanctity of marriage. She is a liar who feigns her own death—but she does so in order to honor marriage and thus to honor Elizabethan society. In the eyes of the world, she has done nothing wrong. Who could blame her for cozening someone who would unjustly win? Would could blame her for deceiving her husband in order to sanctify conjugality? A Casanova in reverse, she takes a honeymoon to Italy and has sex with her husband—only her husband thinks that he is having sex with someone else. No one is devirginized, except for Bertram’s wife. Bertram would betray Helena by cheating upon her, but he ends up betraying himself. He intends to commit adultery on his own wife, but he ends up committing adultery with his wife. From a purely external / legal / formal point of view, neither sin nor crime has been performed in each case. In each case, the three characters have sinful intentions, and yet commit no sin. All’s well that ends in a socially acceptable manner. It is for this reason that Helena says that the reason within her treasonous marriage plot “[i]s wicked meaning in a lawful deed, / And lawful meaning in a lawful act, / Where both not sin, and yet a sinful fact” [III:vii]. And later in the play: “All’s well that ends well; still the fine’s the crown. / Whatever the course, the end is the renown” [IV:v]. “Fine” here means “ending.” The formal close of the plot sanctifies all of the deception that came before it. The ring turns itself around; the end communes with the beginning. The ring is closed, erasing all of the treachery and deception that was used to forge it. No one is innocent, and no one is guilty. Diana implies the innocent guilt of not only Bertram, but of all traitors, when she says: “Because he’s guilty and he is not guilty” [V:iii]. The traitors of the play (Parolles, Helena, and Bertram) are innocent, though their intentions are treasonous. One character after the other intends to perform a treacherous action, but this action is transmuted into its opposite. Such is the reversal of language: As the First Lord says to the Second Lord (in reference to a secret that will be communicated by the latter to the former): “When you have spoken it, ’tis dead, and I am the grave of it” [IV:iii]. Language kills. That is: Language has the tendency to say the exact opposite of what we mean. When we say or write, “I am lonely,” we cannot be lonely, for we open up the possibility of communication. When we say or write, “I am sad,” we are not sad enough to stop speaking or writing. Concerning the intentional errors of language: The bescarfed fool Patrolles misuses words throughout, and this is always Shakespeare’s way of ridiculing characters he does not respect. For instance, Parolles says “facinerious” instead of “facinorous” [II:iii]. He uses an affected language, such as when he calls Bertram’s defection from marriage a “capriccio” [Ibid.]. He often cannot finish his sentences. Again and again, his sentences are broken off with em-dashes (this is what rhetoricians call aposiopesis). And yet there is some sense in his nonsense. When he intones, “Mort du vinaigre!” [III:iii], this might seem to be mere babble, and yet might it not evoke the crucifixion of Christ, whose broken lips and tongue were said to be moistened by vinegar? When Parolles is accosted by the Florentines, dressed as Muscovites, they utter gibble-gabble, such as “Boskos vauvado” and “Manka revania dulche” [IV:i]. And yet are they gabbling? Dulche might invoke Dolch, a German word that means “dagger” (after all, the Florentines-dressed-as-Muscovites are pointing their poniards at Parolles), and boskos might evoke “bosk” or “boscage,” which makes sense, since the scene takes place in a forest. Even though they are gabbling, there is significance in their gibble-gabble. Shakespeare cannot allow his writing to be meaningless. There is, in his writing, a tyranny of meaning. Even the nonsense in his plays carries sense. At the end of the play, which does not end well, and which therefore belies its own title, Bertram acknowledges that his wife is his wife, but he does so in formalistic and legalistic language: “If she, my liege, can make me know this clearly / I’ll love her dearly, ever, ever dearly” [V:iii]. In other words, “I love you because I am socially, legally, and politically obligated to love you.” He speaks as if the knowledge of information led to desire, as if the confirmation of a legal contract necessarily issued in passion. Indeed, Helena has proven that she has fulfilled both conditions of the contract: that she pull the ring from his finger and that she produce a child of whom he is the father. The ring is given as evidence to Helena’s kangaroo court; the parturition of the child is demonstrated, as if this were the Elizabethan version of a talk-show paternity test. It is probable, however, that Bertram intended “ring” and “child” as metaphors—and yet Helena takes the letter as the law. Helena literalizes what might have been intended metaphorically. Is the social, legal, and political obligation to love another human being not the definition of marriage? Kant defined marriage as the mutual leasing of each other’s genital organs, and philosophers since Hegel have criticized his glacial definition. But was Kant incorrect? All’s Well That Ends Well implies essentially the same thing. It could be said, with only slight exaggeration or overstatement, that this play is a work of misogamy in contrast to the epithalamia Much Ado about Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shakespeare’s most problematical comedy would suggest that marriage is the lie of all lies, the hoax of all hoaxes, and should be avoided by anyone who values solitude, privacy, and freedom. When Bertram submits to the will of Helena and the will of the King the first time, it is hardly a profession of love: “I find that she, which late / Was in my nobler thoughts most base, is now / The praised of the king; who, so ennobled, / Is as ’twere born so” [II:iii]. This is the least erotic assent to marry someone that has ever been articulated. “All yet seems well” [V:iii; emphasis mine]. There is the semblance of a happy closure, the simulation of a happy ending. Simply because the circle has closed in a formal sense, this does not mean that anyone is happy. All’s Well That Ends Well does not end well. All is not well in All’s Well That Ends Well. All’s ill that ends well.

So, it seems that I blinked or blacked out or something and all the sudden it’s been almost a whole year since I’ve written anything on here. Oops! There’s a lot of reasons for that. I’d itemize a list for you, but I’d prefer to blather on endlessly because after all, that’s what blogs are for. For a long time, this blog was all about my “homes on the road,” which was a fun way to share cool places we camped all over the continent while full-time RVing. When that shindig ended, my blog (and I) felt a bit lost. I optimistically mused about blogging on topics like DIY house renovations, gardening, mom-hood, etc. But even now, 2+ years after being out of the full-time RV life, still none of that stuff makes that sense to me. At least not enough to pretend to be enough of an expert on to write about. Full-time travel? Of course, that was never as easy or glamorous as it probably appeared in small snippets every few weeks on your screen. But it made sense in my head, at least most of the time. House life? Mom life? None of that comes as naturally, and I sometimes feel like I’m going through the motions of someone else’s life while barely treading water. Over the years, I’ve taken this blog to some semi-personal places but it’s all been pretty travel-related, and that’s my safe place. Owning a legit housing structure on a remote piece of property where the desert meets the forest and the mountains is its own adventure. So is keeping a small human alive, day in and day out. Yet writing about those things for all the world to see (correction: probably three friends and two stalkers) makes me want to squeeze myself under the bed and hide even though I don’t fit down there. Meanwhile, more and more people I know aren’t cool publicly sharing things online anymore, that whole concept is iffy with a baby, and talking about travel during COVID sometimes feels sketchy too. Other excuses I make for neglecting this blog are being too burnt out from writing for work to ever feel like writing for “fun,” being too generally exhausted from baby life to do anything creative, and being distracted by shiny things. But alas, I feel crappy about letting my miniature corner of the world go to waste. It’s a place I carved out to chitter-chatter about cool places without selling out or turning a passion project into yet another chore to weigh me down. In the meanwhile, I’ve actually been traveling quite a bit since full-time camper life ended and exploring lots of awesome places around my home base in New Mexico. I’ve also finally started to bust out of my comfort zone and meet some cool local people who are into some of the same stuff I am. Some of this deserves writing about, which is why I’m here again to fill the void. Enough blather for you? Okay then. Moving on! Besides the blather, my actual goal with this post was to give a quick recap of cool places I’ve been hanging out so far in 2021. Yet again, I considered venturing out to other topics for this blog but that didn’t go so well. So, why not stick with the tried and true? Sure, travel hasn’t always been without its controversy his year, but I’m not a dumb traveler….I’m vaccinated, a responsible masker, a relentless planner, and an informed reader of reliable things. I’ll always have a restless spirit and a wandering soul. But the Southwest still feels like home to me on most days, and I want to share that with you, dear world. So, without further ado (and I think you’d agree that there’s been plenty of ado), here are some cool spots I’ve been lately with one representative photo per place to keep it simple and moving along. Oh, and a few anecdotes because that’s just what I do. Tucson/Wilcox, Arizona – January 2021 What better place to escape for the winter in the Southwest than Tucson? This camper trip was filled with wonderfully wearing tank tops in January, cool rock formations, iconic cacti, and buying some random pottery. So far, my baby hasn’t fallen into a cactus, and I’m trying to keep it that way. Taos/Angel Fire, New Mexico – February 2021 Despite the adorable look on little Chikoo’s face, snow isn’t exactly his cup of tea. Regardless, we headed up to the Northern New Mexico ski resorts to get in some runs and playtime out in that white stuff. Las Cruces, New Mexico / El Paso, Texas – March 2021 One of Monkey’s favorite places on the planet is White Sands National Park. The gypsum sand stays cool on even the hottest of days and is oh-so-soft on doggie paws. Yet the winds here are absolutely nuts, and this visit was no exception. We met our good Chicago friends, Bryina, here and following a winery/lunch stop nearby on a particularly awesome day. Other highlights from this camping trip were walking through the pueblo ruins, bike trails, and roadside antique shops selling super weird stuff. Grandparents Visit NM – April 2021 April was one of the rare months when we didn’t leave the area for a camping excursion. My little man turned one year old in April, so Grandma and Grandpa drove out to New Mexico to celebrate. The local staycation involved the small man’s first trip to the zoo, a sugary birthday cake, and a crazy number of new things to play with. Southeast Utah – May 2021 May is always a big travel month for us…it’s the husband’s birthday, our marriage anniversary, and a perfect time to be outdoors in the Southwest. Those red rock landscapes in Utah are my favorite places to be, and it’d been too long since we’ve been back among them. This trip included a first-time visit to Capitol Reef National Park, a revisit to Canyonlands National Park and Moab, and some random finds like Leprechaun Canyon and the Factory Buttle OHV area. Bonus points for an overnight in one of our favorite Colorado spots, Cortez, on the way back home. It was pretty much all hiking all the time, so definitely thanking the universe that the Chikoo rides awesomely in a baby hiking backpack. Ladies’ Weekend in ABQ & Jemez Springs – June 2021 This girl is my ride-or die. We text and video chat every day, but that’s not always enough. She was awesome enough to fly out to see me in June so we could party it up downtown, go hiking, wine tasting, and get into random shenanigans along the way. Arizona Pitstop – July 2021 It was 112 degrees outside, but that doesn’t stop us from seeing awesome people. Arizona transplants, Chancy, met up with us for a delicious lunch and boat cruise on Saguaro Lake. There were good drinks, great views, and even better times hanging out. I give this day a solid two fist bumps, even when we spent a stupid amount of time loitering in a CVS just because it had air conditioning. SoCal/NorCal – July 2021 Now this was a fun camper excursion. We set up camp just outside of San Diego and took the Chikoo to his very first beach, Imperial Beach. There were also splash pads, breweries, in-laws, more breweries, fun Cali friend meetups, and lovely weather. Bonus points for a fun rendezvous in Downtown Flagstaff on the way back. Northwest New Mexico Birthday – August 2021 The time came to turn 38, so I may as well get on a boat about it, eh? Birthday celebrations took me to Northwest New Mexico with stops in Farmington, the Bisti Badlands, and Navajo Lake. Getting old isn’t so bad when you’re surrounded by scenery like this. Local Adventures Close to Home – 2021 Yet within a 30-minute or less from my house, I’ve found plenty of other good stuff to do too. There have been a scattering public pools, cat cafes, brew spots, music festivals, playgrounds, trails, group hikes, and mom meetups…not to mention monsoon season with its epic sunsets filled with lightning and double rainbows. Dunno when I’ll be back here…maybe sooner, maybe later. But for now, my blog neglect guilt is absolved! And there’s still plenty of 2021 left to go exploring. Toot-a-loo!

Many a spooky story begins with, “On a dark and stormy night…”, but in the case of visiting a theme park Halloween event, that kind of wet environment tends to just put a damper on the fun. Unfortunately, such was the case when I visited the Halloween Haunt at Knott’s Berry Farm. Though, honestly, the rain isn’t solely to blame for the complete lack of scares I witnessed during my first-ever visit to the decades-old theme park. Knott’s Berry Farm is located within minutes of Disneyland, a short drive up the highway. At Halloween time, it transforms its roughly 160 acres into Knott’s Scary Farm, featuring with 13 haunted attractions and mazes, 7 live shows, and actors roaming the streets trying to entertain and scare guests passing through. I visited Knott’s on Sunday, Oct. 23, and was anxious to step foot into what I have often heard described as one of the scariest Halloween events around. Years ago, Knott’s essentially pioneered today’s concept of the theme park Halloween haunt. Despite its history, the event now suffers from holding on too strongly to the past and not progressing into the amped-up Halloween entertainment that’s present today in competing events. Throughout the night I was there, a light sprinkling rain was persistent. This meant that all of Knott’s famous roller coasters and rides were closed for the majority of the night, a bummer for me as a first-time visitor to this park. Likewise, nearly all of the live shows for the Halloween Haunt were cancelled, as most are presented on outdoor stages. I had been told not to miss “The Hanging,” a parody-filled show described to me as a ruder version of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure, found at Universal Studios Orlando and Hollywood. Again, I was bummed to be missing most of the live entertainment. But all was not lost for the evening, as Knott’s Scary Farm boasts 13 haunted attractions – 11 mazes and 2 rides. I thought that would be more than enough to keep me entertained. I was dead wrong. Before I offer my thoughts, here’s a quick video summary of some of the more interesting sights I spotted throughout my time at Knott’s Scary Farm: Knott’s enhances two of its rides for Halloween, adding actors and startles throughout. The classic Calico Mine Ride, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary next month, is made over into Black Widow’s Cavern. While riding on this attraction for the first time, I appreciated the piece of theme park history I was experiencing. A relatively slow-moving mine train takes visitors through a mountain. It seems to me that by day, this ride is something akin to the now-extinct Mine Train through Nature’s Wonderland at Disneyland. During the Halloween Haunt, costumed actors hide themselves in plain sight alongside the train track, standing still until the opportune moment to shake a noisemaker at guests passing by. It produces some good startle scares, heightened by the inward facing seats, allowing actors to lurk behind guests without them ever realizing it. A number of animatronic spiders also haunt the Calico mine, but the creep factor is lost on them, as most have their mechanisms clearly visible. Similarly, the Knott’s Berry Farm Log Ride is transformed into Sleepy Hollow Mountain for Halloween, but as I coasted through a few elaborately-decorated scenes, I mostly witnessed a handful of actors doing the bare minimum required of them to keep their jobs. One even appeared to be sitting lazily alongside the log flume, just kicking back until the next log floated by, only then bothering to raise his noisemaker for a moment before returning to his semi-sleeping position. And therein lies the major issue at Knott’s Scary Farm that left me feeling underwhelmed: a lack of quality control. Throughout most of Knott’s haunts, I saw things that I shouldn’t. Animatronics had exposed armatures and wires. Actors stood around looking bored or chatting with each other as if it was a night off from work. “Behind the scenes” areas were often seen through unsecured doors. In general, it felt as if Knott’s was just phoning it in that night. Was it because of the rain? Perhaps in some cases, but that’s no excuse. If an event is going to be put on rain or shine, then it is expected that the experience will be top notch, regardless of the weather. Actors shouldn’t give up the scares for the night simply because they’re getting a little wet. And the rain certainly doesn’t justify letting backstage show elements or mechanics stay visible to guests. In walking through the 11 haunted mazes of Knott’s Scary Farm, it became clear to me which had been around for years and which were newer. Some mazes like Terror of London and Dia de Los Muertos felt more like elaborate backyard haunts rather than something that would be found in a major theme park. Each house suffered from a severe lack of actors. There were times when I would pass through several scenes in a row without seeing a single actor, left only to look at the dark walls and a handful of props scattered around me. And even when I did approach an actor, little effort was ever made to scare me. Many actors seemed to wander aimlessly from scene to scene, rather than manning a particular position. Occasionally they grouped together and seemed to have a casual conversation, ignoring the guests passing through. But all was not terrible. There are some gems to be found scattered at Knott’s Scary Farm. The Doll Factory features good sound design, a handful of girls dressed as creepy dolls that played their parts well, and a fun trip through a full-scale doll house. It’s the only house I bothered to go through twice. Cornstalkers places a traditional Halloween corn maze in a theme park setting and offers the largest animatronic figure I’ve ever seen inside a haunt. It wasn’t scary, but it was big and fun to look at (despite the uncovered mechanical parts). Virus Z is a valiant attempt at a comedy-based haunted house and was the only maze that mentally took me outside of Knott’s Berry Farm and put me in another world, a fictional town of Pleasanton full of maniacal residents. Slaughterhouse is the goriest maze of the bunch and while actors were few and far between in this house, scenes were elaborately decorated and even included a people-sized meat grinder. Less memorable houses include Lockdown, Fallout Shelter, Club Blood, and the completely-baffling Labyrinth, which leads guests through a world of characters and sets that seem to have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Uncle Bobo’s Bigtop of the Bizarre was probably a good 3-D house when it first premiered, but today it looks like a day-glow nightmare (and not in a good way). Knott’s also feels the need to charge $1 for 3-D glasses that are essentially required for enjoyment of 2 of its 11 haunted mazes (the other being Dia de los Muertos). Other parks with 3-D haunted houses almost always include these paper glasses at no extra charge. Outside of the houses, street actors ranged from entertaining and amusing to dull and lifeless. A large number of annoying clowns roam the streets of Knott’s Scary Farm, doing very little to scare anyone. Instead, they fall into the standard Halloween clown routine of just being obnoxious. One man inexplicably dressed in drag in the park’s “Ghost Town” area was spouting comments to guests so inappropriate I won’t even repeat them here. Some street actors did seem to be enjoying themselves and played their parts well. Near the end of the night, a group of “Ghost Town” actors blocked a main path heading toward the exit of the park, taunting guests to try to get past them. I watched as one girl tried to break through and bounced right back. Finally, after some laughs, the gang disbanded to play with guests’ minds elsewhere. It was one of a select few amusing moments I found throughout the night. In the end, I am looking forward to returning to Knott’s Berry Farm some day to experience its rich history and fast rides in the daytime. But not even the promise of good weather would entice me to return to the Halloween Haunt at Knott’s Scary Farm in its current form. The event would benefit greatly from retiring half of its haunted houses and condensing its team of actors into a handful of their best experiences. With a bit of attention to detail and some sprucing up, Knott’s Scary Farm could once again be considered a must-visit for a Halloween fan. But as it exists in 2010, the scare has left the farm. Photos from the 2010 Halloween Haunt at Knott’s Scary Farm: (Photos by Jared Isham and Ricky Brigante)

But Universal Studios and Nickelodeon Studios were officially opened to the public on June 7, 1990. The celebration was huge as it was being broadcast live in front of millions of kids anxiously awaiting to see this brand new studio headquarters exclusively for kids. This 3 hour long special was hosted by Marc Summers and there were many guest stars of popular Nickelodeon stars at the time such as Harvey from Double Dare, Les Lye from You Can't Do That on Television, Greg Lee from Total Panic, Christine Taylor and Kelly Brown from Hey Dude, and many more. At the end of the 3 hour special, the new slime geyser burst with slime and gak to officially close the opening to Nickelodeon, but it wasn't until October in which the opening of the geyser was more official. More celebrities like Russel Johnson from Gilligan's Island were there. People who had gotten slimed would get buttons and T-shirts saying that they were the first people in Universal Studios to do so. Stage 17 would be used for The Game Lab in which kids would come and play games or goof around or trying new game shows. Combining with Stage 18, they would be filming GUTS/Global Guts. Soundstages 18 and 19 would be used for production offices, dressing rooms, make up rooms, and the Gak Kitchen. The Gak Kitchen was one of the most popular things to do when they would give tours for kids. On April 12, 1992, a Nickelodeon time capsule was buried on Universal Studios and wouldn't be opened for another 50 years. Kids had buried things that meant the world to them in 1992 such as a stick of bubblegum, roller skates, a Game Boy, VHS copies of Home Alone and Back to the Future, a Michael Jackson and MC Hammer CD, a jar of Gak, Barbie dolls, an issue of Nickelodeon magazine, a Nickelodeon T-shirt, a piece of the Berlin Wall, and more. There was a live broadcast of the burial of the capsule hosted by Mike O'Malley and Joey Lawrence. For more information on the topic, check out the website mentalfloss.com. Thanks Moviefan12 from Manic Expression for showing me this! During those years, many shows such as Eureeka's Castle, Allegra's Window, Gullah Gullah Island, All That, Kenan and Kel, GUTS, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Figure it Out, What Would You Do?, Slime Time Live, Nick in the Afternoon, Double Dare 2000, Taina, and Noah Knows Best was filmed. Unfortunately, around the 2000s, things started to go a bit downhill for Nickelodeon. Even though, they gotten a new paint job and new additions like the Jimmy Neutron ride, it wasn't enough. A new stage facility called Nickelodeon on Sunset was built in California and that was where most of the shows were being filmed there. Originally, the Earl Carroll Theater, the 3rd and 4th seasons of Kenan and Kel, the 4th through 10th season of All That, The Amanda Show, and The Nick Cannon Show moved there to be filmed. Due to that, a few people lost their jobs and the popularity of Nickelodeon Studios began to wane a bit. Also kids' game shows at the time were no longer popular and the last one that was released there was called Splat. It was a huge failure being cancelled less than a few months after it aired. With all those things combine, on April 30, 2005, Nickelodeon Studios was officially closed forever. All the Nickelodeon decorations, the slime geyser, and the time capsule was removed and for many people, Nickelodeon was officially dead to them. After being there for 14 years and over 2,000 episodes for many shows were filmed, Nickelodeon Studios created a legacy that millions of children will remember. An opportunity to see their favorite shows live and maybe even be on TV was huge for them. Happy memories that they would cherish for the rest of their lives would be created there while creating their own Gak. Their childhood of visiting Nickelodeon Studios whenever they would go to Universal Studios was gone. It was truly a sad day. I was fortunate to see Nickelodeon Studios while it was up seeing a live taping of Double Dare 2000 and even playing a game at the Game Lab. I will cherish it forever. The time capsule has been moved to the Nickelodeon Suites Resort in Orlando still awaiting to be opened on 2042. Just 30 more years and we'll see the day that all those things from back then being shown to a new generation of kids. I'm going to be 56 when that happens! Yikes! Two years later, it would be replaced by The Blue Man Group where they would make their performances. However, may we never forget what Nickelodeon Studios meant to us as a whole. Let the legacy of what it created for us as kids be always in our hearts. To learn more about the history of Nickelodeon Studios, check out this article at retrojunk.com. That's all for now. Hope to see you around Old School Lane soon. Thanks for reading.

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Cyclopædia of Political Science, Political Economy, and the Political History of the United States INTEREST is the product, the increase (incrementum), the return (reditus) from capital. When interest represents the sum paid at fixed periods by the borrower to the loaner of capital, it retains its generic name, or takes the more special designation of rent or income. The price charged by the proprietor for the use of land leased by him, is rent. The term income is more particularly applied to the product of capital employed in commerce, agriculture or manufactures. In brief, interest signifies equally the profit the capitalist derives from the direct employment of his capital, and the return he receives for granting its use to others for a certain length of time. —No difficulty can arise with respect to the profits of a capitalist who employs his own capital: the interest on capital is in this case blended with the product of his labor. If a field be cultivated, or a workshop used by its owner, he has to render no account to any one. The operation is in a certain sense a domestic one, giving rise to nothing requiring regulation. Whether the capital employed by its possessor returns 5 per cent. or 20 per cent., whether it is productive or unproductive, concerns only the producer—pertains only to the proprietor. Nothing in relation to it comes within the province of legislation, which only extends to matters which affect relations among men. But the moment the owner of capital so far relinquishes its use as to lease it, if it be immovable property, or to loan it at interest, if it be movable property, a contract is formed between the one who delivers and the one who receives. From this contract arise rights and obligations for each of the contracting parties, which it is for the law to determine for the advantage of both parties; and consequences also arise from it which it is the mission of political economy to observe, in order to deduce from them, as much for the benefit of individuals as of society, the lessons of experience. —I. LOANS AT INTEREST. Is it permissible to loan at interest? Can one legitimately derive a product from his capital, a revenue from his money? On this question, which no longer seems to be one, the world, until toward the latter part of the last century, was divided. Loans at interest had in their favor the constant practice of peoples, especially of those noted for their progress in wealth, commerce and industry; on the other side were the oracles of religion and the doctors of the law. Now that theology has become more humane on this point, and jurisprudence has relaxed its rigor, socialism has taken up the thesis of the abolition of interest. The sophism has only changed defenders. Instead of justifying this interference with capital on the ground of charity or in consequence of unenlightened views in regard to morality, appeal is now made to envy and the anarchical passions. —The (so-called) laws of Moses recognized the legitimacy of loaning at interest, for it was only prohibited the Jews in their relations with their own countrymen, who were considered as members of the same family; and credit transactions with foreigners, as well as commercial ones, were wholly free. The laws of Solon, made for an essentially commercial people, placed no restriction or limit on the employment of money. At Rome, the severity of the legislation on this subject only provoked disobedience. Capital, which was persecuted, became exacting in proportion to the risks to which it was exposed. Nowhere was theory more strangely in contradiction with practice. Cato, who compared usury (i.e., interest) to assassination, was himself an avaricious and pitiless usurer; and the stern Brutus loaned at 48 per cent. per annum. —In the middle ages the civil and religious authorities were in accord in prohibiting loans at interest. This interdiction, already written in the capitularies of Aix la Chapelle, in 789, was perpetuated in French law until the revolution of 1789. But, during this long millenium, the observance of the legal precept was purely nominal. To evade it, recourse was had to subtleties without number. First the bill of exchange, and afterward the establishment of annuities, furnished the most simple and usual means. Later, people came to tolerate loans by note, discount, and every species of money negotiation between tradesmen. Sovereigns themselves needed to borrow, and were obliged to submit to the conditions of money-lenders. Everywhere the force of circumstances overcame the obstacle of antiquated and anti-social legislation. —The prejudice against loans at interest may be traced back to the time of Aristotle, and has its source in his writings. The following are the terms in which the Greek philosopher teaches the too-well-known doctrine of the sterility of money: "The acquisition of wealth being double, that is to say, at once commercial and domestic, the latter necessary and rightfully esteemed, the former not less justly despised as not being natural and not resulting from the sale of commodities, it is quite right to execrate usury, because it is a mode of acquisition born of money itself and not giving it the destination for which it was created. Money should serve only for exchange, and the interest of it increases it, as its Greek name sufficiently indicates. Here the fathers are absolutely like the children: interest is money which is the issue of money, and of all acquisitions, it is that most contrary to nature." The anathema pronounced by Aristotle against trade in money, extends, as may be seen, to every kind of commercial operation. He did not comprehend, though living in the midst of people pre-eminently commercial, the utility of the rôle commerce plays in society. He did not see that to bring nations into contact with each other, to open the ways to markets, to place products within the reach of consumers, was to give them value, was, in a certain sense, to produce them. —In a treatise aimed against loans at interest, another Greek moralist, Plutarch, exclaims: "What! you are men, you have feet, hands, and a voice, and you say you do not know how to get a living! The ants neither borrow nor lend; yet they have not hands, or arts, or reason; but they live by their labor, because they are content with things necessary. If people were willing to be content with things necessary, there would be no more usurers than there are centaurs." Plutarch here alludes to the rich who expended money in excess of their income, and who ruined themselves by loans contracted to give free indulgence to passing fancies; but, even in those times, the debauchees and prodigals were not the only ones who borrowed. There were already industries which needed capital, and traders who had recourse to interest loans, or loans for a share in the profits to bring their operations to an end or to extend them. The treasures accumulated by saving acquired by commerce, or obtained by victory, were not always dissipated in luxury and in pleasures; they sometimes served to stimulate production and to develop wealth. Money was at that time an instrument of labor. The capitalists who loaned it for that use, rendered service to borrowers and to society. They had consequently a right to receive pay for this service. Plutarch, on account of his preoccupation with the abuses of loans at interest, failed to perceive their good results. —The fathers of the church who treated this question, only copied Aristotle and Plutarch. "The lenders," said St. Basil, "enrich themselves by the poverty of others; they derive advantage from the hunger and nakedness of the poor. To take interest, is to gather where one has not sown." St. Chrysostom, insisting on this argument, exclaims, in a style loaded with metaphors: "What is there more unreasonable than to sow without land, without rain, without a plowshare? All those who devote themselves to that damnable agriculture, harvest only tares. * * * Let us, then, cut off these monstrous children begotten of gold and silver, let us stifle this execrable fecundity * * *." St. Ambrose, St. Augustine and St. Jerome held the same language. The following is a dilemma of the latter, which, if it is inspired by charity, is hardly so by logic: "Have you loaned to him who had, or to him who had not? If he had, why loan to him? If he had not, why do you ask of him more, as if he had?" —It is easy to reply that if one loans to those who have, it is because they do not always hold all their resources at their full disposal, and a timely loan of money permits them to await the receipt of their revenues. As to those who possess nothing, by loaning them capital one gives them the means of making their labor productive; one places in their hand the lever of wealth. If they had no credit, they would be still poorer; and they should at least, in consideration of the unexpected good, pay for the use of the money they have borrowed. —Another doctor in the church, Gerson, the author of "Imitation of Christ," says: "It is better that there be some light usuries which procure help for the indigent, than to see them reduced by poverty to theft, waste of property, and selling their furniture and immovable property at a very low price." —The church also condemned sales on time, as a stipulation was made in them in regard to interest on deferred payments. This was, according to the schoolmen, "to sell time, which can not be sold, since God has made it common to all." Strange to say, this maxim of the canon law was first proclaimed by the council of Coventry, in England, the very country where the popular adage, "Time is money," was afterward invented. —But no one carried the prejudice against loans at interest (which, since the ninth century, had been stigmatized by the name of usury) farther than Luther, the originator of the religious reformation. His view of the subject is thus given in his "Table Talk": "The civil laws themselves prohibit usury. To exchange anything with any one and gain by the exchange is not a deed of charity; it is robbery. Every usurer is a robber worthy of the gibbet. I call those usurers who loan at five or six per cent. To-day, at Leipzig, he who loans a hundred florins, asks forty for them at the end of the year as interest on his money. Do you think God will tolerate such a thing? There is nothing under the sun I hate so much as that city of Leipzig; there is so much usury, avarice, insolence, trickery and rapacity there." —More passion than knowledge entered into the judgment given by Luther. The Roman church had at that time relaxed its severity in regard to loans at interest. Its allies, the Florentines, had become rich by trading in money throughout Europe. In inveighing against bankers, Luther thought he was also inveighing against popes. Calvin showed better judgment, in not allowing himself to be turned from the examination of doctrines by considerations of party or of persons. He vigorously attacked the economic theory of Aristotle on the sterility of money. "Money, it is said, does not beget money. And does the sea produce it? Is it the fruit of a house, for the use of which, nevertheless, I receive a rent? Is money begotten, to speak properly, from the roof and walls? No, but the earth produces it; the sea bears ships which serve in a productive commerce, and with a sum of money a comfortable dwelling may be procured. If, then, more profit can be derived from money negotiations than from the cultivation of a field, why should not the possessor of a sum of money be permitted to derive from it any sum whatever, since the proprietor of a sterile field is permitted to lease it for a farm rent? And when land is acquired by the payment of money, does not this capital produce an annual revenue? What, pray, is the source of the profits of the merchant? His industry, you will say, and his diligence. Who doubts that money unemployed is useless wealth? He who demands capital, apparently wishes to use it as an instrument of production. It is not then from the money itself that the profit comes, but from the use that is made of it." (Calvin's letters.) —Doctrines have as much influence as laws on the development of public prosperity. Protestant nations certainly owe to Calvin their superiority to Catholic nations, since the sixteenth century, in commerce and manufactures. Freedom to loan for interest gave rise in them to credit; and credit has doubled their power. —Not until two centuries later did Montesquieu dare, for the first time in France, to profess the same principles. "Money," says the author of the "Spirit of Laws," "is the sign of values. It is clear that he who needs this sign should hire it, as he does other things he needs. * * * It is indeed a very kind act to loan money to a person without interest; but we perceive that this can only be a religious precept and not a civil law. In order that commerce be successful, money must have a value. If money has no value, no one will loan it, and the merchant can no longer undertake anything. I err in saying that no one will loan it. The business of society must always go on: usury becomes established, but with the disadvantages always experienced from it. The law of Mohammed confounds usury with interest. Usury increases, in Mohammedan countries, in proportion to the severity of the prohibition. The lender indemnifies himself for the peril of the contravention." —Montesquieu here, under cover of his criticism of the laws of Mohammed, brings a charge against Christian society. Loaning at interest was still under condemnation in France, both by the canons of the church and the laws of the state, at the time when the "Spirit of Laws" appeared. A magistrate could less openly brave that double authority than any other citizen. Hence the artifice of the author. He applies his criticism to the past, or transfers it to the Orient. It is for French society to recognize itself in the picture, if it desires. The following reign relieved writers from that somewhat hypocritical reserve; and political economy, in the writings of Turgot, set forth principles with entire freedom. —The constituent assembly sanctioned these principles. The law of Oct. 12, 1789, by proclaiming the legitimacy of loans at interest, put an end to a controversy which had been prolonged for twenty centuries: "All private citizens, bodies, communities and mortmain people" (i.e., those holding property which they could not alienate) "shall be able henceforth to loan for a fixed time, for interest stipulated according to the rates determined by law." The new law was written, in terms no less explicit, in article 1905 of the civil code, thus: "It is permitted to stipulate interest for a simple loan, whether of money or provisions or other movable property." —Since that time loans at interest have been in accordance with civil law in France. Is this likewise natural law? Can reason, based upon the principles of morality and public utility, approve what the law declares? The Catholic church itself no longer contests it. If any are still doubtful on this point, we would refer them to the fine dissertations of the Cardinal of Luzerne and Cardinal Gousset. And as to the jurists who still rely on the arguments of Pothier, they have only to read the learned and often eloquent refutation of them given by M. Troplong, in his "Treatise on Loans." But the thesis which jurisprudence and theology have abandoned, has become a revolutionary commonplace. Loans at interest could find no favor with the socialistic school, which has declared war on capital, and on whose banner is inscribed: "Property is robbery." The theological school, in its arguments against interest loans, showed itself inconsistent. While it forbade the capitalist to collect a monthly or an annual due for the money borrowed of him, it permitted the landowner to lease his land in consideration of a farm rent, and to grant the use of his house to a tenant for a stipulated sum. The prohibition consequently applied to the form of the investment and not to the investment itself. The capitalist was prohibited, not from investing his capital, but from investing it in a certain manner. For lack of having analyzed the nature and having followed in its course the circulation of wealth, and, in consequence, of taking the sign for the thing signified, and the precious metals for value, a sort of embargo was put on money. In virtue of a preconceived theory which represented money as a sterile metal, they really impressed it with sterility. —It is clear, however, that if the possessor of a sum of money has not the right to make it productive and to derive a revenue from it, the possessor of land could not, with any better right, lease it to a farmer to cultivate, in consideration of an income or rent from it. The earth, in fact, does not spontaneously engender a revenue any more than does money. Under both forms, capital is only the instrument of labor. He who receives it, must pay the price to him who leases it. The borrower owes the price in both cases, or he owes it in neither. There is no way of getting out of this dilemma. —"Coined money," says M. Troplong very justly, "the creation of man and not of nature, is in turn utilized as a commodity, or as a sign of values, without there being any reason to cry out against this two-fold employment of it. It must submit to the condition of matter, which is to be a slave of man, and must serve all the uses and necessities that it can reasonably satisfy. So far, then, from disparaging the means of acquisition invented by the genius of man, in imitation of the natural and primitive means of acquisition, we should, on the contrary, recognize that this is the masterpiece of civilization, which opens to social activity new careers, new sources of labor, new and admirable means of promoting comfort among the classes who have inherited no wealth. Plutarch thought he was overwhelming the loaners by an irresistible argument, when he told them that they made something out of nothing. But, without knowing it, he gave the finest eulogy on credit which derives wealth from sterility. Money is no more impressed with infecundity than everything around us; for there is nothing productive for man save what is fertilized by labor or utilized by necessities which pay for their satisfaction. What would the earth produce, save tares and thistles, without the plowshare? What revenue would a house give its owner, if the necessity of a dwelling did not oblige a neighbor to lease it? * * Money becomes productive by the need the borrower has of it, the same as a building becomes productive by the need the tenant experiences of occupying it. Money is sterile only when it remains unemployed. Hence we see the confusion into which the canonists fall, when, granting that money may be made productive by industry, they insist on saying that in interest loans, it is the industry of the borrower, which, keeping the money active, renders it productive, and that, since the lender has no part in that industry, he should have no part in the benefits it procures. But what matters it to the lender what use the borrower makes of the loan? * * It is about as if the lessor of property should have scruples about the legitimacy of his contract because the tenant who rented his house did not occupy it. * * The price the lender receives is not a part of the profit the borrower will make by his industry; it is the price of the transfer which the lender makes to him, for a certain time, of the ownership of a sum that he has declared will be useful to him: a price the legitimacy of which rests on the deprivation the lender imposes upon himself, and on the advantage alleged by the borrower, usura propter usum." —What M. Troplong here affirms, with general assent, is exactly what socialism denies. "He who lends," says Proudhon, "in the ordinary conditions of the trade of the lender, does not deprive himself of the capital which he lends; he lends it, because he has nothing to do with it for himself, being sufficiently provided with capital; he loans it, in short, because it is neither his desire, nor within his power, to give it value himself; because in keeping it in his hands, this capital, sterile by nature, would remain sterile; while, by the loan and the interest resulting from it, he produces a profit which enables the capitalist to live without labor." (From third letter to M. Bastiat.) —That eminent economist, M. Bastiat, whose early loss to economic science we deplore, has remarked that this argument attacks sales as well as loans. If it can be alleged that the possessor of a sum of money does not deprive himself of it, by loaning it, why could we not say the same of the one who sells commodities which he possesses in too great abundance? The system of Proudhon would render every commercial transaction impossible, because there is not a single one which is not based on interest on the capital invested. —But we do not need to appeal to analogies nor to enter upon comparisons, to refute a theory based on a position outside of facts accepted by everybody, and in opposition to these facts. Let us go directly to the root of the sophism. Socialism claims that the loan should not bear interest while the one who loans does not deprive himself, and that the lender suffers no privation while the capital loaned would remain sterile in his hands. This is an absolutely gratuitous allegation. First, if the capital borrowed must not produce interest, I can not see why the capitalist should part with it in favor of the borrower. People keep money only to derive an income from it; and if money must remain unproductive, people will cease to loan it. This will be the end of credit. —But nothing appears to have a weaker foundation than this thesis of the necessary unproductiveness of capital in the hands of the capitalist. In one form or another, a capitalist always employs his money. He loans it at interest only when other forms of investment offer either a less return or one more uncertain; but in lack of a profitable loan, what prevents him from employing his money in agriculture, manufactures or commerce? It is surely lawful for him to buy land or a manufactory; and if he does not wish to put his own hand to the work, he can always take an agriculturist or a manufacturer as a partner, invest his funds in a joint stock association, or obtain shares in some marine enterprise or in railroads. In interdicting loans at interest, the socialists have forgotten to interdict association or to close the ways to human activity. —The socialists, however, more consistent in this than the canonists, prohibit rent of land as well as interest on money. For them, the productiveness of capital, as Proudhon does not hesitate to say, is a pure fiction. What is there, if one reasons in this way, real in the world? Will the socialists always have eyes only not to see? The earth, from one end to the other of the countries which civilization has touched with its wand, recounts the marvels of capital. Capital is everywhere present. It is the universal motor, the soul of industry; it is the trace of the sojourn or the passage of man on the earth, that which distinguishes culture from barbarism. The power of a people is measured by the extent of its accumulation of labor. A farm in Beance, in France, of the same extent of land as could be bought in Canada or New Zealand for $800, would cost $80,000; and in an uninhabited country it can be had for nothing. Whence the difference in value? From the fact that the land which the colonists buy in New Zealand, for instance, is land yet to be tilled, land without capital; while he who acquires a domain in Beauce pays for the capital incorporated in it. The productiveness of soil enriched by fertilizers, improved by cultivation, provided with cattle and instruments of tillage, furnished with farm buildings and dwellings, and near to great markets—all these make the difference. —And should the owner of this wealth, which often represents the accumulated labor of many centuries, rent it for nothing, like land covered with bushes and brambles, such as met the eyes of the first occupant? Not only would this be contrary to equity, but it would be physically impossible. A state of society in which proprietors who did not cultivate the soil with their own hands should be condemned to give it over, without compensation, to farmers who would derive the benefits of the labor previously expended on it, in addition to the profits from their own labor, would not be long in coming to an end. The abolition of rent would speedily entail the abolition of property. —The socialistic theory of exchange belongs to a purely imaginary world. At no period of history has it even begun to be applied. Suppose men reduced to their own powers in a newly forming society. As certain individuals prove to be more richly endowed by nature or make a better use of their faculties, there will necessarily be workmen who will produce more than others, whose products will not find their equivalents in exchange, and will form an excess, a reserve, a capital; hence inequality of conditions and of fortunes. This inequality, when it exists, is transmitted or may be transmitted. Property implies inheritance. When we recognize in man the right to dispose of the results of his labor, we are inevitably led to admit that he may dispose, by the same right, of the results of labor which have been accumulated by him or his ancestors—in a word, of capital. To arrest this natural direction of human activity, the Banque du Peuple is a poor invention. [An allusion to a "People's Bank" instituted by Proudhon for the suppression of capital. E. J. L.] It would not, in fact, be sufficient to abolish rent of money and rent of land; it would be necessary, by a more radical and more logical process, to go so far as to abolish property. Communism is the last term of that theory, in which a subtle mind has imperfectly succeeded in disguising the absurdity and violence of the ideas by the novelty and charm of the form. —II. RATE OF INTEREST. The legitimateness of loans at interest is to-day recognized in the principal states of Europe. But while abandoning the ground of absolute prohibition, governments have not had the courage openly to avow the doctrines of liberty. Just as it is sought to protect agriculture and manufactures against foreign competition, it is claimed that the cause of the borrower may be defended against the lender, and of the poor against the rich, by fixing the rate of interest or limiting it by the establishment of a maximum. Whoever, in loaning, exceeds this legal rate, exposes himself to a penalty. Usury no longer signifies the interest on money. This word, modified from its primitive sense, takes an opprobrious meaning, and becomes a mark of infamy. To invest one's money at a rate the law discountenances, is called practicing usury, and is to commit a crime. —The laws which interdicted loans at interest have had their day; the laws which regulate the rate of interest will pass away in like manner. By examining the effects of this legislation, it is easy to show that it defeats its purpose. What is proposed to be accomplished by excepting money from the common rule of values, the level of which is determined by competition in the market? It is desired to prevent the price of that commodity from rising beyond measure, or, in other words, to oppose a barrier to the rise in interest. Now, observation teaches us that the more restrictions the laws have placed upon trade in money, in the past, the higher has become the rent of capital. The penalties against usury give rise to it or develop it; they are an added risk to those naturally connected with investments of capital. In compensation for this additional peril, the lender can not fail to demand a premium. The laws which augment the risk also discourage competition. The number of lenders and the amount of the disposable capital then diminishes, the number and eagerness of the borrowers remaining the same; and people are then astonished at the high price of the commodity, when they have done all they could to produce this condition of the market! —In ancient times, the peoples who allowed the greatest liberty in the investment of capital were also those who saw commerce and the industries flourish in their midst, and among whom borrowers obtained the most moderate terms from lenders. The nations, on the contrary, who gave no latitude to credit transactions, or security for credits, were obliged to submit to pay more dearly than others for money. The history of Athens and that of Rome present conspicuous and instructive types of this contrast. At Rome a debtor who did not meet his engagements when due became the slave of the creditor. At Athens the right of the creditor to the person of the debtor was abolished by the laws of Solon. Solon did not attempt to regulate the interest on money, and no trace of usury laws is found in the annals of that commercial republic. The rate of interest at Athens varied according to the circumstances and with the security offered by borrowers. The lowest rate appears to have been 10 per cent.: this was in fact a very moderate charge for movable capital, at a time when the income from land was 12 per cent. to those who did not work their lands themselves, and when maritime commerce, which attracted money as well as men, borrowed at from 20 per cent. to 36 per cent., and when the industries, employing slaves as workmen, returned fabulous profits. The interest on money was in proportion to the profits on labor; and here we see why the question of debts, that permanent cause of troubles in the Roman empire, never excited either commotions or political agitations in Greece. —In the early days of the Roman republic the rate of interest was not regulated by law. M. Troplong considers this latitude in regard to transactions as the cause of the oppression the people suffered from the patricians. But did the law of the Twelve Tables, which fixed the interest at 10 per cent. per annum, diminish the ravages of usury at Rome, and bring about a fall in interest? M. Troplong himself cites from Titus Livy and Plutarch numerous instances which superabundantly prove the contrary. Montesquieu was not in error on this point. "As the Roman people," he says, "were daily becoming more powerful, the magistrates sought to flatter them by having such laws enacted as were most pleasing to them: capital was restricted; interest diminished and finally prohibited; bodily constraint was taken away; and at last the abolition of debts was proposed, whenever a tribune wished to render himself popular. These continual changes, either by laws or by piebiscits, naturalized usury at Rome; for the creditors, seeing the people their debtors, their legislators and their judges, had no longer any confidence in contracts. The people, like discredited debtors, could borrow only at high rates; and this was the more so, because, though the laws only occasionally interfered, the complaints of the people were continuous, and always intimidated the creditors. Thus were all honorable means of loaning and borrowing abolished at Rome, and a frightful usury became established." —The results in modern times have been the same. The only nations or states in which the trade in money has been most regular and confined to reasonable limits, are the very ones where the greatest freedom in money transactions has been tolerated or authorized. It is sufficient to mention Genoa, Venice, Florence, Holland and England. Holland, in the seventeenth century, although its credit was weakened by war, borrowed at 4 per cent.; in England, the current interest was 3 per cent. toward the middle of the eighteenth century. Owing to their ability to give value to their capital, the Florentines and Milanese, in the sixteenth century, under the name of Lombards, took the place of the Jews, in a large way, and became the bankers of Europe. Freedom in the matter of interest favored the establishment of credit institutions. The foundation of the bank of England and that of Amsterdam were nearly a century earlier than that of the bank of France. —Moreover, the fall in interest and the development of commerce, in the states where there was the greatest toleration for credit transactions, appear to have followed step by step the progress of this liberty. Thus, in England, Henry VIII. had fixed the rate of interest at 10 per cent. Edward VI. absolutely interdicted loaning at interest. Elizabeth gave an impulse to trade by abrogating the statute of Edward and re-established 10 per cent. as a maximum rate, thus indirectly giving much latitude to traffic in money. —The statute of Queen Anne fixed the rate of interest at 5 per cent. per annum, and pronounced every contract void in which the interest should exceed this rate. In accordance with the usual practice of the English, who rarely act from general principles, this statute was long nominally in force after being allowed to become practically obsolete. Then it was abrogated by successive degrees, a part at a time. The act of the fifty-ninth year of George III. (1812) was the first attack made on the principle. It was enacted that a bill of exchange or a bill payable to order, which might be declared void because of usury, should be valid in the hands of one who had taken it in good faith. Then came the act of the fourth year of William IV. (1833), which, in renewing the privilege of the bank of England, abrogated the usury laws in the kingdom, so far as bills of exchange and notes payable to order on three months or less were concerned. The act of the first year of Victoria's reign extended the exemption to bills of exchange and notes payable to order, the term of which did not extend beyond a year; and the act of the third year of the same reign comprehended also all loan contracts made for sums which exceeded £10, provided the loan was not secured by a mortgage on real estate. —In consequence of the latter provision, landed property had now to pay higher than the current market rates for money, and was, therefore, at a disadvantage in comparison with manufactures and commerce. Such an inequality before the law could not permanently continue. In 1854 a law was enacted (17 and 18 Vict., ch. 90) repealing all existing statutes against usury, though not touching the statutes in reference to pawnbrokers. These were modified later (35 and 36 Vict., ch. 93). —The above-mentioned changes in the laws made to regulate the rate of interest appear to have been a result of the celebrated resolutions which were reported to the house of commons in 1818, in the following language. "1st, Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee that the laws regulating or restraining the rate of interest have been extensively evaded, and have failed of the effect of imposing a maximum on such rate; and of late years, from the constant excess of the market rate of interest above the rate limited by law, they have added to the expense incurred by borrowers on real security, and that such borrowers have been compelled to resort to the mode of granting annuities on lives, a mode which has been made a cover for obtaining higher interest than the rate limited by law, and has further subjected the borrowers to enormous charges or forced them to make very disadvantageous sales of their estates. 2d, Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee that the construction of such laws, as applicable to the transactions of commerce as at present carried on, have been attended with much uncertainty as to the legality of many transactions of frequent occurrence, and consequently been productive of much embarrassment and litigation. 3d, Resolved. that it is the opinion of this committee that the present period, when the market rate of interest is below the legal rate, affords an opportunity peculiarly proper for the repeal of said laws." —As to the effect of the repeal of these laws, unexceptionable official documents permit us to judge. In the year 1841 the bank of England took the initiative in that regard, and, in a country where it is customary to follow public opinion rather than to lead it, did not hesitate to give an impetus to public thought. On May 13, its court of directors met and embodied the results of eight years' experience in the following declaration: "Resolved, That the modification of the usury laws at present existing has contributed greatly to facilitate the operations of the bank, and is essential for the proper management of its circulation." Parliament, on its side, determined to obtain evidence of the good or bad results of the partial repeal of the usury laws. The house of lords, in the year 1841, investigated the subject, and the testimony brought before it (published in 1845), casts much light on the question. —A distinguished economist. Mr. Norman, after having called attention to the fact that the bank of England, thanks to freedom of interest, had successively fixed the rate of discount, following the variations of the market, from 4 to 4½ per cent. on July 21, 1836; at 5 per cent. on Sept. 1 of the same year; at 5½ per cent. on June 20, 1839; and at 6 per cent. on Aug. 1 of the same year; terminated his deposition in these terms: "I have always regarded with surprise and admiration the way in which the mercantile pressure of 1839 was borne. It was very severe, and the number of failures of consequence was certainly small; and I can not help attributing in some degree the manner in which that pressure was sustained, comparing it with what had occurred on similar occasions previously, such as in 1826, to the state of the law which enabled capital and loanable accommodation to flow into those channels where it was most wanted and could be best paid for—in fact, into its natural channels." —One of the most eminent practical bankers, Saml. J. Loyd (afterward Lord Overstone), confirmed this opinion by the following explanation: "Had the law which fixed the maximum rate of discount at 5 per cent. been maintained in operation, it would have produced inconveniences of two kinds: in some cases, parties requiring the command of money would have been unable to obtain it, and would consequently have been subjected to many very serious evils, such as forced sales of their goods at ruinous prices, injury to their general credit, and, in many cases, actual suspension of their payments; in other cases, parties would probably have obtained the money by resorting to circuitous contrivances for the purpose of evading the law, which would necessarily have entailed upon them great additional trouble, discredit and expense." Mr. Loyd hence concluded that the act of 1833 had saved British commerce, in the pressure of 1839. —This was also the conclusion to which Mr. Samuel Gurney, one of the most able bankers and most revered men in London, finally arrived, who called attention to the fact that in 1818, when the state loans were the only ones exempt from the operation of the usury laws, and when considerable loans had been issued by the government, capital deserted the commercial market, which was subject to the legal limit, for the market of public funds; and commerce had to suffer much in consequence of the restrictions which fettered business. Mr. Gurney entered into detailed calculations which brought into relief the consequences of the two systems of restriction and freedom in the matter of interest. "The advantages of the relaxation in the law to the trading community," he said, "are that under every circumstance they are able to procure supplies of money and to carry on their business with facility. In the two or three last pressures which we have had, we have had very few failures. I will now take the other side. What is the disadvantage? It is that they have to pay this high interest for a limited time; the calculation of that disadvantage brings it to a very small sum. A firm of large extent may have under discount to the extent of £50,000, and have to pay 6 per cent. interest for that £30,000 instead of 5 per cent. for six months; this is the extent of loss, which comes to only £250. For that loss he gets the advantage of general facility, a less risk, as credit is much better preserved—advantages greatly beyond the loss. One other great advantage is the ability to borrow money upon the security of his goods, or sell them. If he borrow money upon his goods, it resolves itself into a calculation of a similar character; if he thus borrow £100,000, there will be a loss of £300 or £400; but if he is compelled to sell his goods, he can not, under such circumstances, at a less loss than from 10 per cent. to 20 per cent.; and therefore, on the one hand, he may have to lose some £300 or £400; but, on the other, if compelled to sell his merchandise, which he must do were he unable to pay more than the legal rate of interest upon a loan, the loss would be, under forced sales, of from £10,000 to £20,000." We might extend these quotations. The witnesses summoned, in the course of the inquiry, were, with scarcely an exception, unanimous. —Some persons have observed that, if merchants in high position gained by the repeal of the usury laws, the same was not true of those whose credit was less firmly established, and that usurious rates were demanded of this class. But what does that prove? That there was, apparently, a certain risk in lending. If the usury laws had been operative, the embarrassed merchants would not have found money, or they would have had to pay still more to procure it. In either case, failure was imminent. Thus much for the example of England: let us now pass to France. —Interest on money was certainly much higher at the time when legislation interdicted interest loans and burned Jews, than under the far more mild régime which authorized loans under the form of annuities, and fixed by law the rate at which loans could he made by alienating capital in this manner; it had become still lower, and commerce had become extensive at the time when Turgot wrote these remarkable lines: "It is a well-known fact that there is not a commercial place on the earth where the greater part of the commerce does not depend on money borrowed without alienation of capital, and where interest is not regulated by a simple agreement, according to the greater or less amount of loanable money in the place, and the degree of solvency of the borrower. The rigor of the laws has yielded to the force of things; jurisprudence has been obliged to modify in practice its speculative principles, and people have long since come to openly tolerate loaning by note, discount, and every species of money negotiation between parties. It will always be thus whenever the law prohibits what the nature of things renders necessary." —The constituent assembly only half adopted the ideas of Turgot. The law of 1789 permitted loans at interest under any form, but it reserved to the legislator the right to fix, or at least to limit, the rate of interest. The civil code, promulgated in 1804, stipulated a similar reservation; these were mere preliminary and tentative changes, which prepared the way for the law of Sept. 3, 1807. —We say nothing of the intermediary régime. Some claim that the convention declared money merchandise, and that in consequence of that unlimited freedom, usury for some years invaded and ravaged the country. The laws of the convention were contradictory. At one time, to raise the price of the assignats, it interdicted trade in the precious metals: again, it removed the prohibition and left every one free to buy and sell gold and silver at their actual value. Interest, the rent of capital, only resumed its liberty as a consequence.*28 This liberty was the result of the toleration of the government, and not of a clear perception of a principle which it firmly proclaimed. But what matter is it whether the convention, in removing the barriers it had itself raised, removed also others or not, and rendered homage to political economy without willing it or knowing it? The events which occurred in the commercial world, during that period of anarchy and the disturbed times which succeeded it, prove nothing either for or against any system. —We are, however, inclined to believe that, notwithstanding the calamities which were the inevitable result of the civil disorders and of war, and although commerce, manufactures and credit were nearly paralyzed in France from 1793 to 1797, the toleration accorded meanwhile to pecuniary transactions bore more good fruit than bad. People have quoted the protests of some chambers of commerce, which complained at that time of the dullness of trade, the great numbers of failures and the cupidity of loaners. In reply we will say, without having regard to these particular cases, that the speech of Joubert, who proposed the law of 1807, itself shows that interest on money had generally fallen. But, were it otherwise, can any one really suppose that laws more restrictive would have procured money for trade at a low price, at a time when the risks connected with every negotiation or credit transaction were so great, and when confidence was so weak? —The legislators of 1804, more favorable to liberty than those of 1807, had left the way open. Article 1707 of the civil code provided that the interest agreed upon might exceed the rate fixed by law, whenever the law contained no prohibition to the contrary. This was directly to recognize that the value of money, like all other values, results from the state of the market and the terms arranged between parties. The legislators of 1807 shut this half-open door, by putting agreed-on rates of interest in the same line as legal interest. It may be well to quote here the language of a law which can serve as a starting point in the discussion. "Art. 1. The interest agreed upon shall not exceed 5 per cent. in civil matters [i.e., those coming under the cognizance of what are known as civil courts, in France, in distinction from mercantile courts. E. J. L.], nor 6 per cent. in mercantile matters, without retention. Art. 2. The legal interest shall be, in civil matters, 5 per cent., and in mercantile matters 6 per cent., also without retention. Art. 3. When it shall be proven that a loan has been made at a rate exceeding that fixed by Art. 1, the lender shall be condemned by the court before which the case is brought, to restore this excess, if he has received it, or to suffer a reduction of the principal of the debt, and he may even be remanded, if cause appear, to the court of correction, and, in case of conviction, condemned to a fine not exceeding half the capital he has lent on usury. If the result of the law process shows that the lender has practiced fraud, he shall be condemned, besides the above fine, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years." —The economy of the law of 1807 consists entirely in a small number of rules. It lays down as a principle that freedom of agreement in regard to rate of interest must be exercised only within the limit of the legal maximum. Provisionally, this maximum is fixed at 5 per cent. in civil matters, and at 6 per cent. in mercantile ones. —The law of 1807 makes usury a crime. But what is usury? Bentham said truly that it was not susceptible of definition. And in fact, if usury consists in loaning at a rate higher than that fixed by the legislature, one may be a usurer in England while loaning at a rate which would be permissible in France, and vice versa. In France the offense depends, not on the nature of the act, but on the quality of the lender. One is a usurer if he loans at 6 per cent. in civil matters, but ceases to be so if he loans at the same rate to one engaged in commerce. These inconsistencies in legislation prove that an attempt has been made to regulate that which, from its nature, evades legal rules. The authors of the law of 1807 perceived this; for, after having made the act of loaning at an interest in excess of the legal rate a crime, they did not affix any penalty. The court, in this case, can only sentence the lender to restore the excess. The sentence can only extend to a fine in the case of habitual usury, that is to say, when the offense becomes changed; when, instead of having to deal with parties whose bargains depend upon the variations of the market, the court finds before it a speculator who makes a business of seeking the most risky investments, those which serve as an excuse or pretext for unlimited profits. —The law of 1807 has only one kind of merit. In a country where there is too little general information on matters of political economy, and where anticommercial prejudices have still much influence, it bears a certain relation to the average level of intelligence and the state of morals. In 1836 a motion was made by M. Lherbette aimed at the repeal of this law and the restoration of freedom in the matter of interest; but it failed because of the unenlightened opposition of the elective chamber. In 1850 the proposition of M. Saint-Priest to modify the law had no better success: the law which was enacted Dec. 15, instead of punishing the simple contravention of the law prescribing the legal interest, is only aimed against the habit of disregarding it, and confines itself to increasing the penalties. —The law of 1807 governs the trade in money in all the countries of Europe which have adopted or imitated the French civil laws. To examine into the effects it has produced in France, is then to obtain the elements which may serve to give the most general view of the question. The law of 1807 did not, as we know, bring about a fall in the rate of interest, which is, notwithstanding the solidity of the operations, much higher in France, in every scale of credit, than in England, Holland and Belgium. The absolute prohibition it contains has not prevented the loaner, wherever there were risks to be incurred, from stipulating for excessively high interest which was legally usurious. That has been accomplished in a contraband way instead of openly. But the troubles from it have been only the greater; for the interest must include, besides the premium for the risk arising from the small degree of solvency in the borrower, that of the risk arising from contravention of the law. —The mohatra, so much branded by Pascal, has reappeared, and the usurious loan has been disguised under the form of a sale. In other cases the fraud has been accomplished under the form of a donation; besides the legal interest, the lender has required a supplementary interest, under the title of gift. Sales with privilege of redemption have also served to conceal usury, which has, besides, taken place under cover of an exchange. But the most usual as well as the most simple form has consisted in stating in the loan contract, or on the notes given to the loaner, a sum higher than that which the borrower had received. —The defenders of the system sanctioned by the law of 1807 themselves recognize that this law, far from uprooting usury, has perhaps aggravated it. Usury, it has been said, is devastating French rural districts; and it is certain that the debts of small property-holders had much to do with the socialism of the central and eastern departments of France in 1849 and 1850. —A representative of the upper Rhine, M. Cassal, cited in the tribune curious examples of frauds practiced in Alsace to evade the provisions of the law of 1807. "The usurer," be said, "no longer proceeds in this fashion: 'I lend you one hundred francs in consideration of ten francs.' Nothing like that is written. A note of a hundred francs is made, but only ninety of it are given. Care is taken that it be done with no witnesses present, and then you have the provision of article 1322 of the civil code, which establishes a legal presumption in favor of the creditor who has a writing. In this case itself it is very difficult to prove usury. More frequently sales with power of redemption occur: property is bought for the consideration of one hundred francs, and only ninety are paid; and when the debtor wishes to obtain his property again, he is obliged to pay back the sum stipulated in the contract as price, and happy is he, too, if the purchaser will consent to restore him his property. In this case also, the stipulations of article 1325 of the French civil code are exactly fulfilled: you have no witnesses, and it is impossible to prove usury. When one of these men loans at 5 per cent. on a simple note, there is much reason for mistrust; the lender has evil designs. When the note falls due, the debtor can pay; but the creditor promises to wait. When the time comes that the latter knows the former has no money, he becomes pressing, prosecutes, hounds the debtor, forces him to make an assignment, lays down orders, and, finally, compels the unfortunate to pay what is called the interest of patience. Then he takes everything the former can give: fifty francs, a pair of sabots, a batch of bread, per week. But all this is the A B C of usury. The usurer but rarely makes his bargain in his own name. The borrower sometimes does not even know him; the business is done through an intermediary, a sort of broker, who, ordinarily, has nothing to lose, not even honor, who also takes brokerage, and thus increases still more the interest on the money. When loans are made, the first step is to ask for security. This security is the person who signs the note and carries it to the borrower, or vice versa; the intermediary likewise, signs the note, and it is sometimes covered by three, four or five signatures before reaching the real lender. The usurer is then in the position which, in the language of the law, is called 'a third carrier in good faith.' The aim of the business is to make some kind of a bargain: in primitive times, a trade in flocks or herds; later, in real estate. This is how it is effected. Sometimes one lends a sum, always by an intermediary, on a simple note or an obligation acknowledged before a notary, and on the other hand, he has a field or other real estate sold to him at an extremely low price. Care is taken, however, that the matter be so arranged that the lesion of the seven-twelfths may not be reached. These men, who thus exploit French rural districts, have divided the territory: each one has his chosen portion to exploit, and it is rare for another to permit himself to go there to do business. You comprehend then that they are perfectly well acquainted with the value of the estates, better than the peasants themselves. Consequently there may be usury of 100 per cent. or 200 per cent. without the cognizance of the law. At other times, and this is far more serious and more common, they force the borrower, giving him meantime the funds for the purpose, to buy a piece of land or some other commodity at a very high price. Here they do not take the trouble to put as large a sum as possible into the contract: they put the property at double or triple its value. Let them succeed in making a man contract a debt, and nothing can save him; he is soon dispossessed of his property. I know entire villages which do not contain two solvent private citizens." —Looking at this social condition, one would think he was living in the middle ages. Is it necessary, in order to remedy this, to make the penalties greater and to increase the legal restrictions? M. Cassal, who is not, however, an economist, but who has had a near view of the evil, does not think so. "I know the country usurer well enough," he said, "to apprehend that our law (that of 1850) instead of producing the extinction of usury, may perhaps produce the contrary effect, by closing the purse strings and shutting out all credit. Usury is the only means, the single source of credit to the countrymen; and if that source dries up, I fear they may be more miserable than before." —The defenders of restrictive laws in the matter of interest would do well to reflect upon this remarkable avowal. They think they have replied to all objections when they say: "If the borrower is not sufficiently solvent for loans to be granted him at the legal rate; if an additional premium is necessary to cover the risk—well, people will not lend to him at all." Shall credit be thus obliged to stop rather than exceed the level of interest which the legislator has supposed legitimate? But credit can no more be arrested in society than the circulation of blood in the human body. For the one as for the other, motion is life. You say that loaning at high interest will in the long run ruin the borrower. This is possible; but he will be ruined without usury, if he does not find a way to borrow what he needs to meet his obligations when they fall due! —The capitalist who speculates upon the temporary distress of the borrower is a wretch. Science has no intention of sheltering such under her mantle. If usury extends to direct or indirect fraud, there are laws to punish it. But let no one attack the freedom of mercantile transactions, under pretext of preventing usury. Provided the loaner and borrower are free to make a bargain, the contract should be valid. It matters little at what rate the investment be made: the interest of money is naturally subject to one law alone, that which determines that the price of things, instead of being fixed arbitrarily by the civil power, results from the essentially variable relation between supply and demand. There is but one way to abolish usury, and that is to extend to property the benefits of credit institutions, and accustom proprietors punctually to fulfill their obligations. For the rest, the relation of demand to supply so bears upon the contracting parties, that governments, when they wish to borrow, are themselves subject to it. Whenever it was necessary to contract public loans, the French government took good care not to appeal to the law of 1807. In difficult circumstances it has borrowed at 7 per cent. and even at 8 per cent.; and instead of then considering the capitalists who undertook the loan at these high rates as usurers subject to the penalty of the law, it sought to attract them by all means in its power. Not to speak of the profits they have made by loaning to embarrassed governments, have not bankers obtained all the marks of distinction which could flatter their vanity? Have they not been covered with cordons and admitted to the ranks of the aristocracy? —Thus the state itself sets the example of violation of the law. It seems that the legal rate of interest is obligatory on every one except itself. To loan at 6 per cent. to private individuals, is to expose one's self to the severity of the courts; to loan at 6 per cent. to the state, to cities, to departments, is to merit public gratitude. Who can henceforth take seriously this pretended crime of usury, which is not such for states, but is such in private transactions? —This is not all. In testimony of the powerlessness of the legislator when he attempts to do violence to the nature of things, the French law of 1807 was obliged, in fixing a maximum rate of interest, to admit of exceptions and establish categories. Thus, loans on property security, on pledge, on provisions, and discount, escape its rules. The same observation applies to commissions charged by banks, and to the premium given to brokers who answer for the persons to whom they sell merchandise; as well as to those commercial practices which are so many additions and supplements to the interest stipulated in the money loans. —III. LOANS WHICH EXCEED THE LEGAL RATE. The loan on pledge (or pawn), which entails at once numerous risks and considerable expenses of administration, is one of those which can be made only at a relatively high interest. All the pawnbrokers in Europe would be ruined in a few months, if they were compelled to loan at a rate corresponding to the price current of money in the market. The exception which has been made in their favor, or rather, the freedom in regard to interest which is allowed to be the rule in their case, has been favorable to those who patronize these institutions. To speak only of the mont de piété at Paris, the interest asked of borrowers has constantly diminished since the last century: it was 5 per cent. per month in the year III. (1795-6), 2½ per cent. per month in the year VIII. (1800-1), and 1¼ per cent. in 1831. As the rent of money becomes lower in the general market of capital, the pawnbroker will lend at a lower interest to necessitous families. —As to the loan of provisions, which the law of 1807 does not govern, and in which one may always, by the terms of article 1907 of the civil code, exceed the legal interest, jurists have found a reason to justify that exception, which, if they were disposed, might be made to apply equally well to loans of money. "How can we think," says M. Troplong in his "Commentary on Loans," "that the legislator could have intended to impose the same rate of interest on loans of provisions as on money? How can we suppose that he would have taken no account of the risks, which are much greater in the loan of provisions than in the loan of money; in the loan of provisions, we say, where an abundant harvest at the time of payment may take away so much of the value of the thing lent in time of dearth? Would he have condemned the system followed in all ancient nations by legislators and economists, of fixing the interest on provisions higher than the interest of money? We think, then, that there would be nothing illicit in an agreement which should obligate the borrower of a hundred measures of oil, grapes, or apples, to repay a hundred and ten or a hundred and fifteen at the following harvest." —When one borrows money, it is not the metal exactly which one wishes to possess, but the value it represents. Under the form of money or under the form of provisions, the lender delivers capital: capital is the object of the contract. From the essential point of view, which is that of value, there is no difference. In vain has it been objected that the value of grain was variable; for the same objection would apply to the value of money. Who does not know that the power of the precious metals was much greater in the time of Charlemagne than in the reign of St. Louis; in the time of St. Louis than in the reign of Louis XIV.; and in the reign of Louis XIV. than in our day? No doubt money presents a more fixed and certain measure of value from one year to another than wheat; but from one century to another the advantage of fixity and constancy passes to the wheat. The price of cereals is, in fact, the light by the aid of which we find our way in studying the economy of society in the past. —Under one form as well as another, the rent of capital depends on its abundance or rarity compared with the urgency of the demand. It is not the nature of the loan which can raise the premium; it is the situation of the borrower. Why did the legislator of 1809 allow the rate of 6 per cent. in mercantile bargains, while he imposed the minimum limit of 5 per cent. in civil matters? Apparently, that difference of interest signifies that the risks are greater in one case than in the other, and that the trader who invests his funds in uncertain operations does not give the same security for payment. Why does M. Troplong recognize in the lender of provisions the right to demand from 10 to 15 per cent. interest, if not because the certainty of payment is less in transactions of that nature? Starting there, to be consistent, one step more should be taken: the principle should be separated from the example, and one should say that the premium on the risk, which is one of the elements of interest, increases naturally in proportion as the certainty of reimbursement diminishes. In loans at interest, the premium on the risk acts as a sort of insurance on capital; this is why there are no reasons for refusing to allow it in the loan of money, when it is allowed in the loan of provisions. Credit is naturally personal. There exists no such thing as one rate of interest belonging to provisions and a different interest belonging to the precious metals. It is because those who borrow provisions generally place themselves in a more hazardous situation, that high interest is demanded of them. But a good number of borrowers to whom money is loaned personally merit still less confidence; why should it not be permitted to stipulate with them a premium for insurance, commensurate with the perilous chances they cause one to incur? The principle is admitted in wholesale contracts. Do you suppose that there is not, as M. Sainte-Beuve has so well said, any such debtor whose solvency makes the loaner run as much risk as he would incur from tempests? To sum up, either the exception made in the case of the loaner of provisions has no raison d'être, or the considerations which have determined it tend invincibly to liberty in the rate of interest, under a general law. —On the question of discount the subtleties of jurisprudence are freely exercised. Certain jurists rank it in the category of sales; others, in that of loans. "The banker who discounts," says M. Troplong, "only makes a loan. Accustomed to trade in money and notes, he only purchases a credit; and as 10,000 francs, payable in one year, are not worth 10,000 francs payable now, he gives a less price than the nominal one. This price is calculated on the time to run, on the solidity represented by the signature of the one who signs it, the value of that signature, the place. etc. Discount is only the difference between the nominal and the real value. I have said that the banker buys a credit; I add that, on his side, the borrower buys a present sum for a sum not due. In all cases, the borrower who sells his credit does not contract the obligation of returning the same thing, characteristic of the loan; his obligation is, to deliver the chose and guarantee its payment. On the other hand, the banker becomes proprietor of the effect, with the same title as if he had bought any other article; he uses it as be pleases, and has nothing more to do with the one who assigned it to him except so far as pertains to the security." —We see that if the rate of discount escapes in France the rules laid down by the law of 1807, it is not through respect to a theory which takes its point of support outside of realities. The legislator has yielded to the force of things, either by formally accepting or by tolerating usages which he could no more modify than destroy. —M. d'Esterno has cited, in the Journal des Economistes, curious examples of loans at a high rate, which are negotiated, to the mutual satisfaction of borrower and lender, the department of Saône-et-Loire. "There are," he say, "small farmers who buy, in May, cattle for labor, and sell them again in November. If they buy them for cash, they pay 600 francs for them, for instance, but, as they only pay 300 francs at the time of getting them, and promise the other 300 at the time when they count on having sold them, they consent to give 50 francs more for that accommodation. This transaction is usual, and it is repeated in the case of other animals, hogs, for example." Thus, farmers who would probably not consent to borrow at the rate of 7 per cent. upon mortgage, willingly borrow under that form at 33 per cent. The transaction has no relation to the current rate of interest; but it is within the ability and convenience of the parties who contract. That is sufficient to explain it. Credit institutions, by furnishing circulating capital at lower rates to property owners and farmers, will alone be able to supplant this custom. —Contraventions of the law of 1807 are especially frequent, and occur with impunity in civil matters. One has only to consult the notaries to be convinced that, if mortgage loans were confined to the strict limits of the legal rate, there would be to-day, outside of Paris and the range of the capital, few serious and effective loans. By means of accessory agreements, immediate deductions, and various compensations, people succeed, while inscribing only the legal rate in loan contracts, in winning and retaining capital in liens on real estate. —As a general statement, it may be said that the only loans which the restrictive laws affect, are the large transactions in which an habitually low price for money renders that intervention at least useless. Those, on the contrary, which escape the action of the legislative enactments, and of the law of 1807 as well as the others, consist of transactions of slight importance and in which a high rate of interest is invariably found to be stipulated. This is true, especially of loans in retail trade and for a short term of credit. Those who loan by the week figure largely in that category. Those who loan by the day are a class of capitalists that should not be forgotten, and who, notwithstanding the high interest they obtain, render real service. —"In the Paris provision market," said M. Aubréy in his speech against the proposition of M. Saint-Priest, "a well-known trade in money is carried on: one keeps a shop of five-franc pieces, that is to say, a certain variety of a banker keeps an office in the market and delivers to merchants of the four seasons and to vegetable gardeners a five-franc piece. With this five-franc piece the small trader buys provisions and food which he goes and sells about the city. At the end of his day's work he returns; he has often earned two or three francs with the aid of that five-franc piece. Do you suppose it is hard for him to pay the banker who furnished him the instrument of labor the sum of 25 centimes from his day's profits? * * In this case the interest of the money is 1800 per cent. Some people wished to enter complaint in the name of the law; but the magistrates of the bar of Paris were obliged to recoil before the numerous and incessant cries of the opposition; this resistance derived its strength from the good sense of the people and the benefits of liberty." —It would seem that an investment by which money brings 1800 per cent. would call in the competition of capitalists, and that this competition would lower the rent of capital. Yet the loans which have taken in the French language the name of "loans by the little week" remain at a rate that varies little. The reciprocal advantages of the borrower and lender would not suffice to explain the permanency of so high an interest in these investments. To understand it we must consider the risks to which capital is exposed. The ambulating tradesmen are an essentially nomadic portion of the population: it is the business to which those have recourse, who, for the time being, can do no other, or whose indolence makes them shun labor. From such customers one can not expect great scrupulousness in the fulfillment of their obligations. Five-franc-piece bankers are those who most frequently become bankrupt. The petty dealer, who often spends in drink the day's earnings, consumes both capital and profits. To escape the surveillance and pursuit of the creditor, the debtor has only to migrate from one occupation to another, in the infinite circle of petty trades which spring up and multiply in the streets of Paris. The capitalist lends to strangers, to people who have neither a sou nor a trunk, and without other guarantee than their interest to meet punctually their obligations so as to create for themselves a species of credit, an interest which all do not comprehend. If the debtors were punctual and scrupulous, the creditors, renewing their capital eighteen times a year, would very quickly make their fortune. Many, however, become ruined; and the sphere of these transactions does not appear to enlarge, which proves that there is in them a commingling of good and had chances. —And now, I ask, are not the laws which restrict liberty of interest judged, when we see that, for one transaction at 6 per cent. which they prevent in the average sphere of credit, they tolerate or do not prevent a little lower down the scale of loans, numberless public operations every day, in which the usury extends to 1800 per cent. per year? —IV. BASIS OF INTEREST. It is time to abandon the historical controversy to examine the foundation of interest. Three principal elements co-operate to determine it: the rent of capital; the premium on the insurance to cover the risk, and, in a great number of cases, the charge for commission; and the salary of the intermediary who puts the borrower in communication with the lender. The rent of capital, the instrument of labor, the motor which sets commerce, agriculture and manufactures in motion, is the principal element in interest. How is its rate determined? and what is its measure? Has this element anything fixed, which depends not on places, time or persons? or must it vary with circumstances and according to individuals? There is, we know, no such thing as unchangeable value; the notion even of value, arising as it does from the idea of relation, implies change. The rent of capital, like the price of all things, must vary under the action of demand and supply; and the law of demand and supply is itself subordinated to all the vicissitudes of production as well as of consumption, not to speak of the influence which progress or decline in means of transportation may exercise. One may not, then, prejudge what the rent of capital should be; but should confine himself to stating what it is. The observation of facts must rule in this matter. No doubt it is recognized in studying the economic history of peoples, that the rent of capital diminishes as wealth increases. But it should also be remarked that, through that incontestable tendency to a fall, the oscillations of interest become more frequent in proportion as commercial relations, developed by increased comfort and intelligence, come to multiply. The rent of capital varies, perhaps, less, in that descending progression, from one century to the following one; but from one year to another, it changes more. Credit, which formerly seemed to have nerves of steel and a hardened epidermis, has contracted the impressionable nature and delicate temperament of the sensitive. One can then determine the rent of capital only approximately, under given circumstances and while these circumstances continue. The system which would make the government regulate the rate of interest, to remain true and not deviate from the facts, would require the rate to be revised each month, each week; and, in some cases, each day; but a rule that required incessant alteration would not be a rule. This system is then condemned either to unchangeability of interest which is contrary to justice, or to an incessant change which would be the negation of law. As to the theories whose pet chimera is a fixed and in some sort normal interest, we will speak of them only to recall a few facts. The bank of France attempted to put them in practice, by maintaining the rate of discount at 4 per cent., in times of pressure as in periods of prosperity; but its resistance was finally overcome: in 1847 it was obliged to raise its rate of discount to 5 per cent. in order to arrest the export of specie; and in 1852, not to remain outside of the business world, it reduced it to 3 per cent. —The second element in interest is the tax for insurance or risk. This may be considered as still more variable than the preceding, and is certainly more difficult to estimate. The rent of capital is, as it were, the real part of interest, the part which is regulated by the value of things, the state of the market; and insurance is the personal part. The risk changes not only with the circumstances, but also with the situation and character of the borrowers: it is almost nothing in loans made on bills of exchange or notes payable to order which have several good indorsers; it is considerable in the case of a borrower who gives only his guarantee, and the lender raises the premium for the risk in proportion to the lack of solidity in the guarantee. This weakness of the guarantee may be diminished by the confidence of the lender or increased by his mistrust. This is an element to be taken into account, which, because it is personal on both sides, touches closely upon the arbitrary. "He who loans his capital," says M. Aubréy, "with risk of losing it in whole or in part, renders a greater and consequently better remunerated service than he who loans his capital without risking anything; this is what constitutes the difference between the lessor of real estate and of personal property; because the capital of the one always preserves its identity easy to establish, and is often secured by privileges and mortgages, while, on the contrary, the capital of the other is capable of being consumed by use and absorbed without return, as interest and principal; this is also the difference between the civil and the commercial loan, as well as the loan on pledge (pawn-loan), between obligations on short time and on long time, between maritime contracts and land contracts." The extent of the service is not measured by the extent of the risk; but he who consents to loan his capital, without the certainty of recovering it when due, is right in demanding of the debtor a premium for insurance against this danger: this is not a remuneration, it is simply a compensation, a guarantee. But whether remuneration or guarantee, in doubtful cases a prudent creditor would not dispense with this supplement to the rent of capital; yet it is not always sufficient to preserve him from ruin. When M. Proudhon said that the interest of money represented the risk, the chance that might befall, alea, he then exaggerated the truth, he took the part for the whole, he left out of account the very basis of interest, which is the rent capital gives. But even this shows that he took account of one element which all legislation has disregarded. —The socialist school, in the theory of gratuitous credit, substitutes for the premium on the risk, a sort of mutual insurance which unites all those making exchanges in the bonds of universal solidarity, and which makes every member of society bear his part in the consequences of the bad speculations or bad chances of all. This is not distributive justice: for the people who offer securities are put in the same category as those who offer none. The socialists make the moral being which they call society intervene in human affairs in exactly the same way as the ancients had their gods engage in them. Society, as they picture it in their romances, distributes subsistence and even wealth to all individuals; all the difference consists in having the manna come from the bank of the people, or the phalanstery, instead of descending from heaven. The people's bank having failed, and the phalanstery having aborted, we have to examine if it is possible, in the ordinary course of transactions, to establish any test or measure whatever of the risk. This element of interest obeys no rules, even for a day, even for a given case; it is an affair of opinion, a question of individual chances. There is nothing in it which one can generalize sufficiently to establish an economic principle, or a legal regulation. The element of risk interposes still greater obstacles than does the element of rent, to any attempt to fix or limit the interest on money. —The third element of interest is thus defined by M. Aubréy, who, as a banker, could speak from acquaintance with the subject: "The instruments of labor only reach the laborers through intermediaries; this is the consequence of progress. Capital in the form of money, being an instrument of labor, is as much under the law of division of labor as capital in any other form. As every one knows, capital is put in motion and circulates by the aid of motive agents called banks; labor improves and prospers by reason of the activity and abundance with which capital circulates in these great reservoirs; but every one should also know how much accumulated wealth, moral power and dignity of character is necessary, properly to direct these credit institutions. Now just these rare and valuable qualities, and this difficult and necessary labor in credit institutions, are remunerated by a charge for commission, which increases the interest on the capital furnished. M. Proudhon, in his people's bank, does not contest the legitimacy of this charge; for, when he decreed gratuitous credit, he reserved a discount of from 1 per cent. to 2 per cent. for expenses of administration. Is it possible to determine the measure of this third element? Evidently not. There are credit establishments of different kinds. The banker whose operations extend to millions in a day, takes only a very small commission and yet makes much money, while the petty dealer, who operates only with some thousands of francs, or with five-franc pieces, may charge a very high commission and yet earn but little; though he may give the same measure of his time and labor as the banker." —The above definition is neither complete nor altogether correct. Although it no more belongs to the government to regulate this part of interest than other parts, we must recognize that this contains an element more easy to estimate and less fluctuating. The institution of banks of circulation and discount has reduced the commission charge to small proportions, wherever their influence extends; yet even the state has a share in it, under the form of the stamp duty it puts on their notes. The commission charge of the intermediary bankers is often blended with the premium for risk: it is thus, for example, at Paris, where a discounter, for giving the third signature, and rendering a commercial bill acceptable at the bank of France, takes a premium or duty of 1 per cent., ¾ per cent. or ½ per cent. —In analyzing the elements of which interest is composed, we have seen that there is not one which gives a sure basis for estimating it. This has led M. Lherbette to say: "If you think there is a fixed, invariable basis for interest, why do you make it vary according to circumstances? and if you believe, on the contrary, that its basis is variable, why do you fix upon a rate from which the contracting parties shall not be allowed to vary according to the particular circumstances in which they find themselves and which they will understand better than you? In any case, if you determine to fix it, it will have to be continually modified; for circumstances constantly change; it would be necessary to establish mercurials for money as for bread." [The mercurials were registers of the price of grain and some other necessary provisions, and were formerly required to be kept in a public place in the market towns of France. E. J. L.] Even that would not be possible. The tax on bread embraces two or three qualities, of which it fixes the price by consulting the price of grain of corresponding quality; but the tax of interest does not depend on such simple calculations: in its case the rate in the mercurial would have to include as many qualities as there are particular situations, or individuals having recourse to credit. In the domain of credit, the list of classes is infinite: and this will infallibly baffle any pretension to a rule. Freedom in the matter of interest results not less from the powerlessness of the restrictive system than from the right which belongs to the contracting parties to dispose of their property as they think best. The experience of the past is here the most direct auxiliary of principles. —It is henceforth a recognized fact, thanks to the intelligence of our time, that interest on money is a legitimate value; why, then, should other conditions be imposed on it than on other values? When merchandise is in the warehouse or brought into market, its price is freely discussed between the buyer and seller; both find this method to their advantage; and the seller would carry away his goods as well as the buyer his money, if any one pretended to dictate to them the conditions of sale and purchase. In the matter of guarantees, both spurn the intervention of the state, and think themselves better off with free competition. Is there the least reason at all serious why trade in money should be excepted from the general law of trade? Sometimes society enjoys a tranquillity favorable to business, while again it passes through periods of monetary pressure in which every enterprise becomes difficult, and the activity of labor seems paralyzed. Money is sometimes scarce and sometimes abundant; the rent of capital must then vary, like any other value, according to circumstances. As to borrowers, they are not all equally solvent: on the contrary, they occupy, according to their morality, their reputation, and the competence they enjoy, various degrees in the scale of securities. Shall one say to a lender: "Whatever be the state of society, tranquil or disturbed; whatever be the abundance or scarcity of money; whether capital moves in full security or under the pressure of great anxiety; you shall loan your money on the same conditions and to all"? That would be unjust and absurd; one of two things would inevitably happen: either the prohibition would not be regarded, or capital would be refused, and society would have to manage as it could, to live without credit. Let us change the hypothesis. If a limit may be imposed on the profits of money capital by establishing a maximum rate of interest for money, why may not a maximum be fixed for every species of revenues, all kinds of transactions, and every sort of merchandise? If it is forbidden to lend above a certain rate of interest, why should it not be prohibited to sell above a certain price? The people have a much greater interest in not paying a high price for wheat in time of scarcity, than in finding loans at a low rate of interest. If money capital must not bring its possessor more than a certain per cent. yearly, why should the profit from capital in machines, land or manufactures be unlimited? Suppose I lend my neighbor $20,000, with which he purchases a spinning mill which gives him an annual return of 50 per cent.; why should not I be permitted to obtain what interest I can for my capital, when the borrower who receives this capital from me is free to derive any profit he can therefrom? —It is claimed that the interest of money is an exception to the general rules of trade. M. Paillet said that property rights must yield, the same as others, to public utility; and he compared the prohibition to loan above a certain rate, with the interdiction to build within the line of fortresses, with expropriation for the public good, with the prohibition to clear land, with all measures, in short, which society takes to protect the weak against the strong. Political economy does not contest the right of society; but it denies its applicability in this case. What public interest requires the state to regulate the rent of money? We find none. In a theocratic government, where the state is everything and does everything, that would perhaps be conceivable. The priests in that case fix the price of provisions, the form of garments and the number of ablutions. People are not astonished to see them interfere in the system of industries, when they behold their authority reaching even to the domestic hearth. But since the industries have come forth from their swaddling bands, and citizens of the same state can freely trade with each other, it is the interest of each and all that trade in money should be as free as in other commodities. What would the ability to buy and sell products signify, without any other rule than the price resulting from the relation between demand and supply, if capital, which begets the products, were subject to different conditions on the market? Competition determines the rent of capital as well as the price of merchandise; and that alone can bring about and surely will bring about a fall in the rate of interest. Only chimerical or violently-disposed persons demand other methods. —The adherents of the doctrine of the balance of trade thought that money, instead of representing the capital in circulation, was the capital itself of each country. This is why they subjected money negotiations to special rules. It was with this feeling that M. Jaubert, who reported the law of 1807, said: "If commerce gives itself up to speculations in interest, it goes out of its way, and will in the end arrest the progress of industry." As if capital, or rather accumulated labor, was intended for any thing else than to serve as a motor, and to procure profits for those who possess it. Communities live by tradition as much as by progress. We increase in stature because we rise on the shoulders of our fathers. Capital prepares the way for labor. The regulation of interest, as we know from the experience of our predecessors, is of no more service to labor than it is to capital. If it makes the latter unproductive, it prevents the former from development. But this system has consequences still more fatal to society than to the individual. It was decreed in France, by the law of 1850, that the maximum interest should remain fixed at 5 per cent. in civil matters. But that did not satisfy either M. Pelletier, who demanded money at 3 per cent., nor M. Proudhon, who aimed to reduce it to zero. The moment the people get the idea that it belongs to the law-making power to determine the rate of interest or to fix a limit to it, we are exposed to all the demands of anarchy. When the people, complaining rightly or wrongly of the hard times, come to demand a reduction in the annual interest, by what right can opposition be made? Will it be said, "We can not"? The legislators would then falsify their own action. Will they respond, "We will not"? That would be opening the way to revolution. The people would withdraw to the Aventine Hill, claiming abolition of debts; or, perhaps, to avoid paying them, or to pay them in paper money, they will send to the legislature, as certain departments did in 1849, socialistic revolutionists. Regulating interest by legislation is the first step of society toward bankruptcy; for it is the substitution of arbitrary law for the right to make agreements freely. —Freedom in the matter of interest is proper for all peoples who have attained their majority and who are governed by laws of their own making: but it is especially appropriate in republics. Where the right of a citizen to take part in governmental affairs is recognized, he can not, without injustice and contradiction, be denied the power to regulate as he pleases his own affairs; to buy, sell, lend or borrow on such conditions as the market offers. The component parts of the sovereign power can not be held in tutelage. It is ridiculous that the law should stipulate for them as for aliens or prodigals put under an interdict. Let them not be called upon to deliberate on the nature and direction of the government, if they are judged incapable of comprehending and defending their true interests; or if that honor is accorded to their independence and intelligence, let the horizon of sovereignty be at least extended to private transactions and the domestic hearth. —The United States probably owe some measure of their prosperity to the comparative freedom in the matter of interest. In New York discount has sometimes been taken as high as 18 per cent. per annum. At San Francisco money has been worth 4 per cent. or 5 per cent. a month. What matters it, after all, if those who borrow at this rate employ it so as to make still greater profits? —The rate of interest is generally in proportion to that of profits. Where industrial investments bring 12 per cent. to 15 per cent., it would be foolish to claim that one ought to borrow money at 4 per cent. to 5 per cent. The trade in money would, in fact, cease, if it could not take place under conditions similar to those prevailing in other industries. When, on the contrary, capital employed in agriculture and manufactures brings a return of 5 per cent. to 6 per cent., a moderate interest, say from 3½ per cent. to 4 per cent. is generally sufficient for the capitalist. Where the profits from agriculture are considerable, as in many of the western states, the remuneration of labor and of capital is high. Interest is high as well as wages. In Great Britain, on the contrary, where manufacturers, in order to become rich, must operate on immense quantities, the profit being very small on each fraction, capital obtains only a moderate interest. The abundance produced by the treasures accumulated by industry makes capital less in demand there than labor. —Harmony of these diverse functions in society can only result from liberty. It is liberty which has caused the growth of manufactures and has given wings to commerce. Liberty can alone regulate the interest of money, to the satisfaction of everybody. Capital can have no other master than itself; and its tyranny will be best avoided by not seeking to reduce it to slavery. A just balance will here arise from the relations naturally established between men and not from the laws they may be tempted to enact. —BIBLIOGRAPHY. A Tract against the High Rate of Usury, etc., by Sir Thomas Colepeper, London, 1623, 4to; Interest of Money Mistaken—or, a treatise proving that a fall in interest is the effect and not the cause of the wealth of nations, London, 1668, 4to—(this treatise was written against the work by Child, who had maintained the opposite opinion); Brief Observations concerning Trade and the Interest of Money, by Josiah Child, London, 1668, 4to; Usury Explained and Condemned by the Holy Scriptures and by Tradition, by Father Thorentier, Paris, 1673, 12mo; Treatise on the Practice among Merchants of dealing in Bills and Money Loans, by a doctor of theology, 1684; Treatise on Money Negotiations and Usury, by Father Thomassin, Paris, 1697, 8vo; Usury, Interest and the Profit derived from Loans, or the ancient doctrine opposed to the new opinions, by J. Arthur de la Gibonays, Paris, 1710, 12mo; Treatise on Commercial Loans, by a doctor of the theological faculty at Paris, 1736; Treatise on Commercial Loans, or on legitimate and illegitimate interest on money, by Abbé Étienne Mignot, Paris, 1738, 1759, 1767, 4 vols., 12mo; Dissertation on the Legitimacy of Interest on Money current in Trade, by J. B. Gastumean, Hague, 1750, 12mo; An Essay on the Governing Causes of the Rate of Interest, by Joseph Massie, London, 1750, 8vo; Discourse for and against the Reduction of Interest on Money, by Abbé J. P. de Gua de Malves, 1757, Dialogue between Bail and Pontas—a theological dissertation on usury; Theological dissertation on the Practice of Commercial Loans and on the three Contracts, against the author of the Dialogue between Bail and Pontas, with a critical examination of the Letter of a Merchant on Loans, by Pierre Lecoq. Rouen, 1767. 12mo; Recent Letters to a Friend on Usurious Commercial Loans, by Abbé de la Porte, Amsterdam and Paris, 1769, 12mo; Theological, Economical and Civil Principles in regard to Usury, by Abbé de la Porte, Paris. 1769-72, 4 vols., 12mo; Treatise on Usury, serving as a reply to a letter on this subject, published in 1770 under the name of Prost de Rayer, and to the anonymous treatise on the same subject, by Étienne Souchet, Cologne. 1769. Paris and Berlin, 1776, 12mo. Legitimacy of Legal Usury, in which its utility is proven, by J. Faiguet de Villeneuve, Amsterdam, 1770. 12mo; Remarks on the Treatise on Usury and Interest (by Abbé de La Forest. 1769). with on Analysis of the Reflections on Commercial Loans (1771), to serve as a supplement to the theological dissertation on usury, by Pierre Lecoq, Amsterdam. 1775. 12mo; Means of extirpating Usury, or a Project for the establishment of a Public Bank for loaning upon all kinds of Property, by a lawyer in the parliament (H. Prévost de Saint Lucien), 1776-8. 12mo—(the establishment of the mord de pieti was attributed to the effect produced by this book): The Theory of Interest on Money derived from principles of Natural Law. Theology and Politics, against the abuse of the imputation of Usury, by J. L. Gouttes, Paris, 1780, 12mo; The Defender of Usury Confounded, or a Refutation of the Theory of Interest on Money, by Abbé de la Porte (with a collection of the ordinances against usury, by Maultrot), Paris. 1782, 12mo: Observations on Interest Loans in Commerce, by the Abbé Prigent, Paris, 1783, 12mo; The Defender of Usury Confounded once more by the Author of Principles of Usury, a Refutation of the Theory of Interest on Money, by the Abbé de la Porte, Paris, 1786, 12mo: Usury Laws—or, an exposition of the impolicy of legal restraints on the terms of pecuniary bargains, by Jeremy Bentham, 1787; The new Patrons of Usury Refuted, including the last defender of Calrin on the same subject—a work dedicated to the states general, by the Abbé Rougane, Paris, 1789, 12 mo; Memoir on Loaning at Interest, by J. Turgot. 1789; Considerations on Loaning at Interest, by M. * * * (Baron Ambroise Render). Jurist, Paris, 1806, 8vo; Memoir honored with a Prize by the Academie du Gard, on this question: To determine the principle of Interest on Money, and its relation to Morals, by J. D. Meyer. Amsterdam, 1808, 8vo; Elucidation of Loans, Usury and Trade in Money, by Abbé Remi Pothier, Rheims, 1809; Considerations on the Rate of Interest, by E. B. Sugden, London, 1817, 8vo; Report by and Evidence taken before the Select Committee of the House of Commons on the Usury Law, London, 1818, folio; Dissertation on Commercial Loans, by Card. C. G. de la Luzerne, Dijon, 1823, 3 vols., 8vo; Dissertation on Contracts for Annuities, followed by some observations on two decisions on the matter of usury paid at Paris, by Cardinal Caprara, (Pagès, 1816), Lyons, 1823; Reflections on the Speech of the Chairman of the Commission for the Reduction of Interest, by P. Pelegrin, Paris, 1824, 8vo; On the Rate of Interest on Money, and its Reduction, by A. J. E. Baconnière-Salverte, Paris, 1824, 8vo; Explanation of a simple Means of reducing the Rate of Interest on the Public Funds in France, by André D. Laffon de Ladébat, Paris, 1825, 8vo; Dissertation on Loans at Interest—an explanation of the circumstances which justify taking interest, by Abbé E. Pagès, Paris and Lyons, 1826, 8vo; Treatise on Usury in Civil and Commercial Transactions, by F.-X. P. Garnier, Paris, 1826, 12mo; Usury Considered in its Relations to Political Economy, Public Morals and Legislation—or, the necessity of repealing the Law of Sept. 3, 1807, and modifying Art. 1907 of the Civil Code, by Ch. Lucas, Paris, 1829, 8mo, pamphlet; Discussion on Usury, where it is demonstrated that moderate usury is neither contrary to the Holy Scripture, nor to natural law, etc., by Abbé Mastrolini, (translated into French from the 4th Italian edition, by the Canon of Annecy, and supplemented by a collection of the decisions of the Holy See on usury), Lyons, 1834, 8vo; Investigations made by the English Parliament in 1838 and 1841 on the effects produced by the Laws in regard to Usury; Monts de Piété (pawnbrokers' shops) and Banks which loan on Pledges, by M. A. Blaise, Paris, 1843, 1 vol., 8vo; Observations on the Usury Laws, by J. B. Byle, Serjeant at Law, (London?) 1845; Gratuitous Credit—a discussion between Bastiat and Proudhon, Paris, 1850, 1 vol., 16mo; Obstacles to Credit—considerations submitted to the commission of the legislative assembly, who examine the proposition of M. de Saint-Priest on usury, by J. Beauvais, Merchant, Paris, 1850, 8vo, pamphlet; Manual for Debates on Usury, Crédit Foncier (i e., loans secured by mortgage of real estate), Finance, etc.—a summary of the labors of the greatest thinkers, applied to France by a system immediately practicable, by Albert Polonius, Paris, 1850, 1 vol., 8vo; The Question of Usury, by Saint-Priest; Report of the Commission appointed to examine the Proposition of M. Felix de Saint-Priest on the Crime of Usury, by M. Paillet. The Moniteur of those times contains the speeches of MM. Aubréy (of the Vosges), Sainte-Beuve, Lherbette and Léon Faucher; in favor of the proposition by MM. Paillet, Saint-Priest and Corsan. Other writers have treated the subject of usury incidentally, among whom may be named Plutarch, Against Borrowing for Interest; Saumaise, Four Treatises on Usury, in Latin; Dumoulin, On Usuries; Voodt, De Pœnore; Scaccia, Questions; Montesquieu, Spirit of Laws; D. Hume, Essay on the Interest of Money (1752); Pothier, Loans, Contracts of Sale; M. Frémery, Studies in Commercial Law; Thieriet, Dissertation on Loans at Interest. To the above should be added: Some Considerations of the Consequences of the Lowering of Interest and Raising the Value of Money, by John Locke, 18mo, London, 1692; An Essay on the Law of Usury, by Mark Ord, Hartford, 1809, 8vo; Interest made Equity, by J. R. M'Culloch, N. Y., 1826; A Summary of the History and Law of Usury, with an examination of the Policy of the existing System, by J. B. Kelly, 8vo, Philadelphia, 1853; The History of Usury from the Earliest Period to the Present Time, together with a brief statement of general principles concerning the conflict of laws in different states and countries, and an examination into the policy of Laws on Usury, and their effect upon Commerce, by J. B. C. Murray, Philadelphia, 1866, 8vo; Labor and Loans at Interest, by Ch. le Lièvre, Paris (?); Labor and Usury in Ancient Times, by Ch. le Lièvre; Loans at Interest, by L. F. Vignon; A Treatise on the Law of Usury, Pawns or Pledges, and Maritime Loans, by R. H. Tyler, Albany, 1873, 8vo; Free Trade in Money the Great and Principal Cause of Fraud, Poverty and Ruin: Stringent Usury Laws the best defense of the People against Hard Times, etc., by J. Whipple, Boston, 1878. 8vo, paper; Encyclopedia of Commerce, article Interest, by Smith Homans; Appleton's Encyclopœdia, Johnson's Encyclopœdia, Encyclopœdia Britannica, article Interest. See also Poole's Index to Periodical Literature, under Usury and Usury Laws; also Saml. Jones Loyd's Testimony on Banks of Issue before the Select Committee of the House of Commons in 1840, queries 2841 and 2842; J. S. Mill's Political Economy, book iii., chap. xxiii.; H. D. Macleod's Principles of Economics, vol. i., pp. 215-219; Science of Wealth, by Amasa Walker, book iv., chap. vi.; Roscher's Political Economy, book iii., chap. iv.; Usury Laws: their Nature, Expediency and Influence—opinions of Jeremy Bentham and John Calvin, with review of the existing situation and recent experience of the United States, by Richard H. Dana, Jr., David A. Wells, and others, (Econ. Tracts, No. IV., series of 1880-81, N. Y., Society for Political Education); Essay on the History and Legislation on Usury, by Liégeois, Paris, 1863; Interest on Money and Usury, by M. Sabrau, Paris, 1865; Freedom of Money—official investigation into the project of repealing the laws which prohibit usury, by M. Dulae, Paris, 1865; Usury and Finance in relation to the Law of 1807, by M. Gorse, Paris, 1865. E. J. L., Tr Notes for this chapter End of Notes Return to top

Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia dead at 92WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert C. Byrd, the longest serving member of the U.S. Senate, a fiery orator and hard-charging power broker who steered billions of federal dollars to his beloved West Virginia, died Monday. He was 92. WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert C. Byrd, the longest serving member of the U.S. Senate, a fiery orator and hard-charging power broker who steered billions of federal dollars to his beloved West Virginia, died Monday. He was 92. A spokesman for the family, Jesse Jacobs, said that Byrd died peacefully at about 3 a.m. at Inova Hospital in Fairfax, Va. He had been in the hospital since late last week. At first Byrd was believed to be suffering from heat exhaustion and severe dehydration, but other medical conditions developed. He had been in frail health for several years. A man of humble, Depression-era upbringing, Byrd held his seat for over 50 years, working tirelessly all that time to make sure his state never missed out on its share — or even more, in some cases — of the federal largesse. He was the Senate’s majority leader for six of those years and was third in the line of succession to the presidency, behind House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Flags at the Capitol and the White House flew at half-staff Monday as Washington mourned Byrd’s passing. Byrd’s desk in Senate chamber was draped in black. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a fellow West Virginian in the Senate, said it was his “greatest privilege” to serve with Byrd. “I looked up to him, I fought next to him, and I am deeply saddened that he is gone,” Rockefeller said. The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said Byrd “combined a devotion to the U.S. Constitution with a deep learning of history to defend the interests of his state and the traditions of the Senate.” “We will remember him for his fighter’s spirit, his abiding faith, and for the many times he recalled the Senate to its purposes,” McConnell said. Former President Jimmy Carter said Byrd “was my closest and most valuable adviser” during his presidency, when Byrd served as Senate majority leader. Byrd was skilled “in using arcane Senate rules to achieve his goals, and was proud of his ability to count votes and forge prevailing coalitions,” Carter said in a statement. West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, will appoint Byrd’s replacement. For a declared vacancy more than two years and six months before the expiration of a senator’s term — Byrd’s term was to end Jan. 3, 2013 — the appointee serves until an election is held to fill the rest of the term. Manchin issued a statement Monday saying Byrd “was a fearless fighter for the Constitution, his beloved state and its great people.” He told The Associated Press that he will not appoint himself to fill the seat, and had no timetable for naming a replacement. Byrd’s death followed less than a year after the passing of venerable Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, a nationally recognizable figure who had been a most vociferous spokesman for liberal causes for years. In comportment and style, Byrd often seemed a Senate throwback to a courtlier 19th century. He could recite poetry, quote the Bible, discuss the Constitutional Convention and detail the Peloponnesian Wars — and frequently did in Senate debates. Yet there was nothing particularly courtly about Byrd’s pursuit or exercise of power. Byrd was a master of the Senate’s bewildering rules and longtime chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which controls a third of the $3 trillion federal budget. He was willing to use both to reward friends and punish those he viewed as having slighted him. “Bob is a living encyclopedia, and legislative graveyards are filled with the bones of those who underestimated him,” former House Speaker Jim Wright, D-Texas, once said in remarks Byrd later displayed in his office. In 1971, Byrd ousted Kennedy, the Massachusetts senator, as the Democrats’ second in command. He was elected majority leader in 1976 and held the post until Democrats lost control of the Senate four years later. He remained his party’s leader through six years in the minority, then spent another two years as majority leader. Byrd stepped aside as majority leader in 1989 when Democrats sought a more contemporary television spokesman. “I ran the Senate like a stern parent,” Byrd wrote in his memoir, “Child of the Appalachian Coalfields.” His consolation price was the chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee, with control over almost limitless federal spending. Within two years, he surpassed his announced five-year goal of making sure more than $1 billion in federal funds was sent back to West Virginia, money used to build highways, bridges, buildings and other facilities, some named after him. In 2006 and with 64 percent of the vote, Byrd won an unprecedented ninth term in the Senate just months after surpassing South Carolinian Strom Thurmond’s record as its longest-serving member. His more than 18,500 roll call votes were another record. But Byrd also seemed to slow after the death of Erma, his wife of almost 69 years, in 2006. Frail and at times wistful, he used two canes to walk haltingly and needed help from aides to make his way about the Senate. He often hesitated at unscripted moments. By 2009, aides were bringing him to and from the Senate floor in a wheelchair. Though his hands trembled in later years, Byrd only recently lost his grip on power. Last November he surrendered his chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee. Byrd’s lodestar was protecting the Constitution. He frequently pulled out a dog-eared copy of it from a pocket in one of his trademark three-piece suits. He also defended the Senate in its age-old rivalry with the executive branch, no matter which party held the White House. Unlike other prominent Senate Democrats such as 2004 presidential nominee John Kerry of Massachusetts, who voted to authorize the war in Iraq, Byrd stood firm in opposition — and felt gratified when public opinion swung behind him. “The people are becoming more and more aware that we were hoodwinked, that the leaders of this country misrepresented or exaggerated the necessity for invading Iraq,” Byrd said. He cited Iraq when he endorsed then-Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination in May 2008, calling Obama “a shining young statesman, who possesses the personal temperament and courage necessary to extricate our country from this costly misadventure.” Byrd’s accomplishments followed a childhood of poverty in West Virginia, and his success on the national stage came despite a complicated history on racial matters. As a young man, he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan for a brief period, and he joined Southern Democrats in an unsuccessful filibuster against the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act. He later apologized for both actions, saying intolerance has no place in America. While supporting later civil rights bills, he opposed busing to integrate schools. Byrd briefly sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1976 and later told associates he had once been approached by President Richard M. Nixon, a Republican, about accepting an appointment to the Supreme Court. But he was a creature — and defender — of Congress across a career that began in 1952 with his election to the House. He served three terms there before winning his Senate seat in 1958, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was in the White House. He clashed with presidents in both parties and was implacably against proposed balanced budget amendments to the Constitution. “He is a fierce defender of the Senate and its prerogatives in ways that I think the founding fathers really intended the Senate to be,” said one-time rival Kennedy. In a measure of his tenacity, Byrd took a decade of night courses to earn a law degree in 1963, and completed his long-delayed bachelor’s degree at West Virginia’s Marshall University in 1994 with correspondence classes. Byrd was a near-deity in economically struggling West Virginia, to which he delivered countless federally financed projects. Entire government bureaus opened there, including the FBI’s repository for computerized fingerprint records. Even the Coast Guard had a facility in the landlocked state. Critics portrayed him as the personification of Congress’ thirst for wasteful “pork” spending projects. Robert Carlyle Byrd was born Nov. 20, 1917, in North Wilkesboro, N.C., as Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr., the youngest of five children. Before he was 1, his mother died and his father sent him to live with an aunt and uncle, Vlurma and Titus Byrd, who renamed him and moved to the coal-mining town of Stotesbury, W.Va. He didn’t learn his original name until he was 16 and his real birthday until he was 54. Byrd’s foster father was a miner who frequently changed jobs, and Byrd recalled that the family’s house was “without electricity, ... no running water, no telephone, a little wooden outhouse.” He graduated from high school but could not afford college. Married in 1936 to high school sweetheart Erma Ora James — with whom he had two daughters — he pumped gas, cut meat and during World War II was a shipyard welder. Returning to meat cutting in West Virginia, he became popular for his fundamentalist Bible lectures. A grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan suggested he run for office. He won his first race — for the state’s House of Delegates — in 1946, distinguishing himself from 12 rivals by singing and fiddling mountain tunes. His fiddle became a fixture; he later played it on the television show “Hee Haw” and recorded an album. He abandoned it only after a grandson’s traumatic death in 1982 and when his shaky hands left him unable to play. At his 90th birthday party in 2007, however, Byrd joined bluegrass band Lonesome Highway in singing a few tunes and topped off the night with a rendition of “Old Joe Clark.” After six years in the West Virginia legislature, Byrd was elected to the U.S. House in 1952 in a race in which his brief Klan membership became an issue. He said he joined because of its anti-communism. Byrd entered Congress as one of its most conservative Democrats. He was an early supporter of the Vietnam War, and his 14-hour, 13-minute filibuster against the 1964 civil rights bill remains one of the longest ever. His views gradually moderated, particularly on economic issues, but he always sided with his state’s coal interests in confrontations with environmentalists. His love of Senate traditions inspired him to write a four-volume history of the chamber. It also led him to oppose laptops on the Senate floor and to object when a blind aide tried bringing her seeing-eye dog into the chamber. In 2004, Byrd got Congress to require schools and colleges to teach about the Constitution every Sept. 17, the day the document was adopted in 1787.

Inspired klutzy_girl's fall tv schedule, i made mine as well, includes new shows that I will watch the pilots before deciding, midseason shows and old favorites. Since have given up on House and Chuck last season and cable shows not included, my shows totalled to 23! Good thing I have unlimited bandwith! The Playboy Club (new) Gossip Girl (Dair scenes only) Hart of Dixie (new) Alcatraz (new, midseason) New Girl (new, midseason) The Vampire Diaries The Secret Circle (new) A Gifted Man (new) Once Upon a Time (new) The Good Wife The Firm (new) Posted via LiveJournal.app. Knowing my history over holiday planning, the most events i get too excited about don't push through, I hope this is not the case this time. I noted to self, come rain or freezing temperature, I'm gonna visit the Stonehenge damnit! I feel like Gloating because Jack & Kate are ENDGAME! I guess I get 2 couples so far this season, JATE and HUDDY. I used to watch my shows like Dawson's Creek spoiler free, like it didn't even occur to me that spoilers exist, I had to watch to find out that Joey picks Pacey...I had to even follow the show to know there was gonna be a Joey-Pacey hook up. Were those better days? I mean now I can't even imagine myself being spoiler-free. I moved to another country, living away from my family and friends, fortunately I'm adjusting quite well and have made new friends. Ships have come and gone...well I never really jumped any ships but some may have been put to the back burner than others. New infatuations, Alex Skarsgard and slow burn love, Chris Evans (watched him in other movies before but I've never been so attracted to him until I'd seen The Loss of the Teardrop diamond) and fangirlish squeals over Spock/Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine (yeah, was never into the fandom until the reboot movie) Having a fine summer so far, it has been warm and sunny this week but who knows, it might rain the next. Northern Ireland is unpredictable like that. I had to leave all my dvd, books and beloved shoes behind, but I'm trying to start a new collection here. Thank god for free shipping which I never had full advantage before. I now get to experience to work for my own wages and splurging on what else? dvd, books and shoes! Plus I had to buy new sunglasses (Dior) because I never expected to experience sunlight, the cost hurt me quite a bit, but a girl can never overindulge herself right? Having to go to the university is quite a drag..well not really because I get to enjoy spending time with my new found friends, I just hate the homework part of it. Anyway, nice catching up, almost midnight here and I have to wake up early tomorrow for work...3 straight 12-hour work days again! arrrggg... Derek and Addison's interactions were full of chemistry and it was nice to see the old 'gang' consisting of Derek, Addie, Nay, Sam, Mark and Archer... It was great listening to their old stories and how Derek even wrote a song for Addison. I used to ship MerDer back in Season 1 but now I don't watch GA anymore, I only tune in to Private Practice now but I must say I would want to watch a show with the old power couple and the gang. They should make crossovers more often.

UPDATED, SUNDAY MORNING, 8:45 am ET SATURDAY NIGHT 10:30 pm ET WITH SOME SUNDAY NFL PROGRAMMING NOTES: With Saturday’s sad news on the passing of Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, ESPN’s news operation responds. This obituary on Davis was the first of what will be a steady stream of content related to the face of the Raiders organization. ESPN.com’s AFC West blogger Bill Williamson was one of the first reporters to file a tribute. • Chris Berman’s video tribute is running across ESPN platforms, as are insights from analysts Tom Jackson and Matt Millen. Expect additional commentary from John Clayton, Chris Mortensen. ESPN’s Raiders and Al Davis-connected talent includes: Bill Parcells, Eric Allen, Jerry Rice, Jon Gruden, Jon Ritchie, Matt Stinchcomb and Millen. • Ritchie, a former Raiders fullback, discusses his former boss. • Expect a late-day Saturday package with both Mortensen and Gruden, from Detroit where they are for Monday night’s game (Bears-Lions). • The 8 a.m. (ET) Sunday SportsCenter featured a Bob Ley phone interview with former ESPN colleague Paul Maguire who played for Davis at The Citadel and remained close with him over the years. “There was never a time when I would call him that I wouldn’t hear back within ten minutes,” Maguire said. Also joining Ley on Sunday morning was Hank Goldberg in his regular picks appearance. Hammerin’ Hank also shared an anecdote about Davis regarding his generosity and kindness, something he saw firsthand over dinner with Davis and Jimmy the Greek many years ago. [Hank picked the Raiders as an 'upset special,' citing the emotional day it will be for the team at Houston.] • The 30for30 film “Straight Outta LA” – a tribute to Al Davis and Raider Nation – was scheduled to air at 11 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Film was directed by Ice Cube. • Extensive ESPN.com coverage here (see coverage box on right at link), including quotes/tweets from throughout the sports world and pop culture. Also reflections from Jerry Jones through ESPNDallas.com’s Todd Archer. Chuck Klosterman offers his perspective on Davis for Grantland. Also check ESPN Los Angeles for additional coverage. • NFL Sunday Countdown will feature discussion of Davis with the regular Countdown crew and will also include Jerry Rice and Steve Young, longtime Raiders rivals. • Every NFL contest on Sunday will feature a pre-game moment of silence in honor of Davis. * Statement from George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN and ABC Sports: “Al Davis was a driving force in pro football both on and off the field for decades. He leaves an indelible legacy and a legion of loyal players, coaches and fans.” • Statement from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: “Al Davis’s passion for football and his influence on the game were extraordinary. He defined the Raiders and contributed to pro football at every level. The respect he commanded was evident in the way that people listened carefully every time he spoke. He is a true legend of the game whose impact and legacy will forever be part of the NFL.” • Longtime ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown host Chris Bermanon Al Davis: ”We wouldn’t enjoy pro football the way it is today without Al Davis. He was a visionary, but above all, he was a man who loved the game of football. You could see it every time you saw him at a Raiders game or even heard him speak. You always knew what Al Davis and the Silver and Black stood for.” [NOTE: Chris promises to share a good anecdote about the first time he met Al Davis on NFL Countdown Sunday morning on ESPN.] • Keep up with ESPN’s social media coverage after the JUMP as we Storify tweets and posts from our talent.

- Year Published: 1851 - Language: English - Country of Origin: United States of America - Source: Melville H. (1851). Moby Dick.London, England: Richard Bently. - Flesch–Kincaid Level: 9.8 - Word Count: 1,381 Melville, H. (1851). Chapter 19: The Prophet. Moby Dick (Lit2Go Edition). Retrieved June 20, 2013, from Melville, Herman. "Chapter 19: The Prophet." Moby Dick. Lit2Go Edition. 1851. Web. <>. June 20, 2013. Herman Melville, "Chapter 19: The Prophet," Moby Dick, Lit2Go Edition, (1851), accessed June 20, 2013,. “Shipmates, have ye shipped in that ship?” Queequeg and I had just left the Pequod, and were sauntering from the water, for the moment each occupied with his own thoughts, when the above words were put to us by a stranger, who, pausing before us, levelled his massive forefinger at the vessel in question. He was but shabbily apparelled in faded jacket and patched trowsers; a rag of a black handkerchief investing his neck. A confluent smallpox had in all directions flowed over his face, and left it like the complicated ribbed bed of a torrent, when the rushing waters have been dried up. “Have ye shipped in her?” he repeated. “You mean the ship Pequod, I suppose,” said I, trying to gain a little more time for an uninterrupted look at him. “Aye, the Pequod- that ship there,” he said, drawing back his whole arm and then rapidly shoving it straight out from him-, with the fixed bayonet of his pointed finger darted full at the object. “Yes,” said I, “we have just signed the articles.” “Anything down there about your souls?” “Oh, perhaps you hav’n’t got any,” he said quickly. “No matter though, I know many chaps that hav’n’t got any,- good luck to ‘em; and they are all the better off for it. A soul’s a sort of a fifth wheel to a wagon.” “What are you jabbering about, shipmate?” said I. “He’s got enough, though, to make up for all deficiencies of that sort in other chaps,” abruptly said the stranger, placing a nervous emphasis upon the word he. “Queequeg,” said I, “let’s go; this fellow has broken loose from somewhere; he’s talking about something and somebody we don’t know.” “Stop!” cried the stranger. “Ye said true- ye hav’n’t seen Old Thunder yet, have ye?” “Who’s Old Thunder?” said I, again riveted with the insane earnestness of his manner. “What! the captain of our ship, the Pequod?” “Aye, among some of us old sailor chaps, he goes by that name. Ye hav’n’t seen him yet, have ye?” “No, we hav’n’t. He’s sick they say, but is getting better, and will be all right again before long.” “All right again before long!” laughed the stranger, with a solemnly derisive sort of laugh. “Look ye; when Captain Ahab is all right, then this left arm of mine will be all right; not before.” “What do you know about him?” “What did they tell you about him? Say that!” “They didn’t tell much of anything about him; only I’ve heard that he’s a good whale-hunter, and a good captain to his crew.” “That’s true, that’s true- yes, both true enough. But you must jump when he gives an order. Step and growl; growl and go- that’s the word with Captain Ahab. But nothing about that thing that happened to him off Cape Horn, long ago, when he lay like dead for three days and nights; nothing about that deadly skrimmage with the Spaniard afore the altar in Santa?- heard nothing about that, eh? Nothing about the silver calabash he spat into? And nothing about his losing his leg last voyage, according to the prophecy. Didn’t ye hear a word about them matters and something more, eh? No, I don’t think ye did; how could ye? Who knows it? Not all Nantucket, I guess. But hows’ever, mayhap, ye’ve heard tell about the leg, and how he lost it; aye, ye have heard of that, I dare say. Oh, yes, that every one knows a’most- I mean they know he’s only one leg; and that a parmacetti took the other off.” “My friend,” said I, “what all this gibberish of yours is about, I don’t know, and I don’t much care; for it seems to me that you must be a little damaged in the head. But if you are speaking of Captain Ahab, of that ship there, the Pequod, then let me tell you, that I know all about the loss of his leg.” “All about it, eh- sure you do? all? With finger pointed and eye levelled at the Pequod, the beggar-like stranger stood a moment, as if in a troubled reverie; then starting a little, turned and said:- “Ye’ve shipped, have ye? Names down on the papers? Well, well, what’s signed, is signed; and what’s to be, will be; and then again, perhaps it won’t be, after all. Any how, it’s all fixed and arranged already; and some sailors or other must go with him, I suppose; as well these as any other men, God pity ‘em! Morning to ye, shipmates, morning; the ineffable heavens bless ye; I’m sorry I stopped ye.” “Look here, friend,” said I, “if you have anything important to tell us, out with it; but if you are only trying to bamboozle us, you are mistaken in your game; that’s all I have to say.” “And it’s said very well, and I like to hear a chap talk up that way; you are just the man for him- the likes of ye. Morning to ye, shipmates, morning! Oh! when ye get there, tell ‘em I’ve concluded not to make one of ‘em.” “Ah, my dear fellow, you can’t fool us that way- you can’t fool us. It is the easiest thing in the world for a man to look as if he had a great secret in him.” “Morning to ye, shipmates, morning.” “Morning it is,” said I. “Come along, Queequeg, let’s leave this crazy man. But stop, tell me your name, will you?” Elijah! thought I, and we walked away, both commenting, after each other’s fashion, upon this ragged old sailor; and agreed that he was nothing but a humbug, trying to be a bugbear. But we had not gone perhaps above a hundred yards, when chancing to turn a corner, and looking back as I did so, who should be seen but Elijah following us, though at a distance. Somehow, the sight of him struck me so, that I said nothing to Queequeg of his being behind, but passed on with my comrade, anxious to see whether the stranger would turn the same corner that we did. He did; and then it seemed to me that he was dogging us, but with what intent I could not for the life of me imagine. This circumstance, coupled with his ambiguous, half-hinting, half-revealing, shrouded sort of talk, now begat in me all kinds of vague wonderments and half-apprehensions, and all connected with the Pequod; and Captain Ahab; and the leg he had lost; and the Cape Horn fit; and the silver calabash; and what Captain Peleg had said of him, when I left the ship the day previous; and the prediction of the squaw Tistig; and the voyage we had bound ourselves to sail; and a hundred other shadowy things. I was resolved to satisfy myself whether this ragged Elijah was really dogging us or not, and with that intent crossed the way with Queequeg, and on that side of it retraced our steps. But Elijah passed on, without seeming to notice us. This relieved me; and once more, and finally as it seemed to me, I pronounced him in my heart, a humbug.

New Inductees Into Delaware Park Wall of Fame by Blood-Horse Staff Date Posted: 7/18/2012 2:58:26 PM Last Updated: 7/19/2012 11:05:51 AM Trainer Grover "Buddy" Delp (right) with Spectacular Bid. Delaware Park announced July 18 that the horse Parlo, trainer Grover “Buddy” Delp, jockey Eldon Nelson, owners Mr. and Mrs. Walter Jeffords Sr., and track director Bayard Sharp are the 2012 inductees into the track’s “Wall of Fame.” “This sixth class of inductees recognizes the horses and people that raised the bar in great achievements at Delaware Park,” said Michael Vild, senior vice president and general counsel of Delaware Park. “Many of them set Delaware Park records and standards which still stand today.” Foxcatcher Farm’s Parlo carried the most weight of any Delaware Handicap winner when the daughter of Heliopolis won the race in track record time in 1955 under 128 pounds. The Virginia homebred trained by R.E. Handlen was the 3-year-old filly and handicap mare champion in 1954 and handicap mare champion in 1955. One of only four fillies to win the Delaware Oaks and then the Delaware Handicap the following year, Parlo also won the Alabama Stakes, and Beldame, Firenze, and Top Flight handicaps. She retired with eight wins, six seconds, and three thirds from 34 starts, with earnings of $309,240. Delp, who won a record 11 training titles at Delaware Park, is best known as the trainer of the 1979 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner champion Spectacular Bid. Delaware Park’s leading trainer seven consecutive years from 1963-69, the Maryland-native won six Delaware Park stakes, including the Dover, Blue Hen and Sussex. Delp was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2002. Nelson rode for some of the most prominent stables in North America, including Christiana Stables, Brookmeade Stable, and Calumet Farm during a career that spanned four decades. In 1972, the native of Glenrose, Okla., won the Preakness Stakes aboard the Del Carroll-trained and William S. Farish III-owned Bee Bee Bee. Leading rider at Delaware Park in 1956 and ’58, Nelson won a total of 10 Delaware Park stakes, including the Delaware Handicap in 1958 aboard Endine, the Delaware Oaks in 1972 aboard Light Hearted, and the Blue Hen Stakes in 1961 aboard Cicada. On June 20, 1958, he rode six winners on a single Delaware Park card, a record which has been equaled six times since, but has never been broken. He retired from riding in 1973. Walter Jeffords Sr. was a successful investment banker and owner and breeder who in partnership with his wife Sarah’s uncle, Samuel D. Riddle, purchased and operated Faraway Farm in Kentucky, where Man o’ War stood at stud. The Jeffordses won a total of 17 stakes at Delaware Park including two Delaware Handicaps and two Delaware Oaks. Kiss Me Kate, the 1951 3-year-old filly champion, won the Delaware Oaks and the following year won the Delaware Handicap. They also won the 1950 Delaware Handicap with Adile and the 1965 Delaware Oaks with Juanita. In 1944, they won the Christiana Stakes at Delaware Park with eventual 2-year-old champion male Pavot. They also campaigned the 1953 Horse of the Year and 3-year-old champion One Count, who won the Belmont Stakes, Travers Stakes, and Jockey Club Gold Cup. Bayard Sharp, an original director of Delaware Park and a native of Wilmington, Del., had a career in racing spanning more than 60 years. Sharp established his 750-acre Sharp Farm in Middletown, Del., in 1941. Included among the 91 stakes winners he bred and owned in partnership with his wife, Mary, were Mississippi Mud, Dixieland Band, Papal Power, and Baron de Vaux. During World War II, he flew U.S. Navy bombers and he was an adviser to presidents, congressmen. and governors. Copyright © 2015 The Blood-Horse, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

MISSION VIEJO, Burl Estes, retired deputy district attorney: As a former deputy district |In this March 12, 2013 file photo, James Holmes, left, and defense attorney Tamara Brady appear in district court in Centennial, Colo. for his arraignment. Court documents are raising new questions for the university that Colorado theater shooting suspect James Holmes attended before the July 20 theater shooting that left 12 people dead and 70 injured. (AP Photo)| attorney, I know the difficulties involved in committing someone who has obvious mental problems and may be potentially dangerous ["Examine the link between drugs and violence," Letters, April 3]. They have "rights" which, under the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, "entitle" them to live in the community. Though Gov. Ronald Reagan signed that law into effect, Sacramento didn't follow up by funding group homes where such people could stay and be monitored to make sure they took their medications. Here's an example of the problem in New York City. A violence-prone schizophrenic who refused to take her medicine pushed a man from India she had never met onto the subway tracks. He was killed. When she was confronted, she said she did it because she hated Muslims and Hindus. She had been treated previously at a New York psychiatric hospital, and her mother had called the police at least five times due to violence at home. The woman had even assaulted a police officer. After having been arrested nine times, she was either released outright or allowed to plead guilty to assault and other charges without jail time or remand to a mental facility for treatment. Her case is not exceptional, and there are many like her, ticking time bombs wandering around, just waiting to go off. In the case of James Holmes, the Aurora, Colo., mass murderer, the only person who met him and refused to deal with him was a gun dealer, who suspected Holmes was mentally unbalanced, which he was. Not every person suffering from schizophrenia, bipolarism or other mental problems is dangerous. But people with mental problems and violent tendencies who often refuse to take their medications should be monitored and kept away from dangerous weapons. Adam Lanza, the Newtown shooter, was one of those people whose mother was trying to get mental health treatment for him. He refused, killed her and used her legally owned firearms to commit the massacre at Sandy Hook School before killing himself. A universal background check requirement, had it been in effect at the time, would not have stopped that shooting spree. The problem is that it is impossible to predict who might turn into a subway killer or school attacker. The solution is not more "comprehensive gun control laws" but more school security. Mass murderers go to schools because they know there will be no resistance that could stop their shooting sprees. NEWPORT BEACH, Ron Williams, U.S. Secret Service, retired: On Feb. 23, 2013, a ceremony was held at the Gettysburg Lodge, Gettysburg, Pa., to honor the lives of Ty Woods and Glen Doherty, the two former Navy SEALs who sacrificed their lives in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012. The somber ceremony was attended by 50 former and active-duty Navy SEALs, together with a number of people who helped to provide funds for the families of Ty Woods and Glen Doherty. As a participant at the event, I vowed not to let what happened in Benghazi to be "a bump in the road," as our president described the incident. The mainstream media has never investigated the facts and ignored the cover-up that has taken place. The facts are that 13 separate terrorist incidents occurred within six months of the attack on Sept. 11, 2012. The State Department regional security officer requested additional upgraded security but was turned down at the State Department. Ambassador Christopher Stevens also requested additional security but was rebuked. When the attack began, the CIA knew it was a planned attack perpetrated by a terrorist group closely aligned with al-Qaida. We now know from the testimony of Leon Panetta, the acting Director of the CIA, that he had a conversation with the president at 5 p.m. to brief him on the attack. According to Panetta, he did not have another conversation with the president that night even though the attack lasted seven hours. For two weeks Obama sent Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, out to blame the "incident" on a demonstration gone awry based on a B-grade video made by some obscure person in Los Angeles. I recall when Watergate happened. The news media was like a rabid dog to uncover the circumstances. But no lives were lost in that second rate burglary. Four Americans lost their lives when they could have been saved. I believe there was a cover up that took place to get Obama elected, which leaves me baffled as to why there is no outrage in America. Whether you are a Democrat or Republican you should be clamoring for justice and truth. I vowed not to forget, and to keep the flame burning until the facts of this tragedy is factually documented. For me, Hillary Clinton, it matters.

JOHN YOSHIO NAKA IN CELEBRATION OF A GRAND MASTER'S LIFE HE TAUGHT US. HE TAUGHT OUR TEACHERS. It has been estimated that in all the international world of bonsai, John Y. Naka was easily considered among the top five contemporary greatest masters, the grand masters of the art. The following is a partial and beginning but representative run-through of this great teacher's life. This Page Last Updated: December 15, 2014 Born on August 16, 1914 in the farming community of [Ft.] Lupton, Colorado (northeast of Denver), John Yoshio Naka was the third child of Kakichi and Yukino Naka. John's father had left his wife and first two children in Japan in 1903 to come to America to find his fortune. A few years later, John's mother came to Colorado to join her husband with his son. The daughter stayed in Japan with the grandparents. John's mother was one of the first women to come to here from Japan, so her small child -- John, eighteen years younger than his brother -- was a novelty to his father's friends, who all pampered him. In November, 1922, when he was eight, John's family moved to Japan. (John's oldest brother Sadao stayed behind in Colorado to continue farming.) His father, an only son, went back to the ancestral home in Kurume on Kyushu island to care for his elderly father, Sadehei, when John's paternal grandmother died. John and his grandfather formed a close relationship -- John's father serving as a translator for the first year or so -- and Sadahei encouraged the John's dynamic zest for life. Sadehei-san taught him bonsai as well as a repertoire of Japanese proverbs. These were part of the philosophies which John heard also on long walks in the woods with his grandfather. One day these proverbs would continue to roll off of John's quick tongue. Being just a boy, John initially could only watch the old man trim and shape the trees. Then he was only allowed to do such things as watering and pulling weeds until he was older. John grew very close to his grandfather, and through him learned to train and love bonsai. John's artistic abilities had not gone unnoticed. He was invited to study landscape design. It was then that he learned the basics of the relationship of trees, stones and space. When he had nearly completed his formal education in 1935, John received notice that he had been accepted into one of Japan's most prestigious art schools. However, his father had heard rumors of an impending war and feared for his son who was now of warrior's age. The family members met and decided that John should return to Colorado. All the other Nakas would spend the rest of their years on the family farm in Kurume (less than sixty miles northeast of Nagasaki). At age 21, John returned to Colorado to live with his brother, Sadao, and established a truck farm near Boulder. There in the spring time he met the young daughter of his brother's friend, Alice Toshiko Mizunaga. John and Alice married by the end of 1936 in Brighton, CO and went on to raise three sons: Eugene, Robert, and Richard. On snowy days John would sit in front of a large window sketching trees, especially those with large trunks. After several years of fighting late springs and early frosts plus hail storms during the summer, the Nakas decided that they had had enough of farming. The family moved to Los Angeles, California in late 1946, where John did landscaping with a special emphasis on Japanese gardens. His business grew, and he would continue this until 1968. In 1947 he met Sam (Tameichi) Doi, one of the early knowledgeable bonsai men in Southern California, after hearing about him at the local barber shop. Their friendship lasted until Doi returned to Japan in 1948. He encouraged John to read books on bonsai techniques and even gave him several volumes. John sought out additional works and subscribed to the Japanese-language magazine Bonsai which was edited and published by Norio Kobayashi. The reference work John preferred over all others was the 1934 Bonsai Geijyutsu (The Fine Art of Bonsai) written by Sawada Ushimaro. John began serious bonsai creation, memories of his days with his grandfather having not faded. John Naka's Montezuma CypressIn 1948 John created a three-foot tall informal upright Blue atlas cedar ( Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca') bonsai. 1 (International Bonsai, 1988/No. 4, pg. 26) In November of 1950, the Southern California Bonsai Club was officially formed by John Naka and four friends, Fusaji ("Frank") B. Nagata, Morihei Furuya, Mrs. Ai Okumura, and Joseph Yamashiro, to bring bonsai within the reach of everyone. The first three had been introduced to John by the aforementioned Mr. Doi, who worked for Mrs. Okumura and took care of her bonsai collection. (Doi had become teacher to Nagata and Furuya before WWII. The three of them happened to be assigned to the same relocation camp in 1942 -- near Granada in eastern Colorado, Amache was the smallest camp with only an 8,000 person capacity. While there, they managed to put on a makeshift bonsai exhibit for their fellow internees. After the war they returned to Los Angeles.) Mr. Yamashiro had met the Nakas in Colorado during the war and they were distant acquaintances. It just so happened that the Yamashiros later moved next door to the Nakas in California. On Sundays the two families would regularly get together. While the poet and philosopher Joseph Yamashiro and John worked on miniature trees in the yard, Alice Naka and Hanna Yamashiro pursued their own interests. The five students of bonsai became close, spending all their time talking about and working with bonsai. Now, Mssrs. Nagata, Furuya, and Naka decided to show their trees at the November 1950 San Gabriel Valley Fall Flower and Garden Show at the Fannie E. Morrison Horticulture Center in Pasadena. When they arrived they were informed that individuals could not display unless they were sponsored by a club. Without a moment's hesitation, the quick thinking Frank Nagata spoke up and said they were a club. And what was the name of the club? Again, without hesitation or benefit of conference: The Southern California Bonsai Club. They were now allowed to enter their trees, which did win a trophy and a blue ribbon at the Show the next day. Founders of The Southern California Bonsai Club (later the California Bonsai Society, Inc.) (Bonsai in California, #1, 1967) A demonstration was also given then by the group's youngest member, John. His inaugural exhibit of trees was the first time many Americans had the opportunity to see bonsai after the war. Within two years John would be teaching, first his immediate friends, and then others By the way, John and his friends decided to make an honest man of Frank, and they founded the organization that Frank had named, in Mrs. Okumura's backyard. In training by John from this year was a 30" tall silvery blue Atlas cedar ( Cedrus atlantica var. glauca). 3 -11, 1951 the club won another first prize, this time at the California International Flower Show at Hollywood Park in Inglewood. And the following month the club won a special award in the Southern California Spring Flower and Garden Show, again in Pasadena. His son Robert's science teachers, Ronald Mark and Francis "Jerry" Hill, were brought home to show them John's collection of bonsai. So impressed with the trees were they that they invited John to accompany them on a Saturday morning excursion into the desert mountains in southern California. This was in 1952. Off they went, and John saw for the first time these magnificent trees only a few feet tall but gnarled and twisted unlike anything he saw in the local nurseries. That was the beginning of the weekly trek to the "Valley of the Junipers" for the next twenty-five years. Interest in bonsai was climbing, the club was growing, and the exhibits were improving. At the Spring Show the club again won the blue ribbon. Prior to the April 1953 show, the organization which now was made up of more than forty members -- including a few caucasians -- changed its name to the Southern California Bonsai Society. Its listed purpose was the promotion and popularization of the art of bonsai. In addition to the first prize blue ribbon that year the club received a special award and a bronze medal. Again in 1954, the Society won a first award, but this was the final year of the Spring Flower and Garden Show at Brookside Park in Pasadena. During the next three years, the Society did not participate in any shows. The monthly meetings were devoted to the improvement of the bonsai of the now more than hundred members. 3 In 1957 John gave a demonstration on Channel 5 KTLA "Garden Chats" with Joe Littlefield. On April 20, 1958, the Southern California Bonsai Society, hoping to make itself a state-wide organization, was renamed The California Bonsai Society. John would be its president for thirty-two years, except for 1959 and 1960 when co-founder Morihei Furuya helmed the club. The group presented its first annual exhibition of miniature trees at the California Museum of Science and Industry in Exposition Park in Los Angeles. John acted as show chairman for the April 27 - May 4 event which was themed "What is Bonsai?" The exhibit was judged a huge success and scheduled as an annual affair. 4 See also this b&w photo of John from April 26 at the State Museum building, plus "View Resource" for this one and this one from color slides taken on an unspecified day in that year. One of the students he started with this year was Ben Oki. John quickly realized Oki's extraordinary talent and would eventually invite him to assist John at many conventions across the country. A 27" moyogi style wisteria ( Wisteria brachybotrys ) and an eleven-tree raft style elm ( Ulmus sp., eventually 17" tall and 37" wide) began their training with John in 1958. On July 4 he collected an olive tree from an olive ranch in Fontana, CA. 5 John Catlin was the show chairman for "Bonsai -- New and Old" in 1959. Frank Nagata supervised "Early Spring Bonsai" in 1960. By this time the annual show was recognized as the largest exhibit in the United States and that year a congratulatory message was received from the Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi of Japan. John Naka founded the Seinan (Southwest) Bonsai Club in 1961 (renamed Nanpu Kai in 1964). This club for select teachers only would see many of California's greatest talents over the next few decades. John also presented a lecture/demonstration to the Southern California Gardeners Association this year (and the Japan America Society the next). Earl Donovan chaired the California Bonsai Society show themed "Bonsai -- A Living Art." "Forests and Root-over-rock Plantings" were featured in the 1962 show for which Hunt Lewis was in charge. And that March the Society incorporated as the California Bonsai Society, Inc. (ABS Bonsai Journal, Summer 1985, front cover) In November, another California juniper was collected. At 32" in height, this would be named Ryu (Dragon) because there is a mythical rivalry between a "Tora" and a "Ryu" to see who can strive to obtain something that only one can possess. This year John began to travel to other states, including the East Coast to teach and demonstrate. For the next three years William Hatashita was chairman of the shows: "Preview to Summer" (1963), "The Art of Miniature Trees" (1964) and "Welcoming Spring with Bonsai" (1965). Since John was fluent in Japanese, he began writing to Norio Kobayashi in 1963 and the two exchanged letters and information. This led to an invitation from Kobayashi to John to see the Kokufu-ten Bonsai Exhibition in Ueno Park, Tokyo. This would be John's first visit to Japan since he returned to the U.S. in 1935. In 1965 John and Alice Naka first visited the Kokufu-ten, the ultimate exhibition in the world. At this 39th presentation of the world's finest trees -- which are chosen ahead of time by a panel of judges who see a photograph of each of the perspective entrants -- one of the bonsai was by a blind artist. His beautiful tree had been lovingly shaped by careful touch only, knowing the size and position of each branch, the feel of healthy leaves. John was moved by this pinnacle of interest in his chosen art. John appeared on Channel KNBC "Survey 65" to talk about bonsai with host Bob Wright. 9 The 1966 show, "Nature in Bonsai," was headed by George Yamaguchi. He also helmed the following year's "Bonsai -- Yesterday and Tomorrow." This tenth annual show was extended to two weeks in length and allowed nearly 60,000 spectators to view the display. At what was the first showing of a "new" work by John Naka, Leroy Fujii of the Phoenix Bonsai Society was in attendance. Afterwards Leroy and his brother Tad ran into John at a restaurant, and Leroy congratulated the teacher on Goshin's perfection. John expressed that he was not satisfied yet with it... (During several of the Phoenix club's nearly annual visits to the California Bonsai Society shows and L.A.-area bonsai nurseries, John's private collection was occasionally visited or else a few moments were gotten with the teacher between sessions at the show.) 11

A university professor, at a well-known institution of higher learning,challenged his students with this question. "Did God create everything that exists?" A student bravely replied, "Yes, he did!" "God created everything?" The professor asked. "He certainly did," the student replied. The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil. And, since evil exists and, according to the principal that our works define who we are, then we can assume God is evil." The student became quiet and did not answer the professor's hypothetical definition. The professor, quite pleased with himself, boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth. Another student raised his hand and said, "May I ask you a question Professor?" "Of course", replied the Professor. The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?" "What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The other students snickered at the young man's question. The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat.Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460F) is the total absence of heat; and all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat." The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?" The Professor responded, "Of course it does." The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."Finally the young man asked the Professor, "Sir, does evil exist?" Now uncertain, the Professor responded, "Of course, as I have already said.We see it every day. It is in the daily examples of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil. To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light." With that, the Professor sat down. The young man's name was Albert Einstein.

Drunken driving, West Bagley Road: An officer stopped a Volkswagen April 2 at 7:12 p.m. after smelling marijuana. The officer searched a passenger and found a burnt blunt in her pocket; the officer also searched the car and found a second burnt blunt on the floor, a small amount of suspected marijuana in the passenger's backpack and a jar containing suspected marijuana, a glass pipe and a digital scale in the driver's purse. The driver was arrested and charged with possession of suspected marijuana, possession of marijuana paraphernalia and driving under the influence of suspected marijuana. The passenger was issued a citation for possession of suspected marijuana. Underage liquor possession, Barrett Road: An officer responded to report of a disturbance at the Tower in the Park apartments on March 26 at 9:10 p.m. The officer arrived and saw five people in the lobby; he saw one boy huffing a can of air duster. The officer also found an unopened bottle of vodka under a sweatshirt; the boy, 17, told the officer he'd taken it from Dollar General. The boy was arrested and charged with criminal trespass, shoplifting, underage liquor possession and abusing harmful intoxicants. Found child, Chestnut Drive: A woman reported March 26 at 9 a.m. that she'd found a 3-year-old girl outside without a coat or supervision. Police took the girl home and found her father, who was asleep on the couch. The father said the house's doors are usually locked. The officer informed the man the incident would be reported to the child services hotline, and that future incidents would result in him being charged with child endangering. Counterfeit bills, Berea Commons: Berea Municipal Court reported March 26 at 1 p.m. that a man attempted to make a payment with a counterfeit $50 bill. The man said he'd just received the bills from Charter One Bank in Cleveland; an officer confiscated the bill. Theft, East Bridge Street: A woman reported March 28 at 12:52 p.m. that someone stole her checks. The woman said Huntington Bank informed her that someone cashed one of her checks, but she said the bank wouldn't provide additional information until she filed a police report. Disturbance, South Rocky River Drive: Officers responded to a disturbance at an apartment March 29 at 3:49 a.m. Officers arrived and discovered a man and woman had been fighting; both appeared to be intoxicated. Police issued the man a citation for permitting a noise disturbance. Identity fraud, Park Place: A woman reported March 31 at 5:38 p.m. that someone filed a fraudulent 2013 tax return in her name. The woman said she received a fraud alert from the Ohio Department of Taxation because the return did not match one she filed. Drunken driving, West Bagley Road: A man was arrested and charged with suspicion of drunken driving, refusing a breath test, driving under suspension and a lighted lights violation following a traffic stop March 31 at 12:24 a.m. Simple assault, Barberry Drive: An OhioGuidestone employee reported March 26 around 6 p.m. that a client punched her in the head, pulled her hair and scratched her arm earlier that day. Police documented the woman's injuries.

« previous entry | next entry » Jul. 26th, 2010 | 09:25 pm posted by: beth_shulman in sounis So: What is Children's lit, exactly? And what is YA lit? And where do these books belong? Surprisingly (or maybe not), the specifications of both are very contentious. Let's start with literature for children. According to Encyclopedia Britannica here: Children's literature is a "body of written works produced to entertain or instruct young people". That's very neutral. No age range, no specification as to what exactly "entertainment" and "instruction" are. Here are the criteria for the Newbery Medal, which is awarded by the American Library Association every year to "the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children". They define "contribution to American literature for children" as: This appears to indicate that children have less understandings, abilities, and appreciations than adults. Is this true? Parent or guardians or teachers who choose to restrict children's reading choices to shield them from dangerous and frightening things are practicing an exercise in futility. Children know that dangerous and frightening situations and people exist. Children learn history. Children live through history. The occurrence of 9-11 (or any horrors that happen often) wasn't something that could be dismissed to protect the children. Children can appreciate books with darker themes. They may not recognize the full extent of the darkness, but they perceive the tone and feel of the book. They can read books like The Giver and A Wrinkle in Time, both Newbery winners, and know that there are bad situations and people, and learn to emphasize, and they will not be scarred for life. (Then again, The Giver and A Wrinkle in Time are books that adults can and do read as well.) Here is a quote from Lois Lowry's Newbery acceptance speech for The Giver: And all of you, as well. Let me say something to those of you here who do such dangerous work. The man that I named The Giver passed along to the boy knowledge, history, memories, color, pain, laughter, love, and truth. Every time you place a book in the hands of a child, you do the same thing. It is very risky. But each time a child opens a book, he pushes open the gate that separates him from Elsewhere. It gives him choices. It gives him freedom. Those are magnificent, wonderfully unsafe things. Here is part of children's librarian Elizabeth Bird's review of The King of Attolia: Children usually don't have the emotional maturity to understand love, either. I would say that there is no possibility of a child understanding Gen and Irene's relationship. That's not to say that children should be condescended to. It just means that adult authors can't write about adult experiences for children, because children are not ready to understand them. Here's a quote from Madeleine L'Engle, just to put things into perspective: "You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children." Here's an article from the Washington University in St. Louis website quoting Gerald Early: We understand the customs and practices of the genre so well that we can usually spot a children's book without having to be told... But a children's book, as with virtually all of our thinking about children, has reality only in relation to how we see something that is not for children. If something is for children, it does not have sex, it does not have graphic violence, it does not have obscene language. And, interestingly, he continues: That's an extremely vague explanation. How does a publisher or YALSA determine what books should be published for 12-18 year olds? Here's a post from Cheryl Klein, an editor at a division of Scholastic, who blogs at Brooklyn Arden: - A YA novel is centrally interested in the experience and growth of - its teenage protagonist(s), - whose dramatized choices, actions, and concerns drive the - and it is narrated with relative immediacy to that teenage perspective. This is often where I find adult books separating themselves out here, because while they may have a younger protagonist, the adult books aren't interested in that protagonist's life per se -- they're interested in showing the world the protagonist will encounter in all its ugliness or glory, and a younger character often provides a useful "innocent" or "naive" viewpoint, or at the very least a figure of instant sympathy to adults. "growth" -- the character is different at the beginning than he is at the end, and usually for the better. I always think of Richard Peck's wise dictum that a YA novel ends "ends not with happily ever after, but at a new beginning, with the sense of a lot of life yet to be lived"; and that the events of the book have left the character better prepared for that. 2) "teenage protagonist(s)": Yeah, I'm going to posit that YA novels require a protagonist at an adolescent stage of life, between childhood and the full rights and privileges of adulthood. I do not think this is true of children's books, particularly picture books (that is, that they must have a child main character); but I think it's true of teen books, because life between the ages of 14-18 is such a unique time, full of so much intensity and so many firsts, that only a very sheltered adult or a very advanced child could have those same sorts of experiences and changes. Now, I think there's debate about exactly how old Gen is, but I also think that most, if not all, readers consider him an adult. He has the responsibilities of an adult: he has a job he feels obligated to fulfill, he loves a woman, he gets married, he runs a country. He may do it in an extremely original way, but there's no question but that he's an adult. Even if he's a teenager, which I don't think he is, he's beyond typical teenage adolescence. These YA criteria do not apply. More on YA from Patty Campell's 2004 article in the Horn Book magazine, quoted in author Gail Gauthier's blog here: Defining a genre in terms of its presumed audience is a problem. Especially when that audience is something as nebulous as “teenagers”. So, yes, YA is a publishing category and books are published there if that’s where a publisher thinks a book will sell best and attract the most attention. But it’s also a distinctive genre with its own flavour. She does not explain what she means when she says that YA is a distinctive genre. More from author Gayle Forman here: A YA novel will feature characters/narrator with a certain voice that sounds young, feels young, authentically so. From the blog Alien Onions here (who are in publishing in Australia): So YA fiction is often about a world in flux. It's about exploring this new world, or surviving it, or simply trying to navigate it without a compass. And it's the YA books that capture the authenticity of this see-saw between strength and vulnerability that resonate most with readers. So YA characters are often consumed by these questions: 'Who am I? What am I going to become? Where am I going and how can I possibly get there from here?' Their emotions and desires are intense and can have a huge impact on how they make decisions and which pathways they choose. Books for adults often have young protagonists, but this doesn't mean they are YA books.... A young protagonist in an adult novel is usually knowing and has an adult sensibility in their telling of the story. Here's what Orson Scott Card wrote about The King of Attolia: But then, there is no place in our society where personal politics is carried on with more ruthlessness and intensity than junior high school. No matter how much childish behavior you find in Congress or university faculties, image-building, character-assassination, and jockeying for position reach their peak among seventh and eighth graders. So this novel may be exactly right for that age group. It's also an adult book, however - an unusually entertaining and intelligent one - and I recommend it highly. Give the gross-out thrillers a break and pick up something that will actually exercise your brain and leave you feeling rather good about being human.I think what I said above about Gen is still true. He's not emotionally an adolescent, and Eddis and Attolia are definitely not. Think about how Ornon respects Gen, and the magus, and Sounis, and Attolia. He's an individual fully cognizant of his abilities and capable of making his own decisions and living with the consequences. He's an adult. So, in conclusion: The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia (I'm actually not sure if I can include A Conspiracy of Kings; Sophos seems to be a traditional YA protagonist) a) don't belong on the Children's shelf b) don't belong on the Young Adult shelf Where do they go, exactly? I still agree with the blogger who called it "a riveting political drama", and for all my Googling, I haven't found which blogger it was. So I can't credit it, though I think it's exactly right. They're in a genre of their own.

By Vella Munn She was a tiny thing, several inches shorter than my 5’2” and maybe one hundred pounds. Her lovely white hair had been professionally styled, she had flawless skin and sparkling eyes, and her pink smock appeared to have just been washed and ironed. In contrast I looked like something the cat had hauled in because I’d been running errands. (My story, my explanation) I was there for my yearly mammogram while this darling 80 year old woman was a clinic volunteer. Her job was to guide me to a changing room. “Are you the writer Vella Munn?” she asked. Surprised and wishing I’d washed my hair, I confessed I was. Turned out she’d read every one of my nine Native American historicals. They’d resonated with her because several were set in California where she’d lived with her husband of 47 years before his recent death. My stories in some small part took her back to their time together. She cried, I got misty eyed, and we hugged. On my way home, I turned on the radio. Neil Diamond, who I would have run away with if he’d known I was alive, was singing. It was a cold afternoon but the sun was shining. Just like that I was transported back to those innocent and heady days when it was all about the writing—when I didn’t concern myself with the business aspect of this career I’ve been addicted to forever. With the music as loud as my ears could handle and the sun on my shoulder, I embraced a raw thrill I haven’t felt for years. I vowed to again get drunk on writing. For years I’ve been telling new writers to treat what they’re doing like a business. We have to. Otherwise we don’t stand a chance. Publishers are there to make money. Much as an editor might love a writer or manuscript, if she doesn’t believe it’ll make a profit for the company she won’t/can’t buy it. The publishing world is constantly changing. Genres move in and out of favor, hot becomes cold, a book no one saw coming breaks all sales records and the charge to duplicate begins. We must be informed, realistic, to shift with the market. I get it. I wouldn’t have sold over fifty books for mumble-mumble publishers if I wasn’t committed to keeping my fingers on the publishing pulse. I also educated myself about self-publishing and hung out my own shingle. I pay the bills with my writing and that’s how the IRS has long classified me. But I’d lost the pure joy of burying myself in a fictional world and suspect I’m not the only one. All this time we spend staying informed takes us far from the stories in our hearts and souls. Even before meeting that 80 year old woman I’d been coming back to my roots, to when everything was about character and emotion. I’d spoken at this year’s RMFW conference and afterward my buddy Lynda Hilburn and I took off for the mountains. (I live in Oregon and had never been to Colorado.) We sat on a patio overlooking a rushing creek drinking wine and watching/feeling a storm come in. Suddenly it was there, maybe blown my way by the fierce wind, the kernels of a four-book romance series about something that has always resonated with me—the wilderness. I came home, cleared the decks of other writing projects (I’ve been doing a lot of erotica) and spent a day sketching out the series and pulling characters out of that place in all writers’ minds where characters wait to be brought to life. Early in November I got started. I didn’t have much of an idea about where story #1 was going, just that life hadn’t been easy for this man and woman and they need each other and the mountains that represent second chances for them. The words have been flowing from me and I’m approaching each writing stint with a joy I’d forgotten was possible for, I believe, one reason. These characters and their stories tap into what’s true about me. What matters to me. Promo time: Touch Of The Wolf, a paranormal romantic suspense with Entangled’s Ignite line releases on Dec. 30. The story is set in Washington state’s Olympic Forest. Hey, you can’t take this gal out of the country. It’s all I know or want to.

I suspect most of us who identify as humans employ a variety of coping mechanisms just to get through the four letter word called life. Over the course of almost half a century now, I have used different coping methods and have relied heavily on several during exceedingly difficult times in my life. I talk about, and try to live my life through, a lens of social justice. This piece has no judgment but does hope to make space for how we each try to make it through trying times. In 1996 I had seen the A&E adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Now I must confess, during difficult times I would read and re-read Pride and Prejudice. When I saw this seminal film version of a most beloved novel, I knew I was home. Through the next several years, I would put the VHS tape in and watch this movie ad nauseam to soothe and console me. I so saw myself as Elizabeth Bennett played by the amazing Jennifer Ehle. It truly was my drug of choice. I was grateful to discover that I had a partner in crime, for my dear friend Bethie was equally addicted. Years later, when I was feeling blue and down out, I found that I would keep re-reading the third Harry Potter novel. In fact, in 2003 when I was working on an NEH grant, I was reading the fifth Harry Potter novel. Upon finishing it, I asked my husband to mail me Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as a tonic. A while ago, I was at work — I do diversity/inclusion and racial equity workshops while also teaching social work. I was confronted by a white man in a workshop who was doing some posturing and asked “so what do you think about the gay agenda and should we also accept the pedophile agenda?” I have been doing these types of workshops for many many years now and rarely do I feel as though I have had the wind knocked out of me, but wow — I felt the severe punch. All I could say was: “I’m not sure I understand the question, or if there is a question?” I try to meet everyone where they are at on their respective journeys and I have to keep in mind that one cannot force someone to be where they are not. I also have to keep in mind that for those of us doing work around issues of diversity and inclusion there will always be an acceptable amount of trauma. That being said, when I finally got home, I knew I was going to self-medicate. I told my husband what happened, made myself a martini, and yes, we watched Pride and Prejudice. As I write this, I am keenly aware of my own position of privilege and am also grateful that how we treat people with addictions looks much better than it did just 15 years ago. I’m grateful there are harm reduction models available and I hope we will continue to rely less and less on shame and blame. I also hope we continue to look at addiction and intersectionality. Are targeted groups more likely to rely on substances and if so, how do we change systems to create an equitable society and culture? As we do this hard, important work and move together through the complicated journey of life, I hope everyone has as safe and reliable a drug of choice as my freedom to escape into the world of Miss Eliza Bennett.

Sort: Category . Published . Updated . Title . Words . Chapters . Reviews . Status . A Brave New World by catchingafallingstar reviews In less than two years a baby came from nothing to be able to talk and interact with the world. Then something strange happens, and you have a 'normal person'. But what if the curiosity and thirsty for knowledge isn't killed so soon, but encouraged? What kind of person you will have, and how far could they go? Let's explore this possibility... Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Sci-Fi - Chapters: 16 - Words: 63,948 - Reviews: 28 - Favs: 65 - Follows: 104 - Updated: 7/29 - Published: 2/8 - Harry P. Return of Emerald by Bleu Tsuki reviews Slytherin!Harry. When the BWL is discovered missing, no one thinks twice when Hasan Castell appears at Hogwarts. Abandoned in a muggle orphanage, Harry grows up with a love of magic-in books that is-and thinks sorcery is all in his dreams. He calls himself Hasan to separate his dreams from reality, and is adopted and raised by a man who should be dead.HP/LL mentor!Snape Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Friendship/Drama - Chapters: 44 - Words: 298,080 - Reviews: 990 - Favs: 1,053 - Follows: 1,493 - Updated: 7/29 - Published: 8/18/2013 - [Harry P., Luna L.] Severus S., Lucius M. Further Adventures of the Lone Traveler by dunuelos reviews Harry Potter, Lone Traveler, has accepted his role as the Multiverse's fix-it man. A figure of legend in many universes, he makes his way as directed by Creation to worlds where they could use a nudge here and there. Maybe he can prevent the multiverse from destroying itself in apocalyptic fire. Sequel to Stories of the Lone Traveler. Crossover - X-overs & Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Drama - Chapters: 9 - Words: 41,623 - Reviews: 315 - Favs: 724 - Follows: 815 - Updated: 7/29 - Published: 7/14 The Difference One Man Can Make by joen1801 reviews After the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter decided to travel the world. Twelve years later when a new threat attempts to destroy the progress made in Britain he returns home to deal with the situation. During the fight that puts down the small group of upstarts Harry finds himself in a world of ice and fire Crossover - Harry Potter & Game of Thrones - Rated: M - English - Adventure - Chapters: 18 - Words: 240,080 - Reviews: 3324 - Favs: 6,083 - Follows: 7,000 - Updated: 7/28 - Published: 3/22/2015 Fixing Past Mistakes by DebsTheSlytherinSnapefan reviews Harry didn't appear at Hogwarts causing concern. Albus immediately head's out to Privet Drive to find out what was going on, along with Minerva and a reluctant Severus Snape. What they find out changes everything for everyone in the wizarding world. Is there a chance for anyone to go back and fix past mistakes? is there any hope at all for the magical world? cover pic - Harry's cub Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Chapters: 49 - Words: 218,570 - Reviews: 5895 - Favs: 4,387 - Follows: 5,764 - Updated: 7/28 - Published: 2/11/2014 - Harry P., Severus S., Albus D., Minerva M. A Different Professor by AsphodelWolf15 reviews "Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever." Ginny has been taken to the Chamber of Secrets and Harry may know where that is. How would things have turned out if he had gone to a Different Professor? Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Drama - Chapters: 16 - Words: 129,321 - Reviews: 625 - Favs: 1,195 - Follows: 1,889 - Updated: 7/27 - Published: 5/16 - [Harry P., Hermione G.] Harry Potter and the Rune Stone Path by Temporal Knight reviews 10 year old Harry finds a chest left by his mother with books on some of her favorite subjects. Discovering he has a talent for understanding and creating runes sets Harry onto a very different path than anyone had expected. Shortcuts, inventions, and a bit of support go a long way! Pairings: H/Hr/NT/FD/DG. Ron/Molly bashing and GreaterGood!Dumbledore. Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Fantasy/Adventure - Chapters: 31 - Words: 316,097 - Reviews: 2447 - Favs: 5,214 - Follows: 6,834 - Updated: 7/27 - Published: 4/15 - [Harry P., Hermione G., Fleur D., N. Tonks] Harry Potter & the Game by Concept101 reviews With the powers of Gamer given to him Harry sets out to prove himself to the world of magic by becoming the best he can be despite the impossible odds against him! Watch our hero grow in this action filled adventure full of heart, humour & spectacle. And the occasional swear word. Politics!Action!Drama!Manipulation!OP Harry!Mind Bending Magic! Year 1 Complete! Updates every 4 days! Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Humor - Chapters: 24 - Words: 164,024 - Reviews: 1477 - Favs: 2,125 - Follows: 2,887 - Updated: 7/27 - Published: 5/17 - Harry P., Hermione G., Ginny W. The Black Prince by cxjenious reviews He remembers being Harry Potter. He dreams of it. He dreams of the Great Other too, a beast borne of ice and death with eyes red as blood and an army of cold dead things. He is the second son of the king, a spare, but his fortunes change when secrets rather left in the dark come to light, and Westeros is torn asunder by treachery and ambition. Winter is coming, but magic is might. Crossover - Harry Potter & Game of Thrones - Rated: M - English - Fantasy/Drama - Chapters: 20 - Words: 125,705 - Reviews: 2460 - Favs: 6,318 - Follows: 7,320 - Updated: 7/23 - Published: 3/7/2015 A Man of Iron by Mr. Chaos reviews Antony 'Tony' Stark is the arrogant cousin of Ned Stark whose made his fortune crafting fine weapons for the lords of Westeros. Tony leads a joyful life, doing what he pleases and leaving the politics of the realm to others. But when violent attack nearly ends his life, Tony decides to take action and creates a hero for the people to rally around... a knight known as Iron Man. Crossover - Ironman & A song of Ice and Fire - Rated: T - English - Fantasy/Adventure - Chapters: 20 - Words: 79,373 - Reviews: 629 - Favs: 989 - Follows: 1,100 - Updated: 7/21 - Published: 3/2/2014 - A. E. Stark/Tony, J. R. Rhodes/Rhodey, V. Potts/Pepper, Jon S. by Firazh reviews What could be worse than a nightmare? Waking up to discover that it was reality, of course. But after finding out Bellatrix was his mother, discovering that the Death Eater who fathered him was Severus Snape almost came as a relief. Deciding to take up his real identity was easy enough ... actually living it, not so much. AU: After fifth year. Sevitus with a twist. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Angst/Family - Chapters: 34 - Words: 203,874 - Reviews: 910 - Favs: 1,078 - Follows: 1,410 - Updated: 7/18 - Published: 6/23/2014 - Harry P., Remus L., Severus S. by theaceoffire reviews A young boy in a dark cupboard is in great pain. An unusual power will allow him to heal himself, help others, and grow strong in a world of magic. Eventual God-like Harry, Unsure of eventual pairings. Alternate Universe, possible universe/dimension traveling in the future. Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Adventure/Humor - Chapters: 66 - Words: 290,947 - Reviews: 4086 - Favs: 6,380 - Follows: 6,938 - Updated: 7/14 - Published: 2/22/2014 - Harry P. by Stargon1 reviews The day before Harry Potter was due to go to Hogwarts for the very first time, his aunt and uncle informed him that he wouldn't be going. Instead, he was sent to Stonewall High. Now, three years later, the Goblet of Fire has named him as a TriWizard Champion. What that means is anyone's guess, but to Harry, one thing is clear: he can finally get away from Privet Drive. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure - Chapters: 28 - Words: 106,020 - Reviews: 1327 - Favs: 2,398 - Follows: 3,537 - Updated: 7/13 - Published: 11/11/2015 - Harry P., Daphne G. A Very Different Harry Potter by BarbedCaress reviews AU Harry first meets Draco on the train. Draco realizes how little Harry knows about the Wizarding World and the two boys hatch a plan. Meeting in secret, Draco teaches Harry all he needs to know to survive as Head of House Potter and The Boy Who Lived. No slash. Hufflepuff!Harry Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Humor - Chapters: 14 - Words: 56,351 - Reviews: 164 - Favs: 207 - Follows: 347 - Updated: 7/12 - Published: 2/25/2015 - Harry P., Draco M. Not even a first chance! by senawario reviews (alt title: Disproportionate response). Give the death-eaters a second chance? No way, not even a *first* chance! This is a "redo" fic with a twist. The pairing will eventually be Harmony but a good part of the story happens when they are too young so hard-core Harmonians need to be patient. Rated M for possible violence in later chapters. Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Adventure - Chapters: 28 - Words: 94,094 - Reviews: 192 - Favs: 357 - Follows: 608 - Updated: 7/10 - Published: 2/11 - [Harry P., Hermione G.] Dobby The Adventures Of Harry Potter, the Video Game: Exploited by michaelsuave reviews Harry Potter catches Voldemort's AK to the noggin only to find out that his life is a video game and he forgot to save. So what does he do? Does he return on Hard mode and work for the challenge? Heck No! Harry uses every exploit, grind, or underhanded tactic he can get his hands on. His life may be a video game, but nobody plays Harry Potter; Harry's going to exploit the system. Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Humor/Adventure - Chapters: 12 - Words: 91,033 - Reviews: 3472 - Favs: 7,803 - Follows: 9,288 - Updated: 7/3 - Published: 9/22/2013 - Harry P. Lone Traveler: The Greatest Minister in History by dunuelos reviews The Lone Traveler arrives on the even of Fudge's election. Instead of pelting Dumbledore for advice, the new Minister listens to a new viewpoint. Much is changed. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Drama - Chapters: 17 - Words: 79,617 - Reviews: 909 - Favs: 1,521 - Follows: 1,342 - Updated: 6/25 - Published: 5/14 - Harry P., Amelia B., Augusta L., C. Fudge - Complete A Marauder's Plan by CatsAreCool reviews Sirius decides to stay in England after escaping Hogwarts and makes protecting Harry his priority. AU GOF. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Family/Drama - Chapters: 87 - Words: 893,787 - Reviews: 9466 - Favs: 9,192 - Follows: 9,590 - Updated: 6/13 - Published: 4/21/2012 - Harry P., Sirius B. - Complete The Hardships of Family by IAreGandalf reviews AU: Harry has a family, parents, a little BWL-brother and an adorable sister. Neglected by his parents and having to survive on his own since he was 4. Luckily he got Sirius. He is a great wizard and sets out to change the Wizard world. How will his life turn out with all the different hardships. Definitely not your usual wrong BWL-story. Takes a turn at chapter 5! Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Family/Adventure - Chapters: 18 - Words: 76,973 - Reviews: 161 - Favs: 473 - Follows: 659 - Updated: 6/3 - Published: 3/21/2015 - Harry P. Harry Potter: Junior Inquisitor by sprinter1988 reviews Before the start of fifth year Dumbledore changes the plans. Unfortunately he didn't bother to inform Harry. At his trial, Harry realises that it is down to him to save his own skin. To do so his Slytherin side must come out to play, and once it's out it sticks around turning life at Hogwarts on its head. Warnings: EvilDumbles, SheepOrder/Staff, GoodGuysDontGetEverythingTheirWay Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Drama - Chapters: 36 - Words: 211,722 - Reviews: 7942 - Favs: 11,277 - Follows: 14,834 - Updated: 5/26 - Published: 1/16/2013 - Harry P., Susan B., Hannah A., Amelia B. The Better Man by Laume reviews Suppose the Marauders torture hadn't driven Snape to Voldemort and he had been the better man. What would the future have looked like? Warning: may now contain DH spoilers. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Drama - Chapters: 22 - Words: 81,568 - Reviews: 1990 - Favs: 3,254 - Follows: 4,108 - Updated: 5/15 - Published: 6/2/2007 - Severus S., Harry P. by pointlessjourney reviews What happens when the Nexus takes Jim Kirk and deposits him on the shores of Westeros? Watch as a powerful new note is added to the song of fire and ice. Completely AU, Featuring all your favorite characters and one character from the 24th century. Game of Thrones - Rated: K+ - English - Drama - Chapters: 12 - Words: 29,697 - Reviews: 122 - Favs: 177 - Follows: 217 - Updated: 4/23 - Published: 2/2 - Jon S., Tyrion L., Eddard S. Black as the Blood In Our Names by TimeAndLife21 reviews Regulus was drowning.Or At Least he thought he was until a woman of light came to him to offer a second chance. Thrown back into the world of the living, He basically plans from thin air to work around the new world he is in now. He will be helping Harry Potter go against the Dark Lord and saves Sirius from dying by Bella's Hand. Looks like Harry has perfect Ally on his side. AU Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Family/Drama - Chapters: 26 - Words: 169,187 - Reviews: 378 - Favs: 531 - Follows: 794 - Updated: 4/22 - Published: 10/29/2014 - Harry P., Sirius B., Severus S., Regulus B. by Quetzalcoatls reviews End of 4th year and Voldemort's back,but Harrys not waiting for him to make the first move SnowPoint Academy,hidden in the frozen reaches of the Antarctic ocean,is nothing like Hogwarts, but to win this war that may be exactly what Harry needs,but darker things are stirring in the shadows, and nothing is sure.fusion with Heralds of Valdemar(fut. AU) Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Fantasy - Chapters: 25 - Words: 103,255 - Reviews: 1715 - Favs: 2,266 - Follows: 3,024 - Updated: 3/22 - Published: 9/2/2012 - Harry P., Hermione G. Investigator Harry Steel by TheBlackHand724 reviews The war is over. the dark is defeated. but the government is still corrupt. Harry is exiled to the U.S. where he meets the family he didn't know he had, and takes up the family trade. Multi crossover after chapter 18. and Harry/Multi after chapter 38 T for Language and Violence. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Romance - Chapters: 57 - Words: 403,710 - Reviews: 861 - Favs: 851 - Follows: 1,032 - Updated: 3/21 - Published: 3/2/2015 - [Harry P., OC] [Hermione G., Neville L.] Sorcery, UNITed, Independence, Space by Tangerine-Alert reviews Post-OotP, Harry decides to leave his relatives to ready himself for Voldemort, something Dumbledore seems unwilling to do. He meets a Brigadier and quickly finds Earth is not alone. Not Horcrux compliant. (Written Post-OotP) ARCHIVED-Errors/issues won't be fixed. Crossover - Doctor Who & Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Drama - Chapters: 57 - Words: 213,846 - Reviews: 942 - Favs: 1,174 - Follows: 551 - Updated: 2/8 - Published: 5/7/2006 - Brigadier, Harry P. - Complete Harry Potter in the Claw of the Raven by BakenandEggs reviews When a more studious Harry Potter entered Gringotts with Hagrid, the Goblins managed to talk to him privately - Dumbledore never saw that one coming. A Ravenclaw Harry story. Warning: child abuse, character bashing, and pureblood society. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Friendship - Chapters: 10 - Words: 56,257 - Reviews: 394 - Favs: 1,747 - Follows: 1,390 - Updated: 12/26/2015 - Published: 9/8/2015 - Harry P., Draco M. - Complete by BloodRedDemon reviews Neglected in favour of his younger brother, Harry Potter always was dissatisfied. His Parents and their friends fawned over Thomas, no matter what the older brother did. Harry upped and left; why would he have stayed? 6 years later, Harry Potter found a new home. The boy is in the middle of it all, though. What will his role be? Where will his allegiance lie? Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Romance - Chapters: 30 - Words: 147,789 - Reviews: 1830 - Favs: 4,696 - Follows: 5,779 - Updated: 11/17/2015 - Published: 11/17/2014 - Harry P., Fleur D., Daphne G., Tracey D. Harry the Hufflepuff by Megark reviews There is a single point of divergence from this and canon. See if you can find it. "This is your Epic Fan Fiction. After you have been bathed in its Glory, you will be Changed and Perfected." -My Beta, after 4 hours of talking about this story. Harry Potter - Rated: K+ - English - Humor/Friendship - Chapters: 20 - Words: 64,800 - Reviews: 113 - Favs: 133 - Follows: 180 - Updated: 11/15/2015 - Published: 3/19/2015 - Harry P., Ron W., Hermione G. - Complete Doing it all over again by ultimate emperor reviews Ronald Weasley goes back in time to righten things that had gone wrong. AU universe good/OOC Ron slight Hermione bashing. NOT SLASH Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Friendship - Chapters: 13 - Words: 50,488 - Reviews: 49 - Favs: 85 - Follows: 115 - Updated: 11/3/2015 - Published: 6/17/2012 - Ron W., Harry P. by Shikatanai reviews AU: At 5, an abused Harry is taken in by a powerful family. Taking the name Gabriel, he grows up into someone very different. How will Hogwarts and Voldemort react? Soldier!Harry, Neutral!Harry, implied child abuse. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Drama/Family - Chapters: 44 - Words: 160,638 - Reviews: 4053 - Favs: 5,788 - Follows: 6,297 - Updated: 10/28/2015 - Published: 12/9/2005 - Harry P. The Trusted Hero by Blueowl reviews This is a what-if spin-off from the fanfic 'The Hidden Hero' by Evebb, answering the question: What would have happened if Dumbledore had believed and supported Mark (aka Harry) at the end of chapter 19? Mentor!Sensible!Dumbledore Enabled!Light!Harry. Giants, Dark Arts, Ministry takeover, Horcruxes, Undesirables, Harry masquerading as a muggleborn. No Deathly Hallows, MoD, or H/G Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Adventure - Chapters: 18 - Words: 75,159 - Reviews: 293 - Favs: 334 - Follows: 291 - Updated: 8/3/2015 - Published: 4/1/2015 - Harry P., Albus D. - Complete Time to Put Your Galleons Where Your Mouth Is by Tsume Yuki reviews Harry had never been able to comprehend a sibling relationship before, but he always thought he'd be great at it. Until, as Master of Death, he's reborn one Turais Rigel Black, older brother to Sirius and Regulus. (Rebirth/time travel and Master of Death Harry) Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Family/Adventure - Chapters: 21 - Words: 46,303 - Reviews: 2403 - Favs: 10,381 - Follows: 4,041 - Updated: 1/14/2015 - Published: 8/11/2014 - Harry P., Sirius B., Regulus B., Walburga B. - Complete Where No Wizard has Gone Before by Blueowl reviews Harry has been reborn time and time again after becoming the Master of Death, living through hundreds of lifetimes in dozens of universes, but this rebirth is strange even by his standards—no doubt thanks to how he had died the last time. StarTrek:TNG/HarryPotter Powerful!Harry MoD!Harry, Guinan, Q, Borg, Lwaxana. COMPLETE Crossover - StarTrek: The Next Generation & Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Sci-Fi - Chapters: 9 - Words: 35,120 - Reviews: 342 - Favs: 1,336 - Follows: 753 - Updated: 12/21/2014 - Published: 11/26/2014 - J. Picard, Q, D. Troi, Harry P. - Complete by ChipmonkOnSpeed reviews AU- Given up after that fateful night, a prodigious Harry Potter ends up in America, working as a Lab Tech/Federal Agent. Now his family wants him back, but can he trust their motives? Can he trust his own? Multi-crossover. Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Humor - Chapters: 27 - Words: 136,637 - Reviews: 2074 - Favs: 4,358 - Follows: 2,599 - Updated: 8/24/2014 - Published: 2/27/2007 - Harry P., Albus D., OC - Complete Inspected By No 13 by Clell65619 reviews When he learns that flying anywhere near a Dragon is a recipe for suicide, Harry tries a last minute change of tactics, one designed to use the power of the Bureaucracy forcing him to compete against itself. Little does he know that his solution is its own kind of trap. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Humor/Parody - Chapters: 3 - Words: 18,472 - Reviews: 1116 - Favs: 4,660 - Follows: 1,983 - Updated: 8/20/2014 - Published: 6/26/2014 - Complete by DobbyElfLord reviews Dark curses don't play nice- not even with each other. When nine year-old Harry is bitten by a werewolf, the horcrux fights back. The result could only happen to Harry Potter. Canon-ish for the first three years of Hogwarts - AU from that point forward. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Humor/Adventure - Chapters: 23 - Words: 152,524 - Reviews: 3589 - Favs: 7,465 - Follows: 8,381 - Updated: 8/15/2014 - Published: 5/11/2012 - Harry P. Master of Wood, Water and Hill by Karmic Acumen reviews Bilbo Baggins wondered what Gandalf was thinking. Oh well, Bag End would sort him out. His house did NOT approve of vandalism, thank you very much. That rune carved into his door learned it personally. Besides, it served the wizard right for not heeding the rumors about Bilbo and the Old Forest. Hobbit - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Humor - Chapters: 5 - Words: 60,226 - Reviews: 338 - Favs: 1,428 - Follows: 1,431 - Updated: 5/11/2014 - Published: 2/9/2014 - Bilbo B., Thorin, Kíli, Fíli Knives in the Dark by Norrrrrrrrrr reviews When Harry saves a goblin's life from Quirrell before beginning his first year, he sets off a chain of events that brings the war to a head early. With an unstable, intelligent and desperate enemy facing them, how will the Wizarding world react? And how will an amoral mentor and ally affect Harry and his caretakers? This story is dead. Original planned ending included for closure. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Drama - Chapters: 61 - Words: 97,025 - Reviews: 950 - Favs: 1,237 - Follows: 1,509 - Updated: 4/12/2014 - Published: 5/4/2013 - Harry P., OC - Complete To Shape and Change by Blueowl reviews AU. Time Travel. Snape goes back in time, holding the knowledge of what is to come if he fails. No longer holding a grudge, he seeks to shape Harry into the greatest wizard of all time, starting on the day Hagrid took Harry to Diagon Alley. No Horcruxes. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure - Chapters: 34 - Words: 232,332 - Reviews: 8535 - Favs: 15,475 - Follows: 10,716 - Updated: 3/16/2014 - Published: 10/20/2010 - Harry P., Severus S. - Complete by Lord Silvere reviews Harry is a prisoner, and Bellatrix has fallen from grace. The accidental activation of Bella's treasured heirloom results in another chance for Harry. It also gives him the opportunity to make the acquaintance of the young and enigmatic Bellatrix Black as they change the course of history. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Chapters: 46 - Words: 392,449 - Reviews: 7090 - Favs: 10,097 - Follows: 7,176 - Updated: 9/21/2013 - Published: 11/14/2009 - Harry P., Bellatrix L. - Complete by Rorschach's Blot reviews It all starts with Hogwarts' Class Reunion. Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Humor - Chapters: 20 - Words: 61,134 - Reviews: 1742 - Favs: 4,454 - Follows: 3,291 - Updated: 3/2/2013 - Published: 11/14/2008 - Complete Harry Potter and The Phoenix Burning by mini-mid reviews Harry dies at the same time as Voldemort when the killing curse backfires the second time and is sent back to Kings cross station. Now however Fawkes meets him there and sends him somewhere all together different than the Hogwarts he knows. Not Slash Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure - Chapters: 20 - Words: 69,010 - Reviews: 1321 - Favs: 4,023 - Follows: 2,484 - Updated: 2/21/2013 - Published: 3/13/2011 - Harry P., James P. - Complete by loralee1 reviews AU, Post HBP Snape travels back in time to warn pre SSPS Snape about what is to come. No DH Spoilers Harry Potter - Rated: K+ - English - Chapters: 11 - Words: 41,690 - Reviews: 1165 - Favs: 2,455 - Follows: 1,585 - Updated: 11/1/2012 - Published: 9/19/2006 - Severus S., Harry P. - Complete Trust Is A Relative Thing by Silverfawkes reviews What if Petunia put the blame where it belonged instead of on Harry? OOC Petunia Dursley Rating for mild language Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Chapters: 51 - Words: 219,068 - Reviews: 5467 - Favs: 5,967 - Follows: 6,649 - Updated: 10/16/2012 - Published: 12/31/2010 - Harry P. For Whom the Bell Tolls by nefieslab reviews AU fifth year. After saving Dudley from the dementors, the ministry letter arrives to order his wand snapped. Dumbledore's letter doesn't arrive. Harry/Daphne/Susan. Rating may change. Powerful!Happy!Independant!Harry. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance/Adventure - Chapters: 17 - Words: 135,554 - Reviews: 1655 - Favs: 4,189 - Follows: 4,900 - Updated: 7/2/2012 - Published: 1/15/2011 - Harry P., Daphne G. A Different Halloween by robst reviews Could a chance meeting change history? What would a different Halloween in 1981 mean for wizarding Britain? Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Chapters: 20 - Words: 124,549 - Reviews: 4011 - Favs: 6,979 - Follows: 4,169 - Updated: 5/26/2012 - Published: 10/31/2010 - [Harry P., Hermione G.] - Complete A New Dawn by AlexanderD reviews SG1, Atlantis, and SGU all work towards a brighter future. Past conflicts heat up more than imagined, and a long wondered question is answered. Ancients, Tauri, Asgard, Furling, and a few others thrown in. This ties up the loose ends the writers left us. Stargate: Universe - Rated: T - English - Sci-Fi/Adventure - Chapters: 74 - Words: 295,200 - Reviews: 1288 - Favs: 602 - Follows: 425 - Updated: 4/16/2012 - Published: 4/29/2011 - Complete Back I Go by DebsTheSlytherinSnapefan reviews Harry ends up back in time twist of the usual sev is harrys father its now harry is sevs father! will Harry give Severus the childhood and future Harry has always wanted watch as severus blooms into the person he could have been. FINISHED Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Chapters: 38 - Words: 67,877 - Reviews: 705 - Favs: 1,430 - Follows: 695 - Updated: 11/2/2010 - Published: 7/8/2007 - Harry P., Severus S. - Complete When The Future Died by SpikyStar reviews He controlled the elements, it wasn't enough. He was the powerful light wizard, but Voldemort was winning. Fate sent him back. No Slash please read, future Harry going back in time! Slight AU- Retains older body. fifth year Grammer fixed. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Angst/Adventure - Chapters: 43 - Words: 155,275 - Reviews: 1445 - Favs: 1,563 - Follows: 1,652 - Updated: 9/9/2010 - Published: 12/28/2007 - Harry P. by GenkaiFan reviews Harry has had enough of seeing his reputation shredded in the Daily Prophet and decides to do something about it. Only he decides to embrace his Slytherin side to rectify matters. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Drama/Humor - Chapters: 32 - Words: 74,506 - Reviews: 8452 - Favs: 17,618 - Follows: 7,235 - Updated: 6/21/2010 - Published: 12/3/2009 - Harry P. - Complete Wit of the Raven by japanese-jew reviews Highly AU. Mr. Harry Potter is age eleven, and the possibilities for his future are endless. The magic system of Harry Potter has essentially been turned on its head. Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Chapters: 14 - Words: 101,733 - Reviews: 888 - Favs: 1,417 - Follows: 1,565 - Updated: 5/22/2010 - Published: 1/6/2006 - Harry P. Doctor John Watson, Police Surgeon Scotland Yard 5 by Bartimus Crotchety reviews This is the story of how the bravest and most singular person I have ever met, took down the most dangerous man in London, Colonel Jack Moran. In spite of what you might have heard, that man was not Sherlock Holmes. This is the true Empty House. Sherlock Holmes - Rated: T - English - Mystery/Crime - Chapters: 9 - Words: 32,369 - Reviews: 105 - Favs: 62 - Follows: 23 - Updated: 1/16/2010 - Published: 11/27/2009 - Dr. Watson, Inspector Lestrade - Complete Doctor John Watson, Police Surgeon Scotland Yard 4 by Bartimus Crotchety reviews A year ago a new killer stalked the East End. Baffling the Yard at every turn he left five dead. Shaken by their inability to capture him, the Yard turned to Doctor Watson. A new body turns up with the same trademarks. Can a very ill Watson prevail? Sherlock Holmes - Rated: T - English - Crime/Mystery - Chapters: 10 - Words: 38,336 - Reviews: 90 - Favs: 42 - Follows: 10 - Updated: 10/20/2009 - Published: 9/1/2009 - Inspector Lestrade, Dr. Watson - Complete Harry Potter and the Determinations of Fate by Baronvonblack reviews Like ripples through water, a single event can change the entire course of history. For Harry, all it took was meeting a misty-eyed Ravenclaw a year earlier... Major AU later Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance/Fantasy - Chapters: 11 - Words: 41,199 - Reviews: 536 - Favs: 1,284 - Follows: 1,572 - Updated: 10/12/2009 - Published: 8/7/2008 - Harry P., Luna L. Doctor John Watson, Police Surgeon Scotland Yard 3 by Bartimus Crotchety reviews Doctor John Watson has very few things left that he values, his reputation is one. Suddenly, he is being tarnished by an all too familiar face from his past. Someone demanding his help before the fog rolls in and the killer stalking him strikes again. Sherlock Holmes - Rated: T - English - Crime/Mystery - Chapters: 5 - Words: 16,225 - Reviews: 52 - Favs: 42 - Follows: 7 - Updated: 8/4/2009 - Published: 7/17/2009 - Dr. Watson, Inspector Lestrade - Complete Mahou mo Ken by Enterprise1701-d reviews When Harry cries out for help during a nightmare, halfway around the world somebody listens. Somebody that will change the way Harry looks at magic... forever. On hiatus. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Romance - Chapters: 10 - Words: 151,685 - Reviews: 719 - Favs: 1,710 - Follows: 1,915 - Updated: 7/6/2009 - Published: 3/15/2007 - Harry P., Luna L. Doctor John Watson, Police Surgeon Scotland Yard 2 by Bartimus Crotchety reviews To save his sanity, John Watson became a Yarder. He is now their top man in autopsy, and has become their chief investigative asset. However, there is a brilliant man posing as Sherlock Holmes in London, and he wants his Boswell at any cost! Sherlock Holmes - Rated: T - English - Mystery/Crime - Chapters: 5 - Words: 19,326 - Reviews: 52 - Favs: 48 - Follows: 8 - Updated: 7/3/2009 - Published: 6/19/2009 - Dr. Watson, Inspector Lestrade - Complete Doctor John Watson, Police Surgeon: Scotland Yard by Bartimus Crotchety reviews Scotland Yard is struggling. They have cases they cannot solve and people are dying as a result...they need help. John Watson is struggling. He lost his best friend, his wife, and his health...he needs a purpose. The criminals have a new force to fear. Sherlock Holmes - Rated: T - English - Crime/Mystery - Chapters: 5 - Words: 15,725 - Reviews: 69 - Favs: 96 - Follows: 26 - Updated: 6/11/2009 - Published: 6/6/2009 - Dr. Watson, Inspector Lestrade - Complete Searching for Disaster by Shadow Rebirth reviews ABANDONED. Owls, cauldrons, and pointed hats? Harry Potter was not amused. And he still wasn't entirely sure that his human trafficking theory had been wrong. Warning! Features a very cynical Harry. [AU, no pairings.] Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Humor - Chapters: 10 - Words: 40,849 - Reviews: 1030 - Favs: 2,580 - Follows: 2,830 - Updated: 6/10/2009 - Published: 7/12/2008 - Harry P. The Roaring Snake by maidros78 reviews AU to PS. Starts with Harry's visit to Diagon Alley. Follows the general outline of PS, but diverges from canon. HarryMillicent. proactive Minerva intelligent, observant and socially active Harry manipulation attempts by Dumbledore, Lucius, Voldemort. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Mystery/Adventure - Chapters: 30 - Words: 139,938 - Reviews: 970 - Favs: 1,024 - Follows: 893 - Updated: 5/17/2009 - Published: 8/13/2007 - Harry P., Millicent B. - Complete The Prometheus Encounter by Tangerine-Alert reviews HP/UNIT/SG1 crossover. Testing an Ancient hyperdrive flings the Prometheus and SG1 into another universe where Harry Potter, Night Wolf and magic greet them. ARCHIVED-Errors/issues won't be fixed TV X-overs - Rated: T - English - Drama/Sci-Fi - Chapters: 21 - Words: 110,518 - Reviews: 147 - Favs: 136 - Follows: 157 - Updated: 3/9/2009 - Published: 1/14/2008 - Complete by fake a smile reviews It's the summer before Harry's 6th year, and Harry is wracked with grief. But what happens when Harry makes a vow to himself to take control of his life? Harry's life takes a sharp turn when he gets an unexpected visitor one night. HPGW Independent!Harry Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure - Chapters: 28 - Words: 523,307 - Reviews: 2903 - Favs: 5,932 - Follows: 3,053 - Updated: 11/15/2008 - Published: 5/23/2006 - Harry P., Ginny W. - Complete Harry Potter and the Secret of the Ancients by Towrag reviews What if Harry Potter and Daniel Jackson were the same people just at different times in their lives? Crossover - Stargate: SG-1 & Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Adventure/Romance - Chapters: 3 - Words: 35,077 - Reviews: 252 - Favs: 533 - Follows: 730 - Updated: 7/7/2008 - Published: 2/16/2008 - Harry P. The Hidden Hero by EveBB reviews AU What if Harry knew he was a wizard and about the prophecy before he went to Hogwarts? What if he was kicked out of the Dursleys and decided to attend Hogwarts disguised as a muggleborn? Harry Ginny Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Chapters: 36 - Words: 181,065 - Reviews: 3074 - Favs: 3,733 - Follows: 1,253 - Updated: 1/28/2008 - Published: 1/6/2008 - Harry P. - Complete by Tangerine-Alert reviews Harry Potter, UNIT, NCIS xover. Harry has completed training with UNIT and been ordered 6 months off duty, he goes on a road trip in America…but is ordered back on duty to deal with an auction…and NCIS ARCHIVED-Errors/issues won't be fixed TV X-overs - Rated: T - English - Drama/Sci-Fi - Chapters: 12 - Words: 46,070 - Reviews: 122 - Favs: 173 - Follows: 88 - Updated: 9/24/2007 - Published: 7/8/2007 - Complete The TriSchool Tournament by DisobedienceWriter reviews One shot, AU of GOF. Here’s the story I wish I had found when I read GoF or GoF fanfiction. New, harder tasks. Observant!Smart!Harry. On the outs with Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, and Hogwarts in general. No pairings. Harry Potter - Rated: K - English - Adventure/Angst - Chapters: 2 - Words: 31,882 - Reviews: 283 - Favs: 1,881 - Follows: 551 - Updated: 9/3/2007 - Published: 8/31/2007 - Harry P. - Complete A Year with Q by Morena Evensong reviews Q loses a bet with his son. Now he must pretend to be a sixth year student at Hogwarts without using any of his powers. How will Hogwarts react to the new student? Will Q survive the year? x-over with Star Trek: TNG and Voyager. Crossover - StarTrek: The Next Generation & Harry Potter - Rated: K+ - English - Humor/Sci-Fi - Chapters: 43 - Words: 154,373 - Reviews: 696 - Favs: 490 - Follows: 325 - Updated: 8/2/2007 - Published: 6/9/2004 - Q UNIT: Night Wolf – Beginnings by Tangerine-Alert reviews Doctor WhoUNIT crossover Harry Potter. UNIT: Night Wolf, a covert division within UNIT, Night Wolf would explore and research alien technology…and magic… and whatever other threats that come to pass... ARCHIVED-Errors/issues won't be fixed TV X-overs - Rated: T - English - Drama/Sci-Fi - Chapters: 46 - Words: 161,121 - Reviews: 194 - Favs: 90 - Follows: 77 - Updated: 7/5/2007 - Published: 6/27/2006 - Complete Flames of Betrayal by marietsy2 reviews Harry was sent to Azkaban and was later found to be innocent. With the help of Ron, he will find out who his true friends are. Will he forgive those who betrayed him? Will he be able to let the world know what kind of man Dumbledore really is? Who Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Drama/Humor - Chapters: 36 - Words: 200,869 - Reviews: 1178 - Favs: 1,957 - Follows: 1,783 - Updated: 3/23/2007 - Published: 1/9/2006 - Harry P., Ron W. Time to Live by loralee1 reviews Post OotP No HBP Takes place summer after fifth year. After defeating Voldemort Harrry decides it's time for him to live his own life. No slash. Sequel to follow. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Adventure - Chapters: 31 - Words: 68,807 - Reviews: 1354 - Favs: 2,652 - Follows: 1,234 - Updated: 2/16/2007 - Published: 3/22/2006 - Harry P. - Complete A Better Man by Valandar reviews Vernon changed in the beginning to be a better man, thanks to a wish. How will this affect Harry, and the entire Wizarding World? Now complete! Please R&R. AU, HPGW, RWHG, RLNT Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Drama - Chapters: 54 - Words: 192,896 - Reviews: 1652 - Favs: 2,117 - Follows: 689 - Updated: 9/5/2006 - Published: 8/12/2005 - Ginny W., Harry P. - Complete Make A Wish by Rorschach's Blot reviews Harry has learned the prophesy and he does not believe that a schoolboy can defeat Voldemort, so he decides that if he is going to die then he is first going to live. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Humor/Adventure - Chapters: 50 - Words: 187,589 - Reviews: 10089 - Favs: 14,429 - Follows: 4,306 - Updated: 6/17/2006 - Published: 3/23/2005 - Harry P. - Complete A Parents Secret Gift by EvilDaystar reviews What if Harry's parents had put in place a few contingency plans for Harry's future. How different would his life have been in the magical world then? Harry Potter first year AU story with some Albus Dumbledore perspective every now and again. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Chapters: 30 - Words: 96,943 - Reviews: 602 - Favs: 1,604 - Follows: 493 - Published: 6/5/2006 - Harry P., Albus D. - Complete by old-crow reviews Complete. Harry makes a decision at the train platform at the end of year 5. Two little words change lives forever. Revised 606. Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance/Angst - Chapters: 20 - Words: 95,688 - Reviews: 2936 - Favs: 5,424 - Follows: 1,361 - Updated: 5/26/2005 - Published: 2/21/2005 - Harry P., Hermione G. - Complete

Secret Space Program, SSP, Revealed by David Wilcock THE FUTURE IS MORE WONDERFUL THAN WE CAN IMAGINE As one of many examples, California’s water crisis should be solvable within a matter of a few months once we get disclosure. In fact, water could quickly become California’s most profitable export, sending it to parched regions all throughout Middle America and beyond. Multiple technologies already exist that can easily de-salinate ocean water. California is right next to an ocean. There is water everywhere! What is the problem? ”Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink”may have been true in the pirate era, but we do have the means to alleviate those problems today. One of the technologies we are directly aware of will desalinate ocean water, generate free energy and produce any element in the Periodic Table as a by-product. This technology already has the quiet support of one of the most prestigious universities in the country. I have heard about it from more than one independent source. On a personal level, knowing these technologies exist and that they have not been released yet is extremely frustrating. For now, I continue to be almost ridiculously over-conservative with my water usage. Days without showering and the yellow toilet. Good thing I live alone. 🙂 It is interesting to simultaneously reflect on the fact that ”the darkest hour is before the dawn,” and we are far closer to it than most people could ever imagine. THE ”AFTER DISCLOSURE” WORLD WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING We are on the verge of an epic series of disclosures that will make all other information, books, videos and media in the UFO field seem hopelessly outdated. Everyone will be suddenly flooded with a ”learning curve” that will simultaneously be more amazing and more horrifying than they had ever imagined. Never again will we look at the records from our current civilization the same way. In the ”After Disclosure” or AD world, everything will be very different. Yes… we are going to need to learn some pretty upsetting things to get through this transition. However, the positives far outweigh the emotional shock that the negatives will temporarily put us all through, as a planet and a (hybridized) species. There are at least 40 different humanoid extraterrestrial groups that have tinkered around with our DNA — for many thousands of years. We have a much broader spectrum of emotions than most other human species out there. It is both our single greatest weakness and our most powerful strength — once we learn how to harness its power for the positive. Like being surrounded by a drowning ocean of ”useless” sea water, once we learn the command we have over reality, our thirst for the Beyond will be slaked. OK, SO WHAT ARE THE NEGATIVES THEY ARE SO AFRAID OF US FINDING OUT ABOUT? Bottom line: there are good guys and bad guys in the universe. Both are allowed to present their messages to us. The future we experience is the result of the choices we make. Our natural destiny is to go through moments of quantum change — where the ground state of reality itself, and all the assumptions that go along with it, is fundamentally and suddenly altered. We are not protected from negativity any more than our collective free will decides. When we act in selfish, manipulative, controlling and violent ways, that in turn allows elite controllers to do the same things to us on a larger scale. ”You are blaming ME for this problem? F- you, David! I haven’t done anything wrong! I am frickin’ awesome!” Not you per se, my friend. Humanity as a collective has created these problems. Some of them have built up from thousands of years of karmic patterns. MULTI-INCARNATIONAL KARMIC ALLEVIATION As I explained inThe Synchronicity Key,the Edgar Cayce Readings detailed many hundreds of cases where people were suffering debilitating karma from acts they had performed back in ancient Rome. Examples were given including people laughing at a little girl as she got her insides ripped out by a lion in the coliseum. Despite this being a socially-acceptable pastime for the era, any sufficiently negative emotion towards another who is in pain and agony will generate karma. The weirdest and most significant realization to come out ofThe Synchronicity Keyis the fact that history keeps looping around and around, very precisely, like the movie Groundhog Day. The precision with which this happens is utterly astonishing. In some cases, the repetition can be timed almost down to the day in cycles lasting 2,160 years. In the interview transcript you are about to read, I told Jimmy Church I do not consider myself to be a smart person. That being said, figuring out how to properly investigate and write about these cycles of history, making them understandable, is probably my headiest achievement yet. WE KEEP ON REINCARNATING The benevolent ETs I so often talk about inAncient Alienson History Channel (I am a regular, featured in over 35 episodes) seeded the ”cycle numbers” in multiple cultures around the world. This area of study was so arcane that in order to rescue it for our time, it required incredible effort — pulling together tiny threads of data I encountered over 20 years of time. It also is not conducive to a show likeAncient Aliens,due to its complexity, and thus no episodes have been made about this phenomenon at this time. Now we have a solid body of evidence that history is programmed by a greater cosmic intelligence to guide us through an intelligently-defined ”script” for spiritual enlightenment. In order to be a true Christian, it is necessary to understand and accept the reality of reincarnation. According to the direct inheritors of the original teachings, this was the greatest secret of Christ. The term ”burn in hell”(Gehenna)really means to alleviate (burn off) karma. The word we now call ”eternity”(Aion)simply means a cycle of time. The ”eternal hell” we were warned about is not some cosmic purgatory we experience after death. It is happening now — and the flames are hotter than ever. THE PRIME DIRECTIVE MAKES IT TOUGH The ETs, positive or negative, are simply not allowed to make a big showing. They cannot spontaneously decide to drop in and make an appearance on the Tonight Show. The Prime Directive is not just a theme you hear about on Star Trek. It is an absolute law in the universe that all beings, positive and negative, must follow. However, certain individuals can indeed receive contact directly. This is a fundamental part of how we learn the truth, both in the past and present. Corey Goode came forward and began sharing massive amounts of intel with me on the Secret Space Program (SSP) last October, 2014. I wrote everything down as he was telling me. He independently verified hundreds of things I had heard from other insiders. It was only after he decided to officially drop his pseudonym, GoodETxSG, and come forward that he began receiving direct ET contact in the present. It has been truly surreal to hear the new updates from him as he has been pulled into well over a dozen different off-planet meetings since that time. I UNDERSTAND MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY THINK THIS IS B.S. A fundamental part of the ”Prime Directive” istruth without proof. The higher-level beings cannot simply reveal themselves to us. There must be acalling,where a sufficient number of people request their help, before intervention can occur. We are truly blessed to have ongoing ”Divine Intervention” taking place. This is the only thing that has stopped the Cabal from destroying most of our lives. THE ZOMBIE PROGRAM The Cabal has been very innovative in coming up with a multitude of different ways to try to kill the majority of people on earth. One of the more upsetting and shocking ones I learned about, from three different credible insiders, is actually called ”The Zombie Program.” Using advanced cloning techniques, 150 million humans were manufactured in the US, all held in underground bases west of the Rockies, and another 100 million in Europe. They would look more or less like ordinary people — not what you see in the movies. The men might typically be wearing a plaid shirt and blue jeans. However, they are given a strange infectious virus that can make them bleed out of every orifice, including their fingernails. They are programmed to have an insatiable craving to attack and eat other humans who do not have the infection. When normal people come in contact with the pathogens in their blood, they will die a horrible death within 24 hours. Simply being scratched by the fingernails from one of these beings would be enough to cause death. AEROSOL SHUTS IT DOWN ONCE THE JOB IS DONE The Cabal also manufactured an aerosol that could be sprayed over an area where these ”zombies” were released. It would cause their death but leave ordinary folks alone. Otherwise, the only way to effectively kill the zombies would be to separate the brain stem from the neck, such as through beheading. The Cabal’s plan was to release this plague, bring about the deaths of millions to achieve their depopulation goals, and then shut off the plague with the aerosol. At that point, they had intended for us to have descended into mass starvation, rioting, anarchy and chaos, leading to martial law and internment camps (which people would flock to in fear of ”zombies.”) The technology was in place to generate this ”zombie apocalypse” all the way back in the 1960s. The ”Night of the Living Dead” was the first major movie to try to usesocial engineeringto get this apocalypse to be ”authorized” by the benevolent ETs. If enough of us saw these movies andreally believedthat zombies would attack us on a mass level, then thanks to the Prime Directive, the benevolent ETs would be forced to let it happen. THE ENTIRE PROGRAM HAD TO BE SCRAPPED The benevolent ETs have blocked the ”zombie program” so effectively that it has never been allowed to occur. Simply put, not enough peoplegenuinely believethat zombies are real for this to ever be allowed to happen. The Cabal is very well aware of this. They continue to crank out a tremendous amount of zombie apocalypse films and TV shows, hoping to get another chance. Other lifeforms that do not look anywhere near as similar to us have also been engineered with the zombie virus. The preferred design that would currently be used, if ”authorized,” are little beings that look like ”Greys” and are only about two feet tall. The hope was that they could be ”sneaky,” run around quickly, evade capture and scratch people on the legs to cause death. In this sense, the Cabal felt that if enough people believed in negative ”Grey” ETs, the hope was that authorization could then be granted. Again, this will never be allowed to occur. Every attempt to create mass depopulation, both conventional and unconventional, has been thwarted. I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN What you just read is an example of intel I have been aware of for some time, have held on to, and said I did not ever want to release it because it was upsetting and ”fear porn.” However, we are now being asked by the Alliance to release this information in advance of a much greater ”data dump” that will come our way with Disclosure. It is too late for the Cabal to stop Disclosure. It is definitely going to happen. I have been waylaid by a very busy schedule, as we will discuss, but I am definitely continuing the fight to write articles and produce videos about all of this. I discussed the zombie program in my last talk at the recent Contact in the Desert conference, having no idea how a live audience, including one 8-year-old child, would respond. Given that the kid was in the audience, certain details were definitely not shared that I might have done otherwise. Quite to my surprise, everyone seemed perfectly OK with it. They were very grateful to finally hear the truth, and not have me censor things I thought were too intense for us to hear. GETTING THE WORD OUT THROUGH RADIO SHOWS As part of this initiative to ”disclose as much as you can, as fast as you can,” I did two different radio shows to promote the then-upcoming conference. Since the conference, I had an Ancient Aliens taping that required a great deal of study, as always. Since the taping, I have been recovering. So to review, I had the New Living Expo event, hardly any down-time, then a major Gaiam taping of eight episodes, followed days later by the Contact event, followed days later by Ancient Aliens, and then a big recovery period. At the same time, ”negative greeting”, as defined by the Law of One series, has been taking shot after shot after shot at me. It is difficult to keep going amidst all of this. One small but significant part of the negative greeting is that we are getting very blatant death threats from the Cabal — like never before. This has been coupled with a very intense increase in the amount of hatred written about me by paid Cabal bloggers on the Internet. Again, I no longer care about the online hate. Most of the trouble has been in dealing with personal issues and the cleansing and healing of painful life experiences and memories. IT ALL SOUNDS CRAZY…. Yes, it all sounds crazy. However, with the full scope of ET technology available to the Cabal, making programmable clones is not at all difficult. In fact, a similar cloning program began making most of the ”Greys” that were actually doing abductions, beginning in the 1960s. Some abductions are genuinely ET-related. People are being brought into slavery off-planet in large numbers. That is another unpleasant truth we will soon be confronted with. The movie ”Guardians of the Galaxy” was intended to help soften the blow. Supposedly there is more than enough technology and capability in place to recover all surviving captives in the post-Disclosure world. THE NEGATIVE PROGRAMS ARE BEING SHUT DOWN Thankfully these highly negative programs are quickly being shut down. The negative elite have already lost. Now they are just in the final ”limbo” period before it becomes public. Rather than worrying too much about trying to prove all of this data, we have been instructed to simply release as much of the truth as we can. This will help buffer the emotional shock and gravity of people hearing so much of this upsetting material all at once. I have held on to the knowledge of the zombie program for at least two years now — but no more. That is just one of a variety of weird things there are to know. ON TO THE RADIO SHOWS… So with all that said, I am quite pleased with both of the radio shows I did. The first one was transcribed and submitted by an anonymous individual, beginning a half hour after I started speaking — and was discussing my music work. As soon as we ”went deep” and got into the cosmic stuff, the transcript started. The second show was that same Thursday with Richard Garner, entitledWhat in the World!,which airs on SiriusXM with a station out of Canada entitled ”Canada Talks.” This appearance was very highly bizarre for me. Fifteen minutes before airtime, I planned out a whole routine around a particular song —”Wild World”by Cat Stevens. I figured that if I mentioned the song, they would later play it in the show. It was utterly stupefying, and extremely shocking, when that same song started playing as I was live on the air. By the time Richard got me speaking, I had composed myself — but only partly. Every hair on my arms and the back of my neck was standing up. WHAT IN THE WORLD… Here is the brand-new show on Canada Talks / Sirius XM where you can hear my surprise in the aftermath of this highly strange synchronicity: This transcript begins at the 71:56 mark of the show. IS REINCARNATION A SOUL TRAP? Jimmy Church:Did the Annunaki and Dracos trick the Atlanteans into a soul-trap reincarnation cycle here on earth to strand DNA and amnesia? David Wilcock:That is what the Cabal’s disinformation agents are trying to tell us happened. That’s actually not true. Reincarnation is not a trap and the earth is not a prison. The Draco did have an agenda. That is true. And, again, this type of a question requires a lot of filling in of cracks for people who don’t already know what we’re talking about. DW:So I’ll do that because, obviously, these questions are very deep and we’ve got to start somewhere. JC:You know, let’s start there. You know what, there’s so much . . . You and I were talking earlier today about our time constraints and how we were possibly going to try to squeeze everything in tonight. CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE Yeah, so, you know, let’s just go deep now. Let’s just go deep now. DW:Okay. No problem. So let’s just first finish setting out the palette that I was establishing before, which is [this.] THE ONENESS DIVERSIFIED ITSELF You have a universe which started as a oneness. It divided itself into what we think of now as galaxies. The intention behind this was that oneness was originally a singular consciousness. It got bored and lonely. These are the closest emotions that we could think of [in our terms.] It had all of this creative potential, but it had no friends. It had nothing to look at. Nothing changed. It was just always the same. So it decided to create what we think of as the visible universe. THE CONSCIOUS COSMOS What we think of as galaxies are actually intelligent super beings. Stars are intelligent super beings. Planets are intelligent super beings. And as you step down from galaxy to star to planet, you’ve got a hierarchy of beings. These are intelligent beings. They are extremely powerful. They are extremely creative. And then the next stage down from that is sentient beings that live on the planets. So those sentient beings are beings like us. That setup of sentient beings on planets then plays out in a structure that has seven levels – seven grades that we evolve through. THE FIRST SIX DENSITIES And the first grade is mineral life like earth, air, fire and water. It’s not really even microbes. That doesn’t come until the second level, or what in the Law of One is called the second density. That goes all the way up through all the animals, the whales, the dogs and cats and everything except humans. [Third density] is where you now have an individualized sense of self. Then you have fourth density. At that stage you could have positive or negative beings. Fifth density can have positive or negative beings. Then you have sixth and seventh. At the sixth level you have to go positive or else you will dissolve back into the background energy in the universe. You literally cannot survive. So none of these bad guys get to exist past 6D. 7D is a very, very advanced level where all they really do is sort of create a virtual Internet. They kind of go back through all the experiences they’ve had in all the previous levels. They create this living database that 6D beings can analyze to help people. That’s the last gift they have to give before they get to reunify with this oneness that they came from. So with all that being said as back story, the beings that are actually running the show here and making sure that the earth doesn’t blow up, literally, would be sixth density. And as I said, in the Bible those are called seraphim or cherubim. THE DRACO ARE REPTILIAN-DERIVED HUMANS The Draco would be what you’d call probably a fourth density or possibly, but unlikely, possibly fifth-density negative. They may actually be 5D negative. I don’t really know. What we do know about these guys is that they were humans that evolved out of reptilian life. That’s another big, big stage in our learning curve here. HUMAN LIFE IS EVERYWHERE Human life is ubiquitous in our galaxy. About 40% of the universe is populated with human or hominid-type life, meaning it walks on two legs and it’s got two arms, or maybe sometimes more – usually just two. It’s got a head, two eyes and a nose, mouth, ears. The planets that these beings incarnate on are very similar to ours in the vast majority of cases. This means they have microbes. They have algae. They have plants. They have mammals. They have birds. They have reptiles. What we’re seeing here is a very, very commonly used biome. It works really well. Everything is divinely designed to work in harmonious synergy. JC:Breathing oxygen. (DW: Yes.) Carbon dioxide. (Yeah.) Plant life. (Yep.) DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLANETS CREATE DIFFERENT HUMANOID LIFEFORMS DW:There are some variations, of course. You might have a planet that is predominantly ocean. In those cases, sentient hominid life will evolve out of whales or fish or something like that. There are lots of those out there. You might have a planet where the bird actually becomes the prevalent form of life that then becomes human or hominid. And in certain cases, you have reptilians – reptiles – where reptile life becomes human-looking. And so these reptilians – for whatever reason – ended up being racists. [They were only interested in] other reptilians that had evolved independently from reptilian life on other planets – and they were out there looking at a lot of different planets. They wanted to partner up with other reptilians. THE DRACO CONQUERED OTHER RACES So what they’ve done is they’ve gone around in the last 700,000 years or so and found all the other reptilians. They’ve merged their genetic material with them and conquered them. So they have their own little negative group that you could call the Draco, because they apparently originated in the Draco constellation. They are also dragon-like. The word ‘draco’ also means ‘dragon’. When I’m telling you this, I’m combining this from several different highly credible insider sources. I’m seeing commonalities between what different people tell me independently, and were in a position to know this is what is going on. DW:And this is more information than most people have ever been able to get about these guys before. A lot of this stuff is new. What we find out is that they were going around conquering worlds. THE DRACO WERE BEATEN BACK INTO OUR ”CORNER” OF THE GALAXY This pissed off a lot of people and they really got their butts kicked. They got their butts kicked badly enough that most of their attempts have failed. They have been basically beaten back into one little corner of our galaxy. That corner happens to be some of the stars that are near to us, such as the stars in the constellation Orion, the stars in the constellation Draco, and a few other places like that. They also have settled in our solar system in fairly recent terms. Apparently they got to our solar system somewhere in the neighborhood of 375,000 years ago. DW:That’s just the figure that our new insider, Corey Goode, gave. JC:I got ya. DW:Based on what he was given. DW:Wow. I just turned my volume up and your voice exploded in my ears. Hello, Jimmy! (JC: Ha, ha, ha.) I got you back down to a manageable human level again. JC:Yeah. I’m whispering too, by the way. A PLANET DESIGNED FOR FEAR FARMING DW:And when I reel my brains back into my eardrums . . . (JC: Ha, ha, ha.) Okay? (Laughs) So here’s the deal. Here’s the deal. What are they doing? What are they doing out there? What do they want? Right? You’ve got to look at these beings . . . And I’m not saying this to be derogatory. It’s going to sound this way, but…. FEEDING ON FEAR When your dog leaves doggie doo in the forest, it’s not just going to sit there indefinitely. Nature has made certain species, such as little bugs, that will come up – and they love that stuff. That’s like a breakfast banquet for them. DW:Okay. The universe has designed itself so that there are intelligent life forms that absolutely are dependent upon our jealousy, our anger, our sadness and our fear. The more amoral, chaotic, violent, ruthless and selfish they can make us, the more energy they get. LOOSH IT UP That energy is calledloosh. That’s energy they need absolutely. It’s more important to them than what we would think of as money or food or water or any of the basic essentials for life. When you become a being that feeds on loosh, if your loosh supply is interrupted for even one day, you will die. They are that dependent on it. EVEN ONE DAY OF INTERRUPTION WOULD FINISH THEM OFF If we were to have even one day on earth – one single day – where a preponderance of people on earth had something to feel good about, most of these beings would die. In less than 24 hours they would be dead – gone forever. It’s THAT serious. They are THAT dependent on our fear. So what you need to understand then is that these beings deliberately custom-designed a planet they could use for FEAR FARMING. They require fear just like we require money in the bank if we want to go to the grocery store to get something to eat. DW:So they actually did intermingle their genetic material with our own. And this goes back to what Zecharia Sitchin was talking about. Sitchin tried to blame everything on the Annunaki. So you’ve got to look at his material as a suggestion, but not in any way iron-clad truth. There’re a lot of distortions in Sitchin’s stuff. But the basic ideas are correct. GENETIC ENGINEERING OF HUMANS There was a reptilian king called Anu. He did have two sons – Enlil and Enki. Apparently, Enlil was the bad guy and Enki was the good guy. [Enlil would be the] bad guy for us, meaning that Enlil supposedly was the one who genetically engineered humans [and did not want us to be more than a slave race of clones.] Enki was the one who then gave us the ability to reproduce because [the Anunnaki] made us to be sterile. We were supposed to just be [slave] workers. NIBIRU WAS MARS It’s very likely that the planet Nibiru was actually Mars. And it’s very likely that what they were doing was to get us to mine gold. [That way] they could chemtrail Mars’ atmosphere with gold. When you spray that gold in the atmosphere, it helps to keep the atmosphere from escaping. At the time that they were doing this, the earth was really kind of unpleasant. It was swampy. It didn’t have the kinds of oceans that we know now. It was hotter. It wasn’t as nice as it is now. So they didn’t really want to live here as much as they took the indigenous ape man they found and upgraded it. THE ”MISSING LINK” IS THE DRACO DNA UPGRADE Hence, [we see] the missing link in our fossil record where our brain suddenly doubled in size. DW:We have a lot of problems that are because of them tinkering with our DNA. That includes the fact that we have bad backs, the fact that we get sunburns, and the fact that the sun is bad for our eyes. There are lots and lots of strange things that we have that are because our genetics have been tampered with. It turns out that there’s over 40 different ET groups that have spliced their DNA with our own. So it’s a very big, strange situation. THE MARTIAN GEOENGINEERING INVOLVED VERY HIGH TECHNOLOGY JC:Well, the Nibiru-Mars connection makes sense, because, you know, the Martian atmosphere is blown away by solar wind constantly. And there isn’t any atmosphere there or very little atmosphere there. That would make a lot of sense. It would definitely connect those dots. DW:Well, you’ve also got to expand your mind a little bit and realize that these people have extremely highly advanced technology. That would include little nanites that can be spread out. Gold can be spread out to almost one atom of thickness. You get these little nanites that shake hands. When you get enough of them, you can build this virtual skin around the planet’s atmosphere. DW:It’s not just like there are little particles of gold that are floating around, dumb, in the air. This is a very advanced technology we’re talking about. ARCHONS ARE NOT EXTRATERRESTRIALS JC:And you had mentioned earlier the Ancient Aliens [television show] and angels and the non-connecting dots there. Would you also consider this negativity Archons? DW:Actually, if you get into alchemical writings, the word ‘Archon’ refers to “humans on earth who act as agents for these negative extraterrestrials.” DW:That’s a commonly misperceived term, because most people think Archons refer to the extraterrestrials themselves – and it doesn’t. It refers to their ‘people’ on earth – their ground crew. DW:Yeah. And that is a very important element. THE PARENTS OF THE ILLUMINATI In order to successfully fear-farm the earth, they did need to elicit the cooperation of people here on earth. That’s where you get into this very exciting new subject that we only learned about recently: the so-called Parents of the Illuminati. JC:I was going there right now. I don’t mean to cut you off, but that’s exactly where I wanted to take this. In that, the fear, the negativity that they are feeding off of – that very energy. If it is in their DNA, then that is were the lack of morals come from, from the Illuminati and Cabal where we constantly ask ourselves, David, “How can they do this crap?” I mean, where is the moral structure? Where is the moral fiber? How can they do . . . Well, is it because they need it to feed off of? THE COLLECTION OF LOOSH FROM WWE EVENTS AND WAR DW:Let me tell you something very bizarre that I heard from one of the new insiders. He, for a while, worked for the World Wrestling Entertainment – WWE. Every single time they do a major event when there’s a big stadium of people, they have all these big screen TVs at the event. And most, if not all of those big screen TVs, quote-unquote, “Mysteriously go missing after the show.” DW:Doesn’t it sound crazy? Okay? DW:I’m just going to tell you the truth. THE DRACO REALLY LOVE TO WATCH TELEVISION The crystalline structure of these television screens picks up enough of the loosh that the Draco want those TV screens after an event, because it helps keep them going. JC:It’s like vitamin C. DW:Yes! Now see, that’s stuff I would never have thought of. It’s so weird that people are going to laugh at me, but yet this is the stuff that you start to hear from people. This energy that we make actually gets imprinted into the crystals within the monitor – within the LCD, the liquid-crystal display. JC:So they use a new one for every event. DW:Every event. That’s in the budget. They’ve got to buy new monitors. Yep. JC:That’s interesting. Well, that’s some serious Big Brother stuff. You know, when you look at the screens over the crowds and the fear is just pumping and the energy is there and then it’s a sponge. THEY CREATE A MAGIC CIRCLE OF LCD SCREENS TO ENHANCE LOOSH ABSORPTION DW:I’ll give you another secret. They set these monitors up in the shape of, guess what? A pentagram. [A pentagram is a 5-pointed star, usually inside a circle, that is a symbol of mysticism.] JC:Oh, I was going to say an eye. DW:They put them in a pentagonal shape, because that’s the magic circle. I don’t like to talk about this stuff, but it seems like it’s fallen on my shoulders to leak a lot of unpleasant things to people. LET’S NOT GET ENCHANTED BY THE NEGATIVE What I try to do is to not get stuck in the fear porn. Let’s not stay in this place: “Oh, my gosh. The Illuminati are real and they’re just going to wipe us out.” Look, they’ve been trying to ever since they got their hands on the bomb. Back in the Trinity test,[The Trinity Test was the first test of a nuclear bomb on July 16, 1945, as a part of the Manhattan Project]you have Robert Oppenheimer saying, “This is not the first time we have done this.” He had read the Hindu Vedas where they very clearly describe the use of a thermonuclear weapon – all the same stuff. JC:Yeah. What would happen if we created a monitor that didn’t absorb and then they went to . . . (DW: Laughs) You know what I mean? That would certainly shut them down. DW:Well, that’s one of many things that they’ve done. THE DRACO DELIBERATELY CREATE WARS BEHIND THE SCENES, THEN SWOOP IN CLOAKED AND SOAK UP THE LOOSH Another thing, again this is a little disturbing, but what the hell. Remember when there was that genocide in Rwanda?[This was a mass slaughter of around 1 million Tutsis and Hutu moderates by the Hutu majority in 1994.] You’ve got the Hutus and the Tutsis and they’re going around chopping each other up with axes? And it was happening on a massive scale? They will literally cloak their ship, fly into our atmosphere, and park the ship over the battlefield as these people are dying – and just soak it up. That’s what they’ve been doing for thousands and thousands of years. They need to keep creating wars so they can keep soaking it up. JC:Is that what’s going on in Syria and Iraq with ISIS? Are they soaking that up? GENERATING LOOSH FROM CELEBRITY DEATHS DW:Absolutely. They’re doing whatever they can. And they are having a harder and harder time getting loosh. Here’s another thing. Okay? Robin Williams apparently did not commit suicide on his own. He was pushed into it. They tried to get loosh from Paul Walker’s death – the guy that was in Fast and Furious – and it didn’t generate enough. They needed to create a bigger celebrity death to try to get enough. And that worked well for them. They got a lot of loosh off of Robin Williams. The next big thing that they did involving a celebrity on that scale was leaking the Cosby rape allegations. They’ve gotten a lot of loosh off of that. That was something they had saved up for when they needed it. But there are not very many of these left that they can pull. That’s the thing. They’re running out of time. They’re running out of energy. And they are in serious, serious trouble now. PROPHECIES OF A GOLDEN AGE All the great religious prophecies – the Bible is only one example. There are 34 others that all say the same thing – that we go into this glorious golden age. Those prophecies were given to us by the benevolent extraterrestrials. And for those extraterrestrials, these reptilians we’re talking about are literally no bigger than little sand lizards in a sandbox. They can watch what’s going on in the sandbox, but they can’t intervene in our sandbox more than we invite them. [This is] because the universe is governed by the principle of free will. STAR TREK AND OTHER TV SHOWS – DISCLOSURE FROM THE BENEVOLENT ETs And believe it or not, Gene Roddenberry[the creator of the Star Trek movie series]was involved in some of these same channeling groups that were in Joshua Tree. [Joshua Tree monument is a U.S. National Park in the desert about 80 miles east of Los Angeles. It was where the original “Giant Rock” UFO conferences took place in the 1950s.] That’s where the whole story concept and the architecture ofStar Trekcame from. SoStar Trekwas Disclosure from the good guys. The whole prime directive that Capt. Kirk and Spock and they all had to work off of – that is absolutely what is going on. JC:The concept ofStar Trekwas way too ahead of its time. JC:It seems to have come out of nowhere — that and, of course,2001: A Space Odyssey. When we went from just juvenile science fiction and storytelling, we just leapfrogged right into, in the middle of the 60s, into2001andStar Trek. THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DISCLOSURE EFFORTS IN PLACE SINCE THE DAWN OF TV DW:Well, they had been trying before that. Twilight Zone– a lot of Disclosure got pushed out through that show. The Outer Limitsis another show that a lot of Disclosure got pushed out through. There was a little show for a while calledThe Time Tunnelthat had lots of stuff in it. They’ve done a lot of movies:The Day the Earth Stood Still, various other UFO movies. There’s been a very consistent effort to tell us what’s really going on. [They hope] that once we find out that there are thousands of different extraterrestrials that we’ve interacted with, it’s not going to come as a big surprise. SPACE 1999, BUCK ROGERS AND BATTLESTAR GALACTICA JC:You know what I just finished this week? And I was kind of bummed out about it. I finishedSpace 1999 [British-Italian TV series that had two seasons from 1975-77.]Both seasons. JC:Yeah, man, I got to the last episode of season 2 and it was pretty melancholy. You know, I was kind of bummed. What a great series that was too. DW:That was one that had a lot of stuff in it. Buck Rogerswas loaded with Disclosure.Battlestar Galactica [TV series originally in the mid-1970s and launched again between 2004~2009.] The original one was loaded with Disclosure. They never got to finish the thought in the original one. They rebooted it and actually did finish the thought. If you watch all the recentBattlestar Galactica, they end up landing here when their fleet is literally down to the very last limping ship. All they could do is crash land here. And they had no ability to get off the planet once they arrived. THE MOVIE ”THEY LIVE” IS A DOCUMENTARY JC:Do you know where I think a lot of information was? And don’t laugh, man. Just stay with me on this. DW:Okay, I’ll try not to. JC:The movieThey Live. DW:Oh, absolutely! I’m not going to laugh at that at all. JC:Ha, ha, ha. I mean, I watched that now. I remember that the first time I saw it I thought, “You know, this is a pretty cool movie. A nice little B movie under the radar. Pretty cool.” I watch it now and it’s a frickin’ horror flick. It scares the crap out of me. DW:It’s a documentary. JC:Ha, ha, ha. Exactly! A STARGATE IS FEATURED IN THE MOVIE DW:And at the end, when you see that portal open up underground, it literally is a gate into the stars. It is a stargate! They have a stargate in the movie. It’s right there. It’s amazing. That scene is amazing. JC:For everybody listening, if you have not seen They Live, that’s your homework tonight after the show. Just go and peep that out. DW:Totally. It’s an amazing film. JC:Yeah, Ray Ban. DW:I’m not sure how that got made, honestly. JC:Yeah. Right, right, right. DW:That pissed off a lot of people. JC:Unless it was done for a reason. That’s all I’ve got to say. But there are elements of it that just scare the crap out of me. Let’s talk about your current research before, once again, David, we run out of time. OUR PREVIOUS SHOW GOT TAMPERED WITH AND INTERRUPTED JC:You know what’s funny? If you remember back when you were on with us, it was Christmas Eve. We got to the end of the show and, man, if they didn’t shut us down. That was messed up. That was so messed up. DW:Some sort of force majeure[superior force]technological interference with your ability to do the show. JC:Right at the peak. Right at the . . . “Okay, Jimmy, I’m going to drop a bomb.” DW:At the end of my sentence. DW:I wanted to kind of round out this thought, because we were heading somewhere and we never quite got there. JC:Okay, let’s do it. SECRET SPACE PROGRAM – THE PARENTS(95:35) DW:One of the big things we need to talk about is the Secret Space Program. That is where it goes back again to these Draco. And it goes back to where I was discussing the Parents. Now the Parents is something hardly anybody has learned about. This is brand new information, but I believe that it is coming from a highly credible source. I’ve now actually been able to vet out some of it with other sources. A NANOTECHNOLOGY INJECTION The Draco have the ability to give you some kind of nanotechnology injection. What happens is that your flesh becomes essentially robotic. You’re still technically human, but only in the way that you look. Your body works in an entirely different way now. You can take out a pocket knife and slice a big hole in your palm, and the nanites will just close it right back up for you. So they have used this in various things like the television showHeroes, and the character Wolverine inX-Men. It’s rapid healing. DW:There are 21 people on earth that have this. And they are called The Parents. THE OLDEST PARENT IS 13,000 YEARS OLD This goes all the way back to the oldest one of these people. Apparently he’s 13,000 years old. [This] dates back to the time of Atlantis before the big catastrophic event that sank the continent. This person was already given this technology. These 21 Parents are immortal. In practical terms, they can live for thousands of years. They were assigned to find the people who are making the most money and have the most power, and seduce them into their group. That’s where you get your 13 Illuminati bloodlines. THE 13 FAMILIES WERE CHOSEN FOR THEIR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Those were the people who, simply through a basic Darwinian survival of the fittest mentality, came to the top of the food chain. [They] made the money, got the power, and took over the control of governments and religions. [They] were seduced by these Parents who had all the advanced Draco technology. And part of the deal the Parents had [from the Draco] is working star gates [they could use] this whole time. So they could go out into space. There are plenty of other places they could go. They are not stuck here on earth. That technology was not shared with the Illuminati bloodline families. Now the Illuminati bloodline families have found out the Parents had this the whole time, and they’re really upset about it. THE CABAL IS FRAGMENTING INTO FACTIONS, EVEN AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS And what’s interesting is that the alliance amongst these Illuminati folks is fracturing – and now the Draco have betrayed everybody. The Parents have actually turned against all the 13 bloodlines below them. They now have their own faction. Several of these 21 people apparently are really tired of immortality, and they don’t want to be alive any more. There is a way that they can die, which is to have the brain stem separated from the neck. That also has been depicted in fictional works including the movieHighlander,where you chop off this guy’s head and then you absorb his power. DW:So the Draco agenda led to the Illuminati being constructed. EVERYTHING THEY DO REQUIRES OUR CONSENT Now, people then say, “Well, wait a minute. If they want to screw us over, why are they telling us what they’re doing? Why do they make all these movies about it?” That’s a very important point. The magic requires them to tell us what they are doing. [That way,] the enslaved are actually being enslaved through their own free will. [This is] one of the things that you hear Illuminati people say – and this is more the card-carrying kind, not the kind that has defected. They say, “If people are too afraid to see the obvious when we’re shoving it in their faces, then they deserve to be slaves.” JC:It’s not free will if it’s deception. DW:That’s true. I think what’s happened is that they skewed far from the idea of it truly being free will enslavement. They’ve used trickery more and more. And they’ve lied more and more. And as a result, these governing beings – these seraphim and cherubim, or 6thdensity beings in Law of One terms – the ‘management’, if you will, the good guys – are now able to bring them down, and defeat them. THE ILLUMINATI LEADERS WERE TOTALLY DOMINATED BY THE DRACO So to get back to the Space Program, what’s happened is The Parents knew the Draco existed. The higher level bloodline Illuminati people knew the Draco existed. They basically realized that even though they had this cult that saw them as gods, they’re not in charge. They’re just licking the boot heels of these 12-foot tall, essentially demon-looking beings. [The Draco] literally have vertically-slit pupils, reptile skin and are massively strong. They have a 5-foot-wide shoulder span and weigh three thousand pounds. You can’t shoot them with conventional bullets. They’ll just ping off of them. They’re very, very tough. They’re very strong. They’re telepathic. They’re telekinetic. They can remote-influence people and make you walk around like a robot under their command. They are very frightening villains. THINK ABOUT IT… WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS? [If you think about it,] all the stuff that the Illuminati [is supposedly] doing doesn’t make any sense. You guys are human beings. You live here on earth. Why do you want to kill the planet? See, they don’t. Their bosses do. The people that they are under the control of do. It’s the Draco who have been gaming out our planet as a fear factory. We are generating fear for them. If a whole bunch of us die, that would be like a big prosperity bonus for them. JC:Is that why the Rothschilds bank both sides of every war? DW:Absolutely. It’s all about creating loosh. One of their sayings is,“Give Lucius his Loosh!” This is a Luciferian belief system. And Lucifer, in this term you could think of Lucifer as one of the Draco. JC:Which brings us to the Alliance. DW:Yes. If you’ve got to talk about something that is disturbing, you’ve got to balance it with something positive. And there is a lot of positive stuff going on. MILITARIZATION OF SPACE AND COLONIZATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM So here’s the deal. [Let’s talk about] the military-industrial-complex. Roswell was not the first UFO crash. They had stuff that they found that went all the way back to the 1890s. Apparently out there in the Southwest they dug up this craft that was very aerodynamic. It was all gold in color. We had one insider that came forward and told us that. So they’ve had the stuff for a long time. There were ancient crashes they were able to go dig up. There’s all kinds of cool stuff they found. [It has] all [been] kept hidden from us. THE GERMANS WERE THE FIRST By the late 1930s, the Germans were the first to develop flying saucer technology. The Vril Society was doing this. It’s called the Hanebu or the Bell craft. Kronos is another secret name for the project. They flew out into space and then that’s where they [made an incredible discovery.] “Wow! There are a lot of people that have colonized the solar system before us. They left some really cool stuff behind. “We can seal it up, pressurize it and live in there.” That’s what they did on the moon and on Mars [as well as in Antarctica.] COLONIZING THE MOON AND MARS So when you get into the history of the space program, you have the Nazis colonizing the moon and Mars. They lost World War 2, but they came back and basically took over the military-industrial-complex through trickery – and through having better technology. They blackmailed the U.S., because the U.S. did not want to kick loose the secrets of Roswell. The Nazis started overflying the U.S. capitol in 1952 with their Bell craft, and essentially forced the U.S. to join them in a partnership. This is where you get the militarization of our space and our solar system. THE BRAIN DRAIN In the 1950s and early 1960s there was something called the brain drain. Approximately 60 million people were recruited from countries all over the world. So you still have to this day plenty of Latinos, plenty of blacks, plenty of people who look like they’re from India or Pakistan, plenty of Asians, and plenty of Caucasians that have lived generations out in space. They’ve never walked on the earth. If you’ve got 60 million people in the 1950s and they are specifically told to have as many children as possible, you’re now dealing with a large population. Plus, they have advanced cloning capabilities. They also continue to recruit people from our planet and bring them up there as much as they can. So this is ongoing. THEY WENT AFTER THE INTELLIGENTSIA — AND DESCRIBED IT IN CERTAIN FILMS JC:Did they recruit brains or did they also recruit brawn? DW:Mostly just the cream of the crop of the intelligentsia. There are various movies that tell this story, such asWhen Worlds Collide. If you want to go back and do research, go watch that film. That’s Disclosure. Only the cream of the crop were picked. It’s like Noah’s Ark all over again. That’s part of what these people are told. Something big and disastrous is going to happen on earth. If you come out with us in space, you’ll be fine. You’re going to get to live in a Jetsons,Star Trek-type reality. It’s going to be amazing. THEY ARE HERDED INTO TOTAL ENSLAVEMENT IN MOST CASES Then when these people actually go out there, many of them are treated like slaves. They have a very deplorably poor existence. They’re totally monitored and they just work their whole life. They’re told who they’re going to marry and they’re told how many kids they can have and all this kind of stuff. It’s really disgusting. JC:If they hit you up, would you go? FIVE FACTIONS OF THE SECRET SPACE PROGRAM DW:I already am in contact with a group that has been part of the space program and has broken away. It’s called the Solar Warden faction. There are five factions of the space program. Solar Warden was the first one. They’re like the planetary police force. Then you have the Interplanetary Corporate Conglomerate, or ICC, that has guys like Boeing and McDonnell-Douglas. They’re out there building all kinds of advanced technology and selling it to various extraterrestrials that come in here to check out what they’ve got. Apparently, their technology is some of the best in our part of the galaxy. This is odd because we are considered very primitive in terms of our spiritual levels of advancement, but we’re really good at building stuff. So you’ve got Solar Warden and ICC. GLOBAL GALACTIC LEAGUE OF NATIONS, MILITARY AND DARK FLEET Then you’ve got the Global Galactic League of Nations, which is sort of a UN in space. Then you have a Military faction. And actually there are several sub-groups in the Global Galactic League of Nations, as we have now found out. The Military faction essentially acts as a police force and logistical support for these other factions. And then last, but not least, you have the Dark Fleet. That is the faction that is run by the Draco, where you can see the Reptilians. You’re going to see mantis-looking people. You’re going to see ant-looking people. You [also] see certain humans who work with them that wear black uniforms that look like Nazi uniforms. They are very, very militant and very arrogant. SOLAR WARDEN BREAKS AWAY AND THE ARRIVAL OF THE SPHERE ALLIANCE The Solar Warden faction was the original faction. Their technology is no newer than what we were building in the early 80s. This is still really frickin’ amazing, but it is way less [advanced] than the other factions. They broke away. They got tired of being treated like the mushroom – kept in the dark and fed a lot of BS. Solar Warden has now sided with new beings that have showed up in our solar system. [These new beings have] technology way in advance of anything they thought was out there. We’re talking about spheres that in some cases are as large as the planet Jupiter. THE FIRST SPHERE ARRIVED DURING THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION One of them came into our solar system in the 1980s, and it was the size of Neptune. My insider Pete Peterson was there working with Ronald Reagan while this was happening. [It] freaked everybody out, because they saw this huge orb coming in. It circled Pluto, circled Neptune, circled Uranus and then came in to Saturn. It was cloaked, but they could very easily detect it with [the technology] they had at the time. They eventually confronted this sphere. The beings inside just said, “We’re peaceful explorers taking a cruise around the galaxy. Then they [the Secret Space Program personnel] said, ‘GTFO’, basically. [Get the f- out of here.] And so the beings left. MANY MORE SPHERES BEGAN APPEARING IN 1998 Then, right around 1999, 1998 or thereabouts, you start to have over a hundred, actually hundreds of spheres like this coming into our solar system. They entered in either through the sun or from the outside. They were all about the size of earth’s moon. ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION (NOT PART OF THE RADIO TRANSCRIPT) [DW: Kent Steadman of cyberspaceorbit.com was the main researcher who tracked this phenomenon for years. On Kent’s site, it appears to have started with his “Sun Cruiser” post, describing an anomalous object that first appeared around the sun on May 3, 1998. Kent interviewed various astronomers and got differing opinions about what this huge, fast-moving object was. Many other similar sightings followed for years to come. I was very captivated by this at the time and consistently checked Kent’s site for the latest updates. None of these attacks killed anyone. They were covered in our “China’s October Surprise” article series, linked in the above article. Interestingly, when I went back to this article to get the link, its hit counter was at 333,088 – another example of “numerical synchronicity,” where repeating digits appear as I am doing this work. There did appear to be a treaty that stopped the EMP attacks in January 2011, but the treaty was violated by the Cabal. This seems to have been what triggered the underground cities being portaled out from August to December of 2011.] THEY WERE USING HAARP TO DEFEND THEIR CITIES DW:Jimmy, you were probably covering this back when it happened. DW:And the fish were all washing up. Hundreds of thousands of dead fish were washing up. JC:Birds falling out of the sky. DW:Just falling out dead. And they were too crushed up by the time they hit the ground. Their bones had already been crushed. That was because [the Cabal was] using HAARP to try to defend against the destruction of these underground facilities – and it wasn’t working. So they apparently made a treaty sometime at the end of 2011, saying, “Please don’t destroy our underground facilities any more. We’ll do what you want.” OVER ONE HUNDRED GIANT SPHERES ARRIVED BEGINNING IN 2012 Then in 2012, you get what ends up becoming approximately 100 gigantic spheres coming into our solar system. When I say ‘gigantic’, I mean that they had three sizes. One of them is around the size of the moon, like the ones from 1999 to 2001 that came in. Then you’ve got another size that’s around (the size) of Neptune. Then you’ve got another one that’s around the size of Jupiter. It turns out that there are a lot more than 100 of them. We could only see 100 with our ability to detect cloaked spheres. There are a lot more than that. SOLAR SYSTEM TRANSITIONING INTO A ZONE OF SUPER STRONG COSMIC ENERGY And why are they here? Everybody in the Space Program on the inside knows this [next data point]. Our solar system is transitioning into a zone of heightened energetic strength in the galaxy. It’s like going into a cosmic storm. If you take a pan and you put it on your stovetop and you don’t put any heat under it, and you drop a drop of water in the middle of the pan, what’s it going to do? DW:It’s just going to sit there. Actually, eventually it will evaporate, but it’s just going to sit there. If you get that pan nice and red hot and you drop that same drop of water in it, what’s going to happen? It’s going to go zig-zig-zig-zig-zig, and zig all over the inside of that pan. A COMPLETE UPGRADE OF THE GROUND STATE OF MATTER, ENERGY AND BIOLOGICAL LIFE DW:Imagine now that the same thing happens to matter, AND to consciousness, AND to the actual signature of biological life that is our DNA. It’s a DNA-activating, consciousness-activating, matter-energy-space-time portal-activating energy force. Ultimately what appears to be coming our way is some sort of decisive shift in the way that matter and energy and consciousness itself functions. It is literally a quantum leap in what it means to be human. Our universe is designed this way. ALL ANCIENT RELIGIOUS PROPHECIES SPEAK OF THIS We have to fight through this incredible time of darkness and tribulation. That’s how they call it in the Bible, but there’s many other prophecies that talk about this. Take your pick. Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Native American, Celtic, Druidic, you name it. It’s all there. We go through this time of extreme suffering where people have fallen from spiritual teachings more than ever before. There’s greater amounts of violence, greater amounts of illicit behaviors, selfishness, jealousy, rage, a great amount of depression and sadness. STORED POTENTIAL ENERGY TURNS INTO RELEASED KINETIC ENERGY That all is part of what you could think of as like kinetic energy. [DW: Here I meant to say “potential” energy, which stores up. Kinetic energy is what happens when the potential is released.] It is as if you are pushing a spring down. Okay? But you can only push the spring down so far. Then what happens when you let go of the pressure? DW:You’ve got a spring-loaded action. DW:That’s what’s happening and the compression of the spring . . . SEEDING ”THE ILLUMINATI” INTO THE PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS I mean, Jimmy. I was out there trying to see any discussion whatsoever of the Illuminati online. I’m talking now back roughly 2003, 2004. It didn’t exist. You didn’t ever see the word. I went and I contacted some of the big names of the time. This included Henry Makow and Greg Szymanski, who was doing a radio show. Henry Makow was a popular guest on these radio shows. I farmed them information about the Illuminati through this whistleblower called Svali, who originally had come out in 2000. I’d been following her work. So I had a lot to do with reintroducing that when it had kind of all died out. Nobody was reading Robert Anton Wilson or any of that old stuff any more. OUR INCREASE OF KNOWLEDGE IS AN ENERGETICALLY-DRIVEN FUNCTION So what’s happened is now it’s common knowledge. You’ve got the Snowden disclosures. People are waking up. What we don’t realize is that the awakening is an energetically driven function. The energy is cranking up. [This affects] our apparent free will decisions of how we live our lives and what we choose to learn about. Are we listening to Fade to Black, and are we reading these books, and are we going to these conferences? We think that this is something like, “Oh, I just stumbled over it on the Internet.” It’s actually part of an energetically-driven process. SYNCHRONICITY IS INTELLIGENTLY DIRECTED Supremely high-level intelligence uses synchronicity to direct us to the sources of information that feed us this awakening. We are all going through this at our own speed, through our own free will. [This way,] we can veto it and take it in digestible chunks at the speed we want to learn. We’re learning what’s really going on here. And it is ultimately a very, very highly positive thing. When we go through this shift, if you have done your homework, [you will be fine.] OVER 160,000 DOCUMENTED CASES OF ASCENSION ARE ALREADY ON RECORD If you have followed the great spiritual teachings that these 35 ancient cultures were all trying to teach us about being a good person, being a loving person – service to others, forgiveness, compassion…. [Then,] you’re right back in to the realm of what happens to these 160,000 people in Tibet where they practiced these spiritual teachings. They don’t die. They transform into a light being. This is the next stage of what human evolution is built to do. We’re built to go in to this super-hero-type of character. It was all laid out for us in the story of Jesus and the resurrection. That is only one of many examples. You have it in other cultures as well. We just happen to have a celebrity worship thing where people get all hung up on Jesus having done it. They don’t realize that many others have accomplished this as well. THE TIBETANS WERE FOLLOWING THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST That does piss some people off. I understand that. But look. You’ve got these Tibetans who are following exactly what the teachings of Christ are. Their focus is to have every single thought to be a loving thought. And if they can attain that level of self-perfection, then they graduate into this higher level of humanity. What appears to be happening is that the people who are ready for it [will Ascend] when this spring springs. When this energetic springboard takes off, you’ll be able to levitate. You’ll be able to have telekinesis. You’ll have telepathic contact with other people – all the Jesus miracles. Pretty quickly if you start trying, you’ll discover that you’ll be able to do this. A BIFURCATION IN TIMELINES BETWEEN POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE POLARITIES(117:15) This event is also built where there is a bifurcation. That means there are a lot of people who have generated very seriously bad karma for themselves. If you’re sufficiently on that side of the coin, then the way the universe is built is that timelines bifurcate. The people who need that karma go through an Armageddon apocalypse. JC:They go into a dimension of darkness. DW:Well, the earth is basically destroyed. Yes. They experience a pole shift. They experience super-volcanoes which bury everything in about 30 to 100 feet of rocks. DW:And you just die with rocks falling on your head, basically. [DW: Some would experience this. Others would die of a mega-tsunami or massive earthquake damage.] TIME FOR A BREAK JC:That’s a good spot to take a break. Let’s take a break. We’re at the top of the hour. When I come back after the break, David, I’m going to share with you the first time I heard the word ‘Illuminati’. It’s fascinating. I want your comment. This is Fade to Black. Tonight David Wilcock. Bespoke radio for the masses. I’m your host Jimmy Church. INCREASE IN ET CONTACT AND EFFORTS BY CABAL TO CORRUPT STARSEEDS JC:Hey, David. I got a couple of emails during the break. One of them is from Renee. She says, “There appear to be an increasing number of people all around the planet who are channeling ETs. “Do you believe that this is a concerted effort on the part of various ET races to prepare us for their open interaction with humans in the very near future?” DW:Yes. I’ll step in dog doo again and get myself in trouble with the Cabal. And we’ll see if they leave us on the air for me saying this. One of the things that the Cabal apparently believes is that people who are the starseeds, who are getting this ET contact, are going to develop ascended powers before everybody else does. And so they are making a very strong effort now to try to find the people who are getting this ET contact and to corrupt them through their own free will. [This would be done through techniques] such as getting them to think in a more negative mindset, getting them to give messages of doom and fear, getting them to potentially be bought or bribed, that kind of stuff. IF EVEN ONE PERSON ASCENDS IN MODERN TIMES, THE NEGATIVE IS FINISHED JC:Back in February, you were on Coast to Coast, and you said that, and I’m quoting here, “If there is even one person who has ascended, he’s going to be able to drive away all of these bad guys. And they see it coming.” It’s only about a year and a half away for them. They know it’s going to be . . . They know it’s going to hit and there’s nothing they can do about it. And you were saying that there was going to be a small number of people who will have super-human abilities. GUESSTIMATE ON THE DATE OF ASCENSION Well, a year and a half is August 2016. DW:That is a date that is sort of the best guesstimate based on a variety of different factors, none of which totally resolve. It could be anywhere between the end of summer 2016 through 2017 to 2018. So, again, it’s not like you can just pinpoint a window. What you have to do is look at is the current of events that are taking place on earth and how fast are people awakening. This is very important. This quantum leap is not some event that takes place at a pre-described time. It is an event in which the human consciousness, reaching a critical minimum stage of awakening, releases the pressure on the spring. That’s the key. When do we grow up enough that it’s time for the quantum leap? So there’s a window in which this can happen. ”WHAT YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN IN 2012 IS ACTUALLY COMING IN 2017” I was told [about this] all the way back in 2009 by this high-level insider, very high-level insider, who I call Jacob. He told me that the event I thought was going to happen at the end of the Mayan calendar in 2012 was actually going to happen in 2017. I hid that data because, unfortunately, part of what happens is that if I say something publicly, many people who are allegedly channeling will very quickly co-opt my information. They trust my sources and they want to be on the right track. And so it then very quickly reaches a point where you can’t tell the difference, or it becomes harder to tell the difference between who’s real and who’s just parroting your information. I sailed right through 2012 and never said anything about 2017. I figured, “Hey, maybe it’s going to happen in 2012 after all.” There was a lot of good [scientific] evidence to point to that [which I extensively detailed in “The Source Field Investigations.”] 2012 came and went, but since that time, man, it is ramping up. You don’t have to be that ignorant. You don’t have to be that intelligent either. It is smack-in-your-face obvious that we are building up to something very, very huge here. OUR ABILITIES AFTER ASCENSION(126:20) JC:What were some of the abilities that you were referring to? DW:Well, if you go back to the Hindu scriptures, they talk about the eight talents of Krishna. [DW: Look up the ”eight superhuman faculties” of Kalki.] You know there are different Messianic stories from religious traditions. We’re talking about really incredible magic powers here. We’re talking about stuff that you would see in some of the best sci-fi and fantasy movies. So we’re talking about one person being able to instantaneously transform a landscape. We’re talking about stuff even at that level of significance. Somebody who would have the power to be able to levitate multiple automobiles at once and throw them in a direction, for example. MOVIES LIKE ”THE LAST AIRBENDER” WILL NOT BE FICTIONAL ANY LONGER Somebody who would be able to create any of the elements, like inThe Last Airbender. I know people said, “Oh, it was a terrible movie,” but it was interesting to see all of the abilities these folks had. Some people can throw water. Some people can throw fire, air, earth, et cetera. I don’t think that necessarily all of us get this kind of large-scale super-duper telekinesis right away. But it is true that if you go back to Tibet, there’s all kinds of reports of these yogis flying around like flocks of birds in the air. They would push their hand or foot into a stone. They could liquefy the stone and leave a very nice footprint or handprint behind. There’s lots of examples of that on my show, Wisdom Teachings. You can go check that out –WisdomTeachings.com. I have a whole 8 episode mini-series just on the Tibetan Rainbow Body, where I show all these pictures of the handprints, the footprints. I give all of the teachings of how they got to this Rainbow Body. And, again, basically, you have to meditate all of the time. You have to have every thought be a loving thought. That does not mean you have to be that good as a meditator. It’s like the Olympics of spirituality to go that far. What it says in the Law of One, which is where I believe the truth can be found, is all you have to be is slightly more than 50% good – Service to Others. [This means being a] positive, loving, forgiving type of person. You can still be 49% selfish, manipulative, jealous, conniving and controlling and you’re still good to go for this ascension. So it’s not something that only the elite are going to go through. It’s not like if you occasionally have marshmallows or a cigarette that you’re not going to ascend. [Nor is it that if] you get drunk once in a while or you do drugs, you’re not going to ascend. It’s not like that. What really counts is character: how you treat people and what kind of thoughts are going through your mind. WHAT ABOUT OUR PETS? JC:This takes us back to Allison’s question at the beginning of the show. What happens to the little ones – the cats and the dogs and the horses? DW:This is something very interesting that I learned through one of the new insiders. If you have human beings and you portal a human being forward in time, we have something called a zero-time reference. THE ZERO-TIME REFERENCE The energetic body is anchored to the moment of conception. If you move that physical body forward in time, it will automatically progress or regress to the appropriate age that it would be at that time in history. So if you’re going to move a human in time, you actually have to change this zero-time reference – to shift it. This requires advanced extraterrestrial technology. You can’t just do it. So for example, [let’s say] you go through a natural stargate. There’s a variety of vortex points on earth where that will happen in the right planetary alignments at the right time of the year. [In such a case,] you can end up portaled 300 years into the future. What will happen is very quickly you’ll become a feeble old man or woman and you’ll die – unless you have the right ZTR (zero-time reference) [shifting] capability. Now, the funny part is, and I only learned this recently, animals do not have a ZTR. You can portal animals forward in time and they’ll live out their lives just fine. DINOSAURS PORTALING INTO OUR TIME AND SPACE So, for example, the Loch Ness Monster was a plesiosaurus. There have been multiple cases of lake monsters and pterodactyls that have flown in or swum in to a portal, and portaled into our time. What we are calling the Cabal or Illuminati, the military-industrial-complex, would [pick them up with] an advanced craft that we would think of as a UFO. I [was told that at] some time in the early 1970s they picked up Nessie. They took Nessie out of Loch Ness. They’ve picked up a bunch of these monsters that come through – dinosaurs that portal through. And they’ve stored them in various facilities. BENEVOLENT ETs TO PORTAL LIFE ON EARTH TO A SAFE TIME So what’s happening now is that in reference to your question, we have a situation where benevolent extraterrestrials will portal the life on earth forward in time to when it is safe again. So nothing dies an unfortunate death. It’s not like some big global catastrophe. That’s a common misperception. It only happens to the people who have invited that type of balancing karma. If you stay on earth and you go through the shift, even if you’re not really a very nice person, you’re [fine.] Only the most evil, negative people are ever going to see this negative timeline. It’s possible that the positive people for a while won’t even realize that this thing has happened. APOCALYPTIC WORLD FOR NEGATIVE PEOPLE Only the most negative people are actually going to see this type of disaster. They [the Cabal] have seen within their time viewing technologies that this is coming. Look at a movie like Interstellar. There are all kinds of movies that [lay out this prophecy.] The newMad Maxmovie that’s out right now [Mad Max: Fury Road] [is another example.] [There are] so many films describing this post-apocalyptic world because they see that it’s coming for them, but not for everybody else. WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO GO THROUGH THE EVENT BUT ARE NOT READY TO ASCEND?(132:00) So if you are not one of those types of people, you will go through this event. If you’re not actually going to ascend, then probably what will happen is that you live out your normal life. You’ll die normally. And then when you next reincarnate, you’ll just reincarnate on a different planet. CHINA’S PSYCHIC STAR CHILDREN JC:Is this why the Chinese government is trying to crush Tibet? DW:Well, I don’t know if you could boil it down to something that simple. I do think that there are elements of the Chinese government that are controlled by the Cabal. And I think the regional tension with Tibet is multi-generational. But, yeah, the Chinese government did go around [looking for people with advanced abilities.] There’s a really great book calledChina’s Super Psychicsby Paul Dong. Interestingly enough, when you have people that grow up in extreme poverty, in many cases that hardship makes you more apt to develop these types of ascended abilities. So there are these kids in China [with ascended-type abilities already]… and this was documented. HIGH-LEVEL OIL EXECUTIVES WITNESSED FEATS OF CONSCIOUSNESS THAT SEEMED LIKE MIRACLES In fact, US oil executives went to China and witnessed [these types of phenomena.] One of the most stunning ones is a little girl who can wave her hands in front of a whole room full of people holding flowers that haven’t bloomed yet. She time-accelerates the blossoms, and the flower literally opens up right in front of your eyes as you are holding it in your hand. JC:I remember that. DW:Yeah. And there’s kids that can teleport pills out of bottles that are sealed. The seal is still good, but the pills end up outside the bottle. JC:I do that now. But that’s a whole other show. DW:Ha, ha, ha. That’s the late show. UM…. MOVING ON…. JC:Hey, man. Have you picked out your wardrobe for this weekend? I’ve got to get you aFade to Blackshirt. You’ve got to wear it. DW:Ha, ha, ha. Shameless plug from this guy! JC:Oh, no, no, no. I’m just saying . . . I’m just saying that you’ve got to wear aFade to Blackshirt atContact in the Desert. Have your girl call my girl. We’ll get that all set up. ”THE ILLUMINATI ARE RULING THE WORLD” Oh, I meant to tell you before the break. Check this out. You’re going to love this and I want your comments. Back in the early 70s, I suppose . . . Let’s just say I’m 10 years old – 10, 11, right around in that area, 72, 73, I’m like 10 or 11 years old. I’m listening to shows like this on my little AM radio on my nightstand. I would dial in these crazy late-night guys. I would get no sleep, and I would go to school in the morning, you know, transformed. So anyway, late night, you know it’s 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning in the middle of the week. I’m listening to this late-night AM radio guy and he says this. This is what he says. He goes, “Okay, man. You don’t know this, but the Illuminati are running the world.” DW:Ha, ha, ha! HE WROTE IT DOWN AND ASKED EVERYONE HE KNEW JC:You know, this is like 1972, 73. And I guarantee you my eyes popped open. You know my room is dark. The Illuminati? So I roll over and I write it down. I write down ‘The Illuminati.’ I don’t know if I spelled it right, but I wrote it down. He said, “They go back to the cave man days. They were the strongest tribes back then. Ever since back with the Neanderthals. “They were the strongest tribe. They ran governments. They ran Egypt and they ran Greece and they ran Rome and the United Kingdom and China. “You know throughout history the Illuminati has been the strongest tribe. And today they are running the world. It’s a secret government.” And so I wake up in the morning, and I’ve had nightmares now. I wake up and I go to my parents. “You ever heard of the Illuminati?” ‘Nope.’ NOT EVEN MR. MC WILLIAMS KNEW ABOUT THE ILLUMINATI I go to school. I go to my 6thgrade teacher, whatever his name was. It’s escaping me now. I go to him. . . Mr. McWilliams. “Have you ever heard of the Illuminati?” “No, never heard of them.” JC:And it was crazy to me that I got this secret information from AM radio overnight that I never forgot to this day. I never forgot his description, the way that he laid it out there. That was in the early 1970s. I went around and quizzed everybody throughout life after that. I couldn’t get information out of anybody. Nobody had heard of it, which to me confirmed what he was trying to say that night back in 1973. FIRST BATCH OF ”DELETED” AUDIO: POP MUSIC PROPAGANDA (137:30 to 137:47 missing audio) DW:They have gotten so audacious and daring now. And particularly the amount to which they are jamming out propaganda through pop music now is unbelievable. End Restored Audio MADONNA WRITES A SONG OPENLY ENDORSING THE ”ILLUMINATI” DW:My last article, Secret Space Program: Countdown to Exposure, is on my website divinecosmos.com. I encourage everybody to go read that. Madonna has come out and openly admitted“If there is something called the Illuminati, I want to be in it. “And I know who the Illuminati is. The Illuminati are the good guys. And they are all the smartest people throughout history.” JC:Why would she, David, why would she come out when you have everything on the Internet and different fringe shows and websites and so forth that have been talking about this? [It is] not only Madonna, but you know JayZ, Beyonce, what have you, you know, pick a star – Lady Gaga. The finger’s [been] pointed at Madonna like that for so long. Then she turns around and comes out with a song called Illuminati. Why would she do that? DW:Yeah. And she sings, “The ‘all seeing eye’ is watching tonight. That’s what it is, the Truth and the Light.” Unbelievable! THE PEOPLE IN POP MUSIC ARE BEING GREATLY ABUSED AND WE SHOULD HELP FIGHT FOR THEIR FREEDOM JC:Yeah. Why would she do that? Was she told to do it? That’s the only thing I can think of. DW:Yeah. These folks in pop music, they don’t rank very high in the Order. They’re not running the thing. That is why I also pulled Kanye West’s quote where he got all excited about Madonna’s song, ‘Illuminati’. “Yes, yes!” He was jumping up and down on the soundboard. He got so excited about it. And he’s now come out and said, “People think we’re running the world. We’re just hired talent. “They just tell us what to do. And if we don’t go along with it, we don’t have a job.” So you’ve got to realize that the pop music big people are just playing along to a script. You have the artist Kesha who came out and actually had this song called ‘Die Young’ – right before the Sandy Hook school shootings. She’s basically saying, “Let’s just party and die young.” Then in the video she’s dancing in front of an illuminated pentagram. And then she comes out and says that she was raped by this guy that she was working with. She was forced to sing those lyrics and she didn’t want to. THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT SHAPESHIFTERS JC:I think she’s a reptilian anyway. JC:Oh, you laugh. Ha, ha, ha. DW:Look. The shapeshifting reptilians thing is a meme that David Icke introduced – and he since has altered it. He’s said he thinks these people have a spiritual reptilian influence, but are not physically shapeshifting. I don’t believe that there is any such thing as shapeshifting biological material. It just doesn’t work that way. We all have the same basic laws. I really encourage folks to try not to go on a witch hunt here. Madonna is basically doing what she has been told. THE POP STARS ARE BEING HORRIBLY ABUSED IN WAYS WE CANNOT EVEN IMAGINE People like Madonna, JayZ, Beyonce, Nikki Minaj, name ‘em, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry. These people are tortured by the Illuminati so fiercely. Many of them would do anything to get out if they could. They have been electrocuted. They have been raped. They have had to watch violence and death be done in front of them in satanic rituals. It’s horrible. We should not be hating these people. We should be trying to help these people get free. Most of the people who are stuck in this horrible cult do not want to be in it. They would do anything to get out. So let’s not go blaming them. THE HIDDEN CULT OF HOLLYWOOD JC:Well, are they in the cult? And look. Since I arrived in Hollywood in 1983, I’ve heard rumors about this. It’s like ‘urban legend’ in Hollywood. You hear about it everywhere you go in the music business and the movie business. And for those people that are not in Hollywood, that are listening now from another part of the country and are rolling their eyes and going, ‘Oh, come on….’ No. You know what? Live here. Move here and certainly become part of the industry in some way. It doesn’t matter on what level. JC:You’re going to hear these rumors. And this is nothing that David or myself have made up. This is a sub-culture that you kind of learn to accept because you hear it nearly daily. Whether it’s somebody like Corey Haim, God rest his soul. He was great. But you hear about these stories all the time. PEDOPHILE HOLLYWOOD DIRECTORS What was the director that . . . Oh, what’s his name? DW:Bryan Singer? [Who was accused of pedophilia by a boy who worked on one of his projects.] JC:Yeah, Bryan Singer and his family. He’s one of the most . . . Now look, I want to back up and use the word ‘allegedly’. JC:Ha, ha. Let’s just use the word ‘allegedly’. But you hear about guys like him and other directors and producers and influential people throughout the industry. This is stuff that happens on a daily basis out here in Hollywood and it’s crazy. I know it sounds nutty . . . DW:It is horrible. JC:Yeah. You hear about it every single day. There are . . . You know, you hear about…. SECOND DELETED SECTION: TOP CABAL PEOPLE ARE GUILTY AND WILL BE DEFIANT UNTIL THE END (142:55 to 143:30 – missing audio) JC:This thing with Bill Cosby. That’s just the public version of things. JC:What has been going on in this subculture, these rumors, I’ve heard about it since the day I set foot in Hollywood. DW:Well, let’s be clear about one other thing. There are some people who have really plotted for the deaths of millions and millions of people. And those people will be defiant to the end. In fact, they have an inner saying they use. [They say] that they will be defiant until the “quick drop and the sudden stop.” And that’s hanging. The quick drop is… End Restored Audio THE DEFIANCE OF THE CABAL DW: . . . when the ground falls out from under you with a noose on your neck. And the sudden stop is when your neck breaks. So they will be laughing. They will be saying “f- you” and “You’re a bunch of useless eaters” right up to the moment… THIRD DELETED SECTION OF THE ORIGINAL: DIABOLICAL LAUGHTER (143:44 to 144:10 – missing audio) …where the noose is around their neck. They will be cackling with diabolical laughter. (Laughs) That’s how they think. JC:We’re going to be, again, about 2 minutes up against our last break. And then I’m going to ask you, please indulge me and hang out for another 15 minutes. DW:Sure, no problem. JC:And maybe we’ll take a couple of phone calls. I want to throw this out at you. End Restored Audio HOW DID YOU MEET COREY GOODE? JC:. . . and his story and his involvement with you. It is all over the Internet. There’s been a lot of leaks. There’s been a lot of disinfo on both sides of the fence. So I want to talk about Corey when we come back. How did you meet Corey? And how far along are you with your research? I know that you’re going to be doing some additional disclosure. If it’s okay – I don’t know if I’m throwing you under the bus. You guys have shot some video. Are you going to present some of that stuff too? DW:Not at Contact in the Desert. It probably won’t be ready by then, but it’s going to be ready soon afterwards. JC:How did you meet Corey? INSIDER DATA ABOUT A FLYING BLACK TRIANGLE THAT WAS MALFUNCTIONING DW:He emailed me beginning in 2009 and shared some insider data with me. He saw a malfunctioning flying black triangle that was actually like a blimp held on a tether. It hadn’t quite inflated properly. It was a thing like a gigantic triangular blimp. He shared this story with me in confidence, and I said, “Wow, that’s amazing.” We talked off and on. I knew he was a supporter of my work and he’d write me from time to time. JC:When did he see this? DW:He wrote me about this in 2009. I think the event happened in the 1990s. A VERY STRANGE SIGHTING IN THE DESERT JC:Check this out. In the last couple of weeks, I was with somebody that told me this story. And this is somebody I trust like a brother, like a family member. Okay, without going any further. He said that he witnessed up in northern California in 2009 a craft that was being towed across the valley in northern-northern California, in the remote part of northern California, where there is nothing. And he said that it was being pulled at, and it looked like a dragon on the end of a long cable. It was moving like a snake. And the craft at the end was a ball with a long tubular structure with long tubes on the end. He drew it for me, by the way. It was being escorted by a couple of aircraft and helicopters across this large mountain range, where there are no airports. There is no civilization. There are no towns. There is nothing. And there were a few witnesses that saw this. But it was being towed. A TEST OF AN END-TIMES SIMULATION TECHNOLOGY DW:That’s probably a test of one of the types of technologies that they have. They were going to use [these technologies] to try to fake either an alien invasion or a biblical apocalypse. [It would be something like the] rapture, [or] demons in the sky. That kind of thing. JC:He said the ball in the front of the craft that was being towed . . . By the way, it was like . . . It was hundreds of yards long. This wasn’t some small craft. DW:Yes. It’s huge. JC:It’s huge. And he said the ball in the front had a windshield. He said it was so close to them that if there had been somebody standing in windows, he would have been able to see them. JC:But there wasn’t anybody at the front of the craft. He said he didn’t know if it was damaged or it was being tested, but it didn’t have wings. It was metallic. And it was interesting. IT LOOKED LIKE ”BUCK ROGERS” And the drawing that he drew, which I have with me now, it’ll blow your mind. It looks . . . It is Buck Rogers, man. It’s notBattlestar Galactica, Star Wars, no. This is like backwards looking. It’s more Buck Rogers-ish. Let’s take a quick break. When we come back, I want to talk more about Corey and take some phone calls. Let’s do it. This is Fade to Black. Tonight David Wilcock. Always great stuff when David is on with us. This is the Bespoke Radio for the Masses. I’m your host Jimmy Church. WHO’S PROTECTING DAVID WILCOCK? Let’s go straight to the phones. Hi, you’re live on Fade to Black. Say ‘Hi’ to David Wilcock. Who’s calling? Caller:This is Walt. JC:Hey, Walt. How are you man? Are we going to see you in a couple of days? Walt:Oh, no. I got a private invitation, but no. I just don’t have time. But listen. I want to thank you Jim. David, I got your book. I read it. Wow! What a guest tonight and what an interview. DW:Well, thank you. Walt:David, you know so much. And you talk to so many people that are in the know. A lot of them, I guess, keep themselves private to the general public. But for some reason they talk to you. And you’ve been protected, I guess, because you’re a hot item with the people that don’t want you to talk. ARE PEOPLE FROM THE FUTURE PROTECTING YOU? I think I know who’s protecting you. You’re not going to believe this. My guess, okay? Walt:I think it is relatives from your future. I think they’re coming back and they’re going to keep an eye on you and keep you safe. DW:I would actually agree with you. I think that’s exactly correct. So wherever you got that from, a high-five, buddy. You’re right. JC:Okay, thank you for the call, Walt. JC:Thank you. Well, yeah. Wow! I . . . DW:Let me just add one little thing here. These people don’t come to me as much as . . . are we still on? JC:Oh, yeah, we’re live. DW:I’m waiting for it at this point. I’m thinking, “If we get through this, it’s going to be amazing.” I sought these people out. [They didn’t just come to me.] I DO NOT CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE A SMART PERSON I also just want to say something. People say to me, “David, you know so much. You have all this information. You’re so intelligent.” Blah, blah, blah. I don’t think of myself as a smart person. To me, everything I talk about is very basic and very obvious. You know, I’ve been through the wringer. I’ve done the homework. I would not say the things I say unless I absolutely believed with every fiber of my being that I’m telling you the truth. As crazy as some of this stuff sounds, I have gone through and I have vetted it out. I’ve done the scientific research. And I have worked very hard to find these insiders. They don’t just come to me. I have to go seek them out. That’s a big difference from what he was saying. That’s the only thing I wanted to add. IS SCIENTOLOGY PART OF THE CABAL? JC:I’m going to . . . I don’t really want a comment from you on this, because it’s getting into dangerous territory and you’ll understand why after you hear what I have. Cortana says, “Is Scientology all part of this cult of Hollywood’s loosh junkies?” And I’m going to say this. Although Scientology scares the crap out of me, and there’s a lot to be said about it, I’d rather just research and not comment. You know what? They’re too vicious and I don’t want them coming after me, coming after you. They have long tentacles and deep pockets, too, as well. DAVID’S ORTHODONTIST WAS A SCIENTOLOGIST DW:(Laughs) Well, I had a orthodontist in Louisville, Kentucky who was a Scientologist. We got talking about the Illuminati. He definitely knew about it, but in his mind, they were the enemy. TOM CRUISE HAS AT LEAST TWO MOVIES BLASTING THE CABAL And Tom Cruise obviously is known as a Scientologist. And yet, if you look at either of his two most recent movies, which would be theLive, Die, Repeat…. I forget what the rest of it was actually called. [Edge of Tomorrow.] That’s what they ended up using as the main thing on the title. The other one wasOblivion. Holy smokes! I’ve done articles just on those movies. It does appear that at the top levels of Scientology there is some penetration from the Illuminati – but that group, per se, is not an Illuminati group. LET’S LEAVE IT RIGHT THERE…. JC:Interesting. I . . . You know what, I . . . and let it lie right there. I have no issues with Scientology. Ha, ha, ha, ha. JC:None. None. I find it very fascinating, though. I’ll say this. L. Ron Hubbard with all that money, David, all that money, and he never got his teeth fixed. I just don’t get that. I don’t get that. I mean why not get your teeth cleaned? I guess there’s no dentist in Scientology. Well, you just said you had an orthodontist. JC:All right. Moving on. This question just came in. Scientology, we kid. No, we don’t, but we do. WHY AREN’T ALIENS TAKING PEOPLE ONBOARD THEIR CRAFT NOW? “When you started the interview, David stated that the aliens are no longer taking people on board their ships. Please ask why. “Also, has he ever heard of real robots working with the aliens?” Interesting question. And I think he’s referring to robots like Robbie the Robot. DW:Yes, I get it. Okay, so, question number one I already did explain. We’ll probably have this transcribed because I’ve leaked a lot of new stuff. So we’ll get this typed up. I’ve also got to post a transcript of the one I did with George. I’ve been so busy with this video, I haven’t had time to actually post these things. IN-PERSON CONTACTS WERE DISCONTINUED DUE TO THE PROBLEMS IT CAUSED The reason why, as I said, people were not being contacted and actually brought on board the ships [after the early 1960s by the benevolent ETs] was because of two things. Number one, they were being worshipped by fans and followers as if they were different and more special than everyone else. And number two, they started doing things like womanizing, developing egos and doing illicit financial things – [such as] profiting too much off of their services. That kind of stuff. So the ETs are very strict about all this stuff – the good guys at least. They are very strict on that you have to live your life as an ethical person. The way the Illuminati would be able to take down somebody like me is if I actually had a breach in ethics. DAVID TRIES TO DO THE BEST HE CAN Now, people make up stuff about me online all the time. I’m not saying that the average person has to try to live as perfect of a life as I do, in terms of the amount of diet perfection that I try to go for. [Nor is it necessary to do] the jogging, the exercise, [or] the complete lack of any intoxicating substances or drugs whatsoever. I’ve been sober ever since September 21, 1992, and I intend to stay that way. I’m not saying you have to be sober to ascend. If you want to do what I’m doing and not get whacked, you absolutely have to be an Olympic athlete. You’ve got to be in it 100%. JC:Yeah, not only that, David. You’ve got to . . . If anything did happen to you, you’d become a martyr. Let’s knock on wood here. But then that just means everything that you said, now people have to sit up and listen to it. DW:You can pull Obi-Wan’s quote right out of Star Wars: “If you kill me, I’ll become more powerful than you can imagine.” (Laughs) Yeah, exactly. They don’t want that. JC:No, it’s exactly right. There’s . . . THERE IS A GREAT WEALTH OF RECORDED MATERIAL NOW AVAILABLE DW:See, because then . . . I’ve got about 130 episodes I’ve done with Gaiam TV now – onWisdomTeachings.com, as I said. People can go watch that for US$9.95 a month. You get this little Roku stick and you can watch it on your TV. There’s [the] Amazon Fire [stick]. There’s Google Play. Cable is obsolete now. And you can watch whatever you want. They do not want to make me into a martyr, because I’ve been able to release so much of the material that I want to tell the world [on my shows.] It’s [all] going to become far more significant if something happened to me. I know they’ve tried other [ideas.] There are various plans of how they could try to take me down. PLANS TO COOK UP A FAKE AUDIO TRACK One of the plans I’ve heard is they’ve actually cooked up apparently some very fake audio of me, where it appears that I’m saying very disparaging things. So if that ever happens, if people apparently have leaked information where I’m saying something on the phone and it sounds like I’m a Luciferian, or that I’m very disparaging, or I’m saying racist things, or whatever, it’s not true. I really do appreciate all types of people. I have not womanized. I’ve had just five girlfriends in my life. I am not a homosexual. Take your pick. I know they’re going to try a lot of stuff, apparently, as this all goes big. [DW: I am not attacking homosexuals here. I have been told that accusing me of homosexuality is simply another way to try to stigmatize and slander my work.] DISCLOSURE COMING SOON We are going to get Disclosure pretty soon. And that’s the next stage of this. We’re facing [a situation] now [where] Greece is going to default on June 6th. When they do, it very likely could take the euro down. And then when the euro goes down, the dollar’s going to go down. [DW: The payment was not made. Only an IOU that they may pay it later on, even though they have no money. Insiders have told us that this whole sequence of events is being delayed until early autumn.] THE US IS ALREADY BANKRUPT — IT JUST HASN’T BEEN ANNOUNCED YET The US is already functionally bankrupt. They haven’t announced this to the public yet. There are already laws on the books right now that say, “Your money in the bank already belongs to the federal government.” They can use it as needed to bail themselves out. They did the same thing in 1934 when they recalled everybody’s gold in the midst of the Great Depression. JC:Yeah, I’m a firm believer in one thing – a safe in your house. JC:Your grandparents had it right when they were putting everything underneath their mattress. JC:I have no issue with that at all. BAIL-INS COULD BE THE FINAL TRIGGER FOR MASS ARRESTS AND DISCLOSURE DW:Let me just finish that thought really quickly by saying that they apparently are going to try to do these bail-ins. They are expecting that the public is going to get really angry. This is probably going to be the trigger that will lead to this mass arrest scenario I’ve been talking about. When that happens, it’s going to be one of the biggest shocks and surprises. I know there are a lot of people that are pissed off, because I’ve been talking about this since probably 2011. It hasn’t happened yet, but the more I’ve learned, I can tell you that absolutely it is real. THERE IS AN EARTH ALLIANCE AND A SPACE PROGRAM ALLIANCE The Alliance is far more complex than I realized. This includes the fact that there is one type of Alliance that’s here on earth and they have goals. Then there’s another Alliance that’s actually working in the Space Program. Many of the things that the Alliance on earth is trying to do are ultimately going to be relatively obsolete, or only short-term transitional stages. Once the Space Program’s stuff comes into view, we’re going to have technologies that are so far beyond what we have right now. That alone is going to be the biggest quantum leap in society that we have ever had in recorded history. JADE HELM AND U.S. BANKRUPTCY JC:What do you think about Jade Helm? Is that part of what’s going on? DW:What I heard from Pete Peterson, who I trust, and his sources I trust, is that it is largely not true. They have been using that to try to inspire preppers to get more prepared, because they are expecting the U.S. to announce that it’s bankrupt. Congress is not going to approve any more debt ceiling raising. The rest of the world is not going to tolerate it any more. There is all kinds of weird stuff going on. Apparently, since January of this year, Saudi Arabia is not accepting dollars as payment for oil. They are only accepting gold. That has not been publicly reported. That’s one thing that could get me in a lot of trouble for saying, but it is apparently true. BITCOINS CREATED BY NSA GOOD GUYS And we’re in trouble. The U.S. government is bankrupt. As I said in my show that I did in San Mateo, California, the New Living Expo, the NSA good guys [made Bitcoin.] There are good guys in every intelligence agency. [The NSA good guys] did make Bitcoin to have a backup so that if the Federal Reserve tries to crash the dollar, we can reboot our currency off of Bitcoins. And Bitcoins cannot be tampered with. They cannot be hacked. Goldman recently bought a bunch of Bitcoins. They see the writing on the wall. JC:Yeah, yeah, yeah. I found that really interesting. Let’s back up. I have a couple of questions. Now we’re about out of time, so I’ve got to get these in. With your knowledge of DNA manipulation, do you think that all of the critical leaps of knowledge throughout history [were programmed?] I’m referring to mathematics, the chaffing of wheat, the wheel, fire. Were all of these predestined and preprogrammed in our DNA? [Do you think] that knowledge was set to happen on a set date? DW:I think we worship DNA too much. DNA is sort of like the antenna. Then the question is, who is actually making the broadcast? DW:Walt was giving me compliments about the last book I wrote,Synchronicity Key. I think that’s what he was talking about. In the whole second half of that book, I talk about how history is cyclical. The same things keep happening. So it does appear that we are on an intelligently-designed timeline. WE ARE ON AN INTELLIGENTLY-DESIGNED TIMELINE Synchronicity and forces of dreams and visions [drive us along,] and spontaneous inventors come up with things seemingly on their own. There are cases in history where all over the world, simultaneously or almost simultaneously, the same technologies are developed. You mentioned the mill for wheat as one example. It does appear that we are on a very precisely manicured timeline. [It] is steered to make sure that we all go through this collective initiation. We [needed to] have a suitable type of technology to mimic the telepathy that we’re going to have when we go through this quantum leap. Of course, I’m talking about the Internet, where everybody is now connected to everybody with this little gizmo that they carry around in their pocket. That is sort of like the training wheels to get us ready for this telepathic new reality we’re going to be in. This new reality is also not going to have money. And we’re already seeing everything going in that direction. INTERNET RESULTING IN THE INABILITY TO MONETIZE CREATIVE PRODUCTS All these institutions that used to make money are collapsing. Everybody is downloading their music. Everybody is stealing movies. It’s so hard now to monetize any creative work, because piracy is so widespread. Nobody thinks it’s a bad thing any more. This is bad for the artists – guys you and me who are out there trying to play guitar. JC:Right, right. You touch upon something that, I think, is critical. It is music and it is movies, but, you know what, it’s books, it’s photography, it’s illustration, it’s . . . JC:That’s what I’m talking about. Yeah. Newspapers, Time Magazine, pick something. Now that monetization part of our culture is completely gone, completely vaporized. DW:When was the last time that I paid to read something? I don’t even know. JC:I don’t know how they monetize. I don’t. I don’t. HOW CAN ANYONE MONETIZE THEIR WORK THESE DAYS? It’s frightening what the Internet has done. And it also goes to another level, David. I use a simple file share program to move stuff around. And I look at that website when I open up that program, which was given to me free from another company. I didn’t steal it. You know, this is what we use here. You can download it from our site. But there’s no advertising on that program. There’s no payment for it. But, there was a team of engineers somewhere that wrote the code that got it to work flawlessly, by the way. It’s amazing. But where . . . You know, . . . How . . . That entire part because of the Internet . . . That entire part of monetization is gone. How does that company survive? I don’t get it. But yet we want everything for free, for free, for free. It’s a road to nowhere, if we stop and think about it. DW:As many people are now using this term, it’s a race to the bottom. JC:Right. Ha, ha, ha. GIVE US SOMETHING BIG, NEW AND CRAZY! JC:Oh, man. Okay, now, this just came in and we have to leave on this note. “David has to give us a piece of unheard-of information live on the air.” Just like you did last time. Let’s have them shut us down, David. Ha, ha, ha. Ah, let’s see. Give us your best shot there, Tiger. 100 SPHERES COMING INTO OUR SOLAR SYSTEM (167:40) DW:Okay. Okay. I got a good one for you. I talked about these 100 spheres that have come into our solar system. This gets back to the Corey question. I’ll try to integrate some things here because we didn’t really talk about it. JC:No. How do we do that? How did we . . . That was the main part of the show for me tonight. DW:(Laughs) It didn’t happen. JC:It didn’t happen. I love you brother. Ha, ha, ha. DW:I got your back, buddy. Back to back, going down in a hail of gunfire here. JC:Yes, we are. DW:We’ve had 100 [cloaked] spheres show up in the solar system since 2012. They have given the Solar Warden people advanced technology that is allowing them to defeat the Cabal. Some very strange things are going on. ETs IN ”EMBASSIES” ON EARTH AND IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM There’s all of these ETs in what we call embassies somewhere in the earth. Some of them are spread throughout our solar system – Mars, the moon and a variety of other moons and asteroids. THE BLUE AVIANS GAVE SOLAR WARDEN HIGHLY ADVANCED DEFENSIVE TECHNOLOGY As I said, Solar Warden was the breakaway faction amongst these five space program factions. The Blue Avians are apparently one of five types of beings that are in these spheres. We’re talking now [about] humanoids that have bird-like heads. They are sort of a morph between a bird and a human face. They are 8 feet tall. (2.7 meters.) They have indigo-blue feathers mixed with some purple-type feathers, depending on which being you are talking to. These beings have now given Solar Warden the most advanced technology on the block. A NO-FLY ZONE AROUND THE EARTH AND A BARRIER AROUND THE SOLAR SYSTEM Solar Warden is now enforcing a no-fly zone around the earth. Nobody can fly in or out of the earth anymore unless they are permitted to. Something has been put around our solar system [that they] call the Barrier. This means that nobody can get in. Nobody can get out. And communications cannot get in and out. One of the interesting things is that when the Barrier was put up, the vast majority of all the reptilians in their so-called Dark Fleet were outside the solar system. And they cannot get back in. THE DRACO ROYALS BETRAYED EVERYONE BELOW THEIR IMMEDIATE LEVEL Another interesting thing that happened is that the royals of the reptilians, the Dracos that are still here, were willing to betray [everyone.] They asked if they could betray everyone in the Illuminati below their own cadre of royalty, meaning only the top, top level reptilians. They were going to betray everybody else in their order if they were just allowed to get the heck out of here. That’s apparently how real they see this coming Event as being. For them, it’s curtains time. For everybody else, it’s the Cosmic Springboard. EVERYTHING IS BUILDING UP TO MASS ARRESTS AND DISCLOSURE So what’s now happening is that there are all these meetings taking place with people on earth. This gets back to the question of why aren’t they bringing us up into space any more. They stopped doing that in the 1950s and early 1960s, but now it’s happening again. People are being contacted. People are being brought up into space. There are hundreds and hundreds of people, apparently, who are being brought up there in advance of this big mass arrest thing that is going to happen. We’re going to see the Illuminati exposed. We’re going to see their plans exposed. It’s going to be the greatest wake up call [in recorded history.] THE ILLUMINATI TRIBUNALS WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING It’s probably going to end up being called the Illuminati Tribunals. It’s going to be all over TV. It’s going to be what everybody is talking about. Probably once this happens, you’re not going to hear any Lady Gaga or Katy Perry or any of that type of music being played on the radio when you walk into a restaurant or grocery store. People are going to know now what was going on. There’s going to be a huge backlash against this stuff. You’re going to see heads of state, major celebrities, major world leaders, as well as shadowy international bankers being brought out on trial. Many of the top level witnesses, who are the people who can bring down the Cabal, have already been brought off planet. They are in such danger from the Cabal and from the angry public that they are being held off planet. [That way,] when these mass arrests and the tribunals take place, they will be testifying from a secure location – meaning not on earth. THERE IS NOWHERE FOR THE CABAL TO HIDE The Cabal is trying to find a place to hide, but there is nowhere they can go where they are not going to be picked up. Apparently, a lot of them are planning on moving to Brazil. They do have this sort of militarized nation within Brazil. It’s sort of like a separate nation-state. It has a 12-mile perimeter, all militarized perimeter stuff with a little green zone inside where they all have these houses. A lot of them have apparently moved all of their stuff there already. They are expecting this thing to happen any time. IT IS FRUSTRATING THAT WE HAVEN’T HAD RESULTS YET I’ve been hearing this over and over again. It is like “the boy who cried Wolf.” It upsets me because I’m out there defending the Alliance. I don’t get to talk to anybody directly. It’s all on a need to know basis. And I’m not apparently at a level where I need to know who these people are yet. Corey is meeting with them regularly, and so I’m getting a lot more specific details now. I’m able to ask questions. I’m able to interact with them. IT’S ALL COMING TO A HEAD IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS I ask them something and they give me the information. And what they are telling me is, “For God’s sake, David, get off your ass. Hurry the F___ up. “Do as much as you can to release this stuff as fast as you can, because it’s all coming to a head very, very soon.” Somebody said that they want new information. One of the most juicy things I was just told is that where we are going to be six months from now apparently is very different from where we are right now. Everything is going to accelerate to warp drive over the course of the next six months. That’s what I’m hearing. So I hope it’s true. I’d love to see that it comes true. DREAMS OF BEING FAR MORE PUBLIC IN THE FUTURE You know, I have all of these dreams telling me that I’m going to be extremely public, extremely exposed. Already when I go out in public, people spot me a lot of the time. I still can reasonably go through life without having everybody wanting to talk to me and take a selfie. Apparently in the future it is not going to be like that. I’ll be like a Snowden. Everybody is going to know who I am. I’ll probably have to have security and just, you know, not leave the house – basically just stay home all the time. But I certainly do not live in a militarized compound. (Laughs) THE FAMOUS POP STARS GOT THAT WAY BY BEING TALENTED — IN PART JC:Well, I can live without Lady Gaga, but I kind of like Katy Perry. DW:Yeah. These people earned the right to be famous by being talented. And, again, they are being tortured. They’re victims. DW:They’re being raped. They’re being abused. They are not happy people. That’s why you’ve got guys like Kurt Cobain killing themselves. It’s horrible to have a career [in these industries.] It’s funny, because you’d think, “I want to be famous. I want everybody to know my name.” If you do it through film acting or you do it through being a music star, good God. It’s not the life you thought you were going to have. THOTH WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE OF THE BLUE AVIANS JC:Right. Right. Its sounds like you were describing Thoth [with the Blue Avians] too. Were you? DW:Yeah. Well, that is an earlier example of these same beings, yeah. Absolutely. JC:Very interesting. Very interesting. DW:They came back. They were back there during the time of ancient Egypt. You see cave paintings of these humanoids with bird heads. And they came back. They are here to make sure that this whole thing goes smoothly. They brought in these 100-plus spheres. THE SPHERES ARE HERE TO HELP STABILIZE US THROUGH THE TRANSITION [The spheres are] basically energy balancers. They make sure that our solar system isn’t going to have a catastrophe. It modulates the energy increase as it is happening and keeps everything smooth. They are keeping this thing very carefully balanced. The Cabal is not going to be allowed to do mass depopulation. They’re not going to be allowed to do mass atrocities. They try and try and try. But they’re not going to be allowed to do it. JC:Thank you so much, David. TWO MORE SHOWS TO SCHEDULE JC:We’ve got two shows we’ve got to schedule. We’ve got a full music evening that we’ve got to get to. One thing that we’ve got to put on the front burner over the next couple of months, we’ve got to do a Corey show. And there’s a timing with other stuff that you’re working on that will be a necessity. We’ve got to get that done. And we need to make that commitment to the audience, because we dance . . . I don’t know how we blew past that time, but we did. MORE INFORMATION COMING OUT DW:Well, there’s a lot of stuff that’s coming out. We are going to have Corey do a mini-series on Gaiam TV. Everybody who’s a subscriber is going to be able to watch that. [DW: The first episode of this is going to be released for free, in addition to any in-house videos I make from our original taping.] PUTTING TOGETHER VIDEOS AND A HUGE BOOK OF NOTES I’ve also got six hours of footage in the can. I don’t know how much it’s actually going to turn into when I make it into videos. I may actually do a series instead of just doing all in one, because there is so much stuff now that I’m going through it. It’s so frickin’ good. It’s going to be mind-blowing for people. I’m also putting together a document that was 130 pages [of notes] when it started. I would just type as Corey was telling me all this stuff. I’m trying to arrange it into a linear order so that all the data he told me is in a book. And that’s going to be free. Then that way, nobody can say I’m hiding anything or that I’m sequestering information. It’s full disclosure. It’s all out there. That’s what the Alliance is telling us [they want.] I don’t know why, exactly, because I’m not on that need to know level. They’re saying, “Get out as much of this stuff as you can as fast as you can, because the SHTF.” So there you go. NO ILLUMINATI CUT-OFF THIS TIME! JC:Thank you so much. We’ll see you in about two or three days, man,Contact in the Desertin Joshua Tree. DW:All right, buddy. JC:David Wilcock, everybody. Thank you so much, David. DW:My pleasure. And I’ll . . . JC:Oh, man. I cut him off. That wasn’t the Illuminati. That was me, David. Ha, ha. Thank you so much. We are up against it. I have got to roll credits. Thank you, David. That was not the Cabal. That was my mouse. I don’t want anybody to freak out. Thank you, David. David Wilcock. This weekend we’ll be hanging out at Contact in the Desert – and so should you. (Credits.) MORE ABOUT THE PROGRESS ON THE VIDEO I did see some very, very nasty stuff that people have been writing about me on the internet. Most people’s lives are fairly ”normal,” stable and predictable — which is good. I long for the relative safety and comfort of those days! Each time I do an event, a Gaiam TV taping or an Ancient Aliens taping, I put my all into it. One hundred percent. At the Contact in the Desert (CID) event alone, I had fullyfive different events,four of which were lectures with complex and unique slideshows totaling 100 or more slides each. I have people who go to every single public event I do, so I try to never repeat anything. And somehow I manage to pull it off. After the CID event, I had no time to relax. I immediately had to study for another complex Ancient Aliens taping. Since that time I have been trying to calm down. The night before the Ancient Aliens taping, I unwisely agreed to do a cameo on Coast to Coast with George Noory. As a sign of the trouble I was in, I had the cordless right next to my head in bed. I slept right through them calling me fully seven different times. IT’S NOT AS EASY AS YOU MIGHT THINK Now that we are starting off Season Two of my new show Disclosure by featuring Corey Goode, I can relax with confidence that at least some form of video will get out there. Gaiam did not think I should release the other video at all. The reason for this was that I did a lot of talking, since Corey wasn’t saying much. We have discussed this and he will be a lot more expressive in our next round of tapings. The first episode, at least, will be free for everyone to watch. I do feel that the things I said were very valuable, and Corey agrees with me. I will try to take what we have and make it into something good nonetheless. Bear in mind that the vast majority of all this work is being done all by myself. I have had to learn a staggering amount of new software to do this properly. Furthermore, I have spent at least 45 hours just fixing ambient noise in the audio track due to having a new microphone and not monitoring our audio. The mic was constantly scratching against my shirt. I have fixed almost everything, but it has been toweringly frustrating and difficult. DECIDING TO ”BUILD AS I LEARN” From here on out, now that the audio is almost cleaned up (finally), I have decided that I will ”build as I learn” with the video. That way, all the high-end techniques I’m working on will make their way into the finished product instead of just being stored in my brain and in demo tutorials I have worked on. This feels like the right move. My next course is a five-and-a-half-hour tutorial on integrating Adobe Premiere Pro with After Effects in an editing / FX environment. I have finally been able to get back into productivity in the last week and am excited about all the things I’m learning. In the meantime, Gaiam is planning on having our first episode with Corey out ASAP. It could be some time in July but may take longer. QUITE LONG… AS USUAL… This has grown quite long, as usual, so it’s a good time to end it here. No matter how much time I put into writing an article, any audio of me that gets leaked out there generates at least 10 times more traffic. Any video I release generates at least 25 times more traffic than an article, on average. So, the benefits in doing this on a high-end level (i.e. significantly better than the majority of YouTube videos on the subject) makes very good sense. That goal is finally coming into view. It will be a change in how I do what I do, and I am very much looking forward to it. We are hearing that everything is reaching a grand crescendo, and if I have the time and feel inclined, I may finish and publish what I was already working on to illustrate the clues. It is a wild and wonderful ride right now. The truth comes with pain, but in the aftermath of that moment of suffering we will finally be free — for the first time in thousands of years. That is worth fighting for. That is worth dying for. The time for change is now. Get ready for the Upgrade!

WELLSVILLE, Ohio (WYTV) — The search for a missing man continues in Wellsville. Police said Zane Carter, 24, was last seen on Thursday night in the village. On Tuesday, his friends formed a search party to look for him. They are worried for her his safety, and said it is not like him to disappear. “It is so unlike Zane. Everybody that knows him knows it is not like him. Somebody would have seen him somewhere, walking. He would have been posted on Facebook, called somebody, text somebody, especially his parents,” friend Hope Golden said. On Tuesday, police charged Mindy Hissom, 38, with obstruction of justice for providing false information in the case. Anyone who has seen Carter or who has any information that might help in the investigation can call Wellsville police at 330-532-1522.

The Earliest Examples Of Cargo Cults A cargo cult is a religious movement usually practiced in remote island nations where believers link prosperity with the return of a savior. The history of cargo cults is traced to the late 19th century and early 20th century in the period when remote islands in the world's oceans were explored by European explorers. The earliest form of cargo cultism was observed during the Fijian Tuka movement of 1885 during British exploitative plantation colonialism of the islands. The Tuka Movement revolved around a local leader in Fiji known as Tuka who had experienced the harsh conditions brought by the British colonialists which caused widespread reminiscent of ancestral efficacy. Tuka taught his followers that for the island to regain its lost cultural glory, the residents of the island needed to return to their traditional beliefs and practices. Tuka was subsequently arrested and exiled by the British authorities who saw him as a rebel. Cargo Cultism In Melanesia The best studied and most famous example of cargo cultism occurred in Melanesia during the Second World War. Melanesia is the Pacific region which encompasses several islands including the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Vanuatu. During the Second World War, Japanese and Allied Forces engaged in the Pacific theater of war and set up bases in several islands in Melanesia. While the war continued, the forces received fresh supplies which were airdropped from military planes. The native population of these islands experienced a huge cultural shock since most of them had no prior contact with the outside world. The native Melanesians were astonished by the advanced technology possessed by their new visitors who often shared weapons, food, and clothing with them. The locals who had observed the forces conducting military drills and parades thought the activities were religious rituals which resulted in the arrival of the cargo. After the war had ended and the forces withdrew from the islands, the locals were left wondering where they would obtain the power to “summon” the cargo from the sky and began creating replicas of the military equipment used by the forces. A cargo cult formed which believed that a Western figure known as John Frum would be their savior who would return with the cargo. The cargo cult revolving around John Frum still exists to date despite numerous efforts from the US Navy to explain the source of the cargo. According to believers of the cult, John Frum was a white man from the US armed forces who appeared to Melanesian elders in the 1930s. Other Examples Of Cargo Cults Since the late 19th century, many forms of cargo cults have come up in many remote locations. Some of the few which still exist include the Prince Phillip Movement in Tanna Island where believers worship the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip. Another cargo cult is the Turaga movement which is practiced by natives of the Pentecost Island, Vanuatu. The Tom Navy Movement is another cargo cult practiced on Tanna Island and is believed to be based on a Mississippi-born serviceman, Tom Beatty. Cargo Cults And ChristianityThe advent of cargo cultism has brought a controversial explanation of the origin of Christianity. Soon after the Second World War, The US Navy embarked on a mission to convince believers of cargo cults to drop their beliefs. However, the natives were adamant in their beliefs comparing their beliefs to Christians who have been waiting for the coming of Christ for more than 2,000 years. This statement has been cited by several scholars when arguing on the origin of Christianity.

By Gloria Mwaniga. I first read this winning story on august 1st 2012. Even then, it did strike me as a typical African story. This was because of two reasons; first, I August 1st was the 30th anniversary for the Coup attempt on the Moi government of 1982 and secondly Kiss TV was running a rather interesting series on the Nyayo house torture victims and focusing on the chief torturer; one James Opiyo. The coup attempt is what is believed to have transformed the then Kenyan president from a cool president following Jomo Kenyatta’s nyayo to a wild and ruthless dictator who sent people to the cold, dark and quite frightening chambers of the Nyayo house if they dared to show open defiance or even when they were deemed to have hidden agendas. The Torturer in chiefs’ story of retirement and unceremonious relocation back to his rural home of Rongo; together with most of the the Nyayo house victims’ rather un-heroic existence till today sort of blend in with the Bombay Republic Short story. The story starts on a rather optimistic note with the author introducing us to one Sergeant Bombay a veteran who had come back from the world war. He comes back to his district that is ruled by a District Officer who is white. At that point, I had expected that having seen the world and with a thinking outside the box, Bombay would end up swaying loyalties’ from the mzungu to himself and hence become an undisputed war hero who led his people to the paradise called freedom. I even dared to think that the story would turn out like the infamous Nigerian Biafran war where Ojuka starts a revolution against the incumbent leaders and either wins or dies (Forget the running off to another country bit). However, the writer Rotimi Babatunde slowly builds up this character in the traditional heroic fashion when he gets posted to a combat unit and later promoted to a sergeant; strangely enough, the war suddenly comes to an unwelcome end even before our new hero gets a chance to prove his art of war. However, the reader is kept optimistic as Bombay has been exposed to the world and we watch amidst baited breath, for him to show his Moses-like savior traits. Back at his home town, the air is full of euphoria with the nationalists getting bolder and criticizing the colonial government as they gathered in the evenings for animated discussions zealously quoting Gandhi and Du Bois. Bombay, who was expected to be a part of this revolution, was busy elsewhere telling jinni stories to wide eyed children. The strange man then moves to an old jailhouse where he is immersed in a utopia of his own making in his newly independent state of Bomby. In a rather un-heroic ending of the story, Bombay is considered a sleeping dog that should be let to lie by his DC. The humor filled and unpredictable plot give this story quite an unexpected twist even as this man; who refused to pay hut tax because he lives in a stone house and not a hut; is described by one local columnist as Colour Sergeant Bombay, war hero and perpetual president who was loved by all the citizens of his Peoples Republic of Bombay. The story leaves one with a sort of emptiness that is all too familiar in Kenya. Having happily gotten our uhuru, we looked forward to the promise that the new learned wananchi would bring on the table. These expectations were later to be shrouded as Kenyans watched incredibly as the same leaders assassinated each other, stole country resources and punished those who dared speak out. Like Bombay, they speedily forgot the real reason they had an upper hand was to pull others out of the darkness but instead, the leaders engage in self-satisfying, get-rich quick corruption deals in a country where most leaders still hope to stay in office until death finally unseats them. This they do as they brand themselves vijana and hopelessly try to tweet their way into the real vijana’s hearts.

A New Jersey man was in critical condition today after repeatedly stabbing himself with a 12-inch knife and throwing his intestines at police. HACKENSACK, N.J. — A New Jersey man was in critical condition today after repeatedly stabbing himself with a 12-inch knife and throwing his intestines at cops. Wayne Carter, who has a history of psychiatric problems, had barricaded himself inside his Hackensack, N.J., home when the gruesome event took place late Sunday, The Record reported Tuesday. Police were called to the house after the 43-year-old was spotted cutting himself with the knife. When they arrived at the scene, Carter refused to drop the weapon and began waving it — along with a hammer — at the officers. He then repeatedly stabbed himself in the legs, abdomen and neck. Hackensack Police Lt. Timothy Lloyd told the Cliffview Pilot, "They tried to talk him down, but they were having no luck. He was slashing at them with the knife." When he began throwing pieces of skin and intestines at the officers, they called in the Bergen County Police Department's SWAT team, Lloyd said. By the time they arrived, Carter's intestines were "literally" hanging out of his body, an unnamed police official told the Pilot. "The scene was a bloody mess," the official said. "The SWAT team members had to be decontaminated due to the amount of blood." Carter was eventually disarmed after being sprayed with two cans of pepper spray and was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery early Monday.

World of Darkness - Alpha Network Fight style: fancy footwork or single merit: add part of attack pool to defence while still able attack. Also a style using acrobatics to tumble evade etc like Swashbuckling, gun Fu for cinematic melee with firearms, lunge, riposte, flourish, - Edge being any extra Advantages added to an Action Roll. GM Advice. Social Style – Fast Talk - Style Merits tend to range from 1-5. The Skill that defines them is required and must at least equal the Style Merit DoTs. For example, having Fighting Style – Boxing at 4 DoTs you must first have Brawl at 4 DoTs. Having Occult Style – Alchemy at 3 DoTs means having Occult of 3 DoTs first. - Flaws must now be purchased like a normal Merit but is noted with an (F) for Flaw. When a Character is roleplayed as effected by the Flaw in a relevant in-game situation and there are effects of these actions – Experience Points (XP) should be awarded. Ineptitude – Specify is a great example of this and such Flaws truly allow a Player to deeply customise their PC and develop a deeper Character Concept. Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Merits. 5/4/3 for example. These should really be chosen at Character Creation unless the GM says otherwise or a lot of time and effort put in to work for that specific Merit such as a Profession Merit that grants access to Skills. Orphaned, Abused, Ancestral Heritage (like secret royalty, ancient Bloodline etc), Supernatural event, Memorable event, Horrific event, awkward event, …. |Accute Sense (1-5)||Specific one of the five senses is heightened.||None| |Ambidextrous (3)||Does not suffer the -3 off-hand Penalty….||Dex (3). Char. Gen only at (3)| |Aptitude – Specify (3)||Choose a specific area which you have a natural aptitude or talent for, such as Computers, Acrobatics or any Skill or Speciality really.||GM accepts| |Awareness (2)||Natural talent to be more perceptive than most. Bonus to Perception Checks.||Char. Gen or intense training| |Blood Heritage (3-6)||Select a type of Being or Breed you are Blooded to such as Demon, Fae, Nobility, Wolf etc.||Specify Type; After Char. Gen shows you discover the truth later on.| |CIPA (5)||A genetic disorders that stops you feeling any pain at all, including torture and wounds but it is also very hard to tell.||Appear at birth or during infancy.| |Color Blind (1)||You have real trouble telling one primary colour from another.||Flaw| |Common Sense (3)||Grounded & pragmatic, can often be depended upon to make sound, wise decisions at a moments notice. GM can make a “Reflexive Perception Roll” if the Character is about to do somethimg disasterous.||—| |David’s Arm (3)||Like David against Goliath, you’re great with spatial distance, range etc. Double all benefits of aiming.||??| |Double Jointed (2)||Able to bend your joints in improbable ways.||None| |Dual Nature (3)||You have a personality that works with two compatible Natures each rewarding WillPower.||GM agreed on the Natures.| |Early Riser (1)||You seem able to manage with less rest than others, getting up hours before or staying up til dawn.||None| |Eidetic Memory (3)||A near photographic memory, able to recall vast amounts of observed detail with almost perfect accuracy. Rolls usually only needed under Stress..||Char.Gen Only| |Emotional Detatchment (2)||Nasty, mean temper when you lose control. Any time you fail your Composure Test, …||None| |Encyclopedic Knowledge (2)||Knows much about anything.||None| |Fast Learner (3)||Does not suffer the ??….||Char.Gen Only| |Fire Within (2)||You have a natural resistant to the cold or damage caused by cold.| |Ineptitude – Specify (1-5)||Penalised for being just terrible in a specific Sub-Skill where you excel in the rest of the Skill.||Trying Skill for first few times. (F)| |Internal Thermostat (3)||Able to control & balance your internal temperature and thus, does not suffer such extremes of hot or cold environments.||Res (2) Com (4)| |Intuition – Specify (2-5)||Machinery, Computers, Electronics, Clockwork, etc||Char. Gen only usually.| |Longevity (4)||You are one of those rare few who age well, not taking penalties until your 70’s..||Something surely| |Maturity (1)||The Character is growing older and had reached into the more solid, firmer Summer years of 40’s and 50’s… Effects are ??||Age of 40+| |Natural Immunity (3)||Immune to disease..||Requirements| |Night Vision (2)||Able to see well at Night or in darkness with only the barest amounts of light..||None| |Obvious Appearance (2)||An obvious or memorable feature of appearance may gain you WillPower if part of the Story.||(2)| |Obvious Aspiration (2)||A strong interest or drive in achieving a particular goal.. Can regain WP during Play if Character actually makes headway in achieving this ambition in some way.||(2)| |Obvious Demeanor ••||A strong type of attitude… Can regain WP during Play…||(1)| |Obvious Nature ••||Natures and Demeanors Obvious Nature A strong type of personality… Can regain WP if used during Play.||???(2)| |Obvious Quirk (1)||Those rare idiosyncratic subtleties & strange, uncommon interests that set someone apart…||GM approval.| |Obvious Vice (1)||A strong need for specific type of sin.. Can regain WP during Play…||Brawl (2)| |Obvious Virtue (1)||A strong desire to show goodness.. Can regain WP during Play…||Brawl (2)| |Predatory Bearing (1-5)||You have that menacing aspect or aura of someone.. or something very dangerous, and others often recognise that.||Char. Gen| |Prized Possession (1-5)||Get something good…| |Prodigy (3)||Gifted child below 13 that has higher than usual traits etc.||Char. Gen only.| |Small Framed (2)||Shorter or much thinner than the average gives the Character a size of 4 and chance they’ll be overlooked, not taken seriously or ignored.||Flaw| |Toxin Resistance (3)||Immune to Poisons and other toxins..||Usually only at Char.Gen| |Vengeance (1-5)||Character has a particular Nemesis or enemy that they truly need to get revenge on. They use this advantage to get a bonus +2 to attack actions..||Requires Enemy Merit| |Veteran (1-5)||A strong type ay.||???(2)| |Alertness (2)||Aware of things at all times…||Wit (3) Com (2)| |Ambidextrous (4)||Does not suffer the -3 off-hand Penalty….||Dex (3)| |Armored Fighting (2/4)||Able to fight in heavy and burdensome armor without penalties.||Str (3) Sta (3)| |Athletic Dodge (2)||= You use your Athletic prowess …||None.| |Automotive Genius (1)||Can see what’s wrong in seconds and a knack for fixing and rigging..||Crafts (3), Drive (2), Science (1)| |Brawling Dodge (2)||Nasty, mean temper when you lose control. Any time you fail your Composure Test, …||Active| |Bruiser (1)||Appearance is so rough & tough and thug like to appear menacing. +1 to Intimidation.||Requirements| |Cat-like Balance (2)||Your talent for balance is exceptional.. +1 to all such Rolls..||—| |Cheap Shot (2)||Dirty tricks to distract. (Dex+Subt VS Wit+Com to act. -2 cumulative penalty each time)||Brawl (2)| |Choke Hold (2)||Once you have a’ hold, you have them..||Brawl (2)| |Choke Shot (2)||Excellent accuracy, no matter what weapon you’re holding. +1 Dice when not targeting specific area.||None| |Crack Driver (2/3)||Nothing distracts once she’s driving. (-Com Penalty to anyone seeking to disable vehicle)||Drive (3)| |Customised Item (2/4/5)||You have a specially made or gained of a special item, customised but not magical. Perhaps a hand crossbow, blowpipe disguised as a cigar or pipe, swordcane, hidden tools etc.||GM approval| |Defensive Combat (1)||Able to defend against multiple opponents with the base Defence for each opponent….||Dex (3) Wit (3) Com (3) Brawl or Weaponry (2)| |Driving Style – Heavy Vehicles (1-5)||Actively||Dex (3) Res (2) Drive (2)| |Driving Style – High Performance (1-5)||Able to make the most of Fast Cars and know all the tricks of the Race Tracks and cars made for speed.||Dex (3) Res (2) Drive (2)| |Driving Style – Pilot Aeroplane (1-5)||Able to fly planes and jets.||Dex (3) Int (3) Res (2) Drive (2)| |Driving Style – Ocean Sailing (1-5)||Able to sail and navigate ocean waters safely.||Dex (2) Res (2) Drive (2)| |Driving Style – Stunt Driver (1-5)||Able to perform the most death defying of tricks and impossible feats of vehicle agility.||Wit (2) Dex (2) Drive (2)| |Disarm (2)||If Damage exceeds Dexterity then Diarm Opponent..||Dex (3) Weaponry (2) Active Weapon (s)| |Enchanting Gaze (2)||Truly beautiful and captivating eyes that attract others to them..||??| |Enchanting Voice (2)||Beautiful voice that truly is captivating||??| |Fast Reflexes (1-2)||Does not suffer the -3 off-hand Penalty….||Char. Creation| |Feint (2)||Using two weapons you attack from different angles, ignoring Defence on 2nd Attack.||Fighting Style – Two Weapon Fighting (3)| |Fighting Finesse (3)||You use swift, agile attacks with your light Weaponry.||Dex (3) Weaponry (2)| |Fleet of Foot (2)||Nasty, mean temper when you lose control. Any time you fail your Composure Test, …||Active| |Fresh Start (1-2)||Do nothing this turn so that you may act first next turn..||Requires: Fast Reflexes| |Gunslinger (4)||Able to use two handguns at once though with penalties.||Dex (3) Firearms (3)| |Hardy (1-3)||Add Hardy DoTs to Rolls resisting environmental hurt from extreme temperatures, poison, disease, deprivation, exhaustion, suffocation etc.||Sta (3)| |Heavy Hands (2)||Especially hard or heavy hands for unarmed attacks +1 Dmg to Unarmed Strikes||Str (3) Brawl (3)| |Heavy Sleeper (2)||Often sleeps in late, fails to hear the alarm clock and is almost impossible to waken at times.||Flaw| |Huge Size (4)||Very large, either fat or tall so they are well above the human average. Add +1 Health due to the increased Size.||None| |Immunised (1)||Up to date on your regular and normal jabs for common diseases. You still should see a GP for more if visiting exotic countries.||None| |Indomitable (2)||You are better able to resist strange events and they have less effect on your mind. Any supernatural effect or creature trying to influence you gets you +2 Bonus to resisting.||Resolve (3)| |Iron Skin (3)||Tough, less penetrable skin.||)| |Iron Stamina (1-3)||Able to endure fatigue for longer.| |Iron Stomach (2)||The ability to eat pretty much anything without side effects such as being sick.||?| |Light Sleeper (2)||Wakes easily and without loss of orientation etc.| |Outdoorsman (2)||Experience or natural ability to make most of her environment and survive out in the wilds.||Survival (3)| |Movement Style – Parkour (1-5)||Combines acrobatic talent into Athletics so as to perform outstanding feats of free-running.||Dexterity (3) Athletics (2) Acrobatics (2)| |Movement Style – Spelunker (1-5)||Pot Holing and Cave Diving are your thing.||Dexterity (3) Athletics (3)| |Parry (3)||Usable with Weaponry or Brawl to allow you to replace your Defence with that Skill.||Brawl (3) or Weaponry (3)| |Punch Drunk (2)||Able to keep 1 BODY Health Level by spending WillPower & upgrading existing damage.||WillPower (6)| |Quick Draw (3)||So trained with the weapon or firearm that drawing the weapon is instinct and is considered a Reflex Action that can be done whenever Defence applies.||Wits (3) Speciality in Weapon or Fighting Style chosen here.| |Quick Healing (4)||Able to heal more rapidly than normal.||Sta (4)| |Seizing the Edge (2)||Always read for a chase, be it to escape from enemies or to hunt down that next ticket..||None| |Signature Item (3)||An object that is an intrinsic part of the characters identity now and without it they feel lost, suffering on social rolls.||None| |Shield Rip (2)||Using two weapons, you use tricks & distractions to allow your 2nd weapon to rip aside an opponent shield.||Fighting Style – Two Weapon Fighting (3), Weapon that can hook shields,| |Shiv (1 or 2)||Can carry a 0 or 1 Dmg small blade that when rolled for detection receives -Wea penalty.||Street fighting (2), Weaponry (1)| |Sleight of hand (2)||Long, delicate and light fingers make pickpocketing and picking locks or other intensely delicate operations of hand dexterity easier with a +2 bonus to such rolls..||None| |Strong Back (2)||The ability to carry more than normal and dead lift well.| |Strong Lungs (2)||Ability to hold your breath for longer.| |Weaponry Dodge (1-5)||A??.||Requirements| |Wheelman (3)||Some people are born Drivers and have a natural aptitude.||Dex (2) Drive (2)| |Adrenaline Junkie (1)||Does not suffer the -3 off-hand Penalty….||None| |Cheap Shot (2)||Nasty, mean temper when you lose control. Any time you fail your Composure Test, …||Active| |Coldly Logical (2)||??| |Combat Awareness (2)||Does not suffer the -3 off-hand Penalty….||Military, Law Enforcement or Combat Background.| |Concentration (1)||Ability to focus on tasks or details even when there are distractions.||??| |Crafter’s Sense (3)||Doe||Crafts (3) and Craft Speciality.| |Cultural Awareness (1/2/4)||Silent, Speedy series of hand movements or signs used my military etc…||?(3)| |Danger Sense (2)||+2 Bonus to “Perception Rolls” for Character to detect an impending ambush.||—| |Daredevil (2)||Does not suffer the -3 off-hand Penalty….||None| |Demolisher (2)||Nasty, mean temper when you lose control. Any time you fail your Composure Test.||None.| |Direction Sense (1)||An innate knack for finding your way. Rarely suffers penalties to finding her way.||None| |Doubting Thomas (2)||Cynical and questioning nature, any Psychics nearby receive -2 to Psychic Rolls. Paradox increased.||Flaw| |Easy Ride (2)||Somehow you are easily possessed by Spirits, Demons etc.||Flaw| |EOD (4)||Experience in many types of Explosive Devices and EOD or Explosive Ordinance Disposal.||Some.| |Eye for the strange (2)||Though they may have no actual knowledge of the supernatural or Occurred, they know it when they see it and thus get bonus.||Res (3) Occult (1)| |Good Brain (2)||Removes the penalty from the unskilled for mental skills.||Int (4) Wit (3)| |Holistic Awareness (1)||You have knowledge surrounding the Skill?||?| |Indomitable (1-5)||Such an Iron Will that most Mind dominating powers don’t work.||Requires Iron Will. Can only be bought equal to their Resolve.| |Informative (2/4)||May be silent on most topics but when it comes to them and their job they won’t shut up and very open.||Wit:2, Skill:2| |Ingenious (2)||Always seems to have a cunning or backup plan to escape any predicament. +2 to outlandish or especially cunning ways around an obstacle or solution to a plan.||Drive(3)| |Interdisciplinary Speciality (2)||A speciality that can cross over??||Skill (3), Speciality| |Iron Will (3)||Amazing ability to resist takeovers of your mind and gain +3 Dice when resisting outside forces attempting to take it over.||WillPower (6+)| |Language (1-4)||Able to communicate in another language. The more DOTs you have the greater your skill with 3 being well educated and full mastery in the language..||Requirements| |Library (1-3)||Select a topic and you have a collection of books, references and websites for that subject.||?| |Linguist (2)||You have a natural talent for languages and are able to learn them more easily than other people.||Int (3) Academics (2) or Int (2) & Academics (3)| |Lucid Dreamer (2)||Ability to influence and control your own dreams.||Res:3, non-changeling.| |Good Time Management (1)||Due to good organisation and diligence you manage your time very well and know how to cut out those wasteful moments. Extended Actions can be reduced by 1/4.||None| |Make Do (1-3)||Used to working under sub-optimal conditions means you can often use poor tools etc to repair, perform scientific tests, survey archeology sites etc. This is Cross-Skill effective while||?| |Meditative Mind (1, 2 or 4)||You get better at Meditating (See Merit for full Bonuses).||None| |Multi-lingual (2)||Conversational language ability in two sister languages for each DOT. Roll Int+Aca to attempt to make out enough when read also.||None| |Occult Style – Alchemy (1-5)||A mix of Science and magic to transform base substances into “Divine” substances.||Int, Science, Occult| |Occult Style – Artificing (1-5)||A mix of Science and magic to imbue powerful Spells and abilities into special items.||Int, Science, Occult| |Occult Style – Body Endowments (1-5)||A mix of Science and magic to use tattooing and body art to endow with power.||Int, Science, Occult| |Occult Style – Curses (1-5)||A mix of Science and magic to use sympathetic magic and effigies to curse others.||Int, Science, Occult| |Occult Style – Fortune Telling (1-5)||Able to predict the future, tell Fortunes and read events and aspects of the past and present via a Focus such as Tarot, Crystal Ball, Bones, Runes etc..||Int, Science, Occult| |Occult Style – Necromancy (1-5)||A mix of Science and magic to experiment, modify & manipulate the dead.||Int, Science, Occult| |Occult Style – Runecraft (1-5)||Art of using powerful Runes to create certain effects.||Int, Science, Occult| |Patient (1)||You take the extra care and effort to get things right. On Extended Actions, Abi would provide.||None| |Police Investigation Style (1-5)||Able to use police procedure effectively to investigate crime.||None.| |Professional Training Style – Specify (1-5)||Extensive training in a specialist field grants advantages to contacts & Bonuses. Select your field and choose two asset skills for it.||One Asset Skill = DoT wanted| |Psychic Resistance (1-3)||Intensive training or natural ability has given you the knack of blocking your mind from invasive telepathic powers.||Res (3)| |Rational Explanation (3)||Whenever making Res+Com Rolls to resist Fear, Panic etc you gain a Bonus for finding a Rational Explanation to support the situation.||Some.| |Relic Analyst (1-5)||Active.||?| |Seen Combat (2)||= You have experience with combat in variety of forms, giving you that edge and instinct necessary to truly make use of combat skills…||Been in combat?| |Sign Language – Specify (2)||Silent, Speedy series of hand movements or signs used my military, Deaf etc. or Marks in Urban Environment for Homeless, Gangs etc.||?(3)| |Mental Style – Skill Ingenuity (1-5)||You are more than skilled in a particular Skill,||None.| |Spatial Awareness (1)||Talent to coordinate things and space between them.||None.| |Speed Reading (2)||Able to read and take in the information from text in half the time.||Int (3) Academics (2)| |Steady Driver (1)||Calm and safe when driving and not prone to Road Rage or Composure loss while driving.||None| |Technology Style – Hacking (1-5)||Able to hack most computer systems and similar interfaces.||??| |Time Sense (1)||Able to tell what time it is to the half hour and to estimate the length of time it’s taken or how long something lasts etc.||None| |Tolerance for Biology (1)||Very strong resistance to gruesome biology. no need to roll when confronted with blood & guts||Com (2) Res (2)| |Tolerance for Pain (3)||Very strong resistance to feeling pain such as wounds, torture etc.||Res (3) Sta (2)| |Technophile (1-2)||Nasty, mean temper when you lose control. Any time you fail your Composure Test, …||?| |Trained Observer (1 or 3)||Years out in the field has taught you to notice everything and to remember them.||Wits (3) or Com (3)| |Trivia Hound (2)||A geek who collects tidbits of worthless information.||None| |Tunneller (1)||You’ve spent some time down in tunnels and you tend to feel comfortable and able to find your way, sense direction etc.||??| |Vice Ridden (2)||Someone who is especially sinful may choose a second Vice which gains you WillPower if interacted with meaningfully..||Flaw| |Virtuous (2)||Someone who is especially good and moralistic, they may choose a second Virtue which gains them WillPower when meaningfully interacted with.||None| |Allies (1-5)||You are able to call on a selected group for help.||None.| |Alternate Identity (1-3)||At 1 DoT an unofficial, superficial I’d with +1 bonus, 2 dots has paperwork to support the I’d but it won’t hold up to close scrutiny. 3 DoTs is a deep cover id, fully supported in databases and paper and gives +2 bonus to Subterfuge. Available Multiple Times for separate Identities.||None| |Animal Affinity (2)||Specific types of animals tend to like you, not attack you etc.||Select Animal Species.| |Animal Companion (2 to 5)||You have somehow befriended or attached to you an animal. More than a pet, more intelligent etc.||None| |Animal Magnetism (1)||A strong, animal-like …||None| |Anonymity (1 to 5)||Lives completely off the Grid and only uses Cash, no Id etc. Anyone trying to track your Paper Trail or look you up online received penalty equal to the DoTs here.||Can’t also have Fame| |Approachable (1)||A friendly face or attitude or something else but people find you easy to talk to. -2 to Difficulty on Empathy Rolls.||None| |Armory (1-5)||A collection of Weaponry is available to choose from, either owned by you or able to collect from friends etc.||Resources 3| |Barfly (2)||Able to get an open invitation anywhere. Bars & Clubs are home to her. Told to ostracize her receive her Socialize Skill as penalty.||Socialize (2)| |Bureaucratic Negotiator (2)||Able to plough through red tape and get things done in a bureaucratic institution.||None.| |Calming Presence (1)||Does not suffer the -3 off-hand Penalty….||Com (3)| |Certification (1-3)||Has the proper licenses and paperwork for a particular activity.||None| |Closed Book (1-5)||Particularly hard to read and/or crack. When someone uses Social Maneuvering against us, add your DoTs in this Merit as a bonus to resist.||Man (3) Res (3)| |Community Ties Style – Specify (1 to 5)||Pick a specific community such as Does not suffer the ..||None| |Contacts (1-5)||Gather information from single source. More DoTs mean deeper information and a greater chance to discover others Social Merits or any Conditions. (Man+Doc to gather the info.)||None| |Cult (1-5)||Leader of a new Cult.||??| |Decorated (2-5)||Recognition for actions have awarded you a medal at lower DoTs and a peerage or national award at higher level. War hero, Community Volunteer or Lord all suitable details here.||One Attribute at 4+ & suitable backstory.| |Defender (1-3)||You feel protective and responsible for those loved ones and family around you. You gain bonus WP on protecting them but losing them causes serious Breaking Points.||Loved Ones Merit/s.| |Dependent (2)||You have a loved one you must care for and look after. May be a young child, I’ll or disabled parent or sibling etc.||Flaw| |Destiny (1-5)||Fate has things in store for you, though you’ve no idea what.||None| |Destitute (2)||No Resources of any kind available now makes for an extremely uncomfortable and dangerous quality of life. Homeless and indebt.||Flaw| |Enemy (1-5)||A particular person hates your character enough to consider getting revenge. In time this might grow into them becoming a Nemesis.||Flaw| |Evil (1-5)||You have negative Karma and you like it, doing bad stuff excites you or leaves you unconcerned..||Negative Karma at least = to DoTs in this Merit. Flaw| |Extremist Group (4)||You have influence and contacts within an Extremist Group of some kind.||None| |Faithful Devotion (1-3)||You have faith in a Higher Power that grants you peace & solace.||??| |Fame (2 or 4)||Local or National fame can be a disadvantage as well as advantage.||??| |Fence (1/3)||Always able to find somewhere to buy or sell stolen goods to the crimminal community.||Streetwise (3)| |Firearms Licence (2)||You have the necessary written paperwork to own a gun legally. This is only applicable in a single country so if you want more licences this needs to be got each time for it to be legal.| |Fixer (3)||You know people.. not only can she get best people for the job but also best prices. Availability Cost reduced by 1 DoT.||Wits (3) Contacts (2)| |Hobbyist Clique (2)||As long as you stay in contact and up to date with this social circle, you receive a bonus to the hobby specified.||Any Skill (2)| |Infamous (2)||You are known and remembered for something negative.||None| |Inheritance (1-5)||Someone leaves you an amount of money or wealth in Savings. These are stocks, shares, Jewelry etc.||Who left you this?| |Insignificant (2)||Socially Small – They’ve either a natural talent or cultivated the ability to be easily overlooked or appear ordinary or unnoticeable.||-1 to Perception. Flaw.| |Inspiring (3)||Able to motivate, enthuse and inspire people around you.||Pre (3)| |Job (2)||You work for a living and are paid for that work regularly. This may include Freelance Jobs.||State Job| |Job Status (1-5)||You work for a living and are paid for that work regularly. This may include Freelance Jobs..||Rise high in job profile.| |Library (1 to 5)||Character has her own access to Library close at hand. The DoTs determines the size and breadth of the material. For each DoT a Speciality can also be chosen.| |Love (1-5)||You’ve fallen in love with someone and going out.||Requirements| |Love unrequited (1-5)||You have fallen in love with someone but they don’t have any feelings for you.||Flaw| |Luxury (1-5)||Details how well you live. 1 dot and you are just above the standard surroundings, 5 DoT and you’re in a huge mansion with almost everything. This can be permanently switched with Resources DoT by DoT.||None| |Mentor (1-5)||A teacher or guide that is able to give advice, aid and support that is often from the background and sometimes without the Characters knowledge.||None| |Negotiator (2)||Be it working with Hostages or big finance dealing, you know how to liaise your way to success.||Requirements| |Personal Attachment (2/4)||You are very close to family or friends and losing them would hurt dearly. Bonus to WillPower.||State who.| |Prejudice (2)||Has a distinct and often irrational hatred or distrust of a particular group such as gays, women, race, religion or creed, hippies, liberals etc. and Reaction penalised by -3.||Flaw| |Pusher (2)||Very experienced at Bribes and tempting others into their Vices, giving you Bonuses.||Persuasion 2| |Resources (1-5)||This determines how much funds are readily available and what equipment can be bought.||None| |Retainer (1-5)||An assistant, sycophant or servant that can be relied upon to carry out daily tasks, short and long term goals even. More DoTs mean more power the Retainer has.||None| |Safehouse (1-5)||Often well guarded, secure location perhaps with blast doors, vault and panic room, emergency exit etc.||None| |Safe Place (1-5)||Simply a place you feel comfortable and safe where you can hide or get lost in the anonymous crowds. No security etc. in place here.||None| |Savings (1-5)||Instead of regular disposable income this shows your Savings that start at (Resources+Resolve)…?||None| |Small Unit Tactics (2)||An effective leader of small groups.||Pre (3)| |Social Style – Fast Talk (1-5)||Allows the Character to Fast Talk their way through many social situations. Each DoT provides an extra method of Fast Talking.||Man (3) Subterfuge(2)| |Social Style – Reasoned Debate (1-5)||Uses Reason to debate in Social Situations.||Int (3) Academics (2)| |Social Style – Rhetoric (1-5)||Uses Rhetoric to influence Social Situations.||Pre (3) Expression (1)| |Social Style – Social Maneuvers (1-5)||???.||Pre (3) Man (3) A Social Skill (3)| |Social Style – Theology (1-5)||Using Religious argument to debate or influence Social Situations.||Pre (2) Expression (2) Religion (s)| |Special Forces (3)||You have experience within the Special Forces and perhaps status, contacts, allies etc are drawn from here as well as familiarity with various exotic weapons.||Lots?| |Spin Doctor (2)||Talented at Fast Talking and Bullshitting stories, Gossip and Personal PR.||Man (3), Subterfuge (2)| |Staff (1 to 5)||A group of working employees who fulfil whatever day to day tasks your character wishes..||None| |Status (1 to 5)||Determines your reputation and standing within the chosen organization or group.||None| |Street Rat (1)||Spent a lot of time on and upon the streets of an urban settlement you specify and know the many ways, hideouts, shortcuts, problem traffic routes etc.||Specify Town or City.| |Striking Looks (1 or 2)||Especially beautiful, intimidating, strange, ugly or funny looking. Whatever the specifics, they attract attention (both good & bad) and receive either the +1 or +2 bonus to relevant Social Rolls.||None| |Sympathetic (2)||Good at letting people get close and they feel comfortable opening up to you or revealing secrets.||None| |Table Turner (3)||Able to spot opportunities and see openings to get the upper hand and switch advantage when the chance comes.||Com (3) Man (3) Wit (3)| |Takes one to know one (1)||When uncovering clues that relate to your Vice you suffer penalty but now ???..||None| |Taste (1)||m..||Crafts (2) and a Speciality in Crafts or Expression| |Tripsitter (3)||Especially good at guiding people through intense psychoactive head trips.||Com (3)| |True Faith (4)||much more than the Faithful Devotion merit.||Devout as a Virtue or Vice| |True Friend (3-5)||You have a trusted and loyal friend.| |True Love (4)||m..||None| |Tunnel Rat (2)||Specify the Tunnels and you know your way around them better than your own home. Sewers, Underground, Old WW2 Tunnels, Mines etc.||Tunneller & Street Rat| |Uninspiring (2)||You are so boring, flat or uninteresting that people just seem to wilt or grow bored when you’re around and would rather leave.||Flaw| |Urban Dark ??||???.||None| |Well Travelled (2)||Natural experience of different Cultures and Languages.||None.| |Fighting Style – Aggressive Striking • – •••••||Str (•••) Sta (••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Aikido ••||Throwing.. Once you have a’ hold, you have them..||Str (••) Dex (••) Wit (••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Archery • – •••••||Str (•••) Sta (••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Armed Defence (1-5)||You can use a weapon to stop people trying to kill you.||Dex (3) Weaponry (3) Defensive Combat| |Fighting Style – Armoured Combat (1-5)||Particularly skilled at combat wearing the very heaviest and bulky of armours.||Str (3) Sta (3) Athletics (2) Armored Fighting| |Fighting Style – Berserker ••||Throwing.. Once you have a’ hold, you have them..||Dex (••) Wit (••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Blind Fighting (1-5)||You are particularly skilled in fighting without eyesight.||Wit (3) Com (2) Brawl (3) or Weaponry (3) Acute Sense (Hearing)| |Fighting Style – Boxing • – •••••||Str (•••) Sta (••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Brute Force ••||Throwing.. Once you have a’ hold, you have them..||Dex (••) Wit (••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Chain Weapons (1-5)||Str (•••) Dex (•••) Weaponry (•••)| |Fighting Style – Close Quarters Combat (1-5)||Wit (•••) Athletics (•••) Brawl (•••)| |Fighting Style – Combat Falconry (1-5)||Go into battle with a trained, combat-ready bird of prey.||Pre (2) Wit (2) Com (3) Animal Ken (3) Birds, Trained Bird type| |Fighting Style – Combat K9 (1-5)||Go into battle with a trained dog at your side.||Pre (2) Wit (2) Com (2) Animal Ken (2) Dogs, Combat Trained Dog type| |Fighting Style – Combat Marksmanship (1-5)||d, you have them..||Str (2) Dex (2) Com (3) Firearms (2)| |Fighting Style – Combat Mount (1-5)||Your Mount is able & ready to fight with you in combat.||Pre (2) Wit (2) Dex (3) Com (3) Animal Ken (2) Mount specified & Training Speciality, Mount Combat Speciality| |Fighting Style – Covering fire (1-5)||Nothing distracts once she’s driving..||Drive(3)| |Fighting Style – Defensive Combat (1-5)||Str (2) Dex (3) Wit (3) Com (3) Brawl (3) or Weaponry (3)| |Fighting Style – Dirty Fighting (1-5)||Hmmmm..||Str (3) Brawl (3)| |Fighting Style – Dream Combat (1-5)||Nothing distrac.||Wyrd (3) Empathy (3)| |Fighting Style – Evasive Striking (1-5)||Unarmed combat that very much prioritises Defence & evasion during combat.||Str (2) Dex (2) Sta (2) Brawl (2)| |Fighting Style – Expressive Combat (1-5)||Theatrical & Dramatic stage combat.||?| |Fighting Style – Fencing (1-5)||N..||Dex (3) Weaponry (3) Rapier (1) or Epee (1)| |Fighting Style – Filipino Martial Arts (1-5)||Dex (3) Weaponry (3)| |Fighting Style – Firefight (1-5)||Once you have a’ hold, you have them..||Brawl (2)| |Fighting Style – Formation Tactics • – •••••||Not.||Str (••) Sta (•••) Weaponry (••)| |Fighting Style – Frenzied Assault • – •••••||Nothing distracg..||Wyrd (3) Empathy (3)| |Fighting Style – Grappling • – •••••||Str (••) Dex (•••) Sta (•••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Gladiatorial • – •••••||N..||Str (•••) Pre (••) Weaponry (•••) ?? (•)| |Fighting Style – Gun Fu (1-5)||Type of tricks to combat firearms from melee like Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen etc.||Dex (3) Wit (3) Acrobatics (3) Athletics (2) Brawl (3) Another Fighting Style (4)| |Fighting Style – Hapkido • – •••••||Korean Martial Arts..||Str (••) Dex (••) Sta (••) Wit (•••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Harmonic Dissonance • – •••••||High Monk Mentorship..||Str (••) Dex (••) Sta (••) Res (•••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Heavy Melee Weapons • – •••••||Capable of wielding claymores, chainsaws etc with skill..||Str (3) Sta (3) Athletics (2) Weaponry (2)| |Fighting Style – Iaido • – •••••||Armed Defensive Striking..||Str (•••) Dex (•••) Com (•••) Weaponry (•••) Quick Draw| |Fighting Style – Improvised Weaponry • – •••••||Wit (•••) Weaponry (•)| |Fighting Style – Judo (1-5)||Dex| |Fighting Style – Kendo ••||Big stick.||Dex (•••) Weaponry (•••) Stick (•)| |Fighting Style – Kick Boxing ••||???.||Str (•••) Dex (•••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Knife Fighting (1 to 5)||???.||Str (•••) Dex (•••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Krav Maga • – •••••||Str (•••) Dex (•••) Wit (•••) Brawl (•••) Brawling Dodge (m?)| |Fighting Style – Kung Fu ••||Nothing distracts once she’s driving..||Str (••) Dex (••) Sta (••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Langschwert • – •••••||Skilled in the German style of Large, Two handed Sword like the Claymore or similar.||Str (••) Dex (••) Sta (••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Light Weaponry (1-5)||Dex| |Fighting Style – Marksmanship (1-5)||Does not suffer the -3 off-hand Penalty….||???| |Fighting Style – Modern Army Combatives • – •••••||Str (••) Dex (••) Sta (••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Mounted Combat (1-5)||Skilled at fighting while on a mount such as a horse..||???| |Fighting Style – Police Tactics • – •••••||Str (••) Dex (••) Sta (••) Brawl (•••) Weaponry (••)| |Fighting Style – Qinna • – •••••||Overwhelming attack that forces opponent to come with..||Dex (•••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Savage Predator • – •••••||???..||Str (••) Dex (••) Sta (••) Brawl (••) Intimidation (••)| |Fighting Style – Shurikenjutsu • – •••••||Dart throwing..||Dex (•••) Athletics (•••) Throw (s)| |Fighting Style – Sniping • – •••••||Dex (•••) Res (•••) Firearms (•••) Stealth (•••) Automatic Rifle (s)| |Fighting Style – Staff Fighting • – •••••||Overwhelming||Str (•••) Dex (••) Weaponry (••)| |Fighting Style – Stick Fighting • – •••••||“Iron Fist”||Str (•••) Sta (•••) Res (••••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Street Fighting (1-5)||It’s just like the Street brawls all over again.||)| |Fighting Style – Swashbuckling (1-5)||“Daring Do”||Dex (3) Sta (3) Com (4) Weaponry (3)| |Fighting Style – Sword and Shield (1-5)||“Iron Fist”||Str (•••) Sta (•••) Res (••••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Suppression Fire (1-5)||Nothing distracts once she’s driving..||Drive(3)| |Fighting Style – Tekken • – •••••||“Iron Fist”||Str (•••) Sta (•••) Res (••••) Brawl (••)| |Fighting Style – Two Weapon Fighting • – •••••||Trained to fight with short weapons (Size 2 or less) in both hands to their advantage in defense and offense.||Wit (•••) Dex (•••) Weaponry (••••) Athletics (••)| |Fighting Style – Unarmed Defence • – •••••||“Unarmed Defence”||Dex (•••) Brawl (••) Defensive Combat-Brawl| |Fighting Style – Wall Fighting • – •••••||Able to use walls and other vertical obstacles during combat.||Str (••) Dex (••) Sta (••) Athletics (•••) Acrobatics (s)| |Fighting Style – Wrestling • – •••••||Able to use walls and other vertical obstacles during combat.||Requirements| |Fighting Style – Zui Quan • – •••••||“Drunken Boxing” is a general term for all styles of Chinese Martial Arts that imitate a Drunkard.||Str (••) Dex (•••) Sta (••) Wit (•••) Athletics (•••) Acrobatics (s) Expression (••) Drunkenness (s)| |A Little Knowledge (2)||Once you have a’ hold, you have them..| |Awakened (8)||Dreams plague you as your Soul begins it’s Ascension and you awaken to the Truth of the Lie.||As you discover and experience this.| |Clear Sighted (2)||Spend one Willpower, and you’re effectively immune to supernatural powers that fuck with your senses for the rest of the Scene. It’s niche, but you can laugh off stuff like Hallucinate.||None.| |Cult Initiation (1-5)||None| |Deadpan (3)||Need to be a Sleepwalker (which Hardened Exorcist technically does), but this merit makes you immune to supernaturally inflicted fear unless it plays off your Vice or a mental condition (in which case you just get a bonus). Helps you avoid being spooked by ghosts.||None.| |Dead Reckoning (2)||Something makes you feel more comfortable with the Dead than the living and Bonus to navigate the Realms of the Dead.||None| |Dragons Tongue (2/4)||..||None| |Empathic Bond (2)||Working like a Mother’s intuition for anyone, specify close persons to bond with||None| |Fog of Ages (1-5)||None| |Fortitude of the Soul (2)||You believe.. and having symbol of your faith with you improves your supernatural resistance.||True Faith, Symbol,| |Generation (1-5)||Denotes your Vampiric Generation, from 13th when no DoTs to 8th gen at 5 DoTs & 4th Gen at 9 DoTs. Kindred only.| |Ghoul (4)||You have yourself a Ghoul in your Retinue..||Kindred usually.| |Gifted (2-5)||These people are in tune with the Twilight in ways that grant them “Psychic Powers”.||Trauma, accident or intense treatment may cause this or born.| |Hardened Exorcist (2)||Skillful Exorcist with Experience..||Lots?| |Haunted (1-5)||A Being of some kind has latched onto you and is causing problems that will only escalate unless stopped.||??| |Lesser Shaman (6)||Part way towards being a Mage but nowhete near the power or danger involved.||Must be a Sleeper| |Lucid Dreamer (2)||Nothing distracts once she’s driving..||None| |Medium (3)||Interact with Ghosts etc and Linda dismiss or summon.||Lots| |Mythologist (2)||Lots of knowledge of Myths & legends..||Probs| |Necropolis • – •••••||None| |Nostalgia • – •••••||None| |Psychic • – •••••||Yes| |Sensitive (2)||Not quite in tune with the Twilight all around but somehow aware of it and vague feelings occur.||Various.| |Spirit Magnet • – •••••||None| |Spirit Mentor (3)||.||None| |Spirit Sight (4)||D||None| |Strong Aura ••||N||Drive(3)| |Supernatural Lore • – •••••||Actively owe money to some person, people or organization. Each DOT deducts a DOT from yourt.. Negatives mean …||Ath & Across| |Thin Blooded (1-5)||Beings with weaker than average Vitality in their blood. It means a lot less Power and potential. Vampires with such weak, watered down blood are often Outcast or lack Status and Power.||Flaw| |Unseen Senses ••||Select a specific type of Supernatural Creature which you have the ability to sense in some way.. More DOTs better the Sensing. This can be bought multiple times for multiple Creature types.||None| |Vision ••||Seeing things…||?| |Weak Aura • – •••••||None| |Whispers ••||Experiences strange voices in your head..||?| Merit Name Prerequisites Description Beast Whispers - You can talk down frenzying vampires. Clan Bane Immunity - You do not suffer your domitor’s clan bane. Powerful Vitae Blood Potency 6+ domitor You feed from a Kindred with exceptionally potent blood. Predatory Aura - You can pretend to be a vampire. Predatory Instinct - You can spot vampires on sight. Source Sympathy - You experience blood sympathy towards your domitor. Vitae Hound - You are a connoisseur of Vitae. Watch Dog - You can use your domitor’s Auspex during the day. Merit Name Prerequisites Description Allies - Friends and confederates. • Lawman’s Friend - The Sheriff and Hounds have taken a liking to you. • Old Pal - An Embraced friend from your mortal days. • Paramour - A Kindred lover and confidante. • Primogen Friendship - The city’s Primogen value your advice. Alternate Identity - A false identity, complete with documentation. • Broken Bond - Another Kindred thinks you are blood-bound to him. • Covenant Infiltrator - You have infiltrated a rival covenant or sect. • Personal Masquerade - You have passed yourself off as a member of another clan. Contacts - Mortal information sources the character possesses. • Cacophony Savvy - How in-touch the character is with the Cacophony. • Mole - An informer in a rival clan or covenant. Domain - Feeding grounds acknowledged by Kindred society. • Elysium Domain • Your domain includes an Elysium. Herd - Vessels to which the character has free and safe access. Mentor - An elder vampire who advises and supports the character. • Sugar Mommy/Daddy - A romantic relationship with an elder Kindred. Protégé - A childe or other younger Kindred mentored by your character. • Thrall - A Kindred your character has subjected to the blood bond. Safe Place - A secure location you control and own. • Outside Haven Tremere You have permission to make your haven outside the clan chantry. Status (Kindred) - The character’s standing and respect in undead society. • Kindred Friendship - The character’s closeness to a clan, covenant, or sect other than her own. • Setite Initiate Non-Setite You have been inducted into the Followers of Set. • Staff - A staff of ghoul and mortal servants who follow your orders. • Status (Camarilla) - The character’s standing and respect in the Camarilla. • Status (Clan) - The character’s standing and respect among her clan. • Status (Coterie) - The character’s standing and respect in a coterie. • Status (Covenant) - The character’s standing and respect in her covenant. • Status (Society) - The character’s standing and respect in some other Kindred-exclusive fraternity, cult, or secret society. • Title - An office of formal authority within the Camarilla. Touchstone - Additional mortals who help maintain Humanity. Merit Name Prerequisites Description Calm Heart - Your character frenzies less easily than most. Fury’s Focus Brujah Your character has greater control over her frenzies. Night Doctor Surgery Anarch, Medicine •• Your character has been trained as an Anarch Night Doctor. Merit Name Prerequisites Description Bloat - Your character can store more Vitae than most Kindred. Cannibal - Your character gains sustenance from human flesh. Blush of Health Non-Nosferatu Your character easily blends in among mortals. Eat Food - The ability to eat mortal food. Foul Blood - Your character’s blood tastes revolting. Light Sleeper Wits ••• Your character easily awakens during the day. Lizard Limbs - Your character can detach their limbs. Misplaced Heart - Your heart is not located where it should be, making you very difficult to stake. Monstrous Maw - Your character’s fangs do more damage. Prehensile Wings - You are capable of crude flight. Rugged Bad Looks Nosferatu You can pass for an extremely ugly human. Thick-Skinned - Your character is difficult to drain blood from. True Worm - You can remain awake during the day, so long as you remain underground. Unmarred Face Nosferatu Your character’s face is less deformed than other Nosferatu. Merit Name Prerequisites Description Antitoxin Blood - Immunity to poisons that affect Kindred. Benevolent Blood - Your blood does not drive ghouls mad. Malkavian only. Claws of the Unholy Protean • Your character’s Protean claws inflict horrific wounds. Close Sympathy - You are particularly close to Kindred wih whom you share blood ties. Closer Than Blood Paramour • You have a mental link to your Paramour. Consanguineous Resistance Sangiovanni Immunity to blood bonds from mortal relatives. Deceptive Aura - The ability to pass as mortal to other vampires. Discipline Prodigy - One of your clan Disciplines costs less Vitae to use. Embraced without the Cup Tremere Your character is not blood-bound to her elders. Favored Visage Obfuscate •••• You are especially adept at assuming certain appearances with Obfuscate. Generation - How many generations the character is removed from Caine. Ghost Eater - You can feed from ghosts. Gifts of the Beast - Hidden powers possessed by your character’s Beast. Hidden Diablerie - Your character is difficult to detect as a diablerist. Hive Minded Animalism • Animalism that works on insects. Indomitable Soul - Diablerizing you curses your murderer. Inoffensive to Animals - Animals do nut shun your presence. Intoxicating Vitae - Your vitae develops faster blood bonds. Lesser Mark of the Beast Gangrel Your character can mitigate their Beast Marks. Living Masquerade Alternate Identity ••• Your character blends in seemlessly among the kine. Lunatic Insight Malkavian A Malkavian’s inexplicable oracular insights. Malkavian Time Malkavian A Malkavian’s connection to the clan Madness Network. Of Rose and Thorn Animalism • You can use Animalism on plants. Sleep Unseen Obfuscate • Your character can use Obfuscate while sleeping. Swarm Form Protean ••• Your character can become a swarm of animals with Protean. Sympathetic Bond - Anyone who blood bonds your character becomes blood bonded too. Thousand Forms Protean ••• The power to assume an unlimited number of animal forms with Protean. Wits ••, Academics ••, Occult •, Geomantic Specialty Perceive mystical resonance in a specific city Area of Expertise Increase a Mental Specialty to +2 Dexterity ••• or Wits •••, Intelligence below ••• Use higher of Wits or Dexterity for Defense Allies (• to •••••)Social Effect: Allies help your character. They might be friends, employees, associates, or people your character has blackmailed. Each instance of this Merit represents one type of ally. This could be in an organization, a society, a clique, or an individual. Examples include the police, a secret society, crime, unions, local politics, and the academic community. Each purchase has its own rating. Your character might have Allies (Masons) ••, Allies (Carter Crime Family) •••, and Allies (Catholic Church) •. Each dot represents a layer of influence in the group. One dot would constitute small favors and passing influence. Three could offer considerable influence, such as the overlooking of a misdemeanor charge by the police. Five dots stretch the limits of the organization’s influence, as its leaders put their own influence on the line for the character. This could include things such as massive insider training or fouling up a felony investigation. No matter the request, it has to be something that organization could accomplish. The Storyteller assigns a rating between one and five to any favor asked. A character can ask for favors that add up to her Allies rating without penalty in one chapter. If she extends her influence beyond that, her player must roll Manipulation + Persuasion + Allies, with a penalty equal to the favor’s rating. If the roll is successful, the group does as requested. Failed or successful, the character loses a dot of Allies. This dot may return at the end of the chapter (see Sanctity of Merits, on p. 158.) On a dramatic failure, the organization resents her and seeks retribution. On an exceptional success, she doesn’t lose the dot. One additional favor a character can ask of her Allies is to block another character’s Allies, Contacts, Mentor, Retainer, or Status (if she knows the character possesses the relevant Merit). The rating is equal to the Merit dots blocked. As before, no roll is necessary unless the target’s Merit exceeds the character’s Allies. If the block succeeds, the character cannot use the Merit during the same chapter. Reference: ChoD 49 Alternate Identity (•,••, or •••)Social Effect: Your character has established an alternate identity. The level of this Merit determines the amount of scrutiny it can withstand. At one dot, the identity is superficial and unofficial. For example, your character uses an alias with a simple costume and adopts an accent. She hasn’t established the necessary paperwork to even approach a bureaucratic background check, let alone pass. At two dots, she’s supported her identity with paperwork and identification. It’s not liable to stand up to extensive research, but it’ll turn away private investigators and internet hobbyists. At three dots, the identity can pass thorough inspection. The identity has been deeply entrenched in relevant databases, with subtle flourishes and details to make it seem real even to trained professionals. The Merit also reflects time the character has spent honing the persona. At one or two dots, she gains a +1 to all Subterfuge rolls to defend the identity. At three dots, she gains +2. This Merit can be purchased multiple times. Each time representing an additional identity. Reference: ChoD 50 Effect: Your character does not suffer the -2 penalty for using his off-hand in combat or to perform other actions. Available only at character creation. Reference: ChoD 47 Animal Empathy (?)Social Anonymity (1-5) Social Prerequisites: Cannot have Fame. Effect: Your character lives off the grid. This means purchases must be made with cash or falsified credit cards. She eschews identification. She avoids any official authoritative influence in her affairs. Any attempts to find her by paper trail suffer a -1 penalty per dot purchased in this Merit. Drawback: Your character cannot purchase the Fame Merit. This also may limit Status purchases, if the character cannot provide sufficient identification for the roles she wishes to take. Reference: ChoD 50 Area of Expertise (•)Mental Prerequisite: Resolve •• and one Skill Specialty Effect: Your character is uncommonly specialized in one area. Choose a Specialty to assign to this Merit. Forgo the +1 bonus afforded by a Specialty in exchange for a +2. Reference: ChoD 44 Can safely gauge how far Old Laws can be pushed Cheap Shot (••)Fighting Prerequisites: Street Fighting •••, Subterfuge •• Effect: Your character is a master at the bait and switch. She can look off in an odd direction and prompt her opponent to do the same, or she might step on someone’s toes to distract them. Either way, she fights dirty. Make a Dexterity + Subterfuge roll as a reflexive action. The opponent’s player contests with Wits + Composure. If you score more successes, the opponent loses his Defense for the next turn. Each time a character uses this maneuver in a scene, it levies a cumulative -2 penalty to further uses since the opposition gets used to the tricks. Reference: ChoD 61 Choke Hold (••)Fighting Prerequisites: Brawl •• If you can get your hands on someone, it’s over. When grappling, you can use the Choke move. • Choke: If you rolled more successes than twice the victim’s Stamina, he’s unconscious for (six – Stamina) minutes. You must first have succeeded at a Hold move. If you don’t score enough successes at first, you can Choke your opponent on future turns and total your successes. Reference: ChoD 61 Close Quarters Combat (• to •••••)Fighting [Style] Prerequisites: Wits •••, Athletics ••, Brawl ••• You know that hitting someone in the face is an easy way to break the little bones in your hand. To that end, you’ve perfected the art of using the environment to hurt people. Firing Lines (•): In some situations, your best option is a tactical retreat — especially if you’ve inadvertently brought a knife to a gunfight. You can run for cover as a reaction to a ranged attack instead of dropping prone (see “Going Prone,” pp. 164-165 of the World of Darkness Rulebook). You give up your action for the turn but can get to any cover that’s within twice your Speed. Hard Surfaces (••): Bouncing someone’s head off a urinal, computer monitor, or a brick wall is a handy way to increase the amount of hurt inflicted while not breaking the aforementioned hand bones. When you’re grappling someone, you can bounce them off a hard surface with a Damage move. You deal lethal damage and immediately end the grapple. Armored Coffin (•••): The problem with protection is simple: the very things that protect you can be turned against you. That holds true for body armor just as much as anything else. Sure, it blocks bullets and knives, but get in a clinch and you might as well be wearing a straightjacket. When you grapple an opponent, add their general armor rating to your dice pool. When you use a Damage move, ignore your opponent’s armor. This technique can’t be used in conjunction with Hard Surfaces. Prep Work (••••): If you’ve got a second to look around, you could catch someone by surprise almost anywhere. When launching a surprise attack, your Dexterity + Stealth roll becomes a rote action. Drawback: You can’t use this Merit to set up sniper attacks — your ambush must use Brawl or Weaponry. Turnabout (•••••): If you’re caught short in a fight, your opponent’s weapon suits you just fine. When you attempt to Disarm your opponent, step the results up one level — on a failure, your opponent drops the weapon. On a success, you take possession of your opponent’s weapon. On an exceptional success, you’ve got the weapon and your opponent takes two points of bashing damage. Reference: ChoD 61 Closed Book (• to •••••)Social Prerequisite: Manipulation •••, Resolve ••• Effect: Your character is particularly tough to crack. When a character uses Social Maneuvering (see p. 81) against her, add her dots in this Merit as additional Doors. In other Social actions to uncover her true feelings, motives, and position, add her Merit dots to any contested rolls for her. At the Storyteller’s discretion, this can apply to supernatural effects used against her. For example, it might allow her to resist a power that forces her to speak the truth, since she can manipulate the wording. However, it wouldn’t affect someone looking at her aura, since she cannot manipulate her spiritual resonance. Reference: ChoD 50 Common Sense (3) Mental Effect: Your character has an exceptionally sound and rational mind. With a moment’s thought, she can weigh potential courses of action and outcomes. Once per chapter as an instant action, you may ask the Storyteller one of the following questions about a task at hand or course of action. Roll Wits + Composure. If you succeed, the Storyteller must answer to the best of her ability. If you fail, you get no answer. With an exceptional success, you can ask an additional question. • What is the worst choice? • What do I stand to lose here? • What’s the safest choice? • Am I chasing a worthless lead? Reference: ChoD 44 Combat Awareness (2) +2 to any situational awareness roll Crafter’s Sense (3) Common Sense related to a chosen Crafts Specialty +2 to detect ambush Gains 8-again when navigating in the Underworld; loses 10-again navigating above ground. Remember with ease, gain +2 to Intelligence + Composure to remember facts from large swaths of data Ignores stress penalties equal to Resolve Know obscure facts choose a topic and can make Intelligence + Wits rolls to gain facts related to it at any time Wits ••• or Dex •••, Crafts •••, Crafts Specialty of Demolitions Reduce penalty for disarming unfamiliar explosives +1 to Perception when using psychoactive drugs Good Time Management Academics, Medicine or Science •• Cut time for non-magical extended rolls by 1/4 Asy 50, Rel 84 +1 on Resolve rolls to resist coercion Help others heal faster Hypnotic Voice (4) : Persuasion (3), Science (3), Hypnotherapy (s) Induce trance state Hypnosis (3): Medicine (1), Occult (1) •• or •••• Wits ••, Mental Skill •• Use specified Skill in place of Expression Two Skills ••• Share Specialty between two Skills Speak another language WoD 109, errata Fight off intrusions into dreams Control dream environment and engage intruders in dream combat • to ••• Wits •••, Skill • Remove -1/dot penalty for shoddy tools No penalties to meditate • to ••••• 2 languages per dot, conversationally Intelligence ••, Stealth ••• Strike a Killing Blow (WoD 168) against a single unsuspecting target Occult ••, Underworld Specialty Gains some insight into some of the Underworld’s enigmas • to ••• Inhibit mental alteration by psychics Resolve ••, Science or Academics •••• Resist mental breakdown with Science or Academics Science •••, Specialty Common Sense related to Science • to ••••• Know the ways of a particular type of supernatural being. May be purchased separately for multiple types. • or •• Encyclopedic Knowledge in one topic •• or ••• Intelligence ••••, Medicine •• After killing something, roll Intelligence + Medicine. •• version allows to ‘taunt’ those who would make Wits + Investigation rolls. ••• version allows to change the ‘meaning’ of a murder. Tolerance for Biology Resistance Attribute •• +2 to keep composed when shown scenes of violence or carnage Composure ••, Investigation • Memorize information perfectly; roll to memorize for entire scene (i.e. everything a character could sense in a given moment) instead of specific information or sensory input • or ••• Wits ••• or Composure ••• Ignore penalties or gain Rote quality on Perception rolls • to ••• Navigate the Chicago Undercity tunnels, ignoring penalties equal to dots in this Merit • to ••••• Mental Attribute or Composure •••• Use successes on Vision+Skill roll to aid an Extended Action 9-Again on Mental and Social rolls relating to foreign cultures Can purchase Dream and use it as Instant Action, at the cost of sanity Remove off-hand penalty to attack •• or •••• Strength •••, Stamina ••• Reduce heavy armor penalties by 1 (••) or 2 (••••) Dexterity ••, Athletics • Add Athletics rather than doubling Defense on Dodge Strength ••, Brawl • Add Brawl rather than doubling Defense on Dodge • to •• Strength ••• or Intelligence ••• Can ignore 1 (•) or 2 (••) points of Durability when attempting to damage objects Dexterity •••, Weaponry • Can disarm if damage exceeds Dexterity Dexterity ••, Brawl ••• Successful, defenseless Brawl strike adds damage as bonus to subsequent grappling attack Dexterity •••, Brawl ••, Weaponry •• Add size of blunt weapon (3 or less) to overpowering maneuver dice pool • or •• +1/dot to Initiative Dexterity •••, Weaponry •• Substitute Dexterity for Strength Dexterity ••, Wits ••, Brawl ••, Firearms •• Subtract Brawl dots from attempts to disarm by overpowering Fleet of Foot • to ••• +1/dot to Speed Fast Reflexes •• Delay action into next round Ground and Pound Combination Blows, Boxing ••• or Aggressive Striking •••, Grappling •• Perform Takedown/Throw, gain +2 to following unarmed strike Dexterity •••, Firearms ••• Two gun attacks per round Strength •••, Brawl •• +1 damage to unarmed strikes • to ••• Stamina ••• or Resolve ••• Negate fatigue/injury penalties Eat even unpalatable cuisine +2 on Stamina rolls to resist illness Negate environmental penalties to Survival -2 to all rolls to visually detect character Draw weapon reflexively Heal twice as fast Only -1 to attack when using a shield instead of -2 Substitute Resolve for Dexterity on Drive rolls +1 to lift or carry +2 on Stamina rolls to hold breath Student of the Blade Fencing • or Iaido • May use Fighting Style with all Size 2 blades. Drive and carry out another action The Weapon at Hand Krav Maga •• Reflexive Wits + Weaponry roll for improvised weapon, instant action to wield, no penalty for being improvised +2 on Stamina rolls to resist toxins Strength ••, Weaponry • Add Weaponry rather than doubling Defense on Dodge Weapons to Empty Hands Dexterity •••, Brawl •••, Weaponry •••, Two Weapons or Filipino Martial Arts or Knife Fighting •••• Use Brawl instead of Weaponry for maneuver-related attacks. Dexterity ••, Drive •• Gain 9-Again on Drive rolls • to ••••• Call upon favors from an individual, group or organization with influence and resources proportional to dots in this Merit • to •••• Loyal animal partner with intelligence and capability proportional to dots in this Merit •• to •••• Resolve ••, Larceny or Subterfuge •• -1/dot to attempts to investigate character • to ••••• Own an array of weapons and armor. May be shared among multiple characters Find ways into bars and clubs +2 to navigate a bureaucratic system • to ••••• Access to information through a particular individual, group or organization. Depth of shared information is proportional to dots in this Merit • to ••••• Formal awards for meritorious conduct from the military or a comparable organization • to ••••• Strong beneficial or harmful relationship with another character • to ••• Mortal acclaim, +1/dot to Socialize • or ••• Always find a way to buy and sell stolen goods • to ••••• The aid of a friend, ally or peer. Distribute dots in this Merit between the Friend’s Power (comparable to yours at •••) and level of Trust with you Gain bonus to locate authority figures in local power structures Help others regain Willpower •• or •••• Live a wealthy, comfortable lifestyle at the sufferance of a patron • to ••••• Guidance and interference of an authority in a field, with capability and influence proportional to dots in this Merit •, •• or •••• Establish a forged identity • to ••••• Disposable monthly income ranging from $500 USD at • to $50,000 USD at •••••, with total assets ranging from several hundred GBP at • to millions of GBP at •••••. • to ••••• Loyal agent, employee or cohort with influence and capability proportional to dots in this Merit Shadow Cult Initiation • to ••••• Membership in a cult, with unique benefits to each level of initiation Small Unit Tactics Manipulation •••, Persuasion •••, Leadership Specialty When conducting a tactical maneuver with squad, leader can spend Willpower to benefit entire group • to ••••• Resources ≥ Staff Employees or workers at a set venue, with manpower and expertise proportional to dots in this Merit • to ••••• Authority and sway with a group or organization, to a depth proportional to dots in this Merit •• or •••• Appearance adds 2 to relevant Social rolls • to •••• Empowerment as a law enforcement official, with scope of jurisdiction proportional to dots in this Merit Help others resist side effects of drugs +2 to escape notice while casing a target under cover of some mundane activity. +1 to Resolve to resist The Forgetful Mind (Dominate •••) • to ••••• Possess a cursed item, which may be invoked for a benefit and a paired drawback Difficult to Ride Resolve •••, Composure ••• +2 to resist the control or influence of ghosts and spirits • to ••••• Grant a chosen vehicle bonuses for a scene per day You can welcome a possessing spirit in, remaining alert while ridden You can welcome even spirits without the Possession Numen +1 to Persuasion and Socialize rolls against spirits, often surrounded by spirit activity • to ••••• Possess a mystic relic +1 to determine how to use a relic, or whether it is cursed Occult ••, Crafts •• Create limited-use relics with an extended Resolve + Occult ritual, following the crafting itself +1 to Intimidation, abjury and exorcism against spirits, but -1 to Expression, Persuasion and Socialize against them ••• to ••••• You know how and where to ask questions of a mysterious entity, but it extracts a price for answers • to ••••• Take refuge in a place where spirits have difficulty following •• to •••• Wits or Composure ••• +1 to Empathy and Subterfuge rolls to understand spirits speaking human tongues, ignoring penalties, or with four dots, roll Wits + Empathy – 3 to understand the tongue of spirits

No surprise which side John and Ken are on. The KFI shock jocks have done their best to drum up anger over the lane reductions in Mar Vista and Playa del Rey, coming down squarely on the side of keeping our streets dangerous. Now they’re using the KFI website to support the misguided effort to recall Mike Bonin, one of the city’s best councilmembers. And one of the few with the guts to stand up to bullies like them. Although I have to wonder if the national iHeartRadio chain, which owns KFI, knows what their employees are up to? And what they’d think about using the company website for partisan political purposes? Then again, I also wonder if the people leading the recall effort are aware that anonymous political contributions totaling over $100 in a single calendar year are against the law. And that Los Angeles has a $700 limit on contributions to city council campaigns, which would undoubtedly apply to recall campaigns, as well. Making the nearly $25,000 pledged to the recall so far tainted, and questionable as to whether it can be used for political purposes in the City of Los Angeles. But then, that’s something for the city Ethics Commission to sort out. What is clear is that this recall attempt — and especially John and Ken’s involvement in it — have little to do with Bonin. It’s really about putting a stop to Vision Zero, and maintaining the deadly automotive hegemony on our streets at the expense of everyone else. And sending a message to the rest of the council that they could be next. Which should send a chill up the spine of anyone who cares about traffic safety. Or good government. Note: Just to be clear, the term “bullies” was in regard to John and Ken. I did not refer to anyone opposed to the road projects in Mar Vista and Playa del Rey bullies, nor did I intend to. Photo of Mike Bonin taken from CD11 website. A woman was shot in the upper thigh with a BB gun from a passing car while riding in La Verne on Wednesday. As the Claremont Cyclist commented, attacks like this should be classified as hate crimes. If not terrorist attacks. Update: A comment from Robs Muir indicates that this attack occurred near Benson and 7th Street in Upland, rather than La Verne. Thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up. It’s been a bad week in the war on bikes. And yesterday was the worst yet. A Sacramento bicyclist was shot with a stun gun by a teenager in a passing car. A Houston mountain biker was left bloodied and scarred when someone strung a line thorny vines like a clothesline across a popular bike trail. A Vermont man faces charges for running a bike rider off the road, then crashing his truck as he tried to flee, and running away from that crash. A British bicyclist suffered head injuries when he was kicked off his bike by a passing motorcyclist. Another British rider was apparently shot at from a passing car; fortunately, the bullet missed. Of course, it sometimes it goes the other way. Concord CA police are looking for a bike-raging bicyclist who shot a driver with a flare gun following an argument. Yes, a flare gun. David Drexler forwards security video, along with a wanted poster, of “crusty old men” stealing bicycles from a locked garage. Which serves as yet another reminder that locked garages and storage rooms aren’t as secure as they may seem; the isolation gave these thieves over 15 minutes to cut the locks and make off with the bicycles without anyone noticing. Store your bikes inside your home or apartment if you have the room; if not, lock them as securely as possible to an immovable object in a locked garage or storage room. LA Curbed offers a great interview with former LACBC Executive Director Tamika Butler about her efforts to expand the conversation about bicycling beyond just bikes during her time at the coalition. CiclaValley discovers just how hard it is to ride up the third steepest hill in the US. Seventy cyclists raised nearly $15,000 for the Agoura Hills chapter of the ALS Association at the inaugural Ride to Defeat ALS last month. Under proposed regulations to combat racial profiling, police in California would be required to collect data on every traffic stop they make, including bicyclists and pedestrians. As Laguna Beach debates the need for more parking, one councilmember suggests removing parking from PCH to widen sidewalks or install bike lanes. As the story notes, they can’t build enough parking spots to meet the demand from tourists and residents. So the obvious solution is to provide transportation alternatives to reduce the demand for parking. A 60-year old San Diego man was seriously injured when he lost control of his bicycle riding downhill and slid into a retaining wall. Lake Elsinore will begin work on adding sidewalks and bike lanes on some of the city’s older streets. The annual Tour de Big Bear rolls this Saturday with rides ranging from 25 to 100 miles. Now there’s a good cause. Three Texas women stop in Santa Barbara on a 1,700-mile ride down the Left Coast to raise funds to care for young sex trafficking survivors. A writer in San Luis Obispo complains that the bike lobby is forcing crazy ideas for a bicycle boulevard on unwilling residents — never mind that bike boulevards actually benefit the people who live on the street. And says Los Angeles had to “roll back many similar improvements” at great expense to the public. Um, no. LA is undoing a single road diet on Vista del Mar, which simply involves removing a little paint and restriping the roadway. And it’s not like we actually have bike boulevards to roll back. A hairy Santa Rosa mountain biker goes riding in Annadel State Park. Bicyclists are excited about plans to ban private cars from San Francisco’s iconic Market Street, but merchants are worried about the effect it will have on their businesses. It’s not unusual for a blind bicyclist to ride a tandem. But a blind cyclist is riding coast-to-coast on his own bike to raise awareness for people with vision impairments, guided by a riding companion via two-way radio. Oregon dedicates a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge connecting parks in the state capital. Streetsblog Denver reminds the local constabulary that ticketing a man in a wheelchair after he gets hit by a car is not Vision Zero. Colorado officials find a leg bone from a 70 million-year old duck-billed dinosaur while conducting a survey for a new bike trail. Austin TX is installing 12 bicycle traffic lights around the city to give bike riders a few seconds head start at intersections. New York plans to add more bike lanes to meet surging demand. NY Streetsblog says the NYPD continues to slander victims by incorrectly blaming them for causing crashes, inflicting needless pain on their families. An anti-bike Philadelphia columnist says put a referendum on the November ballot about bike lanes, and let the entire city vote on whether it wants them. Which won’t pass if people like this woman have anything to say about it. This is why you always carry ID when you ride. Canadian authorities are still trying to identify a woman who was killed in a crash on Tuesday. The Guardian asks if cyclists and autonomous cars can co-exist by 2035. Or ever. A British bike rider wants to thank the hit-and-run driver who left him lying on the side of the road, because doctors found a brain tumor as they were treating him for head wounds. A motorcyclist in the UK is being called a hero after he ditched his bike to avoid a head-on crash with a group of cyclists, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. A crowdfunding campaign to buy him a new specialized wheelchair has raised nearly twice the original goal of £15,000, the equivalent of almost $20,000. Bicycling is booming in Israel, as the country encourages riding as an alternative to driving, though not everyone is happy about it. A Malaysian city moves to ban teenage bike riders from certain streets at night, in response to a crash earlier this year that killed eight young riders. No, don’t knock a bike rider off his bicycle and drag him by his dreadlocks, even if you think he’s a snitch. If you’re going to wrestle a bike from its owner, make sure it doesn’t have two flat tires first. And you could buy a new car for the price of some bikes. But then you’d have to drive it.

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree © 2011 Delia Latham Jo grabbed a handful of Dean's jacket and jerked him backward. "You're leaving? Just like that? Without explaining yourself?" She fisted both hands and planted them on her hips, only to lift one and dash away a hot tear that dared to escape. Dean sighed, but one corner of his firm, precisely curved lips quirked upward in that familiar, I'm-trying-not-to-laugh semi-grin that haunted her every time she closed her eyes. Right now she narrowed them in a threatening glare. "Well now, darlin', I don't rightly know what to do here. Am I stayin' or goin'?" Jo crossed her arms, partly reacting to the chill from the open door, and partly to keep from wrapping them around him. "You're staying, just long enough to tell me where you've been—and I hope you were busy, since you obviously didn't have time to make a phone call. Not one!" She sucked in a shaky breath and shut the door when Dean backed away from it. From the other room, Bing Crosby crooned, "I'll ...be home…for Christmas." "Argh!" Jo gave a tiny stomp of her foot, and Dean's quirky half-grin turned into a full-blown one. He hiked one brow, and Jo suddenly remembered how he'd always called that unattractive stomping habit of hers a "Jo Leigh mini fit." "Don't you dare say it!" She stomped the other one, no more able to keep it from happening than she was to prevent another tear from rolling down her cheek. Dean's cheeky grin disappeared in an instant, and now she remembered how he'd always hated to see her cry. Well, too bad, because sometime between leaving the department store and arriving here, she'd lost every ounce of self-control she ever possessed. "Aww, darlin', don't cry. Please don't cry!" Dean dropped his expensive leather jacket right down on the floor and stretched a tentative hand toward Jo. Was he going to try and kiss her? She stiffened, not knowing whether to hope he was or pray he wasn't. Because if he did, she wouldn't be able to stop him in her current state of spinelessness. But he simply caught the wayward tear on his thumb and brought it to his lips, where he proceeded to tease her senses by pressing an absolutely beautiful kiss onto it. "I never intended to make you cry, darlin'." "Well, you did!" Jo flounced across the room. Flounced. Like a silly teenage girl in a huff. "You did make me cry, Dean. Night after night after endless night." She dropped onto the sofa, pulled her feet up under her and covered them with an afghan. Dean indicated the cushion next to her. "May I?" "Suit yourself." She sniffled, hating herself for being so transparent. Dean lowered himself onto the empty space and turned to face her. His blue-gray eyes reflected all the love she had longed for during the agonizing months of the past year, and she didn't understand. She knew that look. She knew what it meant. But it didn't make sense. If he loved her, why had he abandoned her as he had? She drew a shuddering breath and set her jaw, trying to strengthen her own weakening resolve. "Talk." And he did. For half an hour, he talked. She learned how, on the morning of the day he left her, he had witnessed the assassination of a married couple by a man everyone in the city knew, but could not prove, to be a major crime lord. Dean explained how he'd thought the man might have caught a glimpse of him as he made his own escape, and about his panicked flight to the police department. He related how the FBI took the case right out of the hands of local law enforcement and whisked him off for hours of grueling interrogation. He paused then, and held out his hand. Jo placed hers into it, while tears streamed down her face and dripped off the tip of her chin. "They told me I had to go under the grid, Jo…not just to save my own life, but the lives of anyone who meant anything to me. Especially you. Because this guy wouldn't hesitate to use you as a tool to get to me—or simply kill you to send me a message." His voice thickened, and he cleared his throat. "If I had to say good-bye to you forever, that's what I'd do to keep him from finding you, Jo." "But he didn't know who you were, Dean. I don't get it." "There's always a chance that someone in the police force, or within the FBI, is dirty. Money talks, and there was no guarantee that someone wouldn't sell me out—if not for money, then to protect someone they loved." He shook his head. "It was the only way I could know you'd be safe, Jo. I had to get as far away from you as possible, as quickly as I could get there. They helped me…put me in Witness Protection, and gave me a new identity. A new job. A whole new life." He tugged on her hand, and Jo found herself melting into his embrace. "A lonely, awful new life with no Jo. Oh, darlin', I missed you! You can't imagine how many times I picked up the phone to call you, just to hear your voice…but I never did, because calls can be traced. I couldn't do anything that held even the slightest possibility of creating a trail back to you." Jo snuggled into his arms while harsh sobs wracked her body. Dean held her, gently rubbed her back, pushed the hair off her damp face, and kissed her forehead, her temples, the top of her head, while muttering comforting words into her ear. She sniffled and sniffed and worked on gaining her composure, and even managed a weak grin when the rest of the world broke in with a rousing blast of "Jingle Bell Rock" from her stereo. "Where on earth did you find this CD?" "Buried under all your other ones." Dean grinned. "One look at your apartment and I knew I had to get some Christmas spirit in here. Fastest way I know to do that is with music. But of course…" His cheeky grin nearly stopped her heart. "I couldn't stop there." Jo groaned, but couldn't prevent a tiny upward tilt of her lips. "I noticed. Happy-happy-joy-joy." to be continued..... Don't forget to check out the holiday extravaganza at http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com. Either a new book or special offer every day til Christmas.

Peter John Reynolds aged 43 has been sentenced after he attempted to meet a 14-year-old child for sex after sending explicit messages. He admitted the offence. It is believed Reynolds wanted sex with what he believed was a school girl sending her multiple explicit images if his private parts as he attempted to groom her online. Reynolds eventually arranged to meet her what he did not know was that he had been speaking to Dark Justice, He admitted he wanted to have sex with her instead he was talking to Dark Justice a pro-active two man group that aims to prevent child sexual grooming. Reynolds had arranged two meetings with the school girl however he failed to turn up, However Dark Justice had all the evidence they needed to prove the offence and handed their file over to detectives at Durham Constabulary because at the time Reynolds claimed he lived within the County Durham area, but it soon became apparent he lived within the North Yorkshire area and was arrested by North Yorkshire police and quizzed by Detectives. He was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, suspended for twenty-four months, with sex offenders registration for ten years. Reynolds, of North Yorkshire, now has to abide by a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for seven years which places various restrictions on his access to the internet & children.

Have you noticed that an increasing number of formerly “religious” people identify themselves by saying, “I’m not religious but I am spiritual,”? I suspect that for many it’s because they’d rather say that, than identify themselves as an atheist or agnostic. Perhaps it’s because they have become disenchanted with organized religions for any number of reasons, but still believe in God and have a need to acknowledge a higher power, without having to profess a particular faith tradition. I read in a recent report by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, that approximately one-third of those who say they were raised Catholic no longer describe themselves as Catholic; which means that roughly 10% of all Americans are former Catholics. I’m not sure how many of those “ex-catholics” call themselves spiritual, but I suspect it is a high percentage. My own experiences in speaking to many folks who do not identify themselves with any religion but identify themselves as spiritual, is that there is often confusion between religious and spirituality. A person I spoke to recently told me, “I suppose if I were being admitted to a hospital and they asked my religion, I’d tell them I’m catholic, even though I haven’t gone to church in years. If I were to say I’m a spiritual person, it might take too much explaining.” I’ve heard others say, “I’d tell them I’m a ‘recovering catholic’.” It’s this kind of ambivalence or confusion that prompted me to pursue this topic both here and on my blog. Below, I have a number of links to the topic that I believe will be helpful in our dialoguing on religion and spirituality. I have them here as references that you may use when I bring up the topic on my blog. Or if you just want to explore the topic on your own, hopefully these articles and essays will be useful. - Religion versus Spirituality a Spiritual Problem: Reconnecting Experience with Tradition by David Tacey – I suggest that this article by Dr. David Tacey be read first. I found it very helpful in distinguishing between religion and spirituality and realizing how they can work better together than separately. He argues that Spirituality and Religion are becoming disconnected and they need to be re-connected., since they both rely on the other. In his opinion, Religion focuses more on community and worship and, spirituality is usually, but not always, based more on an individual’s experience. I personally have a need for both a sense of community and my own sense of awe, when I meditate, read inspirational book, or just discuss a specific topic with someone else. All of these spiritual experiences can lead to feeling of awe. - This is an article by Emmy Silvius, a lay theologian, that appeared in the Australian website Catholica – Her commentary is based mainly on Dr. Tacey’s premise of how religion and spirituality might be reconnected. Her belief is that Spirituality is not just a selfish, individualistic pursuit, but that it has a community aspect. - The author of this web page asks the question: “I think that Spirituality is believing the universe is alive, and Religion is believing it expects something of you. What do you think?” Good question! Basically, it’s a position the Creation Spirituality believers embrace. (see Mathew Fox’s website) So, what do you think? - The Journal of Religion and Spirituality – This journal has a number of resources that can be very helpful. - Enlightened-Spirituality. There are a number of interesting web pages on this web site. For example if you scroll down the main page, you’ll find information about how a variety of religions describe and practice spirituality: Buddhism, traditions of the Jewish Kabbalah, Hinduism, Islam etc. - Interesting interview with Dr. Micael Ledwith – Since he retired as a catholic priest he has gone on to appear in the groundbreaking film, What the Bleep Do We Know? He has also produced three volumes so far in his own series of DVDs that deal with fundamental matters in relation to spiritual evolution, and three more of which were scheduled for release in 2010/2011. In 2008 Ledwith published The Orb Project, a book detailing his intensive five-year study of orbs, which was co-authored with German physicist Klaus Heinemann. He is currently working on a new series of books titled Forbidden Truth, a three-volume work that focuses on human destiny and the mechanics of spiritual evolution. The interview with Dr. Ledwith and SuperConsciousness Magazine speaks at length about his life, his choices, and his passion to know God as himself. - The following reading illustrates some parallels between Native American spirituality and the Buddhist way of life. The authors of this web site chose themes and readings for their proximity to Buddhist teachings. They are not meant to suggest that Native American spirituality and Buddhism are the same or share similar historical source, both are different from one another but share some similar viewpoints and religious experiences. - This web site is authored by Orrin Lewis, a Cherokee. He says in his introduction that, “This is my personal homepage – I am old-fashioned and I don’t like to put my picture on the Internet.” He might be old fashioned, but his web site contains a wealth of information besides this article entitled Seeking Native American Spirituality: Start Here. - This article by Jody A. Long, J.D., Near Death Experience, Religion and Spirituality, is described by the author as one of the last frontiers of study surrounds spirituality and Near Death Experience (NDE). She also suggests that this is a highly sensitive issue due to the nature of religion. What this study attempts to do is to objectively look at the data submitted by NDErs to the website and to categorize the answers. Questions that are analyzed include pre and post NDE religious preference, and changed beliefs. There are some surprising results that focus on universal purpose and order gained from NDE understandings. - There are a number of rich spiritualities within the catholic tradition. These spiritualities have their origin in great spiritual leaders after whom they are named; for example, Franciscan spirituality is attributed to teachings of St. Francis of Assisi, and so on. A particular spirituality is a system, or schema of beliefs, virtues, ideals and principles which form a particular way to approach God and therefore all life in general.Even though these spiritualities are different, does not mean they are contradictory. They all have their roots in the same Christian heritage and they all aim at the same goal – to love as Jesus loved. The difference is a matter of emphasis. The differences give each approach its unique character traits.To mention just a few of the more familiar: Ingnatian Spirituality, Franciscan Spirituality, Benedictine Spirituality and Dominican Spirituality. - In addition to those from the catholic tradition, here is a website that provides spirituality from other faith traditions including: Protestant, Jewish, Orthodox Christianity, Buddhist, Hindu and Muslin. I believe that since faith and beliefs are so often confused, it’s important for us to have a clear understanding of the differences. If I were to design a bumper sticker for this topic, it would be, Keep the Faith but Question the Beliefs. Theologian and Professor Emeritus at Harvard University, Harvey Cox, in his book, The Future of Faith, describes a conversation he had with a friend, who described himself as “a practicing Christian but not always a believing one.” Initially Cox was surprised with his friend’s statement, but the more he thought about it, he came to the conclusion that to call oneself a practicing Christian but not a believing one acknowledges the certainties and uncertainties that mark the life of any religious person. When I read his book, I realized I had come to the same conclusion about the differences between faith and beliefs a number of years ago, but I just wasn’t able to articulate it as well as he did. In my case, the more I studied the magisterium tradition of the Catholic Church, and the fathers of the church, the more I came to the conclusion that many of the beliefs of my pre-Vatican II background did not pass the litmus test of my conscience. My faith was in the Jesus of what Cox calls the Age of Faith, the first three centuries after Jesus died, when the early church was more interested in following Jesus’ teachings than making obligatory what to belief about Jesus. The Jesus that I believe in and in whom my faith is grounded in is: the Jesus who gave us the Beatitudes and his example of how to live; the Jesus who focused on compassion for the disenfranchised. As Dr. Cox observed, when he realized how faith and beliefs were not the same, “To focus the Christian life on beliefs rather than on faith is simply a mistake. We have been misled for many centuries by theologians who taught ‘faith’ consists of dutifully believing the articles listed in one of the countless creeds, this came as a welcomed liberation.” Amen! This webpage provides a number of references to faith and beliefs. It primarily focuses on the Christian tradition. It does not pretend to be all inclusive. The references are meant to be background for future discussions on my blog or as possible sources for your spiritual reading. From Blind Belief to Enlightened Faith – Reprint from the Theosophical Movement. The following is a quote from the article that is characteristic of the author’s position. “Blind belief passing through the fire of reason emerges as enlightened faith, casting off the ashes of exclusiveness, fanaticism and bigotry. If a man of religious belief passed from blind belief to real knowledge and practised the ethics of his own creed, he would soon be forced to discard the exclusiveness of that creed and to embody its universal aspects. Thus enlightened faith comes to birth.” - Faith Versus Belief. Posted in The Thinker by Jeffrey Ellis. In addition to this article there are a number of interesting topics that the website covers. - The Omega Connection – Faith and Belief. A brief but interesting article. - Bill Moyer’s website Faith and Reason, contains a wealth of information about faith and beliefs. It contains dozens of interview of religious leaders from every denomination, scientists who have positive and negative views about religion and in depth articles and programs both in text format or tapes of actual intervies. http://www.pbs.org/moyers/faithandreason/index.html - Harvey Cox, The Future of Faith (New York: Harper, 2009). 16. The author of classic, The Secular City, writes his last book before retiring from Harvard University, on the difference between faith and beliefs and how important this distinction is for the future of faith. - Donald F. Fausel, From Blind Obedience to a Responsible Faith: The Memoir of a Cradle Catholic. (Bloomington, IN. 2010 iUniverse) Fausel’s Memoir is a combination of stories of his life pre and post-Vatican II, including his time as a catholic priest, his struggles with many beliefs of the church, his dispensation from the priesthood and his reflections on his life’s journey, back to a responsible faith in his catholic tradition. - Judy J. Johnson. What’s So Wrong about Being Absolutely Right: The Dangerous Nature of Dogmatic Beliefs – This webpage is a commentary that Johnson contributed to her book in the Australian website Catholica. After considering some of the major features of dogmatism: the power of dogmatism and its psychological aspects, its intolerance of ambiguity and its authoritarian positions, the author concludes that “It seems reasonable to conclude that, given that features of dogmatism become manifest in social institutions, the challenge for scientists, religious leaders, and politicians – indeed, for all of us – is to open our minds about dogmatic thought; first and foremost our own.” - Faith and Foolishness: When Religious Beliefs Become Dangerous – This is an article in Scientific America, by Lawerence M. Krauss, that offers statistics about the high percentage of respondent who discard scientific facts in favor of their religious beliefs. - What is Belief, What is Faith? This is a video on YouTube by Randall Niles. He suggests that beliefs are something we arrive at after a period of time when we intellectually accept a premise, either because of a preponderance of the evidence or evidence beyond a reasonable time, while Faith is when we put our beliefs into action. He provides an interesting but simple example (parable) of a tight rope walker who successfully walks across Niagara to the amazement of large crowd of on-lookers. When he finishes, he ask the crowd if they believe he can walk across Niagara Falls. They all shout yes! He then pushes a barrel across the falls and ask the same question and get the same answer. Next he puts a friend in the barrel and pushes the barrel across the falls. When he finishes he asks if they believe he can push someone across the falls in a barrel. They all respond excitedly, “we believe,” his response to the crowd is, “whose next?” That, says Randall, is the difference between Belief and Faith. Faith requires putting beliefs into action. - Here’s a summary by Meghan Smith, News Editor, of The Gavel Online on March 25, 2011, of an address at Boston College by Vicki Kennedy, the wife of the late senator, Ted Kennedy. It is on faith and political beliefs. She said at one point, as a young girl, growing up in a Democratic family, she actually thought that Jesus must have been a Democrat, because He advocated for all the things that she learned growing up: to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty and reach out to the poor and disadvantage, all things that were a vital part of her family’s beliefs. - Mark Powel, on Faith vs. Beliefs This is a video on YouTube by Mark Powell giving his views of the French Theologian Jacques Ellul on faith and beliefs. On the same You Tube page there are a number of other spiritual topics that Jacques Ellul presents, that are worth listening to.

I confess to being a “pantser,” that is, a writer who usually creates by the seat of his/her pants. Unlike the alternate method, the “plotter,” I don’t set out in great detail the world, the characters, and what is going to happen. This works well enough for me when creating a single novel, for a continuing series it can cause headaches. For example, when I wrote The Queen’s Pawn it was pretty much a stand-alone project. My world building consisted of the narrow strip of land the characters fled through, and I designed the landscape as I wrote. I didn’t even bother to give the burning city they fled from a name. It wasn’t important to the tale I was weaving. When I finished, I wrote down two sentences as to what might happen next, if I ever found myself writing sequels. Number one was: The queen is getting married and everyone tries to stop the wedding. The second sentence was similar: The princess is getting married and everyone is tries to stop the wedding. That’s it, my entire notes regarding plotting for any possible sequels. Of course, after The Queen’s Pawn was finished I was asked to write two sequels. A plotter would have taken the time to build their world before they began. What is the geography like? What are the surrounding countries, the politics, the history, the religion? Who are the main players? The plotter knows their characters and their backstories before starting on the manuscript and has a good idea of the plotline through to the end, may have even designed certain scenes and laid out the chapters. That is the recommended way to write. I have learned from bad experience to make several notes as I write. Important stuff like describing the characters as I create them, names, places. It would be so much simpler if I did this ahead of time, but unfortunately that’s not my style. Now I have to expand the geography, expand the cast, and decide what nonsense the characters are going to get up to. In the case of the sequels, The Queen’s Man and The Queen’s Game, I had my main cast assembled and the villains still alive and hiding in the woodwork. I let the actors do the hard part and simply described how they would react to given situations. One advantage for me to my method is I can jump right into the story without always knowing where I’m headed. It becomes a voyage of discovery. Keeps me interested, and sometimes surprised by what happens. At least in the above examples I knew the intended endings, two weddings. It is the journey of discovery that keeps me amused and eager to continue writing. The Dark Lady Trilogy (Volume 1,2,3)The Queen’s Pawn (Volume 1) (volume 2 &3, The Queen’s Man, due in 2016, The Queen’s Game ?) The Housetrap Chronicles (Volumes 1 to 7) Alex in Wanderland, We’re Not in Kansas (due in March 2016)

An arrest for driving while impaired can be a frightening and confusing experience. Christopher Shelburn is a Charlotte DWI DUI defense attorney who can help. DUI DWI defense is a cornerstone of our practice and we have the experience to formulate a strategy that works best for you and your situation. A knowledgeable DWI attorney can protect your legal rights and help you to maintain your driving privileges while guiding you through the Mecklenburg County Court system. Our goal is to achieve the best possible outcome for you. In some cases, our clients need an aggressive defense to fight the charges in court. In other cases, the goal is to minimize punishments and costs our clients face. North Carolina DWI law is extremely complex but we will consult closely with you to ensure your case is handled in the manner that works to your best advantage. Our objective is to help you get back to a normal life and keep your driving privileges with minimal cost to your wallet and livelihood. Rest assured we will work hard to help you avoid jail time, license revocation, and high court fines. Our fees are reasonable, with payment plans available. DWI: Driving While Impaired Changes to the DUI / DWI law have greatly increased the potential consequences of a conviction for drunk driving. In recent years, the legislature has pushed for stiffer penalties and higher conviction rates in North Carolina drunk driving cases. The public pressure on local courts and law enforcement officials has increased the need for experienced defense of DWI charges. It is more important than ever to have aggressive representation on your side. Getting stopped for drunk driving (commonly referred to as “DWI” – driving while intoxicated or “DUI” – driving under the influence) is a serious offense and can have different consequences depending upon where you live. All 50 states define driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) level at or above the prescribed threshold level as a crime. In North Carolina, as in most states, this level is 0.08 percent. However, North Carolina has enacted zero tolerance laws that lower that level for underage drivers and also imposes harsher penalties for those caught with levels of .15 or above. If you are pulled over, and a police officer has reason to believe you may be impaired due to alcohol or some other substance, you will generally be required to take a sobriety test (blood, breath or urine) upon arrest to determine your BAC level. North Carolina implied consent laws require those arrested to submit to a BAC test or face license suspension for refusing to take the test. However, this ONLY applies to tests after arrest. Submission to breath tests at the scene via preliminary breath test (“PBT”) or “alcosensor” is not required. In North Carolina, willful refusal of breath test after arrest often carries a one-year license suspension even if you are found not guilty of DWI. If the police officer believes you are impaired by drugs or alcohol, chances are you’ll be taken into custody and brought to a police station where you’ll be held until someone can pick you up, or until the next morning when you have sobered up. In addition, your license may be temporarily suspended and your vehicle may be impounded for a period of time after the incident. However, these penalties seldom apply for refusing to perform SFST’s (standardized field sobriety tests), which are the physical coordination tests an officer has you perform. YOU MAY REFUSE SFST’s. The first concern for many clients charged with DWI / DUI is license revocation. In North Carolina, your license is immediately suspended for 30 days after being arrested on a DUI / DWI charge. 10 days after arrest, you may file an application for a limited driving privilege that will last through the 30 day period. After 30 days, you can pay a reinstatement fee at the courthouse to get your license back in full. If you are convicted, your license will be suspended again, however, you may still qualify for a limited driving privilege. We can assist you in this confusing legal process of license revocation and reinstatement, and handle your application for a limited driving privilege. Generally, your first court date after arrest will be in administrative court. In Mecklenburg County, your attorney may appear on your behalf at these initial court dates without your presence. Later, your case will move to trial court where the arresting officer will be present and you must appear. In most cases, your final court date will be months from arrest. IF YOU ARE FOUND GUILTY, THE COURT WILL: - impose fines and court costs - suspend or revoke your license - require participation in an alcohol treatment/education program - add points to your license (and your insurance will most likely increase) - sentence you to jail or require community service work as an alternative - require an ignition interlock device installed on your vehicle in some circumstances Probable Cause has been defined by the NC Courts as “a reasonable ground of suspicion supported by sufficiently strong circumstances to warrant a cautious man in believing the accused to be guilty.” A judge has to determine whether the facts support the officer in believing the driver of being guilty of Driving While Impaired. If those facts cannot be established and the officer arrested the driver anyway, this is a violation of the driver’s Constitutional rights. After an unlawful arrest, all evidence gathered after the unlawful arrest should be excluded. This usually means that the case will be dismissed. A Charlotte DWI DUI defense attorney will review your case to determine whether your Constitutional rights have been compromised and fight to have your case thrown out. What do I say if I’m pulled over for a DWI / DUI in Charlotte (Mecklenburg) North Carolina?First, you have the right to remain silent. You don’t have to answer any questions that the officer asks you about drinking or your other activities that evening. Any statements you make to the officer are sure to be used against you in court at a later time. Secondly, be polite. Erratic or emotional behavior is a sign of impairment that can be used against you in court. Additionally the officer you are speaking with is a hard-working professional who deserves courteous responses. One of the first areas a Charlotte DWI DUI defense attorney will look at is whether there was “Reasonable Suspicion” to pull you over in the first place. In North Carolina an officer can stop you if he witnesses criminal conduct or has reasonable suspicion that criminal conduct has occurred or is about to occur. In other words, if you break a traffic law the police can pull you over. If you have not broken any laws, the officer may conduct a brief investigatory stop only if there are specific facts that reasonably justify him to “conclude in light of his experience that criminal activity may be afoot.” If the officer does not have these types of facts then the stop is unconstitutional and any evidence gathered as a result should be excluded. If the officer can’t justify the initial stop then the rest of the process is invalid, therefore, the NC DWI charge should be dismissed. Do I have to perform the field sobriety tests when I’m pulled over for Drinking and Driving in North Carolina? You are under no obligation to perform field sobriety tests. Any mistakes you make on the tests (called Standardized Field Sobriety Tests) will be used against you in court. These tests can also be used to establish “Probable Cause” to arrest you. Can I refuse the roadside alcohol test when I’m stopped for a Driving While Impaired (DWI) in North Carolina? You are under no obligation to perform the roadside test for alcohol. You are free to refuse it just as you are free to refuse the other roadside tests. The result of that roadside alcohol test can be used against you in court to establish Probable Cause for arrest and to establish the presence of alcohol in your system; however the exact reading is not admissible. The officer may only testify as to a “positive” result, meaning some alcohol is present in your breath. Can I refuse to “blow” at the station when I’m arrested for a North Carolina DWI/DUI? You may refuse the breath test in North Carolina DWI arrests. However, the officer can still demand a blood test. An officer will frequently do that if there’s been an accident, or an injury. The second factor to note is that without an alcohol reading it is often much more difficult for the state to prove the case against you. With that in mind you should also know that the court can consider your refusal of the test as an adverse factor in determining your guilt. The North Carolina DMV will suspend a driver’s license for one year for refusing the breath test. The driver will also not be eligible for a “limited driving privilege” to drive to and from work for the first six months of that suspension.

Епизод 107, с бг суб Епизод 107, с бг суб Българският форум за сериали Sandy VonTrap Hahn_KFES написа:109 EPISODE SUMMARY PART I (My friends, my Turkish is not the best, and my summaries are not to be trusted. Please forgive any mistakes and misunderstandings, and feel free to make any corrections or additions!)Orhan warns Mahir not to walk into the court like that, but Mahir says there is nothing more important than Feride. He finds Feride when she gets in her car. She says they can’t talk like that, her dad is also there and is coming out shortly, and they agree to meet at the Caybahce. Adnan and MS in the car: MS asks Adnan if he thinks that Feride is lying. Adnan says that it is hard to say if Feride knows that MS has done it (killed Kerime) and that there is evidence to prove it. It was a very difficult decision she made. MS insists: but you are not sure, are you? Adnan: It is hard to say. Then they say that it is certain that Mahir was at the bank and he got the evidence. MS asks Adnan to do what he has to do to get Mahir Kara! MS: “Don’t go back to court without him”. Adnan says he will do whatever possible. Suna is in sharing the taxi with Yasin, and she asks Yasin to go someplace they can have some tea and something to eat. Osman is in front of Songul’s window and knocks on the door. She asks him in, but he does not go. She says that they can be together now, but Osman says that now is not the time, as he has to help Mahir. He says he is looking for Orhan. Songul says she does not know where he is. (I am not sure if Osman also told her that he needs time to be able to make a life for the two of them when it is all over) Orhan drops Mahir at the CayBahce and says he cannot wait. Brothers ask each other to be careful. Feride-Mahir: Feride asks Mahir why he didn’t go back to jail. Mahir says that Suna and Yasin told him about the report against her, and he could not accept it and do nothing. He asks why her dad was at the court. Feride says that MS has gone crazy. He tried every way to find the knife. They are looking for Mahir like crazy. Adnan told MS that she helped him escape, and this is why he came. Feride explained in the mini hearing that she wanted to see Mahir to ask him why he shot MS. She accepted the charge that Mahir escaped because of her, but it was not willful, and she resigned. Mahir is not happy. Feride explains that she did not want to miss the opportunity to get her dad’s fingerprints. Mahir is really upset - Why Feride? Why? Feride says something like “I don’t need my work, not like that”. Mahir insists that justice needs people like Feride. Feride says that it was her choice, she came herself to him and asked for help. “If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have made it.” Orhan gets to Dalyan. Dalyan says he was waiting for him. Osman tells Orhan that in the morning they got the news that Zehra was abducted. Osman goes crazy! Who took her? Why? Where to? He understands it is Seyis and Turgut, this is their way of thinking. Orhan to Dalyan: Don’t stop me, I am going there right now myself! Yasin-Suna: Yasin says that the man (MS) is a Minister. He can buy people with money and power. Suna looks like she is really enjoying her kofte in Komiser’s company! Yasin asks to get going, but Suna says “What’s the hurry? I have not finished my tea yet!” Then she asks “What is going to happen with Mahir and Feride? Their love is so difficult!”. Yasin is in a pensive mood and says that they have found love, but they cannot live this love. It is difficult…. Suna mumbles something like “and all that while Feride is in such a condition”… Yasin jumps up – “What did you say about Feride’s condition? Don’t run! What is Feride’s condition! You said it for a reason!” and grabs her arm!!! Yasin says “You are a smart and sweet girl, but I know you are lying!” Mahir and Feride: (I don’t understand the first part of discussion…) Feride says something about how it is all about money (I think)…. “the bassavci is on it, I have to trust him. Maybe it’s all a mask. We got my dad’s fingerprint without him knowing. The bassavci is going himself to Ankara, I told him everything about Vedat…” (I don’t understand what Mahir said)… Feride is very afraid…. (And he doesn’t let go of her hand, ladies and gentlemen! ) “My dad cannot know about all this. He will run away, and we will not find out more. Everything has to be carefully done!” Yasin and Suna: Where are we dropping you off, Suna? Suna says she is going to court and will take the bus. Yasin asks once again about Feride, but Suna leaves. Mahir and Feride leaving the Cay Bahce: Mahir - I cannot leave you alone on this road, Feride… Feride - It is such a shame, isn’t it? I have to be by my dad, I don’t want to give him the chance to escape. Feride asks Mahir to go back to jail, but Mahir says it is not possible knowing she will be close to her dad and in such danger. Feride says there is bureaucracy and processes until MS gets arrested, Mahir says he will wait. They leave and Mahir tells her that Orhan has left, he will find his way home, asks Feride to leave and be careful. Feride stops the car, Mahir runs to the rescue! Mahir – “What has happened Feride? Why are you like that?” Feride collapses. Mahir asks her to breathe in… “Please, don’t do this Feride… I know it is hard for you… The most difficult part is ahead…” I did not understand what Feride responded, but Mahir answered “why is it so?... Feride, is there something else I need to know?” Feride - No… Mahir - Look in my eyes and tell me… So there is… Feride - No, where did this come from? Mahir - There is a secret, another pain, something that is your big pain… but it is also going to give me pain… tell me… Feride - what you see in my eyes is pain… don’t you see my state? Mahir: I see, Feride… There is something you are not telling me… maybe I don’t have the right to ask… if you want to stay silent, do so… I am going now… You go, too… Feride to her baby: “Please forgive me, my baby, that I did not tell your dad!” The Bassavci asks to see Kemal. I got your name from Feride. Listen, my boy, I have something very important for you. I want you to crosscheck these fingerprints. Nobody should know. I don’t trust the Director. Prepare the report and tell no one. Kemal says he will do it with the utmost care. The Bassavci says Feride has also told her of Yasin Komiser. He asks Kemal to get Yasin’s help. He gives his home address to Kemal and advises him not to come to court, but bring the report to his house at X hour. Back to Seyis and Orhan: Seyis - Yes, I did go to Turgut to make him think that I accepted his proposal. I took Zehra to save her from him. He wants to get rid of you and he was planning to use Zehra! Look, he wants to get to you. Ask your sister about how we are treating Zehra. (girls say yes, this is true). Orhan says that he does not trust Seyis. He tries to get Zehra. Dalyan says they should meet to talk to see what Turgut wants? (or does he have a meeting with Turgut at X hour?) Seyis and Dayan discussion (I don’t understand it because of the background noise) Seyis and Ilknur continue their coffee. All is fine in lalalandE Sandy VonTrap Hahn_KFES написа:109 EPISODE SUMMARY PART IIMahir at home, finds Yasin waiting for him. Yasin - I talked with Kemal, the Bassavci asked Kemal to crosscheck the fingerprints, which means that Feride has been right about him. She tried to throw dust in her father’s eyes (by resigning) and also get her dad’s fingerprints. (I think) Mahir - I am thinking that Feride is hiding something from me – Yasin - Where did this come from? Mahir – I know so, it is something big. Yasin - what Feride is hiding from you, I think that Suna knows… Orhan-Zehra in the car: Zehra - what happens now, Orhan? Where are we going to? Please be careful with this Turgut. Orhan says it will not be easy. Zehra says Orhan does not trust her, and this is why he doesn’t let her walk outside or let his family see her. She says it it cannot be like that any more… “if you don’t trust me it cannot be, we cannot do it…” Suna arrives at the Sadoglus right when Cihan is looking for Feride. Suna says it was her who he talked with when he called the court, and she gave him Feride’s address. Suna tells him that she can take the box and give it to her because Feride is in no good shape lately because of her mother’s death. Belgin scene: Aysel tells her that a man asks to talk with her on the phone. It’s the INFORMER!!!! He (Atif) tells Belgin that Mahir Kara has escaped and Feride is accused that she has helped him. And then Mahir was seen at a bank. The informer is the right arm of Selim. Selim and Adnan are trying to figure out if Feride knows. Adnan says they have to find Mahir and ask him themselves. Adnan asks the informer to get them Mahir Kara. Yasin and Mahir: they are discussing about MS, that he is a murderer. What can be worse than that and Feride is not telling them? Mahir will find out. He will ask Suna. Yasin says that Suna run away when he asked her. Mahir says she will not run away from him. Suna and Cihan – Cihan is telling her that it is a pity he found out about his real mother so late. (+ something else I did not understand! It was a very warm discussion!) Necdet on the phone trying to find a singer for his casino. Ayten walks in and gives him his dirty laundry in a bag, saying that since he has not found the baby, he cannot live with her. Ayten repeats herself – without the baby he stays away from her. Necdet asks her to wait, it’s a whole big city to look! Ayten says that he is still lying after all this time! “Is this your pain for your baby? You are looking for a solist already!” As she is walking out, Necdet tells her that Turgut got the baby! Ayten - Turgut? What kind of business does he have with it? Necdet - He holds the baby until I do something for him. Ayten - What will you do? Necdet - What he wants… Orhan visit’s Nazif at the shoestore Orhan - Seyis has not betrayed us! He has been trying to help us! Dad, let him come kiss your hand! Orhan disappears and re-appears with Zehra. He explains that Turgut was planning to kidnap Zehra to get to Orhan, but Seyis got her first, so as to protect her. Orhan asks for Nazif’s blessing. Zehra asks for forgiveness. Turgut aligns the painting wall. Mustafa tells him they cannot find Zehra to get at Orhan. Turgut is angry that they have been losing time with this girl. Belgin storms in and sends Mustafa out. She tells Turgut that Mahir has escaped! Turgut is surprised - I did not understand! How? Belgin tells him to go ask Feride! Turgut says it is interesting, Belgin is upset that this is not what they agreed upon, and she is angry that more time is wasted. After meeting Cihan, Suna is looking for Feride, and MS invites her to wait for Feride inside. Belgin is angry. Mahir is not to be found. Turgut asks her to be patient – “is this how you yell at MS?” Turgut tells her that he knows she has been working with MS, too, and that she has killed Mualla and Vedat. Belgin says she can’t be blamed, that this is her job. She demands that Turgut gives her Mahir. Turgut tells her not to worry, because MS will die soon. Belgin wonders what happens next. Turgut calls Mustafa. He asks that he gets Murat immediately. At the Sadoglus, MS and Suna The new maid serves coffee. MS says that he is very worried about Feride givin up her work. MS tries to find out if Feride really helped Mahir escape. Suna says this is not what happened. MS tells her that this is not what he was told! Feride arrives and saves Suna. She asks if MS is angry at her that she resigned, MS said “well, yes”, and Feride said that she is sorry, but now after her mom died, MS is the only one left for her. Turgut and Murat Turgut tells Murat that revenge feels great, it is now his turn to take revenge on Belgin. Murat leaves and Mustafa comes in. Turgut is mumbling something and then says that since they could not touch Orhan, they should try mess with Dalyan! Kemal goes to Bassavci residence and hands in the report. The Bassavci calls Feride to tell her that fingerprints match, CONFIRMED! He admits it is sad, indeed her father killed her mother. He is going to Ankara to proceed with this. When MS asks Feride who it was on the phone, she says it was people who called to wish their condolences. Feride says she will go out with Suna and won’t be late. Feride tells Suna that it is confirmed now that MS killed Kerime. In the meantime, Yasin tells Mahir that Kemal matched the fingerprints and the Bassavci is going to Ankara. They decide to go find Suna. Suna-Feride scene on the bench Suna told Feride about her brother. His name is Cihan. Feride says sth about Melih. Feride says she doesn’t understand… “How could my father keep from my mother that she had not lost her baby?” Suna says she is very afraid about what will happen next in Feride’s life. Murat storms in Belgin’s office. Belgin sends Aysel out and acts so happy to see Murat (she notices he has a bottle of some kind of oxide in his hands), and starts hugging him, saying that she realized her feelings after he was gone, and would he ever forgive her blah blah blah bliah bliah bliah Back to Feride and Suna - Feride opens the box and sees letter from her mother. She also sees a letter by Melih! As Kerime explains, this is the original letter which MS had taken from Feride. Kerime found it in MS’s papers. In Melih’s letter, he explains it was him who gave the fotos of her and Mahir to the head Judge, because Turgut blackmailed him. In her own letter, Kerime tells Feride that “for you to be reading this letter, it means something has happened to me”. That scene went pretty fast, so I could not understand much, but I got the last piece of advice that Kerime told her daughter: NEVER EVER give up on your love with Mahir and don’t give up on your baby! Suna and Feride go to Suna’s. Suna says that she cannot leave Feride alone that night, and MS come knocking on the door looking for Feride, Suna will send him away. Suna says she is going to the kitchen to prepare something for Feride and the baby. Feride doesn’t want anything. Suna - I know, you are going through a big pain, and you believe it won’t go away ever. But it will. Believe me, it will pass Feride - IYI KI VASIN SUNA! (NO FEIRDE) I am happy you are here by my side! Suna - This is what friends are for! Sandy VonTrap Hahn_KFES написа:109EPISODE SUMMARY PART IIIThere is a knock on the door, Suna is making bir-iki lokma (like fried donuts), Feride gets it, and it’s Mahir and Yasin. Mahir says he was worried about Feride and this is why he came. Feride asks them inside and tells Mahir off for not protecting himself from getting caught (what if somebody sees you??), but Mahir repeats he was worried about her. They all sit down, and they discuss the latest developments – that evening the bassavci would go to Ankara. Mahir asks how long all the process would take, and Feride said she doesn’t know, but the Bassavci is on top of it. Mahir says that there is also a witness, Seyis. Seyis and Ilknur Seyis gets Ilknur a TV as a gift, and Ilknur is happy with this. Seyis says he was waiting for it for days, and that Ilknur is the most beautiful/precious thing in his life. They cannot put it to work right away, but tomorrow they are getting an antenna and they will watch TV. Seyis says that to see Ilknur so happy is his own happiness! (I don’t understand what Ilknur is saying… they had a TV and Nazif broke the screen, and she got very angry with him???) Seyis has to go and Ilknur asks him where to. She says that Seyis is trying to help Mahir, Orhan, her dad, but they are not seeing it. Seyis says it is enough for him that she sees it! Orhan is going to see Dalyan, who was supposed to meet with Turgut. He leaves Zehra as an emanet to Nazif (when you leave something precious to someone for safekeeping, to have it under their watch and protection). Feride shows Mahir the contents of the box. She explains about the letter Melih had left her, the one she had noticed the difference in the typerwriter. She explains that MS had changed it, and Feride could not understand anything related with Melih’s death. Mahir asks her not to be so harsh on herself, as nobody could have imagined that their dad would be like that. Feride still does not believe she was so naïve and so nothing, and Mahir tells her that it was all because she loved him so much (melek gibi!) Suna and Yasin are in the kitchen (DUH!) and she is trying to overhear the Mahir-Feride discussion. Yasin is telling her that the two of them share a love that’s tormented. Suna starts talking about what will happen to the baby/kid and she starts saying “cocu..(k)”, and when she realizes what she is about to utter, she says “uc” (3) (her “final” words were “what will happen to the three of them?”) Necdet calls MS but gets the phone slammed on his face Turgut’s men raid Dalyan’s casino. Dalyan gets a bullet for Orhan! Let the drama begin! Yasin and Mahir get up to leave Suna’s Mahir to Feride - if there’s anything you need let me know. You know my new address. Mahir to Suna - I will ask you and you tell me the truth. What is Feride hiding from me? Suna - I don’t know, nothing! Mahir - ok Suna! Goodnight! Suna to Feride - Feride! Mahir has understood something, don’t hide it from him! Feride - promise me you will not tell him! Suna - Tamam, promise! Now let’s go eat something, a couple of donuts! Murat and Belgin are having breakfast/lunch/brunch/dinner. She has prepared all these dishes for him, they all smell so good! Murat says he is not hungry. Belgin is saying how important he is to her. Murat is asking about Mahir, and Belgin denies any feelings for him. Mustafa enters Turgut’s office while Turgut is playing with his domino (forms the letter F – which actually stands for a number of words, not just Feride! ) Turgut explains to Mustafa the domino effect as a strategy: by touching and setting in motion just one of the dominos, they all fall down. Mustafa does not seem to think very fast, and Turgut is disappointed that Mustafa does not appreciate his genius evilness. He asks Mustafa what he wants, and Mustafa says that the men did as he ordered, and messed up Dalyan’s place. There was only one little thing that did not happen as planned, and that was that the men had to shoot Dalyan. Turgut is angry: “what do you mean that they were forced to shoot him? Didn’t I tell you not to touch anybody, but only to mess up the place??” Mustafa says that the need arose, but Turgut does not even want to listen and kicks him out. Necdet walks in Turgut’s office wondering why Turgut got so pissed off at Mustafa, and Turgut says that it was a small issue. Turgut asks: “Why are you here? Have you come perhaps to give me some good news?” Necdet says that unfortunately the news is bad. He has not been able to find MS alone neither at his home, nor at work. The situation is like that. Turgut says that if the situation is like that, then Turgut himself does not know what he will do with Necdet’s baby. Necdet gets pissed off and tries to choke Turgut, asking him where his daughter is. He says he will take Turgut’s last breath, and then Turgut stabs him with his walking stick (we all knew it would eventually be used by Turgut for more than walking support!! He actually twists the knife/dagger, I have to wonder how anybody would survive this strike! But Necdet drove himself to Ayten’s, and didn’t even go to a doctor! No internal bleeding, no stitches, no nothing!!! Damn Karadayi medical miracles!!!! ) Turgut puts the knife back in its place with Necdet’s blood still on it (maybe this will be evidence against Turgut at some point???). Turgut pats Necdet on his head, saying he is a stupid boy. Dalyan is taken to the hospital, and Orhan collapses. Ismet gives the news to Nazif. Dalyan was shot! Yasin and Mahir enter Mahir’s new place. Yasin is telling Mahir about his “chat” with Suna in the kitchen, and how she said that the situation between Mahir and Feride is a shame for the three of them. Mahir wonders what it means “for the three” of us, and who she is referring to, and Yasin says he did not understand, Suna did not say anything more. But Yasin understood that she is lying. Yasin is thinking out loud “One is you, another one is Feride, who is the third person?” (really good at math, Komiserim!!!) Yasin gets divine enlightment and says “Unless… Feride is still pregnant?”. Mahir gets excited! “When she came to see me in prison, she told me that there is a reason for her to continue living. She said that nobody knows about this reason, Yasin! It could be so! Don’t get me wrong, on the one hand side I am angry at her, I thought she gave up on the baby, but I knew that Feride is not such a woman!” Yasin says that they have to be certain, though. Nazif looking for Dalyan at the hospital. Orhan and the gang are waiting outside the operation room. Orhan says there is no news yet, and explains that he went to talk with Dalyan as he had told Nazif, but these men came. Dalyan was shot because of Orhan, in order to protect him. “If something happens to him…” Nazif tries to comfort Orhan that nothing bad is going to happen, and thanks God that Orhan is ok. He asks if he knows who did this, and Orhan says he will find out. Osman arrives and asks if the news is true. The doctor comes out and unfortunately has no good news. Shock and awe! Nazif goes inside the emergency room, and asks the nurse to let him say his goodbye to his dear friend. “Where are you going, eh?” Dalyan stayed faithful to his word to Nazif, that he would take care of Orhan as if he was his own son, he gave his soul for Orhan. Nazif’s pain is great. Necdet drives himself to Ayten’s and she takes him inside. FATIHA for Dalyan. (Hello Bulent! We haven’t seen you in a long time!) And ten days go by… Feride having breakfast with her monster father, Ayten taking care of Necdet’s wound, Sueda bodning with her baby girl, Feride crying her eyes out for Melih, Mahir dreaming of his sevda, Murat enjoying being taken care of by Belgin (but not really buying it)… So, ten days later… Sandy VonTrap Hahn_KFES написа:109 EPISODE SUMMARY PART IVSuna and Mahir: Suna - What are you doing here? Mahir - I want to talk with you! Suna - How can you show up in broad daylight in the street, the police will see you! Mahir – let’s go! The Bassavci calls Feride to tell her that they did it and the game is over, and that the decision to have her father indicted has been made. Feride is surprised that it has happened so fast. He explains that the government wants the issue to be closed as soon as possible (I think??). He will stay to follow up on everything until the warrant is issued. He tells her not to mention anything to MS, so as not to make the process any more difficult (??). He asks where her father is, and she says she doesn’t know, he left home and feride does not know where he has gone to. The bassavci asks her to be careful herself. Feride leaves, and tells the maid (Gul Hanim) she is going out. Selim finds MS waiting for him in his office. MS asks if they have found Mahir Kara after all these days. He gets his sarcasm mask on, asking if they have been lazy at the department, and Selim says that they are working like crazy, but Mahir Kara is difficult to get. MS says that a kabadayi should not be able to slip through the fingers of the Head of Security, and asks Selim to give him his resignation because he is useless. Belgin calls The Informer, Atif. Murat walks in the parlor. Belgin tells him to listen to her well – she wants Murat out of her home. Atif is surprised, he thought Murat was in jail. Belgin says she doesn’t know how he got out, but he is out. She is very frustrated, Atif suggests putting him back in jail, and Belgin asks Atif to do whatever it takes, but she wants to get rid of Murat, even if it means killing him. Do whatever! (poor Murat!) Seyis and Ilknur are planting something, and Ilknur is watering them. Then they have this big tree they want to plant, and Ilknur says that it is for her Nazif. She is saying the tree will blossom in springtime (I think), but I totally don’t understand the connection she makes with Mahir as Karadayi. Arif tells Seyis that Orhan has come to see him. Seyis tells Iknur he will be back shortly. Orhan is feeding Karakiz (but I thought that Karakiz was white!). Seyis gives his condolences for Dalyan. He says he has heard that this was Turgut’s job, and that he really is a dishonorable man. Orhan says he is here on behalf of Mahir to take down Turgut. Seyis says he is ready and he will do whatever he is told. Nazif is at Dalyan’s grave. Basically he misses his friend. He throws tea leaves and soil from the Black Sea (where they come from?) – I am sorry! I cannot understand if he is citing poetry again or if he is simply talking to his friend! Feride is looking for Suna, but Suna is not home, as she is meeting Mahir at the Cay Bahce! MS is asking the maid where Feride is, but she does not know. Selim calls. MS says that if he is calling to ask for pity he should not waste his breath. He brought this on himself (MS’s anger and demand for his resignation). Selim asks MS for a few minutes to listen to the reason why he is calling him. Selim says there is an arrest warrant against him, and he is calling for this reason. MS is amused, and says that it cannot be, because he is a Minister. Selim says that all procedures have been carried to the end, and there is all evidence against him, even his fingerprints. They know that MS has killed his wife. MS is in shock: “ It can’t be, it’s impossible!” Selim - “It happened”. They hang up the phone. Selim had just typed his resignation letter, but throws it in the dustbin and calls for an officer to go arrest MS at his home. Necdet is playing darts but with a knife. Turgut tells him that it’s dangerous to play with such games, as it may be dangerous for mothers and children (???). He teases Necdet, saying “oh, did I say ‘mother’? Forgive me!”. Necdet says something about Turgut’s dark soul (I think), and Turgut continues saying that he came because he was worried about Necdet’s health. Turgut looks in Necdet’s eyes and gives his diagnosis – Necdet’s health is in perfect form! Necdet goes to attack him, Turgut asks him to stay there (Necdet really is Turgut’s bitch in this episode!!!), and Necdet asks him to say what he wants. Turgut says that he came to prevent more blood from spilling, so that MS’s blood does not stain Necdet’s hands. Necdet asks how come, and Turgut says that everything has an end, and so has finished MS. An arrest warrant has been issued for MS, he is getting caught. So, Turgut has no need for Necdet any more. Necdet asks him where is his daughter, and Turgut protests for being treated so brutally (spare us, Turgut!). Turgut tells Necdet that the baby is where it should be, with her mother! превод от руски написа: финална сцена Тургут: Ако сега не ме убиеш, все едно ще стигна до теб и в затвора ... имам много хора на свобода ... кой ще защити семейството ти, сестра ти, а? Кой ще защити красивата ти жена? Твоят старец или лудият ти брат? Или съседката ти Айтен? Знаеш, че аз я направих жена. Махир: Ти човек ли си? Тургут: Не, не съм човек и затова ме убий, за да свърши всичко това. Потребители разглеждащи този форум: 0 регистрирани и 1 госта

The Geldof girls get front row seats at New York Fashion Week - so you'd think they'd look a bit more happy about it It's the hottest ticket in town. So you might think that Peaches and Pixie Geldof might look a little more cheerful about bagging a front row seat at a New York Fashion Week show. It seems the 'nonchalant' look is in this season. Give us a smile: Peaches (left) and Pixie Geldof prepare to watch the Lacoste Spring Summer 2010 Fashion Show at Bryant Park in New York The girls were joined by their friends Alice Dellal and Ruby Stewart at the LaCoste Spring Summer Collection 2010. The fashion-conscious foursome looked on as the show got underway. They were treated to models showing off basic whites and blues, with an eye-catching all-yellow finalé. Long faces: Peaches Geldof, Pixie Geldof, Alice Dellal and Ruby Stewart Strike a pose: Mischa Barton Other stars to drop in on the LaCoste event was OC star Mischa Barton. She happily posed for pictures before finding her seat next to High School Musical actor Corbin Bleu. The 23-year-old appeared happy and healthy after a emotionally turbulent year. In fact, it's turning out to be a busy week for the actress who's about to premiere her new series called The Beautiful Life in America. It follows a group of models who are trying to make it in the cutthroat world of fashion in New York City. It has Ashton Kutcher on board as executive producer - and he was on hand alongside wife Demi Moore at the red carpet unveiling this weekend. The fashion world is familiar territory for the London-born actress who's not only starring as a model on screen but has been busy designing her own handbags and accessories too. Fashion fans: Mischa Barton and her This Beautiful Life co-star Corbin Bleu Most watched News videos - Emergency services seen at the scene on Hythe beach, Kent - Beer delivery guys talk down suicidal man using pack of Coors - Thousands say goodbye to Big Lizzie as carrier leaves Portsmouth - Shanann Watts speaks on her husband and her health challenges - August: Met Office forecasts wind and heavy rain in places - Video emerges showing final moments of Brit who died in Ibiza - Racist man in Uganda attacks hotel staff and call them 'n*****s' - Woman hangs onto purse with $75K in it while thieves run her over - British Airways stewardess sniffs tights in bizarre striptease video - Brummy family stuck in Bristol make plea to Birmingham City Council - Shanann's daughter sings about her father, and calls him 'her hero' - Footage shows bystanders tackle man brandishing large knife

A Frenchman, a Mercedes and a Morceau of Limburger I had an encounter with the southern Dutch province of Limburg, long before my visit to its capital, Maastricht, last month. It was a close encounter of the rind kind—with Limburger cheese—in France. As a teenager, I spent a couple of summers with a French family in Hossegor, a beach town located on the Basque Coast. Albert Barrieu, husband to Marie-Josee and father of seven, was a man of taste, especially for old things. For starters he had a collection of pre-Colombian and African artifacts, amassed in Peru and Africa after World War II and coveted by museum curators all over the world. At the family’s main residence in Pouillon, also a small town in the Basque Country, the commode in one of the bathrooms was encased in a heavily carved, dark-wood chair. Albert told everyone it was “the throne of the queen of Cameroon.” Most of Albert’s antiques were displayed in the 18th-century stone house in Pouillon. The stucco villa in Hossegor (which he named Chasquitambo, after a town in northern Peru) was a museum under construction. During the summers I spent there, Albert filled it with antiques, mostly purchased from dealers in southwestern France. He could sniff out antiques like pig sniffing out a black Perigord truffle. Albert was a regional sales manager for Gaston Jaunet, a women’s ready to wear firm. His oldest child, Dominique, and I accompanied him on some of his summer sales trips. It was on one of those trips that I encountered Albert’s passion for old cheese—old Limburger cheese, to be precise. One morning as I was finishing my breakfast at the long, pine table in Chasquitambo’s dining room, and was ready to hit the plage sauvage (a favorite with surfers), Albert asked Dominique and I to accompany him to St. Jean de Luz, a fishing port not far from the Spanish border. I was thrilled to have a chance to see more of France’s Basque region. But Dominique, normally a dutiful daughter, refused to go. Was it because Albert would be driving the black Mercedes sedan, and one of us would be peering at the scenery from the back seat, through the clothing samples? No, that was not why she refused to go. Was it because her father threw a fit in just about every restaurant he took us to? Once, in Hendaye, he advised me that the best French food is served in restaurants with the shabbiest exteriors. He found a run-down restaurant, ordered poulet basquaise for lunch, took one mouthful and pronounced it to be “as filthy as the restaurant floor.” As we left the restaurant, Albert told me that very occasionally there were exceptions to his French restaurant rule. No, Dominique did not care about her father’s restaurant rows. The reason she did not want to go with him was because of the Limburger cheese that he kept in the glove compartment of the Mercedes and ate as he drove the French national roads at Le Mans speed. I volunteered to sit next to Albert. But Dominique insisted that even if she sat behind the clothing samples, they would not be a strong enough barrier to the smell of the cheese. “Deglas,” she said, which is a stronger word than “disgusting.” Marie-Josee came to her daughter’s rescue, telling Albert that Dominque had to help the other children with their summer homework. Alas, she made no excuse for me. Albert put on his misshapen Panama hat, stuffed more clothing samples onto the rack over the Mercedes’ back seat, and off we went to St. Jean de Luz. Not 20 miles into the trip, Albert said he was hungry. I knew what that meant: time for the terrible, smelly cheese. He popped open the glove compartment, and I held my breath. He pulled out a crumpled piece of white paper, and I kept holding my breath. A small piece of cheese fell out of it onto the floor. William Shakespeare had it right, when he wrote in “The Merry Wives of Windsor” that Limburger was “the rankest compound of villainous smell that ever offended a nostril.” I stuck my head out the window and took a deep breath as Albert reached for the cheese on the floor and popped it into his mouth. The boutique owner we were going to see in St. Jean de Luz was one of Albert’s best clients. She was as impossibly chic as she was frank. As we pulled the samples out of the car, she implored, “Albert, please keep the cheese in the glove compartment. You are selling Gaston Jaunet, not the Limburger line.” In Maastricht, where I attended the Association of European Journalists’ annual meeting in November, I learned two things about Limburger cheese: first, it is mostly made in Germany now; and second, there is a great benefit to its much-mocked odor. A 2006 study, which showed that the malaria mosquito is attracted equally to the smell of Limburger and to the smell of human feet, earned a Nobel Prize in the area of biology. Limburger has now been placed in strategic locations in Africa to combat the epidemic of mosquito-borne malaria. A French Musketeer in Maastricht In another French connection, Maastricht is where the captain of musketeers, Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, also known as Compte d’Artagnan, fell in battle in 1673. He is the person upon whom Alexandre Dumas based d’Artagnan, the hero of “The Three Musketeers” and other novels. In June 1673, as part of the Franco-Dutch War of 1672-78, the French laid siege to Maastricht. As Compte d’Artagnan, commander of King Louis XIV’s First Musketeers Company, prepared to attack the city’s Tongerese Gate on the night of June 25, he was killed by a single musket shot. The night attack was portrayed in “The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later,” the third and last of Dumas’s D’Artagnan Romances. Maastricht surrendered to French troops on June 30, 1673. The French occupied the city until 1678. It was subsequently restored to Dutch rule. The French again took the city in 1748, during the War of Austrian Succession, but it was restored to the Dutch that year. The French would return once more in 1794, annexing Maastricht to what would become the First French Empire. The following year, it became the capital of a French province (departement de la Meuse-Inferieure). In Maastricht’s city park (Stadspark) there is a cast-iron statue of d’Artagnan drawing his sword. Dumas wrote, “A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself. He makes his failure certain by himself being the first person to be convinced of it.” That is what the statue of d’Artagnan looks like he is thinking. Or is he thinking, as Dumas also wrote, “I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.” Once a decade a world horticultural exposition, Floriade, is held in the Netherlands. The sixth Floriade, themed “Living Nature,” will be held from mid-April until mid-October 2012 in Venlo. “In addition to the most exquisite and exceptional flowers, plants, trees, fruit and vegetables, each day at the expo features a cultural program of music, dance, literature, theater and visual art from all over the world,” Sven Stimac, director of projects for Floriade 2012, told the Association of European Journalists. Floriade 2012 aims to get visitors to use “all their senses, so they can experience the influence horticulture has on the quality of their daily lives; be part of the theater in nature, get closer to the quality of life,” according to its organizers. Venlo, the site of the world expo, is located in the province of Limburg, close to the borders of Belgium and Germany. “More than 30 million people live within a two-hour distance by car,” Stimac said, adding, “The Greenport Venlo agrologistics area and the Lower Rhine Agrobusiness region together form the largest area of horticultural production in Europe.” Besides the horticultural highlights, there is another reason to visit Floriade 2012: the green buildings and landscaping. Exhibitions of this nature often leave a legacy in the form of spectacular buildings, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Atomium in Brussels and, after Floriade 1960, the Euromast in Rotterdam, Stimac said. “This Floriade will also have a number of imposing structures. The buildings and landscapes will leave a legacy by becoming the site of GreenPark Venlo: an innovative, sustainably developed business park where economy, ecology and knowledge transfer go hand in hand,” the organizers said. Floriade 2012’s organizers anticipate more than 2 million visitors, and 35,000 peak-day visitors. Press Freedom and ‘Jeans’ in Ukraine There was much revelry at the Association of European Journalists’ meeting in Maastricht, notably at the dinner hosted by the Provincial Council of Limburg in the building where the Maastricht Treaty was signed on Feb. 7, 1992, and at the APG Group-hosted dinner among the ruins of an ancient Roman temple and forum. But there was also much to dampen the spirits of the journalists, especially the presentations on media freedom in Europe and two former Soviet republics, Belarus and Ukraine. In their report on freedom of speech in Ukraine, where the media benefited from the Orange Revolution, Arthur Rudzitsky, Diana Dutsyk and Mykhailyua Skoryk wrote that journalists are often pressured by media company owners. “Most owners of the media in Ukraine have political interests and partially implement them through the media,” they wrote. Media companies are so cash-strapped that they mostly depend on “donations” for their operating capital. “The number of such media is increasing because of the advertising market’s fall by 40 percent for the first half of 2009, compared to the same period in 2008,” they wrote, adding, “The main donors for the media are Ukrainian businessmen and state and local budgets. This grant nature of media has led to mass layoffs in the media … and the closure of many television projects and programs.” While the Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice opened access to the state register of print media and news agencies last December, “this information is still not enough to make a complete picture of the owners of Ukrainian media companies. In particular, owners of leading Ukrainian TV channels, according to the documents, are offshore companies; so it is difficult to determine who actually owns them,” they wrote. In 2009, there was a spike in the number cases of violence against journalists. These appalling cases include: - On Feb. 16, someone blew up a car owned by Valery Vorotnyk, owner of the Antenna media group, headquartered in Cherkasy. - On March 16, unknown assailants beat up Anatoly Ulayanov, journalist, art critic and editor of the Kiev-based Prosa Web site, who has criticized the National Expert Committee on the Protection of Public Morals. - On June 24, Kiev Pharmacy guards used tear gas against a TV crew attempting to film a stand-up in front of the company. The saddest statement in their report was “most journalists rarely come to court in cases when the violation of their rights takes place because they do not believe in justice and do not consider it worth their time; and the rest of the journalists simply do not know how to do it. The cases that reach the court are not always resolved in favor of journalists.” Not stated in their report was the corruption of journalists. “ ‘Dschinza’, which means ‘jeans,’ is the name commonly used for the system of paid contributions, as the money vanishes immediately into the jeans pocket of the journalists. That this practice forms part of everyday journalistic life is an open secret among those working in the media in Ukraine,” journalists Cristoph Kersting and Dorthe Ziemer wrote in the latest edition of Kontakt, the newsletter of the social and cultural arm of the Erste Bank Group in Central and Eastern Europe. “Volodymyr Mostovoj, editor in chief of the critical political weekly newspaper Zerkalo Nedeli, also complains about the dubious work methods of many of his colleagues. He believes that one reason for the attitude of many journalists to professional ethics lies in their poor training. ‘When I studied journalism, in what was still the Soviet Union, there were three faculties in the entire Ukraine where I could study. Today there are, believe it or not, 41 – of questionable quality,’ ” wrote Kersting and Ziemer, whose report has been picked up by Deutsche Welle and other media outlets. Apple Park Hotel’s Polished Service The Association of European Journalists’ meeting was held at the Golden Tulip Apple Park Hotel, located in a sports park area not far from Maastricht’s historical center. The hotel’s Big Apple theme had a few sour notes, like the dark halls with shadow boxes filled with New York mementos hanging outside the guest rooms. The one outside my room contained pictures from the rowdy American television comedy of the 1960s, “The Three Stooges,” and Grand Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. As a child, I could not stomach the three knuckleheads. It was even harder to do so as a hungover adult entering a hotel room. The hotel service was sweet and polished, especially at the front desk and in the Dreamz restaurant.

She was entering Akra. The heap of grain, yet burning, showed a dull black-red mound over which towered a column of strong incense. Here, for the night was cool, lay in circles many of the unhoused Passover guests. Here, also, was wakefulness and the hatchment of evil. The running girl was upon them before she knew it. One of the figures that sat with its back to the dull glow saw her approaching. Instantly he rose upon one knee and snatched her dress as she ran. Jerked from her balance, she screamed and threw out her hands to keep from falling upon the shoulders of her assailant. One or two others with unintelligible sounds struggled up, and as she fell, the Maccabee leaped from the darkness, wrenched her from the grasp of her captor, and warding off attack with his knife, fled with her into the darkness. The transfer of control over her had been made so swiftly that in her stupor of terror she hardly realized it. She was struggling silently and strongly in his hold, when he clasped her to him with a firmer impulsive embrace and whispered to her: "Comfort thee, dear heart! It is I, Hesper!" She ceased to resist so suddenly and was so tensely still that he knew the shock of immense reaction was having its way with her. He knew without asking that she had been forced to leave the shelter of the Greek's roof, and though his rage threatened to rise up and blind him he was not entirely unaware of the benefit the inhospitality of others had given him. At last she was with him; entirely in his care. It was a safe shelter into which she was brought, but no luxurious one. There was light enough from the single torch stuck in a crevice in the ancient rock to show that it was habitable. The immense floor was packed hard by the trampling of many feet; overhead, lost in gloom, there must have been a rocky roof, but it was invisible. On the ledges of rocks were belongings by heaps and collections, showing that this was an abiding-place for great numbers. In the far shadows she distinguished long, silent, mummied windrows of men wrapped in blankets, sleeping. Huge gloomy piles of provisions filled up shadowy corners; about under the light was the litter left in the wake of human counsel; over all was the air of repose and occupancy that made a home out of the burrow. Though the place held a great number of refugees, the footstep of the Maccabee wakened resounding emptiness. At the threshold he slackened his step and looked with pathetic anxiety at whatever light on Laodice's face would show her opinion of her refuge. But the uncertain torch revealed nothing and he led her in and across to a solitary place where rugs from some looted house had been folded up for a pallet and spread about for carpets. She sat down and awaited his speech. He motioned to the spacious barrenness about him. "Canst thou content thyself in this place?" he asked, hesitating. She nodded, but feeling that her reply had not shown all that words might, she lifted her face that he might see therein that which she could not trust her lips to say. It was her undoing. Her weakness overwhelmed her and burying her face in the folds of her mantle, she wept. After a dismayed silence, he bent over her and said with a quiver of distress in his voice: "I—I have work, here, to do, but I shall take thee out of the city for better refuge—" That she should seem to be grieving over the nature of the shelter given her, stirred her deeply. She half rose and with the light shining on her face, filled with gratitude in spite of her tears, took his hand in both of hers and pressed it with pathetic insistence. He understood her. He laid a hand unsteady with its tremor of delight and young eagerness upon the vitta and it slipped off her hair. As it dropped, the subtle warm fragrance of the heavy locks, now braided in maidenly style, reached him; the liveliness of her relaxed young figure communicated itself to him without his touch; all the invitation of her helplessness swept him to the very edge of abandoning his restraint. On his dark face a transformation occurred. All the hardness, even his years and his experience vanished from him and a soft recovering flush faintly colored his cheeks. In that sudden bloom of beauty in his face was stamped a realization of the far progress of his triumph. She was in his house and dependent on him, within the very reach of his arms. When she looked up at him again, she read all this in his face, and instantly there returned to her, with warning intensity, the fear of her love of him. The last obstacle but her own conscience that stood between her and his perfect supremacy over her life had suddenly been swept away. She started away from him, and put up her hands to ward off his touch. "If you do that," she said in a tone sharp with distress, "it is sin and I shall be cursed! I shall have to go back to him!" Then she had voluntarily left Julian, perhaps to seek him! "You shall not go back to him!" he exclaimed. "After I have given up everything but my life to have you for myself!" "You must not think of me in that way!" she commanded him vehemently. "I am a married woman! You shall remember that! If you forget it, I will go out into the streets and ask the Idumeans to kill me!" "Nay, peace, peace! I shall do you no harm! You are frightened! I will do nothing that you would not have me do! Be comforted. Not any one in all the world has your happiness at heart so much as I. Believe me!" "Believe me!" she insisted. "I am weary of doubt and denial. I am only safe if you recognize me as that which I claim to be. Answer me! You do believe I am the wife of Philadelphus?" "I believed it, at once," he said frankly. "Then—then—" but she flung her hands over her face and slipped down on the rugs. For a moment he hesitated, restraining the impulse to break over the limits she had laid down for him. Then he rose and, summoning one of the women who had taken refuge in the crypt, sent her to remain with the girl, and departed, shaken and uncertain, to his own place. IN THE SUNLESS CRYPT The twilight of the cavern rarely revealed enough of the features of her fellows to Laodice for her to identify them or for them to identify her. She lived among them a dusky shadow among shadows. And because of her fear that Philadelphus might be searching for her, she stayed in the sunless crypt day by day until the Maccabee, noting with affectionate distress that she was growing white and weak, bade her take one of the women and venture up to the light. There were, besides the women, two men who took no part in the preparation for war which went on about them in the cavern day and night. While weapons and armor were made and tramping ranks formed and broke before the commands of the lithe dark commander of that fortress and subdued but fierce councils took place around torches—while all this went on, they kept back, even apart from the women, and said nothing. Laodice saw that they were physically unfit; that one was very old and the other very feeble and her heart warmed again to that stern master who saw them fed as abundantly as his most valued men. These, then, were those Christians whom he had taken into his protection because of the Name which had inspired a shepherd boy to save his life. When he commanded Laodice to go up into the sunlight, he approached the corner in which the two useless men hid and bade them, too, to go up into the air. "Let us have no sickness in this place," he said bluntly and turned on his heel and left them to obey. Laodice took one of the older women and timidly climbing the steps from which the rubbish had been pushed away by the climbing hundreds, went through the dusk of the passage that terminated in a brilliancy that dazzled her. And as she walked she heard the footsteps of the two men behind her. Up in the chaos of fallen columns, she stood a moment with her hands pressed over her eyes. Only little by little was she able to permit the full blaze of the Judean sun to reach them. The uproar on Jerusalem after the muffled silence of the underground cavern filled her with terror, and she pressed close to the shelter of the entrance until the woman at her side reassured her. "It is nothing," the woman said, with a dreary patience. "It is as it was yesterday. I come here every day. I know." After a while Laodice looked about her. The entrance to their refuge was about the middle of the ruin and therefore a great many paces back from the streets, so that she did not see Jerusalem's agonies face to face. But she saw enough to make her cold and to turn her shivering and panic-stricken into the darkness of the crypt below. She saw the ascending streets of Zion and the tall fortifications mounting the heights within the city's limits. There she saw the flash of swords, swung afar off, spears brandished and the running hither and thither of defenders on the wall. Below she saw the remote constricted passages between rows of desolate houses, moving with people, sounding with clamor. There she saw combats, terrible scenes of frenzy, deaths and unnamable horrors; starvelings gnawing their nails; shadows of infants pressed to hollow bosoms; old men too weak to walk that went on hands and knees; young men and young women in rags that failed to cover them, and wandering skeletons screaming, "Woe!" Meanwhile huge stones mounted over the walls and fell within the city; three great towers planted beyond the walls, out of range of the Jewish engines and equipped with superior machines, were steadily devastating the entire quarter near which they were erected. Here two-thirds of the forces of Jerusalem were concentrated in a vain effort to resist the dire inroads of these effective engines. Here, the Maccabee and his Gibborim stood shoulder to shoulder with the Idumeans and fanatics of Simon and John, and here the half-mad defenders awakened at last to the fact that only divine interference could save the city against Rome. In the south and the east conflagrations roared and crackled, where burning oil had been scattered over some remaining structures near the walls. When a great ram began its thunder somewhere near the Sheep Gate, there came a hollow booming noise of deafening volume from the charnel pits outside the walls and a black cloud of incredible depth soared up into the skies. Laodice, dumb with horror, looked at the prodigy without understanding, but the woman at her side shuddered. "God help us!" she exclaimed. "They are vultures!" Laodice turned to rush back into the cavern and so faced the two men who stood behind her. One, at sight of her, shrank with a gasp, and, averting his shaggy head till the long white locks covered his face, fled back into the crypt. The other was gazing with unseeing eyes across groaning Jerusalem. "I am the man," he was saying aloud, but to himself, "that hath seen affliction by the rod of His wrath." The sight of him had a paralyzing effect upon Laodice. She saw, before her, Nathan, the Christian, who had buried her father, who had blessed her, who would know and could testify to a surety that she was the wife of Philadelphus! She slipped by him without a sound and hurried down into the darkest corner of the cavern. Circumstance had found her in her refuge and would drive her away from this sweet home back to that hateful house, to the man she did not love! For many days, with increasing distress, Laodice avoided Nathan, the Christian. With that fascinated terror which at times forces human creatures to examine a peril, she felt irresistibly impelled to try his memory of events, that she might know if indeed he would recognize her. Though she turned cold and flashed white when he came upon her one day in the darkness of their shelter, she felt nevertheless the relief of approaching a solution to her perplexity. "They tell me," he said with the deliberate speech of the old, "that Titus is once more permitting citizens to depart from Jerusalem unharmed." "Then," she said, grasping at this hope, "why do you stay here in this peril?" "Why should I leave it? Even with the singers who wept by the waters of Babylon, I prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy. Except for the time when we of the Way were warned to depart, I have been in Jerusalem all my life. Then, though I had gone as far as Caesarea on my way to Antioch to join the brethren there, homesickness overtook me and I turned in my tracks, saying no man farewell, and came back." "A weary journey for one so old," she said gently. Would he remember also that it had been dangerous? "Nay, but a journey full of works and reward. And I discovered at the end of it that I had lived in error forty years; that Christ never ceases to prove Himself." Already the forbidden tenets of the Nazarene faith had entered into his words. But feeling somehow that her deflection from uprightness covered her whole life, there was no reason why she should not hear what these people believed and have done with it. "Art thou a Christian?" she asked timidly. "I am a believer in Christ, but whether I may call myself one of the blessed I do not know, for they have had faith. But I demanded a sign. Behold it! The ruin of the City of David!" Her eyes widened with alarm. "Is there no hope?" she exclaimed. He looked at her, even in his old age impressed with the immense importance life and love must have to so beautiful and beloved a woman. Presently he said, as if to himself: "Yea, be thou blessed, O thou Redeemer, that givest life to them to whom life is dear and death approacheth." Her concern for concealment vanished entirely in her rising terror for the future of the Holy City. "I pray thee, Rabbi," she said in a low voice, drawing close to him, "tell me what thy people believe about the city. I have heard—but it can not be true!" "Do not be troubled about the city," he answered. "Ask me rather how to become safeguarded against any disaster, greater even than the fall of cities." "It is not for myself," she protested earnestly, "but for the world. Is there not a King to come to Israel?" "There is, but not yet, my daughter. Of that day and hour no man knoweth. Now is Daniel's abomination of desolation; the generation passeth and the prophecy is fulfilled. Jerusalem is perishing." Seeing the wave of panic sweep over her, he put out a soothing hand. "Yet, do not fear. For such as you the Redeemer died; for your kind the Kingdom of Heaven is built, and the King whom the earth did not receive is for ever Lord of it." The veiled reference to the tragedy which Philadelphus had recounted stood out with more prominence than the promise in his words. "Whom the earth did not receive?" she repeated. "O prophet, as thou boasteth truthful lips and a hoary head, tell me what hath befallen us." "Hear it not as a calamity," he said reassuringly. "Thou canst make it of all things the most profitable, if thou wilt. Forget the city. I, who would forget it but can not, bid thee do this. Behold, there is another Jerusalem which shall not fall. Look to that and be not afraid." Her lips, parted to protest against the vague answer, closed at the final sentence and the Christian pressed his advantage. "Of that Jerusalem there is no like on earth. Against its walls no enemy ever comes; neither warfare nor hunger nor thirst nor suffering nor death. This which David builded is a poor city, a humble city compared to that New Jerusalem. There the King is already come; there the citizens are at peace and in love with one another. There thou shalt have all that thy heart yearneth after, and all that thy heart yearneth after shall be right." In that city would it be right that she love Hesper instead of Philadelphus, and that she should have her lover instead of her lawful husband? While she turned these things over in her mind, he wisely went on with his story. Shrewdly sensing the young woman's anxiety, the old Christian guessed the interest to her of the Messiah's history before His teaching and began with prophecy to support the authenticity of the wonderful Galilean's claim to divinity. It was no fisherman or weaver of tent-cloth who brought forth the declarations of the comforter of Hezekiah, the captive prophet and the priest in the land of the Chaldeans. His was no barbarous manner or slipshod tongue of the market-place and the wheat-fields, but the polish and the clean-cut flawless language of the synagogues and the colleges. Laodice saw in the gesture and phrase the refinement of her father, Costobarus, of the gentlest Judean blood. "I saw Him," he went on in a low voice. Laodice with her intent gaze on the beatified face put her hand to her heart. "Forty years ago," the old voice continued, "I saw Him first in Galilee. There He was disbelieved and cast out. He came then unto Jerusalem and I saw Him there heal lepers, cast out evil spirits, cure the blind and the sick and the palsied. And in the house of Jairus and at Nain, I saw Him raise the dead. "I saw Him come to Jerusalem. Multitudes followed Him and accompanied Him, casting their mantles and palm-branches in the way that His mule might tread upon them." The old man pointed south toward the single summit from which Christ approaching could overlook Jerusalem. "On that hill," he said, "while the multitudes hailed Him and the sound of Alleluia shook the air, He reined in His meek beast and looked upon this city, and wept over it. When He spoke, He said, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. "And three days later, I saw the Rock of David and all that multitude follow Him unto the Hill of the Skull and there His enemies crucified Him!" After a paralyzed silence, Laodice whispered with frozen lips, "In God's name, why?" But he wisely did not pause with the calamity. He had the whole of the beginnings of Christianity to tell, a long narrative that contained as yet no dogma. Paul had seen the great light on the road to Damascus, and accepting apostleship to all the world had fought a good fight and had come unto his crown of righteousness; Peter had established the Church and had fed the sheep and had been offered up by the Beast who was Nero; John the Divine was seeing visions of the Apocalypse in the Island of Patmos; Herod Antipas, "that fox," had passed to his own place, prisoner and exile, sacrifice to a mad Caesar's imaginings; Judas had hanged himself; Pilate had drowned himself; thousands of the saints had died for the faith by fire and sword and wild beasts; kings had been converted and of the believers in Rome it was said, Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. Laodice sat with clasped hands, intent on each word as it fell from the lips of the aged teacher, seeing at one and the same time the Kingdom of Heaven constructed and her dream of an earthly empire falling. "He said," the Christian continued, "They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Repentance was a rite for Laodice, a payment of offering, a process to the righteously inclined, a thing that could in no wise purify the sinner as to make him worthy of association with the upright. The old Christian's use of the word was different; he had said that the Messiah came to the sinner, and not to the righteous. Had the young Jewess been less in need of comfort in her own consciousness of spiritual delinquency she would have set down the old teacher as one of the idlest dealers in contradiction. But now she listened with keener zest; perchance in this doctrine there was balm for her hurt. She made some answer which showed the awakening of this new interest and then with infinite poetry and earnestness he began to unfold the teachings of Christ. A woman came to them with wine and food, for the midday had come, but neither noticed it. In his fervor to enlighten this tender soul, the old man forgot his weariness; in her wonder at the strangely gentle doctrine which had contradicted all the world's previous usage, the girl forgot her prejudice. She listened; and with such signs as change of expression, flushes of emotion, movements of surprise and brightenings of interest to encourage him, the old Christian talked. When he had progressed sufficiently to round out the theory of Christianity, she had grasped a new standard. The contrast between the old and the new made itself instantly felt. On one hand was the simple and logical; on the other the complex and dogmatic. The Christian was able to measure proportionately how much should be laid upon her mind for study at once and while she still waited, he rose from his place. "There is more; yet there are other days," he said. But she caught his hand as he rose and with a sudden yearning in her eyes whispered: "O Rabbi, what said He of love?" "Love?" he repeated, with a softening about his lips. "The Master blessed love between man and woman." "But, but—" she faltered, "if one love another than one's wedded spouse, then what?" His face grew grave. "That is not lawful even among you, who are still of the old faith." He laid a kindly hand on the one that held his. "Suffer but sin not. He that endureth unto the end shall be saved." She was silent while she gazed at him with change showing on her gradually paling face. "Then—then what is in thy faith for the forlorn in love?" she exclaimed. "Peace, and the consciousness of the joy of Christ in your steadfastness," he said. She rose. How much longer had she to live? "And thou sayest we die?" "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul," he said gently. Fear Hesper, then, but not the Roman. While she stood in the immense debate of heart and conscience he laid a tender hand on her head. "Perchance in His mercy thou shalt be welcomed there first by thy father, whom I buried, and by thy mother." The sudden recurrence to that past tragedy and the unfolding of his recognition fairly swept Laodice off her feet with shock and alarm. If he noted her feeling, he was sorry he had not succeeded in comforting her with a promise of reunion with her beloved in that other land. He took away his tremulous hand from her hair. Leaving her transfixed with all he had said, he moved painfully away, stiffened by long sitting while he discoursed. THE FALSE PROPHET It was a different Amaryllis that the pretended Philadelphus faced now, from the one who had welcomed him on his arrival in Jerusalem months ago. Then she had been so cold and self-contained that it would have been effrontery to discuss her hopes with her. Now, with the avarice of love in her eyes, with wishfulness and defeat making their sorry signs on her face, she was a creature that even the humblest would have longed to help. Philadelphus sat opposite her in the ivory chair which was hers by right. She sat in the exedra and listened eagerly to the things he said with her finger-tips on her lips and her eyes gazing from under her brow as her head drooped. She had ceased long ago to debate idly on the actual identity of the man who had called himself Hesper of Ephesus. There was another question that absorbed her. Of late, it had been brought home to her that the charm of Laodice for the stranger from Ephesus, to whom the Greek knew the girl had fled, had been her purity. Why should it matter so much about virtue? she had asked herself. Why should it weigh so immeasurably more than the noble gifts of wit and beauty and strength and charm? Behold, she was wise enough to educate a barbarous nation, beautiful enough to bewitch potentates—for a time—strong enough to take a city; yet Hesper, who best of all could appreciate the value of these things, had turned from her to Laodice, who was merely chaste. The greater part of the jealous and bitter passion that had shaken her then was dumb regret that the measure of charm was so irrational—and that she had not believed in it, in time, in time! Now, however, since she had become convinced that Laodice had gone to Hesper for refuge, hope had awakened in her, but so filled with uncertainty and lack of confidence in another's weakness that it was little more than a torture to her. If Laodice had gone to this winsome stranger, either claiming to be the wife of Philadelphus or acknowledging the imposture, there was now no difference between Laodice and herself! But, she asked herself, was it not possible that this lovely girl who had shown signs of illimitable fortitude, could live in the shelter of the captivating Hesper as uprightly as she had lived under the roof of the man she called her husband? In one exigency, the hopes of Amaryllis budded; in the other, her intuitive belief in the strength of Laodice discouraged her. And while she alternately hoped and doubted, Philadelphus, in the chair opposite her, talked. "It follows that you and I must work together to gain diverse ends. If our fortunes are to be tragic, we are undoing each other in this conjunction. Since I in all frankness prefer it to turn out comedy, let us make no error. Are you weary of John? Do you seek a new diversion?" She looked at him, at first puzzled, then with a frown. It leaped to her lips, grown impatient with suffering, to tell him all that she had evolved of the histories of himself, his lady and of Hesper; but there seemed to be an element of recklessness in that which threatened to do away with a means for her success. He did not wait for her answer. "And I," he said with mock intensity, "am done to death with weariness—with my moneyer, this lady of mine. Let us be diverted while we live, for by the signs we shall all die soon." "Where," he began when her mind wandered entirely from him, "dost thou think the mysterious man hath taken my other wife? "I would I knew," he continued, conducting his inquiry alone. "It will be right simple to have her beauty spoiled in this hungry town, unless he takes tenderest care of her." There was still no comment, but the lively sparkle in the Greek's eye showed that he had touched upon a jealous spot. "And by the by," he pursued, "what does this stranger, whom I can not remember having known, look like? A villain?" She answered now in a voice filled with rancor. "Win away the girl from him and thou wilt know thyself to be the better man; but study how much he hath outstripped thee and thou shalt decide for thyself, then, that he is handsomer, more winsome, stronger and more profitable. Describe him for thyself." "Out upon you! How irritable misfortune makes most of us! Now, here is my lady. She would fail to see the humor in my fetching back this pretty impostor. Alas! Were I Deucalion or Pyrrha or whoever else it was that repeopled the world, I should have left jealousy out of the make-up of wives. It is a needless element. It gives them no pleasure, and Jove! how inconvenient it is for husbands! Now, I am not jealous of my wife. In fact, had any man the hardihood to supplant me, I should not discourage him; I should not, by my soul!" "Why," she burst out again, irritated beyond control at his manner, "do you not leave this place?" He swung his foot idly and smiled. "I shall when I can take with me this dear pretty impostor who is so determined to have me," he answered lightly. "Will you?" she asked eagerly. "Is that why you remain?" "And for my lady's dowry. She keeps the key. But had I the girl cloaked and hooded for flight, I might go, even without the treasure. The times are precarious, you observe." She rose almost precipitately and hurried over to the swaying curtain of some heavy white material like samite, covering that which appeared to be a blind arch in the wall. She drew the hanging aside. It had hidden the black mouth of a tunnel, closed by a brass wicket which was locked. "Here," she said rapidly, "is what strengthens John in his folly. This is a passage that leads under the Temple through Moriah into Tophet. The whole city is underlaid with these galleries, but this is the only one which leads to safety." She dropped the curtain and approached him. "But thou canst not go out of that passage alone!" He smiled, and then with that boyish impulsiveness that he had cultivated to cover the evil in his nature, he thrust out his hand to her. "Here is my hand on it!" he exclaimed. "Go, then, and cease not till you have found her. Then, by any or all the gods, I shall see that you do not go out of that passage empty-handed." He smiled at her radiantly and went at once to his chambers. When he reached the apartments, he found them silent and deserted. He seized upon the opportunity as most propitious for a search for the possible hiding-place of the dowry of two hundred talents. When he opened first the great press in which his lady kept her raiment he was confronted by emptiness. Dismayed, he turned to look into the room and found the chests for the most part open and rifled. On the brazier, now cold, lay a wax tablet. He snatched it up and read: Received of Julian of Ephesus the appended salvage in good repair. Items: One wife, Two hundred talents. JOHN, KING OF JERUSALEM. He went back to the andronitis of Amaryllis. "I have lost interest in the treasure," he said whimsically. "But I'll go out and look for the girl. I—I should like to discover of a truth if the passage leads out of Jerusalem." Amaryllis closed her lips firmly. Philadelphus read in the look that he could not escape without Laodice. Without further speech, he went to the vestibule, took his cloak and kerchief from the porter and went out into the city. It was nearly midnight when he passed into the streets. The tumult of assault on the walls had ceased. The long lines of beacon-fires on the walls showed only a few men in arms posted there. Without there came no sound of activity in the camp of the Roman. The streets below, lighted up by the ever-burning beacons, showed its usual restless tramping of houseless, hungry ones. But there was no talk; each one who walked the passages went wrapped in his own dismal thoughts; the thousands took no notice of one another. Jerusalem was as silent as a city stricken with plague. From the summit of Zion, which Philadelphus mounted, he could see three Roman war-towers, planted along the outer works, dimly lighted, and manned by a vigilant garrison of legionaries. These had been a dread and a destruction which the Jews had been unable to overthrow; coigns of vantage from which the enemy had been able to deal the sturdiest blows of the campaign. They had permitted no rest to the defenders on the wall; they had spread ruin by fire and carnage, by arrow and sling for days. Sorties against them had resulted in the death of their assailants, only. Jewish engines accomplished nothing against them. The three, alone, were taking Jerusalem. Philadelphus looked at their tall shapes, black against the remote illumination of the Roman camp, and inwardly hoped that they would hold off complete destruction of the city, until he had found the desirable woman. No one noticed him; men passed him like shadows with their eyes ever on the ground; no one spoke; nothing disturbed the deadly quiet of the falling city. But the next minute, Philadelphus, who walked alertly, saw people step out into gutters or press against walls, as if to allow some one to pass. Awakening interest ran abroad over the street ahead of him. A lane between the wandering multitude opened almost by magic. Through it, walking swiftly, his head up, his mystic eyes ignited, came Seraiah, soldier of Jehovah. There was no sound of his footfall. His garments flashed in the light of the beacons, but there was not even a whisper of their motion. But he had changed. There was fierce, superhuman intent in the despatch of his gait and in the uplift of his superb head. After him, as he passed, ran whispers. Each one stopped and looked. He went down the uneven slope of Zion as some great shade borne on a swift air. Two or three bold ones began to move after him. Others followed. The little nucleus grew. Philadelphus was caught in it. Numbers were added as courage grew with numbers. From intersecting streets people came. Some, although oppressed by the silence, asked what it was and were silenced quickly. Others began to mutter unintelligible predictions, and their neighbors shook their heads without understanding that which was said. The news of Seraiah's mysterious progress communicated itself to rank and rank and spread abroad. Faces appeared against a background of lights at barred windows, along the balustrades of house-tops, from areas and ruins. Philadelphus, fascinated and astonished at this curious demonstration, was contented to pass with it. Silence, except for the rustling of garments and the multitudinous footfall, fell about the vicinity. Ahead of them, Seraiah moved. His steps, finely balanced, passed over obstructions where most of his followers stumbled, and when he turned across Akra and faced the Old Wall, the excitement became painful. His pace was flying; many of his followers were running. It seemed that he was going against the Wall. Dozens anticipated that course and skirting through short ways clambered up on the fortifications and clung there though menaced by the sentries until Seraiah appeared. At a narrow point in the street that ended against the wall, Seraiah met that Jew who had become a maniac on the day Jerusalem attacked Titus. Without warning the maniac leaped up into an intensely rigid posture; his legs spread, his lean arms upstretched at painful tension, his mouth wide, his eyes dilated immensely in their hollow depths. Seraiah passed him as if no man stood in his way. Instantly the maniac wheeled, as a huge spread-eagle wind-vane on its staff, and stood at gaze, the broad uninterrupted light of the beacon shining down on him and the mysterious man. The street ended short of the wall. About the base of the fortification was an open space, in which was planted a scaling-ladder. Seraiah climbed this, an infinitesimal detail on the great blank of blackened stone. Hundreds, rushing upon the wall, though a goodly distance from the point at which the strange man had mounted, climbed it and beat off the sentries. And the foremost who reached the top saw the Roman Tower directly opposite Seraiah shudder suddenly and sink in a roaring cloud of dust upon itself to the earth. Instantly the maniac below broke the tense silence with a scream that was heard in the paralyzed Roman camp: "It is He, the Deliverer! Come!" Of the thousands of Jews that heard the madman's cry, every heart credited it. Hundreds melted away suddenly, as if stricken with terror at what they might see; other hundreds scrambled down from their places to run purposelessly, crying aimless things to the night over the city; yet others covered their faces with their arms and fell in their places, expecting the end of the world; and of the rest, the less imaginative, the more composed and the more curious, remained on the walls to see enacted a further miracle. Uproar had broken out instantly among the four stolid legions of Titus on the Assyrian bivouac. Lights flashed out everywhere; great running to and fro could be distinguished; rapid trumpet-calls and the prolonged roll of drums from company quarters to quarters were echoed back from Antonia and from Hippicus. The startled shouts of commanders; the nervous dropping of arms; the sharp excited response to roll-call; the sound of sentries challenging, the curt response by countersign, showed everywhere irregularities and the symptoms of panic in the immovable ranks of Titus. Seraiah meanwhile had disappeared from his place as mysteriously as he had come. Many of the Jews who remained on the wall believed that he had passed into the Roman camp and was troubling it. The fall of the tower, and the confusion it had wrought in the Roman camp, never occurred to them to have been fortuitous incidents with which Seraiah had nothing to do. Of the thousands that witnessed that miracle, most of them were convinced that the hour had come. Meanwhile Jerusalem was roaring with excitement. The city was ready for a Messiah. Seraiah had arisen at the psychological moment. Earlier the Jews would have been too critical to accept him readily; later they would have reviled him for coming too late. Whatever his advent lacked in thunders, in darkness, voices, and shaking of the earth, had been passed by his miraculous work against the Romans. Philadelphus, who had seen the fall of the tower, and had dropped down from the wall as soon as he had explained it all to himself, came upon new disorders. Great concourses of awakened Jews were hurrying to the walls to see what had happened, or to behold the Roman army wiped out by the Angel of Death as the army of Sennacherib had perished. Others collected at the end of the Tyropean Bridge and watched the pinnacle of the Temple for the miracle which should restore the city. But the burned ruin where the Herodian palace had stood was the center of the most characteristic frenzy. There thousands were congregated. A great bonfire had been kindled and above the multitude, on a colossal architrave fallen at one end from the giant columns that had supported it, stood a figure, redly illuminated by the fire, tiny as compared to the immense ruin of its high place, but Titan in its control over the wild mob below it. It was a woman, a Jewess, dressed in faithful imitation of the archaic garb of the prophetesses, mantled with a storm of flying black hair, stripped of veil or cloak, and splendidly defiant of the restrictions laid upon woman long after the days of Deborah. Over the heads of the panting multitude she shook a pair of arms that glistened for whiteness, and bewitched by the spell of their motion. From under her half-fallen lids shot gleams of fire that transfixed any upon whom they fell; from her supple body shaken at times with the power of its own dynamic force her hearers caught the grosser infection of physical excitement; they swayed with her as blown by the wind; they ceased to breathe in her periods; they groaned as the intensity of her fervor pressed upon them for response that they could not shape in words; they wept, they shouted, they prophesied, and over them swept ever the witchery of her wonderful voice, preaching impiety—the worship of Seraiah! Philadelphus looked at this frantic work with a creeping chill. He knew the sorceress. Salome of Ephesus, who could send the sated theaters wild with her appeal to their senses, had found enchantment of a half-mad city not hard. Aside from the impiety, in fear of which his own irreligious spirit stood, he saw suddenly opened to him the immense scope of her influence. Not Simon, not John, not Titus, had discovered the logical appeal to the city's unbalanced impulses. But the reckless woman, robing herself in the ancient garb of the days to which the citizens would revert, assuming the pose of a woman they had sanctified, preaching the dogma they would hear, showing them the sign that helped them most, held Jerusalem, at least for that hour, in her hands. He realized at once that to attempt to denounce her would expose him to destruction at the wolfish hands of the frenzied mob. There were not soldiers enough in the city to destroy her influence, for she had achieved in her followers that infatuation that goes down to death before it relinquishes its conviction. Her control was complete. Seraiah was the anointed one, but the prophetess, the instigator, the founder of the worship, as follows in all apostasies, was the final recipient of the benefits of that devotion. Philadelphus walked away from the sight of Salome's triumph. He had surrendered instantly his hope of regaining the treasure. The whole of mad Jerusalem had ranged itself with her to protect it. And Laodice was not yet found. AS THE FOAM UPON WATER The madness on Jerusalem poured like an overwhelming flood into the cavern under the ruin of the Herodian palaces. There was Hesper, with most of his Gibborim gathered, preparing to proceed to the defense of the First Wall in Akra against which the Roman would hurl himself in the morning. For days he had controlled his men only by the force of his fierce will. Restlessness, little short of turbulence, had changed his six hundred from earnest recruits to bright-eyed, contentious, irresponsible enthusiasts whom only intimidation could manage. They seemed to be balanced, prepared, ready at the least whisper in the wind to scatter madly, each in his own direction, after a vagary, albeit the end were destruction. Throughout these latter days the Maccabee had become strained and unnatural in his manner. There was a vehemence in all he did which seemed to be a final resolution against despair. His decisions were arbitrary; his methods extreme. Laodice, sensing something climacteric in his atmosphere, kept aloof from him, and regarded him from the dusk of her corner with wonder and a pity that she could not explain. The Christian on the other hand seemed always in an unobtrusive way to be at the Maccabee's elbow. The apparition with the long white hair, however, ran away and was found on the streets by the Christian and brought back to the cavern, where he hid in a dark shadow in the remote end of the crypt and was not seen. Of late the cavern was always full of suppressed excitement; unpremeditated conferences among the Gibborim, which Hesper harshly forbade; and general sharp resentment against imposed regulations and military drill. On several occasions the six hundred were sent in defense of the walls only by sheer force of their leader's will-power. And there they fell in at once with the irregular methods of the Idumeans and fanatics that fought each after his own liking, and the careful instruction of the Maccabee was disregarded. Only so long as he cowed them, they obeyed him; and he seemed to feel, as they seemed to indicate, that when that thing happened which all Jerusalem indefinitely expected and could not name, his control over them would be lost beyond restoration. On the night of the fall of the Roman tower, the Maccabee's forces had been withdrawn for rest to their retreat and at midnight were formed again for return to the fortifications. By the strange inscrutable spread of rumor, sweeping with the air, the tidings of the miracle and the rise of Seraiah poured in upon the restive hundreds that the Maccabee was attempting to form in his fortress. It came like the gradual velocity of a burning star across the sky. From the ranks nearest the exit from the burrow the murmur issued, growing into intelligible sound, mounting to the wildness of hysteria and prevailing wholly over the Gibborim in the space between heart-beats. Everywhere they cast down their spears and their weapons, everywhere they gazed at him with brilliant threatening eyes and cried in loud voices so that the things each mad mind put into expression were lost in a great unintelligible raving. Laodice, the Christian and that white-haired trembler in his refuge, saw the Maccabee raise himself to his full height and lifting his sword confront in one grand effort at command a mob of six hundred madmen! Perhaps that manifestation of iron courage and strength, which the crazy lot somehow realized, saved him from death. Instead of falling upon him they turned away from the scene of the last vain effort for their own salvation and rushed, trampling one another, into the mad city of Jerusalem. From without, the hoarse uproar of their desertion was heard to merge with the great tumult over the Holy City. Tense silence fell in the crypt. The light of the torch wavered up and down the tall figure of the Maccabee as he stood transfixed in the attitude of command that had achieved nothing. It seemed the final inclination beyond the perpendicular that precedes the fall. The Christian started from his place and hurried toward the tense figure in the torch-light. Laodice, unconscious of what she did, approached him with an agony of distress for him written in her face. The white-haired apparition crept out a little way on his knees and putting aside his tangled locks gazed with burning eyes at the defeated man. Laodice, in her anxiety, moved into the range of the Maccabee's vision. The next instant he had thrown away his sword and had caught her in a crushing embrace to him. His voice, blunted and repressed as if something had him by the throat, was stunning her ear. "And thou!" he was saying. "What from thee, now? Hate! Curses! Ingratitude! Hast thou poison for me, or a knife? Or worse, yet, scorn? Speak! It is a day of enlightenment! I'll brook anything but deceit!" She stopped him in the midst of his vehement despair, by laying her hands on his hair. There surged to her lips all the eloquence of her love and sympathy, but beside her old Nathan stood—an embodiment of her conscience, watching. Twice she essayed to put into words the comfort of her submission to his love. Twice her lips failed her; but the third time she turned to the Christian. "Rabbi, what shall I do?" she implored. "Tell me out of thy wisdom!" "What is it?" he asked, feeling that there was more than sympathy for the defeated man in her heart. "What would thy Christ have me to do?" she insisted. "This stranger, here, is the joy of my heart; I am like to die if I can not give him the love that I feel for him this hour!" The startled Christian looked at her with suspicion growing in his eyes. "Art thou a wife? Wedded to another than this man?" he asked gravely. "Wedded," she whispered, "to one who hath denied me, affronted me and cast me out of his house! In this man I have found favor from the beginning. He has been tender of me, he has sheltered me, and he has strengthened me against himself to this hour. There has been nothing sinful between us!" The old Christian's face grew immeasurably sad. "There is but one thing for you to do," he said. She wrenched herself away from the Maccabee, who had been angrily protesting against her carrying his case to another for decision, and confronted Nathan. "But he rejected me!" she cried with earnestness. "That alone is enough among our people for divorcement!" The Christian shook his head sadly. He was not happy to lay down this prohibition before them who suffered. "There is no help in thy faith for such as I am. In that thy religion fails!" she cried. "Love, now, is all in all to thee, daughter. It is but the speech of thy young blood running through thy veins, the claim of thy youth to thy use upon earth. Resist it; for when thy years are as many as mine thou wilt lose thy rebellious spirit and the fervor will have died out of thy heart. Then, if thou hast fallen in this hour, how vain and worthless it will seem to thee! Divine fires in the heart of men never become changed in value. Love purely and thou wilt never repent; but I say unto thee thou fashionest for thyself humbled and shamed old age if thou transgressest the Law!" "What mercy, then, since thou preachest mercy, in filling me with this weakness if my life must be darkened resisting it, and my future show no relief for it?" she insisted passionately. It was the cry old as the world. He looked at her sadly, hopelessly. "As for God, His way is perfect," he said. "How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Thou shalt struggle with the truth, my daughter, but without fail and most readily thou shalt know when thou hast sinned!" She was past the influence of argument. Impulse controlled her now entirely. She would see if there were not an intelligence, even a religion which would see her sorrow from her own heart's position. She listened now to the words of her lover. "He is an exclaimer, a prophet of doom!" he was crying. "Love me and let us die!" Without in the entrance of the crypt some great-lunged fanatic was calling the multitude to harken to the prophetess. The Maccabee's lips were against her cheek as he continued to speak. "It is the end! There is no help for us. Love me, and let me be happy an hour before we perish! The Nazarene is right! The city is cursed! God's wrath is upon us. The hour is still ours. Love me and let us die!" Without the great voice, like an unwearying bell, was calling: "A sign! A sign! Behold the Deliverer! Come all ye who would share his triumph and hear! Hear! Come ye and be fed, ye hungry; be drunken, ye thirsty; love and be loved, ye forlorn!" Laodice stiffened in the Maccabee's clasp. "Dost thou hear?" she whispered. "It may be true!" He shook his head that he had bowed upon her shoulder. "Let us go," she urged. "Perchance he has comfort for us. Come, Hesper; let us see what he has for the forlorn." "Who?" he asked dully. "They say the Deliverer has come." He shook his head again, but with her two hands she lifted his face from its refuge, and urging with her eyes and her hands and her lips she led him toward the stairs. The Christian looked after them. "For there shall arise false Christs; and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect," he said sorrowfully. The horror of the city augmented hour by hour. The Jerusalem Laodice locked upon now was infinitely more afflicted than the one she had seen in the daylight days before. The walls were now outlined by fire which illuminated all the city that lay directly beneath the beacons. To the north gnomish outlines by hundreds against the flames showed where the soldiers of the factionists were placing the topmost stones upon an inner wall or curtain erected just within the Old Wall, which was by this time shaking and cracking under the assaults of a great siege-engine without. Titus, awakened by the fall of his tower, had immediately renewed the attack, although the morning was still some hours distant. But the citizens were no longer disinterested, no longer wrapped in hopelessness and dull misery. Hungry, sleepless, houseless, diseased and mad though they were, their hollow eyes gleamed now with hope that was almost defiant. Around the Maccabee and Laodice roared the comment of the multitude. "They say he climbed to the summit of the outer wall overlooking Tophet and remains there a target for the Roman arrows, which rebound from him!" cried one. "One of John's men says that the heads of the arrows are blunted and the most of them snapped in two when they are picked up." "The Romans have ceased to shoot at him!" "They say that his footprints in the dust on the Tyropean Bridge are Hebrew letters writing 'Elia' in gold!" "It is said that the inner Temple is rocking with trumpet blasts and that John is struck dead!" "They say that those who believe in him shall ask for whatever they would have and have it!" "The breaches in the First Wall have been healed; the old rock is back in its place!" "They say that the dead beyond the wall in Tophet are prophesying!" "There is a bolt of lightning fixed in the sky over Titus' camp. We are called to go forth and see it fall!" A voice swept by distantly crying that a woman had eaten her child. Crazed Posthumus, self-elected guardian of the Law, with the sacred roll under his arm, declaimed, without any of his audience attending, that prophecy which this horror fulfilled. All Jerusalem was in the streets; all Jerusalem poured into the immense open space where some palatial ruin stood, and melted in the giant concourse that gathered to hear the prophetess. Laodice and the Maccabee were unable to see the woman; only her voice, mystic, musical, pitched at a singing monotone, intoning rather than speaking, reached them from the distance. The long harangue, delivered as a chant, had long ago had a mesmerizing effect on her audience. Absolutely she controlled them; along the dead level of her preaching they maintained a low continuous murmur, accompanied by a slight slow swaying of the body; in the climaxes of the appeal they responded with cries and wild gestures, flinging themselves about in attitudes characteristic of their frenzy. In their faces was the reflection of a peculiar light that proved that derangement had settled over Jerusalem. It was the end of the reign of reason. "It is the abomination of desolation. Even so, it is finished! It is the time, it is full time, and Michael hath come. There are seventy weeks; behold them. The transgression is finished and the end hereto of all sins. Approacheth the hour for the reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the most Holy! Prepare ye!" Somewhere in the city a voice that was heard even by the fighting-men on the wall in Akra cried: "The Sacrifice has failed! The Oblation is ceased! There is no Offering for the Altar; none is left to offer it!" The vast gathering heard it, and immediately from the high place of the prophetess came back the words, prompt and effective: "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease!" Posthumus, buried in the midst of the crowd, was shouting, but over him the splendid mesmerism of the prophetess' voice soared. "The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children; they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people ... The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; ... and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate!" Among the crowd now growing frantic, people began to cry: "A sign! A sign!" "Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the Heaven of the Lord!" "Lead us!" they still shouted. They were hungry; they had been abstinent; they had surrendered their riches and their comforts. It was not independence but necessities that they wanted now. The primal wants were at the surface. "Come up and be filled!" she cried. "Ask and it shall be given unto you! Eat of the grapes and the honey; drink of wine and warm milk; sleep as kings; be housed in mansions; be rulers; command potentates! Let kings bow at your footstools! Be replenished; be great! Suffering hath been your portion since the earth was; but the end is come. Draw nigh and have your recompense. Laugh, you whose eyes have trickled down with the waters of affliction! You in the low dungeon come forth and range all the free boundaries of the world. Whosoever hath gravel between his teeth, let them be grapes! He who sitteth alone, gather company and revel unto him! Feast, ye hungry; be drunken, ye thirsty; love and be loved, ye forlorn!" Laodice leaned forward suddenly and hung on the woman's words. "The time for sacrifice and humiliation is paid out! It was a long time! Now, behold in the generosity of his repentance, ye shall ask and nothing shall be denied. Speak! Ask! The whole world, Heaven and earth and the delights of all the years are yours, now and for all time!" At Laodice's side was Amaryllis. The Greek's face was pale but lighted with a certain enlightenment that was almost threatening. Startled and frightened Laodice moved back from the Greek, who moved with her, without a glance at the Maccabee. The voice of the prophetess swept on: "Ye have bowed to tyrants and bent your necks to murderers; ye have waged wars for pillagers and shared not in the spoils. Why are ye hungry now? Who is full-fed in these days of want, yourselves or your masters? A sword, a sword is drawn; uphold the arm that wields it!" "Sedition!" Amaryllis whispered, as the mob began to murmur and stir at this new doctrine. "For behold, he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to make away many!" Amaryllis bent so she could whisper in Laodice's ear. "John hath taken him a new woman to keep him cheerful this hour. I was not daring enough. Philadelphus' wife hath supplanted me. Your place with him is vacant. Go back and possess it!" "Why was appetite and desire and thirst of power and the love of riches lighted in you, but to be satisfied?" The prophetess' words swept in after Laodice's sudden fear of returning to Philadelphus. "We have expiated the sin of Adam, the greed of Jacob and the fault of David. The judgment is run out; ye have come to your own! Verily, I say unto you, if ye follow me in the name of him who hath come unto you, the world shall be yours!" Amaryllis still continued to whisper, and Laodice, fearing that the Maccabee might hear, drew farther away. He stood where she had left him, with his head lowered, waiting—at last a creature dependent on another's will. "Listen!" Amaryllis said. "I have been seeking you since midnight! Philadelphus' doubt was awakened in this woman. He questioned her, so minutely that she betrayed ignorance of many things she should have known had she been the real daughter of Costobarus. And when finally he taxed her with imposture, she robbed him of the dowry and fled to John. Convinced that you are his wife, he set forth and hath since searched for you without ceasing! See, over there! He seeks you, now!" Laodice looked the way the Greek pointed and saw Philadelphus, standing with lifted head and stretched to his full height, as if searching over the crowd for her. Panic seized her. She wrenched herself from the Greek's hold and, forgetting even the protection of Hesper who was within touch of her, she threw herself into the crowd behind her and struggled out of the press. Nathan, the Christian, saw her turn and followed instantly in the path she made. Once out, she turned in a bewildered manner this way and that. What refuge, now, for her, indeed, but the cavern under the ruin and the care of Hesper, until the end which should swallow them all! A trembling hand was laid on her arm. She whirled, expecting to find Philadelphus. Beside her, his old face radiant with emotion, stood Momus! THE FAITHFUL SERVANT Within the Roman lines was a bent and deformed figure of an old waif that the soldiers had picked up attempting to run the lines into Jerusalem the second day after the siege had been laid about the Holy City. The old man, though wrinkled and twisted and bowed, had fought with such terrible savagery and had incontinently laid in the dust in succession three of the camp's best fighting-men, that the Roman soldiers, for ever partizan to the strong man, had finally with great difficulty succeeded in trussing the old belligerent and had brought him before Titus. There they laid the twisted old burden before the young general and shamelessly told how he, thrice the age of the vanquished men, had finished them with despatch. It was evident that the old man was a Jew; it became also apparent that he was dumb and partly deaf, and further to their amazement and admiration, they discovered that his right leg and arm were too stiff for ordinary use and that he had done his wonderful execution with terrific left limbs. This saved his life and gave him a partial liberty. Titus, however, admitted to Carus that the old man's distress at being kept out of Jerusalem was pitiable enough to urge the young general to deport him and get him out of sight. For it was manifest that the old minotaur was in deep trouble. But his paralyzed tongue would not serve him, and his menial ignorance had not provided him with the means of telling his desire by writing. Titus was unable to understand from his signs anything further than that he wished to get into the city. The young general in one of his outbursts of generosity would have permitted this, but that Nicanor happened in at an evil moment and drew such pictures of calamitous effect in passing the old servant into Jerusalem that Titus was forced reluctantly and irritably to be convinced of the folly of his kindness. So here, through the terrible days of the siege, old Momus at times desperate and savage, at others piteously suppliant, wore on the sentries' peace of mind and stood like a shadow, for ever watching the white walls of the besieged city. The Romans were now within the city. Only Zion and the Temple held against them. A wall built with the thoroughness of David, the ancient, and solidified by the mortising of Time, ran directly from Hippicus to the Tyropean Valley, joining the tremendous fortifications of Moriah and so cut off Zion from the advance of the army. Securely intrenched within that quarter and the Temple, Simon and John began the last resistance which should tax Roman endurance and Roman patience as it had not been taxed before. Titus no longer lagged. Famine had long since become a powerful ally and the honor of the Flavian house rested upon his immediate subjugation of the rebellious city. He no longer expected capitulation; yet he did not neglect to be prepared for it and to encourage it. Though the heart of the historian Josephus broke, he did not fail to serve his patron as mediator, though without hope. Titus himself, as from time to time the horror of his work impressed itself upon him, made overtures to the factionists, neglecting no art or inducement which should convince the seditious that their resistance was foolhardy, even mad. At such times, Nicanor's face became contemptuous and Carus himself frowned at the young general's attitude. But the spirit of a Roman and the traditions of a soldier even could not prevent the young man from weakening at times before the charnel pit in Tophet where countless thousands of vultures fattened with roaring of wings and hissing of combat. But under an ever-thickening veil of horrid airs, the struggle went on. The Roman Ides of July arrived. Titus had erected banks upon which his engines were raised to batter the walls of the Temple. From Titus' camp, the Romans on sick leave, the commissaries, those attached to the army who were not fighting-men, and old Momus, saw first, before the attack on the Temple began, a soft increasing dun-colored vapor rise between the Temple and Antonia. It issued from the cloister at the northwest which joined the Roman tower. As they watched, they saw that vapor grow into a pale but intensely luminous smoke, as if fine woods and burning metals were consumed together. In a moment the whole north-west section was embraced in a sublime pall of fire. John was burning away the connection between the Temple and the tower and was making the sacred edifice four-square. As soon as it became confirmed, in the minds of the watchers in the Roman camp, that the Temple had been fired, the old mute among them seemed to become wholly unbalanced. Without warning, he leaped upon the nearest sentry who, not expecting the attack, went down with a clatter of armor and a shout of astonishment. The next instant the old man was making across the intervening space between the camp and Jerusalem as fast as his stiff legs could carry him. The purple sentry sprang to his feet and strung an arrow, but before he could send it singing, the old minotaur was mixed with a second soldier in such confusion that the first sentry hesitated to shoot lest he should kill his fellow. Another moment and a second soldier was struggling in the impediment of his armor in the dust and the old mute was again hobbling straight away toward the walls of Jerusalem. He was now a fair mark for the first sentry, but that Roman's rancor died after he had seen his own disgrace covered by the overthrow of his fellow. Two of Titus' scouts next stood in the path of the running old man. One went to the ground so suddenly and so violently that the watchers, now breaking into howls of delight, knew that he had been tripped. The other stood but a moment longer, than he, too, rolled into the dust. The old man might have gone no farther at this juncture, for at every latest triumph he left a crimson soldier murderous with shame. But before the arrow next strung to overtake him could fly, Titus, Carus and Nicanor, accompanied by their escort, rode between the fugitive and the men he had defeated. "There goes our minotaur," Carus said quietly. Titus drew up his horse and looked. Nicanor with a sidelong glance awaited the young Roman's command to his escort to ride down the fugitive. But he waited, and continued to wait, while Titus with lifted head and with indecision in his eyes watched the deformed old shape hobble on toward the Wall of Circumvallation. "Shall we let him go?" Nicanor inquired coldly. "If some of my legionaries or those erratic Jews fail to get him between here and Jerusalem, he shall get into Jerusalem. But by Hector, he will earn his entry!" They saw the old man mount by the causeway of earth which the Romans had built over the siege wall for the passage of the troops, saw him an instant outlined against the sky on the summit, and the next instant he disappeared. Titus touched his horse and rode at a trot toward the causeway himself. He would see the end of this mad venture. In the hour of sunrise the sentinel above the North Gate in the Old Wall saw among the ruins of the houses of Coenopolis a figure dodging painfully hither and thither. It was not habited in the brasses of the Roman armor. Also, it hobbled as if lame and ran toward the gate fast closed below the sentry. The Jew, too intensely interested in the great climax enacting in the city below, ceased to remark on this figure. Presently, however, he looked again into ruined Coenopolis. He saw there this un-uniformed figure wrapped in fierce embrace with a young legionary. Almost before the sentry's astonishment shaped itself into exclamation, the legionary was tumbled aside as if crushed and the old figure hobbled on. Suddenly there appeared in the path of the wayfarer a galloping horseman, who drew his mount back on his haunches, then spurred him to ride down the old man. The sentry on the Old Wall made a choked sound, unslung his bow and sent an arrow singing. There was a shout and the figure of the horseman plunged from his saddle face down on the earth. The wayfarer flung himself away and rushed toward the wall, only a little distance away. But all Coenopolis seemed to swarm now with legionaries, afoot or horseback. The Jewish sentry rushed to the edge of the tower overhanging the gate. "Open!" he shouted below. "One cometh!" With a rattle and clang of falling bars and chains the gate of the Old Wall swung. Disregarding the known wishes of Titus, two of the legionaries simultaneously let fly their javelins. But the mute, hobbling uncertainly, was not a steady mark and under the whistle of arrows received and sent, he blundered up the causeway leading to the Gate of the Old Wall, and the portal slowly and ponderously closed behind him. Wild howls of derision and exultation went up from the Jews. Many of the soldiers clambered down to satisfy their curiosity about the latest addition to the starving garrison. But he proved to be a deformed old man, mute and weary, who was distressed for fear he would be detained by them and who hobbled out into the besieged city and posted as fast as his legs could carry him toward the house of Amaryllis, the Seleucid. But at the edge of a great open space where the Herodian palaces had stood he came upon a concourse which seemed to be all Jerusalem. It was a gaunt horde, shouting, raging, prophesying and drowning the roar of battle at the Temple fortifications with the sound of religious frenzy. Momus, fresh from the orderly camp of Titus, was struck with terror. He would have retreated and followed some side street toward his destination, when he caught sight of a girl on the very outskirts of this mob. Momus laid a trembling hand on her arm. She threw up her head with a start. The tremulous old man, weakened from his long and superhuman struggle to enter the doomed city, held Laodice to his breast while she stroked his rough cheeks and murmured things that he did not hear and which she did not realize in the rush of her helplessness and dismay. At the corner of Moriah and the Old Wall, the tumult was infernal. Out of the suffocating sallow smoke from the tuns of burning tar heaved over the fortification upon the engines and their managers, the stones from the catapults soared into view and fell upon the sun-colored marbles that paved the Court of the Gentiles. Clouded by the vapor, targets for the immense missiles, the Jews heaving and writhing in personal encounters appeared black and inhuman. Every combatant shouted; the great stones screamed; the boiling pitch hissed and roared, and the thunder of the conflict shook the Temple to its very foundations. Without, the Romans planted scaling ladders, mounted them and were pitched backward into the moat regularly. Regularly, the ladders were set up again after struggle, mounted without hesitation and thrown down again, with an inevitability which furnished a grim travesty to the struggle. The two remaining towers were set in position against the base of Moriah and resumed execution. One after another the engines of the Romans were hauled into position, and worked unceasingly until covered with burning oil from the battlements above and consumed. Others were hauled into place; fresh detachments of Romans seized upon the scaling-ladders or mounted to the towers, and the roar of the conflict never abated. Meanwhile on the slopes of Zion the whole of Jerusalem, gaunt, dying and demoniacal, was packed in the ruins of the palace of Herod. Old Momus with triumph and tearful exultation was holding out to Laodice a heavy roll of writings, dangling important seals, ancient papers showing yellow beside the fresh parchment, and an old record dark with long handling. Here were the proofs of her identity! Laodice shrank from him with a gasp that was almost a cry. Behold, the faithful old servant had suffered she knew not what to bring such evidence as would force her to do that which she believed she could not do and survive! Momus sought to put the papers in her hands, but she thrust them away and he stood looking at her in amazement and sorrow. Nathan, the Christian, stood close to her. From the opposite side, Philadelphus rounded the outskirts of the mob, searching. He did not see her. She flung herself between Momus and Nathan and cowered down until Philadelphus had passed from sight. When she lifted her head, Momus was gazing at her with the light of shocked comprehension growing in his eyes. Nathan, the Christian, touched her. "Who was that man?" he asked gravely. She rose and laid her hands on the Christian's shoulders. "My husband," she said. Something had happened at the Temple. She saw the Jews at the wall recoil from the dust of battle, rally, plunge in and disappear. From out that presently shone now and again, then with increasing frequency and finally in great numbers, the brass mail of Roman legionaries. Titus' forces had scaled the wall. From her position, she saw running toward them John of Gischala, with his long garments whipping about him, wrapping his tall figure in live cerements. He was disarmed and bleeding. She saw next Amaryllis, with compassionate uplifted hands stop in his way; saw next the Gischalan thrust her aside with a blow and the next instant disappear as if the earth had swallowed him. Nathan was speaking to her. "How often, O my daughter, we recognize truth and deny it because it does not give us our way! God put a sense of the right in us. We transgress it oftener than we mistake it!" The roar of the turning battle and the mob about her drowned his next words, except, "You can not be happy in iniquity; neither blessed; but you are sure to be afraid. Right has its own terror, but there is at least courage in being right, against your desires." He was talking continuously, but only at times did the wind from the uproar sweep his fervent words to her. "Christ had His own conflict with Himself. What had become of us had He listened to the tempter in the wilderness, or failed to accept the cup in the Garden of Gethsemane! How much we have the happiness of Christ in our hands! Alas! that His should be a sorrowful countenance in Heaven! "The love of a man for a woman was near to the Master's heart! How can you feel that you must love and be loved in spite of Him! Pity yourself all you may you can not then be pitied so much as He pities you! "Love as long and as wilfully as you will, and then it is only a little space. The time of the supremacy of Christ cometh surely, and that is all eternity! Which will you do—please yourself for an hour, or be pleased by the will of God through all time? Love is in the hands of the Lord; you can not consign it longer than the little span of your life to the hands of the devil." Momus, in whose mind had passed an immense surmise, was again at her side. "O daughter of a noble father," his dumb gaze said, "wilt thou put away that virtue which was born in thee and let my labor come to naught?" But the preaching of Nathan and the reproach of Momus were feeble, compared to the great tumult that went on in her soul. She had seen John of Gischala cast Amaryllis aside. Even the Greek's sympathy was hateful to him. Yet when Laodice had first entered the house of Amaryllis, the woman had been obliged to dismiss John from her presence for his own welfare and the welfare of the city. Why this change? Amaryllis was no less beautiful, no less brilliant, no less attractive than she had once been; but the Gischalan had wearied of her. Laodice recalled that she had not been surprised to see the man throw Amaryllis aside. It seemed to be the logical outcome of love such as theirs. How, then, was she to escape that which no other woman escaped who loved without law? In the soul of that stranger who had called himself Hesper, were lofty ideals, which had not been the least charm which had attracted her to him. Was she, then, to dislodge these holy convictions, to take her place in his heart as one falling short of them, or were they still to exist as standards which he loved and which she could not reach? In either event, how long would he love—what was the length of her probation before she, too, would encounter the inevitable weariness? It occurred to her, then, how nearly the natural law of such love paralleled the religious prohibition that the Christian had shown to her. However harsh and unjust the sentence seemed, it was rational. With her own eyes she had seen its predictions borne out. Already the relief of the sorrowing righteous possessed her. She turned to the Christian. "Take me to my husband," she said. "Now! While I have strength." Momus caught the old Christian by the arm and, signing eagerly that he would lead, hurried away in advance of the two down into the ravine and crossed to the house of Amaryllis. There were no soldiers to stop them about the house. When no response was made to her knock, Laodice opened the door and passed in. Her old conductors followed her. Amaryllis sat in her ivory chair; opposite her in the exedra was Philadelphus. At sight of him, the last of the soft color went out of Laodice's face. A curve of despair marked the corners of her mouth and she seemed to grow old before those that looked at her. Philadelphus and the Greek sprang to their feet, the instant the group entered. Laodice waited for no preliminary. Amaryllis' design was patent to her; it was part of her sorrow that now Hesper would be free to the devices of this deceitful woman. So she did not look at the Greek. She addressed Philadelphus in a voice from which all hope and vivacity had gone. "I have brought proofs. Behold them!" Nathan, the Christian, stood forth. "I, Nathan of Jerusalem, met and talked with this Laodice, daughter of Costobarus, in company with Aquila, the Ephesian, three men-servants in all the panoply and state of a coming princess three leagues out of Ascalon, her native city. I buried by the roadside her father, who died of pestilence on their journey hither. I bear witness that she is the daughter of Costobarus and thy wedded wife." A great light sprang into the face of the Greek. Philadelphus, nervous, albeit the news he heard filled him with pleasure, stood and waited. The Christian stepped back and Momus, bowing, approached and handed the leather roll into the none too steady hands of the Ephesian. He opened it and drew forth parchments. Aloud he read a minute description of Laodice from the rabbi of the synagogue in Ascalon; under the great seals of the Roman state, he found and read the oath of the prefect, that such a maiden as the rabbi had described had been married before him to Philadelphus Maccabaeus fourteen years before. Then followed the depositions of forty Jews and Gentiles who were nurses, tradesmen and other people like to have daily contact with the young woman in her house, setting entirely at naught any claim that Laodice was other than the wife who had been supplanted by an adventuress. Philadelphus did not read them all. Before he made an end he dropped the documents and flung wide his arms. But Laodice with a countenance frozen with suffering held him off for a moment. "Go," she said to the old Christian, "unto Hesper and lead him into the belief of the Lord Jesus Christ which is mine." The old Christian approached the fountain in the center of the andronitis and taking up water in his palm sprinkled a few drops on her hair while she knelt. "In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, I baptize thee, Laodice. Amen!" While she knelt, he said: "I shall search for him also. Christ have mercy on thee now and for ever. Farewell." He was gone. When Nathan, the Christian, stepped into the streets once more there was an immense accession of tumult about him. He turned to look toward the corner of the Old Wall in time to behold Jews in armor and Romans in blazing brass rush together in a great cloud of dust as the Old Wall went in and Titus swept down upon Jerusalem. At the same instant from the ruined high place upon Zion came a roar of stupendous menace. The Christian, with sublime indifference to danger, kept his path toward the concourse from which he had taken Laodice. As he ascended the opposite slope of the ravine, he saw, descending toward the battle, the front of a rushing multitude, as irresistible and as destructive as a great sea in a storm. He saw that the mob was turning toward Akra, and to avoid it, the Christian climbed up to the Tyropean Bridge, and from that point viewed the whole of Jerusalem sweeping down upon the heathen. At the head of the inundation passed a melodious voice crying: "An end, an end is come upon the four corners of the land! Draw near every man with his destroying weapon in his hands for the glory of the Lord! For His house is filled with cloud and the Court is full of the brightness of the Lord's glory! A sword! A sword is sharpened! The way is appointed that the sword may come! For the time for favor to Zion is here; yea, the set time is come!" After this poured a gaunt horde numbering tens of thousands. They bore paving-stones, stakes, posts, railings, garden implements, weapons from kitchens, from hardware booths and from armories; anything that one man or a body of men could wield; torches and kettles of tar; chains and ropes; knotted whips, and bundles of fagots; iron spikes, instruments of torture, anything and everything which could be turned as a weapon or to inflict pain upon the Roman, who believed at this moment that Jerusalem was his! The Christian overlooked this ferocious inundation and shook his head. On a mound near him stood the spirit of the mob concentrated and personified. It was crazed Posthumus. He was screaming: "It is finished; the law is run out! All prophecy is fulfilled!" And over his head he was swinging a parchment fiercely burning. It was the Scroll of the Law! After uncounted minutes, vibrating with roar, the terrible flood rushed by. Feeble arms clasped the Christian about the knees and he looked down on the tangled white locks of the palsied man, who had searched for him until he had found him. The Christian laid his hand on the man's head but did not speak. At the breach in the Old Wall, the watchers on that almost deserted street saw the brazen wave of four legions gather and sweep forward to gain ground in the city before the mob swept down on them. Between the two warring bodies, one orderly, prepared but apprehensive, the other mad and perishing, was a considerable space. Fighting still went on at the breach in the walls, but the supreme conflict of a comparatively small body of soldiers and an uncounted horde was not yet precipitated. Ordinarily, the Roman army could have reduced any popular insurrection with half that number of men. But at present the legionaries confronted desperate citizens who were simply choosing their own way to die. Reason and human fear long since had ceased to inspire them. They were believing now and following a prophet because it was the final respite before despair. There was no alternative. It was death whatever they did, unless, in truth, this splendid sorceress was indeed the Voice of the Risen Prince. Force would be of no avail against them. Madness had flung them against Rome; only some other madness would turn them back. The Christian, from his commanding position, expected anything. It was the moment which would show if the false prophet would triumph. If the four legions went down before the multitude, it would mean the ascendancy of a strange woman over Israel, and the obliteration of the faith in Jesus Christ in the Holy Land. It can not be said that the Christian watched the crisis with a calm spirit. He did not wish to see the heathen overthrow the ancient people of God, nor could he behold the triumph of a false Christ. He put his hands together and prayed. A figure appeared between the two bodies of combatants, rushing on intensely, to grapple. It was a tall commanding form, clothed in garments that glittered for whiteness. By the step, by the poise of the head, the Christian recognized Seraiah. The front of the multitude fell on their faces at that moment as if he had struck them down. Out of the forefront, the prophetess appeared. The Christian heard her splendid voice out of the uproar, and while he gazed, he saw mad Seraiah turn away from her, with the front of the mob turning after him, as a needle turns to the pole. In that fatal moment of pause, out of which the warning cry of the prophetess rang wildly, the Roman tribune, in view for a moment under the blowing veils of smoke, flung up his sword, the Roman bugle sang, and the brassy legions of Titus hurled themselves upon the halted mob. The Christian dropped his head into the bend of his elbow and strove to shut out the sound. The nervous arms of the palsied man at his feet gripped him frantically. Up from the corner of the Old Wall, came the prolonged "A-a-a-a!" of dying thousands. Jerusalem had fallen. The foremost of the mob, turning with Seraiah, escaped the onslaught of the Romans, and as the mad Pretender strode toward the broad street from which the Tyropean Bridge crossed to the demesnes of the Temple, they followed him fatuously, blind to the death behind them and the oncoming slaughter in which they might fall. Seraiah passed above the spot where the sorrowful Christian stood, crossed the great causeway leading toward the Royal Portico and after him six thousand blind and insane enthusiasts followed, expecting imminent miracle. Above them towered the heights of Moriah, now veiled in smoke. Up the great white bank of stairs they rushed after him, facing an ordeal which must mean a baptism in fire, and on through a curtain of luminous smoke into a gate pillared in flame, up into the Royal Portico, resounding with the tread of the advancing Destroyer, out into the great Court of Gentiles wrapped in cloud through which the Temple showed, a stupendous cube of heat, through the Gate Beautiful where the Keeper no longer stood, thence into the Women's Court, raftered with red coals, up smoking stones tier upon tier till the roof of the Royal Portico was reached. At the brink of the pinnacle, they saw through tumbling clouds Seraiah towering. He was looking down through masses of smoke upon the City of Delight, perishing. They who had followed watched, uplifted with terror and frenzy, and while they waited for the miracle which should save, the roof crumbled under them and a grave of thrice heated rock received them and covered them up. Below, Nathan, the Christian, seized upon the shoulders of the Maccabee as he was dashing after the thousands. His face was black with terror for Laodice. He struggled to throw off Nathan, crying futilely against the uproar that Laodice was perishing. "Comfort thee!" the Christian shouted in his ear. "She is saved. She sent me to thee." The Maccabee stopped, as if he realized that he need not go on, but had not comprehended what was said to him. Nathan dragged him out of the way, still choked with people struggling to pass on to the Temple or to flee from it. Half-way down the Vale of Gihon, where speech was a little more possible, the Maccabee, who had been crying questions, made the old man hear. "Where is she? Where is she?" "She has returned to her husband. In love with thee, she has done that only which she could do and escape sin. She has gone to shelter with him whom she does not love!" The Maccabee seized his head in his hands. "It is like her—like her!" he groaned. In the Christian's heart he knew how narrowly Laodice had made her lover's mark for her. "It is her wish," Nathan continued, "that I teach thee Christ whom she hath received." "How can I receive Him, when He sent her from me?" the unhappy man groaned, unconscious of his contradictions. "How canst thou reject Him when His teaching led thy love to do that which thine own lips have confessed to be the better thing?" "Then what of myself, when I love where I should not love?" the Maccabee insisted. "You may suffer and sin not," the Christian said kindly. The unhappy man dropped to his knees. "O Christ, why should I resist Thee!" he groaned. "Thou hast stripped me and made me see that my loss is good!" The Christian laid his hands on the Maccabee's head. "Dost thou believe?" he asked. "Will Christ accept me, coming because I must?" "It is not laid down how we shall baptize in the thirst of a famine," Nathan said, "yet He who sees fit to deny water never yet hath denied grace." But the Christian's hand extended over the kneeling man was caught in a grip steadied with intense emotion. The unknown had seized him. But for his feeling that this interruption was necessary to the welfare of another soul, the Christian would not have paused in his ministry. The phantom straightened himself with a superb reinvestment of manhood. "Thou, son of the Maccabee, Philadelphus!" he exclaimed to the kneeling man. The Ephesian's arms sank. "Who art thou that knoweth me?" he asked in a dead voice. "I am all that plague and sin hath left of thy servant Aquila," the phantom declared. The Maccabee lifted his face for what should follow this revelation. It was only a manifestation of his subjection to another will than his own. He was not interested—he who was hoping to die. "Hear me, and curse me!" Aquila went on. "But save thy wife yet. I say unto thee, master, that she whom thou hast sheltered in the cavern is thy wife, Laodice!" The Maccabee struggled up to his feet and gazed with stunned and unbelieving eyes at this wreck of his pagan servant, who went on precipitately. "Her I plotted against at the instigation of Julian of Ephesus. Her, my mistress, Salome the Cyprian, robbed and hath impersonated thus long to her safety in the house of the Greek. This hour, through ignorance of thine own identity, through my fault, she hath gone reluctantly to his arms. Curse me and let me die!" The Maccabee seized the hair at his temples. For a moment the awful gaze he bent upon Aquila seemed to show that the gentler spirit had been dislodged from his heart. Then he cried: "God help us both, Aquila! My fault was greater than thine!" He turned and fled toward the house of the Greek. The four legions of Titus swept after him. Aquila lifted his eyes for the first time and gazed at Nathan. "I cursed thee for sparing me to such an existence as was mine! Behold, father, thou didst bless me, instead. I am ready to die." "Wait," the Christian said peacefully. A moment later, the Maccabee dashed into the andronitis of Amaryllis. After him sprang a terrified servant crying: "The Roman! The Roman is upon us!" A roar of such magnitude that it penetrated the stone walls of Amaryllis' house, swept in after the servant. Quaking menials began to pour into the hall. Among them came the blue-eyed girl, the athlete and Juventius the Swan. These three joined their mistress who stood under a hanging lamp. Into the passage from the court, left open by the frightened servants, swept the prolonged outcry of perishing Jerusalem. Over it all thundered the boom of the siege-engines shaking the earth. The slaves slipped down upon their knees and began to groan together. The silver coins on the lamp began to swing; the brass cyanthus which Amaryllis had recently drained of her last drink of wine moved gradually to the edge of the pedestal upon which she had placed it. The dual nature of the uproar was now distinct; organized warfare and popular disaster at the same time. The Roman was sweeping up the ancient ravine. Jerusalem had fallen. The gradual crescendo now attained deafening proportions; the hanging lamp increased its swing; the silver coins began to strike together with keen and exquisitely fine music. Juventius the Swan, with his dim eyes filled with horror, was looking at them. The peculiar desperate indifference of the wholly hopeless seized him. His long white hands began to move with the motion of the lamp; the music of the meeting coins became regular; he caught the note, and mounting, with a bound, the rostrum that had been his Olympus all his life, began to sing. The melody of his glorious voice struggled only a moment for supremacy with the uproar of imminent death and then his increasing exaltation gave him triumph. The great hall shook with the magnificent power of his only song! The Maccabee confronted Amaryllis, with fierce question in his eyes. She pointed calmly at the heavy white curtain pulled to one side and caught on a bracket. The brass wicket over the black mouth of the tunnel was wide. Without a word, the Maccabee plunged into it and was swallowed up. Amaryllis looked after him. "And no farewell?" she said. The thunder of assault began at her door. Juventius sang it down. The athlete and the girl crept toward the mouth of the black passage, wavered a moment and plunged in. After them tumbled a confusion of artists and servants who were swallowed up, and the hall was filled only with music.

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“Take a good hard look at people’s ruling principle, especially at the wise, what they run away from and what they seek out.” —Marcus Aurelius, Meditations I believe that the human species is small and unimportant on a universal scale, but that doesn’t keep me from being endlessly fascinated by the activity on this little planet. I recently finished a really great book, Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari. In it, he says, “Culture tends to argue that it forbids only that which is unnatural. Whatever is possible is by definition also natural. A truly unnatural behavior, one that goes against the laws of nature, simply cannot exist, so it would need no prohibition.” We make up so many of our rules based solely on what we imagine the world to be like rather than on what the world truly is. In this age of nearly instantaneous transmission of information, many of us imagine the world is more violent than it has even been in our past. And this would be totally wrong. That is not to discount violence, but only to put it through the filter of history, which gives everything more context. We are not living in the most violent time, rather we are living in relative peace. The only reason you don’t believe that is because we are also living in an age when many of us have near global sight. We are overexposed to the violence that exists in the now, and this leaves us with the false idea that we are living in the most violent era in history, a completely false reality. In looking at the data, we can say that several things are true: - The rate of violence declines as the rate of literacy increases. Access to knowledge, therefore, make people less violent. - Democratically elected governments are less likely to start wars. There are more and more democracies with each passing decade. - We spend more energy worrying about certain topics than we should. If you live in the United States, your lifetime risk of being killed in a car accident should worry you much more than the odds that you will become the victim of a terrorist attack. Which brings us back around to ruling principles and wisdom. Are Trump and Pence operating under wise principles? I don’t think that either man is actually the one in charge of policy for the new and improved #MAGAUSA. The person actually pulling the strings is a man named Steve Bannon. Bannon has unprecedented influence over the new ruling principles of the National Security Council, and that should probably worry you. Here are a few Bannon quotes: I’m a Leninist … Lenin wanted to destroy the state, and that’s my goal too. I want to bring everything crashing down, and destroy all of today’s establishment. The solution to online ‘harassment’ is simple: women should log off. Would you rather your child had feminism or cancer? Are there racist people involved in the alt-right? Absolutely. The progressive narrative and that is all about victimhood. They’re either a victim of race. They’re victim of their sexual preference. They’re a victim of gender. All about victimhood and the United States is the great oppressor, not the great liberator. What if the people getting shot by the cops did things to deserve it? There are, after all, in this world, some people who are naturally aggressive and violent. This country is in a crisis. And if you’re fighting to save this country, if you’re fighting to take this country back, it’s not going to be sunshine and patriots. It’s going to be people who want to fight. I’m ready to fight Steve. Just not for the values and principles you espouse. You’re worried about all the wrong things, and your worldview is abhorrent. I want to fight for a world where everyone gets a place at the table, and that’s not what you believe in as far as I can tell. I want the levels of violence to keep going down, and that’s not going to happen with you pulling the strings. Our World in Data, War and Violence: https://ourworldindata.org/slides/war-and-violence/#/title-slide

I wanted this list to be versatile, I wanted gay men, straight men, couples and even women looking for a realistic sex toy to find what they are looking for or at least find SOME inspiration. I have included realistic vaginas, mouths, butts and even dildos so there should be something for everyone on this list. A realistic looking and feeling sex toy is something a lot of sex toy users flock too, it heightens pleasure, the realism allows for plenty of fantasies and foreplay and it’s just sometimes nice to feel and experience something new in the bedroom. All of the products listed below are skin-safe and made from high-quality ingredients, the site where I also send you to buy these toys is the site where I buy all of my sex toys. Their shipping is completely discreet, they have constant deals on their site and they have incredible customer service so you really have nothing to worry about when purchasing your new realistic sex toy. 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For me, the texture, length, grip and whole experience were a 10 out 10 on intensity. It definitely felt realistic and the fact my OH was using it on me was a huge turn on.” The detailing on this dildo is wonderful, it has lifelike veins, ridges, bumps and head. The only thing it’s missing is a pair of balls but instead of this, they have included a suction cup which means it can be attached to any hard and flat surface making it ideal for any man or woman looking for a bit of versatile pleasure. Ideal for beginners and more advanced dildo users, this king cock will satisfy any anus or vagina and is there to meet your needs. More Thoughts From Users: “It looks very realistic with veins and a pink pronounced head. It goes great in a harness. We had no problems with it whatsoever. This is now our number one go to dildo. 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Easy to take anywhere with you with its discreet storage case and versatile size, the internal textures of this butt masturbator are something I cannot even do justice, super-soft, made of SuperSkin, nodules, bumps and twists and turns to really test how long you can last, that is of course if the tight, realistic opening doesn’t set you off straight away. More Opinions From Customers: “Oh, my god – boys, ya need this. This is my first Fleshlight, and I gotta tell you I would’ve bought sooner if I knew they were this good! I recommend you buy this item. You won’t be disappointed.” How To Care For Your Realistic Male Sex Toy… - Keep it clean! Once you are finished with it clean it out and let it dry properly, this prolongs the sex toy and prevents premature damage. - Store it properly, if it comes with a storage bag keep it in there when not in use and if it doesn’t just keep somewhere cool and dry where it won’t get scratched or harmed. - Wear lube! You may think it’s just for your comfort, but lube actually helps you from tearing your sex toy in some cases. I recommend using this water-based lube, it’s safe with condoms and sex toys and you only need a small drop to get you on your way… Why Buy A Realistic Sex Toy? There are a few reasons why somebody would want to purchase a realistic male sex toy and I’ve listed them below: - The realism of a fleshlight, for example, makes a solo masturbation session much more exciting. - If you’re looking to last longer in bed and increase your stamina, the realism of the outside and inside of each sex toy makes it harder for you not to cum and thus allows you to practice not climaxing prematurely. - Sometimes people can get lonely and realistic sex toys allow you to just feel a little more accompanied. - They feel amazing! Inside a fleshlight, for example, you are met with unique sensations, suction and more. - If you’re a couple looking into buying something realistic it can help you to live out a fantasy, experience a ‘threesome’ and more. - If your partner isn’t up for it or if you just want some alone time, it’s just like the real thing but without the person. - It allows you to explore different shapes and sizes. - The world is to be explored and your plain old hand will get boring at some point, it’s fun to just switch things up a bit and experience new things. Related Posts – - Best Male Sex Toys Of 2017 - Crazy Sex Toys You Can Use In Public - How To Make Your Dick Bigger Naturally - Sex Toys For Long Distance Couples

By Jak on July 13th, 2008 FIFA president Sepp Blatter casually uses the term “slavery” in referring to the £ multi-million contract of Cristiano Ronaldo, who in turn “dreams” of leaving the greatest football club in the world to play in Madrid. Jean Claude Mbvoumin could teach them both some revealing truths about dreams and slavery. This year, Mbvoumin was named one of seventeen “Heroes Acting to End Modern-Day Slavery” by the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. Mbvoumin is a former footballer, recruited from the African country of Cameroon in 1995 to play in France. After retiring from football, Mbvoumin founded the French organization Culture Foot Solidiare to raise awareness of the issue of the criminal recruiting and trafficking of young footballers from Africa. “It’s a modern version of the slave trade, and it comes in many different forms,” says Mbvoumin. Thousands of young African boys dream of leaving their lives of poverty to play football in Europe. The majority of the boys trafficked into Europe come from Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and the Ivory Coast. CFS estimates that in France alone there are more than 7,000 young Africans living on the streets after failed attempts to play for a professional club. Ninety-eight percent are illegal immigrants and 70 percent are younger than 18. Inspired by players like Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o, and buoyed by promises from unscrupulous, unlicensed agents and scouts, their impoverished parents deplete their savings or go into debt to finance their sons’ journeys. Thousands of unlicensed football “academies” operating in countries like the Ivory Coast promise parents that, for a fee, their sons will get a chance to try out for a European football club. Childrens’ charities in Africa are becoming increasingly concerned. “This football-related trafficking and the widespread creation of so-called schools of excellence is an area of huge growing concern for Save The Children,” says Heather Kerr, the charity’s Ivory Coast country manager. “The motivation for these children joining these footballing schools and being trafficked out of the country is purely about money and that is not surprising as these families are incredibly poor. Quite often we find it’s the parents who send their children to the West or take their children out of school and force them to concentrate on becoming footballers because they want the youngsters to earn more money for the family.” Coaches and agents have the pick of the best of thousands of young players, signing them to binding pre-contracts, with the hope of making a profit selling the boys on to clubs in Europe. A small percentage of the players do achieve proper professional contracts and employment permits, but those cases are rare. Some of the youths whom Mbvoumin helps had visas and contracts that were not renewed, and others were abandoned as soon as they arrived in France. The Independent reported last week that twenty-seven European football leagues are set to sign an agreement this autumn to better control the recruitment of African boys in football. Richard Caborn, Britain’s sports ambassador, and chair of the Football, Social and Economics Forum, is one of the men behind the campaign. He is drafting the guidelines to be voted on by the leagues. “We need to make sure this trade is stamped out,” said Caborn. “We do not want football to be tarnished by this kind of activity.” Playthegame.org, an organization dedicated to ethics and sport, tells the story on their website of one young African player who had a dream of playing in Europe. Stéphane, 18, scored 12 goals in a local tournament in Cameroon when he was approached by a man who asked, “Would you like to come to Europe and become a professional soccer player?” His mother borrowed money from everyone she knew in their village to finance his journey. Four weeks later Stéphane was homeless in Paris, with no work permit and no money to return home. “I trained for one week with an Italian team in Genoa,” he recalls. “Then the agent put me on a plane to Paris, paid two nights in a hotel and I was on my own. He just stopped answering his phone.” “I can’t go back before I have got the money to pay back my mother,” he said. The Observer, in a piece on the issue, quotes Bernard, 17, who says he travelled to France from Ghana on the promise of a trial with Metz. ‘My mother sold our house and my two younger brothers started work at 12 to help pay for my passage,’ says Bass. “I made it to France, but Metz had no idea who I was and threatened to report me to the police. Now I am here in Clichy-sous-Bois, (a notorious ghetto in the suburbs of Paris), staying on a friend’s floor.’ Speaking to the International Herald Tribune, Mbvoumin explained that many of the boys’ families have paid 3000-4000 Euros — a literal fortune for these people – for visas and plane tickets to unlicensed agents, in hopes that a professional football contract is waiting for them in Europe. Too often, these boys are left homeless and abandoned on the streets of European cities. Penniless, with only expired tourist visas, and without legal status, afraid to return home, they melt away into the urban fabric. Profit, of course, is driving the crisis. A Senegalese Football Association representative said: “The boys are cheap compared to European players. It is always worth sending one hundred. The agent can make money from the one or two who make it. The other ninety-eight are forgotten.” “A lot of African parents are completely naive. They trust anyone who is white and promises to bring their kids to Europe. Of course, none of the agents are officially accredited by FIFA, and normally the kids only know their agent’s first name or a nickname. That’s why I want to open offices in Africa to inform and support young footballers and their families,” Mbvoumin told the Financial Times. The illegal operators are serious about protecting their profits. Belgian senator Jean-Marie Dedecker was the subject of death threats when he investigated the criminal trade of Nigerian players in Belgium. “I was warned that if I went to Nigeria to investigate this I would be killed,” he said. Belgian soccer clubs have 30 officially licensed agents but they also have another 170 unofficial ones, some of whom have ties to organized crime, claims Dedecker. In January, BBC Radio 4 aired a documentary on the issue. Dirk de Vos of the Belgian football players’ union showed a pair of contracts between a club and an African player. One, properly printed, gave the player the correct minimum wage and benefits, and was filed with the football federation. The other, hand-written, showed the true salary – less than a quarter of the official figure. “They have no choice but to sign the second contract,” says de Vos. UEFA has been working for the last three years to try to curb the abuse through tougher rules for agents. “We would like to see regulation which is more firm, and that action can be taken through the regulation towards the agents,” Lars-Christer Olsson, former Chief Executive of UEFA, said in 2005. “This is a huge responsibility we have to look into.” He estimated that no more than 5% of players recruited from outside of Europe make it into the first team of European clubs. “If you take this into account that you bring in all these young players — what is happening when they are not good enough? The risk is obvious that they are kicked out, of course,” he said. “There is no safety net at all for the countries from outside of Europe.” Mbvoumin says that it is in nobody’s interest to clean up the system unless forced to do so. The clubs and agents want cheap African talent, and desperate to help their families rise above poverty, the young footballers are abandoning their educations to pursue their dream of football in Europe. Without football, without an education, without their communities and without their families, they are adrift. “Many children here in France don’t want to return,” says Mbvoumin. “They say: if I go back my parents will kill me because I don’t bring them money, or big cars. And that’s the main objective.” “It’s important to dream,” says Mbvoumin, “but the dreams about football now are not realistic.” Though FIFA president Sepp Blatter spoke out five years ago against the exploitation of foreign players in football, in what he described as the “rape” of Africa, it has been UEFA and organizations like Save the Children and CFS that have led the way in the campaign against the the modern day enslavement of football players. Blatter’s use of the word “slavery” in reference to Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract at Manchester United highlights two such divergent realities that it is an outrageous insult to those who are the truly victimized. And Cristiano’s “dream”? Perhaps a conversation with some of those same young men might help to put that dream into proper perspective.

An excerpt from Vultures' Picnic by Greg Palast Monday, March 11, 2013 "Completely and Utterly Fail in an Earthquake" Two years later, the Fukushima story you didn't hear on CNN I've seen a lot of sick stuff in my career, but this was sick on a new level. Here was the handwritten log kept by a senior engineer at the nuclear power plant: Wiesel was very upset. He seemed very nervous. Very agitated. . . . In fact, the plant was riddled with problems that, no way on earth, could stand an earth- quake. The team of engineers sent in to inspect found that most of these components could "completely and utterly fail" during an earthquake. "Utterly fail during an earthquake." And here in Japan was the quake and here is the utter failure. The warning was in what the investigations team called The Notebook, which I'm not supposed to have. Good thing I've kept a copy anyway, because the file cabinets went down with my office building .... WORLD TRADE CENTER TOWER 1, FIFTY-SECOND FLOOR NEW YORK, 1986 Two senior nuclear plant engineers were spilling out their souls and files on our huge conference table, blowing away my government investigations team with the inside stuff about the construction of the Shoreham, New York, power station. The meeting was secret. Very secret. Their courage could destroy their careers: No engineering firm wants to hire a snitch, even one who has saved thousands of lives. They could lose their jobs; they could lose everything. They did. That’s what happens. Have a nice day. On March 12 (2011), as I watched Fukushima melt, I knew: the "SQ" had been faked. Anderson Cooper said it would all be OK. He'd flown to Japan, to suck up the radiation and official company bullshit. The horror show was not the fault of Tokyo Electric, he said, because the plant was built to withstand only an 8.0 earthquake on the Richter scale, and this was 9.0. Anderson must have been in the gym when they handed out the facts. The 9.0 shake was in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 90 miles away. It was barely a tenth of that power at Fukushima. I was ready to vomit. Because I knew who had designed the plant, who had built it and whom Tokyo Electric Power was having rebuild it: Shaw Construction. The latest alias of Stone & Webster, the designated builder for every one of the four new nuclear plants that the Obama Administration has approved for billions in federal studies. But I had The Notebook, the diaries of the earthquake inspector for the company. I'd squirreled it out sometime before the Trade Center went down. I shouldn't have done that. Too bad. All field engineers keep a diary. Gordon Dick, a supervisor, wasn’t sup- posed to show his to us. I asked him to show it to us and, reluctantly, he directed me to these notes about the “SQ” tests. SQ is nuclear-speak for “Seismic Qualification.” A seismically qualified nuclear plant won’t melt down if you shake it. A “seismic event” can be an earthquake or a Christmas present from Al Qaeda. You can’t run a nuclear reactor in the USA or Europe or Japan without certified SQ. This much is clear from his notebook: This nuclear plant will melt down in an earthquake. The plant dismally failed to meet the Seismic I (shaking) standards required by U.S. and international rules. Here’s what we learned: Dick’s subordinate at the nuclear plant, Robert Wiesel, conducted the standard seismic review. Wiesel flunked his company. No good. Dick then ordered Wiesel to change his report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, change it from failed to passed. Dick didn’t want to make Wiesel do it, but Dick was under the gun himself, acting on direct command from corporate chiefs. From The Notebook: Wiesel was very upset. He seemed very nervous. Very agitated. [He said,] “I believe these are bad results and I believe it’s reportable,” and then he took the volume of federal regulations from the shelf and went to section 50.55(e), which describes reportable deficiencies at a nuclear plant and [they] read the section together, with Wiesel pointing to the appropriate paragraphs that federal law clearly required [them and the company] to report the Category II, Seismic I deficiencies. Wiesel then expressed his concern that he was afraid that if he [Wiesel] reported the deficiencies, he would be fired, but that if he didn’t report the deficiencies, he would be breaking a federal law.... The law is clear. It is a crime not to report a safety failure. I could imagine Wiesel standing there with that big, thick rule book in his hands, The Law. It must have been heavy. So was his paycheck. He weighed the choices: Break the law, possibly a jail-time crime, or keep his job. What did Wiesel do? What would you do? Why the hell would his company make this man walk the line? Why did they put the gun to his head, to make him conceal mortal danger? It was the money. It’s always the money. Fixing the seismic problem would have cost the plant’s owner half a billion dollars easy. A guy from corporate told Dick, “Bob is a good man. He’ll do what’s right. Don’t worry about Bob.” That is, they thought Bob would save his job and career rather than rat out the company to the feds. But I think we should all worry about Bob. The company he worked for, Stone & Webster Engineering, built or designed about a third of the nuclear plants in the United States. From the fifty-second floor we could look at the Statue of Liberty. She didn’t look back. Palast is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Billionaires & Ballot Bandits: How to Steal an Election in 9 Easy Steps, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, Armed Madhouse and the highly acclaimed Vultures' Picnic, named Book of the Year 2012 on BBC Newsnight Review. Visit the Palast Investigative Fund's store or simply make a contribution to keep our work alive! Subscribe to Palast's Newsletter and podcasts. Follow Palast on Facebook and Twitter.

Ukrainian woman Ekaterina from Kharkiv, ID:545877 - About Me Don't want to sound too typical when I try to describe myself, I could write that I am kind, funny, with good sense of humor and all that ) But what you really should know about me, is that I am not a silly little girl anymore, I am mature woman and I am looking for mature man, who could be my real partner in life, and not just pretend to be one ) I don't have time for games, actually I never had it, I always was and still am, most responsible person among my friend, even those who are older than me ) I have a new start in my life, and I am sure this will be something great for me and for the man that I am planning to find here ! All our previous experiences were just preparations for us to meet I love sports, cooking, reading, dancing, singing. but most of all I love art. you'll probably be surprised right now when you read my hobby. I'm sure you've never heard of this. I'm learning to make paintings from cassette tapes. are you surprised? have you ever heard of this?)) Yes Yes. paintings from cassette tapes. it is incredibly interesting and beautiful! this is now my main hobby. this is very difficult and a very rare hobby all over the world. but it caught my attention and I strive to learn how to create beautiful pictures of their cassette tapes. just imagine ... I can soon create a picture of you and me from cassette tapes. cool? are you surprised? 1.You do not believe universal stereotypes.2. Ready to throw everything away and let happiness and love into your life.3. Knows what true love and passion is, which flares up and never fades.If this is all about you, then do not hesitate, write.because it’s the kind of person I’m looking for.This image has developed in my head from an early age.If all this will be in you, then all the rest we will achieve together !!!Two hearts in love can conquer the whole world and humanity.Why not start conquering each other right here and now? No interviews yet

Women driving means prostitution, pornography, homosexuality and divorce: Saudi Saudi Arabia - Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive, the only country in the world to do so. Two months ago, Saudi Arabian court sentenced a woman to 10 whips because she was caught driving around. The Saudi king however, immediately revoked the sentence few days later amid international embarrassment. It seems apparently that Saudi Arabia in reality has no appetite to forgive the woman. We will now continue the stories of that woman who was sentenced to 10 lashes fordriving that time. Six months ago, Shaima Jastaniya drove her car in one of Jeddah’s streets before getting arrested by the police. In September, Jastaniya was sentenced to 10 lashes for challenging the driving ban which sparked outrage across the world, and a few days later, news spread that she received a pardon from the Saudi monarch himself. When interrogated, Shaima said she drove her car because she had no means of public or private transportation and needed to get to the hospital.Shaima’s sentence became a cause celebre within the royal family when it emerged two months ago. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a billionaire entrepreneur who is Saudi Arabia’s richest man and his wife, Princess Ameerah, made a personal appeal to the king to spare the young mother. The two have been working and actively taking part in international events to improve Saudi image across the world.The king agreed, and the royal couple telephoned Shaima to reassure her that the charges would be dropped. But no one seems to have ‘informed’ the court in Jeddah, and it has now notified her that the sentence will stand.Shaima has appealed against the verdict, but there are fears that the ultra-conservative clerics within the government want to make an example of her to warn all women in the Kingdom not to drive. Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz, the newly appointed Crown Prince, is more conservative than his half-brother the king, and has been adamant in his opposition to granting women greater freedoms. Two female Saudi journalists are now being sued for reporting Shaima’s case, and at least three other women are facing trial for driving.“Shaima is frightened and very confused,” said a friend and fellow activist in Jeddah. “She thought that this was finished, but apparently not. It was bad enough that she was sentenced, but if she is pardoned and still gets punished it would be ridiculous.”Saudi Arabia is the only country to deny women the right to drive. But despite renewed protests against the ban this year, resistance to reform and change remains strong among conservative royals and clerics.The Saudi highest religious council, the Majlis al-Ifta’ al-A’ala and conservative professors in King Fahd University, a prestigious university in the kingdom, warned that the country would become a den of evil if the ban on women driving were lifted. In their report, it was stated that allowing women to drive would provoke a surge in prostitution, pornography, homosexuality and divorce. Within 10 years of the ban being lifted, it warned, there would be “no more virgins” in the kingdom.http://www.zimbabwemetro.com/?p=30633

Essentially now the solo project of Neil Pennycook, despite an impressive cast list flitting through the revolving doors, Meursault return with a really rather triumphant album. Usually a more interesting live proposition than on record – an appearance at the BBC 6 Music festival in Glasgow this year was just spectacular and seductively intense – it seems with I Will Kill Again that things have finally been translated more fully onto wax. That’s not to say previous outings have been poor, just, this release after a two-year hiatus captures the intimate yet primal elements that define the band on stage: the introspective yet powerful darkness apparent in the soul of the main man is given free rein. That being the case, I Will Kill Again ain’t terribly jolly but then there is comfort in a brutally honest soundtrack to the human condition: sonorous keyboards glide around tracks like ‘Klopfgeist’ with a yearning vocal that seems both anguished yet oddly at home in an inky void: perhaps illustrating exactly where he and the band is right now. Rightly shortlisted for the Scottish Album of the Year award, it’s impossible not to be both moved and also feel faint disquiet by tracks like ‘Belle Amie’ – a paean to lost love, perhaps, with immaculate and haunting vocals that ooze from a dark dark place; remarkable stuff indeed. Another excellent release from Edinburgh-based Song, By Toad Records and one that adds to their impressive output with a distinctive and strangely warming voice, even in amongst the grit and grief. “The last thing the world needs now / Is another song about the fucking sea“, says Mr Pennycook on ‘Ode To Gremlin’ – that may very well be true but one gets the feeling these songs needed to be written as much as any kind of artistic intent. Such sincerity and honesty is a dangerous muse to toy with – it frequently results in rather worthy but artless outpourings – however, Pennycook keeps things taut: catharsis in a measured but bearly controlled way, that is where Meursault are at and, for us, that is quite excellent. Beautiful melodies and immaculate production with a hefty dose of reality – can’t ask for much more and one hopes this reincarnation carries on with more releases to come: Meursault come of age and are a very exciting proposition at the moment, very exciting indeed. Words: Vosne Malconsorts

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Yesterday, was all about gossip when I woke up from sleep,because of sarah barging into my room asking whether I got the job and when I told her the good news she squealed and told me everything she knew about Him, even though I cared less. All I could think about is how on earth do I fucking seduce a man of his calibre. Don't get me wrong I am beautiful and all but I do not know if he will fall for me. So when I woke up this morning the first thing on my mind was to pick out the best of the clothes to wear, first impressions always matter. I finished bathing and decided on a red dress and black stilettos, I curled my hair to make it wavy and left it down. I put on my normal eyeliner and mascara, added colour to my cheeks and my signature red lipstick. I packed a notebook and pen that I bought the other day and carried my bag and went down, it was already five thirty and I won't have time to make anything, so I left, on my way to start my first day of work. I arrived there at exactly six o'clock and I saw sandra talking with the receptionist, I walked towards them, the cleaners have already started cleaning,"Gosh sandra, what time did you wake up", I asked. She even had a cup of coffee in hand."oh, I woke up by four , I always come here very early, it's my thing, do you want coffee or anything, it looks like you haven't eating", she said, "Do I look that tired", I asked grimacing."Hi I am penelope, so you are the one who got the job, right", the receptionist said. I totally just butted into their conversation."Sorry, that was rude, I am tracy", I said extending my hand to shake her."I know I remember you from yesterday, how can I forget you", She smiled,"Everyone is talking about the super hot new assistant". I blushed,I have not even started working yet and everyone is already talking about me. "it is already six fifteen, let us start the tour before Xavier arrives ", Sandra said and practically dragged me to the elevator."Penelope is a gossip magnet, don't mind her, I am sure it is not true". We started from the second floor where the marketers stay to the third floor for the accountants. She said she has never actually been on the fourth floor since it is for imporant workers and the fifth floor is where they usually hold meetings and the sixthfloor is where I will be working, she showed me my office and helped me set up. There was also a food section on this floor, so we went there so I could eat. She started making my coffee,"So what type of coffee", she asked."creamy please, I hate black coffee", I said."Tell that to Xavier, he loves black coffee, one time his assistant made his coffee with plenty cream, He poured it away and sent him to his favourite coffee shop ten blocks down", She said and I laughed."Oh that reminds me, always remember to get his coffee from there before he arrives", She says handing the coffee to me. "What, do I have to go now and get it", I said standing up,"NO don't worry, I already have it,besides he tells you all about it on the first day,nut now he'll be impressed", she said and I hugged her."Oh my gosh thank you", "He should have arrived already take go and give it to him", She handed the cup to me and I quickly went to my office and took my book and pen and headed to his office. I stopped in front of his door and knocked, I heard a voice come in, that sounded very familiar, I entered and turned toclosed the door behind me,"Goodmorning sir , I brought your-", I was stunned by who I saw. Oh My Fucking God

Late Mid-july report Updated: Jul 21, 2019 Sorry guys, its been a busy month indeed!! July started with me going home to work 4 shifts and coming back in before my birthday July 11. I arrived to a local Lloydminster group in full swing! These guys lucked out to some fabulous weather which had turned the pike on to feeding time...finally!! Its nice to have well-connected people from your home town come up, spend some time with you then go back home to share their positive experience throughout your own community. We have even committed to sponsoring a silent auction package for the 2019 Lloydminster Rescue Squad Community Gala. We had a couple days to turn around then welcomed a very special first-time corporate group from the United States. We had guys from New Jersey, Louisiana, Arizona, California, New Mexico and Puerto Rico...Dave, Jonn, Ozzie, Brian, Russ, Carlos, Mark, Jeff, Rick and Freddy, it was a privilege to get to know you all and have you stay and experience our lakes and all they have to offer. This group was also blessed to have fabulous weather which gave them an unreal Northern Saskatchewan fishing experience. They covered nearly the whole lake, a couple guys made it over to the portage and to the outpost thanks to their wonderfully good looking guide Matt...lol. 10 guys fishing (2 fly guys), 3.5 days, 400+ fish...I am bragging, yes I am! They caught big numbers of walleye, trout and pike in all sizes. On the last evening we were sitting around the campfire waiting for everyone to make it back in when a fly-guy, Carlos, came straight over. He shook Matt's hand, next mine, then Gus' and Milo's...sat down and someone asked him how the day was and he replied "today was fuckin great!!!" Oh man we laughed so hard...each of these men fished their hearts out and expressed to us such gratitude and appreciation for our lodge! It really meant a lot to Matt and I to have you all in camp...the best thing was hearing you guys laugh and have a good time around the campfire at night....thank-you! Let me know how you all made out at the border and please please send me any and all pics!! Smiling faces while holding big fish are the best photos!! Like I said briefly earlier in the post, we have had sunshine, the days are warmer and it has really turned the pike fishing up and it is hot right now!! Our spring was cool and late it seemed...the trout stayed shallow and the pike just weren't hitting hard until the beginning of July and now it is unreal! The trout are sitting around 40+ feet, pike are 10-15 feet and the walleye fishing has just been nutso since the season opened and is still really good. The money lures right now have been a Len Thompson 5 of diamonds, Williams Flasher 5", Eppinger red/white Dardevle, Deadly Dick 3oz red/silver, and a Storm 5"Pike minnow...if it loses it’s, tail add a leach or a frozen minnow and its game on again! Back to my California group for a sec....these guys CLEANED OFF my tackle wall...seriously! They threw everything we had in the water (including a couple extra Storm pike minnows that I raided from Oklahoma Kelly's tackle box...don't worry though Kelly I will replace them before you get here in how many days???lol thanks a million!) I head home again tomorrow to do 3 more shifts then I get to bring my mom back in....this will be her first time seeing our Northern home and perhaps the only time she may get up here...its a big journey and it means the world to be able to have her up here and I am looking so forward to sharing it with her. Matt is lucky (and so am I) that his dad and mom are here off and on throughout our season and trust me they are a huge help! Hard to believe its nearly the end of July...where has the season gone!! At the end of the month I will begin my 2019 picture compilation page on the website, so get me those pics in if you want to be Davin Lake Famous hahahaha!!!! August is looking warm and my reservation book tells me I will be able to get on the lake and fish til my arms are sore!! Let you know what I catch!! September....still have some early and mid month dates for trout...send me an email if you want to sign up! Pilots, this would be a great opportunity to get another flight in before the snow flies!!! Drive or Fly...Adventure North to Davin Lake Lodge!

Police officers in Ohio are being disciplined for playing Pokémon Go instead of attending to a robbery call. The game turned out to be an effective distraction and even though the situation was solved, it deeply damaged public trust. Officers Caught Playing Pokémon Go Instead Of Going To Robbery Call Lose Appeal. A man was robbed at gunpoint, but the officers who responded to the call were playing Pokémon Go instead of going to the scene. The police department has since lost their appeal and will not be allowed to use the footage in court. LOS ANGELES, Calif. (CBSLA) – Two former LAPD officers lost their appeal appealing their firing for failing to attend to a robbery in 2017 while playing the mobile videogame Pokémon Go. “This case is significant because it is vital to hold the Department responsible for its own laws and standards,” said Gregory G. Yacoubian, the attorney for the two officers. “It’s also critical that the Department be held responsible for how it conducts its internal investigations in accordance with the law.” READ MORE: An off-duty LAPD officer was shot and killed in an armed robbery attempt in South LA. After failing to react to a heist because they were playing Pokémon Go, two Los Angeles police officers were dismissed. (Thiago Prudêncio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images/Thiago Prudêncio/SOPA Images/LightRocket through Getty Images) ) Former officers Luis Lozano and Eric Mitchell were dismissed from the police, according to court filings, after their cruiser’s dashcam captured them playing Pokémon Go instead of responding to their supervisor’s request for help during a heist at the Crenshaw Mall. According to Lozano and Mitchell, the City of Los Angeles breached the law when it recorded the former officers without their consent, and they feel it violated their rights under the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act. According to court records, the two former cops were assigned to the Crenshaw Corridor and Leimert Park area on Saturday, April 15, 2017, when the robbery in progress call came in. Captain Darnell Davenport, the commanding officer of the two petitioners, reacted after hearing a radio report saying many suspects were stealing a Macy’s in the Crenshaw Mall while on route to a murder scene. READ MORE: A Suspected Marijuana Lab Explodes in Arcadia, Injuring One At the time of the call, Davenport saw a police vehicle parked in an alley on his right, close to the Macy’s. He opted to attend to the robbery call personally since he didn’t see the police vehicle respond to the call. He also informed dispatch that he was headed to the site. According to court filings, Davenport observed the police vehicle “back up down the alley,” then depart the area after turning left. According to the watch commander’s board at the time, Sergeant Jose Gomez verified that Lozano and Mitchell’s vehicle was meant to be stationed at the Crenshaw Corridor. Gomez tried to contact the two former police, asking that they go to the robbery call and serve as backup for Davenport, but received no answer. Gomez afterwards contacted dispatch to inquire about the previous cops’ reaction. The two policemen did not react, according to dispatch. Later, when Gomez questioned the two officers about the event, Mitchell said that he did not hear the call for support, while Lozano stated that he heard Davenport react to the Crenshaw Mall but did not hear the call for backup. Because of the loud music playing in the park, the two policemen said they couldn’t hear the radio. Gomez forgave Lozano and Mitchell, but was dissatisfied with their explanations and chose to check the dashcam in their cruiser. The video footage not only proved that the two cops in the cruiser seen by Davenport were there, but also that they heard the call. Before backing into an alley, the two former cops debated whether they should assist Davenport, at which point Lozano said, “I don’t want to be [Davenport’s] assistance.” ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Hospitals Are Canceling Elective Surgeries Due To A COVID Surge They also said “Snorlax,” a Pokémon, emerged at a nearby junction, according to the clip. As they drove about, the police spoke about Pokémon in the hopes of catching some of the many Pokémon in the region. Watch This Video- - karate ground fighting

LNH: Classic LNH Adventures #129: Infinite Leadership Cry.Sig Part Five pwerdna at gmail.com Mon May 18 16:49:05 PDT 2020 On 11/24/2019 4:19 PM, Arthur Spitzer wrote: > LNH Comics Presents #43 is by me, Arthur Spitzer. Finally! A true hero to take the > reigns of the LNH! To sweep away all the scum, perverts, and left-wing degenerates! It is super weird to me that that's a word people actually try to use. > Look at the hourglass. > Watch the sand grains fall. This is a really good, affecting opening. > That grain over there? That's 1992. Look closely into it. An epic > battle is taking place. Continuity's Champion is battered and broken. > He struggles to get up and stop The Queen. He has the power to move > worlds. To move storylines. But the battle has worn him and it takes > everything for him to just stand up. And The Queen is towering over him > laughing. A power called the Crossover Gem pulsates in her hand flaring > like a million suns. She readies herself to deliver the deathblow. To > snuff out the life of this hero and begin her reign as Queen of the > Looniverse. A cruel reign that will last 16 years until an even greater > force wipes her out. More setup for Beige Countdown/Midnight! I love it! > But it doesn't happen. Time bends. She is hit with a blast of pure > time. A cloaked figure wrestles her for control of the gem. The > cloaked figure starts to burn alive as the gem's power crackles through > his body. A button is pushed. And Reality is Flushed away. I had seriously not looked at the original Cry.sig in this light before - but it's a really compelling take. > That? That is Tomorrow. And there I am. The Pre-(Just Imagine... > Saxon Brenton's RACCies on a Plane Filled with Killer Ninja > Gorillas!)Time Crapper or if you prefer Post-(Just Imagine Saxon Brenton > Presents the Raccies..... AGAIN!)Time Crapper. Yesssss. :D And fertile ground for my purposes, mwahaha... > As they got close to the door of the LNH Leader's Office Sarcastic Lad's > hand hesitated as it reached the knob. "Oh god. Can't do it. I don't > know if I can handle the horrible ugly unfettered truth. I might > forever lose faith in the process of deciding leaders by pulling papers > out of hats. I love how this characterization is not just "makes sarcastic jokes", but "is sarcastic in the process of expressing other emotions too". > "You can surrender yourself into custody, Ripping Dancer. You're a > suspect in the disappearances of Fearless Leader, Irony Man, and the > rest of the vanishing LNH'rs. I plan to interrogate you and find out > the truth." Gosh I hate him. > Ripping Dancer made another twirl, which caused > the Preacher's suspenders to rip apart letting his pants drop down. Now *this* is the kind comedic humiliation that works for me. :D > "This is not a joke, Sarcastic Lad! You helped a suspect escape > custody. As far as I'm concerned, that makes you a part of this evil > vanishing LNH'r plot. You are going to jail for obstructing justice!" > "Cool! My plan worked." > "Plan? What in the Devil's name are you blabbering about?" > "My plan to get out of LNH Storage Inventory duty. Now I can just lie > back in a nice cozy prison cell and read some letters from sexy females > who are hot to trot for guys behind bars. Damn, I'm smart." I love it so much. X3 <3 > "This must be -- Yes! > Then this must be reverse-reverse psychology!! You're trying to trick > me into thinking I shouldn't put you in jail -- because -- because -- > Because you want me to put you in jail! Hah! Who's the clever one now, > Sarcastic Lad?" > "Hey, WikiBoy. Got some bad news. You've got two straight months of > LNH Storage Inventory duty." Sarcastic Lad handed WikiBoy a clipboard. > "Sorry, bud." With that Sarcastic Lad patted WikiBoy on the head and > whistled a tune has he made his exit. Hmmmm... yep, even under Arthur's pen, not a fan. > "You forget, I am the leader now. And what I say goes. And don't worry > about the missing LNH'rs. God will help us find them. Well, as long as > we refrain from sinful activities like dealing with the occult that is. I hate him soooooo much > Dr. Stomper sighed to himself. "And there's also something else. A > problem I noticed a couple of hours ago. It's 8:26." > "Yes? And the problem with that is?" > "A couple of hours ago it was 8:25." I like this as a comedic premise, tho. It's interesting that it's so different from the similar Catalyst Lass one. > Right above him stood the leader of the cult. The cult leader's hands > held a severed goat's head dripping with blood. The blood dripped down > onto the body of the komodo dragon. The rest of the cultists were > chanting 'Separation of Church and State' over and over again. > "You are no longer Eggplant the Easter Miracle Komodo Dragon. You are > no longer Eggplant the Easter Miracle Komodo Dragon!! No. You are now > and forever -- Eggplant the Spring Festival Komodo Dragon!! You shall > become a beloved icon for all the children of the world -- not just the > Christian children -- who can be safely displayed in any public school. > Yes. Hindu children. Moslem children. Buddhist children. Even > Atheist children. And..." I like the emphasis on the ridiculous reasonability of the blood cultists' demands. > "And there will also be economic and political consequences to this. > Our world revolves around time. People get paid salaries calculated > from time served. And time also dictates how long politicians and other > government officials can serve in office. I wonder how such things shook out during and after Infinite April. > "No. I can't -- I don't -- I don't want to be leader. I don't want to > disappear. I don't want this. I'm scared by this -- what's happening." > <<Yes, Tara. I know. But you should know by now that it's not about > what you want. No, Tara. It's about what I want. You should try and > remember that.>> DUN DUN DUNNNN... > The voice belongs to a lovely twenty-ish girl with a punkish purple > streak in her black hair and a ring piercing her cute little nose. > She's going to rip out my heart tomorrow and I won't be able to stop > her. It's silly. Why do we let love destroy us? Why can't we stop it > as it consumes us? I must hug the Time Crapper. > "Big Whoop. I want to see what next week's lottery numbers are. I want > to be rich beyond my wildest dreams. Have a big mansion with tons of > servants." She laughs, "And maybe my own male harem. Who knows?" > "And you can have all that. You can have anything you want." And I lie > to her. You can't have everything you want. No matter how much power > you have. I can't make her care for me. I can't make her love me. All > I can do is let her use me. That's the best I can have. I MUST HUG THE TIME CRAPPER!!! *tries to charge forward but is wrestled back by > And then the > Preacher's eyes just stopped at one of the names. You, the Preacher > thought to himself. You thought I had forgotten you. But no. I never > forget. But now? Now you're going to pay for all of the evil you have > committed. Yes. Finally. It's all going to end. You can't escape it. > No. I'm coming for you. > And the Preacher grabbed a piece of chalk and circled the name. A name > that simply said: The Slobbering Grue! > "Umm. Okay, but -- uhh -- I think he may be dead, Self-Righteous," Kid > Recap said trying to bring a little sanity to this big LNH meeting the > Preacher had called. "You see last year in the whole 'Just Imagine > Saxon Brenton Presents the Raccies..... AGAIN!' Crossover thingee the > Crossover Queen blasted the city of Espanola, Net.Mexico with a reality > ray killing everyone in that city. There were no survivors." > "Yes. I know about that. But what you don't realize, Kid Recap, is > that a month before that horrible tragedy happened all of the important > members of the JONG cast were secretly relocated to the almost > identically named city of Espayola, Net.Mexico." > "Lucky for them," yawned Sarcastic Lad. > "Umm -- Where are you getting this info from?" asked a puzzled Kid Recap. > "No. He's right," said a man by the name of Arthur Spitzer who had been > sitting in the back row. "Yep. That's what happened all right." heehehee <3 <3 <3 I love it. > "I'd like to thank you for helping us, Mr. Spitzer. We are very > grateful," said a very appreciative Self-Righteous Preacher. > "No, prob. Oh..." The mysterious being named Arthur Spitzer looked at > his watch, "Gotta go. Still have to write the rest of this story." And > with that he vanished. Mysteriously. > "Oh brother," Fourth Wall Lass said rolling her eyes. Bwahaha. :D <3 Cowards take the easy way of "creating understandable ways to know facts and naturalistic methods of conveying exposition"! Only the bravest authors pop in for a quick chat with the characters!! > Self-Righteous wondered why Building Suspense Lad was escorting him > through a hospital. Had the Grue! wounded some of his fellow LNH'rs? > Why was Building Suspense Lad being silent about all this? > There was a hospital bed. And on that bed was a short green toad like > creature lying on it oblivious to the world hooked up to tubes and wires. DUN DUN DUNNNNNN! > The hospital attendant who was monitoring the Slobbering Grue!'s life > signs answered him. "He and a couple of buddies were filming video > footage for this website -- > www.stupididiotsdoingstupididioticstunts.com. Their plan was for Mr. > Slobbering Grue! to catch an ice cream truck falling from a ten story > building -- with his tongue -- but sadly the stunt didn't quite work out > and now --" The hospital attendant looked with a very serious expression > at the patient, "And now? He's in a coma -- and completely brain dead." > "Are you sure he wasn't completely brain dead before this happened? I > mean -- I'm just saying..." asked Sarcastic Lad. > The Preacher glared at Sarcastic Lad No, it's a reasonable question. > and then asked his own question. > "So what is to become of him now?" > The hospital attendant formed an even more serious expression on his > face. "There's no hope for recovery. We're going to unplug him from > life support tomorrow." > "No!" the Preacher gasped. "That's murder! You can't do that to him -- > even if he is a totally corrupt and evil beast. All life is sacred!" Yesssss, going for the jugular with satire > I want you to ask yourself as you look at this > unfortunate person -- this greenish toad like person -- do you have it > in you to murder him? To squash the life right out of him? This is an > important question. Perhaps the most important question you'll ever > "Certainly more important than this whole Iraq War thing," shouted > Sarcastic Lad from the way back row. That seems to have been an astonishingly easy decision for the vast majority of 2003-era Congress, unfortunately. > Ignoring him Bill Frist continued. "Yes, I know I'm not a Senator > anymore so I'm not really sure why I'm speaking to you right now. > Look at his eyes blinking! He's > trying to communicate with us! But he doesn't know Morse code! But if > he did he would use it right now to tell us he wants to live! Are we > going to condemn a man just because he doesn't know Morse code? Are we? > How about we just round up everybody who doesn't know Morse code and > put them into concentration camps and gas chambers? God, I love when Arthur just goes super hardcore on spinning out a ridiculous chain of logic. > "Get this man out of here! Get him the hell out of here!! How did he > get in here in the first place?!!!" said Bill Frist as he waved his > hands wildly in the air. Eventually Capital security hauled Sarcastic > Lad away. TBH I'm surprised he didn't receive a lifetime ban during the Clinton > I look at my hourglass. And then at her. I should leave her. I could > avoid my fate. Just always avoid the day I die. She doesn't love me. > But. There's always this hope that I'm wrong. That she won't kill me. > That I won't die. That she'll eventually love me like I love her. It > will all work out. I can change. She can change. Time can change. > But it doesn't work that way. > I know. > I am fool. > And the boiling kettle of rage that was the Preacher just watched him > go. "This was a scam? This was a scam!! I will hunt you down. I will > -- I will. Chains!! Locked away in a cell!! Iron Pipes!!! Get you!!! > GET YOU!!! HUNT YOU -- HUNT YOU DOWN!!! All over the Earth!!! I -- > I will..." And as the Preacher shook his fist in the air, Two thousand > miles away the clock in the LNHHQ struck midnight once again. And the > Preacher vanished. > And there she is. Lying on the street corner. Dead. > Are you shocked? > Do you think I'm a horrible person for killing her? > Yes. Yes I am. I'm evil. I'm a disgusting evil thing. EVEN NOW I WANT TO HUG. > I need to go somewhere else. > To the future? > To the past. > Always to the past. > You can think of this as JONG #6 if you want since I probably won't be > writing that anytime soon. This will probably be the last Slobbering > Grue! story I ever write. Just don't feel like I have anything more to > say about this character. For the record, I'm super happy Arthur wrote JONG #69. > The Time Crapper stuff and its tone seem slightly out of place here. > But oh well. Honestly, I love the fact that this cosmic tragedy was happening out of sight of the "main" characters and they never even knew it. > "You're-Not-Hitting-Me-Hard-Enough Lad," repeated Pulls-Paper-Out- > Of-Hats Lad. > "But he's not..." began Adamant-Authority-On-Everything. > "Not a classic character?" asked Sister-State-The-Obvious. "Not > someone who's been around since the Cosmic Plot Device Caper?" > "I was about to say: he's not the type of iconic person of the > quality that you'd expect for a leader of the Legion," Adamant-Authority- > On-Everything said pointedly. Oh man, we haven't even gotten started. > "I think Limp-Asparagus Lad was right about the LNH leadership > currently being about keeping the team running while the researchers > try to solve the problem. For the moment the leaders are expendable." > You're-Not-Hitting-Me-Hard-Enough Lad smiled and gestured expansively. > "I'm willing to play the part of being expendable." I like him. <3 > You're-Not-Hitting-Me-Hard-Enough Lad gave him an unreadable glance > before saying, "Tell you what guys, how about I start off by rescinding > *everything* that Self-Righteous Preacher did yesterday?" This brought a > ragged cheer from the others. > Thwarting the fifth columnist plans of a squad of Al-Qaeda Amerika > operatives (yes, they were still about and still making trouble). This was a good attempt at throwing back to Golden Age comic book tropes, but extremely unfortunately, it turns out that the real fascists were inside us all > just after lunch Doctor Glockenspiel had returned. > This time Dr G. had arrived with a tank-like glockenspiel and had tried > to destroy the LNH-HQ with its sonic attack, X3 X3 X3 > "No, you villain!" yelled You're-Not-Hitting-Me-Hard-Enough Lad as > he struck an arms akimbo pose. "Fight me instead!" *heroic musical sting!* > The Chuggernaut threw an unbroached keg at the Legionnaire, which > struck YNHMHELad with a resounding KA-THUNNNGGG!!! and sent him > flying. The Chuggernaut turned back to his beer swilling, little > appreciating that the harder you hit You're-Not-Hitting-Me-Hard-Enough > Lad the stronger he got, > so that Chuggernaut didn't see the incoming > car that YNHMHELad threw at him until it hit Chuggernaut in the back > of the head. > "Surrender villain!" called You're-Not-Hitting-Me-Hard-Enough Lad, > who by this time was as high as a kite from all the endorphins that the > impact from Chuggernaut's punches were releasing into his bloodstream. > "All your badly scripted dialog and poorly drawn hyperthyroid musculature > can't defend you against the forces of justice!" I love the dialog! :D > you never actually said why. What's so important about him being able > to spin around freely without being controlled by the spell caster?" > "I wanna test a theory," You're-Not-Hitting-Me-Hard-Enough Lad > smiled. And to demonstrate, he gave the Chuggernaut a full strength > punch in the face. > The villain spun backwards, head over heels at high speed. And, > as You're-Not-Hitting-Me-Hard-Enough Lad had been secretly hoping, he > didn't have a stomach for vertigo. "Ahhh... Stop... Pleaf... Ahhh, hurk, > urf, BLUUEERRRKKK!!!" Oh, dear lord X3; > "Aww, YUCK!" went everybody. Well, everybody except You're-Not- > Hitting-Me-Hard-Enough Lad, who was still far too hyped up for his own > good, and who punched his fists in the air and yelled, "Aww, KEWL!" omg I love him > "And from now on," Fuzzy told YNHMHELad sternly, "You either get > to plan a campaign, or take part in one, but not both!" Drew "what a teen boy" Nilium More information about the racc

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 12 – It’s the kind of stuff of which television shows are made; a four-star hotel in the heart of a battle zone, Heads of State for guests, snipers for security and at the centre of it all is one Justus Kisaulu – the man that runs the show. Except a writer somewhere didn’t exercise their creative licence in dramatising these events, the Jazeera Palace Hotel in Mogadishu has actually been bombed twice; first in an assassination attempt on the then newly sworn-in Somali President Hasan Sheikh Mahmud and as recently as January 1 when two car bombs exploded outside the hotel resulting in 10 fatalities. And through it all, Kenya’s very own Kisaulu has borne the responsibility of putting the pieces back together as General Manager. “I’m safer there (Mogadishu) than here,” a laughing Kisaulu unexpectedly told Capital FM News on a recent trip to Nairobi. “If you want to snipe me here it’d be easy but not there, my security team’s even better than the General Service Unit, they’ve had the privilege of training with the AMISOM forces,” he boasted. Kisaulu is obviously proud of the Jazeera, and understandably so given he’s fostered its development right from inception. “It wasn’t even complete when I first moved there three years ago. I oversaw the finishing of our 70 plus rooms and now we’re even looking to expand because our services rival those of the best hotels in the world and the business opportunities in Mogadishu are enourmous,” he sold. That is, of course, if you don’t mind being driven to and from the airport in an armoured vehicle but that hasn’t seemed to stop airlines from flying there if Kisaulu’s account is anything to go by. “Every time I come to visit my family I have to book my ticket back two to three days in advance even though there are six airlines that ply the route including Turkish Airlines which offers direct flights from Europe to Mogadishu,” he testified. And it certainly didn’t stop Kisaulu from leaving his wife, child, job as GM of Nomad Palace Hotel Garissa and country for a hotel that hadn’t even opened its doors yet. “It wasn’t just the benefits. I like a challenge and I’d have taken my family with me if I didn’t have to worry about the quality of education they’d get,” he explained. Three years, two bombings and one child later, he’s still not about to turn back, “Terrorism is not an exclusively Somali threat. It’s a global one. What we have to fear is fear itself when we’ve done everything we can to protect ourselves. “And I for one am not about to turn my back on my neighbour.” – CAPITAL FM KENYA

Sex Swing | Type II | Rocket Recordings This sprawling best of list was intended for publication in January 2021 but other priorities got in the way and I had written about many of these in brief in my year end best column for the December 2020 print edition of Birdy magazine in December. Others I wrote up for Birdy throughout the year. All of that text is here hopefully not in a form with my errors edited back in. At any rate it begins with what I’m going to call the album of the year, Type II by UK post-punk experimentalists Sex Swing. It not only stretched post-punk beyond the usual boundaries these days and it articulated the conflict, the outage and confusion of a world coming to terms with the great shortcomings of modern, international capitalism, the inadequacy of the conservative/far right and neoliberal government to address the needs of people across decades and most painfully and poignantly in the moment. That agony and anomie can be heard throughout the album but even separate from that context it’s just a great, experimental rock album. The original verbiage for the Birdy piece reads “An uncomromisingly mind-altering psychedelic noise rock ride through 2020 hell.” With any luck we’ll see the band in North America sooner than later and see for ourselves if the live show delivers. What follows is the rest of the best of list for 2020. A.M. Pleasure Assassins | Careless Laughter | Self-released This latest EP from Fort Collins-based, math-y post-punk band A.M. Pleasure Assassins sounds like it was written after a long period of contemplation and self-imposed exile from one’s usual social activities. “Said Yer Outta Gas” is imbued with a rush of exuberance reflected in its words about emerging from winter into a period of new beginnings. “Get It Right” finds the band waxing into the warped garage punk territory like something one would expect out of Memphis, Tennessee the past two decades — raw and ragged yet bracing. “Cain Was Killing Abel” strikes a more contemplative tone and the sprawling “Pretty Dead Beat” creates a beautifully hypnotic pulse of sounds with bell tones processed through reverb and distorted drones for an effect like a late 90s Yo La Tengo track. The four songs give the impression of nostalgic reflection, but one where you see and feel deeply the joys and pains of a good time in your life that you are wise enough now to know to enjoy in its full measure rather than through the lens of selective romanticism. Abrams | Modern Ways | Sailor Records Adulkt Life | Book of Curses | What’s Your Rupture? ADULT. | Perception Is/As/Of Deception | Dais Records Darkly urgent industrial dance anthems to purge today’s desperation, confusion and chaos. Angel Olsen | Whole New Mess | Secretly Group A tender yet bracingly fragile portrait of the realization that you can never adequately prepare for everything life might throw your way. Anna von Hausswolff | Sacro Bosco | Southern Lord A Shoreline Dream | Melting | Late Night Weeknight With its first release since 2018’s Waitout EP, A Shoreline Dream presents a set of songs that seems less ethereal than their previous output. From opening track “Turned Too Slow” to closing song “Atheris Hispida” the progressive shoegaze duo has seemingly focused its attention on the texture and physicality of the music. One is tempted to say the guitars are more like hard rock, but only if your idea of hard rock is more in the vein of Swervedriver. But “Downstairs Sundays” has more in common with folk music in its intricate guitar interplay though threading through an uplifting, introspective drone. A Shoreline Dream still gives us its usual transporting melodies, but this time its astral realms are more focused and vivid as though coming out of its musical dreamstate into a phase of making those dreams real. Autechre | Sign | Warp Records Cleanses the mind with textural tones and hypnotically immersive, abstract rhythms. Bambara | Stray | Wharf Cat Records Bestial Mouths | RESURRECTEDINBLACK | RUNE & RUIN Bison Bone | Find Your Way Out | self-released Black Wing | No Moon | The Flenser blackcell | Burn the Ashes | self-released Denver-based EBM/IDM band Blackcell returns with its first full- length album since 2013’s In the Key of Black. Matt Jones’ processed, distorted vocals sound as ever like a dispossessed human resisting an ever increasing mechanization of life. These dark dance songs articulate so well the struggles of the human condition and seem so resonant for today as meaningful choices and control over your own life are leeched away into increasing labor defined by a gig economy, subscription and streaming services in the modern equivalent of pay-per-view, and a failing political and economic system that has channeled all the world’s wealth into fewer and fewer hands, nickeled and dimed to death and expected to take it like it is or not to streamline the technocratic wealth pipeline. Blackcell offers no answers but this time, its Gary Numan-esque end of the world techno feels particularly cathartic right now. BleakHeart | Dream Griever | Sailor Records Body Double | Milk Fed | Zum Vignettes of personal psychological horror expressed as seething, angular post-punk pop. Body Negative | Fragments | Track Number Records Bootblacks | Thin Skies | Artoffact Records Soaring synths and guitar sketch a vivid image of a deep yearning for personal transcendence and rebirth. Boris and Merzbow | 2R012P0 | Relapse Records Alien soundscapes of stunning immediacy that challenge preconceptions of all artists involved. Botanist | Photosynthesis | The Flenser Cabaret Voltaire | Shadow of Fear | Mute Camila Fuchs | Kids Talk Sun | Felte Records Avant-garde, psychedelic synth pop for tropical vacations in parallel dimensions. Causer | Hellebore: Demos | self-released Chicano Batman | Invisible People | ATO Records Un-ironic, un-corny psych Tropicalia love songs for an inclusive future of unified humanity. Choir Boy | Gathering Swans | Dais Records Every song is an introspective Goth R&B ode to radical self care. Church Fire | Some Lonely Wip | self-released This collection of “unfinished/unmixed/unmastered/instrumentals” bridges the gap between Nine Inch Nails and Crystal Castles with their raw, lo-fi, maximalist glitch. Without the highly emotive and cathartic vocals that have been part of Church Fire’s signature sound we are invited to visit the soundscapes that give those vocals a powerful musical context. What is obvious here is the band’s playfulness and gift for pairing dark tonal choices and buoyant rhythms anchored by spare textural elements. On “pixie death tickle” there are wisps of voices but they serve as more a musical aside from the strong, bright, urgent main passages. The “wip” in the title may refer to “works-in-progress” but these songs would work as mood pieces in a soundtrack to the inevitable English language Inio Asano manga film in mirroring that artist’s talent for simultaneously expressing melancholia and joy. cindygod | EP 2 | Fire Talk Clipping. | Visions of Bodies Being Burned | Sub Pop Brooding, seething, menacing industrial hip-hop horror stories from an all too near future. Cyclo Sonic | Pile of Bones EP | self-released Damn Selene | Nobody By That Name Lives Here Anymore | self-released Dan Deacon | Mystic Familiar | Domino Records Dead Voices On Air | Stone Cross Shuttle Worn | self-released Deafbrick (Deafkids + Pet Brick) | s/t | Rocket Recordings Death Bells | New Signs Of Life | Dais Records Atmospheric post-punk brimming with an infectious sense of hope after a time of struggle. Death Valley Girls | Under the Spell of Joy | Suicide Squeeze Acid jazz flavored garage psych with an ear for emotionally rich infinite horizons. Deerhoof | Teenage Cave Artists | Joyful Noise Reliably Beefheartian, lo-fi No Wave-esque, boundary-breaking avant-pop. Down Time | Hurts Being Alive | self-released Drew Danburry | Icarus Phoenix A Sides and B Sides 2020 | Telos Drew McDowell | Angalma | Dais Records Dyad | Dormant | self-released Charles Ballas and Jeremy Averitt are perhaps better known for their participation in acts like Howling Hex and Esmé Patterson’s live band respectively as well as their production work for Echo Beds. But DORMANT from their long-running collaborative project DYAD showcases their mutual knack for genre-bending IDM-esque soundscapes. DYAD freely blends elements of non-Western polyrhythms, intricate and textured instrumentation, luminous jazz keyboard progressions and tasteful electronic arrangements that convey an eclectic and international flavor. Imagine music equally influenced by Herbie Hancock, 80s Ethiopian synth pop, Daft Punk, Warp Records artists and informed by a deep sense of play, and you will have some idea of the soothing and imagination stirring quality of this music and its brilliantly new age downtempo future jazz sounds. eHpH | Infrared | self-released This Denver-based electro-industrial duo minces no words on the opening track “Idiot” in its introductory sample “I’m gonna say one thing, fuck Trump.” And then on to choice sampling of 45s words and those of journalists cataloging some of his offenses against humanity. The menacing descending synth bass progression and minimalistic percussion puts the focus on the words. The rest of the album is less explicitly and specifically topical but it is the band’s most fully realized and focused effort yet. The pulsing pace and Fernando Altonaga’s distorted vocals draw you into meditations on the perils of creeping authoritarianism on “Tarnished.” The pastoral pace and deep melancholy of “Forever Haunted” resonates with the artfully despairing tones of the Closer period of Joy Division the way its circular guitar line and synth melody rides a wave of personal revelation and the contemplation of an unrelievedly bleak future. EhpH has long been one of the more interesting modern EBM bands but Infrared demonstrates that the group of Altonaga and Angelo Atencio have fully integrated those roots with a more contemporary post-punk and darkwave sensibility, thus never sounding stuck in the past. Emerald Siam | Inventions of Ascension | self-released Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou | May Our Chambers Be Full | Sacred Bones Records Emmy The Great | April / 月音 | Bella Union Entrancer | Decline Vol. 4 | Multidim In constructing this latest installment in Entrancer’s Decline series Ryan McRyhew utilized Rob Hordijik’s DIY synth, the Benjolin, as well as the Make Noise Shared System. Though both are modular synthesis devices and visually look complex, McRyhew, in naming the equipment on the Bandcamp page, takes some of the technological mystery out of music making with synths and puts the emphasis on the creativity end. For twenty-seven minutes forty-four seconds of the single track of this album, “Decline XVI,” we travel with McRyhew through the sonic analog of the distorted ebb and flow of civilizational decay that we seem to be experiencing right now. Yet at the heart of the piece we hear a separation of more industrial sounds and those more organic like the inevitability of nature reasserting its primacy in our own consciousnesses and in the entire world. Equine | Light Wa/orship | Noise Pelican Eve Maret | Stars Aligned | White Supulchre Records Eyebeams | It Means Trouble | Hot Congress Eyedress | Let’s Skip to the Wedding | Lex Records Eye of Nix | Ligeia | Scry Recordings Uplifting, psychedelic, blackened noise doom journey to a pagan underworld and back. Facs | Void Moments | Trouble In Mind The post-punk equivalent of crime jazz’s subterranean menace. Faim | Hollow Hope | Deathwish Fearing | Shadow | Funeral Party Fire-Toolz | Rainbow Bridge | Hausu Mountain Records Flaming Lips | American Head | Warner Records Overflowing with compassion and musical salves for the pain and despair of the fractured American psyche. French Kettle Station | Spirit Mode | Slagwerk Future Islands | As Long As You Are | 4AD A soulfully soothing and transporting examination of the roots of one’s melancholic impulses. Galleries | Resolve | self-released Ganser | Just Look at That Sky | Felte Records Incandescent yet contemplative post-punk dense with conceptual content and poignant social commentary. Gold Cage | Social Crutch | Felte Records Hard to Be a Killer: A Tribute to Ralph Gean In an alternate universe Ralph Gean is a beloved rock and roll hero widely known for his brilliantly unique and off-beat songwriting. But the British Invasion derailed that trajectory and Gean instead has since become a bit of a legendary figure with a cult following in Denver music who has periodically played shows and championed by figures as politically disparate as Boyd Rice (who compiled a collection of Gean’s work in 2007) and Jello Biafra. That fandom is reflected on this sprawling tribute album assembled by Arlo White of Hypnotic Turtle Radio and bands like Deadbubbles and The Buckingham Squares. Every interpretation of Gean’s songs is a worthy listen and a fine showcase for his sheer breadth as an artist. Contributions from local, experimental eccentrics like Little Fyodor & Babushka, Claudzilla and The Babysitters lovingly capture Gean’s essential appeal as an artist with an unvarnished charm and humor. Eric Allen of The Apples in Stereo fame highlights the science fiction cowboy persona that Gean could convey while White’s band Diablo Montalban with the late, great eccentric DJ and Denver cultural figure Frank Bell give “Switzerland” a real dark exotica treatment reminiscent of weirder moments in Tom Waits’ catalog. A fascinating portrait of an important yet often overlooked artist. H Lite | Green Youth Heattech | self-released Anton Kruger has been known for his inventive, hyperkinetic electronic and experimental music. But for this new EP he took a deep dive into contemplative realms of sound. Elegant, heavenly strings, luminous swells of tone and crystalline percussion embody the title of the song “Light Language.” The spacious sound design aspect of all the song’s on the album are reminiscent of Plaid in the enigmatic playfulness and the stretching consciousness to find inspiration through creative work. Every song brings forth a singular and imaginative portrait of tone, texture and rhythm that takes you on a journey to alien spaces that strike one as familiar and ultimately comforting like a dream. It is post-glitchcore IDM that dispenses with the anxiety in favor of a soothing spirit. Houses of Heaven | Silent Places | Felte Records Gloomy street tribal dance anthems fortified with dark, minor chord melodies. Human Impact | s/t | Ipecac Recordings In The Company Of Serpents | Lux | self-released In the Company of Serpents has long been a band that has aimed to infuse its music with its interest in cinema, esoteric knowledge, literature, and with all of those come out of directi human experience, emotion and an attempt to make sense of life and imbue it with meaning. Lux is the fullest manifestation of those aims written into its most sonically dynamic set of songs to date. The crushing yet fluid heaviness of its sound is paired perfectly with elements of song that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Spaghetti Western soundtrack. “The Fool’s Journey” opens the record as a sort of map for the path set before us ending with the enigmatic “Prima Materia.” It’s a musically diverse and rich album that places In the Company of Serpents apart from a mere doom band and more in the realm of Swans’ and Neurosis’ own heavy explorations of the human psyche. IDLES | Ultra Mono | Partisan Pointed yet loving politi-punk built on a hip-hop framework. Insect Ark | The Vanishing | Profound Lore Records A seething and entrancing hybrid of a Junji Ito manga and industrial psychedelic doom. Jarv Is | Beyond the Pale | Rough Trade Records jOoHS UhP | Big Glasss | Records This record is so irreverent and self-deprecating it uses the swagger language of much of hip-hop to make statements that are the opposite of anything some other artists would brag about. The irony runs so deep even the elements of the music sounds like swagger. There is a song called “NoWeDon’tWannaMakeGoodMusic.WeTriedAndIt’sBoring.” The glitchy, industrial beats are so unconventional and eccentric you would never confuse this duo with anything resembling traditional hip-hop. It all has more in common with Renaldo & The Loaf and The Residents than even a weirdo like Kanye. Though often confrontational and obnoxious there’s no denying the relentless creativity of the production and glorious seeming lack of regard for how a song is supposed to sound. Juliet Mission | Surren | self-released Surren is the third EP from Denver-based post-punk band Juliet Mission. As with previous releases the trio’s command of blending layers of atmosphere with strong rhythms and a contemplative melancholy is impressive. The short title track actually has three movements that flow from existential introspection to passages of dark realization to a mood of uneasy acceptance. All four songs in their brooding beauty demonstrate, as have the most recent albums from The Church, that you can write vital and engrossing rock songs from an adult point of view with elegance and grace, and without defaulting to an adolescent, and thus thematically limited, perspective. Jupiter Sprites| Holographic | Jupiter Sprites Records Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith | The Mosaic of Transformation | Ghostly International Killd By | Neotropical (tape reissue) | Noumenal Loom King Krule | Man Alive! | Matador Like The Fall gone hip-hop chillout lounge post-bad trip horror movie dreaming. Klara Lewis | Ingrid | Editions Mego Distorted melancholic cello drones like the glitched image memories of past life regression. KoKo La | Curriculum Vitae | self-released Koko La has long already established herself as an artist of note as one of the MCs and producers in the hip-hop group R A R E B Y R D $. Her soulful voice and presence often draws out subconscious emotions and gives them form in the music and performance. Curriculum Vitae finds Koko La exploring the experiences that have shaped her. Aided by Machete Mouth and Kitty Opinion$ on a couple of tracks, Koko La excels here with shining a light on those experiences that challenge you in various ways, while at the same time, giving you a better sense of self and the boundaries you must draw the border for people who might seek to dismiss you as a human or otherwise put you in your place. The trap beats and hushed atmospheres provide a fascinating listening experience, like you’re honoring the subconscious thoughts and feelings that affect your waking life by giving them an identifiable form that also allows you to comprehend, embrace and reconcile the wounded sides of yourself. Lazarus Horse | Oh the Guilt! | self-released Lithics | Tower of Age | Trouble In Mind Surreal, minimalist post-punk funk disintegrating into disorder like American democracy. Lone Dancer | Temporal Smearing | Multidim Mamaleek | Come and See | The Flenser Many Blessings | Emanation Body | Translation Loss Records Ethan McCarthy of Primitive Man renown returns to his ongoing noise soundscapes with the enigmatic and forbidding Many Blessings. In typical fashion this set of five pieces stretches beyond what McCarthy has done with the project in the past. Throughout this album there is not the harsh noise and deconstructed drones of some earlier work. Rather, it is layered collages of sound that give voice to the raw angst and anxieties that sit as a background hum of modern civilization eating away at our collective unconsciousness. The concluding track “Harm Signal” is like a symbol for the whole effort — a flow of sounds, a frequency, that we usually ignore but which causes untold destruction to our existence. These songs identify and give expression to energies and forces we’ve bypassed our whole lives but which are now impossible to ignore, like a sound art metaphor for the social and political forces that have come home to roost of late. Marissa Nadler | Moons | self-released Melkbelly | PITH | Carpark Records/Wax Nine Memory Bell | Solace | self-released Metz | Atlas Vending | Sub Pop Midwife | Forever | The Flenser Madeline Johnston wrote Forever during one of the darkest times of the Denver DIY music and art community. Her community was scattered and challenged in the wake of the Ghost Ship fire with so many lives seeming to be on hold with no hint about when thatdespairing period would end. And the 2018 death of Colin Ward hit everyone whose lives he touched so deeply that it seems like the kind of hurt that will never fully heal. Johnston’s almost ghostly, delicate and vulnerable vocals and distorted, ethereal guitar seem to drift together in an effort to make some sense of those feelings with a nuance and sensitivity that always comes across as emerging directly from those places of acute pain and ache and loss, and honoring the need to just feel all of that whenever the need strikes and for however long into your life it lasts even if that is, indeed, forever. An especially touching and evocative tribute to a uniquely restless and creative yet sensitive and emotionally refined person in Colin Ward, Forever is a tender and heartbreaking, healing catharsis in the listen. Mild Wild | Mild Wild, Vol. 1 | self-released Intensely personal, imaginatively lo-fi aural snapshots of daydreams and poetic observations. Mint Field | Sentimiento Mundial | Felte Records Dream pop slow burner illuminating and warming the inner regions of the melancholic heart. Moby | All Visible Objects | Mute Records Retro rave and chillout lounge songs mourning our collective loss, yearning for a hopeful future. Molchat Doma | Monument | Sacred Bones Records Introspective, elegantly minimalistic, lo-fi, Belarusian gloom pop. Mong Tong | Mystery | Guruguru Brain Moodie Black | FUZZ | Fake Four Moon Pussy | Hurt Wrist | The Ghost Is Clear Records Guitar riffs like swarms of angry insects sweeping through. Syncopated percussion like start- and- stop jackhammers. Bass lines like a half- ton coil being struck and emitting a menacing fluidity. Tortured vocals erupt with Brutalist, post-hardcore poetry. All of this helps to make this latest Moon Pussy record the perfect companion and reaction to a radically uncertain world seemingly in perpetual crisis mode and on the verge of we know not what. Fans of bands on the Amphetamine Reptile imprint or Touch and Go will be thrilled with the band’s seemingly endless supply of inspired, aggressive and savage noise rock riffs and the ability to articulate directly from a place of desperation and outrage. “Fail Better” should be the theme song of these United States. Mr. Bungle | The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo | Ipecac Mr. Gnome | The Day You Flew Away | El Marko Records Mrs. Piss | Self-Surgery | Sargent House Napalm Death | Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism | Century Media New Standards Men | I Was A Spaceship | self-released Night of the Living Shred | Return of the Night of the Living Shred | self-released The name of this album of course invokes the title of the 1985 horror comedy Return of the Living Dead. And the Colorado Springs-based metal group has taken the opportunity to give us an unusual and eclectic record that not only reflects its members’ broad taste in music but a deeply healthy sense of humor about the world and themselves. “Shred Shoppe Quartert” is an a cappella song in the style of a barbershop quartet. There are rap, punks, death metal, doom and grindcore songs. All of it performed with a charming exuberance even though the entire track list reads like something out of a heavy metal version of Mad Magazine. “We Get it, Mike Patton Is a Musical Genius” with screaming like a cover of something by Naked City with lyrics mocking that? That’s genius. Even though the record is largely a put on in one way or another, the fact that it has so much variety makes it eminently listenable. No Age | Goons Be Gone | Drag City Of Feather And Bone | Sulfuric Disintegration | Profound Lore Records Oneohtrix Point Never | Magic Oneohtrix Point Never | Warp Records Otzi | Storm | Artoffact Records Emotionally intense post-punk at the intersection of Sleater-Kinney and The Cure. Perry Weissman 3 | Backlog | self-released Plack Blague | Wear Your Body Out | self-released Plague Garden | LEFT IN THE GRAVE | self-released Pod Blotz | Transdimensional System | Dais Records Pole | Fading | Mute Records Primitive Man | Immersion | Relapse Records Princess Dewclaw | Wild Sugar | Glasss Records On the Wild Sugar EP Princess Dewclaw has reinvented itself as a gritty, industrial darkwave band. That element was there on its 2017 album Walk of Shame (in fact the songs “Walk of Shame” and “Into the Words” have carried over in a significantly different form), but there seems more of an edge here. The vocals come more directly from channeling anxiety and pain into catharsis. Rather than acoustic drums the electronic and programmed drums sync more closely with the cutting synth work. The effect is like a caustic and politically charged take on a pop song with mainstream appeal. In that way it has an appeal similar to that of Alice Glass’s emotionally raw solo offerings. Protomartyr | Ultimate Success Today | Domino Records Burning poems songs evoking a Jim Thompson-esque modern America in slashing/clashing post-punk. Public Memory | Ripped Apparition | Felte Records If Tarkovksy and Jarmusch could team up to make a cyberpunk movie this would be the soundtrack. Rafael Anton Irisarri | Peripeteia | Dais Records Raspberry Bulbs | Before the Age of Mirrors | Relapse Records Reverb And The Verse | RESONATE | self-released Since 1999 Reverb & The Verse has been developing and writing some of the most imaginative hip-hop out of Denver. The groupput their songwriting on this ninth record through a rigorous process of experimentation and weeding out the material deemed not quite there. Though steeped in classic MC wordplay, the beats and expertly crafted synth work and rhythms seem as informed by the likes of Minneapolis alternative hip-hop that came out of the 90s as it does 80s and 90s synth pop. All of these elements make for a sonically rich and diverse listen a bit like a cross between Clipse and Meat Beat Manifesto. Riki | s/t | Dais Records Goth synth pop for skate rink parties in abandoned malls. Run The Jewels | RTJ4 | Jewel Runners Shabazz Palaces | The Don of Diamond Dreams | Sub Pop Shitkid | 20/20 | PNKSLM An unlikely and fascinating hybrid of garage rock and soulful synth pop. Shocker Mom | The Mediocre Depression | self-released Sightless Pit | Grave of a Dog | Thrill Jockey Sublime and caustic, often claustrophobic, soundscapes of terrifying and transcendent beauty. SNAD/Jackson Lee| Jargon/Syntax Error 12” EP | Deep Club Records SPELLS | Stimulants & Sedatives | Snappy Little Numbers This record is raw even by SPELLS standards. But it’s perfect for 11 songs about the messiness of adulthood with lyrics that frankly go for the jugular. This isn’t new for this pop punk band and its anthemic choruses, but it’s always interesting to hear the contrast between the primal pop of the songwriting and incisive portraits of American life that dispense with the soul-destroying niceties. “We Can’t Relate” is a pointed declaration of the disconnect between the culture of the wealthy and the working class. “I’m Sorry I’m Not Sorry” is something of an apology song for being how you have to be in a world that demands essentially unacceptable compromises. Imagine an amalgam of Blatz, Stiff Little Fingers and The Replacements and you have an idea of the sound, the vibe and the sentiments expressed throughout. Spice | s/t | Dais Records Sprain | As Lost Through Collision | The Flenser Colossal, sprawling, slowcore deep dives into the catharsis of anxiety and rootlessness. Spunsugar | Drive-Through Chapel | Adrian Recordings Squarepusher | Be Up a Hello | Warner Records Stay Tuned | Remote Control | self-released Brilliantly sampling from American media and entertainment culture, both musically and thematically, Stay Tuned has produced not just a signature song with this arc of eleven tracks but a signature album. Dense with content each song uses the format of autobiography to comment on aspects of society like the shallowness of celebrity culture and the way we formulate our dreams and aspirations in terms and frameworks taken from preexisting constructs like television shows, movies, video games and other media — of course expressed through the corporate controlled channels we most often use to communicate with one another. But in free associating musical and other media references in a collage of sounds in the beat, Stay Tuned uses media tropes and collective myths and imagery to showcase how we can subvert the prevailing power relationships and the monopolistic paradigms of our time. Stephen Malkmus | Traditional Techniques | Matador Studded Left | Sidewalk Vitamins | Girlgang Music Stūrī Zēvele | Labvakar | self-released An endearing indie pop manifestation of the essence of close and warm friendships. Sumac | May You Be Held | Thrill Jockey Suo and Data Rainbow | s/t | Multidim SUUNS | FICTION EP | Joyful Noise Syko Friend | Fontanelle | Post Present Medium The Drood | Totally Comfortable | self-released The High Water Marks | Ecstasy Rhymes | Minty Fresh The Microphones | The Microphones In 2020 | P.W. Elverum & Sun The Paranoyds | Pet Cemetery EP | Suicide Squeeze The White Swan | Nocturnal Transmission | CockThermos Through Flames | Through Flames | self-released Riveting, radical experiments in political poetry and sound design. TI-83 | Demo | self-released Time | These Songs Kill Fascists | Dirty Laboratory Hip-hop artist Chris “Time” Steele displays a true gift for fusing autobiography and lived experience with historical context and knowledge of political theory on this album. He’s always been a brilliant lyricist whose expert wordplay has seemingly effortlessly combined his sharp sense of humor with a wide ranging curiosity about the world and a growing body of knowledge of history, culture and politics. On These Songs Kill Fascists, Steele works with Daiba, Mick Jenkins, long time producer AwareNess, Giuseppe, Ron Miles, JXSHYB, Cat Soup and Psalm One to create a jazz-inflected story cycle commenting astutely on social issues now getting some focus. While a riveting listen purely as a well crafted album, These Songs Kill Fascists does not function as merely socially conscious entertainment, it seems to have been crafted as a form of praxis that challenges artist and listener in a dialectic of critical pedagogy that mutually encourages ongoing personal growth and social transformation. Tobacco | Hot, Wet & Sassy | Ghostly International Bright, bombastic, noisy synths paired with darkly humorous musings disrupt the album’s aesthetic of nostalgic comfort sounds. Torres | Silver Tongue | Merge Records Uniform | Shame | Sacred Bones Records Scorching and thrillingly diverse industrial hardcore inspired by noir literature. Usaisamonster | Amikwag | Yeggs Records Vivian | The Warped Glimmer | self-released Voight | s/t | self-released Maybe it’s Chase Dobson’s treatments and mixing and mastering after Adam Rojo and Nick Salmon wrote and recorded this album, but the self-titled Voight album is the closest the duo has come to sounding like it’s blurring the line between its rock and electronic aesthetics. Guitar chords burn and shimmer out, percussion flurries and traces out a minimalist beat and Salmon’s vocals float through the songs like a person who was once lost but is now rediscovering his ability to feel and to express those emotions with a coherent self-awareness. Every song has an expansive quality reminiscent of Clan of Xymox and The Twilight Sad. The tone of the album perfectly walks the line between urgency and introspection without ever compromising an underlying delicacy of spirit and emotional refinement. Wayfarer | A Romance With Violence | Profound Lore Records Wetware | Flail | Dais Recordings White Rose Motor Oil | You Can’t Kill Ghosts | self-released Windy & Carl | Allegiance and Conviction | Kranky WL | ADHD | Beacon Sound Wolf Parade | Thin Mind | Sub Pop Yves Tumor | Heaven To A Tortured Mind | Warp Records Futuristic, effervescent, downtempo, synth pop-inflected, R&B informed non-binary funk.

Superintendent Chris Himsel ended his final in-person regular board meeting forced into hiding at Carroll High School, where he eluded more than 30 men, women and children intent on a confrontation, video obtained by The Journal Gazette shows. No audio accompanies the security footage, which shows multiple, simultaneous camera angles in real time. A woman holding an “Unmask NACS students now” sign spots the Northwest Allen County Schools leader from down the hall and alerts people off-camera, who quickly enter the frame in their rush toward Himsel. He eludes the group – which includes a man with an apparent gun and badge at his hip – by ducking into a side hallway and pulling the doors closed behind him. Moments later, the woman who first spotted Himsel points to his escape route, but the crowd can't breach the doors. Undeterred, the crowd persists and races outside before ultimately loitering for an hour in the parking lot where Himsel and other Northwest Allen County Schools leaders, including central office administrators and board members, return to their cars under police escort. The video obtained through a public records request illustrates the tensions between Himsel and opponents to measures designed to stop the spread of COVID-19. At least one person faced criminal charges in connection with the Sept. 27 meeting, which was the first without public comment and was held in a classroom with overflow seating in the cafeteria. A 34-year-old woman was charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass after a sheriff's deputy asked her about 13 times to leave an area that at the time was open only to students attending after-school activities and staff, according to a probable cause affidavit. Himsel, who declined last week to comment about that night, went on medical leave for undisclosed reasons about three months later. The board formally accepted his retirement on March 28; it takes effect June 30. The 8,000-student district hopes to name Himsel's successor by then. The board is considering two candidates from an applicant pool of two, spokeswoman Lizette Downey said last week. The search has garnered public comment from Himsel's critics, including Travis Striggle. On April 25, Striggle told the board that this superintendent hire will be among the district's most important given everything that's happened over the past year. He encouraged the elected leaders to consider candidates' character as well as their experience and credentials. “I think that that could keep us from kind of making the same mistake over again,” Striggle said. Respected statewide, Himsel is a member of the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents in good standing, Executive Director Robert Taylor said, adding Himsel's peers selected him as the 2017 Indiana Superintendent of the Year. “He is a well-respected educational leader throughout the state,” Taylor said by email. “Dr. Himsel is recognized both regionally and nationally as an educator who is committed to facilitating and providing an optimum learning program for all students.” Taylor declined to speculate whether events at last year's school board meetings may have affected NACS' applicant pool. The superintendents association does not comment on individual situations relating to local issues. But Phil Downs, a former Southwest Allen County Schools superintendent, said it's likely the contention affected interest. “I think it's affecting the candidate pool everywhere,” Downs said, referring to the vitriol that became common nationwide during the coronavirus pandemic. The mask debate was especially heated at NACS, where board meetings last year attracted disruptive, unruly audiences. The board suspended public comment in September and shifted to a virtual format Oct. 13 as safety concerns increased. In-person meetings with public comment resumed in January. Much of the unrest seen during the pandemic seems to be ebbing, Downs said, and the summer should help to further restore normalcy, which bodes well for superintendent searches. Districts use various approaches to fill superintendent vacancies, Downs said. Some hire search firms, some conduct targeted searches and others nurture internal candidates. NACS advertised its opening through its online jobs board from March 29 to April 5. Job seekers are likely considering districts' past performances – specifically regarding the board and superintendent, Downs said. Districts with board turmoil and high superintendent turnover are less attractive. “Those are definitely warning signs that that is not a place you can go and actually hope to get a lot done,” said Downs, who led SACS for seven years and is now a faculty member at Trine University's Franks School of Education. But Himsel's 12-year tenure at NACS is a “very good sign” for those aspiring to lead the district, Downs said. During the April 25 meeting, board member Steve Bartkus assured Striggle that the board is being thorough in its selection process. “All those topics that you brought up as far as what we're looking (for in) a new superintendent, those are all issues we're taking into consideration,” Bartkus said. Whoever leads NACS next will likely have a rosy start. Downs said there's usually a honeymoon period where the superintendent and the board want everybody to think the right decision was made.

Detectives are appealing for information following a stabbing in St Helens yesterday (Tuesday, 23 November). At around 4.50pm we received reports that a man in his 30s had been attacked by four men, suffering several stab wounds and a hit on the head at a property on Sunners Green Close in Parr. Emergency services attended and the victim was taken to hospital with serious injuries. He is in a serious but stable condition. The men were reported to have made off from the scene in the direction of Fleet Lane. Detectives have opened a full investigation, including house-to-house, witness and CCTV enquiries. Detective Inspector Neil Dillon said, “This shocking incident appears to be a targeted attack and we are urging anyone with any information to come forward. “We are carrying out extensive enquiries in the area and we are keen to speak to anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information that can help with our enquiries. “We will be doing all we can to find the people responsible and bring them to justice, and we’ll take positive action to remove those who use weapons to cause fear and harm in our communities from our streets. “The use of weapons is reckless and intolerable, and can have devastating consequences not only for the victim and their family but also the offenders.” Anyone with any information is asked to contact us via Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ with reference 21000815338. You can also pass information via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or their online form at https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously

Psychological TV Shows If psychological thrillers are your thing, then look no further! These shows are just the right amount of chilling to get you in a Halloween mood. - Will Graham, an FBI profiler, is required to be supervised by psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter, based on the character of the same name from the 1991 film “Silence of the Lambs.” “Hannibal” has three seasons and can be streamed on Netflix. - This show is named for Mildred Ratched, a new nurse at a psychiatric hospital where “unsettling experiments” are performed on the patients. “Ratched” is available for streaming on Netflix and is a prequel to the 1962 novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” - “The Twilight Zone” - “The Twilight Zone” was started in 1959 by Rod Sterling and received a modern update in 2019 by Jordan Peele. The original show can be streamed on Netflix, and the remake is available on CBS All Access. Supernatural TV Shows You can’t have Halloween without a few supernatural elements, and these creepy shows all channel the supernatural! - “The Haunting of Bly Manor” - An au pair, Dani Clayton, is hired by a man to care for his niece and nephew, but it doesn’t take her long to discover that the manor they live in is haunted. This Netflix Original is a follow-up series to “The Haunting of Hill House,” but both shows can be watched independently. - “True Blood” - This popular vampire show follows Sookie Stackhouse, a young waitress in a rural Louisiana town that’s crawling with vampires, shapeshifters, psychics, and other supernatural creatures. You can watch this show on HBO Now. - “Stranger Things” - One of the most popular Netflix Original shows, “Stranger Things” is a supernatural mystery that takes place in a small town in the 1980s. Follow as a gang of middle schoolers meet a young girl with powers and search for a missing boy. When people think of Halloween, they think of horror. These shows are sure to scare you right into the Halloween spirit! - “Castle Rock” - “Castle Rock” is an anthology series inspired by characters and themes created by horror master Stephen King and takes place in his fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine. You can watch this chilling show on Hulu. - “Into the Dark” - “Into the Dark” is a seasonally themed horror show; each of the two seasons has twelve episodes, and each episode is themed around a holiday in the month in which it premiers. This show is available to stream on Hulu. - “Scream Queens” - Unlike the previous two shows in this section, “Scream Queens” takes a satirical approach to horror. Both seasons are available on Hulu and feature the original scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis, who always seems to live in a town with a vicious serial killer. Family-Friendly TV Shows If you’re looking for something to watch with the whole family, or if scary just isn’t your thing, here are a few family-friendly shows that can still get you in the spooky spirit! - “The Haunted Hathaways” - “The Haunted Hathaways” tells the story of a single mother and her daughters who move into a house that is already occupied by a ghost family. This show, available on Amazon Prime, gives a supernatural spin to a ‘blended family’ and shows the two families dealing with everyday problems with ghostly and mortal methods. - “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” - “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” available on Hulu is a late 1990’s sitcom about witch Sabrina Spellman, her aunts Hilda and Zelda, and Salem, a 500-year-old witch trapped in the body of a black cat. The story of Sabrina Spellman originated as a comic book series in the 1970’s and has since been retold in movies as well as in several animated and live-action shows; the most recent of these shows is Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. - There is a seemingly endless supply of Scooby-Doo shows on various streaming sites; Netflix has “What’s New Scooby-Doo?” and “Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated,” and Boomerang has every single “Scooby-Doo” episode made since 1969. If you don’t have time to watch a multi-season show or don’t feel like starting something new, try these Halloween episodes of popular TV shows! - “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” - The detectives of Brooklyn’s 99th police precinct take part in an annual ‘heist’ every Halloween, with the stakes and pranks escalating each year. There are five Halloween Heist episodes of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” that you can stream on Hulu: Season 1, Episode 6 “Halloween;” Season 2, Episode 4 “Halloween 2;” Season 3 Episode 5 “Halloween, Part III;” Season 4 Episode 5 “Halloween IV;” and Season 5 Episode 4 “HalloVeen.” - “Boy Meets World,” Season 5 Episode 17: “And Then There Was Shawn” - Cory and friends discover some disturbing things when locked in the school for detention. You can watch them solve a murder on Disney+. - “Friends,” Season 8 Episode 6: “The One with the Halloween Party” - Monica and Chandler throw a Halloween costume party. You can purchase “Friends” by season or by episode on Amazon Prime. - “Lizzie McGuire,” Season 1 Episode 24: “Night of the Day of the Dead” - After Kate disrespects Miranda’s Mexican heritage and her Día de los Muertos decorations, spooky things start happening at the school Halloween party. Find out who’s haunting Kate on Disney+. - “Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” Season 1 Episode 19: “The Ghost of Suite 613” - A ghost is rumored to haunt suite 613 of the Tipton; watch Zack, Cody, and their friends try to spend a night in the haunted suite on Disney+.

In early January 2013, Puerto Rican chat show SuperXclusivo (featuring puppet character La Comay) was cancelled after a sustained boycott campaign. Spark writer Ian Anderson interviews Carlos Rivera, who co-founded the Facebook group and played a leading role in the campaign. The Spark: What were the initial problems with La Comay, and SuperXclusivo, that triggered this campaign? CR: For more than a decade, the show had had issues with hate speech and hate “humour”. In 2010 this came to head with extreme homophobic comments. The TV station was forced by a huge LGBTT campaign to create a public promise to change. A few months later the format re-emerged. It also had moved from being a celebrity gossip and crime sensationalism show and into politics – supporting right wing politicians, draconian law-and-order “solutions to crime” and so on. The latest of this effort had been the unsuccessful attempt to eliminate bail rights earlier in 2012. When we won that referendum, we celebrated the fact we won not against the political establishment, but against La Comay. It was there I was drawn to the issue in a definitive manner. The immediate trigger was the disappearance of a young man in the middle of a robbery. This kidnapping and eventual murder generated incredible social media attention and sympathy. Then the show made hateful comments towards the victim, to the extreme of implying he had it coming for frequenting a red light district. The sympathy for the victim was high, so the comments fell on sensitive ears. The Spark: Who benefits from this bigotry? What are the consequences? CR: Basically the right wing and conservative hate mongers – and the colonialist project benefit. The fundamental consequence was the agenda being set from the right and from the reactionary perspective – even on unpopular issues. For example, the majority of Puerto Ricans are opposed to the death penalty, and the colonial constitution prohibits it. Yet this show made it seem as it was an open question, and had an effect of putting the anti-death penalty forces in the defensive. The loss of this voice has already had an explosive effect – a visible one – in how the debates happen at the street level. There is a sense that the silent majority is progressive – which it is – but there was not this sense before. The Spark: Your “Boicot a La Comay” Facebook page has over 75,000 likes, can you talk about this growth? CR: About half of it happened in the first 24 hours. It was entirely grassroots. The Spark: What kind of impact has the campaign had on the company? CR: They tried to reign in the show – changing it to a pre-recorded format. This created the conditions for the cancellation – Kobbo Santarrosa, the puppeteer found this unacceptable. It proved our theory correct: the show existed due to inertia – not even the management really liked it. They did like the money. So when we attacked the money, the incentive to continue was removed. The Spark: Is this campaign an attack on “free speech”? CR: No. Our first slogan was “Boycott without censorship”. This is why even if some members were calling for censorship – for example, pressuring the Federal Communications Commission to cancel the license – we never made those official. We knew we were treading dangerous waters in terms of speech. Our idea was never to silence speech, but to de-fund speech. The two are not the same. The Spark: What social forces have been drawn into the campaign? All of them. But a salient fact is that the overwhelming majority of likes in Facebook are from women, at a ~58% vs ~42% men. This is significant, in part, because people considered SuperXclusivo to be a “women’s show”. The Spark: Much of the coverage, and social media campaigning, has been Spanish-language. How do you think the English-language coverage has compared with this? CR: It is natural that as local issue that would be the case, but one of the salient facts – except for brief notes in the New York Times – is that English coverage was Latino-oriented. It never broke to other news outlets. This speaks clearly of the colonial relationship. The Spark: What is the relationship, and what are the differences, between US and Puerto Rican networks? CR: Basically out of the three major TV channels, 2 are affiliates of Univision and Telemundo – the leading Spanish-language networks in the USA. WAPA-TV is “independent” but owned by a US private equity firm – the same that owns other “niche” channels like the Gospel and Christian Music Television. The Spark: As someone currently living in New York, how have you found working on a campaign against a show produced in Puerto Rico? CR: It made me dependent on the membership for the information – it also made the media have to work this. The Spark: How did the simultaneous vigil in New York and Puerto Rico go? CR: Very well, I think our victory is in part due to the pressures it generated on advertisers and the owners of the channel. In NYC we were able to directly confront employees for the corporation with our demands. The Spark: How do you see the relationship between online and street organising? CR: I think it is a false dichotomy – and the insistence on this dichotomy is a serious strategic and tactical problem for any political movement. Those who organized the Facebook page that triggered the Arab Spring continue to lead their online communities, but are one of the many voices on the street. This shows they are part of continuum, rather than a dichotomy. Certainly there are differences, but these are minor and microcosmic. At the macro level, they are part of the same general movement, and should be seen as such. Today, street organizing without an online presence is doomed, and vice versa. It is how the world is. The Spark: This is a broad campaign around a single demand. From a socialist perspective, what can be achieved by participating? CR: In particular, we have achieved credibility. This is a mass line issue in a classic sense. The absence of a real socialist force means the gain is limited, but the idea that socialists can contribute to reforms without having to compromise their strategic message is proven – hopefully the lesson will not be lost to socialists in PR. The Spark: What’s next? CR: We will see what the members want. But we already have had minor victories in other issues. The Spark: How can socialists in Aotearoa support this struggle, and struggles like it? CR: Fundamentally, raising the issue of the colonial relationship between the USA and Puerto Rico. The forces against colonialism in Puerto Rico are a minority, but this is due in part to the colonial condition in itself. International awareness of this issue will have solid impact. After all, the independence forces in East Timor, for example, were a minority, until international awareness of the struggle fuelled them. Of course, Puerto Rico has its own complexities, but the international silence on this question tends to isolate and demoralize the pro-independence forces. Some, for example, have become anti-annexation rather than anti-colonial – with serious consequences to the struggle for self-determination.

NOVEMBER 15, 1999 Newark, New Jersey "Did i sound like I was a liberal and a progressive?" Jon Corzine asked me as we pulled out of the parking lot of a senior citizens' center in Monroe, New Jersey, where Corzine, a candidate for the U.S. Senate, had just addressed the local Democratic club. Corzine wasn't worried that he sounded too liberal and progressive. He was worried that he might not have sounded liberal and progressive enough. The former CEO of Goldman Sachs will be spending millions of dollars of his own fortune to run a campaign so left- leaning that it would make Minnesota's left-liberal Democratic senator, Paul Wellstone, blush. Corzine's principal opponent for the Democratic nomination is former New Jersey Governor Jim Florio, who was defeated when he ran for reelection in 1993 because he had broken an earlier campaign promise not to raise taxes. Florio is a policy wonk who has taught courses in energy and environmental policy at Rutgers University. He still has a powerful base of supporters in southern New Jersey, where he served as a congressman, but he is hampered by continuing resentment among voters and Democratic politicians who blame him for making mistakes that led to Republican dominance of state politics in the '90s. No sooner had Florio signaled his intention to run for the seat being vacated by Senator Frank Lautenberg than Democratic officials, led by Senator Robert Torricelli, began casting about for an alternative. They found Corzine. The 52-year-old Corzine, who resigned from Goldman Sachs almost a year ago, was a protege of former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, a former Goldman CEO. Corzine helped Rubin raise money for Democratic candidates, but he never participated in New Jersey politics. He is still very green as a politician and sometimes sounds as if he were in the boardroom rather than on the hustings. On the day I accompanied him, he told the senior citizens in Monroe that he was about to give them the "bullet points" of his program, and he used business-school jargon such as "cyclalicity" when talking to small businessmen in Trenton. But Corzine has a modest appearance and a natural friendliness that serve him well among voters and reporters. A tall, bearded man who was once a reserve on the University of Illinois basketball team, he slouches with his hands in the pockets of his gray suit jacket. He worries--justifiably--that he looks "rumpled." He has little of the hauteur common among many Wall Street masters of the universe; he's surprisingly at home exchanging pleasantries with a retired Cuban-American couple at a senior citizens' home in Union City or talking politics with a black minister in Trenton. Corzine was raised in a small town in central Illinois, where his father farmed and sold insurance. After receiving his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois, he got a graduate degree in business from the University of Chicago and was off to Wall Street, where he rose quickly in Goldman Sachs's bond-trading department. When I asked him how he became such a flaming liberal, he said that he was touched by a "King and two Kennedys." At Goldman Sachs, he said, he was "always outside the general mold." But, while Corzine is unusual, he is part of a tradition of upper-class progressives that goes back nine decades to House of Morgan men such as George Perkins, who bankrolled Theodore Roosevelt's Progressive Party, and Willard Straight, the first funder of The New Republic. The programs Corzine is championing would certainly place him at the far left of the ideological spectrum in the Senate. He would require all employers to provide health insurance and then would insure everyone else through a federal program. (He says the United States will eventually have a single-payer system.) He wants the government to pay for two years of college for every student who graduates high school with a B average. He wants to raise the minimum wage above the poverty line--which would mean increasing it from $5.15 an hour to about $8. He favors a "card-check" program that would force employers to recognize any union that got a majority of workers to sign membership cards. If the United States adopted this system, which is an important factor in the success of Canada's labor movement, it could raise the percentage of organized workers from 15 to 25 percent in one decade and completely change the dynamics of American politics and industry. Corzine hasn't yet learned to construct his speeches around themes rather than programs, but, over a day's discussion, his underlying perspective clearly emerges: the democratic pluralism of the New Deal. He believes in a balanced society in which management and labor enjoy roughly equal power and public action compensates for the inequities created by the private market. He supports labor-law reform, he says, because "the ongoing balance between labor and management is out of whack." He says of government, "I am a capitalist who believes that the government has a role checking the excesses of the marketplace." But Corzine is not a populist or an economic nationalist. He is critical of the Clinton administration for bungling the deal worked out last spring to bring China into the World Trade Organization. And, like Rubin, he opposes programs designed to penalize companies that pay multimillion-dollar salaries to top executives. In the Democratic primary, Corzine's principal strength is also his weakness: the $10 million of his own estimated $300 million fortune that he is threatening to spend. Corzine has tried to ingratiate himself with Democratic regulars by buying radio ads for local candidates in this November's elections, but he has offended some Democrats from old working- class strongholds. At a party celebration at the Polish National Home in Harrison, I heard rumbles of discontent. One man told me, "He is pulling up to towns with a dumpster filled with bags of money and leaving two bags here and five in Jersey City and Newark." Corzine is not comfortable with this issue. When I asked him whether he favored campaign finance reform, he said he wanted to go well beyond the McCain-Feingold initiative and embrace "comprehensive reform"; but, when I pressed him for details, he could only come up with "open access to the airwaves." He said he would oppose closing the loophole in campaign law created by the Supreme Court decision in Buckley v. Valeo, which allows individuals such as himself and Steve Forbes to spend unlimited amounts on their own campaigns. "It gets right at the First Amendment," he said. When I asked him whether it was fair that a college president who wanted to run for office would not enjoy the same advantages that he had, he replied, "I am not saying that all aspects of campaign structures are attractive." He rejected a mutual limit on spending, saying it would amount to "unilateral disarmament." If corzine wins the nomination, he will probably also face questions from Republicans about the economic consequences of his proposals. Without tax increases, the costs of his education and health care plans would plunge the budget back into deficit. When I asked him about the cost of his health care plan, he said that he would figure out specifics later. His plans on the minimum wage and on union recognition, along with his employer-paid health care, would dramatically increase labor costs. It may be that rapid increases in productivity would make these programs viable without creating a fiscal crisis or spurring capital flight. But it is also possible that they could cause the United States to become more like Germany or France, which have relatively high wages and generous social programs--but also high unemployment. Florio has already challenged Corzine's positions on campaign finance reform, but he is not likely to attack the fiscal soundness or political correctness of Corzine's proposals. The two men are both on the party's left, with very similar positions on health care, the environment, gun control, abortion, and labor law. Instead, Florio will raise doubts about Corzine's credentials as a real Democrat. "I've been there before. I have scars on my back from the NRA," he said at a meeting organized by students at Seton Hall Law School and the Democratic Roundtable, a group of young Democrats. Florio is a far more polished politician than Corzine and a better public speaker. He can emphasize points and hold an audience's attention by the timbre of his voice alone, without gesturing with his hands. But he lacks Corzine's amiable personality. Like Governor Parris Glendening of Maryland and other men who have raised themselves from humble circumstances to high office, Florio, a former boxer and a son of a Brooklyn shipyard worker, has put considerable emotional distance between himself and his roots. He is distant and reserved in his manner and is sometimes abstract and professorial in his approach to politics. At Seton Hall, he lost the attention of law students when he began describing at length the "iceberg issue" of pension reform. The student sitting next to me stopped taking notes and didn't resume until Florio began responding to a question about campaign finance reform. Florio would like voters to forget about his governorship, but it keeps coming up. At Seton Hall, the very first question he faced was whether he had any regrets about raising taxes. Florio deals with this question as ineffectively as Corzine answers questions about campaign finance: he defends what he actually did and faults himself merely for failing to convince voters that it was a good thing. "I probably could have done a much better job trying to explain," he told the students. When I asked him afterward what he had learned from the opposition he incurred as governor, he seemed to blame his problems on voters' lack of attention to politics. "I was disabused of the idea that everybody is out there listening to politicians," he said. "It is hard to pierce through the clutter of all the problems people have, so we all have to figure out better ways of communicating, better ways of making things real, so that the things people are doing in Washington or Trenton or wherever relate to people's lives." Florio certainly should not shoulder all the blame for his first-term defeat. When he took office, he faced a large deficit created by his Republican predecessor, Thomas Kean, and a court decision mandating increased spending on public schools. But Florio had promised not only to oppose tax increases but also to conduct an immediate state audit in order to cut spending. He broke both promises. He also raised and redirected spending on education without establishing tough standards to assure voters that the money would not be squandered. He fit the stereotype of the tax-and-spend liberal that voters rejected and that the Democrats of the '90s tried to move beyond (see John B. Judis, "A Taxing Governor," tnr, October 15, 1990). Florio campaign consultant David Eichenbaum claims that the former governor still has the support of "core Democratic voters"; in my own brief survey of Democratic activists and officials, however, I found considerable skepticism about Florio's candidacy. Several people remarked that Florio was "damaged goods" and would be likely to lose in the general election, if not in the primary. To date, the only significant interest group to endorse Florio is the Sierra Club--a fitting tribute to Florio's sterling environmental record as a congressman and a governor. Corzine, for his part, has already gained endorsements from many of the state's key politicians. Under New Jersey's old- style election laws, his name will be put at the top of county ballots as the party's preferred choice. Although Corzine is still unknown in the state and trails Florio in polls, the primary election appears to be his to lose. New jersey's democratic primary could be an anomaly, or it could suggest that, after a decade of caution and retrenchment, the Democrats are once again embracing large-scale reform programs to alleviate social inequality. Although he prefers Vice President Al Gore for president, Corzine's campaign themes and programs clearly echo those of fellow New Jerseyan Bill Bradley. The Democrats originally expected to face New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman in November's Senate race, but Whitman withdrew from the contest in September. She said she didn't want to raise money, but she might also have seen polls that showed that she was vulnerable to a well-financed challenge from a candidate other than Florio. Representative Bob Franks is the best known of the current Republican candidates, but some conservatives are urging magazine heir Steve Forbes to drop out of the presidential race and run for Senate. A Corzine-Forbes race would pit the very liberal investment banker against the magazine-heir-turned-tribune of the supply-side right. The voters would get a clear choice, and media outlets and political consultants would make a fortune off the millions of dollars the two candidates would spend.

In 1869 Richmond was the largest flour milling center in the United States, upon the eve of the Minneapolis era. Richmond never had many mills, but it was a natural place to exit most of Virginia's wheat because her production grew as transportation facilities opened up more distant fields. In 1833 there were only three mills, and in 1859 there were only seven, but its annual average production was 500,000 barrels. Gallego mill ground 900 barrels of flour a day at its best, and from the Haxall Mill, could produce 700 barrels. The architecture of these mills transformed the Richmond waterfront into an industrial center made up of some of the largest structures then standing in America. The first Gallego mill was established at the falls as early as 1796 by Joseph Gallego. From the Richmond Whig, April 25,1865.............."Richmond can boast of having within its limits the largest flouring mill in the world. The erection of the mill was regularly commenced some time in the year 1854. The superstructure rests upon a solid foundation of granite, the base of which is seventeen and a half feet thick. The width tapers to a thickness of six feet at the top course of granite. The average thickness of the brick walls, forming the first four stories above canal street, is three feet two inches. The great mill is twelve stories in height, fronts ninety-six feet on Canal street, and is one hundred and sixty-five feet deep. The height of the front wall is one hundred and twenty-one feet to the top course of bricks. Including the observatory the total height is one hundred and thirty-five feet. The rear wall, embracing a part of the granite foundation, is one hundred and forty-seven feet high. Each floor contains 155,000 square feet or rather more than three and a half acres. Altogether, the available space within the walls of this building is about 200,000 square feet." I am a postgraduate student studying at the University of Glasgow and am at the moment doing a research project on Oliver Evans which will result in a computer simulation of his automated flour mill. I am having difficulty finding information about the production itself, how many bags of flour were able to be produced after automation, what were the throughput rates, seasonal fluctuations and how it affected the production rates etc.. I came across your website and I was wondering whether you had any information about this side of a historic mill's working life or whether you could point me in the right direction. I haven't had much success finding books on historical mills and how they worked (production wise) nor are there many research articles available. Any help would be much appreciated. Dear Karen Williams, Thank you for your e-mail. I think that your problem is that you are looking for output of Oliver Evans mills in bags. Bags denote "household flour." A mill's output is measured in how many barrels of flour that it can produce in a 24 hour period. Each barrel of flour contains 196 pounds of white flour. During Oliver Evans day, for every one hundred of wheat they ground the yield of white flour was 72 pounds or 72 percent. A mill with Oliver Evans machinery installed depended upon the number or run of millstones that the mill had. The owner of the mill had to pay him a users fee based upon how many pairs of millstones the mill had. Most Oliver Evans mills had two or more pairs of millstones. Mills may have two pairs, three pairs, four pairs, five pairs or more of millstones. A mill's output of ground flour depends upon the diameter of A 42 to 46 inch pair of millstones can grind 300 pounds of grain or wheat in an hour. A 48 inch pair of millstones can grind 400 pounds of grain or wheat in an hour. A 56 inch pair of millstone can grind 500 pounds of grain or wheat in an hour. I should mention that this is all English wheat or soft wheat. Hard wheat did not come from the Ukraine until the middle of the 1860's by the Mennonites who brought it to the Midwest and the plains of Canada. It is basically do the math. They did not call shifts in a 24 hour day a "shift" back then. It was called "first watch," "second watch," and "third watch." During Oliver Evans time flour was shipped from a mill in wooden barrels. A wooden barrel was a shipping container that would last 300 years. It is called a "dry cooper" that means that it has split ash hops around the barrel. Metal hops are used on "wet coopers" which are used to contain a liquid. Most flour from Oliver Evans' mills was exported. The Napoleonic Wars were fought with flour produced by American Quaker millers. Yes, most millers (for centuries) were Quakers. Milling was a trade that was traditionally exempt from military service. A cooper could produce or make three (3) barrels a day. That meant if a mill could produce 25 to 50 barrels of flour per day, there had to be a lot of cooper's and cooper's shops around or near mills. At some point most pairs would be simply repaired and reused. They had split ash hops so that they would not create a spark of rolled on a nail head in the floor. Flour dust is more explosive than gun powder, and 35 times more explosive than coal In Oliver Evans mills the stuff that was sifted out, the middlings and bran were most often tossed into the creek or mill stream. They did do some regrinding of middlings, but they are difficult to regrind using the traditional feed system into millstones, and often the flour suffers from heat generated problems. If you over heat the gluten, then the bread will not rise. Regrinding of middlings came with "New Process" milling that happened in the late 1840's and early 1850's. Animal feed business does not come about until after the American Civil War. So up until then the middlings and bran became fish food or euthanize The following would be the labor force of a pre-Oliver Evans mill.........A mill with one pair of millstones would take 6 people to operate (two men and four children). A mill with two pairs of millstones would take 6 to 8 people to operate. A mill with three pairs of millstones would take 8 to 12 people to operate. This would be the labor force for daylight working hours only. A mill with the Oliver Evans automated flour milling system would take one to two people to operate a three pair of millstone mill. This would be per watch or shift of two 12 hour periods The Oliver Evans system was not adopted in England because they held a lower value on human labor than in America. Basically they were not interested because a colonist came up with the idea, and they were willing to maintain the labor and manpower in the system they had in place. In America, or the United States we had a manpower shortage. The average three pairs of millstone mill with an Oliver Evans system of automated flour milling could grind 1,200 pounds of grain or wheat in an hour. The average mill of that size could perhaps store 50 to 75 thousand pounds of uncleaned grain within the building. A granary next door could perhaps store 100 to 150 to 200 thousand pounds of grain in storage. They would buy grain from grain dealers and farmers. It came by canal boat, ship and wagon to the mill (depending upon the location of the mill). What happened was there became a shortage in the market where a mill could now grind 10 to 20 times more than without the Oliver Evans' system. Most mill streams had an average of one mill per mile. What Oliver Evans did was create an industrial revolution in the milling industry so the greater demand cause the agriculture industry to come out of the dark ages (away from the plow, scythe, flail and winnowing basket), and modernize as well. Both the milling and agricultural industries had not changed in thousands of years. If the agricultural industry had done it first there would have been a glut in the market, and the milling industry could not keep up with the oversupply. Oliver Evans saw that it was the milling industry that had to take the first step in the industrial An Oliver Evans mill would run year round with the exception of freezing and flooding. A stream powered mill. A tidal powered Oliver Evans mill run year round with the exception of storms, and an Oliver Evans windmill ran year round with the exception of storms, lack of wind or too much wind. This is why Oliver Evans' son built a steam powered mill in Pittsburgh. Coal fired mill with automated flour milling machinery could run year round. A grist (custom, or batch) mill would grind grain for local farmers at harvest time. It may run 3 or 4 months of the year, and the rest of the year the miller had another occupation like a saw miller, blacksmith. If the grist miller was also a saw miller when the mill froze up in the dead of winter he went out to cut his trees. Then he could skid the logs to the mill on the snow, and begin cutting them with the spring thaw. If the miller was also a blacksmith, when the freeze up happened he began doing blacksmithing work for the logger and then afterwards for the Shop keepers sold flour in cotton sacks. Originally people brought their own sacks. Then after the American Civil War mills began to sell flour in cotton sacks, and the birth of household flour. Flour was basically sold in 10 pound, 25 pound, 50 pound and 100 pound sacks. People used the fabric to make clothing items, shirts, aprons, underwear (Jockey Oats), dish cloths, etc. Paper sacks appeared around 1910 in 5 pound, 10 pound, 25 pound, and The standard output for a mill up until World War Two was a wooden flour barrel that contained 196 pounds. Then around World War Two that changed to a standard "100 weight" sack. How many sacks of flour could a mill produce that weighted 100 pounds. These were cotton sacks. If you are going to make a computer simulation of an Oliver Evans automated flour mill, then you really need to see........The Oliver Evans automated working model of his flour mill in one of the museum buildings at the Hagley Museum and Library in Greenville, of an Oliver Evans Automated Flour Mill. Have you looked on my web pages on Oliver Evans? I have a lot of information out there. Lily Mill Restorations Menu Page. The thing about an Oliver Evans mill that it is automated, which means that it was the first automation of any industry what so ever. It saved manual labor. Oliver Evans came up with his ideas for automated flour milling in 1782-83, using paper models. His book, "The Young Mill-Wright and Miller's Guide" was published in 1795 in 15 editions to 1860. It predated the word "industry" which came into existence in 1814. You mentioned the word, "throughput" which means everything is happening at the same time, and if you want to increase the "throughputs" everything is designed to keep up with all of the parts in the system. So if you want to increase the output, you just increase the flow of grain into the system and increase the power source. With a pre-Oliver Evans mill to increase the output, you have to add more machinery and increase the amount of labor. What happened to Oliver Evans' mills? They became something else. The product remained the same which is flour. So what changed is how the millers ground the grain. Evans did not fall out of fashion, the methods of milling grain changed. Most of his devices (as he liked to call them) or inventions of machinery were incorporated into the new methods of flour milling. The millers would never give up his idea of "automated flour milling." The machines and how flour was produced changed. In Oliver Evans day, for example, there was only soft or English wheat. Now there are a number of known varieties of wheat. Roller mills replaced millstones, and some of his devices have been replaced with pneumatic milling where stuff is blown around the mill though metal and plastic pipes instead of elevators, conveyors, and chutes. You mention the computer simulation of the Oliver Evans' automated flour mill. About 25-30 years ago the most expensive mill restoration to day began on a mill in Northern Virginia. The mill was built in 1810 and would have been an Oliver Evans flour mill. By 1790, all of the new and existing mills in and around the District of Columbia were being equipped with the Oliver Evans automated flour milling system. This mill in time was converted to a "New Process" milling system, and to the four pairs of millstones was added a smaller diameter pair of millstones for regrinding middlings.......Then around 1900-1910, two metal Fitz Water Wheels replaced the mill's two wooden water wheels with an additional steam engines, and a new roller milling system (that practiced "gradual reduction milling." People called it a "white elephant," and they had to hire the most expensive millwright of the day who worked for no less than a thousand dollars a day whether he was on site, doing work for them, or not. Anything that they did, they went the most expensive route possible........I was working in a nearby 1930's Fitz Water Wheel Company restoration of an Oliver Evans' mill, Peirce Mill in Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C. A man walked into the mill one day, and said that he worked for John Hopkins University in Baltimore. He said that he was going to create a computer program for them that would simulate the mill operating. The plan was that there would be computer terminals throughout the mill. As a kid walked around the mill he, she, or they could access the program. It would show the entire mill operating, and if they were standing in front of the water wheels, millstones, roller mills, bolters (sifters), elevators, conveyors, plansifters, cleaners, flour packers, etc., that terminal would focus in on that machine in front of them with details of just how that machine worked. This was before the days of personal computers became mainstream. I guess a packaged program could be sold in the gift shop and to other mills for their sales...........Needless to say, when I heard this, I thought that the mill would only work in the computer simulation, and not for real demonstrations. Well the computer program never became a reality. It was really a heard of its time 20 years ago. And with all of the money they overspent in the beginning stages of the mill restoration, the mill years later is still basically an empty shell. They never came up with the money to finish it. Things like 20 years ago, they spent 250 thousand dollars just to stabilize the building to keep it from falling down. Stupid things like if you put your finger on a course of bricks, and walk around the mill when you return to where you started, your finger will be on a different course of bricks, and not the same one like it should be. To explain some of the stuff that I talked about see the following Design in North America. Please feel free to contact me again if you have any questions or need additional help. Dear Mr. Hazen Thank you so much for such detailed information about Oliver Evans.. it is exactly what I have been searching for and have been unable to find. As soon as I sent you an email I found the pages you had written on Oliver Evans which were extremely informative. The information you have provided will help me achieve more accuracy with the simulation - my professor had told me that finding information such as what you have provided is hard and I would probably have to do some estimates - well not any Thank you once again. I will be referencing you in my final Illustration Number 631 - The Gallego Flouring-Mill-Richmond, Virginia, by Edward King, 1848-1896 and James Wells Champney, 1843-1903, illustrators of "The Great South; A Record of Journeys in Louisiana, Texas, the Indian Territory, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland," Hartford, Connecticut., American Publishing Co., 1875. The illustration shows dock steersmen along the canal in the foreground, and the Gallego Flouring Mills, Richmond, Virginia, in the background. The Gallego Flouring Mills was twelve stories high, this building was one of the largest brick buildings in the United States, producing 190,000 barrels of flour annually. The mill was powered by hybrid vertical water wheels with water from the James River and the Kanawha Canal. Hybrid water wheels have metal shafts and iron hubs upon which a traditional two bucket section wooden water wheel was constructed. Power was taken by a bull wheel on each shaft that operated a smaller pinion wheel shaft. From this horizontal lay shaft several rows of pairs of millstones were operated. The Gallego Flouring Mills was actually two identical mill buildings build end to end, much like Lyons or D.C. Federal Mills on Rock Creek in Washington, D.C. Lyons Mill had a water wheel on each end of the double mill structure. Gallego Mills had two water wheels on each half of the double mill structure. To produce the mill's daily output of 900 barrels of flour a day, that meant that the mill had to have operating 20 pairs of millstones. The mill would have more than likely, had 35 to 40 pairs of millstones since one half of the mill's total amount of stones would always be down for millstone dressing. Gallego Mills may have had either Oliver Evans automated flour milling system, or the "New Process" flour milling system, the mill still ground flour on French millstones, and had the Oliver Evans devices, elevators, conveyors, hopper-boys, and other flour milling machinery like grain cleaners and flour sifters By mid-century, they were joined by other Falls mills in shipping out their flour to South America and to the San Francisco gold rushers. Gallego had a fleet of three dozen schooners, carrying flour as far as Australia. Until war came, Richmond was considered the flour milling capital of the country, the hemisphere, and perhaps even the world. The post-Civil War operation was unable to compete effectively with competition that emerged in the Midwest. Virginia had only the soft or English wheat, meanwhile, during the 1860 the Midwest began growing the inferior Ukrainian hard wheat which the invention of the middlings purifier made into a superior white flour. Hard wheat grows in an arid climate. Prior to the Civil War, Richmond had the tallest brick mills in the world, The Gallego Mills. Some considered it ugly brick for the city skyline of Richmond, Virginia. Kline's Mill, a four-story stone and log building. Once a common combination. Jacob Kline built the original two-story portion of the mill in about 1775 to press flax seed for oil, and grind wheat for flour. When the flax seed oil business was no longer profitable, Jacob and his son Anthony (one of 12 children in the family), put their focus on the flour milling part of the mill's operation. The Klines began to convert the mill into an Evans' automated flour milling design system in about 1797. The son Anthony Kline added two additional floors to accommodate the milling process. Anthony using blueprints supplied by Evans in "The Young Mill-Wright and Miller's Guide," published in 1795. Flour from the mill was exported out of the country. Anthony inherited the mill and 50 acres from his father in 1816. Four years later, he built a two-story brick home on a hill overlooking the mill. Sometime during the course of the operation, a general store was added to the mill and a post office was made part of the store. Kline's Mill was still in operation in the 1950's, and the mill and home stayed in the Kline family until Kline's Mill on Ridings Mill Road, south of Stephens City. The mill is one of finest example of a preexisting mill which was adapted to the Oliver Evans' design in the United States. The mill contains the smallest diameter example of an original Oliver Evans hopper-boy, and Peirce Mill contains a larger diameter original hopper-boy. Peirce Mill is the best example of a mill built with Oliver Evans' automated design in the United States. Kline's Mill is in need of mill restoration and deserves to become a living-history museum. This area is where the greatest number of Oliver Evans mills were found, in the Upper South. The majority of mills that have survived into the present had their water wheels changed to metal, and or have had roller milling systems installed. Kline's Mill represents a lost period in milling technology. "The Young Mill-Wright and Miller's Guide" is considered the miller's and millwright's bible, but Kline's Mill should be one of its houses of worship. Return to Home Page

A senior Republican senator on Sunday accused President Barack Obama's aides of deliberately covering up the details of the Sept. 11 attack in Libya that killed a U.S. ambassador so that voters wouldn't question Obama's handling of the war on terror. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a long-time point man for the GOP on national security issues, said he believes the administration knew within 24 hours of the assault that it was a coordinated militia attack and was not tied to other anti-U.S. protests across the Middle East. According to Graham, the administration suggested otherwise so voters wouldn't think al-Qaida remained a threat. "They're trying to sell a narrative, quite frankly, that (the) wars are receding and that al-Qaida has been dismantled," said Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services emerging threats and capabilities subcommittee, in an interview on CBS "Face the Nation." "And to admit that our embassy was attacked by al-Qaida operatives ... I think undercuts that narrative," he added. It was an exceptionally pointed allegation on what has become a major campaign issue. The attack on a U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, which killed four Americans including Ambassador Chris Stevens, has raised questions about whether the State Department denied its embassy staff adequate security to save money and why the White House was slow to label the assault a "terrorist attack." Democrats shrugged off the allegations. "This conspiracy stuff is kind of ridiculous to be honest with you, and I've been kind of surprised that they've gone to these lengths. But you know that's what they do," said Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is investigating the incident. The White House declined Sunday to comment on Graham's allegations. It has said previously that the investigation continues and that officials have relied on information about the attack as it became available. Five days after the attack, Susan Rice, the US. Ambassador to the United Nations, described the violence as spontaneous and said the administration believed extremists had "hijacked" an anti-U.S. protest over an American-made video ridiculing Islam. Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also had given credence to the notion that the attack was related to protests. A CIA memo obtained by The Associated Press cited initial intelligence that supported the assertion. But during last week's congressional hearing on the matter, the State Department said it had never concluded that the consulate attack stemmed from protests, prompting lawmakers to question why the administration used the explanation for more than a week. Graham said Sunday that he had been told by intelligence officials in Libya that "within 24 hours they communicated up to Washington that this was a terrorist attack." Graham did not specify whether that message was relayed to the White House or the State Department, or if that information was kept within the intelligence community. "Either they're misleading the American people or incredibly incompetent," Graham said of the Obama administration. "There was no way with anybody looking at all that you could believe five days after the attack it was based on a riot that never occurred." Obama's senior campaign adviser, David Axelrod, on Sunday refuted allegations that Rice or any other administration deliberately tried to mislead the American public. "Anyone would have said what she said, because that's the intelligence we were receiving," Axelrod said. The Benghazi attack also has raised questions about whether the State Department had provided adequate security to embassy staff. Democrats blame Republicans for cutting more than $300 million in diplomatic security funds worldwide. Republicans say the State Department could have relied on other discretionary spending accounts to cover costs. Lawmakers on both sides said Sunday that a supplemental spending measure is being considered. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said he is planning to lead a congressional delegation to various hotspots around the world to ask U.S. diplomatic staff what security concerns they have. Bloomberg News reported Sunday that Ambassador Stevens' father said he believes his son's death is being investigated adequately and that it would be "abhorrent to make this into a campaign issue." Graham, Cummings and Issa spoke on CBS "Face the Nation." Axelrod spoke on "Fox News Sunday."

Are there any particular incidents which are responsible for the low reputation Microsoft (and Bill Gates) has in the eyes of the open source community? Microsoft is clearly not the only proprietary company. Companies like Apple have done a lot worse when it comes to restrictions on software. Why does Microsoft get most of the hatred from the open source community? closed as not constructive by Robert Harvey, Rein Henrichs, Jarrod Roberson, GlenH7, MichaelT Apr 24 at 4:06 As it currently stands, this question is not a good fit for our Q&A format. We expect answers to be supported by facts, references, or specific expertise, but this question will likely solicit debate, arguments, polling, or extended discussion. If you feel that this question can be improved and possibly reopened, see the FAQ for guidance. I guess if there's any one "incident" then it was the so-called "Halloween Documents", which were a series of memoranda that were leaked by a Microsoft employee to Eric S. Raymond in the late 90's, detailing Microsoft's desire to "disrupt the progress of open source software." It is worth mentioning a fact that highlights the aforementioned statement: that Microsoft often engages in negative (non-technical) campaign against its competitors. One of the greatest foul plays in Microsoft's history is paying someone to write a book claiming that Linux source code was stolen from Minix, in an attempt to make companies afraid to use Linux, so that it can sell its own products, in the basis that it was not legal to use stolen source code. Fortunatelly, Andrew Tanenbaum wrote an article to refute the accusation. While not so intensively, Microsoft still engages itself in practices like that, as one can see from the recent claim (in 2007) that Linux infringes Microsoft patents (1 and 2) or the more recent (2012) "Droid rage feud" on Twitter. A link for the specific tweet can be found here. While Microsoft's attitude has somewhat mellowed (compared to the past), many in the open source community still see Microsoft as a rather aggressive (and foul) competitor, particularly with respect to the negative campaigns and to the way they license their patented technologies (the "Open Specification Promise"). Now, whether that reputation is (still) justified is another question. Personally, I don't think Microsoft is as "evil" as some people would like you to think - certainly not compared to some other companies out there. |show 21 more comments| As Dean pointed out, for historical reasons. However, I think Microsoft has been progressively heading the right way, take for example this: Keep in mind that Microsoft, above all, is a business, and they will always look for profit in some form of another, however, I think they now know the value of community. Regarding being evil in open-source, I think Oracle is the new Microsoft, v.gr.: I think what saves Microsoft is that their actual constant interest is to cover all of the market and this can lead to intelligent strategies, and Oracle's demise in open-source is plain interest in profit. Perhaps I'm being a little visceral against Oracle, so if anyone can prove me wrong, go ahead. I am an active open source developer with commit access to several projects. I don't hate Microsoft. There are some things that I dislike about our industry as a whole, of which Microsoft is a part: None of these gripes are at all exclusive to Microsoft. Yes, I read the Halloween documents when they leaked, but I wasn't really put off by them. I said then, just as I say now that a truly functional distributed development model is nearly impossible to disrupt. That has proven to be the case in most instances. Technically, I am not fond of some of Microsoft's products. I suffered through EDLIN, laughed at BOB and avoided Vista at all costs. However, Windows 2000 is still (in my book) one of the hardest OS's to kill. I'm also becoming rather fond of Windows 7. I wouldn't purchase my own copy, but I'll happily use the copy that my company provided. As others have said, I'm far more concerned regarding Oracle being Oracle than I am about Microsoft being Microsoft. At the time of this writing, Microsoft is at least predictable and they are trying to repair past damages to the free software community. Like others, I take those repairs with a grain of salt, but they do seem to show the capacity for metacognition, albeit on levels that many would consider trivial. Note again, publicly traded companies have an obligation to their share holders. My decisions on what technology I use are based solely on technical merit. I'm not the only one who thinks that way. It just happens that, if I have the source code to something and can modify it to suit my needs, the merit increases exponentially. If I change it and can't share it, it is useless to me. I'm also not completely immune to the idealism of free software, I really hope that one day, open collaboration prevails and we really start advancing ourselves free from litigation and secrets. I live in the real world, and I don't see that happening in the immediate future. One can hope, and I do, and I work for change. Until then, I do have bills to pay :) I don't get paid for speeches. Microsoft had something of an anti-competitive reputation before open source was ever an issue. One example is one of the Office apps (Word, I think) which was claimed to include during startup an allocation of an unrealistically huge amount of memory which was then immediately freed without ever being used for anything. When asked to allocate a large block of memory, MS-DOS would always succeed initially irrespective of whether all that memory was actually available. Digital Researches DR-DOS would fail immediately if too much memory was requested. The effect was that the Office app worked just fine on MS-DOS, but crashed immediately on DR-DOS. The claim was that this was intentionally done to give the impression that DR-DOS was buggy, and to make using DR-DOS impractical for customers already dependent on Office. The policy of allowing a memory allocation even though the memory isn't immediately available isn't so wierd as it sounds. Linux does the same thing even now. That policy often allows things to run without problem that would otherwise have a problem, though very occasionally the policy backfires and the Linux kernel has to start killing off processes to free memory as a result. The reason I point this out is because, for all I know, there may have been some weird but genuine reason for the large allocation at the start. It sounds implausible, but so does the policy of allowing allocations when the memory isn't immediately available. For that matter, the whole thing might even be a myth. Certainly some well known ex-Microsoft employees have published blog posts describing the extreme measures that Microsoft used to (and maybe still does) go to to ensure that old applications, including third party apps, continue to run on later DOS and Windows versions - though that is a slightly different thing, of course. |show 2 more comments| Well some time ago (like 5-6 years AFAIR) they tried to make linux illegal by throwing money at SCO company lawsuit. They were sending legal threats and trying to sue linux users, pretending to own it. It took like 2 years, before they finally acknowledge they were unable to point any "stolen" code, so they switch to a nice thing called software patents and then they said their "intellectual property" was stolen. As you may know Intellectual Property is some bullshit, not a real thing, so it's easy to say someone stole it from you... when you don't even know what it is. "I use red backgrounds for my desktop - you stole my intellectual property". SCO's reputation get so bad that they went bankrupt and i guess this one, beside many others is enough to hate microsoft for financially backing up this bullshit to undercut linux reputation. We can add some mentally retarded Ballmer's quotes to the equation: -- "Open Source is a cancer" But, in the end MS is 100x more friendlier than eg. Apple. Apple made it illegal for their programmers to use tools that they want (eg. cross compilers or flash)... treat to destroy any free video codec (because they own all Intellectual Property, bla bla bla)... so at least MS is sane in this matter (not treating their programmers and users like slaves). We should really hate Apple, microsoft get much nicer over time. Now Apple is trying to delegalize owning a brain. To end with optimism. It's good that we, in European Union don't have any sortware patent or intellectual property bullshit going on. So apple can for now go f** themselves... and harass United States people only. Even the Terms Of Service (TOS) agreement for private end-users was ruled illegal by the German court (and several other countries ruling followed), so in EU it means just NOTHING. How good is that? :) |show 17 more comments| As Paulo Scardine has pointed out, Gates started off hostile to the hobby computing community, and it isn't clear that he ever changed that. Microsoft has used aggressive and frequently illegal business tactics to get to its position, and sells primarily to businesses rather than individuals. Microsoft is currently a monopoly in the OS and office software field, and it's difficult to get a computer without some money going to Microsoft. This is exactly the sort of thing that got a lot of people hating IBM back when they were in a similar position. The 1998 Halloween documents showed Microsoft as actively hostile to the Free Software/Open Source community. Microsoft is generally believed (I haven't checked it out myself) to be the financial driver behind the SCO lawsuit that attempted to destroy Linux. The lawsuit was ill-advised (SCO didn't even own the copyrights they claimed they were trying to enforce) and destroyed the company, but that didn't seem to stop anybody. Microsoft was behind the OOXML standardization scandal, which destroyed a lot of confidence in the ISO and interfered with their ability to get things done. (This involved Microsoft fast-tracking a bad standard by having MS partners step into the standardization process to push specifically for OOXML standardization, ignoring objections, and leaving standards bodies without a quorum when the MS partners left.) Microsoft has alleged, many times, that Linux violated MS patents, without ever saying which patents or in fact supplying evidence. This was viewed by lots of people as an effort to cast FUD over Linux, making MS look like the safe legal choice through innuendo. The SCO lawsuit, OOXML standardization, and patent rumbles are all in the past several years. Therefore, Microsoft's got a strong history of being the enemy, including fairly recent actions. The Free Software/Open Source community has a collective memory, so it will take a long time and a lot of work for Microsoft to lose its bad reputation. |show 1 more comment| What really got the ball rolling was the Netscape vs. Microsoft stuff, which included accusations that Microsoft deliberately broke Win98 in a way that caused Netscape to crash. This accusation turned out to be false -- it was the result of Apple QuickTime not following Netscape's plugin development guidelines. The judge rejected that evidence (most likely because she didn't understand it), and it quickly became popular for governments and organizations to sue Microsoft over silly crap, with the EU following suit insisting that Microsoft killed Real Media with Windows Media Player. Of course, then Netscape went open source and was forked under the name Mozilla and then Firefox, so the hate swelled within the open source community from there too. All of Mozilla's campaigning didn't help either. The worst part of all this scapegoating and witch hunting is that it's letting people be incredibly irresponsible, like when people decided to blame half a million SQL injection attacks on SQL Server, rather than admitting that that particular class of bugs is entirely the fault of the database user. I'm quite critical of Microsoft myself, but I'm even more critical of the people who think that they can get away with anything if they just blame Microsoft. Also, Microsoft's particularly hated in the open source community because some people -- including Ballmer -- have instilled a false dichotomy between Microsoft and free/Free software. |show 2 more comments| Kids, sit down, uncle Paulo has a nice history for you. Bill Gates was one of the first business man to advocate selling software by itself. Before him, software was mostly something bundled with hardware. He started the damn software as a product industry. The infamous 'AN OPEN LETTER TO HOBBYISTS - By William Henry Gates III' dates back to 1976!!! A young (just 20) Bill Gates wrote this letter to the legendary Homebrew Computer Club complaining that Altair BASIC was being rampantly copied. And, towards the end: So the thing remounts away back before Microsoft became known for playing hardball business. Before the software industry, software was free, something bundled with hardware to make it useful. It came with sources and hardware maker was happy when you fixed or improved programs. It's why old farts like RMS (and myself) despise this guy - BTW it's why we have the whole free software moviment. |show 6 more comments| The main cause of dislike for me toward Microsoft is (was) the disdain shown towards open standards. I think the prime example that comes to mind regarding this issue is Internet Explorer 6. IE6 is so buggy it rapidly becomes a true nightmare to develop websites catering to it. Not having clear, common standards that every party (in this case, browser companies) agree upon only slows down end users work (webdevs), and, in a broader sense, progress as a whole. Microsoft is making amends and trying to do "good" with IE9, we just have to wait for IE 6, 7 and 8 to slowly die. For a long long time it was also close to impossible to read a .doc file in anything but Word, preventing users from switching text editors if they wanted to do so. Bad communication regarding Outlook 2010 also started an uproar on twitter, see here : http://fixoutlook.org/ I think Microsoft has covered a lot of ground towards being more "open" and more standards-friendly, which is a good thing. I predict the "new ennemy" will soon be Apple :) I don't think of Microsoft as evil, now they're more clumsy and under a lot of pressure, trying to do as best they can to please both devs and users, which isn't always easy. |show 9 more comments| When talking about Microsoft to people who don't know too much about IT, I notice that they wrongly think that: After all, most people don't bother to know what are the restrictions of Microsoft vs. Apple or other companies software: for them, they are all proprietary, so restrictive in the sense that you cannot download or share the software product legally. Most people also doesn't know that Microsoft is strongly involved in Open Source products and, even more, in free products, which have a less restrictive license than most Open Source ones (for those people, it's a good idea to invite them to visit CodePlex). Finally, I think that criticism against Microsoft is stronger than against other companies just because of the dominant position of Microsoft. Probably people using Apple products will have the same arguments against Apple when talking about Open Source. |show 3 more comments| I think one part for this is the fact that Microsoft has a virtual-monopoly on the Operating System market, and is partially aggressively defending it (Get The Facts, anyone?). Which is absolutely valid, it's a company which needs to make money, the problem with monopolies and virtual-monopolies is that it is good for the company, but not for the market and especially not good for the customers. We don't have a really free OS-Market at the moment. Sure, the situation has improved a lot over the last years, but there are still many issues out there. F.e. the fact that Windows/Office comes bundled with most PC systems, without the option to get a OS free system (or a completely different OS pre-installed or at least installation medium). Or that most schools are teaching kids that Windows is pseudonymous with PC and Microsoft Office is everything you'll ever need (which is the bigger issue in my eyes). The next problem is that Microsoft can't really be open and compatible to the rest of the world, because it would destroy their business model. Windows is a closed platform, the moment everything is compatible and open, that's the moment you don't need Windows. F.e. the Office Open XML Standard, which has so many flaws in it and in the standardization process that many call it a violation of the ISO. In the end, Microsoft is a capitalistic company with a virtual-monopoly, that's absolutely valid...but that doesn't mean that it's good for us. And many people think that way, especially if they've seen other possibilities. |show 7 more comments| It has historical reasons. Microsoft was earlier very active against (and sometimes in an unfair way) against concurrents. That also includes Open Source. Halloween-documents are an example. Microsoft also had an agressive campaigning against OSS. That included also some patent-claims, that lead to the contract between Novell (Suse) and Microsoft. That contract made Microsoft in the end to one of the biggest Linux-distributors. Recently Microsoft has changed it's strategy. The firm no longer agitates against OSS. It even produces some Open-Source-software. Apples and Oracles doings in the recent past, make them currently much more 'evil' than Microsoft. But some people are conservative, that also includes their choosen enemies. I would add, that Microsoft had been building it's bad reputation not only with the OSS-folk. OS/2-lovers, Netscape-users or Java-programmers all have also reason to hate Microsoft. This isn't the main reason, but it doesn't help: Microsoft has been accused of astroturfing. I've never seen it proven, but I used to lurk on Linux forums, and every so often I would see posts claiming Linux crashes regularly and is hard to maintain. The posts would come from people claiming to be seasoned computing professionals, but there would always be something very basic that they didn't know, or they would say something indicating that their knowledge of Linux was years behind the times. I reserve judgement as to whether Microsoft was or was not behind the posts, but as I say above, I'm sure the accusation didn't help matters. |show 3 more comments| The primary reason is because big business is notorious for patenting everything they can and locking others out of the industry. If I invented something, I'd want to profit from it too, but big business takes it a different level, attempting to patent generic ideas and trademark generic words. This is called economic rent seeking. It's a very corrupt practice which congress has not had luck in stopping. It is counter-innovative. Open source people tend to have innovation in their mind more so than money. Keep in mind, SO is closed source, and profit based. The difference is that they create things of value and ask for little in return (ad revenue). There are even clones of SO out there (for Django, PHP, etc), but SO doesn't sue their creators. Microsoft and Apple sue the competition out of business and charge a killing for their products, while providing little more than an expensive marketing message in return. I was an almost exclusive user of and developer for Microsoft platforms until Microsoft joined the Trusted Computing Group and basically started to show that I, the person who bought their products, wasn't who they were concerned about pleasing; that instead they'd please media companies, et al, at my expense. I switched away from my MSDN Enterprise subscription (paid a pretty penny for that!), stopped using Microsoft products one at a time, beginning with Windows, as I found F/OSS alternatives until nowadays my computer is 99.44% uncontaminated with anything Microsoft. I can't speak for open source developers (because I barely qualify as one), but I can say that for my own choice I made it because I got tired of Microsoft taking my money with one hand and taking away my ability to use the computer I paid for with the other. I'm not a committed F/OSSer. I don't buy into the rabid versions of F/OSS philosophy (or, rather, attitude) so I'll use commercial software provided the following criteria are met: |show 5 more comments| I can't speak specifically to open source, but I do know that at least for a while Microsoft made cross-platform programming more difficult than necessary. I spent a good chunk of the '90s writing code that had to run on multiple platforms (various flavors of Unix, Linux, Windows, and occasionally MacOS), and it always seemed like Windows was the long pole in the tent. Microsoft made it relatively easy to develop for Windows, but if you wanted your code to build on any other platform you had to jump through a number of hoops. By comparison, classic MacOS didn't throw anywhere near the number of hurdles in your way that Windows did, although working with MPW would occasionally make you question your career choice. |show 1 more comment| It isn't that people or for the question's sake, geeks, hate Microsoft. When people turn towards open source, initially there is always the open source sentiment in mind. In those sentiments, they just get carried away with all the evil-doings of Microsoft in their past and end-up hating it. But, with time and work, they again realise that it wasn't exactly their not-involved nature, it was more about their inclination in their initial phase. I too started to hate MS in the beginning of my inclination towards open-source but with time, it just faded away. |show 1 more comment| One more reason: Microsoft has a history of picking existing and successful open source projects, creating a closed-source clone of it, and integrating it into Visual Studio. Mostly the Microsoft-made alternatives were seen as inferior by the community - at least by the community of the tool they cloned, and sometimes even by the whole .NET community. But after that, they still created tools that did the same as already existing OSS projects, for example: ...which probably causes a lot of people involved with open source to still hate Microsoft. Everyone needs an enemy in order to motivate the troops. We have always been at war with Eurasia. Certainly, Microsoft hasn't been a saint. However, only half of what is ascribed to them is really valid criticism, most of it is simply hyperbole, conspiracy, and sensationalism. I've seen mention of OOXML in this thread, and frankly that is the worst possible example because the anti-OOXML campaign was orchestrated by Sun and IBM for their own commercial interests. People like Rob Weir played the Open Source Advocates like a banjo, wrapping their commercial interests in the flag of "openness". Almost everything they accused OOXML of was equally applicable (or more so) to the community trumpted ODF spec, and the ODF spec was seriously deficient in many areas. All the complaints about "ballot stuffing" could be equal leveled at IBM (who actually wrote several of the responses by supposedly government groups). Whether or not you think OOXML was a good spec is irrelevant. Far worse specs go through standards bodies all the time, without nary a peep.. but because this was microsoft, it was somehow the end of the world as we know it. I mean, seriously.. who cares if OOXML is made an ISO standard? Really? There is no law that because it's a standard, you have to support it. There are tons of standards that nobody supports, even in the open source community. The whole mess was stupid, and the blame does not rest on MS's shoulders for submitting a sub-par standard, it lies on the Open Source advocates shoulders for making a gigantic mess over something that really had no bearing on those that wouldn't implement it anyways. As evidence, now that OOXML has passed... who cares? Almost nobody. You seldom hear anyone say anything about it, not even Rob Weir. It's simply a non-issue. |show 1 more comment|