refugees. The city grew in size and power, and when the
Age of Warring Cities began it was well-placed to fight both defensively and
offensively. In 2349 it captured Gielgath, at the mouth of the Shaul,
effectively giving it control over the intervening southern Kyranae Plains. Xercallas II
completed the reconquest of Kyraneas and his successors conquered Cepalor in
the north (inhabited by the descendants of Norsirai refugees) and then Shigek in
the south by 2397.

The root of Ceneian success was the Imperial Army, which was
thoroughly well-trained and formidably equipped. The organisation of the army,
its ability to absorb recruits from newly-conquered provinces and its willingness to change tactics resulted in a military force arguably
unmatched before or since in Eärwa. The Imperial Navy was likewise
impressively-organised. Between 2397 and 2414 the two institutions would
combine to outflankthe Carathay Desert
and deliver a series of raids and then conquests in Enathpaneah, Xerash and
Amoteu, capturing the Holy City of Shimeh along the way. General Naxentas, who
delivered this stunning victory, declared himself the first Emperor of Cenei.
He would be assassinated within the year, but his successors built on his
achievements.

Triamis I became Emperor in 2478, beginning the Ceneian
Golden Age. In 2483 he conquered Nilnamesh, defeating King Sarnagiri V. The following year he invaded
Cingulat, on the far north-western coast of the continent of Kutnarmu. Triamis turned west, leading his armies to the
borders of Zeüm, the great Satyothi power of far western Eärwa which had
succeeded ancient Angka. He defeated a mighty host at the Battle of Amarah and
would have invaded but his homesick troops mutinied. He returned to Cenei and
consolidated his


gains.

Returning home, he found the empire caught in a religious
conflict between the Kiünnat cults and Inrithism, which was threatening to
spill over into outright war. Triamis spoke to leaders on both sides,
but found that Ekyannus III, Shriah of the Thousand Temples, was both more
reasonable and convincing as a religious leader. In 2502 Ekyannus instituted
the "Emperor Cult" of the Thousand Temples and dubbed Triamis the
Aspect-Emperor of the Three Seas.
In 2505 Triamis himself converted to Inrithism, naming it the state religion of
the Ceneian Empire. He then spent ten years putting down religious rebellions
whilst also concluding the conquests of the island nations of Cironj (2508) and
Nron (2511). Shortly afterwards he invaded the eastern Three
Seas, conquering the
successor-nations of the old Shiradi Empire: Ainon (2518), Cengemis (2519) and
Annand (2525). For his achievements in conqueringalmost the entire Three
Seas, Triamis was dubbed "The
Great".

Eärwa circa 3000 Year-of-the-Tusk, at the height of the Ceneian Empire. Cenei was the Imperial Capital, with Sumna as its spiritual heart. The Empire dominated the continent for eight hundred years prior to its collapse in the 34th Century. It was the largest and most powerful nation-state in history, unrivalled until the rise ofthe New Empire of Anasûrimbor Kellhus a thousand years later.

The following Aspect-Emperors would maintain the borders of
the empire, keeping the Ceneian
Empire as the centre of political, military and religious power in Eärwa for
eight centuries. The weakness of the Ceneian Empire was not in its military
strength, but in its political succession, with brief but bloody civil wars
often being the mechanism for a transference of power. The constant instability eventually


resulted in the Empire growing lax and overconfident. In 3351 Cenei was sacked
by the Scylvendi under Horiötha King-of-Tribes, triggering the collapse of the
empire. The destruction of Cenei was brutal, with the city burned to the ground
and all of its treasures, including the Heron Spear, lost or stolen. The great fortress of Batathent was destroyed shortly afterwards.

The final collapse is generally dated to 3372, when General
Maurelta surrendered his legions to Sarothesser I. Sarothesser had led the south-eastern
part of the empire in breaking away from Cenei. In this year he ascended the
Assurkamp Throne in Carythusal as the King of High Ainon. Cengemis and Nilnamesh also broke away, spelling the end of the Ceneian Age. In 3374 Aöknyssus became the capital of a new nation, Conriya.

By 3411 the port city ofMomemn at the mouth of the Phaysus, had supplanted lost Cenei as the pre-eminent city of the Kyranae Plains. Under the Trimus Dynasty Momemn became the capital of Nansur, first a small kingdom and then a mighty empire, proclaiming itself the heir to both Kyraneas and Cenei. By 3619 the Nansur Empire had conquered Shigek and Amoteu, but failed to expand those conquests into the eastern Three Seas, where the power of High Ainon was unassailable. Later in the century Nansur and High Ainon formed a brief military pact, perhaps planning to carve up the Three Seas between them, but ultimately this idea foundered and the pact dissolved. In 3643 Norsirai tribesmen living north-east of Nansur consolidated into the kingdom of Galeoth, followed in 3742 by the founding


of Ce Tydonn, which supplanted and replaced Cengemis. In 3787 the Thunyeri, a robust warrior-people descended from the ancient Meöri Empire, were displaced by growing numbers of Sranc from the lands south of the Sea of Cerish, moving down the Wernma River and becoming raiders and pirates which would trouble the Three Seas for two centuries before they consolidated as the kingdom of Thunyerus in 3987.

The ambitions of Nansur to once again seize control of the Three Seas were thwarted by a series of events along the fringes of the Great Carathy Desert. Fane, an Inrithi priest living in Eumarna, was found guilty of heresy by the Thousand Temples in 3703 and cast into the Carathay Desert to die. Fane went blind in the desert, but also experienceda series of religious insights and revelations. He emerged from the southern sands wielding a power known as the Water of Indara, a form of sorcery both unknown and alien to the Schools of the Three Seas. The Kianene, the raiders and tribesfolk of the Great Salt, welcomed him amongst their ranks and listened to his teachings. Fan'oukarji I, Fane's son, took those teachings and translated them into a holy mission to destroy Inrithism, with the ultimate goal of casting down the Tusk (the "Cursed Thorn" in their tradition).

A Cishaurim sorcerer wielding the Water of Indara. Although still vulnerable to Chorae, Cishaurim are not damned as other sorcerers are and their powers cannot be detected by others of the Few. The reasons for this remain unknown to the


sorcerous schools of the Three Seas. The Water of Indara is believed to be more powerful than most of the anagogic sorcery of the Three Seas, checked only by the Gnosis of the Mandate.

The Kianene swept out of the desert in the so-called White Jihad (3743-71). The Kianene armies were supported by followers of Fane who had also cast out their eyes and gained the powers of the Water. They became known as the Cishaurim. As proof of their righteousness, the Cishaurim showed that, unlike followers of the sorcerous schools like the Mandate and the Scarlet Spires, their mark was not cursed. They were not damned to an eternity of torment as other sorcerers were. Their presence could also not be felt by other sorcerers, but Chorae werestill anathema to them.

By 3771 the Kianene had conquered Mongilea and large portions of Eumarna, founding a new capital at Nenciphon on the River Sweki, and converted the Girgashi people of the desert to Fanimry. Kian had emerged as a powerful new player on the shores of the Three Seas, although not one yet taken seriously by the Nansur Empire or the Thousand Temples. In 3798 the Shriah, Ekyannus XIV, ordered the extermination of the sorcerous schoolmen, declaring them to be unclear abominations. The Scholastic Wars raged for the next eighteen years and saw several lesser schools destroyed. However, it also provided the impetus for the Scarlet Spires to seize control of High Ainon, bringing the might of one of the great powers of the Three Seas under


their control. The Mandate survived, although it curtailed its mainland activities, and the Mysunsai "mercenary" school came into existence. By 3818 the pogrom had been called off, but many sorcerers throughout the northern Three Seas had lost their lives.

This, of course, reduced the ability of the Thousand Temples and the Nansur Empire to resist the onslaught of the Kian and their Cishaurim. The rest of Eumarna fell in 3801, followed by Enathpaneah in 3842 and Xerash and Amoteu by 3845. The Sack of Shimeh outraged both the Thousand Temples and all followers of Inrthism as a whole, but there was no appetite for a counter-assault. The Kianene maintained the initiative. In 3933 the Dagger Jihad of Fan'oukarji III saw both Shigek and Gedea fall to the Kianene, bringingthe borders of Kian to the very doorstep of Nansur. In the resulting turmoil, the Surmante Dynasty was destroyed and replaced by the Ikurei family. The Ikurei then reorganised the Nansur army and were able to defeat no less than three Kianene invasions of the empire over the next several decades.

Eärwa circa 4100 Year-of-the-Tusk, on the eve of the Holy War.

Meanwhile, the Mandate were facing mixed fortunes. Early in the 3900s they lost track of the last Consult agents in the Three Seas. For three centuries they scoured the lands for any sign of the enemy, only to find that they had completely disappeared. This disconcerting event was accompanied by a more positive one: House Nersei of Conriya forged a strong alliance with the Mandate, accepting their schoolmen


as tutors and advisors. The Nersei dynasty used this advice to shore up their political support and eventually take the throne of the kingdom. The Mandate also gifted their secondary fortress of Attrempus to the Nersei family, giving them a strong bulwark to use against possible attack.

Towards the end of the 41st Century the Three Seas were posed on a knife's edge. Nansur had checked the advance of the Kianene Empire, but was unable to mount an effective counter-offensive. The nations of the eastern Three Seas schemed as usual and the sorcerous schools intrigued. The Mandate kept a watchful eye for the Consult, but could find no trace of them anywhere.

The beginnings of the road that led to the Holy War and the new Great Ordeal were modest.In 4079 the Scylvendi leader of the Utemot tribe, Skiötha urs Hannut, died. He was succeeded by his son, Cnaiür urs Skiötha, a warrior of tremendous repute for savagery and intelligence. Cnaiür was advised by a strange man from the Ancient North, from the lands beyond Atrithau which were believed to be completely lost to Sranc. This man convinced Cnaiür to kill his father, having seduced his mother. Afterwards he vanished into the southern deserts, to Cnaiür's fury and declarations of vengeance.

This man was named Anasûrimbor Moënghus.

Credits

The artwork for this article was created by Jason Deem, known as
Spiral Horizon, and used with his permission. You can find more of his
spectacular work here. The maps are from Scott's website, adjusted by myself.

Saturday, 25 June 2016

In January 2017, CBS will


air the first new television episode of Star Trek in twelve years. It will be just over twenty-nine years since Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted, and just over fifty since the franchise started in the first place.

A new Star Trek TV show has been on the cards since Enterprise was cancelled in 2005, but development was delayed by the divorce between CBS and Paramount that saw the Star Trek rights split between the two companies. When Paramount began releasing its new Star Trek movies under the oversight of J.J. Abrams, CBS was also uncertain how to respond. It did not have the rights to make a TV show set in the Abramsverse and relations between the two companies were cool enough to make it unlikely they couldget them.

A few things changed CBS's minds. One was the re-release of the original series and then The Next Generation in high definition. Although neither was the smash success they were hoping (and the prospects of a remastering of DS9 and Voyager now seem unlikely), both did reasonably well in international sales and performances on platforms such as Netflix. CBS were planning to set up their own platform, CBS All Access, and saw Star Trek as a potential vehicle to help get it off the ground.

In November 2015 CBS announced that it had commissioned a new Star Trek TV series, to debut on CBS proper with an event premiere in January 2017 but then to be followed by new episodes released exclusively through CBS All Access. International sales


would be through more traditional channels.

Star Trek fans were initially disheartened by the news, feeling that locking Star Trek away behind a paywall for a minority service (the chances of CBSAA effectively challenging Netflix and Amazon are non-existent) in its fiftieth year was massively disrespectful to the legacy of the franchise. The news at Alex Kurtzman, who had worked on Star Trek(2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness, was the prime mover behind the series was also greeted with scepticism, although he is generally better working in television (such as on the excellent Fringe) than on film (such as the less-excellent Transformers movies).

However, in the months since then there has been a steady stream of good news. CBS announced that the showrunner for the new project would be BryanFuller. Fuller cut his teeth with several Deep Space Nine scripts before becoming a writer-producer on Voyager. He then worked on original, critically-acclaimed (if not massively popular) shows like Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me before working on the first season of Heroes, where he wrote several of the most popular episodes. His departure before Season 2 was cited as a key reason why the show's quality dramatically declined. His later work was highly acclaimed, particularly Pushing Daisies and Hannibal. Whilst developing Star Trek he was also working on the TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods for Starz, which is now shooting. Fuller brings a tremendous depth of experience in creating quality television with a deep knowledge and love of the Star Trek franchise.

Even more impressively, if


that was possible, CBS announced that they had recruited Nicholas Meyer to provide support, advice and scripts. Meyer is the director of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, as well as co-writing both movies and Star Trek IV: The Voyager Home. Those are the three most critically-acclaimed films in the history of the movie franchise. Meyer was also clever enough to take breaks between the films and only come back to work on the franchise when he was inspired by new ideas. Bringing Meyer on board was a very canny move, designed to appeal to old-skool Star Trek fans. Rod Roddenberry, the son of the late Gene Roddenberry, was also involved in the series as an advisor.

The premise of thenew series is not known, although it is generally believed that the new series will not be set in the "Abramsverse" of the new movies, as CBS do not have the rights to it and there has been no formal announcement of a deal between CBS and Paramount to allow it. Based on comments from Fuller and alleged leaks from CBS, the new series may be set in the 71-year-gap between the opening scenes of Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: The Next Generation, but with a new ship and crew (not the Enterprise-B and C which were active during that period). The new series will apparently consist of 13 episodes telling one long, serialised story. There is also a strong rumour that the new series may adopt


in the next few weeks.

Fan reaction to the rumours and to the news of Meyer and Fuller's involvement was overwhelmingly positive, but soured a bit when CBS (and Paramount) took legal action against several Star Trek fan series that were in production. The Star Trek fan community had been producing films and even web series for more than a decade, such as Phase II, New Voyages and Of Gods and Men. Remarkably, these had become popular enough to allow them to include veteran Star Trek actors such as Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols and George Takei.

In 2015 a fan film called Axanar crossed a red line when it sought to raise funds from crowdfunding sites and use the money to pay professional editors, writers and actors. CBS and Paramountfor the venerable SF franchise fifty years on from its origins, and there is still interest in exploring strange new worlds and seeking out new life and civilisations.

In 2005 Star Trek looked dead, or as close to dead as it had ever been. Enterprise had been cancelled, Paramount was not interested in any further Trek projects and Rick Berman's plans for a new film dealing with the Romulan Wars (set after Enterprise but still before the original series) were politely rebuffed.

The cast of the rebooted Star Trek movie franchise: Anton Yelchin as Chekov, Chris Pine as Kirk, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy, John Cho as Sulu and Zoe Saldana as Uhura. Not pictured: Zachary Quinto as Spock.

Legal shenanigans also played a role. CBS, which


was part of Paramount under the Viacom banner, broke away to become independent, taking the Star Trek TV rights with it. From now on, any TV and film projects would proceed independently from one another. In addition, the two companies did not part on the best of terms and were less than cooperative in supporting one another. The 40th anniversary of Star Trek in 2006 passed almost completely unremarked. But already there were moves behind the scenes to bring back the property.

Paramount were keen to make Star Trek a mega success on the big screen, and for it to join the ranks of the $1 billion blockbuster franchises like Batman and Star Wars. They felt that the TV and film series had become too entwined and that laterfilms had suffered from not having the iconic original characters on board. They decided that a reboot was the best way to proceed and opened discussions with J.J. Abrams.

Abrams was the co-creator of TV shows such as Alias and Lost, the director of Mission: Impossible III and the head of Bad Robot Productions. He was seen as an increasingly influential and powerful figure in Hollywood, a potential heir to Spielberg and Lucas, and he was one of the few people in Hollywood whose name had almost become a brand in itself. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman were up-and-coming writers whose material so far - The Island and The Legend of Zorro - had been effective if not outstanding. The three teamed up for Mission: Impossible III, realised they


had a good working relationship and began developing ideas for a new Star Trek movie. Abrams admitted he was only loosely familiar with the franchise, having been much more of a Star Wars fan growing up, and found Star Trek "too philosophical". Kurtzman and Orci - especially Kurtzman - were much more familiar with the franchise and bigger fans of it, and were excited about the idea of using the classic characters again.

The new Enterprise drew inspiration from both the Motion Picture refit version of the ship and Apple products.

During development Kurtzman and Orci decided to pay lip service to the original Star Trek universe by confirming that it still existed and the new film (and any sequels) would explore a splintered-off, side-universe. This was to allow thecontinued sale of novels set in the original timeline as well as not to adversely affect the development of Star Trek Online, a multiplayer video game set in the original timeline. They won a casting coup when Leonard Nimoy agreed to appear in the new film to "hand over" to a new generation of actors.

Development of the film continued through 2007, during which time the Abrams-Kurtzman-Orci troika also created the television series Fringe and brought in Lost producer Damon Lindelof to assist in script development on the Star Trek movie. Casting announcements were made throughout 2007 and there was widespread approval of choices such as Zachary Quinto as Spock and Anton Yelchin as Chekov, along with John Cho as Sulu and Zoe Saldana as Uhura. Famous SFF fan


Simon Pegg's casting as Scotty raised some eyebrows due to his terrible Scottish accent, although fans also noted this was a continuation of the tradition from James Doohan, who was Canadian and whose Scottish accent was "variable" in quality.

Filming took place from November 2007 to March 2008, and the movie was finally released on 8 May 2009. Fans were split over the first trailer, which featured oddities such as the rebooted Enterprise being built on Earth rather than in space and sequences which seemed to emphasise explosions and a rock and roll soundtrack (Kirk being a fan of the Beastie Boys was thought to be incongruous). However, there was praise for the way the movie was tied into existing continuity. The actual release of the film saw amore mixed reception emerge: an acknowledgement of the excellence of the cast (including the returning Nimoy) and some of the aesthetic choices, but also condemnation of, even by Star Trek standards, massive plot holes, forced humour and completely nonsensical sequences such as Vulcan's destruction being visible from a planet millions of miles away. Film critics were likewise split, many praising the effects and casting but bemoaning the story and the lack of intelligence in the script.

Benedict Cumberbatch turned in a reasonable performance in itself in Star Trek Into Darkness, but he was not a good fit for Khan.

The film's budget was $150 million, a record for the franchise but relatively modest by 2009 standards for a big-budget, effects-led action film. The film took $385 million worldwide, also a


four-year delay for the film, which Paramount later cited as a contributing factor to its disappointing performance.

Star Trek Into Darkness was released on 23 April 2013. It took $467 million worldwide, setting a new record for the franchise, but the film had been made for a budget of $185 million. Factoring in marketing costs, the movie broke even and made a very modest profit, but it still significantly underperformed compared to Paramount's expectations, especially considering that they were judging the film's success compared to things like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which had just had its first $1 billion success and was soon to have more). Reviews were also largely negative, focusing on yet another nonsensical plot and the unoriginal decision to remake Star Trek II: The Wrath ofKhan - even down to shooting some scenes in a very similar way - but without any of the wit, soul or charm of the original film. There was also criticism of casting the very white, very British Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan Noonian Singh, a warlord from the Indian subcontinent of Sikh decent (albeit played by a Mexican actor originally).

Star Trek Beyond features the final appearance of Anton Yelchin as Chekov, as the actor sadly passed away in June 2016 in a car accident.

Despite the criticisms, the film still made a small amount of money and, bereft of any alternative big franchises, Paramount decided to make a third film. They were left a little surprised when J.J. Abrams then abandoned ship to direct the new Star Wars film,


The Force Awakens. They slashed the budget ruthlessly back down to Star Trek (2009)'s level and hired a new director, Justin Lin, of The Fast and the Furious fame. Orci and Kurtzman began developing stories but they were swiftly jettisoned in favour of a new script written by Simon Pegg with input from Lin, a massive Star Trek fan. Kurtzman would later join the TV revival project at CBS instead. Fan anticipation for the third movie remained cool, but increased a little after Pegg and Lin confirmed that they wanted a film with less plot holes than the previous two and various incongruous elements introduced to the new canon (such as transporters able to beam people instantly across light-years of space) were simply ignored.

Star Trek Beyond is scheduledto open on 22 July 2016, but Paramount has been heavily criticised for a lacklustre promotional campaign, with a terrible first trailer and almost no mention of the film's heritage despite it being the franchise's 50th anniversary year. Later trailers raised more interest. Sadly, the film lost one of its actors a month before release when Anton Yelchin passed away in a vehicle accident outside his LA home, making Star Trek Beyond one of his last appearances.

The future of Star Trek on film hangs in the balance. If Beyond does well, more films are anticipated. Indeed, Paramount has already earmarked 2019 for the release of a possible fourth film. If it does badly, it's likely that Paramount will again retire the franchise and consider new directions. But to


an enormous number of people, Star Trek on film has always been a bit of a bonus. The franchise's true home is, always has been and always will be on television, and that is also where its destiny lies.

Sunday, 19 June 2016

The man known to history as Seswatha and to the Sranc as
"Chigra", "Slaying Light", was born in Year-of-the-Tusk 2089
in Trysë, the son of a caste-menial bronzesmith. Whilst still a child, he was
identified as one of the Few, those that carry the mark of sorcery. He was
taken to Sauglish to study with the Gnostic School of Sohonc, at the time the
largest and most powerful of the sorcerous schools. Seswatha was a prodigy, his
grasp of the Gnosis subtle and strong. Circa 2104, at the age of fifteen,
Seswatha would beproclaimed a sorcerer-of-rank, the youngest in the School's
history.

Eärwa in Year of the Tusk 2089, the birth year of Seswatha. The Three Seas were home to great powers, the mightiest of which was Kyraneas which dominated the lesser nations of Shigek and Amoteu. The Shiradi Empire controlled the eastern Three Seas. But the true powers were in the Ancient North, dominated by great Kûniüri.

During this period Seswatha befriended Anasûrimbor Celmomas,
the heir to the imperial throne of Kûniüri who was studying with the Sohonc.
The same age as Seswatha and both intrigued by history, they became fast
friends and allies. As Seswatha grew in power and authority through the ranks of
the Sohonc, so Celmomas became famed as a warrior, general and scholar. Their
great friendship was tested, however, when Celmomas's most beloved wife


Suriala ("Suiyela", according to Mandate sources)
gave birth to their son Nau-Cayûti. Celmomas knew that Seswatha and Suriala
shared a mutual affection and became concerned that Nau-Cayûti was not of his
blood. But such was his love for his friend - and his inability to conclusively
prove the truth of the matter - that he did not have him rebuked, merely
withdrawing his friendship for a time.

Seswatha was a master sorcerer but also a keen politician.
He befriended Anaxophus, a young prince of Kyraneas, and treated with
Nil'giccas, the Nonman King of Ishterebinth (the "Exalted
Stronghold"), as Ishoriöl was now more frequently called. Seswatha's
insights were keen, his mind sharp, his sorcery formidable and his manner one
of ease, all formidable attributes that saw him rise to become Grandmaster of
the Sohonc in his early thirties.

What happened next remainsa matter of great debate.
According to legend and The Sagas,
Seswatha received a delegation of Nonmen in Sauglish. History refers to them as Siqû, indicating they were there as teachers and advisors, not just as emissaries. Although the Nonmen
Tutelage was not reinstated, Seswatha had nevertheless forged closer ties with
Ishterebinth than had been seen since those times. According to some accounts,
Nil'giccas rewarded Seswatha's friendship with intelligence which was not so much disquieting as downright alarming.

It had been long known that the School
of Mangaecca had fled Sauglish to
seek refuge in Golgotterath. Its dark leader, Shaeönanra, survived thanks to
Inchoroi knowledge and his own sorcerous research. By the 14th Century, he had
even been given a new name: Shauriatas, "Cheater of Gods". The
Mangaecca had not been seen since, but their hand, and that of


their Inchoroi overlords,
was suspected in the Great Sranc Wars, a series of strikes by hordes of Sranc
out of Agongorea against Aörsi to the east which had sorely tested that nation
and led to the construction of a major stronghold, Dagliash, on the Urokkas (in
fact, atop the very ruins of ancient Viri). But in those days Sranc were not a
numerous, constant threat blanketing the North. They were mostly confined to
Agongorea and the Yimaleti Mountains,
and although their numbers were concerning, they were not as inexhaustible as
in later centuries. Or so it was supposed.

The Siqû warning was stark: the Mangaecca yet lived within
the golden halls of the Ark and
they had formed a forsaken alliance - an Unholy
Consult - with the surviving Inchoroi princes, Aurax and Aurang. Worse still, their delvings
and explorations ofthe Ark had uncovered ancient secrets and disturbing ways
of using the Tekne, the ancient art of science and engineering that the
Inchoroi had once employed to create weapons such as their staffs of light and
creatures such as the Wracu and Sranc, but had seemed to lose more and more
knowledge of with every passing year.

The Siqû warning convinced Seswatha that a threat was
building in the pits of Golgotterath and that, left unchecked, it would
eventually destroy the world. This threat was given a name by the Nonmen, one that Seswatha held close and only told those closest to him: No-God.

Seswatha took this knowledge to his old friend, who know
ruled as Anasûrimbor Celmomas II, High King of Kûniüri, the greatest nation in
all Eärwa, and lay the facts before him. Celmomas may have


been inclined to
distrust his old friend for the alleged betrayal with his wife, but he also
respected his judgement. In the end, Celmomas was convinced that Golgotterath
remained a threat to the world and that threat needed to be destroyed before it could unleash a horror that would bring about the end of everything.

The opening battles of the Apocalypse: 1. Sursa (2125). 2. The Great Investiture (2125-32). 3. Dagliash (2133). 4. The Burning of the White Ships, in Aesorea (2134). 5. Shiarau (2136).

In Year-of-the-Tusk 2123, Anasûrimbor Celmomas II called for
the Great Ordeal, the assembling of a vast host of armed and sorcerous might to
be cast at Golgotterath, to bring down and end the threat of the Consult
and the Inchoroi once and for all. Aörsi, which lay in the shadow ofthe Golden
Ark, rallied to the call almost immediately. King Anasûrimbor Nimeric
contributed many tens of thousands of warriors already hardened in battle
against Sranc and Bashrags and the use of his fleet for transport and resupply across the Neleöst.
Nil'giccas sent Qûya mages and Ishroi warriors from Ishterebinth, and Kyraneas
sent a detachment of troops, reflecting Seswatha's friendship with Prince
Anaxophus (the prince himself was still only fourteen, and it is unclear if he
took part in the Ordeal at such an early age or had returned to Kyraneas).

In 2124 the Great Ordeal crossed onto the plains of
Agongorea but was engaged by a host of Sranc and Bashrags. The resulting battle
was indecisive and the Ordeal withdrew across the Sursa to winter in Dagliash.
Celmomas renewed the offensive in the early spring, fording the Sursa before
the


Consult could prepare a defence. They were forced to retreat to
Golgotterath and allow the Ordeal to encircle it. The Great Investiture lasted
for six years but failed to starve the Consult into surrender.

This period was marked by squabbling and petty jealousies
erupting between the commanders of the Ordeal, along with military
disagreements on how to proceed. The Investiture was complete, but the Consult
seemed able to resupply. The Ark
was too well-defended for any conventional assault to succeed, and the Consult
mages were capable of resisting even the combined might of the Qûya and Sohonc. Several raids on the Ark ended in disaster. In
2131 a more serious dispute erupted between Celmomas and Nimeric, resulting in
Celmomas withdrawing the Kûniüri contingent of the Ordeal, to the disbelief of
Seswatha.

A Gnostic sorcerer battles a Wracu of Golgotterath.

A yearlater the Consult went on the offensive. Employing
passages reaching under the Black Furnace Plain and into the Ring
Mountains, the Consult launched
devastating assaults into the Ordeal's rear and flanks. Much-reduced by the
absence of the Kûniüri forces, the Ordeal's army almost collapsed. Qûya and
Sohonc sorcery allowed at least a small part of the army to escape, but
Nil'giccas was so enraged to learn of the deaths of at least two of his sons
that he recalled the Cûnuroi contingent of the Ordeal altogether, leaving Aörsi
to fight on alone.

In 2133 Dagliash was taken by the Consult, allowing their
armies to cross the Sursa in force. Western Aörsi was
overrun and Nimeric withdrew his forces to his capital, Shiarau. Celmomas
realised his folly and rallied Kûniüri to rejoin the war in 2134, but it was
too late. The


Aörsi fleet fled across the Neleöst to seek shelter in the Kûniüri
port of Aesorea,
where it was promptly destroyed by enemy agents in the event known as the
Burning of the White Ships.

In 2135 Nimeric took a mortal wound during the Battle of
Hamuir, dying soon afterwards. In the spring of 2136 Shiarau fell, and with it
Aörsi itself. Kûniüri stood alone.

The situation seemed bleak, but in 2137 Anasûrimbor
Nau-Cayûti, Prince of Kûniüri, won a stunning victory over the Consult at the
Battle of Ossirish. The armies of Kûniüri had been hard-pressed by a Consult
offensive, but Nau-Cayûti rallied his men by facing and slaughtering the Wracu
Tanhafut the Red in direct combat, a feat undreamt of since the Cûno-Inchoroi
Wars. Nau-Cayûti then led the victorious army to rout the Consult at the ruins
of Shiarau, driving theremnants back across the Sursa by the end of 2138. In
2139 he recaptured Dagliash before launching several major raids across
Agongorea, designed not to reinvest Golgotterath but simply slaughter Sranc and
Bashrags.

In 2140 the Consult abruptly switched tacks and kidnapped
Aulisi, the beloved concubine of Nau-Cayûti, bearing her to Golgotterath.
Infuriated, Nau-Cayûti may have decided on a rash assault (possibly the
rationale for the act) but was talked down by Seswatha. Seswatha proposed
something else instead: a raid on the Incû-Holoinas, such as that undertaken by
some of the Nonman heroes of old. Many historians consider the story of the
raid that followed as being apocryphal due to sheer unbelievability, but
Seswatha's descendants in the School of Mandate have confirmed (thanks to their
sorcerous ability to relive Seswatha's life) that it is true.

Nau-Cayûti and Seswatha entered the Golden


Nau-Cayûti's infatuation with Aulisi, and the fear the
other woman would supplant her). Iëva insisted on Nau-Cayûti being buried rather than burned, as this had been his wish during life.

The Consult resumed the offensive in 2141, perhaps hoping
for a loss of Kûniüri morale following Nau-Cayûti's death. This hope proved
false. General En-Kaujalau soon destroyed a Sranc horde at the Battle of Skothera.
In 2142 General Sag-Marmau inflicted a very serious and debilitating defeat on
the Consult (according to some legends, Aurang himself took the field but was
forced to withdraw) and again drove them back to the Ark. Anasûrimbor Celmomas II began the Second Investiture in the fall of
that year.

The No-God's Carapace under construction in the depths of Golgotterath, before he became animate.

Then something
happened, an event second only to the original Fall ofthe Ark
in importance and dread.

To this day no-one knows exactly what transpired, save that
in the pits of Golgotterath the Consult finally achieved what they had been
attempting to do for some considerable time, sparking the very warnings that
had led to the Ordeal in the first place. They completed the construction of
the Carapace, a sarcophagus of Tekne origin, fused with eleven
Chorae to render it immune to sorcery. Inside the Carapace they created - or
unleashed - an entity of supreme and terrible power. This entity went by many
names: Tsurumah ("Hated One" in Kyranean), Lokung ("Dead-God",
by the Scylvendi), Mursiris ("Wicked North", by the Shiradi) and
Cara-Sincurimoi ("Angel of Endless Hunger", by the Nonmen), as well
as the Great Ruiner and World-Breaker. But his most famous title was the one
first bestowed upon him: Mog-Pharauin
Ancient Kûniüric,


"No-God".

The No-God first drew breath in the spring of the
Year-of-the-Tusk 2143. The instant he did so, every unborn child in the world
was stillborn, and no woman fell pregnant afterwards (leading to the period known as the Years of the Crib). A feeling of dread fell across all humanity,
drawing their eyes to the northern horizon. Sranc, Bashrag and Wracu, including
some who had escaped taking part in the wars so far, were compelled to answer
his call and descend on the Black Furnace Plain and Golgotterath.

The host of Sag-Marmau was destroyed utterly. But the Horde
of the No-God did not march immediately, instead waiting as vast hosts of Sranc
gathered and bred. This gave Kûniüri a very brief space in which to cry for
aid. Eärwa answered, the armies of Ishterebinth marching under Nil'giccasand
Kyraneas sending a significant army to lend support. Other nations began to muster but the distances were too great and time ran out.

Anasûrimbor Celmomas II led the so-called Second Ordeal into
battle against the Horde of the No-God on the Fields of Eleneöt in 2146, the fields that in a previous age had been called Pir Pahal, where Cû'jara-Cinmoi had slain Sil and won the first great victory over the Inchoroi.

No such victory came this time. The
Horde engulfed the Kûniüri army. Celmomas knew the only hope was to use the
Heron Spear against the No-God. However, although the
vast Whirlwind that symbolised the No-God's presence gathered on the far
horizon, the entity itself refused to give battle, letting its vast army of
minions do the work for it. Celmomas is said to have


thrown himself into battle
with a rare fury and slain dozens of enemies, only to be mortally wounded.
Seswatha led a rallying force to retrieve the High King, who lived long enough
to impart a prophecy: that an Anasûrimbor would return at the end of the world.
Then he died.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, his heir Anasûrimbor Ganrelka
outlived him, becoming the High King of Kûniüri. According to popular legend,
Ganrelka also died on the Eleneöt Fields, but in reality he survived thanks to
four brave Knights of Trysë. Ganrelka escaped home, gathered his household, and
marched west into the Demua Mountains.
In the remotest peaks, protected by both geography and utter secrecy, the
Kûniüri High Kings had built a stronghold and a shelter, Ishuäl. Ganrelka took
up residence there, but disease followed and wiped out most of the
family...save forGanrelka's bastard son, the last living blood of House
Anasûrimbor. He and his line fell out of history for two thousand years.

The No-God, protected by the ever-present Whirlwind.

By the end of 2147 all of Kûniüri was overrun. The great
river-cities of the Aumris Valley
were obliterated. Trysë fell the hardest, the great Ur-Throne of the Kûniüri High Kings
lost. Seswatha was captured by the Consult during this battle and borne
to Dagliash, where he was pinned to the Wall of the Dead and tortured by
Mekeritrig for knowledge of the location of the Heron Spear. But the
Spear had vanished at Eleneöt and Seswatha did not know its resting
place. He did take heart, however from the knowledge that the Consult
had not found it. Seswatha soon escaped, but was not able to save the rest of


the Aumris Valley cities, which fell one after the other. The destruction of Sauglish was particularly horrific, the Wracu Skafra leading a flight of dragons to drive the Sohonc sorcerers from the sky before the hordes of Sranc and Bashrags swept into the city and put the Great Library to the torch.

The Nonmen of Ishterebinth retreated over the Demua
Mountains to their Mansion, but the
No-God chose not to pursue. Instead, he turned south and destroyed Eämnor
(although sparing its capital, Atrithau, due to the complications of attacking
a city raised on anarcane ground and immune to sorcery) in 2148. Akksersia was
destroyed in 2149 following the epic Battle of Tywanrae Fords, where Consult sorcrers burned hundreds of soldiers as they tried to cross the river. The Meöri Empire collapsed in 2150, despitea hardy
defence, sending hordes of refugees both south (into what is now Thunyerus) and south-west (into what is now Galeoth). Inweära was cast down in 2151, although the Horde chose to spare Sakarpus to instead rush the Kathol Pass
- the gateway to the entire Three Seas
- before it could be fortified.

The Battle of Kathol Pass, fought in the autumn of 2151, was
an unexpected victory for the forces of men. A retreating army of Meöri
warriors led by the great hero Nostol ran into an advancing force of Nonmen out of Cil-Aujas,
led by King Gin'yursis, a powerful wielder of the Gnosis. They made common
cause and successfully repulsed several waves of attacks from the Horde on the
pass, buying the Three Seas and the world another year of respite. Shockingly, the Meöri


turned on and betrayed the Nonmen, slaughtering
their army and then sacking Cil-Aujas. The reasons for this are unclear, but
may be related to the rising levels of religious fervour amongst the Norsirai
refugees (perhaps hoping that the Hundred Gods would intercede and destroy the
No-God for them), including the commandment to destroy the False Men. It is
also possible that the Meöri believed they could use Cil-Aujas as a refuge
should the No-God advance further south. Gin'yursis's death saw him curse the
Meöri for their betrayal, a curse sometimes used to explain the famous
fractiousness of the men of Galeoth (founded by the Meöri descendants), although Gin'yursis's curse had in fact been reserved for all of mankind.

During this period the populous and packed cities of the south cried out for succor and divine intervention. TheySeswatha's old friend now ruling
as King Anaxophus V, led his nation with skill and cunning. The Scylvendi, the
long-established pastoralists living beyond the mountains to the north-west,
had unexpectedly declared for the No-God and invaded Kyraneas's flank,
threatening to trap the kingdom in a vice at the Battle of Mehsarunath.
Anaxophus evaded the trap and escaped to the south. He chose not to defend
either the royal capital at Mehtsonc or the holy city of Sumna (from where the
Tusk was evacuated by sea to Nilnamesh) instead choosing to fight a war of
irritation and attrition, testing the flanks of the No-God's horde and
withdrawing when the enemy attempted to respond.

Anaxophus V, the High King of Kyraneas, unleashes the power of the Heron Spear against the No-God at the Battle of Mengedda in 2155.

Kyraneas was effectively


overrun and destroyed by the end of
2154. But Anaxophus V and his army, and Seswatha, survived. They withdrew
through the mountains to the ruined, ancient city of Mengedda.
The city had once been a trading post between Shigek and the cities of the
Kyraneas Plains when the age of man was young, but innumerable battles had been
fought there over the past two thousand years. The blasted landscape and ruins
provided Anaxophus and his army with cover and defences. More importantly, the long,
attritional warfare favoured by Anaxophus had helped reduce the size of the
Horde to one where victory by sheer weight of numbers was no longer certain.

Anaxophus's gamble worked:to ensure victory and the destruction of the last enemy who may be any
threat, the No-God took the field directly, the terrible Whirlwind moving
towards theKyranean lines and asking, as it had done all along, "WHAT
DO YOU SEE?" This allowed Anaxophus to do what he had been planning ever
since his knights had secretly seized the Heron Spear from the Fields of Eleneöt eleven
years previously: he used the weapon directly against the No-God.

As the Apocalypse began in doubt and uncertainty, so it
ended with a clear victory. The Whirlwind burst asunder, the No-God was
destroyed and his armies were routed. According to some reports, the Carapace
itself was destroyed and reduced to ashes, ashes which were carried by the
winds to all the corners of the Three
Seas where they caused the Indigo
Plague. However, Mandate scholars insist that the No-God's body (if it could be
called that) was saved by Consult sorcerers and borne back to Golgotterath.

The end of the


resulted in the infamous Indigo Plague, which caused great misery and suffering around the Three Seas, but also in a regrouping of civilisation. Seswatha gathered together the few surviving Gnostic sorcerers and founded the School of Mandate, based at the fortress of Atyersus on an island in the middle of the Three Seas. Seswatha knew that the No-God had been destroyed and the Consult defeated, but the Inchoroi Princes yet lived, the Consult sorcerers yet survived and the hordes of Sranc and Bashrags (and even a few surviving Wracu) only dispersed. But most damning of all was the prophecy given to Seswatha by his friend and ally Celmomas at the moment of his death:

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For a pleasant stay in Mobile Hilton Garden Inn Mobile West offers 101 guestrooms complete with heating, pay TV, a mini-refrigerator, a work area and ironing facilities. They also feature en suite bathrooms fitted with a shower, a hairdryer and free toiletries.Practicum

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Grunt, the first born of my brothers was the largest. He earned his name from the family because he had a habit of grunting whenever he was satisfied with the milk flow, the sleeping arrangements, or the comfort and attention from our Mother. This meant he grunted a lot! The last born and smallest of my brothers was Runt. Half the size of Grunt poor Runt struggled to nurse and never seemed to thrive like the rest of us did. He was loved by us all but Mother constantly fretted over him and worried about his lack of growth. In between were Pudgy, who earned his name by his ability to grow fatter each time he nursed, Pokey, who was always last to


with the family.Life was all a young puppy could ask for. We spent our days playing in the shade of the tree or splashing in the pool under a warm late summer sun. Each of us in turn learned the complicated maneuvers of locomotion and before long we could run and jump, bark and growl, and soon we were ready for real food. Only Runt had trouble with keeping up in our games and sport. He never seemed to have the energy to play as long or hard as the rest of us did and he soon tired of any games he tried to play. Because the boys played rough and Grunt almost crushed him in their games, Runt soon learned stay close by my side and Inever see us again. She gently took Runt in her mouth and took him into the doghouse to sleep with her all night so he wouldn’t have nightmares from the day’s events that had upset him. At one point during the night I awoke and thought I heard her crying as she slowly licked Runt in his sleep, but by morning I had forgotten all about it and looked forward to another glorious day of playing with my brothers and sisters.Runt too had forgotten all about the previous day and he seemed calmer and stronger than he ever had before. Although he was tiny with delicate legs and small paws, he was fortified by all the extra attention he had received from Mother the night before and he


even joined in some chase games with Grunt and the big boys. I had never seen him so happy and strong and for the first time I spent the day free from worrying about my little brother and took extra naps in the sun with my new freedom.Late in the day we saw Joey and his Mother getting into the car for a trip to town. He had not been down to play with us all day so I was a little disappointed that he had errands to run but was sure he would be back to play with us soon. Just like Mother, he always came back. Where else was there to go? Joey seemed particularly upset to have to leave us but his mother prodded himinto the car and away they went. I saw him looking out the window at us the whole way down the drive but he didn’t seem as happy at the sight of us as he usually did. I assumed it was because he had to go with his mother and couldn’t spend the warm breezy afternoon in our pen playing with us.A few minutes after Joey and his Mother left his Father came to the pen. In his hand he carried a cloth sack and a short piece of rope. He didn’t seem angry or upset like he had the previous day so we all ran to the gate to greet him and see what wonerful treats he had brought us in the sack. He ignored our gleeful


Mother began dancing at the man’s feet and whining too, but she never tried to rescue poor little Runt and only pleaded that he be spared. Spared from what? I kept yapping to Runt not to worry, that humans were here to help and protect us and the man would not hurt him, but Runt just kept winging and wailing for Mother or the rest of us to save him. The man took Runt around the barn where we had never been and before long we heard a splash. Then there was silence. Runt screamed no more. Mother came slinking back into sight, her tail and head held low, crying, but Runt was not with her. She came to the pen and licked us all in turn butsome of the leaves on the old Oak had begun to turn colors and fall off the tree. On a bright cool morning cars started arriving soon after sunrise filled with all sorts of people we had never seen, or even imagined existed. They had come and see us in our pen.

Mother was nowhere to be seen and Joey was absent too. The people came and played with us, lifting, weighing, and examining us like Joey’s father often did. All the attention was wonderful and we put on quite a show playing with the visiting children under the critical eyes of the parents. One nice lady spent a long time playing with Brandy and after an hour she went to Joey’s father and gave him some green paper.


all Joey’s attention. Grunt left at the end of the week and although I missed having anyone to play with, I loved the time I spent with Joey. He took me all over the farm and once he even took me in the car to town. When we were there he met with some of his friends and a very pretty girl a little older than Joey said I was the cutest puppy she had ever seen and she would do anything to have me for her own. As I knew he would, Joey told her that I was his and she would have to wait until next year and buy one of my sisters yet to be born. The girl laughed and told Joey that she hadafter that.The next morning Susie gave me lots of extra hugs and some special toys wrapped in shiny red and green paper. She told me I was a good girl and I would be fine while she was gone. I didn’t really understand what she was talking about, and even when she laid down several layers of newspaper all over the bathroom floor I still had no idea what she had in mind. Before the sun had sunk for the night Susie had filled by dog bowl with an entire 50lb bag of food and gave me one last hug before she went out the door.I waited for her to return all night. She never came back. She had stayed out late before, but usually her or Karen


of the cat I made it until Susie returned for school a little after the new year began.Although Susie was horrified at the mess I had made of the room, she seemed genuinely happy to see me and gave me lots of extra attention and hugs for many days after her return. I spent the rest of the winter and all of my glorious first spring playing with all my friends at the school. On warm days when the window was left open my friend the cat would come and visit me while all the humans were in class. Life was good.One day in late spring, soon after my first birthday, Susie put me in the car and told me we were going to a wonderful place wherekibbles went to waste. When she arrived at my kennel she tossed a few cups of food into us and Learned soon began a slow dignified attack on all the kibbles he could reach without actually touching or making any eye contact with me.

Eventually he had eaten all but about half a cup of food and he went back to ignoring me. I told him he could eat the rest of the food since I was clearly there by mistake and my owner would soon come to fetch me and feed me real food. To this he just grunted and settled down for a nap. Although the food was making my mouth water the smell of the place was making my stomach turn and I was too queasy


sixth week in life til his sixth month. Poor Pugsly is deaf and he never really learned to run and play or think. On top of all that he is so poorly bred that he can hardly breath and would die if he were left outside for very long. When his owners found out he was worthless as a stud dog because of his health problems and stunted mental development, they got rid of him and bought something else to amuse them. Heidi is a Schnauzer. She’s just here because she became inconvenient. She has no health problems, never misbehaved in her life, loved and obeyed her owners, did everything that a dog could do to protect and comfort the children, but ended up here when here ownersowner the bad man was gone I saw him crumple to the ground.I was badly hurt and bleeding from several wounds but I dragged myself over and lay down next to my owner to try and clean his wounds and keep him warm until help could arrive. I lay my head across his chest and kept telling him everything would be okay and help would arrive soon but he was fading fast. He just kept petting my head and telling me I was a brave boy and had tried valiantly to save his life but the bad man had been determined to leave no witnesses. He told me not to worry and that I would be taken care of and as I lost consciousness I remember him patting


surrounded the flesh where her protective flaps should have been. Her tail was also cropped and melted globs of proud flesh had healed badly and still oozed from the original infection when a rubber band had been placed there to kill her tail and make it fall off. She wore and old leather collar and although the unknown owners that had placed it there certainly were making no effort to find their missing dog suffering in plain sight, she still crawled toward the light and the comfort she stubbornly believed the humans inside would offer her. She could have laid down and died anywhere, but had dragged herself for days to find humans and get home.We took her to an emergency vet in the city where the doctoragainst anyone from the county involved in the dispute. My owner gave up and although he was as strong and brave as any human on earth, he couldn’t take the disappointment of knowing his best efforts fell short of any meaningful action. He knew when he was a real lawyer things would be different but he never looked for trouble again and thus never found it.”“The laws of today are the best they have ever been. With the exception of Shogun Tsunayoshi in sixteenth century Japan! Punishments are getting tougher. Some states have even moved animal abuse to a felony status with fines of more than $5,000 and a year in jail36, but most still give offenders a slap on the wrist and allow them to go on


and taunting like when I arrived at the shelter, but each cage contained a dog. Some had not only a dog, but also a litter of puppies, all staring back at me with vacant, flat eyes.

Under each cage was a pile of mess that reached to the wire floor. It seemed that the dogs must mess in their cages and then it was eventually pushed through the wire floors and onto the ground beneath. That was the cleaning system. Attached to the walls of the cages were feed bowls and water bowls–all empty. By the looks of the dogs in the cages without puppies those bowls were rarely filled. The Mothers of the puppies looked better fed, but still had huge bald patches where their fur was missingto his. Although it made every bone and muscle in my body scream in protest louder then he was screaming in sleep, I managed to pull myself up onto the bed and lay down next to him and put my head on his chest. He woke with a start, but when he saw he wasn’t alone in the dark to defend himself against his personal demons he put his arm around me and fell back to sleep. I drifted in and out of sleep myself most of the night but he didn’t awaken again and seemed to rest easy until morning. He needed me and I needed him, but would he dump me at the shelter like the others had?In the morning he took me outside again after


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Located in a quiet area, a 10-minute drive to the centre of Gomel, Hotel Sergeevskiy offers comfortable rooms with free Wi-Fi. It features a sauna. The simply decorated rooms offer a TV and fridge. The private bathroom comes with a shower or bath, hairdryer and free toiletries. Some rooms have a balcony. The café at Hotel Sergeevskiy serves local cuisine. Other cafes and shops are a 10-minute walk away. The 24-hour front desk is always on hand for the help. Gomel Train Station is a 10-minute drive from the hotel, while Gomel Airport is 15 minutes’ drive away.distraction. He closed his eyes as the wind suddenly swirled around him, bringing in a deluge of visions from the past. They passed through his mind, violently, with no seeming purpose other than to mock him.

Always her face.

He hated himself for letting her mean that much to him. He had a lifetime of carefully cultivated indifference behind him, and yet his breath caught every time he saw her. Every time he thought of her. All the time.

It always came back to her. Her smile, her tears, her face, her hair. Always her. Frowning, he reached out for a well-used candle and box of matches. There were things he wished he could have said to her. Things that sometimes frightened him. Feelings he never knew he was capable of.

The


candle flickered, as the wind reached out repeatedly to grab at the solitary speck of light. In the distance he heard the hoot of an owl. Eerie, and strangely familiar. There had been so many nights like this. Nights when the boy he used to be, and the man he had become, sat and regarded each other with mutual hatred.

Suddenly his life felt empty. Nothing but shadows on the wall- dark and intangible. She had been his light. The tiny flame he had let in, all those years ago. The flame that he had snuffed out, bit by bit, with cold words and silence.

The candle flickered again, and then silently gave up. A thin spiral of smoke rose, and instantly vanished as another sharp gust of wind rippedits way mercilessly through. The wind tugged at his hair, pleading with him to remember.

He stepped back. Some things were better left forgotten.

He shut the window and walked back to the bed. He couldn't forget. He thought of the time he had told her that he didn't need her anymore. That she meant nothing to him. He remembered the perverse pleasure he had felt- as if by destroying her, he was somehow set free. Her face had been indecipherable. Silent. Stony.

Sometimes he wondered if she had really cared for him. If the only reason she allowed herself to be with him, was because she was afraid of letting go. Afraid of the unknown. He thought of the day she left. She had quietly told him that she wanted


more than he could ever give her. She had stood there for a minute, as if daring him to stop her. Hoping perhaps, that this might change things. That this might finally make him see.

He had just watched her go.

He sat motionless on his bed. He could still hear the wind screaming out to him, hammering against the pane. He had seen pictures of her occasionally after that. Smiling alongside her husband. Rich, successful and perfect. He told himself that she was happier. That maybe this was what she needed. But he had noticed the faint circles under her eyes. She had tried to hide them, and no one ever noticed. But he could always tell. He knew her. Inside out.

His lips tightened imperceptibly. He didn't care. Hecouldn't care.

He frowned slightly, thinking about that again. He had known she was right. She always was. What they had could never last. They had never made any promises, and there was no reason for them to be together. Maybe he ought to leave as well. Leave town and go away as far as he could. Maybe then she would cease to exist for him. Maybe then he wouldn't feel that unexplainable ache whenever he thought of her with someone else.

After all, she was no one special. Just another plaything, easily discarded. He would leave, and all those thoughts of her would dissolve into oblivion. Just as all thoughts of him had faded from her mind.

It would be so easy to leave all this behind.

He faltered for a


minute, and looked out of the window again. The wind was dying down slowly, achingly- as though reluctant to leave. Dry leaves lay scattered, the only evidence of its fading presence. It still called out to him, faintly.

He turned and looked at her, asleep beside him, her red gold hair dark in the moonlight.UPDATE: We're learning more on the murder of Phillip Panzica, the man who made national headlines for having sex on the High Roller just weeks ago. 13 Action News is learning the sex incident and the murder may have some ties.

A man who calls himself Panzica's best friend, Wolfgang Erbstroesse, says he was with Panzica at the strip club in Houston Saturday morning before his friend was killed. Erbstroesse says Panzica was bragging about all the money he got from interviews after his Las Vegas "sexcapade." Erbstroesse says Panzica's killers wanted that money.

"Nobody deserves to die like that," said Erbstroesse. "I don't care if you're bad or good. That was a bad way to die and throwing him out like an animal."

Erbstroesse says Panzica went to the strip


club early Saturday morning to pick up his fiancee, Mistie Bozant. He started talking about his incident on the High Roller to the club's shoe shiner, who happened to be murder suspect Aaron Jones.

"He was out there at the club talking to the shoe shine guy, bragging about the Ferris wheel deal, you know about how much money they got paid, Inside Edition, and all that stuff," said Erbstroesse.

Investigators say Jones and his brother Bryan Watts got in Panzica's car, demanded the money, and when Panzica said no, they shot and killed him.

"The way he got killed, point blank, this was all premeditated," said Erbstroesse. "This was a premeditated murder. These guys planned to put him in the car, drive off, shot him and throw him out."

The brotherswere caught by investigators more than 300 miles down the road. Both Jones and Watts are in custody on capital murder charges.

ORIGINAL STORY The man accused of having sex on the High Roller was fatally shot during a carjacking in Houston this weekend.

According to ABC 13 in Houston, Phillip Panzica was shot around 5 a.m. Saturday after picking up his fiancee from an adult entertainment club where she worked.

Four people were inside a black Kia, including Panzica, his fiancee and the two suspects, identified as Bryant Watts and Aaron Jones, ABC 13 reported.

According to Houston police, Panzica's fiancee heard Watts say, "You need to come clean." She said Watts also pointed a handgun before shooting Panzica several times, ABC 13 reported.

Police told ABC 13 the men then pulled


Panzica out of the car and left his body in the road. The fiancee was told to get out of the car, and both suspects took off in the Kia.

Houston police Watts and Jones have been arrested on capital murder charges. ABC 13 reported both suspects were found with a large amount of cash.

Panzica and Chloe Alexis Scordianos, 21, of Hicksville, New York were taken into custody on Feb. 5 after an employee observed them smoking and undressing inside a cabin during a ride on The High Roller Observation Wheel. He told 13 Action News he met Scordianos after he got into an argument with his fiancee.

Panzica and Scordianos were arrested and charged with commission of certain sex acts in public. Panzica's fiancee had bailed him out ofjail after the incident.

Less than two weeks ago, Panzica's lawyer was in court for his client. Panzica had been offered a plea deal to reduce the charges from a felony to a misdemeanor. He had been expected to enter a plea by April 25.

Scordianos' next hearing is April 12.


The L-Shaped Room (Blu-ray)

Plot: What’s it about?

Twilight Time continues its steady stream of noteworthy films from yesteryear with the classic British New Wave drama The L-Shaped Room. This film was made around the same time as notable films like Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Billy Liar, and other films that highlighted the lives of common British people. Adapted from the bestselling novel by Lynne Reid Banks by Bryan Forbes, the film was controversial at the time for its nonjudgmental views on sexuality before marriage. Now the film feels fairly old-fashioned and conservative. The times change quickly.

The film follows French emigre Jane Fossett (Leslie Caron) as she navigates life in Britain. She has come to London to have a baby from a man who she does not want tomarry. She moves into a boarding house with a slew of interesting tenants including a novelist named Toby (Tom Bell,) an African neighbor named Johnny (Brock Peters,) and an aging spinster named Mavis (Cicely Courtneidge.) The living arrangements are in turn disgusting and baffling. She has insects in her mattress and her room (which is L-shaped) also has a window at the top of a wall which allows her neighbor Johnny to see directly into her room. At every turn, people advise Jane to terminate her pregnancy but she presses on. She bravely faces the judgement of society at every level while keeping the pregnancy. As she becomes closer to Johnny and Toby, Toby falls for her. She begins to see Toby to Johnny’s dismay. They fall in


love while living in squalor.

This film was controversial when it was released because the protagonist of the film has a sexual relationship outside of marriage while carrying a child of another man. What was controversial then seems commonplace now, but the emotional impact of the characters’ actions still resonate years later. This is due to the film’s very honest approach to the material. The film tackles sexuality in a very clean manner, as if the actions of each character are perfectly natural (which they are.) It is just as honest about impoverished conditions and tenement life in London. This also was one of the first films (that I know of) to openly portray an older female character as a lesbian in an unanticipated moment in the film. Ialmost had to rewind the film to make sure I had inferred correctly, but the commentary confirmed it as well.

I appreciated the bravery of the storyline which revolved around a woman feeling pressure to not have a child. This is not uncommon for unmarried women, but it is not often portrayed on film. Leslie Caron is pretty lovely in her role and Tom Bell was a good match for her character. The direction by Bryan Forbes is slow-moving, but it manages to keep your attention. I think the film is sort of a slow-burn that leaves off meaningfully. This also means that repeat viewing might be a little limited, but I sat down to watch the commentary after my first viewing and enjoyed it again. The black and


stuff.

Supplements: What are the extras?

Audio commentary by Screenwriter Lem Dobbs, and film historians Nick Redman and Julie Kirgo – another great commentary by Twilight Time. One aspect of this commentary that makes it interesting is Nick’s knowledge of London from his childhood there. Like other commentaries from Twilight Time it is very loose and conversational. Lem Dobbs (who wrote the fantastic The Limey and Dark City) is a nice addition to the track. It was great to hear Julie and Nick back in business after a short break!

Original Theatrical Trailer

Isolated Music and Effects Track

The Bottom Line

The L-Shaped Room is a good slice-of-life drama. Despite a relatively slow pace, the movie shows off some remarkably progressive views on sexuality before it became prevalent in society. The film also fitscollege. She was already interested in refugees; now she’s interested and involved.

Utica, a 20-minute drive from campus, has gained a measure of fame as a city revived by refugees. For decades, Utica lost people in droves as its industries died. Its population dropped from more than 100,000 in 1960 to an estimated 61,100 in 2015. The refugees have mitigated the slide. Since 1981, the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees has settled 15,000 people from around the world in Utica.

Recent U.S. census data show that 19 percent of Utica residents are foreign born and that a language other than English is spoken in 26 percent of its households. For its part, Utica has opened its arms to the new arrivals. In 2005, Refugees, the magazine of the United


who would be the first in their family to attend college.

These people are fighters, and they are so inspiring. That’s why I love to work with them. Every Sunday I get inspired.

Global Neighbors

The keeper of the facts and history of Utica’s refugees is The Mohawk Valley Resource Center. The nonprofit agency in downtown Utica tracks numbers and countries of origin: Between 1979 and 1993, the peak resettlement year, 3,541 refugees came to Utica from all over the globe, especially from Vietnam, Cambodia and the former Soviet Union. In the 1990s, the largest refugee group came from Bosnia. In recent years most have come from Myanmar, often referred to as Burma.

Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the number of refugees has dropped, but year after year and froma wide range of countries, refugees have continued to find a home in Utica. And the Resource Center has continued to provide a range of services that support the new arrivals as they integrate into their new community and build independent lives.

As the world’s refugee issues made headlines, Utica caught the eye of the national media, especially during and since the 2016 presidential race, when Donald Trump made stricter rules on admitting refugees a cornerstone of his presidential campaign and early presidency. Journalists travel to Utica to interview newcomers and talk to the mayor, often visiting the Resource Center and MUCC. The New York Times, NPR’s Morning Edition, PBS NewsHour, the Toronto Star and The Hill, among others, have covered how Utica’s refugees have replenished the city.

The Beginning

If


and Barbara Britt-Hysell, director of Hamilton’s English for Speakers of Other Languages program, teach the training course that is required for students to tutor. The two have been part of Project SHINE since it launched in 2004. The College added the half-credit training course a couple of years later, and roughly 300 students have taken it. It’s offered twice a year, drawing 10 to 20 students each semester.

Project SHINE students tutor at a Utica charter high school and at a public adult education program. Two seniors who went through Project SHINE were fired up enough about tutoring to work with Britt-Hysell to create an independent project to tutor at a nail salon in Clinton. And, after a hiatus, students are poised to volunteer again at the Mohawk Valleywas how I was able to think, ‘Maybe I could do this, maybe I should talk to Ginny,’” Zahm remembers. She did, and got a Fulbright to teach in Thailand.

She also did group research related to refugees with Professor of Anthropology Chaise LaDousa, work that defined the last part of her studies at Hamilton and provided her a topic for her senior thesis.

In The Field

LaDousa did his first research related to Utica refugees in 2011, when he obtained a Levitt Center grant that allowed him and several students to examine a digital literacy training program used by adult students, including refugees. The next summer he received another Levitt grant for him and a team of students to study the GED, an alternative credential to a high-school diploma, and


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U.S. Resists Push by Allies for Tactical Nuclear Cuts

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Tallinn, Estonia, on Thursday.Credit
Virginia Mayo/Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia — Fresh from signing a strategic nuclear arms agreement with Russia, the United States is parrying a push by several NATO allies to withdraw its aging stockpile of tactical nuclear weapons from Europe.

Speaking Thursday at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers here, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the Obama administration was not opposed to cuts in these battlefield weapons, mostly bombs and short-range missiles locked in underground vaults on air bases in five NATO countries.

But Mrs. Clinton ruled out removing these weapons unless Russia agreed to cuts in its arsenal, which is at least 10those eager to see an end to these weapons acknowledged the process would be lengthy and would require unity within NATO. “We’re not in a hurry,” Poland’s foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, said in an interview. “We don’t believe in acting fast or acting unilaterally.”

There are no official numbers on tactical nuclear weapons, but analysts estimate the United States has from 150 to 250 in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Turkey. Russia may have 2,000 or more weapons, some stored in places like the Kaliningrad region, close to Poland.

These numbers are way down from their peak during the cold war, when the United States had some 8,000 tactical nuclear warheads and the Soviet Union had upwards of 23,000. But disarmament has slowed in recent years, partly because the


Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Michelle Obama and Donald Trump's duelling speeches on women

Donald Trump has rejected a slew of accusations of sexual misconduct, telling supporters in Florida they are "totally and absolutely false".

The Republican presidential nominee said the women making the allegations were "horrible liars" and the media was colluding with rival Hillary Clinton.

Several women say he groped them or forcibly kissed them.

First Lady Michelle Obama earlier said Mr Trump's boasts about groping women were "shocking and demeaning".

"Leaders should meet a basic standard of human decency," she said during a campaign appearance in New Hampshire.

Seeing Mr Trump make lewd comments about women, on a video leaked last week to the Washington Post, "has shaken me to my core in a way that Icannot have predicted," Mrs Obama said, her voice cracking with emotion.

She never mentioned the former reality TV star by name but her references made her target obvious.

At the scene: Rajini Vaidyanathan, BBC News, Manchester, New Hampshire

The rally was packed with students from across the political spectrum, including a young Republican who told me he was disgusted by Donald Trump, but yet to be convinced by Hillary Clinton.

As Michelle Obama entered the room, the deafening screams were at the sort of ear piercing level, usually reserved for rock stars.

And it was to this backdrop, the First Lady expressed her revulsion at Donald Trump's comments about women, as heard on that recently released tape.

She spoke with emotion, energy, and from the heart, but didn't name Mr Trump once - referring


to him instead, as the candidate.

But aside from expressing her distaste at the Republican nominee's tone this election- she had another important message to those in the room.

That they must vote. Turnout, she said, was key. It's what helped her husband win this state of New Hampshire, and will be crucial for Hillary Clinton too.

In some precincts her husband won by an average of only 66 votes. Every ballot can make a difference, she urged the crowd.

If Mrs Obama really is a secret weapon for the Clinton campaign, then the true measure of how powerful her sermon was, will be tested in how she manages to rally the Democratic base.

Two women told the New York Times that the Republican presidential candidate groped or kissed them.

Media playback is unsupportedin which Mr Trump boasted that his fame meant he could "do anything" to women has sparked a crisis that has engulfed his campaign.

Dozens of Republicans have said they can no longer back him and he has fallen further behind Mrs Clinton in national and state polls.

Which Republicans have deserted Trump?

Inside the tortured mind of an anti-Trump Republican

Five issues where Trump and Ryan clash


The University of Memphis Libraries are contributing digitized materials to ASERL's Cooperative Digitization Project "Civil War and the American South: Primary Source Materials from the Region's Leading Research Libraries" which is focusing on Materials Published between 1850 - 1865. The ASERL Website has more information on the project.well as to a slew of other Republican candidates and groups. His wife has also donated to Romney.

As the Huffington Post's Dan Froomkin reported, Romney's hedge fund backers (including Griffin) stand to profit big from their donations. A second Obama term could mean more and higher taxes on the ultrawealthy. Private equity or hedge fund moguls comprise over half of the donations to Restore Our Future, according to the New York Times.


a huge geek and a super nerd. She has been a MLP and video games fanatic since a young child. After losing touch with MLP for several years, through the magic of friendship, she rekindled her love of everypony and met Novel Idea, who encouraged her to use her powers of movie magic for the good of Fallout: Equestria.

In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, drawing, painting, watching movies, making movies, playing games, and chilling with her cats. Her ideal time is building something with her hands, whether it’s a cake or a replica of Hobbiton.

Mercer – Script Engineer

I’ve been modding Fallout: New Vegas for 2 years now, and have published two mods on Nexus. I applied for Script Engineer position after stumbling upon one of NovelPhilosopher's Stone, he equated the "diamond body" with the "Resurrection Body" of the faithful believer in the Paradise of the future Aeon.

For the Qabalists, meditation on this figure provided a mystical body as a vehicle for consciousness in imaginal space. This diamond body was used during meditation to enter the inner court of Divinity, symbolized by the center of the figure. Here the Beginning and End of time are co-temporaneous, space ceases to be a hindrance, and the mystic beheld the ecstatic vision of the Lord on His Throne. The geometry was a "gateway" to another dimension of experience.

This Alpha-Omega point has all the physical qualities of VectorEquilibrium. The ancient meditation practice was known as Merkabah mysticism, and those who practiced it called themselves, "Riders in the Chariot."


Selectors change it up for series against South Africa

AUSTRALIA'S selectors have opted not to replace captain Michael Clarke with another batsman for the remaining three one-day internationals against South Africa.

Clarke was a spectator in Sunday's two-wicket loss to the Proteas in Perth, where the Aussies batted first and were all out for just 154 in 42 overs. The tourists chased down the target for the loss of seven wickets with more than 22 overs to spare.

Fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, last week named international cricketer of the year, has been rested for the remainder of the series, with New South Wales pair Patrick Cummins and Mitchell Starc brought in.

All-rounder Mitch Marsh, who top scored in game two with 57, will remain with the squad for tomorrow's match in Canberra,before rejoining Western Australia for its next Sheffield Shield assignment against Victoria at the MCG starting on November 25. His place for the final two games - at the MCG on Friday and the SCG on Sunday - will be taken by Tasmania's James Faulkner.

After relying on spinning all-rounder Glenn Maxwell in the first two games, Tasmanian slow left-armer Xavier Doherty (pictured) has been included as the front-line spinner.

Chairman of selectors Rod Marsh said the panel felt there was "enough batting depth" to cover Clarke, who may also miss the coming Test series against India to ensure he is ready for next year's World Cup and Ashes series in England.


Retinal Imaging

A digital camera enables us to take a photograph of the back of the eye, which provides a permanent record of the retina, and is invaluable in monitoring changes at the back of the eye, particularly in conditions such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.contumely,

The pangs of dispriz'd love, the law's delay,

The insolence of office, and the spurns

That patient merit of the unworthy takes,

When he himself might his quietus make

With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,

To grunt and sweat under a weary life . . . "

- excerpt from Hamlet

- and the author(s) of a 2,500 year-old Sanskrit tale...

". . . Because I have no wish for victory, Krishna,

nor for a kingdom, nor for its pleasures.

How can we want a kingdom, Govinda, or its pleasures or even life,

When those for whom we want a kingdom,

and its pleasures, and the joys of life,

are here in this field of battle about to give up their wealth and their life?

Facing us in the field of battle are teachers, fathers and sons;

grandsons, grandfathers, wives' brothers;


Sunday, March 21, 2010

Liz Carpenter RIP

Liz Carpenter was Press Secretary for Lady Bird Johnson during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, and because she was there at the time, the task fell to her to write LBJ's statement that he delivered to the nation after the assassination of JFK. She was also assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Education under President Jimmy Carter, on the International Women's Year Commission under President Gerald Ford and on the White House Conference on Aging under President Bill Clinton. She co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus and co-chaired ERAmerica.

We got to spend a good part of an evening with Ms. Carpenter in 2005 while side-by-side occupying the front rail of Willie Nelson's all-star benefit concert for Asian tsunami relief. She said shea blog that is owned by California native Michael Arrington. Michael took advantage of his lifetime exposure to the Silicon Valley and started a website to cover the exciting advancements in it. Techcrunch.com was founded in June of 2005 and has since grown to get over 12 million unique visitors every month. The blog covers all things related to technology including media, startups, and product reviews. The main source of income for this blog is through advertising banners.

3. Perez Hilton – Monthly Income: $450,000

This blog is owned by Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. but you may know him by his nickname, Perez Hilton. He began as a freelance writer and used his eccentric and entertaining attitude to start his own successful blog. Perezhilton.com takes full advantage of all the


but they also glory in the kindness and love of strangers, giving this harrowing story a balance of fear and hope. Manuel is a resilient protagonist who feels the effects of his traumatic passage but also displays a fierce commitment to finding home, wherever that may be. A tough yet hopeful immigration story. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 03/01/2019 Gr 4–7—The train that passes near Manuel's family farm in Mexico is called The Beast, and Beast Riders are those who jump onto this moving train headed toward the U.S. Manuel has a loving family, but life on the farm is difficult, and he longs to be reunited with his older brother who reached Los Angeles four years earlier. He slips away from home one night atmere one percent of top management. While more women are included in the clean energy field, making up 20 to 25 percent of workers in industrialized countries, the majority of these women are in administrative and public relations positions, rather than playing a technical or decision-making role.

Girls and boys express the same level of interest in STEM careers (those related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and achieve an equal level of success through secondary education, but a major barrier for girls and women is the lack of visible role models and mentorship in the STEM and renewable energy industry.

By college, this interest decreases in young women. A national report on college freshmen major interests shows that on average, 20 percent of young women intend to major in


Justices limit wartime powers

GAIL GIBSON AND SIOBHAN GORMANTHE BALTIMORE SUN

The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that wartime tribunals created to try detainees at Guantanamo Bay are not valid under U.S. law or international treaties, a political and legal blow to the Bush administration's broad claims of executive power that could have far-reaching implications for how it conducts the war on terrorism.

Nearly five years after the first terrorist suspects arrived at the prison camp in Cuba, none of the roughly 700 men who have been held there has stood trial. The court's 5-3 decision ensured that the wait would be longer and that the facility would remain open for now, in spite of calls to close it.

President Bush said yesterday that he would work with Congress to redraft the firstmilitary tribunals since World War II, and lawmakers in both parties signaled that they would lend support. Legal analysts and government officials said other options were to try detainees in civilian courts inside the United States or in military court-martials - or to return them to their home countries.

But the much-anticipated decision also raised broader questions about Bush's aggressive anti-terrorism policies and efforts to expand executive powers. At turns, it appeared to undercut the administration's justification for aggressive interrogation techniques as well as its defense of the National Security Agency's program of warrantless surveillance inside the United States.

"The Supreme Court didn't specifically tell the president that he had to comply with [Geneva Conventions protections] outside the boundaries of military commissions, but it was clearly a bowshot," said Scott


L. Silliman, a retired Air Force attorney who serves as executive director of the Center on Law, Ethics and National Security at Duke University.

The court split, 5-3, in the case of Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a one-time driver for al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. The majority opinion was written by the court's most senior and most liberal member, Justice John Paul Stevens, with the deciding vote coming from moderate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. did not participate in the case. He had ruled in the government's favor last year when the case came before him on a lower court.

In finding that Bush had overstepped his authority in creating military commissions that sharply curtailed basic trial rights, such as allowing the accused to be present throughouthis trial, the majority decision suggested repeatedly that the cure to the problem could come from Congress.

"No emergency prevents consultation with Congress; judicial insistence upon that consultation does not weaken our nation's ability to deal with danger," Justice Stephen G. Breyer wrote in a concurring opinion. "The Constitution places its faith in those democratic means. Our court today simply does the same."

In its ruling, the court did not summarily reject the use of wartime tribunals, which have been used across U.S. history - although not since the World War II-era trials of eight German agents sent to the United States with a failed mission to destroy war factories, canals, bridges and train stations.

And Stevens pointedly noted that the court was not challenging the government's authority to hold Hamdan


attention from appellate lawyers and legal scholars. Writing for the majority, Stevens noted that it requires that individuals prosecuted for war crimes must face "regularly constituted courts" that afford widely recognized judicial guarantees. But it also holds that detainees should "in all circumstances be treated humanely" and prohibits acts of "cruel treatment and torture."

In its majority decision, the court also rejected the government's argument that the president's authority to create the military commissions stemmed from Congress' approval in September 2001 to use military force against the perpetrators of the terrorist strikes on New York and the Pentagon. Although not addressed in yesterday's decision, the government has made the same assertion in defense of the NSA warrantless surveillance program.

There is nothing in the history of that congressional action "evenand the trial judge's ruling on Allen's proposed defense of necessity
On the evening of April 24, 2003, a state trooper pulled Allen over for driving with his headlights off. (Allen was driving with only his parking lights on.) Allen's mother, Sharon Allen, was a passenger in the car. The trooper determined that Allen's driver's license was suspended, and so he arrested Allen for driving with a suspended license.
At the time, Allen was on bail release from another criminal charge. Allen was later charged with violating the condition of his release that required him to obey all laws.
Before trial, Allen's attorney notified the State that he intended to assert the affirmative defense of necessity under AS 11.81.320. On the first day of trial, the State asked the trial judge


to preclude Allen from discussing this proposed defense in front of the jury until Allen made an offer of proof demonstrating that there was some evidence to support the defense.
In response, Allen's attorney asserted that the defense was prepared to present the following evidence: On the evening in question, Allen's mother (Sharon Allen) had initially been driving the car, but she had to pull over because she began to suffer fatigue and double vision. Although Allen knew that he was not supposed to drive, he believed that his mother needed medical attention, so (with his mother now in the passenger seat) Allen started driving to Big John's Liquors, approximately one-half mile down the road, where there was a telephone. Shortly after Allen began driving, he was stopped bythe state trooper.
Later in the trial, the defense attorney called Allen's mother to the stand (outside the presence of the jury) in support of the proposed necessity defense.
Sharon Allen testified that she picked her son up from a class that night. As she was driving to Sterling, Allen told her to pull the car over because she was weaving. Mrs. Allen stated that she was suffering from fatigue and double vision at the time, recurring symptoms that stemmed from her being doused with gasoline three years earlier. She testified that, after she pulled over, Allen took the wheel and drove to Big John's to use the telephone to "find a ride for [her]." Mrs. Allen further testified that, although her physical ailments were recurring, Allen had not previously


seen her in this condition, and he was scared about her health.
Mrs. Allen admitted that, when the trooper stopped them, she did not ask the trooper for help in obtaining medical assistance, nor did she go to a hospital or call a doctor later that night. She explained that her symptoms were recurring, and that there was nothing to be done except wait for them to subside. She testified that she sometimes sleeps for a couple of hours until her symptoms go away.
During cross-examination by the prosecutor, Sharon Allen conceded that, during the time her son was driving to Big John's, they must have passed Good Time Charlie's, a strip club. Mrs. Allen further conceded that they did not stop at the strip club. She explained that theonly telephone she knew about was at Big John's, that she was not a "bar person", and that she "wouldn't have considered going in [Good Time Charlie's]."
In addition to presenting this testimony, Allen's attorney also offered to prove that Allen believed that his mother needed medical attention, that he wanted to transport her to Big John's because that was the nearest place he knew of where there was a telephone, and that Allen believed there was no adequate alternative to his driving the car to Big John's.
When the trial judge, Magistrate David S. Landry, suggested that Allen might have walked the half-mile to Big John's, Allen interjected, "And leave my mother in the car? Is that what you would do, Your Honor?"
In response to Allen's offer of proof,


the prosecutor offered to prove that Allen had driven for more than half a mile, and that he and his mother had passed up many opportunities to stop and use a telephone. The *1108 prosecutor also emphasized that, when the trooper stopped Allen, Sharon Allen made no request for medical assistance.
After listening to these offers of proof and the parties' arguments, Magistrate Landry refused to instruct the jury on the defense of necessity, and he precluded Allen from presenting any evidence in support of this defense. Magistrate Landry concluded that Allen had an adequate, reasonable alternative to breaking the law: he could have walked to Good Time Charlie's (which was closer than Big John's) and used the telephone there.

Why we conclude that this ruling was error
To establish theWhat to Watch: October 19 - 25

This new doc series premieres tonight, with an introduction to most of the major players in the snowy soap. Cameras follow a group of kids - in their early 20s, as is the case up in Whistler - who work the slopes and bars in Whistler as they get together and break up. It's like 'The Hills' on ice.Peak Season (October 19, 10 pm, MTV)

This new doc series premieres tonight, with an introduction to most of the major players in the snowy soap. Cameras follow a group of kids - in their early 20s, as is the case up in Whistler - who work the slopes and bars in Whistler as they get together and break up. It's like 'The Hills' on


what got Schwarber fired up.

"Pretty big dude. He played football. I didn't play football. He kind of took me with him, but I held him pretty good. He moves to the side pretty good. He almost got by me, so I have to work on my defense."

Maddon reached Morales first to plead Schwarber's case while the mayhem played out behind him.

"I caught it out of the corner of my eye," Maddon said. "I think we circumvented it a bit, didn't we?"

For the Cubs, the loss was a rough way to end a contest they nearly rescued from an early deficit that was largely the result of another wave of walks issued by their pitching staff. Starter Kyle Hendricks and six relievers combined for eight free passes. The Cubsis a charity providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.

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Last night, Professor Neil Greenberg, a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Health Protection Research Unit at King's College London, said the frightening experience of Covid-19 may still leave a lasting impression.

He said it was better to speak to people you trust about how distressing the experience was, rather than to avoid the subject.