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10. The Ocean – The ocean is simply wonderful, it has many different noises itself, but my favorite is the early morning ocean. The air is a little heavy, you can feel a little mist situation going on and the noise sounds like you’re in the middle of the earth’s dishwasher. I also love the sound of old dishwashers that sound like at any given moment the door could fling open and flood your house.
9. “Provider” by Frank Ocean – Just a perfectly soothing song. Two Oceans coming out the gate strong. “Provider” is one of those great songs where it doesn’t even matter if you’re not sure what the song is about, it just feels good. I’ve listened to this song when I need to calm down many times.
8. Espresso machine – Nothing can make you feel like a comfortably wealthy European business man like the sound of an espresso machine in action. Leaning back in a leather chair while the espresso machine gets to work is just about the most relaxing thing a professional human can do.
7. Wyoming at night – This is specific, but if you’ve ever been to a ranch in Wyoming, the evening is immaculate. The sound of heavy silence mixed in with the occasional howl of a wolf or rustle of a bush is enough to make you feel like you’re in a Clint Eastwood movie. Mix in the noise of a random little creature being murdered by a predator and you’re experiencing life in it’s purest form baby.
6. A problem that you know isn’t your responsibility – There’s something very soothing about hearing a problem that isn’t your problem happening. A kid crying in the store? Dog on a leash barking? Someone at work with an angry customer on the phone? The best. Not my noise, not my problem.
5. Thunderstorm – A bad thunderstorm works in the perfect amount of fear and vulnerability to make you sit back and accept what’s about to happen. The crack of the lighting, sound of the rain pounding the ground and obviously the star of the show – thunder. Thunder steals the show every time, such an attention whore. The best thunders are the ones you can feel.
4. Powerful rushing water – This doesn’t have to be anything crazy. I picture a borderline dangerous creek after some heavy rainfall. There’s something about the sound of water rushing that makes you feel like a young member of Lewis and Clark’s entourage. The west has yet to be discovered and you’re on the forefront of a new world.
3. The shower warming up – I like to let the shower warm up every morning as I finish a cup of coffee. It provides a moment of respite between your cup of mud and the day beginning. Time stands still while the shower warms up, nothing matters.
2. A busy, well run McDonalds in the morning – There’s something about a well managed McDonalds during a busy morning rush. Orders coming in consistently, dinging noises, frying noises, muffled conversation, laughing children, senior citizens talking about the local elections…it all creates a perfect storm of noises. Give me an air mattress and I could sleep like a baby in a busy McDonalds during the breakfast shift.
1. Bonfire – The crackling Bonfire is the Muhammad Ali of noises. As Ali once said, “I’m not the greatest, I’m the double greatest.” The bonfire could say the same. There’s an element of the bonfire noise that is similar to the thunderstorm. There’s something oddly peaceful about a noise that could potentially kill you, but likely won’t. The consistent crackle with the occasional loud pop is simply the best.
Published by The PUP List
Graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. Editor of the site, stories provided by myself and friends. View all posts by The PUP List
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Two Smarts and a Dumb: The Three Options The Bengals Have With AJ Green
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Purple Unions: Queer Rights Update 8/2/18
Posted August 2, 2018 by Scott Coatsworth
Here are recent updates on Queer Rights worldwide:
Trans People and the Lobster Emoji
Trans activist and author Charlie Craggs is demanding to know why the trans community does not have an emoji – and she’s using lobsters to make her point. The Marie Claire Future Shaper award winner is fronting a campaign to get Unicode, the organization that chooses emojis for public use, to create a trans flag emoji.
Yelp Adds “Open to All” Pledge for Business Listings
Yelp has added a new option to allow businesses to advertise the fact that they do not discriminate.
Trump Administration to Lift US Punishments on Homophobic Countries
Speaking at the Ministerial To Advance Religious Freedom this week, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney attacked the Obama administration for using taxpayer dollars to promote women’s rights and LGBTQ rights in Africa.
Half of Queer Millennial Adults Are in the Closet
Half of LGBT millennial adults haven’t come out yet, according to new research. The Australian survey, conducted by ABC, has been released just weeks after another study showed that nearly half of LGBT+ employees in the US hide their sexuality at their place of employment.
CANADA, ONTARIO
Canadians Plan to Boycott First Chick-fil-A’s in Toronto
Canadians are threatening to boycott Chick-fil-A outlets, set to open in Toronto from next year onwards, on social media.
Government Reverses Library Ban on Queer Children’s Books
The Hong Kong government has reportedly reversed its decision to remove ten LGBT+ children’s books from its 82 public libraries.
Bollywood Stars Support Repeal of Anti-Gay Sex Law
As India’s apex court prepares to a rule on the constitutionality of the country’s anti-gay law, Bollywood stars are coming out in support of repeal and more LGBT equality in the country.
MP Calls Queer Couples “Unproductive”
A politician in Japan has caused an uproar after describing LGBTI couples as “unproductive” and questioned whether it is”appropriate to spend taxpayer money on them”.
Sessions Announces ‘Religious Liberty Task Force’ to Implement and Enforce Anti-LGBTQ Policies
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday morning announced the formation of a “Religious Liberty Task Force” intended to implement and enforce anti-LGBTQ Trump policies that would allow people to discriminate based on religious beliefs.
RNC Passes Resolution to Make Sex-Ed Courses Opt-In
In an effort to carry even more water for the religious right, the GOP has declared war on sex education.
Is the State Department Revoking Passports for Trans Citizens?
The National Center for Transgender Equality says that fears sparked on social media that transgender people’s passports are being denied are overblown.
Trump’s War on Queer Rights
Trump has instituted a sustained war on LGBTQ rights. It’s not as if every attack has gone unnoticed. However, looking at each episode individually dilutes the collective impact. When you put them all together, the pattern is clear.
Democrats Demand Census Include Queer Questions
Democrats in Congress are pushing back against the Trump administration’s decision to take LGBTI questions off the United States Census.
Alaskan Airlines Claims Seat Move Was a “Seating Error”
Alaska Airlines apologized this week after a flight attendant asked a gay man to give up his seat next to his partner so a straight couple could sit together, an exchange that put the airline on the defensive as it rebutted claims of discrimination.
USA, MICHIGAN
Appeals Court Rules Trans Women Aren’t Women
A Michigan appeals court issued a transphobic ruling for an ejected member of a Planet Fitness gym who sued in 2015 after her membership was revoked because she complained about a transgender woman (whom she described as a “man”) in the locker room. The ruling calls transgender women “men who identify as women.”
County Clerk Denies Marriage License to Gay Couple, Cites Religious Beliefs
A gay couple from upstate New York were denied a marriage license by the county clerk and now even the Governor is getting involved. Thomas Hurd and Dylan Toften from Root, New York, went to the local county courthouse expecting to walk away with a marriage license. County clerk Laurel Eriksen, however, turned them away.
Author: Scott Coatsworth
Filed under: LGBT Rights, Marriage Equality
Tags: ban, gay rights, gay sex, lesbian rights, LGBT rights, LGBTIQA rights, marriage equality, news, queer rights, trans rights
Win 5 Nights in the Berkshires from the Kemble Inn
Yes, Add to Gay Travel Maillist
No, Don't Add
Kemble Inn Website
Brazil to Remove LGBTQ+ References From Textbooks
St John Weddings – US Virgin Islands Gay Friendly Wedding Officiant
New Push for Marriage Equality in Northern Ireland
Anti Marriage Equality Campaigns Hurt LGBTQ+ Mental Health
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KTM PRESS CENTER
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Another Q2 classification for Pol Espargaro in Catalunya
MotoGP 2019 - Round 7, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (ESP)
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Pol Espargaro KTM RC16 MotoGP Catalunya 2019
Copyright: © KTM Images/Philip Platzer
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MotoGP discovered more sunshine and high speed for the second meeting in succession with the Gran Premio de Catalunya - being held for the 28th year at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya a short distance from the Mediterranean city – following the visit to Italy two weeks earlier.
Red Bull KTM had to negotiate a slick and tricky course and search for grip at what was only their third visit to the popular venue. Pol Espargaro was rapid throughout Free Practice to secure a Q2 slot. Espargaro completed 7 laps in the short 12 minute session and managed his best on the last attempt but was just over half a second from the front row.
Johann Zarco showed promise with top ten speed on Friday but could not squeeze through the Q1 selection and will occupy 18th for the 24 lap race tomorrow.
In the Red Bull KTM Tech3 garage Miguel Oliveira was just three tenths of a second slower than Zarco and one tenth ahead of teammate Hafizh Syahrin. The Portuguese is also just one place in front of the Malaysian with both bikes in 20th and 21st respectively.
Pol Espargaro: “Good to be in Q2 again but honestly this is the toughest race for us and where we have always suffered a lot. On my fast lap I saw yellow flags in front of me from [Alex] Rins, I was on the back straight and coming-in so hot – three tenths faster to be P8 or P9 – I was almost crashing so I had to cancel my lap. I pushed for another one but could do nothing more than the lap I made. I think it will be important to finish the race tomorrow because it will be super-slow or with a lot of crashes. If the race is slow and we can risk a bit more than the others then maybe we can get something.”
Johann Zarco: “I could not improve this morning or make the step I wanted to make but I did it this afternoon and it was better than nothing. This is gives me the ‘glass half full rather than empty’ feeling. I’m learning and trying to develop what I can learn. I got some improvements this afternoon and was able to see a few things on the track. I tried to keep this feeling for next time and I’m really motivated.”
Miguel Oliveira: “We worked very hard to reduce the gap and we managed but the whole grid is very, very tight and we have only one second from 3rd to 20th position, which is where I am. All the four KTM’s are within four tenths, so it will be interesting to see tomorrow if we can keep a good pace for the race. We still have to analyse which tyre to use for tomorrow. But for now, we just relax and look forward to tomorrow.”
Hafizh Syahrin: “I felt really good in Qualifying today. We are very close to the rest and I hope we can find a good race pace tomorrow. Now we need to decide if we chose a soft or medium tyre for the race. At the moment, we are still at 50-50, so we will decide after the Warm Up tomorrow morning. The important thing is to enjoy it [the race] and not to do any mistakes or feel any pressure.”
Moto2 & Moto3
The gap between Augusto Fernandez on Moto2 Pole Position and Red Bull KTM’s Jorge Martin in 17th place was only one second; revealing the depth of competition in the Moto2 division. Brad Binder did not make it through the Q1 period and will take a place on the seventh row. Aron Canet and Albert Arenas used the power of their KTMs to take 5th and 6th positions in the Moto3 Q2. The Spaniards were two of three KTM RC250GPs in the top ten of Saturday’s classification.
Races: June 16, 2019 – Moto3 11.00 | Moto2 12.20 | MotoGP 14.00 CET
Results Qualifying MotoGP Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya 2019
1. Fabio Quartararo (FRA), Yamaha 1:39.484
2. Marc Marquez (ESP), Honda +0.015
3. Maverick Viñales (ESP), Yamaha +0.226
4. Franco Morbidelli (ITA), Yamaha + 0.227
5. Valentino Rossi (ITA), Yamaha +0.269
12. Pol Espargaro (ESP), Red Bull KTM +0.941
18. Johann Zarco (FRA), Red Bull KTM +0.700 (Q1)
21. Miguel Oliveira (POR), Red Bull KTM Tech3 +1.025 (Q1)
22. Hafizh Syahrin (MYS), Red Bull KTM Tech3 +1.112 (Q1)
Results Qualifying Moto2 Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya 2019
1. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Kalex 1:44.170
2. Thomas Luthi (SUI) Kalex +0.021
3. Sam Lowes (GBR) Kalex +0.029
17. Jorge Martin (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +1.074
19. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Ajo +1.49.913
1. Gabriel Rodrigo (ARG) Honda 1:48.450
2. Ai Ogura (JPN) Honda +0.021
3. Tony Arbolino (ITA) Honda +0.314
20. Can Öncü (TUR) Red Bull KTM Ajo 1:49.660
Press & PR Manager
Sebastian Kuhn
sebastian.kuhn@ktm.com
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Hafizh Syahrin KTM RC16 MotoGP Catalunya 2019
??detail_images.copyright?? KTM Images/Philip Platzer
Johann Zarco KTM RC16 MotoGP Catalunya 2019
Miguel Oliveira KTM RC16 MotoGP Catalunya 2019
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MotoGP work wraps for 2019 at rainy Jerez test
First stage of 2020 MotoGP work completed at Valencia
Espargaro signs off 2019 MotoGP with top ten result as Binder wins in Moto2 again
Espargaro qualifies 11th in Valencia for last MotoGP of 2019
Nagashima signature enhances 2020 KTM GP Academy line-up
Espargaro to start Shell Malaysian Grand Prix from 15th on the grid
12th for Espargaro at Australian Grand Prix as KTM dominate Moto2
3rd for Espargaro in Australian Grand Prix Free Practice as weather causes Qualification cancellation
Red Bull KTM MotoGP line-up confirmed for 2020
press@ktm.com
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Manila-Catbalogan-Tacloban-Surigao-Nasipit-Butuan route
How To Lose The Equivalent Of A Liner Fleet in Just Over A Decade: The Decline And Fall of Compania Maritima
For nearly a century since the tailend of the Spanish regime in the Philippines it was Compania Maritima that was the dominant passenger shipping company for most of that period although at times there were also shipping companies that will draw parity or even slightly exceed Compania Maritima. This company has Spanish origins and hence it had the advantage of European connections, a factor not enjoyed by other shipping companies and the plus of that can be felt in ship acquisitions and maybe even capitalization. It also did not hinder Compania Maritima that the owner Fernandez Brothers were not only heavyweight in business but also in politics even in the Commonwealth period and this continued until the early Republic years. As in one of them being a Senator of the Commonwealth and of the Republic. Those were the times when capital was tight and acquiring loans need inside and political connections.
Right after the Republic was born, Compania Maritima or Maritime Company was fast out of the gate and immediately built up a sizable fleet not only in sheer number but even in the size of ships. They were the first among local companies in tapping Europe as source of ships and unlike those sourced by Madrigal and Elizalde, theirs were not old, worn-down ships weathered by convoy duty during the war. There was only one time in the postwar years that a local shipping company was able to match them in sheer number. This was the Aboitiz Shipping Corporation that was the beneficiary of the expiration of the Laurel-Langley Agreement in 1974 when Everett Steamship has to give up their share in Philippine Steamship and Navigation Company. But that fleet of Aboitiz was loaded with small ex-”FS” ships that were already growing old. Compania Maritima had a significant number too of ex-”FS” ships but they were not dependent on that type while that formed the backbone of Aboitiz’s fleet.
However, out of twenty or so ships accumulated through the years with some used for a time in foreign routes, Compania Maritima began losing ships through hull losses at a rate of nearly one per year from 1967 to 1981 when before that they almost had no serious accidents. Of course, like the latter Sulpicio Lines, Compania Maritima “pushes” ships even in inclement weather. But the downturn was so stark I cannot begin to understand it was simply the result of “pushing” or bad luck or the growing age of their fleet. I don’t know if there was a death wish. The weakness of many old Spanish mestizo companies was for too long they simply relied on their initial headstart in capital accumulation which for many resulted from monopolies or warrants given by the Spanish regime. Later, they also had the inside track in Malacanang connections which can do wonder in many things. So when these two factors evaporated, their weaknesses was sadly exposed by the new challengers that grew without the support that the Spanish mestizo companies took for granted.
The middle of the 1960’s also saw a change of occupant in Malacanang who had his own fair boys (well, was there an occupant of that palace who had none?) and these did not include the Fernandezes (their stars were already on the wane then). Suddenly, an outsider was the insider and the former insiders are now the outsiders. That began the decline of the old business empires that were formed during the Commonwealth years or earlier and they were many. Suddenly, the Fernandez shipping companies found they cannot compete in favor with Philippine President Lines (PPL) especially in the international routes. Even the venerable and well-connected but not-in-power De la Rama Steamship was overtaken by Philippine President Lines in the international routes. The redoubtable Madrigals also began to lose steam in this period when they no longer had elective posts.
There was also a newcomer on the block that was riding the surge of the king of commodity crops which were copra and coconut oil. Abaca was far going down and those which latched into was also being pulled down like the Elizaldes and the Madrigals. Note these two were once great names in shipping. The Sorianos were lucky they were just in beer and beer carrier barges and the Zobels were lucky that their holdings in non-commercial talahib turned out to be golden real estate. That was also the good luck of the Aranetas and Ortigases. The Rufinos were also in shipping but their fortunes in it were not getting better and the Delgados which was in forwarding and shipping was also finding their hold being swept by the boy of the new man in Malacanang.
The newcomer is actually newcomers as they are a duo. One was the biggest in copra and coconut oil whose signage is still prominent today in SRP in Cebu. This was the Lu Do Lu Ym and their gatherer-carrier locally and their bringer to international markets was the fast-rising Carlos A. Go Thong & Company.
I do not know if the Fernandezes saw their eventual decline in shipping. However, it is not hard to draw visions from the decline of Madrigal, Elizalde, Rufino and Delgado, all very powerful names then and financiers of presidential campaigns one time or another. They have no powerful engine like a commodity crop. They have no hold in Malacanang like before. And there are powerful new challengers buoyed by the need to move goods that they racial kins were beginning to control. Later this change of guard came to be known as the eclipsing of the Castilaloys by the Chinoys or the rise of the taipans. Moreover, the Fernandezes saw their perch in forwarding wrested by a favored boy of Malacanang, the new landsman of the Makati Stock Exchange (now how significant is that?).
What I know is from 1970 Compania Maritima stopped acquiring ships and local shipping history has shown that such a non-move presages the change of the order or standing in shipping. Compania Maritima no longer purchased ships even though they were bleeding from a fast loss of ships. Most of these maritime losses came under a literal storm which means a typhoon.
Compania Maritima first lost a ship on January 16, 1967 when their MV Mindanao, an ex-”C1-M-AV1” ship was wrecked near Odiongan, Romblon on January 16, 1967. That was very remarkable because for twenty years preceding since they restarted operations in 1947, they never lost a ship no matter what typhoon passed the country. However, being beached and wrecked is a lot better than foundering in a storm because a lot of casualties are averted and the remains can either be refloated or broken up depending on the extent of damage. MV Mindanao was broken up the next year, in 1968. This passenger-cargo ship was first known as the MV Star Knot in Compania Maritima’s fleet, the same name she had while on the service of the US Navy in World War II.
On the same year the first MV Mindanao (there was a later MV Mindanao) was lost, the MV Mindoro, a weak ex-”FS” ship foundered in a storm, the Typhoon “Welming” on November 4, 1967 off Sibuyan island. This ship was first known as the first MV Basilan in the fleet of Compania Maritima before she was renamed in 1952 when another ex-”FS” ship was acquired by the company that will bear that name. When the first MV Mindanao was lost, she was holding the quixotic route Manila-Catbalogan-Tacloban-Surigao-Nasipit-Butuan which passes through the eastern seaboard of Leyte but not under the San Juanico bridge as that bridge was not yet existing at that time.
In 1969, another ex-”C1-M-AV1” ship of Compania Maritima was wrecked again in a storm, the super-typhoon “Eling” (900 hPa!) which was then blowing off northeastern Luzon. This was the MV Siquijor which was earlier known as MV Carrick Bend in their fleet and also when she was still in the US Navy. She was beached in Tag-olo Point on the tip of the longer peninsula enclosing Dapitan Bay and like the MV Mindoro her remains was broken up the next year.
On July 16, 1973, the passenger-cargo ship MV Mactan, the third ship to carry this name in the fleet of Compania Maritima foundered in a storm. She was lost in Tablas Strait on a Nasipit-Manila voyage when two typhoon were affecting our seas. This liner was the MV General del Pilar in the fleet of General Shipping Corporation that was bought brand-new in Japan. She was actually big also at 83 meters length and the only ship of Compania Maritima from Japan except for the taken-over ships from De la Rama Steamship which were the former MV Dona Alicia and MV Dona Aurora (these ships were seized by the National Development Corporation, an entity owned by the Philippine Government, as they are the true owners). The route of MV Mactan is the same as the lost first MV Mindanao which was Manila-Catbalogan-Tacloban-Surigao-Nasipit-Butuan. She was the replacement ship on that route.
The bad streak of Compania Maritima did not end and on September 17, 1973, a liner of theirs from Europe, one of the best in the local waters in the early 1950’s was wrecked in the shores of Pangan-an island, part of the Olango island group of Cebu east of Mactan island. This is the MV Cebu, the biggest in the fleet of Compania Maritima which was only equaled when the brand-new MV Luzon came in 1959 and exceeded only in 1963 when the brand-new MV Visayas arrived from West Germany. Mind you, the MV Luzon and MV Visayas were flagships and so it is an exalted comparison. MV Cebu might be the biggest in their fleet in almost the whole of the 1950’s but it seems it was the MV Panay that they considered their flagship. MV Panay would later share the same fate as MV Cebu. MV Cebu was later broken up in 1974.
In the same year, the sister ship of MV Panay, the MV Jolo will also be wrecked. Is there an eerie pattern now? It seems the ships of Compania Maritima suddenly had a great love for the beaches and not in a nice way. Wrecking does not result in great casualties, hence, there is less to settle on the passenger and it does not produce a great outcry from the public. MV Jolo was wrecked in Caballo island near Corregidor on Oct 11, 1973 when the winds of Typhoon “Miling” hit her. This happened just a month after their MV Cebu was lost.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/goriob1/5376509547/in/photolist-9c71Yt-6xtbRc-96nHhU-96jEtB-bvLTpQ-8F1zNg-6xQbBG-6x3kcV-8Q5zrv-6xKYX6-96nGDs-6xQa7m-6xQ23u-6xhxSh-87vYVv-eAke1J-87vUWg-dYd1NQ-87vPon-87z3Hm-eRVpaH-6x2ANi-96nFvd-eAh2zr-87vPnX-6x7uGs-6xxJeD-dYd17s-6xKR9n-6xxHVz-dXAAyZ-dYcZV9-6xxA1X-96nFQq-eS7RJ9-6xQaxw-6gdQyp-fQzz1P-6xL1bD-fQLVwd-5SB3S6-6xhPwq-7HoByY-5ZfFnk-5Zxnpy-6x2PUH-6xKsu8-6xQ5UC-6xKsuV-6x2ANT
In April 8, 1974, Compania Maritima would suffer the only maritime hull loss due to fire. This was the MV Romblon, an ex-”FS” ship but the incidental thing is she was also beached! It is really a good coincidence if a fire happens near an island. The route of the MV Romblon was Manila-Capiz-Iloilo-Pulupandan-Sangi-Estancia and the beaching happened in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. She was among the last liners calling in Pulupandan as silting of the waters of the port demanded that only shallow-draft vessels like the MV Romblon can only dock in the port (in a few years liners will stop calling in Pulupandan and Negros Occidental will become a sole property of Negros Navigation).
On March 23, 1977, it was the turn of the MV Panay to be lost by wrecking (again!). She was lost off Salauan Point the farthest spit of land of Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental near where the new Laguindingan airport stands now. There was no typhoon that time as it was summer. Did she go straight for the shallows or they left the nautical charts ashore?
In my study of maritime losses, I actually did not see a streak as long as what Compania Maritima had. And I was wondering what MARINA (it was already in existence then) was doing. If this was Sulpicio Lines and with Maria Elena Bautista at the helm, I think Compania Maritima will already be shuttered. And this is not the end yet.
On April of 1978, a summer typhoon visited the Philippines. This is the Typhoon “Atang”, a 150 kph typhoon that visited the central Philippines. A lengthened ex-”FS” ship of Compania Maritima was caught in that, the MV Leyte. She was wrecked in the southwestern portion of Sibuyan island trying to reach shelter. She was then on a Manila-Cebu voyage.
The beaching streak of Compania Maritima would not yet end and on July 6, 1979, the MV Guimaras, a 98-meter liner from Europe will again be wrecked near the boundary of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental on the southern side. There were two typhoons then in the northern part of the country and maybe the seas then in that place was strong as those two typhoons will suck the sea north.
And on June 23, 1980, another big liner (in those days a liner over 100 meters length is big) of theirs from Europe, the MV Dadiangas will again be lost through wrecking in Siargao island due to Typhoon “Huaning”. The MV Dadiangas was earlier known in the fleet of Compania Maritima as the MV Isla Verde and she was a Manila-Davao ship passing the eastern seaboard of Mindanao, the shortcut route to Davao. It seems changing names of ships from islands to cities did not help them.
Eleven liners lost through accidents in 13 years! Can anyone imagine that!? I am sure the ones commanding the ships of Compania Maritima are not some simple able-bodied seaman. How could they have lost that many and as continuously with most ending on the beaches and on the rocks?
To compare that was more than the fleet of Sweet Lines, Galaxy Lines, Escano Lines, Aboitiz Shipping Company+Cebu-Bohol Ferry Company (outside of Aboitiz’s holdings in Philippine Steamship and Navigation Company) during that time. In that period only the fleets of Gothong A. Gothong & Co., William Lines and Philippine Steamship and Navigation Company could be greater than those 11 ships lost by Compania Maritima but then maybe not in combined gross tonnage because the ships lost by Compania Maritima are generally big.
With those losses, Compania Maritima entered the years of financial crisis of the country in the 1980’s with a much weakened fleet and the loss of Number 1 position in local shipping especially since they did not acquire any more liners after 1970 when they acquired the second MV Mindanao. They also disposed of a few other ships along the way. But still when they began breaking up ships in 1982 and ceasing operations in 1983 they still had 7 ships left although some of these are just old ex-”FS” ships (three) that were barely running.
From a great shipping company and Numero 1, the Compania Maritima went out in a whimper. Kindly, I think they might have had a death wish and a desire for exit already. After closing shop, the Fernandez brothers packed their bags and headed back to Spain, their country of origin. They were dual citizens all throughout.
Photo Credits: Gorio Belen, Philippine Herald, Manila Chronicle, Times Journal
Posted in Analysis, Company Feature, History, Information, Shipping competition, UncategorizedTagged Abaca, Aboitiz Shipping Corporation, Castilaloys, Chinoys, De la Rama Steamship, Delgados, Elizaldes, Everett Steamship, ex-”C1-M-AV1” ship, ex-”FS” ship, Fernandez Brothers, Lu Do & Lu Ym, Madrigals, Manila-Capiz-Iloilo-Pulupandan-Sangi-Estancia route, Manila-Catbalogan-Tacloban-Surigao-Nasipit-Butuan route, Maritime Company, MV Basilan, MV Carrick Bend, MV Cebu, MV Dadiangas, MV General del Pilar, MV Guimaras, MV Isla Verde, MV Jolo, MV Leyte, MV Luzon, MV Mactan, MV Mindanao, MV Mindoro, MV Panay, MV Romblon, MV Siquijor, MV Star Knot, MV Visayas, National Development Corporation, Philippine President Lines, Rufinos, Salauan Point, super-typhoon “Eling”, Tag-olo Point, taipans, Typhoon “Atang”, Typhoon “Huaning”, Typhoon “Miling”, Typhoon “Welming”Leave a comment
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IResearchNet
Psychology > Sports Psychology > Psychological Skills > Attention Training
Attention Training
The term attention denotes the process by which we exert mental effort in focusing either on specific features of the world around us or on our own thoughts and feelings. An example would be a soccer goalkeeper who is preparing to defend against a corner kick from the opposing team must pay attention to the flight of the incoming ball while disregarding a variety of distractions arising from the movements of players in the penalty area and from any irrelevant thoughts he or she might have at that time. Clearly, the ability to focus on what is most important in any situation while ignoring a multitude of distractions is vital for successful performance in sport. Accordingly, researchers in sport and exercise psychology have developed a variety of practical strategies that purport to improve attentional skills in athletes. Although these strategies differ in the extent to which they have been validated by empirical evidence, they share a common purpose—namely, to help sports performers to achieve a focused state of mind in which there is no difference between what they are thinking about and what they are doing.
Specifying Performance Goals
Psychologists commonly distinguish between result goals, such as the outcome of a sporting encounter, and performance goals, or specific actions that lie within the athlete’s control, such as attempting to achieve 100% accuracy in one’s first serve in tennis. Some evidence has accumulated to suggest that athletes who specify performance goals while competing can improve their concentration skills. To illustrate a practical implication of this finding, a golfer could strive to improve concentration during a round by focusing on maintaining a slow, rhythmic swing on every shot rather than worrying about the score. Theoretically, performance goals should enhance athletes’ concentration because they encourage them to focus only on task-relevant information and controllable actions. Support for this conjecture comes from studies that have contrasted psychological variables associated with sports performers’ best and worst competitive performances. One finding from these studies is that collegiate athletes reported performing worst when they were preoccupied by result goals but best when they focused on performance goals.
Adhering to Preperformance Routines
Sport is a highly ritualized activity. To illustrate, most top-class athletes display characteristic sequences of preparatory actions before they perform key skills: Golfers tend to waggle their clubs a consistent number of times before striking the ball and tennis players tend to bounce the ball a standard number of times before serving. These preferred action sequences or repetitive forms of behavior are called preperformance routines and are typically followed prior to the execution of self-paced skills—actions that are carried out largely at the performer’s own speed and without interference from other people.
As in the case of performance goals, preperformance routines should facilitate concentration because they encourage athletes to stay in the present moment, focusing only on specific, controllable actions. Implementing this theory, many soccer goalkeepers go through identifiable prekick routines in an effort to block out external distractions such as hostile noise that is directed at them by supporters of opposing teams. Unfortunately, despite their potential value as attentional strategies, preperformance routines often overlap with superstitious rituals in the minds of athletes. So, what exactly is a superstition?
In psychology, a superstition can be defined as the belief that, despite evidence to the contrary, certain behavior is causally related to certain outcomes. Research shows that athletes are notoriously superstitious—perhaps because of the capricious nature of success in their field. For example, in competitive matches, the tennis star Rafael Nadal appears to believe that he must have two water bottles beside the court, perfectly aligned and with the labels facing the baseline. Psychologically, routines and superstitious behavior differ on two key criteria—control and purpose. The essence of superstitious behavior is the belief that one’s fate is governed by factors that lie outside one’s control. But the virtue of a routine is that it allows the player to exert complete control over preparation. Indeed, players often shorten their preperformance routines in adverse circumstances—as happens, for example, when a competitive event is delayed unexpectedly. Unfortunately, the converse is true for superstitions. They tend to grow longer over time as performers chain together more and more illogical links between behavior and outcome. The second criterion that may be used to distinguish between routines and rituals concerns the technical role of each behavioral step followed. To explain, whereas each part of a routine should have a rational basis, the components of a superstitious ritual may not be justifiable objectively.
Returning to routines, at least three psychological factors have been postulated to explain their apparent efficacy in enhancing athletic performance. First, some theorists believe that routines are effective because they encourage athletes to prioritise task-relevant information over other available stimuli, such as penalty takers in soccer who may follow prekick routines to remind themselves to focus only on the target that they are aiming at rather than on distractions such as the movements of the goalkeeper. Second, routines may be useful because their sequential nature helps athletes concentrate on the present moment rather than on past events or on possible future outcomes. Finally, paying attention to each step of a routine involves conscious mental effort and consumes short-term or working memory resources. Therefore, adhering to a preperformance routine may prevent athletes from devoting too much attention to the mechanics of well-learned skills—a habit that can unravel automaticity and precipitate skill failure in certain circumstances. In short, routines may work by helping athletes to suppress the type of inappropriate conscious control that often occurs in pressure situations.
Some empirical evidence to support the attentional benefits of preperformance routines has emerged in recent years. Research has shown that amateur international golfers reported using routines explicitly for focusing purposes such as attempting to switch on and off when required and trying to stay in the present while playing.
Using Trigger Words as Cues to Concentrate
Many athletes talk to themselves covertly as they train or compete—usually in an effort to improve their concentration and performance. Such self-talk, or what athletes say to themselves silently, may involve praise, criticism or instruction. An example of the instruction type of self-talk is the use of trigger words, which are short, vivid, and positively phrased verbal reminders to cue athletes to focus on a specific target or to perform a given action. An example would be gymnasts may say the word forward silently to themselves as a reminder to push their bodies upward when executing a floor routine. A graphic example of athletes’ use of trigger words occurred during the 2002 Wimbledon ladies’ singles tennis final between the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus. During this match, Serena (who defeated Venus 7–6, 6–3) was observed by millions of television viewers reading hand-written notes as she sat down beside the court during the change-overs between games. Afterwards, she explained that she had written these notes to herself as instructional reminders to hit in front or stay low during the match. Another example of trigger words in action occurred recently when Paula Radcliffe, who holds the current women’s world record time for the marathon, advocated a trigger word strategy involving silently counting her steps in an effort to maintain her concentration in a race.
Does empirical research support the claim that trigger words can improve attentional skills? Unfortunately, although studies have shown that instructional self-talk is one of the strongest predictors of successful performance among U.S. Olympic athletes, there is a dearth of empirical evidence on the efficacy of trigger words as concentration cues. However, it seems plausible that instructional self-talk could enhance attentional skills by reminding athletes about what to focus on in a given situation. For example, novice golfers may miss the ball completely on the fairway in the early stages of learning to swing the club properly. So, in an effort to overcome this problem, golf instructors may advise learners to concentrate on sweeping the grass rather than hitting the ball. This evocative trigger phrase ensures that learners focus down on the ball instead of looking up to see where it went after they had struck it. Research suggests that for optimal effectiveness, trigger words should be short, vivid, and positively phrased. They should also emphasize positive targets (what to aim for) rather than negative ones (what to avoid).
In psychology, the term mental imagery refers to the cognitive simulation process by which we can represent perceptual information in our minds in the absence of appropriate sensory input. If you close your eyes, you should be able to see yourself in your mind’s eye throwing a bright yellow tennis ball up in the air (a visual mental image), feel yourself catching it (a kinesthetic mental image) and then bouncing it (a motor mental image). In sport, many athletes use motor imagery or mental practice to cognitively rehearse their skills. This technique involves seeing and feeling a skill in one’s imagination before actually executing it. Jenson Button, the Formula One star who won the 2009 World Drivers’ Championship, regularly rehearses his gear shifts by sitting on a Swiss ball with a steering wheel in his hands—imagining himself navigating the course. Although there is considerable empirical evidence that such mental practice can facilitate skill learning and competitive performance, their value specifically as a concentration tool remains unproven. Anecdotally, however, mental imagery is used widely by performers to improve their focusing skills. Swimmer Michael Phelps, who has won more Olympic gold medals than any other athlete in history, uses imagery to see and feel his strokes and turns before a race. Such use of imagery helps sports performers to prepare for various hypothetical scenarios, thereby ensuring that they will not be distracted by unexpected events. However, this hypothesis has not been tested empirically to date. Therefore, despite the fact that mental imagery is known to improve athletic performance, its status as a concentration technique is uncertain.
Simulation Training
The term simulation training refers to the idea of practicing under conditions that replicate key aspects of an impending competition. Certain football teams have tried to simulate the noisy conditions that they expect to encounter in opposing teams’ stadia by training on their home grounds using giant screens playing loud music
and recordings of rival fans cheering. Intuitively, it seems plausible that simulation training could help skilled performers concentrate because research suggests that people’s recall of information is facilitated by conditions that resemble those in which the original encoding occurred. Based on this principle, the simulation of competitive situations in practice should lead to positive transfer effects to the competition itself. Another advantage of adversity training is that it may counteract the tendency for novel or unexpected stimuli to distract athletes in competition. Interestingly, simulation training was used by the renowned swimming coach Bob Bowman, who admitted deliberately breaking the goggles of Michael Phelps during practice so that he could learn to swim calmly without them, if necessary, in a competition. Remarkably, this situation actually arose in the 2008 Olympics when Phelps won the 200-meter butterfly event even though his goggles had been broken for the last 100m of the race.
To summarize, the ability to pay attention to what is most important in any situation while ignoring distractions is vital for successful performance in sport. We have reviewed five attentional strategies that are intended to help athletes achieve a focused state of mind in which there is no difference between what they are thinking about and what they are doing. Empirical research evidence is available to support the efficacy of four of these strategies—setting performance goals (or actions that lie under the control of the athlete), adhering to preperformance routines, using trigger words (or covert verbal cues), and engaging in mental practice (or seeing and feeling a skill in one’s imagination before executing it). The fifth attentional strategy—simulation training—has a plausible theoretical rationale but currently lacks relevant empirical validation.
Cotterill, S. T. (2010). Pre-performance routines in sport: Current understanding and future directions. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 3, 132–153.
Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Zourbanos, N., Galanis, E., & Theodorakis, Y. (2011). Self-talk and sports performance: A meta-analysis. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6, 348–356.
Kremer, J., & Moran, A. P. (2013). Pure sport: Practical sport psychology (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
Kremer, J., Moran, A. P., Walker, G., & Craig, C. (2012). Key concepts in sport psychology. London: Sage.
Moran, A. P. (2012). Sport and exercise psychology: A critical introduction (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
Psychological Skills
← Affirmations in Sport Breathing Exercises →
Psychology Research and Reference
Affirmations in Sport
Centering in Sport
Concentration Skills
Activation Strategy
Goal Setting in Sports
What is Humor?
Hypnosis Definition
Imagery and Sport
Mental Blocks in Sports
Mental Rehearsal in Sport
Mentoring in Sport
Mindfulness in Sports Psychology
Multimodal Mental Training
Music-Based Interventions
Positive Thinking in Sport
Preperformance Routines
Psychological Skills Training
Relaxation in Sport
Rest in Sport
Self-Regulation in Sport
What is Self-Talk?
Stress Management in Sport
Thought Stopping
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5-MeO-DiPT
(Redirected from 5meodipt)
Summary sheet: 5-MeO-DiPT
Chemical Nomenclature
5-MeO-DiPT, "Foxy Methoxy", "Foxy"
Substitutive name
5-Methoxy-diisopropyltryptamine
[2-(5-Methoxy-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]bis(propan-2-yl)amine
Class Membership
Psychoactive class
Chemical class
Tryptamine
Routes of Administration
WARNING: Always start with lower doses due to differences between individual body weight, tolerance, metabolism, and personal sensitivity. See responsible use section.
3 - 10 mg
10 - 15 mg
20 mg +
DISCLAIMER: PW's dosage information is gathered from users and resources for educational purposes only. It is not a recommendation and should be verified with other sources for accuracy.
Arrayc-t-x
Arrayc-x
nbomes
maois
5-Methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine (also known as 5-MeO-DiPT, Foxy, and Foxy Methoxy) is a novel psychedelic substance of the tryptamine class that produces psychedelic effects when administered. It is related in structure to DiPT and 5-MeO-MiPT.
The first human trials of 5-MeO-DiPT were undertaken by Alexander Shulgin in 1975.[1] who would co-author and publish a paper detailing its synthesis and human psychopharmacology in 1981.[2] A summary of the synthesis and reports of human use is included in Shulgin's 1997 book TiHKAL ("Tryptamines I Have Known And Loved").[3]
Anecdotal reports characterize the effects of this compound as highly stimulating and mildly entactogenic, lacking in typical psychedelic visual distortions. Many users report strong physical and tactile effects that serve to enhance libido and sexual pleasure. Many users note an unpleasant body load accompanies higher dosages. Some users also report sound distortion, which is also noted with the related compound, DiPT.
Very little is known about the pharmacological properties, metabolism and toxicity of 5-MeO-DiPT. It is relatively obscure and has a limited history of human use. It has been sold online as a research chemical. It is highly advised to use harm reduction practices if using this substance.
2 Pharmacology
3 Subjective effects
3.1 Physical effects
3.2 Visual effects
3.2.1 Enhancements
3.2.2 Distortions
3.2.3 Geometry
3.2.4 Hallucinatory states
3.3 Cognitive effects
3.4 Auditory effects
3.5 Experience reports
4 Toxicity and harm potential
4.1 Overdose
4.2 Tolerance and addiction potential
4.3 Dangerous interactions
5 Legal status
5-MeO-DiPT, or 5-methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine, is a synthetic indole alkaloid molecule of the tryptamine class. Tryptamines share a core structure comprised of a bicylic indole heterocycle attached at R3 to an amino group via an ethyl side chain. 5-MeO-DiPT is substituted at R5 of its indole heterocycle with a methoxy (MeO) functional group CH3O−; it also contains two isopropyl chains bound to the terminal amine RN of its tryptamine backbone (DiPT).
5-MeO-DiPT is the N-substituted diisopropyl homolog of 5-MeO-MiPT.
Further information: Serotonergic psychedelic
5-MeO-DiPT's psychedelic effects are believed to come from its efficacy at the 5-HT2A receptor as a partial agonist, although additional mechanisms of action such as MAOIs may also be involved.[4] However, the role of these interactions and how they result in the psychedelic experience continues to remain elusive.
Subjective effects
This subjective effects section is a stub.
As such, it is still in progress and may contain incomplete or wrong information.
You can help by expanding or correcting it.
Disclaimer: The effects listed below are cited from the subjective effect index, which is based on anecdotal reports and the personal experiences of PsychonautWiki contributors. As a result, they should be treated with a healthy degree of skepticism. It is worth noting that these effects will rarely (if ever) occur all at once, although higher doses will increase the chances of inducing a full range of effects. Likewise, adverse effects become much more likely on higher doses and may include serious injury or death.
Spontaneous physical sensations
Bodily pressures
Abnormal heartbeat[citation needed]
Increased heart rate[citation needed]
Increased blood pressure[citation needed]
Headaches[citation needed]
Stomach bloating - At higher dosages, this compound can induce severe stomach bloating within those who are susceptible to it. This can be partially to fully mitigated through the use of antacids.
Vasoconstriction
Pupil dilation
Colour enhancement
Pattern recognition enhancement
Visual acuity enhancement
Drifting (melting, breathing, morphing and flowing)
Colour shifting
Depth perception distortions
Perspective distortions
Symmetrical texture repetition
Brightness alteration
Hallucinatory states
Internal hallucination (autonomous entities; settings, sceneries, and landscapes; perspective hallucinations and scenarios and plots)
Cognitive effects
Conceptual thinking
Cognitive euphoria
Emotion enhancement
Immersion enhancement
Increased music appreciation
Memory suppression
Novelty enhancement
Personal bias suppression
Time distortion
Unity and interconnectedness
Auditory effects
There are currently no anecdotal reports which describe the effects of this compound within our experience index. Additional experience reports can be found here:
Erowid Experience Vaults: 5-MeO-DiPT
Toxicity and harm potential
This toxicity and harm potential section is a stub.
As such, it may contain incomplete or even dangerously wrong information. You can help by expanding or correcting it.
We also recommend that you conduct independent research and use harm reduction practices when using this substance.
Further information: Research chemicals § Toxicity and harm potential, and Responsible use § Hallucinogens
The long-term health effects of recreational 5-MeO-DiPT use do not seem to have been studied in any scientific context and the exact toxic dose is unknown. This is because 5-MeO-DiPT is a research chemical with very little history of human usage. The neurotoxic effects has been studies in rats.[5]
Anecdotal reports suggest that there are no negative health effects attributed to simply trying it by itself at low to moderate doses or using it very sparingly (but nothing can be completely guaranteed). Independent research should always be done to ensure that a combination of two or more substances is safe before consumption.
It is strongly recommended that one use harm reduction practices when using this substance.
Excessive doses have caused nausea, vomiting, agitation, decreased blood pressure, pupil dilation, increased heart rate, and hallucinations in a number of young adults. Rhabdomyolysis and renal failure occurred in one young man and another one died 3–4 hours after an apparent rectal overdose.[6] A 24-year-old man also died of this compound being administered into the colon.
Tolerance and addiction potential
Like other serotonergic psychedelics, 5-MeO-DiPT is not habit-forming.
Tolerance to the effects of 5-MeO-DiPT builds almost immediately after ingestion. After that, it takes about 3 days for the tolerance to be reduced to half and 7 days to be back at baseline (in the absence of further consumption). 5-MeO-DiPT presents cross-tolerance with all psychedelics, meaning that after the consumption of 5-MeO-DiPT all psychedelics will have a reduced effect.
Dangerous interactions
Although many psychoactive substances are reasonably safe to use on their own, they can quickly become dangerous or even life-threatening when taken with other substances. The following lists some known dangerous combinations, but cannot be guaranteed to include all of them. Independent research should always be conducted to ensure that a combination of two or more substances is safe to consume. Some interactions listed have been sourced from TripSit.
2c-t-x - Both classes of compounds can be unpredictable alone
2c-x - The 5-MeO psychedelics can interact unpredictably to potentiate other psychedelics
dox - The 5-MeO class of tryptamines can be unpredictable in their interactions, particularly increasing the risk of unpleasant physical side effects.
mdma - Some of the 5-MeO tryptamines are a bit unpredictable and should be mixed with MDMA with care
mescaline - The 5-MeO class of tryptamines can be unpredictable in their interactions
nbomes - The 5-MeO class of tryptamines can be unpredictable in their interactions and the NBOMes are known to be unpredictable even alone. This combination is best avoided
amphetamines - The anxiogenic and focusing effects of stimulants increase the chance of unpleasant thought loops. The combination is generally unnecessary because of the stimulating effects of psychedelics.
cocaine - The anxiogenic and focusing effects of stimulants increase the chance of unpleasant thought loops. The combination is generally unnecessary because of the stimulating effects of psychedelics.
dxm - Little information exists about this combination.
5-MeO-DiPT is a monoaminergic reuptake inhibitor (MRI).[7][8] 5-MeO-DiPT and MAOIs are a potentially dangerous combination. It is likely that MAOIs could increase the effects of 5-MeO-DiPT unpredictably. Taking this chemical while on prescription MAOIs is strongly discouraged.
Brazil: Possession, production and sale is illegal as it is listed on Portaria SVS/MS nº 344.[9]
China: 5-MeO-DiPT is illegal in China.[10]
Denmark: 5-MeO-DiPT is illegal in Denmark.[citation needed]
Germany: 5-MeO-DiPT is controlled under Anlage I BtMG (Narcotics Act, Schedule I) as of October 10, 2000.[11][12] It is illegal to manufacture, possess, import, export, buy, sell, procure or dispense it without a license.[13]
Greece: 5-MeO-DiPT is illegal in Greece.[citation needed]
Japan: 5-MeO-DiPT is illegal in Japan.[citation needed]
Latvia: 5-MeO-DiPT is illegal in Latvia.[citation needed]
New Zealand: 5-MeO-DiPT can be considered an analogue of DMT, which makes it a Class C controlled drug in New Zealand.[14]
Singapore: 5-MeO-DiPT is illegal in Singapore.[citation needed]
Sweden: 5-MeO-DiPT is illegal in Sweden.[15]
United Kingdom: 5-MeO-DiPT is a Class A drug in the UK as it is an ether of the drug 5-HO-DiPT[16], which is a Class A drug as a result of the tryptamine catch-all clause.[17]
United States: 5-MeO-DiPT is a Schedule 1 controlled substance.[citation needed]
5-MeO-MiPT
4-AcO-DiPT
DiPT
5-MeO-DiPT (Wikipedia)
5-MeO-DiPT (Erowid Vault)
5-MeO-DiPT (TiHKAL / Isomer Design)
↑ Shulgin, Alexander. "Pharmacology Lab Notes #1". Lafayette, CA. (1960-1976). p176 (Erowid.org) | https://erowid.org/library/books_online/shulgin_labbooks/shulgin_labbook1_searchable.pdf
↑ Shulgin, AT; Carter, MF. N,N-diisopropyltryptamine (DIPT) and 5-methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine (5-MeO-DIPT). Two orally active tryptamine analogs with CNS activity. Commun. Psychopharmacol., 1 Jan 1981, 4 (5), 363–369 | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6949674
↑ https://erowid.org/library/books_online/tihkal/tihkal.shtml
↑ The effects of non-medically used psychoactive drugs on monoamine neurotransmission in rat brain (ScienceDirect) | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014299906013811 / https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17223101
↑ R. Baselt, Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man, 8th edition, Biomedical Publications, Foster City, CA, 2008, pp. 975-976.
↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3709792
↑ http://portal.anvisa.gov.br/documents/10181/3115436/%281%29RDC_130_2016_.pdf/fc7ea407-3ff5-4fc1-bcfe-2f37504d28b7
↑ http://www.sfda.gov.cn/WS01/CL0056/130753.html
↑ "Vierzehnte Verordnung zur Änderung betäubungsmittelrechtlicher Vorschriften" (in German). Bundesanzeiger Verlag. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
↑ "Anlage I BtMG" (in German). Bundesministerium der Justiz und für Verbraucherschutz. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
↑ "§ 29 BtMG" (in German). Bundesministerium der Justiz und für Verbraucherschutz. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
↑ http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1975/0116/latest/whole.html#DLM436576
↑ http://www.notisum.se/rnp/sls/sfs/20040696.pdf
↑ Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Legislation.gov.uk) | http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/38/schedule/2/part/I/paragraph/3
↑ Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Legislation.gov.uk) |http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/38/schedule/2/part/I#reference-M_F_c7632653-ddad-4420-f307-e3da1e36d30e
Retrieved from ‘https://psychonautwiki.org/w/index.php?title=5-MeO-DiPT&oldid=138479’
Psychoactive substance
"Every molecule is sacred."
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Bookmaker info
Russian langauge no
Account currencies cryptocurrencies, USD
First deposit bonus $200
Live betting yes
Match streaming no
Minimal bet $1
Maximum bet $100 000
Virtual sport no
Totalizer no
Support service live chat, e-mail, telephone, skype
Website address intertops.eu
Miulti-live betting no
Mobile version yes
Intertops is one of the most famous and significant bookmaking companies in the history of betting. Today the name of the bookie would hardly tell something to the young generation of bettors. However, Intertops has written its name in the history of betting with golden letters.
The predecessor of Intertops was founded in the year 1982 in Germany, accepting bets illegally. A lot of time will pass before betting is allowed on the soil of Germany. Without waiting for changes in German law, the founders of the underground betting company decided to create an official betting company in the United Kingdom. Thus, in 1983 the betting company Intertops began its operation.
A huge part in development of the bookmaking company was played by Simon Noble. He began working at Intertops in 1989 at the age of 18. Two years later the office of the betting company moved to Austria. The Englishman Noble also changed his registration. In the year 1994 Simon joined the management of Intertops, having lead the group, which was developing online platform. The bookie had set a goal for themselves to become the first online bookmaker in the world.
On 17th January 1996 the Finnish Jukka Honkovaara logged in to the Intertops website and made a bet in the amount of 50 dollars in the match Tottenham – Hereford. It was the first online bet in history. And it was successful. Honkovaara bet on Tottenham’s victory and the Londoners won with a score of 1:0. The win of the Finnish bettor was only two dollars as the odds on the victory of the first side were only 1.04.
intertops betting company held the status of the main innovator on the market in the future as well. In the year 2000 the bookie became the first one to launch a mobile website. And in 2003 Intertops managed to create the only system to operate the account and bankroll for the bookmaker, casino and poker. Poker room separated later. Now it is known as Party Poker.
The bookmaker keeps working nowadays. Whereas serious changes happened in the betting operator’s policy. The main target market for Intertops is the USA. The bookie works on a license, which was issued by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.
Betting Interface
Intertops bookmaking company’s website is available via the link intertops.eu. The home page of the portal will remind you that the bookmaker has been accepting bets for 21 years now. You will also see advertisements of the main services, information about bonuses and the popping up registration button. By the way, the portal is translated into 20 different languages.
To get to the sports betting section, you have to press Sportsbook button. Sportsbook Classic section will lead you to the old version of the website. It really is designed retrospectively. Therefore, we will dwell in more detail on the new version of the portal, which in any case is actively advertised on the InterTops website. The site uses a standard structure and is has quite a strict design. The main colors are white, grey and dark. Separate elements are highlighted in red or orange (Last minute inscription, or LIVE inscription). On the left is a list of betting categories, in the middle is an advertising window, and there is also a tab with upcoming events, as well as LIVE-matches. Hot bets are listed on the right. A coupon is also situated there as well as live betting list.
The website is designed very rationally. There is a setting button in the right upper corner, as well as popping out menu with useful links (including statistics). The portal visitors can use search or look at the live events calendar. The bookmaking company has the mobile version of the website as well as the apps for popular mobile operation systems.
Bonuses and special offers
Intertops bookmaking company has truly rich bonus program. The bookmaker launches promos on a regular basis, which are dedicated to important current events in the world of sport. For example, the bookmaker offers up to 100 USD cashback as a free bet on all main bets of La Liga matches. There is also a welcome bonus in the amount of 20 dollars. To receive it, you have to place the first bet with the betting company in the amount of 20 USD. Wager of the bonus body is 16 times. It is one of the invitation bonuses. There are also three others: for 50, 100 and 200 dollars, the bonus wagers are 4 times, 6 times and 8 times respectively. The minimum odds are 1.5.
Intertops betting company also has a referral program. The referrer receives 10% of the first deposit amount of his referral. Every Thursday the betting company gives 10 percent of the deposit to players, who had zero balance at the moment of placing a deposit. The betting operator also offers 1 thousand dollars bonus for a player, who wins the biggest sum of money for the month with an express bet. A player with the highest winning express bet odds will receive 500 dollars.
Depositing and withdrawal
Intertops bookmaking company works with more than ten different currencies. However, not every European currency is present there. There is an extensive selection of payment systems with the bookmaking company. A player can place a deposit via Visa and Mastercard credit or debit cards, with the help of Neteller, Skrill, ecoPayz, paysafecard payment systems, through Bitcoin cryptocurrency or via bank transfer. The minimum deposit sum is 8 dollars. A player can withdraw his money via Skrill, Bitcoin, ecoPayz, Neteller or through bank transfer. The withdrawal terms vary from two to ten days.
There are no limits on bank transfers, but if a player makes a deposit to his account via Skrill, then the minimum amount is $ 20, and the maximum is no more than $ 5,000 or an equivalent amount. A bank transfer cannot be less than 150 dollars and more than ten thousand, and it can be free of charge no more than once a week. You can withdraw funds more often, but then you will have to give $ 30 of commission plus one more percent of the amount transferred.
Skrill is probably the best way to withdraw money from your account. After all, with the help of this system, the withdrawal has no limitations both on the amount or on the number of withdrawals, the commission is also not charged. By the way, in order to withdraw your funds, you will have to scan an identity document: a passport with a photo or a driver's license. Also, for withdrawal, you will need to submit a bank statement, a copy of the payroll for utilities or a similar document that will confirm your place of residence. This practice actually is far from the standard model.
The minimum betting amount in Intertops bookie’s website is 1 dollar. The maximum winning sum on one bet at the bookmaking company is 100 000 dollars. Apart from the bookmaker’s section, Intertops website also has a poker room, casino and online casino. More than 85% of the website visitors are americans.
The communication with the support service of the betting company is carried out via online chat, by phone (+ 1-268-480-3100), or by e-mail ([email protected]).
Is it legal
The registration with Intertops bookmaking company is completely legal and is available at www.intertops.eu/f/?lan=en&url=register. The procedure consists of three stages. At first you have to select your country ( more than 180 countries are allowed in the bookie). Next you have to enter your email address, select a name, set the password and the account currency. Then you have to indicate your name and birthdate. The last stage is filling out the lines of the exact address and a telephone number. Intertops is bookmaking company which has been operating for a very long in the field of online betting. It has a good reputation and it works across the world. It is safe to bet with the bookmaker and it will bring you some good revenue.
What makes this bookmaker stand out of other bookies
Out of the bookmaker’s key features, Intertops betting company’s history and experience in providing online services around the world can be distinguished. It’s the world oldest online bookmaker; therefore it is the basis of all betting companies created afterwards. Another great feature is the betting company’s bonus system, which distinguishes Intertops betting operator from the majority of similar operators. Any player with a different level of experience can participate in the promo offers of the bookie; however bonus draw occurs within a limited time period.
Sports covered by GTbets
As we have already noted Intertops bookmaking company is focused on the market of the United States. And almost all American betting companies can be distinguished with a pretty scarce money line. However, Intertops bookie’s betting offer looks quite profitable compared to other bookmakers. If you compare the bookmaking company with betting company, it looks pretty poor. The total number of categories for betting does not reach even 20. The bookies covers the American football, Baseball, Hockey, Basketball, Tennis, Boxing, Darts, cricket, entertainment, golf, handball, auto and motor racing, politics, snooker, the European football and volleyball. The first five categories are considered the basic ones.
The number of leagues in football is decent and is more than 40. At the same time, Intertops bookmaking company offers the action line for the league matches of Vietnam, Venezuela, Tunisia, Thailand and some other exotic countries. Even the action line for the English Premier League and the Champions League matches is quite humble. Only 12 additional submarkets.
The number of countries in Basketball and hockey does not reach even 10. The money line is humble for the top leagues of NBA and the NHL are humble. Everything is limited to only few handicaps and totals, as well as the half and quarter bets for the NBA. The situation is similar with hockey. Tennis is covered including Challengers. The action line even for the most important matches does not include special bets. The odds are decent in the bookmaking company. You can often come across the combinations of 1.90 – 1.90.
Although Intertops bookmaking company played a crucial part in the development of live betting, but nowadays there are dozen and even hundreds of betting operators, in which the In-Play section is of much better quality. The number of live events exceeds one hundred only in the most saturated sporting days. The preference is given to the league from North America, tennis matches, important matches in football, hockey and basketball. There is no full-scale match center or live broadcast in Intertops bookie’s website. The only thing that should be noted is that Live action line extends significantly.
American and foreign players give positive reviews about Intertops bookmaking company in general. For example, the bookie received the highest possible mark at SBR website – A.
Intertops betting company is the first ever online bookmaking company in the world. In spite of such a status, the betting operator can boast noticeable success in the last ten years. The bookie even had to reconsider the strategy of its activities. Once a popular betting company in Europe now works in the American market in an acceptable format. The door to the bookmaking company is open for players from all over the world. However, apart from a decent bonus program, Intertops bookie concedes even to average bookie’s operating in Europe.
Positive and negative sides
The positive sides of the bookmaking company include a very generous bonus program, stable payouts to players and a high-quality poker room. The bookmaker also has a rich history in providing services of online entertainment.
The disadvantages of the bookie include dated website design. But this complaint is no longer relevant in 2017. Some players also note that the bookie sometimes lowers the amount of successful bets. For example, the bettor makes a bet of $ 85, while the betting company “counts” the bet of $ 80.
Let's sum it up:
A very generous bonus program;
Stable payouts;
A high-quality poker room;
The bookmaker has a rich history in providing services of online entertainment.
Negative sides:
The bookie sometimes lowers the amount of successful bets.
Total rating - 4,25
Funds withdrawal
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Renfrew schools celebrate Catholic education in May
The joy of a Catholic education was the focus for RCCDSB students in the Renfrew/Westmeath areas during the month of May.
St. Thomas the Apostle School in Renfrew celebrated Catholic Education Week by ‘exploring paths of joy,’ says St. Thomas Principal Connie Dick.Activities included a poster contest supported by the Catholic Women’s League of St. Francis Xavier Parish, prayer services, mentor texts and activities focused on the week’s theme of ‘exploring paths of joy’!
“The Grade 12 students from St. Joseph’s Catholic High School surprised us at school and carried out dozens of random acts of kindnessduring the week,” says Principal Dick. “This added to our joy!”
The school also celebrated Spirit Days with Crazy Hair Day, ‘70s Day, Cow Girl/Boy Day and P.I.N.K. days. This year’s P.I.N.K. Day included three slideshows that featured the songs Firework, Stand Upand Brave, Dick says.“Students were challenged to be peaceful, inclusive, noble and kind at all times, and to stand up and speak out against bullying,” Dick says.
Grade 7 students also attended We Day in Ottawa, after working throughout the year on several community projects to “pay it forward,” says Dick. Their activities included collecting food for the food bank, clothing for a homeless shelter, and books and puzzles for the Renfrew Victoria Hospital’s Dialysis Unit. All grades collected donations to support friends in the Dominican Republic. The Grade 7 students also participated in a “We Are Silent Day,” raising funds to assist families in Kenya to earn an alternative income.
“From inquiry through play in Kindergarten, to Collaborative Inquiry Learning in Mathematics, learning at St. Thomas has been engaging and interactive,” Dick says. “Student engagement and the joy of learning are great at St. Thomas!”
At Our Lady of Grace Catholic School in Westmeath, Catholic Education Week began with the Living Rosary, reports Principal Melissa Carroll-Dubeau. Students hosted a Senior Appreciation Day with Grade 7 students inviting seniors in the community, organizing games, as well as providing homemade soup, sandwiches, and dessert, with live music and flowers to thank them.
Other activities in May, says Principal Dubeau, included welcoming the school’s Tutor in the Classroom, Kelsy Boucher from Bishop Smith Catholic High School. Students also planted flowers at Sunset Nursery and participated in a Food Drive during Catholic Education Week. The school celebrated mass with Our Lady Of Lourdes Catholic School in Pembroke, attended a 911 presentation by Police Officer Beth Ethier, and ended the week with art work, a collaborative read aloud, and swimming at the Kinsmen pool.
Our Lady of Grace’s four house teams received points for Spirit Days (Hawaiian Day, Limerick Day, bring a can food item, as well as other activities).
On May 25 Olympic kayaker Kalob Grady was an exciting guest speaker at the school, says Dubeau. “He is an uncle of two boys in our school and will be participating in the 2015 ICF World Championships in the Whitewater region this August,” notes Carroll-Dubeau.
The school’s building also underwent renovations, with a new front office, doors, and painted hallway, reports Principal Dubeau, concluding “Our Lady of Grace Catholic School in Westmeath has been a very busy little place the month of May.”
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School also had a full calendar in May, notes Acting Principal Ruth McNulty. Students explored paths of joy during Catholic Education Week, with storyteller Susan White and a presentation by St. Joseph’s High School students of their Dominican Republic Experience. Natalia McPhedran also talked about “Parents, Children and Technology” in a session for adults. In other activities, the Renfrew Children/Youth Chorus with Jessica Belanger performed at the school, and the Smash Brothers shared their anti-bullying/self-esteem message with all students.
On May 13, the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima, a Living Rosary for all students was led by Raina Newberry and Kindergarten students with help from volunteer CWL “LOVE (Let Older Volunteers Educate) ladies.”
Students in all classes from Grades 1 to 7 also participated in a mobile golf clinic by the Golf Association of Ontario and CN Future Links.
Twelve students painted the windows at a nearby Tim Horton’s restaurant to help promote Camp Day. Three of the students will be Tim Horton’s Campers this summer. An entertaining and interactive presentation by Kyle Dine helped to educate students about food allergies.
Algonquin Elder Skip Ross visited on May 7 and May 28 to see all classes from Grades 2/3 through 7.
St. Joseph’s High School also organized some great Jag Treat Week activities for Our Lady of Fatima students, McNulty adds. ”They’ve created wonderful opportunities for all students in our family of schools to visit and experience their (hopefully) future high school.”
Meanwhile, St. Joseph Catholic High School students enjoyed the opportunity to see and experience career choices that are available in skilled trades along with other students from across Eastern Ontario at the Options 2015 Skilled Trades Fair in Pembroke.
SJHS students in the Food Program assisted with the community soup kitchen at Our Lady of Fatima parish. The Jaguars also announced support for Renfrew Victoria Hospital’s new nephrology unit.
On May 26, SJHS looks forward to hosting the EOSSAA junior and senior boys soccer championships at the school and at Ma-Te-Way Park.
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Prey 14.11
Posted on October 9, 2012 by wildbow
I continued my search for the pair, but my tentative explorations of the trails of extermination-mist made a sweeping search all but hopeless.
It felt like I was facing a series of decisions where every answer had some merit, but picking the wrong one would spell disaster. I’d had to make the call between staying at the school in case Jack and Bonesaw were preparing a trap for Amy and Glory Girl, or leaving in case they’d made a run for it. I’d left, and I’d been lucky enough to be right.
Except the Nine were now covering their tracks with a dozen decoys, mechanical spiders leaving trails of bug-killing smoke, leaving me to guess which direction they’d gone.
Two solid possibilities dwelled with me.
The first was that they’d headed back downtown to rendezvous with Siberian. If I was drawing the right conclusions from what I’d overheard, Bonesaw had drawn together a cocoon for Siberian similar to the one that Amy had created for Glory Girl. They could be recovering her real body, maybe doing something to recover Mannequin or Crawler.
It hadn’t even crossed my mind while I was under the miasma’s influence, but I also had to wonder whether Regent would have maintained his control over Shatterbird.
The second possibility was that they’d gone after Cherish. My conversation with Coil had clued them in.
I checked my phone. No service.
Damn the Director. Damn her for making this so hard, and for complicating matters. We’d been playing by Jack’s rules, more or less, and she’d given him an excuse to pull out all the stops.
He probably would have anyways, but she gave him an excuse.
If I headed away from the downtown area, toward the water, I could put myself in a position to track down Cherish, or to get to another point where the satellite phone would work and make a call to Coil. If they were checking the harbor for Cherish, going by what she’d revealed on the phone, then I could get there first. Lay a trap, or get in position to shoot them again. I figured out how to remove the magazine from the gun and checked the number of rounds remaining. Six.
The problem was that the whole reason I’d let Panacea keep using her power on me instead of giving chase to Jack was that I was supposed to cure the others. I could kill and replace the parasites that were carrying the prions. The sooner I did it, the less damage they’d do in the meantime. Some of the damage would be permanent, and the potential victims included Brian and Lisa.
I wanted to head back downtown, to help my teammates and friends, but I couldn’t shake the nagging doubt in the back of my mind.
The difference between Jack and Bonesaw going downtown and their going to the coastline was that the former was almost kind, taking care of a teammate. The latter case allowed them to inflict some terrible torture on an ex-teammate of theirs.
It was the most inconvenient possibility, but my gut told me they’d go after Cherish. If I had to put numbers on it, I’d have said there was a sixty percent chance they’d go that route, a thirty-five percent chance they’d headed downtown. And there was always the possibility I was wrong, that they had something else in mind, so I was leaving room for that extra five percent.
But if I was wrong, if I went to the harbor to try to get ahead of them and Jack didn’t go that way, then my friends would suffer for it. Brian had been through enough, and while Lisa had seemed to deal okay after she’d been scarred, I was willing to bet she valued her mind more than she valued her face.
I headed downtown.
No matter which way I chose to go, I’d have that awful feeling of regret in my chest. I tried to quiet it by telling myself that with Tattletale and the others, I’d actually be able to do something against the Nine. A gun and knife didn’t cut it, no matter how scattered or few in number they were.
I couldn’t quite manage to convince myself.
As it didn’t cost me anything significant in terms of forward momentum, I let Atlas carry me higher. I was getting more comfortable flying him, and there was little difference in being a hundred and fifty feet above the ground and being five hundred stories up. I wanted to assess the situation. Was my dad one of the people who was depending on this cure?
The topography of the city had impacted where the miasma was spreading. As far as I could tell, it wasn’t really advancing into the north end of the city.
Bakuda’s bombing campaign and the militarization of the ABB had predominantly focused on the Docks. Leviathan had arrived in the Docks, and his destruction of the city’s water infrastructure and power had hit that part of the city hardest. I wondered if this would be the first real instance where the Docks weren’t hit as hard by the ongoing series of disasters and attacks in Brockton Bay.
I descended back to a safer distance, where falling wouldn’t be terminal, and tried to plan.
Finding Tattletale was number one. With her assistance, everything else would be easier. As much as I wanted to make Grue my second priority, I knew that there were other things that took precedence. Siberian was a big one. Finding a way to distribute the cure was another. Once I started, it would set up a chain reaction, but I had to decide how to start it off.
Tattletale first. She could help me find Siberian and figure out how to distribute the antidote.
I tracked the trails of extermination smoke as I flew. I was faster than they were, but they were elusive, staying out of sight and moving through awkward positions. I spotted one mechanical spider moving through a trash-littered alleyway and changed my route to close in on another trail.
My second confirmation of a mechanical spider left me with the feeling that I’d made the wrong call.
But it was too late to turn back. It would be faster to go help Tattletale and get her assistance than to turn around and fumble along on my own.
They were traveling on foot, I hoped, and they still had to find Cherish. She was bound to be in a remote spot, and they didn’t have many clues to work with. It would take time.
Things hadn’t exactly been quiet while I’d been gone.
“Calm down! If we all just stop fighting, then this doesn’t end in tragedy.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“I’ll tell you as soon as I can think of a convincing reason!”
Tattletale was on the street, alone, facing down Bitch, two dogs and one wolf on full-tilt mutation-mode. They advanced with measured steps, keeping close to their master.
I landed beside Tattletale, and the two of us made eye contact.
“L-mist.”
“A-Carnelian,” she answered. “You understand if I don’t trust you implicitly, here?”
“I do. Listen, I’ve got a cure-”
“Who the fuck are you!?” Rachel shouted.
I shut my mouth and turned to face her.
I was secretly glad the dogs hadn’t turned on her, as that probably would have meant the death of a teammate, but I was getting a firsthand look at what our enemies had to deal with. The dogs were big and vicious enough that if they attacked, there wasn’t a whole lot I could have done. Heck, Tattletale and I together couldn’t have managed much of a defense against one of the creatures, let alone three.
“We’re teammates,” I told her. “I was just fighting the Nine, I’ve got a cure for this thing.”
“Or you’re going to kill me the second I let my guard down.”
I’d been conned by the Nine. Tricked into letting them get access to certain information. Bitch wouldn’t have fallen for that, but that came with the caveat that she was that much harder for us to reassure.
“I can put my weapons away. Or give them to you.”
“I’m not that stupid,” she growled the words. “Don’t treat me like I’m retarded. I’m not. I know you have powers.”
“That wasn’t what I wanted to say,” I said. I kept my voice low, my tone as calm as I could manage. “I was just saying I’d disarm myself if it would reassure you.”
“The only thing that’s going to make me feel any better is getting the fuck away from here. But she wouldn’t get out of my way.”
“If you leave,” Tattletale told her, “You’ll go straight to the Trainyard, to your other dogs, and you’ll get worse. You’ll wind up isolated from the rest of us. And I think the Nine want that. They wanted people for their group, and doesn’t this set their candidates up for easy recruiting? Separate them from their previous attachments, leave them vulnerable and lost, then give them the hard sell.”
“Not that you’re wrong,” I said, glancing at Tattletale while trying to keep the dogs in sight, “I saw Jack trying that with Panacea. But Bitch tends to see it as slimy or conniving when someone talks a lot.”
“I see. You want to try, then?”
Bentley growled. It didn’t sound like a dog growl. What worried me, though, was Bastard. He was untrained enough that he wouldn’t necessarily listen to Bitch, and big enough to feel confident about attacking.
Not that I was positive she would stop him if he attacked. As much as she felt like she’d feel more secure on her own, Bitch might well decide she could resolve this situation by killing anyone who threatened her. It wasn’t that she was the murdering type, but she didn’t have the innate sympathy for her fellow humans. She cared as little about murdering us as I might feel about killing two dogs if I felt like my life was on the line.
I’d been in a similar headspace, trying to figure out who was friendly and who wasn’t. Jack had been more on the ball than I, and I’d fallen for his ploy. I’d deal with the guilt over what that might mean at a later point.
“A little while ago, we spent some time in one of your shelters. I’m guessing you don’t remember who, but you remember chilling out and eating Greek food with someone?”
“You could have found that out through someone else.”
“I know. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just wanting you to think about that feeling. I’d like to think we got along, as far as people like you and people like me can get along with others.”
“Doesn’t mean anything to me now.”
“Okay.” I let my arms drop to my sides.
“That’s it? That’s your argument?”
“I don’t really have much better. I know that if I tried to convince you using logic and a well worded argument, you’d feel like I was being manipulative. All I can say is that we had a good time then, we were friendly. I know we parted ways some time after that, but I’d really like to get back to that point. So I’m appealing to that emotional attachment, I guess.”
“You think I’m attached to you?”
This again. This situation seemed to be highlighting the worst parts of people and twisting others. Amy’s paranoia, Legend’s battle instincts, Bitch’s antisocial tendencies, and my… whatever it was, that led to me trusting Jack.
“Yeah. I’m making that assumption,” I told her.
She advanced, and I stayed put. Sirius growled.
“I’m not your enemy,” I said.
“We’ll attack you.”
“If you do, maybe the cure will get transmitted to your dog, and then to you.”
“You’re not that stupid.”
I shook my head. “Not really. But I don’t think you’ll attack me, either.”
She advanced closer. Sirius growled again, and she held one hand out to stop him.
So glad they still listen to her. This would be a disaster if the dogs were on a rampage. I supposed the miasma was slower to affect them, given their mass, or the vectors it affected weren’t present or as predominant in dogs.
She stepped close, until her nose was an inch from mine. She stared unflinching into my eyes. I met her gaze with that same unforgiving hardness.
“No way I could like someone like you.” The words were like the twist of a knife. Hostility and aggression combined with pure, petty malice.
“Just going by looks, when you can’t see half my face?” I asked. Without breaking eye contact, I reached up and pulled down the lower half of my mask. “You don’t recognize me?”
She didn’t glance away from my eyes. “No. Now move. I will order them to attack.”
She would. She could.
I leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on her lips.
Her punch knocked me off my feet and sent my glasses flying off my face to land in the water somewhere nearby.
“The fuck!?” She shouted. One of the dogs growled, deep, as if to complement her anger with a threat of his own.
“You’re cured,” I told her. “That’s it, that’s all it takes.”
She stared down at me.
If this doesn’t work, she might kill me for real.
Tattletale helped me to my feet and handed me my glasses. I got my mask in place around the lower half of my face and then gathered bugs over the mask and glasses to hide my features.
“How’s that work?” Tattletale asked.
“The effects are being generated by a parasite. Panacea changed the parasite to some kind of symbiotic species that overrides the effects of Bonesaw’s work and heals the effects on the brain. My bodily fluids are carrying it. That means that right now, the parasites in Bitch’s bodies should be dying or getting replaced or transformed or something. I hope.”
I dusted myself off, wiped at my costume where I’d landed in the water, and made sure none of my belongings had dropped from their positions in my armor or my belt.
I didn’t hurry to meet Bitch’s eyes, because I knew that when I did, I’d have to maintain that gaze. Only when I was done did I meet her eyes.
She took her time responding. “I was going to have Bentley break you.”
It worked.
“Glad you didn’t.”
Why had I done it? I’d tried to explain it to her so many times. I couldn’t bring myself to do it again.
“Doesn’t matter.”
Tattletale pointed down at the water just behind me. I turned around and looked. Where I’d landed on my back, the water was changing from red to a relatively clear state. ‘Relatively’ only because the water hadn’t been that clear to begin with. “Guess it’s working.”
“Good,” I said. The last swirls of red disappeared from around my feet, and the water around me began to change back to normal. With increasing speed, the water around us began to transition back to normal at nearly the speed the effect had spread in the first place. It extended out in every direction, promising to revert most or all of the affected bodies of water.
“You couldn’t have waited until after you’d cured me before you put the bugs on your face?” Tattletale asked. She was smiling as she asked it. “Unless you want me to drink that water.”
“Sorry. No, I’ll help you out.”
She gave me a stern look, pointed at me, and said, “No tongue.”
I rolled my eyes, scattered the bugs, pulled my mask down and leaned over to give her a quick peck on the lips.
“Now fill me in. I’ll fill in the blanks as you explain, and hopefully it’ll work fast enough that I can catch up.”
“Jack and Bonesaw tricked me and Coil to figure out where both Cherish and Amy were. I gave chase, and Jack left before he accomplished anything more than head games.”
“State she’s in, head games are pretty serious.”
“Maybe. But at least she didn’t cave on his demands.”
“The bad thing is… Jack knows about Dinah’s prophecy.”
Tattletale looked as though I’d slapped her. “Shit.”
“I mean, her numbers weren’t that good as far as our mortality rate going up against the Nine, so maybe she’s wrong about-”
I stopped as Tattletale shook her head.
“Depends how you interpret it,” she said. “The kid sounded pretty certain. Anyways, keep going.”
“Siberian’s somewhere downtown, her real body in some kind of case, maybe.”
“I think we might have run into her,” Tattletale said. “I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to details, mostly just trying to avoid trouble. But I’m pretty sure she was hauling around something big. Fuck, I think she might have had a friend.”
“A friend?”
“Hookwolf.”
I nodded slowly. “Where was she headed?”
“North.”
“Where did Coil stick Cherish?”
Tattletale made a face. “North.”
If there had been a wall in reach, I would have punched it. “Wonderful.”
“Explain?” Bitch asked.
“They’re heading over to Cherish’s location, I’m almost a hundred percent positive,” Tattletale explained. “If Siberian’s heading there to rendezvous with them, then any further encounters with them are going to be ugly. Doubly so if they have new blood on their team.”
“Hookwolf’s under the influence of Bonesaw’s miasma,” I added. “Don’t know what his reasons were for staying here, but the miasma seems to have eliminated that. He’s with the Nine. Maybe permanently. Bonesaw will keep it from killing him, I guess.”
“So they got their candidate?”
“And,” I addressed Bitch as I spoke, “They might be looking for more candidates to round out their group. If they left Siberian behind to try to recruit Hookwolf, and they tried a pretty aggressive strategy against Panacea, then they might make another stab at recruiting you. Or Regent.”
“Or Noelle,” Tattletale added.
Why did that give me such a bad feeling?
I sighed. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I think we should give chase.”
“Head to where Cherish is?”
I nodded. “It hasn’t been too long, so they won’t have much time to prepare any counterattack. It does still leave the problem of finding the others and curing them before something bad happens.”
“If the cure is contagious… Bitch, you think you could work on finding and curing the others?”
I spoke up, “Cure your dogs. Spit in their mouths, whatever. Then see about tracking down the others, ambushing them, and having the dogs lick their faces?”
She scowled. “I haven’t trained ’em to do that.”
“You’ve got ten minutes to teach them,” Tattletale grinned.
“You’ll see about curing the others?”
“Yeah.” Bitch pointed, “But it won’t work with my dogs. They kill any parasites while my power’s working.”
Right. I could remember curing Sirius of heartworm.
I shrugged. “Another way? Maybe if you dose some fresh water with the new parasites, spit in it, then splash people? People are going to start getting better fast, with the water changing, but let’s make sure our side is okay?”
Bitch nodded once, curt.
“And can you loan me Bentley?” Tattletale asked.
“I’m starting to wonder why I’m on this team,” Bitch grumbled.
“You have to ask?” Tattletale grinned as she approached Bentley.
“I know it’s just words,” I told Bitch, “But I’m glad you’re back.”
She stared at me like I was speaking Klingon.
“Let’s go,” Tattletale said, as she climbed onto Bentley. He growled, but she didn’t seem to mind. Maybe his bark was worse than his bite and she knew it?
Either way, I decided to trust her and took off.
I’d done my part, and I’d have to trust Bitch to complete the task.
I was making more forward progress than Tattletale, though I could feel Atlas fatiguing. It wasn’t the same as the fatigue I experienced, but he was slowing down fractionally in his wingbeats per second. It stood to reason. He was big, and he hadn’t eaten since he was created. That was compounded by the fact that he’d been going full-bore with minimal chance to rest.
Still, we had the advantage of being able to fly over obstacles, which was something I was gaining a greater appreciation of since I’d gotten the hang of flying him.
With Atlas being tired, not wanting to lose track of Tattletale, I kept our flight close to the ground.
“Where is she?” I called out, as I met her pace.
“Boat Graveyard. Beached ship, she’s in the hold.”
“Coil told you this?”
“No, but he’ll forgive me for figuring it out, given circumstances.”
“If you’re sure.”
It wasn’t a short trip. Our destination was north of the market, and the market was a distance from my house. We were making our way from downtown to the Boat Graveyard.
When the local industry had collapsed, the Boat Graveyard had been something of a staging ground for the irate dock workers. Shipping companies based in Brockton Bay saw the signs of what was coming and trapped other boats in the harbor as a form of protest, to ensure they weren’t walking away empty-handed. Police had made arrests, but actually moving the ships out of the way required sailors, and the move had mobilized enough of them that clearing the upper areas of the docks of the ships became all but impossible. Things capped off with fights, gunfire and a deliberate sinking of a container ship by one of the protesters.
Opinions varied on whether the incident had been a symptom or a cause of the collapse. Either way, the result was the Boat Graveyard- an entire section of the coastline where boats had sat for so long that they’d rusted or taken on water.
We paused at the top of a hill overlooking the scene: forty or fifty derelict ships, some bigger in sheer mass than the skyscrapers downtown. Leviathan’s waves had slammed them all into the coastline, smashing them against one another and turning more than a few into something unrecognizable.
Even with Tattletale’s hint, I wasn’t sure I could have found where Cherish was lurking.
“How do we find her before she finds us?” I asked.
“We don’t. She knows where we are.”
I scanned the wreckage with my eyes. Would Siberian pop out? Hookwolf?
“They aren’t attacking.”
Tattletale shook her head, but she didn’t speak.
My bugs began searching for signs of life.
“You outrange her,” Tattletale spoke. “You detect them, you attack before she can whammy us.”
“Yeah.” Fat lot of good it’ll do with Siberian there.
I was getting a sense of why there wasn’t any foot traffic here. Even on land, the force of Leviathan’s tidal wave had sent age-worn sheets of metal flying over the landscape. Ragged edges of rusty sheet metal waited under every step I took, scraping and stabbing against the soles of my costumed feet. Tattletale was relying on Bentley’s weight and durability to handle anything that waited underfoot. He was still panting hard from the run.
My swarm sense alerted me to life in the hold of a ship. The space was half-filled with sand, and water had leaked in through a hole in the side of the ship. If supplies were delivered by way of remote control, that was a likely route.
Seven people. Three male, four females, one of whom was young. A child, long-haired. That would be Bonesaw.
“There?” I pointed at the location. It was barely visible from where we stood; two ships had been slammed against one another, nose to nose, and they formed a precarious arch over the ship in question.
“I’ve found them, I think. I think Siberian’s there. There’s a lot of people, anyways. Seven.”
“How much damage do you think you can do?”
We paused.
“Cherish should be alerting them,” Tattletale spoke. “I’m surprised they aren’t mounting a counterattack.”
“Maybe they can’t? If they split up, Siberian won’t be able to protect everyone,” I said.
“Well, getting closer is a pretty bad idea.”
“Do we have a choice?”
“We hang back, we follow them, we strike if we spot an opportunity. Between Bentley and Atlas, we can keep at a distance.”
I shook my head. “Bentley’s tired, and I don’t know how long Atlas is going to be able to keep flying.”
“They’ll manage.”
“Pretty sure.”
Pretty sure. So she wasn’t positive.
“There’s another possibility,” she ventured.
“Cherish might not be saying anything because she wants us to attack the others.”
“Or,” I pointed out, “The Nine are giving us that impression because they want us to think that so they can turn the tables.”
“That line of thinking leads to madness.”
“Call me crazy, but I’d rather not gamble.”
“So? What’s the plan?”
“We wait? At least a little while.”
“Sure.” She gave the bulldog a pat on the head. “Give Bentley a chance to rest. You can feed Atlas.”
“Pretty narrow window of time,” I added. “Bitch’s effects on the dogs don’t last that long. Figure twenty minutes, and we took at least fifteen to get here…”
“But she gave them more juice than usual. I’d say roughly ten minutes before he’s too small to carry me,” Tattletale said.
“Ten minutes.”
We settled into a position behind cover, and I began drawing bugs to me to feed Atlas. I wasn’t positive about his diet, and Grue had said that he’d given Atlas a more human digestive system, which left me uncertain. That said, Atlas was made of bugs, I figured he required the nutrients they provided on a sheer logical level, like how humans would generally get most of the nutrients they needed by eating other humans, if they had to. That, and I’d pointed out to the rest of the group how bugs were something we could eat as humans, so his digestive tract could probably manage them.
It was also the easiest thing to provide.
“You have eyes on them?”
“Minimal. My interpretation via the swarm’s eyes and ears is still garbage, as always. And I didn’t want to have so many around them that they get suspicious.”
“Can’t make out what they’re saying?”
I shook my head. Still, I could tell that they were talking.
Seven of them. One of the men was garbed in smooth body armor that covered everything. Mannequin. There was another man who could have been Siberian’s real self or Hookwolf. Long haired, shirtless. My bugs traced the edges of knives at one man’s belt: He was the quietest, and was pacing without cease, sitting down, then pacing again. Jack.
Three women, none of whom were Siberian if I accounted for the presence of clothing and the texture of their skin. Rounding out the group was a little girl with long hair. One of the women was doing most of the talking. Would that be Shatterbird or Cherish? Who was the third? Had the Nine gotten their hands on Noelle?
It unsettled me that Jack wasn’t taking more of a lead in the conversation. Maybe Cherish was just dishing out the dirt?
“The dynamic seems wrong,” I said. “Something’s off. Not sure if Siberian’s present or not, Bonesaw’s quiet and Jack is mute.”
“Maybe Cherish took control?” Tattletale ventured.
It was a scary thought. The Nine were strong, and one of the only reasons they weren’t a bigger problem was that they were their own worst enemies. Most of our victories to date had been because we exploited their character weaknesses. Under a leader…
“No. Bonesaw took measures.”
“Maybe Cherish found a way around it?”
I didn’t have a response for that. Minutes passed, and the Nine lapsed into silence. Some were resting. Or pretending to rest.
“They’re napping or something,” I said.
“Could be baiting you.”
“That’s what I was thinking.”
“And Bentley’s getting too small to help me make an exit.”
“Atlas can manage with just me,” I told her.
“Going alone? No. Grue would kill me. It’s senseless. I can call Coil, so we can get a squad of soldiers in place to try and take someone out. Or maybe we get the Director to bomb the area.”
“Because that’s worked so well this far.”
Tattletale smiled a little. “What would you rather do? Going in is suicide. You’d be opening yourself up to Cherish’s power.”
“She’s resting.”
“Not sure which person she is, but her breathing is really regular, has been for a while.”
“And she could be faking it, a hundred percent aware that you’re thinking what you’re thinking.”
“Yeah,” I admitted.
“Why are you so fixated on this? On going in?”
“I want to end this.”
“That’s not your real reason.”
“And I feel like something’s wrong. The details don’t jibe.”
“That’s a less than stellar reason to put yourself at that kind of risk.”
“There’s a chance Siberian isn’t here, or isn’t in a state to defend her allies. But… I can’t bring myself to attack.”
“This is a shitty time to have an attack of conscience.”
“You sound like Jack. He tried to push me to kill while I thought he was Grue.”
“You’ll have to explain how all that happened at a later date. Jack’s good at fucking with people’s heads. It could still be a trap.”
“But?”
“I’ve got this feeling in my gut, like I had when I was around Jack and Bonesaw, and I wish I’d trusted it then. I don’t want to doubt it now.”
“A gut feeling?”
She sighed. “What can I do?”
“Get out of here. I don’t want to hurt you if I fall under Cherish’s control, which is supposed to be pretty short-lived. In case she plans to make it more long-term, maybe call the PRT director and arrange a firebomb if I don’t report back?”
Tattletale made a face. “This is dumb.”
“I’ve done dumb things. I somehow don’t feel like this is one of them.”
“Go, then. Call me as soon as it’s safe.”
She headed out of the graveyard with Bentley. I waited a few minutes, until she was out of my power’s range.
Atlas and I crossed the gap to the ship. I waited for the hit of Cherish’s power, but it didn’t come.
My bugs sensed more of Bonesaw’s traps – areas heavy with fog, or where vials had been thrown, placed or dropped. I was glad there wasn’t any of the extermination smoke. I set foot on the tilted deck and began slowly making my way into the ship. My soft soled costumed feet were quiet, barely audible to myself.
I drew my gun, readying myself to fire the second I was in range. If Cherish was setting up the Nine for me, I was pretty sure I could hit one and get away before trouble arose. It was a feeble thought – even Jack, one of their most vulnerable members, hadn’t fallen to gunfire. Still, it was reassuring.
More traps forced me to make slower progress through the labyrinthine ship’s interior. It was a while before I could stop at the outside of the door at the lowest point of the ship.
I heard sobbing.
I stepped through the doorway and took in the room’s interior.
The floor sloped one way. Half of the room was metal flooring covered in sand, the lowest half was submerged.
Three men, three women and a girl. The man with knives in his belt stood, then began the ritual pacing once again. His feet were raw where the rusted metal deck had cut at them. The others sat and stood in various points around the hull.
I withdrew my phone and called Tattletale.
“That was fast.”
“It’s not the Nine. Decoys.”
I stared at them. The disguises had been rushed but thorough. Jack and Bonesaw had clearly changed clothes with the people in question, and Bonesaw had whipped up something approximating Mannequin’s armor for one of the men.
“Call Coil, get medics here. It’s Bonesaw’s work, so he might need to call on some expert surgeons to undo whatever she did. I’ll use my bugs to mark out the traps that Bonesaw set up inside.”
“On it.” She hung up.
Paralysis, compulsive movements. Puppets. Decoys. Had this been Jack’s attempt to make me betray my morals? Setting up decoys with the idea that I’d attack first and check later? If I’d gone with my first impulse and tried to kill them, I’d have seven civilian deaths on my hands.
“Help is on the way, guys. I’m sorry about this.”
“Thank you,” the twenty-something woman I’d guessed to be Cherish spoke. The others were mute.
I saw drag marks in the sand, leading to the water. Who had that been?
The knife was the last thing I spotted. It had been slammed into the metal hull of the boat. I stepped over the chain and collar that had probably been attached to Cherish. I pulled the knife free of the wall and used my bugs to catch the note before it fluttered to the floor.
We concede our loss to you, Brockton Bay. As per my agreement with Miss Amelia, we’ll be leaving your fascinating city. It was fun.
Don’t worry about Cherish. She’s sleeping somewhere at the bottom of the bay. Bonesaw was kind enough to crank up her receptive range toward negative emotions and remove her filters. The girl will personally experience every awful feeling Brockton Bay’s inhabitants do- and with the benefit of Alan’s tech, she’ll get to do it for a very, very, very long time.
A departure marked not with a bang, but a whimper. I’m sure you understand.
Jack.
This entry was posted in 14.11 and tagged Atlas, Bastard, Bentley, Bitch, Jack Slash, Sirius, Tattletale, Taylor by wildbow. Bookmark the permalink.
150 thoughts on “Prey 14.11”
mc2rpg on October 9, 2012 at 00:03 said:
“The problem was that he whole reason I’d let Panacea”
You are missing a t in the the.
wildbow on October 9, 2012 at 00:12 said:
Thanks. Fixed.
Bound to be a few more typos – had a family thing today, it wound up running far longer than I’d expected (had to leave early, felt bad) and then had unexpected company for dinner, making things rather tight on time.
Pinkhair on October 9, 2012 at 00:39 said:
After a day like that I can usually not manage rubbing two pixels together, so I think you did damn well.
Thanks. Still frustrating/embarrassing.
Hydrargentium on October 9, 2012 at 20:18 said:
Ah, the agony of upholding a high standard of quality. Sign of a good craftsman.
Trusting on October 9, 2012 at 00:18 said:
Love the ending , the note gave me shivers !
Is it wrong that I was really hoping Taylor would kill SOMEONE in this arc? I know she has left people to die, but it would have been very interesting to see how she mentally dealt with having killed someone herself.
You’re a horrible person.
No, I kid.
Anzer'ke on October 9, 2012 at 07:46 said:
I agree with you there, I was seriously expecting her to have offed at least one of the nine by the time they left/died.
In any case the nine are still mostly finished now. Siberian will be killed next time they make an appearance, Jack is now public enemy number zero and the rest of their membership is unlikely to balance that out.
Meanwhile the loss of Hookwolf, possibly purity or a hero…maybe Battery, leaves Coil and co in a very nice final position.
Why does everyone assume Siberian will be easy to deal with just because her weakness was revealed?Sure,(s)he is now killable,but she fought the strongest superhero that is not one of the big 5,the man who probably had the most experience in the world,after said superhero got knowlege of that,and won…Siberian seems like a pretty damn god ighter,and with Bonesaw itt won’t be possible to take out her creator in one hit,anyway (perhaps you can ohko him with some superpowers,but it is still not gonnabe a cakewalk).
As for Jack,there was a man in WW2 ,I think,that freed a whole village alone,another who raked up more than 500 kills….ability comes a long way to make you survive and win unplausible circumstances,and Jack has it….and ,again,Bonesaw modifications.
Mr. Walaa on October 9, 2012 at 00:28 said:
In the back of my mind I was hoping Jack would get his, but a little voice in my head said Wildbow is gonna toss a twist and turn in there for a surprise ending 🙂
Fantastic. I will need to reread a bit, there are a few things niggling at me. I love how it turned out. And really, an overly dramatic final confrontation would have either killed off the doom of humanity or given the Nine the sort of exit they like… Maybe both.
“Don’t worry about Cherish.” Such a great line. Since it is pretty much guaranteed to make people worry quite a bit.
“while I”d been” Quotation mark instead of an apostrophe.
“Jack had been more on the ball than I, I’d fall for it.” Not quite sure exactly how best to parse this.
“pretty aggressive strategy against Bonesaw” Against Panacea?
“was north of the” North should be capitalized. Boat Graveyard might be, too, since it’s used as a proper noun.
“turning more than a few into .” Missing word. Jetsam?
“inhabitants do, and” maybe a dash instead of a comma?
Mc2 beat me to the last one=P
Changes made. Thank you very much.
PyromaniacLVI on October 9, 2012 at 00:52 said:
As far as I could tell, it wasn’t really advancing into the borth end of the city.
Will add more as I run into em.
(On a side note I archive binged the whole story and I have to say I really liked it thank you.)
Thank you for reading. Always nice to see when people like it enough to binge it.
If you’re enjoying, a vote on topwebfiction or a review on WFG is a great way to spread the word. Mentioning it to friends & on sites you frequent is also fantastic.
Sorry for taking the excuse to plug the story. Fix made.
Dracul on October 9, 2012 at 00:56 said:
Slight typoe:
“borth end of the city”
leinadrengaw on October 9, 2012 at 00:56 said:
I guess the Jack/Theo fight is still in the cards; I didn’t think much of the promise at the time since Kaiser kicked it long before whatever plan he referred to in Purity’s interlude came to fruition. Fantastic arc and I look forward to whatever comes next!
Question, guys – I’m thinking of squeezing another short arc into the agenda before I get to the bonus week (I really didn’t expect to hit the deadline so soon, or for this arc to run as long as it did). By which I mean I’d intended to have one more arc, then the bonus week and now it’d be two arcs, one of which would be short, followed by the bonus week. It’d mean delaying said event for three weeks to a month, but I think it makes for a better story flow. And there’s the bonus of having more Worm. A little more wind-down time, if you will, and a chance to fit in events and stuff that I’d originally plotted for this arc that just didn’t wind up happening.
That said, if anyone (particularly those who were kind enough to donate) really wants to see it, and if you feel bothered at the notion of the delay, please do say so, and I’ll stick with the original plan.
At the end of the day, I just want my readers to be happy, and I wouldn’t be thinking along these lines if I didn’t. Conversely, I don’t want to come across as unreliable.
I trust your sense of pacing.
As do I, if you think it would be better story flow then go for the two arcs.
In the end I trust your judgement here.
More story is NEVER a bad thing IMO.
eduardo on October 9, 2012 at 08:47 said:
Agree, follow your instincts. Also, you have more information than us, so, you can make a better decision.
Scrambles on October 9, 2012 at 01:24 said:
I would love for you to squeeze in another arc before the bonus week.
Archmage9885 on October 9, 2012 at 01:27 said:
I wouldn’t mind an additional arc at all. More Worm is always a good thing.
Bobby on October 9, 2012 at 01:48 said:
More Worm is good. Better flow is good. The author getting to write the story as it should be is good.
Starry Sky on October 9, 2012 at 02:04 said:
Every Tuesday and Saturday seems more than reliable enough to me.
Tieshaunn on October 9, 2012 at 03:02 said:
More Worm is always of the Good. The author being able to write as he wants, even more so.
In short, I’m all for it. Rock on.
Catastronaut on October 9, 2012 at 04:15 said:
I always vote for doing as you please. Thanks again, for everything.
Psycho Gecko on October 9, 2012 at 05:55 said:
You know we love the way your Worm fills us.
are you a pervert for writing this kind of innuendo or am I one for reading such into it? Or are we both?
Three perverts including me.
Would you prefer enjoying feeling Worm crawl through our brains?
i did not say it was a bad thing…
My mistake, I should have known you liked innuendo in your endo.
Yeah…don’t think you have much to worry about there.
I’d love to get more wind down time. We’ve been in high tension for three arcs plus now, some peace and character interaction sounds excellent right now.
So I wonder whether the Undersiders, so soon after their attack on the Wards HQ, will be so quick to trust that none of the decoys aren’t actually members of the Nine remade to look like someone who looks like a member of the Nine.
I really want to know where Battery ended up.
Hah. Love that thought, Pinkhair.
A thank you goes out to Travis and Nick for their donations.
As it stands, to clarify:
One bonus chapter coming up in two days.
Another bonus chapter in 9 days.
And a bonus week coming up at the conclusion of the next leg of the story, which is either going to be one or two arcs (tending towards the latter going by feedback thus far).
Thanks guys. Do say the word if you have a perspective you want to see (keeping in mind I try not to repeat anyone)
We still have not had all the Undersiders – some Grue and Regent would be good. Especially the latter, so we could finally get a real idea about what is going on inside Alec’s head.
Otherwise, Legend or someone else from the side of the angels – I am sure I am not the only one who wants to know how they deal with the aftermath.
PS: is it wrong that I feel like there was not enough kissing? especially between Tattletale and Skitter?
PPS: though the “no-tongue”-line was hilarious
PPP: and Skitter kissing Bitch even more so. I foresee some straaaaaange things in the future.
forgot an “S” up there with the “PPPS”
also, a question: just how freaking fast can bonesaw and mannequin work?! specifically, how did mannequin manage to make up a capsule/whatever else for Cherish in a shipyard within minutes and how did bonesaw do the surgical stuff and the work on Cherish in the same time?
I have wondered this. Where do these tinkers store their tools?! Especially Mannequin – shaping ceramic needs both time and equipment! Plus raw materials, if it’s sizeable enough to encase a person the size of Cherish…
I tend to read “tinker” as “wizard who can conjure their specialist kind of technology from thin air” these days. And curiously, given how much of a stickler I usually am for consistency and such, I don’t really mind.
For this case, Bonesaw and Mannequin have been working on this project since Cherish’s scheme was revealed, possibly since she started the scheme (see Jack’s interlude).
I’d say it’s perfectly reasonable to want more of that…
mc2rpg on October 10, 2012 at 00:20 said:
Taylor is putting forward her plan to hook up with the entire Undersider team. Drawing them all in slowly over time. The only real problem she is going to have is bringing Aisha into the orgy once she already has Grue.
Max on September 30, 2014 at 18:58 said:
No you are not the only one. Tattletale just had to go and ruin it by saying “no-tongue.” Though I take this to be said with a half grin and actually secretly wanting it. Kissing bitch was utterly hilarious though. Poor Taylor never got to find Brian to “cure” him as well though. Too bad for her, better for the shippers. Wildbow you were too cruel. A quick peck on the lips is not nearly enough to sate us.
Walker on January 19, 2015 at 11:25 said:
There is definitely not enough kissing between Tattletale and Skitter. Even fanfic authors are letting the side down.
Tis the curse of comedy! My joke about Skitter kissing Bitch was more accurate than my science!
Bleh.
Still, at least Cherish will get to cherish the feelings she helped cause.
We actually had a big piece from Regent’s perspective — the chapter about him controlling Shadow Stalker.
Also, regarding the speed of Bonesaw and Mannequin’s work, one can only assume Jack had Cherish’s fate planned for a while now, and probably had Bonesaw have something on standby for such a need as this as well. And she has already had plenty of experience making these kinds of body mods — the Nine’s forms are probably pre-programmed into her spiders. She just gives the command.
sudo spdrcmd fetch 7
sudo spdrcmd dummies –all –no-crawler
Might as well share: Siberian’s real body was being kept in a specialized case created by Bonesaw with some Mannequin components. Left in there for an hour to regenerate/weather the venoms. Relatively easy process to get him out, put Cherish in, do the surgery on her corona aurora, change some settings and seal her inside.
Oooooooooooooooh, who lives in a pineapple under the sea? Cherish, Cherish!
Unda da sea! Unda da sea! Baby it’s betta, down where it’s wetta, take it from meeeeee!
Can kind of see her becoming the Siren of Brockton Bay. Any who dare dive near a certain point are drawn towards her, to their doom, in an obsession to locate a relic of the Nine’s visit.
Undead-Spaceman on October 10, 2012 at 09:51 said:
That’s not nearly as horrible as I thought’d be, but only for about a percent or two.
The way I figured it, Bonesaw stripped all the flesh off Cherish and stuffed the pile of organs and misery into a mannequin-brand ™ beach ball before chucking it and a weight into the ocean.
That would almost be better, wouldn’t it? Not from an objective perspective (‘ew, organs in a ball’), but from Cherish’s (essentially the same thing, but still unable to move or break free, unable to die).
I didn’t particularly like Cherish but…that seems unnecessarily cruel to her. While she was ruthless and definitely bad she didn’t strike me as being at anywhere near the level of say Mannequin, Bonesaw or Jack. She was a screwed up kid who got into a bad situation and had burned too many bridges to figure a way out. She’s almost as much a victim of circumstance and upbringing as Bitch. I just feel bad for her. I doubt she could be fixed or that anyone would be willing to do it or even that I want her fixed but…a quick death? Or at least a death in the near future would be good. What they did to her? Bonesaw deserves something like that. Cherish really didn’t from what we were shown. I hope someone searches for that pod and puts the poor girl out of her misery. Suffering like that for decades is simply too cruel.
Between the sheer use of raw material and the hard drive accesses for his constantly updating design, –no-crawler is a HUGE boost to performance.
Hydrargentium on November 27, 2015 at 14:19 said:
Oh, made me laugh. Glad you got the joke.
Tattletale asks if Bitch can loan her Bentley, then she gets on Sirius?
Aaaand fixed.
frozen chicken on October 9, 2012 at 04:11 said:
Well, y’know. Bitch isn’t so rich that she has a car, just a bunch of dogs.
OMG, I can’t believe I never saw that joke before. XD
#feeling stupid
ClubOfJacks on October 9, 2012 at 02:45 said:
Really awesome. I like how Jack alludes to the world ending using the “hollow men” reference. Very nice.
trevor on October 9, 2012 at 04:29 said:
I love how much worse the nine are than the normal bad guys and not just little like the joker in
In the batman comics.
but so obvious meaner,curler, and more cunning.
if you had write the joker character for batman I would read the comics on that fact alone.
oh P.S.
found these and thought of bonesaw and would like your a pinyon.
http://www.bloodyloud.com/digital-artist-hollllow/
Damn, they got away. Headcount!
Shatterbird’s either dead or captured. Since the Nine would have an idea what Regent can do, they’d likely kill her. Aside from that, she might be brought in by the PRT. Unlike Cherish, she won’t be sleeping with the fishes.
Cherish got turned into a genie in a bottle who gets to feel every bad thing around. For a mercy kill, Skitter can always send over some lobsters to nibble at her. Not that it’ll do any good.
Burnscar: This is your head on Grue. *puts on a long wig that covers his entire body, pulls out a club, and smashes a skull to pieces* Any questions?
The only advantage Crawler never evolved was a brain capable of intelligent thought. What the heroes never learned is that his secret weakness was a wedgie. This is what happens when no one around uses grappling hooks.
Hatchet Face isn’t coming back for a sequel this time now that he and Oni Lee died in their arms tonight. It must have been something Sundancer said.
Jack Slash lives to be a psychopath another day. I hope everyone realizes this puts an even darker spin on the story. I hope the old people got some sex in, because it looks like any kids around aren’t going to enjoy it when the world ends in a few years. Hope you didn’t have any plans after college, Skitter.
Siberian seems to still be with them, unfortunately. Oh goody, the indestructible killing machine is still around. Maybe the next villain of the story can be Genoscythe the Eye Raper.
I’m holding out for the possibility that Mannequin’s guts are currently showing off the new fall line. He’s a slippery little fashion test dummy, but if he’s dead then his chest makes a perfect home for Cherish.
Hookwolf might just be the new member of the group. Don’t know if he’d be pissed or pissing his pants, but I don’t like his odds of survival. He’s been impressed so hard, the war of 1812 is about to start. Just a little history joke. Watson, get in here, I’m dying on stage!
Bonesaw survives as well. I guess ending the world is better than what she was doing before Jack found her, when she got really crazy with the plastic surgery.
The fake Mannequin, among other things implies that he lived through the bombing. I had previously thought that he was one of the weaker members of the Nine since Skitter fended him off solo, his main armament was knives, and two normal strength humans compromised his head by hitting it- still pretty tough but a bit low compared to Crawler and Bonesaw’s enhancement. So how the hell did he live through the bombing? Did Clockblocker’s trap run out, did Mannequin disassemble himself and slip out? Or is he that badass? And who is the 7th person they left a decoy for? Jack, Bonesaw, Hookwolf, Siberian and Mannequin appear to be the current lineup, with Cherish dead, leaving one person. It COULD be Shatterbird but I doubt Regent would let go of her even if he couldn’t remember who she was, just on principle, and Battery was incapacitated so she couldn’t have interfered. So who is the 7th member? Did they go and grab Panacea? Jack said he would leave if she would indulge herself, which I guess curing the plague COULD count as but she seemed pretty vulnerable; did they pick her up before leaving town? Who else has been pressed into service? This is really going to bug me. You are great at creating Wildbow- that still stands even if I’m miscounting or something to make the 7-people thing seem a bigger deal than it is.
Cue vague sinister chuckle from author.
I’m thinking the way Mannequin survived is he had crawler bury his brain case. Then he fired off some sort of signal and Bonesaw’s spiders dug him out.
If the number means anything, I’d say it was supposed to be Jack, Bonesaw, Hookwolf, Siberian, Mannequin, Siberian’s maker (they know about him now), and Cherish (expecting them to go to her is the only reason someone would have found them there that quickly).
However, I don’t like Wildbow chuckling.
And Mannequin isn’t as tough directly as Siberian or Crawler, but he’s very agile and isn’t that bad at avoiding the blow or taking it well enough to reduce the damage it does. That whole “willow” analogy that’s used for that part is pretty good, but I thought of it like a football player or a drunk driver. If you tense up before a collision, you’re going to get hurt. It’s the people who roll with it either due to preparedness or drunkenness that make it through ok.
Seemed like they lost track of Mannequin fairly soon as they concentrated on Crawler. He might have time to either get out of range or fit himself into a spot with a LOT of cover between him and the blast.
Indigo on October 9, 2012 at 08:20 said:
Very good end to the Arc, lots of horror and drama. Very much looking forward to what happens next.
Guile on October 9, 2012 at 09:22 said:
You know, thinking about it, Skitter dipping her bugs in cured water (just legs or something) and landing them on people would be so much more effective than Bitch and her dogs (who are going to scare the crap out of people).
A Lesbian and Bisexual Kissing Booth would spread it more effectively than either of those.
If it affects dogs, it looks like the cured ones of Bitch will need to go around and hump every other dog around for them to survive.
A cloud of brain curing mosquitos would be amazing.
But my plan has kissing. Will there at least be someone kissing the mosquitoes?
1. Bonesaw likes Panacea and wants her on the team.
2. Bonesaw knows Jack’s plan is to make Panacea break her brain rule.
3. Bonesaw designs a bioweapon that affects the brain. If anyone wants to heal it, they have to be able and willing to mess with brains.
MrGazzer on October 9, 2012 at 22:45 said:
I thought you might like this Wildbow, its informative and might give you a better idea how Atlas would work in (roughly) real life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l79FuGuk1qE&feature=g-u-u
Thanks for sharing, angry-looking cigar-smoking rabbit man.
I read up on some similar stuff before going ahead and creating Atlas, though I hadn’t seen that video in particular.
coldheart7 on February 19, 2018 at 01:14 said:
Another video from the same yt channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3ZapYLsAuc
The girl could be a very unflattering depiction of Taylor. In my head, Taylor is at least mildly attractive to downright adorkable. I find the girl in the video to be… not, but couldn’t help but note the parallels.
Aaron C on October 9, 2012 at 23:01 said:
“Three women, neither of which was Siberian”
How about “Three women, none of whom were Siberian” ?
Eminently reasonable. A snafu from the editing phase. Thank you.
Did you mean to italicize the entire line “one of the creatures”, because it just reads really weird to me. I almost never see entire phrases italicized, it is usually just one word for emphasis.
Thanks go out to Graeme for the donation.
Hmm. Is this arc over then? It didn’t end the way I thought it would, that’s for sure. But so far the story hasn’t done anything I thought it would. So what happens now? The world is gonna end?
That’s what kinda bothers me. The timing on this. I don’t know if I read it wrong or what.
Skitter flies for a few minutes (I believe) and finds Tattletale/Bitch. Maybe 5 minutes later if that she and Tattletale are headed for Cherish.
The Nine aren’t supposed to be far ahead of them, but somehow capture 7 people, change not only their body, but make them walk/move/whatever? And have time to do brain surgery on Cherish, and lock her in a Mannequin suit.
Well…. Where did they get the Mannequin suit? And how on earth did they get all that done in that short of time? Skitter mentioned they barely had a lead at all. Bonesaw and Jack were on foot, Skitter flew, and Tattletale rode a dog.
So, I just don’t understand. How could they have done all that and escaped the city in just a few minutes?
IDK. I’m a little upset, because it feels like the Nine just magically got away. With all they did they might be a few minutes ahead, but in the city they’d have to be on foot right? So they didn’t get out yet?
Anyways, enough complaining. I liked the Team Interaction thing again. I’m glad everything is starting to work out. Also, my bet on the mysterious last person in the 9 is Imp, just because. I’m all for a cooldown chapter/arc, and personally, I’m still voting for either a Taylor’s Dad interlude or a Grue interlude. Otherwise one of the Travellers. Genesis might be interesting.
I guess I should point out that my favorite interludes give perspectives of our heroes from an outside point of view. It’s always fun to see what someone else thinks about them.
Anyways, I hope Skitter gets everyone cured. Also, I laughed at the Tattletale thing – No Tongue! Oh, I know Skitter cares about Bitch and all, but with the way everyone is talking about Panacea being a pain, Bitch needs to stop being her namesake. Skitter has saved her life how many times now? Suck it up and be nice Rachel. Jesus, what’s it gonna take, if saving your life isn’t enough?
Oh, lastly, what is the “bonus” week gonna be about? A miniature story of some sort? Is it a surprise?
Anyways, I still really like this story! Keep up the good work! 🙂
Perhaps a failure on my part to make it clear, but Taylor’s detour to downtown carried her directly away from the Nine. More than a few minutes out of her way, then she had to turn around and head to the northernmost end of Brockton Bay. Not a quick trip either way.
The bonus week is something I’m keeping a secret. Sorry. 🙂
Um the Muse on October 10, 2012 at 23:52 said:
Sorry to say this, but I think they were still able to travel far faster than they should. A disaster area takes a lot longer to travel through than you might think. I think I heard even 10 miles per day on foot is pushing it.
Count on at least an hour for surgery (I know, this isn’t a typical surgery, because Bonesaw doesn’t have to be super precise, but she’s also dealing with more parts of the body than is typical and she still has to exert some caution so she doesn’t rupture the organs).
You also have to wonder about equipment. No electricity and her minions are elsewhere. Presumably, Jack handles the nursing stations and maybe the cuts (can he make a hunting knife behave like a scalpel?). Oh well, all fiction has to have some limits to realism.
Fair enough. I admit I was wondering if it was pushing it, myself.
I’m not going to rewrite it anytime soon, but it’s something to tackle when I get around to a large scale rewrite. Wish I hadn’t been so rushed, so I could have addressed my doubts on the subject before it went live.
Fiona on October 10, 2012 at 19:33 said:
I was thinking the same thing with the timeline. The only way I can see it working is if Siberian was waiting right outside the school and she transported them, …and Hookwolf and the seven victims as well?? Could she do all that? But another thing…how did they even find Cherish so fast, without the benefit of Tattletale’s precognition or Skitter’s bugs? This needs some explanation, so I look forward to more details coming out in later chapters. Note: scroll up in the comments and you’ll see Wildbow has already explained where Cherish’s sarcophagus came from.
The answer as to how they found Cherish is deceptively simple. They just needed to find the right general area, and finding that wasn’t terribly difficult once they had the details she provided on the phone.
Robert on July 5, 2013 at 11:50 said:
“You’re hot and you’re cold, you’re yes and you’re no” … hey, Cherish had this musical theme going on in her interlude, and I’m guessing that’s what she did! She probably regrets it now, though. And she’ll be regretting it for a long, long time.
Manitou on January 16, 2013 at 05:56 said:
Well, she had already made a bunch of body doubles, maybe she had extras, or a few stashed away somewhere or grabbed them on the run…..
I didn’t get the feeling that they really looked like them at all, except vaguely and from a distance. Remember that they learned that Skitter can’t see/hear through her bugs when they befriended her.
And Jack escapes, exactly as I expected since his introduction.
Now *that*, ladies and gentlemen, is a villain. Jack just lost in a way that accomplished nearly all of his goals, ended better than he could have expected (with the imminent apocalypse and all), and left the conquering heroes weeping for months at a minimum.
On the other hand, the Chosen are leaderless, the Merchants are gone, and the Undersiders have built up significant goodwill. So the city’s kinda fucked but Coil is doing great!
So the cure for the miasma was an a parasite in Skitter’s blood, and small enough to reach through filters. So why didn’t she cut her palm with her combat knife, and spread the cure with the mosquitos that are no doubt all over a flooded city? In terms of a cure epidemic, I think malaria spreads a lot faster than rabies. I think that’s the first genuinely stupid thing Taylor has done so far. Or did I miss something?
You are making some assumptions, including two major ones. First and foremost, the assumption that the parasite would survive in a mosquito’s stomach; second, that the mosquitoes would transmit them fast enough to be worth doing.
NemoSees on November 10, 2013 at 19:17 said:
But it’d surely be faster than having the dogs do it. And yeah, she’d be taking a gamble on whether the virus could survive the mosquitoes, but she isn’t exactly gambling with a resource she is going to run out of, and betting on Bonesaw having constructed a decidedly hard-to-kill virus is pretty safe, I suspect.
It’s worth the experiment, surely. She wouldn’t even have to leave the dog’s back to do it, nor would she have to make out with Rachel.
The dogs can run around, lick as many people as they want after finding them. Mosquitoes fly slowly, only bite a fairly small number of people, and tend to get swatted for their trouble.
Oh, and it was only a quick kiss, and it wouldn’t be worth the time spent with Rachel holding back a few feral-acting monster dogs while she waited for the mosquitoes to bite her and Rachel to transfer enough of the parasites. After all, not that many are transmitted per bite–there’s no promise that any will be. Malaria works because it is “designed” to be transmitted that way, and because a lot more than one mosquito biting one host spreads it.
Shwaggy on December 2, 2013 at 17:37 said:
In addition, there’s no guarantee the mosquitoes wouldn’t spread some extra goodies along with the cure, like said malaria.
woodenflute on November 5, 2016 at 14:24 said:
I feel a bit silly commenting this three years later, but…
I think the assumptions that it can be spread by mosquitos are quite fair. There are few reasons to believe that the parasite wouldn’t survive a few minutes in a mosquito when it can survive in the saliva and water as well as be transmitted through air. The mosquito won’t digest all of the blood for some hours. Something that affects the brain heals instantly when getting it orally, how fast would it be if injected directly into the blood?
Also, mosquitos would be much more effective than the dogs. Sure they might be slower, but they can travel in straight lines and would work in parallel, targeting many subjects at once. And once there are newer cure sources, adjacent mosquitos can suck from that person and expand from there. The affected area would grow exponentially, compared to a dogs linear search. And also, since no one knows there is a bug controller and they are pumped with adrenalin and wouldn’t notice one or two bugs, people wouldn’t be hard to deal with and save, instead of being terrified that a monster was charging straight at them.
Lastly, I there is little reason to expect a malaria outbreak in the US, and personally I would gladly spread malaria, where symptoms would occur after a week, to all citizens if that meant increasing the chance of defeating the Nine, who could kill (or do something worse) the whole city that very day.
I see the agnosia is still clearing up.
And here we have good and bad. Good: The Nine are gone. Bad: The world is going to end in a couple years.
trix on November 18, 2013 at 01:17 said:
Usually your writing has pretty good consistency, but 14.10-14.11 chapters left me incredulous about too many things. Jack has no reasons (you did not show these reasons :)) to stop his attempts to kill Skitter when she ran to Amy. Timing thing was already mentioned above, it feels like a whole chapter in between is missing. Getting Hookwolf feels very unprepared in the plot. He was nowhere around, and suddenly they got him without Cherish to track. And Tattletale’s power do need hints, and I don’t see what hints she got, that allowed her to say about Hookwolf capture. Instant cure for the Bitch is too much fairytale-like. Skitter’s glasses survived multiple face/ears cuts – wtf?
otherwise, thanks for the great work 🙂
zack on November 22, 2013 at 13:34 said:
I really loved this series up until this point. This was a very unsatisfying ending. After everything Taylor and the city went through, it was just not enough payoff. Siberian, Jack, Bonesaw – at least one of them needed to die, preferrably all.
One of the problems I had with Walking Dead graphic novel was the unrelenting, utter hopelessness of it. One step forward, two steps back, always. It made me disengage. This is flirting with that.
Syphon on November 24, 2013 at 10:32 said:
60% they go after Cherish + 35% they go down town + 5% Taylor is wrong and it’s neigher = %110.
I shouldn’t try to do math at 7am after a night of drinking…
At least it wasn’t calculus. Remember, never drink and derive!
Curious George on December 2, 2013 at 02:59 said:
I half-agree with Taylor on one point here; the director screwed the pooch epically. Going on the offensive may have been smart, and pulling out all the stops might have been smart, but I think her plan was pretty weak. She didn’t focus enough on taking out the three S9 members that matter the most: Jack Slash, the Siberian, and Bonesaw. Jack probably would have gone all-out if the S9 was losing even if no one broke his rules, but doing so pushed him to that point faster. Failure to coordinate effectively with the villains against the S9 is also pretty crappy.
I don’t blame her for not knowing the truth about the Siberian until the last second (especially since it seems like no one else has figured it out for years). Siberian has done a good job covering her tracks in that regard, and it may only have been revealed because of the combination of the Undersiders’ resourcefulness/unique information gathering abilities and Cherish’s particular powers/traitorousness. That’s a heck of a lucky break, in the long-term.
On the timing question, I agree that the S9 do seem to move a bit fast here, in a physical sense. Granted, they employ some misdirection (it’s very ironic to see Taylor on the receiving end of numerous decoys for a change) and our protagonist gets sidetracked with saving the city from what they’ve already done. My problem isn’t so much with the small amount of time it takes the S9 to regroup and depart as it is with the fact that they manage to meet up in the same place despite having been separated. I guess they might have some way of keeping in touch across a distance, but I’m not clear on how Jack and Bonesaw drew the others to the Boat Graveyard.
The only other thing I wonder about is how quickly Siberian managed to talk Hookwolf into following her. He doesn’t seem like the world’s best listener, exactly. With all that said, I can certainly believe that the S9 might escape in the wake of the miasma catastrophe, in a general sense. But they can only cover ground so fast, and this does seem to push it. Still like the rest of the chapter, though.
Despite my normal stance that no one deserves a fate worse than death, I’m tempted to change my mind in Cherish’s case. She basically tried to sell out the world to save her own ass, when she should have known full well that the best she could hope for was to be shot in the face before Jack and Bonesaw found her again.
One other thing: I’m not sure if this is ever addressed, but IIRC Panacea lost a few fingers (or joints of fingers?) when being chased by Bonesaw, and has said explicitly that she cannot use her power on herself. Is she just making do without them, or what? I suppose it’s not terribly crucial to the story either way (and it’s not like you described her juggling or something that requires all her fingers) but does that ever get fixed, or does she just live with it?
-CG
Siberian ate her fingers, not Bonesaw.
Chaotic Ascension on December 4, 2013 at 05:51 said:
Love the Hollowed Men reference at the end – very fitting if you know the full poem: This is the way the world ends; this is the way the world ends. This is the way the world ends; Not with a bang, but a whimper.
Nix on February 18, 2014 at 17:06 said:
Typo: “the parasites in Bitch’s bodies”, as far as I know she only has one. (There aren’t many stories in which that would only be true of *some* of the characters…)
Welp,in homestuck almost everyone has at least 2 bodies,though they aren’t aware of it from the beggining and they cannot control both at the same time
anKLJ on February 19, 2014 at 15:47 said:
Amazing. I was just considering posting a smart-aleck comment that one of Skitter’s priorities would soon have to be figuring out how to refuel poor, hard-working, devoted Atlas, and look what you wrote!
Re: the Boat Graveyard:
” … and the move had mobilized enough of them …” I think IMmobolized enough of them would be clearer.
So I was thinking as I read, “The 9 are on the ship, why isn’t Bonesaw using her anti-bug smoke? Seems like a plot hole.” And the amazing Wildbow was actually using it, without exposing it, as part of the niggling “gut feeling” that drives Skitter’s choice to barge in WITHOUT guns blazing!
(gets Reader into Skitter’s headspace like butter!)
One confusion on Jack’s note — his agreement with Miss Amelia (his nickname for Amy/Panacea)? I thought the original “game” agreement was sort of with Tattletale (and the Undersiders/Travelers)? Now I gotta go back and check …
thats it. im done with this story. started of strong. became an unpleasant drag to read at this point.
Taylor’s first kiss is perfect.
nutella on July 8, 2015 at 21:46 said:
It’s not though, remember Brian on the bus in front of Sophia?
Clownie on January 28, 2015 at 19:13 said:
>She cared as little about murdering us as I might feel about killing two dogs if I felt like my life was on the line.
This is a bit ironic, considering she took a shotgun blast for Bastard an arc back.
Well, that was a ridiculously disappointing arc. Probably the first one I flat-out did not like, although the last one bordered on it. Too many idiot balls being thrown about wildly. Too few people getting, you know, actually wounded (unnamed characters or ones with little to no characterisation e.g. Burnscar don’t count) in the whole S9 affair. Still disappointed Brian is alive and well. The S9 had so much potential, but it was ruined by plot armour, and that ended up killing any suspense in both arcs. They both had their high points (Bonesaw’s artwork in the last arc, up until it was undone by a deus ex machina; Atlas in this one), but it was mostly a slog.
Oh, well. Hopefully, Coil will stop being uncharacteristically dumb.
…Hopefully, everyone will stop being uncharacteristically dumb.
zantryx on March 1, 2015 at 23:39 said:
LOVED these two arcs!!! Can’t wait to see what Jack does to end the world and to see what happens with Theo and Jack’s fight in two years. Feel kinda bad for Cherish, even considering how evil she is. It should be very interesting to see how Coil’s plan unfolds now, a lot of the competition is hurt or gone. Best two arcs of Worm so far I think! LOVE the S9 as villains as they are ridiculously smart and resourceful, hope to see more of them. I don’t think it can get any better! I find myself saying that after every arc though, and keep getting proven wrong, each arc just keeps getting better and better.
Chevron on April 10, 2015 at 21:16 said:
‘I descended back to a safer distance, where falling wouldn’t be terminal’
I think it makes more sense to say “safer height”, right? Sure technically that’s your distance from the ground but I dont think anyone would normally phrase it this way.
A minor thing, but Taylor used the phrase “give chase” twice in a way that felt a little awkward to me, maybe it’s just an expression that I personally don’t hear too much but it felt a little off.
On the subject of expression usage, Tattletale saying “You’ll have to explain how all that happened at a later date” sounded a little weird and formal. I think Taylor also used the phrase “at a later date” talking to Panacea back when she first healed Glory Girl. This could again be more about the language patterns *I’m* used to, but it doesn’t seem like what you say in these contexts, in lieu of “explain that later”
axle on May 11, 2015 at 02:59 said:
So this horrifying arc is finally over. Jack has made it out of the city, worst case scenario has just happened. I’d be screaming if I were in Taylor’a shoes right now. I love the Worm universe, the slaughterhouse nine and end ringers would make me terrified to live in it, but I still love it anyway!
Jay on May 12, 2015 at 15:33 said:
This arc was incredible. I simply could not stop reading it. I generally try to at least do some work in between reading chapters, but each time I finished one, I had to start the next one immediately. I think that’s pretty much the definition of riveting, no?
I didn’t fully understand the “miasma” stuff. From the description of the escape to the rooftops, I was picturing it as an impenetrably dark, red fog, that should have blinded everybody. If the red mist was going that high up, shouldn’t it have been covering everything and everybody? But no one seemed to actually be blinded by it. I didn’t really get it. I agreed with a few of the comments above, too, about the Nine managing their escape so quickly, somehow getting their hooks into Hookwolf, and Jack running away from Skitter and Amy instead of just killing them.
But in the grand scheme of this amazing work, pretty minor stuff. You’re a fantastic writer and I’m so glad I started reading this!
BORDYDORDBORD on August 12, 2015 at 05:19 said:
how many words is worm
Roughly 1,680,000.
inventorfrog on October 28, 2015 at 13:44 said:
FINALLY. It’s too bad Jack got away, but I’m thankful the Undersiders came away from this with all 6 of their members alive, if not intact.
Every single Taylor/Rachel and Taylor/Lisa shipper must have died a little this chapter. 😀
I’m a Taylor/Lisa shipper and yes, this was an awesome chapter for me lol. The “no tongue” part was frustrating but I can work with the potential in my fantasy world 😉
Same man.
Tony on November 22, 2015 at 17:35 said:
I’m really enjoying the story, but I have to say, I’m also really disappointed by the anticlimactic ending here. When Jack said “A departure marked not with a bang, but a whimper,” he could have been referring to the end of the Slaughterhouse Nine story arc.
Syash on December 18, 2015 at 03:54 said:
After reading this arc, I imagined Skitter as a part of Nine in this horrifying arc. Skitter as a batshit insane member who’s fed up with human society. And I think the test she gave to the candidates would be … planting a bug inside the candidate body and force the candidate to try getting the bug outside their body. A little like Jason torture to Kaneki in Tokyo Ghoul manga. But Skitter made the bug mess with the candidate body, made the candidates awares of every movement of the bugs. Felt them crawling inside your own body.
This was so horrifying that I felt nauseous and immediately try to cure myself by reading a romance vanilla manga and a lot of puff romance before moving to the next arc.
Yeah, Skitter is scary enough as a well intentioned kinda villain. Skitter as a balls-to-the-wall-cacklingly-evil villain is a downright horrifying mental image.
usermist2 on October 18, 2016 at 19:56 said:
“… the parasites in Bitch’s bodies” is still there. Just in case Wildbow is still editing.
sillylaureate on January 7, 2017 at 19:04 said:
tbh mannequin is one of my favorite antagonists in a massive cast of them. on my 3rd read while waitin for more twig, and im always disappointed by all that untapped potential. ah well, ahaha.
Bruhaha on March 1, 2017 at 09:12 said:
Your heroine’s a Mary Sue, despite her own insurance that she’s not.
storryeater on March 2, 2017 at 05:01 said:
Can you explain your reasoning? She is clearly flawed, and she clearly fails.
Doing extraordinary things and/or things no one/few have accomplished before is within the purview of any “protagonist”. We do not tell a story about the guy who slayed the dragon. A Mary Sue is not even someone absurdly overpowered, it is someone who a)has no flaws (thus Saitama is not a Mary Sue, let alone Taylor) and/or b) warps the story rules, not for a gag or as a power, but to make herself more sympathetic or dominant or to make us cry for her (so, again, not Saitama, let alone Taylor)
That does not mean that Taylor is “perfect” or “realistic” , but Mary Sue is still too heavy a term. Besides, even if you find her achievements too great, remember we live in a universe where one of the musicians we consider the best of all time was deaf. Inspirational stories are rare and unlikely in rl, but far from nonexistent, and they are the ones most likely to be told because they are extraordinary.
So, once more, why is she a Mary Sue?
Buggaboo on March 23, 2017 at 19:13 said:
I truly do feel bad for Cherish. No matter what she did, even potentially selling out the world I would not find to be deserving of such a punishment. Damn thats one of the most horrifyingly cruel things I think I have ever read and I’ve read some messed up shit. One can only hope someday somehow someone will come and be able to either free her and fix her, though she would be son insane by then it probably wouldnt matter, or to be merciful and kill her.
I’ll be really angry unless a rescue operation for Cherish is initiated. Going with how much vengeance and cruel punishments have been tolerated/glorified by the “good guys” previously in the story, it seems all too plausible for no one to mount a rescue operation.
(By “rescue”, I mean mercy-killing her. But since the good guys don’t like that, then some way to contain her seems best.)
«get to another point where the satellite phone would work» satellite phone — not cell phone — works anywhere outdoors. What could possibly accoint for spotty coverage within a short distance? Also, where was she carrying this — they are much larger than cell phones.
«there was little difference in being a hundred and fifty feet above the ground and being five hundred stories up» comparing feet and the unusual unit *stories* can be easily misread. Someone might see it as 500 *feet*. One has to mentally convert and estimate to figure out the comparison, so this is awkward. Say perhaps “150 feet or a mile”? Much easier to grasp.
«The topography of the city had impacted where the miasma was spreading. » nooooo… say “had influenced where” or find a more specialized word
«sent my glasses flying off my face» I’m confused. When did she put on glasses, or even *get* the new glasses she ordered from Coil? She wears contact lenses under her mask now. She mentioned that (only) half her face is covered… I don’t recall that happening.
«the water around us began to transition back to normal » no, *transition* is the noun form. Try “began *the* transition back” or “began *transforming* back”.
scherzo on November 6, 2018 at 02:41 said:
-What’s wrong with impacted?
-Taylor ordered new glasses from Coil and was given them in a previous chapter.
-Transition is a verb too, dingus
RIP World.
heystranger111 on August 19, 2018 at 21:11 said:
See ya wouldn’t want to be ya!
Wheeew. What a relief to finally see these nutjobs leaving. It’s been a bit too much for me in the body horror department. Too bad the protagonists had only one confirmed kill 😦
Midasonna on December 30, 2017 at 20:31 said:
People upset about the ending being a “letdown” – this is the objectively worst possible outcome. If Jack escapes the city, the world will end.
I actually like how the arc ended. It was believable in this situation that the rest of the Nine would simply up and leave. There were casualties on both sides but the core characters are still alive, and it didn’t require giving them obvious plot armor or the author pulling something out of his ass. AND it still ups the stakes dramatically.
.. I was hoping she kisses Bryan xD i kind of ship Bitch & Taylor ._.
Pettilicious on February 7, 2018 at 23:06 said:
Augh, this has me so paranoid now that Panacea is gonna be the one to kick off the armageddon since her agreement is directly tied to Jack’s leaving of the city; he could be the catalyst for her downward slide into darkness…
also whoaaaa 6 years late to the party lolol
Good riddance! Although I did want to know more about regents backstory…
Blub on September 6, 2018 at 21:20 said:
““You couldn’t have waited until after you’d cured me before you put the bugs on your face?””
When did she draw bugs together?
I think Skitter should have been spitting into the water as she flew to the Ship Graveyard as that would have been spreading the cure faster as it would be spreading out from more locations.
That, and I’d pointed out to the rest of the group how bugs were something we could eat as humans, so his digestive tract could probably manage them.
Oh, that’s why Taylor responded to “How do you know bugs are made out of proteins and lipids and stuff?” with “I was researching food bugs” and not “Um, all organisms are made out of the same types of macromolecules.”
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Regent’s base was in the midst of renovations. The exterior was tame, unassuming, but the interior was becoming something else entirely. The floor and walls were being covered in stone tile, suits of armor stood on either side of the doorway, and I could see ornate chandeliers at one side of the room, each individual segment separated from the others by extensive bubble wrap.
There was a dais at the far end of the room, almost a stage, with a throne laying on its side on top. Four people were working in the room. Workers Tattletale had hired, who would get enough steady employment and money to reward their silence. Two were working on the walls, one worked on the floor, and the fourth was preparing the dais so the throne could be bolted into place.
“Found it,” Regent said. He raised his scepter, tossed it into the air and let it spin twice before catching the handle.
I winced. “Careful. You really don’t want to catch the wrong end and electrocute yourself.”
He only chuckled.
“It’s daylight. It’s fucked up that we’re doing this in the middle of the day,” Imp groused, as we ventured outside. Atlas was waiting, and started half-crawling, half-flying alongside us.
“What does it matter to you?” I asked her. “It’s not like it makes any difference with your power.”
“It’s the principle of it,” Regent said. He was walking briskly to keep up with Imp, Atlas, and me. Despite everything we’d been through, he wasn’t one to exercise or take care of his body, and he huffed just a little to keep his breath. “This is the sort of maneuver you pull in the dead of night.”
I shook my head. “Circumstances are ideal right now. You don’t handicap yourself by trying to conform to any preconceived notions. Keep a goal in mind, look at everything through the lens of that goal, and look for paths to get what you want. If they’re prepared for you, you strike from an unexpected direction. If everyone else is expecting a maneuver from an oblique angle, you take a direct route.”
“See, that sounds like a whole lot of work,” Regent said, “Constantly thinking about that stuff. When do you sit back and chill out?”
“Either you make that kind of thinking a part of yourself, you lose a little sleep to achieve that ‘me’ time, or you don’t get to relax,” I said.
“Doesn’t sound fun at all,” Regent said.
“If it was easy to take over a city, more people would have managed it,” I said. “This is work. There’s always more to be done, whether you’re dealing with your enemies, dealing with your subordinates or coordinating with your allies. If you find you have free time, you’re probably fucking up.”
“Or!” he said, raising a finger, “I could delegate.”
“That’s a recipe for failure,” I told him.
“My dad managed it.”
Heartbreaker, I thought. I was put in mind of the images of Heartbreaker that had made the web. The villain, by virtue of his personal, extensive harem, had a whole cadre of women virtually climbing over each other for the chance to fawn over him and worship him. The pictures were a consequence of that, released by his ‘girls’, as Regent had termed them. Each picture depicted a man in his thirties or forties, depending on the time the picture in question had been taken. He had black hair, the scruff of a beard, and was invariably seen sitting or reclining on couches and beds, often shirtless, with women at the periphery of the image. He oozed confidence and raw sexuality, languid, more lanky than athletic.
I could envision Regent in a very similar picture. Years older, grown to his full height and proportions, surrounded not by women, but by the people he had claimed as his tools. Capes he controlled with his power. Acceptable targets perhaps, people who would be destined for the Birdcage or long sentences in prison, but still people. A different underlying theme than sexuality: Regent would be sitting casually on his throne, pampered in a very different way than I’d seen with his father, having been fed, washed and dressed by a half-dozen pairs of hands working in unison. Regent controlled people so absolutely that he would essentially be pampering himself; it was a charade. Almost the inverse of his father, in some ways, but still narcissistic at its core.
The idea bothered me more than I wanted to admit, and it bothered me in a way I couldn’t put my finger on. Did I not want him to become that? I did. I wanted him to be powerful, and that was what he’d naturally become, given his personality and powers. I wanted him to customize his lair like he was, because he’d inevitably have people he was controlling in there, and it would be worth a thousand times the amount it cost if it helped him convey a certain image.
Maybe part of it was the ease with which I could put Imp in that imaginary crowd of people who were waiting on him hand and foot.
I’d have to talk to Grue about that.
“You’ve gone quiet,” Regent said.
“Oh!” Imp closed the distance between us, wrapping both of her arms around one of mine, “Did he win the argument? Tell me he won the argument.”
“We’re discussing, not debating,” I said.
“People say that sort of thing when they’re losing,” she said.
I ignored her. “I was just wondering, Regent… do you really want to follow in your dad’s footsteps?”
He didn’t respond right away. He looked away from Imp and I both, as if he were idly observing the scenery.
“You’re a little bit of an asshole, aren’t you?” Regent asked.
“Only when I have to be,” I said, mildly surprised at the reaction.
“Fuck it,” Imp said, letting go of my arm. “Us two lesser members of the group need a little victory here and there. Need to win arguments, get more rep.”
“That’s why we’re here,” I said. “If everything goes well, today should serve several purposes, and one of those was that I wanted to see how you two are operating.”
“Great,” Regent commented, giving Imp a look. “Mom’s watching over us, making sure we’re doing it right.”
“For any of our enemies with the sense to realize it, you two are the scariest members of the Undersiders,” I said. “Let’s focus on using that.”
“I’m already using it,” Imp said.
“Probably,” I replied.
“You mean this is about me,” Regent said. “You ask us both to come along to tutor us in how to freak people out, but Imp doesn’t need any help, so this has to be about me.”
I suppressed a sigh. These two. “Not only you. Imp was doing a terrific job of terrorizing troublemakers in the territory she shared with Grue. She graduated to owning her own territory, and the fact that she’s there has been keeping Valefor and Eligos at bay. That’s good. But it can’t hurt to get an objective opinion and find out how to do it better. I do that, with Grue and Tattletale’s feedback.”
“I’m versatile,” Regent said. “Give me credit.”
“I’m not saying you aren’t, I’m saying we can always stand to improve,” I replied.
Regent tossed his scepter into the air and caught it. It bugged me, the idea that he might accidentally taze himself and collapse, with some bystander catching the thing on video. He knew it bugged me, and it was undoubtedly a very deliberate way to get on my case. I ignored it.
I thought about what Imp had done in Grue’s territory; Grue had filled me in on the basics and I’d heard more from people who’d been in that area. As standalone individuals, none of the members of our team had fully matured. We were finding our way, figuring out the roles we wanted and needed to take, adjusting our images.
Who would Imp be, a couple of years down the line? It was maybe bizarre to think about the future, with the way Tattletale had outlined the possible ends of the world, but it was defeatist to let things slide because things might end prematurely. I’d seen Imp change from someone on the periphery of the group, struggling to find a position, to a lesser terror. She’d cut down superpowered clones with ease, and she was fearless and reckless in a way that could only ease her journey down a bloodier path.
Would Imp become an assassin? At age eighteen or twenty, would she be an unholy terror, coldly and remorselessly executing enemies who couldn’t even be aware enough to guard against her? If Tattletale erased all records of Imp, if we employed measures to restrict people from tracking her on video cameras and the like, what might Imp become?
Both Regent as a successor to Heartbreaker and Imp as a murderer with a body count were possible. Even likely.
I wasn’t entirely sure what to do about that. With Imp, maybe I could have words with Grue, but Regent…
I was still thinking on the subject of Regent, searching for an angle I could use to convince him, when I was distracted. My swarm noted a number of soft movements, like a flurry of leaves in the wind.
Autumn was months away, there weren’t many trees around, and there wasn’t wind.
“Found them,” I said.
“Which?” Regent asked.
“Haven. The Fallen will be nearby. We’ve got Rosary in a combat mode, and Halo’s not in the air, as far as I can see, so they’re obviously geared up for a fight. In your territory,” I said, eyeing Regent.
“I could’ve done something if Tattletale called me first.”
I drew myself against a building, increasing the number of bugs I was using to scout for trouble. “What would you have done?”
“Waited until they were done fighting each other, go after the stragglers.”
“There’s a lot of flaws with that idea,” I said.
He shrugged. “I’m flexible. I could figure something out.”
The more I thought on it, the less sure I was that there was any way it’d really work. It was an easy way out.
I had a growing suspicion that Regent was interested in being in charge for more for the sake of being in charge than anything else. It made his position tenuous because he wasn’t doing much to hold it. If this was his modus operandi, then he risked being seen as more of a hyena that preyed on the weak than someone powerful.
“So… if Haven won, they’d arrest Valefor or Eligos, cart the pair off to jail and then leave. What would you do?”
“Don’t know. Would have to see the situation for myself.”
“Or if Valefor won, what would you even do? The members of Haven would be too dangerous to get near.”
“Again, I don’t know,” he said. He glanced at Imp. “Today’s going to be a fun day.”
Rosary wasn’t close, but her presence was unmistakable. Bugs I’d settled on a car were scattered into the air, carried aloft on paper-thin slices of stainless steel and glass. I had them take flight, returning in the general direction of the car, measured the progress of her power as more of the debris filled the air, surrounding her. I knew of her from some internet browsing and a few videos, but this was concrete information. They were details I could use in the event that I had to fight her.
Three or four seconds in all, for her power to erase the car, scattering it into the air as a storm of incredibly light, thin flakes of matter. Those same flakes flew around her like a tornado.
She raised one hand, covered in a fingerless glove with hard, metallic feathers or scales at the edges. The storm of petals altered in direction and intensity, the flakes flying forward. A small few of my bugs died where the flakes struck them at the right angle and speed. A storm of tiny, fragile blades. A lot of the petals were actually bouncing off of my wasps, bumblebees and cockroaches, leaving me suspicious that it would take a good while to kill someone with her power.
Up until the point where the petals converged together, reforming into a car tire, ten feet in the air. A man hurried to leap out of the way before it struck him. I realized it was Eligos. He wasn’t wearing the Endbringer costume. Something similar, but without the same theme. He hurried out of the way as more tires appeared above him.
“We’re going on the offensive,” I said. “We don’t come out looking like the top dogs if either of the two groups win.”
“We sucker punch them,” Regent said.
“Better to forewarn them just enough that it doesn’t feel like a sucker punch,” I told him.
“Don’t you get it?” Imp said. She feigned a condescending tone, “It doesn’t count if we don’t do it the hardest way possible.”
“It won’t be that hard,” I told them. I closed my eyes. “Let’s focus. Rosary. Deconstruction and reconstitution of matter, minor telekinesis with the fragments she creates. Apparently she can take things apart and then reform them so they fall on you.”
“Not a problem,” Imp said.
“Eligos manipulates wind, creates blades of telekinetically altered air that grow as they travel and boomerang back to him.”
“You’d be better at handling him,” Regent said.
“His wind will probably mess with my bugs. We take him together. One-two punch.”
“Halo packs a special ring. Kind of like Sundancer, but the thing doesn’t burn. It’s a hoop with a cutting edge, and it acts as a forcefield generator and spits out lasers.”
In the distance, Rosary was blocking Eligos’ path by reconstituting two trucks, blocking off one road.
“I take Halo?” Regent asked.
“Do. That leaves Valefor. I’ve got him,” I said.
I paused, bringing my swarm to the battlefield.
I’d used Atlas to travel to Regent’s territory, and I’d walked a short distance. Throughout, I’d been gathering flying insects and bugs. I’d been forming silk threads and cords.
Now they rose, flying in formations, just over the tops of the buildings, as they approached Rosary and Eligos. They meshed together into a barrier, nestled close enough to one another to filter out sunlight.
The area darkened visibly, and the droning of the bugs filled the air.
Rays of golden light speared into the swarm. They were persistent, unending, five steady beams that concentrated on areas where the bugs were thickest. Halo.
That left only one unknown. Valefor had to be somewhere nearby. The second he got a glimpse of me, it was over.
My swarm hit Eligos and Rosary. Eligos created a strong wind that whipped around him, driving the bugs away. Rosary used her power to shred the silk lines. In the face of the biting insects, however, she couldn’t do as much. The petals around her cut into the swarm, but it was minimal damage to a great many attackers.
She gathered the petals together to create a car without either wheels or a driver’s side door, and though she’d formed it with some bugs trapped inside, she climbed in and had the petals reconstitute into a door, creating a perfect seal.
Eligos put an end to that when he sent a blade of wind at the back of the car, shearing one corner of the vehicle. My bugs flowed into the open area, covering Rosary from head to toe. Her mask was hard, around her eyes, cheekbones and nose, ending in a sharp point, an etched metal plate, worked into her hood. It didn’t cover her lower face and it surrounded but didn’t cover her eyes.
“Come, and stay close,” I said, drawing the bugs around us. I walked briskly forward. Rosary had her petals, I had my bugs. If Valefor wanted us, he’d have to be clever. “And Regent?”
“I’m going to ask you a question later, and I’ll have my arms folded. I want you to lie.”
“Lie?” Imp asked, aghast. “So dishonest!”
“We’re honest villains, Skitter,” Regent said, taking a stern tone. “We earn our victories the right way, not through deceit and dishonesty.”
I rolled my eyes.
As we approached, I found Halo in my reach. My swarm approached him, and his halo zipped to his side, five feet in diameter and razor-edged. A force field protected the hero.
He was still rooted in place. One less person to deal with.
“Regent,” I said, touching his shoulder. My bugs spread out to create a clearing around us, and I pointed.
He turned to face Eligos, and I parted the bugs. Eligos was wearing only the bodysuit that went under whatever armor he’d been wearing, and a mask that covered his face, leaving only one eye exposed.
With a wave of his hand, Regent knocked Eligos over, causing one leg to buckle just as the other was involuntarily straightened. Eligos sprawled, and the wind briefly cut out. My swarm descended on him, and I began binding him in silk.
I had Atlas take to the air, as I worked more silk cords into the surroundings. “Be nice if this works.”
“What are you doing?” Imp. Her presence caught me off guard.
“Threads,” I said.
“He can cut threads,” Imp commented. “It won’t work.”
“I know he cuts threads,” I said. “Watch.”
Atlas passed over a space between two buildings, then dropped out of the sky. The string that extended between him and Eligos went taut. I had a series of threads strung between two buildings, and Atlas served as a counterweight, so Eligos could be hauled into the air.
“No way that holds,” Imp said.
“Never intended it to,” I told her.
Mandibles severed the thread, and Eligos fell. Three stories, give or take, and he landed on all fours. He screamed, and wind ripped through the area, scattering both bugs and petals. Eligos flopped over onto one side.
“Two left. Rosary and Valefor,” I said.
Rosary had disintegrated what remained of the car and was facing me, the multicolored petals a tight storm around her. I could only make out glimpses of her general silhouette. The rest I could fill in from my research. A young woman in a rose-tinted robe with gold leaves at the edges, and a gold-colored mask. She was silent.
“We have no quarrel with you,” she said. “We’re only here to deal with the Fallen.”
“Then kneel,” I said. I banished the bugs, and she almost staggered in relief, after holding firm against their onslaught.
She straightened her back and squared her shoulders, but didn’t respond.
“Kneel. This is our territory. If you pay the proper respect, I hand you Eligos and Valefor, and you can leave the city with no problems.”
“I could drop a car on your head.”
“And I could take you down as easily as I did Eligos.”
“Without silk?”
“Without silk,” I said.
She nodded slowly, then slowly knelt, dropping to one knee. Her eyes, behind her mask, were glaring at me.
“What would you have done if I hadn’t?” she asked.
“Not my style to give away plans to the enemy,” I said.
“You could be bluffing.”
“I’m not. I would have disabled you, knocked you out and Regent would have used his power to seize control of you.”
Her eyes widened a fraction.
“Regent, you can use your power on unconscious people, right?” I asked.
Regent shrugged, “Obviously.”
There was the lie.
“That simple,” I told Rosary. “He can assume control instantly, once he’s had control over someone once.”
“That crosses a line.”
“I’m far less concerned about crossing lines these days,” I told her. “But you only broke one rule. We’d let you go, with the idea that we’d seize control of you if you ever came back. We’ll do that with anyone and every-”
I stopped. Imp had appeared at a grocery store nearby. She was speaking in a low voice, murmuring.
“…Skitter said she’d take you on and she can use her bugs to attack you without being seen and she can hear and see this so she knows…”
“Fuck!” I growled the word.
“Valefor got her,” Regent drew the obvious conclusion..
“I told her to stay close,” I said, breaking into a run. Rosary wasn’t even a consideration.
“She’s not the type to listen!” Regent huffed. Rosary started to follow us, then hesitated, glancing at Eligos.
“Watch him!” I barked the order, augmenting my voice with the combined drones, chirps and buzzes of all the bugs in the area. The heroine stopped where she was.
Regent and I were thoroughly shrouded by bugs when we reached the grocery store. There were only a handful of people inside, every one of them rooted in place.
Stranger-type capes were classified that way due to their capabilities in stealth and subterfuge. Valefor was more the latter. He wasn’t stealthy, exactly, but his ability to perpetrate subterfuge was devastating.
One look, and his target was stunned, rendered eminently suggestible. A hypnotic gaze, so to speak.
He’d played up the telepathy angle before people caught on, and the costume that echoed the Simurgh was a token to that. The fact that he could leave suggestions that only triggered under certain conditions was another part of it. ‘Attack so-and-so next week’. ‘Set fire to your workplace the next time your boss pisses you off’.
Capes with powers that allowed them to compel others walked a fine line. Even without murder, Valefor was pushing that line.
“To everyone listening, if that swarm or any of the people inside move away from that spot, or if something happens to me,” a young girl spoke in a man’s voice, stepping out of the sheltering embrace of a middle-aged woman. “Kill yourselves or do your best to kill them, I don’t care which.”
I’d taken her for a scared kid in the company of her mother. No. She’d… he’d compelled a woman to pretend to be his mother, and my roving insects hadn’t thought twice about it.
It was Valefor, in a teenage girl’s top and skinny jeans, with long, straight blond hair, and makeup caked onto his face to hide the tattoo.
“…and forget I gave these orders,” he finished.
That would be one reason for the stranger classification, right there.
The orders to kill or commit suicide were a surprise to me, but he was more than capable of covering his tracks.
“Imp,” Valefor said. “Find and kill your teammates. I want you to kill yourself when you’re done trying. Go, and forget I gave this order.”
Imp drew her knife with one hand and her taser with the other. She paused a second, and then charged for Regent and I.
I tensed. I had options, but if any of his hostages read it as a cue to kill themselves- no.
I could shoot from the midst of the cloud, but then we’d be paralyzed. There was no guarantee that Valefor’s influence would end with his death.
I’d told myself I’d be heartless, but this wasn’t what I’d meant.
Imp turned a right angle, moments before plunging into the swarm. She charged for Valefor.
He reacted, giving an order, “Everyone listening, kill yo-”
He didn’t get any further. She kicked, directing the attack between Valefor’s legs.
Valefor hit the ground, and Imp kicked him between the legs once more for good measure.
“Cancel the orders, fuckwit!” she growled, dropping on top of him. Her knife pressed against Valefor’s throat.
“How-”
She backhanded him across the face, striking him in one cheekbone with the knife handle. “Cancel!”
I could sense the crowd relaxing. People hurried away from the scene. It took more than a minute before they were all gone.
Imp struck Valefor again.
“Regent got one in, I wanted one too,” she said. She spat at Valefor.
I tentatively moved bugs, then settled them around his eyes. Valefor struggled, but froze when Imp pressed the knife against his throat.
Regent got one in?
“You… voluntarily gave him control over you?” I asked.
“Little while back,” Imp said. “I wanted to see what it was like. Could come in handy. Did come in handy.”
It’s Regent, I thought. I’d fought beside him in life and death scenarios and I would never have allowed him to take control of me. Couldn’t fathom it.
Was there a way I could diplomatically say as much?
None I could think of, right this minute.
“I can’t imagine submitting myself to that,” I said.
“Riskier for you,” she said. “For me, his power over me shorts out when I use my power, and that’s any time he slips up or goes to sleep. Then he forgets who I am, and I’m free to come after him and fuck him up.”
“Eviscerate me in my sleep,” Regent said, too jovially.
“Exactly,” Imp said, sounding just as pleased with herself. “And I know him. He’s not about to fuck with me with the amount of work it’d take to keep track of me.”
“Told you, Dork,” Regent commented. “I’m versatile.”
I didn’t have a response to that. I glanced at Imp. “Tell me something only Imp would know.”
“Seriously?” Regent asked.
“I could tell you that there’s a mole on your back,” Imp said.
That took me a second to process. When had I ever had my clothes off where she could see?
Not her. Brian.
“You were there?”
“I stopped in. I wanted to see if my brother was okay. Believe me, I wish I hadn’t.”
She was there. Then.
“Wait, what’s this?” Regent asked.
“It’s not important,” I said, my voice tight.
“I’ll tell you later,” Imp said.
“Don’t,” I said, in a warning tone.
There was a pause. I could tell the pair of them were having too much fun at my expense.
But there was still an enemy to deal with.
She looked down at Valefor. Her tone was more serious as she said, “I didn’t think this man-slut would be able to see me.”
“You know his powers,” I said, glad for the change of topic. “Hypnotic stare, Tattletale said he might have other senses or augmented awareness to track his victims.”
“It’s fine,” Imp said. She adjusted her hold on the knife. “Worked out.”
“Yeah,” Regent said.
“I guess you two got a victory,” I said, “A little… what did you call it?”
“Rep,” Imp said.
“Rep.”
Long seconds passed.
“I could control him,” Regent said.
“What’s the point?” Imp asked.
“It’d be an advantage,” I said. “And I suppose it’s up to you two what we do next. It’s your territory, Regent.”
And I want to see how you operate, when left to your own devices.
“Pain in the ass,” Regent said.
“We let him go, he’s going to come after us,” Imp said.
“Probably,” I agreed.
“You want us to turn him in,” Regent told me.
“I’m not saying that,” I answered.
Regent studied me, “You’re here for a reason, and it’s not just babysitting us, being an overbearing boss and making sure we do the job right. Let’s not waste time. Out with it.”
I kept my voice low, so Valefor couldn’t hear. “I said you and Imp were the scariest members of our group. You heard what I said to Rosary. How I was going to let her believe that we could take control of her at any second, so long as she’s in the city.”
“Fear. Ruling through fear. How do we get the maximum result for the minimum effort?”
“I like the sound of this,” Regent said.
“We make our enemies paranoid,” I told him. “We get them scared enough that they start devoting more effort than is necessary to dealing with us. Feed them misinformation. With your power, we have an easy way to keep any enemy we capture from wanting to enter the city, and so long as we let them go, rather than using them, we’re not drawing enough heat to get a kill order put on our heads.”
It was the best I could do. This was the crossroads, as far as I was concerned. If he didn’t take to this idea, the Regent I’d envisioned was likely to come to pass. If he did accept the idea… well, it was still likely, but I could have hope.
“Huh,” Regent said.
Apparently that was the only answer I was about to get.
“What do we do with him?” Imp said. She had the knife in Valefor’s mouth. “I’m going to get a cramp, leaning over him like this.”
“We can hold onto him long enough for Regent to seize him,” I said, “Then let him go. Or turn him into custody. But there’s no guarantee he wouldn’t use his power to control someone and turn them into an unwitting assassin.”
“If he hasn’t already set some up,” Imp said.
“If he hasn’t,” I agreed.
I thought briefly of my dad. If Valefor had been feeling malicious…
I put the idea out of my head.
“We could trust the PRT to look after him,” Regent said, somber. “They’re professionals, they know how to deal with dangerous villains.”
He didn’t manage to hold it in for long. He chuckled in near-silence, his shoulders shaking.
“The other possibility,” I said, “Is stripping him of his powers.”
I reached behind me, and found a small metal container. I tipped out the contents into my palm, and then held out my hand so Regent could see.
“If you’re up for it…” Regent trailed off.
“I’m done with holding back,” I said. “Decisive action. No mercy for those who don’t deserve mercy.”
“Right,” Regent said.
I approached Valefor and Imp.
Valefor heard the footsteps, must have felt the impact as I stepped forward, standing over him. He shook his head violently, oblivious to the knife Imp had placed in his mouth. That, or he’d overheard something I’d said and didn’t care anymore.
He managed to shake enough bugs off that he could open his eyes. He fixed his gaze on me, and I froze. My thoughts dissolved to warm, wet, white noise.
The maggots, millipedes and centipedes dropped from my hand. A part of me that was aware without being quite conscious controlled them, carried out my intent. They spilled onto his face, and moved toward his eyes. The stronger bugs helped pave the way for the others, leveraging the eyelids away from the eyes so the maggots could pass beneath.
“No!” he shouted, around the knife. “Sto-”
Imp shifted position. She was kneeling on his chest, and she moved the knife, bringing one knee into Valefor’s chin. I could feel the force of the impact through the bugs on his face.
“Oh god,” Imp said, “Gross. Gross, gross, gross. Did I get any of them on me?”
My thoughts were clearing. I blinked, and the movement felt painfully slow, as though I were almost asleep.
“You didn’t get any bugs on you,” I said, stepping on Valefor’s right hand. Imp held his left with one hand, and held the knife’s blade against Valefor’s makeup-caked lips. He groaned and writhed beneath her grip.
“They stink,” Imp complained.
“You’re imagining it.”
“I’m really not.”
Valefor’s struggles continued. His writhing intensified, and it got to the point where he had to turn his head to throw up.
When he turned his head my way, his eyes moved over me, unseeing. His chest was heaving as though he’d just run a long distance.
“Let him up,” I said.
Imp backed off, We pulled Valefor to a standing position.
“Walk,” I told him.
He was almost defeated in demeanor as we marched him in the general direction of Rosary. He looked like he had tears streaming down his face, but it was only the leaking vitreous fluids.
“Fear,” I said. “Remember what Bakuda said? You have to be unpredictable, but you balance it with certainties. Realities.”
“It’s a little fucked that you’re taking cues from the psycho bomb girl,” Regent commented.
“Yeah,” I said. I wasn’t about to deny it. “But I’d prefer more certainties than unpredictable elements. The punishment fits the misdeed.”
And if you take that to heart, then today’s worth whatever bad karma I reap from this, I thought.
“The look on Rosary’s face is going to be delicious,” Imp said. “Doesn’t Haven have a major hate-on for the Fallen?”
“They do,” I said, “But when we meet her, don’t say anything.”
“What’s the fun in that?”
“It’s the effect,” I said. “Trust me.”
“I’m supposed to bribe you?”
“Fo’ sho,” she said.
“Ice cream,” I said. I can’t buy ice cream as Taylor anymore. “I’ll pay for it, you pick it up.”
Rosary was on guard as we approached, her stance intensifying as she recognized Valefor. The petals were a storm around her.
I shoved Valefor, and he tripped and sprawled in front of the heroine.
She stared down at him. He raised his head, and I could see her tense.
“I was expecting medusa’s head,” Rosary said, when Valefor hung his head again. It looked like he was trying to avoid gagging.
What? I could remember the myth, but… what? I kept my mouth shut rather than ask.
“He’s blind,” she voiced the realization out loud. “You blinded him.”
I nodded, still silent.
“Permanently?”
I had to give a response, now. “He’ll need antibiotics. Both Valefor and Eligos will need medical care. It’s up to you whether you save his vision.”
I nodded once.
“We had it handled,” she said.
“Our city, our business,” I said. “Next time, ask. We’ll deal with it. You leave, now, and you ask permission before you set foot in Brockton Bay again.”
“Or we can expect a fight.”
“Expect consequences,” I said. I looked down at Valefor. “See to his eyes.”
I turned and led the other two in walking away.
“What-” Regent started. I held up a finger.
When we were out of earshot of Rosary, I dropped the finger.
“What’s with that?” he asked.
“We got what we needed.”
“You didn’t even mention how you blinded him,” Imp said.
“It’s about using fear as a tool,” I told her. “The unknown is always better than the known. Silence is better than almost anything we could say. For example, you can leave them wondering just why Valefor’s power didn’t work on you. And consider the reaction when they realize just why he’s blind. Maggots packed into his eyeballs.”
Imp shuddered visibly. “How?”
“That’s the exact question they’ll be asking,” I told her. “In case you’re wondering-”
“-Centipedes and bigger bugs opened a path through the external layers. Maggots crawled inside. Nothing critical damaged. Probably repairable, though I’m not an expert in anatomy.”
She shivered again, “My eyes are watering. Total heebie-jeebies.”
I didn’t reply to that. I was more focused on Regent.
“We okay?” I asked him.
He shrugged. “Sure.”
Noncommittal response, no clue as to whether he’d take my suggestion on using his power to scare people away without creating a harem like his dad. I hadn’t really expected anything else.
“So gross,” Imp muttered.
But he had the ability to take control of Imp.
I needed to have a discussion with Grue. A very careful discussion.
This entry was posted in 21.03 and tagged Atlas, Eligos, Halo, Imp, Regent, Rosary, Taylor, Valefor by wildbow. Bookmark the permalink.
Regent said, constantly thinking about that stuff. When do you sit back and chill out?”
Missing the opening set of quotes.
xdrngy on March 23, 2015 at 10:42 said:
Claiming this for the typo thread
“for more for”
Extra for
Alfaryn on July 31, 2019 at 17:25 said:
Two dots at the end of the sentence.
What do the maggots in Valefor’s eye sockets do when they are no longer in Skitter’s range? “Neuro-retina? It’s not just for breakfast anymore!” Hopefully they will see the wisdom of letting him go blind because he deserves that. Maybe next time he’ll show a bit of respect to the local crime lord.
maggots only eat dead tissue, its one of the reasons they are used medically to clean wounds.
I believe I have been told that they will move on to eating live flesh if no dead flesh is available.
Guess they better feed some hamburger meat to his eyes.
I don’t know which is crazier, the statement or the fact that it makes sense…
EcchiDragon 80 on September 19, 2017 at 10:02 said:
This is making me giggle and gag at the same time. It’s … a strange and slightly disconcerting feeling
kudos to you for that!
It depends primarily on the species used- There are a few that will eat any flesh, not merely necrotized flesh, but even then with the maggots used for surgical therapy it’s more because they consume the necrotized flesh via enzyme dissolving the tissue. Too many maggots in the wound will produce too much enzyme and that will damage, then necrotize, living flesh around the wounded tissue- Which will then be liquified as per normal dead flesh. Similarily, if they’re left for too long, and left to starve, then their enzyme will, of course, pool enough to start consuming living tissue as per too many maggots, as well.
Andrew on January 6, 2014 at 12:15 said:
Dont try this at home kids.
Lokesh Chandak on September 1, 2018 at 12:34 said:
So. I realized I am an idiot. I was about to laugh at how someone above has so much interest in maggots. That was when I remembered that I am reading a story where the lead character can control said maggots.
Rika, stop trying to ruin my view of Valefor’s eye maggots reaching out as someone pushes a tiny chunk of hamburger meat into his eye to be devoured.
It’s almost got a Corinthian vibe to it.
Felix The Katt on October 19, 2015 at 14:05 said:
Maybe I’m missing something, but I see very little sportsmanlike about his eyeballs splitting open as tiny mutant grasping hands reach out like a demented baby bird…
Squirrelloid on May 20, 2016 at 06:16 said:
Corinthian is a character in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman run with mouths where his eyes should be, and they do bite.
One supervillain group down. One to go.
You know, I was talking about Worm to a group of people on Sunday (just about forty-eight hours ago, in fact), and mentioned how the protagonist — who had the power to control bugs and spiders and such — had her first fight against a man who could produce fire out of thin air, had a healing factor, and, as he fought, got bigger, stronger, and more heavily armored, eventually to the point of becoming a dragon.
One of them replied to the effect that that was a way stronger power.
My reply was, “So you’d think.”
Good chapter, wildbow.
So you’d think. Well said.
I actually thought that I might have inadvertently been giving a spoiler by hinting that Skitter’s power was way better than Lung’s, but on reflection the details of her power that give it such versatility and strength are right there in the first arc — it just takes a little while for her to get to the point of exploiting them fully.
Good chapter. We haven’t seen these guys in a while, and it’s good to see Taylor hasn’t forgotten about anyone. Honestly, with all Heartbreaker has been mentioned, I hope he comes up in the story in person a little. Preferably paired with humiliation from Regent.
So she blinded someone. Again. When she talked about taking away his power, I instantly thought she’d acquired some Cauldron super potion somewhere, but it seems she went the much simpler route. Interesting way of resolving the problem, and it was effective. Half of her immediate enemies, gone just like that. I’m guessing the others won’t be easy, just by virtue of worm. I still haven’t gotten as much of a handle on her new personality as I’ll get over the next few chapters, but I’m glad to know she truly isn’t as crazy as she acted in that raid for an bit.
Just as a funny side note, my roommate was snoring, so I turned on some music to read this. Unfortunately, all I have on my iPad is Hairspray at the moment. Let me tell anyone that listening to peppy, jazzy songs while reading about various maggots and bugs invading someone’s eyes is freaking weird.
Oh sorry, meant to place this in a new section.
Opticon on April 16, 2013 at 00:42 said:
I wouldn’t know about the soundtrack, but wasn’t there a song about being covered in the big dance off at the end? Been a while since I saw it.
Seems to me like it’s been implied, at least, that Heartbreaker isn’t around anymore. In this chapter, she says that the pictures of him showed him in his thirties or forties. It could be that he’s fortysomething now or it could be that he was fortysomething when he died or when to the Birdcage. There was some dialogue about him back when Cherish and Regent first met back in the S9 business; that might have more details that I’m forgetting.
He’s still looking for them, Cherish could sense him and could stop anyone who came after her- Regent doesn’t have quite the leisure in dealing with them like that, all things given. From the wording it’s quite well implied he’s still alive.
Dis on April 16, 2013 at 02:09 said:
I went from the Animals to Icona Pop over the course of this chapter. Interesting combinations.
TARDISES on July 4, 2014 at 13:13 said:
I suppose it’s somewhat more fitting than what I was listening to for part of it.
I was listening to the BGM of the snowboarding section in Ice Cap in Sonic Adventure.
TheAnt on April 16, 2013 at 00:26 said:
Things we learned. Regent’s cardinal sin is sloth, he really doesn’t want to put in the work but wants all the rewards. He and Imp are closer in ways than Skitter and Brian would probably be comfortable with. Taylor at least had her shirt off when she was with Brian and Imp saw them together. I can just picture Regent making faces at them. Skitter has really taken Bakuda’s lessons to heart on how to use fear. She is really manipulating the others here. She blinds another person, who probably deserved worse. I can just picture the rumor mill saying she collects the eyes of her enemies. But her vision of the future is interesting. I don’t think Aisha has killed a anyone who wasn’t an evil clone yet, and I thought Regent couldn’t control more than one person at a time. In our next issue its the Undersiders vs. The Teeth.
He can, but it’s trickier — his multitasking is many orders of magnitude weaker than Skitter’s, for one thing. Best example is in his Arc 11 Interlude, when he protects himself from Cherish’s power by controlling all the minions she’s trying to emotion-jammer.
Okay so he can control more but he is far less coordinated when he control multiple people at a time.
Skitter/Regent would make a terrifying people-graft for Bonesaw.
I always pictured Bonesaw putting her demented desire for family to it’s ultimate conclusion by grafting herself to someone. Skitter with a tiny bonesaw off her back would be freaky as hell but Skitter would probably put her powers to good use.
Skitter wouldn’t be the one controlling Bonesaw if that were the case, TheAnt. And that’s not a good thought.
I have learned to never underestimate her. I can picture Bonesaw being in for a rude awakening.
Bonesaw may be insane, but she’s not sloppy.
Er, isn’t that EXACTLY what Bonesaw did to that poor plant Tinker, TheAnt?
She just turned him into a puppet that she controls, she didn’t literally graft herself to him. She is probably feeling lonely, and she doesn’t have Siberian to cuddle with when it gets dark.
That’s what she did in the long run, but in his interlude she did stick her prehensile spine down his throat and hijack his nervous system when she needed a pair of legs.
…at the very least can we get a damn mercy kill on Blasto?
Oh god. That’s the most terrifying thing I’ve heard of in quite a while. Combine it with Lung, so you have the healing factor and brute strength and you have the ultimate cape.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=sbK_427kUs0&feature=endscreen < Regent and Imp, perhaps? ❤
Character development for probably the two least characterized major characters! So, Taylor is worried about Regent later going overboard, and Taylor also seems to be thinking much longer term. Any predications as to how this issue with Regent will turn out (and how the conversation with Grue will turn out?)
Regent is tricky because we are still unsure of his feelings towards others. From his interlude we know he is loyal to the team and deals with anyone who messes with them, but we don’t know how he really feels about them as people. He seems to value Imp’s friendship, and seemed like close friends with Grue when we first saw them interacting but who knows beyond that. He does acknowledge Skitter’s authority and expertise and uncharacteristcally reacted very strongly when she compared him to his dad. I think that he’ll be given instructions, and go with them after grumbling because he doesn’t see the effort of fighting/arguing with Skitter. Grue is going to be a very interesting conversation. I envision him hanging out with regent, putting his hand on him and saying,” You’re my friend but I will fuck you up if you hurt Aisha in any way.”
I get the feeling that Alec and Aisha are probably pretty close. It’s hard to tell because they’re the members of the group Taylor interacts with least, and we haven’t had an interlude from either in some time, but I remember Aisha complaining to Brian at some point about wanting to go over to Regent’s place to play video games or something. Knowing how often Aisha just wanders off doing what she likes without anyone noticing, the fact that it actually came up means she probably goes over there pretty frequently.
My guess is that…well, let’s just say that shipping them would be a bit redundant.
Jefepato on April 16, 2013 at 00:26 said:
So, wait. Taylor can subconsciously control the bugs while she’s being hypnotized to that level?
She needs a much higher Thinker rating.
She deserves a much higher Thinker rating — it doesn’t actually do her any harm to be underestimated. 😛
To be fair, it’s been stated that they keep doing her last order, and she has some control of them even when her thoughts are elsewhere and it was hinted at(unless my memory is playing tricks on me) that they will act on her will even while she’s unconcious or asleep. Someone who is being hypnotised is far more capable than someone who is asleep.
Actually that may be due to the fact that bugs in her range keep acting on their last command if she stops giving them commands. When Valefor looked at her, she lost the ability to keep commanding her bugs. So they just followed the previous command of “crawl onto this guy’s face”.
Ooh, that’s a clever thought! And, once again, it plays into the ‘make them wonder’ aspect of things — there aren’t many people who know that’s how her power works.
Well, not just “crawl onto this guy’s face.” They blinded him in a pretty specific way. Unless she’d started giving the order to blind him because she thought he might be about to get a look at her, which I guess is just the sort of clever that helps Skitter keep winning.
I think you have the causality backwards — he only got a chance to look at her because she wanted his eyes accessible in order to blind him.
She gave bugs the order to put money into bags and take it, and they kept doing that through her entire fight with Lung while she was busy getting a giant handprint bruised into her.
Her bugs have been shown to possess some autonomy in how to fullfill her orders, if I recall correctly.
chrnno on April 16, 2013 at 07:34 said:
Yes, as mentioned in the interlude that wasn’t Taylor subconciously distributes the bugs afterwards so that the ecosystem is back to what it was before. Seems to suggest to me that her multi-tasking is both a conscious and subconscious thing.
also, she loses control when he starts to hypnotize her, but he would have to command her to stop moving the bugs to get her to do so, no time to stop them.
Don’t forget, everyone, that Bonesaw was surprised by how Taylor was still controlling her bugs even after the part of her brain (the Gemma) that normally controls powers was disabled. Read the first part of Snare 13.9:
https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/snare-13-09/
That’s what I was thinking of too. I just figured because she uses the insect brains as added processing power. Not much of a bonus in small groups, but a huge bonus when she gets the big swarms around.
I think this is more symbiosis with her passenger more than anything to do with her brain directly. But that’s just my pet theory.
If that was the case, why would powers functioning when that part of the brain is disabled be unexpected?
This reminds me of a very interesting discussion I’ve had about super-jails. The law states that if it is absolutely necessary in order to ensure incarceration of the subject, it’s not cruel and unusual punishment. Such as sticking Reagent in solitary to be fed by an automated system. Or the electrical cuffs on Shadow Stalker.
Could she have just blindfolded him? Yes. But due to the nature of his powers, as their brief discussion, that would not have ensured that his capture. Is she qualified to make that judgment, could she have done it another way? Given the nature of the system and the fact that she has some claim to being a legitimate authority… the first is almost debatable, and the second is a certifiable Yes.
But it’s pretty clear that this is a War Of Public Relations. She is Fair to those under her care, and brutal to those that oppose her. Reminds me of a certain short-lived Prince of Wallachia. He had a war on two sides, and had to avoid dealing with threats from with in. So, he adopted a zero tolerance policy to the larger criminals, and made sure everyone was aware of it. When his armies were forced to retreat, he denied them the spoils of war and burned the land.
His preferred method of making an example earned him a rather notable nickname. Vlad the Impaler.
There are certainly worse people to use as a role model. He managed to get his throne back after being ousted… only to eventually get killed for his troubles. Though, I’m not sure “Infestation” or “Pestilence” is really an improvement over Skitter.
Skitter is avoiding making one mistake that ol’ Vlad made, though. She’s ensuring that there are plenty of examples of her being reasonable and helpful. It’s much harder to paint someone as a demon when they have an entire city of safe, fed, reasonably happy people singing their praises, and every contribution to ending a Class S threat she makes is one more tick in the “We can’t afford to have her assassinated” column. Also, Vlad III lived to the ripe old age of 45. It was his reign(s) that was(were) short.
In short, she’s walking the fine line between healthy respect and terror. She’s done a good job of it so far, and her opponents have still be pretty frightened of her. Now that she’s doing more things to justify fear, we might start seeing some more unreasonable responses.
I thought he was killed the second time. I really need to brush up on him.
That said, most of his people loved him. It was the countries on either side that demonised him. To this day, the people of the area believe he’ll return, and his populous loved him. The (Correct me if I’m mispelling this) Boyards? hated him. His fellow nobles. The fact that he killed the last batch to put them there might have had something to do with it.
Though I will agree with you about her walking the fine line. As Machiavelli himself said, it’s better to be loved than feared, but it’s easier to command fear. Of course, he also said the ideal state was to be both loved and feared.
And, of course, the one thing you NEVER want to be is hated, or so says Machiavelli. I think, outside of people like Tagg, she’s succeeded in that pretty well. I mean, Weld and Kid Win and Clockblocker and the like…a lot of them probably don’t like her, and some of them defintely oppose her and think she’s wrong…but I didn’t get the impression that any of them (other than Assault, of course) hated her.
maggots in eyes is an awful, AWFUL mental image… yet i find myself more creeped out that Imp metaphorically gave herself to Regent.
they’re building up to be as creepy a pairing as Night and Fog *shudder*
Well her power makes it so he can’t truly control her and I thought they would make a cute couple. A couple who will probably cause no small amount of mayhem and chaos for shit and giggles, but they aren’t as close as the trio are to each other so I thought it was inevitable.
He could totally control her – he just needs to park her somewhere secure and well-labelled when not in use and have her leave comprehensive notes before letting her free of his grip.
A set-aside cell with “If this door is closed, Imp is secured within. Do not open” would do the trick nicely.
Fortunately for Aisha, he’s probably too lazy to go to the effort. But he could if he really wanted to…
Avalanche on September 12, 2016 at 18:31 said:
The funny thing is, controlling Imp wouldn’t do him as much good as with other capes, since if he tried to use her power he’d lose control.
I find it cute.
It’s all about trust and for a guy like Regent that trust could mean an incredible amount. Even lessened by the nature of her power.
Also as theAnt points out, those two have the potential to commit hilarious amounts of large scale prankage.
I love Regent’s Throne Room so damn much.
Mutually assured destruction is, I assure you, not the worst relationship dynamic by a long shot.
There was to much squick in the end for me to say much about the rest of the chapter.
*offers you some white rice*
that one took me a moment, but when it hit me, well
One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach. All the damn vampires.
I’m freaking sitting here, eating fried rice with mushrooms and red pepper mixed in with sausage half-rounds (silce a sausage down the length, then into rounds). While reading. Imagine how I feel right now.
Like the sausage and red pepper was a bad idea?
You going to finish that rice?
Actually, yes I am. (It helps that I’ve had roasted maggots, chocolate covered honey ants, and fried grasshoppers before.)
that sounds deliscious.
The maggots (well, mealworms) tasted mostly of butter, chives, garlic, and thyme; We lightly sauteed them with those spices then just capped the pan with a lid and popped it into the oven to bake, and they didn’t really have much of a taste other than the spices we cooked them in.
The grasshoppers… Well, I think they were over-fried, because they tasted like burnt oil and grass with a squishy, earthy and bitter sorta taste, not really that pleasant; Probably just the ones that I had, since I’ve heard others say they didn’t taste anything like that, and they WERE homemade by a friend beforehand. Might have been undercooked, now that I think about it.
As for the chocolate covered honey ants… they were just absolutely DIVINE. Baker’s semisweet chocolate coating melted and poured into silicon molds pre-filled with a honey ant, eaten like any chocolate after they’d solidified in the freezer, but with this juicy, naturally sweet center~ I want to have more now. ;_;
Oh god, that actually disgusted me more than the chapter itself. Why did I picture it, why!?
Did it look something like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A80j2BuMaU
Very interesting chapter. It’s going to take another read through to really process it, but I suspect the squick factor will be fairly polarizing for the fan base. “She cut out someone’s eyes” has come up a lot already and that was in regards to someone who was going to grow them back.
In this case, the recovery of them is more questionable, but the need to remove them, in my view, is still reasonable. Given the crime, the punishment was even on the lenient side.
Also, on another note, I gotta say I’m finding our two potential psychos sort of adorable. It’s nice to see Skitter away of where they could go off the rails, and amusing to think of what they might end up like together if they can manage to stay away from their “harem dude” and “assassin chick” fates.
It really isn’t much worse than when she carved out lung’s eyes, as in both cases the damage is repairable. I would posit that the fan-base currently has read past that point, so any readers commenting now *should* be fine with it. Or at least not totally put off.
It’s not as clear in this case that it is reversible. Skitter thinks it is, and we in the comments have come up with reasons why it may be, but barring parahuman intervention it’s entirely possible that his sight will be irreparably damaged. Whereas she had every reason to be sure that Lung would get his eyes back as good as new.
There’s also the issue of while it may be possible to reverse it, especially with timely medical attention, those with the capability to do so have pretty damn good reason not too.
In Lungs case his eyes were coming back whether anyone wanted it or not.
ThePagemaster on April 16, 2013 at 00:36 said:
This chapter made me giggle.
Today was a good day for fewer explosions and more laughter.
“Meh, I could take her.” – Valefor
Is there a trope for that? If not, I feel like that should be a trope. It would be in the entry for half the characters in Worm.
Bullying a Dragon, and it’s already listed under his entry.
It’s on the main entry now, but is Kneel Before Zod CMoA-worthy?
Well she was bluffing, but I think it appropriate to show how much she has grown as a villain. The other two reminds me of the dark knight where he counts on the fact that he mobster would survive the fall. She is rather cruel but they DO worship the endbringers and the guy was going to kill people.
I meant the thing with making Rosary kneel.
Oh that was awesome, but I thought how she handled the other two was as well.
Cybertramon001 on April 16, 2013 at 05:05 said:
I would also think of Mugging a Monster. People think Skitter as dangerous as the stories say. Then they learn that she is that dangerous. There is a couple of stories about someone trying to mug Superman, Darkseid, tiny Godzilla, Chuck Norris. Valefor probably thought that a worshipper of Endbringers would be tougher than a school girl.
Mugging The Monster and Bullying a Dragon are related tropes, but there’s a key difference: the former has someone attack a vastly more powerful opponent in ignorance of their target’s abilities (e.g. Emma targeting Taylor) while the latter has someone try to screw with a vastly more powerful opponent despite knowing their target’s strength (e.g. the robbers in 20.1).
Taylor might deserve a Dude, Where’s My Respect? entry, though.
Dread Pirate on March 1, 2018 at 14:23 said:
I think the best fit is Underestimating Badassery.
That little girl? She couldn’t possibly have rotted a dragon-man’s crotch off, stabbed out his eyes, taken down several capes perceived as direct counters to her, including several *invincible* capes (glory girl, eidolon-clone, echinda), scared the slaughterhouse 9 out of town, stabbified an endbringer, forced at least 2 notable hero-capes to leave the scene and is working on bringing even more down. Theres no way one person could have done all that in less than a year after her debut.
Hm, ok I can see how some of that can be a bit unbelieveable, even if only about half of it is really known about.
@Clarvel: s/”less than a year”/”less than three months”.
Also, some of the stories might be disbelieved because Skitter likes to fool people into thinking she has powers she lacks — like transforming her body into a swarm of insects.
As with pagemaster, this chapter brought me much laughter.
The brilliance of how badly Valefor lost was a large part of that.
Haven and the Fallen just got crushed.
Even worse…this is one of those times where style backfired on him.
If he had beaten them while dressed as a teenage girl, it would have been humiliating for them. Instead, he’s going to be taken into custody, blind, and probably photographed in women’s clothing.
Not that there’s anything wrong with enjoying those clothes, but you have to admit it adds some humiliation to his defeat if he doesn’t being dressed that way.
His mask is a stylized woman’s face — I don’t think being caught in woman’s clothing bothers him.
Here here.
It will if he gets sent to the Birdcage where they separate males and females, and he can’t use his power to defend himself.
Dues on April 16, 2013 at 02:27 said:
Because then his makeup will be ruined?
Yeah I didn’t bother taking this guy seriously at all. Oh he has scary hyno eyes! Psss this girl survived a burning building and an army. And she has at minimum a two to three block range. Completely ignoring the merchants who were taken out with tea on the side. Yeah dude never had any chance at all. Which made his posturing so entertaining! I was like 3…2…1…ah there.
That was pretty brutal, wildbow.
I wonder if any of the heroes are going to lose it and just vomit everywhere when they find out how he’s blinded. XD
TinkerTailor on April 16, 2013 at 00:40 said:
First impressions – I liked the “I’m far less concerned about crossing lines these days.” Makes the message pretty clear if Rosary spreads it around – the PRT stop caring about the Unspoken Rules, Skitter does to.
I also thought that was a pretty clever way to resolve the very sticky hypnotised-Imp situation. Imp’s power is largely mental, isn’t it? Regent might not be able to switch it on. Doesn’t make the the fact that he can puppeteer her now much better, but still. I expect a confrontation between Grue and Regent quite soon.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go rub my eyes for an hour.
That’s what I was thinking to. She doesn’t have much incentive to play nice in any way now. Plus, I really liked the Kneel Before Zod moment.
I tell ya, if she really wanted to make him feel it, she could have snuck an army of maggots up his poop shoot. How’d you like intestines full of those little buggers? Wriggling around, feeling them moving in there, weighing you down.
now that Taylor is going darkside i wonder if she will re-think the whole give them crabs idea.
There are certain kinds of tapeworms that multiply and leave through the nose, mouth, and anus. There are probably a few skin parasites that she could use to punish people with. We got a new quote. Hard to imagine Taylor at the beginning telling a superhero to kneel. Plus did you notice when she told her to watch him with through the bugs and she listened.
Kneel before Taylor Hebert!
If they don’t, cue my bullet brethren biting behind the knees.
TheAnt: Stinging. Bullet Ants’ bites are strong, in that they can be used to suture wounds by twisting off the head after it bites it shut, but the venom is contained within a stinger at the rear. They’re like some sort of hybrind of wasp and ant if anything ;_;
not really hybrid. All ants sting their venom through a stinger. they bite down to hold on, then bring their abdomen over to stab you.
Hybrid in attitude, not in form. I know that all too well, correcting myself prior and now working to correct people talking about the bullet ants’ bites being venomous.
Gotcha. I was actually under the impression for years that all ants had hollow jaws and injected through bites, was corrected a few years ago by a friend.
I think at this point that would be rather like Legend using his lasers to make people’s pants fall down.
Not that Legend might not do that, if the situation called for it, but it would still be kinda weird.
You are Mark Millar and I demand my five dollars.
Maggots up the ass is more a Garth Ennis deal, methinks.
Just as well, I already kinda want to strangle Gecko, him being the guy who shat out Nemesis would just be excessive.
Eh, I liked The Authority until Millar showed up. That’s when Gecko’s sort of humor entered into it.
Ennis is more likely to make jokes about how ineffectively Armsmaster/Defiant would deal with the same situation.
I wouldn’t use the words “Millar” and “humor” in the same sentence, feels wrong somehow.
And yeah, what he did to one of the most successful gay couples in comics was friggin’ low, to say the least.
Well, enough of that. Let’s talk about superhero stories that don’t suck!
Yeah, that’s definitely more of what Garth Ennis would do. Just ask The Boys.
Aww, Reveen. Nice to know you care. In the homicidal, “Someday, Gecko, someday!” kinda way.
Guinea worms. Get up to thirty inches long inside you and when it’s time to grow up they burrow their way through your flesh all the way down to your feet and slooooooowly (it takes a month) leave your body through a hole they chewed, spewing eggs the entire time. You wade in water, you spread the worm to everybody who drinks that water.
What do you want to bet they could burrow *in* much faster if they weren’t bothering to breed the whole time?
And Toast nails the reason that I have little to no interest in traveling to several different areas of the world.
Mother Nature. Yeesh, she’s hideous.
Fake Name on April 16, 2013 at 00:42 said:
Hmm- if Valefor’s power is hypnotic gaze, shouldn’t people just keep their eyes closed when they think he is around?
Skitter in particular wouldn’t be hindered by keeping her eyes closed at all times, since she can use her bugs.
Philippe Saner on April 16, 2013 at 00:43 said:
I don’t think it matters if you can see him. If he can see you, that’s enough.
I think it’s said as much earlier in this arc. That may have been a line I deleted.
I remember reading such a line — if you deleted it, it was after publication.
*leaves to go check*
Searched for mentions of Valefor starting with Accord’s interlude:
Accord surveyed the situation. Valefor was a stranger, less in terms of his ability to hide, and more in his ability to engage in subterfuge. He had only to look on a target with his naked eye, and the fight was over. It was no small wonder, really, that he’d styled himself after the Simurgh. The effect was all too similar, in how the victim was often unaware of what had happened until it was too late.
It’s not explicit (unless it’s explicitly stated in some prior chapter), but I didn’t read it as requiring eye contact.
What’s to say that isn’t the standard solution? Skitter just… rendered him harmless. It’s actually much better than what I thought she was going to do at first. I was assuming a partial lobotomy when she said Stripping Him Of His Powers. But then, I read too much Doc Savage.
I just wondered, if his power needed him giving commands to people, if they’d just cut his tongue out. It was right there in his mouth, after all. I suppose this is a little safer and less bloody.
Well his eyes could still be saved, and it is possible he could bleed to death if they cut off his tongue. I wonder how well he’ll fare at the birdcage.
Considering that he’s an Endbringer worshiper and there’s probably a bunch of capes there that went through an Endbringer attack, not least of all Lung who might’ve had his country wreck by Leviathan…
Pfffft, hahahahahaha! Sucks to be you!
Know that I think about it, he might just end up at a normal prison. Without his eyes he can’t use his powers so a good lawyer might argue it unnecessary and bring up his lack of killing. We know what he intended to do, but it’s not like the undersiders can give testimony. Same thing with tinkers. Just keep them away from any tech and you can put them in a regular prison.
Nah. Canary got chucked in the Birdcage just out of an unfounded fear that she could do exactly what Valefor does. He’s headed straight for the Rockies and Dragon ain’t gonna feel bad abut it this time.
I hope she just fucks with the guy for the entire trip.
“Hello there, Valefor. This is Dragon. You’ll want to remain calm, but we seem to have a blockage on the road. Scanning…Calling in an S-class threat. I will provide earplugs so you don’t fall prey to her voice. One moment.
Systems failing. Rerouting nonessential power to the restraints. Don’t you dare think of escaping Valefpq0o32oipioqwia vivklsma;flnakfj
Ha ha, just kidding.”
Note that there is no KNOWN cases of him using his powers to cause someone to die… But as shown here, “…and forget about this order.”
But thats the point, no one knows what he tried to do and the Birdcage is life imprisonment with no chance of parol, and no guards to protect you. If I was in the wormverse, and I had a scary power, I would demand to be sent to a regular prison if there was way to ensure I couldn’t use it. Let’s say blasto was caught years ago. He has a scary power but he never made anything that replicated and he needs alot of equipment to make his power work. So a good lawyer could argue that he isn’t violent, and doesn’t deserve to be in the birdcage. As long as he is kept away from technology there is no reason he can’t be sent to a regular prison. Canary was treated like an animal, but if she cut her tongue out, could she have been treated better and ended up at a regular prison?
Blasto uses a lot of equipment but there’s no confirmation that he *needs* it. For all we know he can jerry-rig a new life form using only some mould and an old toaster…
@Reveen Based on his name, I imagine Lung is of Chinese descent rather than Japanese.
“Oni” is a Japanese word roughly equivalent to ‘demon’ so Oni Lee may have been Japanese…
Don’t want him to start carrying flashcards.
“And this one’s Jay Garrick, and here’s Barry Allen, and over here is Wally West, and this little guy is Bart Allen…That’s not counting Edward Clariss, Eobard Thawne, Hunter Zolomon, and Thaddeus Thawne. Or Iris West, Max Mercury, Johnny Quick, or Black Flash.”
Give me Len Snart, Digger Harkness, Evan McCulloch, James Jesse (Or Axel Walker), Mark Mardon, and Mick Rory any day of the week though.
Imagine if he tried to give a command with his tongue cut out, just what sort of messed up order the target would recieve. ;_; Would probably be even worse for the poor people.
Veloren on April 17, 2013 at 01:52 said:
” Don’t you dare think of escaping Valefpq0o32oipioqwia vivklsma;flnakfj
… In other news, WHO GAVE DRAGON PORTAL?
You might like to re-read the chapter where Skitter chats with the expensive Dragon suit, and specifically, tries to paralyse it with paradox. It seems Dragon is already a fan of Portal in canon.
Think I found a typo.
“She gathered the petals together to create car without wheels or a driver’s side door”
If I’m not mistaken, the word “a” belongs between “create” and “car”.
Good eye. Fixed, Philippe. Thank you.
eccentricxhatxsalesmen on July 4, 2014 at 08:09 said:
As old as this is I still find it funny that you replied with the phrase “good eye” considering the chapter.
Olivebirdy on September 15, 2014 at 08:58 said:
I would have disabled you, knocked you out and Regent would have used his power to seize control of you.”
– disabled you, knocked you out, and Regent…
Not really getting what bothers her so much. Imp’s power is equally trust dependent for her allies. Both of our merry lunatics can destroy you if they feel like it, both require trust that they won’t do it.
Personally, I found Valefor’s punishment filled with Karmic Irony, did’nt creep me out at all. It was Regent’s control of Imp that really creeped me out big time.
Also: “Go for the eyes Skitter, go for the eyes!”
Want to watch Fleet & Flotilla some time?
You see a Baldurs Gate reference and you make a Mass Effect joke?
-5 Nerd cred.
It’s also an easter egg with Tali, the nerdiest of the love interests. “Go for the optics, Chatika!”
“Go for the optics, Chiktikka!”*
You can also get a miniature giant space hamster as a pet in Mass Effect. There are links throughout.
To quote Regent’s new catchphrase, “Seriously?”.
It makes an amusing little “Meep” when you check on it.
Which is bullshit, because the original Boo clearly makes a squeak.
Regent is an interesting character. He is, by far, the most openly villainous of the characters- Both with his powers, and with his actions. This makes sense; he was raised by a man capable of such absolute emotional manipulation that it makes Ted Bundy look like a stuttering geek. And yet, he’s not a bad person, all things considered.
He didn’t /want/ to kill people. He may not have felt the same instinctive cringe that you might feel about taking a life, but he frankly doesn’t want to. His lack of empathy is supported by a personality that is fundamentally lazy. As for his power? It’s equally nasty. He’s used it for some nasty things. But he’s got a leash.
Taylor. I really think Regent has a surprising amount of respect for her. He maybe even likes her, as much as he can like anyone. He wanted to hurt the people who hurt her, because he knows how savage that kind of emotional manipulation can be. He’s a bit of a broken soul, and he’s done dreadful things to people in the past, but I think, god help us all, Taylor is actually rubbing off on him more than he is on her.
The sequence with Sophia is an interesting aspect of this. Ultimately, Sophia was a Bad Person. She was a dirty cop, she enjoyed making people suffer, and she defended it all with the single worst justification you can ever use to be a bad person, the idea that she was somehow better than the people she abused; This is such a tremendously bad idea, because it means that when you find someone who’s better than you, what they do to you is exactly what you deserve.
Sophia’s life was screwed up in Regent’s hands, mostly by what she had done over time. The scariest things he did to her was a brief ridiculous ‘coming out’ to Emily, which while humiliating, does not seem to have been taken particularly seriously by anyone involved. He also scared the hell out of her by making her think that he was going to kill her- but ultimately, he didn’t. Terror; but not death.
Regent has done some deeply skeevy things in the past, and I doubt he’ll ever want to be a hero, so much. But I do think that he likes Taylor, and cares about her, and wants to make her proud to some degree. And I think that Taylor wants to see him not become a manipulator. She’s nervous about the relationship between Imp and Regent, but what we’ve just seen here suggests that Imp might genuinely be one of the best things to happen to him. Someone who he can’t simply use, who he must accept as an equal and companion; Who, even once he has his hooks in, can remove them. Someone who’s a challenge, and who’s also kind of fun to be around. Someone who he has to treat like a human being, and who he knows he has to. It can be good for him.
Sociopathy
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/kuszewski20091117/ This is a classic piece. I don’t know how accurate it is, but let’s face it; It’s a powerful argument, and one that makes a great deal of interest for storytelling. So, let’s look at the list of things here and ask ourselves; Does Skitter sound like an x-altruist?
low impulse control
high novelty-seeking
little remorse for their actions (would “do it again in a heartbeat”)
inability to see past the needs of others (very high empathy)
willing to break rules
acts in the best interest of others, or for the “common good” (because it is the right thing to do)
I think few things are as illustrative as her behavior towards Dinah. One thing, one meeting, and she nearly threw herself right out of the group, and was willing to go to superhuman lengths to try to get Dinah freed, with the least conflict possible.
She shows very little remorse for her actions, because she can see them as actions in the interest of the common good. She makes efforts to never damage anything that cannot be fixed, she desperately avoids killing. I think that this fits her quite well, and it probably fits a lot of other heroes- And most likely, quite a few villains- as well.
Now… Does she have a point? Is she factually correct? Generally speaking, Skitter has had, at the very least, no reason at the time to believe she’s wrong. She’s not delusional. The heroes have, as a whole, done a great deal to show themselves as pretty goddamn incompetent. If she had decided to play by the hero’s rules, she would probably never have freed Dinah; Almost guaranteed, in fact, because of the overly rule-bound nature of the heroes.
An x-altruist is more likely to show up in this way at times when rules and regulations are particularly strong. If the rules were not somehow interfering with the desire to good, then they would not feel compelled to break them. Of course, they may be compelled to break rules that are there for a good reason if they’re not intelligent or forward thinking; But Skitter is. So far, she’s acted to the best capability she can. So, is she going to stay on the right side of the law?
Skitter thinks hard about what she’s doing, and she has a strongly developed moral sense. It takes a lot to push her over the edge. But we still haven’t had her encounter the Simurgh…
Well such an encounter may prove enlightening as she technically does have telepathy, it just only works on beings with simple nervous systems.
Was it telepathy or precognition that messed up the Simurgh’s powers (or both)? I thought it was the later since it screwed up the futures she was trying to manipulate.
I believe it is precognition, yes.
Precogs can screw with Simurghs power, yes.
And I think it was Piggot who ascribed her some basic clairvoyance during her fight in the Protectorate Tower after she prematurely and barely avoided a table Assault hauled at her from behind. Since it was Skitters swarm sense – movement of critters that oughtn’t’ve been moved – that warned her, Piggy is probably wrong in the precog assumption.
Judging by what Weld said when they were in the PRT tower preparing to fight Noelle, they straightened that out in their postmortem.
Leigha on July 2, 2014 at 17:55 said:
Abstract: bored sociopath geek amuses herself by writing essay-length necro-posts interpreting the personality of fictional characters, with references to evolutionary ecology and game theory (because boredom is literally the WORST POSSIBLE THING)
Good point, that Imp is good for Regent because they’re basically equals.
It seems like you’re missing a paragraph on sociopathy in the middle (and I was really looking forward to seeing what you had to say about it, too) unless you were using that as a header for the section on xaltruism…
The argument in that article is interesting, but I have a couple issues with the terminology they use. There are actually four categories of behavior in environmental ecology: “altruistic” which includes all behaviors that benefit others AND harm oneself; “mutually beneficial” which benefit others AND benefit oneself; “selfish” which harm others AND benefit oneself; and “spiteful” which harm others AND harm oneself. Altruistic, mutually beneficial, and spiteful strategies are usually considered “pro-social” (literally working to create social connections) or “cooperative” strategies (cooperative is big in game theory) and selfish strategies are considered “anti-social” or “defective” strategies (defective as in “He chose to defect” rather than “broken”).
*tangent on spite* Why are spiteful strategies pro-social? In experimental games, people will punish other people for not cooperating, or not obeying the rules or expectations of their social group, even if they incur a cost to themselves in order to carry out the punishment. Spiteful behavior on the part of others is one of the biggest incentives to behave primarily in mutually beneficial ways, especially if the benefits to others are greater than the benefits to yourself, or if the benefits of a selfish strategy would be higher than that of the mutually beneficial strategy. Essentially the threat of retaliation makes the selfish strategy have less net benefit than the mutually beneficial one. Strong inclinations toward this type of spiteful behavior actually facilitate the creation of social groups. *end tangent*
So what does this have to do with sociopaths and empaths? The general consensus is that sociopaths act rationally for their own self interest. In a way, they follow the models outlined by evolutionary ecology much better than empaths do. (I suspect that a lot of social scientists looking at this kind of stuff are closer to the socio end of the scale than they’d like to admit 😀 ) But to be more precise, sociopaths /do not work *against* their own interests/, so they’re most likely to engage in mutually beneficial or selfish behaviors, while empaths, being more heavily influenced by non-rational impulses, are more likely to engage in altruistic or spiteful behavior than socios, but still more likely to engage in mutually beneficial or selfish behavior than altruistic or spiteful because most of them still put themselves above others in priority at some level.
*tangent on priorities* The list of priorities, for most empaths usually goes: self; family; voluntary organizations like a team; then people who are progressively less similar to oneself in experience or some other personally important category ie, all Broctonites, all Americans, all humans. Racists might put members of their own race before fellow citizens of their town, etc. There’s some room for concerns for family and other loved ones to overwhelm the primacy of the self. Grue gives us a pretty good example of this when he says that he would 100% protect his family and team, in that order. For socios, it’s more like: self; people who belong to me (usually people you’re fond of or have some responsibility for, and who are generally useful or important in some way. The people you wouldn’t just fuck with for funsies.); allies. There’s a much lower likelihood that a socio would prioritize someone else over him or herself, unless the socio in question is already doomed, in which case they might maximize their return by trying to save others who are in some way important to them. For example, if a socio knew the world was going to end in two years and was in a life-threatening situation, they might be more likely to give their life to save someone important than they would be otherwise, figuring there’s little difference between dying now and later for themselves, but not for the other person. *end tangent*
The people the article refers to as xaltruists, who feel /too much empathy/ compared to the average Joe, are referred to by SociopathWorld as uber-empaths, by which they mean a person with levels of empathy above and beyond normal. I think that’s a clearer term, for this discussion. These are the people who do not, effectively, prioritize the “self” over the “other” or friends and family over relative strangers. I would suggest that uber-empaths are the most likely of all three groups to participate in truly altruistic and spiteful behaviors, because they see any action which benefits the group more than it hurts themselves as a positive action. They will happily engage in mutually beneficial behavior, but they would not choose to do selfish things because the net harm to everyone involved is greater than the benefit to everyone, including themselves.
So where does that leave us, as far as social groups are concerned? Uber-empaths are 100% pro-social. They’re the true heros, the vigilantes, the people who are most likely to save people or die trying. Taylor is definitely one, though I think her tendencies toward this are somewhat tempered now as compared to in the beginning of the story as she’s started taking a somewhat longer view of events: IE, I can’t save everyone, therefore I must prioritize the team in order to save more people than I would if I tried to start now and do it myself. I’d probably also put Weld, the therapist lady, and maybe Miss Militia in this category. There are others, but I won’t say for spoilers.
Empaths, people who have an average amount of empathy (+/- 2 standard deviations) are more pro-social than anti-social in general. Empathy is a scale following a normal distribution, so you have people who are more empathic (but not to the uber-empath degree) who are more pro-social and people who are less empathic (or even utterly ruthless, but who still feel involuntary empathy toward certain others) who are more selfish. Most people fall into this category: Grue, Imp, Taylor’s dad, Bitch (though she prioritizes all dogs over 99% of humans), Emma (have we had her interlude yet?), Tattletale, even Burnscar (as seen in Elle’s interlude) and Riley (introduced in Interlude 25). Noelle, Trickster, and all the other Travellers. Manton and Mannequin before they got broken and joined S9 both legitimately loved their families. They wouldn’t have broken like they did if that weren’t the case. Just being empathic doesn’t make you a good person. You can still be fucked up on other scales, like Emma’s penchant for sadism.
Sociopaths, who are outliers on the low-empathy end of the scale, would be naturally inclined toward selfish behavior if it had the largest payoff (in whatever currency they’re interested in, be it money, power, reputation, social status, inclusion in a group, etc.), but that assumes that they would get away with being selfish. As discussed above, empaths and uber-empaths will punish those who make selfish choices at their own expense, which often makes mutually beneficial decisions the best in the long run, so in real life, I think there’s a fairly generous proportion of socios participating in society. Examples: Coil takes a more selfish route. Regent, Cherish, and probably any of Heartbreaker’s other children who managed to survive growing up in that household. Regent goes the mutually beneficial route, and Cherish is obviously more selfish. Shadow Stalker, Jack Slash, Armsmaster (Dragon is more empathic, and she’s an AI, though he does learn a certain amount of empathy throughout the series, so maybe by the end Defiant is in the empath category).
Re: Taylor rubbing off on Alec
I wrote a bit about this in a previous comment (on 15.2), but I think it’s actually probably the group as a whole guiding Alec’s sensibilities.
*tangent: what is sociopathy?* To get into this, I think it’s kind of necessary to have a decent idea of what actually makes someone a sociopath. It’s not a professional psychological term (unless it got in the latest version of the DSM, I haven’t looked yet). The closest they have is psychopathy, or Antisocial Personality Disorder. Hare wrote a checklist that is still widely used in establishing a diagnosis of ASPD, about half of which is dependent of having committed criminal acts and/or having been punished for them. There are a lot of issues with the diagnosis, since the general public consensus seems to be that what sets psychopaths apart from everyone else is their lack of empathy or their general objectification of all others as tools to be used, and using Hare’s checklist includes a lot of empathic criminals. It’s biased, because it was developed in on prison populations. /Sociopathy/ is a popular psychology term that focuses on the underlying elements of the ASPD profile: low empathy/low affect; weak sense of time; and weak sense of self.
Low empathy/affect means that sociopaths are much less likely to feel strong emotions, less likely to feel emotions associated with others’ emotional states, more likely to objectify people, and would theoretically find it easier to hurt people both emotionally and physically than empaths would (though they don’t necessarily have any inclination to do so). They generally experience few negative emotions, but they’re really prone to boredom (and boredom is the mind killer). This facet is somewhat complex, since sociopaths also tend to be really good at reading social cues and figuring out what people want, which is a heavily empathic process. There’s a theory out there that there are two types of empathy, basically, the recognition of others’ emotional states and the automatic reciprocity of those states. This theory holds that sociopaths excel at the first, but entirely lack the second, while certain other individuals, like aspies, lack the first but excel at the second. There’s also a theory pertaining to how people become sociopaths (this scheme refers to those who are born with sociopathic tendencies as psychopaths or primary sociopaths and to those who have repressed their emotions to a sociopathic degree, generally as a method of coping with abuse or environmental circumstances, as sociopaths or secondary sociopaths) that suggests that secondary sociopaths are able to /decide not to feel things/, like they would have the automatic empathic response, but then somehow override it, which gives them insight into empaths’ perspective as well as sociopathic responses to that insight. Either way, for sociopaths, dealing with other people’s emotions is a learned skill, not an instinctive one.
A weak sense of time might not be the best way to phrase this, but it’s the best I’ve seen. It’s what gives sociopaths a poor sense of the consequences of their actions (future me is not the same as /me/ me), and sometimes a poor sense of timing when it comes to dealing with others (We broke up two weeks ago. Why isn’t he over it yet?). This also contributes to the narcissistic attitude that the sociopath can do no wrong, or have no failures. (Even if they objectively /know/ that their plans haven’t gone well before, that’s no reason this one shouldn’t work out, because that was past me, not /me/ me.) There’s no real sense of connection to the past, the future, or other people, so a sociopath is, at any given moment, the epitome of his or her own experience.
Finally, a weak sense of self comes from the process of constantly mirroring the actions and beliefs of those around oneself. Sociopaths are, for the most part, easily swayed, because they don’t have much personality to base their opinions in, and with a relatively amoral, detatched, rational perspective on life, it’s easy to construct an argument for any given viewpoint. In order to give people what they want, to blend in, a sociopath observes the local empaths and acts in such a way as to reflect the beliefs of the people that surround them. It’s a pretty good strategy, as far as getting along in society goes. It may seem counterintuitive to have a personality that is both self-aggrandizing and has a weak sense of self, but recall the lack of a connection between past and present. Each mask assumed, or distinct viewpoint reflected, represents a whole different person. Empaths do this too, to a certain extent. The person you are with your parents is likely not the same person you are with your friends, and the person you were in high school is (if you’re old enough) likely to be pretty far removed from the person you were when you finished college. For empaths, there’s a gradual distinction between these states, and life usually seems like a series of long transition periods. For sociopaths, the transitions are kind of missing or muted, with a focus on distinct points, as their personalities are reconstructed to deal with new people. At any given distinct point, the socio may consider their current self to be infallible, but they will also likely consider their /next/ self to be just as infallible after the current one is for some reason insufficient. *end tangent*
So back to Regent, then. Remember the phone conversation with Cherish where he talks about how he acted the way Heartbreaker’s clan wanted him to? It’s totally possible that that was absolutely true, that he was just playing to his audience and doesn’t really have a strong sadistic tendency, regardless of his penchant for schadenfreude (best freude!). Surrounded by team members who are focused on the greater good (Taylor), loyalty to family and friends (Brian, Bitch), and the need to uncover the truth (Lisa, even if she doesn’t share it with everyone), it’s very likely that Regent would come to mirror these values, not because he has some strong emotional motive to protect family or people in general or to figure things out, but because he wants to maintain his place on the team, and to do that, it’s best to fit in.
tl;dr bored sociopath geek amuses herself by writing essay-length necro-posts interpreting the personality of fictional characters (because boredom is literally the WORST POSSIBLE THING)
This thread is fascinating, especially to me as a psychology student. Just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to put these thoughts and analyses out her for us to read. It’s kept me entertained and interested, and staved off my boredom, which as you say is just the worst.
Walking in on your brother during sex? Seriously Aisha? I mean, it’d probably be less weird if you just barged in without your power. Jesus wept, I guess you’re well on your way to mastering the Way of the Creepo. Can’t think of a better sensei than Regent for that scared art!
Anyway, glad to see someone actually getting what they deserve for once. Ihope we don’t have a big debate about poor wittle Valefor. Oh no, the guy who ordered a room full of people to kill themselves got temporarily blinded! Cue the world’s smallest violin.
So did she actually go all the way with Brian? It was a bit unclear, and I was unsure if she lost her virginity. Hope they used protection as the last thing she needs is a little bug girl running around right now.
Both of them seem to be the sort who would practice safe sex instinctively.
As for whether they did the deed, look at the ending of Monarch 16.6. I don’t think there’s much doubt.
Still not clear though. They obviously got very intimate but I think Taylor would have mentioned losing her virginity so I could see it happening either way. I can just picture the endless jokes Regent is going to make though.
Okay. I could quote 16.7 as well, but I’ll concede that the fact of their having had sex wasn’t spelled out. It’s possible that they’ve restricted themselves to cuddling.
Do I need to go back and write it all out for everyone?
I’m torn between dread and genuine curiosity.
They were naked enough to traumatize Imp. That’s all you really need to know.
I like how my comment careened towards underage sex speculation friggin’ IMMEDIATELY. You do me proud, boys.
Hard to avoid speculation when you flat out say “Walking in on your brother during sex? Seriously Aisha?”
In fact, if anything, it shows that not everyone in the comments is willing to believe they’ve done the dirty deed dirt cheap.
My thoughts on this: Maturity trumps age. And while they may not be mature in the sense of drone-sheep of the government, and Regent may be terminally lazy, I really think that Grue, Taylor, and Tattletale are all very mature because they’ve been forced into becoming so by their surroundings. There are still moments of childishness or immaturity that breaks through every so often, but look at your coworkers or classmates next time you are around them and ask yourself if most people aren’t immature from time to time, simply by acting for their own personal wants. Heck, maturity itself is a social construct mostly, rather than being a hard definable metric… One of the biggest reasons I loathe the “”you’re not an adult until age 18/21” mentality of governments. Bah… *grumbles as she goes to get some shut eye*
Depends on your country of origin – someone from Spain, or Sweden, or France, or Germany, or really about 80% of the entire living human population would think you’re an idiot for complaining about their age. Or just an American.
I’m usually wrong but it just doesn’t seem like it to me.
Whatever else she is, she is still a teenager. Brian is still someone she genuinely loves. As such the reaction doesn’t seem to imply anything like that.
It does lead to the question of, what happens if Taylor does have a kid with Brian? What would her powers be? Would they push her in a direction of hero or villain or would they just let her make her own decisions regarding it? Is it good form to tell your child that you are a cape? In Taylor’s case, it makes sense seeing as her identity is public but is it common practice normally?
I think I found a typo:
“Fear. Ruling through fear. How do we get the maximum result for the minimum effort.”
Was that supposed to be a question, or should that “do” be gone?
Question. Fixed. Thanks, TinkerTailor
This chapter makes me love Regent and Imp as a couple even more, they are the best together in my opinion, not only due to the fact that they are both fairly insane but also how childish they are together. If these two don’t officially become a couple I will just continue under the impression that they are hiding it due to how over protective Grue is, I can totally see Grue going off on Regent and Imp for the whole “giving herself to him” (subtext intended).
—-AishaXAlec Forever—- ❤ \(^-^)/
Yeaaaahh. I have a feeling that Alec’s going to end up with Brian’s fist permanently imprinted on his face.
Which puts Taylor in an akward position in that she has to play peacekeeper, and she wants them to like her. I bet that mom comment annoyed her quite a bit. I think she will try to talk him into letting it go.
Calling this situation awkward is the understatement of the century, dude.
Heh-heh. If Grue is ‘dad’, doesn;’t that make the whole Imp-Regent thing ‘incest’? 😀
Something tells me that’s nothing new for Regent.
…Made myself feel ill thinking about what he likely had to put up with under Heartbreaker’s thumb. Ew…. Nothing wrong with incest if the people committing it love each other, but that wouldn’t be anything of the sort.
Better yet, Brian will borrow Alec’s power long enough to establish total control over him, then let him do what he likes with Aisha. If he ever hears about out suspects anything untoward, he’ll just come find Alec, borrow his power again, and reestablish total control. Few things express brotherly protectiveness like forcing your little sister’s abusive boyfriend to castrate himself.
Now then, there’s the matter of a welcoming. Blakagant got caught up shortly before the update, so there wasn’t much I could do then. Believe it or not, it takes a few minutes to think of these things.
So we’d like to give him/her a hearty welcome to the comments section.
*Cuts to Regent’s dad on stage with a horde of screaming women throwing panties at him as he sings “Heartbreaker”*
We’re all glad you could join us in the comments section. If you get hungry, Simurgh runs the cafeteria. *Cuts to a bunch of people passing up the pea and corn casserole, only for Simurgh to open her mouth. Suddenly, everyone in the cafeteria swarms the casserole.*
If you need to relax, you might try our Rec room. *Coil and Deep Blue the chess computer sit across from each other, enjoying a game of chess. Or at least Deep Blue is enjoying it, as Coil sits contemplating the board. Deep Blue vocalizes, “Ha. Ha Ha. The Only Way For You To Win Was Not To Play.”*
And, I suppose if you ever wanted to type something, there’s the comments section itself, where people like to hang out in their banana hammocks and think wonderful thoughts about hula girls, tropes, pantyhose on dogs, wild mass guessing, hula girls, morality, sociopathy, the nature of good and evil, heroism and villainy, when it is appropriate to nuke an Endbringer, and hula girls.
Welcome, Blakagant, and leave your sanity at the door.
… what about Endbringers in banana hammocks, or when it is appropriate to slowly and lasciviously roll pantyhose up the legs of a sociopathic hula girl?
— Dave, do we have to spell _everything_ out for them?
Heh, that was one nasty line in the sand Skitter drew for Regent. “Hey, look at how Valefor used his power on me.. and got his eyes eaten out despite it. Oh, and I’d never, ever suffer myself to be controlled.”
I kinda wonder if she’s being unfair to him, projecting her own moral degradation onto him. When Regent said delegate, Skitter immediately assumed slaves.. but what we’ve seen from Regent suggests he very well could have meant the mercs he’s been employing all along. That’d be a bitter pill for him to swallow.
Liked the villain chops. Theatricality and deception are all well and good, but good old fashioned brutality ought to be in every villain’s playbook. I was a little surprised Skitter leaned on Haven, but I suppose it makes sense if she’s committed to establishing genuine sovereignty over Brockton Bay.
I wonder now if perhaps Skitter’s imagining a Villain Town, one where the local Protectorate slots haven’t been filled in years due to “manpower issues” and independent heroes walk softly. Perhaps a place for successful villains of the civilized stripe to retire in peace when they weary of the constant stresses of the villain lifestyle.
You know, being taken over by Regent is exactly what Taylor needs for a second triger event. The sense of betrayal (reminiscent with Emma’s situation and the original incident) + ultimate entrapment (inside her own head and body) = full-on-swarm Taylor or something like that.
I can actually see Tattletale + Regent concocting such a plan, if they feel it’s really, really needed. They’ll prepare their wills, record confessions for Taylor, and go for it.
Shit…you have given me an idea for Regent’s economic niche.
You know how some people pay to go to a resort and get dominated? And how 50 Shades of Grey (the Twilight fanfic) is so popular now?
Well, looks like Regent’s opening a new business soon.
Acutally,skitter’s power is a good counter for regent’s, as his is explicitly body control, not mind control, and skitter’s power is purely mental. She actually should consider letting him do the same thing he did to imp, for the same sort of assurances.
Psychologically such an event would still be VERY close to her trigger event.
True, all I’m saying is she could still easily kill or maim him if he tried to abuse power over her, and theres nothing he could do about it. He’s explicitly shown he has to focus on the person to get the control, so hypothetically if skitter starts being controlled, regent’s gonna start choking on bugs and bullet ants.
Do we have any reason to believe he couldn’t use Skitter’s power, though? He used Shatterbird’s just fine with practice, and hers was a subtle-ish mental power.
Thats a good point, I’m not sure.
I don’t remember the specific chapter, but it was mentioned that Shatterbird was helping Regent process all the information because she didn’t want to die. Regent had to give her a bit of control. Skitter’s power is even more processing intensive. If she fought Regent for control, I don’t think it would be pleasant for him.
Shatterbir’d power may be partly mental, but she still needs to produce the ultrasonic sound wave to affect the glass, which she does by screaming:
“Shatterbird screamed, using her power of her own free will for the first time since we’d captured her.” From the echinda fight.
So since her power is partly physical, regent is also able to control it through her.
Slightly late birthday fan art from me and Drunkfu for Wildbow http://scarfgirl.deviantart.com/art/skitter-By-dweebs-2-365987510?ga_submit_new=10%253A1366089780 hope you like it 🙂
Yay, new fanart! Atlas’s face looks freaky but Skitter gives off a bit of a weird noble air with the color of her armor pieces. Love the cape, she should go back to wearing it.
I based his front mouth area off the ood from Dr Who http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lupkfyy1w21qmsrmwo1_500.jpg with a actual close up of a random beetles mandibles which is likely where the oddness comes from .
Very appropriate considering how he creeps the Flechette and the Wards out.
I do. And you got the hair right. Woo.
Oh, that is beautiful. I like how the curls over the eyes/lenses almost make it look like she’s rolling her eyes. The lettering, too, is wonderfully expressive. It feels so right.
It would make a wonderful Character Sticker.
The lettering is a homage to charlotte’s web (just me being goofy )
That’ll do, Trusting. That’ll do.
as for your sticker idea (which i’ll be stealing ) im definitely printing one up for my sketch pad , they sell sticker material/paper you can put in your printer and print out your own .
I want this as a mousepad. O_O
Or a t-shirt!
johnwedd on April 16, 2013 at 09:30 said:
Maybe wildbow can “license” out the worm concept and sell stuff made by fans and split the profits.
You know, if you go to one of those people who does wrestling masks, could sell off imitation Undersider masks.
@johnwedd
I just post my goofy little doodles to show support/love of the series ,doodlings no fun for me once moneys involved and definitely no fun when I have to draw very specific things that others decide on 🙂
Wildbow does have a standing offer to use any Worm related art of mine for whatever he wants free and clear but I honestly don’t want anything to do with licensing , merchandising , making money off of , drawing specific things on demand etc etc .
There was so much villainy happening in this chapter that I just cant contain my surprise. Not only does Taylor break a man’s arms and legs, she also doses us with ice/eyes-cream. Nevertheless I enjoyed this chapter.
I couldn’t quite tell what happened to Halo. I know that he put his shield up but I don’t know what happened to him after. Taylor just ignores him saying that he was rooted to the spot. Why? Can he not dissipate the shield?
Also, wildbow, did you intentionally obfuscate the medusa head reference this time after the comments about atlas last chapter? I will admit it took me to my third read through of that section to understand what Rosary meant, good work.
I didn’t think it was that obscure, but then again, the myth of Perseus seems to be a favorite for introducing people to Greek mythology.
Though, Valefor was sort of an Inverse Medusa, in that He has to look at You, not the other way around. Though, in Nethack, it is based on if they can see you, that’s a rather nerdy and obscure edge case.
Actually, the original myth, to my knowledge, is such that you must gaze upon her face, which would require her to be able to see you as well. Definitely more of an inverse Medusa though, in that you don’t have to look at him, just he look at you.
Reflections are cool, though. Thanks for the help, Athena.
That’s debatable, after all, there’s the chance of catching her from the side and getting a profile, or potentially looking at her through a telescope or something. Actually, that’s a good question. Would seeing her through some sort of optical gadgets still have the same effect?
And what about if she’s asleep? Just because you have to see her face/can see her face doesn’t mean she can see you. Or would all of these work like reflections then. Sorry to get caught up on the logic of that.
Well, most devices of the sort rely on magnification via reflecting the light off of prisms/mirrors to enhance the image, don’t they? So they would count as reflects as surely as those from the shield. Modern technology would kill the Gorgon as surely as that shield’s burnished interior did.
Medusa was cursed to be so hideous that looking at her would turn a man to stone.
Well, the mirrors at the time, specially an improvised mirror made of the back of a shield were not very good and her distorted reflection would not be so ugly.
But modern mirrors …
Oh. Oh wow, that means that high resolution photos… Gah! That sounds like an SCP. And any merging of modern times with myth will now have the shadow of that possibility hanging over it… If it reached the internet… It sounds like Monty Python’s lethal joke, but consider the implications of one of these: a weapon that can be transmitted through news networks…
That particular shield would have been very polished. He got it from Athena. Man, Athena was an ass. First she curses Medusa because Medusa had the gall to get raped by Poseidon in Athena’s temple, then she gives Perseus a way to kill her too.
See, yet another time where the villains weren’t as bad as you’d think. Last I checked, Medusa wasn’t rampaging through cities where she had to be stopped. Nope, had to hunt her down in the middle of nowhere.
If I’m remembering my mythos correctly once again, I believe the polished shield was not a gift directly from Athena originally, but instead a tool that he found in the hands of one of the statue-men that had come to hunt Medusa previously, but hadn’t been able to pull off the look-at-the-reflection-and-react-to-her-reflexes part that Perseus, half-son of Zeus, was able to thanks in no small part to his half-godhood status as a Hero (which was, again if my memory isn’t failing me, far closer to the actual definition of hero- Someone with divine ancestry and favoured by the gods, not someone who is morally upstanding or the like. That concept seems to be more a product of our later PC generations).
Seriously though, what happened to Halo that took him out of the fight? I can not tell.
My impression was that he was shielding himself from the swarm, and couldn’t move while the shield was up.
If he dropped his shield, the bugs would get him. If he kept the shield up, then he couldn’t move. When Rosary knelt and acquiesced to Skitter’s demands, I think that Halo was able to drop his shield, and ended up leaving with her, carrying Eligos and Valefor.
Ask Polydectes for the full explanation.
“I had a growing suspicion that Regent was interested in being in charge for more for the sake of being in charge than anything else”
That reads a bit strange. Drop the 1st for, so it’s “interested in being in charge more for the sake”?
It’s still grammatically correct, but I do agree it could benefit from removing the first ‘for’ just for readability.
hi, thanks for the chapter
“covering her eyes, cheekbones and nose, ending in a sharp point, an etched metal plate, worked into her hood. It didn’t cover her lower face and it didn’t cover her eyes”
covered or uncovered? (eyes)
The Chapter Also Known As “Skitter Takes Everyone to School.”
The chapter also known as “Taylor Herbert Beats up Everyone”(http://xkcd.com/311/)
Hey Valefor, you got a little something in your eye.
Eligos’ fall from Haven, By Skitter Co.
Well I guess he didn’t *see* that one coming
Well I guess Brockton Bay doesn’t have curbs anymore.
Skitter pardon’s God’s capes for intruding.
“It’s about using fear as a tool,” I told her. “The unknown is always better than the known. Silence is better than almost anything we could say. For example, you can leave them wondering just why Valefor’s power didn’t work on you. And consider the reaction when they realize just why he’s blind. Forcing him to read Twilight.”
Imp shuddered visibly, then bent over and vomitted. “How did something that horrible ever get written?”
“That’s the exact question they’ll be asking,” I told her.
shouldn’t valefor have more of a master rating than a stranger rating (or both)?
Also, I’m confused. Is Hearbreaker’s power permanent or temporary? Because if it is permanent, then they should be far more afraid of him – he could turn even Skitter into his mindless slave if she ever got in range of him
My guess is that Heartbreaker operates by giving a fast, heavy hit of emotion that wears off relatively quickly, but then also backs it up with ‘true’ emotion, which works slower but is more insidious in that it actually influences how they perceive him without him having to exercise his power constantly- After all, the women who he takes love him even after he falls asleep, so it must have very long-lasting, lingering effects. Yet at the same time it can’t be completely permanent because Alec and Cherish escaped from him, but that could be because of their powers combatting his and nulling it as Imp’s does to Regent’s and Valefor’s.
Maybe it has something to do with altering signals and hormones in the brain?
He could even make people psychologically dependent on a hit of euphoria from him.
I could not, would not dare try to explain the exact specifics of how his power works, because we know so little of the actual mechanics of it. For all we know he reaches into you and rewires your brain to make you love him, like what Amy did to poor Glory Girl.
The idea of it being like a drug making them dependant doesn’t really mesh that well to me, though. Alec doesn’t seem like any sort of junkie, nor did Cherish; And the women who were with Heartbreaker in every instance we have seen of him have been fairly clear-minded individuals, aside from the obvious worship of the man. They’d be constantly fighting for their next hit, rather than loving and worshipping him unequivocally, all together (that’s why most harems don’t work. Everyone has to love each other to some degree, even if it’s just love of their love for the one you love, if that makes any sense to you).
Your brain naturally produces stuff to make you feel better. Endorphins and whatnot. Hell, adrenaline is awesome for ignoring pain. All natural, yet we still like a hit of that kind of stuff.
But you are right that we have too little knowledge to do more than wild speculation.
I think it was said that his power is slow but yields permanent results. While Cherish is the exact opposite. She is fast but short term.
Heartbreaker’s power can be permanent, but all of his (powered) kids are immune to it (that we’ve seen so far). When he triggered he became immune, and his Dad began testing him; Regent realized Heartbreaker was just looking for an excuse to kill him because he couldn’t be controlled, and left.
Also how are the commands given. Does it have to be his voice or can he just go to a basketball game, sit in his box seats, look over the crowd, and hack the jumbo-tron to say ” go and kill your family”
I think a power like that would have bumped him up to S-Class, including a kill order
Valefor is a stranger rating because he works via subterfuge. Master would be more if he could directly control them, but he can’t- He can give orders and then leave his puppets to follow the command as best as they can, rather than via direct control.
It’s a lot more direct that Cherish’s power.
Matthew K on April 16, 2013 at 03:16 said:
Oh yeah, sweet delicious villainy, work it. Shit, at this rate ol’ skitty is going to be a shoe-in for the 9, “eyes filled with maggots” isn’t just texbook gorn territory, it’s artiste gorn.
Am I the only who seems to notice there are no tags or is that just me?
Uh oh…blind to the tags…tsk tsk…No, it’s ok. I know you’re not crying. You just have something in your eye.
No seriously, I don’t see any of them for this chapter. All the others have them but this one.
Seconded. I don’t see them either.
Okay: Taylor, Regent, Imp, Rosary, Halo, Valefor, Eligos. Didn’t see any others.
Sorry: those are the tags that I think should be on the chapter, not the tags I see.
Hey, I was reading the TvTropes page and I realized… where’s the capsaicin? This was a planned confrontation, and she had time to prepare for it, and it would have been a helpful tool to incapacitate people, wouldn’t it?
Actually, when was the last time she used it? For a time it was her big weapon, but it seems lately she’s switched to large scale use of silk threads as the go-to tactic. Though admittedly, her actions as a whole have gotten more large scale, and the whole capsaicin shtick is limited because she needs to prepare a small number of bugs beforehand and then carry them on herself.
Well, either capsasaicin was moved from special to standard in the attack column and she used them, but didn’t think it worth mentioning, or she didn’t deem them necessary, yet. It’s not like it was life threatening, yet.
Capsaicin, applied directly, is a toxic substance that induces extreme pain, nausea, vomiting, and can even be lethal given a large enough dose- though it is rediculously high, at an oral LD50 of 47.2 mg/kg and a contact LD50 of 512 mg/kg (in mice).
This all said, when fighting two people that are otherwise normal strength and durability, restricting your armament usage to only what is absolutely necessary reinforces the image of strength- By not using them, even though all involved (assumedly) know she uses them, shows, “I defeated you, and I was holding back. Don’t fuck with me, got it?” as shown with Rosary.
Well, I’m not a hundred percent sure breaking Eligos’ bones counts as holding back, but it IS a good point nonetheless.
She basically lifted him into the air and dropped him, breaking his arms and legs in a simple, brutal, and effective tactic to shut him down with minimum effort on her part. Going from what we’ve seen of his powers, I think he operates somewhat like an Airbender in that he has to gesture with a limb to cause his power to activate, and this ensures that he’s completely neutralized, just like the maggots in the eyes do to Valefor, compared to just tying him up and blindfolding him- It’s a lingering form of (very painful) debilitation, rather than just a temporary annoyance.
Humans are much more capsaicin-resistant than mice, at least according to the U.S. Army, but your point is still valid. It’s good P.R. to be elegant.
Quite; I had trouble finding exact values for humans, so I quoted the one most commonly used, which is for mice (the most commonly used LD50 animal value). According to the National Pesticide Information Center, “LD50 in humans has been estimated at 0.5-5.0 g/kg”. http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/Capsaicintech.pdf which references Lewis Sr., R. J. 25.Sax’s Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials, 10th ed.; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: New York, 2000; p 702
> Though admittedly, her actions as a whole have gotten more large scale, and the whole capsaicin shtick is limited because she needs to prepare a small number of bugs beforehand and then carry them on herself.
That makes the most sense as an explanation to me. Also, the biggest advantage of capsaicin bugs is that they don’t need to pierce the skin to have their effects, and she hasn’t needed that recently.
I imagine Taylor keeps a store of capsaicin-dipped bugs inside her armour whenever she goes out. I seem to remember a reference to exactly that last time she deployed them.
Also, she could have used the capsaicin for Valefor’s eyes. That’ll blind you just as hard, and hurt more too. Clearly, the medium WAS the message this time.
Maybe the maggots were coated in… No, he was still conscious.
Skitter’s Power, thoughts:
I don’t know, but suspect it’s been discussed before (pointers to where?), but what species/taxa does Skitter’s power entail? It does not seem to be linked to invertebrates in general, because that would include starfish, snails and clams, among others (the latter two are kind of closely related, actually), also octopuses. And the way crabs and lice have been mentioned it includes at least partially Crustacea. But those taxa hadn’t been brought up when she was close to the ocean, during her runs, and strictly speaking the ocean is teeming with life of that kind (Crustacea, Annelida, Invertebrates (not a real taxon), …), so I’m left wondering.
Two current hypothesis crystallized:
One, a group of certain taxa like Arthropoda. This includes all Chelicerata (spiders, scorpions, …), Myriapoda (centipedes, millipedes, stuff close enough to those two), Crustacea (shrimp, lobster, crab, …) and Hexapoda (insects, …). Nematoda (the heartworm) and Annelida (other worms) as well. To falsify this hypothesis she’d need to be unable to control some arthropodes/nematodes/annelides, or have control outside of that taxon.
Two, brain structure. All species she controlled had a somewhat “simple” nervous system, with ventral nerve cords. Think rope ladder with knots on the front end and you’re pretty close. This would allow her to control most Arthropoda, Annelida and Nematoda (latter are both worm-ish), among others, as well as provide upper and lower limits to her power – animals too simple or complex for her to control. To falsify, well, did Skitter ever control animals that ought to be too simple or complex for the outline given? Like, starfish, jellyfish, octopuses? Octopuses for instance are startingly intelligent and might be exempt of control.
Those are rough outlines, and the first hypothesis in particular lends itself to adaptation by adding and subtracting taxa as seen fit, which actually makes it less feasibly, because, well, the easier you can change a hypothesis the less likely you’re addressing the underlying principle. Hence I favour the nervous system hypothesis, it’s more elegant. What are your thoughts?
(Please excuse my generous use of scientific terms, I’m a biologist…)
“And the way crabs and lice have been mentioned it includes at least partially Crustacea. But those taxa hadn’t been brought up when she was close to the ocean, during her runs, and strictly speaking the ocean is teeming with life of that kind”
First off, Taylor has controlled crustaceans on two separate occasions. The first was waaay back in Arc 3 I believe where she demonstrated she could control non-bugs to Brian. Second was when everyone was meeting to discuss what to do about the S9 and it was mentioned she took control of the crabs in the Lake they were meeting in. Technically, there was a third time during Extermination where she noted that any crustaceans she could control during the fight were either absent or too small to be useful.
Second, crabs just aren’t that useful compared to bugs. For a start they’re very situational; Brockton Bay might be a coastal city but Skitter hasn’t been in any fights that take place on the beach or near ‘populated’ water (Leviathan excluded). Crabs also lack the versatility bugs and spiders have. I mean, they can’t fly, they can’t scale vertical surfaces or cling to things (I think, correct me if I’m wrong here), they aren’t venomous, they don’t produce anything useful like silk, and their attack power is pitiful. All they can do is scuttle around and pinch and nip at ankles. Really, the only they got going for them is that they’re a lot more heavily armored than most bugs are and that’s it.
Honestly, there are probably plenty of things Skitter can control but doesn’t because there are better things out there to use in their place.
http://0.tqn.com/d/urbanlegends/1/0/j/-/1/giant_coconut_crab_02.jpg < Giant Coconut Crab (obviously). clinging quite well to a garbage can. i'm sure you've seen a garbage can of a similar sort before. Just think of waves of THAT coming at you, eh?
As for attack power being pitiful, quite the opposite, actually. Though they can't swarm and hit vitals as well as most bugs can, they can have some devestating strength in their pincers. Several varieties of crabs have pincers with enough PSI pressure that they equal that of a -car crusher-, with the strongest pincers equalling 8-5.333… times the strength of a car crusher (car crushers have a PSI of between 2,000 and 3,000, to put it into a frame of reference). What they really lack is mobility for a large number of them, but there are crabs that have incredibly fast move speeds as well- The average human walking speed is about 3.1 MPH, whilst the purple land crab, also known as the ZOMBIE CRAB, can move at a speed of 4.5 MPH or faster when provoked or startled. The fastest land-crab, the Ghost Crab, has a land speed of -10 MPH-. The average running speed of a healthy, in shape human is -8 MPH-. To translate this to meters per second, 10 MPH is 4.47 m/s. 8 MPH is 3.58 m/s. -World Record- speeds for 100m dash are 10.44 m/s and 9.53 m/s for men and women, specifically. So certainly you can outrun the little buggers if you're a peak specimen of human running prowess or have super speed… But if you don't, prepare to be swarmed by… the shore crab Genus Ocypode, the common identity of the Ghost Crab, which are found commonly around the world.
Check back a chapter or two previous for a post I made regarding crabs and general taxon-related concepts using information given in the story involving the Protostome Clade (search that term specifically, as I used it distinctly) for even further information and opinion as to which clades she has access to at minimum, and most likely is only the beginning of her power's true potential.
Note that this doesn’t even touch on the possibility of infection as they carry a large number of bacteria that can be rather dangerous to humans. Think Monitor Lizard bite, but not quite so virulent.
…Nor the idea of a claw with 16,000 PSI snipping below the belt. Enjoy the wince, boys. 😉
Okay, so crabs a lot more badass than I initially thought. That doesn’t change the fact they’re very situational and that bugs are a helluva lot more useful in most situations. Unless Skitter has business by the sea, an aquarium, or a fish market we’re probably not going to see angry shellfish anytime soon.
Also, crabs bite people? That’s news to me, unless you mean they slather it all over their claws.
Their claws are coated in bacteria. It’s not like they wash their claws after tearing something apart; The effluvia gets coated all over their claws and crammed into all the tiny little teeth and cracks and folds. It’s one of the reasons why they’re cleaned so thoroughly in preparation and claws rubberbanded (else they’ll attack each other and eat each other) and why they have to be cooked so thoroughly before being eaten.
._. Mother of God.
Lost Demiurge on April 16, 2013 at 12:14 said:
Crabs? Psh. You’re not thinking small enough.
Go google mantis shrimp. (Or check it out on XKCD) Yep, Taylor can probably control those…
En on April 16, 2013 at 05:32 said:
I think you’re almost on the mark.
It’s not like she can “control” them, that’s a side effect.
Her power is to integrate other nervous matter into her own brain’s overall structure, remotely.
Right now the only organisms that are simple enough (or do not fight back and immediately win because her power is not “offensive” ) for her to integrate are non-craniates, with some exception because they’re too complex (octopus) or too simple (jellyfish).
Like a *swarm* of ants could be considered a single organism, with individual ants being the organs or appendages, she *is* the swarm, not simply in control of it.
PS: I’m blind and/or stupid and cannot find the relevant post again, so I’ll reply here:
Someone commented on bullet ants being like wasps. That’s because ants are the evolved version of wasps.
Primitive ants still retain the stinger, more evolved ones get a chemical sprayer. That sprays acid.
That was how I thought Valefor was binded initially btw, formic acid on the cornea sounds nasty, disabling, and surgically reversible.
’twas I, and I was referring to it as the Bullet Ant is a nasty sumbitch attitude-wise, which can and will repeatedly sting and bite much like an asshole wasp will, but as an ant, and much more dangerous.
Can you tell they’re from the deathworld known as australia?
Apparently, It inhabits Nicaragua rainforests and the areas east of Honduras south to Paraguay.
Aw cmon, we’re correcting TheAnt about ants?
Anyway, you’re probably thingking about the bulldog ant, which is similar but bigger, with enormous mandibles, more poisonous… and yeah, from Australia.
I was surprised, but they are in fact MORE poisonous, since being poisonous means ‘carrying venom’, and they do indeed carry more, and it’s substantially more lethal as well.
I mean, the Bullet Ant is registered as a 4.0+ on the pain scale, sure, and they have an LD50 of 1.4 mg/kg, with an amazing 250 micrograms of venom. That means it would require six ants to apply enough venom to equal one LD50 dose. The typical colony has a lethal capacity of 180 kg.
The Harvester Ant, specifically the species indigenous to Arizona, who share their lesser African cousins’ pain rating of 3.0, have an LD50 of 0.12-0.7 mg/kg but only carry 20 micrograms; This means it takes far more ants to actually inflict a lethal dose, and results in the fact that a colony only has a LC of 28 on the strong end to 160 kg on the low end, even if their venom is far more dangerous.
…The Bulldog Ant however, has an LD50 of 0.18-0.35 mg/kg depending on specific species, with a capacity ranging between 300-510 micrograms. this means that a colony’s LC is retardedly high, at 860-2,830 kg. Only 180 micrograms of the most virulent species, Myrmecia forficata, will kill a 1 kg mouse.
All specific information drawn from the encyclopedia of entymology, http://tinyurl.com/c2rtxub which is a great resource that no doubt Skitter has saved in PDF format. 😀
If overtaking the nervous system is the common consensus, well, I was pretty close. Bugging me in that regard is that when her power surged only the distance increased, not the range of nervous system complexity. In other words, the ought to’ve been able to control specimen she could not. Incidentally that might even have been the case, but no animals of the increased complexity were in range. Like, regularly she can’t control octopuses, but under high stress she can, but there were none nearby/relevant.
Hm… if she ever has a second trigger event, she might get that boost, or she can give the swarm a semi-independent consciousness that somewhat persist beyond her range. Bah, speculation!
@Undead-Spaceman
Crabs are able to climb surface a human might not get a hold on, but remotely as well as land-dwelling Invertebrates with the appropriate tarsus structures can.
Your point with the versatility and use in any current situation is valid.
Just had a thought, though. Skitter has minor Aquaman capability – power over certain sea dwellers. Now we only need a villain or hero limited to the ocean and she can screw with that one. Probably didn’t see that one coming XD
The hive-mind theory is highly popular (if for no other reason than it explains her preposterously-effective multitasking), but I don’t think it’s as simple as taking over the insect’s nervous system. Insinuation 2.6:
“Yeah,” Lisa raised an eyebrow, “You do know which bugs you had biting him, right? Black Widow, Brown Recluse, Browntail Moth, Mildei, Fire Ants-”
“Yeah,” I cut her off, “I don’t know the official names, but I know exactly what bit him, what stung him and what the venoms do.”
If she didn’t know the names, the only way I see for her to know what the venoms do is a much broader biology-sense than just a tap onto the nervous system.
Umh, actually I took that bit as support for my hypotesis, seeing how she can access the insect’s *memories*. The insects themselves know what they’re capable of, and it’s not much of a stretch to think she experimented a bit. (stinging some cockroaches with different stuff to compare the effects, and feeling what whas happening inside them while the toxins worked).
I think it’s less their memories as much as her power gives her the information of what they are on an inherant level. In the above quote, she is aware of each insect in her swarm, individually, so would know what bit him and stung him from that. Considering she is really deep into the research of bugs and the ones she had available to her, she likely already knew what the venoms do as well from there, on a human level- But still knew their chemical composition and effect because of her power, intrinsically.
Oh, nothing remotely resembling consensus here, on anything.
It’s the theory I formed pretty much immediately, and so far it has not only held, but became more likely.
It takes time to learn and use a new organ/appendage (and it can be done by adults: we already have brain sensors, this is not much different) and this fits with her improving skills.
She also sometimes reacts in a weird way to people not showing peak mental efficiancy under stress. It could mean her brainpower is so boosted that “normal human norm” becomes “moronic”, and she does not notice it’s her and not them.
Oh, and it fits with the range thing too, because the center point of her swarm being it’s her mutant brain addition (IIRC it was the corona, and/or gemma… the thing bonesaw was so fond of), and that’s fixed.
Unfortunately that also means she cannot fully transfert into the swarm, because there’s a single antenna and zero repeaters.
You do make a good point about the complexity however. I guess that she fixated on arthropods and never took the time to experiment on much else.
I’m, however, more curious about less complex organisms, like portuguese men o’war.
Less useful than, say, a giant squid, but more interesting because if she “simply” expand her brain with remote nervous tissue is one thing, if she can control quorum sensing in a certain class of cells … well, that probably leads to a kill order, so I’m not sure it’s a good thing.
Lisa said that most capes do not realize the full extent of their powers and there is plenty of experimentation she can do. Others would probably find it boring but I wouldn’t mind a chapter where she does nothing but run experiments with her power to see just what she can/can’t do. Practice the multitasking, drug herself to see if she can put herself in the mental state where she heard out of a moth, go for a swim and see what she can control, and maybe find a way to boost her signal. Her clones did control rats, which were much more complex organisms than bugs. The ultimate extension of her power, though it would be too gamebreaking, would be if she could send a portion of her telepathic signal to people. Sort of like a lesser version of the Smurf’s scream so anyone in her range would experience hallucinations and feel a sense of fear. Kneel before Skitter!
The clone controlled rats, but we don’t know whether they were real rats or Noelle rats.
@En: ‘It could mean her brainpower is so boosted that “normal human norm” becomes “moronic”, and she does not notice it’s her and not them.’
I have that problem all the time. I spend so much time around people on the higher end of the bell curve, I forget that it’s a rarified atmosphere, and find myself surprised when I talk to “normal” people and they don’t even begin to understand what I’m saying.
Either that, or it’s the electrodes in my brain. Hard to tell, some times. 😉
As far as the bugs doing things she can’t…you ever put in a code on a game and it works perfectly? Without having to look it up or remember? You just think and your hands do. Then, if anyone thought to have you write out the code, you’d realize you don’t actually know what buttons you pushed? I imagine that effect is in play to a degree, just involving the bugs’ brains. I think it’s related to how you can swallow more easily than if you think about swallowing.
I know at one point I thought Swarm Intelligence had something to do with her abilities, but that was just me being mistaken at the time as to what it meant. Still wouldn’t put it past her to actually get smarter the more bugs she gathers up, though.
Also, Hermes G, I often have the opposite problem. Hang out around people who are stupid or just do dumb things and you start to dumb down how you talk or do otherwise stupid-seeming things that are actually meant to counteract or account for the dumb actions of others.
Around here, around the smart and nerdy, I just sound dumb. Always bad with specifics like quotes and dates. This isn’t helped by recent additions of people with better knowledge of the specifics of biology or a person who wants it very duly noted that he doesn’t like me.
@Hg: since it’s rollover already, I doubt you’ll ever read this, but:
Isn’t the higher part of a bell curve the average? 😛
Aaand just in case you weren’t joking about the electrodes: hey, look at the awesome side, you’re a pioneer of cyber-enhancement. Maybe you’ll get an AI girlfriend too 😀
@Pg: you’re probably going to read this even if it’s rollover I guess, you seem the type:
– I liked “Freddy” better as a nickname for Hg. I like lame puns.
– you cannot win em all I guess. If it makes you feel better (which I doubt, but you’ll never know) you’re one of my favourite commentors. Hg too btw, electrodes notwhistanding.
@En: “Freddy” — Heh. Could be much worse.
Also, I did say “higher end”, not “higher part”. 🙂
@Hg: Ah, language barrier I fear.
And I’m both nitpicky about word definition and I find a perverse pleasure on going with meanings that are possible but probably not intended.
Eh, if you insult someone saying they’re “antibiotic” they probably cannot sue you for libel 😀
(or is it slander if it’s on a public internet forum?)
Also, rule of funny.
I think the problem is that the classification of the animals she controls actually makes no sense from a purely taxonomic point of view.
At one point she sensed the heartworms in one of Bitch’s dogs and in another chapter she mentioned sensing earthworms in the ground. Roundworms and segmented worms might seem similar enough at first glance, but they aren’t even the same Phylum.
It can’t be some intrinsic limit of her power vs the size of the creatures brain either as her evil clone scurry could control rats which have a lot more complicated brains and are biological rather close to humans.
It seems more likely that instead of scientific classification when deciding what creatures Skitter controls her passenger simply a group out of her head that contained insects and spiders and centipedes and worms and all manner of similar small creepy crawleys.
Skitter appears to be not limited by anything like how closely related the creatures are or how complicated their brains are she is limited by her own personal classification.
The question to me is whether these classification was set in stone during her trigger event, or if it gets decided subconsciously with every new creature she encounters. If nobody told her that corals are animals could she sense a coral reef? If she hypnotized herself into believing that Alexandria was just a very big bug in disguise, could she control her?
Well, the clones had variations of a theme, if you recall. Skitter’s theme is creature control, with what she’s doing now being her speciality where she put her skill points or whatever.
Take the Vista clones instead, for instance. Vista as well as most of her clones has space/spatial manipulation, but there were examples of one who could flatten subjects or themselves to 2D, or compress/change stuff to radioactive dust (reasonably small scale elemental fusion to radioactive elements or isotopes). Skitters clones could control insects, or the other one had rats as her shtick. It’s still control over creatures.
Or that Grue clone who could teleport inside his Dark. Only really tangentially related to his original or even expanded power set.
So no, your point with the clones implying a bigger power at work is not hard evidence in my eyes.
Can we get a definite quote on the earthworms being sensed? if so, then we can definitively add the annelids phylum to her control, which would give her pretty much confirmed control over the entire protostome clade at the least, if not even further.
As for from a taxonomic view, actually they are quite related, into the clade I mentioned just above, the protostomes. The three major phylum of the superphylum are Ecdysozoa (e.g. arthropods, nematodes), Platyzoa (e.g. platyhelminthes, rotifers- This is where heartworms fall into) and Lophotrochozoa (e.g. molluscs, annelids).
What I fear happening is that she actually continues reaching up the taxonomic ladder and gets her hands on, say, the subkingdom Eumetazoa. >_>;; Even if she only retains control over protostomes, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/AnimalsRelativeNumbers.png shows just how wide a range of control she has.
Agitation 3.1:
Brian saw the crab dancing in circles and figure eights and smiled. Conspiratorially, he leaned closer to me and whispered, “You can control crabs, too?”
I nodded, feeling just a bit of a thrill at how we were huddled like this, sharing secrets while the people around us were totally in the dark. I told him, “I used to think I could control anything with an exoskeleton or shell. But I can control earthworms too, among other things, and they don’t have shells. I think all it takes is that they have to have very simple brains.”
The idea with the all protosome will break down the first time someone show Taylor something like an acorn worm, if her powers care more for theme then biology.
There is also the problem that protosome would also include molluscs such as giant squid or the octopuses (octopodes?) which have rather advanced brains. A proper munchkin exploitation of such a broadly defined power could make her into Aquaman (the sort who is not lame and commands all sorts of terrors of the deep)
Well, everyone’s screwed once she climbs to Bilateria anyway. That’d include pretty much every major sized animal.
I knew I could count on you, Packbat. ❤ Thanks. So that covers the annelids. As for the more complex-brained molluscs, she hasn't tried. Once she tries, then we have more information to base our theories off of.
As for the all protostome clade 'breaking down' because of acorn worms- Not at all, because they are from the Deuterostomia Superphylum, which just expands her potential. Saying that she controls the Protostome Clade does NOT exclude others from her control, just gives a loose net of where her power has touched. If it turns out that higher intelligence creatures can't be controlled, it can be further clarified by excluding those with complex nervous systems. It's an additive/subtractive process as more information comes out. 😛
Shikome Kido Mi on April 17, 2013 at 01:15 said:
I was thinking it had to do with nervous system structure myself… simple but not too simple. So, most arthropods, worms, some mollusks, but no octopi, ect. Skitter probably can’t control rats. Certainly she didn’t seem able to feel them when she was clearing out that rat infestation in her territory.
As for the clone? Powers aren’t entirely genetic. So while the clone had a similar power, there’s no reason to believe it had all the same limits or abilities she did.
The clones’ powers are warped by their genesis, as shown with the multitude of Scapes with their variations on Vista’s power.
Well, yeah. I’m kind of surprised people have got that confused, since it was kind of explicitly stated a bunch of times in that arc. And what about clone-Grue’s teleportation? The only thing similar is the use of darkness.
Darkandus on April 16, 2013 at 12:30 said:
Hmm, I have to wonder, her feeling that the name Skitter doesn’t suit her. Wouldn’t it be interesting if the reason she feels that way is an instinctual reaction, because skitter is associated with Insects, and that’s only a small portion of what she can control?
Something I’ll have to think on.
Well, for one she didn’t choose that name herself, and she might not feel it expressing the way she sees herself appropriately. The Bitch/Hellhound dichotomy comes to mind.
And she did have problems with the t-sound using her swarm voice.
Maybe she’ll use Swarm instead?
I thought she was going to change it after Chrysalis with how she talked to Dragon. Maybe it’ll happen over the course of the story’s end, or even right there at the end.
I wonder, if there was a sufficiently advanced computer that mimicked the brain enough to be only within the range of insects, if she could do anything with that?
Probably not, but now I keep thinking of people building robots for her to control. Like that Sandflea thing that jumps, or that one that can run faster than 25 mph, or maybe a bunch of small individual ones that can form together into a better approximation of a human body and activate some sort of hive chameleon program thing. Could be a realistic double, or just run around like a see-thru Predator.
And don’t forget the giant atomic powered scorpions! Somebody get me Dr. Mobius in here!
*sigh* A man can dream though.
BTW, another thing we have to factor in, is that it’s not simply “she can use remotely any simple nervous system not possessing higher functions itself”. There’s another limitation, probably not based on taxonomy (since it’s all over the place anyway), probably not proteic (same reason). Might be something more esoteric.
Anyway, “simple nervous system” by itself does not cut it because there’s a lot of very simple little brains around, and she *would* have mentioned sensing… umh, how do I put spoiler mask tape here? I don’t want to squick half the readership.
Well, she did mention lice and mites in places where the sun don’t shine, if I remember correctly.
The brain structure is a decent approach to the limits her power encompasses, but likely not the real underlying concept. I could argue for the “simplistic intelligence” approach, but then she’d be able to control mentally retarded versions of more intelligent organisms, like birds or fishes. (Quite aware of some really intelligent birds, of course, just making a point).
If sufficiently structured AI’s would be included in either definition… well, again one could argue for either. If Dragon really had a trigger event, it is reasonable to assume some parity in simulated and biological intelligence. A counterargument would be the strongly fettered AI the Dragon suits are empowered with, which couldn’t be influenced by Skitter. On the other hand, those may have been too advanced, and we don’t know their structural make up, if there was a neural net or “just” a really sophisticated program at work.
Simplistic intelligence =/= simplistic nervous system, though. Do remember that she can barely feel Atlas because of how effectively complex he is even though he’s a bug; she can’t even touch the more complex human biology inside him that Grue made, as well. Either way, we really don’t have enough information on this subject, so anything we guess at are simple theories or WMGs.
Well, we do have a *specific* lack of information, she would have mentioned sensing… stuff… and that means it’s not “simple nervous system” either.
(umh, is there a way to get some html code in this? maybe if I can colour the text black it would do)
Either way, fun possibilities if you can make a robot version. Or even find a way to put a bug brain in a robotic version.
Centipede? No, night of the Sentinalpedes!
Atlas is a good point, actually.
I could feel nervous systems intermingling, two bugs becoming one, and that strange hollowness that told me I didn’t have a complete grasp on how they functioned, that there was a part of them that was beyond the reach of my power.
One bug, and I couldn’t sense enough about it. I didn’t have that innate grasp of its biology, of how it operated, or the instincts that drove it.
My bugs normally had ingrained knowledge of how to function. This was a new lifeform. It had all the necessary parts. (…) But at the end of the day, it didn’t know how to fly.
I used my power to control every movement.
I could examine him with my power, I just couldn’t comprehend him in the same natural, instinctive manner. It took attention, focus. With my direction, he used a flutter of his wings and the points of his scythe-tipped claws to flip over so he was ready as I reached him.
(Prey 14.4)
I felt what he felt, his every movement was as much an extension of my will as moving my hands, blinking or controlling my breathing.
I searched Atlas with my power, trying to get a feel for his physiology. As with all the other instances, everything about him was invisible if I wasn’t looking specifically for it, a black hole in the database of knowledge my power provided. He was created, and there was no genetic blueprint that my power could decrypt and analyze to figure out what part served a given function.
When I reached the area Grue had affected, I found it even darker, untouchable. The nervous system wasn’t something my power could interface with. (Prey 14.5)
You know, only speculating here, but keeping in mind how the enteric nervous system that is necessary for the human digestive tract to function properly is even more elusive to her power’s grasp than the already warped rest of Atlas, well, it lends a certain credence to the semi-complex nervous system hypothesis. The same goes for the taxonomic approach, though.
Alternatively, Atlas was of some flight, though not flying well, and the way Skitter described the complex wings implies a necessary complex neurological basis to control it. Perhaps complex neurological parts, even, with an added interface so it’s somewhat accessible to her power.
And yes, I see I’m wildly guessing here. I really want to have a CT and MRI of Atlas, perhaps vivisection as well.
Another point or two I was surprised wasnt mentioned:
In Agitation, Amy (who has complete biological control through touch) was able to manipulate the bugs on her to fuck with Taylors mind, giving her an ever increasing headache; could be a hint about how her powers work
Also in Monarch we have (pardon my lack of knowledge in how to properly quote):
-I tried to push the bugs to stop, but my power was drowned out. It wasn’t that the commands they were receiving were more powerful than mine, more that they kept coming, a singular, crude set of commands extending across my entire range, maybe even further, every half second, overriding any ongoing instructions to my bugs. Attack, move this way, attack, move this way.
– I could sense the movements of the bugs throughout my range, even if I couldn’t control them.
-The pheromones that false Skitter wore were serving to override the pulses from the box, keeping bees and wasps from doing too much damage to the pair.
-I felt my power weaken, realized I’d unconsciously been pushing the bugs to hold back. I felt their attack intensify.
Also definite clues as to how exactly her powers function
So, thats my contribution to the conversation
Well, if Skitter gets smarter the more bugs she’s controlling (or in the vicinity) can easily be falsified by IQ testing her with different amounts of bugs in her power as she takes the tests. Yes, tests, since for any meaningful result she’d have to be tested multiple times with each amount to reduce the deviation and get an average score.
It doesn’t even have to be an IQ test, but easily be games requiring multiple areas of intelligence. The very least, we’d measure some change in cognitive abilities. Her rising skill with the game would need to be attributed for, of course. Imagine the moment she recognizes the potential if it is as described – incentive to surround her lair with magnitudes more bugs so she can think on her problems more effectively; increase general availability of bugs in Brockton Bay, …
Since I have missed this person on previous comments where I didn’t know it was his/her first time commenting, we’re going to go belated on this shit.
Ashan, welcome to the comments, you crazy beast. I’d say a tiger, but only because I suspect you’re lion.
It’s a bad pun.
Real bad. Right now, some of these people are daydreaming about hurting me because of it. They want to breathe fire and spit mud at me. They want me tazed and Regent-jerked. Impified and Gruealated. Skitteracted and Tattletold. Parianetted and Bitched out. Smurf sung, Behemoth boiled, and Leviathan leaked. They want Jack to Slash me, Bone to Saw me, Wolf to Hook me, and even Siberian to nudify me to death!
But what they don’t realize is that, I, Psycho Gecko, am immune to deadly nudification so long as I have the support of commenters like yourself by my side.
Hey, where’d you ho?
…crap. A belated welcome to the comments, Ashan.
go*
No, I think “ho” was the better word there.
Ashan on April 16, 2013 at 03:55 said:
I ho between the amber and red light districts. Tis a funny place, Spamalot.
Well this was much more interesting chapter than the last few. Not just becuase of the added action and extra ass-kicking, but also for the charcter development and the seeing Skitter (indicrectly) through someone else eyes.
Taylor is concerned that Regent and Imp might become too dark, but in the end it is Regent and Imp who are uncomfortable with the harsh and hard way Skitter is dealing with people.
This new turn Skitter has taken in the last few chapters might also be the reason why Dinah wanted her to cut ties and outed her civillian identity. She knew that Taylor would need to be hard and dark to be able to make the right decisions when the time came…
On a different note with the dark turn Skitter has taken recently, I can’t help but picture the charcter as part of the 90s Dark Age of comic books. Some over the top ‘dark’ and violent character, probably as drawn by Rob Liefeld (without feet and impossible anatomy and an outfit full of pouches and gun bigger than herself). Next thing you know she will drop the name Skitter and take up some ridiculous moniker like Bloodhyve orPaynestynge something with Hemolymph instead of blood.
Murderrape, the Lung Liquifier. Mother of Hornets. Father of Flies. The Rider of the Black Beetle of Destruction.
What was that eye-rapist name, the one you were predicting would be the next collaboration after the slaughterhouse 9? You sure you weren’t guessing skitter’s future name? If she goes for someone’s eyes a third time…
Genoscythe the Eye Raper!
the end is nigh! cower in fear, for the time of prophecy is drawing near!
I don’t think she’ll go with anything based on the beetle simply because she can’t count on the beetle surviving for all that long.
I really REALLY hope if atlas bites the bucket, 1 he gets a funeral and 2 skitter finds an even better way to fly. Otherwise, I’m hoping for a way for her to change/evolve bugs artificially thru her power.
She can do it already, through selective breeding. If she had two or three years, she would have been able to develop something truly nasty.
After all, it takes around 50 generation to transform a wolf into Chihuahua. Drosophila fly generation is from seven to fourteen days. Do the math.
And Taylor can be FAR more effective with selective breeding due to her power providing her info on bugs she control than any other human alive.
Not zerg level evolution, but more than what could be considered natural, I would say.
If/when Atlas dies, Skitter gets new armor.
where/which were the Endbringer attacks prior to brockton/levi?
i’m assuming there were several between kyushu, newfoundland and… (which city did the traveler’s get dumped into?) etc etc
A on April 16, 2013 at 03:54 said:
Regent was interested in being in charge for more for. Might go better as just ,more for
Chiro on April 16, 2013 at 04:20 said:
Eugh. Eyes.
Anyway, can modern medicine really fix that sort of thing?
Well, should be able to. They stick stuff into people’s eyes and mess around with them all the time with some corrective surgeries. Plus, the maggots might wiggle around and cause some minor damage, but they only eat dead tissue. Not going to be very pleasant for him at all though.
Yeah, but ‘packed’ full of maggots makes it sound like there’s barely any eye contents left.
Some googling tells me that they can fill the eyeball with silicone or gas to hold it together after taking stuff out. So yeah, on second thought I guess they could fix it, as long as the insects didn’t damage any structures. Hooray.
My understanding is that they basically nipped the eye, then maggots forced their way through the hole (i’m going to assume it was made in the sclera for intent on doing as little damage as possible that is potentially long-lasting) into the vitreous humours and, possibly, devouring them or simply displacing them, filling the cavity of the eye with maggots- Not the eye sockets, removing the eyes, but -burrowing into the eyes themselves-. Imagine the feeling that you commonly hear that meth heads experience, with ants/bugs under the skin and they have to scratch it because god it feels so itchy- but INSIDE YOUR EYEBALLS.
Oh, it’s worse than that, Rika. Because maggots make *noise,* and your eyes are close enough to your cochleas that you can hear that noise being directly conducted through your very brain.
And that noise?
It sounds like *chewing.*
Just…damn. So he gets to hear them when he sleeps for a while. Unless those heroes in particular don’t bother to get rid of them. Sweet dreams.
@Toast: …that adds weight to my theory that what Imp was smelling was fear.
And possibly feces, if Valefor had eaten that day.
Well if the guy really can hear the maggots chewing, then I think we have a new nightmare fuel addition.
Added to Nightmare Fuel. So very, very added to Nightmare Fuel.
I never addressed this before, but I should have: maggots don’t chew. All the information I’ve gathered on maggots and addressed in other posts regarding how they consume dead flesh illustrates this, but apparently no one in this thread of thought bothered to read them 😛 They have hook-like mouth parts that they use basically to siphon up the necrotic fluid that their enzymes have dissolved dead flesh to. http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01689/bluebottle-maggot_1689991i.jpg is a highly zoomed in view of the mouth/head section, showing the hook/straws.
TL;DR, maggots don’t chew.
Now, what the sound of them releasing their enzymes would be, or the soft bodies of all the maggots in the remaining vitreous humour that hasn’t been forced out of the cavity inside the eye, slithering and squishing about, not to mention the feeling of movement that you can’t quite feel due to lack of nerves…. That I couldn’t say 😉
There’s also the fact that he’s not truly completely blind; Small slivers of light will still reflect off the maggots (which are white, and thus would reflect light) and hit the retina, so he’d actually be seeing in macro the maggots writhing, wriggling, and squirming about inside his own eyeballs. He won’t be able to see anything outside of that, but still….
The sounds of them moving around would be creepy enough. Plus if he could really see them, thats even worse.
If he can see them, he can give them commands.
You’re right, Rika, they don’t chew. But their little mouth-hooks scritching together *sounds like* chewing. There are many accounts of people infested with botfly larvae (a type of maggot) near their ears complaining about the sound of it chewing their flesh, which, as you say, does not happen, but I’ve heard recordings (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17439200 ‘ware, phobics), and the sound of them clicking their little mouth-hooks together does indeed resemble that of mastication.
I like this contribution better than the last. How long will it take before Aisha can eat her ice cream? 😉 would be interesting to do an interlude with the others discussing Skitter & deciding if they should make the latest prt nazi disapear.
Any bets on Aisha ‘accidentally’ spilling her ice cream on Alec and having to eat it off his chest before it melts?~
You know they are very close but I don’t know if they consider each other romantic partners yet. They both grew up in fucked up circumstances, and they don’t feel like they can contribute like the trio can. So they probably think of each other as best friends who understand each other in a way no one ever has before, but no romance yet. Unless Grue says no to any relationship, which will almost definitely cause Aisha to kiss him every chance she gets.
Assuming it hasn’t been going on where we just haven’t been seeing it. But let a girl dream, hmm? ❤
I find Skitter’s harsher, darker slant very interesting. It’s a very pragmatic view to be taking, but it also seems a little out of the norm for her, which I suppose is the point.
Separately, I’d like to ask; Can we get a date on Haywire’s portal? We know the deviation between Aleph and Bet occurred when Scion appeared on May 20th 1982 [Danny’s Interlude], and that the “Breakdown of Haywire’s research says we can’t get to alt. Earths that are too close to our own.” [19.y] PsychoGecko were having a discussion earlier about the likelihood of Aleph’s heroes being Cauldron made, and our first view of Doormaker is May 1st, 1988 [Alexandria’s Interlude]. It’s likely they had him for some time before that, but could he have created a portal to Aleph at some point for their experiments? In fact, we have no idea when the first parahuman existed in Aleph. August 20th, 1986 is when we first see the Doctor [Alexandria’s Interlude], and she’d been experimenting for a while. “Starting just five years after Scion’s first appearance, the superheroes emerged.”
Actually, I just realised that there’s a conflict in information there. Alexandria (Rebecca Costa Brown) knew that there were superheroes (“Twenty or something?” “No less than fifty, now”)[Alexandria’s Interlude]. However, that’s only four years after Scion’s first appearance. Perhaps four and a half years, but
Regardless, I’d still like to know about Haywire’s portal, if possible. I’m really curious to see more details about Aleph, in general.
Misclicked and hit “post comment” before I actually finished. Sigh.
still, their first appearance had to have been somewhat before that, given how a her [Alexandria’s] information was already quite outdated.
“I had a growing suspicion that Regent was interested in being in charge for more for the sake of being in charge than anything else.”
I think this is an error: for more for doesn’t seem right, and if it is right/allowed, it is a bit awkward. Awkward enough to jar me out of reading long enough to write this, at least.
Lines like these put a smile on my face. reminds me of the public service announcements out of the old G.I joe or Transformers cartoons.
uhmm, i think someone mentioned a forum rpg based on worm a little while back. I’d like to have a look at that. does anyone have a link?
Was that me? I think it came up when I was describing how I’d found Worm in the comments of the previous chapter.
This is the game I was talking about, by the way: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=278492. It’s already got something like eighteen players, though, so joining might be difficult.
Dude….Taylor….My god, she’s terrifying. ._. when I read how she blinded him I shivered some. Great chapter but my god…..you’ve shown how fucking scary Taylor can be and how versatile she can be. ._.
So with the Fallen partly taken out Taylor is growing into a fully fledged overlord. BTW I love Regent and Imps Snark to Snark Combat. I read his ‘dishonest villains’ line in Jack Sparrows voice.. x3 Can’t wait till Saturday!
Also no tags…..something is up. that never happens. EVER. Wildbow what’re you planning…….
this is just the tip of the iceberg as to how versatile she can be. She’s using very basic tactics right now, comparatively. See, if she wanted to be a true villain, careless of deaths, all she would need to do is milk her bullet ants for concentrated doses of their venom and dip her biting insects’ mandibles in the venom, and the stinging insects’ stingers into the venom- and then bugs to be thrown into mouths or crushed against mucal membranes, like inside the nose or eyes or inside the ears, their entire bodies coated or carrying a ‘bug bomb’ of the venom as further concentrated payloads…
And that’s just one direction she could go. Imagine if the venom above was instead of just bullet ant venom but all the venoms of all the venomous bugs she has access to, mixed into a super-venom that instead of just attacking certain parts of your body instead attacks every single tissue in your body at once, shutting down your nervous system, your heart, your musculature, your brain, all while causing incredible pain until you black out.
She could even use high pressure syringes, light and small enough to be carried by bugs especially in groups, to deliver a very large dosage directly to the bloodstream in a sudden, single impact instead of relying on multiple attacks that could be stopped- Armsmaster has shown that. A single pressurized syringe could potentially get him where a swarm of bugs might not.
I could keep going with ideas that come to mind, but I shan’t.
Parasitic wasps.
Geographic worm -> it draws a map, under your skin.
And lets not forget all kinds of parasites with simple brains. Taenia Soliun, …
Human Botflies.
nomananisland on April 16, 2013 at 08:48 said:
I got a little confused in the description of Rosary’s mask because at one point it covers her eyes and at another it doesn’t:
“Her mask was hard, covering her eyes, cheekbones and nose, ending in a sharp point, an etched metal plate, worked into her hood. It didn’t cover her lower face and it didn’t cover her eyes.”
I picture it as a mask that goes up into her hood easily enough, leaving her mouth and chin visible, but the paragraph itself got muddy about the eyes.
Yeah, that confused me too. Eventually I concluded that it went from cheekbones to hood but had eyeholes?
I think it initially meant eyebrows?
anon on April 16, 2013 at 08:49 said:
How old are you, wildbow?
I’m guessing past highschool/college(20-30), not into 50s yet.
ereshkigala on April 16, 2013 at 10:08 said:
Hey, you guys notice the “Medusa” comment the heroes casually dropped? Perseus decapitated Medusa, didn’t he? As original national heroes go (Perseus was the first Greek hero) he wasn’t very heroic. I mean, he slew a woman merely because that woman got raped by a god and then cursed by the goddess who was supposed to protect her. (Athena was kind of a bitch – more so than Hera in the old stories – and also happened to be Perseus’ guide.)
None of the greek heroes would be considered such in our times.
Take Hercules, for instance, that in a fit of madness killed his own sons. I believe that Perseus killed his grandfather, although in an accident.
But, correct me if I am wrong, the Gorgons were punished because they compared their beauty to that of a goddess, isn`t it?
Actually, the beautiful Medusa was punished because Poseidon raped her in Athena’s temple. Athena didn’t like the sex going on, regardless of consent, so she turned Medusa and her sisters into monsters. The sisters weren’t involved in the raping, Athena was just being a complete dick. Stheno and Euryale were immortal, but Medusa wasn’t.
Yeah, hero is a somewhat loose term for the Greeks. Like Odysseus. Seems like a good guy, tries hard to get back to his wife…gets everybody with him killed a few times over (he goes through a couple of crews) and tends to bring curses on himself with his pride. Also, in the process of making his way back home, bangs a few other women. First question he asks his wife when he gets back? Wants to know if she remained faithful.
Achilles had his rage that he was well known for. He also was willing to sit around and not fight during a war if he didn’t get his preferred slave girl. Oh yeah, the slave girls, that’s another Values Dissonance right there. And after killing Hector, he made sure to drag him around Troy a bunch of times just for good measure.
He didn’t drag him around Troy. He hung Hector’s corpse behind his charriot by the ankles and then dragged it around Troy so that the corpse was horribly mutilated before the eyes of king Priamos (Hector’s father) just because he could. Which is a pretty major insult to the god of the dead Hades and against both decency and common sense.
So yeah, our heroes? Really not so heroic. (I’m Greek BTW)
Dragged him around Troy, dragged him around Troy with a chariot. Close enough. The Greeks were said to have a lot of trouble getting home from that war due to all the gods they pissed off.
Just so we are accurate,his temper tandrum was not because he didn’t get his favored slave girl,but because he was a king and he felt insulted by the way he was treated,particularly on the matter of the slave girl.
So here’s a question: How afraid of her own power is Aisha?
Taylor straight up admits that Imp and Regent are the two scariest members of the Undersiders. This coming from the girl who bisected Echidna and bested the Nine.
What that makes me think of is whether Aisha allowing Alec to take control of her was just for fun and games or whether there wasn’t an element of “Superman gives a lump of Kyptonite to Batman, just in case”.
Granted Regent’s power isn’t a perfect counter to Imp’s, but if it was I don’t think Aisha would be able to trust Alec the way she does. It might be a stretch to think that, on some level, she’s trusting him to help keep her in line, but people have definitely done weirder things.
In a similar way, I think Alec is looking to Taylor for the same kind of help. Calling her “Mom” is a good way to needle her, but it also speaks to thing that he’s most missing. Not maternal care necessarily, but someone to help him set boundaries and someone who’ll care if he crosses them.
From what we’ve seen Alec doesn’t want to be a monster. He doesn’t have the energy or see the point in being a saint either, but he’s not Jack Slash, or Bonesaw, or even Cherish.
I think Taylor meant that on their own they are more powerful than her. Seems skitter’s biggest moments were working with other capes, using her ingenuity and powers to greatly enhance what other capes can do, see: making Atlas, bisecting Echinda, sniping Oni Lee, hell, even the students in Arcadia.
I think Taylor was speaking more about perception than raw power there.
To the average person bugs don’t seem that scary. Imp and Regent on the other hand might as well be the antagonists of (respectively) every slasher flick ever made or the Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Taylor can inspire fear by using her powers in creative and brutal ways. Imp and Regent don’t even need to do that to be terrifying.
rook on April 16, 2013 at 10:14 said:
I was wondering when Skitter would get around to actively being concerned about Regent; she’s shown doubts before but now that her only life is the Undersiders, she really has no choice but to take charge. No safety net for her if it all falls apart; even if Skitter fails, Taylor no longer has the option of fading into obscurity. Great chapter as always.
Like I said in my original comment, there’s a lot to digest in this one, including at least one bit that showed a pretty scary change in Taylor’s way of thinking:
Accepting that Regent can and should have long term control over an irredeemable monster like Shatterbird is one thing, but accepting that as true for a wider swath of opponents is not a good path to go down. This is Skitter-the-Warlord thinking here. This is Taylor walking away from the moral core she’s clung to because she’s been burned too deeply.
That’s not the scary bit though. The scary bit is that she’s internalizing it. She telling herself “this is correct and right, it’s what we need” rather than “this sucks but it’s honestly the best I can manage” or even “this is wrong, but everything else is worse”.
I wouldn’t say she’s quite gone off the deep end yet though, she can still feel something’s wrong with what she’s thinking and is still trying to find the balance between being nasty enough to prevent unnecessary issues form arising and being so nasty that she won’t be able to live with herself.
The question will be “is there any space between those two lines that she can actually live in”.
Oh, wow. Gross! New skitter is scary skitter.
Neil B on April 16, 2013 at 13:09 said:
What a terrifying thought; Taylor and Brian would be the strictest high-pressure parents imaginable. At least Aisha would make the best ‘Cool Auntie’ ever.
Neil B afore Skitter!
Even worse, the kids powers! Bugs and Darkness. Nightmare fuel alone those two combined can make some terrifying new powers. Like a pool of shadows that leak out otherworldly bugs under the kids control, or making bugs that allow them to ‘borrow’ powers over time with almost no detection. Or even generating shadowy bugs much the same way Crusader does with his clones.
…Bugs that they create from internal hives that latch onto their victims and drain theri power away slowly, siphoning it to their hive-body. If attached to a non-cape, they drain their vitality and use them like a human battery.
I have to admit, I really like Regent.
Yeah, he’s a sociopath. But he’s smart enough to know what he is, and he doesn’t like it. That makes him a hell of a lot more compelling of a character, with a lot more potential for him to grow, and evolve.
Because, see, what really makes him work? At the core of it, he’s LONELY. He wants friends, wants something like a family even if he doesn’t know it. What he had before? His actual family? It was a sick joke, and when it got too much to handle, he walked the hell away. He figured “There has to be something better out there,” and sure enough, there was. The Undersiders are filling that need, which is why he’s going to stay loyal to them no matter what.
Sure, the palace, the whole “bigger and better than dad” thing is a motivation too, but it’s just a goal to strive for. It’s just a way of getting revenge the lazy way… Building up to the point where you’re more awesome than the guy you hate, and ignoring him because he’s no longer relevant. It’s the CONSCIOUS motivation. But unconsciously? He wants the Undersiders to keep on accepting him, helping him, and hanging out with him.
Which is why he went after Shadow Stalker/Sophia the way he did. She was messing with his adopted family. THAT couldn’t stand. So he’d be the amoral bastard that he knew he was, and fix the situation in a way Taylor never would.
Taylor’s the little sister who’s kind of transitioned into the team Mom. Tattletale’s the big sister who’s a bit of a know-it-all. Brian was an older brother, an awesome bud to relax with who generally had his head in the right place. That’s being refigured now, but I think it’ll come through intact once Brian recovers a bit. Rachel? Eh, she was the weirdo cousin. Hard to hang with, but she was obviously messed up, and made his own messed-upness seem less by comparison. Imp… Heh. Imp changed the dynamic.
Imp wants attention. Ironic, given her power, but not so much when you think of it and the circumstances that caused it. Better to say that she wants attention on HER TERMS. And she’s relaxed, and doesn’t care much for authority, which is both a factor in common and a change from the rest of the team. Imp’s an EQUAL. Imp wants attention, and Regent is lonely, so it’s only natural the two would hang out. Hell, I’d lay even odds that the two have probably been canoodling a bit, though I don’t care to speculate how far it’s gone. Whatever the case, they’re the most equal on the team, they’ve got so much in common with each other, that odds are good they’re going to end up as mates if they aren’t already.
And too, Imp TRUSTS him. She wouldn’t have given him control if she didn’t, and if he’s as smart as I think he is, he recognizes that it’s a precious, precious thing she just handed him, and he will NEVER abuse it. She told him “you’re the boss and I’m okay with it,” and she backed up her words with actions. Hell, he’d probably die for her, if he’s broken the way I’m expecting him to be.
Also, she didn’t supplant the Undersiders. They’re still his friends, even if things are a little more tense with Brian (and to a tiny degree, Taylor.) They’re still damn near a family, and so long as he doesn’t have to choose between these things, life is good. If he DOES have to choose? Well, to quote my favorite thug from Firefly… “Well, that’ll be an interestin’ day…”
Some might complain that we don’t see Regent and Imp enough in the story, but that’s fine by me. If their appearances continue to be of the quality that I’ve seen to date, then I’ll be more than happy if they only show up every now and then.
But hey, if and when Wildbow gets around to doing more with them, fine with me! This story’s a hell of a ride, and I stay up late every night an update’s due, just to get to read it as soon as I can. I’m greedy that way. 😀
I agree with you accept for the canoodling…I just don’t see it.
I mean both Imp and Regent have had experiences in the area of relationships that would be an extreme negative. Now it’s unknown whether or not Imp was molested by that boyfriend of her mother’s, or beaten and so on. But in either case her direct experience of relationships has been massively negative, if molestation occurred then she’s also really unlikely to want sex.
As to Regent, rapist or not I find it hard to reasonably assign blame to a child in that environment. Especially given that he left it and renounced all that. Which itself is key to looking at his own viewpoint. Just as with Imp he has had purely negative experiences of relationships all around him, unlike Imp we know for a fact that his experience with sex has been present and horrific for all involved (everyone stop and count for a bit, see how old Regent was when all that started? Yeah, that’s all kinds of nasty) with him no longer showing much interest. Of course either as a sociopath or someone emotionally razed, he’s likely to have a disinterest in sex no matter how things go.
The point is that both these people are unlikely to be looking for love, what they are looking for is a partner. Regent wants company and companionship. Imp wants attention and respect as an equal. Both are naturally challenging and need someone close to them to be able to deal with that, see the snark war.
More intriguingly, Regent is a broken sociopath with a likely absence of self-respect currently walking a path of his own morals, Imp meanwhile is not idealistic on the surface, but seems to be rather soft underneath that rough uncaring exterior (not unlike Bitch if in a different style) of hers.
Both of them have good in them, Regent as a product of thought, of knowing that he doesn’t want to act like that or perhaps more that he shouldn’t act like that. Imp seems more an emotionally decent person, less thought more buried empathy. As such both are positioned to draw out the good in the other by virtue of their presence. Imp gives Regent a grounding for his darker side, Regent might actually be able to keep Imp on a vaguely established line.
Tangents aside, while romance might develop as they grow and patch themselves up, right now I’d say they’re probably both thinking nothing of the sort. Imp’s experience of men and Regent’s of women would both contrast sharply with how they see the other. As things stand they’re more Heterosexual Life Partners/Those Two Guys. (yay Tropes, if anyone agrees I’ll add the one in question to the Worm Page)
I can certainly see comparisons to Rude and Reno in Advent Children.
I don’t think we have enough info to justify Platonic Life Partners – we would have to actually know that they’re not interested in a physical relationship, not just that have strong reasons to believe – but I think there’s a solid argument for Those Two Guys status for the pair.
So stupid and needless speculation time. I was arguing with a friend of mine who is just starting to read worm and we got into a debate about Cauldron. He argued that based on how outnumbered the heroes are, without Cauldron the world would be a even more crapsack setting. I argued that if Cauldron really cared about the world, they would be giving out their formulas dirt cheap to regular people to create a army of heroes. Well, we got to talking and wondered what would happen if Cauldron tried to recruit skitter and sent he a formula or one of those power enhancers Eidolon was taking. Well we then got into our favorite pastime of the What if? game. So what if a person who had a regular trigger event took a cauldron formula. Most likely death, body horror, or a new Echidna but what if it actually worked with no side effects? The PRT would regain alot of firepower by giving certain powers that synergize well with what they currently have, and we could justify it by saying that certain powers don’t work with certain individuals to keep anyone from becoming to game breaking. For example Scapegoat taking a formula derived from Aegis would work very well for him. So the next question was what power would benefit Skitter the most. He thought bonesaw. Unlike her, she could use such a power to heal people, cure diseases, counter any large scale attack bonesaw uses, enhance her minions/the undersiders, and the mechanical spiders would fit her insect theme. I was torn between Armsmaster and Panacea’s power. With Armsmaster she could have alot of combat options without being gamebreaking and the team could use a tinker. She would put Amy’s power to good use making giant bugs, healing people, and maybe going to go heal the patients at the asylum for some good press. So for anyone who wants to play the what if game. What if Taylor could gain one more power from any cape in the wormverse that Cauldron could get a sample of? What extra power would you have liked her to gain?
goodol'vorbis on April 16, 2013 at 14:30 said:
Panacea – change enemy brains to mimic the systems of bugs (i’m certain this is possible…) = army of very obedient people, acting by her will and mostly controlled subconciously. Game breaker, yes. Deliciously evil, oh-ho-ho yes
The challenge there is to pick a power that would have interesting effects (and generally positive ones, since I like Taylor too much to dump more crap on her) without it becoming a “Game Over” scenario.
Hand Taylor a tinker power? Game Over. Hell even something “lame” like Uber or Leet’s powers would be insane in her hands. Amy, Bonesaw or even Defiant is Hello “human hive”, “indestructible minions”, or “bugs with frickin’ laser beams on their heads”.
Ok….that last one might be kinda cool.
I’d also be leery of giving her a regeneration ability. The only purpose for self-healing powers is to allow the writer to beat you up worse, and frankly Wildbow’s plenty good at kicking the crap out of her as it is.
So what to give her? Lots of good options still open. How about Shadow Stalker’s power for example? A bit of personal defense there, some synergy with her bug abilities but not too much and it would certainly help with the Reign of Terror angle she’s working on at the moment.
Alternatively, if we want to go completely nuts and ending the story doesn’t matter then the answer’s obvious: Scion’s power.
My roommate and I had a conversation awhile back about the fic idea of Panacea and Skitter being friends. We ended up deciding that Skitter+Panacea = game over. Because of one simple thing already used in the main story. If Skitter can make more relay bugs than she stops having an upper limit on her range. The inevitable end result (assuming She doesn’t get killed.) Is of a Skitter calmly sitting in her liar drinking tea while she has her bugs explosively breeding over the entirety of Brockten Bay with her able to notice, monitor, and deal with every single thing in the city. And that’s just with expanded range once you factor in the other giant bugs, poisons, different types of venom, and other nasty tricks.
Btw, been here awhile but this is the first time I’ve posted. As for that little thread back on Saturday, Packbat is correct, I came here through Tvtropes. Thus the circle is complete and the Swarm grows! (insert evil laughter here.)
Yeah, you have to be careful about regeneration as a storytelling technique. After all, a character being at risk of death is a very well known motivator. It could be used to help build on other motivations, though, such as emphasizing a person’s relationships and impact on the world.
It also could be justified in a character afraid of death whose ability to regenerate relies on a certain place or some sort of device that can be used up. If the character lacks invulnerability but still puts themselves in extremely dangerous scenarios, it can be easier to have them get injured badly but in a way that they can recover from than to magically avoid all major wounds.
Obviously, comic books don’t use it to its fullest potential.
Just make it so it takes a long time to regenerate. Its still an amazing and very useful ability, but its no longer so gamebreaking. So it takes weeks to heal damage instead of days.
I believe the protagonist of the webcomic Sidekick Girl has an ability of that kind. I never actually read through the archives of that one — like many webcomics, it starts off kinda weak.
@Packbat. If you see this then It’s me letting you know ti got better.
@ShawnMorgan: I’ve tried it more than once before, and I may try it again – I know it took a lot of attempts for me to get into Schlock Mercenary, for example.
(I might try starting in on Sidekick Girl at a later point, if there is one that someone can recommend.)
Something that would synergize with the powers Skitter already has, make her even more badass, but not break the story entirely by making her invincible? What about an addition like Bitch’s power to make her bugs bigger and more durable, and make them grow to Atlas-size? Or something like Ursa Aurora’s power that lets her summon ghostly swarms of bugs instead of having to rely on whatever’s in her immediate environment?
But she’s already a master, and her power is great for long distance fighting already. Though I have to admit that I would greatly enjoy her recreating all the bad b monster movies with giant insects. Them, 8 legged freaks, tremors, etc. She needs something to deal with capes that are immune to her bugs and she can use for close range combat.
Shifter powers.
I’ve said it before a couple times but my idea remains to make her become able to transform into bugs (along with her immediate possessions, for neatness’ sake) and to transform the bugs derived directly from her (so not game breaking as creating external swarms of bizarro bugs requires a fair amount of living matter from her and someone can only lose so much blood in a week) in ways that imply breaker powers.
So bugs that conduct and create electricity, hyper tough bugs, bugs capable of massive acceleration etc etc. Limits would be, she can only apply one major power to a bug, plus secondary powers to make it work (so explosive bugs equal slow regeneration after they blow, speed bugs reduce friction or some such) or alternatively two or three much smaller powers.
She cannot create a lot of different powers effectively. Even her mind cannot deal with it if she has more than a few (as in three/four at absolute maximum) bug types at a time. While her mass creates a lot of bugs
Further individually they’re still not going to do much, one bullet bug is not even gonna knock someone out, takes a dozen or so lightning bugs to start having more then a static effect.
Best of all, it’s still her body. She can sense and process those senses just fine, including pain. Assimilating new bugs to rebuild herself is extremely slow (days/weeks to get back a hand’s worth), very painful and her life depends on never lowing too many to sustain her mind. If she loses bugs then transforms back all the way the injury sticks, so if she lost a hand as above then her arm at least would have to remain bugs until she was mended.
Taylor style extrapolations. Lightning bugs and so on are flashy but more biological alterations would probably remain more effective in her hands. Since she can maintain a lot of different less extreme variants if she’s not transformed then cue keeping a large amount of her insides constantly altered. Combined with her canon capacity for seemingly programming actions into her bugs we get inhuman strength and toughness (though not superhuman levels) and the best kind of regeneration powers.
The blunt and unpleasant kind. She gets cut, cue the wound sprouting maggots that kill nearby infection, needle spiders that sow it up, leeches that deal with the pain. Other bugs shore up her body, letting her have the (fight past limits then sleep for a long time) kind of toughness.
Of course this also means she would become able to fly, which is the kind of simple fun she really deserves.
Kind of gross but very powerful. But giving breaker effects to bugs might be a bit overpowered depending on what bug you give it to. Gives new meaning to bullet ants.
I figure the balance would be in making it remain too weak on the individual level to really do more than increase her options. Beyond an all-out full swarm assault she wouldn’t be doing a huge amount more damage and that assault uses her actual physical body thus putting her heavily at risk.
Since they can only have one major power, if they’re attacking well they cannot also have any significant defence. So she could eat through metal, but a good shock while she did so would cause massive damage. She could form a barrage of recycling bullet insects that act like Tyranid ammo but every shot would have a chance of destroying a part of her body. Not to mention the mental trauma of all this, even without the parts where she’d be functionally biting the opponent with her own teeth and tongue (sensory wise) the swarm part would be mind-bending.
Also the idea was for making them breaker to override whatever they were before. So rather then a glowing/burning version of a real insect you get a brand new structure.
I can see Taylor using the flashier parts of such a power chiefly as smokescreen. The less impressive parts like being able to negate large amounts of physical trauma damage by shifting or escape through very small spaces, that’s what I figure she’d use most.
Though the downside is being really fragile in such a form. Unless it was tuned specifically to not die from Defiant’s bugzapper or some such.
awesome, i’ve been looking forward to some regent story, he’s been very sidelines-y since just after they caught them a shatterbird
Truthseeker on April 16, 2013 at 14:30 said:
Funny story! As a schoolchild, I had a little complex about eyes. They’re so precious to everyday operation, so vulnerable to harm. So, hearing the word “eyes” several times in quick succession, or enduring a lesson on how eyes worked? My eyes would start to water defensively –not streams of tears, but certainly as though I was intensely allergic to the mere subject.
My darling schoolmates saw this weakness and endeavored to help me past it via the predictable method of chanting “Eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes!” until my behavior was sufficiently entertaining. Their loving attention was enough to move me past my little issue to the point where I looked at Taylor carving Lung’s eyes out and merely thought, “Hey, he regenerates. Sound strategy, fair ball.” I pretty much felt I was past that problem, safe to say.
…Guess not. 😀
Worm, helping us learn more about ourselves one -2d6 San roll at a time.
(Now I’m thinking of a Worm/Lovecraft crossover – I’d almost feel bad for the poor Terrors from Beyond Time and Space though, they come to Brockton Bay they ain’t going to be making it back out in one piece.)
If Worm crossed over with Lovecraft Brian and Aisha would end up crazy shoggoth worshippers or something.
I’m more entertained by the idea of Shoggoth’s winding up as crazy Skitter worshippers. 🙂
Well she should be able to control any octopus no matter what their size. So I picture the worshipers bringing in a terror from the deep who is immediately controlled by Skitter and makes it kneel before her. Then it’s a terror from the deep vs. endbringer cage match time.
Octopodes have highly complex nervous systems and are extremely intelligent, almost to the point of sapience. I truly doubt Skitter would be able to control them.
There goes my image of giant squids swarming Leviathan.
A fair number of the denizens of the Outer Realms are very simple mentally… Would be cake to control them, especially since so many are insectoid already. 😛
Worm, bringing back repressed childhood phobias! 😀
I think it amazing that he could finish the sentence without breaking in
uncontrollable laughter, I had to laugh in the middle of it.
I love that the PRT is an in universe joke in these regards by now.
Regent’s humor is so blissfully entertaining.
Fridge Logic:
If Valefor’s power could end a fight like that, why didn’t Eidolon simply replicate it or its equivalent and use it against Echidna? He can get up to 3 major powers simultaneously, right?
Come to think of it, why didn’t he replicate Tattletale’s Power + Accord’s Power so as to perfectly read the Echidna problem and automatically find the solution to it? He could even drop in some superspeed so not only he got the Thinker results of two pretty major thinkers combined but he also got them at, say, 1/10 of the time.
Alternatively, copying Legend’s power (even at reduced strength) plus a duplication power so there were a small army of him plus an extreme luck or supernatural aim power so his attacks always hit. That should have allowed him to hit her from a couple miles out with 5-6 times the firepower of Legend; instant BBQ.
Fights are all about force multipliers and he didn’t use any.
I suspect his power pool isn’t “any power any other cape has”, but “any power from this gigantic list of powers that Cauldron was able to give him”.
He has a lower than average intelligence. All that power but he can’t use it as effectively as say Taylor could. Plus he is so powerful that he has lost the ability to think strategically because he can just choose the perfect power for a situation.
From what I gathered, his power gives him the abilities he needs to take down whatever is opposing him. Not abilities that can let him win a strategic victory.
TheAnt and Reveen made excellent points.
I would add that Eidolin sees himself as far above all others except Scion. As such he’s definitely not thinking in the way required to start considering force multipliers. He’s too egocentric.
Keep in mind that Eidolon’s power decides what he gets, not Eidolon himself. See Legend’s Interlude, for example.
Can he at least discard and reroll? Or would he just be given the same powers again?
He can, but then he has to wait for the new power to get up to full strength, and there’s no guarantee that the new power is going to be ‘better’.
You know, the fact that Valefor was able to use his power on Skitter means that the last thing he ever saw was most likely Skitter’s mask.
(Actually, that raises an interesing question about how his power worked. If he can only see the costume and not the person underneath, does that still count as seeing a target for his power? How much armor do you have to wear to nullify the effect?)
I have to say that I love Skitter’s pragmatism. She doesn’t avoid solutions simply because they are gross or could be seen as cruel. I’m a lot less squeamish than most people and It’s nice to have a protagonist that actually uses the kind of solutions that I often find myself suggesting to the screen.
I’m still a little confused as to exactly how valefor was able to see skitter enough to get his power going, since skitter has the full body costume, and she’s usually covered in bugs.
She stepped out of the swarm. He doesn’t need to see bare skin, he just needs to see -you-. It’s not like some sort of hypodermic mind needle. XD
It just seems like a risk she wouldn’t take as there are many easy ways around it, like dropping the maggots on his eyes from behind him.
especially considering her conversation with regent earlier.
I think Skitter’s operating assumption was that she had really good odds of IDing Valefor before he got into visual range. Which she did, he just did a better job of hiding himself than she expected, by playing on her assumptions and going with a guise (girl with mother) that she wasn’t really expecting. It was risky, but the alternative (do nothing) wasn’t acceptable to Skitter, and she felt she could manage the risk.
She needed to be able to see directly to direct them to the very careful, specific locational instructions.
Chris Jones on April 17, 2013 at 09:21 said:
Wow, what a ride. I got introduced to this by a poorly worded thread on stardestroyer.net. That was over a week ago, since then I’ve spent days going through the back archive of this story. And well, holy crap is this a good read.
Though the last two arcs are giving me an increasing The Godfather vibe regarding Skitter.
I saw that thread. I felt so bad for Razorsmile – he started up one or two other topics (facts I’m immensely grateful for) with the same kind of language, and people took it in stride.
Welcome, Chris. Glad you’ve enjoyed.
Welcome to our neck of the woods, Chris, the comments section. It is indeed one hell of a ride on a big beetle. Like shoving 200 cheeseburgers down Paul McCartney’s gullet and using him like a snowboard down a snowy mountain that’s erupting.
I’m Psycho Gecko, your guide through the comments section, our little home of comedy, analysis, morality, debates on the nature of heroism, and slashfic gossip columns. Want to write a fic where Lung and Marquis have sex? Careful, they’re both in prison so you might be stepping on canon. And the thing about this canon is it has balls.
I know what you’re thinking. Some balls are held for charity, and some for fancy dress. Balls that are held for pleasure are the balls that I like best. I can assure you that Worm has some of the biggest balls of them all.
With that, have a fond Worm experience.
Wow, what a ride. I got introduced to this by a poorly worded thread on stardestroyer.net
*steeples fingers*
Ex-cell-ent.
Havent checked all the comments yet, but this: `He was walking briskly to keep up with Imp, Atlas and me.`
Should be `Imp, Atlas, and I`
Remove Imp & Atlas, and the sentence becomes, “He was walking briskly to keep up with me.”
With your revision, it would be, “He was walking briskly to keep up with I.” which doesn’t work.
AH, gotcha!
Explains why my English teachers had problems with me
It’s one of those misleading little things that gets hammered into your skull over the years, which really should be addressed in schools. How many times have you heard the pedantic character on TV saying, “My mother and I.” ?
Another one is the whole, ‘I before E, except after C.”
When it would be more correct to say something like, “I before E, except after C, albeit there are weird exceptions like weigh and neigh.”
And even more correct to say ‘E before I’, because there’s more words that are E-I than I-E.
There’s actually a funny bit in “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil” where one of the eponymous redneck protagonists reflexively corrects “who” to “whom” when talking to this college student – despite “who” being grammatically correct.
(The trick I learned for that one is “use ‘who’ when the answer would use ‘he’ and ‘whom’ when ‘him’.”)
It’s a phenomenon called hypercorrection. That term is usually used when someone uses a linguistic construction that’s non-standard because they think of it as more “correct” or standard, usually in a context where they’re very aware of the “correctness” of their language. It also applies to instances where you’re literally “correcting” someone who is already correct. It’s a very, very common phenomenon.
When that rhyme was used in my school, it had a second half. I don’t remember it exactly, but it was something like “I before E, except after C, or when they sound like A, as in neighbor or weigh”.
Albeit, there are weird exceptions, as conceited, caffeinated deceivers have inveigled in their leisure hours.
Someone cleverer than me could make a better line than that, but I’d rather keep working on tonight’s chapter.
ShawnMorgan on March 10, 2014 at 00:08 said:
@Wildbow.. was use of the word ‘albeit’ deliberate here?
Also, UK schools have now dropped the I before E thing. The concierge didn’t help matters much either. Then I Suddenly notice the spelling of ‘either’.
Maybe something along these lines?
http://www.rockpapercynic.com/index.php?date=2013-03-18
Lord, this chapter didn’t help my Regent/Imp ship. 😛
Seriously, that trust was a great thing to pick up on. I always figured that they were closer to each other than to the other Undersiders, my guess due to their cockiness and isolationism, but I didn’t expect Imp to have let him have control! That’s some prescience, right there. I can guess what the content of Skitter’s talk with Grue will be, though…
three rights make a left. on April 18, 2013 at 00:10 said:
oh i thought there was a bonus chapter coming out tonight, I must have messed up the schedule in my head
oooh i found it cool
pravin vatsa on April 20, 2013 at 20:25 said:
The remark about not being able to get ice cream as Taylor anymore struck me as very poignant; she was forced to give up a lot of simple joys with the loss of her civilian life.
>>“Or!” he said, raising a finger, “I could delegate.”
>>“That’s a recipe for failure,” I told him.
No, it’s sensible. Only Tattletale and Skitter are half-decent organizers. The others are as good as the average teenager or worse (Bitch).
Having incompetents managing a territory is a recipe for untold suffering and an excellent reason to want to Undersiders gone.
>>Rosary used her power to shred the silk lines. In the face of the biting insects, however, she couldn’t do as much. The petals around her cut into the swarm, but it was minimal damage to a great many attackers.
So the silk is more fragile than the silk? 0.o
Could Eligos cut the silk while Skitter and Imp were talking?
Valefor must be incredibly stupid. That’s the kind of power you can easily set up an unbeatable empire with! But I guess only Skitter has a license to be clever now.
The PRT could indeed have kept Valefor under control and locked up. It seems breakouts during transport are rare (generally requiring an outside force) and no one has escaped the Birdcage. And Skitter decided to blind him. It’s also not shown (indeed, it’s implied otherwise) that he’s done anything worth blinding for (Skitter has taken hostages herself).
Image is the justification dictators use for all their horrible actions and ridiculous expenditures. Attacking good and innocent people who are doing good deeds (and you no harm) all for image.
The Undersiders are past the point where any good citizen would be justified in killing them.
It’s somewhat unclear how she rationalizes stopping heroes entering “her territory” without her permission. That can prevent quick captures and serves no useful purpose except to reinforce an image of power (which she wants for reasons unknown).
btw: If the Undersiders are serious about being seen as a sovereign state they are all going to die messily when the real government decides it’s had enough of this shit and invades. They really should have done ages ago.
Being about to force them to suicide seems to me like something worth blinding for.
It would be a terrible idea for Regent to delegate. He’s half-assed enough about his leadership as it is. If he hands over running the show to any underling competent enough to do the job well, they’re not going to want to stay underling for very long. The evil vizier thing is just too big a risk.
Regent’s going to ensure their loyalty with what, his winning personality? Riding them all the time defeats the point, and Regent would soon tire of that anyway.
Totally thought she was going to use the maggots to eat his brain power cortex thing.
Ganymede on October 28, 2013 at 11:44 said:
Oh man. Anybody could see the danger signs as soon as it turned out Aisha wantd to hang out with Regent more, but damn.
It’s not like there isn’t a fetish for mind control out there, and with Regent it’s like bondage that can come at any time, any place, with no safeword. And Imp is totally the type to find that kinky and exciting, huh. The girl who lashes out at authority and never listens, giving up control entirely. Her having an escape through her power is a nice surprise though.
Of course in the worst-case scenario all he’d have to do is keep her tied up when he sleeps, forcing her to turn off her power if she wants anyone to remember to bring her food…
They both have a weird M.A.D. thing going on. It’s like a super sadistic and masochistic relationship in one with both parties playing both sides. Weird but strangely appropriate for these two.
I knew it. I totally called that Regent was controlling Imp way back when they were first patrolling together. I feel vindicated, now.
The Wealthy Aardvark on May 24, 2014 at 16:18 said:
Imp backed off, We pulled
*grammar alarm*
It should either be “off; we pulled”, “off, and we pulled”, or “off. We pulled”.
Schrodinger's Hat on September 2, 2014 at 01:55 said:
I’ve always thought so, but this chapter clearly confirms it….. Regent > Skitter.
Hahaha oh god I almost forgot how much I totally love Regent! He and Imp are definitely a couple. It may not be spelled out explicitly but they are totally together. This chapter pretty much pegged both the hilarious and fucked up meters. While it is pretty sweet to see Skitter start genuinely cutting loose it is…disturbing to the extreme at the same time. It is poetic to a degree that her second act of well and true out and out villainy (sp?) is to eat out a man’s eyes.
Imp is both awesome and mildly crazy. Okay I like Alec but at the same time and I would never let that man voluntarily take control over me just for shits and giggles. Sure it’s useful to her and sure they both have complete power over each other in a simultaneously masochistic and sadistic way but…damn they really are perfect for each other. Also it is utterly hilarious that Aisha walked in on her brother and Taylor having sex. I am torn between thinking that she would stay to watch for a bit or simply run away screaming “My eyes! My eyes!” Unfortunately I think both reactions are entirely plausible for her. I wonder just how long it took Alec to get what they were talking about? Before he even finished asking the question seems likeliest. Oh and the entire ice cream bribe conversation was epic by the way.
I loved how I called how they would take Valefor out! Totally called eating his eyes with bugs! It was nice that they didn’t get into a real fight with yet more heroes and it was infinitely refreshing to see some heroes with brains on their shoulders. I think Rosary has got to be one of the smartest people we’ve met! She knew she was outclassed and she knew damn well not to cross the crazy scary Undersiders! Totally sweet.
Really wildbow, we need more Regent and Imp goodness. Aisha was annoying at first but dear god I love the little ball of crazy now! And anytime Alec walks on screen the laughs always follow!
The Warren Peace NFL Report on November 11, 2014 at 06:39 said:
Regent and Imp are fast becoming my favorite characters.
Ryuuku Sakigake on November 22, 2014 at 03:39 said:
Ah. I squee at villainous crossdressing. Valefor, I love ya. Someone draw this, please!
Great chapter. Engaging, as always.
Sorry, Aisha, you misheard Taylor. She actually said she was going to get you some Eye Scream.
Editing mishap with the capital, maybe want a conjunction there too.
I feel like Skitter is really crossing the line here. There’s a reason our justice system thinks that “an eye for an eye” is a bad idea, and in practice deterrence is not very effective unless you take it to such extreme levels that you’re no better than the people you’re trying to punish.
storryeater on June 20, 2016 at 09:06 said:
But she does neither of these. Her chewing the eye of a bad guy is both necessary for his neutralization AND repairable, so it isn’t extreme, while the deterent is her mysterious and fearsome abilities and powers, not an extreme punishment.
So, Skitter got tagged by the evil eye. What suggestion did he leave behind in her?
BookWyrme on December 30, 2016 at 00:41 said:
Fuck yeah Imp x Regent. Also Taylor has gotten so badass
«charged for Regent and I.» “for *me*”, not “I”.
Batmal034 on August 9, 2017 at 05:09 said:
Wildblow, I assume you don’t even read these threads anymore/don’t get a notification. First time reader here and just wanted to say wow…this line just killed me:
Smartjedi on November 24, 2017 at 13:04 said:
“Regent’s base was in the midst of renovations. The exterior was tame, unassuming, but the interior was becoming something else entirely.”
Just like Regent’s power. I enjoyed that parallel.
Regent has been one of my favorite characters from the start of the series, and I’m hoping to see more of him now that Skitter has decided to take the gloves off.
She is so twofaced. On the one side not wanting to make hard decisions on the other taking peoples eye sight.
And why is it written as if we should know who Rosary is? She was never introduced before!
Totally don´t get why everyone is so dumb. Why do capes come into Brockton bay without full body armor? They should already know that Skitter is there and a good defense would be no open skin.
Not even the PRT is doing that!
It’s funny that Regent seems to respect Imp. I think he might like her. Maybe he’s not so horrible?
I feel like Taylor is going to blow this out of proportion to Brian and ruin a good thing they had going.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the abusive deciduous control freak.
“Ice cream. I’ll pay for it, you pick it up.”
Aisha is such a child.
Shame we didn’t get to see more of Haven. I wonder what happened to them by the sequel. Though given the job security superheroes get…
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Teneral e.1
Posted on November 2, 2013 by wildbow
“I expect I’m not doing myself any favors,” the girl spoke.
“Favors?”
“Remaining silent. You’re here to judge me, and silence is damning.”
“I’m not so sure I like the word ‘judge’. Evaluate is a better word. Listen is better still. I want to listen to you, because I can’t help you if I don’t understand you, and I want my understanding of you to come from your words,” Jessica Yamada spoke.
“Silence says a great deal, does it not? I recently heard a man speak to the people in charge about the homeless, the masses of refugees we are still trying to find homes. He spoke of needs, of women and children, and of families that have been broken because temporary shelters don’t allow the men within. He proposed a plan, then justified it with a diatribe on humanity and pity, leadership and the threat of unrest, the threat of people manifesting powers, and he talked of faith. He finished on that note. Do you know what point the canniest people in the room are left paying attention to?”
“You were talking about silence. Something the man didn’t say.”
“You are paying attention,” the girl said, sounding mildly surprised.
“It’s my job.”
“Then you’re already aware that what one leaves out is as telling as what they include. The void in our speech, if you will. The gaps. The man said nothing of resources, of food supplies, because he does not want to raise the topic, and he has no answers there. Silence can be louder than words.”
The therapist nodded. “It’s an interesting thought, and it’s one we could talk at length about, but, please excuse me for saying so, I think you’re dodging the question.”
“Dodging?”
“Evading, avoiding-”
“I was not asking for clarification, doctor. I was expressing indignation,” the girl said, stressing the last word. There was a kind of vibration in the words as she said it.
“Whatever else you are, you’re still human.”
“There was a time I’d have swiftly responded to that,” the girl said. “You would be dead, if you were fortunate enough.”
“…And you’re acting like I should be able to read something in your silence. The problem is that speech needs periods of silence to be intelligible, to separate the words and keep it from being a steady drone of noise. To frame it. The opposite is true. To find the meaning in what’s left unsaid, we need words to punctuate it.”
The girl opposite Jessica Yamada frowned just a little. Her deep green eyes didn’t move a fraction as she met the therapist’s. It held an intensity that suggested she could have faced down a stampeding elephant or an airborne missile. Very reluctantly, she said, “…Fair.”
The therapist relaxed a touch, sitting back in her chair. “What we do here is up to you. I’ve had patients who enjoy this kind of verbal jousting. Many walk into a first session with preconceived ideas, that they’ll be forced to lie on a couch and bare their vulnerabilities while I pry at them with questions. A debate gives them their power back.”
“It’s the approach that makes sense. The, er,” the girl stumbled uncharacteristically as she searched for a word, “parahumans… they tend towards conflict.”
“There is a lot of evidence to suggest that’s the case. Do you? Tend towards conflict?”
“No. Which is a good thing, I imagine. My other half was always more patient, more relaxed than most. Its duty was always at the end. For those who had duties at the beginning, it would be harder.”
“How do you define beginning and end, when it’s a cycle?”
“Beginnings and endings,” the girl mused. She smiled a little. “I’m tempted to say you just know. That it’s instinctual, you know what you are. But that’s something of a coward’s answer. More correct to say that you can distinguish the two when there’s a long, long journey in the middle.”
The therapist shifted her position, taking a glass of water from the table beside her and sipping it.
No doubt inviting me to keep talking, the girl thought. She turned her attention to her drink. It was cold. She exercised her power, reaching into the deep dark well within her, and withdrawing a single individual.
Põletama, the firesinger.
The individual emerged, coalescing from shadows. A woman, dark skinned, with skin painted in wild colors that had once hidden her features as well as any mask. Where it had once been paint and flesh, the barest minimum of cloth, the flesh ridged. Her eyes burned as she stared out from the shadows of her deep-set eyes.
The girl didn’t take her eyes off the therapist as the firesinger reached out and put one glowing fingertip into the water. It took a moment for the liquid to start steaming.
The other two shadows stood at different points in the room. One stared at the bookshelf, its lips moving as it murmured in a voice only the girl could understand. The other stood at the window, arms folded, his cape moving in a wind that wasn’t present, hood hiding his features.
The girl in the heavy leather chair, by contrast, wore only a sleeveless top and a knee-length skirt. Both the collar of the top and the skirt had heavy lace at the edges. Her blonde hair was braided. It made her look far younger than she had in previous appearances, and she’d looked young then.
“You were tempted to say you instinctually know who you are,” the therapist said.
The girl tilted her head a fraction.
“To be blunt, I’d say the vast majority of my patients don’t know who they are.”
The girl lifted the steaming mug to her lips. The smell of the heavily spiced mead flooded the room. The therapist didn’t comment, hadn’t commented. She was technically legal, however young she might look.
The girl swallowed, then said, “What, not who.”
“It’s the same thing, isn’t it?”
“Perhaps,” the girl responded.
The therapist spoke a little slower, as if she were testing her words in her head before she spoke. Exceedingly careful. “You seemed to know who or what you were, before, and you changed your mind.”
“People are allowed to do that. To change.” The response was dismissive, cavalier. All such a statement demanded.
“Do you consider yourself people, then? Just a minute ago, you said you would have taken offense to the idea.”
“You harp on. These are all variations on the same question,” the girl said.
“Yes. Who are you? How do you see yourself? Has that changed?”
“I am very possibly the strongest being alive on this planet, short of the remaining Endbringers.”
“Very possibly.”
“A murderer.”
“In what sense?” the therapist asked. “One who has murdered, or one who murders?”
“Same thing, isn’t it? You don’t leave that behind you. Nobody lets you.”
“People can forgive and forget.”
“They might forget murder, they might forgive madness, but they won’t be so ready to make peace with a lunatic murderer,” the girl said. She sniffed a little, as if scoffing at the thought. “You wanted to know who I am? I was perhaps Scion’s greatest ally, until… I wasn’t.”
“Why weren’t you?”
When the girl spoke, an echo had creeped into her voice. A chorus. “You know, I could kill everyone, if I so chose? If I decided to stand, right here and right now, and kill you all, it would be fully within my power?”
The therapist didn’t flinch.
“Do you doubt me?” The chorus was there in full. A hundred voices from one mouth.
“To be honest, I don’t know enough about the combat side of things to say,” Ms. Yamada said.
“It’s cause for any sane person to worry for their welfare, and for the welfare of their loved ones. You pretend indifference.”
“I’m anything but indifferent. I’m genuinely more interested in the fact that you seem to be avoiding the subject. A subject you raised.”
“I grow irritated with this pedantry,” the girl said. She stood abruptly from the chair. Two of the shadows dissipated into smoke.
Prolapse, torturer’s son.
P̄hū̂ comtī, rider in daylight.
The two new shadows took their place on either side of her. Big individuals. Villains, once upon a time.
The therapist continued, “You’ve stopped calling yourself the Faerie Queen. When I asked for a name, you stayed silent, and you sat there for nearly twenty minutes before talking. You could have helped Scion and destroyed us all then. You didn’t. I’m asking you what happened. It’s clearly important to you.”
The girl’s eyes didn’t waver, but she lowered her chin a touch, and the angle of her head cast her features in deeper shadow. When she spoke, the choir of voices that came from her mouth was calm. “Do you have a preference, in how you’d like to die? I have a range of powers at my disposal. There are swift methods, but perhaps you’d like to go out more dramatically? If you beg for mercy, I could spare others.”
“You’re allowed to say you don’t know the answer, Ciara. If it comes down to that, then I can suggest an answer and we can explore it together.”
The girl had gone still. Her shadows were flexing, one cracking knuckles on a hand roughly the size of the therapist’s entire upper body.
The girl considered the visuals of crushing the therapist, the way flesh would pulp and seep between the shadow’s great fingers. It was a good alternative to dwelling on the feelings that had just stirred.
“Nobody has called me by that name in a very long time,” the words were more a threat than anything.
“It was in the records,” Ms. Yamada said, “I need to hear the answer from your lips first, before I can offer you my thoughts. But let me warn you, I’m only offering a suggestion. Food for thought. I read the transcripts from the debriefing you gave Chevalier. You talked about anchors. I don’t want you to… ‘anchor’ to anything I say. Use it to find your own answer, instead.”
“You claim to know me better than I know myself.”
“We’ll discuss that point if and when we get that far. For now, I need to know your thoughts on what happened.”
“But please sit down, first,” the therapist said. “We both know you could kill me at any moment, here. Having them here doesn’t change that, but it’s…”
“It is admittedly vulgar,” the girl supplied.
The therapist nodded. “We’ll go with that.”
The shadows dissipated.
Ampelos, the ill-fated. I was the ill fate.
Daimones, the lost.
The ones who replaced them were children. One, young enough to be androgynous, wore a long-sleeved shirt that hung down to its knees. It spun in place, skipping, then spinning again, a toddler at play. The other explored the room. The man with the hood and cape remained by the window, arms folded, staring out at the world beyond.
Ciara spoke. “He broke. He was strong, he was noble, proud. He was a monster, alien. They brought out the humanity in him, and then they broke him. I could have stepped in, but I didn’t. I don’t know why.”
The words were a challenge more than an admission. A demand for a better answer.
“Would you like to hear my theory, then?”
“As you wish,” Ciara replied. She didn’t quite manage to feign the indifference she was going for.
“You’re exactly what you appear to be.”
“What do I appear to be, doctor?”
“An adolescent.”
Ciara frowned. “I had hoped for a good answer. I’m older than you.”
“Only just. Chronologically, I think we’re the same age, nine months apart.”
“You miss my point,” Ciara said, clearly annoyed.
“No. I got it. Chronologically, you’re older, and by those measures, your youth is only a mask you wear. By other measures, you’re still a child. You triggered at a very young age, you were no doubt isolated, as masters tend to be. No doubt surviving purely by your own methods. Somewhere along the way, something happened. You stole the wrong power, you fought someone and lost, or you found yourself in a bad situation. In the course of that event or in the wake of it, you unlocked stronger powers, and they eclipsed you as a person. Am I too far off track, here?”
Ciara didn’t respond. Her hard stare was a challenging one, now, a hard stare.
“You were still a child, and you needed rules and a foundation to define yourself by, as any child does. Your chose your anchor, chose Scion, and you formed your view of capes as faerie to distance yourself from a world you barely felt in touch with. You built up your persona as Glaistig Uaine, a name others gave you. It might have even played a role in why you turned yourself in and took up residence in the Birdcage. You craved structure.”
“You’re calling me a child?”
“I’m suggesting you were functionally a child until a very short time ago. You’re now an adolescent. Scion was a powerful figure in your life, owing at least partially to your power’s involvement in your day to day, minute-to-minute existence. Virtually every child goes through a phase where their parents are invulnerable, incapable of failure, strong, and beautiful. They grow out of that phase when reality challenges that assumption. If what I’m suggesting was true, well, reality never challenged the assumption because it was true, in Scion’s case.”
“Up until the moment he began to lose,” Ciara said.
“Many begin to rebel against their parental figures around the time they enter adolescence, around the time they start seeing their parent as flawed humans. In your case, it was a faster process. A moment’s decision. Whether I’m right or not, you were thrust into a new mode of thinking, a new mode of being, and it has to be bewildering.”
“Your theory, then, is that the most powerful cell block leader of the Birdcage was a mere child, however old she might have appeared? That the answer to my present crisis in identity is that I am a mere teenager?”
“For the adolescent, the greatest, most defining challenge is to find themselves. To seek out identity. For the unpowered youth, it’s often a question of what clique they fit in, what clothes they wear, how they express themselves, and what path they want to step forward on, in terms of possible careers. For powered youth, it’s about all of the things I just mentioned, as well as the villain and hero labels, their place on the team, their place in family, the bonds they form. These are questions you’re now asking yourself. Am I wrong?”
“I dislike being painted with such broad strokes, doctor,” Ciara spoke.
“There are always variations,” Ms. Yamada said. “I’d never approach a patient with the idea that it comes down to this and this alone. It’s a starting point. You need to find yourself, and you need to do it with the burdens of the strongest human being on the planet. I’m telling you, here and now, that this is something everyone faces at some juncture. It’s perfectly alright to define yourself as ‘someone who is looking for definition’.”
The girl smiled a little. She lifted her mug to her lips, then wiped her mouth with her thumb.
The therapist took another drink of water. “You’re smiling? I suppose I don’t need to worry about my impending death, then?”
When Ciara spoke again, her voice was normal. “What you said is… a thought. I was smiling because I was wondering what your superiors would think if they knew what you’d told me. A powerful parahuman, free to find herself? Perhaps I’ll follow in the footsteps of my ‘parent’.”
“I don’t have any superiors,” the therapist said. “The PRT is done. There are groups trying to cobble together a replacement, but it’s looking shaky at best. I’m here because I was invited, and because I want to help people. I’d like to help you. I think everyone would be much happier if we found you a path that isn’t following in his footsteps.”
“Did I ask for your help?”
“You’re still here,” Jessica Yamada said. “Y-”
She didn’t get further. There was a knock on the door.
The concern on the woman’s face, Ciara noted, was more than it had been when she’d been threatened with her own imminent death.
“Please excuse me.” The woman stood from her chair and crossed the room. She opened the door.
Ciara watched as the figure unfolded before her. A giant armored in the skin of a monster, a knight, a wisp of a figure, all at once. She could see his very presence tearing through the doorframe, the slightest movement tearing whole sections of the building to rubble. She could feel the vibrations, taste the dust in the air.
But that was only one version of the building, out of sight, out of mind.
As if she was squinting without moving her eyelids, she refined her vision, saw him as the therapist saw him. A man in gold and black armor.
His voice was barely audible. “Ms. Yamada. I’m sorry to int-”
“I’m in a session, Chevalier. An exceedingly important session.”
“I know. I’m really very sorry. I had a small opening in my schedule. I was hoping for just one minute to talk with you.”
“I’m in a session. You agreed to abide by any rules I set. This was a pretty big one.”
“If I didn’t talk to you now, I’d have to wait three days to get another chance. My hands are full.”
“I can imagine. But I’m in a session.”
“One minute. Trust me when I say I know how important it is that you stick to your rules. But this is important enough that I have to ask. Can I have one minute of your time?”
The woman hesitated.
The therapist turned, meeting Ciara’s eyes. “No, Chevalier, I-”
“I’ll manage on my own,” Ciara said. “In fact, I would appreciate having a minute or two in private to think over what we talked about earlier.”
Ms. Yamada frowned. “I’ll be back shortly.”
The door closed.
Roucouler, the Liar.
The little girl that was exploring the room dissipated. A man appeared behind Ciara’s seat, his leering grin stretched into a caricature, a mockery of what he’d worn in life. His teeth had no divides between them, making them one bony shelf, and his eyes were stretched into slants by the too-wide grin. A cartoonish appearance.
Roucouler leaned over the top of the chair, and she could hear his whispers, in a French accent. He pitched his voice to distinguish between the two.
“-cohol in there?”
“She had her shadow make it for her. She’s not the type to get drunk, and it’s more of a comfort thing than anything else.”
“A bear walks into your restaurant. What do you serve him? Anything he damn well wants.”
“There is that. What do you want, Chevalier? This is nerve-wracking enough, without interruptions.”
“Did something happen?”
“I can’t talk about my sessions with my patients. If we’re going to talk, let’s talk about your business.”
“I’m running out of time. Three days from now is too long to wait, because things take time to set in motion. I’m going to have to start making decisions, about amnesty for everyone who participated in the fight, about the hero teams, how we’re going to administrate a city that has more sheer depth than anything we’ve ever conceived of. That woman, in there, she’s at the crux of this. Choices I make in regards to her affect everything else. If I forego amnesty for her, if I have to forego amnesty for her, then I’m drawing a line in the sand, and others are going to wonder if they fall too close to that line.”
“I can’t tell you how the session is going, Chevalier.”
“I hate that you even have to say that. I’m not going to ask you to violate any confidentiality. I’m saying I could really do with you making your evaluation and then sending her on her way. There’s apartments here, we can set her up very comfortably. As comfortably as a queen might want. If she needs further therapy, you can send her there. If she’s stable enough to discuss business, be it amnesty or something else entirely, you could send her to me.”
“I understand what you’re saying. If she’s dangerous enough to warrant violating confidentiality, it doesn’t matter. If she isn’t, then I can let you know how the therapy went without explicitly telling you. I’m not entirely comfortable with this.”
“There have been more overt communications on this front in other situations. Situations that weren’t so grave. We can’t afford not to know.”
“I can’t afford to tell you, Chevalier. I just… let me think on it.”
“That’s all I ask. We need help, Jessica. I know you can’t make a full judgement in three days, not with someone as… complex… as she is. But a starting point could make all the difference.”
“We’re putting the pieces back together. The scale of it is the biggest issue. All these worlds. There’s room for people to start piecing their cultures and their cities back together, there’s wilderness. Everything old is still there. Sometimes multiplied many times over. But there’s a lot of new, with more every day. It’s all exaggerated. We don’t have clout, and there are a lot of powerful people throwing their weight around. Scary people.”
“Speaking of…”
“Your patient, I’ve kept you too long. I’m sorry.”
“No. I’m wondering about someone who was a patient some time ago. Can I ask about this ‘Khepri’?”
“You can ask, but you won’t like the answer. I wouldn’t want you to be distracted for the remainder of your session in there.”
Ciara heard the Liar sigh, mimicking the woman on the other side of the door. “I’ll take your word on that. I should get back to Ciara.”
“Ciara? Her civilian name. I’m going to walk away feeling optimistic about that.”
“My lips are sealed, Chevalier.”
There was no goodbye. The door handle moved, and the door swung open. Roucouler disappeared.
Pime Abtiss, mother of the blind.
Another shadow appeared as the therapist entered the room. A blindfolded woman with a small, deformed baby in her arms, umbilical cord stretching into a gap in the robe.
Ciara could see a glimpse of the giant in the hallway, retreating, before the door shut.
“I’m very sorry. That took longer than I expected,” Ms. Yamada said, as she took her seat.
“No matter,” Ciara said. She ran her hand over the baby’s misshapen head. It dissipated into shadow, along with Pime Abtiss. She didn’t replace it with another shadow. “Forgive me, I overheard.”
The therapist reacted a little to that. There was a moment’s pause, as if she was recalling everything that was said, searching for any damning detail.
“I’ll spare you the dilemma, doctor. When we are done, tell me where I should go. I relieve you of any confidentiality, tell the Destroyer what you must.”
“I don’t think that’s what we should aim for,” the therapist said. “If we go with my theory from before, then you’ve only just started making strides on your own. You’re growing up, belatedly, and you need to start making choices for yourself.”
“You’d let me choose?”
“I think a better place to start would be figuring out who you want to be. That equips you to choose, if you feel you’re ready.”
“And what if I were to say you’re being presumptuous, that I don’t need your help? I know who I am?” There was a threatening note to the girl’s voice, a return of that echo.
“Then we can talk about something else. Or you can go, if that’s what you really want.”
Ciara didn’t move, and her shadows remained in place, poised like animals ready to pounce.
While the girl remained still, the three shadows resumed their ordinary business.
“Let’s begin, then,” Ms. Yamada said.
The rooftop was lined with crenelations and a wrought metal railing in a metal darker and stronger than iron. Some capes rested in the spaces between the twists of metal, while others sat with their backs to the shorter wall beneath it. The crowd had gathered around.
But the moment she relaxed, it became something else. Phantom images, a man on fire, a woman who stood half again as tall as others. Images like her own shadows, caricatures, exaggerations, powers manifested physical. Except these were undoubtedly alive. They shifted from moment to moment.
“Legend?” the Destroyer- Chevalier spoke. His voice echoed, but despite the massive size of his one suit of armor, or the slight form of his other suit, mangling the body within, the three voices were the same, only coming from different places.
A man who blazed with light stepped forward. He was a living bonfire, blue-white in color, with living etchings solid in the midst of it, white hot, a stylized mixture of flame and lightning in one shape, floating in the storm of energy. They marked the position of his head, of his chest, his hands and feet.
When the Coruscant Knave spoke, though, his voice was normal. Legend, she reminded herself.
“I was there at the beginning. I suppose it’s fitting that I’m here at the end. Maybe not right, there’s a hell of a lot I’m sorry for, but it’s fitting.”
He took a deep breath, the flame swelling. “They say a picture’s worth a thousand words. Let’s shorten this speech, then and take a second to look.”
He gestured, and heads turned.
New York, in the process of being rebuilt. Dust and ominous clouds were being held at bay by a thin forcefield, and the city stood in the center of a brilliant sunlight. Where glass had broken and where oils had risen to the tops of city streets, things almost glittered. A shining city.
For every damaged area, there were people, fixing things, scavenging and hauling things away. Tents and tarps were erected, barriers raised. Already, buildings were going up where portals had been torn between realities.
Chevalier had called it a city with depth. It was true. Most cities existed on a two dimensional level, spreading along the four cardinal directions. Buildings extended above and below ground, but even the tallest building was but a fraction of a distance compared to the breadth of the city.
Here, in this city, one could travel to one area and make a turn into another world. There, they would find the fledgling beginnings of an expansion, sprawling from that central point.
It was too much to manage. Even the smallest villains had elbow room to maneuver and manipulate.
“I’ve never been one to couch my words. I’m direct, like my lasers,” Legend said. “It’s beautiful and it’s frankly terrifying. The Endbringers are, we’re praying, dormant. The major players are busy recovering and rebuilding, giving us six straight months of peace for the first time in twenty years. If you count non-parahuman conflict on a global scale, well, I don’t know how long it’s been. It’s been a hell of a while, if ever.”
Ciara closed her eyes briefly. When she reopened them, Legend was his human self.
Tiring, to maintain focus.
“The peace will end. It always ends. When things go bad, it’ll be worse because we’ve had the break, because it’s had time to stew, and because we’re still reeling from last time. But I know you, I’ve fought alongside a number of you. The badges you wear are signs of that.”
Ciara glanced around. Like her, many of the capes wore a simple symbol on their upper arms, a golden circle with a golden dot in the middle. For some, it was a loop of cloth, for others, it was engraved on armor.
A simple symbol testifying that they’d been there.
“There’s no more oversight, for better or for worse. That means it’s our job to keep our eyes open, to watch each other’s backs, and to watch each other. I can tell you right now it’s not going to be perfect. Maybe I’m a living reminder of the fact that we can’t trust anyone. For those of you who were paying attention, the circumstances of Alexandria’s demise in Brockton Bay are a testament to what happens when the corruption runs too deep. Nobody benefits.”
Legend sighed. “Some are still angry at me. At Alexandria, Eidolon, and others, who played parts. But you haven’t spoken up, you haven’t interrupted me. I’d like to think it’s because we’re all recognizing the same fact. This? It’s our second chance. Something we’ve all dreamed about from time to time. A chance to cut out the rot and start anew, to fix things that were broken before.”
There were one or two nods around the group.”And it’s going to be hard,” Legend said. “Those who know how badly we fucked it up on the last try, who know the full story, they get why this is so frightening a prospect. We still have to clean up the messes from last time, and we have to be doubly, triply sure we move ahead properly this time. Already, there are people plotting to take advantage of present circumstances. Already, there are things going wrong. It’s an uphill battle.”
“But,” Chevalier cut in, “Like those badges we wear show, we’ve all fought in at least one bitch of a battle, and we came out ahead.”
“I’ll be damned if we’re not ready for this one,” Legend agreed.
Cheers rose from the group. Fists pumped in the air, boots stomped.
“And,” Legend said, while the cheering was present but dying down, “With all that said, we’re moving forward with our second chances. I’d like to introduce you to the newest member of our Wardens. Valkyrie.”
He gestured, and the crowd parted. All eyes fell on her. When she stepped forward, she had to be careful, her longer legs unfamiliar. Staying young had come with benefits. The Crone, Schwarze Tante, had been able to give Ciara some of the time she’d stored away. The ghost of a hero called Thane had fashioned her armor, shield and sickle.
The crowd parted as she approached.
The body of a nineteen year old was an unfamiliar one, the costume even more so. Gold and sky blue. The cloth that dangled from her belt traced the insides of her thighs to her knees, the skirt stopped mid-thigh, silent even with the gold chains that traced its edges. The mask didn’t block any of her vision, but it pressed against her cheekbones and forehead, reminding her of its presence. Even her hair was longer, tied back in a thick braid.
She liked the wings, though. The wings were good. The rest would take getting used to, after thirty years as the childlike Faerie Queen, but the wings were a natural fit from the start.
“You’ve formed a new Triumvirate,” a cape in the crowd said.
It might have sounded accusatory.
“Valkyrie will be starting on the bottom,” Legend said. “She’ll earn her way to whatever rank is most fitting.”
There were murmurs in the crowd. For many, the sentiment was the same. I think we know what rank that will be.
For every two people that thought the strength she brought to the table was a good thing, there was one who was suspicious, doubting, or discouraged. They knew who she was. The figures that accompanied her made it clear enough. She couldn’t think of them as shadows anymore.
She liked debating words, the power of words, of titles. It had been her favorite part of the sessions with the therapist. The subject of renaming them had come up in the recent past, along with the discussion of what her new identity meant, and her new name.
Valkyrie, warrior women who guided the souls of dead warriors to the afterlife. These spirits were her warriors, not mere shadows.
No, perhaps two people in her camp to one person against was optimistic. There were others harboring doubts, a little slower to offer their congratulations. Given time and a night to think about it, they would start to think about what her presence meant, that they might fall in battle and that she would claim them for herself, adding to her own power.
Her vision flashed. For a moment, she might as well have been in hell. The capes here on the rooftop were inhuman, even monstrous, distorted and exaggerated. The city glowed with the distant presence of other capes, as though it were on fire.
Valkyrie resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose or shake her head. Her heart pounded long after the image had faded.
Nobody had said this would be easy. Just the opposite.
The speech was done, and the city around them demanded attention. Slowly, capes began peeling away from the group.
“Hey, Valkyrie?” Miss Militia asked.
Valkyrie turned her head.
Miss Militia jerked one thumb in the direction of a man with a massive round shield and spear. “Want to join us for a meal? We’re leaving on patrol soon, so we were going to grab an early dinner. You’re welcome to come with.”
Valkyrie opened her mouth to speak, then thought twice about it.
She was still learning to talk normally, to stop affecting the faerie noble’s manner of speech. She was getting lessons, and it wasn’t perfect yet. If she spoke, it would turn heads.
Except here, now, she almost missed the familiarity of it. The power of her old voice.
“No obligation,” Miss Militia said. “Honest. I get it.”
Miss Militia had been the one to invite Ms. Yamada in, to connect them, and give her a chance. She knew, perhaps better than Chevalier or Legend.
Valkyrie offered her a tight smile, then turned to leave.
When she walked down the hall, flanked by her three chosen warriors, her heels struck the floor. There were Wardens in the hall, talking.
“Where’s Defiant?”
“Complete radio silence.”
She was half again as tall as she had been, fit, glittering in armor, carrying a weapon and shield, and she felt more fragile than she had in a long time.
Her vision flickered again, like lightning before a crash of thunder.
As the Faerie Queen, she’d had a mission. She’d been a part of something vast, a powerful engine that had reshaped whole civilizations, then erased worlds from the universe.
“We’ve got muscle now. Might be we can make headway. Retake the Eastern Queens portal.”
“Shh.” Eyes turned towards her. They talked about her like she was a secret.
Too many people. She needed to talk to the therapist, but Ms. Yamada wasn’t here. She’d come at a moment’s notice, with only one phone call, but it somehow felt like that would only compound the feeling of fragility.
I wanted to be more human.
Never human, per se. Only more human. Parahuman, instead of inhuman.
She’d spent so much time in therapy, figuring out what Scion had been to her, coming to terms with the loss of the pillar he’d become in her psyche.
In trying to distance herself from him, had she set herself on the exact same path?
Seeing the flickers in the crowd wasn’t helping. She avoided them, making her way downstairs, into an adjoining structure. Once upon a time, she’d used that other sight exclusively. In this, in the here and now, she was warring with the keeper of the dead. A part of why she felt incomplete, fragile. They craved purpose. It took a special kind of willpower to avoid using abilities altogether. Some did, but they were rare.
Using her power meant killing, it meant being around the dead, immersing herself in the gravest kinds of conflict.
Would her experiment in humanity be so short lived?
She found an empty hallway and took it. Things were under construction here, hidden behind plastic. She ignored it, taking the paths that were available to her.
Finally, she came to a large room, a cafeteria, apparently, unfinished. Only half of the tables were present, the kitchen unoccupied and unstocked. The serving area had two tracks where trays could slide. One of the two racks was behind a thick plexiglass barrier.
She sat down on a table, her feet on the bench, lost in thought.
Not five seconds in, her official phone rang.
She ignored it. I only want some peace.
This wasn’t her. Had it been madness? Arrogance? Joining the side of the angels?
Her vision was distorting. Even this far away from other parahumans, her other sight was showing their presence as a glow, as ripples. She turned her eyes skyward, but one figure streaked through the sky, well above her.
She heard voices, and turned.
“We meet again, Faerie Queen,” the voice echoed through the chamber.
She turned to see a thin man accompanied by a brutish caveman of a figure, walking on the other side of the thick plexiglass. A child was on this side, petite, blonde, wearing a sweatshirt and jeans with pink sneakers.
Valkyrie felt a pang of jealousy. She missed her old body, and the girl resembled her, superficially.
“Goblin King,” Valkyrie responded. “I don’t go by that name anymore.”
“A pity, a pity. This is my Alice, visiting our not-so-wondrous Wonderland.”
“Riley,” the girl said. “I keep telling you, it’s not Alice, Riley.”
“A mere title, not a name,” the man tittered some. It was an eerie sound, coming from someone his age and gender. Not that Valkyrie minded. She’d dealt with worse in the Birdcage.
“Nevermind,” Riley said. “Alice it is. Whatev.”
Valkyrie looked between the two. “Are you allowed to be here?”
“I’m incarcerated,” the Goblin King said. “She’s visiting.”
“Officially visiting. They’re watching me. Probably watching you, too. We’ve played nice for the last stretch, and the illustrious Nilbog gets visits as a reward, so long as he’s good. We each keep our distance from the barrier, and they don’t use the cameras to fill us full of darts.”
Valkyrie followed the girl’s eye to a camera mounted in the corner.
“As you can tell, I keep friends of the highest caliber,” Riley said.
“Yes, yes,” the man said, seeming very pleased with himself. The sarcasm appeared to be lost on him. “A fallen king is still a king, yes?”
“If he can hold his head high, then he’s more kingly than a man who relies on the crown and silks,” Valkyrie said.
“Yes! Yes! Quite right!” Nilbog agreed.
Riley was smiling, as if despite herself.
The phone was ringing again. Valkyrie canceled the call. She knew why they were calling, now. They were less than comfortable with this trio in one room together.
“I came for my weekly dose of sanity, if you know what I mean,” Riley said. “Spend enough time with them, you need a break from it all.”
“I do believe I know what you mean,” Valkyrie said. You mean just the opposite. A weekly dose of madness. A return to the familiar. Both for comfort, and to serve as a reminder of how far they’d come.
Dangerous, perhaps. She wondered if she’d share this with Ms. Yamada.
Probably. People would pass on word. They were all being tracked, no doubt.
But would she share what this meant to her? That she felt more secure than she had, leaving the rooftop meeting and speech?
“Shall we share stories of long ago?” Nilbog asked. “Of our kingdoms, as they were?”
“We could,” Valkyrie said. “Tragedies? Comedies?”
“In my stories,” Riley said, “The line between tragedy and comedy is awfully thin.”
“I suspect my stories are mostly tragedies,” Valkyrie said. “Everyone worth talking about dies in the end.”
“Just the opposite for me,” the Goblin King said. He ran one hand along the cheek of the neanderthal figure beside him. When he turned to face the barrier, he limped, and the brutish man helped him stay balanced. “My favorites persist, they keep coming back to start the adventure anew, a little different every time. This is my helper. They allow me him, only him.”
For a man talking about comedies, he looked sad.
The amnesty still hasn’t gone through in entirety. There are snarls, like this king without a crown or a kingdom.
There were distant running footsteps, growing in volume as they drew closer, suggesting that capes were en route to intercept her.
Valkyrie glanced over her shoulder.
“I suspect this visit will be cut short.”
“Fuck,” Riley said. “Not that the goblin king isn’t awesome, but…”
She trailed off.
“Maybe another time,” Valkyrie said. She raised her hands as the capes entered the room from the far corner. She had to pick her words carefully, so she wouldn’t sound strange. “I’m being good.”
“We’d like to play it safe,” one of the capes said. “If you don’t mind.”
“Another day, Faerie Queen,” Nilbog said. He smiled, bowing a little.
Valkyrie returned the bow. When she rose to her full height, she was smiling a little in turn. It surprised her.
Flip sides of the same coin.
Rebirth.
The act was an idle one, like one might move a hand inside a pocket to double check there was nothing inside it. She used her power. Bringing one of her warriors through, on the other side of the barrier.
The neanderthal reacted. Valkyrie’s warrior didn’t manifest in full, but it flowed through the neanderthal’s body before rejecting the host.
Almost. Close.
Shepherd of the dead, Valkyrie thought, as she walked away. The Goblin King was shushing his creation.
They were all parts of a whole. The Chirurgeon, the Maker, the Keeper of the Dead. It only made sense that there would be synergies between such abilities.
A way to bring her dead back, perhaps?
She could see them, in the dark recesses, waiting, loyal, obedient. The ones she’d collected, some still mending from the great fight six months ago.
She felt better now. Less incomplete. Her other half was content with this line of thinking.
She just wasn’t sure where she’d take it.
This entry was posted in E.01 by wildbow. Bookmark the permalink.
531 thoughts on “Teneral e.1”
wildbow on November 2, 2013 at 00:02 said:
WordPress fucked the formatting on me and deleted paragraph breaks on the last save just prior to the deadline. I know, I’m fixing it.
Blurg. Have had that happen before, but usually at a point in time where I had time to fix it. Not last minute.
That suckkked. Should be fixed, but there’s liable to be sentences ending without a break before the next.
And now for the usual author’s note at the beginning.
Thank you for reading. Here’s your regular reminder to vote on topwebfiction. It’s very much appreciated. Thank you for your support.
Landis963 on November 2, 2013 at 00:20 said:
Y’know, for a moment there I thought the missing paragraph breaks were intentional. Something about Glais- Ciar- Valkyrie’s thought processes.
The Sandman on November 2, 2013 at 00:27 said:
…Glasscar Valkyrie?
That sounds like an amazing name for a rock band.
Tom_D on November 2, 2013 at 00:52 said:
Refresh…refresh… Oh shit!! Oh, wait! Ahhhhh!
Good chapter and excellent troll with the mention of Khepri
Scolopendra on November 2, 2013 at 01:06 said:
Not all of like the trolling, frankly. It gets old fast.
Quincy on November 2, 2013 at 02:19 said:
Just a heads up Teneral does not show up on the Table of Contents.
Thanks Quincy. Got distracted by formatting bug. It’s in the ToC now.
Gnarker on November 2, 2013 at 12:30 said:
I’m guessing the character index is not supposed to be blank?
dmol8 on November 2, 2013 at 13:29 said:
Uh this might be faulty fridge logic on my part but why did Taylor end up in New York for the last fight? I thought she was in the Chicago wards.
pidgey on November 2, 2013 at 16:41 said:
She went to New York as a staging ground.
“It hadn’t been a conscious choice. An impulse, really. Maybe there were cities that were more fitting, but this was a city at the center of modern civilization. Or it had been. If this was going to be our final staging ground, then it was as fitting a choice as any. It was heavy with resources that every parahuman could use, unoccupied. Intact enough to still look like a city, damaged enough to remind us of what was at stake.”
Chicago has all the things that quote described also and Taylor spent more time in Chicago then in New York. So my question is why did Taylor end up in New York instead of Chicago?
grinvader on November 4, 2013 at 14:46 said:
She wants to be a part of it,
ShawnMorgan on November 8, 2013 at 10:30 said:
as a Brit I can honestly tell you that when asked to name an American city, I used to only know new York. it’ still the one I most associate with the USA.
Hexa on March 27, 2017 at 11:13 said:
Pan-dimensional resonance told her it was THE city to take a superpowered fight to.
Wildbow,
I think there’s a chance you’ll check these comments before starting on a possible sequel, so I’ll leave this here.
I recommend reading the Long Earth by Terry Pratchet and… another author whose name I can’t remember right now. The setting’s basic premise is that someone invents a device that allows (almost) anyone to step into parallel dimensions. Maybe there are better takes on the subject, but this is one I know has some useful ideas for a multidimensional society.
That almost-multiverse is (mostly) devoid of sentient life, but lots of the effects on society will be comparable to the Wormverse’s, if rather more pronounced because that setting basically lets everyone step between dimensions.
Far better, and more disturbing, than that series (Pratchett & Baxter, and very definitely neither Pratchett’s best nor Baxter’s): Robert Reed’s _Down the Bright Way_. That multiverse is very definitely not devoid of sentient life, but the access method for those universes is extremely linear (you can only get to each universe from the ones “on either side”), which has, ah, interesting consequences.
Agreed on it not being Pratchet’s best, I’ll take your word on Baxter.
I’ve noted down the name, I’ll look it up. If it’s a better treatment of the same setting concept I should really like it. Thank you.
And it having sentient life, it sounds like a better source of inspiration for the Wormverse’s society.
will408914 on November 2, 2013 at 00:16 said:
So, a Glaistig interlude/epilogue chapter. I was wondering if we’d get one. Hoping, too. Also, was that a hint that Taylor was still alive, when Ms. Yamada was talking with Chevalier?
Megaolix on November 2, 2013 at 00:17 said:
That’s interesting indeed. If she had been killed quietly, then why is that name around?
the13thversifier on November 3, 2013 at 08:22 said:
Teacher: Oh contessa, you’re back, so what’s the news?
Contessa: I’ve terminated Khepri
Teacher: Khepri, who?
Contessa: You-know-who…
Teacher: I see, well, might as well circulate this news. I suppose this information is worth some fortune
AMR on November 3, 2013 at 08:25 said:
Contessa didn’t come up with the name. Wildbow has stated that it was the survivors who started calling Taylor that and that it took some time for Contessa to track Taylor.
Ah, that explained it better
I didn’t notice the time skip, sorry
I think it was more a hint that Ms. Yamada had an inkling as to who “Khepri” actually was, and Chevalier was telling her that she really didn’t want to know what happened to Taylor in her final hours.
Truthseeker on November 2, 2013 at 00:38 said:
If that were the case, surely Ms. Yamada couldn’t characterize Khepri as “another patient?”
Yeah, generally a psychiatrist has no interest in corpses as “patients”. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Taylor somehow lived.
I think she was hoping to have another patient.
I think it’s a case where she’s gotten the request for therapy with a name only, and is trying to gather information before treatment. I get the feeling that the first part of the chapter took place within a day or so of Scion’s defeat.
Disregard my comment. In my fatigue, I completely misread it. It said she met her already some time ago? Now I’m confused.
ijpowers92 on November 2, 2013 at 01:14 said:
Taylor was one of her patients when she was Weaver.
Yamada was saying she already knows that Taylor and Khepri are one and the same. And that she wanted to know what happened to her.
You didn’t misread it. It said “another patient” to begin with, then Wildbow found that it was misleading and changed it to the present-form “someone who was a patient.”
(Lest anyone think I’m even crazier than they should rightly believe, this edit was mentioned as such by Wildbow on RPG.net’s Worm thread).
Thanks for letting me know about that change. I thought I was going crazy for a second…
Reveen on November 2, 2013 at 10:58 said:
Give it a while, Wildbow will find a way to drive you nuts soon enough.
He CAN’T drive me nuts… They don’t have a steering wheel… 😉
the leaking pen on November 3, 2013 at 01:26 said:
I still say the bullets were impromptu brain surgery to remove the passenger, not a death blow.
Well maybe you can ask wildbow about the gun and bullet specification.
Was the round any bigger than .22LR caliber (round point)?
Was the round hollow point?
Was the target tissue unprotected by layer(s) of ballistic resistance?
If any of the answer was “Yes”. There’s no way mortal could escape death, unless Khepri phased out to be mortal and being something else entirely.
Sindri Suncatcher on November 3, 2013 at 22:18 said:
There are several recorded instances of people surviving with a rather big hole punched through their brain. It’s too rare and too unpredictable to be a useful consideration in the real world, but Contessa could pull it off easily. Nothing is absolute when it comes to brain damage and the path to victory makes any possibility into a certainty when used properly.
Of course given what we learned this chapter, the first stage of the ‘path to restoring Taylor’ might be ‘kill her, in a way that prevents any possibility of conventional repair.’
Yeah but this is Contessa we are talking about. She could easily ask, “How do I fire this bullet to take out the part of her brain that links to the passenger without doing permanent harm to Taylor Hebert?” and then use her power to fire in exactly the right way.
At least that’s what I’m hoping for…
Also, I get to announce the typo thread! Yay!
Roucouler, the Liar
No period at the end. This was just before the eavesdropping thing.
“The Chiurgeon”
Should be Chirurgeon? Archaic/French term for surgeon?
anon on November 2, 2013 at 01:50 said:
“Her eyes burned as she stared out from the shadows of her deep-set eyes.”
Two problems here: repetition of eyes, and given that her powers are fire, do you mean literally burned?
Pinkhair on November 2, 2013 at 02:06 said:
“approached.The” Missing spaces.
“had faded.Nobody” Ditto.
“thought.Not five seconds”
“above her.She heard”
“intercept her.Valkyrie glanced”
““I’m being good.” Missing end quote.
GeeJo on November 2, 2013 at 02:29 said:
“The mask didn’t block any of her vision, but it it pressed against her cheekbones”
Doubled “it”.
DasNiveau on November 2, 2013 at 04:56 said:
Schwarz Tante should be Schwarze Tante with an e ending for females
Thanks. Languages stuff is always extra appreciated.
I’m glad I can help.
homunq on November 2, 2013 at 08:35 said:
No, perhaps two people in her camp to one person against was optimistic.
Awkward construction; sounds as if the two people are optimistic. “Perhaps it was too optimistic to say…” or something.
xdrngy on November 2, 2013 at 12:29 said:
She only had 2 shadows at this point, unless she added one without mentioning it
crenelations
not sure but this seems spelled wrong
Wasn’t the shadow of the man with the cape and hood (Eidolon) present throughout the meeting up to that point?
eSemmel on November 2, 2013 at 14:48 said:
I’m a little confuzzled by the following paragraph:
I *think* it should read as if everything before “The opposite is true.” should be qualified by “you’re acting like [such and such holds]”. Otherwise, I don’t quite know what to make of it. What is she trying to say here?
Don on November 3, 2013 at 11:38 said:
I thought that part was brilliant, actually.
Check my logic:
Ciara is expecting understanding, in a way… testing others to see if they’re worthy of her communication, by seeing if they can figure out where she’s coming from. Testing Jessica Yamada, specifically, by holding her silence and being obscure about things.
In response, Ms. Yamada is basically saying “You have to talk to be understood.” BUT she’s starting from universal principles – how silence and speech need and define one another – to make this point. She made it in a way that’s surprising enough to break Ciara out of her defensiveness, while at the same time honoring Ciara’s level of thoughtfulness.
It was the absolute perfect thing to say to a Faerie Queen who’s growing up. I got chills.
But that’s me. Did this scan for you?
Oh, I get the general thrust of her argument. I’m not really sure though about how the sentences in the paragraph I quoted are logically connected. Basically, the part “The problem is […] To frame it.” throws a little wrench in it for me. It makes sense on its own and the sentences framing it make sense on their own, but putting it in there just before “The opposite is true.” without clarifying the connection… I don’t know. Does anyone else have a problem parsing this?
(Btw. Don, could it be that I know you under the same name from a certain “explosive” forum?)
Yeah, Yamada is magnificent like that. Remember how a couple months with her brought Sveta from ‘triple digit body count’ to ‘I’m so sorry I squeezed your arm but you’re fine now and I’ll be over here?’ She understands people as well as Tattletale and can get through to them more effectively than anybody out there, and then simply being in her presence gives you SAN points back.
Sveta was sorry even as she killed 100+ people. Yamada didn’t instill that.
Yeah, but there’s a big difference between reflexively killing someone and feeling bad afterwards versus restraining yourself and apologizing to them while they’re still alive. My impression is that it was her therapy that got her that far and let her leave people alive after touching them.
Yes, but I think the operative part of that phrase was the “I’ll be over here” rather than the “I’m so sorry”. She couldn’t pull off the “I’ll be over here” before she met Mrs. Yamada. She dearly wanted to, but she couldn’t.
H.T. on November 2, 2013 at 16:45 said:
“Let’s shorten this speech, then and take a second to look.”
Comma after the “then”?
Sengachi on November 5, 2013 at 01:05 said:
It mentions just before that she dismissed a shadow and didn’t replace it; there should be two shadows.
The Wealthy Aardvark on November 5, 2014 at 00:02 said:
around the group.”And it’s
Needs a space between the period and quotation mark.
Bit late, but this was found in IRC:
“Her hard stare was a challenging one, now, a hard stare.”
First hard should be removed, stare could be shifting for gaze for flow purposes.
shifted*
And now that I’ve corrected my typo correction, we’ve gone full meta.
flaye on February 8, 2017 at 09:23 said:
Might be too late for the typo thread a few years later…
Your chose your anchor, chose Scion,
Alfaryn on April 28, 2019 at 12:09 said:
> […]doubting, or discouraged. They knew who[…]
There is only one space between these two sentences.
> “Fuck,” Riley said. “Not that the goblin king isn’t awesome, but…”
Goblin King is capitalized in every other instance in this chapter.
> Shepherd of the dead
I suspect that this one is not an error, but perhaps the ‘dead’ was supposed begin with a capital ‘D’?
thewatcherbehind on November 2, 2013 at 00:16 said:
Finally, something from a Glastig Uaine’s Perspective. OR Valkerie, I guess I should call her now. She is another creepy villain character who, with their interlude/epilouge, you have made human, and some one we can empathize with. Honestly, she seems to also be going through a struggle to define herself apart from her passenger. Your writing ablities never cease to amaze me.
Also, Clockblocker can come back! Yay!
Use the typo thread to find all the typos. All of them.
Jerden on November 2, 2013 at 04:03 said:
Wildbow’s very good at redeeming the (seemingly) irredeemable.
Archidel on November 2, 2013 at 06:48 said:
Yeah, here’s hoping for that one. Clockblocker was always my favorite character out of the whole bunch. The most sane and decent one too, probably, although he has some competition there from Weld.
“As heroes went he was a decent enough guy,” Source: Taylor Hebert.
No, another person can get Clockblocker’s *passenger*’s power, plus whatever aspects of Clockblocker it has picked up (not many if Khepri is any indication as to how good the passengers are at that sort of thing). The actual person is, I fear, gone.
Well it all really depends on how the resurrection is written. In addition it plays to what GU actually steals: a part of the shard, the soul of the person, a combo of both, etc. It also deals with what you consider to be a person and whether you consider clones to be the same person and gets even murkier if the clone has the same memories and powers as the original. There really are tons of ways that the resurrection plot can go. I for one like to believe that a full on resurrection is possible. Not sure I ACTUALLY believe that but I want to.
MrVoid on November 2, 2013 at 00:16 said:
Khepri… HAHAHHAHAA
Charles Borner on November 2, 2013 at 00:32 said:
See? You can’t keep a good badass down (it just pisses them off when you try).
Yup that it does. Lung can attest. Coil is a good reference as well. Heck Sveta can chip in her two cents too concerning the whole issue with her arm.
oliverwashere on November 2, 2013 at 04:35 said:
“Already, there are people plotting to take advantage of present circumstances.”
Are they already preparing to condemn Condessa for setting up a situation where she had to judge and shoot Khepri or risk being swarmed by bugs.
Lost Demiurge on November 2, 2013 at 00:19 said:
Miss Yamada! YESSS!!!!
Wildbow, feel free to put her in as many interludes as you like! She’s the most badass normal in the series, after all.
And so a faerie queen becomes a Valkyrie. I approve!
One down, five to go…
acediamonds on November 2, 2013 at 01:01 said:
I am all for Dr. Yamada going around the Wormverse, giving everybody therapy.
With Bitch as her assistant. Because, you know, puppy theory.
@Charles Borner They kill her and she just ends up annoyed… I always her and Cmdr Shepard were related…
Oh her and Shepard must have had the same parents or gone to the same School of Badass. In the immortal words of Garrus: “They killed you once and all it did was piss you off.” Taylor obviously took careful notes during this class.
Veloren on November 2, 2013 at 03:15 said:
Clearly we need to start making Doctor Yamada Facts now.
– Doctor Yamada is a reverse eldritch horror. Exposure to her gives sanity points.
– Doctor Yamada has never triggered, because she possesses perfect mental equilibrium. If she did, the Shard would immediately give up on influencing her.
– Doctor Yamada is not impressed.
– Doctor Yamada could make Jack settle down and become a barber.
packbat on November 2, 2013 at 02:23 said:
As much as I love Ms. Yamada, I feel like it might be a little too much if she’s this prominent in every interlude.
Well, there are a lot of people that need therapy, so she may show up quite a bit.
negadarkwing on November 2, 2013 at 07:53 said:
Another Miss Yamada fact. The supermassive blackhole at the center of the Milky Way is not a collapsed star. It’s her metaphorical balls.
They’re called Readers,
…I don’t suppose anybody else started crossing this over with Durarara when the fairy soul-collector was reinterpreted as a valkyrie? Now I’m stuck with a mental image of Ciara on a black motorcycle, wearing a helmet with cat ears.
What should we call Glaistig Uaine’s/Valkyrie’s power-sight? Scion-o-Vision?
“Power-sight” works the best, I think.
Soulgaze?
*Is shot by a ninja lawyer working for Mr. Butcher*
Pretty similar to The Destroyer, er, Chevalier secondary ability,too. And I believe Ingenue implied she had something like that, too.
I think they’re all variations on the theme, though. Chevalier had it because he could see sideways into the realms occupied by the passengers, unlike Valkyrie and Ingenue, who could power-see because their original powers directly relate to other people’s powers (Valkyrie, reclaiming the shards, Ingenue, doing a caffeine-shot or whatever to the shards, but not Grue, copying powers of people in his darkness).
‘Odin’s eye’ gets my vote
Cephalo the Pod on November 2, 2013 at 02:44 said:
And mine.
Dark Lord Bob on November 2, 2013 at 09:02 said:
Keeping with the norse, ‘Mimir’, since Odin’s eye would be nothing without him.
Rika Covenant on November 2, 2013 at 11:34 said:
…Was going to say Mimir would be more suited for foresight, but no. I think you hit it spot on.
You have my axe… (damn, misplaced it.) MY sword.. (bugger, it’s broken….) My bow…. agh now people will think I’m an elf… damn it. You have Yamaha Mouth Organ!
Chris on November 2, 2013 at 00:21 said:
Ms. Yamada for most badass character in Worm.
She has my vote. It takes serious guts and unimpeachable morals to tell off CHEVALIER.
JN on November 2, 2013 at 00:49 said:
Either her or the guy who foamed Jack Slash. Hey. Ship Ahoy!
Maybe they’re already married.
Pretty sure she was single on account of having no free time, even getting called in for emergencies on her day off because every crazy parahuman loves her and becomes less crazy in her presence.
But now I’m totally shipping those two.
In her interlude she is consistently called ( and calls herself) Mrs.
So she may be indeed married to the PRTagent that foamed Jack who was actually Forrest who once did some part-time as a hired mercenary for Coil and managed to nail Oni Lee after breaking his leg. Oh and the university professor who found a solution for trigger events in 5 minutes with Crusader threatening to kill him is his brother. There, I think we have linked all the badass normals in the story together.
Pretty sure that the TA at the university was a different person. Because Forrest or the sniper would have just taken Crusader apart. Probably couldn’t deal with Purity alone, but her blasting isn’t the subtle or precise kind and she needed the (currently unpowered) Theo alive, so there was good cover.
Which is why I said it was his brother 😛 .
You forgot Glenn! He is probably their older fatter brother. And Sierra is the rebel younger sister who initially wore dreads to separate herself from the rest of family going as far as to say that her littlest brother is the only remaining family since she wanted to make her own name for herself.
I can’t work Char into this story though…
Moral of the story: never underestimate any species that survived millennia of moral conflicts
GLAISTIG [flanked by two giant shadows]: How do you wish to die?
YAMADA [not even looking at the shadows]: So, we were talking about how you projected your need for a father figure in Scion…
It is like I’m looking at Contessa, expect smarter.
I feel like “integrity” is another relevant term. Also “sangfroid”.
Shadell on November 2, 2013 at 00:21 said:
So New York is now a multidimensional melting pot full of capes? You’ve managed to make Valkyrie emotionally engaging as a character instead of just threatening and cool. Overall a great start to the epilogues, I’m really curious about this setting and would love to see more of the day to day as this new world that’s survived its end starts to come into being.
Reminds me of Infinity City of Legion of Nothing.
I’d forgot about that.
Inverness on November 2, 2013 at 00:22 said:
I’m feeling very disappointed. I was expecting this chapter to actually elaborate on Taylor’s fate and whether or not she really died. I’m not going to be able to “take in” any chapters in the mean time.
If I’m going to have to wait until the very last epilogue chapter, or heaven forbid a sequel to find out, please tell me now so I can avoid being disappointed again.
Keno Black on November 2, 2013 at 00:37 said:
There’re likely to be hints in each of them. The fact that Khepri is such a BLATANT HINT to what she’s become known as is likely the best indication that she’s still alive.
After all, only Valkyrie gets to rename the dead. They’ve still purpose to her.
The carrot and the stick routine is just going to make me feel worse.
I just want some closure for Taylor’s story after the wringer of the previous chapter, not “endless speculation” as to what her fate was.
I agree. I’m starting to get rather numb with regards to it. I know it wouldn’t be as painful if I were reading the story after completion, but knowing that you won’t get any sort of closure for… probably 2 more weeks… is irritating. And you know that if we do get a definitive answer, it will be on the very last of the chapters.
There’s a balance to be struck with the serial aspect of the work and the possible ‘people binging’/’people reading it as a book’ aspect. It’s a tricky thing, and on issues this major, there’s liable to be friction.
Given the choice, I favor pacing things for the latter group over the former. The vast majority seem to be okay with reading the story as is.
I certainly don’t want to make you unhappy, don’t get me wrong. But I can’t please everyone. In the end, I’ve got to go with what serves the story best, not necessarily what pleases the most people – if I was doing the latter, then I’d have written a much different work.
and you released this bit on All souls’ day right after Halloween/Samhain on purpose didn’t you you sly canine?
for myself I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter and as tribute to your writing and the fact that sometime people strongly dislike stuff other’s love, i’m off to get an artist friend of mine to do some fanart… Be seeing you.
and hey, thanks for reinspiring me for nano.
Pig, not canine.
Don’t forget Dia de Muertos.
Aname on November 2, 2013 at 07:57 said:
Porcine?
kanzid on November 2, 2013 at 12:34 said:
Very much agree here possibly more than anywhere the needs of the story as a completed whole are more important than the people reading this week. These chapter will be the ones that set the final tone for the story as a whole and the message they leave will be important for the overall impression of the series.
If this is going the way I think it is, I fully approve and support the notion of delaying the closure.
If this is not going the way I think it is, that’s probably because you’re doing something distinctly more brilliant.
I know wildbow is Pig, not dog… but you sly pig didn’t’ have the same ring. Will need new words…
Contessa referred to her as Khepri too. People came up with the name shortly after she made a break for it. It took her time to recover after breaking with the clairvoyant, before meeting Contessa, and the name spread as a means of referring to the being that was no longer Taylor, no longer Weaver and no longer Skitter.
keyonte0 on November 2, 2013 at 01:06 said:
You know, I’d really love to read about that.
letseveryonemorality on November 2, 2013 at 01:10 said:
Clarifying this makes it way more likely that Taylor is dead. Is that your intention?
Not really. Wildbow is being intentionally ambiguous. He’s done similar things before where he won’t directly address a question, just some point tangent to the subject. Trying to get any sort of spoilers out of him is like trying to squeeze blood from a stone. I’d say Wildbow clarifying a point doesn’t mean a thing one way or another… and it’s frustrating. I would never, ever play poker with the guy because you just can’t get a read on his intentions.
chrnno on November 2, 2013 at 01:28 said:
Well doing that through writing is one thing doesn’t necessarily means he has a poker face though it does make it likely.
And don’t ever, I mean ever, give two choices about a spoiler, where one of them is a and the other isn’t “not a.” See also: his response to questions regarding Grey Boy’s power.
Yeah. The question here is purely binary though: is Taylor dead or not dead? Rather than address the question, he’s not answering it at all.
The question is whether someone will ask “Is she dead or alive?” to which the answer will be “Yes.”
Hey Wildbow: Is Khepri dead XNOR alive?
quesar on November 3, 2013 at 00:20 said:
Gnarker: No.
The name having been “common” knowledge from before Taylor met Contessa means it isn’t necessary for Taylor to have survived for the name to be known.
As this is Ciara’s third session with Ms. Yamada this conversation must have taken place no earlier than three days after Taylor took the portal Ciara opened. In reality it took place slightly later than even that.
Chev’s answer is fairly final, it doesn’t imply a continuing condition.
So either Contessa hasn’t actually told anyone what happened with “Khepri”, or Taylor is dead.
Reading the conversation between Contessa and Taylor from 30.7 makes it seem like Contessa might have chosen not to share any information, but that possibility doesn’t really feel “right” to me, or when compared to Chev’s answer to Ms. Yamada.
So she’s dead, put down like a rabid dog. In the end Humanity couldn’t safe itself at all, it had to be saved by a monster it created through it’s own abuse, a monster that, after the poor confused thing gives it’s all to save Humanity, apparently doesn’t even rate as being worth saving, or even trying to save.
rocjawcypher on November 2, 2013 at 02:05 said:
Quite the opposite: Humanity was worth sacrificing EVERYTHING to save. She died- in heart, in mind, and perhaps in body. Each, she knew the cost, she understood what it would take- but for us, she thought it was worth it.
Except humanity cannot even save a single lonely abused girl. While Taylor might have believed that to be true, humanity has done a really shit job of proving it true.
Stephen M (Ethesis) on November 2, 2013 at 08:39 said:
WordPress stacks up comments to the unreadable stage of narrow on my phone but this episode with the “won’t like it” sure implies that instead of therapy they just killed Taylor without giving her a chance.
Chevalier’s reply here applies equally well if she’s believed dead, missing, in custody, or in permanent isolation. All this chapter confirms about her fate is that she’s not walking around as of six months later.
Ziggy on March 4, 2018 at 14:49 said:
See it like this. Thanks to her Sacrifice, there is still a chance to learn from it, to save other “Monsters”, “Little Girls” and “Poor confused Things”. Like Ciara here.
To be totally fair, I really didn’t intend that, but I can see why Wildbow would refuse to answer it.
That expression is appropriate in a funny way; if you squeeze enough, you’ll definitely get blood flowing from a stone. Just… not the stone’s.
In this situation, pressuring wildbow into giving spoilers (which he won’t), readers will eventually hurt their brain enough to get a conclusion of their own.
Which happened every damn chapter lately.
Well Wildbow did once give out one spoiler about the sequel. Taylor’s not in it. Course the author was more coy about wether or not that meant she died at the end.
damn, this analogy with “squeeze the stone ’til it bleeds” is good, is good
These days, poker is more about math than about people skills. Think about all the tournament champions that are coming from online poker backgrounds, instead of rising up the tables.
Some very clever statisticians have analyzed poker to death, then inserted electrodes and brought it back to life; if you’re a math nerd and have the right kind of otaku for it, then you start seeing things like ‘pot odds’ in a whole different way.
seem* I missed a word and cannot edit or delete the comment to fix it.
scoti on November 3, 2013 at 19:22 said:
So what demarcates Khepri from the rest in time? I’d be inclined to think somewhere around the moment when Panacea messed with her corona pollentia…
When does a name start to apply to the person it’s given to? Did she become Skitter when she joined the Undersiders, when she robbed the bank, when the Wards did their debriefing and thought of it, or when they gave the name to the press? When did she become Weaver, when she turned herself in, when she killed Alexandria, when she decided on the name with Dragon and Defiant, or when she announced it at the end of the speech?
The name Khepri came up after she killed Scion, to describe the girl who became a god, killed another, gave humanity a new day, and disappeared. I don’t think that the transition would be when her power was tweaked any more than she suddenly became Skitter or Weaver when she triggered. But you could put it when she first controlled somebody, when she assembled her swarm and confronted Scion, when she killed him, when she disappeared, or when they came up with the word for it.
I would say a name would start to apply when it begins to shape the person wearing it. In this way, Taylor became Skitter when she robbed the bank, she became Weaver when she took out Topsy & co., and she became Khepri when she began to lose her anchors.
You see this all over the place. Jacob isn’t Jack Slash until he forms the Nine. Riley wasn’t Bonesaw until she started indulging her artistic talent, Bonesaw isn’t Riley until she realizes that her redemption is going to be much tougher than she thinks. Amy wasn’t Panacea until she started indulging her Samaritan Syndrome (the “I Must Save Them All” complex endemic to moral superheroes.) Sphere wasn’t Mannequin until he started to lash out against people who were trying to better the world. And on, and on, and on.
Well said and I agree on most points. I would probably back up Khepri to starting right about when she confronts Tattletale just before going to join the fight and actively seeking drones for her swarm. Taking Canary at first could be considered a necessary state to get back into action and avoid being stranded which is reasonable but once she is free to do what she wants she chose to go after controlling others. Not that this was a wrong choice or that there were many other options but to me that was the turning point. As Tattle had put it, there really wasn’t a going back once she started that path. The bank was the turning point for Skitter and Topsy was the turning point for Weaver. That short section with Tattle was the turning point for Khepri.
syphax1 on November 2, 2013 at 00:24 said:
Huh. That wasn’t nearly depressing as I thought it would be. Humanity hasn’t torn itself apart within a month of Scions defeat. Hell, they’ve made it six months (I think).
Now I want to see what happens with the Undersiders.
Humanity’s still in shock after having the bulk of every human civilization in existence across the multiverse obliterated. Give it a few more months and people will start acting like people again.
I don’t think Scion’s rampage was that destructive. There are canonically countless trillions of universes, and, well, he was only absent rampaging across other universes for a few days, spending at least seconds in every world (long enough to identify a target and fire at it): so he can’t have hit more than a few hundred thousand universes. Unless nearly every multiverse is empty of human life, and even if he spent only a microsecond in each world, most human civilizations will still be untouched.
irrevenant on September 12, 2014 at 23:53 said:
It was mentioned in the story that the action occurred in only a small subset of all possible realities and that Scion had blocked off access to the rest for some unknown reason. (Presumably he didn’t want humanity damaging or depleting them because he needed them for fuel 300 years hence).
It can be reasonably assumed that Scion limited his rampages to this subset also.
In his interlude though he mentions grouping the universes into subsets of similar ones since looking too close at too many that were too similar got confusing and took too much effort so he made it easier by throwing some together. I was thinking that maybe when he started going around destroying different clusters of people he was striking at the groupings in each subset at once so that while there may be technically trillions of possible universes he was hitting hundreds of thousands with each attack. It got a little confusing to understand both on page and in my head. I tend to love thinking about the potential aspects of parallel universes but Scion and his ilk make my head hurt. Even the simplest aspect of being able to spread, consume and destroy EVERY possible iteration of a world boggles my mind since by the many worlds interpretation there had to be a world where they miscalculate and we win. Which of course we see but that should happen on every world if they truly destroy every instance which means that they never should’ve made it past the first planet really but that obviously doesn’t happen so do they destroy every iteration or just a small subset but if it’s just a small subset then…you know what I’m going to stop now so I can keep reading the comments and avoid another headache…
Also,since we are talking about clusters,different Scions might exist that desttroy these worlds,if the Worm too is affected by multiple worlds.
Hence why I stopped trying to interpret it and just went with it. I am far too interested in parallel world theories to actively try and decipher the exact physics of how the Worms function. One of the few times being a science geek works against me in reading scifi stories…
The parallel worlds might not cover every possibility: my guess is that we’re not be dealing with a full scale multiverse.
Even in a true multiverse, I think you might start to lose the “covering every possibility” once you start crossing between them universes. I suppose you could cover that via some kind of second layer of multiverses, but that just seems like stretching the idea till it fits again.
I dunno. Adding higher-order flows can lead to fairly cool results. The ultimate treatment of this is probably Greg Egan’s short story _The Infinite Assassin_. And, yes, the set of multiverses in that story is actually infinite, which leads to, ah, interesting things you can do if you can control which universes people can access — which of course Scion can. This probably provides evidence that the Wormverse does not have an infinite multiverse, or Scion could just have eaten an infinitely small subset of all parallel Earths (still infinite in size: a set of measure zero) and still got an infinite amount of energy, which is clearly not happening.
TheAnt87 on November 2, 2013 at 00:27 said:
Good chapter, and a HUGE New York is born. That last thought is ominous. To bring back the dead. What can go wrong?
Black Lanterns, Black Lanterns everywhere.
Crazy, zombie, superheroes for the win. Even better if they are completely on the side of Good but everyone is still freaked out by them. Wonder what Rosary and the other christian heroes would think about that.
There’s a part of the Book of Revelations where, IIRC, the dead all rise from their graves and just, like, chill for a few months.
Eh, the dead rise from their graves during the gospels. They invade Jerusalem. There’s also some threats made during the Epic of Gilgamesh by Ishtar.
“The Blackest Night falls from the skies,The darkness grows as all light dies,We crave your hearts and your demise,By my black hand, the dead shall rise!” – Black Lanterns
“Groovy.” – Ash Williams
I herby award you ten nerd points. It would be more but there are so many bloody zombies in fiction nowadays that a normal person could probably name ten without trying.
Hey, I found a video of Roucouler the Liar!
youtube.com/watch?v=DgqzE5M5trM
No teeth, but yeah I can see it fit.
Just imagine there’s no gap. One solid shelf.
T-Ray (Deadpool), Headpool (Deadpool), Tarman (Return of the Living Dead, Return of the Living Dead 2, Return of the Living Dead: Rave from the Grave), R (Warm Bodies), Julie (Return of the Living Dead 3), Shark-fighting Zombie (Zombi), Jason Voorhees (as of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives), “Big Daddy” (Land of the Dead), Baby Zombie (Remake Dawn of the Dead), Eddie Van Halen (Zombieland)
Zombi 2* not Zombi
And Ed, even though they’re not saying the zed word (Shaun of the Dead)
To bring back the dead inside the bodies of NILBOG’s creation. Though if they manage to pull it off, it would be great for NILBOG’s PR.
Bring back the dead? probably people thinking on the spirits. Clockblocker and Taylor may be outright dead but thanks to Valkyrie, this might not stop that ship from sailing.
Or they might just sail on the Titanic.
farmerbob1 on November 2, 2013 at 04:03 said:
Solomon Grundy not know.
Nilbog’s creations might not last for more than a few months (unless Riley played around with them), but Valkyrie could just re-harvest the shard and Nilbog could make another body. Although that does leave the question of how much of the host’s personality a shard takes. It’s possible the recycled heroes might not be much more than actual zombies, or just fragments of what they once were. Crazy power combination though, probably the strongest in the series to date. Valkyrie might be able to get around her three ghost limit that way.
Good name for her, too. Valkyrie.
It’s almost too bad Glastig didn’t nab Taylor, although if she did there might be no saving either of them.
I also like the idea that their new bodies could be made to order, or at least made to work better with their powers.
Gabriel on November 4, 2013 at 11:03 said:
Nilbog makes bodies; Riley repairs them so they work for more than a month; Ciara populates them with her fallen spirits. Everyone (including Taylor) lives happily ever after.
Mihoshi on November 4, 2013 at 18:24 said:
I’d frankly think that Amy doing the tweaking on the bodies might be more appropriate, but I guess she’s going to be busy reparing Victoria. At least those two are back together. Of sorts…
If Glastig nabbed Taylor’s power she would be officially too scary to live, and I suspect she’s well aware of that fact…
Agreed. She already has Eidolon. There is no way they’d let her run around with Khepri as well. It’s like having a pet Endbringer takes you straight into don’t fuck with me but having five pet Endbringers would take you into kill in case you snap territory.
“it will work this time! Because she just died, she just died a little while ago!”
James on November 3, 2013 at 14:51 said:
Pet Sematary? Just watched that. Such a bad horror movie, but in an amusing/fun-to-watch way.
The book is much, much better.
The book frankly made chills run down my spine a few times. Especially the description of the Wendigo walking through the woods. Stephen King at his best.
Part of the reason that book was so creepy to me was how the main guy was so obviously being controlled/influenced by someone so much more incredibly powerful than him and how so many things tried to stop him but the evil overthing just kept putting everything back on track to tragedy. Louis never had a chance at all.
Lots of parallels to Worm then. I haven’t read or watched this, but just from what Slider214 said:
A protagonist who is influenced increasingly by an unknown being (even before Khepri) with only the audience really seeing it.
A world that seems to return to a similar, largely negative, state regardless of increasingly desperate attempts to change it.
And, of course, at least one seemingly invincible antagonist.
I’m probably reading too much into these similarities.
No One in Particular on November 2, 2013 at 00:30 said:
Interesting that you started with Ciara. I liked this. A good interlude, with a few interesting points.
-Khepri mentioned. Even if Taylor’s dead, at least there’s a bit more of her story to hear about.
-Part of Legend’s speech sounded a LOT like stuff Skitter said once. He has been taking notes. 🙂
-Solid character development here. Always thought of GU as kind of annoying and overpowered, but now I like her…more than I like Chevalier. Yeah, good measuring says them there.
And of course, Yamada. Oh Yamada, as badass normals never showed up or died, you are a precious resource in worm. Continue to be awesome, I hope she’s in more epilogues!
System there, not says there. I don’t like typing on iPads…
Legend was always the charismatic one, making speeches and presenting a friendly face for the Triumvirate while Alexandria and Eidolon were being dicks in the background and Chevalier and Miss Militia focussed on getting shit done. And Taylor read up on capes while she was planning to become a hero. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they sound similar because she was basing her speeches on *his*.
This was my immediate thought.
Don’t buy it. It’s possible Taylor picked up some of Legend’s mannerisms in her reading (and probably from seeing him on TV all the time as a kid), and they share some ideology, but she never gave the impression of someone who actually prepares her speeches in advance. She’s always been a quick thinker and she gives the impression of someone who works out what she’s saying as she’s saying it.
Patrick Reitz (@dreamfarer) on November 2, 2013 at 00:30 said:
Wow! That opened several whole cans of Worms there didn’t it.
Fascinating chapter. Even reading without the line breaks : )
ThePagemaster on November 2, 2013 at 00:31 said:
I love this chapter. it feels like the best written one so far. Also your naming skills rock. Valkyrie is a perfect name. how far back did you plan this?
10 thousand years before the ancient ancestor of mankind was crawling from the mud.
Well, looks like we know what straw people are going to grasp at now.
And we get Wildbow teasing us with Yamada and Khepri.
And even giving Glaistig a second chance? Oddly enough, the story is now being far too optimistic about people. Same with trying to make people sympathetic all the time.
I’m guessing the bit of Behemoth in Chevalier’s armor is influencing how Glaistig looks at him. The Destroyer.
It fits. Still think they should have tried and killed the complete monsters. So Nilbog should have at least been killed.
flame7926 on November 2, 2013 at 00:55 said:
If you can lock them up safely, there’s pretty much no reason to kill them. Nilbog is one of the least threatening because of how insane he is. He’s easy to manipulate and persuade.
Still murdered thousands of men, women, and children. Curse my lack of historical knowledge, but what is the place where they tried nazi war criminals? That might still exist in the wormverse.
He can plead insanity. Hell, he is completely insane. He is also still a human life. Only reasons to punish people are to either deter them or others. I don’t think others need any more deterrent to not be bad, and think it will only stop them from helping with huge threats. Nilbog helped, and if he is killed, that sends the wrong message. But mostly he’s batshit crazy and shouldn’t be killed for it.
Its useless to kill people just because they did bad things in the past. The future is all that matters. How killing or keeping them alive impacts the future.
Its Nuremburg.
phlinn on November 2, 2013 at 04:26 said:
Punishment also serves to protect other people. It’s hard to murder others if you’re dead.
Elias N Vasylenko on November 2, 2013 at 06:15 said:
Done solely for that reason it isn’t a punishment, though. It just happens to be functionally equivalent in this instance. There are ways to punish without protecting others, and there are ways to protect others without punishing.
I said that, if it will dissuade him from doing it again. I think he can be controlled though.
Nuremberg. And not all the Nazis were executioned. Some were simply imprisoned. Even pretty high placed ones. And some were even released early for health reason. Nilbog is getting something like that.
The thing about Nuremberg is that it got a lot of criticism even at the time for dodgy interpretations of the law and pretty much being a kangaroo court. The same would probably be true for guys like Nilbog, who pretty much have no real hope of a fair trial.
I mean, if you want to punish the monsters, then whatever, just shoot them outright. But they shouldn’t pretend it’s justice.
Now I know why Chev is under stress. See I think we should kill Nilbog while AMR/flame think he should be imprisoned. It’s probably much worse for everyone in the wormverse since he did help save the multiverse. Then there are the whole moral issues. I mean letting acid bath go means someone down the line gets scarred or killed, and then there is the evil power ranger who killed tens of thousands. Chevalier has to worry about crap like that. Taylor didn’t destroy the birdcage, so maybe they can just put them back.
Unless Dragon is still maintaining things, the Birdcage is pretty much an oubliette where they’ll be throwing people in to die. I mean moreso than usual. If Chevalier wants a second chance to win people over, he probably shouldn’t be using the old Protectorate’s baggage.
The problem with punishing guys like Acidbath after all this is that he’s small time enough that jailing him would make a lot of other people real antsy about their own chances for amnesty.
The best thing he could do in my opinion is only jail the ones too dangerous and let the rest of the chips fall where they may. If some scumbag villain kills someone, that’s unfortunate, but then they’ll have a reason to jail them.
Oh, yes amnesties are a complicated matter (look what happened in Athens after the 30 Tyrants). I don’t think anyone is arguing that Acidbath shouldn’t be allowed free reign. But as Chevalier said if you start drawing a line then others will get worried that they aren’t safe too and complications arise. Killing Nilbog will just make matters worse. It could very well spark a second war. Nilbog’s creatures were fighting to the bitter end while most capes were fleeing. He was important in the defence of humanity. But if even someone who contributed that much can be executed, well…people start thinking.
He seems to be threaten like someone in a psychiatric ward which was probably how they can keep him under surveillance while still acknowledging the amnesty.
Most of these people need therapy and not to be stuck in a deep dark hole in the ground anyway.
The whole idea of the birdcage is a very backwards regressive method of addressing these “criminals” anyway.
Teruzi on November 2, 2013 at 02:41 said:
I’m pretty sure Acidbath is dead though, Didn’t Taylor left him behind as a way to earn a littel bit more time against Scion? I remember that happening. Nevertheless, if Acidbath tried something again he deserves the full strength of the law over his head (I’m calling the nano-thorn lance the law). Attacking the capes that fought with Scion is just asking for trouble, though. Especially now, when the Wardens should be consolidating themselves in preparation for future conflict
No. She was debating using Acidbath, but in the end she opted for some unnamed shapeshifter.
Really, this is the Endbringer truce on a much larger scale. Every time a class S threat shows up, you don’t take advantage of it. Yes, you could save dozens, maybe thousands of lives sometimes by locking away a villain who came to help. But then not only are they out of the fight, but every other villain hangs back too. You lose the next big fight because you wanted to avoid a few little ones, and tens of millions die because you couldn’t let one monster go free.
The only circumstance under which killing Nilbog here is even an option is if you think that there will NEVER be another class S threat now that Scion is gone, and that’s just false on the face of it. So you give him comfortable quarters, you let him talk with his friends, and you limit his use of his power but never try to take it away completely. That way anybody who’s less terrible than the goblin king feels safe, slinks back into the shadows, and comes running back next time the multiverse needs saving.
veekie on November 2, 2013 at 03:07 said:
Humanity had been pretty thoroughly devastated though. Regardless of what they had done in the past, the fact is that, especially for the powerfully insane parahumans, humanity needs their talents. They are the hardest people to kill and stop, they have wide ranging powers. All that goes towards keeping them alive unless they went back to their old habits.
Judge them by what they are NOW, because you can’t afford to do otherwise. This is as big a clean slate as can be achieved here. Scion has destroyed all previous order, everyone still alive owe their lives to these monsters. Note that the speech implied that there ARE others still out there, who don’t WANT to be redeemed. Those will be eliminated.
Redemption means more than just getting out of jail. Most people don’t want redemption because they don’t think there’s anything wrong with them. It’s like saying most people in the KKK want to live in harmony with people of all colors and creeds and just need to be given a chance.
There are also practical, political concerns. Those currently helping with the reconstruction efforts would be much more leery of the situation if it looks like there is going to be a witch hunt. Here and now they have a rare moment of limited trust and collaboration. It’s a delicate situation, revenge and punishment alike can only make things worse.
Here in the Wormverse, everything has gone to hell. Would you let the KKK and other terrorist groups rejoin society if they’d help rebuild it? They were all who were standing between the world and total destruction at the end. And now they are a large part of what is left at all.
Execute Nilbog, and the ex-Cauldron members may leave. The Slaughterhouse clones, Glaistig Uaine, Riley, Yangban, Lung, Marquis, the Blasphemies, the Undersiders, the Thanda, etc. At BEST they’d just up and leave, fearing they’d be next. At worst they’d decide to strike first before they’re up against the wall themselves, and prove Administrator right in her assumption that humanity would turn against itself after their common foe is gone.
Instead, let them work together, supervised of course, A temporary truce may yet become the norm. Some of the unstable individuals who couldn’t fit into a modern world are not the same when they have been forced back to a frontier state.
You make a good case.
>Some of the unstable individuals who couldn’t fit into a modern world are not the same when they have been forced back to a frontier state.<
Like a certain dog loving Undersider did before…
She’s always called people by their shard names, see also the indian cape “Astrologer” the chatty Undersider “Negotiator” and our protagonist “Queen Administrator”. I’d be willing to bet that “Destroyer” is simply Chevalier’s shard’s name.
Asmora on November 2, 2013 at 07:45 said:
She made up those names. Yes, she was referring to their shards/passengers/parahuman identities, since that’s what she saw, but it’s not like the alien power batteries came with convenient English labels. She and Scion came up with rather similar labels for Taylor, since there aren’t many appropriate English words, but even there they had important differences. Scion called her/her shard Administrator, because it was the bit he delegated all of the minute control and coordination to. GU called her Queen Administrator because she saw her as a faerie noble of the highest order who ruled through control and coordination.
I don’t think it’s improbable that some of GU’s faerie names for capes have changed over time. I’m too lazy to look it up, but I’m pretty sure she referred to Chevalier when she had that conversation with Taylor right after she was released from the Birdcage, and she didn’t call him Destroyer. But since then, he’s beaten seven kinds of shit out of her god/father and played a central role in killing him. That seems like something that might cause her to reevaluate him.
Agreed. I’m pretty sure that if Scion/Eden saw legend they wouldn’t call the shard the Coruscant Knave. In fact, I must say that I found that name particularly corny, especially if compared to some of the totally awesome titles Valkyrie gave. Mother of the blind would be a great name for a rock band, IMO 🙂 .
As for Chevalier, while the “monster suit” may be a reason for a new moniker, I don’t think he was ever the “champion” (I assume that’s what you’re referring). I always thought the Champion was Contessa: someone else sends her to fight on her behalf and she’s always victorious. I think it fits.
“Coruscant” is a poetic term for sparkling or glittering. The glittering ne’er-do-well. Fits Legend quite closely, I think.
I know that. It’s good to describe Legend, but somehow I don’t think it’s the name Scion or Eden would give to the shard Legend possesses.
That, or GU is secretly a Star Wars fan.
Looking back at that interlude, knowing the events starting from Venom,up to this point, explains much about Glaistig’s strange metaphors. For instance, calling Doctor Mother a “living prop” makes much more sense now.
While it did end up being semi-prophetical on GU’s part, I think it was mostly accidental. She was just being racist (is that even the correct term in this context?) in regards of non-powered humans.
Bigoted is a nice catch-all term for this kind of speculative discrimination. I see the argument. However, I’m arguing more that it’s very neat foreshadowing, than any conscious effort to be right on GU’s part.
Wildbow need everyone to just get along long enough to let things build back up to the point where losing it all again will hurt more, for the sequel, is my guess.
For all we know, Chevalier’s armor might eventually turn him into an Endbringer, and Valkyrie certainly doesn’t seem to be the most sane person.
The old and new triumvirate…
Will the circle be unbroken?
Also, remember his blade did shear into the core of Behemoth. He quite likely has some fragment of the shard inside him now.
I thought Chevalier’s power shorted as soon as his triune blade touched the core. No nicks, no actual penetration.
Too… optimistic? Really?
Please tell me that was sarcasm I missed. Because if it weren’t for Wildbow’s habit of redeeming the unredeemable, this story would have had me suicidal by now. Grimdark was left behind a few months ago, we’re into, uh, grimdarker territory. Or maybe horribleakistark awebitterlygrimdark. er.
Eh. They had pretty much two options: (a) Give Glaistig amnesty or (b) Pick a fight with perhaps the single most powerful remaining cape in all existence. Option A isn’t optimism, it’s practicality. Remember that they only contained her in the first place because she *chose* to walk into the Birdcage.
And I don’t find her redemption implausible. She was left purposeless with Scion’s death, after all.
I don’t know that Wildbow is actually *making* people sympathetic, by the way. I believe that most people are sympathetic if you look closely enough. And what Wildbow is good at is at looking closely enough at characters who, in other fictions, would never be explored beneath the surface.
Psycho Gecko on September 14, 2014 at 00:33 said:
For a more realistic take, look at the series Leverage. Those villains there are so over the top and unrepentant. No chance of redemption because, in almost cartoonish fashion, they are greedy sociopaths. The writers based every one of those off a real person. Those same over the top actions and speeches had to be toned down in order to make them seem more believable.
Reality Is Unrealistic, eh?
The difference between Leverage and Worm (and between visual and written media in general – though Wildbow is particularly masterful at it) is that Worm gives you a thorough look inside the antagonists’ heads while Leverage only gives you a look at their actions.
I grant that there are genuine sociopaths out there but most people do what they do for reasons that are understandable if you can just appreciate what they were going through when they made them. Not necessarily agree, but at least understand (I think Saint made a TERRIBLE call, but I can see how he got there, for example).
Disciplines like politics, economics, and philosophy often base courses of action on the notion that every human being is a rational actor. You assume that if someone’s making an argument, then they mean the strongest form of that argument. You assume someone’s doing something because to them it is in their self interest.
There’s a reason why those fields get filled with a lot of BS that doesn’t seem to work and leaves people more mystified than ever. Even the people reading from that website that’s all about logic and reason have fallen into that trap by apparently being terrified of a thought experiment of a possible AI that could create a copy of someone and punish them. Reminds me of a philosophical atheist blogger reminiscing about college philosophy courses where they argued about if a person who comes out the other end of a Star Trek teleporter is the same person.
It’s a copy. The original is dead and gone. Either buried in the ground, ashes, or tiny molecules torn apart in the teleporter room depending on if we’re talking about Roko’s Basilisk or the Star Trek question.
Because “What if?” is not as handy for determining the truth about the current state of the world as “What is?”
So what is the main motivational force for most people?
Hanlon’s Razoe states: “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”
Conspiracy theorists, bad drivers, nuclear build up…it works far better than the notion that someone is a rational actor whose actions merely appear evil to another rational actor on the other side of things.
Then you combine this with a little thing called the Dunning-Kruger effect and you find out why what we might call evil perpetuates. This effect is a cognitive bias where people are too unskilled or incompetent to know that they are unskilled or incompetent. They overestimate their skill, fail to recognize skill in others, fail to recognize the extremity of their inadequacy, and (the part that seems to work more on academic subjects than on everyday life) if they are exposed to training, can recognize their own previous lack of skill.
Most people are, I think, too self-important to let themselves be corrected on many things for that last point, but aside from that, you’ve got the psychology of any given person right there. Every single person on earth is subject to that little combo.
The reason I think that last point is disputed is because I’ve also come across several individuals who are willfully ignorant and will ignore any attempt to correct them. The sorts who will use “Well that’s just your opinion” in a discussion about facts, if that means anything to you. People who feel so entitled to the notion that they can think whatever they want that you have no right to correct them.
And you can’t correct them. Nobody can. It gets to the point where their prior neglectful incompetence becomes purposeful incompetence. The kind of incompetent thinking that says “This person’s life is less important to me than this amount of money.”
I can be sympathetic toward many people, but some people are so set against what is right that there is reason to feel that way.
Totally agree that humans are not rational agents. I wasn’t saying that human beings are able to understand each other because we make *sense*. Perish the thought! 😀 We have an ability to understand each other (empathy) because, as humans, we share the same irrational emotions and, because it’s hella useful evolutionarily to be able to anticipate how someone else will behave (mirror neurons etc.). I don’t think we assume that other people are rational, but we *are* better able to empathise and comprehend their actions if we have a deep enough understanding of their situation and how they got there. Nuclear buildup isn’t rational but it *is* understandable.
Oddly you are the second person today to raise the destructiveness of Star Trek transporters with me. You don’t draw webcomics under a different name do you?
In my opinion the transporter question really comes down to how you define “the same person”. It’s pretty hard to say that a perfectly identical copy of anything *isn’t* the same thing. It’s also pretty hard to say that “who I am” comes down to the specific atoms I’m made of, especially when all those individual atoms will be swapped out by the end of the year. If I lost my arms and legs I’d also still be *me* (albeit a very unhappy me! O_O). So “me” pretty much has to come down to my mind and my thoughts and feelings – my identity. So long as that is recreated perfectly, then the person continuing on is me.
This leads to some pretty uncomfortable and unintuitive results – not least of which is that when technology is able to copy you like an MP3 there can be dozens of people running around who are *all* you (though they’d diverge from each other over time, of course). Being uncomfortable and unintuitive doesn’t mean they aren’t true, of course.
Note that this all assumes there’s no such a thing as an immaterial soul. If there is then by definition the soul is the person and the person stepping out of the transporter is just a soulless replicant (unless the soul just magically transfers to the new body).
Incidentally, I have a feeling Star Trek ended up clarifying that no no, it’s your own personal molecules that are being transported and reassembled anyway (in “First Contact”, I think?).
I’m embarrassed to say I never managed to wrap my head fully around Roko’s Basilisk.
PS. I meant to say: There probably would be early fear of the new technology. However, once people have actually used it (or their soulless doppelganger have, if you prefer) and they still feel like the same person they always were, then they’re likely to accept that the technology works and dismiss the rest as a matter of semantics for philosophers. Knowing in your gut that you’re *you* trumps vast amounts of philosophical argument for the average person.
I can definitely see it being a divisive technology and discrimination issues springing up around it, though – worse once the religious folks get involved. That would make an interesting premise for a series of stories, actually…
I think Outer Limits(or maybe some other sci fi thing) had a story on it, or something like that. Everyone thought this transportation technology worked like out of Star Trek, but in reality it created a copy on the other end and left the original back in the first area. Which was then killed because the people behind the technology didn’t want a bunch of copies running around. I think it may have undermined trust in the technology, to an extent.
I think there was a webcomic which had a similar situation, but the aliens who ran the network would interrogate every original copy to learn all they knew before killing them.
That sounds like “Think like a dinosaur” (‘cos the aliens who provided the teleport technology looked like dinosaurs). Normally the technology recreated the person at the other end, verified that had gone okay, then vapourised the original. In this case, they were unable to receive confirmation and the local copy had to hang around while they figured out if they’d been successfully created at the other end. Turns out they had, so the attendant had the responsibility of murdering the local copy. Fun fun.
That’s because the “dinos” firmly required “balancing the equation” as part of granting humanity use of the technology. It was unclear whether there were actual side-effects of having two lots of the same person running around, or if the dinos had just found that to be a bad idea.
And yup, people replicating you, torturing the other you for your PIN then killing them is a definite possibility. How big a risk that is would depend on how all-pervasive the technology was, and how accountable.
Would have interesting side-effects on war too, when you can just take your best soldiers and instaclone them. And business for that matter – you can expect to see entire departments staffed by the same applicant.
Maybe I can use that as a premise if I get around to writing stories in your comments section. 😛
With teleporter technology, you wouldn’t necessarily need soldiers. You’d never need a bomber ever again. Just teleport whatever chemical or nuclear weapon wherever it needed to end up. The flip side being that if the other side has that technology, there’s no safe side for you either.
And if it can be used create stuff like that, then you’d see a huge economic problem. After all, you’d only need enough staff for R and D, building/refining the prototype, and then teleporting one out to wherever it needed to go.
Star Trek is a little weird in that it’s effectively made teleportation a special case of replication but retained the ability to somehow rematerialise people thousands of kilometres from the replication apparatus. If we’re talking that style of teleport, I totally agree. Unless there’s some way to block it (which Star Trek has, but need not be the case) then Star Trek style transporters are immediate mutually-assured destruction technology (and a terrorist’s wet dream).
Things become a bit more challenging if you require a rematerialisation platform. They presumably could just be programmed to not materialise anything that’s going to explode in your face.
And yup, it’d wreak absolute havok on the economy. Star Trek: The Next Generation had essentially a post-scarcity society but the path to that would *not* have been smooth.
It helps that Earth is supposed to be a socialist/communist utopia in the Star Trek stuff. Though currency is still used in border areas and when dealing with other races, like the Ferengi. I like the fact that Ferengi find gold to be absolutely worthless, though.
I believe Next Generation had an episode where some people were woken from cryogenic storage. Some guy from the 80s or 90s found it weird that Earth was communist then (in his way of thinking). I think they eventually made him part of the staff for the ambassador to the Ferengis.
Still, it’s funny that the whole discussion about teleports comes up because they didn’t want to have to show shots of shuttles going down to the planets all the time. So they decided that transporters existed.
Brainsoup on November 2, 2013 at 00:36 said:
That Khepri is referred to as a patient should indicate that Taylor is alive but in some Glory girl esque situation.
Or wildblow be trolling
Of course Wildbow be trolling.
Aside from the “no divide” thing, he’s got a Trollface.
Trolling, yes. Mentioning her here, in this manner answers no questions, but gives the pot a good strong stir. Either it took six months to find and kill her, or she is still out there… Just waiting on a sequel.
ki, ki, ki, ma, ma, ma…
Your attention to detail in this matter, sir, requires plaudits.
Trollface indeed. Bravo. Well seen.
That works better as Ms. Yamada making it know to Chev that she knows who Khepri was.
Chev’s answer is meanwhile pretty vague. Could mean she’s dead, could mean her recovery isn’t going well.
Thought the name having gotten out at all is something of a clue, Contessa wouldn’t exactly have needed to spread the name around if she had just put Taylor down. Of course this is mediated by the fact that Taylor could have well been renamed Khepri during the battle with Zion, and we wouldn’t know, because Taylor couldn’t exactly understand it if someone called her that.
And both options (Taylor dead, or Taylor alive) can fit the overall theme of the story, though they do affect the final “message” of the work in very different ways.
I think she could have been renamed, and slightly picked it up. When she was trying to remember her own name she just thought of the first letter: T, S, W, K. Taylor, Skitter, Weaver, Khepri
Last one was an “M.” Not a “K.” Sorry to rain on your parade.
yes…. that M was soemthing to think about, still is..Chekov’s late fired letter is still around.
She never really thought of herself as “Khepri”. Only “Monster”.
Ekeron on November 2, 2013 at 00:37 said:
A great start to the epilogues. 😀
I’m gonna assume from this point on that Tay- Khepri is dead until proven living. 😦
Which is sad but it’s nice to see that humanity is rebuilding itself.
New New York sounds like a cool place.
The ultimate melting pot. It would be awesome to see it in any potential sequels to
hmmmm…. The wormverse?
fghjconner on November 2, 2013 at 11:30 said:
New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York
Wageslave on November 3, 2013 at 04:37 said:
Not to be confused with New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York, which was rebuilt from the ruins of New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York after the great Devastation.
I think at some point it wraps back around to just ‘York’. Maybe when the Steampunk Contingent assumes command, after the New New New Devastation of ’67.
Ah, the 60’s of the 2000’s. What a time, what a time.
Well, it’s not as if the original York’s around to contest that anymore is it?
How about neo York?then neo new York?
Psychopompos on November 2, 2013 at 00:38 said:
Most of the immediately relevant stuff has been said already, so I’m just going to make two points:
first, where the Hell is Defiant?! Radio silence, what? I need to know what happened to my favorite Tinker couple, dammit. Second, notice the name they picked. If they’re the Wardens, are we going to see the Shepherds, too? Eden’s future might not be entire impossible after all…
taliesinskye on November 2, 2013 at 00:39 said:
Retaking the Queens portal; perhaps they’re in a conflict with Shepherds already.
Didn’t even notice that.
Maybe the Simurg plans on being a mini-eden?
Future sight, mental manipulation and long-term planning.
Just like Eden.
Then again, I doubt there will ever be as many endbringers as she saw in the “worms win” future.
As soon as I read the words Wardens, I thought “Oh, shit”. Glaistig is talking of bringing back the dead so maybe Eden made less of a mistake than she realized.
Wow, I had forgotten about that. I remembered the Sheperds as “bad guys”, but the Wardens had completely slipped from my mind.
But who would their Shepard-commander be? perhaps a Legion of them (so sorry…)
So perfect. 10 internet points to you!
Pandemonious Ivy on November 2, 2013 at 01:57 said:
The Shepards/Wardens thing was just what I was checking to see if anyone noticed. So excite.
Defiant is solely focused on restoring Dragon. Nothing else until the last orbital backup falls from orbit or the world ends.
And when they’re done with that they might go on a honeymoon.
Somewhat interesting chapter and nice to see Ms. Yamada here but I can’t help but feel disappointed considering the conclusion of the previous one. I will re-read this when each of the next chapters are released so I can get the proper feel for it.
Teneral
1. Of, pertaining to, or designating, a condition assumed by the imago of certain Neuroptera, after exclusion from the pupa. In this state the insect is soft, and has not fully attained its mature coloring. – TheFreeDictionary.com
“Lacewing” redirects here. For other uses, see “Lacewing (disambiguation)”. – Wikipedia.
Fittingly, the title of the last “arc” relates to a transformative state, after the tight shell of the pupa but before full maturation. An intriguing metaphor for the humanity of the Earths Bet, no longer confined to a single world but still soft, still not… quite… ready… to face the problems that will face them in future. Of these problems: The Endbringers are still dormant, with no indication of their possible resurgence. The centralized cape authority died with Cauldron and the PRT, and those capes cobbling one together from the remains of the Scion War have information that is woefully lacking. Chevalier’s insistence that Dr. Yamada give him some sort of answer, anything, please, is a major sign, as is the Khepri situation (Given that Taylor was only out for a day or so before the meeting with Contessa, I would be willing to bet that Chevalier has even less information on her last scene than we do), as is Defiant’s radio silence. Teacher remains at large/alive.
Huh, I was wondering what teneral meant. The conversation Ciara and Dr. Yamada had about her being in an adolescent phase just builds on the theme set by the arc title. As expected of Wildbow.
It also has a sort of Celtic sound to it, at least the way I’m pronouncing it in my head, with the stress on the final syllable.
And is an anagram of ‘eternal’. source, the internet,
I’m a bit worried about the Butterfly state.
As we all know, butterflies, and other adult insects, tend to have much shorter lives than their, well, worms.
underwhelmingforce on November 2, 2013 at 00:43 said:
Really, really like where the world is going- the multidomensional supercity is really awesome. Also, seeing Glastig Ulane (Valkyrie) becomng more human is really cool to watch; it resolves her story.
Now then, I suppose I shall have to get welcoming again. Alright, new people, get your butts down here and assume deposition!
And we start with someone I missed. Just barely missed. A new commentator named Lya. https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/30-7/#comment-50894
I found you late and got this finished too close to the wire, so I was forced to get to you this update, Lya. *puts on tights and has a cage lower down around himself and Lya* Oh yeah, now I got ya and I ain’t gonna let you out of here without having a nice warm welcome.
Worm the TV show. I guess we’ll have no other option than to show up on reviewer sites with all our stuff. “Imp and Taylor, forever together!” “What are you talking about? Who is Imp? This was only the pilot episode!” “Screw you like Weld getting a hard on in a hardware store!” “Who is Weld?!” “Your momma’s Weld. I gave her my powers last night.”
I don’t think you can manage antagonist of the week, though, unless that’s during the timeskip. And the chapters involve too compressed a timeline for something quite as spread out as Babylon 5. It’d have to be a long miniseries, or possibly a miniseries punctuated by made-for-TV-movies that focus on major events, like the fight against the Slaughterhouse, then the second fight against the Slaughterhouse, and then the fight against Scion. “From the makers of the hit miniseries “S(kitter)” and S(uper) comes the complete set of movies of the series: S(9), S(9:2), and S(cion)” Need to work on a better naming convention, though.
I’d be much more inclined to take part in Worm Science Theater 3000 personally. Or maybe a huge screening of it, like Rocky Horror Worm Show, with people riffing on it all together and getting dressed up. I can be there as a transvestite, even if there aren’t any in that particular episode.
And you can join us now that you’ve been welcomed, Lya, to the comments.
Smeh, 24 has been going for seven seasons while only seven (admittedly non-consecutive) days have passed in the setting.
Pretty sure Worm could get away with using a couple of seasons to cover the first three months.
Five seasons seems about right to me.
Season 1: The ABB + Leviathan
Season 2: S9
Season 3: Coil
Season 4: Weaver (the Chicago Wards and S9k arc)
Season 5: Khepri (the Scion arc)
But visual media pace quite differently to written media, so it’s hard to say.
TV, moxie, Web video… It doesn’t matter much which, the lines between them blur more every year. Case in point of this being a good thing: Sherlock.
Coincidentally, the band the Cruxshadows released a video for their song “Valkyrie” on Halloween.
http://www.songlyrics.com/the-cruxshadows/valkyrie-lyrics/
It is uncanny how much the lyrics of the song fit GU/Valkyrie.
Matt Nordhoff on November 2, 2013 at 00:47 said:
You are a terrible fiend for toying with my maiden’s heart by joking about Khepri. ❤
*stops bouncing it around and hands it back* Sorry, didn’t know it was that important to you.
Oi! I you’re handing things back now, about that unreturned sanity of mine you have in a pickle jar….
You’re assuming he didn’t just have the pickled sanity for breakfast or something.
Not for breakfast. Pickled sanity is served as the traditional accompaniment to elderthing-tentacle sushi, in place of the ginger.
Moot point anyway. Do I seem like a guy who has sanity?
Pretty neat that Ciara is either intentionally or unintentionally following in Taylor’s footsteps by joining the angels and trying to reinvent herself. Riley, Nibog, and Ciara should all sneak off to have tea parties every week.
I’m also choosing to be optimistic about Defiant’s radio silence. He and Dragon are probably on a beach somewhere, sipping drinks while their legs rest on Sain’ts skeleton.
I too noticed a lot of callbacks to when Taylor first joined the Protectorate.
I find Riley and Nilbog’s friendship to be both heartwarming, and really fucking creepy.
Dragon and Defiant are just having really great glad to be alive sex and have lost track of time. On top of Saint and Teachers corpses.
overpoweredginger on November 2, 2013 at 18:39 said:
Ah, the robot poontang.
That phrase was one of Imp’s finest moments.
That and the monologue after. XD
“They say a toy feels better than -“
Totally agreed. Hell almost every time she opened her mouth after the time skip was pure undilated hilarious awesome.
Crap, meant “undiluted” not “undilated”. What the hell spellcheck?!
Side shot of Defiant looking nasty, Imp asking the question in her usual manner, with Weaver and Tattletale facepalming in the bg.
Any artist fancy that one ?
Hey! The superheroes are not pissing off the faerie queen that could probably wipe out entire armies, they’re smarter than I thought! Having her around gives them more power than they probably know what to do with. It better not turn them fucking lazy.
Since the other Undersiders aren’t mentioned I’m going to just assume that Tattletale is the unquestionable lord and master of all this and the heroes aren’t mentioning that out of embarrassment.
Huh. So “Khepri” is “another patient”. Really late I had this idea that Contessa didn’t shoot Taylor twice in the head, but shot her once in the head and once in the spine or something to put her in a coma. But paranoid as I am I assumed it was to deliver Taylor to Teacher for whatever crazy-ass purpose.
But it’s a small thing, probably best to assume she’s gone until there’s more info.
Taylor was Yamada’s patient, for most of her stay in the Wards.
Which, so carefully-phrased, serves to eliminate any budding certainty that Taylor’s around, connotations of Khepri’s aspects entirely aside.
I can sense the fun you’re having with this, Wildbow. 😀
“You’re a bad person Wildbow.”
“And your tears of frustration sustain me.”
World’s longest windup for the world’s biggest sucker punch, eh? Well, whatever happens I’m sure it will be just as maddening as ever.
You are having far too much fun trolling us with Taylor’s fate. I am required to at least attempt to panalce the scales – behold – a troll pig, surrounded by pig capes!
*sigh* panalce = balance… somehow. Curse this no editing stuff 😦
One fucking typo…
And they never let you forget it.
By the way, remember that time when…
Oh, right. Sorry. My bad.
stop on November 2, 2013 at 01:30 said:
Undersiders have BB not NYC.
yinyangorwuji on November 2, 2013 at 01:05 said:
That was awesome. That trinity? Bonesaw, Nilbog, and the Faerie Queen? So much destruction would have resulted if they had conversed a long time ago.
Melmoth on November 2, 2013 at 01:10 said:
Hell yes. GU gets some redemption, and it sounds like Skitter’s not totally dead. This pleases me.
Not as much of a redemption as I’m theorizing…
The way Yamada referred to Khepri seems to imply two things.
One. It’s not common knowledge (at least at large) that Taylor Hebert and Khepri are one and the same. Yamada both referred to her as an “ex-patient” (Weaver) and as Khepri. She didn’t just come out and say Taylor. Like it was a secret.
Two. If Khepri IS dead, it’s not common knowledge. Otherwise Yamada wouldn’t have needed to ask.
On Valkyrie and the Wardens. She is awesome. wildbow, I love how quickly you’ve rebuilt your comic book world. Infinite Crisis and its ilk can eat their collective hearts out.
Finally, I bet dollars to donuts that Khepri was killed and Valkyrie has managed to gain possession of her spirit. The talk of bringing back the dead was foreshadowing. Valkyrie means to eventually bring Taylor back to life. Note that I said Taylor and not Khepri. Though I might be wrong on that last detail.
So as far as all the other people are concerned, some random badass just stepped out of a portal somewhere, mind controlled the entire multiverse, pushed Scion’s shit in, then walked through another portal and disappeared just as quickly as she had come. Awesome.
Ayep.
Wow when you put it like that…Khepri really does sound a bit like a minigod doesn’t she? Shows up just in time to save them from an unstoppable alien god? Check. Controls everyone around her, either literally or figuratively? Check. Disappears before the dust is done settling? Check. She really does hit most blocks…
Kill Khepri, but tell people she is still alive to have another threat still lurking out there, a reason for the new new Proctorate and for people to still band together.
Maybe even Khepri as new “Birdcage”.
I’ll completely ignore the reference to Khepri, except to say: curse youuuuuu wildbow.
So, Glaistig Interlude. Or shall we say Valkyrie.
Seems we were right when we said that Scion/the faerie schtick was Ciara’s anchor. She saw Scion as a parent and so she never grew up and was then catapulted into adolescence.
And so a new Triumvirate/Trinity/Power trio is formed. New York is a multidimensional city who could theoretically become as big as a planet. Cool. Valkyrie is seeing if combined with Nilbog she can bring back the dead.
Obviously the amnesty was not one of those sweeping general kind of amnesties. But really Nilbog needs help. He probably will be always delusional but as long it’s a harmless delusion it’s fine.
Am I the only one who finds it sad that Bonesaw seeks Nilbog and Valkyrie’s company because it reminds her of the old days? And it seems Nilbog forgot that Bonesaw crucified him on a wall. Oh well, as long as he’s happy.
So wait who are the three members? Legend, Valkyrie, and Chevalier?
Technically it looks like Chev and Legend are the leaders and Valkyrie is supposed to just be one among many. But in facts yeah.
Crowd Member: “You’ve formed a new Triumvirate.”
Legend: “Valkyrie will be starting on the bottom. She’ll earn her way to whatever rank is most fitting.”
Everyone (thinking): “Gee, I wonder what rank that will be.”
Riley, not Bonesaw. Although, the “Riley was smiling, as if despite herself.” makes me think she still hasn’t removed her glasgow-grinner apparatus.
Either she’s prevented from operating on herself due to the potential risk, or she’s waiting until she’s 16 to update her whole bodyframe in one shot.
Which means another couple years, iirc.
Why don’t we split the difference in the middle and call her the Chirurgeon? :).
Seriously Ciara’s titles are way cooler than most capes’ callsigns
Because Riley beating her shard to control herself is important enough to respect the name change.
It reads like more of a wry smile, IMO. Her quip about having the greatest of friends wooshed blithely by Nilbog’s head, and Valkyrie decided to play along and feed his ego. Riley was laughing at the show.
snqrls on November 2, 2013 at 01:41 said:
Wildbow… the longer you dangle the thread, the more I’m suspect Taylor is on the other end. I hope the troll is worthwhile.
Estimating 48,000 unique comments. Wewth, I hypothesize that epilogue 3 will be the breach mark.
The Breach mark? Is that where the Kaiju start coming through?
(Considers that we already have Kaiju in the story)
(Considers what would happen if Wildbow started posting as the Simurgh in the comments)
(Considers what would happen if Wildbow created a cult and attacked the world’s economy)
if Kaiju attack, then their first comments get a psycho Gecko greeting.
And they turn around.
Snickles on November 2, 2013 at 02:07 said:
What is it with three’s? Eidolon controls three powers, Valkyrie controls three “warriors,” that Endbringer copied three capes. The are three Triumvirates. The first with Alexandria, Eidolon, and Legend. The new one with Legend, Chevalier, and Valkyrie. And one that was hinted at with Riley, Nilbog, and Valkyrie. Taylor had three different names Skitter, Weaver, and Khepri. There are three entities in the story. I don’t know maybe its a coincidence.
Caladium on November 2, 2013 at 02:44 said:
There was even a ‘three’ at the very beginning–Emma, Sophia, and Madison.
Three shall be the number of the counting.
And the number of the counting shall be three.
Three is a natural number for storytelling, it lets you set two points and a something else to catalyze their relationship.
The Blue Man Group use it specifically because it’s the smallest number where you can have a majority and an outsider.
Something else: there were three leaders to the Undersiders originally.
Yeah, been a theme for a while. 3 I guess refers to the ideal number for a team. Optimal communication, coordination, and instability taking it from Dune.
Wildbow probably has his own reasons for the number, but hell if I can guess at the word of god.
Three is the Magic Number!
Threes are an important number in general. Greek mythology has the three major brothers, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, who rule the earth, the sky, and the sea. There’s also the three virgin goddesses, the three graces, and the three furies, and the three fates, and the three gorgons. There are nine muses as well, so that’s three x three.
Shows up in other religions as well. The Norn and the Morrigan, for example. It’s kind of a big theme. Perhaps you’ve heard of the holy trinity, even though nobody knows who the hell the holy ghost is supposed to be? One of the parts of that trinity was welcomed at birth by a group sometimes thought to be made up of three wise men, but at the very least they brought three gifts.
Not to derail this into a discussion of religion or anything, but let’s not confuse “nobody knows” with “nobody can, or is willing to, publicly prove” and “lots of people insist on disagreeing, for various reasons”, eh? Not at all the same thing, and fairly (extremely) insulting to mix up: whether or not anyone actually does know something, it isn’t appropriate to deny what’s in their head just because it’s unsubstantiated unless you, personally, have contradictory knowledge.
I can just see you, looking at a woman who says she was raped and a man who says she wasn’t, and saying, “Welp, I guess you guys don’t really know what happened here.”
Proof is not the same thing as knowledge.
I think PG was just making a joke on how confusing the role of the Holy Ghost in the Trinity is. Let’s face it most laymen may have a good idea on the Father and the Son but would probably stumble on the Holy Ghost. Heck, the theological reason (as opposed to the political reason of papal supremacy) of the Oriental schism was a diatribe on wether the Holy Ghost came forth only from the Father or from father and Son both (the infamous Filioque).
And yes, at first it was a joke, but then somebody tried to insult me like that. Do I look like Michael Shermer, Brian Keith Dalton, Thunderf00t, The Amazing Atheist, or Justicar to you? No. Then don’t assume I think a claim of rape shouldn’t be investigated.
By the way, the question wasn’t actually directed at you, AMR. It was directed at Pidgey, but it was in a response to you.
Don’t worry, I undersood. And sorry if I stepped in, but I thought that after the, rather tasteless, rape analogy, it was better if someone said something as soon as possible.
Now you’re the one doing the insulting. In the case of rape, there are ways to determine if a rape occurred. A rape kit can find vaginal bruising or tearing associated with non consensual penetration. Bruises around the woman’s wrists provides evidence to show she was held down. Blood or skin under her fingernails that matches that of the person she claims did it shows that she struggled against him.
See, you can fill in your knowledge with proof, or observable evidence.
See, here’s the thing. I could claim the Holy Ghost is a giant moth monster that eats rainbows right now and you’d just have to accept it. My definition holds just as much validity as any of the others because it’s so ill-defined. And this thing has been discussed for a long time.
If something can be proven, you’d expect that over time people would come to a consensus about it. That classic story about blind people feeling different parts of an elephant and coming up with different things? Eventually, they and their perverted roaming hands would wander all over the thing and realize what they were dealing with as they put the pieces of evidence together and assembled the truth.
Instead, we’ve seen further splintering over the idea of the Holy Ghost. Nobody ever stood up and said, “Ok, I have proof that shows unambiguously that my view is correct, so all these competing ideas will no longer be held except by cranks and conspiracy theorists!”
You even have whole denominations that don’t include the Trinity in their beliefs. Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the Christian Scientists to name the more well-known ones.
If they were looking at something about which there was evidence to show it exists and that it has a certain set of characteristics, then the number of interpretations would have been minimized to fit the evidence. The amount of interpretations has expanded instead.
I looked at Catholicism (my former religion) then looked at Wicca and came to the conclusion that Maiden Mother and crone had simply been patriarchialies to father son and holy ghost by aggressive evangelism by the Catholic church and that the female/male mirrors there could even work o Liberal enough Catholics and consertative enough wiccans merged religions so to speak,,
God as Mother, Jesus as Virgin and the Holgy Ghost as crone.
Hadn’t thought about this in same time. Cracks may be all over this hypothesis.
P.G might very well be too…
If it helps your consideration, Yahweh had a wife back when the Jews were polytheistic. Asherah, Queen of Heaven.
Eh, that’s still up to debate, Psycho Gecko. While presence of worship of a goddess called Asherah in the Middle East is disputed, most experts believe that when the name is mentioned alongside Yawheh’s it’s referring to a cultic/ritual object of some kind.
There’s no doubt, though, that up until the Babilonian captivity Jews acknowledged the existence of other gods. Genesis and Exodus, at the very least, were written by a henotheistic ( they worship onne god but believe in the existence of many gods) population not a strictly monotheistic one.
Definitely, though apologists reconcile this as claiming that other beings Yahweh is talking to are angels.
“Now they have become like us,” to paraphrase. Plus, with the Book of Job, there’s the phrase meaning “the accuser” that tends to be left untranslated as something like “Ha-Satan”. It’s like if future societies cursed those who have been possessed by the wicked Plaintiff or one of his demons.
Argh, that disputed there should be UNDISPUTED. Stupid typos and stupid no edit function.
dpara on November 2, 2013 at 05:33 said:
The rule of three!
Finally an opportunity to drop a Planescape Torment reference!
Anyway, delicious chapter wildbow, thank you.
Why not go the full Monte with thosse references
Eidolon could have more than three powers, though. It’s just that the useful powers took up so much room.
Bohu wears three masks in every appearance.
I figured that Tohu had three faces (and sets of powers) because he was the dark mirror to Eidolon who also could have three people’s worth of powers at a time.
You can make that observation for many numbers, probably. Five comes to mind.
Well, that was a change of pace. It’s certainly more uplifting than the last chapter. Why, you might even feel like everything is not going to hell in the next chapter. Seeing Ms. Yamada and Ciara talking was a really good way to flesh out Valkyrie’s character. And Legend and Chevalier are the new heads of the Wardens! The Wardens sound considerably more kickass than the protectorate. Also, new New York reminds me of Sigil, the city of doors. Can’t wait to read the rest of the interludes.
Jeff Davis on November 2, 2013 at 02:33 said:
You gotta explain the Simurgh’s Gun at some point, it seems like it had way too much attention given to it for it to have no significance.
Alcoremortis on November 2, 2013 at 03:31 said:
It’s actually Checkhov’s gun that shoots red herrings.
I can’t even imagine the havoc the Simurgh would wreak if she started shooting fish at people.
It’s the joke bringer!
The Simurgh can’t life without fucking with people. From now on she will wear a clown nose and people around will have hilarious elaborate accidents involving pies, banana peels and water buckets.
Hey! That’s my schtick!
*pulls out a fish stink grenade…aka an exploding fish* This ends now, Simurgh!
Curtis on November 2, 2013 at 10:11 said:
Guessing time: Its the air gun, always was. Its pretty much a useless weapon in anyone else’s hands as the real power is caused by the butterfly effect.
Ah, someone guessed it. Butterfly effect gun, yep.
(No, not really, but that’s fucking hilarious).
Direct author response!
Think its funny now, just wait until everyone in the world has a simultaneous heart attack because scion ricocheted the shot off his hair.
>Ah, someone guessed it. Butterfly effect gun, yep.
(No, not really, but that’s fucking hilarious).<
Butterflies. The type of insect Glenn insisted Taylor use when she joined the Wards. Glenn who worked as a Public Relations agent. Public Relations, which is also known a PR. PR can also stand for Personal Relationships. As in ones the readers might think exist. My god, it's a weaponized shipping gun.
There is 1 gun left, with 1 endbringer left, and humans are #1.
1 + 1 + 1 = 3
HALF LIFE 3 CONFIRMED!
But… Tohu, Bohu, and Khonsu are alive. And we say Leviathan disintegrate, but that was immediately after he and Scion were hit with an air gun, so it’s likely that was a decoy the Simurgh whipped up. So that’s 4-5 Endbringers alive at the end.
Bohu was in pretty bad shape, too. And Ciara here talks about the “remaining Endbringers” which implies that Leviathan at least is dead and probably at least one more.
Blood, blood, BLOOD shall make the epileptic trees grow! Mwahahaha!
Negadarkwing’s comment should totally go under Bat Deduction on tvtropes.
wow, wildbow, that was almost straightforward for your standards. Getting soft in your old age 🙂 ?
Considering the Bullet-brainsurgery question, perhaps running more than one massive troll at a time is too much for Wildbow.
….nah.
Naeddyr on November 2, 2013 at 13:26 said:
The Simurgh’s whole shtick is one butterfly effect gun. A flap of the wings and a well-meaning tinker goes a bit loopy in the head, a shake of the buttocks and an extradimensional traveller becomes a bit more jerkish, a crunch of the nose and a global satellite network system becomes a bit more buggy…
She exercised her power, reaching into the deep dark well within her, and withdrawing a single individual.
So Ciara calls it a well too.
So my take on the timeline is that the epologue started just before, or just after Contessa met Taylor (perhaps even at the same time), after which a timeskip of 6 months takes place. In this light the allusion to khepri could refer to a couple things, but it doesn’t matter. Wildbow is aware of the community, so I’m pretty sure (s)he’ll offer something game changing in respect to Khepri over the course of the next few chapters.
So the question should be what would leave the greatest impact? The story’s been casted with a few restrictions: Chavelier and the others were aware of Taylor’s and Contessa’s circumstances in some fashion, and Taylor doesn’t make a reappearance in New York for at least 6 months.
“Chavelier and the others were aware of Taylor’s and Contessa’s circumstances in some fashion …”
Not necessarily: The Taylorstrator disappears and is never heard from again, Dragon sends out a message “btw, official name for that one is Khepri”, Contessa secretly sneaks after her.
“Taylor doesn’t make a reappearance in New York for at least 6 months …”
She doesn’t make an appearance in *public*. She could be staying in Tt’s be^W^W Chevalier’s spare room or something for all we know.
Not to derail, I was going to extrapolate and make a prediction, but I ran out of time so had to post what I had. Maybe I’ll go back to that…
To be more concise, perhaps she was just inquiring into the circumstances surrounding Khepri/Taylor. I agree, I was working so reading the chapter was sketchy at first.
That’s basically what I meant. More specifically though she hasn’t made her presence known in New York. There’s always Brockton Bay, it being a large world afterall.
I think that if Taylor’s dead, somethings going to built out of it, and I think if she’s alive it’ll be in a way that adds depth to the universe as a whole. By way of being silent, it emphasizes Khepri’s existence (poetic ain’t it – wonder if that was the intended message).
By way of guesswork, I’d say Taylor could undergoe a transformation via Valkerie and Niilbog; maybe she regains her skitter powers, maybe not. Anyway you want to work it however, the manner in which Wildbow is blowing his story up implies Taylor Herbert still has a few ripples left for her universe. This isn’t simply going to be a monument arc to post-Khepri new york/world.
>“No. I’m wondering about someone who was a patient some time ago. Can I ask about this ‘Khepri’?“
“You can ask, but you won’t like the answer. I wouldn’t want you to be distracted for the remainder of your session in there.“<
The thing I find odd is that even Miss Yamada refers to her as Khepri. Miss Yamada has always been presented as wanting to use actual names. Like calling Garrote Sveta. This leads me to think of two possibilities.
1. She doesn't know what Khepri is, and has heard buzz about it. Unlikely from the context of the situation.
2. She wants to know what happened to Khepri.
Chevailier's telling her she won't like the answer is telling.
liza on November 2, 2013 at 11:38 said:
What this suggests to me is that Khepri’s true identity as Taylor Hebert is not common knowledge, and might even have been covered up. By using the name given to the administrator entity that defeated Scion to refer to her old patient, Jessica Yamada is telling Chevalier that she knows they are the same person.
Well, this seemed to bring a happy ending to many stories. Humanity has survived. Humanity is protected.
But in Worm, it always gets worse…
Except maybe when the worse gets ended.
You’ve got the effect of burning Russia, and all the ash and gasses in the atmosphere, the destruction of oil rigs, the sinking of a huge island into the water, the loss of other species that humans use for food, the loss of industry, clean water, a stable medical base, accumulated scientific knowledge and the ability for widespread advancement of knowledge, the loss of huge amounts of knowledge stored on the internet, and if Scion got to space we might even have Kessler syndrome going on.
WyldCard4 on November 2, 2013 at 05:32 said:
Well presumably a lot of that stuff is the reason for the force fields and the portals. Force fields keep the broader atmosphere issues from taking the greater New York, while the portals give access to worlds that aren’t messed up for food and water. Worlds that aren’t ravaged by Scion+Tinkers most likely provide close copies of the information we lost, as would archives Cauldron prepared in case something like this happened. They had plans for Scion ending the world, so there’s a very good chance that science is not lost. Earth Aleph and the Blue Woman (Goddess) should have the population of scientists to continue scientific advancement outside of and in addition to Tinker related tech.
The Traveller’s world seems like a decent place to start from.
They’re from Earth Aleph.
Stereo on November 2, 2013 at 07:45 said:
I feel a bit dumb taking this long to realize Nilbog is just Goblin backwards. And his name being constructed that way fits the character perfectly.
tieshaunn on November 2, 2013 at 08:38 said:
Nilbog is an existing D&D term for a subspecies of Goblins – they are usually smarter than the normal goblins and lead their tribes
It’s also the term used for several literary goblin kings. Sort of like how there are like a dozen fictional Japanese vampires names “Arucard.”
Dracaru? Isn’t that playing a bit much on bigoted themes of Japanese not being able to pronounce ‘l’ for such widespread use by the manga makers?
In Japanese writing there is no distinction between the sounds, so the eventual english translation must choose between two technically equally viable spellings. And the vast majority of characters called ‘Alucard/Arucard’ have Special Snowflake Syndrome, so they end up with the version that looks very slightly less like a direct ripoff of Stoker.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goblin_(Dungeons_%26_Dragons)#Nilbog
The connotation is that it’s an enemy that’s literally impossible to kill through brute force, but a bit of a pushover if you understand and have access to the right trick.
So, Clockblocker might come back after all. ;).
Was glad I pegged much of this.
And I for one welcome our new crack ship… ClockblockerXValkyrie.
That is, that it was GU early in this episode. Did not peg anything else.
I noticed something. Miss Militia was hanging out with a person wielding a spear and shield. Is that Dauntless? Did they somehow get him out of the time bubble?
Or is it the surviving sister from the E88? I think she had a sword and a shield.
It states that it is a man with a round shield and spear. That sounds exactly like Dauntless’ loadout.
Well, Bakuda is no longer what she was but has Teacher operating her as well as being out of the Birdcage so maybe she created a neutralising agent as part of her parole?
she may even have been healed up. who knows how many people The Amy/Riley combo has brought back to full health.
Wait, what? Lung killed Bakuda in the Birdcage, she never met Teacher as far as we saw, and her ghost was claimed by the Fairy Queen and subsequently used for TV repair.
I thought it was her mostly brain dead living shell….
No. Dragon comments that at least living as one of GU’s ghosts means that Bakuda still lives in a limited way.
Ah, Dauntless. First he was killed by Leviathan, then he was dropped into a Bakuda-bomb. I was wondering how that would be resolved.
Also, I think it’s Menja.
Menja is not a man. As I stated, the story specifically says a “MAN” with a spear and shield.
Ah, Shame. Defiant, maybe?
Defiant always used a two-handed halberd. As far as I know, the only person in the entire Wormverse who has been known to use that weapon combination was Dauntless.
It’s possible he picked something up in the meantime. Most likely though, it’s a redshirt.
Good chances it’s Dauntless. Those time bubbles, and Grey Boy’s time loops, are almost certainly breakable with the right power, or simply with Khonsu’s aid.
When you’ve got a bunch of reality breaking powers, assuming there is anything that cannot be done or undone would be a big damn mistake.
Dauntless was killed by Leviathan.
Technically he was just trapped in one of Bakuda’s “slow time to the point it practically stops” bombs along with Alabaster of E88 and another redshirt. Theoretically, they could have found a way to free him. Personally, I think it’s just some extra, there with Miss Militia.
They even commented later that they built a memorial around the time distortion field.
Ah. For some reason I thought that particular Bakuda-bomb was used when the Nine were in BB and there was some confusion/retcon. Speaking of confusion, just use Legend’s lasers to knock those guys out. Lasers get shit done.
Not so sure they’d work on that. On the other hand Valkyrie might be able to do the combination of powers to get them out. I mean we know she has at least two time manipulating capes, and she must have had some way of dealing with Gray Boy’s loops if she killed him.
That reminds me. Miss Yamada seems to think Ciara had a second trigger. We know she got Gray Boy. Being stuck in one of his loops is plenty truamatic enough. Might there be a connection?
Just imagine Dauntless’ reaction when he gets out.
Dauntless: “Wow, I was in there for a few seconds and suddenly everything is wrecked. Was this the aftermath of Leviathan?”
*Defiant hands over a paper with a detailed timeline*
Dauntless: “Dafuq did I just read?”
Your forgot
“Wait, just what happened with the bug girl?”
AHahahahahahhah…… wow… I didn’t even think about that.
Considering that you can still see into the time bubble, I imagine that relativity still applies, which means that a light-based massless push would actually work.
Which raises the question of, ‘Are the light streams massless?’
Time for some Harry Potter and the Methods Of Rationality up ins.
Regardless of whether or not you can impart energy, you’d need to accelerate them to relativistic speeds to get them out. They’d be torn to pieces by friction if nothing else. You might able to overcome that through other things (Citrine could apparently modify friction just as part of her generic ability) but even if you get it to frictionless … what happens at the boundary of the time-sphere? Is half their body moving a quadrillion times faster than the rest, both temporally and spatially? Those kind of forces would tear a body apart on their own.
Didn’t Califa de Perro wield a spear? Don’t remember if he had a shield or not, but he was a fairly prominent South American cape.
That is a possibility. I can’t remember if he used a shield or not, but I’m still leaning toward Dauntless based on the description of the shield being a round one. I can’t find the exact passage where he’s described, but I recall his gear being made in the style of a Greek hoplite, which used a large, round shield called an Aspis. Dauntless was also a member of the Brockton Bay Protectorate, which would give him good reason to hang around Miss Militia. I also seem to recall something about Califa de Perro being unable to speak English? I could be totally wrong about that though.
At any rate, I’m fairly confident that GU/Valkyrie could concoct some combination of powers that could either dispel the time distortion or otherwise pull the people inside it out of there. And there would also be motivation for her to do it, seeing as it would be one heck of a good faith gesture towards the powers that be. Having trouble building up a positive rapport with Chevalier and the others? Rescue a well-respected colleague of theirs that they had written off as dead. It would simultaneously endear her to them and provide some much-needed muscle. Seeing as the later parts of this chapter take place about 6 months after the death of Scion, I could imagine this as being one of the acts she does that earns her enough trust to be made a member of the Wards.
Wardens. The new Protectorate is called the Wardens. Also, Khonsu the Time Master Endbringer could help a lot with that.
I’m guessing that she (Valkyrie) told the Bakuda-ghost to make a “normal-bomb” to get rid of the time distortion.
Hmm, surely some teleporter could get him out. Come to think of it, why didn’t Trickster free him straight away?
sarah penguin on November 2, 2013 at 10:39 said:
Hey, nice update 🙂
Ajoxer on November 2, 2013 at 11:23 said:
A long overdue thought on Taylor’s end, and whether she was ever anything special.
What defined Taylor, before she got the shard? What about her remarked itself as special, beyond being a reasonably intelligent, potentially lovely young woman?
This is a very melancholy thought. We like to think that there is something special to humans, that heroes are heroes, not simply because they have powers, but because of a certain worthiness. A genetic lottery win, at the very least, and a determination that makes them special. But with Taylor, perhaps it was always the shard.
The shard of the Queen Administrator, commanding and baying and uniting disparate abilities, networking its intelligence through every creature it controlled. A human mind would only get in the way, interfere. Perhaps what truly made Taylor special was not what she had, but what she was willing to sacrifice.
As Taylor sacrificed more and more parts of herself, she became more efficient. Every time she threw herself into conflict, acting on instinct and preparing and planning and fighting wildly, she became deadlier, and stronger. Finally, she allowed herself to be consumed entirely by her shard, and she was executed like a mad dog, without a chance to redeem herself for saving the world, because she could no longer be of it.
Dinah, the Simurgh, all of them set her up to lose more and more of the things that held her together, because she was the only one who could kill Scion. Ultimately, she was not the greatest hero. She was just a good-natured young woman who had nothing to hold onto in her life, who had been victimized to the point where she would give in to the queen administrator, while remaining just stable enough to try to keep focused on destroying Scion.
In the end, Taylor is just a civilian casualty. She ended up committing suicide by degrees, sacrificing herself to one mad alien god in the interests of defeating another, and then dying when she had nothing left to do.
I am glad we have the epilogues, to remind us. We cannot call this a sad ending- A melancholy ending, but humanity has a chance. There’s an opportunity, here, for humanity to rebound, greater than before. Many have died, but many have also lived through it, and maybe, just maybe, the human race will be stronger and wiser for it. Glaistig Uaine, Riley, Nilbog, they’re getting their chance at redemption, more or less. We cannot call it a tragic ending because of Taylor’s death, no more than we can call it a tragic ending for Ash Beast’s death, or Revel’s, or any of a thousand other living, vibrant human beings, because they sacrificed themselves to save all the rest, and they went out, at the least, fighting the greatest threat they had ever met, and it was done, through human brilliance, and a great understanding of what it means to be vulnerable. There’s probably an entire spiel that can be done on the parallels to War of the Worlds, where a seemingly invincible foe is defeated by something humans take for granted and deal with all the time, but whose very nature circumvents the invulnerability that keeps the foe safe.
But we can be sorry for Taylor. For all the good people who never got a chance to be good people because of Scion. We can hope that she gets a second chance. We can see that her work was good, that she redeemed people through her actions. We can hope that her death is remembered not as the death of the sad, horribly alone girl who could not keep hold of connection to others, but as the death of someone who willingly sacrificed everything she ever had, to save the world. It feels better to remember it, not as the last sacrifice of someone who simply never had enough to hold onto, who never thought she deserved to be treated as an ends, not a means, but as the willing choice of someone who was willing to sacrifice everything she was, for the sake of everyone else.
She fucking well deserves it, either way.
I remember, with extraordinary clarity, the Demon Path of Soul Nomad. If you haven’t played the game, you should, because it’s got one of the most intense stories I’ve ever seen in a game, but the gist of it is, by the end, you have become such a figure of horror and loathing, that the world has united against you. Disparate enemies, former allies, all have united as one, preparing to fight you. Even some of the most heinous villains in the normal path end up finding their redemption if you are defeated in the final battle, and in some ways, it’s even happier than the normal path’s good ending. Even your character has a chance for redemption. In such circumstances, perhaps the noblest deed is to submit to your execution, in the knowledge that if you’re to continue fighting, you’ll destroy all the things that used to matter to you, like a mad beast.
It’s not fair that she had to die, that she didn’t get the chance for redemption that she, more than anyone else, deserved. But that’s the nature of things, sometimes. She at least deserves to be remembered as a hero.
“Dinah, the Simurgh, all of them set her up”. Indeed.
The ‘I’m Sorry’ thing, that’s the thing that really gets to me. That little ‘I’m Sorry’, the hinting at a dark fate, that hints that Taylor’s going to have to die, that she’s going to have to embrace death. That’s what really gets to me. Taylor, at the end, died because she didn’t think she deserved the opportunity to live after what she’d done, and I think she thought that in part because she didn’t believe she could recover from that, and I think that’s because of the little ‘I’m sorry’s.
I’m sure they had a reason. I’m just not sure their reason would satisfy me, any more than the Contessa’s would.
I disagree with this, I think that in the end Taylor died because a war criminal unilaterally decided to murder her because Contessa thought she had to right to make a judgment whether Taylor was salvageable or not, and that Taylor herself was capable of coming to a clearheaded conclusion to that question in the span of five seconds.
I don’t really but that Taylor was unsalvageable or so completely uncontainable that it wasn’t worth it. It was just how it worked out that Contessa showed up first before anyone else could arrive, and though she says she wants to change, she couldn’t resist the urge to decide the fate of someone else.
I dunno, Taylor dying as the ending is fine. But the idea of her murder by Contessa being validated leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Oh, I sure as hell don’t think the Contessa should have killed her. But I think that if Taylor hadn’t been prepared to sacrifice everything she had to the shard, she wouldn’t have succeeded, and it’s easier to sacrifice everything if you think it’s the only option you have. So they played her to the point where she thought of herself as nothing but a monster, and the Contessa, acting with her usual level of forethought and care, ended up shooting her in the back of the head. Was it valid? I don’t think I’ll ever know, and I’d be very surprised if I did by the end of this story. I’m just preparing myself for Taylor to be dead, and doing my best to think of her as a hero, even if I suspect she was just an innocent young woman. I think she would have hated to be pitied.
The Contessa probably saw it as being just like what she did before. If she’d moved faster with Eden, her power would still be absolute, without the blocks put in place, and she might have averted all of this- So instead, kill her immediately.
Your comment reminded me to go spam WordPress with emails requesting some sort of spoiler bubble to mitigate text walls like that.
In case you haven’t realized, this is Worm. Nobody gets a happy ending because Wildbow is nihilistic like that.
thanks for the tldr
I never said tl;dr, but thanks for the thanks, I guess?
Are you kidding me? A ton of people got happy endings. They’re not completely happy, but they’re bittersweet. Humanity survived. We’ll face a new day. Taylor died, which sucks, but she died in about the most noble way a person can die, doing their best to stop something horrible. Maybe she didn’t have to die, but that’s not something we can speculate very effectively on for now.
1. I was (mostly) exaggerating.
2. There’s very little sweet in the ending when you think about it. It took Scion annihilating the vast majority (90+%?) of a dimension, not counting the others, to make humanity temporarily suck less.
Besides, WB’s nihilism was waaay off the charts even before the apocalypse became a thing.
Worm is darker than some nihilistic stories,but its not nihilistic,because ,unlike what happens in nihilistic stories,actions matter
It is also darker than some grimdark stories,but not grimdark because it is possible for people to be good and not fools (chevalier,Weld,Tecton etc)
You know, another way to look at that is, if we can’t put our finger on what made Taylor so special, maybe that just means that everyone has the potential for specialness in them. Maybe that’s not an indictment on Taylor but a testament to humanity in general.
I’d go so far as to say that’s a recurring theme of Worm. Taylor’s the most dramatic example, but Bitch, Defiant, Riley and Golem all made impressive transformations of their own. And lest it seem like solely a Cape thing, Coil’s soldier(s) and the Dragon Teeth showed that baseline humans are just as capable of digging in and pulling off awe-inspiring feats when it matters.
Worm is a very dark setting and it acknowledges that humanity is often flawed, but overall it’s actually quite uplifting in its view of what humans are capable of achieving.
Interesting that Glaistg/Ciara/Valkyrie was drinking mead. I don’t know enough about the folklore to know what the Fey drank, but mead gets pretty associated with the norse these days.
And does anyone know just how you pronuonce “Ciara”?
Fairies drank honey and wine so mead was kind of appropriate too, being fermented honey.
illlogicmedia on November 4, 2013 at 17:20 said:
I didn’t realize that. Here I’ve been making Mead for over a year now. Cool to know.
Wait, how have you been making mead without knowing what it’s made from?
The “I didn’t realize that” was in reference to the Faeries drinking it. 😉
Thank you negadarkwing, I needed that laugh.
I thought it was “See-are-ah”, but I’m not sure about that. I suppose it could be “Kee-are-ah” or “Chee-are-ah”, but those seem less likely than the first pronunciation.
According to the Internet it’s an Irish name ( which makes sense, The Glaistig or Green (uaine) maiden is a creature from Irish folklore) and it’s pronounced with a hard K sound.
eduardo on November 2, 2013 at 18:15 said:
Kiara? Sounds a lot like Clara (portuquese), or a similar word in italian that also mean white woman.
In Italian it’s Chiara. And it does mean fair (skinned).
But the Irish Ciara has nothing to do with the Italian/Spanish/Portuguese. Still going by Wikipedia it means dark haired beauty and Keira is the Anglicised version.
I’ve always heard it pronounced Kee-ah-rah. I’m from central Jersey originally though so take that as you will.
Still thinking on this after revisiting the last chapter.
RazorSmile on November 2, 2013 at 18:02 said:
Okay. Thoughts:
– Eastern Queen?
– I love how you’ve neatly created a new setting out of the shards* of the old. The Nested New Yorks are evocative as all get out
– Glastig Valkyrie downloads her shades into custom-crafted Nilbog bodies (with Riley presumably removing the weaknesses inherent to his creations) that they may live again? Sweet! Clockblocker LIVES maybe!
– Yamada is a boss. I would do bad bad things for that woman.
– the new Triumvirate is going to be something, eh?
– Wardens!?!!!! Fucking Eden better really really really be dead.
– Blue Feudal Lord cape survived, right? Wonder what she’s up to. Maybe she’s the Eastern Queen?
*why yes, i DO see what i did there
QueenS not Queen. It’s one of New York’s five boroughs. Presumably there are still fights for control of the city. Maybe against the…Shepherds. Dun dun dun.
Ainix on November 2, 2013 at 21:54 said:
And things had been going so well too.
The Blue Woman is almost certainly called The Goddess and is a character wildbow mentioned in comments discussion involving other possible Worm stories.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t learn anything else about Taylor’s fate before the final epilouge chapter. And not then if Wildbow is feeling really sadistic.
Now we still don’t know the status of quite a few major players.
-Dragon and Defiant. Hopefully Dragon rebooted okay from Taylor’s taking her out. It’d really suck if this ended up being the time that was actually fatal. But if they are alive, it’d be hard to see them not being a part of the Wardens.
-The Undersiders. They are trickier to figure out. On the one hand, although they are criminals, they aren’t all bad sorts. They also have experience piecing society back together after a disaster. On the other hand they aren’t the sorts to play nicely by the Wardens rules. Esspecially if they think they did anything to Taylor. So maybe allied maybe not. Of course there really aren’t that many Undersiders either, so they likely have to be allied with someone. Unless they did some recruiting.
-Marquis, Amy, and Lung. Not sure where these three are either. But I can see at least the first two allied with the Undertakers. Though Amy and Lisa might not want to spend too much time in the same room.
-Faultlines Crew. This group has two things going for them. First they have one of the few means of opening portals, so if you want a permanent portal, and don’t think you can ask Valkyrie for it, they are who you need to find. Second, Dinah. She is one of the two best Precogs out there, so of course her services would be in high demand.
I foresee a Dinah Interlude.
VantagePointer on November 3, 2013 at 00:12 said:
It’s kinda weird to me how Faultline’s crew is just known as… Faultline’s Crew. It always seems out of place with the great names all the other groups have, but I guess it’s also a show of their utilitarian style.
It’s funny, reading back through the old chapter comments, how Wildbow said back then that he was possibly considering writing Faultline’s Crew out in a published/rewritten version (or rather, writing the characters into other organizations) considering how important they are now (though they still remain outside of the limelight for the most part). I really like them all, though.
How about Earthquake?
I like it. Like you said, it’s utilitarian, it’s descriptive, it’s simple, and it’s completely different from every other cape group out there.
They aren’t heroes, they aren’t villains, they’re mercenaries through and through. When you hire Faultline’s Crew, you don’t get fancy, you don’t get ego problems, you don’t get somebody trying to make a big splash or fit some theme or take power for themselves. What you get is efficiency, professionalism, and the job done.
It also says a lot that they use the leader’s name; being ‘somebody who ran with Faultine for a while’ carries very different connotations from being ‘an Undersider’ or ‘a Ward’. Being in Faultline’s Crew isn’t part of who you are, it’s a job. Any one of them except for Faultline herself could retire and seek a new line of work, and anybody can join as long as they’re competent and professional (ranging all the way from Matryoshka to Dinah).
I like the name. Besides, what other name works? What is descriptive but not completely cheesy?
Archmage9885 on November 3, 2013 at 02:04 said:
Yay! Interlude for one of my favorite characters (up there with Taylor and Tattletale). I also think Valkyrie has the coolest power, at least out of the ones that have been revealed so far.
And finally something I’ve been wondering about since 27.5:
“Above us, Glaistig Uaine had created a spirit that was spreading across the sky like circuits on a circuitboard, extending itself across a plane.”
What exactly was this power supposed to do besides distract Zion?
At that point in time, when Scion was still a pretty clueless and distractable fighter, distracting Scion might have been the whole point.
I thought it was a weapon of some sort. Later Taylor uses clockblocker to stop scion and buy her enough time to gather the clouds and pull the trigger.
I think*
My question about the spirit in 27.5 was more of a general “What does his power do?”.
Something along the lines of taking control of an area, like one of the Twins perhaps? (Tohu or Bohu, I can’t remember which is which).
Something powerful enough for Scion to stop, and which takes a while to set up.
So, a little late to the party here but my thoughts:
Teneral – a freshly-molted arthropod, especially an imago (adult insect) freshly-emerged from the pupa.
Khepri – egyptian god of, among other things, rebirth and creation.
Nilbog can make custom bodies, Bonesaw can make them immortal, and it was strongly implied that Valkyrie’s warriors could possess an appropriate host body (but reject anything too foreign).
Everybody involved has listened to the Simurgh’s song.
With this, I am now almost certain that Taylor is dead. And very nearly as certain that she will not stay that way for very long.
Also, I get the distinct impression that Defiant’s “radio silence” is a euphemism for murdering the fuck out of Saint and Teacher. Or transhuman sexytimes. Or both.
Fellwenner on November 3, 2013 at 09:23 said:
Add to Defiant’s list Contessa, who is the last person in the world who has any right to put Taylor down.
One would think that Defiant, of all people, would refrain from judging someone who is looking for redemption and a new purpose in life after making morally questionable choices…
One would also think he’d realize that someone trying to run off to find redemption immediately after murdering one of his colleagues is a load of crap.
One doesn’t stop making morally questionable choices after giving a broken, nigh suicidal young woman all of five seconds to convince that they’re still human. Fuck Contessa.
That didn’t come out very clearly.
Contessa’s desire to stop making morally questionable choices is irrelevant when her actions counter her words. She seems to be too used to having all of the answers. As another person said …
“Just saying, an uncontrollable alien monster inhabiting a teenage girls body does not answer the question “do you deserve to live.” with “I honestly don’t know.”
That sort of answer is not something you respond to with a bullet.
To be perfectly honest, I’m getting kind of creeped out by the amount of times the question “Should you shoot a mentally shattered, suicidal woman if she asks for it?” is answered with “Yes, you should!”
Putting aside the argument on whether Taylor is too dangerous to live, that’s not how it works! You don’t shoot the mentally ill just because they seem to want it. They don’t know what they’re talking about, they’re mentally ill!
That’s what I saw. At the end of the chapter were human emotions displayed by Taylor, regret, guilt, introspection. All she really needed was therapy.
Irregular on November 3, 2013 at 12:56 said:
The problem with Taylor being mentally ill and suicidal is that it leaves her in no position to overcome the Administrator shard.
As Contessa said, even her path to victory power could only go so far in getting her out of the problem. Hell, letting Taylor live if she can’t muster up the will to stop being oppressed by her own powers is a dumb, dumb idea.
As people have mentioned before, not using her path to victory power to shoot Taylor would have been stupid. I’ll expand by saying that her not using her path to victory power to check if Taylor was capable of returning to sanity as she was then would be even more stupid.
If the path to victory can’t help Taylor when she’s still somewhat lucid and in control, it’s not going to help her when her personality gets buried 60 feet deep by Khepri. You can’t just say “Contessa shot a mentally ill woman” without adding in “that was incredibly powerful and was slowly losing her grip on reality to the point where she could descend into irrecoverable insanity”. Given the context of her decision, I find Contessa’s actions to be justifiable.
BUT justifiable does not equate to good. No, what she did was pretty shitty. She had good reasons for shooting Taylor, but she’s still a terrible person for doing that. That is her role, after all. Contessa is one of those people who have “hard X making hard decisions” syndrome, just like Saint. They’re bullheaded people who think their way is the best way, much to the detriment of others.
First of all, I include Taylor’s killing as one of Contessa’s morally questionable actions. It was her last black ops before turning the page (wether she deservs to walk away after everything she did is something we can discuss at another time).
Secondly, I agree with Irregular. The question Contessa asked wasn’t “do you think you deserve to die?”. It was “do you think you can manage your shard?” .
Okay, about the path to victory stuff. We do know Contessa’s power isn’t infallible right? We’ve already seen several ways in which it is faulty. She might not ask the right questions, she might run into blind spots, she simply might not even know enough about Taylor’s situation. And I suspect that the path to victory has another limitation in that it can only give solutions involving Contessa herself and the resources available. Throughout the entire serial her power never told her “Go find Dinah and Tattletale for help, you fucking idiot” because they aren’t within her sphere of influence.
Second, whether Taylor can fight off the administrator on her own doesn’t matter. That’s what therapy is for, she has people who can and will help her through it to atleast reclaim part of herself. And I don’t think Contessa can comprehend that with her completely individualistic attitude.
Lastly, I should say that I don’t buy the “too dangerous to live” shit in the slightest. That status is questionable for just about every single character that holds it. Nilbog was content to keep to himself and is under control now. Glaistig is being turned to a hero, the reason Echidna went out of control is because Coil never actually bothered to help her. And compared to all these Taylor is seriously easy to contain. Just shoot her with animal tranquilizers and set up a barricade twenty feet around her for god’s sakes and go from there.
Seriously, I don’t get how Contessa can possibly be justified when her and no one else even tried another option.
The problem with therapy is that at a fundamental level, the patient must want to be helped. How was Contessa going to capture a Taylor who was slowly being reburied by the shard and unwilling to return?
And even if she did somehow succeed in capturing her, what then? Taylor completely gave up on being fixed, so the most basic premise behind therapy isn’t fulfilled in this case. Her mind is also crumbling at a visible rate, even with Contessa helping to get her somewhat coherent.
Of course, even that’s no obstacle, if Khepri wasn’t around. But Khepri is taking over. It’s not being slow about it, either. The shard’s burying Taylor’s personality, which is already close to breaking apart into little pieces. So what then?
Break out the shovels of therapy and pharmaceuticals, when the ground itself is hostile and the best you’ll get is bits of Taylor that’ll get reburied quickly? Heck, give it a few days and those Taylor chunks won’t even be there anymore.
At least with Nilbog and Glastig Ulaine, they weren’t rapidly being taken over by their shards. They were stable and open to reason, even if it was to a limited extent. They could probably (and in one case, did) respond positively to therapy.
And Echidna, at the very end, had degenerated too far for her to be saved. Hell, Taylor was in an even worse state than Echidna by the time Contessa showed up.
The problem is that Taylor probably could have been saved if they had treated her earlier. An iffy prospect, but possible. But at the time Contessa and her bullets caught up with Taylor, there was pretty much no chance of bringing her back from her sacrifice.
Yeah, Contessa was probably the only one qualified to judge if Taylor could return at all. It’s a straightforward situation without the precognition blinds applying, only one subject and one desired outcome. Find the path to Taylor’s recovery. Perhaps there isn’t a path, not one she could reach while there is any hope(e.g. there might be a cape out there with the right powers to fix Taylor, but who could not be brought to the right place in time).
Her power can and does make use of external agents, as long as she can influence them somehow. Just look at the crazy elaborate chain of dominoes that led to the present day. The formation of the Protectorate and the Wards system via Cauldron established the basis for Taylor’s trigger by condoning bullying by a Ward. Lung’s trigger and the events that ultimately led him to Brockton Bay. Coil developing the Undersiders, and later, his own demise.
Too many coincidences for it to be entirely coincidental.
While I agree with the sentiment…what would you have wanted done? Taylor is a therapist’s nightmare; she can’t talk, you can’t talk to her, she is probably depressed, oh and you have to do your therapizing from 20 feet away.
While I would love to see Teacher and Contessa end up with their heads on spears, I’ve got mixed feeling about Saint. He strikes me as more of a misguided jerk, where the other two are outright villains. He royally screwed up, and some punishment ought to come his way, but I’d be disappointed in Defiant if he outright murders Saint.
I don’t think I’ll get to be disappointed, though. I suspect Dragon has Defiant trained well enough that all three have little need to fear for their lives. At least from them.
Except The first thing Dragon told to Defiant after she was resurrected was that Saint and Teacher will suffer. She was understandably pissed.
Note that suffering and death are different things. I think she’s still bound by the whole ‘Thou shalt not kill’ thing too, and that kinda limits them both to nonlethal means. She has a right to be pissed, but I still can’t see her turning a blind eye to Defiant murdering people. Likewise, I think Defiant values Dragon enough to keep vengeance within Dragon’s boundaries.
We just don’t know what exactly those boundaries are.
I believe she mentioned shutting them both in the Birdcage as the two only inmates. I wouldn’t be surprised if they went mad.
This is why you get other, less scrupulous people to do this sort of thing for you. If you want to ask me, India knew what they were doing a lot more than America.
Heck, I think it might be worse than death for the two of them.
And when you can’t kill them, two words. Humiliation Conga.
Allan on November 11, 2019 at 17:53 said:
What has Contessa ever done to be a villain?
Everything she did was to save humanity from extinction. She is no different from Saint.
Nothing she had ever done was because of selfish motives or anything like that.
Sadly I’m starting to worry a bit that Taylor is only going to be remembered for the bad. That she’ll just be remembered as someone who got taken over by their shard and became a mind controlling monster, rather than the girl who sacrificed everything to open the path to defeating Scion and saving the human race.
Nah. I worried about that at first, but the connotation of Khepri are pretty much all good ones. People are scared sure, and some of the Swarm will carry grudges, but humanity as a whole sees her as the bright goddess who saved everybody and gave them a fresh start.
While I also believe that Taylor will be remembered mostly positively, the fact that the name has benevolent connotations means little. In, mythology, the Simurgh was a benevolent creature, too.
IIRC they named the Simurgh back when they thought she was another Scion-like parahuman. She waited until nearly everyone in Lausanne was gathered around her to reveal her true colours.
Then again, a power like Khepri’s is inherently easy for people to fear and distrust.
Yeah, you’re right. I forgot about that. In fact, now that you mentioned it, I think they tried to change the name to the more appropriate Ziz, but Simurgh had already stuck on.
I hope not, but I fear so.
I’m sure Tattletale will be on hand to fight the information fight, releasing her entire life story with proper emphasis on how the past administrations failures led to her moral downfall would help matters.
If that fails, tell the story of what happened to the other earths and let it spread. Eventually the negativity of the super-idiots would be drowned in the legends of countless earths
Worm just passed 50,000 views in one day for the first time. A big thanks to HP:MoR’s author for the recommendation. Brought a lot of new blood in.
Rhodesian on November 3, 2013 at 23:04 said:
Makes me really bummed for you since Worm is ending now. I wish you had this many viewers in the Slaughterhouse 9 arc or Noelle arc at least.
Oh well, at least you got this many eventually.
Wow. bloody well done and something tells me that your next project will start with a larger number of readers. Wonders what wildbow is doing next.
High Fantasy?
Low Fantasy?
Dystopian sci
Utopian sci fi
Horror?
Well my money is one… a long kip!
I generally vote against high fantasy or horror, but Wildbow could totally pull them off. Dystopian Sci-fi is overdone, and the fun generally comes with things like post-cyberpunk (yeah people are replacing their bodies with chrome and the megacorps rule the world and everything is monitored, but that’s no reason you can’t have any fun). Wildbow would do magnificent urban fantasy, but that might be too close to superheroes…
Settings that are coming together best in my head are fantasy (ehh), urban supernatural and Biopunk.
Well, I am looking forward to the sample chapters for possible sequels myself. I have been since you first started hinting about them.
Speaking from a position of near ignorance, I think the biopunk or fantasy stories might be best for the “pallet cleanser” post Worm, with the longer post-Worm work being the urban fantasy one, based on the FAQ. Given how you have talked about the urban fantasy being structured that seems likely to be best.
Of course I will be able to say more once we start seeing sample chapters.
TanaNari on November 4, 2013 at 01:30 said:
I could offer you a lot of help on the biopunk if you go that way. From a “maintaining the scientific purity” angle. Coulds. Woulds. How soon could we see each stage compared to the others. Help you avoid the “did not do the research” corner of TVTropes.
On an entirely separate note, I have a friend who wants to do an audioread of Worm. She’s not ready yet, and probably won’t be for at least another month or two, but she wants to.
Well, since we know shards can run out of power, AKA Doormaker, I could see Wurm developing into Cyber/Bio punk as the shards ran out. When people first start seeing it happen, all the tinkers are encouraged to begin collating data, doing controlled experiments, working with thinkers like the number man to actually figure out how the tech they use actually works.
This would lead to a technological revolution, and from there into Cyber/Bio tech as replacements for cape powers.
Perhaps minor cape powers that use very little power would be around for a very, very long time. Perhaps the powers recharge over time, but very slowly.
All kinds of different ways to makage it. It might even be possible, in time, for the Cyber/Bio tech universe to figure out how to recharge shards, leading to a cape + cyber/bio tech universe for a third arc… 🙂
Ooh, biopunk. Don’t see much of that.
Bahumat on November 4, 2013 at 12:43 said:
Biopunk? Like Paolo Bacigalupi’s work like “The Calorie Man”? If so, *fuck yes*.
Another couple arms up for biopunk here.
Can’t really sound off on what I want, because I can’t really separate those genres from my kneejerk visions of them until I see more. If I we’re to choose I’d go with biopunk since my mental image of that isn’t as concrete.
Though I did like seeing Gothic Fantasy as an option, I’m a sucker for the grandiosity and sexy black capes.
TinkerTailor on November 4, 2013 at 00:21 said:
I’m really digging this insight into the post-scion world. I’ve been running out of steam on my fanfic idea, but now I’m tempted to start over and set it after the ending.
I’m also very glad that Mr Yamada survived. I remember having the sobering thought during the last few arcs that many of the non-powered characters we’d met over the years were quite likely dead.
Totally a non-issue, but it’s Jessica Yamada. A Ms.
A Mrs., IIRC.
Finally finished reading this. Started yesterday, reading bits and pieces since.
Hm…Riley, Nilbog, and Valkyrie are going to be very interesting indeed. And if Nilbog can indeed help bring Valkyrie’s ghosts back to life…Riley might be needed to help…what a shame she didn’t collect Taylor.
Or maybe it’s for the best, since it probably would have been screwed-up-Taylor she collected.
Actually, I think this is more of a setup for a sequel than a uniformly good thing. Valkyrie collects shards, not souls. What usually keeps those human are their human body and brain. If those are created by Nilbog and… well, fine, call her Riley, but still, I don’t exactly trust her to instill sanity… then the result could be as unstable as it is powerful, needing only a trigger to become another Echidna.
There are suggestions that some amount of the human’s psyche is included.
Riley is getting better. And she would be needed more for the integration than the “sanity”.
If they already have passengers, they can’t trigger.
Chapter briefly went up, because WordPress apparently had a different time than I did, with DST. Fixing a middle part. Sorry for anyone who got the incomplete version. Chapter due in 1 hour, midnight EST.
Thank you for the post. It cleared up my own confusion.
Yeah. I’m betting more than a few were confused.
WordPress didn’t update time, though a few other indicators seemed to be following my system time, which threw me off.
For me it was the thread on SpaceBattles that threw me.
Also, it has one of the most amazing acts of simple trolling I’ve seen since, well, you in response to it.
What? I don’t follow.
Stephen R. Marsh on November 4, 2013 at 23:52 said:
Well, I’m headed off to bed. I’ll have to catch the next chapter tomorrow morning.
maccylo on November 20, 2013 at 18:21 said:
I noticed quite a few estonian words used as names, Pime Abtiss, Põletama. Intentional on your part? How did you stumble upon those words?
eestlane on November 22, 2013 at 18:54 said:
“Põletama” means “to burn”, which does not really sound like a name in estonian. Someone who burns would be “Põletaja”.
timo425 on August 20, 2016 at 01:41 said:
Yes, please fix “Põletama” to “Põletaja” or Worm will be unreadable when it comes out as a book. I’m also kidding bug seriously it should be Põletaja. 🙂
Virgo on July 2, 2018 at 16:32 said:
To elaborate on this a bit:
“Põletama” is the basic form of a verb that means literally “to burn.” “Hi, what’s your name?” – “My name is To Burn.” Nope, does not quite sound correct.
The English version, I’m guessing something like “Burner,” could mean two things.
Could be “someone who makes things burn”. That would, as the commenter “eestlane” said, be “Põletaja” in Estonian language.
Or possibly “someone who is burning” / “someone who is on fire”. That’s “Põleja”.
(Between the two of these, “Põleja” I think is a more “cape-ish” name. The other one can just as well apply to any random unpowered wacko with a gas canister and a box of matches.)
Typo: “an echo had creeped” -> “crept”.
“I’m direct, like my lasers”, Legend says. That would be the lasers that can turn corners and are exactly as direct, or not, as Legend wants them to be?
ShawnMorgan on April 18, 2014 at 16:40 said:
He’s only claiming that he’s as direct as they are…
asdfadsf on September 9, 2014 at 02:20 said:
so the goblin and fairy could invent “comic book death” in wormverse? somebody dies and a month later its like it never happened? 😛
“If I’m going to be as awesome as Regent and Imp would have been as a pair.” …Dang. Just …dang. One of the most powerful, or at least sad lines in here, somehow. May be the closest I’ve come to tearing up. Goodbye, Regent. We still miss you.
I read the transcripts from the debriefing you gave Chevalier.
hahaha what
whose idea was THAT
Man, I liked Chevalier, but he is being a DICK right now. Powers or no powers, PRT or no PRT, Glaistig Uaine or no Glaistig Uaine… you DO NOT interrupt a therapy session. (And more generally, if you agree to follow someone else’s rule, you don’t just unilaterally throw it out when things get tough.)
And once again just when things are winding down Yamada proves how amazingly badass and awesome and totally epic she is. Talking the lost lunatic murderer who had dearly wanted to wipe out the human race/Earth and usher in the next cycle of the giant evil aliens into becoming a hero? Damn. *Slow clap.* Okay so Yamada has now played therapist to three of the most dangerous and powerful individuals that the world had ever seen, Ciara, Taylor, and Eidolon. Not to mention countless other villains and heroes and crazies. Holy mother of god. This woman has nerves so strong and skills so good they could cut through dimensions!
Chev is the Destroyer huh? That’s…mildly disturbing. Especially considering how freaking awesomely heroic he is. Like second only to Weld in the boy scout department. Soooo happy that he survived and for the confirmation that he was the dude who stepped up to take lead after Taylor started losing it again towards the end.
Yay! Legend survived! I still like that guy and I’m really glad he made it. Though really “I’m direct, like my lasers”? In what universe are lasers that turn 90 degrees and scoff at the known laws of physics considered “direct”? The dude may be cool but he needs some science lessons…
I have to comment on the extreme appropriateness of GU’s new name. Soooooooooooo fitting! It’s cool that she can grow up whenever she wants. Honestly the fact that she looks 19 now instead of a pubescent girl coupled with talking without an echo would do wonders to put me on her side. It’s like a visual and deliberate personification of the change in her thinking which speaks louder than anything else that she could possibly say to be convincing. Taken with the fact that she is far too powerful to bother lying/manipulating and that she had never really done so before…well I for one can say I’d welcome her into the hero rank with someone extended arms even if they wouldn’t wrap her into a hug. I’d be the guy next to Miss Militia (who again shows her awesomeness too) going to dinner with her but probably not MM actually inviting her out.
Okay so I AM amazingly enough willing to give Riley a second chance against all my better judgment but she really doesn’t make it easy to do so. I mean really…Nilbog? She has to be friends with Nilbog? Why couldn’t that crazy bastard have been taken out by Scion? We lose so many great people and he survives? The world is not fair. (On that note please please please tell me Hoyden made it out okay?! Please! I really love my cowgirl!) And okay sure I get that she goes to see him to remind herself of how psycho she used to be and how much better she is now but seriously. Not doing yourself any favors Riley.
The ending…HOLY SHIT!!!! EXCELLENT!! Dude, those last four paragraphs just spawned like a gazillion fanfics I’m sure. You just left things open for either bringing back to life heroes/villains she collected (including Clockblocker!!!!) or conversely giving life to a sort of human/shard hybrid. SOOO FRIGGING SWEET!!
MisterTeatime on February 2, 2016 at 20:32 said:
Legend’s subtext: “I might not be terribly direct, but if you start heckling, I have lasers.”
I think Chevalier’s being the Destroyer isn’t necessarily at odds with his being an excellent hero. In his first meeting with the Wards, he weakened one clique to support the people outside it. Before that, he doggedly pursued and dismantled the organization that took his brother. His trigger event was being trapped in a wrecked car- something that had to be broken before he could be safe. He was there for the death of the original Wards paradigm (keeping kids with powers out of dangerous and violent situations) and its transition to the form we saw later on, where Wards helped stop crime and save lives. In the New Protectorate/PRT initiative, he led the charge against the corruption and infiltration and obfuscation that were already so widespread. And of course, he was a major asset in the battle that put an end to Behemoth, and then the one that put an end to Scion.
Destruction can be a noble act. Chevalier can be the hero who cuts out the rot to save the tree, or to make room for something new to grow.
Another point for Worm not being nihilistic and grimdark:redemption happens and,unlike the case in most other works,it happens even to monstrous characters,not merely to misguided ones or well intentioned extremists.
Seriously,what I would reccomend (though maybe it is just that I hate the whole concept of punishment as justice,rather than as protection or rehabilation)is this:give amnesty to everyone,and if they commit a crime,try to arrest them as befitting their new crimes.If someone says “but it may be harder to catch them then,as they will be less willing to give themselves up”,I would say that,if they are willing to give themselves ,they do not deserve punishment.Heck,give Nilbog an empty world andstart trade with it,it will speed up reconstruction,make him happy,and happens at no moral cost,the only thing making them go so hard on poor Riley,GU and Nilbog is the antiqquated punishment as justice logic,and the fact they treat them as harshly is more likely to make them slip again.Though I do agree that they need observation,even if it translates to them being a little more harsh to them,just…just not unreasonable forbidences,like giving Riley a normal body,or getting fussy when the 3 redeemed have a meeting.
I may not dislike Riley anymore but there are legitimate reasons these guys are getting harsher treatments. Riley hung around with Jack Slash, the guy who went all out in a bona fide effort to bring about the end of the world and succeeded. There are precious few ways to make sure someone like that didn’t rub off too much on her. Nilbog is so far beyond cracked he made Jack look like Joe Schmo and from what was show he didn’t seem to making much of an effort to help in his own recovery or anything. I have to say though, I like the idea of giving him his own world to play with. That truly might help his sanity and fulfill the idea of letting people have a clean slate. GU didn’t really seem to have harsh treatment…
Unnecesarily harsh does not equate to harsh,just unecesary.And I did admit the need for watching over them.But it sems they are underultilised and underappreciated….though I cannot really blame the heroes for that.
On another note,Nilbog doesn’t make Jack look like Joe Schmo ,his power is just damn terrifying,but you can see,from their interaction together,who stays at the top.A man is not only powers,there are more important things,like creativity and motives and charisma,all of which make Jack more powerful and scary(and,I need to add,his secret power also makes him stronger than Nilbog.)Nilbog might have a scary and powerful power,and he might also be a mass murderer (note:I think the very nature of trigger events should forgive actions done immediately afterwards,even mass murder,on the condition of intense psyhological treatment)but all his kills were on one event,and his motives are actually simple:to be king of his utopia.Just the fact he mellowed out of that,too,is a point for his repentance,but,really,he is more selfish that he is evil or dangerous,give him his toy,treat him with respect,and he is harmless as a kitten…or ,rather,harmless as a person having a nuclear button which he would only push as retaliation to another’s nuclear attack,completely harmless if left alone.
I don’t think I stated what I meant well enough. I was going more for GU isn’t really being treated any harsher than anyone other former villain at this point and actually seems a lot cozier than would realistically be expected from a badass who scares everyone shitless. Concerning Nilbog I agree with your comments and put forth that again I didn’t state what I meant. Nilbog made Jack look sane. Though I suppose there could be an argument that Jack was never insane just thought along different lines and discounted right and wrong. I didn’t mean to say they should keep Nilbog caged because he was scary powerwise (which he is but really he’s not that bad compared to some heavy hitters) they should keep him caged because he hasn’t really shown any urge to actively keep playing by the new rules. I agree he is like kid with a nuke and that was why I thought your option of providing him with his own world is a perfectly excellent compromise for everyone involved including him.
I can’t believe I’m saying this but…yes, I also think Riley could be let off her leash a bit and given more utilization. (Though I stand by my earlier justification with them making sure she’s not polluted by Jack.)
Whispersilk on June 18, 2016 at 13:12 said:
On behalf of cyrix…
It sounds like that first ‘hard’ shouldn’t be there? It makes more sense without it.
Valkyrie Profile. Cute.
Maybe you should have gone the extra mile and called the collected spirits Einherjar instead of warriors.
manicMagician on February 9, 2018 at 17:54 said:
Spectacular ending to a spectacular story. Well I still have several epilogue chapters, a sequel teaser arc and whatever you’ve written since to go but…still.
And even if I am late to the game, I skimmed through the comments and I’m surprised to find little to none on the Sheperds. We have the Wardens as a confirmed new thing, with some of their members from Eden’s vision. Now we have the most powerful living parahuman referring to herself as Shepherd of the dead after considering the interactions of her power with those of another S rank…It occur to no one else that Valkyrie, Riley and Nilbog may become the Shepherds?
Also Khepri. Guessing name for Taylor in the final days. Though did see some good points to her having survived so…guess I’ll see!
Thanks again for the fantastic story! Even if it does make me feel really insecure about the Superhero novel I’ve been writing. Just…completely different scale!
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November 14, 2017 November 14, 2017 Rafael Nadal Fans
Rafael Nadal: “My season is finished”
Rafael Nadal has announced he has withdrawn from the ATP Finals due to a knee injury.
I am off, my season is finished.
I had the commitment with the event, with the city, with myself. I tried hard. I did the thing that I had to do to try to be ready to play.
But I am really not ready to play, no? I really fighted a lot during the match, but knowing that probably was a big chance to be the last match of the season. That what’s going to be.
Well, is not a decision at all. Is about the pain. I cannot hold with enough power to keep playing. I tried, but seriously was miracle to be very close in the score during the match. It really doesn’t make sense.
I knew during the match. It was a decision I took during the match. Even winning, even losing, I was going to pull out.
After the year I’ve had, I don’t deserve to feel like that on court for two more days.
I had a great season, I’m not going to cry.
I’m going to work hard… to keep being at the top and fighting for the most important things.
Thank you and Merry Christmas, everyone.
Our champ finishes the season with a 67-11 win-loss record and 6 titles.
Sources: PA, Metro, ATP World Tour
Previous PHOTOS: Rafael Nadal loses to David Goffin at ATP World Tour Finals
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CAROLE BOYLAN says:
RAFAEL, SO PLEASED YOU DECIDED TO PULL OUT OF THE ATP GAMES, GO BACK HOME FOR REST AND TREATMENT FOR YOUR KNEE AND PLEASE COME BACK NEXT YEAR AGAIN TO SHOW THE WORLD WHAT A GENTLEMAN YOU ARE AND THE GREATEST TENNIS PLAYER IN THE WORLD. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL TENNIS.
Kola says:
Oh, these injuries 🙁 I think the tennis season is far too busy nowadays… 11 months of gruelling, massive tennis with tournaments 1 week apart, or even back to back is obviously exhausting. Note that Djo, Waw and Murray didn’ t even start here. And you finished it SO HIGH, my champ <3 Rest well, get ready for AO and VAMOS FOREVER 🙂
.PS. A month's rest after Wim would dimnish this problem greatly, imo.
Carmen Coral says:
Solo me queda agradecerte por el fantastico ano que Dios te bendiga y es la mejor decision que haz tomado en retiraos del torneo, cuida tu rodilla para que estes listo y competitivo para el nuevo ano. Feliz navidad VAMOS RAFA
Shirley Taya says:
Rafa, I am so sad for you n pray you do not suffer too much pain during the treatment. I again read your book where you mention the painful treatment you went thru prior to winning Wimbledon, n that you are always n pain. I do hope you respond to the treatment n back to your best in 2018. Can’t bear the thought of Tennis without you n I am praying for a complete recovery. Please don’t return too soon. You are a Champion, a thorough gentleman on n off the Court, have the best sporting attitude n a kind n caring person. You were not your happy self when you accepted the Cup n I felt your knee was troubling you. Happy Christmas to you my dear Rafa, your family, Uncle Tony, n your Team. May you enjoy an injury free 2018 n much happiness. God bless you. Your Aussie Abuela Nan Shirley. 🐂🏆👑⛵️😄😊🎉🎉
Rainier says:
A bit long but a good article. Please pardon the length.
Rafael Nadal: I deserved a better ending but sport does not owe anything to anyone
It is a familiar scenario Rafael Nadal knows all too well. He knows the pain, the disappointment, the surrender to circumstances that are out of his control, the right words to describe it all and the positive attitude to face it head on.
So when the world No. 1 addressed a packed interview room at the O2 Arena in London to announce he was withdrawing from the ATP Finals, it came as no surprise that Nadal was eloquent in his delivery and knew exactly what to say.
After battling through three gruelling sets, while suffering some serious pain in his injured right knee, before losing to David Goffin 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-4 in their ATP Finals opener on Monday, Nadal conceded that enough was enough.
“My season is finished. Yeah, I had the commitment with the event, with the city, with myself. I tried hard. I did the thing that I had to do to try to be ready to play,” said Nadal, who was carrying a knee injury that forced him to pull out of the Paris Masters less than two weeks ago.
“It’s about the pain. I cannot hold with enough power to keep playing. I tried, but seriously it was a miracle to be very close in the score during the match. It really don’t make sense.”
By now, he is an expert in accepting the reality of his body’s shortcomings.
“That’s how it works, my career, at the same time. I can’t complain,” he simply states.
“I feel very lucky about all the things that are happening to me. But on the other hand, is true that I am probably the top player that had more injuries and more troubles in the careers of everyone, no?
“Is always about this challenge. But I am used to this and I know what I have to do. I think I am ready to do it.”
Nadal knew during the match that he would never finish this tournament in London. Yet somehow he saved four match points in the second set, forced a decider, and even got one of two breaks back in that third set before he lost.
“Nadal is a unique mammal,” tweeted British doubles star Jamie Murray during the match.
We were all wondering: Why was he putting himself through this while being so evidently injured.
Ultimately he knew this was going to be his last match and he wanted to go down the only way he knows how: fighting.
He winced in pain, but roared with every break point he saved. He fell behind and stormed back. He did everything his adoring fans love to witness. Except win the match.
“Even winning, even losing, I was going to pull out because I was not enjoying on court at all. Was not fun to play like this. I really believed that I don’t deserve after this great season to spend two more days on court with this terrible feelings, no? That’s all,” he bluntly explains.
The bizarre thing is that Nadal was not too far from winning that match against Goffin. But he insists that would have never swayed his decision.
“I’m not here to have some luck to win one match. I’m here to try and win the tournament,” he told Spanish press.
Jean Sober says:
I really don’t understand how one cannot see that missing the Aussie Open is terrible. If one is to miss or skip one part of the season, it should be from halfway September until December! Never miss the majors. Especially Aussie Open where Rafa does well and where the ultimate price awaits him. Sacrificing all this to compete in these knee wrecking indoor events….
Bis says:
I AGREE with Rainier that playing injured was his decision and we have to respect it and be positive about the future. But…i deffintly AGREE with Jean Sober too….he must be much more smarter in his scheduling, not stubborn and focus on the big picture. And I agree he has a lot to learn from Roger in that department. Slams and important 1000 masters are enough to play after 31.Nothing else. He must learn balance. His major priority for 2018 except Europian clay season with FO is AO….( this year was his best chance and he blown it unfortunately….sorry I am still bitter about).Not sure about AO 2018 tho….even if the knee recover,he will not be confident enough to BELIEVE he can win it with Djokovich coming back…and I so much want him to win that damn AO!!!!HAHAHA Not a easy feelings RIGH now for me too.But hopping for the best.Vamos.
Ps…sorry I think that was posted twice,don’t know why….
jas_uk says:
“Nadal is sticking to his tried and tested method: work, suffer, accept, rinse, and repeat”
It’s more like – work, suffer, ACHIEVE, rinse, and repeat.
I wish people wouldn’t make Rafa out as a victim. He even does it himself at times, “I’ve had more of the things, no?”. Maybe true, and I think that’s how Rafa loses his confidence occasionally, but overall he’s escaped that mentality more often than he’s accepted it. He wouldn’t have 16 slams otherwise.
If any cycle is on repeat next year, I hope the it’s the ‘most frequently used’ setting from 2017 (hopefully a habit) – played well, stayed confident, won it 🙂 , rather than thinking of past losses/injuries/doubts – lose. It’s unfortunate Rafa’s last match of the season was a loss, but hopefully it didn’t press the vicious cycle button. Someone needs to thoroughly rinse that one, better still, erase the whole programme – Señor Moya, please??
Rafa saying, “I don’t deserve after this great season to spend two more days on court with this terrible feelings, no?” is possibly the most encouraging comment. As I think Andy’s famous on-court notes say, “1. be kind to yourself”.
“I am, of course, disappointed. But I am not going to cry. I had a great season.”
That is of course true. With two Grand Slam titles and four more trophies captured in 2017, Nadal returned to the top of the rankings and ends the year as world No. 1.
The man whose troubled knees are as famous as he is has proven once again that no injury nor setback can keep him down for too long.
The Mallorcan says he knows exactly what he needs to do to overcome this current knee problem, and he is willing to do whatever it takes to be ready for the Australian Open next January, but “with no rush”.
There was zero hint of resentment or bitterness in Nadal’s tone of voice.
“One cannot always be frustrated. I’m a positive person in general. I try not to have big celebrations when things go well, nor big dramas when things don’t go well,” he says.
“It’s not a drama. It was a dream season, and I would have paid (money) for a season like this and I’ll stick with that.
“It’s true that I don’t like finishing like this. I believe that, on the inside, I deserved a better ending but sport does not owe anything to anyone.”
In a world riddled with entitlement, Nadal is sticking to his tried and tested method: work, suffer, accept, rinse, and repeat. A new cycle begins tomorrow.
Source: sport360.com/article/tennis/255081/rafael-nadal-i-deserved-a-better-ending-but-sport-does-not-owe-anything-to-anyone
YB says:
Thanks for sharing the article, Rainier. It almost brought tears to my eyes.
It was so hard to watch the match yesterday. On one hand, I wanted the match to be over quickly to end Rafa’s suffering. On the other hand, I wanted him to fight. Fight, he did! How can you not love such a fighter! Rafa, you had a spectacular year, nothing, and no one, could diminish your accomplishments! Rest and heal, we’ll be patiently waiting from your return!
Love and respect forever!
You’re welcome, YB. It brought tears to my eyes, finally. I had already knew all the quotes, but reading how the writer put them all together with narration was a different thing.
I felt exactly the same while watching the match. But if I could chose, I would chose him losing easily in short straight sets over winning after 3 hard-fought, gruelling 3-setters.
I have little doubt his knees were in much worse state than they were before the match.
Now I only hope it wasn’t that serious and he will listen to his body and only return to the tour when he’s 100%, even if it means he has to skip the AO. It’s tough, but the part of the season from the clay season to the USO is still the most important, and above all it’s his health and his confidence in his body. So fingers crossed…
You see, it’s always a roller coaster with Rafa, either during a game, match, tourney, or the seasons and many seasons.
Janet Bissell says:
We were there last night and Rafa was, as usual fighting right to the end. However you could see he was so tired and injured. Rafa you are a fantastic plsyer and a terrific sportsman, and I know you didn’t want to let anybody down and that is why you played here in London. Get well soon, you will always be my no.1 playe,, win or lose. Happy Christmas to you and your family and rest up for 2018
Well said Janet. How many other players would purely honour the tournament by turning up to play knowing they had an injury? He did the tournament and fans proud by his sheer presence.
GnSks says:
It made zero sense to play Paris after what happened during the Asian tour and it made even less sense to play in London. I love Rafa and I’ll always support him but his scheduling decisions will never cease to baffle me. All I want now is for him to recover for next year.
kathleen hartshorne says:
Kath H much love Rafa, and get well soon, we can look back on the joy you have given us, all your loyal fans are rooting for you, hope all goes well, Happy Christmas , and new year too you and all your family,” Vamos “Rafa “
Rafa fan 1 says:
Sooo relieved that Rafa has decided to call off the rest of the season.
Was just too painful to watch him. Could see he was in pain at the start and then it became worse. It was heart wrenching to see that. Couldn’t even finish watching the 3rd set. Hope he hasn’t damaged his knee even more.
That he came so far was amazing!
That’s him! What a sportsman what a man!!! The world is enriched just by having Rafa in it!
Pity he was stubborn and played. But I understand!!!
Hope and pray that he recovers fully, better than ever!
God bless you my Rafa! Love you!
Take good care of yourself!
Rafantastic says:
Wise decision dear Rafa, get well soon 😘
Thanks and a Merry Christmas and all the best for 2018 to you, your family and team. Always with you champ #1
– You’re one of a kind ❤️🍀🎾💪🏼👑😍🤗
Jeez, seeing the press conference tells me much more than reading the transcript. This may very well be 6 months plus out. Nadal is fighting back the tears here. He may be doubting whether RG is doable. What an unfortunate decision by the entire team to go all in on the indoor season. They won the year end no. 1 and threw away the 2018 season by doing so.
Debby Kleinberg says:
What are you talking about? The knee needs time to rehab, that was the case before yesterday.
I don’t think there is any way of interpreting my comment wrongly, but apparently it is possible. Nadal and his team know for many years now that hard court, and especially the fast indoor courts, are terrible for his knees. Tennis is about the majors, especially at this stage of the Nadal career. When people mention Federer, within 3 seconds you will hear ’19’. When people say Rafa Nadal, within 3 seconds you will hear ’16’. That sums it up. And that is why Nadal should not have risked his entire 2018 season. The first six months of 2018 are super important for Rafa, as there he has the chance:
1) to win the double career grand slam, which should be his no. 1 prio at the moment
2) to win RG which is his best chance every season to win a major
3) to build the foundation for a successful US Swing. Rafa has never been good at the US Open, without playing a stellar RG. He needs the form and confidence of the Spring, to do well in the US.
This is why I conclude that post US Open 2017, his planning deserves 1 stars out of 5, instead of zero. 1 sole star awarded for clinching the year end no. 1. For which the price to be paid now turns out to be very high. Yes Debby Kleinberg. Resting those knees post US Open would have been a great prep for 2018. RF19 could tell you more about successful planning, in case of a vulnerable body.
I disagree Jean. Rafa knew at the start of the tournament that his knee wouldn’t hold up. He said that win or lose he was only going to play one match. The only reason he went ahead with playing at all was because he said he had ….”a commitment to the event, the city and (himself)”. If his knee had suddenly given way without warning, then that’s a different story and Rafa would have been devastated, but I think that he was very philosophical in his press conference and felt a sense of relief that he was finally able to end his season and get back to the serious business of rehabilitation and preparation for next season.
Marileena says:
Are you kidding me? Since when do you have a crystal ball as to whether Rafa will be ready
for Roland Garos no less anything before it. How do you know that he “threw away” 2018…
Rafa does not take chances and neither does his team.. His playing this tournament was a joint decision with doctors, the team and Rafa and if they agreed he could play, then I’m good with that.
Rafa loves this sport more than anyone can imagine and this injury has brought him to laying down the racquet for awhile..
I wish him a speedy recovery and can’t wait for our boy to come back in 2018!
I kinda agree. Rafa should have only played shanghai and then rested his knees and skipped all other tournaments and be ready for WTF. His draw at WTF was awesome. If he was fit, he would easily gone through to the semis and the finals and given himself a chance to win it.
I agree that chasing no.1 was more important to him and to stop fed from becoming no.1. But he paid the price by damaging his knees. I would have preferred him to not chase no.1 but win the WTF title.
Rafa_1310 says:
Get well soon champ. Always with you <3
SUKLIN SYIEM says:
Merry Christmas to you and your family and team.God grant you good recovery of your knee problem.Stay healthy, be strong and be happy.Have a good rest this year.Come out strong, healthy and successful in 2018.God bless you and all your loved ones.Take care.
CanaDiana says:
No apologies and no regrets. Merci for a fantastic season. Get well😍👑👏💕
The season would have been even better if he’d just called it a day post US Open. 2 majors in the bag and proper preparation to go all out for the Aussie Open. This stupid Asian swing, that unneccessary Paris masters and the super unhealthy WTF have ruined it now.
Why so bitter, Jean?
It’s his body. It’s his game, career. He made his own decisions based on all those. What ever happened and will happen he lives with them, not us.
Who is any of us to say his season would have been better if this or that? Or that what have ruined what?
You may be confusing your own frustrations, based on your own thinking and expectations, with the facts that he didn’t have any regrets, that how this season is still like a dream for him, by his own admission. How meaningful it is, how hard it was, after all that happened.
No, I’m positive that he would have wanted to end this season like this, even with that injury, than to pull out after the USO.
Can’t you see? It’s in his DNA. It’s his instincts to keep fighting until he can’t anymore.
He’s not RF. He kept on saying RG’s doing it his way, and he’s doing it his own way, those multiple times they asked him.
Yes, it’s sad that he had to end his season on a sad note. But at the same time he was able to make history again – the history that there’s no guarantee he will be able to make in the future had he failed this year.
I know, most of us are always saying “His health is the most important thing”, or “Only Slams matter”.
But then again, it’s him who does everything. It’s his body, his game, his mind, his own person. Only he has any say in what is the most important or meaningful to him; what he wants to achieve, what he feels most happy about…
I agree that he’s stubborn and overestimated his chances again this time. Should have pulled out of London altogether. But the match win at Paris to clinch the YE No1, and of course all the build-up post the USO until then, I have no doubt are all worth it in his mind and that of his team.
Now I also agree with you that he might not be able to recover in time for the AO18. Also there’s a risk he might rush it again since it’s a slam, not to mention he always needs to play warmup events before slams – it might be very well a vicious circle to him once again.
But I think there’s no point in only thinking about all the worsts at the moment IMO. It’s the time to reflect his whole season, which is still incredible overall, and wish him a speedy recovery.
Worry about his knees and 2018 season, yes. But don’t put him and his 2017 season down just because of what happened since the Shanghai (or in your case, the whole “stupid Asian swing”).
I’m very worried for him as well and always a more practical and critical fan. But I’ll wait and wait and don’t call anything just yet, especially at this time, especially things like he definitely needs 6 months to recover, at least out of respect for him and his team.
Rainier, it’s not about me being bitter and about focusing on the messenger. Reflecting on the season is done post US Open. That is when the top players know what kind of season they had. The rest is ‘bonus’ and can be skipped if health risks are involved. Rafa did not play this smartly. It is once again a pity to see him harm his own chances of peaking when it matters most. For it is clear that he is able to do so. If only he planned better.
Jean, you may not recognise it, but you definitely sound bitter and negative at least to me.
Jean Sober
“This stupid Asian swing”
“Rafa should quit each season right after us open from now on.”
“6 months, mark my words.”
“… have ruined it”
Yes. I’ll wait to see how Rafa will be doing in 6 months. It’s a thing to be practical and reflect on his season. It’s another thing to only focus on the all the negative and talk gloom and doom like what you’ve been saying. You’re not the only one who’s reflecting and being practical. Also maybe it’s not totally your point but your tone that feels off-putting and a bit arrogant.
“The pathetic dislikers of posts that are realistic really don’t get it don’t they. Millennials maybe?”
Plus, if you met Rafa right now, would you be willing to tell all those things above to him?
“He may be doubting whether RG is doable.”
“They won the year end no. 1 and threw away the 2018 season by doing so.”
I don’t like to say this one bit, but really, you didn’t even say “probably threw away the 2018 season”. You said it in an absolute sense, and called it “being realistic”.
No, sorry, you’re being frustrated, bitter and pessimistic. Practical, yes. Doesn’t mean you must be right and others who don’t agree with you are “pathetic”.
Rainier, you are a mainstream type and politically correct. We don’t match very well. And fyi: politically correct think they are tolerant but they are not.
Rainier, thanks for the typical policor approach, presenting yourself as the ‘reasonable’ type, slamming not only the opinions that you don’t like (‘too polarising!’) but, of course, same style as we always see in the ‘tolerant’ type: going ad hominem. Freedom of speech, but not for the ones whose opinion is too much different. On topic, we’ll meet again on this board come January when Nadal pulls out, and you’ll be ‘shocked’. I am sure you will then think back with pleasure of the Asian Swing. That Bejing title is in the bag, that’s what matters, right?. Who cares about Australian Open. It’s just another major.
Pat Bern says:
Merry Christmas Rafa and May the New Year
be filled with good health and happiness
DMTNA says:
Sigh! So it was right not to take part in this tournament!
Yesterday, Rafa’s knee is seriously damaged. He couldn’t even bend his knee for a buggy whip forehand which is his trademark shot. Instead he was forced to make many flat forehands causing many unforced errors.
Don’t care about the result. I am kinda disappointed by his action again. Now i highly doubt that he wouldn’t take part in Australian Open 2018 since the knee injury takes a long period of time ( could be 6 months) to be FULLY recovered.
Amberoxx says:
Six months who said that?..
Amberoxxx. Nadal saying ‘I know what I need to do to recover and I know what it takes (he means also timewise). I don’t about you, but I have been following the Nadal career for a while and I remember the 2009 and 2012 knee injuries and the time it took to recover. 6 months, mark my words.
@Jean Sober: I agree with you. The knee injury has been following Rafa from time to time and it usually takes for a very long long time.
I know some so-called Rafans here often dislikes any negative comments even it’s true. Last year i said that he needs a new coach to find back his rhythm but many persons disagree, especially a fruit cake named Margo. Now look what happen when Moya came huh?
First thing we know for sure is that Rafa will have less time for practice than before. He should have skipped the tournament right after his match with Chung when he felt his right knee wasn’t ok. No disrespect to Rafa’s medical team but it’s not the first time they make a wrong diagnosis.
They said the same after Madrid Open 2016, Rafa continues to play through pain at Rome and we all know what happened later.
It’s ideal to rest and have an intense off season with Moya and Roig to cover his weaknesses in serving and returning of serve for the best chance at Melbourne.
Now even if Rafa could heal his right knee on time, i am not sure he has the chance to be “competive” for AO next year especially, he doesn’t have time to practice a new game plan to attack Federer’s backhand and a fully fit Djokovic is coming back very soon.
You have had a wonderful season Rafa. Most important is to take care of yourself. Have a good rest and take good care of your knees. Wishing you Merry Xmas and All the Best for year 2018.
Love from Mauritius
You gave your all….and it was appreciated by all of us! Enjoyed all of your games! Best of recovery for your knee!!!
Arline Ostolaza says:
Dear Rafa,
I’m sorry to hear you have an injury, and I’ll miss seeing you play for a while.
You should know that, regardless of whether you win or lose, I and my family/friends hold you in the highest regard. Your indomitable will to win, your work ethic and your obvious strong feelings for family, friends and country makes you a remarkable champion.
I look forward to seeing you play in the future.
Arline Ostolaza
Wyn Ridley says:
Genuine guy rest and relax Rafael come back stronger
Ana the biggest fan to Rafa says:
Rafa I’m sorry .please get healthy and rest.your fans love you .vamosssssssss 🎾🎾🎾🇺🇸🎾🎾🎾👍👍👍🇺🇸❤️😘❤️🇺🇸
Rafa, thank you for a great season. You are so fun to watch play, you play with so much heart. You just get well, that is the most important thing. There will be other matches if you take care of your health. We love you amazing young man.
Elaine Crowder says:
Rafa you certainly tried so hard,
so time for rest now and getting your knee attended to by the Specialists.
AlaineXXSydneyXXAustraliaXX
On my way home from the O2 now
Rafa made a titanic effort which the crowd appreciated. He looked slow and tired from the start. He didn’t look surprised by the loss. Goffin played well – I hope he goes far. Rafa was so sweet and appreciative of the fans at the end – it was worth seeing just for that. Rest sweet warrior.
So happy you got to see Rafa in person and hope you enjoyed seeing him play, despite the result – not sure how I would cope with that, even though he fought hard. I’m sure the crowd would have loved that match, Rafa does so much good for tennis and obviously cares about his fans 🙂
The crowd seemed to “know” since the beginning, jas. They willed him to keep fighting. They could see it better than us who were watching at home that Rafa was clearly in pain and limping, holding his right knee, grimacing.
And he did. Despite being in so much pain and of course not enjoying the match, playing quite badly most of time, he fought and fought until the end, with a lion’s heart. Those 4 MP’s he saved, I’ll rewatch them again and again. Will make video of them. I think there’s a lot I can learn from it.
He said it all, “I tried, but seriously was miracle to be very close in the score during the match. It really doesn’t make sense.”
He elaborated quite a lot more in his interviews in Spanish. He also said his best match of the year was the AO SF against Dimitrov or the USO SF (again 🙂 ) against Del Potro, which I wholeheartedly agree.
He also said he didn’t regret any of his decisions this year. And that’s where I find “peace”. 🙂
But of course he also revealed that the decision to play London was his and part of his team didn’t want him to play. I guess one of them must be Moya. He watched the match in silence. I have to admit I looked just like him as well.
So I hope even though he doesn’t have any regrets, and this season was “much better than he could have dreamt of”, he will be more “listening” next year, listening to his body and also his team more, because simply, like Moya said, he has to.
Now I’m looking forward to the update on his rehab and those beautiful fishing “escapes” (did you read this article: boatinternational.com/luxury-yacht-life/owners-experiences/qa-on-board-with-rafael-nadal-tennis-ace-and-owner-of-beethoven–34901 ?). Hopefully he will be able to recover in time for next year.
See you guys soon. 🙂
Hi Teresa – when i saw him wave like that to the crowd, I wondered if he was saying goodbye for a while. Well now we know. Good decision and you were fortunate to see the mighty rafa fight till the end. Great stuff.
I afraid we will see him back in Monte Carlo. No Aussie Open I fear.
The pathetic dislikers of posts that are realistic really don’t get it don’t they. Millennials maybe? If recovering the knee would be so easy and not take so much time, don’t you think that after Shanghai the knee should have healed now? There were 5 weeks between the moment the injury really started to become clear (Shanghai, first matches) and yesterday. In those 5 weeks, Nadal ‘fully recovered’ according to himself and to his team. 5 weeks have gone and the knee is very bad. End of the year, which is the start of the new season, is 6 weeks away. Aussie Open starts in 2 months. How the hell do you think the coming 6 weeks are going to be enough to recover??? In the Shanghai final, the knee was better than it was yesterday, that is for sure. 5 weeks for not enough for the knee in quite bad state. You think 6 weeks will be enough for the knee in an even worse state? Rafa will skip the Aussie Open. Alas.
Teresa, you’ve summed up Rafa as an athlete. So competitive, so caring, so honourable. Rafa fought as hard as he could, given his injury, but we could all see that he didn’t expect to win. Rest and treatment is now the key to his recovery.
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Jenny Hatchard
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A complicated relationship: stakeholder participation and the ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management
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Hatchard, J. L., Fooks, G. J., Evans-Reeves, K. A., Ulucanlar, S. & Gilmore, A. B., 12 Feb 2014, In : BMJ Open. 4, 2, p. 1-9 9 p., e003757.
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Hatchard, J., Gilmore, A., Fooks, G. & Ulucanlar, S., Mar 2017.
A social assessment framework for fisheries
Hatchard, J. L., Holmyard, N. & van Hoof, L., 2006, Edinburgh, U. K.: Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries.
Assessing social impacts of Fisheries Management Plans: towards a methodology
Holmyard, N., Hatchard, J., Delaney, A. & van Hoof, L., 2007.
Assessing the evidence base of tobacco industry submissions to public consultations: The case of ‘plain packaging’ of tobacco products in the UK
Hatchard, J., Fooks, G., Evans-Reeves, K. A. & Gilmore, A. B. C., 11 Sep 2013, (Unpublished).
Research Peer Review
Bed-fellows or fellow-travellers? the relationship between ecosystem-based management and stakeholder participation in marine fisheries
Hatchard, J. & Gray, T. S., 2007.
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Content analysis of tobacco industry data on the illicit tobacco trade in UK newspapers during the standardised packaging debate
Evans-Reeves, K., Hatchard, J., Rowell, A. & Gilmore, A., 30 Nov 2016, In : Lancet. 388, Supplement 2, p. S6-S6 1 p.
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Developing a Fisheries Ecosystem Plan for the North Sea
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Developing a socio-economic data frame
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Discourse and power: participatory fisheries governance in Europe's Common Fisheries Policy
Does better regulation depoliticise policymaking? A case study of standardised packaging of tobacco
Hatchard, J., Fooks, G. & Gilmore, A. B. C., 18 Sep 2013, (Unpublished).
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Hatchard, J. L., 2005, Participation in Fisheries Governance. Gray, T. S. (ed.). London, U. K.: Springer, (Reviews: Methods and Technologies in Fish Biology and Fisheries; vol. 4).
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Gray, T. S. & Hatchard, J., 2007, In : ICES Journal of Marine Science. 64, 4, p. 786-792
European Fisheries Ecosystem Plan (EFEP): second stakeholder consultation
Hatchard, J., Gray, T. S., Mikalsen, K. & Brookfield, K., 2004, European Fisheries Ecosystem Plan (EFEP): Producing a Fisheries Ecosystem Plan. Paramor, O. A. L., Scott, C. L. & Frid, C. L. J. (eds.). (European Fisheries Ecosystem Plan; vol. EU project no. Q5RS-2001-01685).
European Fisheries Ecosystem Plan (EFEP): stakeholder consultation
Hatchard, J., Gray, T. S. & Mikalsen, K., 2003, Newcastle, U. K.: University of Newcastle Upon Tyne.
Evidence-based policy making and 'Better Regulation': The battleground for standardised packaging of tobacco
Hatchard, J. & Gilmore, A., 12 Oct 2015, Bath, UK: University of Bath. 4 p. (IPR Policy Briefs)
From RACs to advisory councils: Lessons from North Sea discourse for the 2014 reform of the European Common Fisheries Policy
Hatchard, J. & Gray, T. S., Jul 2014, In : Marine Policy. 47, p. 87-93 7 p.
Common Fisheries Policy
How do corporations use evidence in public health policy making? The case of standardised tobacco packaging
Hatchard, J., Evans-Reeves, K. A., Ulucanlar, S. E., Fooks, G. & Gilmore, A. B. C., 29 Nov 2013, In : Lancet. 382, Supplement 3, p. S42 1 p.
How Do We Belong? Researcher Positionality Within Qualitative Inquiry: Proceedings of 4th Annual Qualitative Research Symposium
Clift, B. (ed.), Hatchard, J. (ed.) & Gore, J. (ed.), 23 Jul 2018, University of Bath : University of Bath. 109 p.
Incorporating stakeholders into the development of fisheries ecosystems plans: a North Sea case study
Hatchard, J. L., Gray, T. S. & Mikalsen, K., 2007, In : American Fisheries Society Symposium. 49
In principle or practice? The relationship between participation and the eco-system-based approach to fisheries management
Introduction: interaction between environment and fisheries—the role of stakeholder participation
Varjopuro, R., Gray, T., Hatchard, J., Rauschmayer, F. & Wittmer, H., 1 Mar 2008, In : Marine Policy. 32, 2, p. 147-157
Involving fishers in the development of a fisheries ecosystem plan
Paramor, O. A. L., Hatchard, J., Mikalsen, K., Gray, T. S., Scott, C. L. & Frid, C. L. J., 2005.
Mapping corporate political activity in contemporary health policy conflicts: The case of standardised packaging in the UK
Hatchard, J., Fooks, G. & Gilmore, A., 11 Sep 2014.
Myths, Methods, and Messiness: Insights for Qualitative Research Analysis: Edited Proceedings of 5th Annual Qualitative Research Symposium
Clift, B. (ed.), Gore, J. (ed.), Bekker, S. (ed.), Costas Batlle, I. (ed.), Chudzikowski, K. (ed.) & Hatchard, J. (ed.), 2019, University of Bath.
New cod war of words: ‘cod is God’ versus ‘sod the cod’—Two opposed discourses on the North Sea Cod Recovery Programme
Gray, T., Hatchard, J., Daw, T. & Stead, S., 1 Sep 2008, In : Fisheries Research. 93, 1-2, p. 1-7
Opposition to standardised packaging in the UK: Who, what, when and how?
Hatchard, J., Fooks, G. & Gilmore, A., 19 Jun 2015.
party organization
Representation and misrepresentation of scientific evidence in contemporary tobacco regulation: a review of tobacco industry submissions to the UK government consultation on standardised packaging
Ulucanlar, S., Fooks, G. J., Hatchard, J. L. & Gilmore, A. B., 25 Mar 2014, In : PLoS Medicine. 11, 3, p. 1-15 15 p., e1001629.
Role of stakeholders' preferences in fisheries governance
Hatchard, J. L., 2003.
Scoping study of socio-economic aspects of North Sea Fisheries and Fishing Communities
Hatchard, J. L., van Hoof, L. & Holmyard, N., 2006, Edinburgh, U. K.: North Sea Women's Network and Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Scrutiny! A call to action for researchers, advocates and governments
Evans-Reeves, K. & Hatchard, J., 8 Mar 2018.
Stakeholder consultation and the European Common Fisheries Policy
Stakeholder perspectives on fisheries science and modelling: focus group discussions in Spain, Greece, UK, Denmark and Ireland
Degnbol, D., Eustace, B., Frangoudes, K., Hatchard, J. L., Hegland, T. J., Pitchon, A., Jacobsen, R. B., Stead, S. M. & Wilson, D. C., 2007, Denmark: Operational Evaluation Tools for Fisheries Management Options (EFIMAS) Project, Institute for Fisheries Management.
Stakeholders and fisheries ecosystems plans
Hatchard, J., Gray, T. S. & Mikalsen, K., 2004.
Stakeholders and the ecosystem approach to management
Scott, C. L., Hatchard, J. L., Gray, T. S., Mikalsen, K., Frid, C. L. J. & Paramor, O. A. L., 2003.
Stakeholders and the reform of the European Union's Common Fisheries Policy: the institutionalisation of a consultation culture
Hatchard, J. & Gray, T., 2003, In : Maritime Studies (MAST). 2, 2, p. 5-20
Standardised tobacco packaging: A health policy case study of corporate conflict expansion and adaptation
Hatchard, J., Fooks, G. & Gilmore, A., 7 Oct 2016, In : BMJ Open. 6, 10, p. 1-16 16 p., e012634.
The 2002 reform of the Common Fisheries Policy's system of governance—rhetoric or reality?
Gray, T. & Hatchard, J., 1 Nov 2003, In : Marine Policy. 27, 6, p. 545-554
The concept of fisheries-dependent communities: a comparative analysis of four UK case studies: Shetland, Peterhead, North Shields and Lowestoft
Brookfield, K., Gray, T. & Hatchard, J., 1 Apr 2005, In : Fisheries Research. 72, 1, p. 55-69
The EFIMAS modelling framework: focus group discussions in Northeast England, EFIMAS Project
Hatchard, J. & Stead, S. M., 2006, Newcastle, U. K.: University of Newcastle.
The integration of stakeholder opinion into the management of marine habitats
The interdependence of corporate political activities: The case of standardised tobacco packaging in the UK
Hatchard, J., Fooks, G. & Gilmore, A., 16 Sep 2014, (Unpublished).
The power of evidence in public health policy
Hatchard, J., 11 Jul 2014, (Unpublished).
The quest for quality in the digital age: How can we "trust" qualitative analyses of online data?
Hatchard, J., 27 Jan 2015.
The role of evidence in health policy conflicts: The case of standardised packaging of tobacco products in the UK
Hatchard, J., Fooks, G. & Gilmore, A., 19 Jun 2014, (Unpublished).
Tobacco industry data on illicit tobacco trade: A systematic review of existing assessments
Gallagher, A. W. A., Evans-Reeves, K. A., Hatchard, J. L. & Gilmore, A. B., 23 Apr 2019, In : Tobacco Control. 28, 3, p. 334-345 12 p.
Contact Jenny Hatchard
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This Is a Game: A (very) Brief History of Larp Part 1
By Paul Graham Raven
Epic Empires via virginsuicide photography Flickr
"Larp can change the world."
So claimed Heikki Holmås, Norway's newly-appointed Minister for International Development back in March, and I couldn't help but take notice. Three months previous, I was out researching an article on the Collapsonomics movement when the conversation turned to the new direction in which larp players from the Nordic nations were taking the form.
Larp — which you may have encountered already as LARP, acronym of "live action roleplaying", now noun'd down into lower case by regular use — has been around long enough for its public image to settle into an established stereotype, namely nerds dressing up as knights and orcs and hitting each other with rubber swords at the weekend. Like all clichés, it's rooted in truth: a lot of larp is exactly like that — and as such, I'd argue, no more worthy of mockery than paintballing, its over-macho cousin.
But there was, I heard, another type of larp: a larp whose potential as a tool for political and social change inspired Holmås to evangelise about it; a larp that could not only give players an insight into the lived experience of, for instance, homelessness, refugeeism or gender disparity, but which might also suggest changes to the way society deals with people in those situations; a larp that could 'game out' better ways of responding to a Haiti-scale natural disaster, or help the two sides of an interminable religiopolitical stalemate to walk a few yards in the shoes of their opponents.
I scribbled some notes, went home and started digging.
A brief history of larp
Larp's roots run deeper than Dungeons & Dragons.
In her book Leaving Mundania, Lizzie Stark traces the development of larp from its origins, the nascent form of what Bruce Sterling likes to call the military-entertainment complex: immersive historical pageants thrown by medieval royalty, often at immense expense; prototypical wargames for training the officers of the European enlightenment; contemporary historical re-enactment groups, some simply restaging the great battles of the past, or — in the case of the Society for Creative Anachronism — doing what they call 'living history', where old skills and ways of life are revived as part performance, part play, all wrapped up in authentic period costumes.
Wargaming systems of a more realist (or at least mimetic) type were a popular pastime for well-to-do Victorian folk, but it took a man named Dave Wesley form Minneapolis-St. Paul, frustrated with the way that the wargames he played in would break down into arguments over the implementation of the rules, to investigate the theory of games with an aim to developing non-zero-sum scenarios. The first run of Braunstein, a Napoleonic battle rendered with miniature soldiers on a tabletop landscape, ended in intrigue and chaos, with Wesley feeling he'd failed. "His players disagreed, and begged him to run another session," says Stark, so he did.
Braunstein attracted others, including one Dave Arneson, who'd go on to combine his wargaming jones with his Lord Of The Rings obsession to build a new set of rules, developed in collaboration with a thirty-something insurance underwriter named Gary Gygax; the first edition of Dungeons & Dragons, the ur-RPG, hit shelves in 1974.
Leaving the tabletop
COLD LARP'N - LONDON via jaredeberhardt Flickr
Larp was less born than seeded, however. Says Stark, "there is no single 'mother larp' that started the craze; instead it rose up like some grassroots political campaign, with people in different areas of the United States and elsewhere spontaneously deciding to hit their friends with padded sticks in backyards."
There's a possible Patient Zero in the imaginary planet of Atzor, an early proto-larp described in a Life article in 1941 which at the time of writing boasted ten 'lands' or countries wherein conflicts were decided with tabletop wargames of vast and involving complexity. But it's Brian Wiese's 'Hobbit War' of 1977 that represents the likely apotheosis of 'boffer' larp, familiar from the pop-cultural stereotype: Ren Fair rejects, running around in the woods with padded weapons.
Tolkienian secondary-world fantasy is no longer the only aesthetic in town, however: dystopian near-futures (with varying levels of cyberpunkiness pumped into the main mix), slipstreamish alternate histories and Moorcockian multiverses also abound.
The degree of determinism to the gameplay varies wildly, as do the player goals: from get-the-loot-and-kill-the-baddies to more abstract or intangible accomplishments, such as acquiring secret knowledge or building a network of spies. This movement away from both the tabletop and the rubber weapon was amplified by the huge popularity of White Wolf Publishing's Vampire: The Masquerade roleplaying system and its expansions, which stripped tabletop play down to raw simplicity while (re)introducing the critters-of-the-night tropes which now dominate the nebulous 'urban fantasy' fiction genre, and may well have played a large part in priming its audience. (The White Wolf gameworld was also an early staging ground for another of network culture's oddest performative/theatrical subcultures, the furries, who found in it a safe space to explore their supposed 'species dysphoria'.)
Modern larps might be played in person in the interstitial corridors of a gaming or sci-fi convention, or online via bulletin boards and forums, or both. Games may be mere hours long, or even shorter, like the bite-sized quarter-hour 'roleplaying poems'; some games may persist for years.
What they hold in common is their escapist intent: larp is supposed to be fun, a holiday from more mundane concerns, entertainment.
It's just a game.
"Many Nordic larps seem to be about trying out a certain mindset or exploring an emotion, rather than saving a town from orcs or finding enough loot to buy a sweet magic item." — Lizzie Stark
Some time close to the culture-warping strange attractor of the Millennium, however, larp underwent a development fork.
The first Knutepunkt conference of 1997, held in Oslo, was an early step in the formation of the Nordic larp identity. As the conference hopped from nation to Nordic nation on a yearly basis (each time relocalising its name into the language of the host country), it brought together game designers and players interested in transcending mere entertainment, in raising larp to the level of art.
First played in 1998, Ground Zero has a good claim to ur-game status, and is a great example of the 'un-fun' ideas that Nordic larp plays with: its players sat in a room standing in for an Ohio nuclear shelter circa the Cuban Missile Crisis, listening to mocked-up radio reports of a blossoming bout of Mutually Assured Destruction, then spent the rest of the game having their characters come to terms with the annihilation of the world outside. Far from being an outlier, the deep emotional implications of Ground Zero are indicative of the psychological spaces that Nordic larp would go on to explore.
For the sake of simplicity, I'll be following Stark's lead and using 'Nordic larp' to refer specifically to the avant-garde school of gameplay rather than the geographically-defined set of players. As Stark is careful to point out, larp in the Nordic countries is not a monolith so much as a collection of localised scenes, and the Knudepunkt circuit — despite its greater visibility to outsiders — is a marginal part of the greater whole.
Marginal it may be, but Nordic larp is a teeming ecosystem of styles and approaches which, again, mirrors the confusion of subgenres and styles to be found in the contemporary genre fiction scene.
For instance, medieval-esque fantasy isn't completely off the menu. Paralleling the recent rehabilitation of epic fantasy fiction, some Nordic scenesters are returning to the massively-multiplayer orcs-in-the-woods format with historio-mythical accuracy on their minds: Täällä Kirjokannen alla sought to give Tolkienian cliché the boot, and provide all the rompy fun of a trad boffer game with an authentic backdrop based on Finnish mythology. Indeed, the examination of national identity seems to be a popular project for Nordic larp as it spreads southward into Europe; in Poland, a game called Dzikie Pola began in the early Noughties, overlaying the lives of its players with an alternate reality in which they were noblemen from the Sarmatian Period.
Another obsession shared by Nordic larp with contemporary science fiction — and, not coincidentally, with pop culture in general — is the near-future or alt-history dystopia. Some of these games are huge productions, with days of gameplay following weeks of planning and set-construction; System Danmarc, for instance, took over a city-centre park, surrounding it with fences and filling it with shipping-container housing for the stratified underclass factions of its player-characters.
Many of these games involve a simple sort of imaginative play: one may be pretending to be another person, but that person is recognisably human, and interacts with a recognisably human imaginary world in familiar ways, despite the shifted context in which their actions take place. But not all Nordic larps bear such a clear resemblance to the mainstream forms of the game, or indeed such a mimetic resemblance to consensus reality. The Nordic methodology — which often includes a preliminary 'workshop' wherein the players are prepared for the game, perhaps with a discussion of history or politics pertinent to the larp in question, and a 'debriefing' that seeks to integrate the game experience and cushion the come-down of returning to reality — allows for set-ups and scenarios that reframe the human experience in dramatically powerful contexts.
Designed by the Nordic scene's uber-academic Emma Wieslander, Mellan himmel och hav ("Between Heaven and Sea", 2004) ambitiously concretised elements of feminist theory in order to explore disparity and gender roles. On joining the game, Stark explains, players were no longer male or female, but "morning people and evening people. Evening people wore red and yellow, concerned themselves with philosophy and decision making, and served as the objects of the sexual gaze. Morning people wore blue and green, served as the sexual initiators, and were resp for practical arrangements and implementing the decisions of the evening people. In-game, marriage was not between two people, but among four — two morning and two evening people, who mated for life."
Other larps have attempted to bridge the divide with experimental and participatory theatre, or explore situations originally presented in literature — there was a larp based on de Sade's 120 Days In Sodom, for instance. Even the mechanics of play are not sacred, with a considerable degree of experimentation into ways of abstracting character interactions which might be dangerous.
Nordic larp, then, is not easily encapsulated, though there are underlying commonalities. One thing that becomes clear early on is the doctrine of subjectivity: due to the nature of the larp experience, it is impossible to report on what a game was like from any perspective other than one's own. As such, post-game papers and reports tend to focus on design and theory rather than assessments of success or failure, or attempts to reproduce the narrative on the page; as Dave Wesley discovered with the earliest runs of Braunstein, a game might be a complete flop in the eyes of its designers while the players are having the time of their lives.
This was the experience of the gamewrights behind Valokaari, a near-future war scenario; they failed to engineer the expectations of the players — failed to assert the genre and tropes of the game before it began, if you like — and lost control of the narrative as they'd planned it. The players had a blast, however, and with the breezy insight that seems typical to Nordic gamewrights, this was viewed as a valuable lesson rather than a waste of time:
"[E]nvision you are running an Ally McBeal larp and then realize your players have chosen to play it like Law & Order. The subject matter of 'law' remains, but emphasis is very different," explains J. Tuomas Harviainen in an essay about the game Valokaari for the anthology States of Play: Nordic Larp Around the World.
Larp as Art
It seems to me that almost all artforms undergo an developmental curve which starts in pure entertainment and/or escapism before arching upward (or downward, depending on one's position relative to the axes) as the canon, loaming beneath its own accreted density, becomes an ecosystem able to support theorists, metacritical practices and experimental methodologies.
A similar curve is reiterated in microcosm within art genres: witness, for example, the slow development of science fiction from pulpy romps for Competent Men to its current status, that of a genre with its own canon, critical vocabulary and — perhaps most importantly — its own vanguards of theory and praxis.
It is important to note, however, that the pulpy end of the genre has not only survived but remained largely dominant in terms of sales, and also indirectly supports the avant-garde by providing an economic base for the industry: as regrettable as the posthumous eking out of Robert Jordan's bloated Wheel Of Time series may seem to those of us who have read widely enough to recognise it as derivative, its gangbuster sales figures allow Tor to continue taking chances on new or lesser-known writers, some of whom may be pushing the form to new places.
Although that economic connection doesn't pertain (or so I assume), the development of 'literary' and avant-garde praxis and theory within science fiction and fantasy provides a useful analogy for the development of Nordic larp.
The academics, artists and players of the Nordic scene refer to more generic games as 'mainstream' larp, reserving the 'Nordic' soubriquet for their own experiments with the form. Implicit here is the claim that their Nordic larp is capital-letter Art, while the other stuff — as Capote is alleged to have said of Kerouac's work — is "just typing".
(One might compare and contrast this reframing with sf's snooty dismissal of mimetic fiction as 'mainstream' or 'mundane'... and, indeed, with the sf avant-garde's dismissal of the popular mass of push-button tropes and cliches which lurks beneath the bell-curve as 'skiffy' or 'pulp'.)
Pulp vs. lit
"The Nordic scene is proof that fun is not a necessary or essential component of larp, proof that the hobby can sustain high-art aspirations." —Lizzie Stark
In the course of her investigations, Stark has played a variety of larps, from big-business Stateside boffers like Knight Realms to mind-bending art-school Nordic oddities. I was curious to know whether the characters she'd played were persistent, lingering in the mind long after the game was done, or whether it was more of an episodic shrugging on and off of character-as-costume, something more like the experience of a bit-part actor.
For Stark, larp is predominantly "a mode of personal discovery, a way of investigating my own psyche; the character I play is an internal manifestation of my own personality". This ties in with the literary outlook of her own academic background, perhaps; what Stark enjoys about larp is that hard-to-define "art experience", the kick of inner enlightenment she recalls first encountering while reading Woolf's The Waves: "it was like [Woolf] was explaining things about me to myself".
Not everyone plays this way, though. Boffer players tend toward a 'compartmentalised' approach to character, wherein the disconnect between the player's identity and the character's is more pronounced. In Leaving Mundania, Stark discusses a handful of larpers who deliberately step into personalities very different to their own when playing. For some, this is perhaps for the thrill of being able to commit illicit acts in a space where the consequences of those acts won't cause any real harm, much like a computerised war sim; still others seem to use their characters as a safe space in which to come to terms with traumatic experiences from their real lives, to walk in the shoes of others for a little while.
Given Stark's background, her metaphor — that boffer is to Nordic larp what genre fiction is to literature — makes a certain rough'n'ready sense. But the distinction is a little invidious: 'literature' is a moving target, after all, and there is a spectrum of literariness within almost every genre of any maturity.
Hence I'd modify Stark's terminology by swapping out 'genre' for 'pulp'; the latter, I feel, more fairly captures the exuberant disregard for high-art values and favouring of escapism and fun which characterise both boffer larp and popular/populist genre fiction, and makes of larp's various forms a contiguous spectrum rather than a binary split.
The highly influential larp Mellan himmel och hav, for instance, has all the hallmarks of science fiction's more literary aspirations — unsurprising, given it drew on the works of Ursula K Le Guin, who is many things, but no writer of pulp. The commercially successful Stateside boffer campaign Knight Realms, by contrast, is pure pulp adventure: a cosplay theme park that convenes periodically to embody the generic Extruded Fantasy Product familiar from Terry Brooks's interminable Shannara franchise.
We can turn to literary criticism for a yet more useful analogy. E M Forster's Aspects of the Novel was a core text of the modernist literary project, and while much of what it proclaimed as duty is now questioned as dogma, it contains some distinctions that remain useful. The one that applies here is the 'flat character'/'rounded character' dichotomy: flat characters are predominantly defined by a single trait, which makes them "memorable, predictable and pure" [Koch 2003, p95], while round characters have a "want or need that makes them capable of change" [ibid, p96].
The flat character is a staple of the sitcom, the episodic serial: "[s]ince they are incapable of change, flat characters can go on and on and on, having an endless sequence of adventures." [ibid, p95] The round character is, at least in part, one of the concepts hiding behind the shibboleth of literature; their changes of nature as they progress through the story are what critics mean when they talk about 'character-driven' fiction.
Forster's dichotomy is often framed as a value judgement (round = literature = Nordic = good; flat = genre = boffer = bad), but that judgement inheres more within the critical canon than Forster's original formulation. If we think of flatness and roundness as different narrative strategies, the split becomes complementary instead of antagonistic: flat characters are ideal to escape into, avatars for enjoyable fictional journeys wherein the exterior is privileged and foregrounded; rounded characters, by contrast, focus the narrative on the interior, forcing the reader to engage with events at a more personal level, privileging philosophy and contemplation over escapism and fun.
Despite favouring the elitist aesthetic a literature over the rompy fun of pulp, I don't believe either is inherently better than the other; they are too different to bear the weight of that comparison, as are their larp equivalents
But in the next instalment, I'll argue that Nordic larp has a socially disruptive potential that makes it the more interesting end of the scene, while marking it as both an artform native to contemporary network culture and a new experimental praxis in narrative theory...
gameslarpDungeons & DragonsA (very) Brief History of Larp
Medard Gabel Sept. 26 2012 15:41Reply
The most successful "larp" I would suggest was/is the World Game– a role playing global simulation that put people in charge of the world. It took place on top of a giant map of the world (the size of a basketball court). 100 people would go out onto the map, each playing the role of 1% of humanity, each located where that 1% was located in the real world. Other players would have the role of the UN, World Bank, UNESCO, the media, etc. The game ran for 3 to 4 hours. The game was inspired by and based on the work of Buckminster Fuller, who was active in its development, and for whom I worked (on the World Game and other projects) for 12 years.
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03.29.2018 Sports
Girls Track and Field Preview: Lee’s final season for SWR
The Shoreham-Wading River High School girls track and field team has a lot of individual talent, although coach Paul Koretzki isn’t necessarily certain how that will add up in dual meets.
“We’re not going to be very strong in the league as a team, but the team is getting better,” he said. “I don’t really know where it’s going. We’re not going to be a power. We will score well in the divisions because that’s the kind of team we are.”
The incomparable Katherine Lee, coming off outstanding cross country and winter seasons, will make her final runs for the Wildcats (4-1), who compete in Suffolk County League VI, although Koretzki wasn’t certain what races the Georgetown-bound senior will run.
“We don’t know what she’s going to do,” he said. “She’s got quite a range from the quarter-mile to 3,000.
“She’s just the best runner Suffolk County ever had. She has the record in the winter, the 1,000, 1,500, the mile, the 3,000. She has the fastest cross-country time ever for a Suffolk girl at Sunken Meadow. And we expect her to add on to that this spring.”
Training could be a challenge. Last year the Wildcats had five outstanding long-distance runners. This year they have two.
“She has been sort of isolated this year,” Koretzki said. “We’ve had her training with the boys.”
Junior Alexandra Smith is the other top-flight long-distance runner. She has run the seventh-fastest 3,000 in school history.
Junior Alicia Lopez has run the fifth-fastest 100 and third-fastest 200 in school history.
Other key returnees are juniors Danielle Ohrtman (triple jump) and Julia DeGolyer (pentathlon, 100-meter high hurdles).
Shoreham also has promising freshmen in Olivia DesRoches and Sarah Kruzynski, who will compete in the 100, 200 and long jump.
“We’ve got a lot of young athletes,” Koretzki said. “We expect some surprises to come up.”
Riverhead (1-5) is young and deep with a roster bursting at 64 athletes.
Coach Maria Dounelis said the Blue Waves have only three seniors on a team that has 70 percent freshman and sophomores. “We have a lot of youth,” she said. “It will be interesting how our season pans out.”
Sophomore Christina Yakaboski is Riverhead’s most versatile runner. She can run anything from the 400 through 3,000. Yakaboski finished 10th in the county last year in the 1,500 (4 minutes, 47.04 seconds) and the 3,000 (10:36.91).
“She finished her winter season pretty well,” Dounelis said. “Her whole focus has changed. It will be fun to watch her progress.”
Dounelis had similar sentiments about sophomore Kristina Deraveniere (400, 800, 1,500, relays).
Freshman Madison Stromski, who ran as an eighth-grader, is slated for the 1,500 and 3,000. Senior Olivia Pizzuto, whom Dounelis calls “a mother hen” for the younger athletes, is another long-distance runner.
The other seniors are race walker Josie Manucha and Nia Johnson, a team captain whose specialties are the 100, 200 and long jump.
Sophomore Miasha Pittman (12.74 in the 100, 26.34 in the 200) can long jump and is slated to anchor the 4 x 100-meter relay. “She gets the baton, she’s going to fight,” Dounelis said. “She’s got that competitiveness.”
The Blue Waves are blessed with sprinters, including junior Eve Pittman, freshmen Egypt Dozier and Liz Dowd and eighth-grader Emani Womack.
Juniors Lilly Whitehead and Taylor Albinski are expected to be the top hurdlers while sophomores Alex Confort and Eva Cosby and freshman Linda Pomiranceva could push them.
Riverhead is also deep in the field events with junior Morgan Fritscher in the pole vault and sophomores Gabraiyle Blum, Aleeyah George and sophomore Katie Moore and junior Hannah Crump in the shot put and discus.
In a rather unusual combination, junior Julia Divan has become proficient in the high jump (4 feet, 10 inches) and pole vault (8-0). “It’s clearly an interesting combination,” Dounelis said. “She likes to throw herself in the air.”
Sophomores Stephanie Berkeley, Julia Babicz and Kellia Daniel will compete in the high jump.
Coach Brian Manghan hopes that Bishop McGann-Mercy’s final track season will be a memorable one for the Monarchs (5-1), League VIII runners-up to Mattituck last year. “We’ll be competitive,” he said.
Manghan hopes senior Olivia Kneski, a three-sport standout (basketball and soccer) who will run the 400, will qualify for the state meet.
“She just gives 100 percent,” he said. “Talent only takes you so far. Her work ethic really impresses you.”
Freshman Lola Anderson and sophomore Grace Hayes will be the two key runners in the 1,500 and 300 while senior Sarah Dern is the top hurdler. In the sprints, sophomore Deanna Kelly and Amanda Mannino are the cornerstones of the 100, 200 and the 4 x 100 relay. Junior Hanna Schlosberg will run the 200.
Photo caption: Shoreham-Wading River senior Katherine Lee is “the best runner Suffolk County ever had,” said coach Paul Koretzki. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk, file)
Michael Lewis is a freelance sports writer.
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Girls Track and Field: An emotion-packed farewell for Cobis
With so much going on over the course of the actual track and field meet, Justin Cobis didn’t have...
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All a coach ever wants from his or her team is to play hard, even in difficult circumstances. Winning,...
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Riverhead youth football player to participate in national tournament in Atlanta
A youth football player from Riverhead will get the unique opportunity to participate in an All-American youth football tournament...
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RNHA Florida Endorses Christian Acosta for Congressional District 21
Home › Endorsements › RNHA Florida Endorses Christian Acosta for Congressional District 21
September 3, 2019 No Comments » Endorsements, News RNHA Endorsement
The Republican National Hispanic Assembly Florida is proud to endorse Christian Acosta for the office of Congressman for Congressional District 21. Christian has always had a keen interest in the science and decided in college to pursue advanced degrees in Nuclear Engineering and Management at the University of Florida.
After graduating, Christian moved to Pittsburgh to work as an engineer for the Westinghouse Electric Company. During his time at Westinghouse, he worked with international and multidisciplinary teams in the United States and abroad to successfully design, build, and install multi-million dollar technical solutions for clients. He is bilingual, which allowed him to lead teams in Spain and Mexico. Acosta later joined Ansaldo STS and focused on railroad technology and public safety. There, he led teams to design and install technical solutions to infrastructure damage in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in New York City. After 12 years, in the engineering field he returned to Florida and became an adjunct professor at Palm Beach State College.
Christian Acosta has dedicated his career to using technology to ensure public safety. He has proven track record and a love for the American People. He has dedicated his life to using technology to improve public safety. Join the RNHA in voting for Christian Acosta for Congress, you will not find a more qualified candidate to protect your rights.
BienvenidoChristian AcostaFloridaLEXITRepublican National Hispanic AssemblyRNHA
RNHA Endorsement
The Eagle and the Condor: Venezuela’s Dictator and His Globalist Godfathers at the UN March 26, 2018
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What You Need To Know | The United States Has Brought the Terrorist Leader Qassem Soleimani to Justice March 26, 2018
The First Lady Melania Trump Spends Her Holiday Time with Children March 26, 2018
The RNHA Endorses Tony Gonzales for Congressman of Texas’23rd Congressional District March 26, 2018
Anna Paulina Luna – A Conservative Christian Fighting for Florida’s 13th Congressional District Seat March 26, 2018
President Trump Prioritizes the American People Amid Impeachment March 26, 2018
An Interview with Duke Machado on the Delegate Initiative March 26, 2018
The “Tom Thumb of America” Awakes! March 26, 2018
California’s Explicit School XXX Education bill AB-329 March 26, 2018
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Flashback Series #4: Freerider – The Forgotten First Flash of El Cap
By Mark Anderson Every so often somebody asks me for beta on Freerider. Freerider is a ~35-pitch ~5.12d free route up the Southwest Face of the world’s premier granite wall: El Capitan in Yosemite. Mike and I climbed Freerider in Team Redpoint* style in May 2004, making the 9th ascent of the route and becoming…
December 10, 2018 in Planning, Spray.
Extend Your Performance Peak with a Micro-Cycle
By Mark Anderson You may recall from this post that I had an abnormally long and successful Fall 2016 climbing season. Typically after I send a hard project I take along break from climbing, but I sent my season goal-route (Shadowboxing) so early in the Fall 2016 season that I was still stoked to continue working (and…
August 15, 2017 in Planning, Power, Power Endurance, Strength, Training.
40 Climbing Lessons
by Mark Anderson A few years ago Steve Bechtel gave me an article called “40 Years of Insight” by strength Coach Dan John. The article is a list of 40 lessons Dan learned in his 40 years of coaching strength athletes. I liked it so much, I keep it on my nightstand and re-read it…
May 5, 2017 in Motivation, Performance, Planning, Training.
Training for 9a – Part III
By Mark Anderson This is the final installment in a multi-part series about my training for Shadowboxing. For the first installment click here. Wolfgang Gullich famously exclaimed “climbing is so complex!” after a winter of hard training failed to yield the desired results. Many factors need to come together simultaneously to complete a route truly…
February 7, 2017 in Planning, Power, Power Endurance, Spray, Strength.
Training For 9a — Part II
By Mark Anderson This is the third installment in a multi-part series about my training for Shadowboxing. For the first installment click here. For the second installment click here. Visualization is an important part of any hard ascent, but the picture in our mind is often overly idealized. We imagine everything going flawlessly—executing the sequence…
January 12, 2017 in Performance, Planning, Power, Power Endurance, Spray.
Training For 9a – Part I
By Mark Anderson This is the second installment in a 4-part series. The first installment can be found here. By the end of the Fall 2015 climbing season, I was consistently 2-hanging the route, and while my hang points were converging, the rate of improvement was glacial. Clearly I needed to reach another plane of…
December 7, 2016 in Planning, Power Endurance, Spray.
Training for 9a – Preface
by Mark Anderson This is the first in a multi-part series about how I prepared and trained for my ascent of Shadowboxing in Rifle Colorado. For background on the route and details of my ascent, please read here. The decision to embark on a multi-season redpoint campaign should not be taken lightly. It’s a huge…
November 15, 2016 in Motivation, Planning, Spray.
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Personal files
Kurbatov
Yurievich Rakishev
Kenes
Hamitovich Babich
Viktorovich Fridman
Maratovich Rybolovlev
Evgenevich Prokhorov
Dmitrievich Timchenko
Gennadiy
Nikolaevich Schukin
Phillipovich Kobzon
Davydovich Yumasheva
Borisovna
Dubinin Mikhail Vladimirovich
1992-1993 deputy director-general of Internet Customer Service, one of the first companies owned by Wimm-Bill-Dann group.
1993-1994 director-general of UT Center limited liability company
1994-1995 executive director of JSC Juices and Soft Drinks Production research and production enterprise.
1995-1996 president of Wimm-Bill-Dann Trade Company JSC
1996-1997 consultant of Wimm-Bill-Dann Trade Company JSC
1997-1998 deputy director of economic activity of Lianozovsky Dairy Plant
1998-2002 deputy director-general of Wimm-Bill-Dann Industrial and Commercial Group of Companies
Mikhail Dubinin is a board member of several companies that do not belong to WBD Group. These companies are Istrinskiye ruchyi LLC, Nadezhny Fundament LLC, C-Trading LLC, Cliff-Real Estate LLC and Benelux Residence non-profit partnership.
Source: OJSC Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods
In 1992 Mikhail Dubinin and Sergei Plastinin, 20-year-old demobbed soldiers, implemented a simple, but extremely productive idea. They rented a bottling line, bought juice concentrates and started juice box production. Naturally, they needed money and “protectors”. The duo was lucky to get support of David Yakobashvili who at that time was a big shot of young Russian business. Dubinin and Plastinin managed to get on the idea $ 50,000 credit from Sberbank.
Soon the number of both founding-fathers and shareholders of the new company rose up to ten. Gavriil Yushvaev, better known as Garik Makhachkala, was the last to join the ''juicy'' company. He had small business experience since up to 1989 Makhachkala was in prison where he did 9 years for robbery.
Source: Vslukh.Ru, 1 June, 2004
On July 2003 Alexander Orlov and Mikhail Dubinin bought a land plot at Novorizhskoye highway. Along with the owner of Magistral company they announced construction of Benelux Residence, the cottage settlement of 260 houses.
In mid-June of the same year it was reported that in the Moscow suburbs, approximately at the17-20 km of Novorizhskoye highway, closed residential complex was being constructed in strict secrecy. Presidents of Russia were supposed to reside there after resignation.
Having compared two information pieces, media concluded that in both cases the same project was at issue, the one implemented by Wimm-Bill-Dann top managers. Reports as well speculated that Boris Yeltsin could leave his Barvikha residence for the new apartment. Vladimir Putin was supposed to join him in 2008 when his second presidency would be over.
Source: Novy Region-2, 25 June, 2003
Dubinin sold 4% stake in WBD for carrying out Benelux Residence project. From architectural point of view each "residence" was Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg in miniature. But even wonderful art of building did not facilitate selling the houses straight off. Benelux construction lasted for more than 5 years while the houses were not sold. Benelux Residence sales were obviously stuck. To give a new impetus to the pestering project realtors came up with different tricks. For example, Usadba agency sold Benelux under the name of European Village.
When Dubinin realized that it would not be easy to sell 260 houses, he suggested selling only the land occupied by the settlement. Realtors immediately classified the settlement as uncompleted construction project.
Source: Vedomosti, 16 June, 2008
Establishment of Agent 002 real estate agency was the most controversial event of 2005 on the housing market. Its real estate services cost only 2% that was at least two times less than average market price. Market participants saw new price conditions as dumping attempt. Board members of the new agency were founder of the Independent Mortgage Bureau Mikhail Dubinin, Brunswick Capital Ltd CEO Christopher Mackenzie and business owner Pavel Dudnikov, up to 2000 a board member of Wimm-Bill-Dann. The project was invested about $ 1.5 million.
Despite dynamic market analysis Dubinin's companies, however, were not entirely prepared for the crisis. On October 2008 Agent 002 suspended its functioning indefinitely. Agency management explained that number of the deals was reduced while the agency was given more time for exposing apartments. Some employees joined DOKI company that was ready to take on all the brokers, including the shadow ones. Moreover, new staff was offered 75% of service pays. Experts claimed it to be another example of marketing developed by Dubinin's team. On February 2009 Agent 002 was back to the market and Dubinin carried on making up new marketing moves.
Source: Buffett.ru, 11 March, 2010
In 2008 Mikhail Dubinin invested large Internet real estate project. Website gdeetotdom.ru contained large photo database of houses located in different cities of Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Setting up the database cost over a million dollars. The website was to expected to attract real estate agents, developers and users who needed an accommodation. Experts estimated website development investments at 50-70 thousand dollars while during the first year over 500 thousand dollars were spent on servers and rental channels.
Experts claimed that the Mikhail Dubinin's experiments on real estate market did not look like serious investment projects. They were evidently unprofitable and mostly could be classified as a hobby.
Source: Kommersant, 14 February, 2008
In 2011 gdeetotdom.ru project was announced to have parted with its director-general Ruben Akopov who headed the starting project in 2008.
Market experts claimed that Akopov had gone since he had ceased to believe in the success of the project. The project was initially overestimated at its goals and investment profits. Experts also stated that management was likely to be the major problem of the project.
Source: Roem.ru, 5 August, 2011
© Русский Телеграфъ - 2020
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Home Arts & Leisure Literature Page 6
So, What’s In The Trunk?
Annette Hinkle - January 8, 2020
The Art of Writing Explored at Conference
The Ghosts Of Christmas Will Descend at the Old Whalers Church
Meet the Amazing Eugene Bullard
A Pianist’s Story: Taking Life in Stride
Literature Joan Baum - April 18, 2018
The book is about Judy Carmichael’s engaging account of her professional and personal life as a Grammy-nominated Steinway artist doing swing and stride.
Writers Speak Wednesdays Wraps Up Guest Speakers
Literature Michelle Trauring - April 17, 2018
Melissa Febos and Alex Gilvarry will be the final guest authors in the spring Writers Speak Wednesdays series on April 25 at 7 p.m. at Stony Brook Southampton.
More Than Just a Fisherman’s Wife
Over the past 30 years, there is one common thread through much of Stephanie Villani’s life: the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket.
THAW Fest Unites East End Arts World
Literature Rachel Bosworth - March 21, 2018
Hamptons Art Network’s 19 member organizations are teaming up for this weekend’s THAW Fest to bring a cultural awareness that transcends the luxurious lifestyle often associated with the Hamptons.
Bits & Banter: Cornelia Foss, Jericho Brown, Uganda Fundraising, PechaKucha!
Literature Michelle Trauring - March 14, 2018
Poet Jericho Brown will be the next guest in the spring Writers Speak Wednesdays series of free author talks and readings on Wednesday, March 21, at 7 p.m. at Chancellors Hall at Stony Brook Southampton.
Writers Speak is on the Road to Sag Harbor
Literature Kathryn G. Menu - February 27, 2018
Five writers connected to the MFA in Creative Writing at Stony Brook Southampton are taking the popular Writers Speak program on the road this week.
African-American Read-In at Canio’s on Saturday
Literature Michelle Trauring - February 14, 2018
Kathryn Szoka — co-owner of Canio’s Books in Sag Harbor — joined forces with the John Jermain Memorial Library to bring attention to all-too-often overlooked African-American authors by hosting a “read-in” during Black History Month.
Stony Brook Southampton Keeping Up With The Curve
In the past five years, the number of podcasts has more than tripled to over 300,000. And with them come more listeners, more fans and a growing need for editors, writers and producers.
A Conversation With Lou Ann Walker
Literature Christine Sampson - November 20, 2017
In its new edition, The Southampton Review scored a major first: One of its essays, “Taut Rhythmic Surfaces” by George Saunders, has won a Pushcart Prize.
Kozatch Takes Readers “Off the East End”
Literature Kathryn G. Menu - November 8, 2017
“Off the East End” is an earnest book, and it’s obvious that the author has a commitment to the people he writes about.
Creating a Story with a Bestselling Author in Sag Harbor
Literature Christine Sampson - October 23, 2017
To the approximately 300 kids at the assembly, bestselling author James Hannibal asked, “Who likes to write stories?” About half of them raised their hands.
Billy Baldwin Pens Inspirational Children’s Book
The Sag Harbor children’s author loves creation and storytelling, and says it’s worth every bit of grammar work and writing to achieve his goals.
Writers Speak Up At Stony Brook Southampton
Literature Gavin Menu - September 25, 2017
The East End is, unarguably, a watering hole for some of the greatest minds in the world — though not many of them are...
A Whale Of A Time: “O’er the Wide and Tractless Sea”
If anyone knows that a picture says 1,000 words, it’s Michael P. Dyer.
Review: ‘A Delicate Balance’ Visits the Deepest Fears of Dysfunctional America
Arts & Leisure Annette Hinkle - January 15, 2020
So, what are the fears that keep you up at night? Edward Albee's play "A Delicate Balance" explores the inner-workings of dysfunctional America and the actors of Center Stage at Southampton Cultural Center are presenting the play now through January 26.
Bluegrass Buskers Find their Stage at Sylvester Manor’s Concert Series
Arts & Leisure Michelle Trauring - January 15, 2020
In their earliest incarnation, Damn Tall Buildings didn’t rehearse. They busked. The four musicians, who met at Berklee College of Music, convened at their favorite street corner and jammed for hours on old bluegrass songs. On January 18, Damn Tall Buildings kicks off the 2020 Sylvester Manor concert series with a performance at Shelter Island High school.
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Search University of Calgary Special Collections
Fonds F0181 - Violet Archer fonds.
Violet Archer fonds.
[before 1940]-2000 (Creation)
0.525 m of textual records.
Archer, Violet
Canadian composer, pianist, organist and educator Violet Archer, née Balestreri, was born in Montreal, Quebec, on April 24, 1913 and died in Ottawa, Ontario, on 21 February 2000. Biographical information is available in Encyclopedia of music in Canada. 2nd ed., pp. 35-37 or online. Not noted in encyclopedia entry is Violet Archer's service to Western Board of Music ([ca. 1965-1968]) for which there are related records in this fonds. Violet Archer - among possible other duties - drafted harmony exercises for Western Board of Music exams.
University of Calgary Special Collections
Four additional small accessions contain material relating to Violet Archer. MsC 268 consists of sixty-eight letters (1965 May 25 - 1988 May 26) from V. Archer to Vernon Murgatroyd. Donated by Canadian Music Centre, Prairie Region, in 2000. MsC 269 consists of eighteen letters (1963 June 16-1989 March 14) from V. Archer to Neil K. Moran, composition "Weepe O Mine Eyes" by N.K. Moran and concert program of performance. Donated by University of Toronto Music Library in 2000. MsC 270 consists of three letters (2000 March 13-2000 April 15) between Suzanne Summerville and various persons regarding V. Archer and "Frisch Gesungen", poem by Adelbert van Chamisso, music by Emma Lou Diemer, dedicated to the memory of Violet Archer. Donated by Suzanne Summerville via the Canadian Music Centre, Prairie Region in 2000. MsC 282 consists of fifteen letters (1986 June 15 - 1999 February 3) from Violet Archer to Suzanne Summerville; fragment of a letter from V. Archer to an unidentified recipient; letters between S. Summerville and René Lavoie, Canada Council, and John Abram relating to compositions by V. Archer; copies of two articles relating to compositions by V. Archer; and text of five poems by Lisa Harbo. Donated by Suzanne Summerville via the Canadian Music Centre, Prairie Region in 2000. Accession 793/05.14 consists of correspondence, tributes to V. Archer, programs of performances of her music, newspaper articles and reviews, contracts and related documents, musical scores by V. Archer and by her student Ron Hannah. Donated by Roberta Stephen, Alberta Keys Music Publishing Co. Ltd., in 2005.
Fonds consists of manuscript scores, ranging from rough drafts and fragments to full scores, of instrumental, orchestral, choral and vocal works; harmony exercises; biographical material; and programs and promotional material for concerts featuring V. Archer's works. MsC 303 donated by V. Archer in 1990.
No restrictions on access.
Text in English.
File-level finding aids available except for Accession 793/05.14.
Additional archival material located at University of Alberta Archives and National Archives of Canada.
Title based on contents of the fonds.
ckey
Archer, Violet (Creator)
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Bank of America’s CEO has one simple reason why he doesn’t see a recession looming
By Mark DeCambre
Published: Aug 24, 2019 10:01 a.m. ET
Moynihan says the ‘U.S. consumer continues to spend and that will keep the U.S. economy in good shape.’
Brian Moynihan, chief executive officer of Bank of America Corp.
MarkDeCambre
Bank of America Corp.’s CEO Brian Moynihan says he doesn’t see a recession in the offing because the U.S. consumer remains healthy.
‘But what’s going to make that happen is the underling U.S. consumer. And the underlying consumer is doing well and making more money, they're employed; and more importantly, they are spending more money.’
Brian Moynihan, Bank of America CEO
The Wall Street chieftain’s comments, which aired on CNBC on Wednesday, come as investors have been fretting about the health of the U.S. economy with the Trump administration has been locked in a yearlong battle with China over trade policy.
The dispute, centered on import duties, has raised the chances that a recession could grip the domestic economy soon, elevating anxieties in financial markets. However, Moynihan said that a yield-curve inversion, which occurred briefly last Wednesday between the closely watched yields for the shorter-dated and longer-dated government bonds, doesn’t necessarily signify that a recession is imminent.
The U.S. 2-year Treasury note yield TMUBMUSD02Y, +0.00% briefly traded above the 10-year Treasury note yield TMUBMUSD10Y, +0.00% for the first time in over a decade (and it occurred briefly on Wednesday), a condition that has preceded the last seven recessions.
“Look, when the yield curve moved around the pundit-ocracy got going, saying, ‘Here, this means a recessions coming,’” Moynihan told CNBC.
However, the bank boss said this time the recessionary gauge may be influenced by a global market swirling in some $15 trillion in negative interest rates.
Check out: After the yield curve inverts — here’s how the stock market tends to perform since 1978
“But if you actually think about it, there could be two reasons that the yield curve is moving around and you’re seeing that debate take hold,” he said.
“Which in part is the flight to quality. 80 - 90% of all the yield in the world is available in the United States. So, the money comes flying here because you’re gonna give your money to someone — a thousand dollars — and they give you back less in 10 years ? Or you’re gonna give your money to someone — a thousand dollars — and they give you back more in 10 years?. And so, that’s why there’s a great debate about that,” the Bank of America CEO said.
Moynihan said the debate about the U.S. economy’s trajectory comes down to the consumer.
“And so in our customer base through this time Aug. 15 year to date, you’ve seen the amount spent by American consumers at Bank of America: $2 trillion,” he said.
“It’s up 5.9% from last year through the same period of time. So, in [2017-18] you’re up about 8.5% and 2018-19 up 5.9%. So, think about that as $120 billion more spending by our consumers this year versus last year, which means the U.S. consumer continues to spend and that will keep the U.S. economy in good shape,” Moynihan explained.
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, consumer spending makes up 68% of the U.S. economic activity.
Moynihan’s sanguine view of the consumer also comes as the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.17%, the S&P 500 index SPX, +0.39% and the Nasdaq Composite COMP, +0.34% were enjoying a brisk run-up on Wednesday at least partly on the back of upbeat earnings from retailers Target Corp. TGT, +0.52% and Lowe’s Cos. LOW, +2.59%, viewed as a further indication of the health of consumers.
Check out the nearly 14-minute CNBC interview below:
Mark DeCambre
Mark DeCambre is MarketWatch's markets editor. He is based in New York. Follow him on Twitter @mdecambre.
TMUBMUSD02Y
U.S. 2 Year Treasury Note Tullett Prebon: TMUBMUSD02Y
Open 1.56%
High 1.56%
Low 1.56%
U.S. 10 Year Treasury Note Tullett Prebon: TMUBMUSD10Y
Dow Jones Industrial Average Dow Jones Global: DJIA
Volume 336.9M
Open 29,313
High 29,374
Low 29,290
S&P 500 Index S&P US: SPX
Volume 2.1B
NASDAQ Composite Index U.S.: Nasdaq: COMP
Target Corp. U.S.: NYSE: TGT
Lowe's Cos. U.S.: NYSE: LOW
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The hijacking of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay
By Edwin Heathcote
The hijacking of this year’s Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh by entertainment outfit Underbelly has ruffled kilts. Residents were told they needed tickets to have guests at their own New Year celebrations as the city centre was transformed by a London-based events company into a huge commercial space.
This was an extreme version of takeovers elsewhere: London’s riverside, privatised for a ticketed firework display; its parks and urban squares overrun with mega-gigs, tents, festivals and fashion shows.
Some cities have been made almost uninhabitable by a radical transformation from metropolis to “spectapolis”. Barcelona, once probably Europe’s most liveable and enjoyable city, has attempted to find ways of countering its status as city-break central, with locals priced out of apartments by short-let landlords and narrow medieval streets impassable. Venice is stymieing preservation measures with corruption and still embracing the mass tourism that threatens it. Locals in Prague, Budapest, Lisbon and Vienna bemoan the rapid change as historic cafés and bars, once home to writers and intellectuals, are overrun with selfie-snapping tourists. Familiar haunts have become hashtags.
The crisis lies in the conflict between the desire for tourist income and residents’ resistance to change. Who are cities for if not citizens?
This change was foreshadowed by French flâneur and situationist Guy Debord. “In societies dominated by modern conditions of production,” he wrote in 1967’s The Society of the Spectacle: “Life is presented as an immense accumulation of spectacles. Everything that was directly lived has receded into representation.”
Debord was attempting to reimagine the streets of Paris as civic spaces incapable of being co-opted by capital, places of imagination and freedom. A year later, the 1968 protesters declared: “sous les pavés, la plage!”, referring to the beach sand beneath the granite cobbles. The idea was that the city is a public paradise waiting to be discovered. (The stones were lifted and hurled at the police, but that’s Paris).
Cities that were once self-sufficient within their locales, each with a series of specialised industries, craft, culinary and retail traditions, have succumbed to a globalisation which homogenised their shopping streets and put them on the tourist itinerary. Increasingly, they rely on that tourism, ensuring ever greater degradation of exactly the things that made them unique. As Debord wrote, we end up with “the opportunity to go and see what has been banalised.”
In the experience economy, global cities are interchangeable. So the events that take place in them assume greater importance: Edinburgh’s Hogmanay; the Venice, London and Rio carnivals; the ubiquitous Christmas markets that make everywhere a simulacrum of a second-tier German city.
Meanwhile, the sublime is commodified: Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, the “Mona Lisa”, the Trevi Fountain and so on. Big, ugly signs spell out their names, locating weekend trippers in their Instagram feeds in case they forget. The city becomes a stage set for a certain kind of self-affirmation.
If cities reimagine themselves as global brands to attract tourism, they deserve what they get. A city is not a brand. And while we bemoan the pressure of mass tourism and the creeping privatisation of public space, we are complicit. There is talk of tourist pricing and gated entry to Venice: might the most beautiful cities become museums with admission charges? Might the city, once the epitome of inclusion, become exclusionary?
New York, we should note, does not allow the commercialisation of public spaces. Only free events can be mounted. We need to guard all our urban centres against erosion of the public, whether that is the homeless excluded by steel spikes or the new enclosure of the commons, epitomised in Edinburgh last week. Otherwise we will carelessly lose what makes the city our greatest achievement.
The writer is the FT’s architecture critic
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Happy New Year and all the best for 2020!
That’s a wrap for 2019 have a fab festive period and we’ll see you all in 2020! pic.twitte…
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Alumni News Rally ’Round the Cannon: Remembering Auld Acquaintances
By Gregg Lange ’70
Published online November 27, 2019
Farewell World War I, hail the poet
“The co-existence of fiery passion and exquisite tenderness in a single character is a fact of human nature which did not escape the observation of Shakespeare.”
— Alfred Noyes
It is our custom here in December each year, when thoughts drift to reminiscence and so often lead to the wine cellar, to put forward a somewhat lighter spin on Princeton’s history to harmonize with that nice bottle of port you’ve been saving to keep yourself off Aunt Edna’s naughty list (which tends to otherwise run much longer than Santa’s). As we’ve noted before, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and its sly 20th-century usurper, Jean Shepherd’s A Christmas Story, seem the type of literary canapé to accompany such socially positive efforts, and it’s always a temptation to lean in that direction. But not this year, I think.
Since we examined in June the Victory Reunions of 100 years prior, I’ve had the end of World War I stuck in my mind. This arises from an amateur historian’s suspicion that, within the United States at least, its lessons may be doomed to fade just as surely as the recollection of that reunion. The Revolutionary War is the alpha, so that’s pretty safe. The American Civil War is so horrendous, repugnant, local, and tied to our national sin on racial issues as to never be far away. World War II is so vast in scope and impact as to serve a useful sketch for World War Last, and I doubt we can suppress that. But the idea of World War I fading to the level of public consciousness of the War of 1812 or the Mexican War or the Spanish-American War seems bizarre.
Fortunately, in considering that, we have the happenstantial help of a British Princetonian, one whose homeland is not yet in danger of that forgetfulness: Alfred Noyes, an acclaimed poet a century ago and a professor of Adlai Stevenson 1922. Stevenson, in 1954, reminded the senior class of the Noyes’ poem “Princeton, May 1917”:
The windows fill with light,
Where Princeton calls to Magdalen, tower to tower,
Twin lanthorns of the law …
Alfred Noyes
Alexander Bassano, via Wikipedia
You, the curious internationalist, may well be wondering what an acclaimed 40-year-old British poet was doing in New Jersey during a total mobilization at home. So, some backstory. Noyes was a poet early on, to the exclusion of almost all else (except maybe rowing), and in fact missed his exams at Oxford to meet with his publisher, so he technically had no degree. His Wordsworthian romantic poem “The Highwayman,” written in 1906 when he was but 26, put him on the map and is still one of the most famous in Britain. Besides that, his early reputation came principally from Drake, a 200-page poem about the sea, finished two years later. In the midst of these romances he married Garnett Daniels, the American daughter of an Army colonel. So in 1913 he took two literary tours with her over here to familiarize himself, and to lecture on peace and disarmament in advance of the potential war; his lengthy anti-war poem The Wine Press was published that year and well-received. He stopped by Princeton and was a hit with both the faculty and students, so was invited back as a visiting lecturer in English literature for one semester a year beginning in 1914, returning to England in the interim. His highly successful split tenure lasted 10 years.
After Garnett died, his visits became haphazard, but he loved the United States and reappeared frequently until he himself died in 1958. And of course this is reflected in Princeton calling to Magdalen in his poem. This exemplum of serendipity will serve us well, for Noyes will this holiday season be both a poignant farewell to World War I and a welcome foreshadowing of great American literary and educational developments of the 20th century.
So it was that on Armistice Day 1918 Noyes was in Britain, and attended a gala charity ball in honor of the Allied victory. Commonplace at the time, this type of event was reflected, for example, in the very first Hercule Poirot short story, The Affair at the Victory Ball, in 1923. But it did not sit well with the pacifist poet, and in 1920 he sought to haunt the public permanently with “The Victory Ball,” a brutal imagining of the war dead observing the frivolity of the living in their name.
Victory! Victory! On with the dance!
Back to the jungle the new beasts prance!
God, how the dead men grin by the wall,
Watching the fun of the Victory Ball.
Thus Noyes’ finest work ushers out our reflections on World War I, although we, as his partygoers, ignore it at our peril.
Meanwhile, back at Princeton each year, Noyes’ tenure coincided with a student explosion in interest in the literary world, although one of those H.G. Wells time-travel plots would be valuable to see which was the cause and which the effect. A short list of his students during the war years is enough to give a sense of the level at which his courses operated: John Peale Bishop 1917, future poet, novelist, and reviewer/essayist for Vanity Fair and The Nation; F. Scott Fitzgerald 1917, who requires scant further introduction; and the forbidding literary critic and public thinker Edmund Wilson 1916, Fitzgerald’s posthumous editor.
In fact, this era resulted in Noyes editing A Book of Princeton Verse from his students in 1916 for Charles Scribner 1875 and Whitney Darrow 1903’s 10-year-old Princeton University Press. Dependably reflecting both the sensibilities of 20-year-olds and the tenor of the times — heavy on martial images, regrettably light on romance, very regrettably heavy on classical Greek allusion — the verse, as Noyes notes in his forward, compares favorably to then-noted Oxford student poetry. Seven poems by Bishop are included, including “The Witch’s Daughter 1692,” an exotic tonal descendant of Noyes’ “Highwayman”; none by Fitzgerald, whether by virtue of reserving his copyrights, or absence from class because of academic struggles, or whatever else is unclear; and four by Wilson, one of which will serve as a little stocking-stuffer to those of us — all of us — who retrospect on our student days in amazement:
Our autumns were unreal with the new:
New men and books we found, new hopes we had
While dismal rains deplored what we might do,
Or sunshine, when the very sun was sad.
Etched towers and pale skies would winter bring;
We thought and questioned, swore to this or that,
Till questions and resolves died out in spring,
Nor vexed the trees which shadowed where we sat.
All pondering, we seldom spoke our thought;
Nor, gazing, often let ourselves be seen,
But, once away, gauged what that talk had taught;
Knew, only then, how great that glimpse had been.
Meanwhile, those theatrical loyalists who may recall that Wilson and Fitzgerald together wrote the 1915 Triangle Show The Evil Eye, will appreciate that Wilson additionally drafted Bishop to play two female roles, amassing more literary talent on one stage than some colleges have in their entire alumni bodies. Eventually, Noyes’ literary impact on Triangle peaked in 1923, when four classmates from 1924 — W.H. Smith, P. Lloyd-Smith, Louis Laflin, and F.H. Davis — adapted his epic poem as Drake’s Drum, regarded for decades as the best book musical the Club ever produced. Smith also wrote for it the second best-known Triangle ballad ever, a fine one for New Year’s Eve:
All the ships that pass in the night, for havens far and lands out of sight,
Like maidens we have known of yore, soon vanish to be seen no more.
They bow and smile, and fade in the darkness, harbingers so bright.
Sail on!
We will meet again all the stately ships that pass us in the night.
But of all Noyes’ students, it may in the end be Stevenson, the practical student politician and managing editor of the Princetonian, who best understands our reflective needs here at year-end. “Princeton 1917,” evoking the mystical nature of the campus in the anti-war spirit of “The Victory Ball,” is actually about George Washington returning to the Princeton battlefield, and leading the dead of both sides, now united in the New World, in prayer.
“Land of our hope, land of the singing stars,
Type of the world to be,
The vision of a world set free from wars
Takes life, takes form from thee;
Where all the jarring nations of this earth,
Beneath the all-blessing sun,
Bring the new music of mankind to birth,
And make the whole world one.”
And those old comrades rise around him there,
Old foemen, side by side,
With eyes like stars upon the brave night air,
And young as when they died,
To hear your bells, O beautiful Princeton towers,
Ring for the world’s release.
They see you piercing like gray swords through flowers,
And smile, from souls at peace.
God bless us, every one.
Rally 'Round the Cannon
From the Archives: Snowfall
Prospect Theater Company: Stage Whisperers
How a group of friends who met at Princeton are holding the stage
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New Books The Princeton Fugitive Slave: The Trials of James Collins Johnson
By Lolita Buckner Inniss ’83
Published in the December 4, 2019 Issue
In 1839, James Collins Johnson fled slavery in Maryland and found work in Princeton as a janitor for the college. Four years later, he was recognized and put on trial under the Fugitive Slave Act, before a white woman bought his freedom. In The Princeton Fugitive Slave (Fordham University Press), Lolita Buckner Inniss ’83 seeks to reevaluate Johnson’s life from beyond the narrow scope of generally positive reflections students had of him during his later years as a worker at the college, using documents to reconstruct a fuller picture of Johnson’s life and the struggles he endured as an escaped slave and black man in Princeton’s very white community.
Read more: Inniss’ 2016 PAW feature about James Collins Johnson
New Books & Media
Authors and artists: Tell us about your latest book, album, or film.
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Changesonebowie (Remastered)
Space Oddity (2015 Remastered Version)
John, I'm Only Dancing (Original Single Version) [2012 Remastered Version]
Changes (2015 Remastered Version)
Ziggy Stardust (2012 Remastered Version)
Suffragette City (2012 Remastered Version)
The Jean Genie (2013 Remastered Version)
Diamond Dogs (2016 Remastered Version)
Rebel Rebel (2016 Remastered Version)
Young Americans (2016 Remastered Version)
Fame (2016 Remastered Version)
Golden Years (2016 Remastered Version)
Discography of David Bowie
The Platinum Collection CD3 David Bowie
Blackstar David Bowie
The Next Day David Bowie
Best of Bowie CD1 David Bowie
Hunky Dory (Remastered 2015) David Bowie
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (40th Anniversary Edition) David Bowie
Nothing Has Changed (The Best Of David Bowie) CD1 David Bowie
The Best Of David Bowie 1969-1974 David Bowie
Legacy (The Very Best Of David Bowie) (Deluxe edition) CD1 David Bowie
David Bowie (Deluxe Edition) CD1 David Bowie
Space Oddity (40Th Anniversary Edition) CD1 David Bowie
Heroes (Remastered 2009) David Bowie
Let's Dance (Vinyl) David Bowie
Space Oddity David Bowie
Aladdin Sane (40Th Anniversary Edition) David Bowie
Young Americans (Reissued 2007) David Bowie
The Man Who Sold the World (Remastered 1990) David Bowie
Low (Remastered 2009) David Bowie
Station to Station (Remastered 2009) David Bowie
The Next Day (Deluxe Edition) David Bowie
Diamond Dogs (Remastered 2009) David Bowie
Scary Monsters (Remastered 2009) David Bowie
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars David Bowie
I Still Do Eric Clapton
Does Led Zeppelin II Train
Super Pet Shop Boys
Complete Music (Deluxe Edition) CD1 New Order
Fallen Angels Bob Dylan
Glass Spider David Bowie
The Next Day Extra CD2 David Bowie
Changestwobowie David Bowie
Let's Dance (Remastered Version) David Bowie
The Ship Brian Eno
Changesbowie David Bowie
Welcome To The Blackout (Live London '78) David Bowie
The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (Remastered) David Bowie
Violator (Remastered 2007) (Vinyl) Depeche Mode
Glastonbury 2000 CD2 David Bowie
Aladdin Sane (30Th Anniversary Edition) CD2 David Bowie
A New Career In A New Town CD10 David Bowie
Sound + Vision (Reissued 2014) CD1 David Bowie
Who Can I Be Now: Recall 2 CD12 David Bowie
Loving The Alien (1983 - 1988) - Dance CD7 David Bowie
Stage (2017) CD2 David Bowie
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Marcus Bondi
Marcus Bondi rope climbing training at Bondi Beach.
He’s got a six pack that would put men half his age to shame, but Marcus Bondi’s buff body isn’t just for show.The Bondi identity also known as plain old Marcus Bottay is 48 and holds several world strength records including the 25, 20 and 5 metre rope climbs, muscle-ups and one-arm chin ups.
Bondi Storm
THE Daily Telegraph’s Rohan Kelly has been recognised for photographic excellence after taking out a top prize in the World Press Photo Foundation awards. Kelly beat thousands of photographers from around the world to win first prize in the Nature category with his ominous photo of an iconic Australian backdrop, Storm Front On Bondi Beach. The haunting shot, taken on the sands of Sydney’s Bondi Beach, captures a cloud tsunami bearing down on a group of sunbathers.
Hugh Bowman
CHAMPION jockey Hugh Bowman was lucky to escape serious injury when Californian Man made a sharp left turn down the straight at Canterbury on Wednesday.
Bowman crashed to the turf inside the final 200m of the Cellarbrations Plate when the heavily backed Californian Man, which was setting our after the leader, ducked out abruptly.
Figure 8 Pool
Bec Reilly and Mitch Howie swimming at the Figure Eight pool, Royal National Park.
Shearing 1
Robbo heads out at first light for another day of shearing at Owens Gap.
IF this was the last time Sydney race fans see Black Caviar, the mare has left a memory to last a lifetime.
More than 23,000 packed Randwick, thousands lined the fence outside the course, and millions nationwide watched the race on television. Black Caviar gave a virtuoso performance.
The champion, who has captured the hearts of a nation, also breaks the hearts of her racetrack rivals.
Black Caviar maintained her unbeaten record with her 25th win in the Group 1 $1 million TJ Smith Stakes (1200m). It was arguably her best performance.
Rival riders weren't about to make it easy for her, but Black Caviar showed why she was now regarded as one of the greatest racehorses of all time. Trainer Peter Moody might have seemed outwardly cool, but his chain-smoking gave away his nervousness.
Sheares 2
"The Gun" in full flight, shearing at Owens Gap.
29-year-old American Rulon Gardner beat the unbeatable man, Andre Karelin, at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
Shearers 3
"JT" ripping through them, shearing at Owens Gap.
Shearers
The scene “stands still in time” says third generation farmer Alan Henderson who has 4000 ewes to shear on his 4000-hectare property 20km west of Scone on the edge of the Liverpool Plains.
The 66-year-old grandfather with a “paddock full of grandkids” has employed contractor Brian Hunt, who at age 82 is a local legend. He brings in his crew of four shearers along with the electric urn for tea at “smoko”.
The scene “stands still in time” says third generation farmer Alan Henderson, lunch break for the team of four shearers at Owens Gap.
Alan Henderson who has 4000 ewes to shear on his 4000-hectare property 20km west of Scone on the edge of the Liverpool Plains.
The scene “stands still in time” says third generation farmer Alan Henderson who has 4000 ewes to shear on his 4000-hectare property 20km west of Scone on the edge of the Liverpool Plains. The 66-year-old grandfather with a “paddock full of grandkids” has employed contractor Brian Hunt, who at age 82 is a local legend. He brings in his crew of four shearers along with the electric urn for tea at “smoko”.
Rohan Kelly grew up on a farm in Western Australia and, after a stint at university, returned to work on the family property. Picking up a camera for a holiday to Africa, he was hooked. He then moved to Perth to study photography, and got his first full-time job in 1998 at the Northern Territory News in Darwin.
His first taste of international attention was in 1999 when East Timorese was evacuated to Darwin Airport during the election crisis. He also covered the 2000 Sydney Olympics as part of the News Limited national team of photographers and was a finalist in the Walkley Awards with his sports pictures.
In 2001, he moved to Sydney to work at The Daily Telegraph and has since worked across all sections of the paper including time on the picture desk at the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs.
Contact: +61 412 353 898
Copyright 2020 Rohan Kelly
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Home › Freedom-Expressed › Imagine When Citizens Become Aware Of The Crisis In Government
Imagine When Citizens Become Aware Of The Crisis In Government
Posted on January 8, 2016 by RonMamita — 17 Comments
Problem solving asks: WHAT IF
What can happen when the People become aware of the crisis in government?
I am not telling you, the reader, what to imagine, your imagination has many options of possibilities to choose from.
I am not limiting this awareness to any region or governing body, this crisis is worldwide.
Will you imagine great problems or great opportunity for alternatives and solutions?
Will you imagine chaos and destruction with a massive loss of life?
Will you imagine yourself joining a war?
Will you imagine yourself in public protest in front of institutional offices?
Will you imagine yourself begging government for emergency assistance?
Will you imagine yourself at home boycotting institutions and their sponsors?
Will you imagine yourself off-grid living?
Will you imagine yourself connecting to creative individuals to assist in implementing a resilient alternative community?
Will you imagine something else?
Use your imagination and know that you are not limited to past movies and storybook scripts of doom or utopia.
Hollywood movies, Mass Media News, School Textbooks, nor can institutional officials in governments and banks, and religions limit your creative imagination for the life you wish to live.
I do not know when this massive wave of knowledge and awareness will occur, as some individuals have a faith in institutional authority (“it’s the law”) without awareness of their faith and without a reason other than indoctrination and habit. I have read stories of some soldiers only learning that the war ended many years after, as they faithfully remained in their obedient soldier role.
Obviously, a lesson from the past shows that not everyone will become aware and some individuals will reject truth in a futile attempt to cling to false beliefs.
We can move forward with the People who are aware and wish to apply their problem solving skills to manifest healing and creative freedom for all to prosper.
We can abandon that old institutional script from history (his-story), which is a repetitive drama & tragedy control meme.
– Alternative Paths –
With imagination comes creative energy with a focus on alternatives and solutions.
In this light, opportunities for something better are present.
My wish is that communication technology will assist in our spreading awareness.
We can share our knowledge.
We can share ourstories.
We can share our vision.
We can Amplify our creativity and innovation.
Perhaps then this Age of Deception will transition…
RELATED IMAGINATION:
https://ronmamita.wordpress.com/2012/07/15/what-is-the-next-step/
https://ronmamita.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/global-dialogue/
https://ronmamita.wordpress.com/2012/12/11/a-bouquet-of-diversity/
https://ronmamita.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/creating-alternatives/
https://ronmamita.wordpress.com/2013/05/08/freedom-in-creative-force/
https://ronmamita.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/new-era/
https://ronmamita.wordpress.com/2013/05/26/19-year-old-develops-cleanup-array-to-remove-7250000-tons-of-plastic-from-oceans/
https://ronmamita.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/ready-to-change-the-script/
https://ronmamita.wordpress.com/2013/07/27/ourstory-collections-of/
https://ronmamita.wordpress.com/2013/08/06/community-center-earthship-flower-prototype-malawi/
https://ronmamita.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/the-important-distinction/
https://ronmamita.wordpress.com/2014/07/10/cheers-to-diyers-craftsmen-and-innovative-people/
https://ronmamita.wordpress.com/2014/09/20/the-art-of-resistance/
https://ronmamita.wordpress.com/2014/09/27/problem-is-now-opening-doors-for-solution-creativity-innovation-change/
Prompting Creative Thinking (from People Who Don’t Think They’re Creative)
Sharing Awareness, Knowledge, Imagination and Focus allows Solutions to be present.
‹ 2016 NWO Global Pivot East
COVERT Human Experimentation EXPOSED ›
Tagged with: 2016, 21st century, 3d printer, AIIB, alternative, amateur, amplification, amplify, asia, aware, banking, Biotecture, blossom, boycott, change, commercial law, communication, control, creation, creative, creativity, crisis, current affairs, diy, dream, earth, Earthship, elite, emergency, energy, engineering, EU, facing the truth, food, free source, freedom, G20, garden, geopolitics, global, globalism, globalist, government, grassroot, healing, imagination, imagine, imf, individual, innovate, innovation, internet, invent, investor, knowledge, law, love, market, martial law, math, matrix, military, monetary, money, network, news, open source, P2P, people, policy, politics, problem, problem solving, research, self, self organizing phenomena, self-govern, share, skill, social media, solution, spirit, stock, survival, trade, trend, truth, vision, war, we the people, world
Posted in Freedom-Expressed
17 comments on “Imagine When Citizens Become Aware Of The Crisis In Government”
Observing What Is Really Happening
The path of civilization and geopolitics are not complex concepts.
The difficulties are in the secrecy and deceptions:
– Hidden Hands –
*Shadow governments, Faux Science and Religions
*Secret agents and agencies
*Fake News
*Indoctrination Centers (Schooling and Education)
*Controlled political parties
*Corrupt Courts
*Development Funds, Manipulated markets & institutional investment
*War campaigns & Funding
*Banking & Monetary Fraud, Debt and Taxation
*Cultural engineering, Psy-Ops, and Manipulating Public Opinion
Are All Part Of The AGE of Deception
You are literally born into mind control and an illusion of Reality.
Discussions of the deception and Truth is becoming more common.
The bottom line is Armed Coercion by government to obey criminals, deceivers, and psychopaths as they set the rules (laws) and policies.
The People are programmed to become Prisoners, and Slaves as the rights of the Individual are destroyed.
Deep State Rising: The Mainstreaming of the Shadow Government
Corbett • 01/05/2016 • 57 Comments
by James Corbett
TheInternationalForecaster.com
It goes by many names: The shadow government. The deep state. The secret team. Whatever it is called, the idea is simple: there is an unelected, unaccountable, largely unknown group behind the facade of the visible government that wields power and works toward long-term agenda goals no matter which political party or puppet politician holds office.
Long the domain of the dreaded “conspiracy theorist” community, the idea has surfaced here and there over the years. The JFK assassination has given rise to many inside accounts and outside exposés of The Secret Team. The Iran-Contra scandal led to a Bill Moyers documentary on The Secret Government that is still worth watching 19 years later. It was even openly acknowledged that a “shadow government” had kicked into operation on 9/11.
But an odd phenomenon has taken place in recent years and intensified in recent months: the idea of a “deep state” or a “shadow government” controlling politics, even in the US, is becoming mainstream.
It has graced the cover of any number of recent books, including “Deep State: Inside the Government Secrecy Industry” and “The Deep State: The Fall of the Constitution and the Rise of a Shadow Government.”
It has found its way into the online political media from both the left (Salon) and the right (The American Conservative) ends of the controlled political spectrum.
It has been invoked by mainstream financial analysts to describe the actions of the Federal Reserve.
It has been revisited by Bill Moyers on his website.
It has found its way into the headlines of The Boston Globe (“Vote all you want. The secret government won’t change“) and the New York Times (“America’s ‘Establishment’ Has Embraced ‘Deep States’“).
Heck, it has even been talked about on the World Bank’s blog.
This onslaught of attention begs the question: why now? Why are so many mainstream outlets suddenly shining a light on something that has barely been acknowledged in the past?
To be sure, some of this recent coverage is a whitewash, as you would expect. The World Bank blog, for instance, pawns the concept off as something to be found in “newish democracies” in “Latin America, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and so on,” i.e., not in the West. This qualification–that the “deep state” idea is something only to be found in foreign, backwards polities–harkens back to the origins of the phrase. The term “deep state” itself is a translation of a Turkish phrase, derin devlet, that rose to prominence after the Susurluk incident exposed the Turkish secret government and its NATO/Gladio/drug running/terrorist associations. It has become increasingly allowable for opinion makers in the MSM to cite the Turkish or the Egyptian “deep state” as a real phenomenon (or at least a real possibility) while simultaneously deriding the possibility that it exists in the West.
However in recent years researchers like Peter Dale Scott have developed and expanded the concept to explain how Western political institutions function. This seems to have been picked up by people like Mike Lofgren, a retired Congressional staffer who has described how the American deep state involves a cross-party consensus on key political issues, or Philip Giraldi, the former intelligence agent whose recent musings on the American deep state received copious attention from the mainstream press.
One way to look at this development is as an extension of a phenomenon that I noted several years ago: a process of indoctrination that has begun to inform the public that there is a shadowy elite in control of the world stage and prepare them to accept that fact. Nearly a decade ago Kissinger mini-me David Rothkopf came out with his book “Superclass” revealing the group of 6,000 or so non-state actors with the ability to enact policies and further agendas across state lines. Since that time a remarkable number of conspiracies-that-dare-not-be-mentioned from the CFR to the Bilderberg Group to the Bohemian Grove are now banal political talking points. Whereas mainstream radio hosts once played Twilight Zone music when callers tried to discuss the CFR, now Hillary Clinton blithely admits that the State Department receives marching orders from them; whereas the Bilderberg Group was once subject to a complete media blackout, it now has its own website and press releases.
But again: why now?
Partly this has to be due to the fact that in the post-9/11, post-Iraq, post-bailout, post-Hope and Change world, it has become impossible to maintain the illusion that it is the political front men who are running the show. No one believes this lie anymore, and it shows.
Even scientific studies are now demonstrating that the United States is not run by political parties but by pockets of special interest.
Truly the conspiracy toothpaste is out of the tube and there’s no point in trying to put it back. While in many ways this represents the crowning achievement of the tireless efforts of generations of conspiracy researchers who have toiled in relative obscurity, it is not an unmitigated good. As we will see in the 2016 prospective this weekend, the revelation of the ruling elite coincides with a meltdown of social cohesion that is giving rise to dark forces that portend a very tumultuous year.
In the meantime, I’m interested in your thoughts on this subject. Why do you think the “deep state” idea is being taken up in the mainstream now? Do you think there is a strategy to these revelations or is it a rearguard effort to whitewash the undeniable? Corbett Report members are invited to leave your comments below.
Source: https://www.corbettreport.com/deep-state-rising-the-mainstreaming-of-the-shadow-government/
“Beware”, Your Threat Score Is Being Calculated
stuartbramhall says:
Based on opinion polls, 70-80% of Americans know about America’s crisis in government. I think most of them still think it can be fixed or are at a loss what to do about it.
Thank you for sharing your comment.
Much has been written about how standard education culls imagination.
The 21st century has a growing minority that questions all that is taught via institutions; their imaginations are very active with discovery and alternatives.
Major Events May Wake Up Citizens To Crises
These events are alarming, for they are alerting everyone of Looming government Crises:
*Currency fluctuations can wreck havoc.
*Crude oil plunged below $35, first time since 2004 SEE: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-oil-idUSKBN0UK04C20160106
*Markets’ Trading were halted several times in the first week of 2016 and Markets are in the red…
*Debt defaults looms in many nations …
*Brazil’s Olympic Stadium Goes Dark Over Unpaid $250,000 Electric Bill SEE: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-01-06/olympic-stadium-brazil-goes-dark-over-unpaid-250000-electric-bill
*Will the 2016 Olympics be interrupted?
Is this the end of the Olympics?
*What path will social unrest take if workers are laid off, and utilities are shut-off?
– Brazil: Latin America’s Largest Economy –
See the videos about Brazil below:
Title: Why The Rio 2016 Olympics Are Already A Disaster
Video posted 31 Mar 2015
Title: Brazil Shuts Down Olympic Stadium Over Unpaid Bills
Video posted 6 Jan 2016
Title: REALIST NEWS – 2016 Olympics – Brazil Can’t Pay Electric Bill – John Titor No Olympics?
Video posted 07 Jan 2016
Puerto Rico Defaults!
Title: Puerto Rico Defaults on Debt Payments
One of the greatest claims for trusting government is protection.
Governments claims to have the public safety as priority, yet regulatory agencies are failing worldwide to police hazardous industries, such as Nuclear waste, chemical plants, geoengineering, bioengineering/GMO foods, etc.
Title: Massive Flooding In Missouri, Radioactive Landfill, Live Stream Above Mississippi River
Video posted 29 Dec 2015
Shipping Said to Have Ceased… Is the Worldwide Economy Grinding to a Halt?
Dow Down Nearly 400 Again and Nearly 1,500 Points This Year While Obama Claims Economy Is Great
U.S. Lost Face, and Chinese intervention in the Middle East
Russia’s Huge Move: Launched it’s own Oil Futures Benchmark!
Russia Breaking Wall St Oil Price Monopoly
First appeared: http://journal-neo.org/2016/01/09/russia-breaking-wall-st-oil-price-monopoly/
Fed Official Confesses Fed Rigged Stock Market
Is Crash Certain?
Sunday, 10 January 2016 by Mark Haggith
http://www.alt-market.com/articles/2779-fed-official-confesses-fed-rigged-stock-market-crash-certain
This article was written by Mark Haggith and originally published at Safe Haven
In a dynamite interview, Richard Fisher, former president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, gave what may be the biggest confession you’ll ever see and hear from a Federal Reserve insider: the Federal Reserve knowingly “front ran” the US stock market recovery (i.e., manipulated the market) and created a huge asset bubble. Fisher expresses certainty that the “juiced” stock market will come down and is coming down now that the Fed has taken its foot off the accelerator … and that it has a long way yet to go.
While that is no news to readers here whose eyes are wide open, a “market put” has been denied by the Fed and by many market advisors. That the market was an overinflated bubble created by the Fed has been denied, too; but Fisher clearly and gleefully admits the Fed created a bubble that will have to deflate now that the Federal Reserve’s stimulus is off.
As one of the members of the Federal Reserve’s FOMC (the Federal Open Market Committee, which sets US monetary policy), Richard Fisher participated in and voted on all of the Fed’s policies of zero interest and quantitative easing, so he has inside knowledge of all the discussions behind the scenes at the Fed.
Here are the significant quotes from Richard Fisher on CNBC’s video:
What the Fed did — and I was part of that group — is we front-loaded a tremendous market rally, starting in 2009.
It’s sort of what I call the “reverse Whimpy factor” — give me two hamburgers today for one tomorrow.
I’m not surprised that almost every index you can look at … was down significantly. [Referring to the results in the stock market after the Fed raised rates in December.]
Basically, we had a tremendous rally, and I think there’s a great digestive period that is likely to take place now, and it may continue.
We front-loaded at the Federal Reserve an enormous rally in order to accomplish a wealth effect.
I wouldn’t blame [what is happening in the market’s now] on China. We’re always looking for excuses.
I wasn’t surprised at last year. And I wouldn’t be surprised at a rather fallow performance this year as well.
A lot of people are building cash positions…. Those [investors] that are taking a longer term view are being extremely cautious here, are raising their cash levels, are nervous about the valuations that are in the market.
The values are very richly priced here, so I could see significant downside.
Asked if saw a big unwind from the Fed’s 6.5-year policy and what it would look like on the way down, Fisher responded,
I was warning my colleagues, “Don’t go wobbly if we have a 10-20% correction at some point…. Everybody you talk to … has been warning that these markets are heavily priced.
Elsewhere Fisher said:
The Federal Reserve is a giant weapon that has no ammunition left.
You have to be careful here and frank about what drove the markets…. It was, the Fed, the Fed, the Fed, the European Central Bank, the Japanese Central bank … all quantitatively driven by central bank activity. That’s not the way markets should be working…. They were juiced up by central banks, including the Federal Reserve…. So, I think you have to acknowledge reality.
It’s about time for breaking the economic denial. Acknowledging reality is what many in the mainstream media, at the Fed, and among economists and stock analysts refused to do.
Now that the US stock market appears to be crashing, is Richard Fisher’s confession to cover his own hind end, by saying, “I warned the guys about this, and I voted against QE3 because I knew it went too far?” Is he just the first rat to flee the sinking ship, or is he just the most honest of Fed officials who is no longer on the board so feels freer to talk?
Your thoughts? (And please pass the confession along so that it gets lots of play time because you don’t get a confession like this about the inner arguments of the Fed very often. I imagine Yellen is doin’ a little yellin’ right now.)
The video below is of poor quality. Listen to what is being said, and then listen it to again.
This criminal [Richard Fisher] is telling you, flat out, that a massive wealth transfer is taking place and whatever funds are in the stock market, well, they will belong to someone else and no longer be part of your 401k, IRA or private pension plan.
You have been warned by the criminal that instigated the theft.
– See more at: http://thedailycoin.org/?p=57873
Explosive CNBC interview – Richard Fisher admits Stock Markets are Fake, driven by QE
Rob Kirby:
They are playing GOD and unwilling to give that up!
[audio src="http://www.oneradionetwork2.com/mp3/health/challenges/01.19.16_kirby_rob_gold.mp3" /]
Dis-spell the Spells
Imagine the removal of psychopaths and their deceptive institutions.
Remove the departments of War now marketed as defense.
Imagine the removal of spy agencies and mass surveillance.
Imagine the removal of money as debt and its mandatory taxation system.
Your language usage is either empowering the bad spells or dispelling the bad spells.
As sovereign, the master of self, we critique everything and everyone. Yes it is a kind of lack of trust in others, because this is the Age of Deception…
The saviour was never external.
Go within, we are a powerhouse of creative energy.
The change begins from within.
The lesson is increased awareness:
make your speech match your intentions
make your intentions known and remove those foreign thoughts that hinders your intentions…
FLINT the U.S. city with poison tap water!
Groups File Federal Lawsuit to Secure Safe Drinking Water in Flint
Thanks to lozzafun1.wordpress.com for sharing this update!
FLINT – A coalition of local citizens and national groups filed suit today to ask a federal court to step in and secure access to safe drinking water for the people of Flint, Michigan.
Alleging violations of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, the complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan by the ACLU of Michigan, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Concerned Pastors for Social Action and Flint resident Melissa Mays.
“Flint is Exhibit A for what happens when a state suspends democracy and installs unaccountable bean counters to run a city,” said Michael J. Steinberg, legal director of the ACLU of Michigan. “In a failed attempt to save a few bucks, state-appointed officials poisoned the drinking water of an important American city, causing permanent damage to an entire generation of its children. The people of Flint cannot trust the state of Michigan to fix this man-made disaster and that is why court oversight is critically needed.”
Donate to the ACLU as we continue the fight to protect the rights of Flint’s residents—and defend all our crucial freedoms.
The lawsuit asks a federal court to compel the city and state officials to follow federal requirements for testing and treating water to control for lead and to order the prompt replacement of all lead water pipes at no cost to Flint residents. The groups and Ms. Mays also seek appropriate relief to remedy the health and medical harms to Flint residents from the lead contamination. The lawsuit is not seeking monetary damages.
“The water in Flint is still not safe to drink because City and State officials are violating the federal law that protects drinking water. In doing so, they are exposing the people of Flint to lead, a powerful toxin that can be devastating to young children. We are asking a federal court to step in because the people of Flint simply cannot rely on the same government agencies that oversaw the destruction of its infrastructure and contamination of its water to address this crisis,” said Dimple Chaudhary, Senior Attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Nearly 40 percent of the city’s residents, most of whom are African American, live in poverty
“Everyone in this country deserves and expects safe drinking water, regardless of your race, economic status or zip code. The residents of Flint were stripped of their democratically elected authority and, in the name of saving a few dollars, have been forced to sacrifice their health in the process. This community deserves accountability, transparency, and justice, in addition to water that is safe to drink,” said Pastor Allen Overton, co-founder of Concerned Pastors for Social Action.
“I joined this lawsuit because I no longer believe the City of Flint and the State of Michigan can solve Flint’s water crisis and return safe drinking water to our homes. For years the state told us we were crazy, that our water was safe, which wasn’t true. For the sake of my kids and the people of Flint, we need a federal court to fix Flint’s water problems because these city and state agencies failed us on their own,” said Melissa Mays of Water You Fighting For, a Flint-based organization.
Read the Complaint Filed by the ACLU, NRDC and Flint Citizens
A PDF file.
Navy Schedules War Games in Washington State With No Public Disclosure
Truthout’s Dahr Jamail reveals his investigation into how Navy Seals will be practicing combat exercises in Washington state on public and private lands and why state government officials and the public are left in the dark
MUST DOWNLOAD! The Zionist Whistleblower- Benjamin H. Freedman 1961 Warning To America 1961 Speech
The Wolves, the Oregon Standoff and the Ancient Artifacts Observation
GRAVEYARD – Goliath (OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO)
Official Music video for “Goliath” from the GRAVEYARD album Lights Out
The wolves are at your door
Dressed like sheep
Trying hard to hide the blood
To hide the blood from the crowd
They are trying to sell
Slavery as a dream to chase
Driven by fear, consumer wars
No way to see their hoax
They are listening, they are watching
They wanna know what we do
They are faking our freedom
Hoping we believe it’s true
The world is full of snakes
Whispering in your ear
A stream of seducing words
From a cloven tongue
Fences at the border
Dividing the world in two
Have-nots feed the have-lots
Obeying the market rules
The rats are spreading plague
No stopping the disease
Their rotten dirty bite
Infecting the whole world
I know you’ve deceived me, now here’s a surprise
I know that you have ’cause there’s magic in my eyes
I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles
If you think that I don’t know about the little tricks you’ve played
And never see you when deliberately you put things in my way
Well, here’s a poke at you
You’re gonna choke on it too
You’re gonna lose that smile
Because all the while
I can see for miles and miles
Americans Really, Really Hate The Government
By Michael Snyder, on January 26th, 2016
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/americans-really-really-hate-the-government
If there is one thing that Americans can agree on these days, it is the fact that most of us don’t like the government. CBS News has just released an article entitled “Americans hate the U.S. government more than ever“, and an average of recent surveys calculated by Real Clear Politics found that 63 percent of all Americans believe the country is heading in the wrong direction and only 28 percent of all Americans believe that the country is heading in the right direction. In just a few days the first real ballots of the 2016 election will be cast in Iowa, and up to this point the big story of this cycle has been the rise of “outsider” candidates that many of the pundits had assumed would never have a legitimate chance. Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders have all been beneficiaries of the overwhelming disgust that the American people feel regarding what has been going on in Washington.
And it isn’t just Barack Obama or members of Congress that Americans are disgusted with. According to the CBS News article that I referenced above, our satisfaction with various federal agencies has fallen to an eight year low…
You would think that the principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution should be able to unite us, but sadly those days are long gone. In fact, the word “constitutionalist” has become almost synonymous with “terrorist” in our nation. If you go around calling yourself a “constitutionalist” in America today, there is a good chance that you will be dismissed as a radical right-wing wacko that probably needs to be locked up.
Read more: http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/americans-really-really-hate-the-government
Geopolitics Is Set For a Financial Attack
Indeed, a World War is being waged!
The U.S. Treasury market is one where the biggest buyers are the U.S. Treasury agents…
covertly the Federal Reserve and the ESF.
There is no denying, the Chinese and Russians have promoted and prepared for the dollar being dumped as the world’s reserve currency.
They have set up non Western clearing facilities similar to SWIFT but without any Western interference, trade deals, currency hubs, trading banks, and even gold and oil exchanges where the dollar will not be required.
Nothing speaks louder than actions, and add money to those actions then you know something MAJOR is happening!
I ask you this, what would the world look like the day following a “truth bomb” dropped by Mr. Putin and the Chinese. Would Americans even notice if he documented several false flags or frauds embedded in U.S. finance such as outright monetization of U.S Treasuries? No, most certainly not. Americans would however notice if financial markets collapsed or were shut down. Russia and China know full well the situation in the West. It is a bankruptcy waiting to happen as everything is fractional reserve and running on maximum margin while the underlying system is shrinking and no longer supplying enough liquidity. –Bill Holter
Remember this Speech:
Putin to Western elites: Play-time is over
Canada in economic crisis – Some Canadian oil at $8 barrel
A Very Curious Story
FULL REPORT Benjamin Fulford 1-26-16…
“Beijing envoy says all US dollars will have a Chinese signature on them by 2018”
Posted on 2016/01/28 By Benjamin Fulford, via kauilapele.wordpress.com
Here’s the full new weekly report from Ben. My only suggestion… perhaps start learning a bit of Chinese (probably Mandarin)!. I also love the map which shows “where Khazarian mafia corporate power is concentrated”. Guess which country is the biggest?
Highlights below. Also, I’ve posted the weekly WeAreAwake audio of Ben’s full report, here.
“The shift in the center of global power is accelerating with a strong push being made to ensure all oil and other international commodities are traded in Chinese dollars or Yuan and not Khazarian so-called US dollars…
“As a part of this push, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran to promise a huge industrial and infrastructure development carrot if Middle Eastern oil was sold in Yuan… news reports coming out after Xi’s visit to Saudi Arabia indicated Xi was furious at being snubbed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef.
“The Saudis are now in surrender mode and are just waiting for higher level fights to conclude before they kiss the feet of the winner, White Dragon Society sources say.
“Pentagon sources were more forthcoming, explaining that the problem had now been traced to Turkey, Germany and of course, the Bush/Clinton neo-con Nazi Khazarian faction in the US.
“With the backing of the Russian and Chinese military, as well as the Pentagon, the overwhelmingly strongest military force on the planet, Dunford then met last week with the heads of NATO in Brussels to tell them that Turkish President Recep Erdogan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel would have to go because of their involvement in creating the ongoing European refugee crisis, among other things… Pentagon sources also blame the Khazarian mafia, and their Turkish surrogates, on the death of 12 Marines in Hawaii on January 14th… General Dunford further met with his French counterparts last week to coordinate an attack against Khazarian proxies in Libya. The French military… have agreed to [join the battle].
“…the attack on Khazarian mafia rule continues to accelerate with the ongoing takedown of Hillary Clinton and other Khazarian mob pseudo-politicians. As a Pentagon source put it “Hillary is toast,” with 100 FBI agents plus another 50 retired agents on her case. A special prosecutor is being appointed to charge her with treason, espionage and “using the Clinton Foundation to run a shadow government,”…
“The Khazarians use inflated stock price valuations to launder their money into the real economy. That is why they are so desperately trying now to goose stock markets. However, stock markets are so out of whack with the underlying reality that any artificial attempts to boost markets will be doomed to fail.
“…a meeting IMF director Christine Lagarde had on January 18th with Pope Francis… according to US military intelligence, Pope Francis agreed to transfer Vatican assets for a global debt jubilee and then retire… CIA sources, meanwhile, sent this writer e-mails last week saying “Khazarian rule will end within a month.”“
Posted by benjamin, January 26, 2016
The shift in the center of global power is accelerating with a strong push being made to ensure all oil and other international commodities are traded in Chinese dollars or Yuan and not Khazarian so-called US dollars, multiple sources agree. All “US dollars” will have a Chinese person’s signature on them by 2018, according to a special envoy sent to the White Dragon Society by Chinese royals based in Beijing. He promised to send a photograph of these dollars to this newsletter after he returns to China.
As a part of this push, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran to promise a huge industrial and infrastructure development carrot if Middle Eastern oil was sold in Yuan, Pentagon sources said. The Chinese were too polite to mention the stick that was the alternative to this carrot. However, news reports coming out after Xi’s visit to Saudi Arabia indicated Xi was furious at being snubbed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef. Instead he was only able to see senile King Salman and his son, the “deputy crown prince.”
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2016/01/23/chinese-furious-after-saudi-crown-prince-shuns-meeting-with-president-xi/
Nayef has long been close to the Americans and is deeply involved in ISIS and other such matters, CIA officials say.
To see how much things have changed in the US for Saudi Arabia, watch the following 6 minute Congress hearing featuring Congressman Hank Johnson getting recently retired US Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford to admit Saudi Arabia is the main sponsor of radical Wahhabist Islam.
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2016/01/24/us-senate-to-fight-daesh-should-stop-saudi-arabia-wahhabism/
For this reason the US military got Presidential Spokesperson Barack Obama to call Russia’s Vladimir Putin on January 13th. In that conference, the Pentagon and Russia agreed to increase military to military relations beyond the fight against ISIS in Syria and make it one against the Khazarian mafia worldwide. Defense Intelligence Agency Chief General Mike Flynn is now a back channel for communications between Russian Military Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov and General Joseph Dunford, the de-facto US Commander in Chief.
With the backing of the Russian and Chinese military, as well as the Pentagon, the overwhelmingly strongest military force on the planet, Dunford then met last week with the heads of NATO in Brussels to tell them that Turkish President Recep Erdogan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel would have to go because of their involvement in creating the ongoing European refugee crisis, among other things.
To underline this, Turkish Billionaire Mustafa Koc “met his maker in what appears to be a message to the oligarchs to dump Erdogan.” Mustafa, who was “heart attacked” on January 21st, was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and top Rockefeller representative in Turkey.
Pentagon sources also blame the Khazarian mafia, and their Turkish surrogates, on the death of 12 Marines in Hawaii on January 14th. The payback against Turkey will involve a “bloody coup as well as attacks on Turkish infrastructure and overseas bases in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Qatar and Somalia.”
General Dunford further met with his French counterparts last week to coordinate an attack against Khazarian proxies in Libya. The French military are also being asked to join the battle against the Khazarian mafia, which they have agreed to do.
Meanwhile, the Khazarian mafia and their agents are struggling to keep their financial control matrix from falling apart. Japanese yakuza gangster and Iranian government sources say the Khazarian mafia is trading Persian royal family gold kept in Thailand for drug money that is being shut out of Western banks. Certain Iranians will then launder the drug dollars now that financial sanctions against Iran have been lifted. The original Iran/Contra scandal involved George Bush Sr. and his gang so it is a good guess the same people are at it again.
The Japanese Emperor is also supposed to be flying to the Philippines this week, ostensibly to celebrate the normalization of relations between Japan and the Philippines. However, given the Khazarian mafia’s desperation for gold, it is a good guess the Japanese emperor will be looking for gold to back the Japanese yen.
Japanese historian Tsutomu Kuji, in a soon to be published book, says the Emperor’s grandfather, the Meiji Emperor, was Toranosuke Omura, a person of non-imperial blood selected for the role of Emperor by the Iwasaski family of the Choshu clan. The Choshu clan was the Rothschild family’s instrument for the take-over of Japan. The Iwasakis are the family behind the Mitsubishi group that installed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in power. The Mitsubishi Group is also the main Rockefeller proxy in Japan. The Rockefellers took over as the main Khazarian handlers for Japan after World War 2.
Japanese news reports say Abe has recently had to increase medication for his mysterious intestinal illness.
Meanwhile in the US, the attack on Khazarian mafia rule continues to accelerate with the ongoing takedown of Hillary Clinton and other Khazarian mob pseudo-politicians. As a Pentagon source put it “Hillary is toast,” with 100 FBI agents plus another 50 retired agents on her case. A special prosecutor is being appointed to charge her with treason, espionage and “using the Clinton Foundation to run a shadow government,” the source said. To help prepare the US public for the takedown of Hillary, neo-con General David Petreaus will soon be demoted for selling US state secrets to Israel, multiple sources say.
There was also a remarkable break in the Khazarian media lie factory last week when the widely read news site Drudge Report had ran an opinion poll about the upcoming US presidential eleciton that had over one million respondents. According to this poll support for Clinton was 0.88% and support for Jeb Bush was 0.9%. Donald Trump had 36% in the same poll.
http://drudgereport.com/nosp.htm
By contrast, Khazarian mob controlled media outlets like the New York Times say Clinton has 48% support while Bush runs at over 10%.
The attack on world stock markets, meanwhile, has taken a pause but is expected to continue as part of the campaign to remove the main pillar of Khazarian mafia power: the control of stock markets via foundations.
To see where Khazarian mafia corporate power is concentrated take a look at this map of the world according to stock market valuations:
https://kauilapele.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/eb6e8-khazarian-corporate-power.jpg?w=686&h=269
What is shows is the US, England, Japan and Europe are huge, while military and commodity superpower Russia is just a small smudge and China, now by far the world’s biggest economy (they produce 11 times more steel that the US and used more concrete in the past 3 years than the US did during the 20th century) is tiny.
Indicators of the real economy, like the Baltic Dry Index, the price of shipping, continue to reach record lows.
In Europe, the Italian banking sector is failing, leading to widespread expectations Italy will be the next Greece. However, Italy’s GDP of $2.144 trillion is 10 times larger than Greece’s so, this will be more like the next Greece times ten. Then France also declared an economic emergency last, week, meaning the real European crisis is just starting.
That is the background to a meeting IMF director Christine Lagarde had on January 18th with Pope Francis. At this meeting, according to US military intelligence, Pope Francis agreed to transfer Vatican assets for a global debt jubilee and then retire. The IMF will continue to exist but only be in an advisory role, since it will not have the power to create and distribute money, a source at the Asian Development Bank said.
CIA sources, meanwhile, sent this writer e-mails last week saying “Khazarian rule will end within a month.” Many such predictions have come and gone without anything happening but, a cursory look at world news, both on the internet and in corporate media, make it clear something very big is coming down.
The Oregon Militia Shooting and the Weak Link Observation
Important Questions for the Oregon Militia Sniper Shooting:
Why Do Reports conflict?
One report said 6 shots were fired, a different report stated 120 shots were fired…
Who was in charge of the sniper team?
Related to this question is the claim that some miscommunication occurred, and that the FBI and the Oregon State Troopers were part of this operation.
Thus there is a need to know who was in charge, who gave the commands to engage and shoot an unarmed victim.
Also who gave the command to cease fire?
Was this a staged event?
Regardless if anyone was wounded or killed, the likelihood of this being a staged event is very high!
Because it takes time and coordination to place trained snipers in position, thus, I am convinced it was a staged and coordinated event.
If it was staged then we really are facing deception of some kind and have no facts until we have access to the evidence and testimony of the individuals who were there at the time of the shooting and immediately after the shooting.
That includes the occupants of the vehicle and all the agents and witnesses (FBI, Oregon State Trooper, coroner, nearby residents, workers, etc.)…
Who transported the body of Lavoy Finicum from the scene?
Where was the body delivered?
Where is the body now?
Who transported the car Lavoy Finicum was in from the scene?
Where was the car delivered?
Where is the car now?
What weapons were used at the scene?
What ammo was used?
How many rounds of ammo were expended?
Those are some of the details the FBI will attempt to cover up.
How can we verify any statements without evidence?
Including the statements of who died?
The fact that the FBI has placed a GAG order on this and not revealing any evidence yet is sounding many alarm bells for my suspicions.
The FBI released video footage:
Moments ago I watched a video claiming to be a recording of the Oregon militia shooting:
In the video my count was of 6 armed men (there could have been more armed men) pointing at one man, so it becomes problematic for 120 shots to have been fired.
I did not see any snipers with scopes, but that does not mean no snipers were present and possibly off camera…
If the video is the actual shooting, if it is legit and not tampered with, then many of the previous questions are still valid, however with a new twist…
Important questions remain, such as was it staged?
The video looks like a scripted Hollywood hit-men style organized crime murder scene.
I wanted to quickly add this to what I wrote earlier, as the evidence is missing and hampers our ability to dig for the truth.
Which is why I wish to wait long enough for factual evidence to be revealed before sharing my guesses and suspicions.
Certainly too soon to draw any conclusions.
More should be revealed in the days ahead.
I share your suuspicions this is a staged event.
Thank you for sharing your comment, and I hope your discussions help others to look for deception and fraud from the officials and agents in the influential institutions.
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Top 15 best comic book superhero movies in cinema history
If 2011 hadn’t been inundated enough with comic book adaptations, then 2012, the year of the alleged Mayan predicted apocalyptic disaster, wouldn’t let us go out without a bang.The year promises to send graphic novel fans, nerds and teenage boys alike into a speech bubble related frenzy. Following last years’ The Green Lantern, X-Men, Thor AND Captain America: The First Avenger, we are finally going to be able to see with our own eyes the three most anticipated movies of the summer.
This year we have a killer line-up including both a suped-up and rebooted Amazing Spiderman starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, and the Avengers, finally assembled with Hulk, Iron Man, Black Widow and Nick Fury all being present and correct thanks to action and sci-fi fan Joss Whedon.
Perhaps most exciting of all, The Dark Knight Rises is due to hit the screens in July with a star-studded cast of Christian Bale, Michael Cane, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman all set to fight alongside Gotham’s latest residents Anne Hathaway, Joseph-Gordon Levitt, Marion Cotillard and Tom Hardy who will star as the deadly Bane. For this very reason, we at Roobla have compiled a Top Fifteen of the most thrilling, exciting and memorable comic book super-hero movies of all time…
15. Darkman (1990)
A lesser known Sam Raimi stab at the comic book world was the suitably elusive Darkman. Starring Liam Neeson, Raimi’s creation pays homage to DC’s ‘Unknown Soldier’ and is the only superhero on the list who was created outside of a comic strip and purely for a film adaptation. Following a bizarre science experiment to heal skin, Dr. Peyton Westlake is horrifically burned in an explosion. Able to pose as various criminals using his synthetic skin with his increased strength and agility, he isn’t exactly the typical gun-toting hero we’re used to seeing. Although he is definitely not the sort you’d want to mess with.
14. X-Men 2 (2003)
Having been held to such esteem in the comic book world, it would unfair not to mention the X-Men franchise at all on this list. Unfortunately picking one title out of a batch of mismatched movie sequels that diminished the whole series quite significantly is difficult. Overall, the best title of the initial trilogy has to be the second instalment X2. Slugging it out once again are the excellently cast Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellan as Professor X and Magneto respectively. Except this time they are actually putting their decades-long feud aside and joining forces against William Stryker (Brian Cox), a villain who wishes to destroy all mutants. With the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants working together we were allowed more opportunity to witness more of each characters’ backstories, though predominantly those of Jean Grey and Wolverine, whilst also being able to enjoy observing the equally awesome and varied mutant powers of the students at X Academy. Hugh Jackman is particularly memorable although male fans might be able to conjure recollections of Rebecca Romijn-Stamos’ Mystique costume with more ease.
13. Batman (1989)
As an avid comic book fan and former B-Movie geek, it would have been unavoidable for Tim Burton to lend his creative hands to camping up one of the most (already) camp (yet masterfully dark) superheroes of the 1960’s. Ditching Adam West’s tights and his trusty silk stockinged sidekick Robin, Burton cast Beetlejuice star Michael Keaton as the Dark Knight in this wonderfully kitsch and gothic adaptation of Bob Kane’s ‘caped crusader’. Filled with pithy dialogue, cartoonish art direction and a re-imagined S&M bat-suit, this version long held the title of ‘best Batman movie’ until Christopher Nolan came along. Though the two films are brilliant and yet very different beasts in their own right, Burton’s stays truer to the more nostalgic Batman we all remember. Starring Jack Nicholson as The Joker exactly as he was intended, the first movie was followed by an equally thrilling sequel with Michelle Pfeiffer as the sexiest catwoman since Julie Newmar and Danny DeVito as the creepiest incarnation of the penguin that anyone will ever see.
12. X-Men: First Class (2011)
Whilst X-Men and X2 were not without their charm, it’s the latest reboot that seems to be a lot more promising than the muddled canon Bryan Singer began in 2000. Focussing this time on a young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), his latter-day enemy Eric Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) and the friendship they built during the 1960’s, this re-imagining by Michael Vaughn is a fresh take on the ‘origins’ idea which greatly disappointed the first time around (Wolverine movie? Never again!). Though not without its flaws, the film stays close to the First Class canon in which the narrative was revamped by Jeff Parker for a new audience. Not only does former About A Boy star Nicholas Hoult shine as Dr. Hank McCoy, the scientist destined to become ‘Beast’, but we meet a whole host of new characters that unfortunately never appeared in the initial trilogy much to fan’s dismay. An outstanding performance from Fassbender as the haunted and almost Bond-esque Lensherr has already given way to a promising sequel.
11. Thor (2011)
Yes, he is one of the Avengers and yes, Kenneth Brannagh only released his blockbuster in the past year, but the film itself is actually extremely well done and deserves its godly kudos. With credit to comic legend Stan Lee, the mythos of the Norse god of Thunder, Thor, was retold and set in our present day with the handsome Chris Helmsworth waving his hammer about like a booming-voiced ale-loving maniac. The story tells us of our hero being kicked out of Asgard after breaking a truce between his people and the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, a truce set many years before by his father Odin. Exiled to earth, stripped of his powers and unable to ascend the throne he is discovered by Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings and accepted into the mortal realm. Meanwhile, his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) takes over Asgard goes a bit power mad requiring Thor to save the day. We won’t give too much away but it’s safe to say that Nick Fury turned up after the credits.
10. Blade (1998)
A hero who is consistently forgotten in favour of X-Men or Hulk is Blade. Starring Wesley Snipes as Marv Wolfman’s Marvel creation, the film features Blade the Day-walker; a child born of a human mother yet one who possesses the supernatural powers of a vampire. After his mother is bitten by a vampire shortly before she gives birth to her son, he grows up swearing to avenge her death by hunting and slaying them. Between discovering plans to harvest humans like cattle and preventing evil, ancient rituals, Blade ditches the conventional superhero garb for sunglasses and a leather trench coat thus spawning a trend in the ‘anti-hero’ superhero who made brooding Bruce Wayne seem cheerful and chirpy.
9. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
All it took was the charming, former Human Torch Chris Evans to be cast as Captain America in order to reinvent the wholesome hero for a global audience and inject some much needed life into Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s wartime warrior. Self-parodying and full of nostalgia, 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger marked the final cornerstone in the assembly of the Avengers but not before we learned how small, skinny Steve Rogers became the muscle behind Uncle Sam during the heyday of World War II. Watch out for links to Stark Enterprises and Thor whilst, of course, marvelling at the good American spirit of Rogers as he battles it out in real time with Red Skull, a man even the Nazi’s feared, brilliantly portrayed by The Matrix’s Hugo Weaving.
8. Flash Gordon (1980)
Gordon’s alive! Alex Raymond probably never anticipated a film to be made of his 1930’s comic strip of the same name but the 1980’s was a time of amazing fantasy and future films so Mike Hodges took on the duty of directing this childhood favourite and ultimate sci-fi romp. Starring Sam J. Jones stars as the Earthling football star Flash Gordon who must face the evil Emperor Ming the Merciless (Max Von Sydow) by travelling to the planet Mongo, stopping him from wreaking havoc upon planet Earth. With some obvious post-1970’s cheesiness, special effects and now-veteran British actors thrown into the mix, Flash Gordon was the ultimate kid’s adventure movie where good defeats evil despite all the inappropriate space bikinis. Of course, any movie also automatically becomes ten times more memorable if it involves Brian Blessed.
7. Watchmen (2009)
There may be some dispute over this one featuring on our list but despite author Alan Moore’s reservations about his work being made into a feature film, he publicly commented that he wasn’t all too disappointed with 300 director Zack Snyder’s attempt. Taken directly from Moore’s iconic graphic novel, the movie version is almost a whopping three hours long – and that isn’t even including the short animated film, the director’s cut scenes and the accompanying mockumentary on The Minutemen which features on the DVD. It was never going to be an easy task but Snyder did an excellent job of capturing the dark, existential and foreboding spirit of Watchmen in a twisted world where the US is at the brink of a nuclear war and superheroes have been banned by the Government. Worst of all, The Comedian, one of the most notorious superheroes of all time has been murdered, but by whom?
In all its high definition glory we see Malin Ackerman, Patrick Wilson, Billy Crudup and Jackey Earle Haley in their roles as The Silk Spectre, Night Owl, Dr. Manhattan and Rorschach respectively. The novel really is a standalone work of art but for those who prefer a visual version they should definitely witness this fine film, which however awe-inspiring, still can’t do Moore’s story enough justice.
6. Superman (1978)
The late Christopher Reeve epitomised everything that we envisioned our most recognisable comic book hero of all time to be. Handsome, strong, honest and good natured – did we mention he had always worn tights and a cape under his suits? Okay, perhaps not in real life but the original 1978 Superman movie by Richard Donner showed us America’s greatest hero as he was always meant to be. Flying in a wondrous blur of red and blue, shooting lasers out of his eyes, lifting heavy objects for no apparent reason and snogging Lois Lane. By day, Reeve plays the modest bespectacled Metropolis reporter Clark Kent but a mere telephone box transforms him into a cosmic hero from the planet Krypton, sent to Smallville to escape his dying planet. The legend of superman is an old one dating back to the 1930’s but with a star-studded cast including Marlon Brando, Margot Kidder as Lois Lane and Gene Hackman playing Superman’s arch nemesis Lex Luther, this movie goes down in history as one of the first big-hit superhero movies of all time.
5. Hellboy (2004)
Proving that DC and Marvel don’t rule the comic book world is Mike Mignola’s ‘big red’ creation Hellboy, based on the comic originally published by Dark Horse. Starring Ron Perlman and John Hurt, the story begins in 1944 where a group of US soldiers thwart a Nazi occultist experiment to open a portal to another realm with a reanimated Rasputin and creepy SS scientist Kroenan at the helm. Thus Hellboy enters our world as a cigar smoking, cat loving, quip making demon with a giant hand. It seems that Perlman was born to play the part of Hellboy whilst his loyal crack team at the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defence are equally as enjoyable to watch. Directed by the innovative Guillermo Del Toro, the man behind Pan’s Labyrinth, Del Toro wooed fans with his accurate depiction of the alternate universe where devilish creatures and undead Nazi’s roam free.
Before X-Men: First Class, director Matthew Vaughn showed his superhero expertise with his adapted screenplay for Kick-Ass, co-written by Jane Goldman. Taken directly from the graphic novel by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr., it was the first superhero movie to portray what would actually happen if us regular folk tried to emulate the masked vigilantes we see in comic books. Unfortunately, it turns out the consequences leave a lot to be desired. Angry that there is nobody to fight real crime and in an attempt to woo his crush Katie (Lyndsey Fonseca), Aaron Johnson plays high school geek Dave who takes it upon himself to become New York’s superhero. After hiring a bizarre looking ski suit he puts his lack of skills and superpowers to the test. He soon discovers that the superheroes which seem to be absent from his universe are actually real in the form of a potty-mouthed 11-year-old deadly assassin Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) and her Batman lookalike father Big Daddy played by Nicholas Cage in the best performance of his career; complete with a wooden Adam West style delivery.
3. Iron Man (2010)
Who else could play the cock-sure playboy millionaire, scientific genius and self-made superhero Tony Stark than Robert Downey Jr., a man who truly has been to hell and back? Directed by action and comic book fan Jon Favreau, we see how Iron Man himself came to be after being kidnapped by terrorists and engineering himself a electric heart generator thing as well as a gnarly suit of armour to help him escape. With personal assistant Pepper Pots (Gwyneth Paltrow) at hand, we also get our first taste of the many Marvel action heroes to come as Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) makes an impromptu appearance after the credits to invite Stark to join S.H.I.E.L.D.. 2010’s Iron Man 2 also proved a thrilling watch as Stark battled with Ivan Vanko and had to deal with being the first publicly outed superhero. Not only is Iron Man a great popcorn movie, it gears us up for Captain America, a film that makes subtle nods toward Starks’ father Howard. Undoubtedly, if Apple made superheroes, they would look like Iron Man.
2. Spider-man (2002)
Sam Raimi, the director who gave us The Evil Dead and Drag Me To Hell, turned his hand from the grim and gruesome to the re-telling of clean cut Peter Parker and his transformation into Spider-Man. No stranger to masked avengers, Raimi cast a young Tobey Maguire as the sweet but nerdy Parker. He is just a regular guy who lives with his aunt and uncle and is helplessly in love with his neighbour Mary Jane Watson (portrayed here by an innocent and charming red-headed Kirsten Dunst). That is until he is bitten by a radioactive spider. Following Stan Lee’s creation as closely as possible, Spider-man became a huge blockbuster hit praised for its amazing special effects, cast of hot, young talent and rock anthem soundtrack. Audiences swooned to see the good-hearted Spider-man win the girl and defeat the evil Green Goblin just as every hero should. Unfortunately, the sequels that followed failed to follow in the success of this first effort. Of course, no review of Spider-man should ever go without mentioning that uber-erotic upside down kiss in the rain which made the sex scene in Titanic seem as boring and unsexy as knitting with your Grandma.
1. The Dark Knight (2008)
Christopher Nolan’s second instalment of his very own Batman canon is perhaps one of the greatest comic-to-movie adaptations – not to mention one of the most impressive films – of the last ten years. Reprising his role as Gotham’s husky-voiced vigilante is Christian Bale, this time facing new arch-nemesis The Joker. The legendary performance by late Heath Ledger won him a post-humous Oscar for his chilling portrayal. Like many of the celluloid versions of the Batman versus Joker formula that went before, Nolan took inspiration from Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke, published DC Comics 1988, to make his Joker a mutilated, psychopathic terrorist as opposed to Jack Nicholson’s giggling prankster. Supported by a cast of Aaron Eckhart as fallen hero Harvey Dent (fans should check out The Long Halloween for reference) and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Bruce Wayne’s love interest Rachel Dawes, the movie managed to capture the perfect balance of comic book fantasy and dark, realistic grit in a breathtaking 150 minutes. Truly one of the best.
#Batman #Blade #Captain America #Captain America: The First Avenger #Chris Evans #Chris Hemsworth #Christian Bale #Christopher Nolan #Comic book #darkman #Features #Film #flash gordon #Guillermo Del Toro #hellboy #Iron Man #Kick Ass #Listicles #Michael Fassbender #Spider-Man #Superhero #Superman #The Dark Knight Rises #Thor #Tim Burton #Watchmen #X Men: First Class #x-men 2
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American Horror Story: Coven – Episode 13
Review: Batman (1989)
Review: Spider-Man (2002)
Review: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) – Review
Top 5: Nolan’s best and worst Batman moments
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Why did the rebels allow Luke to fly an X-Wing against the death star?
In Star Wars, Luke flies an X-Wing in the attack on the Death Star. My question is, why was he allowed to fly? He had no X-Wing piloting experience. Even in WWII pilots needed at least a dozen hours flying experience before they were thrown into the battle of Brittain.
The question becomes even more perplexing given the following (movie mentioned) facts:
1) Only 30 fighters were sent against the Death Star; and 2) There were hundreds of other rebels on the base.
For that matter, why did the rebels only send 30 ships against the Death Star?
2 reason's i would think, first they only had 29 pilots, which is why they were willing to take luke even though he had no X-wing experience. 2nd, it was meant to be a small "harmless" attack. not that i think they had a fleet ready anyway, it was a small hideout not a full on base. – Himarm Oct 1 '14 at 13:02
To add to your point, Battle of Britain Spitfire pilots had more than 10 hours minimum hours on either the Spitfire or Hurricane when posted to front line squadrons, but by the time they arrived at the Operational Conversion Units to gain that experience they had been flying for a few hundred hours in various training types. – Moo Oct 1 '14 at 13:14
If you include the story from the novel Death Star the Rebels had just lost 500 x-wings and their crews in an earlier attack on the Death Star. As such, I get the feeling they were pretty much throwing up anyone who had a hope in hell in being able to fly. As it happens, Luke (as referenced by Biggs in the extended edition) just happens to be an excellent pilot and also the only pilot capable of making the shot due to the Force. – Mark Rowlands Oct 1 '14 at 14:12
When you're up against the wall, you use what you have. Same reason they put Randy Quaid in a F-16 for Independence Day. – Omegacron Oct 1 '14 at 14:31
Luke mentions he can pilot a t16, plus, It's a rebellion. You take what you can get in that situation. Do you think a fat-arse like porkins could join a military unit at any other time? The rebels were desperate. They would take anyone who could fly. If Luke had a chance of flying an xwing and they needed a pilot then they would definitely get him to suit up. Especially considering that it was made quite clear by Grand Moff Tarkin that if the Empire succeeded then it would mean an end to the rebellion. – user64192 Apr 4 '16 at 6:18
There is a deleted scene from the theatrical release of Star Wars in which the rebel leader expresses some skepticism over whether Luke can fly an X-wing. But Biggs Darklighter, Luke's friend from Tatooine, vouches for him.
LEADER: You sure you can handle this ship?
BIGGS: Sir, Luke is the best bush pilot in the Outer Rim Territories.
Apparently, when the scene was added to the 1997 special edition, they left off even more dialogue where one of the rebel leaders reveals he knew Luke's father. This has probably been retconned out of existence, but it would provide another reason he trusted Luke's abilities.
There is another scene added from the radio play that justifies the rebel leader's decision. Luke is made to fly in a simulation to prove his worth.
Leaving Leia to pacify an enraged Han, Luke joins Biggs Darklighter, who tests his flying abilities using a flight simulator. It is revealed by Commander Willard that Luke was only "killed" twice, despite Biggs pitting him against the virtual equivalent of the entire Imperial Starfleet. (Whether Willard was actually exaggerating or not is left for the listener to determine, though regardless Luke does well enough that the Rebels are willing to put him into a starfighter for the assault.)
As for why Luke was such a good pilot to begin with, I think the example of Luke's father Anakin is illustrative. In The Phantom Menace, Anakin jumps into a Naboo starfighter with R2D2 and is able to fly it because he has experience piloting racing pods. To at least some degree, it appears that flying land crafts on Tatooine prepares one for piloting small speedy starfighters. Keep in mind that Luke also has an astromech droid and targeting computers to fill in the gaps in his knowledge.
As for why they only sent 30 ships, I think that's just probably all they had. The number of ships sent in defense of the Hoth base was equally paltry.
Paul D. Waite
“one of the rebel leaders reveals he knew Luke's father... it would provide another reason he trusted Luke's abilities”. Really? “Oh yeah, Darth Vader’s his dad. Give him one of our ships and let him loose.” – Paul D. Waite Oct 1 '14 at 12:44
@PaulD.Waite It is likely that most people had no idea Anakin had become Vader. – phantom42 Oct 1 '14 at 12:47
But it was common knowledge that Anakin was a Jedi. So he might have also been counting on the fact that Luke was a force-sensitive. – TenthJustice Oct 1 '14 at 15:04
@TenthJustice - You may want to mention that Luke had already had experience of orbital craft as well, the T-16 Skyhopper. – Valorum Oct 4 '14 at 20:08
@TenthJustice Since Jedi were not supposed to be married name aside, it's doubtful anyone even had an idea that Luke was the son of a Jedi. Remember, very few people knew that Anakin was a father at all to begin with. Even Luke only thought that Anakin was just a navigator on a spice freighter. – phantom42 Oct 4 '14 at 21:19
Luke owned and flew a T-16 Skyhopper on Tatooine. He is even seen playing with a model of one in A New Hope.
As stated in many sources, the controls for the T-16 Skyhopper were very similar to the controls of an X-Wing fighter. So much so that the rebels used them to train pilots. T-16's were a ubiquitous vehicle and therefore easy enough for the Rebels to get their hands on for training purposes, much more so than X-Wings.
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/T-16_skyhopper
darthbith
MarvelX42MarvelX42
This has been addressed in a couple of canon sources.
His impressive scores in the simulator were a major factor.
His body was trembling a little, late catching up to the strain he’d subjected it to in trying to keep up with the pace of the simulator. The fatigue felt weirdly good; it meant he’d done something right and gone all out in the process. “Only because you helped me,” he replied.
“When you write your autobiography, be sure to include that, okay? ‘I owe everything to Wedge Antilles’!” Wedge and the other pilots laughed. One of them wrote Luke’s name at the top of the score chart, and Luke felt pride wash over him.
But he wouldn’t let himself celebrate yet. He wrung his hands in front of him, looking among their faces. “Do you think I passed?”
One of the older pilots, his hair flecked with gray, looked at Luke, eyes shining. “Commander Willard will review the results, but I think it’s safe to start fitting you for a jumpsuit. That is, if you still want to join our squadron?”
A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy
He'd had personal recommendations from Bigg and Leia
“Fourth flight will be led by the new kid, Luke Skywalker,” Dreis said.
That was not expected. The pilots muttered and exchanged startled looks.
“The womp rat kid?” Col demanded, drawing an exasperated look from Puck.
“Is that what we’re calling him?” Dreis asked. “He’ll fly as Red Five—assuming his simulator run checks out. Before anyone else has something to say, remember that without Skywalker the princess would have been executed—and we’d be going up against that battle station with nothing but prayers.”
Star Wars: Duty Roster
I gave you +1 for the effort, but as I said earlier, it just digs bigger plot hole. In the movie, as soon as Leia, Luke and other arrive on Yavin 4, Death Star appears too. I don't think there would be time to run detailed simulator flights&fights. youtube.com/watch?v=0kxPJ_DLS-E – rs.29 Dec 9 '18 at 8:32
@rs.29 - In the canon timeline there's a few hours difference between their arrival and the Death Star turning up. Time enough to land, for Han to have an argument about getting paid, to analyse the data in R2 and have a briefing about it, etc. – Valorum Dec 9 '18 at 8:33
Pennies on the dollar, my dear friend. Kid appears in military base during the war, there is a major battle coming, he only flew prop trainers, yet they let him do simulator runs for F-22 (or Su-57 if you prefer Russians :D ) and then send him to fight while certified pilots with experience remain grounded. As i said, it could all have been better if they simply stated "We don't have enough men, and situation is desperate, so we will risk with you" . – rs.29 Dec 9 '18 at 8:53
@rs.29 - Kid appears in military base during the war. Told by experienced pilot that he's some kind of hot-shot savant from his home planet. Recommended by leader of the rebellion as a Jedi-in-training. Takes a quick simulator test and scores off the charts... – Valorum Dec 9 '18 at 8:56
They are just Rebels. They’re scrappy. They probably only had 30 ships, and by the same token, they probably didn’t have many pilots capable of flying them.
It’s established that Luke is a good pilot (or at least believes himself to be), and — although I think the scene was deleted — Luke knew one of the other rebel pilots, who vouched for his ability.
I guess the X-Wing is similar enough to the craft Luke had flown that he was able to handle it proficiently.
Paul D. WaitePaul D. Waite
In the histories of WWII that I have read, the most precious resource in air power was the air crew. Not everyone can be a pilot (the physical is very stringent), and after that it takes weeks if not months to turn the applicant into a competent pilot. The US Air Force values them so highly that there is a special forces unit whose primary role is to rescue pilots downed behind enemy lines.
With automation in the SW universe, it should be much, much cheaper to build the ships, even the space-faring ones which we can expect to be much more advanced, but it still takes roughly the same amount of time to turn civilians into combat personnel.
Given that the Rebellion has its back to the wall at the moment, they really don't have anything to lose, unless Luke were so hopeless as a pilot that he would be more of a danger to his squad mates as he would be to the enemy. With Biggs (as seen in some releases) and Leia (not seen, but can be presumed) to vouch for him, there's no good reason to make him sit the battle out.
EvilSnackEvilSnack
Well that was why I asked the question. Pilots are usually highly trained and highly specialised. I think in the Star Wars Universe we must assume that UX design has gotten so good that even a lowly moisture farmer can adjust to the controls of a sophisticated space fighter. – Stephen Feb 18 '19 at 6:31
Downvoter: I've made an edit to address how this relates to the question. – EvilSnack Feb 19 '19 at 2:17
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged star-wars or ask your own question.
Was Vader's true identity a secret?
Did anyone in the Rebel Alliance connect Luke Skywalker to Anakin Skywalker?
How did Luke become the leader in the group that destroyed the first Death Star?
Why did Luke originally hate the Empire?
Who are all these rebel pilots?
How many ships would it take to destroy a Sith or Jedi piloted ship?
Star Wars RotJ: why was the Executor chosen as a target?
Why was the Death Star's tractor beam not used as a weapon during the battles?
Why didn't the Empire attack Yavin 4 after the Death Star was destroyed?
A New Hope: Why doesn't the Death Star scramble more TIE fighters?
Why is the Death Star so lightly defended?
How many TIE fighters did the Death Star launch in the Battle of Yavin?
How did the Rebels find the design flaw to the first Death Star?
Did any non-rebels regularly fly X-Wings?
Why wasn't Darth Vader's TIE fighter recognized during the Death Star Assault?
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Home > Journals > Chemistry & Materials Science | Engineering > WJNSE
WJNSE> Vol.2 No.3, September 2012
A Study on Synthesis and Characterization of Biobased Carbon Nanoparticles from Lignin
DOI: 10.4236/wjnse.2012.23019 5,557 Downloads 10,347 Views Citations
Prasad Gonugunta, Singaravelu Vivekanandhan, Amar K. Mohanty, Manjusri Misra
School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.
Carbon nanoparticles were synthesized using lignin as a renewable feedstock by employing a freeze-drying process followed by thermal carbonization. The effect of adding various amounts of KOH to a lignin solution on the solubility of the lignin, the freeze-drying process, the thermal stabilization of the freeze-dried lignin, and carbon nanoparticle formation was investigated through FTIR, DSC, SEM, TEM and surface area analysis. SEM investigations confirmed that the freeze-drying process caused the formation of lignin with a porous microstructure. TEM analysis indicates that the thermal stabilization of freeze-dried lignin prevented the formation of agglomerated carbon nanoparticles during the carbonization process. The smallest carbon nanoparticles were found to be 25nm and were prepared from the lignin precursor with 15% KOH.
Carbon Nanoparticles; Lignin; Freeze-Drying; Carbonization
P. Gonugunta, S. Vivekanandhan, A. Mohanty and M. Misra, "A Study on Synthesis and Characterization of Biobased Carbon Nanoparticles from Lignin," World Journal of Nano Science and Engineering, Vol. 2 No. 3, 2012, pp. 148-153. doi: 10.4236/wjnse.2012.23019.
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Toronto Film Festival Coverage Weird News Anime Comedies Festival Videos How ScreenAnarchy Works
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Nothing like having a brain freeze on live television, but if you saw the egregious film that escaped my brain you'd find it forgetable too. Ghost In The Shell is quite a bit of fun for those open to accept...
AnarchyVision: TRAINSPOTTING 2, GOON 2 and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Two sequels and a remake (aka, new normal) yet still some surprises this week - a look at Disney's live action Beauty and the Beast, T2: Trainspotting and Goon: Last of the Enforcers....
Certainly a night to remember! Plenty of craziness right until that unforgetable end. Here's my mid-event look at a few of the winners, and a quick reaction to the Best Picture mixup and how both La La Land and Moonlight...
AnarchyVision: THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE, JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 and PATERSON
Another fine week of fine films, including sequels The Lego Batman Movie and John Wick: Chapter 2, as well as Jim Jarmusch's fine and poetic Paterson. Watch the video below....
On the night of the "big game," my latest video takes a look at Oscar contenders (Jackie, The Red Turtle) and the Marx Brothers' 1932 classic Horse Feathers....
AnarchyVision at Sundance 2017: Macon Blair, TROPHY, QUEST and More
The closeout of Sundance 2017 saw Macon Blair's film I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore take top prize - quite the coup for a guy we're all big fans of 'round here. 2017 was a tremendous year...
AnarchyVision: Sundance 2017, Talking RUMBLE, WIND RIVER, Al Gore, More
This week's edition is live from Park City, Utah, where The Founder is chatted about, along with selections from the Sundance slate, including Wind River, Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World and Al Gore's Inconvenient Sequel....
AnarchyVision: ROGUE ONE and Zsa Zsa's Curtain Call
A new Star Wars film hit screens this weekend and we're here to talk about Rogue One! Also, a shout-out to the career of Zsa Zsa Gabor on her passing....
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Scuttlebutt Europe #2363 - 6 June
Brought to you by Boats.com Europe, Yachtworld.com Europe, Scuttlebutt Europe is a digest of sailing news and opinions, regatta results, new boat and gear information and letters from sailors -- with a European emphasis. Contributions welcome, send to
Skandia Sail For Gold Regatta
Giles Scott (Finn) was Skandia Team GBR’s sole gold medallist at the 2010 Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta. Click on image to enlarge.
British sailing team manager Stephen Park says his charges will face their biggest test of this Olympic cycle so far when the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta kicks off on the 2012 waters of Weymouth and Portland on Monday (6 June).
The regatta, which is the fifth leg of the ISAF Sailing World Cup series, has seen some 1,100 sailors from around the globe descend on the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in a bid to learn more about conditions at the 2012 venue and, for crews from a number of nations, take their first steps towards securing their qualifying berths for the Olympic and Paralympic regattas next year.
Sail for Gold (6-11 June) is one of a number of events which form the selection trials for Skandia Team GBR's sailors, and the RYA's Olympic Manager Park is expecting some close battles as British crews across the 13 Olympic and Paralympic classes try to make an early impression on selectors.
"Skandia Sail for Gold is one [event] that we're going to be looking at very closely at and it is the selection event for our Pre-Olympic Test Event team," Park explained. "Most of the sailors are pretty keen to get into that team for the Pre-Olympics - the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta as it's now called - so that will therefore increase the pressure here, and the sailors all know that getting decent results here on the Olympic waters in Weymouth and Portland is actually going to be crucial to ultimate success in 2012.
"It's that ultimate Games success that the RYA's Olympic Selection Committee will be bearing in mind when they make any of their decisions."
www.skandiateamgbr.com
* Concerns over the failure of British 49er sailors to win medals at key international sailing events have forced Team GBR management to consider slashing squad numbers if they do not medal at Skandia Sail for Gold this week.
In 2011, Team GB have won just two gold, a silver and bronze medals, even though there are five British 49er teams in the top ten world rankings and all competitions have been dominated in the early rounds by the British, only to see podium places squandered in the finals.
"When we have fewer squad boats racing, the statistics tell us that ultimately one of them does better," said team manager Stephen Park.
"Last year, we reduced the numbers and we did better but this year we have let them all race again and their form has changed so much it has been tough to determine who to lose and who to keep.
"Immediately following this event, the Olympic steering group will meet to discuss the future of the 49ers in terms of numbers and decide whether we need to reduce numbers ahead of the Olympics next year."
All 13 British teams contending the 49er class at Skandia Sail for Gold have been told that this might be their last chance before the selection window opens in October. -- Kate Laven in The Telegraph:
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/
* Skandia Sail for Gold 2011 is crunch time for many sailors, the strong British Finn squad included. Ben Ainslie is the favourite, but the three-time Olympic Champion has never had it so tough trying to beat his fellow Brits, Giles Scott and reigning World Champ Ed Wright among them....
SailJuice: Ben, tell us about the competition between the four, or do you call it the five of you?
Ben Ainslie: Well, there's really Giles and Ed who have been guys who have got the results the last couple of years and then there's Mark and Andrew, the other young guns that are coming through and sail really well on their day so yeah, I guess there's five British guys who could say on their day are in the top ten in the world.
SailJuice: And who do you feel are most of a threat?
Ben Ainslie: Well it's pretty condition dependent to be honest. If we get a good breeze, then all of those guys are really hard to beat because they're all big guys. All the young guys, Giles, Mark, Andrew's over 6ft 5in, really fit and strong and are hard to beat. They're very quick and Ed is, Ed's a heavy air specialist as well. If it's a range of conditions, well it's a bit different and if it's only in the lighter conditions, I'm quite strong there, so it really depends. Like I said at the beginning, Giles and Ed are the guys that got the results the last couple of seasons so I expect them to be tough for the upcoming event.
SailJuice: So is it too simplistic to say you'll wake up on the 6th June [start of Skandia Sail for Gold] hoping that it's calm and sunny?
Ben Ainslie: No I don't look at it like that. I just need to be able to compete in all the conditions. That's what I've been working towards, so whether it's blowing 25 knots or it's blowing 5 knots I can go out, I can get the results over a range of conditions through the week that should hopefully get you to the top spot.
There are loads of other interviews from top sailors competing in Weymouth, featured on SailJuice.com. Use the full Ben Ainslie interview as your jump-off point: www.sailjuice.com
A Tough Beat to Scheveningen
Photo by Anna Brooke. Click on image to enlarge.
The 2011 North Sea Race had more wind than had been forecast and turned into a tough cold beat to Scheveningen. Race veteran Radboud Crul said "I have done this race 24 times and I think this one was the hardest. It was a beat for most of the way and cold as well as wet with 25 - 30 knots of wind".
The race committee had difficulty in anchoring the principal committee boat at the start which led to a ten minute postponement. RORC Racing Manager Ian Loffhagen explained: "having dragged the anchor twice the skipper of the Haven Hornbill, the oil spill platform kindly loaned by Harwich Haven Authority, assured me that he could hold the vessel within 10m of the required position. We decided to avoid further delay and go with this, so the postponement was only ten minutes".
First away were the ORC boats followed by IRC Two and Three boats and finally IRC Zero, One and Two. Two boats were OCS on the last start but both returned and started correctly. There was a solid north easterly breeze of about 18 knots and a short chop in the shallow waters off Harwich.
First to finish at 0538 was Richard Matthews' Humphreys 54, Oystercatcher XXVIII, which was fast enough to give him first place in IRC Zero ahead of the Volvo 60 Pleomax and second in IRC Overall. However it was not fast enough to beat Piet Vroon sailing his Ker 46 Tonnerre de Breskens 3 who won IRC One and IRC Overall. Adding another high points factor win to his total in the Season's Points Championship Tonnerre has now done five races and has 475.8 points; a lead of over 100 points at this stage in the season will make Piet hard to beat.
Second in IRC One was Erik van Vuuren in the Salona 42 Pacha driven by E-Mission. The Dehler 41 Miles 4 Justice was third. In IRC Two Angus Bates' J/133 Assarian IV triumphed over Allard Natural Stone in second and Heartbeat IV in third.
In IRC 3 the J 109 Jeti, owned by Paul van der Pol beat sister ship Captain Jack in second and Inn Spirit in third. IRC 4 was won by another Dutch man Aste Biel in his S&S 41 Pinta-M. Blue June was second and Selene third.
There were only four boats sailing two handed but it is a credit to them that they all finished in the tough conditions. RORC Rear Commodore Nick Martin, who had brought the boat from the Solent to compete, was first in his J/109 Diablo J, with Lady of Avalon second and Joost & Vrolijk third.
In the race under the ORC rating system Auke Van Der Zee sailing his Grand Soleil 45 Solid Sue was fast enough to win ORC One and ORC Overall. Second in ORC One was Ijsvogel and third was Visione.
In ORC Two Radbour Crul seized victory in his Dehler 36 Rosetta From the Rocks and was second in ORC Overall. Redan was second in class and third in ORC Overall. Quantum Racing was third in ORC Two.
The OOD 34 Nada owned by Nico Hoefnagel, which was well suited to the conditions, was first in ORC 3 with EscXcape in second and Broersbank in third. There was only one boat in ORC 4, Gouden Ruiter, the Pion OOD owned by Willem Kats and he ploughed a lonely course being the only boat to sail the short course before joining the rest of the fleet at Smith's Knoll. -- Louay Habib
www.rorc.org
Dubarry Storm - Designed To Perform
The great thing about the best technical clothing is that it's fit for purpose. There's no frilly bits, no cherries on top, and it won't fall to pieces when the going gets tough. It's a focused, durable, effective masterpiece - just like you. With its waterproof outer and a storm flap inside the zip, it's going to keep you dry. And its snug chin guard and polarfleece inner will keep you warm. It's warm, dry, confident styling in six colourways, and it does exactly what you want a jacket to do.
Dubarry Storm - the calm within the Storm.
www.dubarry.com
Record Attempt Around The Isle Of Wight
The catamaran Hydroptere.ch. Photo by Christophe Launay, www.sealaunay.com. Click on image for photo gallery.
The trimaran l'Hydroptere is heading to England and is getting prepared to beat the record around the Isle of Wight. This record is held since November 2001 by Steve Fosset's catamaran Playstation. The first attempt will take place on Sunday June 5 (*Editor: no note on the website about Sunday, presumably on hold...) and they will be prolonged until June 14, 2011.
Last year l'Hydroptere missed the record by a few minutes. In fact at mid-term of the race, she was 40 minutes ahead of Playstation, but due to a fall in the wind, l'Hydroptere finished 8 minutes after Playstation's record.
This year, with the full support of the House of Champagne Lanson, the official partner of this record, the Hydroptere team is attempting this challenge again, more motivated than ever and determined to sign a triple wake of bubbles and spray.
The launch of l'Hydroptere.ch in Spring 2011 represented a new milestone for the project. Now heading to the open sea, the Hydroptere Team is focused on the versatility of the concept and prepares the arrival of flying boats in the offshore sailing world.
l'Hydroptere's technological adventure has been possible principally thanks to the unconditional support of Thierry Lombard since 2005, Managing Partner of the private banking house Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch & Cie, whose founding year - 1796 - appears on the mainsail.
* The Hydroptere.ch broke two records (records for the Lake Geneva or Lake Leman) 29.18 knots over 1 km and hit a peak speed of 34.84 knots, 1 of June 2011. 21.32 kts on a hour 2 of June 2011
Launched in autumn 2010, this catamaran is part of a complete scientific process. As a lab boat, her main purpose is to test geometries and behaviours in varied real conditions for the development of l'Hydroptere maxi,
www.hydroptere.com
Platu 25 Worlds
Gmunden, Austria: After nine very competitive races, the new Platu 25 World Champion is the Italian "EUK II Monella Vagabonda" owned by Francesco Lanera and helmed by Sandro Montefusco, with the Swiss Mark Sigrist as a tactician. This original Pugliese-Swiss team is the new World Champion although it's the first time that the crew's members race together.
Francesco Lanera, owner of "EUK II Monella Vagabonda" is very moved. He laughs and then cries and after he laughs again: "All of us hoped in the victory. There was Sandro Montefusco, who is a guarantee but I don't get used to such a big emotion. It's simply fantastic and it's difficult to believe. I thank all those who helped us and contributed to this day. Family, friends and sponsors. Our team faced in a very determined way the difficult weather conditions in the last days".
The struggle has always been behind "Euk II Monella Vagabonda", among the Spanish and German boats. Until the end the second step of the podium was uncertain. -- English edited by Kev Scott (Thailand NCA)
Overall ranking after 9 races, one discard:
1. Euz Ll Monella Vagabonda, Sandro Montefusco, ITA, 37 points
2. Gaes Mundo Marino, Ferrer Sanchez , ESP, 51
3. Falkone, Cornelius Heeschen, GER, 61
4. Kyra, Lars Baehr, GER, 63.3
5. Bribon Movistar, Marc De Antonio, ESP, 64
6. Nanuk, Catalano Gianrollo, ITA, 68
7. The Collection-Coppe Dental, Jose Perez Manuel, ESP, 73
8. Mata Hambre, Alfonso Bonilla Ariza, ESP, 76
9. Mexillon De Galicia Movistar, Bernardo Paz, ESP, 100
10. Murtfeldt, Andre Teutenberg, GER, 100
platu25.com
Camper Returns to the Fiji Race
The organisers of the Auckland-Musket Cove race, otherwise known as the Fiji race, have had to delay the start of their event for 24 hours and after examining the changing weather forecast, CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand have now decided they will compete after all.
Blasting past Cuvier Island. CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand, 2000 mile qualification sail, D Hamish Hooper/CAMPER/Volvo Ocean Race
"With the race start delayed... the nature of the race has changed considerably."
It was announced on Saturday (New Zealand time) that the start would be delayed due to gale-force winds. Today the wind was a constant 40 knots across the start line, with gusts of 50 knots in the Hauraki Gulf.
Emirates Team New Zealand withdrew CAMPER from the race on Friday because forecasts indicated head winds all the way to Fiji and on the return sail. That meant little chance of the team being able to do the down-wind sail testing they require, but due to the delayed start, the team is now expecting new conditions for the race, which will be useful in its training.
Emirates Team New Zealand meteorologist Roger Badham explained the team's decision. "The gale-force winds and low-pressure system is moving to the south of Auckland tonight. With the race start delayed by the RNZYS officials by 24 hours, the nature of the race has changed considerably.
"A more varied wind regime is now expected, with both upwind and downwind conditions ranging from eight to 18 knots. CAMPER should reach Fiji on Thursday and from there, the team plans to do some testing in the south-east trades winds by heading west and using the downwind conditions varying from 15 to 25 knots.
www.volvooceanrace.com
* After a 24 hour delay the Auckland-Musket Cove race started at Auckland at noon today. In complete contrast to yesterday's conditions, which saw winds gusting to more than 40 knots, the fleet crossed the line under very light airs, blue skies and bright sunshine.
CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand led off the start line for the 1141-nautical mile race to Fiji.
Racing with 13 crew rather than the 11 permitted for the Volvo Ocean Race, CAMPER will be in full 'race mode' for the next few days.
The race is organized by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in association with the New Zealand International Yachting Trust.
Expectations were that Team Vodafone Sailing might threaten the RNZYS record of 120hrs 21mins 45secs set by Systems Thunder in 2008. However, skipper Simon Hull said the light conditions meant the record was unlikely to fall.
As Camper and TVS led the fleet past Rangitoto Light, the next two yachts out into the Hauraki Gulf were Wired, owned by Rob Bassett and Brett Russell, and the historic Whitbread Round the World racer, Lion New Zealand, skippered by William Goodfellow.
Follow the fleet via the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron: http://www.rnzys.org.nz or directly through the race tracker here: live.adventuretracking.com/aucklandtofiji2011
From Sail-World.com: www.sail-world.com
Seahorse July 2011
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
Ease... slightly
Jeff Kent is a champion DN ice sailor who also builds some of the fastest boats and rigs in the class; together with fellow champion James Thieler he explains the curious physics of DN development
Long overdue
Camper skipper Chris Nicholson talks with Ivor Wilkins about New Zealand's first Volvo Race entry for more than 17 years
Design - A universal hull?
He gave us the tandem keel (as well as numerous books and some very fine screenplays)... and now Warwick Collins has had another new idea
If you haven't subscribed to Seahorse already we're keen to help you attend to that! - Please use the following promotional link and enjoy the hefty Scuttlebutt Europe discount... and it gets even better for 2 and 3 year subscriptions...
www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/subs
Donnybrook On The Rocks
Photo by Talbot Wilson. Click on image to enlarge.
Our Annapolis to Newport Race on James Muldoon's Donnybrook started Friday afternoon and ended abruptly early Saturday morning when the keel of the big black boat met the rocks of the south jetty of the Chesapeake Bay tunnel near Norfolk, Virginia.
We were reaching up toward the channel at 6:45AM and bore off to cross over the tunnel. With all hands on deck, getting ready to launch a spinnaker for the next leg of our course around the 'middle ground.' The chart indicated 18 feet of water on the line we took, but the 12 foot deep keel proved the chart wrong.
We were doing 12-14kts when Donnybrook hit a solid wall of rock and the 73 foot 30 ton racer stopped in an instant. She spun to the right and bounced along in a jarring series of lesser hits. The crew were scattered in the cockpit and deck like fallen pins in the ally. Three of our mates were taken to the hospital as soon as the Coast Guard could get out to help us. One will have have surgery on a compound fracture of his forearm, the other two were treated and released.
After the initial shock, the crew rallied and hauled down the jib. I trimmed the main all the way in to drive the boat back up into the wind to try to head back on a close reciprocal course. We checked for lines overboard and Peter started the engine, put it in gear. Mr. Muldoon drove back out, bouncing Donnybrook painfully through the rocks as the crew got the mainsail down to take pressure off the damaged keel and furled on the boom.
Navigator Kurt Lowman called the US Coast Guard who responded promptly in their 45 footer from Little Creek. They offloaded our three injured and left us with two of their crew and a pump for 'just in case' as we motored to the Little Creek Marina which was now saving the t-dock space for us.
Donnybrook motored back to Baltimore later on Saturday and will be hauled there for inspection and repair. It will be interesting to see how high up on the keel the damage goes. That will tell us how high the rocks were and how wrong the 18 foot depth on the chart really was. -- Talbot Wilson
XOD Class Races At Royal Lymington Yacht Club
Photo by Hamo Thornycroft. Click on image to enlarge.
Any spectators on the banks of the Lymington River on Friday afternoon (June 3rd) would be forgiven for thinking it was the early 1900s as ladies dressed in elegant long navy and white dresses joined gentlemen in reefers and caps and crews in white overalls, all preparing their classic wooden boats, that first raced in Southampton Water on 3rd June 1911, for the start of the XOD Lymington Division's celebration of the Class Centenary.
A fleet of 31 of these beautiful 21ft keelboats, first raced in 1911, mustered on the start line in the Solent. Lymington's resident fleet was joined by a dozen or so from the Yarmouth Division and members of the Itchenor and Parkstone divisions also attended.
Despite a stiff easterly breeze, crews were determined to show off their period costumes to the spectators and resisted putting on their oilskins, instead choosing to get a little damp; no great hardship on the hottest day of the year so far.
The Royal Lymington Yacht Club, whose chief race officer Nigel Thomas himself looked rather grand dressed in a naval uniform of the period, set a windward-leeward course for the class across Lymington's river entrance. Pulling away from the start line very convincingly was the Fleet Captain William Norris in X 178 Beatrix, in close company with William Westmacott, grandson of the X's original designer, Alfred Westmacott in X 56 Xanthus and the Olympic bronze medallist (from 1968), and consistent top performer, Ado Jardine in X 140, Lucrezia. They exchanged the lead until the first mark, where Lucrezia got ahead, followed by Xanthus and Beatrix.
That order was maintained until the last beat when there was an exciting shift of position as Karl Thorne in X 34 Mersa in fourth split from the fleet and stood out into the stronger tide and better wind so that Xanthus, Mersa and Beatrix rounded the last mark almost together and followed Lucrezia downwind to the turning mark for the River.
The 'Best Dressed Crew' award went to the crew of X 119 Lonestar. Thanks go to Danebury Vineyards, a Hampshire vineyard that sponsored the Edwardian Race Day reception. -- Peta Stuart-Hunt
www.rlymyc.org.uk
2008 49' Corby. Price: A$ 899,000. Located In Melbourne, Australia.
Flirt is a custom built IRC racer. The design brief was to develop a boat with the characteristics of a TP52, yet to be well appointed below decks and be sound enough to race offshore without any doubt about the boat's structual integrity. A modern, fast ocean racing yacht, Flirt can be sailed with a minimum number of crew thanks to an hydraulic winch package and asymmetrical spinnaker setup.
She has been upgraded and maintained to the highest level, in 2009 she was fitted with twin backstays and a square top main and her keel was modified to improve her all round peformance.
Flirt has proven to be a highly competitive boat with regular race wins against TP52s and recently launched designs such as the Reichel Pugh 52. She is in excellent condition and ready for immediate racing at the highest level.
Brokerage through 22 North Ltd.: www.yachtworld.com/22northhk/
A person with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds. -- Mark Twain
About YachtWorld.com
Formed in 1995, YachtWorld.com is the premier online sales channel for yacht brokers around the world. The site lists more than 110,000 boats for sale in 115 countries by some 2,500 brokers in 60 countries. The total value of boats listed is over $40 billion. Headquartered in Seattle, YachtWorld.com has its European headquarters in the United Kingdom, with sales offices in Germany, Italy and Russia and sales representation in Dubai, Australia and China.
Boats.com provides marketing and Web services to boat builders, dealers, brokers and service companies throughout the global recreational marine industry. The Boats.com Website provides consumer access to information, boat listings and financial and insurance products. With more than 143,000 new and used boat listings from more than 5,500 brokers, dealers and manufacturers, Boats.com is the largest concentration of recreational marine industry marketing in the world.
Yachtworld.com on line magazine is available free of charge and delivered digitally every month. Click here to receive your copy: www.yachtworldmagazine.com/ywm/latest/
See the Boats Blog at Boats.com -- www.boats.com/blog/
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2 November 2011 / Arts & Entertainment / Leanne Maxwell
SFist Tonight, 11/2: Day of the Dead/Festival of Altars, Mary Roach/Adam Savage, 'Mindglow'
FESTIVAL: One of the best Mission events of the year is happening tonight with the annual Dia de los Muertos procession and Festival of Altars celebration. Bring candles in glass containers to honor your loved ones who've passed -- no open flame candles are allowed at the park. (7 p.m., procession starts at 22nd & Bryant, runs down to 24th and over to Mission, then back up to 22nd; 6 to 11 p.m., Festival of Altars, Garfield Park)
LITERARY: MythBuster's Adam Savage will be interviewing Mary Roach, whose latest book, Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, is this year's One City One Book selection. Before the conversation, there will be a screening of Rockets of Yesterday, curated by writer, archivist and space enthusiast Megan Prelinger. (5:45 p.m., Koret Auditorium, Main Library, 100 Larkin Street)
FILM: Concluding Roxie Theater's Spooktacular event tonight is the world premiere of Mindglow, in which a "tainted burrito leads to a pregnant man leads to INS troubles in this surreal comedy that could serve as an extended warning about dental health, along with live performances by Bay Area bands Bronze (locked-groove panic jams) and Limosine (ritualistic face-melting). (7:30 p.m., Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street)
'Clue' Director Jonathan Lynn Discusses Almost Casting Carrie Fisher at SF Sketchfest
Keanu Reeves, Already In Town For the 'Matrix 4' Shoot, Had Baskin-Robbins In Alameda
Celebrate National Deviled Egg Day... Which Is Today!
Oh brother, do we love us a plateful of deviled eggs during the summer months or after a night of binge drinking. And how. Packed with protein and family-picnic memories, the deviled egg
Ed Lee Campaign Slapped with New Money Laundering Accusations
Brace yourselves, folks, the October Surprises have started rolling in, albiet a bit late: As the Chronicle reports today, new allegations of money laundering have hit another already shady supporter of Mayor Ed
Leanne Maxwell
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Donor help for childless couples (Egg donations)
More couples now seem to be delaying in having children. But as their biological clocks continue to tick away, they may find it hard or unable to conceive and turn to other means like sperm and egg donations.
Married couples in Malaysia who cannot conceive due to problems with their sperm or eggs have had to resort to assistance from local and foreign donors for the past ten years. Now, it appears that the number of such donations have increased.
Infertility on the increase
To date, official statistics are non-existent, but local medical experts think that such donations may have risen because of the increasing infertility rate.
“Over the last five years, we have seen an increase in male infertility from 15% to 30%,” said Dr Mohamad Farouk Abdullah, head of the obstetrics and gynaecology department of the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang, and he added that, “More women are also coming to seek treatment at an older age with problems with ovulation and the quality of their eggs,” the senior consultant added.
Need for regulated guidelines for
As of now, there seems to be no enforceable laws or regulations in Malaysia that prohibit or allow sperm and egg donations between infertile couples and third party donors. The Malaysian Medical Council has set guidelines on assisted reproduction, but only in the medical profession.
A check by The Star newspaper has discovered that sperm and egg donations are offered by many fertility centres in Malaysia. Sperm donors are chosen from men between 20 to 40 years old, and eggs come from women between 20 to 30 years old. Sperm donors can be paid RM 200 whereas egg donations can go for up to RM 7000.
“It is often a question of what is accepted between the infertile couple (and) the attending doctor.” said Dr. Farouk, and added that basic ethics should be considered, such as having both parties understand the risks involved in the procedures of assisted reproduction.
Beware of the ‘eggs-tra’ risks
Although sperm and egg donations are on the rise, couples and potential donors must be aware of the attendant risks:
“Egg donation carry more risks than sperm donation,” says Dr. Paul Tay, a consultant obstetrician, “ A woman needs to be chemically stimulated to produce more eggs in her menstrual cycle and the procedure may pose risks of overstimulation that could lead to complications…including death in rare cases.”
Dr. Tay also commented that although laws are required to regulate the procedures of egg donations, he expressed hopes that the regulations do not result in so much red tape that egg donations become impractical.
An egg-ceptional solution?
According to Singapore General Hospital, some Singaporeans are going elsewhere to try their luck. The main reason they go overseas is because they are too old to qualify for IVF treatment here, or they need to find an egg donor.
The two egg banks in Singapore are reported to be short of supply due to the long process of being a donor. A donor must undergo 10 to 14 days of daily injections to stimulate her ovaries to produce eggs, and after this process, a needle is inserted into the ovaries to retrieve the eggs.
According to Dr Yu of SGH, who says the process is time-consuming and “can be painful”. Besides, donors are not paid and get only $150 to cover their transport fees and effort, she added. SGH’s egg bank has not had a single donor for the past three years and the wait for a donor’s eggs is “indefinite”. Patients who need eggs must produce their own donors now.
It appears that only a few donors come forward each year at the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. These egg donors “are usually friends or relatives of the egg recipients, whom recipients find using their own resources”, noted Dr Loh Seong Feei, director of the KKIVF Centre.
The scarcity of egg donors here means Singaporean women unable to produce eggs, or whose eggs are of poor quality, often have no choice but to go overseas where egg banks have stock at hand.
Sources: Yahoo.sg, The Star, SGH.com
For more related articles on conception and pregnancy, see:
Must-read fertility tips
Baby-making sex positions
Pre Pregnancy Preparation
IVF in Singapore: Learn About The Details of The Donor Egg Programme
Help to conceive: Must-read fertility tips
This couple was unable to conceive a baby for 4 years because they were having sex the wrong way!
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Search Short Biography
Life Story of Famous People
Short Bio » Film Actor » Jason Statham
Birthday: September 12, 1967
Birthplace: London, England, U.K.
Star Sign: Virgo
Profession: Film Actor
About: Jason Statham has proved himself as a multi-talented person. He has been a successful diver and finished 12th in the world championship. He got his first chance in the film named Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels(1998).
Then he successfully acted in Snatch(2000). After that, he began to present us lots of hit movies, and most of them were action movies. Like The One(2001), Transporter 1,2,3(2002,2005,2008), Crank 1 & 2(2006,2009), Death Race(2008), The Expendables 1 & 2(2010,2012) and many more.He is a martial artist himself. He also does his action and stunts himself. He was in a relation till 2008 with model Kelly Brook. From 2010 he has been dating model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. He is also a producer.
Another name: Jay
Born: 12 September 1967
Star Sign: Leo
Birth Place: Sydenham, London, UK
Education: Jason Statham studied in the UK
Citizenship: British
Family: Mother: Eileen, Father: Barry Statham
The One(2001)
Transporter 1,2,3(2002,2005,2008)
Crank 1 & 2(2006,2009)
Death Race(2008)
The Expendables 1 & 2(2010,2012)
More info of Jason Statham:
Wiki | IMDb | Twitter
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Published in Actor
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Short Biography - Copyright © 2012-2019.
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How to write a love song for beginners
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Home check homework help Intercultural contact essay
Intercultural contact essay
Cultural competence in healthcare The provision of culturally tailored health care can improve patient outcomes.
Historical approaches[ edit ] Although the word Intercultural contact essay was coined by J. Powell in[2] the earliest record of acculturation can be found in Sumerian inscriptions from B.
These inscriptions laid out rules for commerce and interaction with foreigners designed to limit acculturation and protect traditional cultural practices.
Accordingly, he proposed that no one should travel abroad until they are at least 40 Intercultural contact essay of age, and that travellers should be restricted to the ports of cities to minimize contact with native citizens.
One of the most notable forms of acculturation is imperialismthe most common predecessor of direct cultural change. Although these cultural changes may seem simple, the combined results are both robust and complex, impacting both groups and individuals from the original culture and the host culture.
Contact - RunAttitude
The first psychological theory of acculturation was proposed in W. From studying Polish immigrants in Chicago, they illustrated three forms of acculturation corresponding to three personality types: Bohemian adopting the host culture and abandoning their culture of originPhilistine failing to adopt the host culture but preserving their culture of originand creative-type able to adapt to the host culture while preserving their culture of origin.
Those phenomena which result when groups of individuals having different cultures come into continuous first-hand contact, with subsequent changes in the original cultural patterns of either or both groups InMilton Gordon 's book Assimilation in American Life outlined seven stages of the assimilative process, setting the stage for literature on this topic.
Later, Young Yun Kim authored a reiteration of Gordon's work, but argued cross-cultural adaptation as a multi-staged process. Kim's theory focused on the unitary nature of psychological and social processes and the reciprocal functional personal environment interdependence.
In Kim's approach, assimilation is unilinear and the sojourner must conform to the majority group culture in order to be "communicatively competent.
Thus, the term adaptation is used by Gudykunst and Kim to mean conformity to the coercive power pp. According to this definition, any attempt to maintain one's original values, beliefs, ways of thinking, feelings, or behaviors constitutes mental illness or "maladaptation" p.
This is further emphasized by Gudykunst and Kimstating that the way of "upward-forward" evolution toward functional fitness and psychological health is for the newcomer to willfully "unlearn" and "deculturize" themselves p. Gudykunst and Kim proposed both psychotherapy and abandonment of all ethnic relations and associations with ethnic ties to help immigrants achieve "integrative" conformity Again, this is not integration but rather dissolution of the newcomer's original identity.
According to Gudykunst and Kimincreased disintegration is preferred, even if it leads to extreme distress for the immigrant. Ironically, Gudykunst and Kim seemed to identify the concept of acculturative stress stating "even extreme mental illness [caused by "conformity pressure" p.
No matter how unjust or cruel, Gudykunst and Kim argue that the host's way of thinking, feeling, and behaving constitutes the "higher level" of psychic evolution and any resistance to conform indicates that the immigrant is communicatively incompetent, immature, mentally ill pp.
Evolutionary progress for the individual requires the individual to "abandon identification with the cultural patterns that have constituted who one is and what one is" p.
In contradistinction from Gudykunst and Kim's version of adaptive evolution, Eric M. Kramer developed his theory of Cultural Fusion[8][9] a, [10] a, [9] [11] a, [10] [12][13] [14] maintaining clear, conceptual distinctions between assimilation, adaptation, and integration.
According to Kramer, assimilation involves conformity to a pre-existing form. Kramer's a, b, c, theory of Cultural Fusion, which is based on systems theory and hermeneuticsargues that it is impossible for a person to unlearn themselves and that by definition, "growth" is not a zero sum process that requires the disillusion of one form for another to come into being but rather a process of learning new languages and cultural repertoires ways of thinking, cooking, playing, working worshiping, and so forth.
Intercultural competence - Wikipedia
In other words, Kramer argues that one need not unlearn a language in order to learn a new one, nor does one have to unlearn who one is in order to learn new ways of dancing, cooking, talking and so forth. Unlike Gudykunst and KimKramer argues that this blending of language and culture results in cognitive complexity, or the ability to switch between cultural repertoires.
To put Kramer's ideas simply, learning is growth rather than unlearning. Kramer[ edit ] Although numerous models of acculturation exist, the most complete models take into consideration the changes occurring at the group and individual levels of both interacting groups.
Two fundamental premises in Kramer's DAD theory are the concepts of hermeneutics and semiotics, which infer that identity, meaning, communication, and learning all depend on differences or variance.
According to this view, total assimilation would result in a monoculture void of personal identity, meaning, and communication. Kramer's theory identifies three communication styles idolic, symbolic, or signalic in order to explain cultural differences.
It is important to note that in this theory, no single mode of communication is inherently superior, and no final solution to intercultural conflict is suggested. Instead, Kramer puts forth three integrated theories: Idolic reality involves strong emotional identification, where a holy relic does not simply symbolize the sacred, it is sacred.
By contrast, a Christian crucifix follows a symbolic nature, where it represents a symbol of God. Lastly, the signalic modality is far less emotional and increasingly dissociated. Kramer refers to changes in each culture due to acculturation as co-evolution.
For example, the process of acculturation is markedly different if one is entering the host as an immigrant or as a refugee. Moreover, this idea encapsulates the importance of how receptive a host culture is to the newcomer, how easy is it for the newcomer to interact with and get to know the host, and how this interaction affects both the newcomer and the host.
Fourfold models[ edit ] The fourfold model is a bilinear model that categorizes acculturation strategies along two dimensions. The first dimension concerns the retention or rejection of an individual's minority or native culture i.Essay from the year in the subject Communications - Intercultural Communication, grade: 1,3, Stralsund University of Applied Sciences, language: English, abstract: "McDonaldization" (GeorgRitzer), "Cocacolization" (Zdravko Mlinar) and "Mc-World" (Benjamin Barber) are just a few key words of a topic that has gained worldwide interest today.
Free intercultural papers, essays, and research papers.
My Account. Your search Within the ambit of the essay such barriers to intercultural communication outlined by LaRay M. [tags: Contemporary Global Economy, Dynamic] the ability to interact and come into contact with different cultures, both ethnic and sub-cultures, has never.
Sep 18, · Importance of Intercultural Communication Essay Communication: The Importance of Being Assertive reflecting on own practice experiences, discussion with colleagues or training. staff should be able to defuse a situation professionally and calmly without anyone getting harmed.
The International Student Program takes pride in offering quality, individualized services to you—our international guests. Our friendly, student-centered support . Experiential Activities for Intercultural Learning [H.
Ned Seelye] on ashio-midori.com *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The need for new approaches, methods, and techniques in cross-cultural training and intercultural education are virtually insatiable. Mexico is a country of intercultural significance and neighbors the United States of America.
The United States of America is traditional and within the country, many cultures exist. More about Essay on intercultural communication. Intercultural Communication Words | 7 Pages; Intercultural Communication Contact Topics Poetry.
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Editor's choiceHot 13.07.2018 - 1,438 views
Demonstrations In Azerbaijan’s Ganja City. Two High-Ranking Police Officers Killed 5 out of 5 based on 3 ratings. 3 user reviews.
Demonstrations In Azerbaijan’s Ganja City. Two High-Ranking Police Officers Killed
Two high-ranking police officers were stabbed to death in Azerbaijan’s western city of Ganja on July 10. The officers were confronting demonstrators who had gathered outside the local administration headquarters while the incident took place. Then, Police detained 40 demonstrators and dispersed the protest.
On July 11, Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry said that on July 11 that it had detained a first suspect, Farux Qasimov. Another suspect, Rasad Boyukkisiyev, was killed in a special operation in the northwestern city of Shamkir after he had allegedly resisted the arrest, the interior ministry said on July 13. Separately, 9 more people were arrested because of links to the riots in Ganja.
Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry says murder Rasad Boyukkisiyev (left) was killed after he resisted arrest. Another suspect, Farux Qasimov (right), has been detained.
HINT: Ganja is the second largest city of Azerbaijan. Its population is about 750,400. The city is mostly populated by Shia Muslims.
Following the demonstrations, authorities deployed additional units of police and special forces in the city and increased security measures in the area.
Earlier, on July 3, Valiyev, and his bodyguard were injured in an apparent attempt to kill the mayor of Ganja, Elmar Valiyev. The attacker, Unus Safarov was deatined on the site. Besides Safarov, 11 other people were detained over the alleged links to the attack.
Azerbaijani authorities claimed that Safarov is a 35-year-old Russian citizen who got military training in Iran and fought for some “extremist group” in Syria. However, no details were provided. The government also accused some “foreign powers” of attempting to undermine the stability in the country.
However, the opposition has a very differnt version. Emin Milli, a leading opposition figure and the director of Meydan TV, said that people on social media have proclaimed Safarov a “national hero” in thousands of online comments.
Milli wrote in Facebook that the incident “probably” took place because Valiyev “represents this criminal government and was notoriously known for humiliating the citizens that he was supposed to serve.” The opposition figure descrbed the government’s charges against Safarov “absurd” and “propaganda”, which are aimed at undermining a potential popular uprising against corruption and authoritarian rule.
Unauthorized demonstrations on July 10 took place in support of Safarov. The Azerbaijani media described demonstrators as criminal elements and religious radicals.
Tags:Azerbaijan
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Alexis Goldwasser
It’s GANJA city. What did you expect?
I shouldn’t laugh, but…..
This is how most Color Revolutions start, although the new government is generally no different from the last.
Garga
A bit of truth in that, in a colour revolution, the new government is always worse than the one it replaces.
Republic of Azerbaijan is currently a vassal of the US and Israel, so a colour revolution will NOT happen there. A genuine and popular revolution? Perhaps, as the members of Azerbaijan ruling circle are among the vilest of creatures.
Horace Lacondeta
Apparently it looks like an hybrid epiphenomenon ethnic / religious / political discontent. The rioters are of Tat ethnicity, an Iranian speaking Shia minority. Alyev is taking the excuse of islamist minority and Iranian interference to force the West to support his regime, overall the threat is largely imaginary.
If the discontent spread to other ethnic communities such as the Farsi speaking Talyshes in the south, or even worse to the Lezguis, and more generally to the impoverished rural / urban population this could not only lead to the end of the regime but also potentially to the end of Azerbaijan as we know it.
Though dismentelment of Azerbaijan is an extreme scenario at this stage, its always a possibility considering the country is still in the process of nation building consolidated around their Turkish ethnicity.
Rafik Chauhan
Azerbaijan is run by Zionist slave . they always want to blame iran for any protest . even if any government criminal get killed by its own ressitance people they blame iran for this act as terriost. . Azerbaijan election is always a froud same like Jordan and Egypt. Azerbaijan need Tunisia like revolation soon.
Rassad B. died in custody, not during the operation.
Over the years, Azerbaijan became a real circus with a buffoon at his dead. A ridiculous North Korean style state in Caucasus where the Mossad feels at home and run their Iranian operations. 25 years ago, Aliyev Sr invited thousands of proto Al Qaeda members from pakistan and Afghanistan to fight the Armenians who beat the crap out of them. Those who survived used Baku as a hub to strike Russia, with Alyev Sr benediction.
Staggering amount of money vanished in his clan pockets. Like dozens of billions. Official statistics are so faked that they are often subject to jokes. Few days ago, a huge electricity + water cutof paralyzed the whole country for 3 days. No water no purification sustem. People in blocked the metro…. apocalypse scenes…
I foresee a bloody end for Ilham. Mohamar Ghadaffi style. Stabbed to death by his people under one of his father gigantic statue, under the shadow of his only legacy, 3 towers.
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Taylor: “This is the Weekend” for Acura DPi Breakthrough
Ricky Taylor says the lessons of 2018 have Acura Team Penske primed for the Rolex 24…
Ryan Myrehn
Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA
Ricky Taylor says the lessons learned in year one of Acura Team Penske’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship program has the two-car operation primed to notch a marquee win in the series’ biggest race.
The Acura ARX-05 made its race debut in last year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona and was immediately on the pace, but the team’s relative inexperience in the endurance format and the unproven nature of the car left Taylor and his teammates with an unrepresentative result.
Now armed with a year’s worth of experience and and finely tuned package, Taylor figures Daytona could prove to be the crown jewel win the program has been seeking.
The program has only a single win to its credit so far, coming at Mid-Ohio last year with Taylor and Helio Castroneves.
“This is the weekend,” Taylor told Sportscar365. “With what we saw last year, we had the pace to win it but now we have the combination of pace and knowledge, as well as all the lessons with reliability.
“We’ve got the driver changes, brake changes, wing changes down to where I feel like even if we have little issues we can recover. I definitely feel like getting that marquee win.
“Right off the bat Penske was expecting the win, but [with] how difficult this race is, and so many things can go wrong, regardless of how good you feel. There’s always that X-factor that can get you.
“And having a year under the belt we’ve seen all those things go wrong and made adjustments. The team is now really ready. We’ve got all of the procedures, systems and processes in place to address any issues.”
The Acura DPi is the only car not to top at least one of the sessions so far this weekend, although Team Penske and Acura have quietly been going about its program.
Taylor said their qualifying performance that saw both of its cars lock down spots in the top-three sent a message to the rest of the field.
“I don’t think [Mazda] actually thought we were going to be that close in qualifying,” he said. “I don’t think they thought that we were going to go that quick.
“I was pretty pleased that we were able to get that close to the Mazdas. I think over the race, being how light they are, they’re going to be tough to beat.
“Once we get to the end to the race we’ll see what we have, and I think if we can get track position on them, we’ll try to make their life very difficult.”
Daniel Lloyd contributed to this report.
Related Topicsacura team penskeIMSARicky TaylorRolex 24
Ryan Myrehn is an Indianapolis-based journalist and sportscaster, covering IMSA and Pirelli World Challenge. Myrehn, a graduate of DePauw University, is also the host of Sportscar365's “Double Stint” Podcast.
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Providence Mayor Outlines $5 Million Marketing Plan for Rhode Island
- May 19, 2014 4:30 pm
Taveras’ ambitious tourism initiative is one way to boost his profile as a gubernatorial hopeful, but his political success will impact the initiative for the better or worse.
— Samantha Shankman
Gubernatorial hopeful and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras has unveiled a plan to spend $5 million annually to boost tourism in Rhode Island, which he says is a major economic driver.
The plan announced Monday calls for a marketing effort to create an “overarching brand” for the state; improvements in infrastructure and public transit; support for the arts; and development of the “farm to table” food movement. Taveras wants to increase the state tourism division’s budget from $400,000 a year to $2.4 million.
He says there’s much more that can be done to showcase the state and that tourism investments should pay for themselves over time in terms of job creation and tax revenue.
Democrats Gina Raimondo and Clay Pell have also unveiled initiatives to boost tourism.
Copyright (2014) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Tags: marketing, rhode island, usa
Photo Credit: An empty street leads to Providence's capitol building. Doug Kerr / Flickr
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Browsing by Author Berghuis, Thomas
2008 The 'art' of Chinese Performance Art Berghuis, Thomas; Art History & Film Studies The 'art' of Chinese Performance Art in Writing on the wall: Chinese New Realism and avant-garde in the eighties and nineties, NAi Publishers, 2008, pp. 127-143
2012 China and the World of Contemporary Art: Repositioning the Art System in China Berghuis, Thomas; Art History & Film Studies China and the World of Contemporary Art: Repositioning the Art System in China in Negotiating Difference: Contemporary Chinese Art in the Global Context, VDG Weimar, 2012, pp. 227-242
2012 Experimental Art, Performance and ‘Publicness’: Repositioning the Critical Mass of Contemporary Chinese Art Berghuis, Thomas; Art History & Film Studies Experimental Art, Performance and ‘Publicness’: Repositioning the Critical Mass of Contemporary Chinese Art, Journal of Visual Art Practice, vol.11, 2 & 3, 2012,pp 135-155
2011 ruangrupa: What Could Be 'Art to Come' Berghuis, Thomas; Art History & Film Studies ruangrupa: What Could Be 'Art to Come', Third Text: third world perspectives on contemporary art and culture, vol.25, 4, 2011,pp 395-407
2009 Shanghai Dream Berghuis, Thomas; Art History & Film Studies Shanghai Dream in Crossing Cultures: Conflict, Migration and Convergence: the proceedings of the 32nd International Congress of the History of Art, Melbourne University Press, 2009, pp. 890-894
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Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore – New on the Shelves – Dead Dry Heart #Psychological Thriller by Toni Pike
Toni Pike latest release, a psychological thriller – Dead Dry Heart and brand new covers for all her books.
About Dead Dry Heart
Tyler Thompson is Australia’s young, brilliant and charismatic Prime Minister, riding high on a wave of popularity. But the past has come back to haunt him and there is a shocking secret from his childhood that he will do almost anything to conceal.
The one man who knows what happened twenty-five years ago is back – and he is hellbent on revenge. Tyler’s precious wife and baby have disappeared and their safe return will cost him everything: family, career and freedom.
But even that may not be enough to satisfy his nemesis – and the truth may be more terrible than he could possibly imagine.
A chilling novel about deceit, betrayal and murder, with twists and turns that you will not see coming.
Murder, Betrayal and Truth By DGKaye on August 3, 2018
The past begins with Josh, a somewhat of a recluse with a troubled past, who happens to be wandering through the Australian desert and stumbles across a scene where 11 year old Tyler is being abused by his parents while they’re camped out on the beach. Josh is compelled to defend little Tyler and quickly a fight ensues and turns into murder. After Tyler helps Josh bury his parents’ bodies in the sand, Josh leads him through the desert back to a road and sets him free to seek aid, reminding him to ‘stick to the story’ that his parents ran out of gas in their travels and set out to get gas while leaving Tyler with their van. Only slip ups have a way of entering into Tyler’s story when he accidentally reveals the name of the man who guided him to safety, turning the missing persons investigation into a possible murder mystery.
Tyler is forever haunted by that night at the beach, despite his being taken in by a loving adoptive family. As he excels in school and sets his sights on becoming a politician, Josh is safely locked up in jail, but through TV and newspaper clippings he keeps a close eye on Tyler’s life. And not long after Tyler becomes Prime Minister of Australia, Josh is released from jail and plots his revenge against the boy, now man, who he once rescued. The cat and mouse games begin.
Tyler now must fight to keep his secret about ‘that night’ at the beach, protect his family from Josh who is released from jail 25 years later, and figure out a way to save his reputation and his position in government. While the story takes on lots of twists and turns, as Tyler attempts to dodge Josh’s mission to contact him, and then his threats to expose Tyler as an accomplice to his crimes, Tyler fears for his family’s life and his reputation, keeping us gripped throughout and leaving us wondering through every page if everything Tyler worked for will be destroyed and will Tyler be able to stop Josh from kidnapping and threatening to kill his family. A captivating story right from the start!
Read the reviews and buy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F61TNLT/
and on Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Dry-Heart-psychological-thriller-ebook/dp/B07F61TNLT/
Also by Toni Pike
Read the reviews and buy the books: https://www.amazon.com/Toni-Pike/e/B009I70E8Y
And Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Toni-Pike/e/B009I70E8Y
Read more reviews on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14736589.Toni_Pike
About Toni Pike
Toni Pike’s main passions are writing, travelling and spending time with family and friends, and she believes that coffee and long walks are an essential part of any day. After starting her career as a veterinary surgeon, she later taught high school and had a successful career in the public service. She now lives in Canberra, the capital city of Australia.
Pike is the author of Dead Dry Heart – a psychological thriller, and The Jotham Fletcher Mystery Thriller Series: The Magus Covenant, The Rock of Magus, The Magus Epiphany and Holy Spear of Magus.
She’s also the author of two non-fiction books. The One Way Diet is a no-nonsense guide to losing weight and coping with the journey. Happy Travels 101 is a short book of travel tips with great advice for anyone who wants to travel overseas.
Connect to Toni Pike
Website: www.tonipike.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/piketoni1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorToniPike/
Thank you for dropping by today and please help spread the news of Toni’s latest release.. thanks Sally
This entry was posted in Book Promotion and tagged Dead Dry Heart, The Jotham Fletcher Mystery Thriller Series, Toni Pike The Magus Covenant by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.. Bookmark the permalink.
37 thoughts on “Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore – New on the Shelves – Dead Dry Heart #Psychological Thriller by Toni Pike”
Toni Pike on July 10, 2018 at 10:44 am said:
Dear Sally, Thank you so much for this wonderful article and for having me in your Cafe and Bookstore. You never cease to amaze me with your generosity and kindness. Hugs, Toni x
My pleasure Toni.. and great success with the new book. hugsx
Toni Pike on July 10, 2018 at 1:06 pm said:
Thank you, Sally x
tidalscribe on July 10, 2018 at 10:45 am said:
I’ve ordered, I’m always interested in Australian authors and I do love a good psychological thriller. Real life continues to be stranger than fiction so authors can make anything happen! Australia may be the only modern country that managed to literally lose its prime minister – Harold Holt went swimming in the sea in 1967 and was never seen again…
Thank you so much Janet – I do hope you enjoy it. You’re certainly right about truth being stranger than fiction. There was a popular conspiracy theory at the time that Harold Holt had been taken by a Chinese submarine. x
Thank you Janet.. xx
Reblogged this on Toni Pike and commented:
Many thanks to Sally Cronin for her kindness in listing my new book in her wonderful Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore. Sally has one of the best blog magazines on the Internet, so be sure to check it out if you’re not already a follower.
DEAD DRY HEART – A psychological thriller is now available on pre-order and due for release on 24th July.
Thanks for spreading the word Toni and congratulations again..hugsx
Pingback: Sally’s Cafe/Bookstore: New on the Shelves. – The Militant Negro™
Patty on July 10, 2018 at 1:04 pm said:
Reblogged this on Campbells World.
Thank you so much for that, Patty – that is so kind of you. Regards, Toni
Thanks for sharing Patty.. hugsx
Teagan R. Geneviene on July 10, 2018 at 1:31 pm said:
Oooh… that sounds exciting, Sally. Wishing Toni huge success. Hugs all around!
Thank you so much, Teagan, and thank you for helping spread the word. Warm regards, Toni
Thanks Teagan..hugsx
Toni Pike’s new release Dead Dry Heart, a #psychological thriller in on pre-order at half price until July 24th… come on over to find out more @piketoni1
Jacquie Biggar on July 10, 2018 at 6:25 pm said:
This sounds good! Congrats, Toni, best of luck!
Thank you very much, Jacquie – I hope you have a great day. Regards, Toni
Thank you Jacquie..hugsx
dgkaye on July 10, 2018 at 11:10 pm said:
I ordered this the other day. I have a few books from Toni which I’ve yet to get to, but for some reason this one beckons! Congrats to Toni on her new release! ❤ xx
Thank you so much for that, Debby – it would be a good place to start and I do hope you enjoy it. I hope you have a wonderful week. Hugs, Toni x
Thanks Toni. I’ll be sure to review when I’m done. 🙂 x
Thanks Debby, that would be wonderful x
Thank you Debby.. ♥
Check out what’s new on the shelves of Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore in this post from the Smorgasbord Invitation blog.
Toni Pike on July 11, 2018 at 12:05 pm said:
Thank you so much for reblogging that, Don. Regards, Toni
Don Massenzio on July 11, 2018 at 12:48 pm said:
Thank you Don..
joylennick on July 11, 2018 at 4:51 pm said:
Sounds like another worth/while writer. Oh for a secretary and to be cloned! Thank you Sally once again. xx
Never mind Joy, in a few years you will be able to hire a ‘robot’ to do all this for you.. hugs ♥
Thank you, Joy – alas, a problem with no solution. Regards, Toni
Pingback: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – #Summer Foods, Reading and Book Sale | Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life
Toni Pike on November 14, 2018 at 10:18 am said:
Thank you so much for updating all those covers, Sally – you are absolutely amazing. Toni x
Pleasure Toni.. they look great.. hugsx
Thanks Sally x
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Polish your page with a SNO Site Review–25% off through June 30
April 14, 2015 /in News & Announcements /by Tom Hutchinson
Whether your website is a few months or a few years old, there’s always room for improvement. That’s why, for a limited time, we’re offering SNO Site Reviews for only $75 (normally $100). Order by June 30th, and you’ll receive a personalized, detailed report just in time for the new school year.
What exactly is a Site Review? It’s not a contest, and it’s not exactly a critique, either. It’s a comprehensive overview of all aspects of your website and news coverage. We’ll examine your site from a user’s perspective. We’ll snoop around in your design options and widget layout. We’ll consider things like your social media use and site analytics. We’ll check out your content–headlines, stories, videos. We’ll tell you what’s working great, what isn’t, and most importantly, why.
But we don’t stop there. Standard critiques can leave news staffs feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to proceed. A SNO Site Review always includes a list of action items–concrete, realistic steps toward improvement that you and your staff can take. We’ll help you set achievable goals and show you exactly how to reach them.
Check out what these advisers had to say about our Site Reviews:
“By all means, make the investment. Commentary was supportive, corrective, and enormously helpful. Makes a difference when working with true professionals — colleagues, really — who understand all the joys and aches of working with… good journalists in the making.” — David Bailey, Lincoln High School
“It was incredibly detailed and helpful. It almost became a checklist of what we needed to do to improve. I loved the suggestions about content and coverage, but was really appreciative of suggestions for working on the back end of the website.” — Valerie Kibler, Harrisonburg High School
Make sure to place your order before June 30th to receive the discount. The SNO Patrol lovingly handcrafts Site Reviews in the order they’re received, so your patience is appreciated! We’ll make sure you have yours in hand before the new school year begins.
/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/snologo-300x138.png 0 0 Tom Hutchinson /wp-content/uploads/2015/02/snologo-300x138.png Tom Hutchinson2015-04-14 09:33:472015-04-14 09:33:47Polish your page with a SNO Site Review--25% off through June 30
Idaho Student Journalism Association Walt Whitman High School
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Chile feeling rejuvenated in search for third straight Copa America crown
By Kyle BonnJul 1, 2019, 9:48 PM EDT
With all eyes on Tuesday’s heavyweight bout between Brazil and Argentina, Chile is pumping its chest as two-time defending Copa America champions, but there’s an unexpected feeling of rebirth around the aging squad as well.
Alexis Sanchez, who struggled through last season at Manchester United, has suddenly returned to form at the competition with a pair of goals and an assist. According to Chile head coach Reinaldo Rueda, there’s one secret ingredient Sanchez is missing at Manchester United which has seen him back to his best this summer.
“Love,” Rueda tabbed as the special sauce in his pre-match press conference. “In the national team and because of the attention they receive, the players don’t want to leave. Despite not playing for their clubs, they come here with commitment and forge a strong group.”
Rueda pointed to others in the South American competition who struggled at their clubs this season and are experiencing a rebirth at the Copa America. “That’s why players like [Barcelona’s Philippe] Coutinho, [Real Madrid’s] James [Rodriguez], or Alexis, who didn’t have a great season, become themselves again with the national team.”
Midfielder Arturo Vidal is on board with that mentality, motivated not only by the camaraderie among the players and adoration fromt he fans, but the goal in front of them: a historic third straight Copa America.
“We want to leave our legacy as triple champions, that’s our dream,” Vidal said. “That’s why we want to play our best match of the Copa against Peru. It would be something historic for us to get to the final and that’s our aim.”
Argentina is the only country to ever win three straight Copa America titles, securing it between 1945-47. Even as Uruguay and Argentina dominated South America in the 1910’s, 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s and the competition was held on a more regular basis, it was still difficult to sustain repeated success.
As Chile meets a Peru side that held Uruguay off the scoresheet before winning on penalties, the old guard in Sanchez, Vidal, Jean Beausejour, Mauricio Isla and captain Gary Medel – all over the 30-year-old mark – has to continue tapping into its youthful edge to attain a period of domination unmatched in over 70 years.
Tags: Alexis Sanchez, Arturo Vidal, Chile, Reinaldo Rueda, Ba, Gary Medel, Jean Beausejour, Mauricio Isla
What time do Germany-Chile play in Confederations Cup 2017?
By NBCSports.comMay 18, 2017, 4:17 PM EDT
KAZAN, Russia. – Die Nationalmannschaft have made two previous appearances at the FIFA Confederations Cup, the first of them coming at Mexico 1999, where the likes of Lothar Matthaus, Jens Lehmann and a young Michael Ballack formed part of a side that went out in the group phase. Germany will be heading to their third Festival of Champions as reigning World Cup holders, having secured a long-awaited fourth title at Brazil 2014. Tactically astute, technically gifted and well drilled, Joachim Low’s formidable side went unbeaten throughout the whole competition.
This will be Chile’s first appearance in this competition. Chile qualified for the Festival of Champions by winning a long-awaited and maiden Copa America title in July 2015. This historic feat, achieved on home soil, was secured with a tactically astute and ultra-attacking side that were able to handle the pressure and expectation of being hosts.
Thursday, June 22nd of 2017: Germany vs. Chile a las 2:00PM ET/1:00PM CT/11:00AM PT, live and exclusively on Telemundo and Telemundo Deportes En Vivo App.
Possible Lineups:
Germany: Kevin Trapp, Jonas Hector, Benedikt Hoewedes, Mats Hummels, Sami Khedira, Julian Draxler, Toni Kroos, Mesut Oezil, Andre Schuerlle, Thomas Mueller y Mario Gomez.
Chile: Claudio Bravo, Mauricio Isla, Gary Medel, Gonzalo Jara, Jean Beausejour, Charles Aranguiz, José Fuenzalida, Jorge Valdivia, Arturo Vidal, Eduardo Vargas y Alexis Sánchez.
Tags: Claudio Bravo, Eder, Eduardo, Eduardo Vargas, Gary Medel, Gonzalo Jara, Jean Beausejour, Mauricio Isla
What time do Cameroon-Chile play in Confederations Cup 2017?
MOSCOW, Russia. – Cameroon will be making their third FIFA Confederations Cup appearance at Russia 2017, having graced the competition twice in a row at the start of the millennium. Despite a glorious past and its four continental titles, Cameroon went into the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Gabon 2017 as outsiders, with a young and largely inexperienced squad and with confidence low after a string of disappointing results at recent international competitions. The surprise finalists rallied by their nucleus of more experienced players, with Nicolas Nkoulou and Vincent Aboubakar scoring the goals that brought the country a fifth Africa Cup of Nations win.
Sunday, June 18th of 2017: Cameroon vs. Chile at 2:00PM ET/1:00PM CT/11:00AM PT, live and exclusively on Telemundo and Telemundo Deportes En Vivo App.
Cameroon: Joseph Ondoa, Adolphe Teikeu, Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui, Ambroise Oyongo, Collins Faï, Jacques Zoua, Arnaud Sutchuin Djum, Sebastien Siani, Robert Ndip Tambe, Benjamin Moukandjo y Christian Bassogog.
Chile on pace to miss World Cup after another big loss
By Nicholas MendolaOct 6, 2016, 7:52 PM EDT
Ecuador clobbered Chile on Thursday, putting the Chileans behind the 8-ball in their quest to make the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia scored in the 19th minute to lead Ecuador to a 3-0 win at the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito. Goals from Cristian Ramirez and Felipe Caicedo also helped Ecuador move back into an automatic qualifying spot.
[ MORE: UEFA World Cup qualifying ]
The result was also somewhat overshadowed by a bizarre incident in which police appeared to try and stop Enner Valencia from leaving the stadium on a stretcher. Earlier Thursday, reports emerged that Valencia was confronted by police regarding absent child support payments.
But the loss keeps Chile seventh, where they’ll remain regardless of tonight’s results. It’s a stunning turn of form for the back-to-back Copa America champions.
This is a side with Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal, Charles Aránguiz and Eduardo Vargas, Claudio Bravo and Mauricio Isla. Yet Chile is off the pace for Russia, and would waste the final prime World Cup cycles of all six players.
Chile has lost four of its first nine qualifiers, those defeats at the hands of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and now Ecuador.
There are still nine World Cup qualifiers left for Chile, and here they are:
Tuesday vs. Peru
Nov. 10 at Colombia
Nov. 15 vs. Uruguay
March 23, 2017 at Argentina
March 28, 2017 vs. Venezuela
Aug. 31, 2017 vs. Paraguay
Sept. 5, 2017 at Bolivia
Oct. 5, 2017 vs. Ecuador
Oct. 10, 2017 at Brazil
Think La Roja will rebound?
Tags: Alexis Sanchez, Arturo Vidal, Chile, CONMEBOL, World Cup Qualifying, Antonio Valencia, Claudio Bravo, Eduardo, Eduardo Vargas, Enner Valencia, Mauricio Isla
Copa America’s Best XI dominated by Chile, Argentina; Fair or foul?
Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images
By Nicholas MendolaJun 27, 2016, 7:36 AM EDT
According to the Copa America Centenario Technical Study Group, all of the best players at Copa America Centenario were in Group D’s pair of finalists.
Given the star wattage of players on Chile and Argentina, perhaps that was always coming (Sorry, James Rodriguez, Clint Dempsey, John Brooks, and David Ospina: You’re mere semifinalists).
[ MORE: Chile repeats | Messi quits Argentina? ]
Anyway, the CACTSG handed out the Golden Boot (Eduardo Vargas), Golden Glove (Claudio Bravo) and Golden Ball (Alexis Sanchez), as well as a team Fair Play Award (Argentina).
As for the Best XI, plenty up for debate here:
Goalkeeper: Claudio Bravo (Chile)
Defenders: Mauricio Isla (Chile), Nicolás Otamendi (Argentina), Gary Medel (Chile), Jean Beausejour (Chile)
Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Argentina), Arturo Vidal (Chile), Charles Aránguiz (Chile)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Argentina), Eduardo Vargas (Chile), Alexis Sánchez (Chile)
After allowing five goals in the group stage, Chile threw zeroes across its three knockout rounds games. That’s enough for Claudio Bravo, who had two howlers against Panama, to pass David Ospina? To the victors go the spoils.
You couldn’t reasonably slot James or Dempsey ahead of the trio of forwards, though if Alexis Sanchez is a “midfielder”, then surely you could fudge James’ position, too (especially if the third place game means anything). Presumably that would be over Charles Aranguiz in the midfield.
Perhaps Argentina’s 4-0 destruction of an otherwise stingy USMNT makes Brooks or Geoff Cameron unappealing at center back (despite allowing three goals in the tourney leading up to the semi)? And there wasn’t a single back better than Isla? Alright.
As for quarterfinalists, Venezuela’s Wilker Angel marshaled a back line that allowed just one goal before the 4-1 ouster from Argentina. And Mexico’s midfield had a strong tournament before siete a cero.
Well done, CACTSG; Not only does your initialism sound like a rapper from the desert, but you sleepwalked through your only job.
Tags: Argentina, Chile, Copa America, Copa America 2016, Copa America Centenario, Amat, Clint Dempsey, David Ospina, Eduardo Vargas, Gary Medel, Geoff Cameron, Jean Beausejour, Mauricio Isla
Chile feeling rejuvenated in search for third straight Copa America crown July 1, 2019 9:48 pm What time do Germany-Chile play in Confederations Cup 2017? May 18, 2017 4:17 pm What time do Cameroon-Chile play in Confederations Cup 2017? May 18, 2017 3:10 pm Chile on pace to miss World Cup after another big loss October 6, 2016 7:52 pm Copa America’s Best XI dominated by Chile, Argentina; Fair or foul? June 27, 2016 7:36 am Copa America 2016: Final 23-man rosters for each team May 26, 2016 4:53 pm
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“Going Out of Business” Haggadah
In the spring of 1961, my parents lost their clothing store. It was not a tragedy. It was the final breath of a pain-wracked patient, the welcome demise of Cotlers’ Men’s & Boys’ Wear. After 15 years of stress and challenge, the crushing uncertainty—will today’s receipts cover the checks written yesterday?—that often caused my father to arise, throw up, and then go to work, was gone at last. Now he had abruptly switched from merchant to used car salesman. He didn’t like the work, but his complexion had gone from gray to pink.
In June, he would finally graduate from high school 30 years after dropping out during the Depression. I had tutored him in chemistry. It was my thrill, and he was an avid student. His plan was to attend Hebrew Union College in LA and go from unpaid, part- to full-time, paid cantor. I was graduating from high school, too, and was only a few days from the mail that would tell me I had gotten into Harvard.
On the morning before the first night of Passover, Dad got a phone call from the attorney who represented the store’s creditors. A man would be coming up from LA to change the locks on the store. Dad had asked for an extension…one last chance: would they extend his credit through the end of the year? If he were allowed to sell though the lucrative Christmas season, he could pay 100 cents on the dollar and have something left over for himself. The attorney refused; his clients were prepared to accept the surety of less now.
In the early afternoon, a small, 60ish man arrived at the store, checked the doors, and began calling locksmiths. None were available until the next morning. He’d have to spend the night at a motel. He was visibly upset.
Realizing what the real problem was, my father asked, “Mr. Klein, would you like to come to my temple for Pesach?”
Embarrassed to be offered a kindness by the man whose business he was shutting down, Mr. Klein demurred, but Dad insisted, and when Mr. Klein agreed, Dad continued, “And before…you’ll come to my home for the seder.”
Mr. Klein, now truly uncomfortable at such generosity, tried to back out, but he was trapped by his own need to once again relive the Exodus story.
seder plate
Our seder started early. There were eight of us: Mom, Dad, younger brother Doug, and me; an aunt and uncle; my grandmother (who had been cooking for days); and Mr. Klein. Dad led us through the Haggadah, but stopped before the last cup of sweet wine.
“Excuse me, Mr. Klein. I have to leave for the synagogue.”
Mr. Klein started to stand up. Perhaps the seder, which did not seem to be completed, was actually over.
“Sit. Sit,” Dad gestured. “Stay and finish the seder. I’m the cantor. I need to get there early.”
Mr. Klein paled noticeably, “You’re the cantor? The cantor! I have evicted—oy vey!—the cantor on the first night of Passover! Please, this cannot be true.”
My father smiled broadly, walked around the table and placed a hand softly on Mr. Klein’s shoulder.
“The ten plagues God brought down upon the Pharaoh? Boils, frogs, locusts?”
“Yes, of course,” mumbled Mr. Klein.
“And the final plague, the killing of the Egyptians’ first-born?”
Mr. Klein, still abashed, nodded dumbly as Dad put on his suit coat.
“What saved the Jews was a mark on their doors, correct?” He didn’t wait for Mr. Klein to answer. “Finish the Haggadah. Finish your Pesach meal. Then come to temple with my family. You are an angel of mercy, Mr. Klein. You have marked my doors. And by tomorrow, the pain of that meshuggenah store will have passed over my family.”
And with one more word, my father exited.
Mr. Klein’s lifted his face from his hands and softly repeated my father’s parting word, “Shalom.”
Eggman — Part 6…The Next Generation
Shoe Polish and History…Repeating
A Teenager Selling Shoes
Dog Gone
Written by Steve Cotler on March 28, 2008 at 1:29 pm and filed under Anecdotes, Family.
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Tag: singlefamily
Homebuilder optimism slips slightly to start 2020 but is still high
A contractor uses a hammer while working on townhouse under construction at the PulteGroup Metro housing development in Milpitas, California, Oct. 25, 2018. The nation’s single-family homebuilders are feeling very confident about their business in the new year, as high demand and low supply make for a profitable mix. Builders are also starting to pivot more to entry-level homes, after a decade of building mostly move-up product. “With the Federal Reserve on pause and [with] attractive mortgage r
A contractor uses a hammer while working on townhouse under construction at the PulteGroup Metro housing development in Milpitas, California, Oct. 25, 2018.
The nation’s single-family homebuilders are feeling very confident about their business in the new year, as high demand and low supply make for a profitable mix.
Builders are also starting to pivot more to entry-level homes, after a decade of building mostly move-up product.
“With the Federal Reserve on pause and [with] attractive mortgage r
Homebuilder optimism slips slightly to start 2020 but is still high Cached Page below :
Company: cnbc, Activity: cnbc, Date: 2020-01-16 Authors: diana olick, in dianaolick
Keywords: news, cnbc, companies, points, singlefamily, slightly, point, 2020, start, optimism, slips, months, builders, construction, sentiment, homebuilder, high, unchanged, rates, sales
Yet, sentiment in January did slip 1 point on the National Association of Home Builders/ Wells Fargo Housing Market Index to 75, but that is considerably higher than last January, when it was 58. Last month’s reading was a 20-year high. Anything above 50 is considered positive.
Low interest rates are making homebuying more affordable, despite the price premium for new construction. Builders are also starting to pivot more to entry-level homes, after a decade of building mostly move-up product. Prices are still rising for new and existing homes, so there may be some friction ahead if affordability worsens.
“With the Federal Reserve on pause and [with] attractive mortgage rates, the steady rise in single-family construction that began last spring will continue into 2020,” said NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz. “However, builders continue to grapple with a shortage of lots and labor while buyers are frustrated by a lack of inventory, particularly among starter homes.”
Of the HMI’s three components, buyer traffic increased 1 point to 58, the highest level since December 2017. Current sales conditions, however, fell 3 points to 81 and sales expectations in the next six months was unchanged at 79.
Regionally, on a three-month moving average, builder confidence in the Northeast rose 1 point to 62, increased 3 points in the Midwest to 66 and in the West it moved 1 point higher to 84. Sentiment in the South was unchanged at 76.
Author cnbcPosted on January 16, 2020 Categories companies, news, UncategorizedTags 2020, builders, cnbc, construction, diana olick, high, homebuilder, in dianaolick, months, optimism, point, points, rates, sales, sentiment, singlefamily, slightly, slips, start, unchangedLeave a comment on Homebuilder optimism slips slightly to start 2020 but is still high
Fannie Mae boosts 2020 housing forecast ‘significantly’
U.S. builders started work on more homes and apartments last month and requested more permits to build single-family homes. The increases suggest the battered housing market is healing. After increasing just over 1% annually this year, growth in single-family housing starts will accelerate to 10% during 2020 and top 1 million new homes in 2021, the group predicts. Single-family housing starts have been improving steadily since May, and building permits, an indicator of future construction, are a
U.S. builders started work on more homes and apartments last month and requested more permits to build single-family homes.
The increases suggest the battered housing market is healing.
After increasing just over 1% annually this year, growth in single-family housing starts will accelerate to 10% during 2020 and top 1 million new homes in 2021, the group predicts.
Single-family housing starts have been improving steadily since May, and building permits, an indicator of future construction, are a
Fannie Mae boosts 2020 housing forecast ‘significantly’ Cached Page below :
Keywords: news, cnbc, companies, homes, builders, boosts, singlefamily, existing, significantly, fannie, starts, forecast, construction, housing, 2020, mortgage, market, shortage, mae
Construction workers build an apartment complex in Lawrence, Kan., Wednesday, May 16, 2012. U.S. builders started work on more homes and apartments last month and requested more permits to build single-family homes. The increases suggest the battered housing market is healing. The Commerce Department said Wednesday that builders broke ground in April at a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 717,000 homes. That’s a 2.6 percent increase from an upwardly revised March figure and near January’s three
Strong reads on the economy have researchers at mortgage giant Fannie Mae revising their 2020 housing forecast much higher.
Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research Group predicts builders will expand production more than previously expected, due to a strong labor market and robust consumer spending. Low mortgage rates will also help.
After increasing just over 1% annually this year, growth in single-family housing starts will accelerate to 10% during 2020 and top 1 million new homes in 2021, the group predicts. That would mark a post-recession high but is still far below the annual peak of about 1.7 million single-family starts in 2005 and the 1.2 million annual pace experienced in the late ’90s.
Single-family housing starts have been improving steadily since May, and building permits, an indicator of future construction, are also trending higher.
“It will likely take several years, even at a more robust pace, for new construction to address the existing pent-up demand for additional housing, as suggested by a still-increasing share of 25- to 34 year-olds living at home with their parents,” according to the report.
The shortage of existing homes for sale has pushed more potential buyers to the new-build market. Mortgage applications to purchase a newly built home were up 27% annually in November, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Homebuilder sentiment jumped to the highest level in 20 years in December, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
“We now expect single-family housing starts and sales of new homes to increase substantially, aided by a large uptick in new construction as builders work to replenish inventories drawn down by the recent surge in new home sales activity,” said Fannie Mae chief economist Doug Duncan.
The increase in construction, however, is unlikely to ease the overall housing shortage. Researchers at Fannie Mae are predicting a modest decline in existing home sales through the third quarter of 2020, due to the shortage of listings.
Overall housing demand is incredibly high, especially at the lower end of the market, where builders are least active. Prices are rising fastest on the low end, sidelining some first-time buyers.
“This stronger price appreciation is also having the unfortunate effect of partially offsetting savings to potential homebuyers from lower mortgage rates,” Duncan said.
The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage is hovering just below 4%, a full percentage point lower than where it was a year ago. Low rates are boosting already strong demographic demand drivers in the market. Millennials, who delayed buying homes because of the recession, are now flooding into new and existing homes.
“Housing appears poised to take a leading role in real GDP growth over the forecast horizon for the first time in years, further bolstering our modest-but-solid growth forecasts through 2021,” said Duncan.
Author cnbcPosted on December 17, 2019 Categories companies, news, UncategorizedTags 2020, boosts, builders, cnbc, construction, diana olick, existing, fannie, forecast, homes, housing, in dianaolick, mae, market, mortgage, shortage, significantly, singlefamily, startsLeave a comment on Fannie Mae boosts 2020 housing forecast ‘significantly’
Homebuilders aren’t keeping up with millennials
Homebuilders aren’t building enough for millennialsThat generation is expected to be the largest single cohort of homebuyers next year, but the nation’s homebuilders are not keeping up. This is already exacerbating the shortage of homes for sale and for rent nationwide, but will especially hurt affordability for millennials (those born between 1981 and 1997). While the majority of both single- and multifamily home construction is in millennial-dense counties, it actually lags the rest of the nat
Homebuilders aren’t building enough for millennialsThat generation is expected to be the largest single cohort of homebuyers next year, but the nation’s homebuilders are not keeping up.
This is already exacerbating the shortage of homes for sale and for rent nationwide, but will especially hurt affordability for millennials (those born between 1981 and 1997).
While the majority of both single- and multifamily home construction is in millennial-dense counties, it actually lags the rest of the nat
Homebuilders aren’t keeping up with millennials Cached Page below :
Keywords: news, cnbc, companies, millennials, homebuilders, counties, homes, arent, areas, keeping, millennial, single, shortage, singlefamily, population, labor, construction
Homebuilders aren’t building enough for millennials
That generation is expected to be the largest single cohort of homebuyers next year, but the nation’s homebuilders are not keeping up. This is already exacerbating the shortage of homes for sale and for rent nationwide, but will especially hurt affordability for millennials (those born between 1981 and 1997).
While the majority of both single- and multifamily home construction is in millennial-dense counties, it actually lags the rest of the nation when it comes to meeting demand. Millennial counties, defined as geographic areas where at least a quarter of the population consists of this demographic group, account for 62% of the entire U.S. population, but they account for just 59% of single-family homebuilding, according to the National Association of Home Builders’ Home Building Geography Index, or HBGI.
“On the surface, these numbers look similar, but you would expect the single-family construction share to be higher in millennial intensive areas, which tend to feature greater amounts of household formation and population growth that require additional housing,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz.
And it’s not just in urban areas. Millennial counties are of course in big markets like Seattle, Boston, Portland, Oregon, and Washington, D.C., but also in rural parts of Ohio, Kansas and Missouri. Homebuilding is still nowhere near its historical levels, nevermind today’s very strong demand. Much of that is due to higher costs for land, labor and regulatory compliance. It takes much longer to build homes now because of the acute labor shortage in the construction industry.
Author cnbcPosted on December 5, 2019 Categories companies, news, UncategorizedTags areas, arent, cnbc, construction, counties, diana olick, homebuilders, homes, in dianaolick, keeping, labor, millennial, millennials, population, shortage, single, singlefamilyLeave a comment on Homebuilders aren’t keeping up with millennials
Renting a single-family house just got more expensive
As more Americans find it harder to afford a home, rental demand is soaring, especially for single-family homes. The supply of rental homes is shrinking, and that continues to push rent prices higher, particularly on the lower end of the market. Those less expensive rentals, going for less than 75% of the median regional rent, jumped nearly 4% annually in September, according to CoreLogic. “Low rental supply coupled with ongoing demand pushed up rents in September,” said Molly Boesel, principal
As more Americans find it harder to afford a home, rental demand is soaring, especially for single-family homes.
The supply of rental homes is shrinking, and that continues to push rent prices higher, particularly on the lower end of the market.
Those less expensive rentals, going for less than 75% of the median regional rent, jumped nearly 4% annually in September, according to CoreLogic.
“Low rental supply coupled with ongoing demand pushed up rents in September,” said Molly Boesel, principal
Renting a single-family house just got more expensive Cached Page below :
Keywords: news, cnbc, companies, singlefamily, renting, rentals, annually, rent, expensive, growth, rental, house, prices, saw, supply, vacancy, rates
Anyone out shopping for an entry-level home knows the prices are high and the pickings are slim. Now, the same is holding true for rentals. As more Americans find it harder to afford a home, rental demand is soaring, especially for single-family homes.
The supply of rental homes is shrinking, and that continues to push rent prices higher, particularly on the lower end of the market. Those less expensive rentals, going for less than 75% of the median regional rent, jumped nearly 4% annually in September, according to CoreLogic. High-end rentals, or those with prices greater than 125% of the region’s median rent, increased just 2.9% annually.
“Low rental supply coupled with ongoing demand pushed up rents in September,” said Molly Boesel, principal economist at CoreLogic. “Vacancy rates have fallen moderately on the national level over the last quarter – with a 0.3% decrease in the third quarter of 2019 compared to a year earlier – and more significantly in select metro areas.
Phoenix saw the biggest drop in vacancy rates, to just 2.6%. That in turn pushed rent growth to 6.7% annually. Phoenix has seen very strong job growth and is attracting new employees to the area.
Las Vegas wasn’t far behind at 5.8% annual rent growth, and Seattle rounded out the top three at 5.5% growth. Miami saw the lowest rent increase at just 1% annually.
Author cnbcPosted on November 18, 2019 Categories companies, news, UncategorizedTags annually, cnbc, diana olick, expensive, growth, house, in dianaolick, prices, rates, rent, rental, rentals, renting, saw, singlefamily, supply, vacancyLeave a comment on Renting a single-family house just got more expensive
Taylor Morrison is the latest big homebuilder to bet on single-family rentals
Scottsdale, Arizona-based Taylor Morrison just announced a partnership with Christopher Todd Communities, also based in the state, to build single-family, rent-only communities. It’s part of a trend of builders stepping in to the single-family rental space, either on their own or partnering with established rental companies. As for Taylor Morrison, the first projects will be in joint ventures, but then it will take over the construction process — acquire land, develop it and eventually build in
Taylor Morrison is the latest big homebuilder to bet on single-family rentals Cached Page below :
Company: cnbc, Activity: cnbc, Date: 2019-08-01 Authors: diana olick
Keywords: news, cnbc, companies, rentals, sell, singlefamily, big, homes, christopher, taylor, bet, communities, homebuilder, investors, morrison, palmer, rental, latest
It didn’t take long, but the build-for-rent space is starting to get a little crowded.
Scottsdale, Arizona-based Taylor Morrison just announced a partnership with Christopher Todd Communities, also based in the state, to build single-family, rent-only communities. It’s part of a trend of builders stepping in to the single-family rental space, either on their own or partnering with established rental companies.
Lennar and Toll Brothers have recently started building homes for rent. Lennar sells its properties to investors, while Toll plans to hold the properties in partnerships.
As for Taylor Morrison, the first projects will be in joint ventures, but then it will take over the construction process — acquire land, develop it and eventually build in excess of 2000 single-family homes in rent-only communities. Christopher Todd will design the communities, hire property management and lease the homes. It will all be according to the company’s own time-tested “playbook,” which determines supply-demand characteristics, and then gauges the right submarkets, community design and amenities package.
Three developments are planned in the Phoenix area, breaking ground late this year. The expectation is then to expand over the next several years, bringing more rental communities to more markets.
Taylor Morrison’s CEO, Sheryl Palmer, said she expects to sell the homes to investors initially but might consider other options over time.
“We’ll determine the right time in the lease-up process to sell the assets. There is plenty of money out there, so we could look at a REIT or private investors, but our intent will be to divest in a pretty timely fashion,” said Palmer. “As we look at the best way to optimize price and returns, it might be to do something on our own and create our own fund or REIT, but sell them out of the Taylor Morrison land portfolio.”
Demand for single-family rentals is incredibly strong, as home prices soar and social stigmas around renting fall away. Vacancy rates are low and rents are rising. Half of Christopher Todd’s current tenants are millennials and half are baby boomers, according to Palmer.
Author cnbcPosted on July 31, 2019 Categories companies, news, UncategorizedTags bet, big, christopher, cnbc, communities, diana olick, homebuilder, homes, investors, latest, morrison, palmer, rental, rentals, sell, singlefamily, taylorLeave a comment on Taylor Morrison is the latest big homebuilder to bet on single-family rentals
This is the ‘fastest growing trend’ in the housing industry, and investors are rushing in
Demand for single-family rental homes is surging, and homebuilders are now stepping in, redesigning and reimagining the sector — and becoming landlords themselves. While builders have always sold some of their new homes to investors as rentals, the strong demand has some moving into the space exclusively. Pradera is a gated community with three- and four-bedroom homes, renting from about $1,800 to $2,300 per month. We saw a growing need coming out of the downturn, to provide three- and four-bedr
This is the ‘fastest growing trend’ in the housing industry, and investors are rushing in Cached Page below :
Keywords: news, cnbc, companies, industry, fastest, rushing, singlefamily, investors, thing, trend, homes, renting, space, pradera, apartment, housing, growing, community, walters
Demand for single-family rental homes is surging, and homebuilders are now stepping in, redesigning and reimagining the sector — and becoming landlords themselves. While builders have always sold some of their new homes to investors as rentals, the strong demand has some moving into the space exclusively. AHV Communities, partnering with Bristol Group, is putting up 250 new detached homes in fast-growing San Antonio. Pradera is a gated community with three- and four-bedroom homes, renting from about $1,800 to $2,300 per month. The community includes luxury amenities, like a pool, fitness center, community kitchen and party space, as well as a dog park and dog-washing station. “We basically took an apartment and went horizontal instead of vertical,” AHV founder and CEO Mark Wolf said. “About 93% of the apartment stock consists of studios, one and two bedrooms, very few three bedrooms. We saw a growing need coming out of the downturn, to provide three- and four-bedroom homes to the renter society.” Wolf, who has experience in the multifamily apartment market, saw a need for more single-family homes after the housing crash, and he says that demand has not fallen off. While the homeownership rate has risen from its historic low in 2016, it is now starting to slip again. “We think there’s a major shift in the demographics. Empty nesters are done taking care of their homes. They want to downsize, they want portability, mobility in the lease. The millennial household formation, they’re not really dialed into taking care of a home, they want to go out and do the same thing that the boomers are doing, which is enjoy life, not work hard for their house,” said Wolf.
Builders are becoming landlords by renting their housing developments. The Pradera development has its own dog-washing station at Pradera Lisa Rizzolo
Last year, about 43,000 single-family homes were built for rent, the largest number in nearly 40 years according to National Association of Home Builders analysis of U.S. Census data. The built-for-rent share of housing starts is also rising, nearly double its recent historical average (from 1992-2012). Millennials Taylor Walters and Paree Dilkes want to get out of their rental apartment and into a larger single-family home. “So we’ve been looking online for months now, whether to buy or whether to rent, and this is definitely up our alley,” Walters said as the two toured the amenities at Pradera. They are not married and have no children, but they do have a big dog. “That’s really the biggest thing. It’s very inconvenient to have to take him out every time he needs to go. Having a yard would be awesome, just let him out, and also a little bit more space. We have a pretty good-sized apartment right now, but just kind of the feeling of being in a house,” said Dilkes. Renting used to come with a social stigma, since homeownership was touted as the American Dream. The average annual household income of tenants in Pradera, however, is over $100,000, meaning many of them can afford to buy a home but simply choose not to. Walters and Dilkes considered buying, but didn’t like the way the math worked out. “I’ve done research, read different articles on millennials buying houses, and I think the biggest thing is the hidden costs that we might incur,” said Walters. Stephanie Dixon and her husband recently sold their San Antonio home and moved into the rental community. Their children are in college or graduated, and they wanted an easier lifestyle. “If the water heater breaks, you know, I don’t have to replace it. I just call them. I mean, even the air filters, they came and changed my air filters yesterday. I don’t have to worry about all that, that’s extra expense,” said Dixon.
Builders are becoming landlords by renting their housing developments. Diana Olick | CNBC
Author cnbcPosted on July 25, 2019 Categories companies, news, UncategorizedTags apartment, cnbc, community, diana olick, fastest, growing, homes, housing, industry, investors, pradera, renting, rushing, singlefamily, space, thing, trend, waltersLeave a comment on This is the ‘fastest growing trend’ in the housing industry, and investors are rushing in
Weekly mortgage applications rise 3.6%, a sign of hope for the spring homebuying season
Mortgage application volume increased 3.6 percent last week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. Applications to purchase a home increased 2 percent for the week — the first uptick in a month — a sign of optimism in the housing market. “After four consecutive declines, purchase applications increased almost 2 percent over the week and 2.5 percent compared to a year ago — showing some promise as we edge closer to the spring homebuying
Weekly mortgage applications rise 3.6%, a sign of hope for the spring homebuying season Cached Page below :
Company: cnbc, Activity: cnbc, Date: 2019-02-20 Authors: lisa rizzolo, getty images
Keywords: news, cnbc, companies, spring, rate, season, 36, homebuying, rise, mortgage, hope, according, sign, increased, volume, weekly, applications, singlefamily, week, sales, traffic
Mortgage application volume increased 3.6 percent last week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index.
Applications to purchase a home increased 2 percent for the week — the first uptick in a month — a sign of optimism in the housing market.
“After four consecutive declines, purchase applications increased almost 2 percent over the week and 2.5 percent compared to a year ago — showing some promise as we edge closer to the spring homebuying season,” said Joel Kan, MBA associate vice president.
Some real estate agents have reported surprise at better-than-expected traffic at open houses this month, and the new numbers seem to confirm those perceptions.
Still, overall volume was 2.3 percent lower than a year ago.
The biggest boost came from applications to refinance a home loan, which are far more sensitive to weekly interest rate moves. The 30-year fixed rate was essentially unchanged at 4.66 percent. Homeowners clearly saw an opportunity, as refinance applications increased 6 percent from the previous week. They were 8 percent lower than a year ago.
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with jumbo loan balances (greater than $484,350) increased to 4.56 percent from 4.48 percent, with points decreasing to 0.23 from 0.27 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loans. The effective rate increased from last week.
The positive numbers in mortgage application volume are in line with this month’s homebuilder sentiment, which rose 4 points, according to a monthly survey from the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. That index showed an increase in buyer traffic, sales expectations and current sales conditions in February.
Builders still point to a concern in affordability, however, which is at a 10-year low, according to the index’s data. There continues to be a critical shortage of affordable single-family homes for sale.
“Ongoing job creation and solid household formations will keep demand firm, but builders will continue to grapple with supply-side headwinds that will dampen more vigorous growth in the single-family sector,” said NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz.
Author cnbcPosted on February 19, 2019 Categories companies, news, UncategorizedTags 36, according, applications, cnbc, getty images, homebuying, hope, increased, lisa rizzolo, mortgage, rate, rise, sales, season, sign, singlefamily, spring, traffic, volume, week, weeklyLeave a comment on Weekly mortgage applications rise 3.6%, a sign of hope for the spring homebuying season
Tax changes driving luxury NYC homeowners to Miami, says broker
Tax changes driving luxury NYC homeowners to Miami, says broker2 Hours AgoCNBC’s Robert Frank talks with Citadel’s Ken Griffin’s brokers, Tal Alexander and Oren Alexander, about a Miami estate that sold for $50 million. It is the most expensive single-family home ever sold in the Miami area, according to people familiar with the deal.
Tax changes driving luxury NYC homeowners to Miami, says broker Cached Page below :
Keywords: news, cnbc, companies, homeowners, robert, alexander, tax, miami, singlefamily, nyc, oren, luxury, sold, tal, driving, talks, changes, broker
CNBC’s Robert Frank talks with Citadel’s Ken Griffin’s brokers, Tal Alexander and Oren Alexander, about a Miami estate that sold for $50 million. It is the most expensive single-family home ever sold in the Miami area, according to people familiar with the deal.
Author cnbcPosted on February 5, 2019 Categories companies, news, UncategorizedTags alexander, broker, changes, cnbc, driving, homeowners, luxury, miami, nyc, oren, robert, singlefamily, sold, tal, talks, taxLeave a comment on Tax changes driving luxury NYC homeowners to Miami, says broker
Home prices make smallest gains in nearly 4 years, but rents are hot
If fewer people are buying homes, especially first-time buyers, then they remain renters, which is boosting the market. Rent prices for single-family homes increased 2.9 percent annually in November 2018, according to CoreLogic. Demand for rental homes is now so strong, and supply so low, that rents have nowhere to go but up. Of course all real estate is local, and hot markets like Las Vegas, Phoenix and Orlando are seeing the highest rent gains for single-family homes. “For example, rent prices
Home prices make smallest gains in nearly 4 years, but rents are hot Cached Page below :
Company: cnbc, Activity: cnbc, Date: 2019-01-16 Authors: diana olick, scott mlyn
Keywords: news, cnbc, companies, homes, especially, markets, singlefamily, rentals, hot, nearly, rental, rent, rents, prices, smallest, gains
The slowdown in home sales and home price gains in most major U.S. markets is causing the opposite effect in the rental market, especially for single-family rental homes.
Home prices logged a 5.1 percent annual gain in November, the smallest gain since August 2015.
If fewer people are buying homes, especially first-time buyers, then they remain renters, which is boosting the market.
Rent prices for single-family homes increased 2.9 percent annually in November 2018, according to CoreLogic. That is up from 2.8 percent annual growth in November 2017.
Demand for rental homes is now so strong, and supply so low, that rents have nowhere to go but up. The gains are especially high for lower-end rental homes, up 3.8 percent annually in November. High-end rents, however are still gaining, up 2.6 percent annually compared with 2.3 percent gains in November 2017.
Of course all real estate is local, and hot markets like Las Vegas, Phoenix and Orlando are seeing the highest rent gains for single-family homes.
These markets were hardest hit during the housing crash more than ten years ago, as thousands of homes purchased by flippers using subprime mortgages defaulted on their loans. These cities had the highest foreclosure rates in the nation, and many of those foreclosures were purchased by large institutional investors and turned into rental properties.
Both Orlando and Phoenix are seeing strong employment gains at nearly five times the national rate. Consequently, demand for rentals is heating up.
Despite the gains, however, rents have still not seen the heat that the for-sale housing market has in the past few years.
“Long-term rent increases have been lower than long-term home price increases,” said Molly Boesel, principal economist at CoreLogic. “For example, rent prices increased 17 percent over the past five years, compared with a 32 percent increase in home prices over the same period. Additionally, lower-priced rentals and homes increase 1 ½ to 2 times faster than higher-priced rentals and homes.”
Vacancies for single-family rentals are very low and declined in November to 4.6 percent from 4.7 percent in October, according to Morningstar Credit Ratings. While part of that is seasonal, close to 79 percent of renters are renewing their leases, which is historically high.
Author cnbcPosted on January 15, 2019 Categories companies, news, UncategorizedTags cnbc, diana olick, especially, gains, homes, hot, markets, nearly, prices, rent, rental, rentals, rents, scott mlyn, singlefamily, smallestLeave a comment on Home prices make smallest gains in nearly 4 years, but rents are hot
US housing starts fall more than expected in September
Housing starts fell 5.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.201 million units last month, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday. Data for August was revised down to show starts rising to a rate of 1.268 million units instead of the previously reported pace of 1.282 million units. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast housing starts declining to a pace of 1.220 million units last month. They, however, remain below the level of single-family starts, suggesting limited scope f
US housing starts fall more than expected in September Cached Page below :
Keywords: news, cnbc, companies, mortgage, homebuilding, starts, units, expected, singlefamily, fell, housing, million, fall, pace, rate
U.S. homebuilding dropped more than expected in September as construction activity in the South fell by the most in nearly three years, likely held down by Hurricane Florence.
Housing starts fell 5.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.201 million units last month, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday. Data for August was revised down to show starts rising to a rate of 1.268 million units instead of the previously reported pace of 1.282 million units.
Starts in the South, which accounts for the bulk of homebuilding, tumbled 13.7 percent last month. That was the biggest decline since October 2015. Hurricane Florence slammed North and South Carolina in mid-September and flooding from the storm probably depressed homebuilding last month.
Building permits fell 0.6 percent to a rate of 1.241 million units in September. That was the second straight monthly decline in permits and suggested homebuilding is likely to remain tepid.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast housing starts declining to a pace of 1.220 million units last month. Starts surged 29 percent in the Northeast and rose 6.6 percent in the West. They fell 14.0 percent in the Midwest.
The housing market has been a weak spot in a robust economy. Economists blame the sluggishness on rising mortgage rates, which have combined with higher house prices to make home purchasing unaffordable for some first-time buyers.
The 30-year fixed mortgage rate jumped 19 basis points to 4.90 percent last week, the highest level since mid-April 2011, according to data from mortgage finance agency Freddie Mac. The mortgage rate has risen about 91 basis points this year.
Single-family homebuilding, which accounts for the largest share of the housing market, decreased 0.9 percent to a rate of 871,000 units in September. Single-family homebuilding has lost momentum since hitting a pace of 948,000 units last November, which was the strongest in more than 10 years.
A survey on Tuesday showed confidence among single-family homebuilders rose in October, but builders said “housing affordability has become a challenge due to ongoing price and interest rate increases.”
Permits to build single-family homes rose 2.9 percent in September to a pace of 851,00 units. They, however, remain below the level of single-family starts, suggesting limited scope for a strong rebound in homebuilding.
Starts for the volatile multi-family housing segment plunged 15.2 percent to a rate of 330,000 units in September. Permits for the construction of multi-family homes declined 7.6 percent to a pace of 390,000 units.
Author cnbcPosted on October 16, 2018 Categories companies, news, UncategorizedTags cnbc, expected, fall, fell, homebuilding, housing, million, mortgage, pace, rate, singlefamily, starts, unitsLeave a comment on US housing starts fall more than expected in September
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The proper care and feeding of ever-changing software
Speeding up a build
Recently, I was asked how one could speed up a build. In this particular scenario, cost wasn’t a constraint (ahh, to dream), but the content is still pretty relevant.
One thing to note – often time a long running build is not necessarily a problem in itself, but may be more of an architecture issue. Meaning: if some particular component “used to” build pretty quick, and now it’s taking forever, then it’s likely time to refactor and decouple some stuff into smaller components or services or whatever. Note that this is a different kind of “breaking things into smaller pieces” than is described below as build pipelining…
That being said, here are some tips for speeding up a build:
1. Hardware investment
2. Dependency management
3. Establish build pipeline, or “chained” builds
Hardware – assuming budget isn’t a concern, the first thing I’d do is provide more processing power for these builds, and invest in faster disks. This is one of those rare cases where “throwing money at the problem” can actually help. I’d also purchase tons of RAM, and set up our builds to run on a RAM disk – which would really speed things up. With 1500 builds in a day, that’s just under 1 build per minute so we’d need to evaluate what hardware it’s running on now to assess/estimate how much we’d gain by using more processor (how much of that ~1 minute can we realistically shave off?), but it’s one of the simplest, quickest things we could consider. How fast would the build finish on a Cray?
Dependency management – Introduce some sort of dependency management so that we don’t need to build each and every artifact for each and every build. Now, this one may not be ideal for you as you didn’t state “we build only those components that have changed” as an assumption, but I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that you don’t need to rebuild a component/artifact to which there have been no changes made. If that’s a safe assumption, you can make huge gains by using a dependency management tool and a shared artifact repository (like Artifactory or Nexus) to manage and publish versioned artifacts. Some tools that provide this ability are Ivy (and ANT) and Maven, though Maven has other features/uses too.
So, for example, say we have 2 components/projects: A and B, where A depends on B. When initiating a build, rather than simply building B, then A, we define the dependency between them and let the build tool resolve those dependencies for us. Additionally, we could specify a version of the B module that A depends on (essentially peg A to a fixed version of B, say 1.0 for example), and then we just run a build of A. The build script now knows that A depends on v1.0 of B, and checks for it’s existence in the shared repository. If it finds it, it’ll simply grab that artifact and use that to compile A rather than rebuilding it. Alternatively, we could tell A to use always use the “latest” version of B, in which case it’ll just grab the most recently built version of B.
Ivy and Maven make this possible by publishing metadata about the resulting artifacts along with the actual artifact itself. When a build is initiated, it first maps out it’s dependencies, and attempts to resolve those dependencies with existing (pre-built) artifacts in the shared repository.
This approach will reduce overall build times by simply skipping those components that haven’t changed. If we assume that all 1500 projects have been changed since the last build and need to be rebuilt, then I’m afraid that this approach wouldn’t help much.
Build Pipeline – break the build into smaller discrete chunks, and run them in a “pipeline” or a “build chain”. Again, I’m not sure this is an assumption I can make, as you stated a “build” consists of only compiling and linking, but there are often things you can do to “move around the load” if not outright reduce it. So, for example, you may have a “quick” build that simply checks out the source, compiles/links, and runs unit tests, whereas running a “full, clean build” will do much more (delete local source, check out, compile/link, run unit tests, package, run integration tests, deploy, regress, etc).
We could define a “pipeline” that code moves though on it’s way from source to deployment/release, and each stage of the pipeline would be it’s own discrete activity, providing different types of feedback (eg if compile passes, move on to assembly/packaging. if assembly/packaging passes, move on to deployment, etc, etc).
If the goal is to provide more rapid feedback to developers, we might look to see what’s the most useful for a developer and try to isolate that feedback (maybe something like “your code won’t compile as is!”) and provide it faster, eg – make that the “quick build” to give faster feedback to developers.
Interesting article on CI
Excellent article to help evaluate your CI fu:
http://www.cmcrossroads.com/cm-journal-articles/13530-an-evaluation-framework-for-continuous-integration-tools
Tags:continuous integration
Versioning Question from a friend
Got an email from a buddy about versions and source control tagging.. thought I’d share:
Hey Dood,
I was just wondering, in writing code deployment scripts, is there a compelling reason to use a separate or proprietary “tagging” system rather than rely on source control tags? For example creating code release versioning that is independent from source control tagged versions, and using the release versions when specifying what code to deploy.
I’m curious because my old company did this and I wonder if that abstraction is useful or necessary with more complicated code deployment schemes.
– Developer
Interesting question. As with anything like this, the answer is “it depends”.
If I get what you’re asking, you’re wondering about the usefulness/necessity of separating out “versioned” artifacts for deployment – e.g., having a versioning scheme for “deployable” artifacts that deviates from the “tagging” convention you use in ur svn.
This sounds like something that you see a lot with Maven – the “maven way” almost requires the shoving off of artifacts to a shared location, to be picked up and deployed at a later time (“snapshots”, “releases”, etc), which sort of mandates a way of managing/naming these artifacts separately from svn tags. The very concept of an artifact repository is central to the “maven way”.
In general, yes it is useful, though maybe not always necessary. One compelling reason is the “rollback” scenario – it’s really handy to have an archive of “certified” deployable artifacts readily available when you gotta abort a deployment ad rollback to a previous version (rather than having to wait to re-build/package off of a tag, which in large systems could take a long time).
Obviously, there are lots of approaches to dealing with this scenario, but this seems to work pretty well. A side benefit is that you can readily deploy any particular historical version of the app for, say, QA developers to identify/isolate a particular bug in a particular version.
Also, the concept of a “build pipeline” is very powerful, and is most useful when the different stages of a build/package/test/deploy are performed using the exact same artifacts – so you may have a build step that creates a war, then another step picks up that specific war and deploys it, tests against it, etc, and then further down the line you take that same exact artifact and deploy that where it needs to go (staging, prod, whatever). This helps minimize the risk of inadvertently introducing unknown/undesired code and/or property changes as the code moves through it’s lifecycle.
One more thing this helps with is speeding up build times (both locally and on a build server) for large complex systems in a shared/distributed development environment through better management of dependencies. Say, for example, you’re working on a module in a project with dozens (or hundreds perhaps) of other, shared modules. As a best practice, you should be compiling and running unit tests several times a day against the stuff you’re changing. If you need to build the entire stack, on every change, prior to every commit, that could get a little out of control and may discourage frequent local builds. However, if you toss in an “artifact repository”, where you can keep fixed versions of all sorts of shared modules (your project dependencies), then you don’t need to compile (or even keep that source locally) every single thing in order to get a full project. You can just grab the pre-compiled, “versioned” binaries from the shared repo, and you’re set. The tradeoff of developer time for a little storage and network traffic is usually a no-brainer.
Nice article on build automation
Check out this nice write up about build automation. In particular, note the bit about keeping tabs on code quality.
I think it’s often overlooked that “quality injection” is a huge benefit of CI. Yes, it’s all well and good that your code compiles, but that doesn’t really tell you much about the quality or give you any useful metrics you can act on.
There’s a handful of utilities out there that you can tie into your build to collect info about your codebase (checkstyle, coverity, simian, findbugs to name a few).
Point is – when you start thinking about how you can leverage your automated build to inject quality into your process, things can get really interesting.
How does your CM fu stack up?
One of the challenges of investing the time and effort into pimping out your build and ci setup (or more generally, CM processes) is how to measure success. Where’s the ROI in having your top dude spend days writing ANT scripts?
Check out this great post about how to measure your success with change management.
justinlittle.com redesign
We just released a redesign of justinlittle.com, check it out and let me know what you think!
As always, it’s a work in progress, but at least I’ve got a decent base to work with now…
If you like the design/layout, check in with Sleepless Media out of Santa Cruz, CA. They did the design for me, and they’re a great team to work with. I hacked up the html/css a bit (hey, what can I say, I’m not a design guy), their original stuff was even tighter.
They do really, really nice stuff, check out their portfolio of work.
Electric cloud and coverity?
This sounds like a pretty good match-up:
http://www.sqazone.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=426
My new favorite youtube vid
This is hilarious. Agile Hitler.
Software as an organism
I hadn’t realized quite how fitting my tagline was when I started this blog. The “care and feeding” of software is one of the main roles of a release manager, or anyone involved in managing change to software for that matter. It occurred to me today, that software has a lot in common with living things, more and more every year.
“What?!” you ask?. How is a web based app like a living organism you wonder? Well, there’s a lot of similarities, and it makes for a good analogy. We’re decades into software engineering now, and we’ve discovered a lot of stuff along the way.
One key development I’ve noticed is that more and more, organizations (both software consumers and creators) are beginning to realize that developing apps is less like mechanical engineering and more like giving birth. I’ve even heard people use giving birth as an analogy, and we’ve all heard some kind of app referred to as “my baby”. It’s no longer an exercise of “identify requirements, design, code, test, release” in isolation – it’s a nearly never-ending repetition of this cycle. Agile methodologies are compelling because they acknowledge this at the outset of a project, and cater to this reality. Software is never “done”. If it is, so is the company that made it…
Mechanical or even electrical engineering approaches are not really suited to software. Sure, they provide a framework for getting things done, but there’s a key difference between what’s typically been “engineering” and the engineering of software solutions.
Engineering: the art or science of making practical application of the knowledge of pure sciences, as physics or chemistry, as in the construction of engines, bridges, buildings, mines, ships, and chemical plants.
Rarely do people start off to develop some kind of app, thinking they’ll “nail it” in version 1.0, and never need to spend more time/energy on it. Certainly, there are phases in the development of an app, as there are in the life of an organism. So while it is an ongoing cycle (the SDLC), there is a sort of linear path that an app goes through, that’s made up of each of these iterations.
In this 5 part series, I’ll ponder the following topics:
1. Definition of an “application”
2. Comparison of an app with an organism
3. Trends in software design, development
4. Release manager, build engineer as doctor, triage nurse
5. What does it all mean?
Hyperlink Legal goes live!
Hyperlink Legal has just launched their website. They’re a small company, specializing in creating hyperlinks in PDF docs for the legal industry. Check em out!
www.hyperlinklegal.com
What is Release Management?
Why an RM blog?
Configuration Management (6)
General RM stuff (10)
Release Management (3)
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Firefighters Wrap Historic Buildings to Protect Them From Forest Fires
By Bijan Stephen
Firefighters in central California are doing a bit of redecorating: They’re wrapping historic buildings in a foil-like covering to protect them from the radiant heat and flying embers of the French Fire—a massive conflagration that’s consumed 13,700 acres and is 60% contained.
The wraps are similar to ones firefighters use for personal safety on the job, though they’re thicker and the Forest Service says they’re not exactly fireproof. While no buildings have been destroyed yet, drought conditions have managed to worsen the blaze.
These wraps are straightforward to apply—essentially you use staples and special tape to hold it fast against the building, so the high winds of a wildfire don’t blow it off—and appear to have the potential to keep the structures intact. It’s not cheap: Wrapping a single cabin costs nearly $1,200 of the stuff, and it takes six to seven hours to secure to a building.
All this said, there’s a version available commercially; let’s hope you never have to use it.
[ABC]
Write to Bijan Stephen at bijan.stephen@gmail.com.
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Chhattisgarh Elections
Raipur News
BJP nagar panchayat candidate attacked
This story is from December 23, 2014
Anuja Jaiswal | TNN | Updated: Dec 23, 2014, 14:56 IST
RAIPUR: BJP candidate from Navagarh nagar panchayat for Chhattisgarh civic polls, Badri Kesharvani was injured after being allegedly attacked by a mentally challenged person with a wooden stick while campaigning in Janjgir district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday morning.
Initially, he was taken to the local Primary health centre with severe head injuries from where he was referred to Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS), Bilaspur. His condition is stated to be serious.
According to police officials, the suspect, Pappu Sahu inflicted blows on Kesharwani’s head when the latter was going towards his car after meeting people in Lingwapara area of Janjgir district.
Police has registered a case against Sahu under section 294, 323 and 324 IPC.
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Olayinka Relishes Facing Top Stars In UEFA Champions League
Nigerian man recounts on how his life would have been transformed after buying fairly used car
Ebuka’s caption about wife gets tongues wagging
Davido apologises as he bashes his Bentley
Mercy Johnson cradles her growing baby bump in new photos
Boyfriend who tears his girlfriend pant everyday reacts as she says he buys her 6 to 12 pants every weekend (video)
Rohr Visits Maja, Kalu at Bordeaux Training Base in France
Manchester United Star Involve In Car Crash
BetBonanza: Building A New Future For The Nigerian Betting Industry
Celtics And Gordon Hayward Will Host Lakers At TD Garden
Nigeria forward Peter Olayinka is extremely proud to have rubbed shoulders with some of football finest stars in the UEFA Champions League despite a troubled start to his career in Europe.
Olayinka started his career at amateur club Baba Boss in Oyo State, South West Nigeria before linking up with Albanian club Bykis Ballsh as a 17-year-old in 2012.
He also struggled to find his feet with clubs in Northern Cyprus and Belgium before finally getting a breakthrough at Czech Republic outfit, Slavia Prague.
The 24-year-old hugged the headlines after scoring on his Champions League debut in Slavia Prague’s 1-1 away draw at Inter Milan.
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique employs the ‘best tactics’ of stopping rampaging Slavia Prague forward Olayinka at Camp Nou
He was a real threat in a 0-0 draw last month as Slavia Prague became the first side to prevent Barcelona from scoring at the Nou Camp since February 2018.
“We were denied a win at Inter in the last minute and we could’ve beaten Barcelona at the Nou Camp, so Dortmund [match] provides a big opportunity for us to end on a high, ” Olayinka told BBC Sport.
Also Read – UCL: Osimhen Out To Help Lille Thwart Chelsea; Dennis, Okereke Face Real Madrid Test
“Six years ago I was still watching Lionel Messi, Romelu Lukaku, Gerard Pique and Axel Witsel on television in Nigeria, and it’s been incredibly surreal playing against them in the Champions League.
“My life has been full of more downs than ups to get here, but I am here now and the past only fuels my desire to keep pushing.”
Slavia have two points and will finish fourth in Group F even if they beat Borrussia Dortmund in their final Group game tonight (Tuesday).
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Joshua Hits Back At Wilder Following Criticism Over His Performance In Ruiz Victory
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Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr visited Girondis Bordeaux’s Le Halian training base in France at the weekend to see the duo of Josh Maja and Samuel Kalu, reports Completesports.com.
Rohr, who once played for and managed Bordeaux had a heart warming chat with both players during the visit.
Maja, who has been one of the key performers for Bordeaux in the French Ligue 1 this season has been capped once by Nigeria.
The forward came in as a late substitute in the Super Eagles’ 2-2 friendly draw against Ukraine at the Dnipro Arena last September.
He has been left out of the Nigeria team since then, but looks set to earn a recall from Rohr for the 2022 World Cup and 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Also Read: Ndidi Backed For Surprise Return In Huge Leicester Squad Boost
Kalu, who has struggled to to make impact with Bordeaux this season with just one goal in 16 league appearances is a regular on the international scene for Nigeria.
The winger was part of the Super Eagles’ squad that took third position at the 2019 AFCON finals in Egypt.
He has been linked with a move to German club Hertha Berlin currently coached by Germany great Jurgen Klinsmann.
By Adeboye Amosu
Manchester United goalkeeper Sergio Romero was involved in a car crash near their Carrington training ground.
According to the club Romero has suffered no injuries.
Images after the crash show Romero’s Lamborghini smashed up and under the roadside barrier, facing towards trees.
Romero has acted as United’s back-up goalkeeper in the Premier League this season to David de Gea and is yet to feature in the top flight.
But he has played in four of United’s Europa League matches, plus three times in the League Cup and in each of their FA Cup third-round clashes against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
betBonanza has become a household name in Nigeria ever since making a big splash in the Nigerian betting market by way of its unique offerings to Nigerian punters. The fast growing brand has consistently engaged punters at all levels with products tailored to the needs of the Nigerian market with the aim of becoming the market leader in its business category.
All Sports Predictions recently had a chat with the brand’s young and dynamic Managing Director, Mr. Kunle Adeniji (KA) who gave insight to the brand’s philosophy and operations.
ASP: How long has this brand been operating in Nigeria?
KA: We formally launched on the 12th of June 2019, and we have been growing in leaps and bounds since then. Our country Nigeria has enormaous potentials, our people are excited and want to get rewarded for their enthusiasm and passion, and we as a brand will always try to help give Nigerians a trusted platform for entertainment, recreation and relaxation.
Related: VAR As A Bettor’s Blessing Or Curse
ASP: Why is your brand interested in Nigeria?
KA: betBonanza is not just interested in Nigeria. We are a Nigerian company, driven by young passionate Nigerians. I believe betBonanza is the voice of Nigerians who want to make lives better. It is beyond money. We want to make people and families happier, better, and wealthier. We have looked at the gaming industry in Nigeria and have identified several loopholes people face, and we have made our offerings of a superior quality. Most importantly, we have developed a better Customer support, with a personal touch for every customer, plus some of the the best response times. We have invested in developing an indegenous Agent Service that helps Nigerians to start and grow an online business. We have brought state-of-the-art technology and international experience coupled with global best practices, all to make sure our customers get the best anywhere in Nigeria. And more, we are still innovating, streamlining our work, expanding our product offerrings, and meeting the ever-dynamic Nigerian punter at the point of their greatest needs.
Our model is largely focused on creating jobs and building busineses, and that is what we do everyday throughout this country.
ASP: Please share your experience of the betting industry in Nigeria.
KA: We have a team that have been in the sports betting, gaming, and gambling industry for many years. Our management team have an average experience of 15 years in the sports betting and allied industry. Members of our management are pioneers of the betting industry in Nigeria, who have founded and managed successful betting companies, both locally and internationally.
ASP: What are the unique offerings that will drive punters to your platform?
KA: As professionals in the betting industries, we understand the thinking and behaviours of the average Nigerian punter, we understand some of the things that motivate people to want to bet on a betting platform. That is why we have prepared some special offers for our punters. They include:
Some of the highest odds for sports in the industry.
Prompt payments.
Massive Yakata Bonus on sports selections up to 200%
We also pride ourselves to have the largest collection of online casino games in Nigeria
The best virtual betting platform in Nigeria, where people win every day!
Zero agency balance account
Punters should just go to betbonanza.com and enjoy our unbeatable services.
ASP: What are your plans concerning the physical presence of your brand across Nigeria?
KA: As you may know, a good thing will always sell itself. Our main message to Nigerians is that we are better. For whatever service they may be getting from other betting companies, we aim to give them a better and superior service. We have a network of partners (Agents and Super Agents) across many states in Nigeria. We also run a franchise business model, which empowers our agents to be the driver, and gives them the freedom to provide sports betting services in our name. Our partners get commissions, bonuses, and plenty of incentives too to enable them to trade successfully and grow in a short time. With betBonanza, an Agent can determine how much money they make, and how fast they want to grow. To crown it all, they would get training, technical support, business coaching, and more for free. It’s as easy as that. Very importantly, I would like to say that betBonanza does not require agents to have a minimum deposit in their account. Our agents are free to withdraw from their accounts at anytime. One can easily begin the process of becoming our partner at https://agents.betbonanza.com
ASP: What are the challenges of operating in the Nigerian terrain?
KA: The only challenge of operating in the Nigerian market is that the industry is highly competitive. We take this positively because, this has pushed us to work even harder, ensuring that we’re developing and building our product to be the very best in the industry. Before we launched, we knew there would be challenges, we were prepared for the challenges, and I am pleased to tell you that we are on course, surmounting challenge after challenge and making progress on every side.
ASP: What future plans does your brand have for the Nigerian market?
KA: In the near future, we aim to be the top and most-loved betting company in Nigeria. As part of that plan, by the end of 2020, we expect to be one of the top 3 betting companies in Nigeria. For us these are not just business targets, but we really want to revolutionize the Nigerian betting landscape, and bring in new technological innovations that will make the Nigerian gaming industry to become a world leader. We are constantly improving the betting experience for our customers and also broadening the base to make betting attractive to more and more people, such that people begin to see sports betting as a means of recreation, and relaxation.
ASP: What is your assessment of the impact of the sports betting industry on the Nigerian economy?
KA: Betting has contributed immensely to the Nigerian economy considering that the industry generates up to 3 billion naira daily, according to a report by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). A huge chunk of this sum goes to the government as taxes, while others go to individuals through winnings and the franchise outlets like agents of betting companies. At betBonanza, we are committed to empowering up to 3,000 Nigerians through our agency business model by the end of 2020.
ASP: What is your message to Punters out there?
KA: Our message to punters out there is betBonanza is building a new future for the Nigerian betting industry. We are constantly innovating and coming up with new ideas to transform the industry. We are a customer-focused company, and one of our key watchword is transparency. You can be rest assured of getting the best of service whether you are our customer, or our partner, and your winnings would be paid promptly.
18-year-old househelpcommits suicide in Lagos
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Category: Terra Terra Terra!
January 14, 2020 January 13, 2020 ~ susie ~ 1 Comment
The NBC scoop about Trump authorizing Soleimani killing last spring looks much worse when read with the NYT's weekend tick-tock. The picture is utterly damning, and suggests a decisionmaking process that has been wholly perverted. Here's my close reading: https://t.co/gDac57qrff
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) January 13, 2020
.@RepEliotEngel, chair of Foreign Affairs Committee, just confirmed @SecPompeo will *not* appear at this week's hearing.
This is lunacy. Given all we've learned about the depths of deception here, officials simply must explain themselves to Congress:https://t.co/gDac57qrff pic.twitter.com/0baWHoZE7d
The damage we do
August 12, 2019 August 11, 2019 ~ susie
Between 11% and 20% of veterans who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom experience PTSD in a given year, according to the VA.
Two veterans speak to @hereandnow about their experiences living with PTSD. https://t.co/KlrCcJnRyH
— NPR (@NPR) August 11, 2019
Obama’s big FAIL
March 27, 2019 March 26, 2019 ~ susie ~ 1 Comment
Imagine if we’d known.
In the spring of 2017, federal officials still claimed that Russia had “no major success in penetrating electronic voting systems,” so “Winner blew the whistle,” & “took down a cover-up of information…” #FreeRealityWinner cc: @bjwinnerdavis https://t.co/FbibgG2CRd 1/ pic.twitter.com/xx7bva1w0Z
— Jennifer Cohn (@jennycohn1) March 11, 2019
What is it good for? Absolutely nothing
November 30, 2017 November 29, 2017 ~ susie ~ 1 Comment
"Special Operators firing upon unarmed civilians, using human intelligence from sources widely considered untrustworthy… instructing their Somali counterparts to collect weapons …placing them beside the bodies of those killed prior to photographing" https://t.co/3scQefTfoi
— REIGN OF TERROR is coming (@attackerman) November 29, 2017
This is such a timely coincidence
November 3, 2017 November 2, 2017 ~ susie ~ 1 Comment
I’m sure the Trump administration wouldn’t dream of ginning up evidence of a connection between Iran and Al Qaeda — would they?
The trove also provides new insight into the often adversarial relationship between al Qaeda and Iran — the Sunni Muslim terror group and the Shiite republic — in the form of a 19-page report described by the Long War Journal as “a senior jihadist’s assessment of the group’s relationship with Iran.”
Two U.S. intelligence officials characterized the document to NBC News as “evidence of Iran’s support of al Qaeda’s war with the United States.”
According to the officials, the document traces the history of the relationship starting with the escape of a group of Al Qaeda officials and their families from Afghanistan following the U.S. invasion in September 2001. Bin Laden dispatched the group of Al Qaeda leaders, known as the Al Qaeda Management Council, to Iran.
At various points in the relationship, the document reveals, Iran offered Al Qaeda help, in the form of “money, arms” and “training in Hezbollah camps in Lebanon, in exchange for striking American interests in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.”
But at other points in the relationship, according to the document, there were angry rifts, leading to forced detention of key Al Qaeda officials.
The files confirm previous reports that Bin Laden wrote Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei demanding the release of family members held in Iranian custody. Bin Laden himself considered plans to counter Iran’s influence throughout the Middle East, which he viewed as pernicious, according to the Long War Journal, an account confirmed by the U.S. officials.
Truck terror attacks are very hard to stop
People saw this coming. In the aftermath of the attack in lower Manhattan yesterday, I was reminded of a conversation I had almost a year ago with a veteran counterterrorism chief in Madrid. He had just written a report to his superiors warning about the urgent threat that terrorists would use trucks or cars to mow people down in public places. Continue reading “Truck terror attacks are very hard to stop” →
As many as 6 dead after a truck mows down pedestrians in New York City
November 1, 2017 October 31, 2017 ~ susie ~ 1 Comment
NYC incident 2 Update, October 31, 2017 4:45 p.m. As many as six casualties are being reported following a violent incident that police say appears to be a deliberate attack in New York City on Tuesday. Continue reading “As many as 6 dead after a truck mows down pedestrians in New York City” →
How are women recruited into terrorism?
June 15, 2017 June 14, 2017 ~ susie ~ 1 Comment
By Kate Harveston
When we hear of terrorist groups in the news, we often only see the people directly responsible for the latest atrocity. These people, often men, have their own reasons and motives for joining these organizations. Despite what we may think, women also play a substantial role in terrorist organizations. But how are women recruited, and what part of the ideology attracts them?
Recruiting Women
We tend to see women involved with terrorist groups portrayed as victims — coerced, threatened or kidnapped and forced to join. And that’s not to say that those situations don’t happen. However, just like their male counterparts, quite a number of women join of their own free will, and their reasons are often multifaceted.
There is no exact figure on how many women are members of ISIS, though an estimated 10 percent of their Western recruits are women. As recruits, these women play many roles. Some play key roles in planning attacks, while others take a more direct approach as members of the all-female ISIS police force Khansaa Brigade.
Many women are motivated — internally or by recruiters — to join ISIS by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and to protect themselves from Syria and Iran. Some of them adhere strictly to Sharia law, and feel that legislation imposed by some nations interferes with it.
Simply put, while there are undoubtedly women forced into terrorism, many join for the same reason men do — because the group’s ideology resonates with them. A higher level of danger can often accompany these situations, as women are less likely to be suspected of criminal activity due to gendered stereotypes, so they may find it easier to “fly under the radar.”
Women’s Roles
The issue of women’s secretive presence in crime is not unique to terroristic groups. Time and time again, we see women used as bait in robbery, kidnapping and murder schemes all over the world. The roles of women in terroristic groups are often even more involved and hands-on than the “baiting” setup.
Historically, women have always played an active role in terrorism — as leaders, recruiters, followers, symbolic wives and even suicide bombers. Their roles within ISIS are similar. Take, for example, several terror attacks from 2016. In one instance, police apprehended four women affiliated with ISIS who intended to set off makeshift bombs near Notre Dame Cathedral. In Kenya, women hiding explosives under their hijabs attacked a police station.
It’s becoming evident that more and more women are willingly drawn by ISIS’s message. Some come because female recruiters have perpetuated the message that they’ll be empowered. Others join because they want to protect their family and home.
Some women even join from the UK and beyond, showing that serious change needs to happen to counterterrorism programs. These programs are usually modeled from male profiles. As a result, women have the advantage of semi-invisibility. Officials don’t see women as capable of carrying off an attack, and thus overlook a potential threat.
As the threat of ISIS grows more apparent, it’s important that we understand how the group operates and functions. Although the general consensus is that terrorist groups are dominated by males, women play an active role in nearly every aspect of operations. By understanding their roles and motivations, we will be better able to rehabilitate endangered women and weaken the organization.
Is Trump trying to start a war over Qatar?
June 5, 2017 June 5, 2017 ~ susie ~ 1 Comment
Sure looks like it. This is scary:
The following statement was posted online in Arabic by the Qatari foreign ministry on Monday. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar expressed its deep regret and surprise at the decisions by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain to close their borders and airspace, and… Continue reading “Is Trump trying to start a war over Qatar?” →
Fox’s Nigel Farage suggests camps for 3,000 British Muslims: ‘Calls for internment will grow’
June 5, 2017 June 4, 2017 ~ susie
Fox News contributor Nigel Farage, a former British politician who campaigned for Brexit, suggested on Sunday that Muslims in Britain could be put into internment camps because of terrorist attacks in Britain. During an interview on Fox & Friends, host Pete Hegseth asked Farage “how the borderless world that London lived in for so long –… Continue reading “Fox’s Nigel Farage suggests camps for 3,000 British Muslims: ‘Calls for internment will grow’” →
Who’s more anti-Bernie? Too close to call. January 19, 2020
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United Kingdom-based fashion brand, Hype and Steam officially launches in Nigeria
Events, Events This Weekend
Hype and Steam, a United Kingdom-based online fashion retailer, officially launched operations in Nigeria on Friday, 16 November, 2018 with an exclusive runway show and after-party at the Hard Rock Café, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Looking to bring the latest global trends to fashion enthusiasts in Nigeria at affordable prices, the high street brand has commenced full operations in Nigeria, with a delivery turnaround time of between one to five days across the country – a welcome alternative to foreign online platforms with long waiting periods and exorbitant shipping costs.
Speaking at the event, Business Head, Hype and Steam Nigeria, Mrs. Adebola Ukaiwe, stated that the fashion retail brand is committed to providing the best service to the Nigerian market by selling en vogue, quality clothing items and accessories at affordable rates.
The launch event, compered by Maria Okan, including appearances by Mimi Onaloja, Titi Oyinsan and Olumide Oworu amongst others, is definitely one of the fashion highlights of the year. Guests were treated to pop-up sales, a live performance from Vector Tha’ Viper, and a runway show that showcased over 40 flagship outfits.
Visit www.hypeandsteam.com.ng
Tags: Hype and Steam
Asa to Headline Spice Lifestyle Honors
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Home»Everything We Loved About The J. Cole, Angie Martinez Interview
Everything We Loved About The J. Cole, Angie Martinez Interview
Rhett Butler May 18, 2018
The hip-hop world is a better place with J. Cole in it and his sit down interview in Miami recently with radio personality Angie Martinez proved why. The two sat down for a 94-minute interview in famed Nas and Amy Winehouse producer Salaam Remis studio house last weekend before headlining the Rolling Loud Festival.
Cole posted the interview to YouTube on Wednesday (May 16) and talked about why the first thing he did was support Cardi B on his return to Twitter, the meaning of his latest album title KOD (Kids on Drugs, King Overdose or Kill Our Demons, choose wisely), emotional fan DM’s, and his phone call from Kanye West.
J. Cole x Angie Martinez Interview at Salaam’s House
J. Cole and Angie Martinez in conversation at Salaam Remi’s studio house in Miami before Cole’s headlining set at Rolling Loud Festival 2018 Listen to KOD now: http://smarturl.it/KODJCole Buy KOD now: http://smarturl.it/KODStore KOD Tour On Sale Now – http://dreamville.lnk.to/KODTour Connect with J.
First up, Cole let the world know about his pre-concert rituals, one of which is to meditate for at least five minutes to clear his head before a big performance. Cole was careful to separate meditation from prayer, but he explained how his rituals primarily relate to when he gets anxious about stressful situations.
I want to become disciplined to where it is a part of my life every day when things are like good or things a little stressful, he told Martinez.
Coles latest album KOD broke the Spotify record for biggest opening day with 36.6 million plays, which was previously held by Drakes More Life album and also beat Drake’s Views album on Apple Music with 64.5 million plays.
Yeah, he texted me and said, I hate you, J. Cole said, laughing.
When Martinez said that Cardi B was vulnerable after an interview with The Breakfast Club on Power 105.1, Cole responded discussing why he shows her support on Twitter.
I just feel like people give her so much advice. But I saw her interview and it just seemed like, Damn, they put a mad pressure on this girl to try to beat herself, J. Cole added. He told Martinez that after being in the same shoes as Cardi B — not the bloody shoes — he wanted to let her know on Twitter that she already won.
After the release of KOD, Cole talked about how a fan Direct Messaged him on Instagram hours after the album dropped on April 20 about how he was setting aside the weed and pills he bought to celebrate 4/20 to reflect on his late mothers addiction. J. Cole shared another story about a friend of a friend who cried because her younger brother opened up to her for the first time about their mothers addiction upon listening to KOD.
Once they hear the stories, like they never had a space to get it off, so that type of stuff is making it for me, and in those moments, I remember, he said. Thats my hope, thats my intention.
J. Cole – ATM
J. Cole – ATM (Official Music Video) Listen to KOD now: http://smarturl.it/KODJCole Directed by Scott Lazer, J. Cole Connect with J. Cole: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realcoleworld/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jcolenc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JColeMusic/ Connect with Dreamvile: http://dreamville.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamville Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dreamville Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dreamville Music video by J. Cole performing ATM.
Cole also denied the rumors on if he would ever collaborate with Kendrick Lamar on an album. He said he and Lamar worked on “ideas” together earlier in their careers, but would not call it an album.
Its not that I wouldnt want to work with him, thats not the case, he said. Its just that when Im working on my album, its just like, Yo, thats just how I operate. He got a career I got a career, I got a family he got a family, its like it would have been easier back then.
The most revealing element was when Cole discussed Kanye West’s tweet on May 1 of a phone call screenshot with J. Cole for about four minutes that has since been deleted with the caption we got love. J. Cole admitted to not knowing that picture would be shared on social media, saying, I would have never posted that or like tell him to post that. He said West later apologized for the tweet, and the Cole told him, It felt like you just used my name in that very quick conversation for, for social media and for like to keep your thing going. It felt like it wasnt sincere because of that.
I feel like I got used as a pawn, and then that somehow it looks like I agree with what this dude is saying and agree with what hes doing and the way hes going about it and really thats very far from the case, he said. I actually on the phone was concerned for him. Thats the real truth.
J. Cole also confirmed to Martinez that the song “False Prophets” was not about West.
Theres one verse that applies to him for sure, but if youve listened to that song, that song is about what this shit is exposing and I check myself on that song as well.
In all the world is better with hip hop gatekeeper and introspection specialist extraordinaire, J. Cole.
Hip Hop J. Cole kanye west kendrick lamar Nas
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BREAKING: Tuition fees to be cut to £6,000 for Humanities students
Justice at last
Diyora Shadijanova
Tuition fees for Humanities students will be cut to £6,000 from September 2019.
The Deputy Education Secretary, Hugh Maneetis, has said the change will come into full effect at the beginning of the next academic year.
This is part of a new “value for money” deal, which the government is set to launch alongside it’s review of university finances.
And if you’re currently studying a Humanities degree, you will be liable to claim back the extra money you’ve already paid.
Maneetis also said that if you decide to do a two-year Humanities course, you will only have to pay £12,000 for the two years.
The policy will be implemented by making BSc students pay £12,000 a year, instead of the current £9,000 tuition fee.
OFS spokesperson, George Raphy, said: “We now recognise that Humanities students have been paying for the expensive science degrees for years and it’s not right. Science students should pay for their own test tubes if they want to become a future doctor and save thousands of lives.
“Basically, we have realised Humanities degrees aren’t actually worth anything and give you no future career prospects anyway. And to punish those students financially when all they have is four contact hours a week? Well that’s just cruel.”
Phew. Justice at last.
Related stories recommended by this writer:
• Love Island producers confirm the new series is starting NEXT WEEK
• This is how we mugged you off on April Fool’s Day around the UK
• Here are all of The Tab’s April Fools from up and down the country
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Maria Full of Grace
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/22/05 w/ Additional Edits
Written and directed by Joshua Marston, Maria Full of Grace is the story of a 17-year old woman who reluctantly becomes a drug mule to help her family in Colombia as she realizes the consequences she is facing. The film is an exploration of a young woman trying to deal with her circumstances as well as the sense of the unknown and risks she is taking as the role of Maria Alvarez is played by Catalina Sandino Moreno. Also starring Yenny Paola Vega, Guiled Lopez, John Alex Toro, Patricia Rae, and Wilson Guerrero. Maria Full of Grace is an astonishing film from Joshua Marston.
For the 17-year-old Maria Alvarez (Catalina Sandino Moreno), her life isn't easy while working in a flowering plantation pruning rose thorns with her friend Blanca (Yenny Paola Vega). Working to support her mother, a grandmother, and older sister Diana (Johanna Andrea Mora) who has a baby, Maria feels like the only person who is doing anything. Her work life is very dismal compared to her social life as she learns she is pregnant with her boyfriend Juan (Wilson Guerrero) as the father. Juan doesn't want to do anything so she breaks up with him and her work life gets worse as she quits her job. Her family is upset that she quit because her meager paycheck is what keeps them working but Maria is still willing to look for another job.
After meeting a smooth-talking man named Franklin (John Alex Toro) at a party, they meet again as he takes her to Bogota where he can get her a job. They go to Bogota where she learns that the job is to be a drug mule. They meet with the boss of the drug trade named Javier (Jaime Osorio Gomez) who asks some questions to Maria. He warns her about what could go wrong and everything but she takes the job. She goes home on a bus where she meets a fellow mule in Lucy (Guilied Lopez) who trains her to swallow big grapes that are shaped like the pellets she's going to carry. Maria mustn't bite the grapes or have holes in them or else she dies. With Javier giving Maria some money to pay off some bills for her family, Maria tells them she's taking a secretarial job in Bogota where she packs her things and gets a ride from Franklin.
Upon arriving in Bogota, she learned that Blanca is going to become a mule herself working for an associate of Javier. Maria goes to a clinic where she swallows 62 pellets worth of heroin that she must carry into New York City and stay there for the week where she'll receive $5000 for her work. With a passport, addresses, and other documents that she needed to get into the U.S., she, Lucy, Blanca, and another mule go on the plane from Bogota to New York. Having to hold in the pellets, they must not go to the bathroom but Maria does where two pellets come out but she puts them back in her stomach carefully as she arrives. Upon checking into customs, she learns that Lucy is sick as she is hoping to contact Lucy's sister Carla (Patricia Rae) about Lucy's condition. After going through customs, Maria learns the trouble of the trade as she seeks help from Carla and a Colombian businessman named Don Fernando (Orlando Tobon). There, Lucy learns of the sacrifices and trouble that is involved in the smuggling business as she learns the hard truth of life in America and Colombia.
Developed at the Sundance Institute, the film has all the makings of an indie film aesthetic and budget but thanks to Joshua Marston's gripping vision, the film is loaded with realism and a brooding tone that makes it compelling. Marston succeeds in his direction with his approach where scenes involving the customs search, airplanes, and the scenes involving the drugs and swallow pellets are very uneasy to watch. It's that sense of discomfort that works, notably in its screenplay where the film’s structure is filled with this dark momentum coming around and a third act where the morals and questions come into play. It's truly one of the smartest and most human scripts from a newcomer like Marston.
Marston’s eye-wielding vision is complemented greatly by cinematographer Jim Denault who uses some wonderful and steady handheld camera into the film that plays to the point-of-view of its protagonist and the way it captures the look of Colombia and New York where they have certain similarities as well as its differences from the polished New York to the more downtrodden town that Maria lives. With the look helped by production designers Debbie De Villa and Monica Marulanda and art director Yann Blanc for capturing that contrasting look of its locations. Editors Anne McCabe and Lee Percy help create a very straightforward yet methodical approach to the ending to play into its drama and suspense. The film's music by composers Leonardo Heiblum and Jacobo Lieberman have a nice, atmospheric tone that also plays well to the vibrant, Latin feel of the film's music.
The film's superb cast is filled with great performances, notably smaller ones from Johanna Andrea Mora as Maria's selfish sister and Wilson Guerrero as Maria’s loser boyfriend Juan. Jaime Osorio Gomez is excellent in the role of the drug leader Javier who brings a fraternal tone to his character as opposed to the big-shot tones done previously in most drug films. Orlando Tobon is another fraternal figure in the film as a man who is like a leader in Colombian communities in Queens, New York who provides the film's morality and makes Maria face her own conscious. John Alex Toro is wonderfully charming as Franklin while Patricia Rae brings an emotional center as Lucy’s sister, notably in the film's final act where she brings an intensity that is powerful. Guilied Lopez is also wonderful as Lucy with an understated performance as she teaches Maria the trade. Yenny Paola Vega is really the film's best supporting performance as Maria's pesky best friend who truly wants the money and is the one who doesn't have morals but by the end, realize the trouble they’re in as Vega gives a realistic, troubling performance.
The film's breakthrough is Catalina Sandino Moreno who gives probably the best debut performance of 2004. Moreno brings an external quality with her face and beauty that is very natural and very realistic while possessing a determination and grit that are evocative to watch. She doesn't make her character sympathetic or into someone that is very generous or good but someone who is rebellious yet has a sense of morality. Moreno makes her character grow and we feel sorry for her yet what she is doing is really awful but her choices and motivation is always filled with good intentions. Moreno is truly the heart and soul of the movie and she is a great discovery to watch.
The film's DVD doesn't include much except English, Spanish, and French subtitles with 2.0 and 5.1 Spanish audio mixing. Done in the typical 16:9 widescreen format, the movie looks and sounds great on DVD. The special features only includes two different trailers for the movie along with three trailers for HBO produced films like Real Women Have Curves, Gus Van Sant's Elephant, and the 2003 Sundance Award-winning American Splendor. Writer/director Joshua Marston provides an insightful audio commentary to the film talking about the technical aspects along with some of the things that goes on with the drug smuggling as well as the performances of the cast notably Moreno whom he discovered through audition tapes.
Maria Full of Grace is a powerful yet gripping film from Joshua Marston with an entrancing performance from Catalina Sandino Moreno. It's a film that explores the world of drug trafficking as well as what people will do in order to help others and later deal with the troubling consequences. In the end, Maria Full of Grace is a remarkable film from Joshua Marston.
Labels: catalina sandino moreno, guiled lopez, john alex toro, joshua marston, patricia rae, wilson guerrero, yenny paola vega
I love this movie, it's so powerful. Have to watch this again, soon. Great review.
It's been a long time since I've seen this one, but you're right. It was very powerful, and the lead actress was great. I think I'd like to watch this again. Great review!
@Wendell-It's a film that I hope to rewatch soon and maybe get a Criterion release in the future.
@Brittani-I want to see it again too. It is a great film. Thank you.
Alex Withrow said...
Great review. I agree, this is a truly remarkable film. I only wish Moreno was in more. She's such a strong performer.
@Alex Withrow-I agree. I was hoping she would be in more films as I liked her in Che and Fast Food Nation but I guess it's hard for her to get really good roles.
The Films That I Saw: September 2014
The Auteurs #37: Pedro Almodovar
Sherrybaby
Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
2014 Blind Spot Series: Playtime
I Heart Huckabees
Two Women (1960 film)
High Heels (1991 film)
Wadjda
The Edukators
Overlord (1975 film)
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!
Bad News Bears (2005 film)
The Horse Whisperer
A Woman of Paris
The Man Who Loved Women (1977 film)
The Pilgrim (1923 film)
Rush (2013 film)
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Blogger Get’s it Wrong: Amazon Sales Rankings are Valuable Metrics if Benchmarked over Time
In Accountability, Amazon, Amazon Rankings, amazon sales, Amazon Sales Rankings, Author, Author Boycott, Author Watch, Authors, Best Sellers, Bestsellers, Book, Book Boycott, Book Marketing, Book Sellers, books, Bookstores, Boycott, Boycotted Authors, Boycotted Books, Credibility, Fact Checking, false information, Goy's Law, Money should flow toward the author, New York Times, New York Times Best Sellers, Propaganda, Publisher, Publishers, Publishing, Recommended Author, Recommended Authors, Recommended Book, Recommended Books, Reputation, Reputation Management, Royalties, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association, Self-Publish, Self-Published, Self-Publishing, SFWA, Untraditional Publishing, Vanity, Vanity Press, Victoria Strauss, Watchdog, Writer, Writer Beware, Yog's Law on November 22, 2011 at 4:03 pm
“Uh, the Amazon Sales Ranking? That completely useless metric of book sales . . . . In other words, it means nothing. It’s a hourly popularity contest. If someone buys 100 copies of my book, my Amazon ranking will shoot way up for that hour then fall again.”
– From an Author’s Blog
The author of this quote (above) would like readers to conclude that The Write Agenda is “wrong” regarding its use of Amazon Sales Rankings. However, in fairness, it is true that Amazon Sales Rankings are updated every hour. Also, Amazon Sales Rankings are only one benchmark in measuring the success of an author and his/her book(s). We’ve never claimed that Amazon Sales Rankings are the exclusive resource; it’s a valuable tool and nothing more.
The Write Agenda’s use of the Amazon Sales Ranking data is not an hourly process. The data is measured over time (weeks and months) for consistency to establish a history for a particular book. For example, Author Anna Mara’s Her Perfect Revenge, published by Outskirts Press, was listed at #1 on our Author Watch – Best Sellers List for 12 weeks straight. The Amazon Sales Ranking were: 81, 82, 86, 81, 107, 190, 228, 271, 334, 472, 572, and 961. In addition, Author Anna Mara’s Her Perfect Revenge, while no longer at #1, has continued to remain on the Author Watch – Best Sellers List since that time and consistently performs within our guidelines. Dr. Laurence B. Brown’s The Eighth Scroll, published by BookSurge Publishing, was #1 six (6) times. Moreover, there are numerous examples of other authors books that are consistent performers on our Author Watch – Best Sellers List. We would also be remiss not to mention that many of these successful authors, to the dismay of Writer Beware™, are in fact published by entities listed on their so-called “Thumbs Down” list. The significant difference here is that 100’s of books are being sold beyond the “hour” window. In the spirit of Yog’s Law, money is flowing to these authors . . . as it should. The difference is that they have written good books that people want to read.
We find it ironic that the author of the quote above would even make such an intransigent statement as this. Upon a cursory review of this particular author’s book sales data we discovered, as expected, some very dismal sales data. A book that he published in 2002 has a current sales ranking of 10,269,826 with one (1) 4-Star review. There was a subsequent book, published in 2004, that has no sales data available or any reviews. Therefore, it appears unlikely that his Amazon Sales Rankings will change anytime soon. Unless, of course, “[if] someone buys 100 copies of [his] book.” Just as bad spellers always say that “bad spelling has nothing to do with intelligence,” bad authors with bad books will always say: “Amazon Sales Rankings are a completely useless metric of book sales.” These comments were posted by this author with the intention of defending Victoria Strauss (see Victoria Strauss Critical of Indie Authors Successes: The Voice of Envy). Victoria Strauss has continued to downplay the significance of Amazon Sales Rankings as well. While many view our Boycott List as an opportunity to boost their book sales, the placement of Victoria Strauss on our Boycott List has not improved her Amazon Sales Rankings. Again, this is historical data and not an “hourly” measurement of Victoria Strauss’ Amazon Sales Rankings:
THE VICTORIA STRAUSS TITLES – AMAZON SALES RANKINGS
Current Rank
7-Day Average
30-Day Average
Lifetime Average
Worst Rank
Let’s take this opportunity to review the Amazon Sales Ranking metric once more. Again, Amazon Sales Rankings are only one of the numerous benchmarking tools. There is a logical mathematical equation that proves that there is more validity in actual science (and proofs) versus mere rhetorical and salvation-based opinion. The equation can convert the Amazon Sales Rank into the actual number of sales on a weekly basis. The formula is:
Sales/week = e to the power (10.526-(.87*sales rank)
To put this into an Excel spreadsheet: =EXP(10.526-(0.87*LN(rank)))
This data has been actually vetted by four scientific studies that reviewed 1000’s of various titles. In addition, the authors of these studies found a direct and predicable relationship between the Amazon Sales Rankings and the actual Ingram sales data. In conclusion, Amazon Sales Rankings are a valid benchmark to measure and predict your book sales. Don’t be convinced by rhetorical statements, ignorant conjecture or opinions when scientific evidence is readily available. This is science not Science Fiction. Amazon is the world’s #1 online bookseller.
Copies Sold/day
2.2 (11 copies every 5 days)
0.2 (1 copy every 5 days)
0.006 (3 copies every 500 days)
0.0001 (1 copy every 1000 days)
“Power Law Converting Amazon Sales Ranks to Units Sold « Nimble Books LLC.” Nimble Books LLC. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.nimblebooks.com/wordpress/2006/06/power-law-converting-amazon-sales-ranks-to-units-sold/>.
“Why Your Self-Publishing Service Probably Didn’t Cheat You.” Writer Beware™ Blogs! Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-your-self-publishing-service.html>.
“Wired Blogs.” The Long Tail. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://longtail.typepad.com/the_long_tail/2005/08/amazon_methodol.html>.
The Write Agenda by The Write Agenda is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on all work at thewriteagenda.wordpress.com. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://thewriteagenda.wordpress.com.
© The Write Agenda, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from The Write Agenda is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to The Write Agenda with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by The Write Agenda (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Please contact The Write Agenda for sample attributions.
« Before Victoria Strauss Critical of Indie Authors Successes: The Voice of Envy November 19, 2011
AfterWriter Beware Seems to be Defending Book Country November 26, 2011 »
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Search in titles only Search in News only
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Delayed
April is starting to look a little packed.
Final Fantasy VII Remake producer Yoshinori Kitase said today that the game will be delayed slightly. Final Fantasy 7 Remake was originally slated to be released on March 3. Now, it will instead be released on April 10. This comes via a press release sent out Kitase and the development team at Square Enix.
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Doom Eternal - Official Trailer 2
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New Character Focused Trailer and Screens for Resident Evil 3 Remake
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PlayStation is Officially Ditching E3 2020
A surprise move with the PlayStation 5 mere months away from release.
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New Nvidia Driver Adds Framerate Limiter, VRSS for VR, and More
The 441.87 driver update is feature filled.
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PlayStation Home Finally Leaves Beta, Shuts Down
True to their word, Sony has shut down PlayStation Home for good. The not quite Second Life virtual hub for the PlayStation 3 that never left its lengthy beta phase has been shut down. The final minutes came around midnight (PT) this morning.
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This War of Mine DLC Has Already Helped 350 Children
Less than a month ago, we revealed how all proceeds from the DLC for This War of Mine would be going to the War Child charity. Today, the team revealed that thanks to the support of the kind donations, War Child has been able to help 350 children in the Middle East.
World of Tanks Going to the Moon in Honor of April Fools - New Mode, New Map, Lasers
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From what I can tell, this is an actual thing that they'll be doing on April 3.
On April 3, every tanker will find in their garage
Gears of War, Assassin's Creed, Child of Light and More Available for Free with Games with Gold for April 2015
Published: 04-01-2015, 01:08 AM
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PSA: You May Not Want to Use Spotify on PS4 if on a Shared Network
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Okay so I was playing the last main level of Hotline Miami 2 on hard mode and suddenly this weird song comes on. Tonally it fit with the game so I assumed it was a secret of sorts. Then it changed. And again. And Again. And then I realized Spotify was playing and some random person had linked
Evolve Evolves Today with Four New Hunters, Behemoth Monster, and More
Today, the first major piece of DLC was released for Evolve from Turtle Rock and 2K. The new Behemoth monster was added alongside four new hunters and other goodies.
New Monster:New Hunters: Four new Hunters join the Evolve lineup: Torvald (Assault), Crow (Trapper), Slim (Medic) and Sunny (Support). Each new Hunter comes
First Sims 4 Expansion Orders You to Get to Work
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Dying Light Physics Getting a Temporary Adjustment Tomorrow
Tomorrow, April 1, the physics in Dying Light will get a little nuts.
Grand Theft Auto V Soundtrack - Welcome to Los Santos - Available for Pre-Order
If you like the music in Grand Theft Auto V and think you'll like some music that is inspired by those songs, you'll want to keep an eye out for the Welcome to Los Santos collection. This collection of 14 songs, now available for pre-order through iTunes, will give you a taste of the songs found within the game itself.
Created and compiled by Alchemist and Oh No and heavily influenced and inspired by their work on the score of Grand Theft Auto V with late legendary composer
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved Launches
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Jay Basu to Write Screenplay for Metal Gear Solid Film
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Cyberpunk 2077 Sees Significant Delay
Horizon: Zero Dawn Might Be Coming to PC in 2020
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2k activision adventure android apple bandai namco battlefield 4 beta bethesda bf4 bioware blizzard bungie call of duty capcom counter-strike counter-strike: global offensive counter-strike global offensive counterstrike counterstrike global offensive cs-nation cs: go cs:go cs go csgo csn csnation delay destiny dice dlc dota 2 downloadable content e3 e3 2014 e3 2015 e3 2016 e3 2017 ea early access ea sports f2p fighting free free-to-play gamescom global offensive grand theft auto 5 grand theft auto v gta online gtav hidden path hidden path entertainment horror ios launch trailer microsoft mmo mmorpg mobile multi nintendo nintendo switch pc playstation 3 playstation 4 playstation vita ps3 ps4 psa ps vita quickhits racing release date rockstar rockstar games rpg rumor sale sales figures sega sony sports square enix steam switch tgn totalgamingnetwork total gaming network ubisoft valve virtual reality vita vr wbie wii u windows 10 xb1 xbox 360 xbox one
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Drama 2011 1 hr 41 min
Returning from his third tour of duty in Iraq, U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Zac Efron -- 17 Again, New Year's Eve) credits his survival to carrying a photograph of a woman he's never met (Taylor Schilling). Seeking her out in North Carolina, he shows up at her door and takes a job at her family-run kennel. Despite her initial mistrust and hesitation, a romance soon develops between them, giving Logan hope that she might become more than his good luck charm. Based on the bestselling book by Nicholas Sparks (A Walk to Remember), and directed by Oscar nominee Scott Hicks (No Reservations, Shine, Snow Falling on Cedars), this romantic drama spins a timeless tale of love and destiny.
Starring Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner
Director Scott Hicks
Logan Thibault
Riley Thomas Stewart
Jay R. Ferguson
Keith Clayton
Judge Clayton
Robert Hayes
Joe Chrest
Deputy Moore
Russell Durham Comegys
Roger Lyle
Sharon Morris
Principal Miller
Ann McKenzie
Charlotte Clayton
Kendal Tuttle
Cameron Banfield
Younger Marine
Ritchie Montgomery
Cottage Owner
Scott Hicks
Denise Di Novi
Kevin McCormick
Ravi Mehta
Alison Greenspan
Bruce Berman
Will Fetters
Sweet but formulaic love story OK for teen romantics.
Rotten 115
© 2011 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. - - U.S., Canada, Bahamas & Bermuda. 2011 Village Roadshow Films (BVI) Limited - - All Other Territories.
English (United States) (Dolby 5.1, AAC)
Cantonese (Traditional) (Subtitles), Chinese (Simplified) (Subtitles), Chinese (Traditional) (Subtitles), Danish (Denmark) (Subtitles), Dutch (Netherlands) (Subtitles), Finnish (Finland) (Subtitles), French (France) (Audio, Subtitles), German (Germany) (Subtitles), Indonesian (Subtitles), Italian (Italy) (Subtitles), Malay (Subtitles), Norwegian (Norway) (Subtitles), Portuguese (Portugal) (Subtitles), Russian (Russia) (Subtitles), Spanish (Spain) (Subtitles), Swedish (Sweden) (Subtitles), Thai (Subtitles), Turkish (Turkey) (Subtitles), Ukrainian (Subtitles)
Micronesian, Federated States of
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PATI'S MEXICAN TABLE brings authentic Mexican flavors, colors, textures and warmth into American kitchens. A former policy analyst focused on Latin American politics and history, Pati Jinich is a chef, cooking teacher, food writer and mother of three whose true passion lies in sharing the tastes of her childhood and culinary adventures in her native country. In each episode, Pati embarks upon an exciting and entertaining journey, where each dish serves as a point of departure into Mexico's rich history and culture, Pati's personal experiences, and her ongoing conversations with cooks in both Mexico and the United States. Each half-hour highlights a singular Mexican food - from familiar ingredients like vanilla, avocado and chorizo to the mysterious grains used by the Aztecs and the adventurous and trendy cuisine found across Mexico today. From traditional takes on tomatillos to modern spins on huevos rancheros, Pati inspires viewers to make great Mexican dishes in their own homes.
Upcoming Episodes of Pati's Mexican Table
Mocorito, the Land of Chilorio
Feb 1st
Surfside Eats
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Tomorrow People's Mark Pellegrino Talks Protecting John, Obeying The Founder and More
By Vlada Gelman / December 10 2013, 3:00 PM PST
Tomorrow People bad guy Jedikiah is a complicated man who loves the enemy — and kills his loved ones.
But can he bring himself to take down the one Tomorrow Person who’s like a son to him? How could he have his own brother murdered? And does he truly care for his secret, superpowered girlfriend, Morgan?
Below, portrayer Mark Pellegrino answers those questions and previews facing off with Ultra’s founder in Wednesday’s fall finale (The CW, 9/8c).
RELATED | The Tomorrow People Season 1 Casts Robert Grant as Marla’s Boyfriend
TVLINE | Now that Jedikiah’s captured John, what are his intentions?
It’s an interesting thing that Jedikiah’s captured John. I’m just speaking from an interpretive point of view here. It’s true, canonically speaking, but it feels like it was accidental almost. Like, “I wish it didn’t have to happen, but it happened.” It happened just because he brought me to the surface and they were tracking me and they got to him. But it’s a regretful thing. And now that John is in the clutches of Ultra, Jedikiah’s got to negotiate some very strange territory. It’s not just him at Ultra now; there’s The Founder looking over his shoulder. So even if he wanted to protect John, he can’t. And then there’s the further complication of me loving somebody who’s a Tomorrow Person, who’s a possible chip in the game that Jedikiah’s caught in between the Tomorrow People and Ultra.
TVLINE | Jedikiah and John had a strong bond at one point, and even in last week’s episode, Jedikiah said he wanted him alive. Does Jedikiah have it in him to really hurt or kill John?
Jedikiah’s shown himself to be a person of very strong will. In his life, he’s acted against his emotions over and over and over again to do the thing that he thinks is right. I think he does have the strength to do something like that, as much as it would break his heart. But he could, if it was for the greater good.
RELATED | The CW Picks Up The Originals, The Tomorrow People and Reign for Full Seasons
TVLINE | How deep are Jedikiah’s feelings for Carly Pope’s character, Morgan? How far will he go to protect her?
You’re going to see later on. You’re going to see how deep his feelings are for her and how far they’ll go. You may find it a bit… scary. [Laughs] It can change at a moment’s notice. Jedikiah’s willing to do a lot of things for love, for family and for what he thinks is right.
TVLINE | A couple of weeks ago, Robbie Amell and I talked about when Jedikiah will start to catch on to Stephen being a double. Are there any hints soon that he suspects something?
I think he always suspects Stephen. Ultra’s an interesting place. It’s not like any other spy place. It’s got agents who can look into your brain and literally feel your feelings and see your thoughts and past experiences. So as much as Jedikiah truly believes in what he’s doing, there’s got to be a part of him that has to say and do certain things, I imagine, for effect — and one never knows when that is. He never really reveals how much he knows or doesn’t know… I think he knows more about Stephen than Stephen knows, even though Stephen’s turning out to be a rather astute politician and very clever.
RELATED | Quotes of the Week: Best Zingers From Masters of Sex, HIMYM, Scandal, Tomorrow People & More
TVLINE | We got a taste of the hierarchy at Ultra last week. How would you describe the relationship between Jedikiah and The Founder?
Very strained. Jedikiah has a bone to pick… Jedikiah might be chaffing a little bit under the authority of The Founder.
TVLINE | Big question: How can Jedikiah order a hit on his own brother?!
[Laughs] Yes, indeed. There’s more to that than meets the eye. That’s why Jedikiah’s so strong – because he had to do something for the greater good. And that greater good is not necessarily what you think.
Follow @VladaGelman
TAGS: Mark Pellegrino, The CW, The Tomorrow People
GET MORE: Interviews, Previews, Scoop
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Facebook will temporarily disable a tool that lets advertisers exclude people of color
Megan Rose Dickey @meganrosedickey / 2 years
Facebook has been under fire for its practices and policies that enable advertisers to exclude “multicultural affinity” groups from the audiences they reach via the social network. Now, in light of a ProPublica investigation and pressure from the Congressional Black Caucus, Facebook says it’s committed to taking a closer look at its advertising policies, its COO Sheryl Sandberg wrote in a letter to CBC Chairperson Cedric Richmond.
Until Facebook figures out how to ensure advertisers don’t use its tools in a discriminatory way, Facebook will temporarily disable the option that lets advertisers exclude multicultural affinity groups from their audience. As Sandberg wrote in her letter to the CBC, multicultural affinity groups “are made up of people whose activities on Facebook suggest they may be interested in ads related to the African American, Hispanic American, or Asian American communities.”
Multicultural marketing, Sandberg said in her letter, is common in the ad industry. There are “many legitimate uses for this kind of marketing,” she said, but there are also concerns that advertisers use Facebook to discriminate against people in the areas of housing, employment and credit loans.
“By allowing online advertisers to promote or market a community or home for the purpose of sale to select an ‘ethnic affinity’ as part of their advertising campaign, Facebook is complicit in promoting restrictive housing practices,” members of the CBC said last year.
Facebook said it also will take a look at how advertisers are using exclusion targeting across other “sensitive segments,” like ones that relate to members of the LGBTQ community and people with disabilities.
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Cloud flaws expose millions of child-tracking smartwatches
Zack Whittaker @zackwhittaker / 1 month
Parents buy their children GPS-enabled smartwatches to keep track of them, but security flaws mean they’re not the only ones who can.
This year alone, researchers have found several vulnerabilities in a number of child-tracking smartwatches. But new findings out today show that nearly all were harboring a far greater, more damaging flaw in a common shared cloud platform used to power millions of cellular-enabled smartwatches.
The cloud platform is developed by Chinese white-label electronics maker Thinkrace, one of the largest manufacturers of location-tracking devices. The platform works as a backend system for Thinkrace-made devices, storing and retrieving locations and other device data. Not only does Thinkrace sell its own child-tracking watches to parents who want to keep tabs on their children, the electronics maker also sells its tracking devices to third-party businesses, which then repackage and relabel the devices with their own branding to be sold on to consumers.
All of the devices made or resold use the same cloud platform, guaranteeing that any white-label device made by Thinkrace and sold by one of its customers is vulnerable.
Ken Munro, founder of Pen Test Partners, shared the findings exclusively with TechCrunch. Their research found at least 47 million vulnerable devices.
“It’s only the tip of the iceberg,” he told TechCrunch.
Smartwatches leaking location data
Munro and his team found that Thinkrace made more than 360 devices, mostly watches and other trackers. Because of relabeling and reselling, many Thinkrace devices are branded differently
“Often the brand owner doesn’t even realize the devices they are selling are on a Thinkrace platform,” said Munro.
Each tracking device sold interacts with the cloud platform either directly or via an endpoint hosted on a web domain operated by the reseller. The researchers traced the commands all the way back to Thinkrace’s cloud platform, which the researchers described as a common point of failure.
The researchers said that most of the commands that control the devices do not require authorization and the commands are well documented, allowing anyone with basic knowledge to gain access and track a device. And because there is no randomization of account numbers, the researchers found they could access devices in bulk simply by increasing each account number by one.
The flaws aren’t just putting children at risk, but also others who use the devices.
In one case, Thinkrace provided 10,000 smartwatches to athletes participating in the Special Olympics. But the vulnerabilities meant that every athlete could have their location monitored, the researchers said.
Child voice recordings found exposed
One device maker bought the rights to resell one of Thinkrace’s smartwatches. Like many other resellers, this brand owner allowed parents to track the whereabouts of their children and raise an alarm if they leave a geographical area set by the parent.
The researchers said they could track the location of any child wearing one of these watches by enumerating easy-to-guess account numbers.
The smartwatch also allows parents and children to talk to each other, just like a walkie-talkie. But the researchers found that the voice messages were recorded and stored in the insecure cloud, allowing anyone to download files.
A recording of a child’s voice from a vulnerable server of a smartwatch reseller. (We’ve removed the audio to protect the child’s privacy.)
TechCrunch listened to several recordings picked at random and could hear children talking to their parents through the app.
The researchers likened the findings to CloudPets, an internet-connected teddy bear-like toy, which, in 2017, left their cloud servers unprotected, exposing two million child voice recordings.
Some five million children and parents use the smartwatch sold by the reseller.
Disclosure whack-a-mole
The researchers disclosed the vulnerabilities to several white-label electronics makers in 2015 and 2017, including Thinkrace.
Some of the resellers fixed their vulnerable endpoints. In some cases, the fixes put in place to protect vulnerable endpoints later became undone. But many companies simply ignored the warnings, prompting the researchers to go public with their findings.
Rick Tang, a spokesperson for Thinkrace, did not respond to a request for comment.
Munro said that while the vulnerabilities are not believed to have been widely exploited, device makers like Thinkrace “need to get better” at building more secure systems. Until then, Munro said owners should stop using these devices.
Many smart home device makers still won’t say if they give your data to the government
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The Express Tribune > Opinion
Conceptual aspects of prosecuting terror crimes
Pakistan approved the trial of terrorists by military courts, with perhaps better reasons than the US
By Shaukat Qadir
The writer is a retired brigadier and a former president of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute
In a previous article, I discussed policing as it relates to terrorist-related crimes for combating them. The next step after terrorists have been apprehended is their prosecution under the law. And to prosecute them we need evidence — another policing function.
There are several conceptual problems relating to this essential pre-trial requisite. Since we are discussing prosecution, I think it important to begin with questioning a basic canon (I am told by jurists that law has no cannons, but I find this the most suitable word) of Anglo-Saxon Law, which is the basis of most legal systems — ours subsequently incorporated Islamic injunctions on jurisprudence and punishments — that every individual is considered innocent until proven guilty; and that too ‘beyond reasonable doubt’.
It is for this reason that, for the individual, there are three distinct stages under law. An individual is, initially a suspect and, when sufficient evidence has been collected to prosecute him, he is elevated to being an accused. Only after he is found guilty does he become a criminal.
Extensive research, particularly in the US, has proven that a strict adherence to this canon and the Criminal Procedure Code, results in greater number of guilty criminals being found not guilty, than those being punished.
But, despite this fact, perhaps the adherence to this canon might have continued to be our best available basis for practising law. As frequently pointed out, 9/11 changed the world. The transformation began with the US and soon spread.
Prior to 9/11, perfectionist jurists used to respond to such criticism with the cliché: “Better that a hundred guilty people go free than a single innocent be punished.” This sounds nice but in real life it can be very costly, particularly when dealing with terrorists.
Many jurists, therefore, argued that for dealing with terrorists, this assumption needs to be modified. Post-9/11 some went so far as to argue that it be juxtaposed, i.e., that a terrorist be presumed guilty until he proves his innocence: which is, in my view, and of many others, going too far. Perhaps there might be no presumption of innocence.
However, it becomes easier if one addresses the qualifying clause: beyond reasonable doubt. Even if one is presumed innocent, if guilt is proven and, if it is within reasonable doubt rather than beyond it, the end results might be more acceptable.
Despite considerable debate among theorists, the administration of George W Bush probably decided that it could live with the ‘collateral damage’ to those innocents found guilty but was not prepared to risk even a single terrorist escape its clutches.
Probably the trauma of 9/11 had left American citizens either so numbed and/or so infuriated that they would have accepted anything which (apparently) improved their security and/or promised the revenge that all Americans were demanding, or they failed to see where all this would lead to.
Thus the various Guantanamo-like facilities, with the tales of torture practised there, came into being wherever the US military landed. The US led, but the world was not far behind. Some countries modified more reasonably than others, but everybody followed suit.
In view of the difficulties in amending this canon, countries found their own shortcuts relating to the criminal procedure of collecting evidence as well as the trial of terrorists. The US, for instance, has instituted military tribunals for trying terrorists and, under its Patriot Act, has empowered law-enforcement agencies to detain suspects for a virtually interminable period.
The last violates the most basic of human rights under Anglo-Saxon law; Habeus Corpus, that no person can be detained without approval of a court which is satisfied that prima facie (on the face of it) there is sufficient evidence to suspect and detain him so as to provide time for further evidence to be collected.
Almost 13 years after the US, Pakistan also approved the trial of terrorists by military courts, with perhaps better reasons than the US. However, our criminal procedure code has not been as severely modified as that of the US and some other countries; perhaps because our policing agencies have been ignoring habeus corpus for long enough not to need any modification.
Despite these modifications in individual rights and in criminal procedure for gathering evidence, the results still seem far from satisfactory, for those who ordered and implemented these changes.
The reason for this is that forensic evidence, even when supported with the most technologically advanced scientific knowledge and equipment is often limited to ‘circumstantial’ evidence rather than direct evidence.
If an eyewitness has seen an event and describes it in court, it is direct evidence. All evidence, however scientifically explained, which is not an eyewitness account is circumstantial. The best that science can do is to place an individual at the scene of a crime at a given time. Even then, since death cannot be established within minutes, he might not be guilty — reasonable doubt.
One way out of this quandary is killing using drones. Once dead, no one can prove they weren’t militants and these are not extra-judicial killings, by any definition. And Guantanamo or its like are not within American jurisdiction, anything can happen there.
Since we have no Guantanamo Bay, our solutions are more primitive and can be punished under law.
These are only conceptual difficulties in prosecuting such crimes, but we progress logically and sequentially. In my next piece I will address more practical ones.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2016.
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Read more: crime , Military courts , Terrorism
The Charsadda tragedy was waiting to happen
With the attack in Charsadda, once again people are saying that this is a failure of intelligence and security forces
Avinash Chaudhary
Feb 20, 2016 - 8:59PM
Lot of things like motive, arms involved in the killing have changed. The people who suffer are innocents and motive of the killers is not to kill specific person or people but undermine the states authority. They use arms suitable for mass killing. We need to consider these crimes as crimes against nation. We need to have laws and penal code to deal with these situations.Recommend
Divided we stand
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Mike Atkinson's personal blog
In Which I Have a Pleasant Interlude
(posted by Miss Mish)
One of the joys about Nottingham is it is so green. Mostly hidden I grant you but you can always find somewhere to sit and read in the sun. We have the manicured green sward of the Market square, The Arboretum, the university boating lake and, moving further out, parks and green spaces just off the centre of town.
I work in a large Government building on Talbot Street. Just up from Theatre Square in fact, so almost the centre of town. Perched on top of a car park it may be, but surrounded by terraces with flowerbeds and picnic tables (we civil servants like to get away from the grey after all). At the moment the lavender is in full flower and it really is a lovely place to get away from the desk for an hour or so. At 1pm today, I took my lunch and my book and sat outside in the sun, luxuriating in the heat and the stillness of the air. The city was almost inaudible apart from the muted clang of the trams. In the still of the heat haze, I hear a scrabbling and a skittering on the brickwork. I slowly look up, just in time to see a large fox, jumping from a jumble of rhododendron in the middle of the largest flowerbed. He stretches, yawns and lazily scratches himself and I stay completely still. He turns round, sees me and freezes. And seems almost embarrassed by being caught out. For a full ten seconds neither of us dares to move or drop our locked eyes.
Then he’s off again. Busy, busy, busy and I go back to the hurly-burly of the office.
Author Mike APosted on July 30, 2004 October 7, 2015 Categories Archive, Guest Week 6/7/8, Guest WeeksLeave a comment on In Which I Have a Pleasant Interlude
Hanging out the Laundry at the George
(posted by Alan)
Four of us have managed to agree to meeting up at the George on Wednesday (4 Aug) – just Nixon left to convince that he’ll be missing out on the social event of August.
In honour of the occasion, I’ll be having a haircut this afternoon and curtailing my drinking money this weekend.
Author Mike APosted on July 30, 2004 October 7, 2015 Categories Archive, Guest Week 6/7/8, Guest WeeksLeave a comment on Hanging out the Laundry at the George
Dream Guest Blogger #7
Ben started out with DH Lawrence then followed with Alan Bennett, Morrissey, Will Self, Chris Morris and Mike’s dear Aunt Cyn. A theme to his guest bloggers was immediately obvious after the third day – all are commentators of various sorts on British life in general, and on English life in particular. Well, the first 5 fitted that bill, Aunt Cyn is a complete wild card that threw me off a bit. Not just a bit, a lot, actually. But, ignoring that mad, wonderful old duck, I’ll stick to the theme established by the first 5 dream guests.
A suitable, 7th blogger shot into my head on that third day as my obvious choice and he is still there as a very worthy contender. But, since then, several others have seemed just as worthy, all of them for different reasons. So, let me go through all of them, giving you my reasons why they are all worthy, then give you my choice as the most worthy contender. I’ll list them in the order in which they popped into my head:
Bill Bryson, an American, first came to this country as a backpacker in 1973. He met his wife here and settled here, working as a travel writer. Although he and his family moved back to the States in 1995, they returned to England in 2003. Before becoming the wildly successful international author that he now is, he had had several best-sellers in the UK, one of which was the hugely popular, ‘Notes from a Small Island’ (1995), a book about the UK that was later made into a television production by ITV. Borrowing from this review will give you a good idea of why he makes a worthy 7th guest blogger:
Bill Bryson’s narrative of his travels on a “small island” will probably not be found in British chambers of commerce or travel agencies, for it is not a favourable advertisement. It is instead a Midwest American’s humorous account of disappointment and frustration as he tries to discover the beauty of Britain.
Bryson makes his way through the British countryside, towns and cities by way of bus, train, or on foot. He has a continual problem finding good places to eat during the day or to lodge at night. He quickly learned, “The trick to successful walking…is knowing when to stop.” At least once, he stopped too late and had to find a comfortable park bench to sleep on.
He quickly became fascinated with British nomenclature. “No where” he admitted, “are the British more gifted than with place names.” He classified as “endearingly insane” towns such as Chew Magna, Prittlewell, Little Rollright, Titsey, Woodstock Slop, and Nether Wallop. But often, it was the intriguing name of a town which inspired him to visit there.
Another thing that bothered Bryson was that too many British buildings offended the local landscape. He often found historical edifices being replaced by parking lots. He lamented, “You can’t tear down fine old structures and then pretend they are still there.” And Liverpool, which he was exceedingly fond of, seemed to him a “…place with more past than future.” Then, near the end of his trip, he audaciously names off “…the buildings I would love to blow up in Britain…”
Most of Bryson’s humor comes alive when he is disturbed by what he finds, or doesn’t find, or when he is mislead by travel maps and time schedules. But he does have some favourite places, such as Ludlow, Manchester, Morecambe, Inverness, Thurso, and Glasgow. Above all, he enjoyed his travel because, “…you’re seldom really alone out of doors in England.”
So, unlike those listed by Ben, Bryson is a foreigner who has lived here long enough to get an intimate outsider’s perspective on a country and people that inspire both great affection and infuriation.
Paul Theroux:
Thinking of Bill Bryson’s book on the UK immediately reminded me of a similar book written almost 20 year’s earlier, Paul Theroux’s, ‘Kingdom by the Sea’ (1983). Although Theroux is known for his travel writing, he has written an impressive number of novels, the most famous one being, perhaps, ‘The Mosquito Coast’. Like Bryson, Theroux was also born in the US and met his first wife in England where he lived for many years. Unlike Bryson, however, he has spent a lot of time living and working in other parts of the world besides the US and UK. Bryson, while referring to Theroux as ‘grumpy’ and ‘irascible’, mentions him as a great influence. From his official website, comes this description of ‘Kingdom by the Sea’:
After eleven years as an alien in London, Paul Theroux set out on a damp May day in 1982 to discover Britain by traveling round her entire coast. Being American was an advantage. He could write about the British as they could not write about themselves. He did not want to write about museums, castles and cathedrals. Nor did he want his journey to be a stunt; he would not set a time limit or restrict himself to one means of transport. He would simply take to the coast and keep to it. Mainly by train, but walking too, he would circumnavigate Britain. It was a natural itinerary. Britain’s coast defined her: ‘the coast belongs to everyone.’
Naturally talkative, Theroux discovered the candour as well as the secretiveness of the island’s people. Staying in bed and breakfasts and small hotels he found himself on the receiving end of confidences and strident opinions as well as British hospitality. He found unadulterated pleasures — sunlit strands, three-coach branch-line trains, an invitation to a crofter’s cottage for tea — and doubtful experiences — caravan-lined beaches, stony cities, a day at Butlins, and the terrors of Ulster which rule its hard-pressed people. ‘To be anonymous and traveling in an interesting place is an intoxication,’ he says, and from Weymouth, with its welcoming smell of fish and beer, to Cape Wrath, ‘a beautiful unknown place,’ he communicates that intoxication in a restless, vivid, opinionated series of eye-witness impressions.
So, here is another very talented American with a great love of Britain and who is able to comment on the place with an outsider’s perception that affords him a viewpoint that can be infuriatingly accurate and refreshingly different.
VS Naipaul:
In the early days, VS Naipaul and Paul Theroux were very great friends, Naipaul being constantly described as Theroux’s ‘mentor’. They met in Uganda and became the closest of friends, literary friends who were each other’s editors, confidants and teachers. The very acrimonious end to that friendship is covered in Theroux’s book, ‘Sir Vidia’s Shadow’ ( 1998).
VS Naipaul was born in Trinidad into a family of Indian Brahmin origin. His father, a newspaper correspondent and writer of published short stories and encouraged him to be a writer, telling him in a letter: “Don’t be scared of being an artist. D. H. Lawrence was an artist through and through; and, for the time being at any rate, you should think as Lawrence. Remember what he used to say, ‘Art for my sake.'” At the age of 18 he had written his first novel which was rejected by the publisher. He moved to England in 1950 to take up a scholarship at Oxford.
Naipaul’s writings deal with the cultural confusion of the Third World and the problems of an outsider, a feature of his own experience as an Indian in the West Indies, a West Indian in England, and a nomadic intellectual in a postcolonial world. Naipaul’s outspoken, unapologetic views on ‘half-made societies’ have led to much controversy for being so politically incorrect.
In his semi-autobiographical novel, ‘The Enigma of Arrival’ (1987), Naipaul depicts a writer of Caribbean origin, who finds joys of homecoming in England after wandering years – during which the world stopped being a colony for him. Central themes in Naipaul’s works are the damaging effects of colonialism upon the people of the Third World, and the feelings of exile and alienation experienced by immigrants in societies such as that in Britain.
Naipaul, a severe, arrogant figure with absolute mastery of the English language, is the sort of person who would make the perfect blogger to give an eloquent, intellectual portrayal of those British people that often feel excluded by their country and the majority of their countrymen.
He won the Nobel prize for Literature in 2001.
Julie Burchill:
Thinking of the acrimonious end to a great literary friendship reminded me of another great ‘literary battle’ albeit one of quite a different kind, the ‘fax wars’ between Julie Burchill and Camille Paglia in 1993. The first recorded fax war, dubbed by the press as ‘The Battle of the Bitches’, it still makes good reading.
But, long before that, Julie Burchill had shone strong and bright over British modern culture. Julie was born in Bristol in 1959, started out as a reporter on NME, married another hip young journalist and author, Tony Parsons, and, with Toby Young (someone she later fell out with), was a founding editor of The Modern Review. Along the way, she became a presence in British journalism that was impossible to ignore no matter whether you liked or despised her. Formerly the Queen of the Groucho Club, she now spends more time queening it over Brighton where she lives. More recently, she has been known for her weekly Guardian column (now sadly finished) and the play about her life, ‘Julie Burchill is Away’.
One of Britain’s most outspoken journalists, her bare-knuckle attitudes and reckless lifestyle have made her as reviled as she is successful. All very good reasons for her to make the perfect 7th guest blogger!
A few other names presented themselves too. For example, Ozzies long resident in Britain like Germaine Greer and Clive James would also probably make excellent guest bloggers again for their sharp intelligence and outsider’s perspective on Britain. But, I had to stop somewhere so have kept to the shortlist above.
Ok, so whom do we have to chose? Two male Americans who have spent a lot of time living in Britain and making a living out of observing Britons; a British Indian, originally from one of the ex-colonies who is now one of the greatest living masters of the English language, a man with an insider’s knowledge of exile and alienation within British society; and an Englishwoman who, over the past two decades, has become an acute observer of British society and culture.
I choose Julie Burchill!
And, I choose her because I think that she would be the perfect foil to Ben’s choices. She would be witty, clever, provocative and would leap in without hesitation. Also, being so much in tune with modern Britain, I think that her comments would, possibly, hit the mark more. It’s a pity that she isn’t one of the outsiders that made the other 3 so suitable but I still think she would be the best of the lot.
I wonder if she and Aunt Cyn are related?
Ben, I know that you asked for suggestions as a comment but you must know me by now – wordy, verbose and horribly convoluted. So, apologies for this diatribe but my fingers couldn’t resist it!
Author Mike APosted on July 30, 2004 October 7, 2015 Categories Archive, Guest Week 6/7/8, Guest WeeksLeave a comment on Dream Guest Blogger #7
Guest Blogging Dream Team: Competition
So, you’ve read the posts and ooh-ed and ah-ed at each of my six choices for the Guest Blogging Dream Team (or maybe not) – D H Lawrence, Alan Bennett, Morrissey, Will Self, Chris Morris and Aunt Cyn – and now it’s your turn. Here’s what you have to do…
Suggest a seventh member for the team and justify your choice.
It can be anyone, whether alive, dead, real, fictional, famous, infamous, current blogger or not – anyone you think is or would be a potentially brilliant blog writer, as long as they haven’t already been chosen.
All suggestions and justifications in the comments box below (as well as any queries), and, in the interests of fairness, only one suggestion per person, please.
Deadline: Tuesday 3rd August, 4pm.
In addition to the congratulations of the Troubled Diva readership, the person who comes up with the best suggestion and justification as adjudged by moi will receive a brand spanking new copy of Guest Blogging Dream Team member Will Self’s novel ‘How The Dead Live’.
Author Mike APosted on July 29, 2004 October 7, 2015 Categories Archive, Guest Week 6/7/8, Guest WeeksLeave a comment on Guest Blogging Dream Team: Competition
Guest Blogging Dream Team: Member #6
(Posted by Ben)
(If you’re wondering what this is all about, click here.)
Suitably chastened by Alan, here’s the final installment of the series – the last member of my Guest Blogging Dream Team to be unveiled.
Some clues, then.
A familiar figure to some (ie long-time Troubled Diva readers), but unfamiliar to others…
She would offer a much-needed female perspective to a team comprised thus far solely of men…
She has a boundless lust for life…
She’s a bit of a hoot, blessed with a wicked sense of humour and a fondness for ribaldry and innuendo…
She’s much-travelled and has also got about a bit…
She has a wealth of life experience and countless tales from her colourful past with which she can charm anyone who’s within earshot…
Her father was a friend of that nice Mister Hitler…
She lived for twenty years on the edge of the jungle in Borneo…
She was once married to a judge who tragically died of Dutch Elm Disease…
She was arrested 157 times for protesting at Greenham Common…
She’s currently working as an agony aunt for the Liechtenstein Mail & Herald…
And, given that the team member unveiled yesterday was Chris Morris, I guess you could say I’ve gone from ‘Jam’ to jam…
Yes, of course, it’s Mike’s lovely Aunt Cyn – not so much Belle De Jour as Belle De Hier.
Unlike the rest of the team, she’s done it all before (on this very site), and done it to rousing and hilarious effect.
With her onboard and the Guest Blogging Dream Team completed, there’d be nothing more to do but just sit back and wait for the Guardian awards to roll in.
So, my complete Guest Blogging Dream Team: D H Lawrence, Alan Bennett, Morrissey, Will Self, Chris Morris and Aunt Cyn.
Author Mike APosted on July 29, 2004 October 7, 2015 Categories Archive, Guest Week 6/7/8, Guest WeeksLeave a comment on Guest Blogging Dream Team: Member #6
Ben, you are slipping up!!
Where is guest blogger #6???
I have been waiting all day for the great revelation!!!
Author Mike APosted on July 29, 2004 October 7, 2015 Categories Archive, Guest Week 6/7/8, Guest WeeksLeave a comment on Ben, you are slipping up!!
I’m not homophobic but…
(posted by Nixon)
One of the requirements of middle-class life is to give the impression of being politically correct. That’s not to say their politics have to be free from prejudice, rather they need to appear as such. To these ends, we prefix strange phrases to what we say when discussing politically contentious issues; phrases that are designed to shroud our prejudice and give the impression of impartiality. The classic example of this would be “I’m not racist/homophobic/sexist, but..”, or the wonderfully patronising, “I have a lot of gay/female/black/asian friends, but…”, or even better, “…I know a [insert minority group] who agree with me!”
These phrases are carefully-crafted rhetorical devices designed to lull us into believing “they’re not racist, they just don’t like immigrants who come here to steal our jobs and rape our young white girls.”
This attempt to give prejudice a publicly acceptable face can also be seen in the contentious issue of gay adoption.
There are two main arguments against it, the first being right-wing silliness about Adam and Eve, and God, and I’m going to waste my time discussing it. The one I want to post about is the argument against gay adoption supposedly borne out of concern for ‘The Children’. Perhaps you’ve heard it, perhaps you even believe it:
“Many of my friends are gay so what I’m saying isn’t prejudiced, but… Gays shouldn’t adopt because homophobia exists in society and the kids would be bullied a result.”
Firstly I’d challenge that the pathological response of other children would be to bully those children who had gay parents. A few studies have found no difference in the bullying of children with straight or gay parents. Moreover, children of gay parents do not perform any worse at school or score differently on psychosocial tests. The central tenet of the argument cannot be justified.
Whilst I’d concede bullying may occur and gay parents should be mindful of homophobia, it is not a justification in itself to prohibit gay adoption. To formulate an extreme case scenario using the same argument we could say interracial couples should not have children as their children would be bullied. Perhaps I shouldn’t leave my house because I might get a rock thrown at me?
This argument implicitly promotes homophobia by allowing it to go unchallenged, and allows for prejudice to be given an air of respectability. It is nothing more than the excrement of homophobia dusted with the icing sugar of political correctness- it’s still shit, it just looks palatable.
…and many of my straight friends agree with me.
Author Mike APosted on July 29, 2004 October 7, 2015 Categories Archive, Guest Week 6/7/8, Guest WeeksLeave a comment on I’m not homophobic but…
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Randomising the record collection round-up: the first 20, ranked.
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Album artist 99 - Black Sabbath
This page lists the album chart runs of Black Sabbath. The albums are listed with the most widely successful first.
Lead singer is Ozzy Osbourne.
# Artist Album Title Year Chart Entries
1 Black Sabbath Paranoid 1970 UK 1 - Sep 1970 (21 weeks), BEA 1 of 1970, US 4 X Platinum (certified by RIAA in Jan 1995), Dutch 70s 2 - Oct 1970 (19 weeks), Australia Goset 4 - Jan 1971 (26 weeks), Norway 5 - Oct 1970 (13 weeks), Australia (Kent) 11 of 1971 (peak 5), Billboard 12 - Feb 1971 (76 weeks), US CashBox 18 of 1971, Italy 23 of 1971, France (InfoDisc) 39 of 1970 (peak 9, 24 weeks), US BB 40 of 1971, Channel4 40, RS Reader's 59, NARM 62, Defin200 62 (1971), Radio Caroline 69 (1971), UK Radio2 84, Guiness 94, DMDB 99, Rolling Stone 130, Acclaimed 146 (1970), WTMD 177, WXPN 516 (1970), RYM 6 of 1970, Xgau rating C- (1970)
2 Black Sabbath Black Sabbath, Vol 4 1972 Australia Goset 1 - Dec 1972 (23 weeks), US Platinum (certified by RIAA in Oct 1986), Norway 7 - Oct 1972 (15 weeks), UK 8 - Sep 1972 (10 weeks), Billboard 13 - Oct 1972 (31 weeks), Australia (Kent) 18 of 1973 (peak 3), Italy 63 of 1973, US CashBox 70 of 1973, US BB 75 of 1972, Radio Caroline 151 (1972), WTMD 685, Acclaimed 767 (1972), RYM 32 of 1972
3 Black Sabbath 13 2013 Billboard 1 - Jun 2013 (15 weeks) (1 week at number 1) (3 weeks in top 10), US num 1 for 1 week - Jun 2013, Canada 1 for 1 week - 2013, ODK Germany 1 - Jun 2013 (29 weeks) (1 week at number 1) (8 weeks in top 10), New Zealand 1 for 1 - Jun 2013, Holland free40 65 of 2013, Chart2000.com album 58 of 2013
4 Black Sabbath Master Of Reality 1971 US 2 X Platinum (certified by RIAA in Jul 2001), UK 5 - Aug 1971 (13 weeks), Billboard 8 - Sep 1971 (43 weeks) (5 weeks in top 10), Australia Goset 8 - Oct 1971 (15 weeks), Norway 12 - Aug 1971 (8 weeks), Dutch 70s 12 - Sep 1971 (6 weeks), US BB 39 of 1971, Italy 44 of 1971, US CashBox 58 of 1971, Rolling Stone 298, Acclaimed 969 (1971), RYM 18 of 1971, Xgau rating C- (1971)
5 Black Sabbath Black Sabbath 1970 US Platinum (certified by RIAA in Oct 1986), Australia Goset 6 - Sep 1970 (21 weeks), UK 8 - Mar 1970 (42 weeks), Dutch 70s 13 - Jul 1970 (15 weeks), Billboard 23 - Aug 1970 (66 weeks), France (InfoDisc) 37 of 1970 (peak 10, 26 weeks), US CashBox 94 of 1971, Rolling Stone 241, WTMD 346, Acclaimed 440 (1970), RYM 11 of 1970, Xgau rating C- (1970)
6 Black Sabbath SAbbath Bloody SAbbath 1973 US Platinum (certified by RIAA in Oct 1986), UK 4 - Dec 1973 (11 weeks), Australia Goset 5 - Mar 1974 (25 weeks), Norway 6 - Dec 1973 (13 weeks), Billboard 11 - Jan 1974 (32 weeks), US CashBox 66 of 1974, US BB 70 of 1974, WTMD 511, Acclaimed 1401 (1973), UK Silver (certified by BPI in Feb 1975), RYM 21 of 1973
7 Black Sabbath Heaven & Hell 1980 US Platinum (certified by RIAA in May 1986), UK Gold (certified by BPI in Apr 1982), BEA 8 of 1980, UK 9 - Apr 1980 (22 weeks), Norway 22 - Jun 1980 (6 weeks), Sweden 25 - May 1980 (6 weeks), Billboard 28 - Jun 1980 (24 weeks), ODK Germany 37 - Jun 1980 (15 weeks), Acclaimed 2158 (1980), RYM 24 of 1980
8 Black Sabbath Sabotage 1975 US Gold (certified by RIAA in Jun 1997), Norway 6 - Aug 1975 (13 weeks), UK 7 - Sep 1975 (7 weeks), Austria 9 - Sep 1975 (2 months), Billboard 28 - Aug 1975 (14 weeks), Acclaimed 2263 (1975), UK Silver (certified by BPI in Dec 1975), RYM 41 of 1975
9 Black Sabbath Reunion 1998 US Platinum (certified by RIAA in Jan 1999), Billboard 11 - Nov 1998 (18 weeks), Sweden 11 - Oct 1998 (2 weeks), ODK Germany 40 - Nov 1998 (3 weeks), UK 41 - Oct 1998 (1 week), US BB 113 of 1998, RYM 103 of 1998
10 Black Sabbath We Sold Our Soul For Rock 'N' Roll 1976 US 2 X Platinum (certified by RIAA in Mar 2000), Sweden 21 - Jan 1976 (4 weeks), UK 35 - Feb 1976 (5 weeks), Billboard 48 - Feb 1976 (10 weeks), UK Silver (certified by BPI in Oct 1976), Xgau rating C (1976)
11 Black Sabbath Mob Rules 1981 US Gold (certified by RIAA in May 1986), UK 12 - Nov 1981 (13 weeks), Billboard 29 - Nov 1981 (18 weeks), Sweden 30 - Dec 1981 (2 weeks), UK Silver (certified by BPI in Feb 1982), RYM 49 of 1981
12 Black Sabbath Dehumanizer 1992 Austria 7 - Aug 1992 (3 months), Sweden 12 - Jul 1992 (10 weeks), Switzerland 13 - Jul 1992 (8 weeks), ODK Germany 14 - Jul 1992 (16 weeks), Germany 14 - Jul 1992 (3 weeks), UK 28 - Jul 1992 (2 weeks), Billboard 44 - Jul 1992 (8 weeks)
13 Black Sabbath Born Again 1983 UK 4 - Sep 1983 (7 weeks), Sweden 7 - Oct 1983 (8 weeks), Norway 14 - Oct 1983 (1 week), ODK Germany 37 - Oct 1983 (6 weeks), Billboard 39 - Oct 1983 (16 weeks), RYM 165 of 1983
14 Black Sabbath Headless Cross 1989 ODK Germany 18 - May 1989 (15 weeks), Sweden 22 - May 1989 (4 weeks), Switzerland 23 - May 1989 (2 weeks), UK 31 - Apr 1989 (2 weeks), Billboard 115 - May 1989 (8 weeks), RYM 131 of 1989
15 Black Sabbath Technical Ecstasy 1976 US Gold (certified by RIAA in Jun 1997), UK 13 - Nov 1976 (6 weeks), Sweden 33 - Nov 1976 (2 weeks), Billboard 51 - Oct 1976 (12 weeks)
16 Black Sabbath Never Say Die 1978 US Gold (certified by RIAA in Nov 1997), UK 12 - Oct 1978 (6 weeks), Sweden 37 - Oct 1978 (2 weeks), Billboard 69 - Oct 1978 (14 weeks)
17 Black Sabbath Live Evil 1983 UK 13 - Jan 1983 (11 weeks), Sweden 15 - Feb 1983 (10 weeks), Billboard 37 - Feb 1983 (12 weeks), ODK Germany 37 - Mar 1983 (4 weeks), RYM 123 of 1982
18 Black Sabbath Seventh Star 1986 Sweden 11 - Feb 1986 (8 weeks), Norway 17 - Mar 1986 (1 week), UK 27 - Mar 1986 (5 weeks), ODK Germany 51 - Mar 1986 (4 weeks), Billboard 78 - Feb 1986 (11 weeks)
19 Black Sabbath Cross Purposes 1994 Sweden 9 - Feb 1994 (4 weeks), Austria 28 - Mar 1994 (1 month), ODK Germany 32 - Feb 1994 (9 weeks), UK 41 - Feb 1994 (1 week), Billboard 122 - Feb 1994 (2 weeks)
20 Black Sabbath Tyr 1990 ODK Germany 12 - Sep 1990 (14 weeks), Germany 12 - Sep 1990 (4 weeks), UK 24 - Sep 1990 (3 weeks), Switzerland 24 - Sep 1990 (5 weeks), Sweden 24 - Sep 1990 (4 weeks), Austria 26 - Sep 1990 (1 month)
21 Black Sabbath The Best Of Black Sabbath 2000 UK Gold (certified by BPI in Jun 2003), Norway 6 - Jan 2003 (6 weeks), Sweden 12 - Jun 2000 (8 weeks), UK 24 - Jun 2000 (3 weeks)
22 Black Sabbath The Eternal Idol 1987 UK 66 - Nov 1987 (1 week), Billboard 168 - Dec 1987 (6 weeks), RYM 191 of 1987
23 Black Sabbath The Dio Years 2007 Sweden 32 - Apr 2007 (2 weeks), Norway 35 - Apr 2007 (1 week), Billboard 54 - Apr 2007 (9 weeks)
24 Black Sabbath Forbidden 1995 Sweden 19 - Jun 1995 (2 weeks), ODK Germany 35 - Jul 1995 (9 weeks), UK 71 - Jun 1995 (1 week)
25 Black Sabbath Black Sabbath Live At Last 1980 UK 5 - Jul 1980 (15 weeks), Sweden 26 - Sep 1980 (6 weeks)
26 Black Sabbath Past Lives 2002 Billboard 114 - Sep 2002 (1 week), RYM 31 of 2002
27 Black Sabbath Greatest Hits 1970-1978 2006 Billboard 96 - Apr 2006 (10 weeks)
28 Black Sabbath The Collection 1985 UK Gold (certified by BPI in Oct 1990)
29 Black Sabbath Greatest Hits 2009 UK 19 - Jun 2009 (3 weeks)
30 Black Sabbath Live.. Gathered In Their Masses 2013 ODK Germany 11 - Dec 2013 (8 weeks)
31 Black Sabbath You Are Beautiful 1976 UK Silver (certified by BPI in Jan 1976)
32 Black Sabbath The Ultimate Collection 2016 ODK Germany 40 - Nov 2016 (2 weeks)
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The Furious Blog
The most interesting recent blog entries
HomeMonster MotorsLatest Toyota C-HR could be aimed at people of a certain age
Latest Toyota C-HR could be aimed at people of a certain age
Getting old is not as enjoyable as it ought to be, states Iain Robertson, which makes actions like car-buying all the tougher, although Toyota may have found the answer in its latest avant-garde, front-driven SUV.
It all becomes abundantly clear when you peer inside the latest Toyota C-HR to discover a wealth of blue-rinse satisfying features, not least in the mauve sweep of padded faux hide topping the beautifully layered electric blue and grey, metal and moulded detailing. What granny would not feel the affinity between her own barnet and that placed immediately in her line of sight?
Access to the cabin offers the right hip-height consideration, to ensure that the Charnley replacement joints are not stretched to snapping point and, once ensconced, comfort levels are excellent, with a conveniently positioned central armrest, a grog-holder immediately ahead of it and a 6-speed stick shift within equally easy reach. With engine started, the power-assist of the steering demands little more than fingertip pressure to effect direction changes and all dials and screens work efficaciously if wearing either the horn-rimmed, or Dame Edna, spectacles.
If space were required for bottles and packets of prescription unguents, there are square rubber-lined receptacles, space in the door pockets and even the door pulls, as well as a deep drinks-holder cavity ahead of the gearlever, which is illuminated for nocturnal forays. Under the bonnet is a subtly quiet 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine that will neither upset the ‘anti-dieselists’, nor ruffle the permed ears of those preferring the reflective silence of a country churchyard.
Yet, as a body of oldies that neither wishes to highlight its age, nor shake off the treats of its youth, one that has become familiar with the appeal of the cramped and largely feckless Nissan Juke (more than 65% of its customer profile is aged over 60 years), the C-HR can transport both Mr and Mrs Molehusband (as that is the surname I apply to the archetypal blue-rinser), as well as at least two upstanding members of the local Derby and Jones Club to competitive whist drives, with prog-rock blasting away on the stereo.
Am I just being disrespectful, or glib, in my declaration? Well, as a gentleman in his early-60s, who still thinks, even though he cannot act, like a 25 year old, I do not believe so. Toyota may have created the C-HR model to offer immense appeal to the younger generation…but the youngsters cannot afford the £27,635 of the test car pictured (in Dynamic trim, with £1,595 Premium Pack attached), even though a PCP paves the way to greater affordability. Naturally, ‘market pricing’ is the primary enemy of sales progression but, despite funkiness in abundance, it remains a car with which a member of a more thoughtful older car-driving population will engage.
Reflecting on my personal motoring past, had Toyota introduced this model forty years ago, while I still might not have been able to afford it, I would have been the ‘cock o’ the street’ with an example parked outside my front door! To be frank, I feel no different about it today, as it meets my motoring requirements to perfection. It’s smooth. It’s frugal. It’s slick. What’s not to like?
To me, the ultimate irony is that the C-HR is actually little better than the aforementioned Juke. It is styled in an avant-garde manner, designed to upset the eye and even the stomach, factors that will make a second generation extremely difficult to develop. Yet, the Toyota has an important element on its side of the ensuing, comparative argument; it presents by far the better balanced outline and gives all the appearance of having been formulated by a committee (ALL cars are designed thus) that feels and thinks the same way, which is a genuine novelty.
Late last year, I stated my affection for the Toyota by declaring it my ‘Car of the Year’. The arrival of the non-hybrid version has not altered my stance one little bit. Yes. I have a leased Suzuki Baleno sharing driveway space with it at present but, had I seen the C-HR prior to committing to the excellent Baleno, it would have captivated me and would be my permanent ride for the next three-plus years instead, it is as elementary as that.
As far as its engine is concerned, I have now driven it in a couple of guises and I consider it to be a genuine revelation. It is not in the least bit revvy and its redline commences at 5,500rpm, which makes it appear almost diesel-like. That characterisation is reflected in the way it delivers both power and torque. Its modest 114bhp and 136lbs ft respectively are nicely matched, the torque curve running from 1,500-4,000rpm and highlighting that there is no need to take the unit much beyond 4,000rpm for the best acceleration. As a result, progress is quite stately, with 0-60mph taking around 10.6 seconds, before the C-HR tops out at 118mph, both respectable for a 1.2-litre, light-pressure turbocharged petrol engine.
If there is one minor disappointment, although it will not be so bad following the new car tax system being employed from 1st April this year, it lies in its 136g/km CO2 rating, which seems a little steep, if honest (perhaps this is what we all need to expect from carmakers determined not to enter the ‘dieselgate’ arena in future?). Its reported Official Combined fuel return is given as 47.1mpg, which I found credible, as I returned 48.9mpg on my 50-mile economy check route. Most drivers can expect 39-45mpg in normal use.
The six-speed manual transmission reminds me of an early Corolla, so speedy, light and slick it is in operation. All of the foot-pedals are matched beautifully, which means that smoothness becomes the order of the day. Why other carmakers cannot reproduce similar consistency on their manual transmission models confounds me. The parking brake is electronic and operated by a switch located just behind the gearstick. I still prefer a pull-up lever but, at least this C-HR has a soft-hold option, although you have to remember to depress the button for it to operate, as its default setting is always ‘off’.
Every other aspect of the user-friendly interior is a sensory delight. The mauve door cards, even though they are produced from a plastic moulding, feature a diamond pattern, with a satin finish. It may be moderately inexpensive to make them but they feel lovely. The tops of the doors and the grey moulded areas of the dashboard are all soft-surfaced and warm to the touch. Even the seats, with their perforated wear surfaces, are exceptionally comfortable, yet also very supportive of hips, thighs and lower spine (support for which can be augmented by using the electrically inflatable bellows). The C-HR is very quiet in operation, much of which is due to the car’s taut construction that is supported clearly by the clever use of sound-deadening materials. Opening and closing the doors, or hatchback, reinforces the feeling of tremendous solidity and integrity of the car’s construction.
Although the exterior is a potential mess of strakes and creases, intakes and cavities, by which it could be inferred that the C-HR is more rally car biased than SUV, as mentioned earlier, there is a balanced coherency to the styling that makes it seem right. When you investigate a little further, you will notice the little Gurney flap on the tailgate and both extra ‘blips’ on the tail-lights and even one on the trim located just ahead of the door mirror. These are designed to break-up the airflow so that excess dirt, or water, neither builds up on the rear panel, nor on the mirror surfaces. It is all very thoughtful and helps it to score a 0.32Cd factor, which is very slippery for the class.
The driving experience is wonderful. Bump absorption is good. Body roll is restricted by firm but not uncomfortable damping. Spirited cornering is immense fun, as feedback to the driver’s fingers is excellent. The turn-in to bends is crisp and dive under hard braking is minimal.
The Toyota C-HR is already a sterling proposition in my book. It manages to present a style that straddles most age barriers, with an appeal to both the young and the young at heart. Its packaging also makes it attractive to the company car user, aided by a decently proportioned boot. For something that is a little bit different to the norm, it meets the majority of demands head on and, for that, it must be lauded. Yet, if you want a hybrid alternative, it is also available.
C-HRMonster motorsToyota
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The Hannibal 8
Category Archives: Coleen Gray
Blu-Ray News #235: The Leech Woman (1960).
Directed by Ed Dein
Starring Coleen Gray, Grant Williams, Gloria Talbott, Phillip Terry
I’ve been digging Scream Factory’s Cadillac treatment of later-50s Universal horror pictures like The Mole People (1956) and The Deadly Mantis (1957) — and their Tarantula! (1955) is downright perfect. These are movies I love dearly, and revisiting them in this kind of shape has been wonderful. It’s odd, but while I’m looking a little frayed around the edges, these old movies from my childhood are looking better than ever. Which sort of leads us to their next release, The Leech Woman (1960).
It’s the usual bathe-in-blood-to-stay-youthful thing, trading the pineal gland for blood. It was directed by Ed Dein, who gave us a couple gems, Shack Out On 101 (1955) and Curse Of The Undead (1959). And it originally played in a twin bill with Hammer’s Brides Of Dracula (1960).
Of course, The Leech Woman is never gonna knock Bride Of Frankenstein (1935) or something out of the Universal Horror Hall Of Fame, but it’s a real hoot. It’s coming in August, and I highly recommend it.
Filed under 1960, Coleen Gray, DVD/Blu-ray News, Ed Dein, Shout/Scream Factory, Universal (-International)
DVD Review: The Vampire (1957).
Directed by Paul Landres
Screenplay by Pat Fielder
Director Of Photography: Jack MacKenzie
Film Editor: John Faure
Music: Gerald Fried
Cast: John Beal (Dr. Paul Beecher), Coleen Gray (Carol Butler), Kenneth Tobey (Sheriff Buck Donnelly), Lydia Reed (Betsy Beecher), Dabbs Greer (Dr. Will Beaumont), Herb Vigran (George Ryan), James H. Griffith (Henry Wilson)
Made in six days for just $150,000, The Vampire (1957) shows the kind of miracles director Paul Landres could perform with no time and no money. The fact that it made it to the screen to begin with is quite a feat — then consider that it’s a pretty solid little monster movie.
Dr. Paul Beecher (John Beal) is a small-town physician who becomes a bloodthirsty monster after he mistakenly takes an experimental drug extracted from the blood of vampire bats. That the vampire here is the product of science, not the undead, is an interesting twist — and so 1950s. What’s more, it serves up a pretty good, and certainly early, depiction of the perils of drug addiction.
Landres began as an editor, cutting series Westerns and serials at Universal, and made the move to director in the very early 50s — both in features and TV. He retired after a 1972 episode of Adam-12. The late 50s were a particularly interesting period for Landres. He directed a few Regalscope pictures (including the terrific Frontier Gun in 1958) and a handful of cheap horror/sci-fi movies that transcend their budgets — The Vampire being one of them.
Along with Landres’ direction, what helps elevate The Vampire are its thoughtful script by Pat Fielder — who wrote a number of good science fiction pictures, including this film’s co-feature, The Monster That Challenged The World (1957) — and the solid character actors who make up its cast. John Beal does a superb job of keeping Dr. Beecher sympathetic, even as he’s killing an old lady. Coleen Gray and Kenneth Tobey are always a treat. And Dabbs Greer and James H. Griffith steal the show was two guys from the university that sponsored the drug research. Then there’s Jack MacKenzie’s moody photography. He worked with Val Lewton at RKO on Isle Of The Dead (1945), so he’s no stranger to shadows and atmospherics, and he puts them to good use here.
With a cast and crew like this, how could The Vampire go wrong?
The scene where John Beal stuffs James Griffith into the incinerator is one of those monster movie moments that has stuck with me since I was a kid. Part of a genre, and an era, I adore, this one comes highly recommended.
The Vampire is available on DVD as part of one of the old MGM Midnite Movies collection, paired with The Return Of Dracula (1958), another little gem from Paul Landres. The version I watched this week was the Movies 4 You: Horror set from Timeless Media Group — which also includes a pretty good transfer of The Screaming Skull (1958). The widescreen transfer of The Vampire is excellent, allowing for some artifacts coming from cramming four features onto one disc, and a real bargain at five or six bucks.
Filed under 1957, Coleen Gray, Dabbs Greer, James H. Griffith, Kenneth Tobey, Paul Landres, Timeless Media Group
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The ITeam Named One of The Fastest-Growing Cloud Growth Partners in Canada
March 13, 2017 /0 Comments/in News /by James Wagner
Ingram Micro Inc., the world’s largest technology distributor, has nominated The ITeam for a 2017 Canadian Cloud Partner of the Year Award in the category of Fastest Growth Cloud Partner. Winners will be announced at this year’s Cloud Summit in Phoenix, Arizona on April 19.
“The ITeam is proud to be an Ingram Micro partner and pleased to be recognized for our growth in Canada,” said James Wagner, President of The ITeam Ltd.
As the shift to cloud computing has enabled businesses to be more nimble and capable of meeting customers’ needs, The ITeam has worked to provide the necessary support, security strategies, and partnership required to make the shifts easier. Leveraging Ingram Micro Canada’s cloud products has allowed The ITeam to deliver cost-effective, comprehensive, customized solutions to clients. These efforts have allowed the firm to be recognized for “thought-leadership, innovation, and commitment to embracing a new technology landscape.” The ITeam extends congratulations to the other nominees in the fastest-growth category, CTECH Consulting Group Inc. and Optimus Tech Solutions.
As technology continues to change, organizations must move quickly to remain competitive. Organizations like The ITeam recognize the necessity of providing cost-effective, secure, reliable access to the increased volume of mission-critical applications that rely on cloud services to thrive.
“The ITeam offers comprehensive managed services, virtual CIO services, and flat-rate offerings that are customized to meet our clients’ needs, regardless of their industry and customer base,” said Wagner. “Partnering with Ingram Micro is a smart choice for us to be able to better serve our clients.”
About The ITeam
A true Calgary-based IT company known for delivering quality IT results for over 20 years, The ITeam believes in more than building a business; we believe in building client relationships. The ITeam can provide your company with IT services, utilizing IT industry standards and developing a customized approach to solving your IT business integration hiccups. Our team of employees has an extensive background and a history of providing successful technology implementations; we are further committed to demonstrating superior service with our ongoing support. You will work with the highest qualified people to keep your company running smoothly.
About Ingram Micro Inc.
Ingram Micro Inc. is the world’s largest wholesale technology distributor and a global leader in IT supply-chain and mobile device lifecycle services. As a vital link in the technology value chain, Ingram Micro Inc. creates sales and profitability opportunities for vendors and resellers through unique marketing programs, outsourced logistics and mobile solutions, technical support, financial services, and product aggregation and distribution. Ingram Micro Inc. is the only global broad-based IT distributor, serving approximately 170 countries on six continents with the world’s most comprehensive portfolio of IT products and services. Visit IngramMicro.com.
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The Library Ladies
Two librarians, one blog, zero SHH-ing
Baby/Pregnancy Books: Part I
So, surprise! I had a baby last month! And in honor of my little one, and to acknowledge that alongside all the great fiction books I’ve read and reviewed over the last 10 months the fact that I’ve also been obsessively researching baby information, I’ve decided to dedicate my two posts for this week to four of my favorite pregnancy/baby-related reads. It really shouldn’t come as a surprise that, as a librarian, reading was/is my go-to coping method when the first-time mom anxiety hit(s) and there are a lot of resources out there. Some were ok, some seemed like a textbook for scare tactics (I’m looking at you “What to Expect” series), but these four were pretty solid for me specifically. Now, of course, pregnancy and parenting is all very indivualized to how people approach life and children, so massive warning that these fit what I was looking for and in no way reflect some type of be-all, end-all to the the vast, VAST expanse of resources and approaches on these topics. So, that out of the way, here are the first two I’m highlighting.
Book: “Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong – and What You Really Need to Know” by Emily Oster
Publishing Info: Penguin Press, August 2013
Where Did I Get this Book: own it!
Book Description: Pregnancy—unquestionably one of the most profound, meaningful experiences of adulthood—can reduce otherwise intelligent women to, well, babies. We’re told to avoid cold cuts, sushi, alcohol, and coffee, but aren’t told why these are forbidden. Rules for prenatal testing are hard and fast—and unexplained. Are these recommendations even correct? Are all of them right for every mom-to-be? In Expecting Better, award-winning economist Emily Oster proves that pregnancy rules are often misguided and sometimes flat-out wrong.
A mom-to-be herself, Oster debunks the myths of pregnancy using her particular mode of critical thinking: economics, the study of how we get what we want. Oster knows that the value of anything—a home, an amniocentesis—is in the eyes of the informed beholder, and like any complicated endeavor, pregnancy is not a one-size-fits-all affair. And yet medicine often treats it as such. Are doctors working from bad data? Are well-meaning friends and family perpetuating false myths and raising unfounded concerns? Oster’s answer is yes, and often.
Pregnant women face an endless stream of decisions, from the casual (Can I eat this?) to the frightening (Is it worth risking a miscarriage to test for genetic defects?). Expecting Better presents the hard facts and real-world advice you’ll never get at the doctor’s office or in the existing literature. Oster’s revelatory work identifies everything from the real effects of caffeine and tobacco to the surprising dangers of gardening.
Any expectant mother knows that the health of her baby is paramount, but she will be less anxious and better able to enjoy a healthy pregnancy if she is informed . . . and can have the occasional glass of wine.
Mini-Review: As a librarian, I feel like I have a lot in common with the author and her emphasis on research-based decision making. Working in an academic library, none the less, I spend a solid chunk of my time teaching students why it is important to find research to back up their own thoughts and opinions and how to distill that information into choices that are reflected in their work. This book has an incredible wealth of information from someone who has spent the time to really analyze what studies are really saying about pregnancy and decision-making, all presented through the lens that each expectant mother will need to ultimately make whatever decision feels right and most comfortable to her. For me personally, it really helped re-focus my attention on aspects of pregnant life that do require new approaches but also took a lot of fear out of the millions of warnings out there that make pregnant women feel like everything and anything is crazy dangerous for them and their growing baby. It’s all too easy to live the full 9 months feeling like every little thing could be the WORST THING EVER and you’re a BAD MOM if you do such and such thing. This book really helped me give myself a break from much of this. For others looking to know what the science is behind the general recommendations that “everyone knows to be true,” this is a great book to really dig deep. And yes, justify a glass of wine now and then!
Book: “A Good Birth: Finding the Positive and Profound in Your Childbirth Experience” by Anne Lyerly
Publishing Info: Avery, August 2013
Book Description: Most doctors are trained to think of a “good” birth only in terms of its medical success. But Dr. Anne Lyerly knows firsthand that there are many other important elements that often get overlooked. Her three-year study of a diverse group of over one hundred expectant moms asked what matters most to women during childbirth. The results, presented to the public for the first time in A Good Birth, show what really matters goes beyond the clinical outcome or even the usual questions of hospital versus birthing center, and reveal universal needs of women, like the importance of feeling connected, safe, and respected.
Bringing a new perspective to childbirth, the book’s wisdom is drawn from in-depth interviews with women with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, and whose birth stories range from quick and simple to complicated and frightening. Describing what went well, what didn’t, and what they’d do differently next time, these mothers give voice to the complete experience of childbirth, helping both women and their healthcare providers develop strategies to address the emotional needs of the mother, going beyond the standard birth plans and conversations. Transcending the “medical” versus “natural” childbirth debate, A Good Birth paves the entryway to motherhood, turning our attention to the deeper and more important question of what truly makes for the best birth possible.
Mini-Review: Yes, yes, again with the studies. But this was one big study conducted by a doctor on women’s experiences with labor, specifically. The author was recognizing that while medical professionals focused, rightly for the most part, only on the outcome of labor to establish whether a birth was “good,” many women, asked later would mention a variety of things that contributed to their feelings on their labor experience. The book is broken up into section that deal with these larger areas (like communication, safety, control, etc) and got into the different, smaller details that influenced how women felt about these larger topics and their birth. The really great thing about this book, I thought, was the way it always circled back to the idea that every woman is going to need different things to feel like she had a “good” birth, and that in a society that is largely fixated on the “right way” to have a baby, we are often losing focus on the fact that the whole idea of a “right way” is a fool’s errand to begin with. One that is often used to shame women about their choices, rather than support the variety of ways that work for the many, many different women (and births!) out there. After having my baby, this book seems even more valuable, as I can still find myself having the tendency to feel guilty about some of the aspects of my labor. But this read is a good reminder that there is no need for that.
Author thelibraryladiesmnPosted on April 24, 2019 April 23, 2019 Categories Serena's ReviewsTags Lists, Non-Fiction
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Motorcycle Racing News American Hopkins: MotoGP, WSBK & BSB
American Hopkins: MotoGP, WSBK & BSB
Suzuki Motorcycle Racing
John Hopkins’ main focus for the 2011 motorcycle racing season was British Superbike after the American landed a ride with the Samsung Crescent Suzuki team.
But Hopkins was then called on at Jerez to ride as a wildcard entry for the injured Alvaro Bautista on the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R. During that round (2), John "Hopper" Hopkins, who competed in MotoGP from 2003-2007, went on to finish 10th at Jerez.
But there was one more series he would also compete in as a wildcard – World Superbike. Last weekend Hopkins competed as a Wildcard in World Superbike, riding with his Samsung Crescent Suzuki rider Jon Kirkham aboard the GSX-R1000.
And now Hopkins was called on again for MotoGP, but this time he won’t be substituting for Bautista, he’ll be joining him as a teammate at Brno Aug. 14.
Now he joins a group of elite riders that competed in three championship in the same season, but what’s more amazing is he’ll do these series back-to-back, becoming the only rider to do so in the 800cc MotoGP era.
However, Suzuki says he is joined in the record-books by former Crescent Suzuki racer Yukio Kagayama from Japan as a rider that has also competed in BSB, WSB and MotoGP in one season and incredibly also in three-consecutive weekends: Kagayama was a member of the successful Crescent Suzuki BSB team in 2003 when he made an astonishing run of nine races in nine weekends, including racing in a fourth Championship event when he competed in the Suzuka eight-hour in Japan.
Kagayama’s amazing run started at Silverstone in a WSB event before taking in further BSB rounds, another round of WSB at Brands Hatch; and two MotoGP events for Suzuki at Assen in the Netherlands and Donington Park. Coincidentally, he was Hopkins’ teammate in both of those Grands Prix outings, Suzuki says.
Kagayama also completed the hat-trick of three Championships in one season previous to 2003 when he starred in the Japanese National Championship, WSB and then the Motegi round of the 500cc Grand Prix Championship alongside reigning Suzuki World Champion Kenny Roberts Jr. in 2001.
Suzuki says Hopkins’ return to the World Stage completes an incredible comeback by the 28-year-old from Ramona in California: Just 12-months ago, he was having corrective surgery to his wrist to save his career after several specialists had said he’d never race again. The operations and rehabilitation were successful and, alongside a personal drive to change his lifestyle and dedicate himself to rebuilding his career, Hopkins competed in the AMA Superbike Championship towards the end of 2010, even making an appearance on the podium.
He was offered the opportunity to re-establish himself in the UK with the Samsung Crescent Racing squad – a team owned by current Rizla Suzuki GP Team manager Paul Denning – and eagerly took the chance. He is currently in second place in the BSB standings and his dedication and loyalty to Suzuki through this season has now seen him rewarded with a MotoGP ride at Brno, Suzuki says.
John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000) says: "This has been an incredible run of races for me and it is a pretty-big deal to do three different Championships in three weekends! I know Yukio did it in 2003 and carried on with an amazing run of nine consecutive races.
"I just have no idea how he managed that! It was good to get back to World racing last weekend at Silverstone and we did ok there, but I think we deserved a little-better after qualifying on Pole. We’d know how to get a better race-distance result if we went back now. The weekend was a boost for all of us as it showed we are good enough to be there.
"This week at Brands will be busy as we have three races over two days, so there will be little time for rest and relaxation, but the BSB title is my main goal this weekend so I am totally focused on that. Then we go to Brno for the MotoGP race; it’s a really big pleasure to be given this opportunity by Suzuki and I am going there much better-prepared than when I rode as a replacement at the start of the season.
"It’s an amazing thing to be in this position when I consider where I was at with my physical condition just a year ago and I’m so grateful to everyone that has helped me to get back to a decent level. I just hope that from these three race weekends I can produce some quality as well as quantity to repay the faith shown in me. One thing I can guarantee is 100-percent commitment!"
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Ron Lieback
One of the few moto journalists based on the East Coast, Ron Lieback joined the motorcycle industry as a freelancer in 2007, and is currently Online Editor at Ultimate Motorcycling.
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So glad to hear of success stories. We need more people and initiatives like this one. The goat solution is wonderful as it addresses the needs of the people in a way that helps the chimps as well. Thank you for this article and kudos to Carolina Asiimwe.
The challenges the people of these areas and surrounding areas face are widely varied. What doesn’t change is the critical need for funding. While the following might be hard to swallow, especially for those countries that paved the way for their future based on profit derived from these exports, we need to restore the rights of the African people. Specifically oil, gas and mineral rights. These mineral rights “stolen or leased” from the inhabitants of this land Many countries have enjoyed rapid advancement and a better way of life but it was made much much easier for those individual countries with the riches looted from the African continent. It seems we are very capable of overlooking our own inhumanity as we better ourselves. Almost as if we wore blinders, but we haven’t that excuse. Many of us are so wrapped up in ourselves or other events that we fail to recognize our own xenophobic history, actions and reactions. We do little to demonstrate those traits we like to claim define us as “human”. So what might we do to change this? What might we do to precipitate change? We might start by giving these indigenous peoples or the peoples who have claim to this land through ancestry their mineral rights that were stolen long ago. Give the African continent and it’s rightful inhabitants control of the proceeds of their GDP. Put an end to leaching it through outdated European Oil & Gas Leases forced upon people without the means to refuse. Leases signed without proper council or representation in a time when people likely were incapable of understanding the gravity of their decisions. Not all of Africa has vast mineral deposits and things that may support them but the places that do should have what was and should rightfully be theirs.
Mining is the primary industry of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) also. In 2009, the DRC had over $24 million in mineral deposits including the largest coltan reserve and huge amounts of cobalt. The DRC also has large copper, diamond, gold, tantalum and tin reserves, and over a million tons of lithium as estimated by the American geological survey. In 2011, according to the latest data, there were over 25 international mining firms in the DRC.
We cannot solve all of the worlds problems but we can undo injustice. Stealing the natural resources of another country is wrong. The only real hope for these regions is in self-rule while exercising self control. They must be responsible for their future by their own actions. We are not better. Maybe wiser in certain respects but that is the road we’ve chosen. Give them choices, let them bare those responsibilities for these decisions. Sometimes all a person needs is a bit of responsibility to see the path to a brighter future. Many wrongs might be made better by simply restoring the ability of the African peoples to support themselves and some of their reconstruction ideas.
Liane Underwood
We applaud the work of fellow female veterinarian Caroline Asiimwe’s work and wish her and her team all the best luck and good fortune. She makes a true difference in our world!
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In Uganda, Threatened Chimps Find Protection in Former Poachers
Veterinarian Caroline Asiimwe and her team — some of them former poachers — are working to save chimps. It’s not easy.
Top: Caroline Asiimwe is a veterinarian with the Budongo Conservation Field Station in Uganda. She leads a group of former wildlife poachers who now act as conservation rangers in a park that faces numerous stressors.
By Michele Catanzaro
Visuals: Gianluca Battista
It is little secret that African wildlife is threatened. Human development, after all, is shrinking the native habitat of countless African species. Meanwhile, elephants are routinely and illegally slaughtered to feed the black-market trade in ivory, while rhinos are slaughtered for their horns, which are used in dubious Chinese medicines. Other animals — from birds, snakes, lizards, and other creatures — are often trapped for sale into the exotic pet trade, while still others, including monkeys, crocodiles, and tortoises, are hunted as bushmeat.
The chimpanzee, however, suffers from all these stressors. Shrinking habitat, the illegal pet trade, and the spears and traps of hunters — sometimes targeted, sometimes not — have reduced the African chimp population from approximately one million at the turn of the 20th century, to an estimated 172,000 to 300,000 today. The Jane Goodall Institute U.K. estimates that African ape populations overall “will decline by an additional 80 percent in the next 30 to 40 years.”
In the Budongo forest of western Uganda, veterinarian Caroline Asiimwe and her colleagues — some of them former poachers themselves — are trying to save chimpanzees, though the work isn’t easy. A war has broken out in and around this 168-square mile reserve between the estimated 800 chimps and the human populations that surround them. With their native resources shrinking, Asiimwe says, the chimps have begun scavenging for food in the cultivated fields surrounding Budongo, where human-animal conflict is inevitable. She notes that on the outskirts of another Ugandan forest, in the Muhorro-Kagadi district, chimps have killed eight children in the last five years.
Attacks go the other way too: Near Budongo, some residents have stoned chimps, attacked them with spears, and even put nails in their heads, Asiimwe says. Others have been killed for use in traditional medicine, while others are dying from illnesses — especially respiratory diseases — transmitted by humans. In other areas, chimps are hunted illegally for food, while many continue to be targeted for capture as exotic pets or for shipment to unregulated zoos around the world. But in Budongo, chimpanzees are typically collateral damage — wounded or killed in the many wire or jaw-like traps set for other animals.
These pressures are difficult to combat. Like everywhere else in Uganda, the population around Budongo is booming, with many people attracted by the discovery of oil and gas in the neighboring Murchison Falls National Park. Refugees from conflicts in northern Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are also adding to the growth.
But Asiimwe says she is optimistic, and she is trying to save chimpanzees and other wildlife in novel ways — including drafting former wildlife poachers into the effort. The Budongo Conservation Field Station, where Asiimwe works as a conservation coordinator, is providing poachers with alternative livelihoods, and in some cases, they have been hired as “eco-guards.” Their mission: policing the forest and removing the very sort of deadly traps that they themselves once put in place.
Hear more about the Budongo field station in this month’s Undark podcast.
About 800 chimpanzees, including this female and juvenile, call the Budongo Forest home. Chimps, which are considered endangered, face a number of risks — from habitat loss and disease, to poaching.
Asiimwe patrols the Budongo Forest with her team of reformed “eco-guards.” As former poachers, they know best how to look for illegal wildlife traps. “You use a criminal to get another criminal,” says Asiimwe.
THE HUNT FOR TRAPS
Asiimwe and her team of eco-guards cross the Budongo Forest by car. Aggressive patrols, which can require the group to spend nights in the deep forest, can uncover as many as 400 traps in a single week.
Eco-guards display a typical “man trap” or “bear trap” used by poachers. The metallic jaws snap on the limbs of animals that step on top of them. Chimpanzees can sometimes escape dragging the trap on their legs or arms, but they are not strong enough to open it.
Nylon cable traps are also used by poachers. Illegal hunters use these to target duikers or bush pigs, but chimpanzees often pass along the same tracks. If they get trapped, they can lose fingers or hands while trying to remove the wire.
Here, Asiimwe with her team rescue a juvenile trapped in a poacher’s wire. Another juvenile nearby is found with his face caught in a wire trap, but he cannot be helped because his family prevented the rescue team from approaching. (Visual courtesy Budongo Conservation Field Station)
The hand of a chimp snared in a trap. To save the animal, the team uses a dart to sedate it — and they must work quickly to remove the snare before the larger group of chimpanzees, seeing one of their members in distress, attacks. (Visual courtesy Budongo Conservation Field Station)
INCENTIVIZING CHANGE
“When I save an animal that is caught in a trap, I feel so happy and relieved to see that I am able to give this life another chance,” says Asiimwe. She was awarded a prize from the World Academy of Sciences in 2017 for her work.
The Budongo Conservation Field Station has found that giving two goats to a poacher often provides enough livelihood to prompt them to give up illegal hunting. Here, a former poacher, Diro Nelson, is seen with a goat provided by the Budongo team.
The Budongo Conservation Field Station team has been expanding the goat program to numerous residents of villages like village of Nyakafunjo, which skirts the forest. More than 150 people have received goats through the program.
“There are very few women who want to work in the jungle …” Asiimwe said. “As most of the men think you should not be managing them.” Here, Asiimwe relaxes at the field station with her daughter.
Asiimwe gives a talk to a group of volunteers at the field station. Operating since the early 1990s, the facility seeks to balance conservation goals and the needs of the local communities who see Budongo as an economic resource.
Although the number of illegal traps and of injured chimps had been declining, incidents have begun to rebound in the last few years, suggesting that Asiimwe’s work — and that of her colleagues — is far from over. “This is our closest cousin,” Asiimwe said. “We need to protect it.”
This project was supported in part by a grant from The European Journalism Center, and is part of the series “African Women Scientists on the Move.” Marco Boscolo contributed reporting for this story.
Traditional Medicine’s Impact on African Vultures
By Cathleen O'Grady
Podcast: Mosquito Music, Poaching, and Black Holes
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Posts tagged ‘Star Trek’
First Monday Mentoring July 2018 – What’s changed in romance writing?
In life nothing stands still, not even in a genre as well established as romance writing. The changes may happen slowly but they do happen.
Many years ago at an Aussie sci-fi convention I met Kouichi from Japan, the fan guest of honour. I gave him a small gift in welcome and he gave me one in return. I soon learned that gifts are taken seriously in Japan and we’d be giving them for the next three decades.
He became my pen frendo and we exchanged many sci-fi and Star Trek books in our own languages, until I had a collection of books I could admire without understanding a word. Authors are highly respected in Japan as I found when I sent Kouichi some signed copies of my Japanese translations and Manga, the graphic novels which have a huge following there. My status as a mangaka was a pleasant surprise.
One of my Japanese translations
After a time I felt free to ask Kouichi what Japanese women enjoyed in contemporary romance novels. The appeal turned out to be the same as for readers around the world. They were uplifting stories that ended happily, in contrast to much Japanese fiction which ends tragically, the reason Japanese readers call we romance writers “happy ending ladies.”
These elements haven’t changed, but other aspects have. Love scenes that once ended at the bedroom door have morphed into the sex scenes of Fifty Shades. Many readers still like sweet romances but options vary widely now.
Length is another big change. My first category romance novels ran to 60,000 words. Even my romantic suspense novels which once were 80,000 words or more now stop around 60,000. Novellas were mostly only found in anthologies. The advent of ebooks and limited reading time has brought shorter novels and novellas into their own.
Graphic novels have taken off in English, too. Recently US book chain Barnes & Noble announced plans to create a dedicated division of graphic novels for children and pre teens.
Content has changed, for the better IMO. Category romance once paired innocent younger women with worldly wise men, the latter often arrogant and forceful. The two worked love’s magic on each other but took time, with much of the power on the man’s side. From the start I’ve preferred more equal pairings with all lovemaking clearly consensual on both sides. I also routinely make secondary characters female, especially doctors, lawyers and the like, so the authority world wasn’t seen as exclusively male. The so-called doctor-nurse romances have become medical romances where either or both characters can be doctors and again, the match is more even-handed.
There’s less of the travelogue in modern romances. Pre Google, readers enjoyed vicarious visits to exotic locales and different cultures. Today most of us have either visited or can visualise a stately home in Britain, a castle in Spain or a Sheikh’s kingdom. The focus is more on the relationship with a few background details adding spice.
Structure has changed in other ways beyond length. With many books being read on phones or other devices, paragraphs and chapters are generally shorter to avoid confronting readers with a solid screen of text. Writers do well to dive into the story at a point of change for the characters, avoiding rambling descriptions or people chatting to their dog or cat.
I remember being told I shouldn’t start a book with a line of dialogue. Lucky for me, I’ve never believed in “rules” for writing – only what works for the writer. I still start with dialogue provided it works for the story.
Dual or multiple viewpoint has also become a thing. Once the whole book would be told from the heroine’s viewpoint, with the hero’s thoughts only shared through guesswork which was often wrong. This kept story tension high but frustrated me – and many readers. When I ventured into dual viewpoint storytelling, sales spoke for themselves.
Likewise, publishers avoided cross-genre stories such as fantasy and romance, sci-fi and suspense with a romantic edge. Today with so many indie writers publishing their own work, almost any mix is possible provided you do it well enough.
What hasn’t changed is the need for emotion-charged, unpredictable stories where both characters have to work for their happy-ever-after, or as it’s become, happy-for-now, with Mr or Mrs Right becoming Right-for-the-moment. We still want them to find their perfect match, as we hope to find our own, the popularity of shows like The Bachelor and Bachelorette proving the point.
Do you still enjoy happy-ever-after stories as a writer, reader or both? Share your thoughts in the comment box below. The blog is moderated to avoid spam but your post can appear right away if you click on “sign me up” at right. I don’t share your details with anyone.
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First Monday Mentoring August 2016 – What writing gifts will you share with your readers?
Welcome to First Monday Mentoring, when I answer your questions about the writing craft and look at the realities of being a writer.
This month’s blog was inspired by two things – meeting a new baby in my adopted family, and some exciting reprints of my books. How do they go together? Well, the books are my babies, the legacy I’ll leave to the future, not least through the ongoing collection of my literary papers by the State Library of New South Wales.
Meeting my gorgeous new rent-a-grandkid
Seeing my older books reprinted and in new languages – the latest being Chinese and Lithuanian – tell me my stories still resonate with readers decades on. What will your books leave? Will you have written them or kept them in your mind or computer, unshared, all that inspiration lost forever? Because make no mistake, when you write, you inspire others. You show them how the world might be instead of how it truly is.
Given how bad things are in parts of the world right now, any shred of inspiration is badly needed. Despite being so often belittled, romance novels play a key role. My first, Love’s Greatest Gamble (1982), dealt with the aftermath of a family member having PTSD. It wasn’t known by that name then and the effects even less understood. You came back from a war and got on with it, burying your struggles in alcohol or – in the case of my heroine’s late husband – gambling. She was left to deal with the fallout and the huge debts left to a powerful man.
My novels have also dealt with miscarriage, adoption, self-image, eating disorders, and a very current issue, domestic violence. The book, Man Shy, was challenging to write while keeping a balance between the issue and the love story. At one point, I almost gave up but my editor encouraged me to continue, and the book has been reprinted in any number of languages.
If you want to write about a serious problem, you must take it seriously. Before writing about the heroine’s miscarriage, I researched widely and interviewed friends who’d had the experience, in order to deal respectfully with what – to the mother – is the loss of their child. No trite dismissals or assurances it was “for the best” and “you can always have another.” One of my friends remembered her son’s would-have-been birthday for the rest of her life.
Another favourite is Man and Wife, where the heroine is a corporate maven ridiculed in the media for her clothing choices. No man goes through this. Furious, my heroine hired a man to be her “wife” and give her the same domestic back-up most businessmen enjoy. This connected with readers on so many levels, most telling me they needed a wife themselves. That he turned out to be her industrial rival made the story more fun, but the undercurrent of gender inequality in the corporate world lingers today. Man and Wife came out in 1984.
I’ve been published in book form for 40 years. One of my personal inspirations, Star Trek, debuted on American television 50 years ago this month. Why has that show endured when so many others have vanished without trace? Again, I believe it’s the inspiration the show provided. Star Trek’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, one of my writing mentors, dared to explore racial equality, gender roles, the morality of war, and many other issues – all in the guise of a science fiction show. The pre-CGI effects, cardboard sets and rubber-suited monsters were the best that 1960s television could do. But it was the careful thought behind the scripts (not all, but a significant number) that has kept the show relevant for half a century.
Every writer is asked where we get ideas. It occurs to me now that they may be asking about the substance behind the boy-meets-girl story. On August 9, I’ll explore this question via a Masterclass at the Canberra Writers’ Centre on how to blend our real-life experiences with fiction. Click here for details. Only on writing this blog, do I see I’ve been doing this my whole career. My own struggles with weight, constantly moving house and being the new kid on the block and the like, form a subtext to much of my fiction.
My beacons science-fiction series published earlier this year by Momentum (Pan Macmillan) are new-kid-on-the block stories, except in the guise of aliens with strange powers, living among us. I didn’t set out to write that issue and only see it now, with hindsight. As it should be. Using stories to bludgeon readers over the head with issues doesn’t work. Instead, you take real people as your characters, figure out what they’re struggling with in their lives, and write that story. How they overcome their struggles is your plot, the inspiration being a by-product of their journey. The readers will “get it” as mine have for the last 40 years. As Star Trek fans like me have been “getting it” for 50 years.
What of yourself do you or will you give to your readers? I believe it’s why we need to tell stories, and why readers soak them up. We all need inspiration. If it’s not out there, maybe it’s inside you, waiting to be shared.
What do you think? What books have inspired you? What do you want to share? Your thoughts are welcome in the comment box below. They’re monitored to avoid spam, but your comment can appear right away if you click on “sign me up” at right. I don’t share your details with anyone.
Happy writing and inspiring others,
Valerie’s Beacon sci-fi series out now!
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First Monday Mentoring, July 2016 – how NOT to be a writer in the 21st Century
Welcome to First Monday Mentoring, when I answer your questions about the writing craft and the fun stuff about being a writer.
This week’s blog was inspired by an email conversation with a columnist in a regional newspaper (themselves, sadly a dying breed). The column has no website, no email, no means of getting in touch other than by mail or phone.
When I finally tracked down an email contact to compliment the writer, he was predictably pleased that I’d reached out. But on the bottom of his response was the line, “I don’t read all my emails…pick up the phone.”
Well, no. Writers don’t get to tell our readers/customers how they can read our work. That’s up to them. I used to wonder how you could read my books on a phone. In a word, convenience. You nearly always have a phone with you.
My current Beacon sci-fi series is published by Momentum, the digital-first arm of Pan Macmillan with the last in the series, Homeworld, released last week. I had to edit the series entirely online, rather than marking up a printed copy, which used to involve a language of editorial squiggles we mostly don’t see any more. To me, the hash sign # still suggests “space out” and we’re not talking taking illicit substances, but spreading out a piece of copy.
No longer. I love hashtags because they connect people to your conversation. The Twitter hashtag #AmWriting is read by millions around the world who share an interest in the writing process.
I admit I sometimes struggle with technology. Sometimes it’s me; sometimes the technology. But I soldier on because it’s fun being part of this exciting world.
Celebrating a couple of decades working together, my agent gifted me an iPad Mini, a generous gift by any standards. I felt totally challenged by it but persevered and it’s now the best camera I’ve ever had. Not long ago, I had a live chat on it with writer friend, Jennie Adams. For her, it was early evening in Australia. For me, it was midnight in Las Vegas and we chatted as I waited for a flight #lovemyiPad
Other ways NOT to be a writer today:
Refuse to deal with ebooks.
Like most writers, I like print books, but my Kindle has over 500 books on it. Sometimes I’ll read the ebook version because I can have it NOW. Then I’ll order a print copy, especially nonfiction, to study at leisure.
Overlook technology in your stories
I see this a lot with entrants in the Valerie Parv Award run by Romance Writers of Australia. Too often characters are stuck in last century. There’s almost nowhere your characters aren’t linked by their devices. I’m judging this year’s finalists very soon with the hashtag #ValerieParvAward on Twitter and I’ll be looking for tech savvy characters.
Change the story to take account of real life. You can only have batteries go flat so many times. Likewise, in a story, you can only have doubt about a person’s parentage for two weeks or less, before DNA testing gives the answer. In Private Sydney, written with James Patterson, Kathryn Fox wrote about new technology that gets it down to one hour and while not as detailed as the longer tests, still reveals a lot. Using technology can broaden your story. Need characters to find answers to something? Let them share on social media or Google the details. Every writer I know blesses Google for making research a breeze.
If you aren’t already, get good at researching. Writing Homeworld, the final book in my Beacons sci-fi series, I needed to know if you could launch a space shuttle off the back of a Global Express private jet. My net search turned up the PR division of the plane’s makers who sent my query to the designers. They not only wrote back that it could be done but included diagrams, thrilling me with their generosity. Learn the tricks to search terms and dive in.
You notice the difference if you dip into the past for entertainment. I enjoy the1980s cop show, T J Hooker, starring William Shatner, my tweetheart. Thanks for that lovely word, Joanna Sandsmark. He’s seen here with fellow Star Trek alumni, Leonard Nimoy. Watching him in action is fun, but I can’t help wishing for a cellphone every time he has to find a phone to take care of police business.
Another fav. Is Murdoch Mysteries, a detective show set in the 1890s where everything is old school. Yannick Bisson as eye candy in the title role doesn’t hurt, either. Former VPA “minion” (what previous award winners call themselves) Erica Hayes writing as Viola Carr, writes a fun series about the daughter of Dr. Jeckyll who inherited his affliction. In these page-turners,Viola employs the tech of the day – plus some neat inventions of her own – beautifully. Don’t take my word for it. The Wall Street Journal reviewed the first in the series – you can’t do much better than that.
Currently I’m developing a book where one lead character steps back in time. The other remains in the present with all its technical goodies, while my character has to deal with the comparatively low tech of the time she finds herself in.
Love it or loathe it, this is our reality as writers today. Technology also changes how we write – but that’s a subject for another blog.
How do you deal with technology in your writing? What books do it best for you as a reader? Share your thoughts in the comments below. They’re monitored to avoid spam, but your comment can appear right away if you click on “sign me up” at right. I don’t share your details with anyone.
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When should you reboot your writing life? First Monday Mentoring February 2016
We hear a lot lately about reboots. The powerhouse Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, is considered a reboot because it takes the franchise in new directions with new characters. The recent Star Trek movies are most certainly reboots with much of the story canon amassed over fifty years being replaced with unrelated material credited to an “alternate timeline.” Yes, well…
The term, reboot comes from computer usage. When a device refuses to perform, the first defense is invariably to turn everything off, wait a short time, then turn things on again. Often, that’s enough to get the device working properly.
People can reboot themselves, too. I know of several who are in that process now.
One of the most prominent is actor Wil Wheaton (Star Trek the Next Generation, Big Bang Theory, Neverland, Stand by Me, and many others)
Late last year, he announced in his blog that he was rebooting his life. Unhappy with himself, he made a public commitment to change, doing less of habits that harmed him, and more of those that helped, such as reading more, writing more and exercising more.
In an update this week, he graded himself on progress, giving himself an A on some items and an F on only one – writing more, which had been pushed aside by acting commitments. You can read his story on his blog http://wilwheaton.net/2015/10/seven-things-i-did-to-reboot-my-life/
A writer friend I greatly admire, Diane Curran, announced yesterday on Facebook that she’s rebooting her life starting Monday, including returning to her beloved belly dancing classes.
“I’ve been a bit slack over the last couple of months. While I never returned to the Caramello and Iced Tea, I did take up Lindt extra dark chocolate and I still can’t moderate [my intake]. Adding back in dairy, grains and potato and reducing exercise and I’m feeling the difference in body and attitude.”
Throughout 2015, Diane transformed herself through diet and dance, until we barely recognized her, except for the sparkle that’s there through thick and thin (sorry, Diane, really bad pun). Starting today, she says it’s “back to Paleo, back to physical activity, back to writing a minimum of 500 words a day.”
https://www.facebook.com/chickollage?fref=ts
Reboots don’t need to be drastic. In the last month, I decided that my writing office wasn’t serving me. I was doing nearly all my writing at the dining table, the room more and more resembling the office I wasn’t using.
It wasn’t rocket science to work out that clutter deterred me from using my “real” office. The big desk I’d had for years was a clutter magnet, unlike the dining table which I had to clear regularly because, well, it beat eating off the floor.
I bought a new, smaller, table in gloss white with chrome legs – the nearest desk I could find to a dining table. Added a gorgeous white file unit with red drawers that could serve as a return as needed, and went to work. With less surface area, paper can’t pile up. I love my new desk and spend almost all my working time there.
Like Diane, I’m also tackling a body reboot, having lost mumble-something kilos in twelve months. While not exactly gym-ready, I move much more, and no longer cringe at photos of myself in the media.
Writing more isn’t an issue since this year I’ll have published 90 books. But I have changed direction. I’m now writing science fiction, a genre I’ve always loved. Naturally, there is romance in there – albeit with a light touch. But the rebooted me is boldly going where I haven’t gone until now, and having a ball.
Is there an area of your writing life you’d like to reboot?
Here are four ways you can tackle the job.
1. Start from your strengths
Rebooting yourself is a choice. It doesn’t mean everything you’ve written is wrong. Every word is part of your learning curve and will feed into the writing you do next. If exercise is needed, simply move more. Watch TV or make calls standing up. Weed the garden. Every little bit counts. Do workshops online or off. Find a critique partner in your new genre, and encourage each other.
2. See yourself succeeding
Spend a few minutes each day relaxing and picturing yourself succeeding. Visualise your book cover, or yourself in the spotlight, whatever fills you with energy and determination. Then look to your reboot list and start to make it happen one step at a time.
3. Be gentle with yourself
Wil Wheaton called his a “soft reboot”, focusing on the items he felt would make his life better. He didn’t throw out all his previous achievements, or come down on himself for the one area he felt needed more work. Like Diane, you may have Lindt extra dark chocolate moments. Recognise them and gently put them aside in favour of new behaviours that support your goals.
4. Feel the fear and do it anyway
This is a brilliant self-help book I suggest you read, although the title says it all. New always feels scary. If it doesn’t you’re not doing it right. Your reboot should take you out of your comfort zone into uncharted space. This week I’ve taken the biggest leap of my life into that space and you know what? It felt terrifying but exhilarating in equal measures. There are no guarantees of success, but if you don’t take the leap, you’re guaranteed to fail.
Begin your reboot today. As a writer, choose a new direction or genre you’d love to try, and read in that field. Study the available markets. Then plan how you’ll write in it. 500 words a day is good, but 100 will do if it’s all you can fit in. Even at 100 words a day, you’ll have a novella or half a novel done by the end of this year, and that’s with most weekends off.
Let’s compare notes back on this blog in six months time. Not to beat ourselves up over what we haven’t achieved, but to look honestly at where we are and what still needs work.
Do you plan a reboot in your life? Share your thoughts in the comment box below. It’s moderated to avoid spam, but you can skip this step by clicking on “sign me up” at right. I don’t share your details with anyone.
Happy writing and rebooting,
Check out Valerie’s online course, Free the Writer In You
At http://www.valerieparv.com/course.html
First Monday Mentoring for December – the gifts your writing gives to readers
Welcome to the first Monday in December when I talk about the nitty-gritty of being a writer. A week ago I was reminded of perhaps the best part of the writing life, one we seldom think about – the effect our writing has on other people.
I was reminded of this a week ago while I was in Los Angeles attending a live event hosted by Reading Rainbow, an organisation dedicated to instilling the love of reading and learning in children everywhere. A few months ago, LeVar Burton, original Reading Rainbow TV presenter and Star Trek The Next Generation’s Geordie LaForge, relaunched Reading Rainbow for the 21st century at https://www.readingrainbow.com/
At the event, LeVar and two Star Trek legends, William Shatner and Sir Patrick Stewart, read some childrens’ books to a delighted audience – we adults as enthralled as the children. Then LeVar talked about the power of “what if…” the cornerstone of many a writer’s new idea., and played the Reading Rainbow theme song reminding us that readers can “go anywhere” and “be anything” in their imagination.
After the readings, I got to sit down and chat with Bill Shatner, who readers of this blog know by now is one of my greatest inspirations, as well as LeVar and Sir Patrick. Exciting indeed and a story for another day.
L to R: William Shatner, Levar Burton and Sir Patrick Stewart read at the Reading Rainbow event I attended
Writers generally focus on the work of writing, the struggles, fears and disappointments when the story fails to live up to our hopes.
But what about when we succeed?
As Reading Rainbow reminded us, that’s when magic happens.
Whether you write in longhand, on a tablet, on a program such as Scrivener, or on cave walls, the process is the same. You start with a “what if…” and trust that your idea will capture your readers’ imagination the way it did yours.
In the struggle to birth a story, it’s easy to forget that you’re taking readers on a journey with you, giving them the gift of your creativity and insight. Whether your readers number in the dozens or millions matters not a bit. When you make a story, wrap it in your words, and present it to readers, you’ve shared a piece of your soul.
In troubled times, stories can give hope – not by saying that all men are brothers, but by showing the brother and sisterhood between our characters. Others campaign for an end to domestic violence; we show how that goal might come about. When the future seems bleak, we show a positive future, as Star Trek itself has done since its first airing nearly 50 years ago.
These are gifts writers have been giving to the world since the cave days. Whether you celebrate Channukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or any other festive season, you are giving the world your gift of possibilities through your stories.
How you publish is also less important than, what and why you write. It may be a beloved hobby or your life’s work, as writing has been mine for decades. What matters is the sharing of your ideas with your family and the wider world.
The ability to create stories is a rare blessing. I believe it’s the reason why we keep writing despite the pain of rejection and the frustration of chasing a near-impossible dream. As the song says, we are aiming for a star that seems unreachable much of the time. But when we do reach it, the sense of achievement is incomparable.
You’ve spoken your thoughts through your writing, and been heard and understood by at least one reader. There’s nothing quite like it.
This season, I wish that feeling for all writers. Write because you love it; because you must; and because it’s the most fun you can have and still call it work.
If it’s in you to write – write. Don’t let anyone or anything stop you. Your vocation is to be a bringer of light to the world. Do it with joy and pride, and the curiosity of a child. Write even when it hurts.
The more you write, the more you’ll discover you can write. Only by sharing your words are you truly honouring your gift.
Feel free to comment or share your experiences below. The blog is moderated to avoid spam. If you’d like your comments to appear right away, click on “sign me up” at right. I don’t share your details with anyone.
To all writers everywhere, thank you for giving me the gift of your stories and letting me share the fruits of your imagination. They make you more special than you will ever know.
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First Monday Mentoring for March 2015 – what passions drive your writing?
Welcome to First Monday Mentoring for March.
As most of the world knows by now, the American actor, Leonard Nimoy, died on Friday. By early Saturday morning Australian time, the hashtag #RIPLeonardNimoy was one of the top trending topics on Twitter and Facebook, and his likeness dominated the world media on and offline.
Even if you aren’t a Star Trek fan, you probably recognized him as Mr. Spock, the logical, pointed-eared Vulcan from Star Trek’s original series which premiered in the 1960s. After Trek, Nimoy starred in series including Mission Impossible and In Search of, and was also a notable stage performer, director, poet, photographer, philanthropist and family man.
Nimoy’s last live convention appearance. Photo by Maria Jose Tenuto, used with thanks.
I knew him only slightly from my long involvement with the show when I helped organize conventions for fans, fund-raising to bring people from the show to Australia. Some, I’m still friends with today.
Writing eventually took me away from active fandom but my passion for Star Trek remained part of my life in many ways.
When I set up Australia’s first conference on romance writing, I brought Susan Sackett out to talk about the US market. The author of many Hollywood-related books, she co-wrote episodes of Star Trek the Next Generation and worked with Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry, for many years.
A younger me with Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry
I considered Gene Roddenberry one of my writing mentors. The technique he used to create the character of Mr. Spock is one I still use and share with the writers I mentor. Gene said he drew a line down the centre of a page, writing his questions for Spock on the left-hand side and the character’s “answers” on the right.
He said the answers may seem forced at first, but if you persevere, the character starts speaking back to you, often surprising you with insights you didn’t know were lurking deep in your subconscious.
When I talked with him about writing for Star Trek, Gene recommended creating my own characters and their universe rather than limiting my options to Paramount Studio’s requirements. It was many years before I fully took this advice, creating my alien Beacons and a series of books starting with Birthright (Corvallis Press, USA).
Even then, Star Trek hovered around the Beacons, challenging me to create my own technology and “world” – not easy considering Trek has a fifty-year head start, showcasing technology which was unheard-of back then, but is commonplace today.
Technology was far from Star Trek’s only appeal for me. At heart I value the show’s inclusiveness and sense of wonder. The stories seek to understand and celebrate our differences, shown most clearly in the character of Mr. Spock. The message is – whoever you are is OK; women can be anything; alienness is to be understood not feared. I’m glad to say that we Trekkies appreciate this spirit even more 50 years on.
Previously I’ve blogged here about how William Shatner, Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, inspires my personal and professional life with his energy, enthusiasm and resilience into his eighties.
In my non-fiction book, The Idea Factory, (Allen & Unwin, Australia), I quote Leonard Nimoy on what he called the “goodies box” that actors – and I believe, writers – all have.
“You come into town with your box of goodies…that is you, and you start to use it and sell it and eventually the box of goodies gets used up, and then you must go back to something else to fill up the box with new goodies.”
Nimoy was describing the need for creative people to soak up input from as many sources as possible. Also called absorption trips, they can range from travelling, reading and watching movies, to meeting people outside your normal circle, whatever gives you fresh material to write about.
What is your passion? What fills your creative goodies box? Is it Star Trek or something completely different? Share your thoughts in the comment box below. They’re moderated to avoid spam, but if you want your comment to appear right away, click on “sign me up” at right. I don’t share your details with anyone else.
Vale Leonard Nimoy. And as Spock might say, live long and prosper in your creative work.
#RIPLeonardNimoy
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First Monday Mentoring for November – 3 spooky things characters do that smart writers allow
It’s First Monday again, when I open this blog to your thoughts and questions to do with any aspect of writing and publishing. With Halloween just over and even the Australian shops still full of treat-sized chocolate and witchy products, I’m looking at our characters, the weird things they do to us – and why it’s okay.
1. Characters spring surprises
Long ago, I learned that a good character takes on a life of their own. I’ll do all the preparatory work, know their hair and eye colour, and what they want from life. Then I’ll be writing a draft and that same character will quietly let drop that they have a sister, a pet dog or an unusual hobby I didn’t know about.
Experience has shown me that this is part of my mind telling me what the story will need later on. The sibling or the hobby will turn out to be a vital part of that character’s story. I leave it in place with a side notation to check it again at the editing stage, and keep writing. Almost always, that detail will be essential to the story development.
2. Characters talk to you
A fully realised character will have their own thoughts on their world. How do you find this out? By asking them.
I learned this method from Gene Roddenberry, creator of the Star Trek universe. He took a sheet of paper – it doesn’t work as well on a screen – and drew a vertical line down the middle, creating two blank columns. On the left-hand one he wrote a question he wanted to ask the character, then wrote the character’s answer in the right-hand column.
At first this will feel forced and you’ll be aware of playing both roles, but if you persist over however many pages it takes, a spooky thing happens. The character starts to answer in their own voice, giving you insights that you hadn’t considered. Or more accurately, weren’t aware of knowing.
This process isn’t metaphysical. It’s your own subconscious revealing itself through the character, but it feels as if you really are in touch with this person, and you’ll find out far more than their physical description. Sometimes “their” insights will astonish you.
Gene Roddenberry said he used this process to create the logical Vulcan, Mr. Spock, so it’s definitely worth a try.
One caveat – writing is hard work. It’s common for a minor character to insist that you write their story as well, and you may start to imagine a series featuring all these people. Whether or not this ever happens doesn’t matter. The competing ideas are your brain’s way of dodging the work ahead. Make notes on whatever comes up, then finish the current book.
3. Characters know what they want
Woe betide the author who doesn’t listen. You’ll end up with cardboard-cut-out people who do your bidding but have no life of their own.
In my Beacons science-fiction series, my three main characters are all aliens living on Earth. Elaine Lovell is a Watcher who can see whatever she chooses, wherever it may be. Her day job is media psychic. Garrett Luken is the beacon’s Listener, a former US Air Force pilot, now a best-selling sci-fi writer. Adam Desai is the team’s Messenger, a scientific genius who doesn’t know his alien history until he meets the other two.
My romantic side wanted them all partnered by series end. Elaine was the easiest, and found herself a Hawai’ian multimillionaire. Adam could only ever love the capable governor Shana Akers, who is more than his match mentally and physically.
My problem child was Garrett, gorgeous, talented and single. In three books and two novellas, I tried matching him with several other characters and he’d have none of them. Naturally, the only woman he fell for was the one I’d considered the least likely.
No spoilers, but when Garrett did let this person into his life, I wondered why I hadn’t thought of her. He knew who he wanted; I just had to take notes.
There it is, three spooky ways your characters will – like Pinocchio – become real, if you let them. Now it’s over to you to share your experiences.
Comments are moderated to avoid spam, but if you want your post to appear right away, click on “sign me up” to subscribe. I don’t share your details with anyone. How do you develop characters? Do they talk back to you? How does it affect your writing?
See the new cover of Valerie’s Beacons book, Birthright, at http://tinyurl.com/mxtmbx6
at http://valerieparv.com/course.html
minor characters taking over
First Monday Mentoring for July – 4 things to do after you write ‘the end’
It’s the first Monday in July, when I open this blog to your questions about writing. They can be on creative, craft or business matters. For starters, here’s a common question: what happens after you finish a book?
As I write this, I’m in the best possible place – at the end of a new book. Even more importantly, I’m at the end of a 300,000 word trilogy, my Beacons series for Corvallis Press, Oregon.
As of last night, all the tales have been told, the loose endings wrapped up, and the big finish I wanted for the series is definitely there.
Fittingly, it’s also just after the Fourth of July for my American friends. Although I’m in Australia, my book had fireworks and lots of celebration. As it should be. As suspense writer, Lawrence Block, put it in his excellent book, Writing the Novel from Plot to Print, no one brings your manuscript a squeaky toy, as they do when a baby is born. More often, you finish in a haze of exhaustion and surrounded by catch-up work screaming to be done.
Yet writing “the end” doesn’t mean the book is truly finished. There’s anything from a few months to a few years’ worth of work remaining. Sometimes a book is never done. Among the 83 books I’ve written, one still niggles because of a glitch in the opening chapter.
The title is among my most popular, although no reader has noticed the issue and I’ve had no emails, but the niggle bothers me to this day. I’m in good company. Hemingway was said to hang around the presses as a new book came off, wanting to make changes even at that stage.
So what are the four things you need to do after writing the end?
1. Step away from the manuscript.
Perfect though it looks now, there will be flaws. Sometimes continuity issues, questions, typos, facts to check, and the writing to polish. Now is not the time. Bathed in the beatific glow of having written, we’re too close to the work to be objective. Give yourself all the time you can to separate yourself from the material, then put on your editor hat and revisit the work. You’ll be astonished what sneaked through in the interim.
2. Catch up with everything you neglected
I once asked the amazing Nora Roberts what she does between books. She told me she ploughs through all the tasks that piled up while she was writing, catches up with friends and family, then she wanders around the house, wondering what people do with their time when they don’t write. And she starts writing again.
I won’t depress you with how fast she goes through this cycle, but it’s obvious from the quantity and quality of her output. Some writers need more time between books than others. Take what you need, and start writing again only when you’re ready.
3. Get a life
William Shatner made this phrase famous when he did a comedy skit on Saturday Night Live, reminding Star Trek fans that it was “only a television show” and they should get a life outside their favourite program. The same can be said of writing. Unless we have lives outside writing, sooner or later we end up writing about writers. You need balance in your life. I’ve seen the areas recommended as work, family, spiritual and personal wellbeing. Between books is a good time to assess where your life is and what needs more attention.
4. Start dreaming
Most writers have more ideas than we know what to do with. Between books is the perfect time to let your imagination run wild. What book calls you to write it next? What marvelous idea fills you with excitement? It isn’t enough to start writing because you feel you must, or you’ve goofed off long enough. Your idea should drag you to the computer, desperate to capture the lightning. Play with your ideas. Read, think, explore, scribble notes. Scribble more notes. When the scribbling won’t stop, you’re ready to start again.
What do you do between projects? How do you know when a new book is ready for attention? Comment using the box below. I moderate comments to avoid spam. If you want your comment to appear right away, sign up using the button at lower right. I don’t share your email addresses with anyone.
Meanwhile, I have a life to catch up on. Happy writing.
Read some reviews of Valerie’s first Beacons novel, Birthright, at http://www.valerieparv.com/birthright.html
Corvallis Pres
First Monday Mentoring for March – 5 ways William Shatner inspires my writing life
It’s First Monday time again, when I open this blog to your questions about writing. They can be on creative, craft or business matters. Today’s question has to do with who I regard as my mentors? There are quite a few, writers, philosophers, motivational psychologists. But today I want to talk about one role model in particular, and the reasons why he is such an inspiration, probably not the ones you expect.
It’s no surprise to anyone who knows me that I’ve been a Star Trek fan as long as the shows have been around. My collection of original series books numbers in the hundreds. Dozens more sit on my Kindle. Once upon a time, when I helped to organize Star Trek conventions in Australia, I had enough Star Trek memorabilia to stock a store. Some of my earliest fiction, now living among their collection of my literary papers at the State Library of NSW, was set in the Star Trek universe, and I number its creator, Gene Roddenberry, among my writing mentors.
But my greatest inspiration comes from actor and director, William Shatner. Not only because of his iconic portrayal of Captain James Kirk, but because Shatner himself is such a powerhouse of energy and enthusiasm that it’s dizzying trying to keep up with everything he’s doing.
From his memorable portrayals of Kirk to Boston Legal’s Denny Crane, his career spans Emmy-award winning roles, directing, writing many books, winning international horse riding events, charity fund-raising on a grand scale, even crowd-funding his own watch design late last year. Did I mention he’s doing all this and more at age eighty-two?
Still that same killer smile.
Here are 5 ways he inspires my writing life:
Everything William Shatner does is fueled by this powerhouse ingredient. It’s obvious that he lives every day with passion for whatever he undertakes. Whether it be breeding Dobermans, riding American Saddlebred horses, writing or directing movies, he puts his whole being into the task, and the passion shines through.
When he was in his early seventies, he starred in the Star Trek movie, Generations, working horrendously long days in arduous desert conditions, filming the death of his best-known character, a huge milestone for any actor. In an interview, he was asked how he kept going. He said he simply told himself he wasn’t tired. I took that to heart and whenever I feel pushed to the limit, I tell myself I’m not tired, and the energy flows back.
3. SENSE OF WONDER
Shatner is never afraid to try new things, to experiment, to grow. Far too many people stop growing and learning in their teens. He has explored every kind of acting, written a wide variety of books, spoken to huge convention audiences in countries around the world, been a spokesperson for NASA, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And still he’s developing new ideas and new projects.
As the saying goes, growing old is unavoidable, but growing up is optional.
4. LOVE OF LIFE
Shatner has had dark times, recorded in his various memoirs, beyond anything most of us have to deal with. But he has always picked himself up and gone back to living life to the full, setting a shining example for the rest of us.
5. RESILIENCE
For a writer, this ingredient is key. As with acting, writing involves putting yourself and your work out there, dealing with rejection and finding the will to keep on going. William Shatner has endured pretty well every tragedy that life can throw at a person, while still wringing the most out of every day.
These qualities are not exclusive to a Hollywood legend. They are available to each of us, every day of our lives. How many of these qualities do you make sure you have? If you’d like your comment to appear right away, please click on “sign me up” at right, to subscribe. I don’t share your email with anyone else.
Valerie Parv is one of Australia’s most successful writers with more than 29 million books sold in 26 languages. She is the only Australian author honored with a Pioneer of Romance Award from RT Book Reviews, New York. With a lifelong interest in space exploration, she counts meeting Neil Armstrong as a personal high point. She loves connecting with readers via her website valerieparv.com @ValerieParv on Twitter and on Facebook. She is represented by The Tate Gallery Pty Ltd tategal@bigpond.net.au
Captain James Kirk
Denny Crane
Star Trek Generations
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Boulder Monday Mixer
Road, Mountain Bike, Cyclocross
Rides suitable for cyclists who are new to the sport (or who have not been on a bike for some years), family-friendly rides or any riders that feel a need for some mentoring. Note: please note that minors under the age of 16 cannot participate in rides unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. Families with children should, in any event, confirm with the ride leader ahead of time that the ride will be suitable for their needs.
Targeted towards riders who have a few years in the saddle, who have developed some riding confidence and fitness and feel ready to move to the next level. Could attract more experienced riders who are looking for a relaxed or less aggressive ride.
Limited to experienced riders with superior bike handling skills and who are comfortable with a fast pace (probably including single and/or double pace-line riding) and/or hilly terrain, and the possibility of heavily trafficked roads. Advanced rides are less likely to be "no-drop" unless identified as such.
Flat to rolling, Hilly
Monday, 20 Jan, 2020Weekly on Monday
Start your week off on a mixed(surface) note by riding some pavement, gravel and a bit of double/singletrack! This short route packs lots of vert as well as a few somewhat technical segments that will keep you on your toes.
General weekly route is as below. We may occasionally drift from the norm, but expect every ride to be similar to as is below.
Rocky Mountain Cycling Club
The Rocky Mountain Cycling Club (RMCC), formed in the Fall of 1993 and currently with over 400 members, was created to cater to active, enthusiastic cyclists of intermediate and advanced ... morelevels and interests. This is accomplished in two ways: first, by scheduling and conducting an annual slate of rides which challenge riders to plan and develop their conditioning levels and cycling ability, and, second, by aggressively working to return benefits to members such as promotions and valuable discounts. We are focused on helping you develop as a rider and to gain as much enjoyment as possible from cycling. Finally, the RMCC is an official supporter of Bicycle Colorado, and works to safeguard the rights and safety of cyclists in Colorado. What sets our club apart is the full range of pedaling experiences we offer, whether you ride for fitness, for fun, or for endurance. These include flat rides, climbing rides, shorter rides, and longer rides We strive to offer the greatest variety and scope of riding experiences possible!
Our program calendar goes year round and offers rides every Saturday and Sunday, weeknight rides when we are on daylight savings time, and special events like Brevets and Challenge Series rides. In total, our schedule contains over 150 rides each year! Weekend rides begin with mileage options from 20 miles early in the year working up to 60 miles for recreational cyclists. For riders aiming at longer distances, routes begin at 35 miles and work up to centuries and above.
The RMCC also counts as members riders with ultra experience, including premier events like RAAM (Race Across America), PBP (Paris-Brest-Paris ), and the Furnace Creek 508, and is the official ultra-marathon, super-randonneur club of the region.
All the starting locations are strategically located along the Front Range from Loveland to Monument and from Aurora to Copper Mountain. This allows an optimal mix of climbing (Saturdays) and flat (Sundays) riding as well as a great variety of local scenery. Riding within traffic-congested areas is minimized.
The RMCC uses modern, high-quality, GIS-based maps and route narratives to take advantage of the decades of local cycling experience represented by club ride coordinators, and provide easy-to-read and meaningful ride instructions to all participants.
What Riding Interest Do You Have?
Recreational (R): For the intermediate cyclists, this series will add to your riding pleasure and help you get ready for summer tours/events such as Ride the Rockies or the Copper Triangle.
Endurance Riding (E): These training rides continually progress in distance and difficulty to prepare cyclists for longer rides such as the Triple Bypass and the Joe Lookingbill Denver-Aspen Classic.
Brevets: Sponsored by RMCC and sanctioned by Randonneurs USA (RUSA), brevets are challenging endurance events which can be ridden as events in their own right or to qualify for super-randonnée events and awards. See the Brevets page for further information.
Challenge Series Rides: These are timed events run by RMCC that are focused on climbing, ranging in distance from 80 to 200 miles. Read more about this series on our Challenge Series page.
Group Rides:
Boulder - Magnolia - Eldora - Brainard Loop
Boulder Monday Mixer Route
1001 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, Boulder County, Colorado, United States 80302
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Finally, a treatment for that buzzing in your ears
Imagine the incessant, grating sound of buzzing in your ears - or constant beeping, whistling, dripping, or clicking. Imagine the chatter of crickets or birds resonating in your head all day long.
Then realize that there are no actual birds or crickets. No dripping faucet. No clicking or whistling happening in the vicinity.
That is a small glimpse of life with tinnitus: The perception of sound, that doesn't exist, manufactured by the brain.
"I hear tree frogs and crickets and bugs, and really loud noise on top of that," said Ginny Morrell, 60, who has suffered with tinnitus for two years. "It started one day and never went away. It never wavers, 24 hours a day."
Morrell says she fills her life with sound - a radio during the day, a television droning in the background while she sleeps - as a way to drown out the din. It's a distraction that sometimes works.
"It's not going to kill me, it's not cancer," said Morrell. "But it might drive me crazy."
But according to a new study, the most effective treatment for Morrell's tinnitus may involve just the opposite of what she's currently doing: Rather than ignoring the sound, focus on it.
"In the study we thought, what if we try to intervene in this avoidance behavior and we expose patients to their tinnitus sounds," said Rilana Cima, the study's lead author and a clinical psychologist at Adelante Centre of Expertise in Rehabilitation and Audiology in the Netherlands. "If you expose people to something they're afraid of, they actually habituate to this stimulation."
Cima compares the approach, which has its roots in cognitive behavioral therapy, to helping people with a spider phobia to slowly stem that fear. Intermittent exposure to a spider - or in the case of tinnitus, that annoying buzzing - may temper the fear associated with it.
The study, conducted in the Netherlands, involved 492 patients. Half received an audiological work-up and no other structured treatment, while the other half received integrated care, including tinnitus-focused cognitive behavioral therapy.
The therapy included having patients perform mundane, everyday tasks, while being exposed to whatever sound is associated with their tinnitus.
"People usually avoid their own sound," said Cima. "So they practice paying attention to their sound and what reactions they're having because of that sound."
Among the group who got the therapy, about 70% reported improvements in their quality of life or decreased tinnitus a year after beginning treatment.
Importantly, for a malady that has its roots in the brain, many patients also reported improvements in tinnitus-related fear and anxiety.
"The sound didn't disappear but fear reactions did," said Cima.
What makes tinnitus so difficult to treat is that it is virtually impossible to pinpoint the origin of the sound (there is no established neural origin for the condition) and each sufferer's experience is unique. That makes it difficult to craft a treatment that works for everyone.
The study, published today in the Lancet, is one of the first rigorous trials suggesting relief for the approximately 50 million tinnitus sufferers in the U.S., according to the American Tinnitus Association.
Richard Salvi, a tinnitus expert with the Center for Hearing & Deafness at the University of Buffalo, said the study is important and should be encouraging for people like Morrell. But, he adds, most tinnitus sufferers are looking for a cure.
"Many tinnitus patients expect immediate and complete cessation of their tinnitus," said Salvi in an email to CNN. "None of the current treatments meet these patient expectations. Consequently, much more work needs to be done."
Morrell is heartened that a treatment may be out there but, from where she sits in small-town Brockton, Massachusetts, it seems elusive. She says few physicians in her area understand her condition, let alone how to treat it using cognitive behavioral therapy.
"I had one doctor say to me I should take Klonopin (an anti-seizure/anti-anxiety medication) for my tinnitus," said Morrell. "He said to take one the first day, two the second, and to keep stepping it up to 12 a day if I needed to. Can you believe that?"
What nags Morrell almost as much as her condition, is the fear associated with it - that it will get worse.
Mostly, she wants something simple that she used to take for granted: "My issue with it is not hearing silence," she said. "I will never hear silence again."
What Morrell craves is a reset button that will make the noise disappear.
Curing tinnitus may never be that simple.
Post by: Stephanie Smith -CNN Medical Producer
Filed under: Brain • Conditions • Medical Mysteries • Mental Health • Mental Health • Psychology
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Ciqada
Forgot to also mention that grinding of teeth during the night which results in jawbone misalignment or damage can also be a cause – this can be helped by wearing a protective cover over upper and lower teeth which dentists fit.
Name*donna
I have tried for a few months now to just put the hearing aids away. I’ve become severely depressed and suicidal. I can’t work and cant see how I’ll ever find a life partner as I don’t work and my life is a daily living hell.
April 22, 2019 at 12:22 | Report abuse | Reply
Jim mullen
Can some smart doctor find a cure for tinnitus ????
wilma.finsch@gmail.com
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I have SUFFERED tinnitus for more than 20 years and it just gets worse... I can hardly sleep..if I think that I have to live with this crazy nonstop invasive loud buzzing ..tree full of cecades and crickets in my brain for the rest of my life I think I will drown myself
earlene.fremont27@googlemail.com
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October 24, 2019 at 10:44 | Report abuse | Reply
I had terrible tinnitus that started a few years ago and nothing would cure it (obviously since there is no cure at this point). But I've tried countless remedies and the only things that have helped are cutting caffeine from my diet and incorporating supplements like Lipo-Flavonoid. Now I can actually sleep which is a miracle in itself and get through my daily habits which is amazing. We need more research on this awful disease that so many people go through yet not enough people talk about!
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Home Featured News SafeWise names Grand Rapids #3 Safest College Town in America
SafeWise names Grand Rapids #3 Safest College Town in America
Kayla Tucker - Editor-in-Chief
On a list of the 30 safest college towns in the U.S., Grand Rapids was named third safest by security company SafeWise.
The report said Grand Rapids is “one of the country’s best places to raise a family and a top spot for fun and recreation.”
Additionally, the report mentioned Grand Rapids Community College as one of the city’s promoters of safety.
“On campus at area colleges like Grand Rapids Community College, campus police provide a number of services including personal escorts, disabled vehicle assistance, and emergency call boxes,” the report said.
GRCC Police Chief Rebecca Whitman said GRCC invested in a police department so that the college could provide the highest level of security and safety possible.
“GRCC works very hard to make sure that our students and our visitors feel very comfortable on our campus,” Whitman said. “I believe that our campus is a very safe campus and certainly we’re happy that others were able to recognize that based on crime data.”
Whitman said the campus police work in conjunction and share information with campus safety departments across West Michigan.
The report, released on Sept. 7, used the most recent FBI crime data from 2014 to order these cities. All cities listed have a minimum population of 10,000 people. Grand Rapids was listed behind cities Winona, Minnesota and Charleston, Illinois.
SafeWise.com is an online source for “home security and safety advice.”
safewise
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← Thursday December 5th – Open Thread
Speaker Pelosi Instructs House Chairman to Assemble Articles of Impeachment… →
December 5th – 2019 Presidential Politics – Trump Administration Day #1050
Posted on December 5, 2019 by sundance
In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.
This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.
President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP
Stephanie Grisham Twitter @StephGrisham45
1,266 Responses to December 5th – 2019 Presidential Politics – Trump Administration Day #1050
burnett044 says:
The exposing of all the corruption in Ukraine has the Dems/left in a hissy fit to cover that mess up ..
because it leads to ,too many of them….
they must keep Russia as a boogy man….they know they must get the spot light off of that corruption…..
our government makes the old Mafia look like boy scouts….
never under estimate these scum for they will do any thing to cover their ass.
Dekester says:
True 044, however the enlightenment on our side, and the utter contempt for these bass turds is palpable.
The Dems have greatly overplayed their hand.
We all know who the greatest counterpuncher is…he has been stinging the Dems with crisp jabs.
A right cross is about to hit them “ on the button”
God bless PDJT
sunnyflower5 says:
"Impeachment is a very serious matter. If it happens, it has to be a bipartisan initiative."
🎁🎁 "I think it’s a gift to Republicans to talk about impeachment." 🎁🎁
– Nancy Pelosi, 2018 pic.twitter.com/bgtk3OupwZ
— Trump War Room (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TrumpWarRoom) December 5, 2019
treehouseron says:
Nervous Nancy before the moronic far far far left forced her hand to destroy her party. She’s going down with the ship.
Battleship Wisconsin says:
treehouseron says: “Nervous Nancy before the moronic far far far left forced her hand to destroy her party. She’s going down with the ship.”
No one can force Nancy Pelosi to do anything she doesn’t want to do. She and her team of lawfare hired guns are impeaching the president as a matter of cold political calculation. They are betting that if they can win in the court of public opinion and at the ballot box in November, 2020, then this huge political gamble is worth the huge political risks.
cboldt says:
It’s a long term strategy. “Case for Normailizing Impeachment”
https://portside.org/2017-12-01/case-normalizing-impeachment
This calls for use of impeachment whenever the voters “make a mistake” and hire somebody outside of the norm. By this standard, Obama, and any of the current DEM candidates deserve the impeachment treatment.
The DEMs abuse every tool in the toolbox. They abuse cloture in the Senate to create a minority veto system of decision. DEMs in bureaucracies abuse power – regardless of the party in power. And a view of the wacky judicial outcomes reveals …. liberals, living constitutionalists.
Whatever you say about Nancy Pelosi, one thing that cannot be said, and that is she is ineffective. With just the House, Pelosi has run the government, something Ryan and McConnell couldn’t do WITH the presidency! I despise Pelosi’s politics but if the GOP had had a Pelosi in the House in 2017 and 2018, good work could have been done. As it is they DID NOTHING that cannot be overturned by the next Democrat president. And my guess is Paul Ryan knew that when passed “tax reform”. (How many tax reforms have we had only to have Democrats hike the tax rates back up once they got in power). The fact is THERE IS NO REPUBLICAN PARTY — at least one that can get anything done. The “poster boy” for the GOP should be the late John McCain who ran on repealing and replacing ObamaCare in 2016 and in 2017 less than a year later cast the deciding vote to keep it. That is all you need to know about the GOP.
Zorro says:
Does she mean a “gift” to Uniparty Republicans?
Maybe you do.. I see it as flipping the House, growing the Senate, and President Trump winning in a landslide. KAG Trump 2020
FPCHmom says:
Pelosi was just outed for the tyrant she is. Underneath the well-coiffed grandmother persona is a bloody tyrant.
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) December 5, 2019
StanH says:
Our great President Trump has the rats scurrying. They are becoming sloppy in their haste. In truth this is good stuff. The veil is down.
KAG!
Alligator Gar says:
“I can see all obstacles in my way.” That next line is a whopper. KAG2020!
DaughterofLiberty says:
She’s almost a dead ringer of the actress who portrayed Cody Garett’s movie mother, “Ma”, in White Heat. Maybe one of you talented Treepers can post a clip from the movie where Ma’s evil wickedness is on full display, her eyes shining with evil, as if she is sexually aroused by it all.
mopar2016 says:
Told her not to quit her day job.
linda4298 says:
Some thought the late attempt to restart impeachment after the Russia collusion theory imploded was always about avoiding accountability for perpetrating the hoax. This is one way to keep IG report's actual information–as opposed to spin from implicated parties–out of news. https://t.co/zhl42hdImF
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) December 5, 2019
dawg says:
If Andy didnt see that coming, Andy is just naive and blind.
These people need to move out of Washington DC if they want to have any good idea of whats going on there.
It seems a lot of people are just mired too deep in the swamp to be able to have any sort of perspective of it.
Its like the fog of the swamp is preventing them from seeing the other side of it.
I can see DC clearly from a thousand miles away.
I read it as sarcasm.
zorrorides says:
the Dems are gone
I can see all the obstacles
knocked out of our way
Gone are the fake lies
that had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright bright
bright sunshiny day !
That’s more better.
Maybe he was being sarcastic, but I had just read that Andy recently made some comment indicating he believes the BS that Russia hacked the DNC and lamenting Trump for buying into the Ukraine hacked into the DNC narrative.
Now that the House weasels have decided to hold their next hearing (airing of political opinions) next Monday; the AG Barr and the Inspector General should go ahead and release their report tomorrow, Friday… or Saturday – Pearl Harbor Day?
bessie2003 says:
The speed with which they are carrying out the impeachment seems very similar to the speed with which they got Obamacare passed, in the middle of the night, right before Christmas. She’s using the same formula that has worked in the past.
My guess is the networks have already been prepped to focus only on impeachment and to ignore or at least downplay the IG report to the point that anyone who brings it up will be labeled conspiracy theorist.
Pure coup. No other way to describe it. And I don’t expect the Court to do anything about it. It will be up to the Executive Branch, the President, and those who voted for him and continue to support him to see this through. He needs to let us know how we can help stop this coup.
“Russia” ???
Doesn’t Nansense know that “the cold war is over”.
>Just ask your co-conspirator Obamboozler.
TPW says:
Part of Nancys charges were that people in Ukraine died while aid was withheld and that Putin was the benefactor……Is she talking to idiots?……Did Putin and the People of Ukraine benefit while Obama sent no lethal aid? After PT released the aid how does that benefit Putin? She is either having issues with Dementia or she is rotten and corrupt to the core and desperate I might add. What other course of action could she take to obscure the on coming mountain of evidence proving corruption….including her Family involvement. What will be interesting is who will be outed in the Senate on the Republican side …..watch for some to try and handcuff PT……figuratively. Watch especially Graham.
This is the same lady who wants to impeach the President.
Unhinged. pic.twitter.com/NxapVmTl25
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) December 5, 2019
🎁🎁 “I think it’s a gift to Republicans to talk about impeachment.” 🎁🎁
– Nancy Pelosi, 2018
Mad Mike says:
The reporter simply touched a nerve (and gets a high five from me). That run-on, self-defense to a simple question should tell you all you need to know.
Treepers already know the truth… hopefully it cracks some closed eyes out there.
This is all about Feelings, wo oh oh feelings.
I am of the mind that one shouldn’t bring their feelings to work. I wish the folks that are responsible for running the country could do that.
Your daughter begs to disagree, Mr. Pelosi. I remember when she proudly stated that you’re capable of “beheading people and they wouldn’t even know they are bleeding.”
There’s also your sarcastic clapping at the State of The Union 2019, where you displayed plenty of hateful behavior.
So, spare us the “prayerful not hatred” act.
But it’s beheading in a peaceful Catholic way,
LouisianaTeaRose says:
You mean, the “unclap”…….aaaahhhhh yes! The body language that analyzes itself!
Seneca the Elder says:
You’d think with all her money she’d get a better set of dentures or have her teeth done.
Her doctors are doing her no favors—at next lift, her eyebrows will be at her hairline.
dogsmaw says:
But…did you check out how tight that button is holding on 😛
You can not pray with a hardened heart to a GOD who does not hear you.or know you. I pray for her that she will see the truth in what she is doing. The example she is setting causes separation from GOD not just for herself but others that she is leading astray.
jrapdx says:
Oh I think Pelosi sees the truth of what she’s doing, and doesn’t give a whit how much it harms the country. As you say her heart, and mind, are hard closed to the consequences of her decisions.
Absolutely true that it means she’s turned away from God and God’s law, in her illusion she recreates herself in her own image. Therein is the onset of evil, without doubt Pelosi has taken that plunge. However as it’s said, the ways of the wicked comes to nothing.
In this instance I think that the idea of “nothing” has multiple implications. The Democrats’ impeachment drive has been pure evil from the start and it will end in nothing. House Democrats will take in the shorts in their reelection bids and President Trump will soar.
As for Pelosi herself, it’s not within the power of humans to determine the final consequences of transformation into evil, but of course people with faith and knowledge of the right path won’t follow in her footsteps.
“Heart full of love”: Speaker Pelosi, explain the homeless’ decadent conditions on San Francisco street which you represent!
Also- it is the House which has not taken up gun control legislation this year. Don’t wear the bracelet, walk the talk as you’re the Speaker.
– DACA kids were discussed early in President Trumps election and proposal given! YOU were the one who along w Senator Schumer closed down Congress in Dec 2018 rather than work with duly elected President Trump! You wasted an incredible opportunity so DON’T LECTURE the USA and President Trump.
-Lastly, I dIdn’t see any recent/immediate news article that you raised significant issues with China and India on pollution! Not a one! The USA is leagues ahead on curtailing pollution in the long list of polluters. Are you too chicken to have raised this issue with China and India and then record your doing so? BTW, stop taking expensive junkets on thenUS dime! Just how did you amass some $230 Million dollars on your Congressional salary anyway! Curious Americans who work just as hard want to know!
What a joke and nasty person you have become as Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi! By all means, when you have nothing left, pull out the Catholic card!
Good post, Skippy!
Lack is not all says:
Vade retro Satanas. Nancy scares me, rotten to the core .
Brian Baker says:
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”
That’s no lady.
That’s Nasty Pelosi.
Good grief! Struggling to make meaningful sentences. And what a shameless liar. Nancy – just how did you make your millions over the last several decades you just happened to be in congress, H’uuummm???? When El Presidente describes her as nuts, well, ‘hammer, meet nail;.
erm1964 says:
She sure as hell hates unborn kids! Some Catholic!
Let’s hope the IG report drops Friday.
Barr needs to get rid of Wray –
BREAKING: FBI Director Wray has not resolved 11 issues of concern arising from Comey's irregular investigation into Clinton's handling of classified emails in 2016. Wray has failed to implement any of the reforms recommended by the DOJ IG after reviewing FBI missteps & misconduct
If AG Barr doesn’t; PDJT should. It certainly is justified.
bertdilbert says:
Like maybe right before Monday’s impeachment hearings.
No….Saturday morning just to ruin his weekend. And, give the US Marshals time to SEAL HIS FBI OFFICE when he’s not there. Another group to retrieve all government files, computers, phones, etc. from his residence. HA HA HA. Screw him.
Friday IG report drop, fire Wray.
Sounds good to me. It would be best for Barr to do it.
I’ve never cornered a rat but I hear they can be quite formidable when cornered. Why would we or POTUS think the Swamp Rats would be any different? Wray needs to go and someone from OUTSIDE the FBI/Swamp needs to replace him. Someone not afraid to air the dirty laundry because none of his socks are in the hamper.
Is it getting Time to remove the house of Representatives, and call for each state to vote a new house in? Just a thought, I know it can't be done but this is getting old. @SpeakerPelosi
— Dennis Boltenhouse (@DennisBoltenho1) December 5, 2019
dd_sc says:
Get that chance every two years; and yet people keep sending the same representatives back to DC.
Sherri Young says:
Turnout for the midterm elections could be a whole lot better. Turnout is the name of the game.
islandpalmtrees says:
On December 9th, 2019 the FISA report is scheduled to be released. If the IG Horowitz and Barr do their jobs then their will be no impeachment since Pelosi and Schiff as members of the Gang-Of-Eight in 2016 did not turn over exculpatory evidence to FISA. Proving that Carter Page did nothing wrong. Because Pelosi and Schiff, will be indicted.
However, if the report to be released for Horowitz does not show this then it’s all a sham!
What event, except reading CTH, would cause Horowitz to look at the Gof8 for exculpatory info on Page?
Zorro, in order not to see the exculpatory evidence Horowitz would have to be willfully-blind. The following is only one of a great many reports of this on the internet. Add to this, that Attorney Durham has been investigating, FISA too. And, that Horowitz has reportedly six hundred investigators working for him and how many years on this one report. I could go on and on and on and on. But hopefully this will help you.
Sara A. Carter: “Gang of Eight” Documents “Changed Everybody’s Mind” on FISA Applications, Russia Probe
On Thursday, June 27, 2019
“EXCULPATORY EVIDENCE”
by Sharon Rondeau
(Jun. 27, 2019) — On Thursday night’s “Hannity,” investigative journalist Sara A. Carter told host Sean Hannity that classified documents provided to the so-called “Gang of Eight” in Congress “changed everybody’s mind” regarding the purpose and methods behind surveillance warrant applications submitted to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) by FBI and DOJ officials on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page between October 2016 and June 2017.
“So once they saw the information that was in there, the highly-classified information that dealt with the exculpatory evidence, that’s what was so essential in changing the minds of people like Paul Ryan and Trey Gowdy, who actually saw what was withheld form the court,” Sara Carter said.
Federal law requires that exculpatory evidence be submitted to the prosecutor in criminal proceedings against a defendant and to the FISC including when the government applies for a warrant to monitor the individual’s communications.
Ryan (R-WI) served as Speaker of the House in the 115th Congress and announced in early 2018 that he would not seek re-election. Gowdy, a four-term Republican from South Carolina, made a similarly-timed announcement and since leaving Congress, became a Fox News contributor.
In recent interviews, Gowdy has said that one classified document, in particular, convinced him that the basis for the Russia collusion investigation was questionable.
The “Gang of Eight” comprises the four highest-ranking Republican and Democrat party leaders from the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, who former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe said were informed about the Russia “collusion” probe in early 2017 and “No one objected.”
The counterintelligence probe into the campaign was reportedly opened on July 31, 2016, although members of Congress involved in their on investigations into its origins have reported that it began much earlier.
Thursday night’s discussion began with Fox News Legal Analyst Gregg Jarrett and Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton having claimed that the FBI has not been forthcoming about releasing requested documents through FOIA and having violated a 2009 executive order issued by Barack Hussein Obama regarding agency transparency.
“Transparency” was pledged by the Obama regime, although emails and text messages reviewed by John Solomon of The Hill in recent days show Obama officials deeply involved in an effort to discredit the incoming Trump administration and perpetrating surveillance on the Trump campaign.
Fitton stated that the FBI is continuing to stonewall text messages in response to a FOIA lawsuit, one of many the watchdog organization has filed to obtain documents on the Hillary Clinton email investigation and the Trump-Russia “collusion” investigation.
Jarrett and Hannity stressed that “exculpatory evidence” was withheld from the FISC which would have shown that Carter Page and another Trump campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, were “telling the truth” when they said there was no coordination between the campaign and the Kremlin.
Despite having been described as an “agent of a foreign power” in the initial FISA application, Page was never charged with a crime. However, Papadopoulos was accused of lying to the FBI and obstruction of justice for which he was threatened with 25 years in prison, he wrote in his book, “Deep State Target.” As a result, Papadopoulos wrote, he accepted a plea deal on one count of lying for which he served 12 days in federal prison, performed community service and paid a $9,500 fine.
In the book Papadopoulos claimed his attorneys were not presented with transcripts from his FBI interviews, rendering him unable to identify and correct any inconsistencies in his statements.
In May 2017, Special Counsel Robert Mueller was hired to conclude the probe begun by the FBI. After 22 months and $35 million spent, Mueller’s team of 19 prosecutors found no evidence of “collusion.”
“This is what the FBI does…secrecy breeds corruption, and it leads to immense power,” Jarrett said at 9:46 p.m., faulting FBI Director and Trump nominee Christopher Wray for failing to release the requested documentation. Fitton reminded the audience that the FBI claimed earlier this year, in response to the lawsuit, that text messages do not constitute “government records” under FOIA.
Last month, Trump authorized Attorney General William Barr to declassify an unknown quantity of documents associated with the Russia probe. Over the last two weeks, Papadopoulos and several congressmen have declared document releases to be impending, but to the public’s knowledge, nothing new has yet been released publicly.
http://www.thepostemail.com/2019/06/27/sara-a-carter-gang-of-eight-documents-changed-everybodys-mind-on-fisa-applications-russia-probe/
Awesome tweet. https://t.co/ysAWNUznXX
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) December 5, 2019
Every time he tweets something like this, Sundance’s intuitive post Acomes to mind, about how Trump is all about “owning the downside”.
Nancy saw how mean and nasty Kirlan was with her comment about Barron so today she says PT was mean to her kids her dreamers….then she tries to be Mother Teresa…
wraps her self in flags the whole bit…..this is the woman that has turned San Fran into a shit hole..
wants to kill babies takes God out of the DNC conventions…..
Hey Nancy those voices you hearing in ya head ain`t God……
Reserved55 says:
The Gospel of Nancy.
Study Finds Strong Connection Between Holiness And Number Of Chairs You Stack After Church Service https://t.co/31UFdIMV2g
— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) December 5, 2019
LOL….there be truth in that there satire…..
She better be careful-God will not be mocked. Invoking prayer and her Catholicism is not a good way to go, Nancy.
I always think it’s a hoot that Dante put the clergy, hypocrites and those who would use God to cover their evil deeds below the murderers in the Inferno.
CO Hokie says:
Check out the book “People of the Lie” by Scott Peck (I think). An old one but follows along those lines.
Bubby says:
Here’s my real concern. The House will pass the articles of impeachment with a trial in the Senate. During the trial Mitt Romney and several other NeverTrumpers/Rino Senators will be working the other Republican Senators to secure a vote for removal. The appeal will be it’s much better for the country that Pence become President then he can appoint Haley as his VP and Haley can run for President as soon as 2020 but no later than 2024. That gets rid of Trump all the investigations will slowly grind to a halt, the China tariffs will end pleasing China and our Congress members getting wealthy from China kickbacks, McConnell will no longer feel threatened, EU will be pleased they no longer have to contribute their 2% to NATO, NAFTA will remain in place, the border wall will end being built and amnesty for illegals will likely be the law of the land, if Ginsberg should die a moderate will replace her and not a true conservative Constitutionalist, the msm will be pleased and the Republican voting to convict will be praised as heroes defending the Constitution and the Republic right up until they run for reelection, etc! It’s a win/win! The downside is the economy will tank and that the Republican Party will become a permanent minority party headed by Mitt Romney but having only 10-15% or less of registered voters. But that is not a downside to the NeverTrumpers or Rinos. I don’t trust the Republican Senators period! If you don’t have a concern like this I envy you! I pray to God that He will intervene in the House vote and it fails! Godspeed President Trump!
Nigella says:
It must suck to live in your world… I don’t see that at all
No my world doesn’t “suck” sorry to disappoint you.
Nigella- given the insanity and devastation that we see every day that is inflicted on our Country by the Demon Rats and their colleagues in the RINO REP party, Bubby’s surmise is not that far out. In fact, I find it downright scary how close we might be to that scenario playing out.
The enemies of our President Trump have no boundaries when it comes to their evil doings. They are spawn of the Devil.
thegrandprognosticator says:
The Senate is evil. Even more evil than Nervous Nancy. 90% +/- 10% of the Senators are traitors to their constituencies and to the American people.
With that being said, Rule #1 of Life is that most people will do what is in their own best interest. For evil Senators, all of them will do what is in their own best interest.
Write to them, email them, and call them, and make it very clear that the entire Republican Party is dead is there is a vote to impeach the President. Every single Senator will be out of office by 2025.
The one thing that these vermin love more than even money or sex is power, and the self granted “nobility” of being able to call themselves Senator. Take that away from them and they have nothing left to sustain their dark hearts.
Prognosticator – I concur. While we don’t like or respect McConnell, he is quite powerful and more dedicated to the Institution than anything. Just as Pelosi controls her conference, so does he. His future is tied to maintaining the Senate and he, along with a couple dozen other Republican Senators, are up for re-election in 2020.
Frankly, as much as I hate all of this, I think it should go to the Senate so we can be done with it. Otherwise, this will continue in his second term, unless we take back the House. There’s no way inn 2020 that the Republicans in the Senate will vote to impeach — particularly on such flimsy charges. They will fail and won’t be able to do it again in the President’s second term.
The ideal situation would be for the Democrats to complete their destructive behavior in the House voting the impeach, send it to the Senate and the Senate Resolution blocking it is passed.
My biggest concern is the DOJ punting and not prosecuting hundreds, if not thousands, for their sedition and treason.
The Demon Slick says:
President Trump has made ZERO recess appointments. None. The only President ever to have zero after 3 years. McConnell is doing that. Republican Mitch McConnell. Fears of a Senate mutiny are not so far fetched.
Bigbadmike says:
Calm yourself. No way there are 20 Republican Romney’s in the Senate. No body listens to Willard.
Lindsay Graham is pushing back a bit today on twitter too.
Never seen such an effort by the media to push storylines diminishing the effect of 2016 misconduct by certain FBI/DOJ officials against the Trump campaign.
We will soon see if such reporting withstands scrutiny.
https://t.co/ltKJ10rIPA
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 5, 2019
COlibertybelle says:
Bless your little heart – you have a lot of faith in the spineless Republican senate. I, OTOH, do not.
Your little fantasy is disgusting.
No it’s not a fantasy and it’s not disgusting. It would only be disgusting if it happens. Guess I hit nerve here. I’m not in any way in favor of it just concerned, and when they vote not to convict I’ll be relieved. I don’t like that a partisan House votes for impeachment that’s disgusting to me. I guess I’m the only one who believes that there will be pressure on Senate Republicans to vote to convict like mentioned above. It’s good to know I’m so wrong. I feel better now already!
Bubby have you not been paying attention the last 4 years? Everything they try against Trump blows up in their face, and now you think the Republican Senators, likely the most spineless, useless weaklings in Washington are going to be the ones that do him in?
You know why nothing works against him? … becuause of US. We support him. The People. He has 95% support in the republican party. The Reps in congress cannot subvert that kind of support, so they’re not going to do a darn thing to hurt him.
The only chance they have is if people get weak. Don’t get weak on us.
WRB says:
just concerned
This is known as “concern trolling,” and it really does not belong here. If you are concerned, go talk to your congress critter with a few of your friends as backup.
jx says:
Pierre Delecto needs to be expelled.
Tl Howard says:
Last night’s Tucker Carlson attack on another well-known hedge funder should be worrying Mitt.
“Lastly, this Treehouse is a conversation. Just like sitting on a porch with friends.” My porch conversation with “friends” didn’t go so well so I’m going inside!
Go Outside. You being inside is driving you crazy and you’re worrying and fretting about what the news is telling you to worry and fret about. Go down to the coffeeshop or something and notice the “Now Hiring” sign.
Haha, treehouseron! That’s exactly what I need to do in another half year (due to medical conditions). Thanks for your advice and confirmation of my thoughts. Can’t wait.
“Now Hiring” I started noticing this in the last year in SC. Ive never seen so many “Now Hiring”, “Taking Applications” “Apply Inside” signs in my life! They are everywhere!
gmbliss says:
I appreciate your defense of your opinion/thoughts. It is comforting to know that we have the opportunity to discus and disagree without name calling, foul language or doxing (whatever that is). I am, as ever, thankful for this neighborhood.
lolli says:
Agree gmbliss.
All just opining.
EMitt says:
I don’t understand why people attacked your opinion. There are literally “trillions at stake”. People do crazy stuff for that kind of money. Hunter Biden is a moron and look how much money he raked in. How much do you think an actual Senator is worth on the black market? Your thinking might be a little worst case scenario but that is how approach life. What’s the worst thing, what’s the best thing? The truth usually lands somewhere in the middle.
I appreciated your comments. Those thoughts have crossed my mind. I let them keep on floating away, but they show up given how duplicitous we know these politicians to be. In their mind any constituent concerns can easily be handled by sending a nice form letter thanking them for contacting their Senator and by gosh by golly, they will look into it – and then go about their merry way, taking in the lobby bucks, fattening family purses.
My great expectation is that our President may just be the perfect person, perhaps the only one, that has been prepared for this time, and this battle.
and this Treehouse is a conversation. Just like sitting on a porch with friends. If you’re going inside get a fresh cuppa cofveve, relax, let’s see what the Commander in Chief has up his sleeve.
InAz says:
We need to put a ton of pressure on the Republicans in the Senate to dismiss impeachment.
We can’t be complacent……
LDave says:
My fear is, if the Dems think they’re doomed in the Enate, then why would they push forward?
They want to be able to label the Pres “impeached” but then have the Senate dismiss it to be able to campaign on “We gotta get out the vote to get rid of the Rs in the Senate!” Meanwhile, the impeachment distracts from the IG, Durham, etc….and keeps Trump and Rs on defense.
Kinda like “Have your cake, eat it too, and its a cake that someone else made (media) and you dont have to clean up the mess in the kitchen.”
Yeah, except impeaching PT is about guaranteed to backfire on Democrats. For one thing, Senate trial will not be kind to the House Democrats. Revelation of Schiff’s lies and conspiring with the whistleblower, as well as Democrats’ gross corruption will have huge negative effect on their election prospects.
It’s almost like impeachment is a trap the Democrats fell into. Can’t see how it will end well for them, quite the contrary, it’s brutally self-destructive in its nature.
There wont be a senate trial because Mitch will kick it out. The House Dems will have a full vote to impeach and it will pass. So they get to say “hes impeached” But the Senate wont take it up because the House effed up the process. So the Dems dont risk anything being exposed in the senate trial. Thats the theory im entertaining right now.
That’s certainly one possibility. The Senate could dismiss the charges forthwith, however the scuttlebutt has been there aren’t enough Republican votes to dismiss the case.
Besides the President has said he wants a trial. The opportunity to call witnesses like Schiff, Biden, and others is too good to miss.
I’ll admit there’s a cruel side of me that thinks it sure would be entertaining to see these bad guys sweat like they’ve never sweated before.
IMO, it is worth gaming out every possibility. Chronic Eeyorism is not helpful, but a willingness to consider the opposition’s possible moves is.
Bubby you might be on to something. It just might be a good time and idea to replace Pence. You know an insurance policy of sorts just in case you get wrongfully impeached 3 years into your 8 years of Presidency.
A whole lotta stuff has to happen before the full senate gets to vote…like the President’s lawyers and GOP House managers get to call actual witnesses. Frankly, I still don’t think Nancy has the votes to impeach .
I thought the same thing, that a whole lot has to happen before the full Senate gets to vote – on the Obamacare bill. I don’t trust the Senate at all, especially one led by McConnell.
Bubby,
Unfortunately, this is how I have been seeing it, too.
Wish I had the optimism of other posters. Not sure how it all ends, but I certainly have no faith in the uniparty senate.
I rarely post anymore, (still reading,) because I am so completely disgusted and there is nothing left to say. These traitors should already be in jail.
And if Chelsea Clinton had been treated to 1% of the nastiness the msm has done to Barron, they would have all been suicided by now. As quickly as Epstein and associates.
Haley is NOT a natural-born citizen given the dates we have been given for her parents immigration. Why must people always end up pushing for recent immigrants who might carry mixed loyalties. We have enough trouble with those who families have been here for generations..
Rashomon,
To continue to diminish what natural born citizen means.
Becoming less and less of a requirement, already.
Already had a president that was not nbc and here we are.
Donald Trump Jr needs to say he’s looking at running. Then the long knives will come out claiming he can’t run because his mother wasn’t a citizen.
Well DUH neither was Obama’s father of record.
And we know where O’Zero led the country. Great! Let’s do that again and see if it turns out differently. In fact, why even bother protecting our country from foreign influence when it seems totalitarianism is so popular now?
Natural born does not equate to ‘father of record’. WHAT RECORD?
Natural born pertains to BIOLOGICAL father AND mother. So, yes, a DJT,Jr. presidential bid would rightfully be contested as non-eligible.
If any person has proof of whom the biological parents of 44 were, I certainly have not been made aware of that. His eligibility was supposedly vetted in 2007, and at the time, it was said that releasing his birth certificate would be ‘embarrassing for his family’.
THEN, after this incompetent was elected, the White House released a supposed ‘authentic’ birth certificate that not only did not contain anything embarrassing (or contrary to Obama’s own account), ostensibly in order to collect on the $5 million reward a certain wealthy private citizen offered for the ‘truth’ . . .
SO…first big deal that was made almongst the UniParty that We, the People could go….what???? Remember all those lawsuits that were filed, but the judges came back declaring “no status”? Planned very, very, very long time ago…we are mere pawns.
I think this is what they hope to accomplish.
Don’t see it working out the way the plan. I’m looking forward to the next rally. Really wish I lived near rally’s are held. One of these days hope to attend.
Tess from Philly says:
I agree Romney will stick his thumb in the air, possibly hoping to start a third party. However, I really don’t see how Mittens can get 20 Republican senators to go along with him. Only the swampiest of swampy mainstream Republicans wouldn’t hold it against the defectors. Here in PA, swampy Toomey wouldn’t dare vote out Trump.
And Brian Fitzpatrick , in the house, voted no on the inquiry, he better vote no on any impechment
Toomey only won on the coattails of Trump.
I dont see that happening.
Maybe this, or something very close.The Dems think they can just null and void all of VSGPDJT’s new judges if they are successful at impeachment. McConnell really hasn’t done a thing for us that the uniparty believes can’t be undone in the future.I don’t trust any of our congresscritters. ALL of them really should have just flatly refused to participate in this sham. But I have faith in a Higher Power, and believe President Trump will prevail in the end.
The Do Nothing, Radical Left Democrats have just announced that they are going to seek to Impeach me over NOTHING. They already gave up on the ridiculous Mueller “stuff,” so now they hang their hats on two totally appropriate (perfect) phone calls with the Ukrainian President….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 5, 2019
….This will mean that the beyond important and seldom used act of Impeachment will be used routinely to attack future Presidents. That is not what our Founders had in mind. The good thing is that the Republicans have NEVER been more united. We will win!
listingstarboard says:
Does anyone know if the word”perfect” has some significance in reference to the phone call?
The use of “perfect” is a trigger. It causes criticism that would not otherwise arise.
I think it’s accurate, at least in the sense of “nothing wrong” with asking to check allegations that Ukraine nationals were involved in US election, and to see if Hunter Biden was bagman in a bribery scheme.
Despicable Me says:
Been wondering that myself
It causes Democrats to try to point out what isn’t perfect about it. Then everyone says – you have to be kidding me? That’s the crime to remove a president from office?
In her post fake-patriotic impeachment speech press conference just now she admitted that this is not about the Ukraine phone call after all. She said that the democrats’ Impeach-45 fever dreams have been ongoing “for two and a half years.”
Yes Nancy, we all know that the socialist mainstream media
has been pushing for impeachment since November of 2016.
Rush just played this soundbite a couple times and made that point.
MostlyRight says:
What we just saw from Pelosi is what it looks like when the power mad throughout history see their power slipping through their fingers like sand.
Absolutely. I’m surprised more people don’t see this for what it is. She literally just said don’t mess with me!!! It’s all slipping away and she’s grasping out, like a twig caught in a stream trying to find the bank.
Nervous and SloJoe should be holding hands on a porch swing.
Also…She is using polls to guide her when in the past she denied this. She has dementia!
— OK BOOMER⚙️[4K] (@BOOMER4K) December 5, 2019
Fake Polls, she ignores the real polls.
Reserved55, Pelosi is banking on voters’ dementia.
Republican Approval Rating = 95%. Thank you!
President Trump just told the spineless Republican congress, 95% of your people support me. Your move, cucks!
Nancy going on her “Impeach the Pres. tour” https://twitter.com/Shem_Infinite/status/1202584908637593600?s=20
goto 17:10 – “We are proceeding in a manner worthy of the Constitution. We feel comfortable with all of the time that has gone into this, two and a half years…”
So it’s NOT about the Trump/Zelenski phone call after all.
Before he was The President
The media started pushing impeachment within days of President Trump's election. pic.twitter.com/EmqGAQ8JX9
— NewsBusters (@newsbusters) September 30, 2019
Remember that Pelosi said it’s about “sequence”.
conservativeinny says:
Actually it started 19 minutes after he was sworn in
More like about 19 seconds after CNN had to announce that he had won the presidency. Still love to watch videos of those schlepps crying like babies on November 8th/9th 2016.
Oops… her badness.
Even though she tried to walk it back a bit, she clearly states that the effort has been going on for over two and a half years.
She’s really being modest, we know they’ve been working on it longer than that.
Surprise Surprise Surprise!!!
start 7:30
Q aha moment
A Nancy says ‘aha, it’s about Russia, Putin, and Ukraine was the vehicle’
O NO She Didnt!!!
It’s about hiding the crimes of Buraq and Hillary.
minnesotamike55 says:
Tried to watch the hearings yesterday but it was the worst yet. The democrats kept insisting that Trump did all this for personal gain. OK, what is the personal gain?
Is it constant investigations, 4 more years of name calling and baseless accusations, family attacks, lawsuits, or is it money? Trump is taking no salary and he doesn’t need more money. So really, what is this that the democrats keep insisting on?
Maybe democrats have some inside information about how “they” gain from elected office. Maybe they are the ones who gain from public office and think everyone does it. If the democrats whole point of running for public office is to “personally gain” then every single one should be impeached.
This question needs to be asked because Trump has nothing to gain personally from reelection, so his motivation must be something else. The democrats are so corrupt they can not fathom anyone wanting elected office to actually help America.
This is what hysterics looks like folks, it’s all good.
Remember when President Trump said: “Sit back and enjoy the ride.” He’s got this and if stick with him we will win and we will win big. We are the majority, we are the real power. This Impeachment is a final card and they have to play it. Also when Nancy became overtly sanctimonious you know she’s concerned.
Remember this chestnut about the passing of Barrycare and her concern for our Constitution.
FLASHBACK: When Asked Where in the Constitution Authorizes Congress to Order Americans To Buy Health Insurance, Pelosi Says: ‘Are You Serious?’
(Rom. 8:33). No one can take us to court before God and win a case against us, because God himself is the one who has declared us righteous. That is further evidence that since God is for us, nothing can be against us.
KAG! …stick together we crush them and they know it.
“Remember when President Trump said: “Sit back and enjoy the ride.” ”
No I dont remember that. Was that recently? Link? Seriously, I need to have that on quick dial so I can hear it when I get worked up. Maybe make that my “ringtone” or something.
Was that in a chopper presser or something? Rally?
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE HATERS AND THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA! 2019 WILL BE A FANTASTIC YEAR FOR THOSE NOT SUFFERING FROM TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME. JUST CALM DOWN AND ENJOY THE RIDE, GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR OUR COUNTRY!
8:08 AM – Jan 1, 2019
delighteddeplorable says:
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/423388-trump-on-2019-calm-down-and-enjoy-the-ride
He also said “I am draining the Swamp and the Swamp is fighting back. Don’t worry, we will win!”
That’s right he did. Stick with the big guy we win and win big.
Thank you. A good reminder.
Deplore Able says:
Nancy is just doing what Nancy and the MSM love to do.
I thought YouTube was working hard on deleting this accidental truth of Nancy’s.
I’m stunned it’s still there.
Hadn’t seen that clip and quite frankly, not sure how I missed it.
Someone must have slipped some truth serum into her daily meds that day.
She’s enjoying what looks like a friendly Q&A with some liberal media and just can’t help telling too much as she talks about tactics… she admits to being a lying phony, but concedes it’s worth it. See also – sociopath.
Can’t President Trump just use this clip in an ad? I would at the very least host it somewhere off YouTube and release the hounds on social media. They’ve been running the Wrap Up Smear from Day One.
This got really weird. I don't want to give it away but watch closely when they show @JamesRosenTV. Crazy! pic.twitter.com/MpPOT2Yy3v
God Bless James Rosen for asking that question.
We need more reporters like him who can think of good, triggering questions to ask these Dems that will elicit responses like these and make them show their true colors.
Clivus Multrum (@ClivusM) says:
Not only do they hate the president, but also – by extension – American success.
This won’t end well for them.
Zero Republicans even trying to respond to Nancy so far
I guess the House GOP is just going to monitor the situation and do nothing
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) December 5, 2019
Jack, you are distraught.
Just merely hoping for celestial justice is really unnecessay when your enemy is doing a magnificent job all by themselves without any assistance.
I think it’s a good thing. Let them and their actions have the spotlight.
Self awareness level: 0 https://t.co/fsJXOEPpJt
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 5, 2019
I wonder how badly her hands were shaking as she typed this…
The Clintons have been a political cancer that has stained our country.
Hopefully, they will finally be exposed. https://t.co/CH1pLBvkJF
— Jeff Carlson (@themarketswork) December 5, 2019
Justin Green says:
Are Clinton’s crimes even still in play? At all?
I thought all those investigations had been shuttered by Comey.
Judicial Watch is stacking up evidence. It appears the judge may even order Hillary to be deposed under oath.
Charles Ortel says there is still an open case.
After DT’s second term we need to elect DTJr. and continue KAG
Brutal from Brad Parscale https://twitter.com/parscale/status/1202399373273051156?s=20
What does it mean, “Soon you will be irrelevant again?” Whenever I read some nasty comment from (mentally ill?) George Conway, I say a quick Hail Mary for the entire Conway family. Those poor kids!
Amber Smith says:
I was surprised Parscale went after Kelly anne’s husband so hard. A divorce may be coming or they just don’t care to tip toe around Kelly anne’s feelings. The gloves are off!
Alpha male protecting the injured female.
All Hype says:
That IG report must be really bad cause for Nancy to allow this clown show to continue is suicidal. Just imagine Schiff, Joe and Hunter Biden and Pelosi herself under oath getting raked over the coals by Rudy Giuliani.
IGiveUp says:
What would compel Pelosi and other Dem Representatives to comply with a subpoena from the Senate?
I read that it’s a misdemeanor to refuse to testify but I think Holder just laughed off the whole thing when he was held in contempt. Nobody went after him. Why do you think they’ll go after other Dems this time around?
dustycowpoke says:
President Trump’s scorched earth.
SHV says:
Good question. From Senate Impeachment rules:
“VI. The Senate shall have power to compel the attendance of
witnesses, to enforce obedience to its orders, mandates, writs,
precepts, and judgments, to preserve order, and to punish in a
summary waycontempts of, and disobedience to, its authority,
orders, mandates, writs, precepts, or judgments, and to make all lawful
orders, rules, and regulations which it may deem essential or conducive
to the ends of justice. And the Sergeant at Arms, under the direction
of the Senate, may employ such aid and assistance as may be necessary
to enforce, execute, and carry into effect the lawful orders, mandates,
writs, and precepts of the Senate.”
Can the Senate make a rule to compel attendance? Are they going to send the Sergeant of Arms to Schiff, Biden’s, etc. house and drag them to the Senate chambers to testify? Can the Presiding Officer, John Roberts, ask a D.C. Circuit judge to issue an arrest warrant for Nancy Pelosi to appear in the Senate? Seems like the system is dependent on honorable people abiding by the “rules”; now the system will be dealing with insane Dem./Thugs…how is that going to work?
PDJT won’t extend executive privilege to Nanzi the way Barry did with his wingman.
magatrump says:
Nancy Piglosi needs to impeach the President because she knows that Trump is going to win in a landslide in 2020. She also knows that the dems will lose the House no matter if the President is impeached or not.
The only way she Piglosi will be able to continue to be minority leader in 2020 in the House is if she satifies her rapid leftiist base with impeachement of the President.
This is all about Nancy doing her best to try to keep herself in some sort of power position even if its only minority leader.
Piglosis knows the Dems are toast in 2020 with or without impeachment.
Thanks to the internet didn’t have to watch the Jerry “Springer” Nadler Impeachment Show on TV yesterday. Wonder what the overnight ratings were for that sham? Anyway, like most Americans, will also avoid next Monday’s episode.
~~~~~~~ TRUMP 2020 ~~~~~~~
“Trump threatens to have Schiff, Bidens and Pelosi testify” ~foxnews on msm page
“Threatens”? — he stated.
My mom (of all people) used to say “that’s not a Threat, that’s a Promise.”
You should contact the Ministry of Truth for an updated manual of acceptable language. You don’t want Homeland Security coming after you, comrade.
That was my thought. ha!
Ain’t headlines a trip?
>More twisting; like Obamboozler using “Just Words”.
pucecatt says:
Lol they are holding another hearing on Monday , they think we don’t see what they are doing , trying to distract from the IG report hahaha .. Dems gone ROGUE.. TRUMP 2020🇺🇸
Accurately sums up the Dems positioning. https://t.co/2ZJvVZ36JP
rustybritches says:
I just donated 100.00 to the Presidents Campaign and just feel as if I am a little sick but know that the President will some how pull out of this ok.. Nancy Polosi has shown again just how sick in her mind she really is, There is nothing that the President has done that is wrong, He is the most
transparent President that we have ever had, and everything that was being talked about yesterday could very well land Obama in deep trouble.. I pray that the good lord will some how interviene and help the President to show up these losers for what they are..
We the people can only help by donating to the President to help him fight this mess
I do have one thing more to say to the GOP of Calif..
You people should be ashamed of yourselves YOU have a good chance to recall
Newsom and You wont even help those people who are working to get that slug out of office
You would rather stand by and suck your thumb than to help financially with this situation
The funny thing about the GOP they have been raising alot of money and yet there are so many of the people who ran in 2018 that they also refused to help and this has gotten really old
Maybe its time for Calif and the national GOP to find new people who care about helping those running than to make sure they have millions in the bank… time for a good look at what it is really going on.. Where are they spending that money and on Whom…
Paging Ronna Romney, WTF is the RNC??
GOP should not waste money in California. Let California figure it out for itself. It is California democrats that give the current republicans such unity! It is because of California democrats that republicans are opening their wallets.
Mlw says:
Nancy must be a better Catholic than I…I consider myself a fairly devout Catholic and I hate her guts!!
Pelosi is a CINO.
That’s perfect.
Nick the Deplorable says:
“You’re selling access to the President just like he was”
“You’re a damn liar man, that’s not true”
Via MSNBC pic.twitter.com/72K5XQOjaK
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) December 5, 2019
Courageous patriot. Sleepy, stuttering Joe.
Sloppy Joe – never attack a voter in a forum like that. But then again, Sloppy Joe was never the sharpest knife in the drawer.
Biden is a walking disaster, oh how I hope he hangs in there long enough to be the dem candidate. Nothing like a crazy old white guy who literally has brain damage being your opponent.
Biden:
and to prove it, Let’s do push-ups! Let’s take an IQ test!
Biden is a walking a joke.
CNN Hits Three-Year Ratings Low Amid Impeachment Drama
https://dailycaller.com/2019/12/05/cnn-impeachment-ratings-trump/
lawrencepaul1 says:
And they were not high to start with.
Let’s hope they hit bottom and start digging.
Contact your cable provider and ask for OANN instead of CNN.
Bonus: overnight guests will be stuck watching OANN if they want news.
Longer version
Those are some strong words there Joe LOL https://t.co/1GdEIe2aPM
— Not Today (@andnotnoday) December 5, 2019
Wow. Worth watching and reading the comments.
trumpthepress says:
Biden calls him a liar to his face….many times.
Telling him he didn’t hear something which is based on facts on released public documents and has been out there for a long time now.
That’s a good way to lose any potential voter. Thanks Joe! Brilliant!
We appreciate the new voters to our side. The pro-American side.
Keep it up Joe! Keep talking!
And then, (after this clip was shown) Fox News throws in a little graphic about former Obama ‘officials’ who have decided to endorse ButteEdgeEdge.
Reggie Love was the first of the three mentioned! Dear God, this whole election season is going to be a doozie!
“Fat Shaming No Malarky Joe”…lol. This guy is a gem
Biden attacks a rally goer
WATCH: A tense exchange with a voter at @JoeBiden’s event in New Hampton, IA this morning, where a voter started out by telling Biden he had two problems with him: he was too old, and his son’s work in Ukraine pic.twitter.com/ok7m0ShFPd
— Molly Nagle (@MollyNagle3) December 5, 2019
Thankful an American had the courage to speak up to Candidate Biden on these known problems. What does Candidate Biden do, he goes for the gut like any bully does. This people is the Biden candidate: not reasoned, factual, calm but condescending, snarky and dismissive of the question.
onefunnydog says:
Oh crap that’s funny. Sleepy Joe with a push up challenge to the guy. He’s like Mr. Mendlebaum from Seinfeld.
I can’t stop laughing…Sleepy Joe Mendlebaum.
We need him to be the nominee. Between our awesome President’s sense of humor and Sleepy Joe’s unintended gaffs our lives will have a never ending laugh track to accompany our great years ahead.
pocaMAGAjunta says:
We’re all watching this charade and we say it’s insanity. And we say, Look at that! That’s not evidence!…the Dems got nothing! They are so out of touch with America! What fools they are!
And yet they continue the march toward impeachment. Because the Dems, putting on this poorly acted play consisting of lies and innuendo, don’t care about the rule of law or the proper processes.
They know they look like idiots, but they don’t care. They know their constituents may abandon them in the next election, but they do not care.
Our rational minds and convention wisdom will not stop them. The Dems are power starved zombies, relentless in their unhinged resolve to remove our president before the election.
While we’re on the topic of Biden –
Specifics in Hunter Biden case set by judge https://t.co/FAIEzSknSL
— G Easton (@g_easton819) December 5, 2019
Wonder if he’ll disclose how much he spends on coke –
Biden will also be required, by 4:30 p.m. Dec. 12, to file an affidavit of financial means, the standard, seven-page document filled out by all parties in child support cases.
Among other things, Biden will have to reveal his income, employers, net pay, “regular gifts from relatives or friends,” as well as payments received from trust funds.
He’ll also have to detail his debts as well as his monthly expenses, including amounts spent on rent, car payments, cigarettes, alcohol, lawn care and dry cleaning.
Magabear says:
“Strippers, drug dealers, etc……..”. 😁
Easy now..
I feel like I am not expert on anything and part of the deplorable. So here is my dumbest question on earth to fellow Treepers:
Can WH counsel or GOP congressional leader sue DEMS for unfair process and “get an injunction” against this impeachment process? Then let supreme court decide if the process was fair or not.
Why I am saying this:
I know impeachment will not stop trump and he will be re-elected. But I have a lot of pain the see the greatest president getting impeached for working on behalf of the american people. I am sure a lot fo you share this sentiment. SD please guide us for call for action or deliver this or similar request to GOP leaders. let not dems do impeachment without a court battle.
In October, Biden also lost it on a reporter who asked about Hunter Biden and Burisma https://t.co/9n8prrPqli
A few minutes ago I called Speaker Pelosi’s office. An aide answered but as soon as I said how discouraged I am with the impeachment debacle and we aren’t addressing important issues for our country such as USMCA, she put me on voicemail! I did leave a message.
MUST SEE VIDS: Lutsenko former Ukrainian prosecutor. Short thread.
pic.twitter.com/JwxTpBYGuA
— Shannon (@Avery1776) December 5, 2019
As an American, I think that Pelosi's plan to proceed with an impeachment vote is terrible. But as a Republican, I think it's great. Let the Democrats continue digging a hole for themselves as we approach the 2020 election. pic.twitter.com/1NmalvGAct
— John Ratcliffe (@RepRatcliffe) December 5, 2019
The left’s back up plan. Seriously. Their brains are rotted by TDS.
Impt note on future: If the Senate doesn’t vote to convict Trump, or tries to monkey w his trial, he could of course be retried in the new Senate should he win re-election. Double jeopardy protections do not apply. And Senators voting on impeachment in the next months know this.
— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) December 5, 2019
AustinPrisoner says:
Doesn’t the President have a rally somewhere on Tuesday? I hope they play the Rocky theme or some other kind of kick-ass music.
Just taking a moment away from praying with Pelosi, so I’ll be quick here (LOL!), but Rush makes a good point that the demonrats must be worried about the Horowitz report, or else they wouldn’t want to step on it by having more faux impeachment hearings on the same day. Hopefully, that’s the case.
Gonna have to pray all day..so try to keep up.
mtg50 says:
If the Democrats impeach him, I believe President Trump will wear it as a badge of honor. The Senate will certainly not convict President Trump, but unfortunately I think McConnell will keep a lid on the witness list and President Trump’s defense team will not have much leeway.The Senate trial will be quick. Pelosi’s own words today show that there has been an ongoing effort from the beginning to impeach the President. They thought they would have at least some bogus collusion or obstruction charge, but all they have is nothing. They see that, everyone sees that. Yet they are going through with it. That speaks volumes about their fear and hate. President Trump will not let the voters forget throughout the 2020 campaign. what the Democrats did The day is coming when the real criminal actors will be exposed, partly by Horowitz and more so by Durham and Barr. All this leads to a landslide burying the democrat party in 2020.
freespeechfanatic says:
If they don’t get the Senate vote they want, they’ll redo the whole thing in 2020 with a new Senate. They won’t stop.
upper379 says:
Wrong again freefan, In 2020 we will win the presidency by a huge margin, regain the house and increase our senate lead where the 3 or 4 unreliables will be moot. Count on it. Bet on it.
Roger Duroid says:
Who said PDJT has to put up with any turtle bs? The constitution is NOT suspended during this. ALL dem senators will he recused for bias from the start. PDJT had the right to call as many witnesses as he wants. If his rights are denied, then, stand by for the big show. PDJT will NOT let this go.
Cheers a Roger,
Worry is an unhealthy emotion.
Does PDJT look worried..of course not.
He pretty much invented modern reality tv.
PDJT will “ own the downside” and like his financial and business picks for his cabinet, will likely call powerful witnesses few have even heard of..like maybe Admiral Rogers?
How can they be forced to recuse when they are representing voters in their states?
lookingforinfo says:
Have you seen the disastrous news from Ukraine?
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/12/here-we-go-ukraine-fires-prosecutor-investigating-burisma-transfers-cases-over-to-soros-run-nabu-group-linked-to-whistleblower-ciaramella/
Is this the collapse of the Burisma/Biden case that the Dems need?
Except that Rudy already has all of the documentation.
Ukraine is a cesspool of gurgling bubbling miasma. The American voting public is totally fed up with all this tripe. Nothing coming out of Ukraine can ever be taken seriously by any American with an 80 or above IQ. [The Dems fall way bellow that number]. Ukraine is a dog that don’t bite any more. Unless the Dems are foolish enough to put their foot in its mouth.
Watch Joe Biden’s tense exchange with a voter in Iowa who accuses him of selling access to the White House with his son in Ukraine and being too old for the presidency
pic.twitter.com/dn49FyVW0j
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) December 5, 2019
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Appraisal: 1869 Niño de Atocha Painting
Watch Bruce M. Shackelford appraise an 1869 Niño de Atocha painting, from Celebrating Latino Heritage.
Appraisal: Margot de Taxco Jewelry, ca. 1955
Appraisal: Margot de Taxco Jewelry, ca. 1955, in Celebrating Latino Heritage.
Appraisal: 1761 Francisco de Gamboa Book
Appraisal: 1761 Francisco de Gamboa Book, in Celebrating Latino Heritage.
Appraisal: 1858 Latin American Sampler
Appraisal: 1858 Latin American Sampler, in Celebrating Latino Heritage.
Appraisal: Diamond & Sapphire Earrings, ca. 1945
Appraisal: Diamond & Sapphire Earrings, ca. 1945, in Celebrating Latino Heritage.
Appraisal: Spanish Colonial Santos Figure, ca. 1850
Appraisal: Spanish Colonial Santos Figure, ca. 1850, in Celebrating Latino Heritage
Appraisal: 1904 Diego Rivera "El Albañil" Oil Painting
Appraisal: 1904 Diego Rivera "El Albañil" Oil Painting, in Celebrating Latino Heritage.
Appraisal: Ángel Botello Bronze Sculpture, ca. 1980
Appraisal: Peruvian Retablo & Original Frame, ca. 1750
Appraisal: Peruvian Retablo & Original Frame, ca. 1750, in Celebrating Latino Heritage.
Appraisal: 18th-Century Spanish Colonial Window Fixture
Appraisal: 18th-Century Spanish Colonial Window Fixture, in Celebrating Latino Heritage.
Appraisal: United States of Colombia Sword, ca. 1865
Appraisal: United States of Colombia Sword, ca. 1865, in Celebrating Latino Heritage.
Appraisal: 1986 Manuel Pailós Painting
Appraisal: 1986 Manuel Pailós Painting, in Celebrating Latino Heritage
Appraisal: Mexican Lacquer Tray, ca. 1930
Appraisal: Mexican Lacquer Tray, ca. 1930, in Celebrating Latino Heritage
Appraisal: 1960 René Portocarrero "Catedral" Oil Painting
Appraisal: 1960 René Portocarrero "Catedral" Oil Painting, in Celebrating Latino Heritage.
Appraisal: Tane Bowl & Candlesticks, ca. 1955
Appraisal: Tane Bowl & Candlesticks, ca. 1955, in Celebrating Latino Heritage
Appraisal: 1958-1960 Cuban Revolution Archive
Appraisal: 1958-1960 Cuban Revolution Archive, in Celebrating Latino Heritage.
Appraisal: 1982 Iberê Camargo "Zoila" Oil Portrait Painting
Appraisal: 1982 Iberê Camargo "Zoila" Oil Portrait Painting in Celebrating Latino Heritage
Appraisal: Peruvian Silver Bracelet, ca. 1930
Appraisal: Peruvian Silver Bracelet, ca. 1930, in Celebrating Latino Heritage
Appraisal: 19th-Century Mexican Drinking Horn
Appraisal: 19th-Century Mexican Drinking Horn, in Celebrating Latino Heritage.
Appraisal: Mexican Charro Saddle, ca. 1940
Appraisal: Mexican Charro Saddle, ca. 1940, in Celebrating Latino Heritage.
Appraisal: Antonio Pineda Gold Jewelry, ca. 1965
Appraisal: Antonio Pineda Gold Jewelry, ca. 1965, in Celebrating Latino Heritage
Appraisal: 1970 Roberto Clemente-signed Poster
Appraisal: 1970 Roberto Clemente-signed Poster, in Celebrating Latino Heritage.
Appraisal: Taino Figurative Basalt Pestle
Appraisal: Taino Figurative Basalt Pestle, in Celebrating Latino Heritage.
Appraisal: Giants Baseball Uniforms, ca. 1965
Appraisal: Giants Baseball Uniforms, ca. 1965, in Celebrating Latino Heritage.
Appraisal: 15th/16th-Century Incan Ritual Drinking Cup
Appraisal: 15th/16th-Century Incan Ritual Drinking Cup, in Celebrating Latino Heritage
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Home › News › Campaigns
H&M's new campaign is a love letter to New Yorkers
AFP-Relaxnews
today Feb 26, 2019
Fashion giant H&M has declared its love for New York City with its latest campaign.
The Swedish retailer has unveiled ‘H&M Loves NY', a new campaign that acts as a love letter to both the city and its H&M shoppers, ahead of the opening of four new boutiques in the location this year.
The brand kicked off the campaign on Valentine's Day by publishing a love letter to the city's people on its Times Square and Fifth Avenue flagship screens and social media, before unveiling a series of images starring New Yorkers of myriad backgrounds, professions and ages -- some of whom are H&M employees. The campaign stars reflect upon the special moment that they began to consider themselves New Yorkers.
"We are thrilled to be able to celebrate the love we have for the city of New York and our friends and neighbors here," said President of H&M, North America, Martino Pessina, in a statement. "The four new locations opening in the city this year, including our newest flagship at Hudson Yards, shows our commitment not only to New York City, but to the future of the brand."
H&M has itself been a New Yorker for 19 years, and is set to consolidate its 33-store strong presence in the city with a flagship retail space in Hudson Yards that is scheduled to open on March 15.
The brand is not the only fashion label currently enamored with New York -- earlier this month, Rag & Bone announced plans to abandon the traditional calendar of twice-yearly campaigns for monthly shoots featuring native New Yorkers snapped in the city between now and November.
Copyright © 2020 AFP-Relaxnews. All rights reserved.
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Yuyuko Takemiya
Yuyuko Takemiya is the author of Toradora!, Golden Time, and Evergreen.
Books by the Author
Toradora! Vol. 9
Story by Yuyuko Takemiya; Art by Zekkyo
The hilarious romantic comedy New York Times bestselling manga series continues!
Takasu Ryuuji has learned the hard way that...
Toradora! (Light Novel) Vol. 10
Toradora! (Light Novel)
Story by Yuyuko Takemiya, Art by Yasu
The original light novel that inspired the hit manga and anime series!
Takasu Ryuuji has learned the hard way that appearances can be deceiving. For despite...
Toradora! (Light Novel) Vol. 9
OH, WHAT A TANGLED WEB!
As their second year of high school draws to a close, Ryuuji wrestles with college plans, money troubles, and his secret discovery...
THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME
A new school term begins as Ryuuji, still hurting from Minori’s rejection, awkwardly tries to figure out how to face her. Meanwhile, something weird’s...
The festive season brings good cheer–and new trouble! Taiga’s back from suspension and suddenly on her best behaviour, Minori’s...
Ryuuji and Taiga survived the Cultural Festival, but they’re not out of the woods, yet, as Kitamura unexpectedly abandons the life of a straitlaced...
As fall draws to a close, the looming Cultural Festival already has everyone descending into stress and squabbling when a new threat looms—a sudden appearance from Taiga’s...
LOVE AT FIRST FRIGHT!
The promised vacation is here: Ryuuji, Taiga, Kitamura, and Minori are going with Ami to her parents’ lavish beachside villa! Ryuuji and Taiga hatch...
SINK OR SWIM!
It’s swimming season! But Ryuuji’s hopes of a relaxing dip are shattered when another spat between Taiga and Ami escalates into a challenge–a no-holds barred...
STUDENT COUNCIL CHAOS!
School elections are just around the corner! That should mean it’s go time for Kitamura, but for some unknown reason, he’s bleached his hair and...
A RIVAL APPEARS!
The new school year brings with it a new transfer student–Kawashima Ami, a breathtakingly gorgeous model who quickly has the whole class smitten. But Ami’s...
EYE OF THE TAIGA!
Takasu Ryuuji might look like a thug, but he's actually a nice guy. Making friends when you've got an unintentionally scary face is tough--and don't...
Golden Time Vol. 9
Story by Yuyuko Takemiya; Art by Umechazuke
Banri’s old memories are starting to come back, which means his memories of his current life are going away. Everything he did in college, everyone he met–no matter...
The hilarious rom-com manga series from the author of New York Times bestselling Toradora! continues!
Life, love, and education! College freshman Tada Banri is looking...
From the New York Times bestselling author Yuyuko Takemiya comes an all new rom-com manga series
Based on the popular light novel series of...
Based on the popular light novel series of the same name, Golden Time is a hilarious romantic, coming-of-age romance by Yuyuko Takemiya.
Life, love, and education! College...
Based on the popular light novel series of the same name, Golden Time is a hilarious coming-of-age romance by Yuyuko Takemiya, the bestselling author of Toradora!.
Evergreen Vol. 4
Story by Yuyuko Takemiya; Art by Akira Kasukabe
By Yuyuko Takemiya, the bestselling author of the Toradora! franchise, Evergreen combines bold and energetic artwork with a character-driven storyline that features a disabled protagonist in a deeply touching, yet hilarious, coming-of-age love story.
Based on the popular light novel series of the same name, Golden Time is a hilarious coming-of-age romance, by Yuyuko Takemiya, the bestselling author of Toradora!.
Evergreen is an all-new comedy manga series that highlights high school romance at its best. By Yuyuko Takemiya, the bestselling author of the Toradora! franchise, Evergreen combines bold and energetic artwork with a character-driven storyline that features a disabled protagonist in a deeply touching, yet hilarious, coming-of-age love story.
RUN, RYUUJI, RUN!
As part of Taiga’s Ms Festival pageant routine, her deadbeat dad was supposed to stand up and be introduced to the audience. But as the fateful moment approaches,...
Born with a congenital heart disease, and thus unable to join in activities that are too physical, Manga Club Captain Yoshimatsu Hotaka can only watch through the club room's...
The gang is back in school and it’s nearly time for the Culture Festival. Ryuuji and Taiga and the rest of Class 2-C can’t figure out what to do for...
LET’S SCARE MINORI TO DEATH!
Summer vacation is here, and the whole gang heads out to Ami’s summer home for a beach vacation! Taiga and Ryuuji hatch a plan to scare Minori...
NAVEL BATTLE!
After endless strife, Ryuuji and Taiga have finally found some common ground and can at least tolerate each other (sort of). Their relations may be on shaky ground, but...
Let the face-off begin! Popular teen model Kawashima Ami has just transferred into the same class as Ryuuji and Taiga, and things couldn’t get off to worse start. Ryuuji and Taiga know Ami’s...
VIEW MORE WORKS BY THIS AUTHOR
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Omeprazole 2 mg/mL Suspension
Loyd V. Allen, Jr., PhD
University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City
US Pharm. 2019;44(4):Epub.
Method of Preparation: Hold the neck of the bottle containing the omeprazole powder and tap the bottom edges on a hard surface to loosen the powder. Remove the cap from the bottle. Tap the top of the induction seal liner to loosen any powder adhering to the liner. Carefully and slowly peel back the inner foil seal liner from the bottle. Using the enclosed tool, scrape any omeprazole powder from the seal into the bottle. Using the smaller end of the tool, with firm strength loosen any powder from the inside lower edges of the bottle. It is important to ensure that no omeprazole powder remains trapped in the inside lower edges of the bottle. Again using the tool, distribute the omeprazole powder evenly over the bottom surface of the bottle. Shake the FIRST-PPI Suspension bottle for a few seconds. Open the FIRST-PPI Suspension bottle and empty about one-half of its contents into the omeprazole powder bottle. Replace the cap and shake the omeprazole powder bottle for approximately 60 seconds. Shake vigorously. Empty the remaining FIRST-PPI Suspension into the omeprazole powder bottle. Allow the suspension to drain for 10 seconds. Replace the cap and shake the omeprazole powder bottle vigorously for approximately 30 seconds.
Note: As appropriate, dispense the enclosed adapter cap and oral syringe with accompanied instructions for use. Instruct the patient in the use of the suspension with the enclosed adapter cap and oral syringe. The adapter cap is not child resistant.
Use: Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor used in the treatment of gastric hyperacidity.
Packaging: Package in the containers in which it is provided and compounded.
Labeling: Keep out of reach of children. Protect from light. Protect from freezing. Shake well before each use. Refrigerate. Discard after ____ [time period].
Stability: A beyond-use date of not more than 30 days when stored at refrigerated temperature may be used.1,2
Quality Control: Quality-control assessment can include weight/volume, pH, specific gravity, active drug assay, color, rheologic properties/pourability, physical observation, and physical stability (discoloration, foreign materials, gas formation, mold growth).3
Discussion: Omeprazole (Prilosec, C17H19N3O3S, MW 345.42) occurs as a white to off-white powder that melts with decomposition at about 155°C; it is a weak base. Omeprazole is very slightly soluble in water (1 g in 8,000 mL) and is sparingly soluble in alcohol (1 g in 25 mL). Omeprazole’s degradation rate increases with decreasing acidic pH values, but it has acceptable stability under alkaline conditions. Commercial solid oral products are available that may or may not be suitable for patients.4
Also available is a FIRST-Omeprazole Compounding Kit that is comprised of omeprazole powder USP and FIRST-PPI (proton pump inhibitor) Suspension containing artificial strawberry flavor, benzyl alcohol, FD&C Red #40, Magnasweet 100 (ammonium glycyrrhizate), poloxamer 188, propylene glycol, purified water, simethicone emulsion, sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate (dihydrate), sucralose, and xanthan gum. When compounded, the final product provides a homogenous suspension containing 2 mg per mL of omeprazole in FIRST-PPI Suspension comparable to the active ingredient in Simplified Omeprazole Suspension.2
A typical artificial strawberry flavor may contain the following ingredients: amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, anisyl formate, benzyl acetate, benzyl isobutyrate, butyric acid, cinnamyl isobutyrate, cinnamyl valerate, cognac essential oil, diacetyl, dipropyl ketone, ethyl acetate, ethyl amyl ketone, ethyl butyrate, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl heptylate, ethyl lactate, ethyl methylphenylglycidate, ethyl nitrate, ethyl propionate, ethyl valerate, heliotropin, hydroxyphenyl-2-butanone (10% solution in alcohol), alpha-ionone, isobutyl anthranilate, isobutyl butyrate, lemon essential oil, maltol, 4-methylacetophenone, methyl anthranilate, methyl benzoate, methyl cinnamate, methyl heptine carbonate, methyl naphthyl ketone, methyl salicylate, mint essential oil, neroli essential oil, nerolin, neryl isobutyrate, orris butter, phenethyl alcohol, rose, rum ether, gamma-undecalactone, vanillin, and solvent.5
Benzyl alcohol (C7H8O, MW 108.14) is an antimicrobial preservative, disinfectant, and solvent. As an antimicrobial preservative, it is commonly used in concentrations up to 2% in pharmaceutical formulations. Benzyl alcohol is a clear, colorless, oily liquid that has a faint, aromatic odor and a sharp, burning taste. It is soluble 1 g in 25 mL of water and is miscible with ethanol.6
FD&C Red #40 (C18H14N2Na2O8S2 496.42 g·mol–1, Allura Red AC, FD&C Red 40, E129, disodium 6-hydroxy-5-[(2-methoxy-5-methyl-4-sulfonatophenyl)diazenyl]naphthalene-2-sulfonate, Food Red 17) is a red azo dye that occurs as a red powder with a melting point of 300°C. It is usually supplied as its red sodium salt, but the calcium and potassium salts may also be used. These salts are soluble in water. In solution, its maximum absorbance lies at about 504 nm. Allura Red AC is a popular dye used worldwide; annual production in 1980 exceeded 2.3 million kg.7
Magnasweet (ammonium glycyrrhizate, C42H65NO16-anhydrous MW 840.08; C42H65NO16.5H2O-pentahydrate, MW 930.04) occurs as a white to yellowish-white or brown, hygroscopic powder with an intensely sweet taste. It is used as a sweetening, flavoring, taste-masking, and emulsifying agent. Magnasweet is slightly soluble in water and very slightly soluble in anhydrous ethanol.8
Poloxamer 188 is a block copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide that occurs as white-colored, waxy, free-flowing granules that are practically odorless and tasteless. The poloxamers are used as emulsifying, solubilizing, and wetting agents. The poloxamers are stable, and aqueous solutions are stable in the presence of acids, alkalis, and metal ions. Poloxamer 188 is freely soluble in water and alcohol.9
Propylene glycol (C3H8O2) occurs as a clear, colorless, viscous, hygroscopic, practically odorless liquid with a sweet taste somewhat resembling glycerin. It is miscible with acetone, chloroform, 95% ethanol, glycerin, and water.10
Purified water is water that is obtained by distillation, ion exchange, reverse osmosis, or some other suitable process. Water has a specific gravity of 0.9971 at room temperature, a melting point of 0°C, and a boiling point of 100°C. It is miscible with most polar solvents and is chemically stable in all physical states (ice, liquid, and steam).11
Simethicone {CH3[Si(CH3)2.O]nSi(CH3)3, dimethyl silicone fluid, poly(dimethylsiloxane)} is a fluid silicone that occurs as a clear, colorless, odorless liquid that is insoluble in water, alcohol, acetone, and methyl alcohol.12
Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda, sal de Vichy, NaHCO3, MW 84.01) occurs as a white, crystalline powder that is stable in dry air, but it slowly decomposes in moist air. It is soluble in water (1 g in 10-12 mL) but insoluble in alcohol.1,13
Sodium citrate dihydrate (trisodium citrate, C6H5Na3O7, MW 258.07, anhydrous; dihydrate, MW 294.10) occurs as colorless crystals or as a white, crystalline powder. The hydrous form is freely soluble in water (1 g in 1.5 mL) and very soluble in boiling water (1 g in 0.6 mL); it is insoluble in alcohol.14
Sucralose (Unisweet, C12H19Cl3O8, MW 397.64) occurs as a white to off-white, free-flowing, crystalline powder. It is freely soluble in ethanol (95%) and in water (0.283 g/mL). Its sweetening power is about 300 to 1,000 times that of sucrose, and it has no aftertaste.15
Xanthan gum (corn sugar gum) is a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide gum. It occurs as a cream-colored or white, odorless, free-flowing fine powder that is soluble in cold or warm water but is practically insoluble in ethanol and ether. Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizing agent and as a viscosity-increasing agent in suspensions. It is nontoxic, is compatible with most other excipients, and has good stability (in the presence of enzymes, salts, acids, and bases) and viscosity properties over a wide range (pH 3-12).16
1. U.S. Pharmacopeia/National Formulary [current revision]. Rockville, MD: U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention, Inc; April 2019.
2. FIRST-Omeprazole package insert. Wilmington, MA: Cutis Pharma; October 2016.
3. Allen LV Jr. Standard operating procedure for performing physical quality assessment of oral and topical liquids. IJPC. 1999;3:146-147.
4. Allen LV Jr., ed. Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy. 22nd ed. London, England: Pharmaceutical Press; 2013:1634-1635.
5. Artificial strawberry flavoring. www.feingold.org/strawberry.html. Accessed April 8, 2019.
6. Quinn ME. Benzyl alcohol. In: Sheskey PJ, Cook WG, Cable CG, eds. Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients. 8th ed. London, England: Pharmaceutical Press; 2017:108-110.
7. Rappoport Z, ed. The Chemistry of Phenols. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons; 2004.
8. Quinn ME. Ammonium glycyrrhizate. In Sheskey PJ, Cook WG, Cable CG, eds. Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients. 8th ed. London, England: Pharmaceutical Press; 2017:73-74.
9. Pirjanian A, Alvarez-Nunez F. Poloxamer. In: Sheskey PJ, Cook WG, Cable CG, eds. Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients. 8th ed. London, England: Pharmaceutical Press; 2017:688-693.
10. Driver S. Propylene glycol. In: Sheskey PJ, Cook WG, Cable CG, eds. Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients. 8th ed. London, England: Pharmaceutical Press; 2017:795-798.
11. Dubash D, Shah U. Water. In: Sheskey PJ, Cook WG, Cable CG, eds. Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients. 8th ed. London, England: Pharmaceutical Press; 2017:1012-1016.
12. Sweetman SC, Ed. Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference. 36th ed. London, England: Pharmaceutical Press; 2009:1770-1771.
13. Quinn ME. Sodium bicarbonate. In Sheskey PJ, Cook WG, Cable CG, eds. Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients. 8th ed. London, England: Pharmaceutical Press; 2017:846-850.
14. Amidon GE. Sodium citrate dihydrate. In: Sheskey PJ, Cook WG, Cable CG, eds. Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients. 8th ed. London, England: Pharmaceutical Press; 2017:858-860.
15. Hutchins A, Mullarney MP. Sucralose. In Sheskey PJ, Cook WG, Cable CG, eds. Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients. 8th ed. London, England: Pharmaceutical Press; 2017:937-937.
16. Shah HC, Singh KK. Xanthan gum. In: Rowe RC, Sheskey PJ, Cook WG, Fenton ME, eds. Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients. 7th ed. London, England: Pharmaceutical Press; 2012:897-900.
Incidence of Foodborne Illness
Albendazole 200 mg/5 mL Oral Suspension
Adverse Events Associated with NSAIDs
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Posted on January 20, 2020 by waverleyweb
The Liberal Democrats and ‘Your Waverley’s’ Alliance has come together to do the honourable thing in memory of one its valued past colleagues.
WW Wonders if the Tories will honour Jack Lee’s memory too – or will it stick one up Milford and donate one of its own in time honoured fashion. Because this election is not about people is it? It’s about Politics? or, maybe, jut maybe the Tories will break the habit of a lifetime?
Milford By-election – February 13th 2020
As many of you are aware, a borough council by-election has been called to fill the vacancy left by the independent councillor, Jack Lee, who sadly passed away late last year.Sad news for the residents of Milford and Waverley with the announcement of the death of Jack Lee.
In Local elections in May 2019 the people of Milford elected one Liberal Democrat (Cllr Christine Baker) and one progressive independent (Cllr Jack Lee).
Out of respect for Jack and for the decision the people of Milford so recently made, the Liberal Democrats have chosen not to put up a candidate.
Said Lib Dem. councillor and Waverley’s Deputy Leader Paul Follows:
We will instead be supporting Independent candidate, Maxine Gale. You might have noticed that the Green Party and the Labour Party have not put up a candidate either and you can likely expect statements from their group leaders too.
I also want to give my backing to Maxine, who I know to be an active and effective councillor for Witley Parish (both on the ground and social media). We have worked together on several matters for the residents of Milford and Witley, and are both members of the NHS stakeholder group for Guildford and Waverley. Maxine and Cllr Baker would also make an excellent team for Milford.
The ‘rainbow coalition’ running Waverley BC is a co-operative group looking for the best people to work for the good of residents. We are able and willing to put party politics aside for the greater good of a ward and the borough, and in supporting Maxine Gale, we believe we are keeping to those values.
https://www.facebook.com/135691707151701/posts/501441977243337/?d=n
Campaign page above for Maxine Gale for Milford Ward. A local resident, who has served 20yrs on Witley Parish Council, and is a local business owner.
Posts on other councillors standing, will be included on future posts.
Posted in Waverley Borough Council | 2 Replies
If you want to wipe the smile off this man’s face – go out and celebrate BREXIT – but with your own money.
Spending Waverley taxpayer’s money is an easy thing to do. A perfect example is a decision made by numerous parish councils in the eastern villages to oppose development at Dunsfold Aerodrome. A campaign led by Alfold PC and followed by Dunsfold; Chiddingfold; Bramley and would you believe Loxwood in West Sussex, all of whom dug deep into the taxpayers’ pockets. Some contributing as much as £10,000 from minuscule precepts! All wiped out in legal fees to oppose development on a brownfield site!
Thank our lucky stars that some commonsense has prevailed with this message from the Deputy Leader of ‘Your Waverley’ over the highly decisive issue of BREXIT commemorations, celebrations or commiserations.
Whatever your views on the ‘B’ word – let’s face it our borough, county and parish councils have challenges enough to deal with, without squandering money on unnecessary expenditure. With council tax rises, and rent rises in the offing, and numerous jobs and businesses threatened. Maybe we should all keep shtum and let the B word – just happen?
Shortly before Christmas (a few moments after its planning application to build a Care Home, Cranleigh Village Hospital Trust morphed into another charity: Cranleigh Village Health Trust.
Changing the name – so what’s the game?
In the interest of clarity – here are the new Cranleigh Health Trust’s future charitable aims.
Now it has lost its former Chairman-President, Trustee who, apparently according to the mutter in Cranleigh’s gutter – is now spending more time with his personal interests, as a property developer. Which, according to the locals, was always his sole intention – but his comfort blanket was the “hospital project.” Now that has been pulled away – for the time being, he will follow his main interest – owning Cranleigh through his company ‘Lettuce and Leafhy.’
His latest cunning plan to turn the village’s treasured department store, or at least most of David Manns – into yet another development site. This time 90/40 flats or as many as the planners will allow him in the middle of a Conservation Area.
DUMB & DUMBER STRIKES AGAIN!
Here are all the councillors and officers safely gathered in to overview and scrutinize, the business of the Wellbeing Committee last night Wednesday.
Read their lips – and you might discover the debate on all the items on the Agenda – because you certainly couldn’t hear it!!! And those of us who actually care about Waverley’s decision-making watched yet another silent film. When will someone be made accountable? Perhaps the man at the top, who never opens his mouth at meetings?
Yet again – ‘Your Waverley’ seems unable to handle the technology – or is it a case of female officer goes into cupboard and doesn’t know how to turn the bloody webcast’s sound on?
Not really. Figures revealed that whilst the council raised £61,000 in revenue from introducing charges for parking at places like Rodborough Common, in Waverley. It cost around £300,000 to instal the machines. WW wonders how much it will cost to remove the machines and reinstate the sites?
Six locations in Waverley were included in the unpopular decision, including Rodborough Common, and Milford. The popular beauty spot at Newlands Corner in Guildford was also part of the cunning plan to raise money. It provoked a huge backlash from the public, with petitions and questions raised at council meetings and a huge decrease in people going into the countryside.
Surrey’s cabinet abolished the policy of charging as it had not “delivered the significant contributions as expected” and did not align with the council’s Community Vision 2030. So was unanimously binned!
‘Your Waverley’ is presently preparing a new car-parking strategy – which could yield another £500,000 a year for the council’s depleting coffers.
Posted in Waverley Borough Council | Leave a reply
Life on ‘Your Waverley’s’ Wave.
Some residents will remember when the borough council’s Newsletter was called the Waverley Wave. Which then morphed into ‘Your Waverley.’
There is more than a little angst among ‘Your Waverley’s’ opposition that since the takeover of the new administration – they can’t get prompt answers to their questions.
Bit rich when you consider that residents’ questions seldom received answers promptly when the other lot had a firm grip on the reins. And, of course, the Tories didn’t even have to answer to an opposition. – At least, not a credible opposition to speak of – just a couple of Independents a Lib Dem (half-way through its last term) and a couple of Farnham Residents’ who were mostly trodden underfoot.
The new Council Leader John Ward (Farnham Residents’) has come in for a drubbing. The tories claim he doesn’t answer e-mails.
As he is now off on his second Winter cruise – will he be using his free time on the ocean waves – to bring a halt to the criticism Waverley Web wonders? Or will he be playing deck quoits?
Government planning policy that has gone horribly wrong.
It is now revealed that over 13,500 affordable homes have been lost due to a Government diktat that allowed office conversions.
We all knew it was a crap policy from the outset when the Government changed planning rules.
Now it’s an official crap policy.
The experts say that the planning policy introduced four years ago is not only not contributing to the provision of affordable homes, the homes built are sub-standard, and there is no 106 contribution! Daft or what? So lose, lose, lose all round?
Over 13,500 affordable homes lost due to PD office conversions, says Local Government Association.
Numerous offices and shops in the borough of Waverley have been lost to such conversions.
In Haslemere, Waverley Planners invoked an Article 4 direction, a planning mechanism, to stop the continued loss of valuable office and retail space, and is taking a tough-line on conversions elsewhere.
Will converting shops and offices to residential be prevented in, ALL our towns and villages, by ‘Your Waverley?’
10 January 2020 by David Blackman
More than 13,500 affordable homes have been lost over the past four years as a result of developers using permitted development (PD) rights to sidestep planning permission for office to residential conversions, the Local Government Association (LGA) has calculated.
A residential scheme in Croydon converted from offices under PD rights.
Latest figures from the MHCLG show that since 2015, 54,162 new homes were converted from offices under PD rights in England.
The new analysis, published by the LGA, estimates that 13,540 affordable homes have been lost that would otherwise have been delivered if these homes had been built.
This is based on an ‘indicative’ council affordable housing requirement of 25 per cent on new residential developments.
A spokesman for the LGA said the council umbrella body had chosen 25 per cent as its indicative figure because councils’ affordable housing requirements on new developments usually vary between this level and 40 per cent.
Under the PD rights regime, there is no requirement for developers to meet local authority affordable housing requirements, nor a host of other policies such as those governing minimum space standards.
The LGA analysis also shows that while PD right conversions amount to six per cent of all new homes delivered nationally, in some areas a significantly high proportion of new housing is office-to-residential conversions.
It says that last year (2018/19), more than half (51 per cent) of all new homes in Harlow were office conversions, with 48 per cent in Norwich and 43 per cent in the Hertfordshire district council of Three Rivers.
Over a third of new housing in Spelthorne (39 per cent) and Slough (35 per cent) were also converted from offices, the LGA said.
Cllr David Renard, the LGA’s housing spokesman, said: “Serious concerns remain over the high numbers of homes which continue to be converted from offices without planning permission.
“Permitted development rules are resulting in the alarming potential loss of thousands of desperately-needed affordable homes.”
Renard said it was “vital that councils and local communities have a voice in the planning process and are able to oversee all local developments” and called for the government to scrap PD rules.
An MHCLG spokesman said: “We are committed to delivering a million new homes by the end of this parliament, and permitted development rights are playing an important part in making our ambitious commitment a reality.”
The LGA study is the latest in a series of critical reports on the impact of residential PD rights, which were introduced by the coalition government with the aim of speeding up the conversion of under-used and derelict commercial and industrial space into housing.
Research carried out by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors two years ago found that 70 per cent of the new homes delivered through the PD rights regime do not meet minimum space standards, and around 90 per cent lacked access to open space.
The train standing at Cranleigh’s platform 1?
One of our followers – who regularly travels to London sent us the article below. She is presently cleaning her push-bike in readiness for the new Bamford Bike-ride from the eastern villages to Wimbledon every day!
She says: Something to make you laugh, or cry?
So we can all ride, walk or cycle to work now, can we??? – The snide comment that opening it could result in more housing – Crikes – we have taken MORE than our fair share of Housing for the Borough….About time the rest took theirs
Honestly SPEND SOME MONEY SURREY!
Another said: “The road condition along the A281 between Cranleigh and Guildford is now so bad, some believe the existing surface of the Downs Link will soon be an improvement for motorists.”
Want to know more about the woman behind the bid to build a new WINGS museum in Alfold.
This post comes with a health warning to the locals:
Don’t complain when the development starts – or you might find Alfold painted RED!
You can read our post on the appeal decision last November to allow a 10,000 square metre building to be erected adjacent to Dunsfold Park off the Dunsfold Road in Alfold.
Now read about the woman who is funding the project to bring the hudge national visitor attraction into the heart of a once, quiet rural village on the Surrey/Sussex borders.
A woman who angered her neighbours by decorating her multimillion-pound townhouse with red and white stripes can ignore a planning order to repaint the property, the high court has ruled.
Zipporah Lisle-Mainwaring, a property developer, painted candy stripes on the three-storey facade of the terrace home in South End, Kensington, west London, in March 2015.
She has denied that the paint job was done to spite neighbours who objected to her plans to demolish the property, currently used for storage, and replace it with a new home.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea served her with a notice under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, requiring her to repaint “all external paintwork located on the front elevation white” within 28 days. But she refused saying:
I’m proud to live in a nation where we can paint red stripes on our homes
The council said:
“The condition and appearance of the property, particularly the red and white painted stripes on the front elevation, is incongruous with the streetscape of South End and the local area.”
After failed appeals to magistrates and Isleworth crown court last year, Lisle-Mainwaring launched judicial review action at the high court in London. On Monday, a judge ruled in her favour and quashed the notice.
One issue was whether a notice served under section 215 of the 1990 act “may be used when the complaint is that the planning authority considers that the choice of painting scheme harms amenity”.
A walk on the wild-side at Frensham Little Pond.
Its time for getting out and about so how about visiting a dog walker’s paradise with a vast open space of heathland – perfect for a runaround for children and their pets.
A walk around the pond takes about 40 minutes or hike up to Snowball ride for a longer walk and some amazing views.
The starting point is the NT car park off Priory Lane.
Doggy dos and don’ts: Remember birds are nesting between March and September s don’t let dogs run through the heather during this period or go into the ponds as this will disturb the wildlife.
Try going there on quieter days during the week – as it can get very busy during the weekends and during the bank holidays.
Have fun – but observe the rules – and all will be well for man, child and wildlife.
But – whatever you do – don’t repeat this disgraceful episode that occurred at Frensham Great Pond last year!
WaverleyWeb Monthly
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Prince memoir ‘The Beautiful Ones’ coming out in the fall
Posted 6:51 AM, April 22, 2019, by Associated Press
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 04: Prince speaks onstage at the 42nd NAACP Image Awards held at The Shrine Auditorium on March 4, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards)
NEW YORK — The memoir Prince was working on at the time of his death is coming out Oct. 29.
Random House confirmed Monday to The Associated Press that “The Beautiful Ones” will combine Prince unfinished manuscript with rare photos, scrapbooks and lyrics. First announced just weeks before his 2016 death, the 288-page book will include an introduction by New Yorker writer Dan Piepenbring, whom Prince had chosen as a collaborator. The memoir is an exclusive partnership with the Prince Estate.
“‘The Beautiful Ones’ is the deeply personal account of how Prince Rogers Nelson became the Prince we know: the real-time story of a kid absorbing the world around him and creating a persona, an artistic vision, and a life, before the hits and the fame that would come to define him,” Random House announced.
The book will span from Prince’s childhood to his early years as a musician to the cusp of international stardom, using Prince’s own writings, a scrapbook of his personal photos, and the original handwritten lyric sheets for many of his most iconic songs, which he kept at Paisley Park. The book depicts Prince’s evolution through deeply revealing, never-before-shared images and memories and culminates with his original handwritten treatment for his masterwork, ‘Purple Rain.'”
Piepenberg’s introduction will touch upon Prince’s final days, “a time when Prince was thinking deeply about how to reveal more of himself and his ideas to the world, while retaining the mystery and mystique he’d so carefully cultivated.”
Prince died three years ago, on April 21, from an accidental overdose of fentanyl at the age of 57.
In 2018, literary agent Esther Newberg told Variety that Prince had completed more than 50 handwritten pages.
The book’s editor, Chris Jackson, said in a statement “The Beautiful Ones” was “a beautiful tribute to his life.”
“It’s also much more than that: it’s a genuinely moving and energizing literary work, full of Prince’s ideas and vision, his voice and image,” said Jackson, whose other authors have included comedian Trevor Noah and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates. “It’s a treasure not just for Prince fans but for anyone who wants to see one of our greatest creative artists and original minds at work on his greatest creation: himself.”
Filed in: Dean's List
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MONSTER’S MASH: Can Khalil Mack make memories at Lambeau Field again?
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President Trump de-escalates military conflict..
President Trump de-escalates military conflict with Iran
Donald TrumpIranJim Molan
US President Donald Trump has announced further economic sanctions on Iran, but no immediate military retaliation.
It comes after Iran launched “dozens” of ballistic missiles on an Iraqi base which hosts US forces, in retaliation for the killing of an Iranian military general.
President Trump addressed the nation this morning, suggesting Iran would be stepping down.
He announced additional economic sanctions on the nation and called on his NATO allies to become more involved in trying to stabilise the Middle East.
LIVE: President @realDonaldTrump Addresses the Nation https://t.co/vRH9gVAD0N
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 8, 2020
Senator and retired major general Jim Molan tells John Stanley it’s doubtful Trump will escalate the situation further.
“We can look at Donald Trump in any number of different ways, but on a number of occasions he has gone against the popular view of himself.
“People make him out to be a cartoon character, and he’s made some decisions that I can’t fully understand, but… the most responsible people in relation to the use of military power I’ve ever struck have been American generals.”
Image: Getty/Win McNamee
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Photo by Paul Miller
How the Women’s Bean Project Is Empowering Local Ladies
The Denver-based nonprofit's goodies are more than just delicious.
By Chloe Barrett • 5280 October 2019
Chile-spiced dried mango. Yogurt-covered blueberries. Crispy plantain chips. These are not items you’d expect from a company called the Women’s Bean Project (WBP), but the Denver-based nonprofit has had 30 years to expand its horizons. In 1989, founder Jossy Eyre used $500 of her own money to launch a soup-mix business that would also train and empower chronically unemployed women. Since then, the WBP has graduated over 1,000 students—many experiencing homelessness, transitioning out of incarceration, or recovering from substance abuse—from its social enterprise program. Participants gain job and life skills, mentorship, and paid work experience assembling soup and chili mixes, baked-good kits, and snacks (available online, at local Safeways, and regional Whole Foods Markets). We’re filling our packs with the WBP’s latest creations, which not only include those blueberries, mangoes, and plantains, but also Thai curry cashews and organic gummy fish—which taste as good as the mission behind them makes you feel.
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A&S Senior Angela Jones Wins Astronaut Scholarship
By Whitney Hale
Angela Jones and her fellow Astronaut Scholars were recognized at ASF's Innovators Gala Aug. 24, in Washington, D.C. Photo by Emily Jourdan, courtesy of ASF.
Read more about A&S Senior Angela Jones Wins Astronaut Scholarship
A&S Neuroscience Professor Shapes the Minds of Tomorrow With Hands-on Lab Experience
By Madison Dyment
Read more about A&S Neuroscience Professor Shapes the Minds of Tomorrow With Hands-on Lab Experience
A&S Senior Wins Astronaut Scholarship, Brooke Owens Fellowship
By Whtiney Hale
Read more about A&S Senior Wins Astronaut Scholarship, Brooke Owens Fellowship
Expanding Your Horizons Returns to UK - Saturday, April 21, 2018
by Susan Odom
college of art and sciences
epscor
susan odom
Read more about Expanding Your Horizons Returns to UK - Saturday, April 21, 2018
A&S Hall of Fame 2016 - Judith Lesnaw
Read more about A&S Hall of Fame 2016 - Judith Lesnaw
A&S Hall of Fame 2016 - Dr Sally Mason
Read more about A&S Hall of Fame 2016 - Dr Sally Mason
The Power of Genetics with Neurobiologist Robin Cooper
It’s been 21 years since Robin Cooper started working in the department of biology in the University of Kentucky College of Arts & sciences. It’s been 130 years since Thomas Hunt Morgan, Kentucky’s first Nobel Laureate, graduated from what is now called UK. What do they have in common? They used the same research organisms: fruit flies and crayfish.
“Thomas Hunt Morgan went on for graduate work and he was awarded the Nobel Prize, working with Drosophila [fruit flies] as a model organism. A lot of people don’t realize though, some of his first work was actually on regeneration in crustaceans,” Cooper said. “The power of genetics allows us to work with the Drosophila and do things really you can’t do with any other organism. Because of rapid development, you can manipulate genes really quickly and test out many different aspects from behavior to how the neuro circuits are formed.”
Sixty human diseases have been modeled in fruit flies. Cooper’s funded research focuses on synaptic transmission, for example, communication from a nerve to a muscle. He uses a technique called optogenetics—inserting a gene that is sensitive to light found in blue-green algae into fruit flies. “In our case, we are looking at neurons. You can shine blue light on the animal and then activate just their serotonergic neurons. Optogenetics can help us pick up on structural changes in the brain, changes in behavior of the animal, as well as developmental aspects.”
Cooper said in his 21 years at UK, his research team has had roughly 150 publications, 50 of those papers have undergraduates as first author or co-author and a handful have had high school students as authors. “Our last paper was actually with a high school student as first author. She developed a new saline that is used to keep the Drosophila heart alive.”
Listen to this podcast to learn why Cooper sent that high school student to an international conference in Poland and hear why he takes undergrads’ questions seriously.
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A&S Graduate Confronts Diabetes in Appalachia
By Mallory Powell
Growing up in Hazard, Kentucky, Brittany Martin was familiar with diabetes. Many of her older relatives had been diagnosed with the chronic condition, and her younger family members were starting to develop it as well. In a state with one of the highest rates of diabetes — 11.3 percent of adults had a diagnosis in 2014 —Martin’s family wasn’t out of the ordinary, but she found the status quo unacceptable.
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UK Biology Professor Awarded USDA Research Grant
By Weston Loyd, Whitney Harder
(Jan. 19, 2016) — Catherine Linnen, an assistant professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Biology, has been awarded a three-year, $468,527 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Institute of Food and Agriculture.
The grant will fund her project, "Comparative Genomics of Specialization: The Genetic Basis of Interspecific Variation in Pine Use in Neodiprion Sawflies."
Read more about UK Biology Professor Awarded USDA Research Grant
Ten UK Honors Students Awarded T.W. Lewis Scholarship
The University of Kentucky Honors Program recognized 10 first-year students as recipients of the T.W. Lewis Scholarship beginning fall 2015.
Read more about Ten UK Honors Students Awarded T.W. Lewis Scholarship
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UK-MRS Seminars
June 12. 2017, 10:00-11:00 am
C226 OHR (Oliver H. Raymond Civil Engineering Building)
“Anode Surface Evolution in Aqueous Sodium-Ion Batteries”
Xiaowen Zhan, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering
Aqueous sodium-ion batteries may solve the cost and safety issues associated with the energy storage systems for the fluctuating supply of electricity based on solar and wind power. Compared to their lithium counterparts, aqueous sodium-ion batteries offer multiple advantages including more earth abundant sodium, cheaper electrode materials and electrolyte solutions as well as less costly manufacturing conditions. However, poor overall performance and low electrode utilization (much of the electrode material ends up being electrochemically inactive) are the main barriers implementing them in (micro) grid systems. Here we characterize the surface reactions on NASICON-type phosphate anode materials and rationalize their close associations with capacity fading upon slow cycling of aqueous sodium-ion batteries. The surface reactions result in the formation of an electrically insulating surface layer causing the failure of electrochemical performance and the precipitation of surface particles that blocks the pores thereby leading to poor electrode utilization. These findings provide insights into new possibilities of improving the electrochemical performance of aqueous sodium-ion batteries by designing protective layers through surface modifications that prevent the formation of insulating surface layers and insoluble precipitates.
“Stable, High-Capacity Electrolytes for Non-Aqueous Redox Flow Batteries”
Harsha Attanayake, Department of Chemistry University of Kentucky
Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are one of the promising electrochemical devices for stationary energy storage applications due to their decoupled energy and power, long service life, and simple manufacturing. Despite advances of commercially available aqueous RFBs, they suffer from lower energy densities due to narrow electrochemical window of water (~1.5 V). Transitioning from aqueous to non-aqueous chemistry offers a wider and stable electrochemical window (>4 V), a greater selection of redox materials, a wider range of working temperatures, high cell voltage, and potentially high energy density. So far, only a limited number of highly soluble and stable organic compounds have been reported for non- aq RFBs applications as catholytes. It is crucial that the design of organic electro-active materials does not compromise any of the following characteristics: high solubility (charged and neutral states), higher oxidation potential (for electron donors), and enabling a high molecular capacity for electron donation (or acceptance). Our studies mainly focus on development of high capacity catholytes for non-aqueous redox flow batteries with stable neutral and oxidized states. This presentation will focus on molecular designing strategies to increase the solubility of phenothiazine derivatives in their charged states and neutral states, stabilization of one and two electron donation, and a new approach to raise the oxidation potential, along with their synthesis and electrochemical analysis.
Monday, June 12, 2017 - 10:00am to 11:00am
OHR C226
materials research society
Undergraduate Research Takes Flight With T.J. Flynn
Physics and mechanical engineering undergraduate T.J. Flynn is taking his research to the next level with graduate school.
center for applied energy research
tyler flynn
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UK Superfund Research Center Receives $12.2 Million Federal Grant
UK has received a $12.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to better understand and minimize negative health and environmental impacts from hazardous waste sites.
Read more about UK Superfund Research Center Receives $12.2 Million Federal Grant
Undergraduates Head to State Capitol to Present Research
Twenty-four undergraduate researchers from UK, along with more than 200 other student representatives from across the state, are taking over the state capitol in Frankfort today to showcase their research.
Read more about Undergraduates Head to State Capitol to Present Research
Adapting to Adaptable Buildings
Melody Carswell, associate professor in the UK Department of Psychology, investigated with her students how occupants,were responding to the new, adaptable Davis Marksbury research building.
melody carswell
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Celebrated Chemist, Novelist and Playwright Carl Djerassi to Visit UK
Known for his work in organic chemistry and as a father of insect and human birth control, Carl Djerassi will take part in several events being held Feb. 13-15, at UK.
singletary center
singletary art museum
college of fine arts
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UK Board Accepts More Than $6 Million in Gifts, Pledges
The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees today accepted nearly $6.5 million in gifts and pledges, with a sizable portion directed toward two A&S departments.
guy davenport endowed english professor
Read more about UK Board Accepts More Than $6 Million in Gifts, Pledges
Peer Mentors: The Heart of the Living Learning Program
Peer mentors encourage freshmen in living learning communities to get active on campus, develop effective study habits, utilize on-campus resources and communicate with professors.
keeneland hall
becca boom
icyana abner
tolu odukoya
global scholars
Read more about Peer Mentors: The Heart of the Living Learning Program
Geography Professor Sue Roberts Named SEC Academic Leadership Development Program Fellow
Professor Roberts and three others at UK were named fellows in the program, which seeks to identify, prepare and advance academic leaders within the SEC.
sue roberts
Read more about Geography Professor Sue Roberts Named SEC Academic Leadership Development Program Fellow
UK Welcomes Students From Brazil Scientific Mobility Program
Twenty-six Brazilian students will become Kentucky wildcats in the fall, as part of UK's partnership with the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program (BSMP) and the Institute of International Education (IIE).
susan carvalho
Read more about UK Welcomes Students From Brazil Scientific Mobility Program
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A man has died after he was in collision with a car
by officialwmas February 20, 2018 February 20, 2018 Leave a comment
Tuesday 20th February 2018 – 7.45am – Murray MacGregor.
A pedestrian has been confirmed dead after a collision with a car.
The incident happened at just after 6.00pm on Monday evening on the A449, Stafford Road in Wolverhampton between Oxley Moor Road and Mercury Drive.
Two ambulances, a paramedic officer and the aircrew of the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford, who responded in a car, were sent to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman, said: “On arrival, ambulance crews found bystanders doing CPR on a man. He had suffered very serious injuries.
“The man was assessed by ambulance staff but sadly, it quickly became apparent that there was nothing that could be done to save the man and he was confirmed dead at the scene.
“There was no car at the scene.”
Previous Entry Trust welcomes arrest after abusive note left on ambulance
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SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report 31 March-6 April 2010 8 April 2010
Posted by admin in activity reports, Alaska, Batu Tara, Caribbean, Dukono, eruptions, Eyjafjöll, Hawaii, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Kamchatka, Karymsky, Kilauea, Kirishima, Kliuchevskoi, Redoubt, Russia, Sakura-jima, Shiveluch, Soufrière Hills, Suwanose-jima, United States, Weekly Volcanic Activity Reports.
Tags: Global Volcanism Program, volcanic activity reports, volcanic eruptions
Some highlights from the last week of volcanic activity reported by the Global Volcanism Program:
Eyjafjöll: a new fissure opens, lava fountain activity continues
Kilauea: highest daily level of sulphur dioxide emissions so far in 2010 recorded on 31 March – 1,400 tonnes/day
Kirishima: alert level raised following eruption at Shinmoe-dake
Redoubt: a brief period of repetitive earthquakes in the summit region causes the alert level to be raised
Click on the map for a larger version (1280 x 898 pixels).
The Smithsonian Institution/United States Geological Survey Weekly Volcanic Activity Report for 31 March-6 April 2010 is now available on the Global Volcanism Program website. The following is a summary and not a substitute for the full report.
The current report: Weekly Volcanic Activity Report.
Previous reports: Weekly Reports Archive.
The SI/USGS map of volcanoes discussed this week.
New activity/unrest: Eyjafjöll (Iceland), Karymsky (Russia), Kirishima (Japan), Redoubt (Alaska, USA).
Ongoing activity: Batu Tara (Indonesia), Dukono (Indonesia), Kilauea (USA), Kliuchevskoi (Russia), Sakura-jima (Japan), Shiveluch (Russia), Soufrière Hills (Montserrat), Suwanose-jima (Japan)
Note: a.s.l. = ‘above sea level’.
Eyjafjöll (Iceland). A new fissure opened NE of the first fissure at around 19:00 GMT on 31 March. Its appearance was not preceded by detectable seismicity. News articles reported that the fissure was about 300 m long and about 200 m from the first fissure. Lava fountains remained active from both fissures. Lava mostly accumulated near the new vent but some lava flows had entered the Hruná and Hvanná gullies.
Karymsky (Russia). During 26 March-2 April seismic activity was above background levels, possibly indicating ash plumes rising to 4.1 km a.s.l. Satellite imagery revealed an intense daily thermal anomaly from the volcano, and ash plumes that drifted generally E about 250 km during 28-29 and 31 March. The Aviation Colour Code level was raised to Orange.
Kirishima (Japan). An eruption from Shinmoe-dake in the Kirishima volcano group on 30 March caused the Alert Level to be raised from 1 to 2 (on a scale of 1-5). Ash blanketed the ground to the W of the crater.
Redoubt (Alaska, USA). A series of small repetitive earthquakes in the vicinity of the summit was detected on 5 April. The Volcano Alert Level was raised to Advisory and the Aviation Colour Code was raised to Yellow. On the next day the rate of earthquakes decreased markedly.
ONGOING ACTIVITY
Batu Tara (Indonesia). On 5 April an ash plume rose to 2.1 km a.s.l. and drifted more than 35 km N.
Dukono (Indonesia). On 2 April an ash plume was seen on satellite imagery drifting 55 km S at 2.4 km a.s.l.
Kilauea (Hawaii, USA). During 31 March-6 April incandescence was reported from a 60-m-wide active lava surface about 200 m below a vent in the floor of Halema’uma’u crater. The lava surface circulated and both rose and drained through a pit in the cavity floor; a few times the level fluctuated between 235 and 260 m below the surface. Plumes from the vent drifted mainly SW, dropping small amounts of ash downwind. The sulphur dioxide emission rate at the summit on 31 March was 1,400 tonnes/day, the highest recorded in 2010. The rate on 1 and 2 April was 1,000 and 650 tonnes/day respectively. Lava from beneath the Thanksgiving Eve Breakout (TEB) and rootless shield complex flowed SE through the upper portion of a lava tube system and broke out onto the surface. Lava flows advanced E, and then SE down Pulama pali.
Kliuchesvkoi (Russia). During 26 March-2 April seismic activity was above background levels and gas-and-steam plumes containing small amounts of ash were sometimes seen rising to 5.3 km a.s.l. Strombolian activity ejected material 300 m above the crater and lava continued to flow down the flanks. Satellite imagery revealed a large daily thermal anomaly from the volcano and gas-and-steam plumes that drifted about 70 km E on 30 March. The Aviation Colour Code level remained at Orange.
Sakura-jima (Japan). During 31 March-6 April explosions sometimes produced plumes identified on satellite imagery. Those plumes, along with ash plumes occasionally seen by pilots, rose to 1.5-3 km a.s.l. and drifted SW, SE, E, and NE.
Shiveluch (Russia). During 26 March-2 April seismic activity was above background levels, possibly indicating ash plumes rising to 4.7 km a.s.l. Hot avalanches from the lava dome were seen at night. Satellite imagery revealed a large daily thermal anomaly from the lava dome and ash plumes that drifted about 40 km SE on 29 March. On 5 April an ash plume rose to 3 km a.s.l. and drifted SE. The Aviation Colour Code level remained at Orange.
Soufrière Hills (Montserrat). During 26 March-2 April activity from the lava dome was at a low level. Rockfalls and pyroclastic flows occurred sporadically on the W and S flanks. The Hazard Level remained at 3.
Suwanose-jima (Japan). An explosion was reported on 2 April, but details of possible resulting plumes were not reported.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND DISCLAIMER
The foregoing is a summary of the Smithsonian Institution/United States Geological Survey Weekly Volcanic Activity Report covering 31 March-6 April 2010. It is provided for information only, and is based on but not a substitute for the full report, which comes with its own criteria and disclaimers. The map base is derived from the Smithsonian Institution/USGS/US Naval Research Laboratory This Dynamic Planet website.
For all our coverage of the SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Reports: Weekly Volcanic Activity Reports « The Volcanism Blog.
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« Supporting OA research & Cites & Insights: another path
Cites & Insights 15:6 (June 2015) available »
The Open Access Landscape: 10. Economics
Definitions and notes
See The Open Access Landscape: 1. Background for definitions and notes
If you’re interested in a book-form version of this material (with an additional bonus graph added in each chapter), let me know, either in a comment or by email to waltcrawford at gmail dot com
Economics includes most business topics. It’s the second largest group of journals (and by far the largest group in the humanities and social sciences)—but not the second largest collection of articles. This topic includes 345 journals, which published a total of 10,663 articles in 2013 and 10,217 in 2014.
Grade Journals %J Articles %A A/J
A$ pay
Table 10.1. Journals and articles by grade
Table 10.1 shows the number of journals and 2013 articles for each grade; the free, pay and unknown numbers; and average articles per journal. Boldface percentages (grades) are percentages of all economics journals; others (free, pay, unknown) are percentages of the grade above. Since A$ requires an APC of $1,000 or more, the “pay” line is redundant and omitted.
These numbers are somewhat unusual. Typically, A$ journals have the highest number of articles per journal; here, they’re the lowest of any A-C group—and among B journals, free and pay journals have roughly the same number of articles. Still, the A figures are fairly typical, with fee-charging journals publishing more than twice as many articles per journal as free journals (but fewer articles overall).
There are quite a few D journals here, including these subgroups: C (apparently ceased), 20 journals with a total of 36 articles in 2013; D (dying), four journals with 22 articles; E (erratic), three journals with three articles; H (hiatus?), 13 journals with 387 articles; N (new), one journal with five articles; S (small), 12 journals with 37 articles.
Article Volume (including all of 2014)
%Free
Table 10.2. Journals and articles by date
Table 10.2 shows the number of free and APC-charging journals that published articles in each year, including all of 2014; how many articles those journals published; and what percentage were free.
The eight “unknown” journals (with 397 articles in 2013) are omitted. The journal numbers still don’t add up to 345 because some journals (12 in 2013) didn’t publish any articles in any given year.
The percentage of free journals is on the low side for social sciences but better than average for all of OA, declining slightly over the past few years. The percentage of articles in free journals is also on the low side for social sciences but considerably better than average for OA in general—and, again, declined slightly over the past few years.
The numbers here are unusual—showing a large decline in OA publishing from 2012 to 2013 and a small decline in 2014, albeit one that brings 2014 numbers below 2011 numbers. These numbers don’t include journals that entered DOAJ after May 7, 2014 and some journals that post articles online very late. It appears to be a real decline, but one that largely involves a few journals. For example, one journal dropped from 1,220 articles in 2012 to 480 in 2013 and a mere 100 in 2014: that alone accounts for 85% of the 2013-2014 decline and more than half of the decline from 2012 to 2014.
Looked at on a journal-by-journal basis, 140 journals published more articles in 2014 than in 2013; 46 published exactly the same number; and 159 published fewer articles. In terms of significant change, 121 (35%) published at least 10% more articles in 2014 than in 2013; 91 (26%) published roughly the same number; and 133 (39%) published at least 10% fewer articles in 2014—including 30 that, to date, haven’t published any 2014 articles. (That last number includes six journals that were unreachable.)
Journals No-Fee % Articles No-Fee %
Table 10.3. Journals by peak article numbers
Table 10.3 shows the number of journals in each size category (based on the largest number of articles in 2011, 2012, or 2013); 2013 articles for that group; and what percentage is (or is in) no-fee journals. The single prolific journal was only prolific in 2011 and 2012: it’s now down to the Small category for 2014.
There are quite a few sparse economics journals, primarily free, and the field also has a fairly high percentage of free small journals.
Fees (APCs)
APC Jour. %Fee %All Art. %Fee %All
Table 10.4. Journals and articles by fee range
Table 10.4 shows the number of journals in each fee range and the number of 2013 articles for those journals. The %Fee percentages are of all fee-charging journals. “Unknown” journals are omitted.
Since the fee ranges are based on quartiles, deviations from 25% in the first %Fee column represent differences between economics OA journals and OA journals as a whole—and they’re big differences. There are no high-priced economics journals (that is, among the top 25% of all fee-charging journals), with the most expensive being $1,350, and there are very few medium-priced journals. More than half of APC-charging journals charge nominal fees, $8 to $200—and those journals publish more than half of the articles in APC-charging journals. It’s also interesting that the more expensive journals publish relatively fewer articles than their less-expensive competitors.
There’s no correlation (-0.02) between APC size and number of 2013 articles. That’s hardly surprising.
Starting Dates and the Gold Rush
Year Total Free%
Table 10.5 Starting dates for economics OA journals
Table 10.5 shows economics OA journals by starting date, including the percentage of journals started in a given date range that currently don’t charge APCs. For DOAJ journals as a whole, there’s a sense of a gold rush for APC-charging journals starting in 2006 and possibly declining in 2012. Economics is different: startups were slow until 2008, and that’s also the point at which significant numbers of APC-charging journals appeared. The rate of new journals slowed significantly in 2013, but half of the new ones were still APC-charging. Note that there are no OA economics journals dating back prior to 1970, and that none began in 1990-91.
Figure 10.1 shows essentially the same information as Table 10.5, but in a graph with lines for free and APC-charging journals. Note the wide gap until 2010.
Figure 10.1. Economics OA journals by starting date
Year Journals Articles Art/Jrnl
Table 10.6. Articles per journal by starting date
Table 10.6 shows journals that published articles in 2013, when they started, and the average 2013 articles per journal. Note that there were no new economics OA journals in 1990-91 and that those started in 1992-93 didn’t publish any articles in 2013. The most interesting item in this table may be that the two journals started in the 1980s publish more articles per journal than for any period since then, but with only two journals, that may not be very meaningful.
In general, economics OA journals aren’t all that unusual for social sciences: proportionally fewer APC-charging journals than in STEM or biomed, and with relatively lower APCs.
This entry was posted on Friday, May 1st, 2015 at 7:10 am and is filed under open access. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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‘Bachelor’ Alumni are Headed to ‘Fear Factor’
It turns out that several “Bachelor” alumni are headed to the show “Fear Factor.” Of course, you don’t want to miss watching this go down. Bustle shared the details about who will be on the show and how you can watch them. The summer episodes of the show will be all celebrities, which will, of course, have some of Bachelor Nation on it.
There are going to be people from “Bachelor” as well as other reality shows on “Fear Factor.” “Jersey Shore” is one other group that will join the show. Corinne Olympios, Rachel Lindsay, Vanessa Grimaldi, Danielle Maltby, and Alexis Waters will all be participating in a special episode of Fear Factor, called “For the Love of Fear.” So far, they haven’t shared what other shows will have reality stars on a special episode.
It has not been revealed when this episode of “Fear Factor” will air yet, but you don’t want to miss it. The show as gone for a while, but returned in 2017 with new episodes. Keeping things fresh, such as bringing on celebrities, may keep “Fear Factor” around for a while longer. It will start airing on July 17 on MTV.
Make sure you don’t miss watching Becca Kufrin try to find love on “The Bachelorette” on Monday nights on ABC.
Tags: Bachelor, Fear Factor
Why You Should Buy a Wooden Swing Set
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Jeremy Vuolo Makes Fans Think Jinger Is About to Have Her Baby
Joe and Kendra Duggar Birth Special Coming: When Can You Watch This?
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CHOOSE YOUR SPORT
INDOOR SOCCER / FUTSAL
CHOOSE YOUR STADIUM
BOX HILL (VIC)
BUNDOORA (VIC)
RINGWOOD (VIC)
MARIBYRNONG (VIC)
NORTH GEELONG (VIC)
TULLAMARINE (VIC)
EASTERN SHORE (TAS)
SALISBURY (SA)
MORPHETT VALE (SA)
BEENLEIGH (QLD)
TOOMBUL (QLD)
TOOWOOMBA (QLD)
VICTORIA POINT (QLD)
WYNNUM (QLD)
KAMBAH (ACT)
LADDERS, FIXTURES & RESULTS
Benefits of Playing Indoor Cricket
Playing a game of indoor cricket is one of the most fun ways to enhance one’s social skills. At Action Indoor Sports, we value your social relationships. We provide state-of-the-art venues for the whole family to enjoy watching this indoor sport.
History of Indoor Cricket
Perth holds the record for devising the indoor cricket that many countries around the world play today. It is true that Germany and the United Kingdom have been playing indoor cricket for several years before the inception of the game in Australia. But, the Australian version is without a doubt the more popular version.
In 1979, two Australian entrepreneurs decided to modify the classic game of cricket by moving it indoors. Paul Hanna and Michael Jones established the Indoor Cricket Arenas to provide a venue for cricket players to remain active. This is especially true when the weather doesn’t permit playing the game outdoors. Hanna and Jones’ first indoor cricket featured eight-a-side games. Today’s indoor cricket follows the more fast-paced six-a-side format.
One can always think that Australians and the rest of the world will not be playing indoor cricket if not for the enterprising spirit of these two gentlemen.
Playing Indoor Cricket
A game of indoor cricket follows the same rules of traditional cricket. The only difference is that there are a fewer number of players per team. The game is held indoors, too. Other than these, indoor cricket is almost the same as traditional cricket.
Everyone in the team gets to bat, bowl, run, and field. Since the playing field is smaller and enclosed in a restricted space, the game can be fast-paced. This is what makes a game of indoor cricket a lot more exciting.
What Indoor Cricket Can Do for You
Indoor cricket is a good way to build rapport and camaraderie with one’s teammates. You’re also given the chance to face and accept defeat with humility. It is also a non-contact sport. This means there’s no danger of inflicting unintentional harm on others. It’s pure, good old fashioned fun activity. Indoor cricket can also help improve one’s reflexes and enhance your hand-eye coordination.
What Action Indoor Sports Can Provide
Action Indoor Sports is Australia’s premier provider of indoor cricket arenas. It makes sure that the amenities in its venues are top-notch. This is to make every game more meaningful both for the players and the spectators. Whether you are a player or a spectator, you can trust Action Indoor Sports indoor cricket arenas to provide you with only the best.
From the digital scoreboard to premium synthetic playing field, our stadiums are some of the nation’s best. Players can get the information they need from digital monitors. With this information, they’ll know what they can do to win one for the team.
Families and friends can watch safely outside the playing field. They’ll feel as if they’re right in the middle of the action.
At Action Indoor Sports, we are motivated to provide you with an indoor cricket experience like no other.
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7 books about fatherhood, just in time for Father's Day
Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman
Dads often get the short shrift. There’s a big focus on Mother’s Day and a much smaller focus on Father’s Day.
When it comes to books on parenting, the same is true.
For Father’s Day, we offer seven new books that are about fatherhood written by a dad, for a dad or in honor of a dad.
“The Dad Lab: 50 Awesome Science Projects for Parents and Kids” by Sergei Urban ($18, TarcherPerigee)
Create great memories with the kids, have some fun and maybe learn something with these science experiments from Sergei Urban, who created the Dad Lab. Most of the things you’ll need for these projects are things you already have at home or can get very quickly with a trip to a grocery store.
Some of the projects feel more science-y, like Exploring Density in a Glass, which uses honey, oil and water and common objects to see how things float. Some feel more creative, like Painting With Bubbles, which uses dish soap, food coloring and straws to create colorful bubbles.
“This Is the Book You Give Your Dad: Everything An Awesome Father Wants to Know” by Matt Goulet and Andrew Janik ($20, Simon & Schuster)
“This Is the Book You Give Your Dad” would actually be great for anyone. It offers an illustrated guide to many things such as tools and how to use them; the steps of building a fire and, more importantly, putting out a fire; making cocktails; the actors who played James Bond; how to play Texas Hold ’Em and bar games; and some easy recipes to feed the kids.
It’s all things that you might know some of but not everything on the page. Who knew there were so many different patterns you could make while mowing the lawn, or that there’s an official way to carve a turkey?
Wisdom from Dad
“Stark Raving Dad: Poems for the Frazzled Parent in All of Us” by Sanderson Dean ($14, Running Press)
Ready to laugh? Parenting does have its unbelievably funny moments, and Sanderson Dean captures those in funny ways in poetry. His poems are inspired by his two sons, Jordan and Kylan.
Some favorites: “King for A Minute,” a three-verse poem about a moment of peace and quiet while sitting on the toilet, which, of course, gets interrupted by kids knocking on the door; “All the Riches in the World,” which puts to pen the common sentiment that you would give anything for more sleep; and “Clean Up Your Room,” which asks the immortal question: How many times does a parent have to tell you to clean up your room before you will do it?
RELATED: Budweiser’s Father’s Day ad honoring stepfathers will bring you to tears
“The Life of Dad: Reflections on Fatherhood From Today’s Leaders, Icons, and Legendary Dads, by Jon Finkel and Art Eddy ($16.99, Adams Media)
The creators of “The Life of Dad” podcast put their work into book form with this collection of famous dads talking about fatherhood and offering their advice. The book is filled with messages from sports heroes, actors and comedians, musical stars and well-known entrepreneurs. Actor/rapper Ice Cube tells us, “Don’t leave it up to the mother to raise your kids. You need to be just as involved.”
Actor Henry Winkler shows his humanity and failings when he talks about the importance of chores: “Our children were great negotiators — I did their chores.”
Author Brad Meltzer offers this advice: “There is only one rule when it comes to being a parent as far as I am concerned. It is love your kids. You can screw up everything else.”
Finkel and Eddy weave this advice into their own learnings.
“My First Rodeo: How Three Daughters, One Wife, And a Herd of Others Are Making Me a Better Dad” by Stoney Stamper ($17.99, Waterbrook)
Stoney Stamper created the Daddy Diaries blog based on his experience raising one biological daughter and two stepdaughters.
He talks about his uneasiness settling into fatherhood. With one of his stepdaughters they created their own word to say “I love you” without using those words. He talks about the first time his wife leaves for a half-day spa day and the disaster that feels like it is — just 30 minutes into the adventure. In fact, the book is a collection of sweet remembrances of when things didn’t always go that smoothly.
RELATED: Father's Day 2019: 25 of the most iconic TV dads
Remembering Dad
“All That You Leave Behind” by Erin Lee Carr ($26, Ballantine Books)
Documentary filmmaker Erin Lee Carr, whose most recent work includes “A Heart of Gold” about the U.S. gymnastics scandal, takes a look at the relationship she had with her own father, David Carr, who was an author and columnist for The New York Times.
After her father collapsed in the newsroom in 2015 and died, Erin Lee Carr tries to make sense of her father’s legacy and the things she inherited from him. Sure, there’s the love of telling people’s stories, but there’s also something darker in their genes: addiction.
She uses her father’s emails and messages to try to make understand the things she learned from him. It’s part love letter to her father and therapy session expressing the frustration and disappointment at both her father’s failings and her own.
“Folded Wisdom: Notes From Dad on Life, Love and Growing Up” by Joanna Guest ($20, Celadon Books)
Joanna Guest’s father, Robert, left her and her brother Theo an incredible legacy. Each day, beginning in 1995, when Joanna Guest was 7 and Theo Guest was 4, Robert Guest sat down to write a note to each of them with advice or thoughts for the occasion of that day. He then folded them up into triangles (like the kind you use for making a football to hike between finger goalposts).
The book is part reprinting of her father’s messages and part how-to for writing your own kids messages and what to say. The book offers a real-world example of the impact writing daily notes can have on a child.
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» Plant Species
Regulatory Mechanisms
Last Updated on Sun, 13 Aug 2017 | Plant Species
When population size exceeds the number of individuals that can be supported by existing resources, competition and other factors reduce population size until it reaches levels in balance with resource supply. This equilibrium population size, which can be sustained indefinitely by resource availability, is termed the carrying capacity of the environment and is designated as K. Carrying capacity is not constant; it depends on factors that affect both the abundance and suitability of necessary resources, including the intensity of competition with other species that also use those particular resources.
Density-independent factors modify population size, but only density-dependent factors can regulate population size, in the sense of stabilizing abundance near carrying capacity. Regulation requires environmental feedback, such as through density-dependent mechanisms that reduce population growth at high densities but allow population growth at low densities (Isaev and Khlebopros 1979). Nicholson (1933, 1954a, b, 1958) first postulated that density-dependent biotic interactions are the primary factors determining population size. Andrewartha and Birch (1954) challenged this view, suggesting that density-dependent processes generally are of minor importance in determining abundance. This debate was resolved with recognition that regulation of population size requires density-dependent processes, but abundance is determined by all factors that affect the population (Begon and Mortimer 1981, Isaev and Khlebopros 1979). However, debate continues over the relative importances of competition and predation, the so-called "bottom-up" (or resource concentration/limitation) and "top-down" (or "trophic cascade") hypotheses, for regulating population sizes (see also Chapter 9).
Bottom-up regulation is accomplished through the dependence of populations on resource supply. Suitable food is most often invoked as the limiting resource, but suitable shelter and oviposition sites also may be limiting. As populations grow, these resources become the objects of intense competition, reducing natality and increasing mortality and dispersal (see Chapter 5), and eventually reducing population growth. As population size declines, resources become relatively more available and support population growth. Hence, a population should tend to fluctuate around the size (carrying capacity) that can be sustained by resource supply.
Top-down regulation is accomplished through the response of predators and parasites to increasing host population size. As prey abundance increases, predators and parasites encounter more prey. Predators respond functionally to increased abundance of a prey species by learning to acquire prey more efficiently and respond numerically by increasing population size as food supply increases. Increased intensity of predation reduces prey numbers. Reduced prey availability limits food supply for predators and reduces the intensity of predation. Hence a prey population should fluctuate around the size determined by intensity of predation.
A number of experiments have demonstrated the dependence of insect population growth on resource availability, especially the abundance of suitable food resources (e.g., M. Brown et al. 1987, Cappuccino 1992, Harrison 1994, Lunder-stadt 1981, Ohgushi and Sawada 1985, Polis and Strong 1996, Price 1997, Ritchie 2000, Schowalter and Turchin 1993,Schultz 1988,Scriber and Slansky 1981,Varley and Gradwell 1970). For example, Schowalter and Turchin (1993) demonstrated that growth of southern pine beetle populations, measured as number of host trees killed, was significant only under conditions of high host density and low nonhost density (Fig. 6.6). However, some populations appear not to be food limited (Wise 1975). Many exotic herbivores are generalists that are regulated poorly in the absence of coevolved predators, although this also could reflect poor defensive capacity by nonadapted plants.
Population regulation by predators has been supported by experiments demonstrating population growth following predator removal (Carpenter and Kitchell 1987, 1988, Dial and Roughgarden 1995, Marquis and Whelan 1994, Oksanen 1983). Manipulations in multiple-trophic-level systems have shown that a manipulated increase at one predator trophic level causes reduced abundance of the next lower trophic level and increased abundance at the second trophic level down (Carpenter and Kitchell 1987, 1988, Letourneau and Dyer 1998). However, in many cases, predators appear simply to respond to prey abundance without regulating prey populations (Parry et al. 1997), and the effect of predation and parasitism often is delayed and hence less obvious than the effects of resource supply.
Regulation by lateral factors does not involve other trophic levels. Interference competition, territoriality, cannibalism, and density-dependent dispersal have been considered to be lateral factors that may have a primary regulatory role (Harrison and Cappuccino 1995). For example, Fox (1975a) reviewed studies indicating that cannibalism is a predictable part of the life history of some species, acting as a population control mechanism that rapidly decreases the number of competitors, regardless of food supply. In the backswimmer, Notonecta hoff-manni, cannibalism of young nymphs by older nymphs occurred even when alter-
■ Low pine/low hardwood
□ Low pine/high hardwood
□ High pine/low hardwood
■ High pine/high hardwood
Effect of host (pine) and nonhost (hardwood) densities on population growth of the southern pine beetle, measured as pine mortality in 1989 (Mississippi) and 1990 (Louisiana). Low pine = 11-14 m2 ha-1 basal area; high pine = 23-29 m2 ha-1 basal area; low hardwood = 0-4 m2 ha-1 basal area; high hardwood = 9-14 m2 ha-1 basal area. Vertical lines indicate standard error of the mean. Bars under the same letter did not differ at an experimentwise error rate of P < 0.05 for data combined for the 2 years. Data from Schowalter and Turchin (1993).
b a a native prey were abundant (Fox 1975b). In other species, any exposed or unprotected individuals are attacked (Fox 1975a). However, competition clearly is affected by resource supply.
All populations probably are regulated simultaneously by bottom-up, top-down, and lateral factors. Some resources are more limiting than others for all species, but changing environmental conditions can affect the abundance or suitability of particular resources and directly or indirectly affect higher trophic levels (M. Hunter and Price 1992, Polis and Strong 1996, Power 1992). For example, environmental changes that stress vegetation can increase the suitability of a food plant without changing its abundance. Under such circumstances, the disruption of bottom-up regulation results in increased prey availability, and perhaps suitability (Stamp 1992, Traugott and Stamp 1996), for predators and parasites, resulting in increased abundance at that trophic level. Species often respond differentially to the same change in resources or predators. Ritchie (2000) reported that experimental fertilization (with nitrogen) of grassland plots resulted in increased non-grass quality for, and density of, polyphagous grasshop pers but did not affect grass quality and reduced density of grass-feeding grasshoppers. Density-dependent competition and dispersal, as well as increased predation, eventually cause population decline to levels at which these regulatory factors become less operative.
Harrison and Cappuccino (1995) compiled data from 60 studies in which bottom-up, top-down, or lateral density-dependent regulatory mechanisms were evaluated for populations of invertebrates, herbivorous insects, and vertebrates. They reported that bottom-up regulation was apparent in 89% of the studies, overall, compared to observation of top-down regulation in 39% and lateral regulation in 79% of the studies.
Top-down regulation was observed more frequently than bottom-up regulation only for the category that included fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Bottom-up regulation may predominate in (primarily terrestrial) systems where resource suitability is more limiting than is resource availability (i.e., resources are defended in some way [especially through incorporation of carbohydrates into indigestible lignin and cellulose]). Top-down regulation may predominate in (primarily aquatic) systems where resources are relatively undefended, or consumers are adapted to defenses, and production can compensate for consumption (D. Strong 1992, see also Chapter 12).
Whereas density dependence acts in a regulatory (stabilizing) manner through negative feedback (i.e., acting to slow or stop continued growth), inverse density dependence has been thought to act in a destabilizing manner. Allee (1931) first proposed that positive feedback creates unstable thresholds (i.e., an extinction threshold below which a population inevitably declines to extinction and the release threshold above which the population grows uncontrollably until resource depletion or epizootics decimate the population) (Begon and Mortimer 1981, Berryman 1996,1997, Isaev and Khlebopros 1979). Between these thresholds, density-dependent factors should maintain stable populations near K, a property known as the Allee effect. However, positive feedback may ensure population persistence at low densities and is counteracted, in most species, by the effects of crowding, resource depletion, and predation at higher densities
Clearly, conditions that bring populations near release or extinction thresholds are of particular interest to ecologists, as well as to resource managers. Bazykin et al. (1997), Berryman et al. (1987), and Turchin (1990) demonstrated the importance of time lags to the effectiveness of regulatory factors. They demonstrated that time lags weaken negative feedback and reduce the rigidity of population regulation. Hence, populations that are controlled primarily by factors that operate through delayed negative feedback should exhibit greater amplitude of population fluctuation, whereas populations that are controlled by factors with more immediate negative feedback should be more stable. J. Myers (1988) and Mason (1996) concluded that delayed effects of density-dependent factors can generate outbreak cycles with an interval of about 10 years. For irruptive and cyclic populations, decline to near or below local extinction thresholds may affect the time necessary for population recovery between outbreaks.
Oplan Termites
You Might Start Missing Your Termites After Kickin'em Out. After All, They Have Been Your Roommates For Quite A While. Enraged With How The Termites Have Eaten Up Your Antique Furniture? Can't Wait To Have Them Exterminated Completely From The Face Of The Earth? Fret Not. We Will Tell You How To Get Rid Of Them From Your House At Least. If Not From The Face The Earth.
Cyclical Ketogenic Diets Review
Detoxification and Cleansing Programs
Crickets Breeding Made Simple
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Sketch of the Life of Linda Gilbert, With Statistical Reports and Engraving of Herself
by Gilbert, Linda
New York: Printed at the Industrial School of the Hebrew Orphan Asylum, 1876. First Edition. 8vo; 99, (1)pp; fine tinted portrait of Gilbert lithographed by Bien; original dark green cloth with elaborate floral decoration in blind, lettered in gold and with gold vignette on front of ball and chain, handcuffs, flogging post; with neat, small private library label on front pastedown endpaper, a fine copy. Linda Gilbert (1847-1895), philanthropist and prison welfare worker, was active first in Chicago then in New York City. She wrote this book as an appeal to the public for funds with which to carry on her work. It consists of case records as well as material on industry in prisons, justice and injustice, penitentiary reform, repeat offenders, pickpockets, prison libraries, effect of kind words, charity, modern jails, the mission of women, etc. As a young woman she established in Chicago the first county jail library. "She then set herself to providing libraries for as many jails as possible and to assisting prisoners in whatever way she could, soon becoming known as the 'Prisoner's Friend'". In 1873 she went to New York City, renewing these efforts by forming the Gilbert Library and Prisoner's Aid Fund. She visited prisons and devoted much attention, particularly, to the Ludlow Street Jail and The Tombs, as well as to women prisoners at Sing Sing. She pleaded for humane treatment of prisoners, and an employment bureau for them. NAW II, pp 31-32. DAB. (Inventory #: 8297)
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Amusings. Texts by Richard Firmage, David Sacks, William Shakespeare, and William Massey
by Moore, Suzanne
Vashon, WA 2006
Travelling/Gabberjabb No. 7 Travelling or NeoPostModrinPreMortemism or Dieser Rasen ist kein Hundeklo (II) or Interminable Gabberjabb Number Seven
by Perishable Press. Hamady, Walter
Mt. Horeb, WI : Perishable Press , 1996
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Less Law, More Order
The Truth about Reducing Crime
by Irvin Waller
Sheds new light on the problem of crime and argues that better prevention strategies, rather than stricter laws, will do more to reduce crime
Topics Crime/General
Hardcover: £50.00/54,00€/A$83.00
Each year 24 million Americans are victims of crime. U.S. taxpayers spend more and more each year on police, prisons and judges—a record $200 billion at last count. They incarcerate more and more persons each year—two million plus. Yet prestigious commissions show not only that this standard way of responding to crime is ineffective but that there is scientific proof that many projects that tackle risk factors that cause crime are effective. Rather than sending more people to jail or hiring more and more police, the author, and the research, shows that addressing problems in the community does more to prevent crime. This timely book illustrates in convincing detail what needs to be done to prevent crime and keep people out of prison.
Here, Waller shows that hiring public health nurses and investing in helping youth at risk to complete school and get job training is better than hiring more police; preventing family violence, banning hand guns and dealing with drugs through public health saves more lives than incarceration; getting close neighbors to watch out for us and better industrial design are more effective than criminal courts; smarter policing is better than more police; paying for services to support victims and guaranteeing them rights is better than more rhetoric. Addressing the social issues that lead to crime, rather than addressing crime after it happens, or putting stiffer penalties in place, will contribute to creating a safer society and to keeping kids and adults from taking the wrong path toward a life of crime.
Reviews/Endorsements
"In nine well-written, clearly documented chapters, Waller makes the case for adopting policies that privilege the prevention of crime over the current tough on crime response. He demonstrates how the punitive approach is actually tough on victims and taxpayers and produces questionable outcomes. The author offers a series of policy proposals that would focus on addressing the known causes of conventional crime, starting with programs to invest in more effective parenting and schooling. Many proposals are quite familiar (e.g., outlaw handguns), and some are especially ambitious (e.g., transform urban environments). Concluding chapters call for investing in order and busting causes, not budgets. Altogether, this brief but well-organized book offers a useful overview of the case for an alternative to the current crime-fighting public policies. Recommended. All public and academic levels/libraries."—Choice
"[C]hallenges the conventional practices of law enforcement in reacting to crime. He presents scientific research, demonstrating crime prevention projects that have successfully tackled factors at the root of crime. Yet, despite findings by numerous prestigious commissions from both national and international sources, the current response appears to be increased incarceration and police force, which tends to lead to more incarceration. Waller details those programs that have proven successful in reducing crime by helping at-risk youth to complete school and get job training, preventing family violence, restricting hand guns, and addressing drug abuse through public-health services....[t]he clear challenge is to get responsible officials to see that a more effective deterrent to crime is to address social issues that lead to crime rather than the current reactive practice of increasing penalties and reacting to crime after it occurs."—Booklist
"Powerful, passionate and persuasive writing, Less Law, More Order makes the case for prevention over punishment, for early investments in families and education over profligate incarceration. Evidence-based, Waller's approach will reduce crime and victimization and will save money. A must read for every voter."—John A. Calhoun, founding President and CEO, National Crime Prevention Council and former U.S. Commissioner of the Administration for Children, Youth and Families
"Want to reduce crime and save taxes? Less Law, More Order is a profound critique of where America has gone wrong in the fight against crime--and an impressive prescription of how we can put it right. I strongly encourage my colleagues promoting victim justice in the U.S.--and around the globe--to delve into Professor Waller's analyses and put his proposals for change on their reform agendas. This is the authoritative diagnosis that the victims movement can use for prevention and justice."—Dr. Marlene Young, President, International Organization for Victim Assistance
"Successful policing uses facts to put crooks behind bars. Smart policing uses facts to organize to reduce crime. Less Law, More Order uses facts from the authoritative sources in the USA and England. It puts in question our standard practices but shows what we must do better to reduce violence. It puts government leadership at the center of the fight against crime. This is a practical and smart agenda to make our countries safer from crime that the next generation of political and police leaders must read and put into action."—The Lord Stevens, QPM, DL, former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service
"Less Law, More Order does not pull any punches. The solutions are not more police and prisoners. It uses the World Health Organization and other authoritative sources to show what must be done to reduce crime. It uses successes by cities from Birmingham to Bogota to show how city leadership can reduce crime by combining forces to tackle its causes. Mayors and their officials must not only read this book but put these simple conclusions into practice."—Senator Larry Campbell, formerly Mayor of Vancouver and Chief Coroner of British Columbia
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Paid Multiple Copies - Business Sales (Digital Edition)
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Ohio board receives petition to add 'Bengals/Browns fan' as condition to get medical marijuana
By: WEWS Staff
CLEVELAND — It's not easy being a pro football fan in Ohio. The two NFL teams in the state, the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, combined for a 8-24 record in 2019. Neither has ever won a Super Bowl and in fact, the teams have combined for just a single playoff win since 1992.
At least one person thinks the pain of defeat for Bengals and Browns fans can sometimes be too much bear.
According to the State Medical Board of Ohio, someone submitted a petition to add "Bengals/Browns Fans" as a qualifying condition under the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program.
During the 2019 petition window from Nov.1 through Dec. 31, the board received 28 petitions for potential new qualifying conditions. Marked as No. 10 on the list, "Bengals/Browns Fans" was listed as a condition the board should consider.
On Feb. 12, the medical board committee is expected to meet, where they will decide which petitions to consider. A final vote on new qualifying conditions is expected this summer.
The following petitions were submitted for consideration:
1. Anxiety
3. Anxiety, Depression
4. Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disorder
5. Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Arthritis
6. Asperger's Disorder
7. Autism Spectrum Disorder
10. Bengals/Browns Fans
11. Cachexia/Wasting Syndrome
12. Chronic Back Chronic Hip
13. Depression
14. Diabetes, Hypoglycemia, Hyperglycemia, Concussions
15. Epstein-Barr
16. Gastroesophageal reflux disease
17. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
19. HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's
20. Insomnia
21. Lupus
22. Opioid Use Disorder
24. Panic Attack and Anxiety
25. PTSD, Depression, Anxiety
26. Severe Social Anxiety
27. Stage 4 Breast Lung Lymph Nodes Cancer
28. Traumatic Brain Injury, Chronic Pain
All petitions letters must include letters of support provided by physicians, relevant medical or scientific evidence, among other requirements.
The next condition petition window will be Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, 2020.
This story was originally published by Kaylyn Hlavaty on WEWS in Cleveland.
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Flights to Tairāwhiti Gisborne
Find our cheapest flights to Tairāwhiti Gisborne from Auckland and Wellington.
Tairāwhiti Gisborne is the first city in the world to greet the sun each morning. It's known for wonderful food, wine, culture and surfing.
Things to do in Tairāwhiti Gisborne
There's a lot to love about Tairāwhiti Gisborne. It has a gorgeous coastline, plenty of sunshine and a reputation for turning out award-winning chardonnays. It also has an easy-going mood that makes it very easy to slow down and appreciate the finer details of life.
Sip a nicely-balanced pilsner brewed at the local Sunshine Brewery, tuck into perfectly crisp fish and chips, and enjoy the ozone scent of the Pacific Ocean as it rolls perfect waves onto the beach. That's the Gizzy way.
The tracks wind around ponds and lakes, revealing amazing vistas at every corner. If you pack a picnic, you could make a whole day of it.
When the sun gets up, Tairāwhiti Gisborne is the first city to see it. The best place to catch the sunrise is Kaiti Hill, also known as Titirangi. As well as blockbuster views, this park has a pohutukawa tree planted by Princess Diana, an observatory, a WWII gun emplacement and a fitness course. It’s one of the most popular places to go in Tairāwhiti Gisborne.
Gisborne coastal wharf
Eastwood Hill and beyond
Another truly Eastland experience is Eastwoodhill Arboretum. It's the tree equivalent of an art gallery, with the largest collection of northern hemisphere trees south of the equator. You don't have to be a botanist to enjoy this park; wandering the many pathways is simply a beautiful way to get connected with nature. The tracks wind around ponds and lakes, revealing amazing vistas at every corner. If you pack a picnic, you could make a whole day of it.
A little further on from Eastwoodhill is Rere, a popular Tairāwhiti Gisborne attraction. Here the Wharekopae River delivers a heavenly cascade of water that’s 20 metres wide. You can do more than look at Rere Falls, because the reserve includes the amazing mossy Rere rockslide for 60 metres of unstoppable fun. Some kind of inflatable water toy is recommended for this natural waterpark sliding experience.
There's a lot of history in Tairāwhiti Gisborne. It's where the Māori waka (canoes) Horouta and Tākitumu first landed, and it's also where Captain Cook first set foot on New Zealand soil in 1769. If surfing history is more your thing, you'll be interested to know that stand-up 'zip boards' were first used at Wainui Beach in 1959 and the famously long rides of Makorori Point were discovered by local surfers in the early 1960s.
Rere Falls
If surfing history is more your thing, you’ll be interested to know that stand-up 'zip boards' were first used at Wainui Beach in 1959 and the famously long rides of Makorori Point were discovered by local surfers in the early 1960s. The Makarori Hill walk and lookout provides a great spot for watching the local surfing and kitesurfing expertise.
Eating out in Tairāwhiti Gisborne
Many of the best restaurants in Tairāwhiti Gisborne are clustered around the river mouth near the port, so you can enjoy a delicious meal in a waterside setting. Here you'll also find some of the best Tairāwhiti Gisborne cafes and bars, plus there’s a riverside walkway for stretching your legs after eating.
An East Cape adventure
While there's no shortage of places to go and fun things to do in Tairāwhiti Gisborne, a lot of people also choose the city as the start or end point for the iconic road trip around East Cape. Usually taken at a relaxed pace over two or three days, it's a windy scenic drive through a quiet and incredibly beautiful part of New Zealand. You can even detour from Te Araroa to visit the historic East Cape Lighthouse, about 700 steps up from the sea on New Zealand’s most eastern point.
Gisborne is sheltered from westerly winds and has one of the sunniest climates in New Zealand. Summers are warm and winters are pleasantly mild. Any time of the year is good for surfing, hiking and visiting wineries. Eastwoodhill Arboretum is best in autumn.
If you visiting Gisborne from overseas you might need a visa to holiday in New Zealand, depending on where you're from and how long you're staying. See the visa-waiver list.
Cheap flights to Tairāwhiti Gisborne
Auckland (AKL) to Gisborne (GIS)
1h 5m Non-stop M,T,W,T,F,S,S Find flights
Wellington (WLG) to Gisborne (GIS)
Flight time*: 1h 5m
Keep exploring Tairāwhiti Gisborne
Gisborne Top 10 Gisborne Wine and food Gisborne Events, shows and festivals Gisborne
Coastal view image courtesy of Brennan Thomas; Rere Falls image courtesy of Brook Sabin; Rere rockslide image courtesy of Brook Sabin
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Donald Watkins’ $1.5 billion question: Was it ever real?
Updated Feb 23, 2019; Posted Feb 23, 2019
Donald Watkins Sr. insisted he was a successful biofuels entrepreneur and he was once reputed to be a billionaire, but prosecutors have shown he defaulted on credit cards and bounced checks. bn
By Kyle Whitmire | kwhitmire@al.com
This is an opinion column.
For years, Donald Watkins Sr. held himself out as a successful biofuels entrepreneur.
His company, he told investors, was worth around $1.5 billion, with ventures in countries around the world. In emails to those investors, he said that company, Masada, was working with the likes of Martin Luther King III and Condoleezza Rice to break into international markets where it would turn developing world trash into ethanol.
The question at the center of Watkins fraud trial in Birmingham is seemingly simple: Was any of it ever real?
After a week of testimony, that question has only grown bigger.
Prosecutors have accused Watkins, once a household name in Birmingham, and his son Donald Watkins Jr. of duping former sports stars, including Charles Barkley, into investing millions into Masada. But rather than using that money to develop his business, the government says, Watkins paid personal expenses, including alimony, back taxes and personal credit cards.
Both Watkins Sr. and Watikins Jr. have waived their right to legal counsel and are representing themselves in court. That dynamic has turned cross-examinations to tense, personal exchanges between the defendants and the investors they allegedly defrauded.
Two of those investors have testified already. This week, retired NFL linebackers Bryan Thomas and Takeo Spikes, took the stand to say Watkins told them Masada was a flourishing company worth as much as $1.5 billion.
Each invested $1 million into Masada, and both came to regret it.
Thomas and Spikes testified that Watkins withheld crucial information, such and profits and losses, they received easily from their other investments. Instead, Watkins shared long emails boasting about Masada’s new opportunities.
“Everything he wrote in all the emails was all fluff,” Thomas said.
In court, prosecutors played depositions Watkins gave Securities and Exchange Commission. In those depositions, Watkins insisted he never told his investors that he would use their money for Masada’s expenses along. After seeing those videos, both Spikes and Thomas grew emotional on the stand.
“I’m sorry, I hadn’t seen this, Spikes said, swallowing and pausing. “This is the first time. It's very disturbing."
The prosecutor asked him why.
"I thought Donald Watkins was telling the truth," after another long pause.
In his emails, Watkins told investors that Martin Luther King III was arranging a meeting with President Barack Obama and that former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice could join Masada’s board and would make introductions for the company in India and other countries. Both King and Rice testified that Watkins had made these claims without their consent, and even after they had told Watkins they were no longer interested being part of Masada.
On cross-examination, Watkins Sr. asked Rice whether they had discussed her working as an advisor under his supervision, as he’d told investors in the emails.
“We never had that conversation, Mr. Watkins, and in most of my engagements its not a matter of somebody supervising me,” Rice said. “I haven't had a boss in a long time.”
Rice testified that Watkins’ interest in buying the St. Louis Rams spooked her and she quit responding to his emails, although she hoped they could remain friends and acquaintances.
“And we still are today?” Watkins asked.
“I am acquainted with you, yes,” Rice said.
But between the emails and questionable representations Watkins made to investors, including retired NBA superstar Charles Barkley, is still the question: Was any of this real?
Donald Watkins: Ineffable, incorrigible and indicted
There was a time 10 years ago when no one had to explain who he was. Everyone already knew — or thought they knew.
One former energy entrepreneur, Lupe Rodriguez, testified that he and his company’s CEO looked into Masada after Watkins proposed a partnership. What they found was no bricks and mortar, just paper. According to Rodriguez, they could not find that Masada had ever produced any fuel.
While questioning witnesses, Watkins has tried to argue that the company’s value was not in plants and equipment, but rather in patents and permits. Several witnesses have testified that Watkins Sr. showed them a basement room at his bank’s office building, which he called Masada’s “data room.”
But according to Thomas, the room was littered with file boxes and loose papers and looked, as he described it, like something you’d see on the reality TV show “Hoarders.”
When Watkins Sr. was shopping for professional sports teams, including the Rams and the Minnesota Twins, more than a decade ago, he was rumored to be a billionaire, but evidence introduced in court has shown he had trouble paying credit card bills and he over-drafted his bank account.
“I never told you I was a billionaire, did I?” Watkins Sr. asked Thomas.
“No,” Thomas said. “When I asked you, you sat back with a beer in your hand giggling.”
Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for the Alabama Media Group.
Testimony in the Watkins fraud trial resumes next week. For live updates, follow @WarOnDumb on Twitter.
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Download from iTunes Download from Amazon Quantity in Basket: None LEÓN-TANAKA-PARANOSIC-RUBIN-DUSMAN-SHIELDS Stolen Gold TROY1305 - Price: $16.99
Seven breathaking works performed by violinist Airi Yoshioka.
Violinist Airi Yoshioka's curiosity in the electro-acoustic medium led her to commission works from five composers -- part of the seven breathtaking works that are all given their world-premiere performances on this recording. The program exhibits a wide range of contemporary styles and reveals a diverse culture of American women composers productive in the electro-acoustic music. Airi Yoshioka has concertized throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Canada as a recitalist, soloist and chamber musician. Deeply committed to chamber music, she is the founding member of the Damocles Trio and Modigliani Quartet and has performed and recorded with the members of the Emerson, Brentano and Arditti Quartets. She has premiered dozens of works and continues to build repertoire for violin through her numerous commissions. A graduate of Yale and Juilliard, Ms. Yoshioka is associate professor of violin at the University of Maryland.
Tania León, composer
Airi Yoshioka, violin, electronics
Karen Tanaka, composer
Wave Mechanics II
Milica Paranosic, composer
Al Airi lepo Sviri
Anna Rubin, composer
Stolen Gold
Linda Dusman, composer
magnificat 3: lament
Alice Shields, composer
Becca Schack, composer
"Hats off for Andrew Waggoner, a most remarkable composer..." (Fanfare)
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The Creative 100
26 Agency Leaders Who Are Becoming the Industry’s New Icons
They're building brands, careers and new legacies
By Doug Zanger,
Erik Oster
72andSunny New York ecd Justine Armour has led attention-grabbing recent work for Cheerios and Halo Top.
Dasha Pestrikova
Advertising will always have its share of young rising stars, quickly building a name for themselves as they climb the ranks. But rising leaders, while even more important to the health and future of advertising, are harder to spot. Their work often shifts behind the scenes as they privately offer guidance and quietly share in glories.
As part of Adweek’s Creative 100 each year, we take a step back and look at the emerging leaders who are charting a new course for advertising. Some are building new agencies, while others are building on the legacies of globally admired shops.
Read below to get to know this year’s senior agency talent on the Creative 100:
Mira Kaddoura
Founder and ecd, Red & Co
Photo: Jacob Hinmon
Based in: Portland, Ore.
Recent work: “Make Room” for Netflix. “Netflix rarely does brand work, but felt it needed to stand up and stand out as a company that can disrupt culture (and the film industry) as much as it’s disrupted the technology with which we watch films and shows. We wanted to talk to everyone marginalized by the film industry (women, POC, LGBTQ, etc) to show how Netflix’s inclusiveness results in amazing stories.”
The most rewarding part of the job: “Being able to connect with, inspire and empower millions of people I will never meet.”
Secrets of being a good creative leader: “Making room for people with different POVs—women, people of color, people from different cultures, LGBTQ, etc. Not being afraid to fail. Being brave. Pushing people, internally or externally, outside of their comfort zone. Enjoying the process.”
Best advice for aspiring creatives: “It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon.”
Personal mantra: “As you worship, so you become.”
—Doug Zanger
Andrés Ordóñez
CCO, Energy BBDO
Photo: Brian Cooper
Based in: Chicago
Hometown: Bogotá, Colombia
Recent work: “Prescribed to Death” for the National Safety Council. “It’s the type of work that lives at the intersection between innovation and storytelling—which is something we really strive to do. Plus, it’s not every day that you have the opportunity to save a life and with this project, we did.”
What else he’s worked on: Jeep, while at BBDO Puerto Rico; Ford and SC Johnson while at Zubi
The most rewarding part of the job: “The people. There’s nothing better than feeling the energy of the people around the work and seeing their faces when ideas are out and recognized.”
Side hustle: “Running. I try to run at least 5 days a week because it clears up the mind.”
Personal mantra: “Always trust your gut. It knows what your head hasn’t figured out yet.”
Best advice for aspiring creatives: “Get into this because you love it, because it makes you wake up in the middle of the night thinking about a line, because the world is full of stories that you want to turn into something. And never forget that, while you’re at it, you have the chance to make this world a better one.”
Casey Rand and Karen Land Short
Ecds, Droga5
Photo courtesy of Droga5
Based in: New York City
Hometowns: Montreal (Rand) and Austin, Texas (Land Short)
Recent work: “Class of 0000,” created by agency coalition Potential Energy, is a student-led campaign promoting climate action with graduation speeches demanding action from political leaders. “Essentially, we’re getting high school and college valedictorians across the country to work the same speech into their commencement addresses, all pledging to vote for political candidates who have a plan to get to zero emissions,” Rand says. “I’m most proud of this because, as we all know, the world is ending and our leaders refuse to take action. Karen and I are leading the project with a team at Droga5.”
Click for more from this issue
This story first appeared in the June 10, 2019, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.
https://adweek.it/2JWrYvY
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